Georgetown Yoga Brings Jivamukti Yoga to Washington, DC – by Suzanne Odiorne

On a cold Saturday in January, Sharon Gannon and David Life came to the George Washington University campus to present a three-hour Jivamukti Workshop.

When I arrived I was gratefully surprised to see about 130 bodies quietly sitting on our mats and listening to old recordings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We sat for almost an hour listening to more recordings with the reference point of giving peace a chance. We chanted and considered Sharon Gannon’s lesson on the place of vegetarianism and animal rights in yoga practice. I appreciate the opportunity to relax and unwind and recall (since I am 58) how similar this workshop seemed to gatherings of the peace movement during the Vietnam War. The differences to me were the emphasis on vegetarianism, animal rights, and yoga.

Sharon explained to us that Jivamukti Yoga means “liberation from separation.” The aim of Jivamukti Yoga is not only to train your body, but also to educate your heart, your soul, and your mind. The two Jivamukti Yoga Centers in New York offer vigorous Hatha Yoga classes, but with an emphasis on Source teachings from such ancient texts as the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and the Upanishads. Since Yoga is the natural state and the origin of truth, beauty, eternal happiness, and bliss; in the practices of yoga, our resistance to the natural state of bliss and our attachment to the world of forms and senses are made apparent. When we feel limitation in the body or the mind while practicing yoga, we are afforded the opportunity to concentrate on our true nature, which is love itself, beyond limitation.

After the first hour of lecture and sitting, we began the asana practice, which continued for the next two hours. The movements were similar to those of the primary series of Ashtanga yoga, and therefore consisted of a lot of plank, level plank, up-dog, down-dog routines, but with interesting twists. The variations were dance-like and flowing. David began the asana practice by orally describing the poses while Sharon walked about, assisting. At a pre-ordained time, they would switch jobs. All the while the room and the people grew even hotter.

After an hour, the heat of the poses toned down. The last hour was quieter and more meditative, except when David or Sharon asked 135 semi-squeezed people to consider doing the headstand without a wall at our mats. I decided to forego the experience, preferring more space in the event of a crash landing. Maybe, I said to myself, this means something.

The savasana was long and lingering. A musician came forward to play gentle tunes on a guitar as I rested, glad to be warm and indoors on a blustery day, and feeling the warmth of those around us.

After the workshop, David and Sharon were available upstairs to sign copies of their books, The Art of Yoga and Jivamukti Yoga. More information about Jivamukti Yoga can be found at www.jivamuktiyoga.com

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