The Five Principles of wellbeing- according to Swami Vishnu-devananda
Yoga, Meditation and Green Salad on the Side- A Dish of Wellbeing
By Dr Oliver Rivers
Following his great teacher Sri Swami Sivananda’s teaching and inspiration, Swami Vishnu-devananda arrived to San Francisco in 1957 to establish what would become over time an international network of Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers and Ashrams.
In accordance to his master’s prescription of physical-emotional and spiritual wellbeing, Vishnu-devananda devised five basic principles that can be incorporated into our daily living in order to provide the foundation of a long and healthy life. Swami Vishnu-devananda’s philosophy of wellbeing recommends the following 5 basic principles: proper exercise, proper breathing, proper relaxation, proper diet and positive thinking (and meditation). It is around these five principles that Sunray Workshops experiential workshop “A Dish of wellbeing” is structured. Sunray Workshops combine yoga, guidance towards a yogic diet, yogic breathing techniques, relaxation and meditation exercises and positive thinking theories and techniques- as important key elements of wellbeing.
- Proper Exercise- The first principle of wellbeing is to embrace and practice daily the yoga postures or ‘asanas’, that improve blood circulation, stretch and tone the muscles and ligaments, improve the flexibility of the 8 joints in the body, and regulate and strengthen each part of our body.
Yogi Swatmarama (15th century) compiled the asanas into the “Hatha Yoga Pradipika” which introduced the system of Hatha Yoga. “Ham” stands for the solar force in the universe, or the masculine energy. “Tham” represents the lunar force or the feminine energy. Hatha yoga is the “union” of those opposite forces into a balanced and harmonious co-existence.
The sages taught us that the asanas are specific postures that assist to channel the Prana (life force) into different areas in our body, bringing vitality and rejuvenation to each of our organs. To practice the different asanas means to direct life force to be absorbed in each cell in our body.
If you observe children you notice that their pliant and supple body consorts with life, while a rigid body consorts with death (until the final ‘Rigor Mortis’ which is the corpse’s “stiffness of death”). The older we get, the more stiff and inflexible our body turns to be. It seems that we are wasting money on different expensive lotions from the outside…why not learn the ‘free of charge’ asanas and keep healthy inside out?
In the “Dish of wellbeing” we instruct a 2 hour Hatha yoga session each day of the workshop.
- Proper Breathing- breathing fully and rhythmically to increase the intake of oxygen and regulating the flow of Prana. The yogic techniques are teaching us to use our entire lungs, rather than using only the shallow upper part as we usually do through our daily life.
As if we are born with a set number of breaths we ought to take in this life, we can ‘fast track’ and end our ‘credit’ rather quickly. What do I mean? The yogis also taught us that the slow breathers are living for longer than the life forms that breathe fast. Animals such as elephants, tortoises and pythons breathe slowly and live longer than fast breathers like dogs, birds or rabbits. Slow breathing will increase the absorption of prana in our second body (the Pranamaya Kosha) and enhance health and wellbeing in our other bodies, which among them the physical and the mental bodies.
Breathing slowly will also affect immediately our stress and anxiety levels, that weakening our immune system.
Sunray Workshops instruct a dozen pranayama techniques (yogic breathing techniques) for you to learn and continue and practice daily at home.
- Proper Diet- a natural pure Sattvic diet that nourishes the body and strengthens the immune system, as well as calming the mind.
As I already mentioned dogs, let me write a few words about our beautiful German shepherd, Sebastian.
It is extremely hard to persuade Sebastian to switch to a green vegetarian diet, or at least a diet that consist on fruits and vegetables. Sebastian is actually looks insulted when I try and offer him a tomato. He is willing to eat only meat for breakfast, and will reluctantly settle for a dry food (in meat flavor) for dinner. I strongly believe that if we could convince Sebastian to shift his diet, we could prolong his life, and we could enjoy his beautiful loving company for more than the 10-14 years that he is “destined” to live.
So we can’t convince Sebastian (yet), but we hope to be able to convince YOU how important it is to incorporate more and more alkaline food into your daily diet, for a longer and healthier life.
During your time at “A dish of wellbeing”, you will receive practical information on the relationship of diet and health, as well as step by step guidance to a balanced yogic “Sattvic” natural diet and healthy life style. A yogic diet nourishes the body while calming and purifying the mind. The Sattvic diet is based on “Alkaline” fresh, light and highly nutritious food that keeps the body lean and limber and the mind clear and sharp. We also suggest how to change your diet gradually rather than dramatically in order to be able to sustain this life change long term.
We will also discuss and explain the other two qualities (Gunnas) - Tamas and Rajas- in regards to daily diet. In our longer workshops (the 7 day retreats) we also add and discuss the Ayurvedic diet, the three body/personality types (Vatta, Kapha and Pitta) and the specific personalized diet that is recommended to you.
If you look at even mildly changing your diet, in the long run you’ll more health and more years, to your life.
- Proper Relaxation- If we release the tension in us, body and soul, we will strengthen our immune system and feel refreshed and calm.
Relaxation, on the physical dimension, means resting and keeping the number of sleeping hours that YOU need. But mainly- mentally and emotionally- relaxation brings us to the well-known topic of the difference between “Being” and “Doing”.
What does it mean “to be”? Why do so many eastern and western philosophies regard ‘Being’ as ‘recharging’/’healing’/”being one with the source”?
What does it all mean?
We will discuss it in groups, as well as search with you for YOUR definition of ‘being’, what does it means for you, and- hence, how can you incorporate it more and more in your life.
- Positive Thinking (and meditation)- Now this is the last but not least, actually the most fascinating part in our workshop “ A dish of wellbeing”.
Meditation, as a the approach of stilling the mind and ultimately transcending all thoughts, is scientifically shown to be highly beneficial to health, promoting inner peace, better sleep, concentration, mind power and mental focus- all of which are discussed and experienced during this workshop- what does it mean, why is meditation so advised and recommended by so many wellbeing philosophies, and most importantly- how do you start or improve your practice of meditation?
We will experience short meditations, as well as instructions on how to find your personalized style of meditation and how to start, if only 10 minutes a day- which is always far better than not meditating at all.
And most importantly- what does it mean “positive thinking”- and why is it SO hard…
As part of our positive thinking techniques, we will introduce Neuroplasticity (‘Plasticity’ relates to the dynamic process in the brain of learning) as an introduction to learning powerful tools to create a completely new life ‘story’ (that determines the way we will continue and interpret our life events).
We will discuss why it is actually impossible technically, scientifically, to ‘think positive’ all of a sudden and how actually can we acquire these skills- that, once being learnt, changes significantly the quality of our lives and the way we view and experience the world. We will discuss it in the group, but moreover- we will devise and practice ‘rewiring’ exercise together during the workshop.
“Yoga, Meditation and Green Salad on the Side- A Dish of Wellbeing” is structured according to these 5 principles of wellbeing. We aim to cover and experience those principles over 2 day of group and individual work.
We instruct Sivananda yoga combined with traditional Hatha yoga- the classical tradition of Indian yogis and the basis for all modern styles of yoga.
Our practice focuses on preserving the health and wellness of the practitioner while retaining the vitality of the body as a constant on the health’s ease-dis-ease continuum (ease-disease). This happens simply and naturally by cultivating the body and the mind.
Sunray Workshops are experiential (based on experience) rather based on long lectures (Sivavnanda argued that “an ounce of practice is better than tons of theory”). It could have been a very short workshop, if we only ‘spoke’ about the five wellbeing principles. I always say that it took me four academic degrees and extensive studies of eastern philosophies and yoga, to “finally get it”. I always find that when you finally understand something, it turns to be so, so simple.
Sunray Workshops are conducted in laidback terms, an easy going and relaxed manner. The emphasis is not on ‘remember, remember’ lots of details and information, BUT to just simply understand and hence, embark on your journey through the ‘Y junction’, the turning point in life (we will explain it further in our workshop).
You understand by experiencing, not by hearing ‘lots of words’ that may be (probably) forgotten after a week (or repressed…you know how it goes in life, life happens continuously, lots on your mid, and you forget- or want to forget…)
We offer two levels of “A dish of wellbeing” workshops:
- Beginner (new to yoga)
- Advanced (more experienced yoga practitioners)
Previous experience in yoga- we dedicate a few dates of “Dish of wellbeing” for total beginners. This workshop is ideal for those who are completely new to yoga and wish to ease their way into a more gentle Hatha yoga practice. We teach in this workshop simple Hatha postures with varying levels of complexity according to the level of the individuals in the beginners group. We feel honored to be able to teach you the first steps.
The rest of the “Dish of wellbeing” workshops are catered for experienced and advanced practitioners that wish to integrate their practice into their way of living and wellbeing. We invite you to get familiar with the meditative Sivananda yoga practice.
“A dish of wellbeing” workshops are facilitated in two formats:
- 2 day workshop
- 7 day residential retreat
The 2 day workshop offers a wonderful introduction to the five wellbeing principles, a smorgasbord of nourishing experiences (although we only ‘talk’ about diet, we don’t practically chew lettuce together…). We go deeper, on many levels to a great experience, more colorful and multifaceted in the 7 day retreat. This long and intensive format of early mornings- full days- and some of the evenings offers a greater opportunity to have a breakthrough experience by realizing the Y junction (the personal idiosyncratic turning point) to a greater depth and extent. A greater variation of yoga postures, strategies and techniques are covered, as well as a comprehensive experience of healing and wellbeing is more available in a retreat of 7 days and nights.
We run our retreats in very special resorts that are embraced by beautiful nature,
At the moment we chose to concentrate and focus on seminars and experiential workshops all through Australia, mainly on the Gold Coast, Queensland.
However, towards the end of 2012 we will return to continue and run our workshops also overseas.
We are looking forward to meet you,
With love,
Sunray Workshops
About us
Sunray workshops facilitators Dr Oliver & Sarah Rivers are a down to earth couple who live in the real world and present the complex philosophical and practical material in layback terms and with humor, engaging with their audience, teaching how- and motivating to- take a giant leap in order to for the people themselves create a turning point towards a better life & uncover their full potential.
ABOUT OLIVER:
Sunray workshops facilitator Dr Oliver Rivers presents the complex philosophical and practical material in laid-back terms and with humor, engaging with his audience, teaching how- and motivating to- take a giant leap in order to for the people themselves create a turning point towards a better life & uncover their full potential.
Oliver has 17 years experience in professional counselling and psychotherapy, working both in Australia and overseas, in hospitals, medical centers and private practice, with individuals and groups.
Oliver has advanced clinical experience, having worked in institutions specialising in treating Cancer, Cerebral Palsy, trauma and sexually abused patients. He has extensive experience working with adults from diverse cultural backgrounds, with a wide range of issues including identity issues, relationship issues, depression and post traumatic stress disorder. His research interests include the capacity for psychological change, spiritual awareness and self-development.
Influenced also by his extensive studies of Yoga and Buddhism in the Himalayas in India, as a practitioner and a certified yoga teacher, Oliver combines Eastern philosophies and yogic techniques in his experiential workshops.
Hence, Oliver’s great variety of approaches and techniques helps people of all ages overcome fears and emotional barriers that inhibit growth and self-development, and, therefore, allows individuals to uncover their full potential.
ABOUT SARAH:
Sarah is a qualified trainer with 12 years experience training and facilitating workshops and courses both in Australia and overseas.
Sarah’s extensive studies of Eastern and Western nutrition and the effects of nutrition on both physical and mental health conditions, has influenced her to dedicate her life to helping others to change dietary patterns to promote their wellbeing and longevity.
Sarah is a meditation teacher and facilitates meditation classes and courses to assist people of all ages to understand the many benefits of meditation on the mind, body and soul, as well as how to meditate and incorporate meditation into everyday life.
Sarah is a movement and Intuitive-Dance facilitator, combining her prior training in gymnastics, ballet and modern dance. Intuitive-Dance is an invigorating and powerful meditative dance, designed to create peace of mind and promote physical health. Sarah’s Intuitive-Dance workshops are designed to promote body-awareness and spiritual insight, decrease stress and connect with the joy within.
Sarah’s work assists her clients in their journey towards healing and maintaining a healthy lifestyle through proper nutrition, body-work and meditation.
