2008-08-28T02:09:58ZSusan O'FarrellCopyright 2008, Susan O'FarrellSPHPBLOGWelcome to Yoga, Heart and Soul Namaste,
May the upcoming Spring of 2008 be the best.
Hello, my name is Susan O'Farrell, yoga therapist and certified, senior teacher of the Walt Baptiste Method of Raja yoga, teacher of mindfulness, wholeness, yoga and meditation. Raja Yoga is also known as the Royal Yoga as it embraces the Essence of Yoga, the "settling down" and allowing the body to surrender rather than "push" the effort of the pose, which can bring injury to the body and this is against the whole of yoga, and not necessary. Injuries are happening in hatha yoga classes around the country and even more so since a student can take a three day course and "become" a certified yoga teacher. Remember when looking for a yoga teacher, ask the questions, how long did you do yoga before becoming a teacher, how often do you do your own practice, have you had students who have been injured under your teachings. These are sound and good questions to ask any prospective teacher.
Hatha Yoga refers to the postures in yoga, and Raja Yoga umbrellas the asanas (postures) along with the emphasis on pranayama (breathing exercises) and meditation, working the body, mind and spirit and healing the "whole" body, on all levels.
My personal biography and my journey to better health and well-being:
A student of yoga and meditation for over 35 years and a certified yoga teacher for the past twelve years I was one of many who were “grandfathered” into the yoga teacher population with over 900+ hours of student/teacher training. I have found it to be a privilege to be called a raja yoga teacher and to be a certified yoga therapist under the guidance of Guru Dev Walt Baptiste. Walt Baptiste and his wife, Magana, were the founders of the first yoga studio in San Francisco in 1955. Walt Baptiste became a “Legacy” in San Francisco, his good deeds made a huge impact on thousands of Bay Area residents and so it was that the Mayor of the City and County of San Francisco honored Walt Baptiste by Proclamation and in his honor for the “his great pioneering in the fields of Physical Culture, Health, and Yoga for more than 60 years has his birthday, September 25”, since 1999 proclaimed as WALT BAPTISTE DAY in San Francisco. Guru Dev Walt Baptiste was a well known leader and pioneer in the field of health. Walt Baptiste was known as a catalyst for creating extraordinary change in people’s lives.” Listed below are details of the rich history that catapulted my life of yoga, health and relaxation, and to which I now pass on to my students as a yoga therapist. It all began in 1958; my belief system was never to be the same, thanks to the many teachers and “pioneers of health and well-being”.
1958: My passion for health and well-being began at the age of seven when I discovered a television show that would entertain me for years and change my direction for a life-time; The Jack Lalanne Show. My interest about exercise, eating fresh vegetables and drinking smoothies, began with Jack and continues to this day. I learned the importance of eating healthy; right before my eyes Jack would invent the greatest looking smoothies and I was taken with his confidence, joy and strong belief system of the importance of being healthy on all levels, body mind and spirit. This was quite a beginning for a country girl who knew nothing about the difference between canned beans and fresh beans. This experience was my saving grace as Jack was an early riser, taking on the day with much vigor and a big smile; he inspired me then, and inspires me now.
1970-1994: Maharishi Mahesh Yogi came to America for a time and it was then that I discovered transcendental meditation. I joined the Sacramento Transcendental Meditation Society and devoted my life to yoga and meditation; my commitment to sit and be still for twenty to thirty minutes, twice daily, was practiced for the next 24 years, along with regular yoga postures or asana.
1972-1982: A new yoga teacher was introduced, once again through the means of television: Lilas, Yoga and You, was an inspiration that was a personal resource every morning that lasted for years. I have most all her books, tapes and writings; she is Yoga treasure in the yoga world today.
1994-2008 Upon meeting Walt Baptiste in 1994 his presence was grand, loving and sincere; he was certainly a master of yoga. Many hours with him in a classroom setting along with the senior teachers, Michele Hebert and Mehrad Nazari, it was through these many hours that I discovered that a yoga teacher works on the “whole” of the person, not just the practice of postures (exercises) alone. There were hours devoted to working in healthy and therapeutic ways to first create a “safe” environment for the student and thereupon building from that point, slowly and with much patience. I have had students who have claimed that the raja yoga therapist experience has been much more of a healer than some of the more traditional practices offered today.
In short, this path of yoga therapist is a personal and deep conviction of the healing powers it has to offer so many who suffer from anxiety, insomnia, pain (both emotionally and physically) and great to help those who want to strengthen their bodies and learn new ways to eat in healthy and with more awareness in order to become all that they can become in this world today and tomorrow. It’s been a life-long process for me, this is the road I have been traveling since I was seven years old, and here it is, some fifty years later and I am still a believer in taking responsibility for your body, mind and overall health.
"...Love...It surrounds every being and extends slowly to embrace all that shall be." Kahlil Gibran
"Once she began to listen, everything became clear. And once she decided to fly, her wings didn't stop moving..." A Dragonfly Story
"Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart."
Accept Differences, Be Kind, Count Your Blessings, Express Thanks, Forgive, Give Freely, Harm No One, Imagine More, Keep Confidences, Love Truly, Master Something, Nurture Hope, Open Your Mind, Pack Lightly, Quell Rumors, Reciprocate, Seek Wisdom, Touch Hearts, Understand, Value Truth, Win Graciously, Yearn For Peace.