Namaste

My name is Saraswati. I was lucky enough to be given the name by one of Swami Sivananda famous disciples 'Swami Vishnu Devananda' nearly twenty years ago. I have been practicing Yoga in one form or another for over thirty-five years. I have during that time, trained with several masters and leading organizations.


I teach, and have trained mainly in Hatha Yoga, but also practise and teach other forms, such as Raja, Jnana and Bhakti Yoga and particularly enjoy Nada Yoga (chanting and drumming). I have qualified to teach Yoga with The Sivananda Yoga and Vedanta Ashrams, The British School of Yoga, The Comprehensive Yoga Fellowship and the hatha and nada master Yogi Hari. I have also trained in Buddhist yoga and meditation especially Zen and mindfulness meditation with Genpo Roshi. From my working with Swami Sivananda Radha's Kundalini yoga, I teach a form of chakra work that relates to our modern daily life. I have also trained with William Boom studying core energy management. And as a trained counsellor with a psychotherapist husband, I am especially drawn to understanding how our mind works and am deeply interested in yoga as a means to still the mind.
I have been involved in training teachers for many years as chair and tutor for the Comprehensive Yoga Fellowship and I have also designed and run the 'Saraswati Yoga Studio's teacher's training programme'.

I am the owner and director of the Yoga Studio in Robin Hood Lane Sutton, Surrey where I share the teaching of the studio classes with yoga teachers that I have personally trained.

What is Yoga?

Yoga is a way of stilling the mind, strengthening the body and calming the emotions. It gives a sense of well being and connectedness to life. It originated in India. Some scholars date it as more than four thousand years old and ever since Yoga began, human beings have gained benefit from its practice. It has been practiced in its many forms by millions of people throughout the world and is becoming ever more popular in our modern times.

Most of us know Yoga firstly as a type of physical keep fit system. This type of yoga is known as 'Hatha Yoga'. Indeed many Yoga students do not know that Yoga is fundamentally a philosophy that teaches many ways or practices to ' Self-realisation' of which Hatha Yoga - (which focuses mainly on breathing and posture work) - is only one. Other Yoga practices include sitting meditation (as practiced in Raja Yoga); self understanding (as is practiced in Jnana Yoga); selfless service (as practiced in Karma Yoga)' and worship or devotion to God/life itself (as practiced in Bhakti Yoga). Hatha Yoga, as a form of physical exercise is of tremendous value to our health on every level and practiced along with other Yogas can become a beautiful journey of Self-discovery.
Yoga offers many benefits.
Hatha Yoga works by releasing tension from the mind and body. Our energy levels increase when we release tension. The yoga poses help stretch away physical tension and tone muscles, joints and the spine, which improves posture in general. Good posture prevents and eases backache, increases energy and boosts self-confidence.
The yoga breathing exercises quieten the mind, calm the emotions, and through increased oxygen intake, nourish all the cells of the body.
The yoga relaxation and meditation practice keep the mind sharp, improves awareness and encourages a happy and peaceful attitude towards life.

You can expect from your continued Hatha Yoga practice an improvement of your general well-being, perhaps release from back pain, freedom from insomnia, indigestion or tension headaches, and more willpower and self-esteem. In time with regular practice, you will notice a change from deep within, a growing awareness of a state of inner peace. Yoga works slowly and gently, so you need to be patient. It has been likened to the way water gradually changes the shape of a rock or cliff, yoga over time changes our state from dark or unwell, to light and vibrant.
While the practice of Hatha Yoga improves health and releases tension, you may find to begin with that you feel more under the weather. Please do not be anxious, and do discuss any problems with your teacher. Sometimes new students experience symptoms such as an increase in spots, headaches, and irritability, which is due to the cleansing process of Yoga and will pass, though it could take some weeks or even months. Try not to give up your practice; releasing years of tension can take some time. The cleansing effect does not happen to every student, and is a positive sign that your practice is working. This cleansing process can also occur when advancing your practice.

AHIMSA/GENTLENESS

Yoga emphasises the importance of practising non-violence or ahimsa, so remember to treat your body with care and respect. If you are being competitive, you create an inner conflict and tension. Try not to compete with others, or with yourself. The best posture that you can do at any given moment is the perfect posture. The Yogabhashya states, 'The posture becomes perfect, when the effort of achieving it vanishes'. During a session you will find it helpful to often remind yourself why you are practising. Is it to become a gymnast, or to find health, peace and harmony? Try to stay mindful, and learn to practice without competing. It can take time and patience to learn how to relax while practising, yet once mastered your session will become a joyful experience.

TAPAS/DISCIPLINE

In order to receive the benefits Yoga has to offer, we have to practice. To practice requires a certain amount of discipline. It is difficult to persevere at anything, even if we know our perseverance will bring us a better quality of life. However, if we do not care for the body it will become weak and more vulnerable to disease. If we do not calm the emotions, they will overwhelm us. If we do not still the mind it will have us running round in never ending circles, preventing us from resting at the place, which in Yoga, is called our 'true nature', a contented, alert and relaxed state.