Brighton, UK.
+44 7551607171
+44 1273504773
emma@empowerenergy4life.com
Personal Yoga/Meditation Instruction/Training Sessions, Yoga Therapy, Weekly Drop in Classes and Yoga Programmes are all available for complete beginners to advanced practitioners. Please see the Yoga , Fees and Schedules Pages listed at the top of the website for more details.
Hatha Yoga is a complete system of health care. Its actual aim through all the practices is to heal and create physical, mental and emotional health in the body and mind, to prepare for and support Meditation. Each practice has a specific effect on the body, mind, emotions and subtle energies. Specific practices are beneficial for certain types of physical, mental and emotional conditions and health. For Yoga or Yoga Therapy to be its most beneficial it is important to have a practice (sadhana) specific to your own physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs. Emma's experience enables her to give spiritual guidance and suggest very specific yoga / meditation practices for you, whether you are a beginner or advanced practitioner. She can create a Yoga and or Meditation practice (sadhana) that will help you to heal, develop and transform on all levels according to your need. She focuses on individual private instruction / training or small private groups, with a limited number of sessions, because the emphasis is on helping you develop and establish a practice (sadhana) that you can do without distraction, quietly, in your own space, and on a regular basis. This will then enable you to truly experience, understand and gain the benefits of Yoga / Meditation.
After self practice has been established further sessions can be taken to develop your practice and self further step by step.
An understanding and experience, of the more esoteric practices of Yoga such as Meditation, Mantra, Chakra Awareness, Kriya Yoga and Karma Yoga is encouraged to deepen your understanding of the true potential of Yoga of which Hatha Yoga is a very small part.
Yoga is a science. It is the science of this body mind experience, helping us to unfold our potential to live this life in truth. The many practices and the different aspects of Yoga are aimed at understanding, balancing and developing the potential of the body mind and our consciousness, for example Asanas balance and strengthen all the physical systems of the body, restoring health. Pranayama works also on the physical body through the subtle energy called prana or chi to increase vitality and also directly affects the mental body, the mind. Karma Yoga develops the attitudes of the personality, Bhakti Yoga is useful for channelling emotional energy and Meditation balances the mind and points us to the truth of our nature and self realisation. However no practice can be done without it affecting all the dimensions of our experience. This is the power of Yoga.
The style of Yoga is from the Satyananda/Bihar Yoga tradition. Satyananda Yoga is a system of Yoga developed by Paramahansa Satyananda Saraswati and his lineage, one of the most recognised and respected in India, his Guru was Swami Sivananda. Its approach and practices are derived from ancient and traditional sources adjusted and developed to the needs of modern man through the systematic and inspiring personal practice and self-realisation of these authentic Masters. Its approach develops a much deeper awareness of the person and practitioners are particularly encouraged to learn about all dimensions of their body mind experience through the many aspects of Yoga. Change takes place on all levels as a natural consequence of developing awareness and regular practice. Experience as a healer also makes Emma more sensitive and directly aware of the more subtle energy flows within the body mind and the many effects on all levels of the different practices, it is this sensitivity and knowledge that is integrated with the Satyananda approach to give further dimension and understanding to the purpose and power of yoga, one's personal practice and oneself.
There is a constant effect of the mind on the body. Asanas help to keep not only the physical systems healthy and strong with specific asanas effecting specific parts and systems of the body, but also in an imperceptible way, with Pranayama, they help to build up a mental resistance to disease. Unlike other forms of exercises, they take into account all the parts of the body both externally and internally, the conscious and automatic functions and importantly they tone the nervous system. The entire body mind is dependent on a healthy nervous system. Careful and regular practice of asanas should not create a great strain on physical energy and particularly this style of teaching is for people of all ages, different body types and levels of fitness.
Prana means energy, it is the vitality of life which supports the physical body through the various energy centres of the body. Pranayama is the regulation and control of prana using the breath. Breathing is the process by which oxygen enters the body. Oxygen is needed for the process of energy production in the body and also the process of oxidation, which is the chemical reaction that is produced by every function and every cell in our body and mind including our thoughts. The carbon dioxide produced by oxidation is expelled from the body by breathing explaining why breathing and oxygen are absolutely necessary for life. One of the most important functions in the body is therefore breathing. The regulation of the process of breathing in Pranayama works directly to strengthen the lungs themselves so that they are able to function at optimum capacity. The increased supply of oxygen to the body increases the available energy supply to all its parts, and builds the vital energy. This maintains health and increases the functioning of all parts of the whole body. Better elimination of carbon dioxide and all other toxins from the body is also achieved. Susceptibility to illness and disease is reduced. Pranayama produces a relaxing and invigorating effect on the brain and nerves. The nerves are toned and nervous tensions can be relieved. It increases function of the brain and dormant centres can be awakened. The pituitary and pineal glands are developed. The process of purification in Pranayama also purifies the pranic channels, preparing for the awakening and movement of consciousness energy through the physical and subtler bodies.
Mudras are techniques in yoga which also have a physical and mental effect, physically they activate glandular function and are techniques for controlling the involuntary organs and the nerves connected to them. They encourage awareness of prana ie subtle energy currents and on the mental level they activate and awaken the dormant mental/psychic energy centres.
Also having great physical and psychological effect, they are internal contractions and flexions that control and exercise certain muscles and the involuntary organs and the nerves associated with them, stimulating energy flow and removing disease.
Bandha Also having great physical and psychological effect, they are internal contractions and flexions that control and exercise certain muscles and the involuntary organs and the nerves associated with them, stimulating energy flow and removing disease.
Otherwise called Psychic Sleep this practice was developed by Paramahamsa Satyananda Saraswati and develops the Art of sleeping. Going to sleep with an active, diverted mind is unhealthy for the body and the mind. The mind continues to be restless during sleep leaving the body mind still feeling exhausted when awakening. By focusing the mind in a specific way the mind is able to rest completely and then so is the body. However, the power of this practice is that through Yoga Nidra we are not only able to relax in the deepest way releasing not just physical, but mental and emotional tension but also we can restructure our thought patterns and therefore our personality and experience of life.
The purpose of meditation is to point us to ultimate truth, to the truth of our nature, and this body mind experience. The mind is often seen as an obstacle in this, however is it important to recognize what is natural, it is the nature of the mind to have thoughts and produce emotion sensations in the body. It is only when we allow these thoughts to dominate that we overlook our true nature. Many meditation and other techniques have been devised to help focus and quiet the mind and clear the mental and emotional energy patterns that seem to control us. For example Japa Yoga, the repetition of a Mantra, a precise sound vibration that acts as a focus and creates a specific vibration in the mind and the physical cells of the body. This releases the denser blocked energy of repetitive thought patterns and unfolds the latent power of the mind. Another meditation technique is Trataka, this helps with the initial process of introverting the extroverted mind and concentration. It involves gazing at a specific object such as a candle flame, deity or crystal. Nada Yoga focuses on external sounds and the internal subtle vibrations of the body mind in the form of sound vibrations. Ajapa Japa is the focus of the mind on the sound, in the form of a mantra, produced by the breath and the process of breathing itself, with full awareness of the body and the mind at all times. Beyond all techniques of meditation there is then the ability to just sit and see the nature of this body mind experience and ultimately recognise the truth of our nature.The preparation of the body and the mind by purification and strengthening, the stimulation and balancing of the flow of prana, the awakening and opening of the subtle energy centres, through all the practices and aspects of yoga, leads to the awakening and unfolding of consciousness, developing the mind and its creativity and its potential for self realization, the recognition of ultimate truth.