Ananda Kennard

SmartFlow® Yoga

  • SmartFLOW® yoga
  • Public Classes
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact

December 14, 2013 by Ananda Kennard

An Invitation To Listen Within By Ananda and Jim

An Invitation To Listen Within By Ananda and Jim

Let us begin with a story, to invoke and hold space for our attendant, Lord Ganesha, paraphrasing here:

Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati lived with their two children – Ganesha and Kartikeya. Kartikeya was a beautiful boy with strong limbs, whereas Ganesha had the head of an elephant and was pot-bellied with short stubby legs.  Kartikeya’s vehicle was the swift peacock and Ganesha’s vehicle was a mouse.

A mischievous sage, Narada, came to see Shiva and Parvati.  Sage Narada, with a mischievous twinkle, brought out a mango. He presented the mango to Shiva, ‘Lord, this mango is a very special mango. It is sweeter than the nectar of the Gods and whoever eats this mango would become wise and learned.’ Shiva was about to cut the mango and give half of it to Parvati, when Narada stopped him. ‘My Lord! He said, ‘the mango has to be eaten by one person only. If it is cut or shared, it would lose its value.’ Shiva frowned and immediately handed over the mango for Parvati to eat. He smiled, ‘Enjoy the fruit, my dear!’Parvati hesitated as she too was unwilling to eat something which her husband would not eat.

At that time Ganesha and Kartikeya came inside their home to find their parents talking seriously with Sage Narada. ‘What is happening? What is in your hands, Sage Narada? Kartikeya came up from behind and asked Narada, eying the mango.  Narada said ”Oh this…”.  Ganesha looked at the mango, licked his lips, why his parents had rejected such a delicious gift. The aroma wafted even more strongly as Kartikeya said, ‘Mother I will take it, it smells so delicious… and I like mangoes too…’ Ganesha interrupted, ‘I saw it first, I want it…I like eating.. it is mine….’ Ganesha yelled as he tried snatching the mango from Narada’s hand, only to be stopped by his brother.

Narada safely moved to the side, his mission accomplished, he watched.  Both Shiva and Parvati realized that Narada had created a rift between the two brothers. Shiva angrily shouted at Narada, ‘You came here to start this fight! I hope you are satisfied now…’ Shiva angrily shook his head.

Parvati knew it was time she intervened, as Shiva, Ganesha and Kartikeya were all angry. Shiva stopped advancing towards Narada and looked at Parvati. Both Ganesha and Kartikeya stopped their bickering and looked at their mother expectantly.  ‘We will organize a competition, whoever wins the competition, gets the mango, ok?’ Parvati said with a quiet smile. Both the brothers nodded realizing that this was the only solution. Now Narada asked: ‘Mother, shall I suggest the competition?

Parvati nodded. Then Narada said, ‘Whoever goes around the world three times and returns first would win the mango.’  Kartikeya smiled. There was no way Ganesha could win this competition. Kartikeya was sure he was going to get the mango. Without saying another word, Kartikeya ran to his peacock and starting his flight around the world.

Ganesha was perturbed. He knew that he his mouse couldn’t match the speed of the Kartikeya’s peacock. He was wondering what to do, when an idea struck him.  Meanwhile Kartikeya after circling the world three times came home to claim the mango. Much to his amazement, he saw the mango in his brother’s hands.  Kartikeya could not believe that Ganesha had circled the world faster than him and had claimed the mango! Bewildered he turned to his mother, ‘How did Ganesha complete the race first?’

It was Sage Narada who replied, ‘Ganesha said that Shiva and Parvati were his parents were his whole world. He had asked Shiva and Parvati to stand together and circled them three times, taking the mango.’  Kartikeya looked long at his brother who had the mango in his hands. He knew that his brother had beaten him fair. Kartikeya smiled. Ganesha smiled back and offered the mango to Kartikeya!

We all follow the path of either Ganesha or Kartikeya in our lives. Some of us gather knowledge by traveling the world – like Kartikeya, whereas some of us gather knowledge by staying at the same place and observing people– like Ganesha.*

Now we want to share our perspective, to save any confusion.  So there is no question as to the year that was, we want to talk about it.  There have been plenty of moments that have given us pause for thought, and none of that seems out of line with the given experiences of a human culture at large.  There are also some dynamics, like those offered by Narada, unique to the yoga world. These are the cultural complexes, which we are intimately bound up in.  Since we expanded our business 2 years ago, we instantly had the falling apart (or blowing up) of Anusara, and with it our original business plan.  Since that time, we tried to recollect ourselves as best we could.  Inevitably, the complex phenomena in the yoga world that shook Anusara apart completely, ended up on our doorstep.  At times, it has felt like the terrorizing space shrapnel that revisits us every 1hr and 30mins (if you’ve seen the movie, Gravity), which is about every year in our world.  It is as if we have been racing to escape this.

Our biggest challenge over the last two years has been in terms of reorienting and grounding the culture of our business. Since that time, our community of students and teachers have been cycled through to varying degrees.  One of our longest serving teachers recently resigned, and we are grateful for her growth, while sad to see her leave. This is a positive outcome after being with us from the beginning of her career as a yoga teacher.  The reason we were given for her resignation was that our culture was “too much of a revolving door”.  Framed in that way, the aspect of the revolving door was taken to be negative, and gives the impression that there should be reason for the door to remain closed.  Yet who really wants the door to be closed? Having “no exit” is an existential nightmare, and in reality, there is no such thing.  If the door were to be closed we could never escape life, and we would be stuck in one place, or phase, psychologically speaking.  Alternatively, this could lead to a facing of ones demons, which if handled intelligently, will lead to a removal of any such obstacle.  This brings us to our primary host for this Christmas – Ganapati – the indestructible mover and shaker.

If we take the image of the revolving door, and turn it on its side, we have the symbol of the rota or wheel. This is an archetypal image, a form with universal significance.  It has functioned as container for the experience of an ultimate reality, on which the whole phenomenal world rests. In the eastern spiritual tradition, this is the work of mandala symbolism.  These images describe the basic structure of our existence, in its fullness. They do not make meaning like our signs, through exclusions, but instead draw contents in.  They might look static, but as we know the action of wheel is made to turn. In our culture, we get about in our wheels, and this is literally our primary mode of transport. As we see in the metaphor, it also functions on a symbolic level.

The spokes on the wheel describe the innate order, created through the spontaneous divisions manifested out of the basic movement of life, Prana.  Sacred geometry sees the living essence in the shape of things, that is, in how they “turn out”. We can’t be blamed if it was not as we expected, because we have something to learn from the basis of that unfolding. Strangely, the psyche is also an intervention into that natural process.  What we can see happening in these artworks, relates precisely to what Ananda said in last night’s class: “the observation is the transformation.”  To be part of that work of transforming our situation, we must look to see what patterns are occurring in our embodied existence. When you see these things staring back at you, from wherever they may be, that is the pivotal moment that changes the course of life.  This is precisely what we set out to do freely for ourselves, when we create the world from the space of observation.  Of course, that work is never finished because this principle, the wheel of life, understands that the unfolding is a process of concealment and revelation. With our embodied awareness, we can begin to know that these two facts of consciousness are actually two sides of the same coin, two aspects of the one reality.

We have chosen to keep our doors open and to enable movement, whilst we stay in the same place, observing life as it circles around.   The past is receding, and the future expanding, holding us to our centre.  We are proud to be a container in which teachers and students develop their capacities.  We have all shared our love for, and knowledge of yoga.  The momentum gathers, as 2014 will offer more expansive knowledge and love for the practice, as we work on our capacity to hold more, together.  We are really excited to have the door wide open for new programming and faces next year. Stay tuned for our New Year newsletter, for a complete description of events, classes and schedule. We look forward to having you visit, practice, learn and love yoga at Preshana.

 

*Full story retrievable at http://hindumythologyforgennext.blogspot.com.au/2011/10/ganesha-wins-mango.html

September 29, 2013 by Ananda Kennard

Food For The Soul With Breakfast With Audrey

For her second contribution with Breakfast With Audrey, AnandaI pulls from some of the ancient texts of yoga. Ananda’s next few contributions will be based around the texts of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.

In today’s fast moving world, where the majority of our attention is moved by the latest and greatest quick fixes, trends, events, and devices- the yoga practice continues, and these ancient texts offer relevant advice on how to live a life of fulfilment today.

The Yoga Sutras were written in approximately 200 BC. The author of these texts, Patanjali, is thought to have been a physician, sanskrit scholar and yogi. Each scripture is an aphorism coming from an oral tradition, perfect for memorizing and repeating the teachings, so you can access them anywhere, embedded ‘in the cloud’ within. These phrases and sutras are guidelines and disciplines that welcome the benefits of health and self-awareness that come from the practice of yoga. In the second chapter, he provides the ethical guidelines of practicing yoga- the Yamas. Very roughly translated, this means the practice of restraint. This practice gives us the fundamental skill in leading a fulfilling life.

There are 8 limbs of Yoga, and the first is the Yamas. Yama comes to mean how we interact relate with the external world, this may surprise some, as many of us think of yoga as the physical practice. This highlights that yoga is about the whole experience of our living. I think it is important to say that the teachings of the sutras are in not intended to simply control our behavior.  Instead, they suggest that through the choices we make within our efforts, we are rewarded with the fruits of those actions and behaviors. It is a principle of universal morality.

Beginning with the first limb, Yama, we will talk about Ahimsa. Ahimsa is translated as ‘non-violence’.
Many of you will be familiar with this idea from the teachings of Gandhi and Martin Luther King, and in those examples you can clearly see what a powerful theory this is, when put into practice. The theory and practice are intricately bound.

Ahimsa is a very practical way of bringing our attention to our thoughts, words, and actions. These three levels of being are a manifestation of the world we live in and create, every time we awake and go about our day. When we bring our attention to our thoughts, look to see if any are negative or harmful.  These thoughts lead to how we feel; those feelings predispose us to communicate and receive words in a certain way, which effect how we make sense of our life. In turn, we live out our lives and make decisions according to the way in which we make sense of our relationships.

Read the full post here.

Connect with Ananda

  • 
  • 

Testimonials

Ananda is intuitive and her classes uncannily sensitive to the current mood. She has challenged me to work toward my individual capabilities. Perhaps more importantly, Ananda has presented yoga in a way philosophically that can be taken out of the yoga class and into everyday life. Yoga has been a…
Christine Price
Read all testimonials
After practicing all different types of yoga for over 15 years you know when you’ve come across a special teacher. Ananda is one of those rare teachers with the ability to teach with ease, humour and technical precision all at the same time. She can sense what each student needs at so it feels like …
Jared
Read all testimonials
I am writing this as a personal reference for Ananda Trettin. Ananda has been my yoga teacher for over 5 years, during which time she has guided me through a truly unique physical and spiritual yoga journey. I had been practicing for many years, various styles of yoga, before joining Ananda’s cl…
Karen McLeod
Read all testimonials
Ananda is a special teacher and unlike any other that I have had the privilege to study under. Her passion for yoga is evident in everything that she does and she walks a path of truth and understanding. Her classes are taught with a clear and thorough understanding of the body so that her students …
Cassy teacher
Read all testimonials
Ananda is among the best of teachers. And the best of teachers constantly learn, grow, shift and expand. I have witnessed and experienced this in her classes. Her passion for the craft is infectious. While guiding and prompting and encouraging with rigour, the element of play is ever present…
Tracy Mann
Read all testimonials
Ananda has awaken my practice. Her presence in the yoga room draws attention to a person’s body, mind and soul. She teaches with passion in her heart. Her classes are never easy but her tough love for students pays off. Her constructive and detailed instructions brought me out of my comfort zone and…
June Chard
Read all testimonials
I began practicing yoga as a beginner with Ananda five years ago. At the time I experienced frequent, severe migraines, back and neck pain and wrist pain which all resolved themselves within several months of attending Ananda’s classes. I have taken Ananda’s classes as a beginner, during pregnancy a…
Student
Read all testimonials
I have had the pleasure of working with Ananda since early 2014. Preshana was the first studio to bring international teachers to Australia, and through Ananda and Preshana I have participated in teacher trainings and workshops put on by the studio, including in a 200hr training with Naoh Mazé and …
Rachel Falconer
Read all testimonials
I have attended many of Ananda’s classes over the last few years, and I love to be her student whenever I can. Being a teacher myself I am discerning when it comes to attending a yoga class and Ananda is my favourite teacher in Sydney. She is one of those rare person who you know is meant to be a yo…
Dominique Marill
Read all testimonials
My first class with Ananda completely changed my view on yoga and sparked a sense of curiosity that I had not had before. She has an acute awareness and understanding of the body and movement, which she so clearing articulates. She explores movement and alignment seamlessly and effortlessly. He…
Heidi Ancich
Read all testimonials

Recent Blog posts

  • New Years Intentions December 31, 2015
  • Living through the Heart January 8, 2015
  • Merry Christmas – Light Up the Chakra Tree December 9, 2014
  • Article with Ananda January 26, 2014
  • An Invitation To Listen Within By Ananda and Jim December 14, 2013

Copyright 2021 Ananda Kennard