The
Lotus Way
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"It might not be what you expected... so it will be fun and you will learn a lot." -Heather Within a Yoga Therapy session, I am able to connect to your 'energy' and begin the process of taking you deeper into your conscious connection to your mind, body and spirit. Through this process, we will learn what practices from the ancient sciences of Tantra Yoga & Ayurveda will most benefit you. It will be different for each individual, therefore most work needs to be done one-on-one. For groups, we can do sessions which consist of more dialogue and demonstration where we focus on the general philosophies and practices of these sciences which will inspire and enable each individual to begin exploring their path to greater health and happiness. I do not practice or teach the Western / New Age styles of Yoga or Tantra. I have tremendous gratitude for these styles as they have opened a door for us to re-enter a philosophy and practice that I aspire to learn, live and share with you. Tantra has been very misrepresented in the west as a 'sex practice'. It is not! Although the Tantric philosophy does not denounce sex like many religions do, Tantra is not a religion. Tantra simply asks us to absorb all experiences (every word, thought and action) into a heightened state of consciousness. When you truly accept life the way it is and the way it is not without attachment or resistance, you are free or 'enlightened'. Mike Stokes wrote a nice article in Feb '05 for Yogi Times on Tantra. http://freedomyoga.com/tantra.htm (I stole a few of his words for the paragraph above, thanks Mike!). And many students and teachers in the west are starting to revive and embrace the teachings that trace back to the 6th century Kashmiri Shavaistic texts. Dharmanidhi Sarasvati is the only teacher I have studied with to date that is teaching and practicing the traditional teachings, method and initiations of classical Indian Tantric Yoga and Tantric Sciences. The following text is from his teacher, Paramahamsa Styananda Saraswati: Hatha Yoga (all yoga) evolved from Tantra. If you ask me 'what kind of yoga' I practice, I could say Hatha Yoga, but as I learn more about this beautiful practice, I come to realize it is all Tantra. Asana (what most in the west consider to be 'yoga') is but one element of a complete Yoga practice. My goal is to help individuals start to learn about the whole practice of Yoga. "When the senses are stilled, when the mind is at rest, when the intellect wavers not - then, say the wise, is reached the highest stage. This steady control of the senses and mind has been defined as Yoga." - Patanjali The therapeutic basis of my work (and traditional Thai Massage in general) is strongly rooted in the Indian healing tradition of Ayurveda. The word ayurveda derives from two Sanskrit words: ayur, meaning "life," and veda, meaning "knowledge." Together these words describe a concept of harmonious living. Ayurveda helps us maintain a healthy balance and respects that each individual is unique and requires different attention to achieve and then maintain this balance. Thai Massage originally developed as an assisted-yoga practice, the rhythm and intensity by which a pose was executed being guided by Ayurvedic principles of constitution: slow an gentle for vata, non-vigorous and relaxing for pita, energetic and fiery for kapha. I do not operate as an Ayurvedic doctor, but I do integrate some of the general principles into my work. If you do not know your Ayurvedic constitutions (mainly your prakriti and vakruti), I can help you determine that. This is often a good thing to add to your initial session. I am also happy to suggest other complimentary healing modalities and practitioners as we come to learn what other practices will benefit you the most.
Contact InformationIf you are in the United States, feel free to call the number below to schedule a FREE phone consultation. International requests may be sent to the email below and I will contact you within 24-hours to arrange a phone consultation.
970-209-6723
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Send mail to
Heather@TheLotusWay.org with questions or comments about this web site.
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