A free resource guide to yoga activities in the Chicago area January-February 2000 Vol. 7, No. 7 .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. In*This Issue: Peru-A Spiritual Journey Cuban Yoga Odyssey 1 Yoga Teacher Profile: Ayurvedic Self-care Lynn Pigott Yogi Amrit Desai Workshop Reviews: Directory of Classes Gary Kraftsow, Leann Carey & Calendar Q&A: Goswami Kriyananda Porters on the Inca Trail actually happened." She explained how we have choices, 0urn @V and we can choose to be joyful & all the time. Pain is inevitable By Sharon Steffensen but suffering is not. What we think about creates our reality. One way to be mindful of this When 1 called India Supera, The focal point of the grounds is bread, potatoes and avocados. fact is to be conscious of our director of the Feathered Pipe the 500-year-old Lucma tree With only two hours of sleep speech, especially our use of the Ranch, to ask for details on their which sits at the end of the and altitude sickness, word "it" as in "It's hot in here." 10-day "Yoga in Perun trip with Another way to say it would be, guestteacher Judith ~asater,she "It's hotter than I would like it." advised me to join a health club Rather than "I can't do it," we as soon as possible. My non- might say, "I'm willing to try it," aerobic yoga practice and bike etc. Judith's advice proved useful riding in Chicago's low altitude throughout the trip as we experi- would not be sufficient enced a variety of conditions. preparation for hiking the lnca The next few days included a Trail, a three-day, arduous uphill rafting trip down the Urubamba climb to 13,700 feet. For the next River; the lncan ruins at Pisaq two months I climbed stairs in and Ollantaytambo; the 160th my office building-eight flights anniversary of Urubamba, cele- of 20 stairs each-working up to brated by parades. live music, seven cycles by the time I left for dancing and all-day partying on Peru in early November. the main street; and the market- place in Pisaq, several blocks of The Sacred Valley stalls along narrow stone streets The morning after our arrival and an open-air market where in Lima, we flew to Cuzco, which people can buy Peruvian was the capital of the lnca sweaters, tapestries, jewelry, empire five centuries ago. Cuzco pottery, Andean musical instru- sits at the base of the Sacred ments, hats, scarves, gloves, and Valley, the area between Cuzco hot breads fresh out of the oven and Machu Picchu, along the in a Large, open-air bakery. Urubamba River, which is where we spent most of our time. Philosophy of the Incas The altitude in Cuzco is 11,ooo As we traveled by bus to the feet above sea level. To avoid ruins at Pisaq and altitude sickness, we left immed- Ollantaytambo, Juan Carlos iately for a two-hour bus ride to explained some key concepts of Willka T'ika, near the small town the lncan philosophy to us. of Urubamba, where the altitude The apu were the mountains, is only 9,000 feet. Most of us which the lncans considered to were already feeling queasy be protectors. Kon means cycle when we got there, but there of water. represented by the was an antidote-coca tea. rivers, ocean and clouds. Both "Drink a minimum of four cups, the mountains and the water are as hot as you can stand it, with considered protectors of life. no sugar, and then go imme- The lnca Fail, a 3-day hike up to 13,700feet dtitude, en& at Mach~iPicchu. Titi is the word for puma, the diately to bed" were the instruc- spiritual energy that we all have, tions given to us by our guide property, overlooking the spiral restorative yoga was the most the wisdom to' learn to survive or JuanCarlos. garden which overflows with anyone could handle that first live in harmony within our envi- Even though Peru was just Andean medicinal herbs and afternoon. The next morning ronment and with other human entering into the spring season, flowers. In fact most of the after breakfast, however, Judith beings. The puma (along with lavish masses of flowers already vegetables we were served were led us in a regular yoga session. the condor and the snake) are surrounded the 16th century picked fresh from the garden She began with a quote from considered sacred animals in the Spanish colonial style cottage at and combined with indigenous Mark Twain which I paraphrase lncan culture. Willka T'ika, which was more of grains such as quinoa and as, "I have lived through many The word teqsi-kaylla, relates a spiritual refuge than a lodge. amaranth, fresh cheese and tragedies, several of which e continued on page 6 YOGAChicago January- February, 2000 3 earthquakes. Within the walls can Is is estimated that 1,000 people roosters crowing and dogs bark- be seen certain placements of lived there in 200 rooms. ing, and we did yoga outside on rocks that together form the Terraces were built for farming, the bright sunny terrace over- continued from page 3 - shape of a puma or llama. an extensive water system was looking the city. Key to their success was the established, and homes, palaces, Judith began with a short to timing, beginning and ending, Incas' strong sense of commu- temples, storage houses, and discourse on mindstuff, or chitta, recycling, the return of the nity and commitment to excel- mausoleums were built. as explained in the Yoga Sutras. seasons. Everything is eternal, lence in their craft. Everything One of the highlights of The mind is continally in a state says Juan Carlos. The Incas had a they did was an offering back to Machu Picchu is the temple of of flux: one minute we are strong belief in reincarnation. happy; the next second we are Wiraqocha means "the fatten- agitated. Yoga, however, is a ing of the water," or the foam on state in which all our agitations the water, which refers to fermen- are resolved. The key to that tation of life or brewing. All of state, explained Judith, is dis- life began in the ocean. That's identification. We are not trying why the ocean is called Mama- to change, suppress or control qocha, which means beginning our throughts-the mind has its and protection of life. Mother own agenda-we simply choose Earth, called Pachamama, is a not to react to the fluctuations of complement of the ocean, which the mind. For example, if you means protector of life on solid say, "I am angry," you have ground. identified "I" with "anger." When Pachayachachiq is the order we do this, we are not free. If, as established in the universe. however, you say, "1 am having "Every element has a reason to an angry thought," you are step- be on this planet," explained ping back from that thought. You Carlos. "If you destroy one of the create some space from the elements of the planet, you are emotion. The next step is to say, destroying yourself because you "Anger is arising," which has are part of it." To offset about the same emotional inten- imbalances, offerings are made sity as "Clouds are passing." to the elements of nature. Judith explained that when we Peruvian woman with llama and child in the town of Cuzco. Another concept of lncan identify with our thoughts, we philosophy is ayni, which means have a tendency to obsess about "today for me, tomorrow for you," nature or to life. Because life the sun, where on June 21 the them, and they affect the way we the idea being that all work is was good to them, they likewise sun comes in through the middle are able to e"joy an experience. shared and that each person gave back to nature to the very window, and on December 21 "Thoughts are not reality," said benefits from helping others. best of their ability. through the north window. Judith. "Yoga is about getting rid Rather than paying for services, Even today, the Quechl~a Outside the temple a diamond- of the veils that cloud our experi- the native Peruvians (the greeting to one another is "ama shaped stone carving of the ence of what is happening at Quechua people) barter, a cus- sua, ama Ilulla, ama kkella," southern cross points due north. this moment." tom that continues to this day. which means, "Don't lie, don't On June 21, when the sun shines Judith told us to think of the Being an archeologist as well steal, don't be lazy." In return, on this stone, this sculpture emotions that had surfaced as a Quechuan (native Peruvian), the other person answers the makes the shadow of a puma. In within us during the past 24 Juan Carlos shared with us the equivalent of "The same to you." fact, all of Machu Picchu is in the hours. "They dominate our true meanings of how and why shape of a puma, evident when experience of those moments. the lncans built their cities and Machu Picchu viewed from a certain point. In Are you experiencing reality as it temples the way they did. The After a few days at Willka the mausoleum section, stand- is, or are you experiencing your massive stone structures which T'ika, we look an early morning ing guard are two giant rocks in thoughts about it? Acknowledge fit perfectly together without bus to Ollantaytambo to catch a tile shape of the wings of a con- your thoughts, then choose mortar were brought up ramps 7:30 train to Machu Picchu, dor, the sacred bird who carries another path.