ĀYURVEDA x BEAUTY

Whatever you have read is only a name --
Chandogya Upanishad

The Sanskrit word saundaryalipsā describes the urge we all have to move towards what appears beautiful, hinting that what is beautiful captures our complete attention. In fact, manohara - one of the many words for beauty in Sanskrit - translates literally to ‘remover of mind’, meaning that in experiencing beauty, we become captivated, our focus moves in one direction. When we drop the thoughts and fluctuations of the mind, we release tensions giving ourselves the ability to relax and to be present to the sensations of the moment, making the experience of beauty simultaneously relaxing, delighting, enthralling, stimulating, and inspiring!

Naturally we don’t want to observe the phenomenon of beauty outside of us, we want to embody beauty ourselves - we want to be beautiful. The Āyurvedic tradition describes three pillars of beauty: rūpaṁ, guṇaṁ, and vayastyag. Rūpaṁ refers to outer beauty of the physical form managed through care of the skin (and hair) on the outside as well as the inside of our bodies (think - the skin of our digestive tracts and deeper tissues!). Guṇaṁ is inner beauty indicated by sincerity of heart, purity of thought, and honesty of action; it is beauty in the state of mind and feeling. When these two are maintained properly, during śarīrayātrā - the journey or pilgrimage of the body in this physical life - vayastyag, or the everlasting, timeless beauty of consciousness, becomes your primary reality.

As we take care of ourselves, our Self emerges, our presence becomes palpable. It is our presence that speaks the splendor and magnificence of absolute beauty louder than anything else.

Classes are 2 hours and begin promptly at 7PM
$40 drop-in or $225 for all six classes
Sign up in link or email info@skytingyoga.com to register

CLASS TWO :
Guṇaṁ | A Beautiful Mind / Breath, Motion, Sound
The same agni that manages digestion and transformation within the physical body also powers the mind to be intelligently disciplined to achieve inner beauty, guṇaṁ, the reflection of your mental state. Āyurveda teaches that you are in direct control of the way you feel, as well as how you perceive and project yourself back out into the world based on the actions (dietary, lifestyle) you take daily. Carefully maintaining metabolic fire allows you to perceive the world clearly, giving the ability to see things for what they really are and to extract valuable lessons from your experiences. In this class, we will discuss:
*the three gunas (mental qualities): sattva, rajas, and tamas
*gesture and voice to project harmony using the instrument of the body
*your present projection patterns through breath, bodily *movement and speech habits
*breath as a tool to identify and transform mental *state/projection with prānayama
*high quality sound currents (mantras) to change the frequency of the mental atmosphere to one that is attracted to and *communicating harmony, grace, and elegance
*techniques + meditations to take out the accumulated trash of the mind (mental āma)