Meet the Teacher
It has been a great blessing in this lifetime of mine to have been trained in Classical Yoga in India by Shri Yogendraji (Founder), his wife Mother Sitadevi Yogendra and their son Dr Jayadev Yogendra when I was a young women just setting out in life looking for meaning and purpose through Yoga.
I have also had the added priviledge later in my life of being trained by Professor Wong Lun in Chinese Medicine at his Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine Academy in Melbourne. Thank you to those wonderful teachers.
One of the great highlight of my life was attending, as a delegate, The International Householders Yoga Conference on Sane Living in Mumbai, India on 25 & 26 December, 1977. This was the occasion of Shri Yogendrajis Centenary Birthday Celebration. The Delai Lama opened the Conference, gracing us all by His presence and giving all present His blessing. It was indeed a great honour to be there taking part in this historic event meeting many very learned and interesting people from all over the world who were involved in yogic, humanitarian, educational, scientific, spiritual, etc. pursuits.
The paper I presented to the Conference was titled - Dharma (duty) and Vairagya (detachment). Yoga is not only for performing postures, breathing and relaxation techniques (Hatha Yoga) but it is for the development of the whole personality. The Yoga that I was taught by Shri Yogengraji was indeed a Yoga that was wholistic in its approach. Yoga means union - the integration of the body, mind, emotions, moral and spiritual.
What Can Yoga Offer You? What Can You Offer Yourself?
Yoga cannot be absorbed within a short period of time, nor can it be rushed, brought or bargained for. We must learn it properly and experience it first-hand through our own efforts under the direction of a properly trained teacher. Yoga is experiential which means we must practice it before its secrets and benefits are bestowed upon us. Each of us yearns for meaning in our life and an experience that connects us to something larger than ourselves. There is also a need for us to keep physical, emotional and mental good health and to maintain a positive outlook on life so that we can achieve our full potential. We must also be aware that we do not live in social isolation and that the environment that we are living and growing in also influences us greatly. The World Health Organisation defines health as a condition of complete physical, mental and social well-being. Love, compassion and insight also needs to be ingrediences mixed in with our personality so that we may feel a sense of our spirituality and humanity elevating our minds to greater heights. What a wonderful thing to offer yourself!
Each of us is great in our own way having our own individual path to follow - our uniqueness adds an excitement to the world, our possibilities are limitless. Yoga offers a wonderful foundation to our life if followed properly with dedication, sincerity and patience. Swami Vivekanda (a great thinker and teacher of Indian spirituality and culture) states in his book Karma-Yoga and Bhakti-Yoga:
Every soul is destined to be perfect, and every being, in the end, will attain the state of perfection. Whatever we are now is the result of our acts and thoughts in the past, and whatever we shall be in the future will be the result of what we think and do now.
I hope that this web site will be of benefit to you in your search for Yoga understanding and meaning. I feel honoured that I have been given this opportunity to share with others what I have learnt, thus far, about Yoga. Thank you for your visit to the site..
Dianaji
5 July, 2000
Disclaimer: As everybody is uniquely different, all information in this website (and its related links) is provided as general information only and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical or other professional advice. Please consult your Yoga Teacher/Instructor or professional advisor. _____________________________________________________________
Success is not measured by heights attained, but by obstacles
overcome