# Nea Ferrier Yoga > YOGA TEACHER, SHALA OWNER, SLOW FASHION ADVOCATE > Generated by All in One SEO Pro v5.0.3, this is an llms-full.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site. ## Posts ### [Confessions of a Standing Postures Nerd](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/confessions-of-a-standing-postures-nerd/) **Published:** August 8, 2025 **Author:** Nea Ferrier **Excerpt:** Confession time. I'm a standing postures nerd! How about you? I thought pārśvakoṇāsana was my favourite but maybe it's this one, pārśvottānāsana? **Content:** # Confessions of a Standing Postures Nerd And yoga alignment confusions! Confession time. I’m a standing postures nerd! How about you? I thought pārśvakoṇāsana was my favourite but maybe it’s this one, pārśvottānāsana? Well for sure, the longer you practice, the more you appreciate standing postures. This arching of the back as an entry used to be popular, but became a no-no in Mysore. I still like to do it sometimes, particularly when I’m really working into the back of the legs, so this works as great prep for a straight-backed forward bend. But shouldn’t our backs always be straight in a forward bend? Well, like everything in yoga-asana, it depends! It can be really beneficial to try this posture, by curling into the lower back, coming into spinal flexion. You’ll find there is a lot of inner bandha work that takes place for this option, so I would consider it to be a more advanced variation – remember you are not rounding the back because you can’t straighten it. Both options need to be accessible. Hello to all my newsletter subscribers! I’ve changed the format and migrated over to substack. I’ll continue to regular share FREE Ashtanga Yoga practice & philosophy insights here, but you may also like to unlock some additional more in-depth content by becoming a paid member for a small fee. Thank you for reading and thank you for your support. Happy Pūrṇimā! ### Nea Ferrier Yoga is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. UPGRADE TO PAID **Categories:** REFLECTIONS **Tags:** Confessions of a Standing Postures Nerd, Nea Ferrier, Sub Stack --- ### [Happy Guru Pūrṇimā](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/happy-guru-purṇima/) **Published:** July 11, 2025 **Author:** jimmycrow **Excerpt:** With International Day of Yoga approaching I wanted the theme of this newsletter to be the original purpose of yoga, **Content:** # Happy Guru Pūrṇimā Hello friends! Today is the full moon known as Guru Pūrṇimā, where we honor our spiritual teachers. I’m writing to you from Sydney, Australia where I have had the chance to see my “home” Ashtanga teacher Eileen Hall. Eileen was certified in by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in 1998, but is also certified in the Iyengar Method by BKS Iyengar. She is in mid sixties and still teaching every day. She’s a huge inspiration to me, and while I only see her every one or two years, for a short period, I always greatly value these times. Today is a good day to reflect and give thanks for the teachers and mentors who have guided us in our spiritual growth. Dedicate your sadhana to them. This is my “holiday” edition newsletter – so it’s a little shorter than usual. Instead of the usual format, I’m included some of my top “spiritual journey” book recommendations. Happy summer (or in my case winter) reading! With Love ***Nea Ferrier*** <nea@neaferrieryoga.com> [neaferrieryoga.com](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/) This book is the autobiographical account of Sri M, a modern Indian spiritual teacher who, as a young boy driven by deep inner yearning, leaves home in search of truth. It chronicles his extraordinary spiritual journey, including his apprenticeship under a mysterious Himalayan yogi named Babaji, encounters with sages and mystics, and eventual transformation into a realized teacher himself. This book blew my mind! He sometimes comes to speak in Dubai. Would love to meet Sri M one day. LINK TO BOOK This book is the the life story of Tenzin Palmo, (Vicki Mckenzie) one of the first Western women to become a Tibetan Buddhist nun—and her extraordinary 12-year solitary meditation retreat in a remote Himalayan cave. This genre is quite dominated by men, so I loved reading this biography, particularly as it was a Western woman. She’s also one of my favorites to follow on instagram. LINK TO BOOK “In Search of Secret India” is Paul Brunton’s spiritual travelogue and philosophical memoir, chronicling his journey across India in the 1930s in search of authentic yogis, sages, and mystical wisdom. It became a spiritual classic and played a major role in introducing Sri Ramana Maharshi and Indian mysticism to Western readers. I highly recommend looking into the teachings of Ramana Maharshi to learn more about non-dualism. His ashram in Tamil Nadu is on my must visit list! LINK TO BOOK “Hollywood to the Himalayas” is the remarkable spiritual memoir of Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, born Bonnie Greenberg in Los Angeles, who left behind a life of privilege, trauma, and academic success to become a Hindu renunciant and spiritual leader in Rishikesh, India. I attended a satsang with Sadhvi when I was last in Rishikesh and loved her way of speaking. We might get a chance to meet her on the Rishikesh retreat coming up. I recommend following her on instagram too. LINK TO BOOK “Living with the Himalayan Masters” is a spiritual autobiography of Swami Rama, who was born in India and trained from childhood by yogis in the Himalayan tradition. The book recounts his personal encounters with saints, sages, and spiritual masters across India, Tibet, and the Himalayas, offering deep insights into yogic philosophy, meditation, and the path to self-realization. It is part memoir, part teaching text, revealing that spiritual enlightenment is real, attainable, and grounded in disciplined inner practice. Swami Rama’s Himalayan Yoga Institute offers excellent teachings in Pranayama and Yoga Nidra. LINK TO BOOK “If Truth Be Told” is the powerful and deeply honest memoir of Om Swami, a highly educated, successful tech entrepreneur who left behind wealth, status, and luxury to pursue a life of solitude, austerity, and spiritual realization in the Himalayas. I loved this book as it’s contemporary ( we are around the same age! ) and in fact he worked on the same street in Sydney as I did, before he renounced everything. He has some great talks on YouTube, particularly about the power of mantra. LINK TO BOOK ### STILLNESS & MOVEMENT SHIVA-SHAKTI ASHTANGA YOGA & MEDITATION RETREAT RISHIKESH OCTOBER 7 – 12, 2025 Join me for a 7-day/5-night yoga retreat, to India’s yoga heartland, Rishikesh. We’ll be staying at a boutique hotel nestled right on the banks of the Ganges river, surrounded by the serene Himalayan foothills. The retreat will include daily yoga, meditation and philosophy talks by the majestic Ganga, along with excursions to nearby temples and spiritual sites, expertly curated for the perfect balance of stillness and movement. **Retreat Highlights** - Daily yoga, meditation & chanting - Daily talks and satsangs - Visits to nearby Shiva & Devi temples, ashrams and spiritual landmarks - VIP experience of the famous Ganga Aarti - Shopping and exploring in Laxman & Ram Jhula - Gentle hiking and time in nature **Package Includes** - Five-nights’ accommodation in boutique hotel - All yoga classes - All meals - All day trips and entrance fees - Local expert guide - Airport transfers and transport in comfortable vehicles \*Airfares and visa costs are additional **Pricing** Sharing Room (two people ) – AED 6500 per person Single Room – AED 8950 **Bookings**For bookings email <sophia@sugarcaneelephants.com>. As this is a small boutique hotel spaces are limited. Bookings will close by September 15. ### Thank you for reading! I welcome your feedback. Please feel free to [email me](mailto:nea@ashtangayogadubai.com) with any topics or suggestions for future newsletters. **Categories:** REFLECTIONS **Tags:** JUNE NEWSLETTER, let's talk shoulders, Menstrual Cycle Sequence, Opening Chant --- ### [Opening Chant, Menstrual Cycle Sequence and let's talk shoulders](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/opening-chant-menstrual-cycle-sequence-and-lets-talk-shoulders/) **Published:** June 11, 2025 **Author:** Nea Ferrier **Excerpt:** With International Day of Yoga approaching I wanted the theme of this newsletter to be the original purpose of yoga, **Content:** # Opening Chant, Menstrual Cycle Sequence and let’s talk shoulders Hello friends! With International Day of Yoga approaching I wanted the theme of this newsletter to be the original purpose of yoga, The clue is in our opening chant. Read below for more and check out this month’s book recommendation. Also in celebration of International Day of Yoga my [**online Ashtanga course**](https://labxby.clicks.mlsend.com/tb/cl/eyJ2Ijoie1wiYVwiOjEyNTI1MTksXCJsXCI6MTU2ODk1NzI1MTkyNDgwNTg2LFwiclwiOjE1Njg5NTczNTM1MTA4NDY3OH0iLCJzIjoiMGJjY2ZhNjI4NTc5ZDFkZSJ9) is **ON SALE with 40% off!** So if you have been thinking about getting it -now is the time! Enjoy this simple menstrual cycle sequence, that can be used for menstruation or anytime you are wanting a restorative practice. This is sequence I personally use and find very effective. The time lengths are just guidelines and you can do some or all of the postures. See below for the link to download from my website. Happy full moon and rest day. With Love ***Nea Ferrier*** <nea@neaferrieryoga.com> [neaferrieryoga.com](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/) DOWNLOAD THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE SEQUENCE HERE ### Prasārita Pādottānāsana A, B, C & D Spread foot stretching pose **Prasārita Pādottānāsana** There is so much I could say about LEGS in this posture but for this post I want to talk about shoulders! Why shoulders in a standing asana? Well after many years of practice I have observed, and experienced first hand, that shoulder injuries in Ashtanga yoga, can be quite common particularly for women. Anatomically we tend to be smaller in the shoulder girdle compared to the opposing join complex, the pelvis, and the muscles that stabilize the joint (serrateus anterior and latitsumus dorsi) are less pronounced than compared to men.. Yet a lot of the “grunt work” in the practice is done with the arms and the shoulders. After rehabilitating my shoulder from a rotator cuff tear around 10 years ago, I now make the use of as many postures as possible to work on shoulder stabilization. What tends to happen in daily life, and then is acerbated even further in practice (think chaturangas) is the front of the shoulder rolls forward, the shoulder blades wing off the back, and before you know it you have that niggly pain at the front of the joint. Sound familiar? Some the key muscles we wa nt to work with are, trapezius, serrateus anterior and latitsumus dorsi, and a small little muscle behind the shoulder blade called the rhomboid to name a few – but even as I’m written this I’m think well everything is connected. So it’s probably better to think of it from fascial perspective, the superficial back line and deep back line. This region is more easily strengthened when we do “pulling actions” – which to be honest is rarely called for in yoga – it’s mainly pushing (think arm balances). **Read on for shoulder actions in each of the prasārita variations.** **Practice Tips for Shoulder Activation in A** - Position the wrists, elbows and shoulders in line. You’ll notice the elbows often want to wing out, but make an effort to align them. Think of this as a preparation for future arm balances. When a load is applied it’s definitely better to have the joints aligned. - Keep the elbows in line by feeling a wrapping sensation across the upper back. Pressing in firmly with the pinky finger will help access the deep back arm line. - Actively move the shoulder tops away from the ears sliding the should blades (scapulas) up the back. This is an extremely important action, particularly for headstand – so practice it as often as you can. **Practice Tips for Shoulder Activation** - There’s lots of options for the position of the elbow in this one, and they are all options, one is not more correct than the other. As always with alignment in yoga, just know the reason behind your alignment choice and you can make an informed decision. - I like to work on the feeling of squeezing the shoulder blades towards the centre line of the spine, so the elbows pull back away from the knees slightly. This accesses the rhomboids, which play a huge role in scapula stabilization. - You can visualize a “pulling action” of the arms, activating the muscles of the upper back. This is extremely useful action to release tension around the trapezius which can get easily overworked. **Practice Tips for Shoulder Activation in C** - What tends to happen in this posture, in our desire to to get the hands to the floor, is we let the wrists part, and we roll into the front of the shoulder joint. - Ignore how I’m doing it in this photo! I don’t actually take my hands to the floor anymore, as I keep my wrist together and really squeezing the scapulas to the centre line of the spine. - This way we avoid taking all the load into the front of the shoulder, which is it’s most vulnerable area. - It’s great preparation for shoulderstand and gives a lovely massage to the spine too! - Please remember whether or not you can touch your hands to the ground often has a lot to do with leg length. **Practice Tips for Shoulder Activation in D** - Time for visualization! Imagine the elbows are being pulled to the ceiling, and that action is keeping the wrists long, and the shoulder tops moving away from the ears, scapulas sliding up the back (normally we say down – but we are inverted in this position – so up it is) - Finally we have a pulling action – make the most of this. This action wakes up the upper back muscles and even works into the serratus and lats. - If you suffer from neck pain and trap tension, this is a wonderful remedy ### LEARN THE VINYASA COUNT FOR THESE POSTURES – LISTEN BELOW ### Nea Ferrier Yoga Prasārita pādottānāsana Stream Audio on SounCloud ### Why exactly are we practising? Why do you practice yoga? We all have our individual answers. But they probably group around a similar theme. To make our lives better. This is not far removed from the original purpose of yoga, which put simply was to remove suffering. What is this suffering? According to the yogic texts it is the suffering of not knowing who we truly are. And where does this suffering originate? According to the ancient yogis, it is in the mind. If you practice Ashtanga yoga, it’s worth remembering every time you chant the opening mantra you are not praying for a better Mari D or jump through, you are acknowledging this path of yoga, to be a path that removes the delusions of the mind. I find this extremely important to reflect upon, as sometimes our yoga practice if not engaged with in the correct context can actually have the complete opposite effect – more delusions! Let’s look at the meaning of the first paragraph of the Ashtanga Yoga opening chant in a little more detail. This section is from a larger poem known as the Yoga Taravelli by Adi Sankaracharya. Starting with the word **hālāhala.** It’s a good one to start with as it’s fun to say and easy to remember the meaning. It means poison and we can find more about in the wonderful Samudra Mathan story (the churning of the oceans). When the devata and asuras join forces to find the elixir of life, they start churning the ocean, and the first thing to come out is this poison. It can symoblise our spiritual journey – a lot of crap rises to the surface in the process! When we talk about poison in yoga. it refers to delusions in the mind. It’s our own minds that poison us and bring us suffering. You might think, hang on I’m not deluded, well according to yoga we all are. You’re deluded if you don’t think you are deluded! According to Patanjali it our conditioned thinking (known as **kleshas**) is what poisons our lasting happiness, and prevents us from seeing our true nature., keeping us trapped in a cycle of suffering **(saṃsara).** In the line before it refers to what the ultimate happiness (**sukhāva**) is – it is having knowledge **(bodhe)** of our true nature **(svatma)**. If only we could see that our true nature is divine. Instead we suffer from the delusion **(moha)** that we a small, separate and broken. When we chant this opening prayer, we do in reverence for yoga as working like a medicine, and Patanjali who has taught the path, is like a jungle doctor (**jāṅgalikāyamāne)** who prescribes it. This medicine of yoga has the potential to remove the poison, remove the delusions **(moha)** of the mind and offer us peace (**mohaśāntyai)**. Peace that comes with knowing who we truly are. DOWNLOAD THE OPENING & CLOSING CHANTS HERE ### vande gurūṇāṃ caraṇāravinde sandarśita svātma sukhāvabodhe ।niḥśreyase jāṅgalikāyamāne saṃsara hālāhala mohaśāntyai I bow to the lotus feet of the Gurus The awakening happiness of one’s own self revealed Beyond better acting like the Jungle physician Pacifying delusion, the poison of Samsara **Word-by-word translation** vande – I worship gurūṇāṃ – the supreme Guru caraṇāravinde – I bow to the lotus feet sandarśita – at vision revealing svātma – true self sukhāva – happiness bodhe – knowledge niḥśreyase – beyond better jāṅgalikāyamāne – jungle doctor saṃsara – conditioned existence hālāhala – poison mohaśāntyai – peaceful resolution ### STILLNESS & MOVEMENT SHIVA-SHAKTI ASHTANGA YOGA & MEDITATION RETREAT RISHIKESH OCTOBER 7 – 12, 2025 Join me for a 7-day/5-night yoga retreat, to India’s yoga heartland, Rishikesh. We’ll be staying at a boutique hotel nestled right on the banks of the Ganges river, surrounded by the serene Himalayan foothills. The retreat will include daily yoga, meditation and philosophy talks by the majestic Ganga, along with excursions to nearby temples and spiritual sites, expertly curated for the perfect balance of stillness and movement. **Retreat Highlights** - Daily yoga, meditation & chanting - Daily talks and satsangs - Visits to nearby Shiva & Devi temples, ashrams and spiritual landmarks - VIP experience of the famous Ganga Aarti - Shopping and exploring in Laxman & Ram Jhula - Gentle hiking and time in nature **Package Includes** - Five-nights’ accommodation in boutique hotel - All yoga classes - All meals - All day trips and entrance fees - Local expert guide - Airport transfers and transport in comfortable vehicles \*Airfares and visa costs are additional **Pricing** Sharing Room (two people ) – AED 6500 per person Single Room – AED 8950 **Bookings**For bookings email <sophia@sugarcaneelephants.com>. As this is a small boutique hotel spaces are limited. Bookings will close by September 15. ### ASHTANGA YOGA ANUṢṬHĀNA 60-HR ASHTANGA YOGA PRACTICE & PHILOSOPHY IMMERSION (YACEP) **OCTOBER 2025 – APRIL 2026** **Programme Overview** - Six-month programme including in-person and online workshops - Three in-person weekends (Oct 4/5, Jan 17/18, April 18/19) at Nilaya House, Dubai - 12 online lectures (twice per month, Thursdays 7:00-8:30pm DXB time) ### Topics: - Review of Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series Asanas - Sanskrit Vinyasa Count - Traditional method for practice - Asana Anatomy, Alignment and Adjustments - Sanskrit Pronunciation - Opening and Closing Mantras - History of Yoga - Methodology of Ashtanga Yoga - Introduction to Samkhya Philosophy - Introduction to Patanjali Yoga Sutras - Exploration of the Subtle Body, Prana, Nadis & Chakras - Key Principles of Ayurveda ### Teachers Nea Ferrier, level 2 SYC authorised Ashtanga teacher Kamal Edrees, ERYT-500 teacher trainer & Osteopath Laksyha (Elouise) Sanskrit teacher ### Who is this training for? - Ashtanga practitioners wanting to deeper their practice and understanding of philosophy - Yoga practitioners wanting an immersion into Ashtanga yoga - Yoga teachers looking to continue their learning and studies of a traditional lineage of yoga **Application Process** Please email <nea@ashtangayogadubai.com> to receive the application form. Spaces are limited. ### BOOK CORNER Georg Feurestein is one of my favorite writers on yoga. He combines academic rigor with the insights of a practitioner. I recommend any one of his books, but this is a particular fabourite. It is comprehensive anthology that explores the spiritual, philosophical, and psychological depth of yoga beyond the asana. Yoga is presented as a full-spectrum spiritual path aimed at liberation (moksha), not merely a system of physical exercise. He emphasizes the inner transformation and self-transcendence that true yoga entails. CHECK OUT THE BOOK HERE ### Thank you for reading! I welcome your feedback. Please feel free to [email me](mailto:nea@ashtangayogadubai.com) with any topics or suggestions for future newsletters. **Categories:** REFLECTIONS **Tags:** JUNE NEWSLETTER, let's talk shoulders, Menstrual Cycle Sequence, Opening Chant --- ### [Happy Buddha Pūrṇimā](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/happy-buddha-purṇima/) **Published:** May 12, 2025 **Author:** jimmycrow **Excerpt:** Happy Buddha Pūrṇimā ! I'm excited to have this year's Buddha fall on my birthday (the full moon started at 4:30pm on May 11 here in Cape Town.) **Content:** # Happy Buddha Pūrṇimā Hello friends! Happy Buddha Pūrṇimā ! I’m excited to have this year’s Buddha fall on my birthday (the full moon started at 4:30pm on May 11 here in Cape Town.) I was very fortunate around the time of my 30th birthday to traveling in North India where I sat my first Vipassana meditation retreat and learned the technique of *Ānāpānasati* , breath-awareness meditation. I’ve recorded a short [10-minute meditation](https://labxby.clicks.mlsend.com/tb/c/eyJ2Ijoie1wiYVwiOjEyNTI1MTksXCJsXCI6MTU0MTg1NTU3MDkwNTAxNjgyLFwiclwiOjE1NDE4NTU2ODgyOTMxMDM5MX0iLCJzIjoiODNhMzZiNjc5YmU2OWQxYyJ9) for you – ideal if you are wanting to get started with a meditation practice. Don’t miss the details for the [Rishikesh Retreat](https://labxby.clicks.mlsend.com/tb/c/eyJ2Ijoie1wiYVwiOjEyNTI1MTksXCJsXCI6MTU0MTg1NTU3MDk0Njk1OTg3LFwiclwiOjE1NDE4NTU2ODgyOTMxMDM5MX0iLCJzIjoiODhkOWUxNzYzODEyNzgxYSJ9). Happy reading! With Love ***Nea Ferrier*** <nea@neaferrieryoga.com> [neaferrieryoga.com](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/) ### Utthita Pārśvakonāsana A,B extended side angle pose **Utthita Pārśvakonāsana** If we are talking higher teachings of yoga philosophy, we could say yoga is the path of equanimity, transcending the duality of “raga” and “dvesha”, likes and dislikes. But along the way we definitely still have our favourites. Pārśvakoṇāsana is my absolute favourite standing posture! Here are some highlights; 1\. It’s a “moola” root posture for so many asanas to come, from Jānuśīrṣāsana and Baddhakoṇāsana and Viśvamitrāsana, in Advanced A (see the photo below). 2\. Don’t take for granted the strength needed in the core and spine to hold the torso with integrity on this angle. 3\. It’s one of few postures in primary series that accesses the fascial “lateral line” of the body (as per the Anatomy Trains methodology. Read more on this below. 4\. Backbending isn’t all about the front and back. Working into this lateral line, creating space in the side body is integral to smooth backbending. 5\. It’s a wonderful posture to explore the concept of “rooting”, grounding down with the feet and legs, and “rising” lengthening up through the spine. **Myofascial Lateral Line** The Lateral Line is one of the myofascial meridians described in Thomas Myers’ Anatomy Trains. It runs along the side of the body, from the **lower leg muscles and outer edge of the foot**, up through the **Iliotibial (IT) band and tensor fasciae latae (TFL)**, into the **gluteus medius and minimus** (lateral hip stabilizers), then the external and internal **obliques** (lateral abdominal wall muscles), the **intercostals** (muscles between the ribs, contributing to lateral ribcage expansion), ending at the **scalenes and sternocleidomastoid (SCM)** (neck muscles assisting with lateral flexion and rotation). **Pārśvakonāsana** is a wonderful posture to experience the lateral line! **Practice tips** 1\. Actively ground the heels and lift up through the arches of the feet. This will prevent you from collapsing into the inner knee of the straight leg, and help you externally rotate thigh and work into the hip mobility of the bent leg. 2\. Firmly ground the out edge of the straight leg foot, reach through the fingers of the extended arm.. Visualize the lateral line running up the side of the body as you do this and you will feel it lengthening. 3\. Focus on equally distributing your weight between the two legs. It’s very easy to collapse into the bent leg – use a block underneath the hand reading the floor if needed. Firmly ground the staight leg, as you slowly bend the knee. Keep the majority of the awareness in the back straight leg, keeping it very energized. 4\. Rotate the chest, like the heart will look at the ceiling. Direct the breath into the sides the chest, using the breath to create space in the intercostal muscles. Learning to breath into your side body will be of great use for back bending. 5\. Finally, after making all these micro-adjustments, let go of the effort, enjoy being suspended between the sensation of grounding down and lengthening up. Finding equanimity within a pair of opposites. Read more on this below. ### 2.48 TATO DVANDVĀNABHIGHĀTAḤ TATAḤ DVANDVA-ANABHIGHĀTAḤ FROM THEN ON, THE SĀDHAKA IS UNDISTURBED BY DUALITIES. There are three sutras Patanjali dedicated to yoga-asana and this is the third. It can be interpreted in many ways, firstly being able to be undisturbed by pairs of opposites (known as davandvas), such as hot and cold, pleasure and pain, praise and blame, success and failure. Indeed this is one of the definitions of yoga given by Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita. However, when applied to yoga asana, I like to contemplate on the pairs of opposites found within the posture, such as two directions of movement, rooting and rising, applying effort, yet also letting go. It is in between these “opposites” we can experience an inner peace and steadiness. ### LEARN THE VINYASA COUNT FOR THESE POSTURES – LISTEN BELOW ### Nea Ferrier Yoga Utthita Pārśvakonāsana A & B Stream Audio on SounCloud ### Buddha Pūrṇimā Today is Buddha Pūrṇimā , a festival celebrating the birth, enlightenment and death of Gautama Buddha. We often associate the Buddha with South East Asia where his iconography is most commonly found, however the Buddha was born in present-day Nepal, he was enlightened in the Indian state of Bihar, and gave his first sermon in Sarnath, just 30 mins outside of Varanasi. This is a photo I took when we visited Sarnath, last November as part of the Varanasi retreat. It was a serenely peaceful and uplifting place. Indeed, there are a number of similarities between the teachings of the Buddha at this time and what we find in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra. It seems this area of north India was a hotbed for spiritual inquiry, with many yogis exploring meditative and yogic practices as a means to gain liberation. There is one particular sutra which I find very interesting in its connection to Buddhist teachings. ### maitrī-karuṇā-mudita-upekṣāṇāṃ sukha-duḥkha-puṇya-apuṇya-viṣayāṇāṃ ### The mind becomes clarified by cultivating attitudes of friendliness, compassion, gladness and indifference respectively towards happiness, misery, virtue and vice. **maitrī**– loving-kindness or friendliness to those who are happy **karuṇā**-compassion to those who are suffering **mudita**– joy in the success and virtue of others **upekṣāṇāṃ** – equanimity towards those who do harm of behave badly This Sanskrit words are almost the same as the Pali words (the language of the original discourses by the Buddha) – Metta, Kuruna, Mudita and Upekkha. In Buddhism these are know as the four Brahmaviharas or sublime states – attitudes to be cultivated in meditation and in daily life. Like all sutras, this short handful of words is an incredible powerful teaching, that I find useful to continue to return to again and again. ### ENJOY THIS 10-MINUTE GUIDED BREATH-AWARENESS MEDITATION ### Nea Ferrier Yoga Ānāpānasati (Breath Awareness Meditation) Stream Audio on SounCloud ### STILLNESS & MOVEMENT SHIVA-SHAKTI ASHTANGA YOGA & MEDITATION RETREAT RISHIKESH OCTOBER 7 – 12, 2025 Join me for a 7-day/5-night yoga retreat, to India’s yoga heartland, Rishikesh. We’ll be staying at a boutique hotel nestled right on the banks of the Ganges river, surrounded by the serene Himalayan foothills. The retreat will include daily yoga, meditation and philosophy talks by the majestic Ganga, along with excursions to nearby temples and spiritual sites, expertly curated for the perfect balance of stillness and movement. **Retreat Highlights** - Daily yoga, meditation & chanting - Daily talks and satsangs - Visits to nearby Shiva & Devi temples, ashrams and spiritual landmarks - VIP experience of the famous Ganga Aarti - Shopping and exploring in Laxman & Ram Jhula - Gentle hiking and time in nature **Package Includes** - Five-nights’ accommodation in boutique hotel - All yoga classes - All meals - All day trips and entrance fees - Local expert guide - Airport transfers and transport in comfortable vehicles \*Airfares and visa costs are additional **Pricing** Sharing Room (two people ) – AED 6500 per person Single Room – AED 8950 **Bookings**For bookings email <sophia@sugarcaneelephants.com>. As this is a small boutique hotel spaces are limited. Bookings will close by September 15. ### BOOK CORNER I read this book right when I first started practising Ashtanga Yoga and thought it was a perfect description of the practice. “Flow,” is a highly focused mental state conducive to productivity and deep enjoyment. Flow occurs when we engage in activities that balance challenge and skill, leading to a sense of timelessness, intrinsic motivation, and complete absorption in the task. And according to the author, it’s the psychology behind happiness. - – Flow occurs when challenges are high and skills are equally high. - – If the challenge exceeds your skill, it can lead to anxiety. - – If your skill exceeds the challenge, it may cause boredom or apathy. - – Flow sits in the “sweet spot” where both are in harmony. What do you think? Sound familiar to you? CHECK OUT THE BOOK HERE ### ASHTANGA YOGA ANUṢṬHĀNA 60-HR ASHTANGA YOGA PRACTICE & PHILOSOPHY IMMERSION (YACEP) **OCTOBER 2025 – APRIL 2026** **Programme Overview** - Six-month programme including in-person and online workshops - Three in-person weekends (Oct 4/5, Jan 17/18, April 18/19) at Nilaya House, Dubai - 12 online lectures (twice per month, Thursdays 7:00-8:30pm DXB time) **Application Process** Please email <nea@ashtangayogadubai.com> to receive the application form. Spaces are limited. ### Thank you for reading! I welcome your feedback. Please feel free to [email me](mailto:nea@ashtangayogadubai.com) with any topics or suggestions for future newsletters. **Categories:** REFLECTIONS **Tags:** Happy Buddha Pūrṇimā, May Newsletter, Utthita Pārśvakonāsana --- ### [Trikoṇāsana, The Three Guṇas & Ashtanga Anușthāna](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/trikoṇasana-the-three-guṇas-ashtanga-anusthana/) **Published:** April 12, 2025 **Author:** Nea Ferrier **Excerpt:** Today is Hanumān Jayanti. Hanumān is symbolic of strength and dedication and I always associate him with taking a "leap of faith", **Content:** # Trikoṇāsana, The Three Guṇas & Ashtanga Anușthāna Hello friends! Today is Hanumān Jayanti. Hanumān is symbolic of strength and dedication and I always associate him with taking a “leap of faith”, like how he leapt across the ocean to reach Lanka to find Sita, as depicted in the Ramayana. I am preparing for my own leap of faith, as I end my last few weeks of being permanently based in Dubai and move to Cape Town. I’ll be back to Dubai in September, but for the next few months will concentrate on building our house there. Stay tuned for Cape Town retreat in March 2026! This month we explore Utthita Trikoṇāsana and continuing the theme of three we’ll look at the three Guṇas. Read below for news regarding a [60-hr Ashtanga Practice & Philosophy Immersion (YACEP)](https://labxby.clicks.mlsend.com/tj/cl/eyJ2Ijoie1wiYVwiOjEyNTI1MTksXCJsXCI6MTUxNDcxODYwODI1OTgyMjk1LFwiclwiOjE1MTQ3MTg3MTE4MTcxOTAwNH0iLCJzIjoiZjM3MjU5NmNmZDhhMjVhNCJ9) and my next India retreat (Rishikesh Oct 7 – 12). With Love ***Nea Ferrier*** <nea@neaferrieryoga.com> [neaferrieryoga.com](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/) DOWNLOAD PRIMARY SERIES ASANA CHART ### Utthita Trikoṇāsana A & B (extended triangle pose) **Utthita Trikoṇāsana A** One of the first standing postures in our Ashtanga Yoga sequence and probably one of most difficult, and misunderstood! For personally I feel like I’ve relearnt this posture over and over, particularly as my body has adapted and evolved. It definitely keeps me in a “beginners mind”. While Ashtanga yoga has been my core practice for the last 20 years, I also enjoy attending Iyengar yoga classes (we have some amazing teachers at Nilaya House – just saying!). Trikoṇāsana is probably one of the postures where the difference between Iyengar and Ashtanga alignment is most pronounced. In the Ashtanga Trikoṇāsana, we take a shorter stance -it’s often stated as three feet but I prefer the instruction one of your own legs’ distance – ending up with an equilateral triangle. We allow a rotation of the hips to be able to catch the big toe, rather than keeping the hips square, and then the emphasis in the posture is the twisting action in the waist. With vinyasa yoga being the love child of Iyengar and Ashtanga, cues for Trikoṇāsana often end up being very confused. Trying to keep the hips square and catch the toe is pretty impossible for most people and a sure way to crunch your waist and send undue pressure into the sacroiliac joint. Believe me I’ve been there! So most people opt out of taking the toe (I do too in an Iyengar class, I use a block). But then what is missed is this twisting action of the wait around the central axis of the spine, which Pattabhi Jois strongly emphasized in Yoga Mala. This alignment is a perfect example that we find consistently throughout the primary series sequence highlight the Ashtanga methodology is often is more focused on the inner body – cultivation of agni and circulation of prana, than the muscoskeletal system. **Standing Postures Practice Tips** This three practice tips will serve you well Trikoṇāsana and all standing postures. Standing postures are all about grounding, finding stability and connection to the earth. When the legs are strong the spine can be free. 1. Turn on bandhas by actively stretching the mat with the feet. You can play around with moving the feet away from each other or towards each other, it will work different parts of the leg 2. Remember the rule – if you are stretching one muscle group, actively engage the opposing group. For standing postures this means drawing up through the knee and quads, to keep stability while opening the back of the leg 3. It all starts in the feet – press down firmly through your heels, the balls of the feet, lift in the in arches and ground the outer each of the foot. Happy Practising! ### LEARN THE VINYASA COUNT FOR THESE POSTURES – LISTEN BELOW ### Nea Ferrier Yoga Utthita Trikoṇāsana A & B Stream Audio on SounCloud ### BOOK CORNER **Anatomy Trains, Myofasical Merdians for Manual and Movement Therapist by Thomas Mayers** This one for the anatomy geeks! It’s a thick dense books and I have to admit I haven’t read it in entirety but learning about the 12 major fascial lines has given me a wonderful lens to better under yoga asana. In fact after being introduced to this methodology (I trained with Karin Locher, Center for Spatial Medicine in 2016) there were many aha moments when it came to alignment in Ashtanga yoga. Understanding fascia also decodes how yoga asana works in terms of physical changes through visualization as well as nervous system regulation and the role of touch in teaching. CHECK OUT THE BOOK HERE ### THE THREE GUŅAS Continuing our theme of three, let’s explore one of the holy trinities of yoga. The three guṇas are the bedrock of Ayurveda, Samakhya Philosophy and Yoga Psychology and I believe an extremely useful methodology for better understanding ourselves. I decided to ask ChatGPT about the three Guṇas – and this is what it said… In yoga philosophy, particularly as explained in the Samkhya and Vedanta traditions, the three Guṇas are fundamental qualities or energies that make up all of nature (Prakriti). They shape our mental states, behaviors, and even the universe around us. The Guṇas are; **Sattva – The Quality of Harmony and Clarity** • Nature: Light, pure, balanced, calm, and uplifting. • Mind/Behavior: Associated with wisdom, clarity, compassion, and inner peace. • Manifestation: A sattvic person is content, centered, truthful, and aware. • In Yoga: Sattva is cultivated through practices like meditation, ethical living (yamas & niyamas), selfless service, and consuming pure (sattvic) food. **Rajas – The Quality of Activity and Passion** • Nature: Movement, energy, restlessness, ambition. • Mind/Behavior: Desire-driven, egoic, striving, often impatient or agitated. • Manifestation: A rajasic person may be busy, goal-oriented, but prone to stress or burnout. • In Yoga: Rajas is moderated through calming practices, breathwork (pranayama), and mindfulness. **Tamas – The Quality of Inertia and Ignorance** • Nature: Darkness, heaviness, confusion, resistance to change. • Mind/Behavior: Laziness, apathy, depression, delusion. • Manifestation: A tamasic person may feel stuck, tired, fearful, or avoidant. • In Yoga: Tamas is reduced through energizing practices, discipline, and exposure to light and uplifting environments. Goal in Yoga: The aim is not to eliminate the gunas (they’re inherent in nature) but to cultivate sattva as a stepping stone toward transcendence—ultimately going beyond all three to realize Purusha (pure consciousness or Self). Thanks ChatGPT – I like the answer! Not bad! However, Yoga asks more from us than just reading about philosophical concepts on ChatGPT, we need to investigate and explore for ourselves. To have a direct experience is known as “*pratyaksa”,* in Sanskrit and is listed as one of the valid means of knowledge “pramāṇa” in the Yoga Sutra. **My practice tips…** Observe your mental state through out the day through the lens of the three Guṇas. It’s important to do this in a compassionate and non-judgemental way, knowing that we all oscillate between these three continually. This exercise helps strengthen the faculty of mindfulness, establishing you, as not your thoughts, but the one that watches the thoughts, the sakśi, the witness, which I wrote about in the last newsletter. From this you can start seeing the correlation between lifestyle choices i.e. how you use your senses, and your mental states. Approach your mind like a laboratory! Notice what activities lead you into rajas, or tamas, or sattva.. The big challenge is that quite often when we are in rajasic or tamasic states, we are too “in” them to remember to observe them! A sattvic mind is the one that has the most clarity. ChatGPT says “Sattva grows through conscious choices, and the more you nourish it, the more naturally it becomes your default state.” I would add – Sattva is in fact the natural state of our minds. Through yoga practices and lifestyle choices we can minimize rajas and tamas, to abide in the inherent peace of sattva, that is our birth right. ### Save the Dates: Rishikesh Retreat, October 7 – 12, 2025 Pricing and full programming coming in May ### ASHTANGA YOGA ANUṢṬHĀNA 60-HR ASHTANGA YOGA PRACTICE & PHILOSOPHY IMMERSION (YACEP) OCTOBER 2025 – APRIL 2026 **Programme Overview** - Six-month programme including in-person and online workshops - Three in-person weekends (Oct 4/5, Jan 17/18, April 18/19) at Nilaya House, Dubai - 12 online lectures (twice per month, Thursdays 7:00-8:30pm DXB time) **Topics:** - Review of Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series Asanas - Sanskrit Vinyasa Count - Traditional method for practice - Asana Anatomy, Alignment and Adjustments - Sanskrit Pronunciation - Opening and Closing Mantras - History of Yoga - Methodology of Ashtanga Yoga - Introduction to Samkhya Philosophy - Introduction to Patanjali Yoga Sutras - Exploration of the Subtle Body, Prana, Nadis & Chakras - Key Principles of Ayurveda **Teachers** Nea Ferrier, level 2 SYC authorised Ashtanga teacher Kamal Edrees, ERYT-500 teacher trainer & Osteopath Laksyha (Elouise) Sanskrit teacher **Who is this training for?** - Ashtanga practitioners wanting to deeper their practice and understanding of philosophy - Yoga practitioners wanting an immersion into Ashtanga yoga - Yoga teachers looking to continue their learning and studies of a traditional lineage of yoga **Requirements** Participating students to maintain a regular Ashtanga yoga practice throughout the immersion (4-5 days per week). **Certification** All students will receive a certification of completion. Those with 200-hr Yoga Alliance teaching certificates can count this immersion as 60-hours for YA Continuing Education Points. \**BONUS* – Course participants to review access to online pre-recorded, self-paced Ashtanga Yoga course featuring 50 tutorials. Lifetime access. **Fee\*** AED 6,500 AED 5,500 (early bird by June 30) **Application Process** Please email <nea@ashtangayogadubai.com> to receive the application form. Spaces are limited. Last November I had the chance to visit two places with a beautiful connection Hanumān, who represents devotion, discipline, strength and dedication. On the Varanasi Retreat one of my favourite temples was the Hanumān Temple (no photos allowed), where the 16th century poet saint Tulsidas is said to have had darshan of Hanumān. The photo above is from a mural in Varanasi. Travelling from the north to the south I found myself in Kishkinda in the area around Hampi. Kishkindha is the kingdom of the Varanas (monkey-like beings) in the Ramayana. Hanumān was a chief minister to Sugriva, the ruler of Kishkindha. Being there was like stepping through a portal of time! Last Sunday was Rama Navami and I visited the amazing [BAPS temple in Abu Dhabi.](https://labxby.clicks.mlsend.com/tj/cl/eyJ2Ijoie1wiYVwiOjEyNTI1MTksXCJsXCI6MTUxNDcxODYwODUyMTk2NzAyLFwiclwiOjE1MTQ3MTg3MTE4MTcxOTAwNH0iLCJzIjoiZjg2NmMzOTFkZmE3MDViYSJ9) Probably every story from India’s itihasa is depicted in the intricate carvings. It’s astounding. There is a beautiful Hanumān there (again no pictures inside!). A must visit! See the photo below. Hanumān is consisdered the ultimate yogi in terms of his disclipline, dedication and tapas, all essential to the yogic path. But it is also his link to “prāṇa” that is interesting to explore. There’s a deep and symbolic connection between Hanumān, Vayu (the wind god), and prāṇa that lies at the heart of yogic and spiritual traditions. Hanumān is considered the spiritual son of Vayu, the deva of wind and air. In yogic philosophy, Vayu isn’t just literal air—it represents prāṇa, the subtle life-force that flows through all living beings. We explored in a previous newsletter the five vayus or prāṇas, each one governs a vital function (breathing, digestion, circulation, elimination, etc.). So Hanuman, being the child of Vayu, is born of prāṇa—he is that pure life-force in motion. Hanumān’s abilities—like flying across oceans, shape-shifting, immense strength, and fearlessness—are symbolic of what happens when prāṇa is fully awakened and directed with discipline. *Jai Hanumanji!* ### Thank you for reading! I welcome your feedback. Please feel free to [email me](mailto:nea@ashtangayogadubai.com) with any topics or suggestions for future newsletters. **Categories:** REFLECTIONS **Tags:** April Newsletter, Ashtanga Anușthāna, The Three Guṇas, Trikoṇāsana --- ### [Primary Series Asana Chart, Fascia Connections & Mirabai](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/primary-series-asana-chart-fascia-connections-mirabai/) **Published:** March 14, 2025 **Author:** Nea Ferrier **Excerpt:** I'm writing to you from Goa where I've been enjoying my yoga holiday! It's Holi here today and also Laksmi Jayanti... **Content:** # Sūryanamaskāra A &Prāṇaśakti Hello friends! I’m writing to you from Goa where I’ve been enjoying my yoga holiday! It’s Holi here today and also Laksmi Jayanti so I’m looking forward to visiting a Laksmi temple, yet also hoping no one goes crazy with throwing color on the roads! In this month’s newsletter we continue our journey through the primary series exploring Pādāṅguṣṭāsana & Pādahastāsana and delving into the concept of the fascial connections of the body. Also download my Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series Asana chart at the link below! With Love ***Nea Ferrier*** <nea@neaferrieryoga.com> [neaferrieryoga.com](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/) DOWNLOAD PRIMARY SERIES ASANA CHART ### Pādāṅguṣṭāsana & Pādahastāsana **Pādāṅguṣṭāsana & Pādahastāsana** These first two standing postures of the Ashtanga sequence introduce many concepts for us to explore! Firstly they start the theme of forward bending which is a major focus of the primary series. Forward bends are considered calming and soothing for the nervous system, which is one of the reasons we practice primary series to close the week of practice, the day before and after travel, and personally I use it when I’m in times of transition and flux. We may feel like we are stretching the back of the legs here, but ultimately we are lengthening the entire back line. This “back line” in terms of fascial connection, is known as the superficial back line, as per the Tom Meyers Anatomy Trains Metholody (see book review below). I find talking about the fascial lines and connections of the body a much more intelligent way of exploring what is happening in yoga asana. It is too reductionistic to talk about “this muscle or that muscle” as the very definition of yoga asana is to use the whole body. In fact Krishnamacharya apparently used to call western exercise “eka-anga”, one limbed, as it’s a more reductionist approach, and yoga “sarva-anga.” all limbs There are 12 major fascial lines, delineated by the Anatomy Trains method, and the two we will focus on this posture is the **superficial back-line (SBL)** and **deep-front line (DFL).** The SBL runs from the soles of the feet, up the back of the legs, over the pelvis, either side of the spine, the top of the head to the forehead. When we practice these postures we can think about bringing the forehead to the shins, thereby lengthen the superficial backline to its maximum. So as with all forward bends, if you feel restriction in the asana, it may not be just in the hamstrings but at any point throughout the backline. The second fascial line we can explore is the deep front line (DFL) which runs from the arches of the feet up through the inner legs, to the pelvic floor the inner core muscles and into the neck and jaw via the diaphragm.. What this means is there is direct fasical connection between your feet and the pelvic floor (moola bandha) and lower abdomen (uddiyana bandha). And there is a fascial connection from the pelvic floor to the diaphragm, which is why bandhas and breath are intrinsically connected. In all standing postures it is very useful to lift up though the inner arches, and activate the inner legs. This automatically “turns on” moola bandha. In fact, really the pathway to the root lock is through the feet and the legs. **Practice Tips:** – Breath into the entire backline. Breathing into the back body, will be useful practice throughout all the forward bends of the primary series. – Lift up through the arches of the feet and wake up the inner legs. For most of us the outer leg dominates, and engagement is easier to access. However inner leg activation is vital for many postures to come. – Use the vinyasa count for bandha engagement. These two postures, have a particular vinyasa count that helps access the inner strength of bandhas. After five breathes, inhale lift the head, and exhale there holding still. Use that exhale to synch in the waist and lift up through the pelvic floor, Inhale as you stand up holding that engagement. Try it and see how it feels. Use this technique to come out of all the forward bends coming up, particularly as preparation for lifting up and jumping back. ### LEARN THE VINYASA COUNT FOR THESE POSTURES – LISTEN BELOW ### Nea Ferrier Yoga Pādāṅguṣṭāsana & Pādahastāsana Stream Audio on SounCloud ### BOOK CORNER **Anatomy Trains, Myofasical Merdians for Manual and Movement Therapist by Thomas Mayers** This one for the anatomy geeks! It’s a thick dense books and I have to admit I haven’t read it in entirety but learning about the 12 major fascial lines has given me a wonderful lens to better under yoga asana. In fact after being introduced to this methodology (I trained with Karin Locher, Center for Spatial Medicine in 2016) there were many aha moments when it came to alignment in Ashtanga yoga. Understanding fascia also decodes how yoga asana works in terms of physical changes through visualization as well as nervous system regulation and the role of touch in teaching. CHECK OUT THE BOOK HERE **What is your definition of being “good”.** Apart from morality, I notice quite often we pat ourselves on the back and feel we are being “good” when we are being productive, meeting milestones, generally being more “engaged” in the world. It’s a sympton of our capitalist society, one that places enormous value on “work ethic”. What is fascinating is how easily this permeates all aspects of life, including our yoga practice. We feel like we are “good” when we “do” all our asanas (or other techniques), as perfectly as possible. We can feel bad or shameful when we need to take things slow, do less or nothing at all. For any human, being productive all the time is not realistic, and particularly for women, this type of mindset can be super unhelpful and downright sabotaging. Through the course of one lunar month a woman will oscillate in energy levels and the ability to be “productive” and socially engaged. Thinking we are “good” when this comes naturally, and “bad” when we feel otherwise, is literally creating are own samsaric hell! Enter Menstrual Cycle Awareness – the key to free women from patriarchal cultural norms. I’m looking forward to talking about this topic more in the upcoming Connecting to Your Inner Moon workshop in Dubai. Yes we will talk about menstruation, but this just one aspect of your lunar month. There’s a lot of delve into! ### **Connecting to Your Inner Moon** *Menstrual Cycle Awareness for Yoga Practitioners* **Saturday March 29** 10:00am-12:30pm AED295 (pre-booking essential) Nilaya House, Dubai Limited to 12. [**Book Here.**](https://labxby.clicks.mlsend.com/tl/c/eyJ2Ijoie1wiYVwiOjEyNTI1MTksXCJsXCI6MTQ4ODQ2MDU4MjczNzY5MTk0LFwiclwiOjE0ODg0NjA2OTI2NTk5MTM1OH0iLCJzIjoiNTJkMWJlZmNjMmNlYTdhNCJ9) (This will be an in person event only. I plan to hold an online session soon) **It’s Holi today in India.** The spring festival of colour celebrating, among many things, the love of Krishna and Radha, whose love is symbolic of the bhakta’s longing for the divine. A speaking of going against societal norms, a historical figure who was also intoxicated by her love for Krishna was Mirabai, one of India’s most revered female saints. She was born in the 16 th century into a Rajput family in Rajasthan. She showed a strong spiritual yearning from a young age and her wild energy worried her parents who married her off early to a Rajput prince. After he died young, she came under the control of her in-laws, who disappointed she didn’t commit sati (throwing herself on her husband’s funeral pyre) tried to kill her with a venomous snake. She escaped and took to the road, mixing freely with people of all types, expressing her love for Krishna through song and walking her own path. **“Some praise me, some blame me, I go the other way.” Mirabai** “She became a heroine of the bhakti tradition which encouraged devotion to one’s personal god, without the intermediaries of priests, ritural or temples. In bhakti, all you need is a simple offering of your live, a flower, a fruit, a song. In her lifetime Mirabai composed perhaps a hundred songs called bhajans, which were passed down the through the centuries by oral tradition.” (Incarnations, India in Fifty Lives, Sunil Khilnani). Her appeal and influence in Indian culture, writes Edwin Bryant, is from her emerging, through her legends and poems, as a person “who stands up for what is right and suffers bitterly for holding fast to her convictions, as other men and women have”, yet she does so with a language of love, with words painting the “full range of emotions that mark love, whether between human beings or between human and divine”. Edwin Bryant (2007), Krishna: A Sourcebook. *I find her story quite incredible and her poetry just beautiful! Happy Holi!* ### Within the body are gardens, rare flowers, peacocks, the inner music. Mirabai ### ONLINE ASHTANGA YOGA COURSE **LAUNCH SALE PRICE (during Ramadan) USD 99 (normally USD 125)** This is a pre-recorded, self-paced online course of more than 50 tutorials and practice classes. This course will introduce you to the full set of asanas that make up the Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series as well as the method for practice. The course follows the traditional method of teaching the asanas step-by-step, slowly building the sequence. Eventually the sequence is memorised and you will be able to practice by yourself. The course includes; - :Tutorials on each asana and how to perform it safely - Suggestions for modifications and how to incorporate props - Additional exercises to compliment the asanas - Guided classes of varying lengths you can practice along - Opportunity to have any questions answered directly from me \*\*\*YACEP 5.5 hours plus Certificate of Completion\*\*\* BUY NOW ### Thank you for reading! I welcome your feedback. Please feel free to [email me](mailto:nea@ashtangayogadubai.com) with any topics or suggestions for future newsletters. **Categories:** REFLECTIONS **Tags:** ASHTANGA, Fascia Connections, March News, Mirabai, Primary Series Asana Chart --- ### [Sūryanamaskāra A &Prāṇaśakti](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/suryanamaskara-a-praṇasakti/) **Published:** January 14, 2025 **Author:** Nea Ferrier **Excerpt:** Welcome to my first newsletter. It's a bit old-fashioned, as we've got so used to bite-sized content now, but some subjects need more than a few words... **Content:** # Sūryanamaskāra A &Prāṇaśakti Hello friends! Welcome to my first newsletter. It’s a bit old-fashioned, as we’ve got so used to bite-sized content now, but some subjects need more than a few words in a IG or TikTok post! In these newsletters I plan to share with you thoughts, insights and teachings regarding Ashtanga Yoga Practice and Philosophy, drawing on my 20 years of Ashtanga practice, as well as long-term studies of Ayurveda, Tantra and Menstruality. And as I’m a huge book worm there might be some reading recommendations along the way! Since the passing of dear Sharathji, I have been reflecting on his legacy. I always remember his emphasis on knowing the correct posture names, pronunciation and vinyāsa count. So in honor of Guruji, amongst other topics, I will be detailing Ashtanga yoga asana names, vinyāsa count and some guidelines for practice in each newsletter. Let’s go on this journey together! With Love ***Nea Ferrier*** <nea@neaferrieryoga.com> [neaferrieryoga.com](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/) ### Sūryanamaskāra A **Practice Tip:** Ideally our practice should cultivate a beautiful balance between energizing uplifting quality and a grounding sense of calm. The key is in the breath. All throughout the Ashtanga practice we aim for the breath to be “sama”, same in length for the inhale and exhale. This rhythm starts in Sūryanamaskāra. What this means is each movement needs to be exactly the same duration, whether it is bending forward as in “dve” or lifting the head and chest in “trini”, as the length of the movement links to the length of breath. You can either practice with an internal count of “inhale 1 – 2- 3″ exhale 1 – 2 – 3” to measure this, or for fun, practice with a metronome (do they still exist?) The Breathing App is very useful resource for regulating the breath. Give it a try and see how you feel. It can be a great thing to do if your practice is starting to feel mechanical. The antidote to boredom is to pay attention. So zoom in on the breath and really check if each movement in your sūryanamaskār is of equal length. Listen below to learn the vinyasa count for Sūryanamaskāra A ### Nea Ferrier Yoga Sūryanamaskāra A Stream Audio on SounCloud ### Download the 2025 moon day calendar MOON DAYS **Outer and Inner Moons in Ashtanga Yoga** Full and New Moon days are traditionally taken as rest days in Ashtanga yoga, and in addition woman are advised to rest during their inner moon, the menstrual cycle. Sometimes you might find this time also lines up with the new or full moon, but it’s very normal for it to shift by a few days cycle-to-cycle. For many female practitioners being told to take a break from practice can feel like unwelcome advice. It can maybe seem patriarchal, out-dated, sexist or overly interventionist. To better understand the reason for this recommendation, we need to zoom out and consider our practice from the Yoga & Ayurvedic lens, rather than a western-medical viewpoint. We know that our bodies are continually transforming whether it be digestion, hormonal release, cell renewal or brain cognition. Western medicine clearly describes the various functions taking place, but falls short on explaining “force” or “power” behind these processes. In Yoga and Ayurveda, this animating principle is known as Prāṇaśakti. There are five mukhya (major) pranas (also called vayus), that play different roles managing our bodily processes. Illness and mental disturbances are attributed to dysregulation or blockages in the flow of these pranas. Prana – its role is the ingestion of nourishing energy, pulling energy from the macrocosmic into the body. Its seat is in the heart. Apana – is the downward and outward moving energy, in the form of urination, defecation and menstruation. Its seat is in the lower abdomen, pelvis and thighs. Samana – is clockwise moving prana governing digestion and assimilation, and it’s seat is is in the abdomen. Vyana – is dispersing, diffusive energy. Its main seat is in the arms and legs but it is present throughout the entire body helping with movement. Udana – is the uprising, uplifiting, lighter energy performing speech, cognition and perception. It is the intelligence behind the five sense organs and located in the throat. At the time of menstruation, it is **APANA**, this downward movement of prana that we want to honor and support. This is why we often naturally feel a heaviness in the legs, and abdomen, and general fatigue. Our bodies are calling for a slow down, a pause, to give into this downward pull, to facilitate the apana movement of śakti. that takes place during menstruation. Rather than view this as an inconvenience, we would do well to give gratitude for how amazing it is we have this in-built system of monthly cleansing and renewal via the menstrual cycle. One just needs to visualize the **bandhas** used in Ashtanga yoga, (**uddiyana** – drawing in the lower abdomen, and **moola** bandha – lifting the pelvic floor) to acknowledge that this is not ideal for a time when we are wanting to encourage apana. Instead we can consider some slower practices such as restorative yoga (I’ll be writing more on this another time). I personally take a break from all formal practices (including chanting and pranayama as both of these involve bandha activation) during menstruation, and rest as deeply as possible, as I like to truly honor and give space for this incredible movement of Prāṇaśakti. The fact is, at this time – **YOU ARE THE YOGA**. Nothing else is needed.. ### BOOK CORNER If you are interested in learning more about tuning into lunar cycles check out this amazing new book by Ayurvedic practitioner Kate O’Donnell. In this book, Kate explains the healing properties that comes from “soma” the lunar energy, and how it is a much needed balance to the “sūrya” energy of “all go” that tends to dominant our society. Embrace the sacred pause! CHECK OUT THE BOOK HERE ### HAPPY PONGAL! While most festivals in India are based on the lunar calendar, tomorrow January 14 is the only one based on the movement of the sun. Makar Sankranti is when the sun moves into the house of Makar (Capricorn), signifying longer days to come as we move out of the depths of winter. In the Punjab it is known as Lohri and the south it is Pongal. In places like Karnataka and Tamil, women decorate the entrance to homes with these beautifully intricate designs in chalk known as kolam or rangoli. In fact this is a daily ritual all year round – just extra special for festival time. I’m kind of obsessed with them at the moment! SEE MORE KOLAM DESIGNS ### Thank you for reading! I welcome your feedback. Please feel free to [email me](mailto:nea@ashtangayogadubai.com) with any topics or suggestions for future newsletters. **Categories:** REFLECTIONS **Tags:** ASHTANGA, JANUARY NEWS --- ### [ASHTANGA: PARAMPARA.ORG INTERVIEW](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/ashtanga-parampara-org-interview/) **Published:** October 30, 2019 **Author:** Nea Ferrier **Excerpt:** I had attended the occasional yoga class during my early twenties but nothing really grabbed me until I made a major lifestyle change and found Ashtanga yoga when I was living in Hong Kong. **Content:** REPOSTED FROM: [ashtangaparampara.org](http://www.ashtangaparampara.org/nea-ferrier.html) --- ***Nea, please share with us your history before yoga*** I had attended the occasional yoga class during my early twenties but nothing really grabbed me until I made a major lifestyle change and found Ashtanga yoga when I was living in Hong Kong. I always had a connection to my body having had studied ballet, jazz and russian dance from the age of four to seventeen but there was a long break of about ten years before coming to a daily yoga practice. I grew up in Sydney, Australia and spent most of my early twenties conspiring to leave. I always felt very cut off from the rest of the world living in Australia. Not that I really knew what the rest of the world was, I just knew I wanted to be somewhere else. Looking back, I don’t think I felt my life truly started until I arrived in Hong Kong at the age of twenty-five. Working for a public relations (PR) agency there, I fell into the typical “work hard – party hard” hedonistic expat lifestyle. On the surface I had all the trappings of a successful life. But I started to notice a dullness inside, a feeling of mediocrity and I began to wonder “Is this all there is?”. When I was twenty-eight, my boyfriend broke up with me and the incident caused me to unravel. It made me to look at my life honestly and I didn’t like what I saw. The break up hadn’t come out of nowhere like I was telling everyone. Problems had come from an emotional immaturity on my behalf, stemming from a drinking problem. I had always been a first to the party last to leave type of person. Binge drinking is an accepted part of Australian culture and is certainly venerated in an expat environment. It was completely normal to stay out drinking all night at least one night a week often to the point of blackouts and alcohol poisoning. Well, that was what was normal for me. During this period of introspection following the break-up I started reading a book called “Responsible Drinking”. It suggested taking one month out from drinking alcohol. I couldn’t fathom such a thing. I couldn’t recall a weekend that hadn’t involved excess drinking since my late teens. But I decided to try. I remember thinking I just want clarity. I want to be able to see things clearly. It was during that month of abstinence that I start practicing Ashtanga yoga. ***And how did you find the practice?*** I started going to a Friday night Ashtanga class in a gym. It was the ideal timing as to enforce the “no drinking policy” I had to drop out of my social life for a while. It was easier to stay home and be lonely than to go out and try to be disciplined saying no to drinks. It was an alienating time and I probably wouldn’t have survived it if it wasn’t for yoga. I signed up to a huge yoga gym called Planet Yoga and started going to classes every morning of all different styles. But Ashtanga was my favourite. I came to the end of one month of abstinence and felt amazing so decided to continue no drinking indefinitely. This period ended up lasting for the next five years. I suddenly seemed to have so much free time, now that I wasn’t partying or recovering from partying. I started avidly reading about yoga. I read a book called the “Spiritual Teachings of Yoga” which detailed Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and it blew my mind. I thought, wow this is it. This is giving me a framework of how to live my live. How to see clearly. I was attending evening Ashtanga classes at a small studio with a lovely teacher from Australia called Nicole. When the studio planned to close I was devastated. But where will you go I asked her. “Oh back to Mysore probably” she said. “Mysore what’s that?” I asked and to which she replied “It’s where Ashtanga comes from”. She gave me a moon day card with a picture of Pattabhi Jois on the back. It was the first time I had heard of Guruji. Well I want to go there, I thought. Nicole suggested I start practicing with certified teacher Alex Medin who was teaching in Hong Kong then. I still remember my first Mysore class with him. The room felt too warm and I had never tried anything past Marichiasana D. Alex guided me through the full series. I went off to work that day feeling like someone had turned the light on inside of me. I remember walking to the metro station thinking, “I’m awake”. Up until now I think I have been living my life asleep. I looked around at everyone on the morning commute and thought, we are all walking around asleep. By 3 pm though, I was exhausted and felt nauseous (probably from dehydration as I don’t think I had ever sweated so some much!) and I had to go home early. But I couldn’t wait to get back on the mat again the next day. I was hooked. A few months later I decided to resign my job and leave for India. ***How did you find the courage to take this big leap of faith?*** The decision came during a time that I was questioning everything about who I was. Who was this persona that I had constructed? I was definitely fearful of taking time out of my career but I started asking myself, “What’s the worse that can happen? You run out of money. You have to get a menial job. You end up sleeping on your parent’s couch. So what?” In fact ever since I took that plunge I have never been out of work except by choice. But I have definitely had many periods of homelessness and sleeping on the parent’s couch in the years that followed! I had no idea what was in store for me. I certainly had no grand plans about teaching yoga. I just had a strong innate belief that what I was embarking on was of value. Maybe not for “getting ahead” in the worldly way but definitely for my own self-growth. People kept asking “But what are your plans? What will you do next?” My only answer was “I really don’t know. All I know is that I have to do this now.” ***Can you delve into your first trip to India? What was that experience like?*** It was actually my second trip having already visited Rajasthan for ten days over Christmas of the year before. For this trip, I planned for six months with the aim to soak up as many yoga experiences as possible. I left Hong Kong in March 2006 and spent a couple of months travelling in Kerala and Karnataka visiting various ashrams, practicing Ashtanga each day on different rooftops or where ever I could find the space and relishing the time alone for reading and introspection. I felt like a bit of a cliche – PR exec quits job and “finds” herself in India – but that’s essentially what was happening. After some time in Cochin, Gokarna and Hampi I made my way to Mysore to study at the Institute. However, at the last minute I changed my mind and decided to take Sharath’s smaller class rather than practice with Guruji. Those were the days when you sent a letter to apply to practice and you didn’t get an answer back, you just showed up. I had spent sometime in Mysore settling in before registering and I met a lovely Japanese guy who suggested Sharath’s classes (smaller and cheaper) and the idea appealed to me. I practiced with Sharath alongside around 25 other people each morning, where Saraswati now teaches, and attended conference with Guruji in the “main shala” once a week. I was very happy with the decision. I enjoyed conference with Guruji but I also loved learning from Sharath. I remember learning to drop back and stand up on that trip and being admonished by Sharath for riding a bicycle as he did my supta kurmasana adjustments! It was a special time. It was special for practice and special because I was falling in love with the Japanese guy I had met. Nori was a yoga teacher from Tokyo and had been in Mysore for the last nine months. At the of my time in India, I returned to Sydney with the intention to resume life back in the corporate world. Instead, I worked three jobs for three months to save up enough money to leave again and returned to Mysore to meet up with Nori the following January. We spent the next six months in Mysore and travelling in the north of India. In fact, for the next two years we spent as much time in Mysore and India and Thailand as possible, practicing yoga and sitting meditation retreats. The relationship with Nori was hugely influential for me. It was because of him that I first went to Japan and started teaching as his assistant at Tokyo Yoga. We were deeply in love and were both extremely committed to developing our sadanas, side-by-side. Eventually, Nori’s journey led him to a monastery in Japan where he ordained as a monk in August 2009. I stayed on in Japan and started a Mysore program in Nagoya. It was hard to let him go, but I’ll always be so grateful for our time together. It was truly life changing. ***As you had Nori on your sadhana path, how can practitioners that have a partner not involved in yoga best create conditions for supported growth?*** For me personally, I think it is important to share your life with someone who also values a path of self-growth and transformation. This doesn’t mean they need to do asana. But I think having their own practice of some sort or certainly a more philosophical and yogic outlook on life is helpful. A partner can be more supportive if they have an appreciation for why an Ashtanga practitioner is committed to practicing everyday. Understanding that the discipline and routine is liberating rather than restrictive and that the practice is what keeps us grounded, vibrant and sane. This can definitely be a lonely path. I was single for three years after Nori and I parted. There have been times in my recent life where I absolutely despaired that I would ever meet someone given my lifestyle choices. Aside from the daily practice itself, running a Mysore program requires a huge commitment, physically, emotionally and energetically. I have had periods of doubt. Questioning whether I was sacrificing too much of myself to some lofty cause of trying to change the world through yoga. But the longer I teach the more proof I see that this practice heals and transforms. Even just teaching someone surya namaskar could be a catalyst for change. Recently I received an email from a student telling me that her bad habits were falling away. That the yoga is like some sort of magic. Hearing stories like this makes me know I am on the right path. Fortunately, I am about to marry a man who shares my love of early bedtimes and wakeups. He didn’t practice yoga when we first met and that wasn’t a problem for me. What was more important was that he understood why I did. However, he now does come to my Mysore class three mornings a week and loves it. I recognised that I needed to make some adjustments in my schedule to create the space for a relationship to grow. For the first time in many years I’ve now started practicing after teaching. I may go back to the early mornings as that time of day for practice is so precious and I do love it. For now though, in the lead up to our marriage, this is what feels right. ***Nea, going back a bit, what impression did or does Sharath have on you as a student and teacher? Many teachers in past interviews have spoken about how little Sharath speaks but how direct and meaningful his few words can be.*** One of the first things I noticed about Sharath and I continue to observe is how open and honest he his. He is completely himself. There is no facade. When someone asks him a question, he answers straight from the heart and his emotions show on his face. I love this. Like any good teacher he definitely knows when to be tough and when to be soft. In 2009, I did three weeks of led classes with Sharath. A week in Bali and two weeks in Sydney. It was a wonderful experience. I remember for the two weeks we were doing primary he was smiling all the time and very kind to everyone. Then the morning he walked in to teach the led second, there was no smile, he was very serious and commanding. It was like he was saying, “Okay everyone, if you are in this room, you are going to work very hard!” I agree that Sharath’s effectiveness as a teacher does lie in being sparing with words. When I am in the room with him, I don’t need him to say anything to me. Just being in the presence of my teacher makes me do my absolute best. He can say it all with one look. It means when he speaks his words have power. One of my dearest memories of my time as Sharath’s student happened during the Level 1 training in July 2010. We each had to teach a led class with the correct vinyasa count and then Sharath would critique us. After my class Sharath said “Nea you need to speak louder. One day when you have many students, they will need to hear you.” To me that moment symbolised “parampara” – my teacher believed one day I would have many students. To this day, five years on, I draw on this moment as a source of strength and empowerment. Now when I teach my led classes here in Dubai, I remember to speak loudly and clearly, knowing that I have my teacher’s blessing. ***How important is parampara to you? How important is the role of a teacher in a student’s yoga journey?*** I am a very independent person. One of the things I like about Ashtanga is how self-reliant you need to be. You are responsible for your own practice. It is you who turns up each day and does the work. Over the last eleven years most of my practices have been alone. I think self-practices like this builds resilience and inner strength. Yet, I also really value the role of the teacher. Actually, on my last trip to Mysore I thought a lot about this and came to the conclusion that the traditional teacher-student relationship, where the teacher teaches and the students listens, learns and follows their instructions is truly paramount in the path of yoga. It is a path of devotion and surrender of will. When I first started yoga I wanted to try every asana I came across. Now I am content to follow what my teacher says. I don’t try asanas until they have been given to me, normally by Sharath. It’s kind of a paradox to be quite strong-willed yet prepared to surrender, but I’ve come to realise that I prefer freedom from choice, rather than of choice. It does mean that I’ve been stuck at postures for a good couple of years before moving on! But I go to Mysore to learn from my teacher, not to perform. To me that moment when a new posture is given, is pure parampara. I don’t want to do anything to spoil that. Spending time with a teacher is more than just picking up asana tricks and tips here and there. A teacher is someone who has walked this path longer than you. Someone who has been on their own journey and can now be a source of inspiration and support as the student finds their way. I see my role as a teacher is to a create a nurturing space, like a little oasis in the desert, where people can come each day, knowing that I will be there, by their side, as they navigate the ups and downs of self-transformation. ***You were the first teacher to bring Ashtanga to Dubai. What was that experience like?*** There were few people who were already teaching Ashtanga in Dubai and some visiting teachers had passed through over the years, but I was the first KPJAYI teacher to move there and start teaching. I started a Mysore program with the support of a local yoga studio at the beginning of 2013 and since then the yoga scene in Dubai has absolutely boomed. I started Ashtanga Yoga Dubai at the beginning of last year. When I first moved, many people asked me why I would come to live in a “materialistic and superficial” city like Dubai. I felt strongly that this was a stereotype, and that you can always find people in any city who are interested in something deeper. We are all chasing the same thing at the end of day. I felt it was a good place for me to settle. I know what it is like to live as an expat in a consumerist city and how alienating it can be when you start choosing a different way of living. I want Ashtanga Yoga Dubai to not just be a place for morning practice, but a community of people bonded by a common desire to live more consciously. One of my favourite times of the week is after our weekly Friday led class (Friday’s are the first day of the weekend in Dubai). About a year ago I began holding a yoga philosophy class after the led class, discussing the yoga sutras. When I first started I wasn’t sure if anyone would stay around for it, as I thought most people would probably be wanting to head off to Friday brunch instead. Instead, now the majority of people who have come to the class also stay on for yoga philosophy or meditation. It could also be because I make chai! I’ve enjoyed learning about the Muslim faith while living here. Some of my students are local Emiratis and it’s been wonderful to be invited into their homes to teach yoga. One student is currently continuing her lessons through the fasting period of Ramadan. She mentioned the other day that she felt that the yoga was helping her be more calm and steady for her prayers. I love hearing how this practices makes a tangible difference to someone’s life, often in unexpected ways. ***Any final thoughts?*** I clearly remember there was a time I was considering quitting Ashtanga yoga. It was about two years in, the bliss bubble had burst, and it was starting to get a tough. I created a whole list of reasons why I should quit, ranging from perhaps it didn’t suit my dosha to thinking I had the wrong body shape. I was attending a workshop with John Scott in Kuala Lumpur and one of the first things he said was how most of us go through life doing things until they get hard, at which point we then quit and try something else. I realised that was exactly what I was about to do. So instead I made the decision to stay with the practice and I am so absolutely grateful that I did. Yes, it can be hard. But so what. Hard is good. In the words of Ram Das, “It is all grist for the mill”. This practice brings health, vibrancy and joy to my life as well as providing me with an incredible methodology for powerful self-inquiry. It continues to intrigue me by simultaneously helping me see clearly, while illuminating how little I know. It makes me a better me and I am honoured to share it with others. I give thanks to Sri K Pattabhi Jois, Saraswati and Sharath for making it their life’s work to teach this method. I remain indebted to all my teachers who have all shined a light on this path for me over the years and to my students who I love dearly for their dedication, commitment and support. Keep practicing, with gratitude and devotion in your heart. --- *\*photos provided by Nea Ferrier \*Ashtanga Parampara thanks Lydia Teinfalt for editorial suppor*t **Categories:** REFLECTIONS **Tags:** ASHTANGA, INTERVIEW, PARAMPARA --- ### [MYSORE MEMORIES](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/mysore-memories/) **Published:** November 5, 2012 **Author:** Nea Ferrier **Excerpt:** Last weekend I went to the wedding party of the first person I met in Mysore. It was 2006 and I had travelled to Mysore in Southern India to study Ashtanga Yoga. **Content:** Last weekend I went to the wedding party of the first person I met in Mysore. It was 2006 and I had travelled to Mysore in Southern India to study Ashtanga Yoga. Less than a year earlier was when I first heard about Mysore. I had been attending evening Ashtanga classes in Hong Kong and was shocked to hear that the studio was closing down. “But what will you do?” I said to the teacher. “Oh I’ll just go back to Mysore,” she said nonplussed. “Mysore, what’s that?” I asked. “It’s where Ashtanga Yoga comes from…in India,” she said as she handed me a small card with the lunar calendar on one side and a picture of an Indian man on the other. “This is the Guru of Ashtanga Yoga, Pattabhi Jois,” she explained. Well I want to go there, I thought. So it came that six months later I resigned my job in Hong Kong and set out for India. I had sent a letter applying to study at the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute. But I didn’t receive a response. I called and spoke to a woman, who I now recognise as Guruji’s daughter Saraswati. “I have sent a letter,” I explained. “What is your name,” she said. “Nea,” I said. “Yes you can come,” she said without hesitation However yoga shala was closed for the month I would arrive in India and was due to reopen mid year. This appeared to be “monsoon time”. I had visions of wading through flooded streets filled with floating rubbish, cows and cycle rickshaws. I was consumed with apprehension and kept searching the internet for more details on Mysore weather conditions. Like most anxiety about the future, my worries were unfounded. Monsoon in Mysore meant only heavy afternoon showers and mangos. To fill in the time before the shala opened I travelled in Kerala and Karnataka spending time at various ashrams. I found myself at one outside of Bangalore for the guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. I was enjoyed the lively evening kirtans until my time there came to a premature and melodramatic end when a small cut on my foot developed into a bad infection. Some Indian friends from the ashram took me to the hospital in Bangalore for antibiotics then showed me the way to the bus station to catch the bus to Mysore. When I arrived I asked a rickshaw driver to take me to look at some guesthouses in town. Most were pretty horrible, even by my low standards. I finally settled on one right opposite the famous Devaraj Markets. The next morning, I set out to buy myself some Indian-style clothing – the baggy pants, long dress and scarf set known as a salwar kameez. I didn’t have to look far. Right beneath my guesthouse was a large sari, scarf and clothing shop called Badsha. They were having a renovation sale and a charming young man named Shoaib helped me select a couple of outfits. See an example of one of these outfits below – this photo was taken when I took a side trip (two days on the train!) from Mysore up to Varanasi – but that’s a whole other story! This week, I was back in at Badsha being helped by Shoaib – this time buying a sari to wear to his wedding! A lot has changed since that first trip. I don’t wear full Indian clothes anymore (just special occasions) or ride around on a bicycle (yes I used to ride a bicycle through Indian traffic – madness!) or wait in a line at the internet café (everywhere has wifi now). But some things remain the same. I still love visiting Devaraj markets, looking at the shawls at Badsha and afterwards drinking Badam (almond) milk at Bombay Tiffanies (always in that order). I love my Mysore memories and each trip is a mix of nostalgia and discovery in visiting old haunts, sharing them with friends and creating new memories together. *(Sari and Wedding photos courtesy of Tom Rosenthal)* **Categories:** REFLECTIONS **Tags:** MYSORE MEMORIES --- ### [REFLECTIONS ON YOGA AND TRAVEL](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/reflections-on-yoga-and-travel/) **Published:** September 11, 2012 **Author:** Nea Ferrier **Excerpt:** Six months and 15 countries later, I thought I would write a little summary of the simple yet valuable lessons learnt from continuing a daily practice of Ashtanga yoga while travelling. **Content:** Six months and 15 countries later, I thought I would write a little summary of the simple yet valuable lessons learnt from continuing a daily practice of Ashtanga yoga while travelling. I realised as I wrote this that some of these things I already knew from my regular daily practice, but it’s always good to have a reminder. You always feel better after yoga… this has always been like a noble truth to me but I am still genuinely amazed at how yoga works as a magic balm to rejuvenate the body and calm the mind. Travelling is tiring and it is easy to make up excuses why resting in bed might be a better option than practicing. But the reality is …nothing makes you feel better afterwards than time on the mat! It’s all about flexibility …and I don’t mean putting your leg behind your head. I’ve found that to be able to keep practicing when I travel I need to be flexible about when, where and how I practice. This is where a travelling practice probably differs with a regular at home practice. At home, setting a regular time and place to practice is beneficial. But when you are travelling you have no set routine, everyday is different and there are so many factors out of your control. I realised pretty early on that trying to follow a routine was stressful and kind of incongruous with the spontaneity and flow of the travelling life. Where possible we practice in morning, but we sometimes change our practice time to fit in with our daily site-seeing plans, travel commitments (catching early buses and trains) and even with the weather. In Burma it was insufferably hot in the middle of the day, so I used that time to be inside practicing, and then I could enjoy exploring and walking around in the early morning and afternoons. I’m someone who loves routine so this was challenging for me, but if I didn’t learn to be flexible in this way I think travelling and practicing daily would have been very difficult. Being flexible about where we practice is relatively easy. I wrote on another earlier blog that finding places to practice is actually quite a fun challenge. I think we have only had one occasion where the room wasn’t big enough for a mat and that was in Hong Kong! But otherwise we always seem to be able to make do even if it is a squeeze. Being flexible on how I practice has required a more subtle level of awareness and connection. My aim for this trip was to practice each day and do the best I can. I adapted my practice when I needed to, and trusted in myself to know when to give myself a little push or let when to let myself take it a little easy! The scriptures were right…..yoga is better practiced indoors. Sometimes when I tell people I do yoga they ask if I like practicing outside. I always feel like a bit of a killjoy when I tell them that yoga should be practiced inside. Don’t get me wrong, I have often practice outside and it has been lovely (apart from Dharamsala, when a monkey chased me around the rooftop).. but I’ve found on this trip I have much preferred practicing indoors. After so much sensory stimulation from travelling, I want my practice to be a time for turning inwards, rather than having to contend with mosquitoes, the elements and inquisitive eyes. Practicing when you travel is really, really hard. These last six months of has been the most challenging period of practice I have had…apart from when I had a back injury last year. I have never felt so much pain in my body when practicing as I have while practicing on the road. Long bus and train rides, an erratic diet and walking the streets for hours each day will do that to you! Getting through practice seems to sometimes take a superhuman effort! But so what. Hard is good. Hard makes it interesting and rewarding. Yoga is the ultimate travelling companion. It keeps me healthy and sane. I honestly don’t know how people travel without it. I also have to add that travelling with someone also committed to the daily practice makes a big difference. We keep each other motivated and make decisions about where to stay and what to do knowing that yoga is a priority. Before we started the trip, the thought of keeping up my practice while on the road caused me a bit of worry. But now looking back over the last six months, I realise it has been one of the best parts of the trip. It has been difficult, painful and at times inconvenient, but has provided me with a daily grounding and centering in the midst of constant change. I think it has helped me develop a stronger mind, but a less rigid one. As to how I will survive led classes in Mysore next month…only time will tell! **Categories:** REFLECTIONS **Tags:** REFLECTIONS, TRAVEL, YOGA --- ### [SALAH AND SAINTHOOD](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/salah-and-sainthood/) **Published:** July 26, 2013 **Author:** Nea Ferrier **Excerpt:** It seems I have a penchant for religious festivals. Recent events in Dubai have reminded me of this eccentricity and to be honest I am wondering what is next! **Content:** It seems I have a penchant for religious festivals. Recent events in Dubai have reminded me of this eccentricity and to be honest I am wondering what is next! A recent chain of events started with my first “iftar” breaking of fast. I hadn’t actually fasted, but in Dubai that is no barrier to rolling along to buffet dinners hosted by the various hotels around town. My friend Angelina had a two for the price of one ticket so we tried out the iftar at The Address Hotel at the Dubai Marina. It was a lot of food. I enjoyed it but was reminded why I don’t really like to go to buffets. I invariably end up with an upset stomach not only from the rich food but also the thought of the food wastage. I decided that would be the end of hotel iftars and was keen to experience Ramadan in a more authentic way. Sure enough, the following week I had an “iftar” experience of a completely different kind. A couple of friends from the Yoga Room and myself went along to the Islamic Learning Centre in Jumeirah. If a traditional iftar was what I was after this was it. Men and women sat apart, separated by a sheer curtain. We broke the fast (again I hadn’t actually fasted…well just since lunch!) with a drink of water and a date. I was then covered head to foot in a hooded top and skirt and lined up facing in the direction of Mecca for the evening prayers known as salah. My daily practice of surya namaskar held me in good stead for the standing, kneeling and bowing sequence. Once the prayers were done, we sat on the food and shared a meal with the other woman clothed in black abhayas. Most were new to Dubai or away from their families so appreciated meeting with a community for iftar. They seemed genuinely pleased we had joined them and some asked if we would be back the following week. Two women from Pakistan started talking to us about yoga. One wanted to join my class while the other told us we were involved in a deviant sect. We took that as our cue wrap things up for the night. I have to admit that donning religious garb is not a new thing for me. The experience made me remember my brief but well documented foray as a catholic saint. Some of my friends and family know this story but maybe it’s time I write it down, as it was so bizarre I may not remember it in years to come. ![](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/nea-nun-150x150.jpg)During my first extended trip to India I visited a friend in a small town in Kerala known for its Ayurveda traditions. My friend was studying at an Ayurvedic clinic there and staying with the doctor. On my second day there, an Indian man came to the house telling me he was making a movie and would like me to appear in it. I declined. He persisted. I declined again. He left but then returned the following day imploring me to acquiesce. Finally, I thought what the heck, why not. He was giddy with excitement and made plans to pick me, and my friend, up the following day. I assumed we were to be extras in the background of some Bollywood dance scene. As we drove to the set, I asked from the back seat “So what’s this film about?” “Saint Theresa of Avila,” he said. This had my interest piqued as I had recently started reading about Saint Teresa, a 16th century Christian mystic known for entering states of ecstatic rapture after long periods of meditative absorption. “Oh yeah, who’s playing Saint Teresa?” “You are,” was the response. And so the story unfolded. In the 1800s a ship from Europe was passing the coast of Kerala. It was shipwrecked but some of the sailors survived along with a small statute of St Theresa. They donated the statue to the local church (around 20 percent of Keralans are Christian) in thanks to the villagers who helped them. The statue began to be worshipped, like a Hindu deity, and there were reports of its mystical healing powers. As a consequence, the church had emerged as a place of annual pilgrimage, attracting up to 10,000 people every October, some travelling there in yogin style, such as rolling on the ground rather than walking. The men I had met had decided to make a documentary about St Teresa, the history of the statue and the annual pilgrimage to be screened that coming October during the festival. The fair-skinned Indian actress who had ben contracted to appear as St Theresa had pull out at the last minute for some reason. They were all ready to start shooting but with no lead actress. Until, I turned up in town. Believing me to be the splitting image of the Saint, the men were convinced it was a sign from God, a regular miracle, hence their insistence at my participation. In fact over the next two days, I was treated as though I actually was the Saint herself. After some local nuns dressed me in a full habit, and a priest instructed me in how to pray, the transformation was complete. Most of the scenes involved me praying feverishly on my knees, in the church or by a window. The director would give me a little brief before each scene. My acting skills were put to the test when he briefed me for the climax. “This is when you get enlightened, ok? So pray, then become enlightened! Ok?”. The film was actually screened on cable TV in India that year. A friend in Mysore told me she had watched it the following year too. It seems it is aired every October as part of the St Teresa festival. I certainly enjoyed telling my family that after six months in India I was now a Saint and had the film to prove it! > *“To have the courage for whatever comes in life – everything lies in that”* > > St Teresa of Avila. **Categories:** REFLECTIONS **Tags:** SAINTHOOD, SALAH --- ### [THE YOGA OF DRIVING](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/the-yoga-of-driving/) **Published:** February 15, 2014 **Author:** Nea Ferrier **Excerpt:** These were the words of advice from Kumar the rickshaw driver when he saw me earlier this week on a scooter for the first time. He also said, “Madam, full traffic – no!” **Content:** ***“Slowly, slowly, brake!”*** These were the words of advice from Kumar the rickshaw driver when he saw me earlier this week on a scooter for the first time. He also said, “Madam, full traffic – no!” The instruction wasn’t dissimilar to what I have been hearing Sharath say to his assistants when adjusting the numerous different bodies in the shala. “Slowly, slowly!” In fact since I started to learn to drive three months ago, I’ve noticed many parallels with the practice of yoga. The most notable is definitely the act of facing and overcoming fear by tackling it head on. I hadn’t driven since I was about 19, and the thought of driving on Dubai’s roads (considered some of the most dangerous in the world!) filled me with terror. I decided it was time face this fear, just as I had when learning to balance on my head in sirsasana C. I also needed to believe what I had always thought was impossible was possible – a bit like karandavasana! Then came the driving lessons. There was just too much to think about – looking in the mirrors, holding the steering wheel correctly, anticipating the actions of other drivers and remembering to press the accelerator! On top of all of this I had the instructor firing instructions – left lane change, right lane change, and then constantly reminding me to relax! I suddenly had a better understanding of what my students must be feeling learning surya namaskar b and me reminding them to breath! Then there is the amazing moment, when after the techniques have been mastered, you realise you are driving without strain or effort. You are in the flow! Like the beauty of vinyasa, of moving in and out of asanas, with grace and ease. Like learning yoga, this is all made possible with the caring and patient guidance of an experienced teacher that you trust, literally, with your life. Thank you to my driving teachers Flavia and Shabana, my scooter teachers Susan and Vicky and my yoga teachers Sharath Jois, Alex Medin, Eileen Hall, David Roche, Gabriella Pascoli, Tarik Thami and Noriyuki Tomiyama. Thank you also to my students for their trust. I remain indebted to you. **Categories:** REFLECTIONS **Tags:** YOGA OF DRIVING --- ### [ABOUT MYSORE STYLE](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/about-mysore-style/) **Published:** August 12, 2018 **Author:** Nea Ferrier **Excerpt:** When I first heard the word Mysore – I thought it had something to do with “My sore…hamstrings!”. I later found out that this is the name of the city in South India from where the practice originates. **Content:** When I first heard the word Mysore – I thought it had something to do with “My sore…hamstrings!”. I later found out that this is the name of the city in South India from where the practice originates. Now in Ashtanga yoga schools around the world, “Mysore-style” refers to a class that aims to stay true to the method of teaching found at the Ashtanga Yoga Institute in Mysore, India. Practicing Ashtanga yoga “Mysore-style” is one of those things that really needs to be experienced first hand to be truly understood – but here are some general tips for what to expect at a Mysore class; - The room will be mainly silent except for the sound of breathing - Students of all levels practice alongside each other, from complete beginners to more advanced - Right from the beginning, the teacher works with each student individually. This way students can progress at a pace that is suitable to their own level of strength, flexibility, and stamina - Students learn and memorise, step-by-step, a set series of postures that are practiced daily. New postures are added slowly when the student is ready - The teacher will assist the students through either verbal instruction or hands-on adjustments as necessary - Students can come at any time during the 6:30-10: 30 am timeslot, depending on how long they need for their own practice. Initially, practice will take around 30 minutes and over time will be steadily extended to 90 minutes in duration - If these points raise more questions than they answer and you are curious to know more, watching a Mysore class is a great way to get a better idea of what goes on. Otherwise, consider joining an Intro to Ashtanga workshop which is a great stepping-stone to starting a Mysore practice. Finally, remember – you do not need to know anything about Ashtanga yoga or even yoga to join a Mysore class. You don’t even need a flexible or strong body. Complete beginners and people of all ages, body types and fitness levels are welcome. All that is required is an open mind and enthusiasm to learn. We do recommend that you try to make a commitment to attending three classes a week for one month to give yourself the best chance to experience the many benefits the practice can bring. **Categories:** REFLECTIONS **Tags:** MYSORE STYLE --- ### [WHAT MAKES SOMEONE A GOOD YOGA PRACTITIONER?](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/what-makes-someone-a-good-yoga-practitioner/) **Published:** August 13, 2018 **Author:** Nea Ferrier **Excerpt:** When Ashtanga yoga is practiced in the Mysore style, students of all levels of ability practice alongside each other. And even though they share the same sequence of postures, the differences in their physical practices are apparent. **Content:** Is it someone strong and flexible with a fluid, beautiful practice? If so, does that make someone whose form is tight and stiff, who are struggling with their practice, not good at yoga? When [Ashtanga yoga](http://sharathjois.com/the-practice/) is practiced in the [Mysore style](http://sharathjois.com/the-practice/traditional-method/), students of all levels of ability practice alongside each other. And even though they share the same sequence of postures, the differences in their physical practices are apparent. For some, bending the body comes easily; for others, age, injuries, body proportion and past history make things more difficult. Every student will encounter challenges along the way; it is meeting these challenges that makes the practice rewarding. Students have a natural tendency to glance around the room and compare themselves to others, based on how far in the sequence they have progressed or how they perform the asanas, in order to determine how “advanced” they are. As a teacher, I often tell my students that the best students are those who turn up everyday or as often as they can. I believe that yoga is in the doing: making the wholehearted effort to do your best in that moment, day after day, regardless of whether your postures look “beautiful.” It is what is happening on the inside that counts. So, taking this into consideration, to be a good yoga student you need to do more than bring your body to the mat each day. Your mind needs to come too, and focus on three points of concentration—breath, posture and drishti. Of course, some days we may be more focused or distracted than others, but it is the process of noticing these differences that is the path of yoga. Does it end there? Is it enough to bring the body and mind to the mat each day? Well, no. My teacher [Sharath Jois](https://www.elephantjournal.com/2011/04/8-things-i-learned-from-sharath-jois-in-his-visit-to-nyc/) regularly repeats the teaching of his grandfather, [Sri K. Pattabhi Jois](https://www.elephantjournal.com/2009/05/sri-k-pattabhi-jois-founder-of-ashtanga-yoga-passes-away-at-age-93/), that asana is the foundation of our yoga practice. It is both the beginning of the journey and the journey itself. It is the foundation that gives us the steadiness needed to evolve, grow and develop wisdom for living. Ultimately, Sharath says, yoga is for self-transformation. Which makes the question of whether you or someone else is “good” at yoga irrelevant. ***Perhaps a better question is: Has yoga made you better at living life?*** And that is something only you can answer. **Categories:** REFLECTIONS **Tags:** GOOD YOGA PRACTITIONER --- ### [WALKING THE TIGHTROPE](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/walking-the-tightrope/) **Published:** August 29, 2018 **Author:** Nea Ferrier **Excerpt:** Today I stepped back on the mat after almost a week and a half. After a week of tonsillitis (practising with fever is definitely not advised!) and then my cycle I couldn’t wait to “begin again.” **Content:** Today I stepped back on the mat after almost a week and a half. After a week of tonsillitis (practising with fever is definitely not advised!) and then my cycle I couldn’t wait to “begin again.” All this week students have been returning from summer travels, where perhaps the break from practice was a tad longer. Quite often the feeling of starting again can be mixture excitement, nerves, and dread! At these times we can look to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras for some great advice. In chapter one, sutra 12 Patanjali says practice should be approached with a combination of consistent effort yet detachment to the results. I like to remember this as the “never give up, always let go” combo. It can certainly take quite a bit of effort and willpower to get back on the mat after a period of absence. The body may have got used the holiday sleep-ins and holiday treats. The mind then does its thing telling you all sorts of stories about how you’ve gone backward, how difficult it will be blah blah blah! If you’ve managed to shake off the “tamas” inertia that can come when we fall out of our regular practice routine and make it back onto the mat, then this is the stage to apply vairagya, detachment. Have absolutely no expectations for how the practice will go. Let go of any desires for how you want the practice to make you feel. Simply move, breath, be present and allow things to unfold. It’s only when we drop our attachment to a particular outcome that the state of yoga can arise. So really this is not just advice for returning from an absence. This is advice for every day. Walking the tightrope of applying effort and at the same time letting go, is one of the biggest challenges we’ll face in our yoga practice and indeed life. But when that balance is found…well, that’s just pure bliss. **Categories:** REFLECTIONS **Tags:** WALKING THE TIGHTROPE --- ### [BUILDING RESILIENCE](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/building-resilience/) **Published:** September 21, 2018 **Author:** Nea Ferrier **Excerpt:** When we embark on the journey of learning the Ashtanga yoga sequence of asanas, invariably along the way we come into contact with asanas that we don’t really like. **Content:** When we embark on the journey of learning the Ashtanga yoga sequence of asanas, invariably along the way we come into contact with asanas that we don’t really like. In fact, there could be a range of responses from mild distaste, to intense dislike to downright dread. Not surprisingly most often we tend to like the postures we can do and dread the ones we can’t. But in fact, it is in this encounter with the difficult and “scary” asanas where a yoga practice as a tool for self-growth is put to work. When we practise yoga, we cultivate an internal witness or “seer” or “one that watches” to observe our thought patterns and reactions. What better time to harness this power of the seer than when the mind is freaking out. Being able to watch the “freak out” creates a profound space between ourselves and our thoughts. A space or a pause hopefully just significant enough for us to realise that we have a choice in how we respond. Without developing this awareness, our response to this stressful situation might just follow past behaviours that over time have become our default MO. For some students, it might mean trying to skip the posture (hoping the teacher doesn’t notice) for others it might mean avoiding coming to practice or stopping all together, with the mind rationalising this decision with stories such as – it’s just not for me, it’s too hard, I’ll never be able to do it anyway.” The problem with routinely gravitating to the asanas we like and routinely ignoring and forgetting about the ones we don’t is that we remain stuck in the ping-pong game of attachment and aversion. Running towards what we think will make us happy and desperately hiding and avoiding what we think will bring us pain, creating increasingly entrenched “samskaras” (habitual thought patterns) and in turn “karmas” (actions) along the way. However, this is not the way of the yogi. A yogi aims for an equanimity of the mind that transcends attachment and aversion, as the path to ‘kaivalya” (freedom). Put this concept into modern day psychology terms, and this translates into the idea of cultivating resilience as the key to lasting happiness. Recent studies have concluded that happiness from pleasure is transitory and fleeting (yogis have been on to this idea for a while) and that real contentment over the long term comes from developing a mind that is resilient. Put simply, this is being ok with things not being ok, as quite frankly while we might have periods in life of things going along swimmingly, there are many times when this just isn’t the case. Fortunately, resilience is a mental attitude that can be learnt, and within the current world of secular mindfulness, resilience is forming the cornerstone of mindfulness training for corporations, schools and individuals alike. So we have this wonderful opportunity every day on the mat to develop resilience. It means showing up, facing what needs to be faced, and using our yogic tool of the breath. The ego will resist as the ego likes being in control, working hard to make ourselves look good in front of others. Practising asanas that are difficult requires our ego to be pushed to the side and our vulnerabilities embraced; this can be emotionally painful. But every day you make the decision to stay with mental discomfort on the mat, and use the breath to find a moment of stillness, a moment of equanimity however fleeting, the mind is being strengthened and conditioned, as old behaviours and habits are being broken. And then one day when life hits you with a big whammy, you may still fall down, but the resilience will be there to help you be ok with things not being ok. p.s. and the fact is, quite often, over time, these dreaded asanas might just become our favourites. Everything changes, nothing is constant. **Categories:** REFLECTIONS **Tags:** BUILDING RESILIENCE --- ### [MEMORIES OF A YATRA](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/memories-of-a-yatra/) **Published:** October 3, 2018 **Author:** Nea Ferrier **Excerpt:** To take part in a yatra is an important part of the yoga tradition. It is to go on a pilgrimage to a place of spiritual significance. For practitioners of Ashtanga yoga, travelling to Mysore India, **Content:** **UTTARKASHI, OCTOBER 2015** To take part in a yatra is an important part of the yoga tradition. It is to go on a pilgrimage to a place of spiritual significance. For practitioners of Ashtanga yoga, travelling to Mysore India, to study at the Sri K. Pattabhi Jois Institute of Ashtanga Yoga, is sometimes referred to a pilgrimage. However, this is more a modern day pilgrimage and Mysore is not necessary considered to be a place of spiritual significance in the ancient yoga tradition. For this, a yogi needs to travel North to the source of these teachings, to the Himalayas. In October 2015, I had the chance to do this with my teacher, Sharath Jois for a one-week sadhana (spiritual practice) retreat in Uttarkashi, Uttarankand. The trip was especially symbolic, as it marked ten years of my annual study with Sharath and also the first time he had travelled to this area which held such significance to him personally. More than 140 people from 34 different countries travelled to India to be part of the retreat, that was organised jointly by Robert Moses of Namarupa Magazine and Eddie Stern of Ashtanga Yoga New York. Sharath was accompanied by his mother, and esteemed Ashtanga teacher Saraswati, the daughter of Pattabhi Jois. The trip started in Delhi, where I met my good friend Margaret who I have known since 2006 after meeting in Mysore. Margaret teaches Ashtanga Yoga in Shanghai and we see each other just once a year in Mysore, and so having as much India travel experience as me, she made the perfect travel companion. I had travelled this part of the Himalayas in 2007 but hadn’t been back since apart from a recent trip to Dharamsala leading my own retreat for Ashtanga Yoga Dubai. It reminded me how much I love being in the mountains, particularly the Himalayas which seem to be super-charged with blissful energy. After a five-hour train ride we arrived in Haridwar, also an important point of pilgrimage as the city rests on the banks of the Ganges. The city felt extra vibrant and alive, as it geared up for the nine-day festival of Navaratri celebrating the goddess Durga, Laksmi, and Sarawati. The next morning was a new moon day, a day for rest from asana practice, and the perfect day to take a sunrise dip in the Ganges. It was cold! From Haridwar we travelled by car for an arduous eight hours along a windy road carved through the mountains. This area had suffered by major flooding and landslides in 2012 and the roads have only recently been made passable. They still seemed incredibly precarious and dangerous and I suffered from miserable motion sickness. It was a relief to finally arrive in Uttarkashi, a small town compromised mainly of ashrams and places of spiritual study, nestled in a valley along the banks of the Bhagirathi River. Enduring some form of hardship along the way is all part of the “yatra”. It is considered “tapas” the heat which helps burn through our conditioning. The retreat was held at the Tapovan Kutir, a large ashram named for Swami Tapovan, who is well respected in India, particularly for being the guru of Swami Chinmayananda of the Chinmaya Mission. The ashram has had a long tradition of hosting spiritual pilgrims, but this was the first time for them to host a group of Westerns. We felt very honoured to be there and they also seemed very pleased that we had travelled great distances to come. For the next week, we followed a daily program of morning asana class with Sharath followed by philosophy talks by either Sharath or the resident and visit swamis. I fell into a happy routine of rising at 4am to sit on the rooftop and enjoy looking at the stars, before our Ashtanga led class at 6am. Meals, taken at the ashram twice a day, were sattvic and simple, normally dhal, “subjee” (vegetable dishes) rice and chapatis, eating with the hands, in silence, seated on the floor. Having spent time in ashrams during my early trips to India I loved going back to this basic no-frills routine. One of the most memorable days was when we left the Tapovan Kutir and travelled to the Sivananda Ashram around 10kms away. The night before, the weather had turned wild, with wind and rain, but the next day was completely clear and for the first time we saw the snow capped mountains in the distance. Sharath held his daily conference by the river in the sunshine. Our whole group climbed across the rocks to sit together, mesmerised by the view around us. Although it was more than just a beautiful landscape that captivated me. There seemed to be an almost palpable energy there and I felt incredibly light and free. It gave me an understanding as to why this area in particular, for thousands of years, has been the place of choice for yogis to retreat. One Swami in his talks explained the significance of Uttarkashi. Varanasi or Benares, is the place for yogis to undertake their studies, studying the scriptures and important philosophical text. They would then travel to Rishikesh to contemplate what they had studied. And finally, they would retreat to Uttarkashi to begin living what they had learnt. Perhaps the energy of their intense sadhanas had left a trace on the land, or perhaps it has always been a power spot. All I know is that after just one week there, I felt I had been away for months and returned to Dubai changed forever. **Categories:** REFLECTIONS **Tags:** ASHTANGA YOGA, YATRA --- ## Pages ### [Nea Ferrier Yoga | Home](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/) **Published:** October 25, 2019 **Author:** jimmycrow **Excerpt:** KPJAYI level 2 authorised teacher. Teaching Ashtanga yoga practice and philosophy in Dubai and on retreat and guest locations. **Content:** ## ASHTANGA YOGA; PRACTICE & PHILOSOPHY # Nea Ferrier instagram facebook Coming Home to Yourself **October 4 – 24, 2026** 21 days to build a sustainable yoga practice through yoga, pranayama, meditation and daily rituals—for women 40+. ### Who is this programme for? This programme is for women 40+ who are ready to make themselves a priority again. **It is for you if you:** - Want to establish a regular yoga practice or return to one after time away. - Are navigating the hormonal changes of midlife and looking for practices that support your body and mind. - Feel overwhelmed by the demands of work, family or caring for others, and need space to reconnect with yourself. - Are looking for practical ways to manage stress and cultivate greater calm. - Want to improve your energy, sleep and overall wellbeing through simple, sustainable daily practices. - Are seeking a more holistic approach to yoga that includes movement, pranayama, meditation and lifestyle. - Long for a consistent practice that supports you not just for 21 days, but for years to come. No previous yoga experience is necessary. Whether you are stepping onto the mat for the first time or rediscovering your practice, you are welcome. ### What the programme involves; - 9 live online sessions over three weeks - Recorded philosophy/lifestyle lectures - Handouts and resources - A structured progression - Close guidance throughout the programme - Accountability of practising as a group ### Dates / Times **October 4 -24** Tuesday & Thursday mornings 6:00-7:15am (yoga-asana, pranayama & meditation) Sunday afternoons\* 4:00-5:30pm (talk & restorative/yin session) *\*These sessions will be recorded* ### Pricing Early Bird: **€150** Standard: **€175** By the end of the 21 days you’ll have the knowledge, confidence and rhythm to continue a sustainable yoga practice on your own. Apply for this programme here SIGN UP ### Navarātri This programme runs over Navarātri, a nine-night period where the Divine Feminine is honoured in her many forms. It is a time traditionally dedicated to practice, prayer and inner reflection. Many people simplify their diet, spend more time in meditation, and recommit to the disciplines that support a clear and steady mind. Navarātri also falls at a seasonal turning point (this is no co-incidence). Ayurveda encourages us to pay attention to these seasonal changes, and use them as times for close attention to self care. Rather than another challenge or quick fix, Coming Home to Yourself is an invitation to return to the foundations of yoga. Over twenty-one days, we will build a sustainable practice through yoga, pranayama, meditation and simple lifestyle practices that can become part of everyday life. Whether you are beginning your yoga journey or returning after time away, this is an opportunity to reconnect with yourself through one of the most sacred periods of the yogic calendar. Feel free to email me <nea@neaferrieryoga.com> with any questions. [ ![](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/wp-content/uploads/sb-instagram-feed-images/neaferrieryoga.webp) ### neaferrieryoga ](https://www.instagram.com/neaferrieryoga/ "@neaferrieryoga") [ Six weeks to go until a very special eight-day pil ![Six weeks to go until a very special eight-day pilgrimage through the ancient Shakta heartland of Tamil Nadu, South India. A landscape where the goddess has been worshipped without interruption for thousands of years. Curated specifically for women, this trip will be an immersive journey into the rich culture, philosophy, spirituality and arts of South India with a focus on Śākta (Devi) and Pañca bhūta (Five elements) sthalams. After 20 years of travel in India I’m excited to collaborate with local travel experts @smuktiindia for this trip of a lifetime! There are a couple of spots left and bookings close October 28. #womensretreat #indiatravel](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png) ](https://www.instagram.com/p/DejIu2pOWGg/) [ Before studying with Sharathji in Mysore, I spent ![Before studying with Sharathji in Mysore, I spent two months practising with BNS Iyengar in 2006 at the śālā above the Parakala Mutt temple. I just found a certificate from this today that I forgot I had. Subsquent certificates have included a Yoga Alliance 200-hour TT in 2007 with my teacher, Alex Medin. In 2010, I received my authorisation to teach Aṣṭāṅga yoga from KPJAYI. Have I used these certificates? Yes, I have. I needed to present a 200-hour certificate to obtain my visa in Japan in 2009, and subsequently for a working visa in Dubai in 2013. When I opened my yoga śālā in Dubai, I had to submit certificates to register the business and obtain a trade licence. I have also needed to provide certificates to obtain public liability insurance as a yoga teacher. While I’m not a big advocate of certificates in yoga, I can’t deny that I needed them to help me work - particularly overseas.  So while I personally believe experience and a direct blessing is more important when it comes to teaching - I am grateful for these pieces of paper! #yogacertificate](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png) ](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DehHkengRas/) [ The methodology of Aṣṭāṅga yoga lies in vinyāsa, p ![The methodology of Aṣṭāṅga yoga lies in vinyāsa, placing the movement within the breath. When we understand this principle, we can adapt the practice to meet individual needs while staying true to the method. Here is a modified Sūrya Namaskār for students experiencing difficulty with forward bends or wrist pain. Save this for when you need it. #ashtangayoga #yinyasa](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png) ](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DebronTu4bo/) [ The five elements are shaping your mind and body. ![The five elements are shaping your mind and body. Do you know how? According to Sāṃkhya philosophy, mind and body are not separate. Both belong to Prakṛti, the material principle of nature, which evolves into the mind, senses and five elements. Understanding this relationship offers deeper insight into our embodied experience and how we perceive the world. Join us in Southern Italy to explore Yoga and Āyurveda at a retreat curated especially for women, with time for study and time to enjoy the senses. Ṛtu Vidyā: Seasonal Wisdom Ashtanga & Ayurveda Women’s Retreat April 11–18, 2027 | Yoga in Salento, Italy With Nea Ferrier and Kate O’Donnell of Everyday Ayurveda for Women’s Health. Comment ITALY for the full programme and early bird pricing. #womensretreat #ayurveda #yogaphilosophy](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png) ](https://www.instagram.com/p/DeZZfTBAKZB/) [ Navarātri is a time to turn our attention towards ![Navarātri is a time to turn our attention towards the Goddess. On our pilgrimage through Tamil Nadu, which forms of Devī will we encounter in her ancient, living temples? We will visit temples where the presence of Devī is woven into the daily rhythms of worship, ritual and devotion. We will explore the stories and traditions of the Goddesses we encounter, and the deeper significance of these sacred spaces through yoga and meditation. This is not simply a tour of temples. It is an opportunity to slow down, to immerse ourselves in a living devotional culture, and to experience the power of these places through the eyes of a woman on pilgrimage. Sacred Sites Women’s Retreat Tamil Nadu, South India November 28 – December 5, 2026 Bookings close October 28. If you feel called to join us on this journey, I would love to welcome you. Comment DEVI or send me a DM for the full itinerary and booking details. #womensretreat](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png) ](https://www.instagram.com/p/DeRR5kxDhIl/) [ Have you felt that niggling sensation deep in your ![Have you felt that niggling sensation deep in your lower back? It could be your SI joint which means sometimes a rethink in the way you practice certain asymmetrical āsanas. In this short clip, I’m talking about how to adjust Jānu Śīrṣāsana A to better support the SI joint, and other option for practising this āsana. I’ll be writing more about this in my monthly Substack, coming out on new moon. Sign up at the link in the bio to receive it in your inbox. 🔥Become a paid subscriber and join Sunday led classes for free and receive recordings. #ashtanga #ashtangayoga #yogaforwomen](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png) ](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DeL96vlurd7/) [ I’ve been teaching Ashtanga yoga for almost 20 yea ![I’ve been teaching Ashtanga yoga for almost 20 years, and for the past six years I’ve also been teaching restorative yoga. In fact, I can’t really teach one without the other. For me, restorative yoga is an essential complement to any dynamic practice, particularly for women. We need to know how to work with intensity, but also how to rest, slow down and support the body when it needs something different. Restorative yoga gives us that space. It can be part of rest days, times of lower energy, hormonal change, recovery, or simply a way to balance a more dynamic practice. Experience Restorative Yoga with me Online: Coming Home to Yourself 21 day yoga programme for women 40+. Oct 4-24 New In-person Class: Thursdays 5:00-6:00pm, Simon’s Town, Cape Town Private classes: I have two spots available for online private sessions Comment REST and I’ll send you the details #yogaforwomen #restorativeyoga](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png) ](https://www.instagram.com/p/Dd_JAsojjAH/) [ Seasonal transitions are a time for conscious reca ![Seasonal transitions are a time for conscious recalibration. Navarātri is one of these powerful thresholds. Traditionally, this period of nine nights is a time for honouring the Goddess thru intensified sādhanā and dinacaryā. Join me over the Navarātri period for a 21-day online programme of yoga āsana, prāṇāyāma, meditation and daily rituals, for women 40+ Coming Home to Yourself Online programme October 4-24 Comment YES for the full programme #yogaforwomen #navaratri #ayurveda](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png) ](https://www.instagram.com/p/Dd00F-HkhFe/) [ Over the past year, I’ve had the opportunity to re ![Over the past year, I’ve had the opportunity to return to being a student in a Mysore class setting. I’ve been practising at a local Mysore Śālā in Cape Town, and this week I’ve also had the chance to return to Sydney and practise with my home teacher, Eileen Hall, at Om House. After many years of teaching and practising the Mysore method, I am still struck by its power. The combination of repetition and refinement is profound. The practice continually moves between familiarity and novelty. We repeat what we know, while constantly refining how we experience and inhabit it. And we learn that we can be beginners again without being unsafe. These are ideal conditions for developing interoception, adaptability and resilience. I’m writing more about the neuroscience of Mysore-style Ashtanga yoga practice in my Substack, out this full moon. Sign up via the link in my bio. 🍂 🪻Online Shala (Autumn/ Spring season) Practising in community under the guidance of a teacher can do wonders for re-igniting love and commitment for your practice. Come and feel the nurturing support of practising together over six weeks. Join for some or all of this timeframe. Dates: October 4 - November 12 Weekly Schedule: Mysore classes (2 per week)
Tuesday & Thursday
 Sunday Led Class (1 per week)
7:00-8:45am (CET)/9:00-10:45am (DXB) Pricing: EURO 195/AED 820 for full six weeks
Or EURO 35/AED 150 per week Five class pass - EURO 60/AED 250
Ten class pass - EURO 12/AED 500 #ashtangayoga #mysorepractice #onlineshala](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png) ](https://www.instagram.com/p/DdqiR1vknrC/) [ Don’t wait for someday! Yoga doesn’t ask for perfe ![Don’t wait for someday! Yoga doesn’t ask for perfection or all the conditions to be right. It just asks us to show up and do what we can. Online Shala (Autumn/ Spring season) Practising in community under the guidance of a teacher can do wonders for re-igniting love and commitment for your practice. Come and feel the nurturing support of practising together over six weeks. Join for some or all of this timeframe. Dates: October 4 - November 12 Weekly Schedule: Mysore classes (2 per week)
Tuesday & Thursday
7:00-8:30am (CET)/9:00-10:30am (DXB) Sunday Led Class (1 per week)
7:00-8:45am (CET)/9:00-10:45am (DXB) DM with inquiries. Meme courtesy of @bahaish_kapoor (love this account!) #onlineshala](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png) ](https://www.instagram.com/p/DdiYh2FSP5a/) [ We practise yoga to practise stillness, to practis ![We practise yoga to practise stillness, to practise being present, and to experience life with greater intensity. These are some of the yogic superpowers we take with us on retreat to India. The ability to pause and sit in meditation within a temple rather than rushing to the next destination. The ability to be completely present to the rituals unfolding before us. The ability to slow down enough to truly receive everything through the senses: the fragrance of jasmine and incense, the sound of bells and chanting, the colours of the deities, the warmth of the lamps, the touch of sandalwood and kumkum. Yoga teaches us to pay attention. And when we pay attention, the ordinary becomes extraordinary because we are actually here to experience it. We have practised being present for all these years. Now we get to use it. Sacred Sites Women’s Retreat Tamil Nadu Nov 28 - Dec 5 Bookings close Sept 30 #womensretreat](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png) ](https://www.instagram.com/p/DdY_93RgPZp/) [ Happy Gaṇeśa Caturthī! This day honouring Gaṇapat ![Happy Gaṇeśa Caturthī! This day honouring Gaṇapati occurs on the fourth tithi of the waxing moon, Śukla Caturthī. Aṣṭāṅga yoga practitioners will be familiar with the Sanskrit word catur, meaning four, as the fourth movement of our Sūrya Namaskāra is Caturaṅga Daṇḍāsana, the four limbed pose. Gaṇapati is known as the guardian of beginnings, which is why we often greet him first when visiting temples. And of course, he has temples dedicated entirely to him, such as the magnificent Śrī Siddhivināyaka Gaṇapati Temple in Mumbai, one of my favourite places to visit (see the photo of Gaṇapati’s vāhana the mūṣaka, I captured on a visit last year) The largest Gaṇapati mūrti I have ever seen was in Hampi. So beautiful! Here in Cape Town, I have my own Gaṇapati at a beach nearby. Swipe through the photos to see him! And this November, we will visit an incredible 7th century Gaṇeśa shrine, the Ucchi Piḷḷaiyār Temple, as part of my Sacred Sites Retreat in Tamil Nadu. Associated with the Pallava period, the shrine is around 1,400 years old and is perched high upon the ancient Rockfort of Tiruchirappalli. The rock itself is estimated to be around 3.8 billion years old! From the ancient earth beneath our feet to the deity who presides over beginnings, Gaṇapati feels like a beautiful companion for this journey. Sacred Sites Women’s Retreat Tamil Nadu Nov 28 - Dec 5 #womensretreat #ganeshchaturti](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png) ](https://www.instagram.com/p/DdQthVRDlhR/) [ Are you looking to reconnect with your yoga practi ![Are you looking to reconnect with your yoga practice. But in a new way? I welcome you to join me over the Navarātri period for a 21-day online programme of yoga āsana, prāṇāyāma, meditation and daily rituals, for women 40+ Coming Home to Yourself October 4 - 24 What the programme involves; * 9 live online sessions over three weeks * Recorded philosophy/lifestyle lectures * Handouts and resources * A structured progression * Close guidance throughout the programme * Accountability of practising as a group Times (Central European Time) Tuesday & Thursday mornings 6:00-7:15am (yoga-āsana, prāṇāyāma & meditation) Sunday afternoons* 4:00-5:30pm (talk & restorative/yin session) *These sessions will be recorded Pricing Early Bird: €150 by Sept 15 Standard: €175 DM me for the registration form or more information #yogaforwomen](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png) ](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DdOXoCguqEQ/) [ I’m continuing my series of articles on the Aṣṭāṅg ![I’m continuing my series of articles on the Aṣṭāṅga Primary Series. This month I’m exploring Ardha Baddha Padma Paścimattānāsana and Tiryak Mukhāikapāda Paścimattānāsana. It feels like serendipitous timing for Gaṇeśa Caturthī to begin on Monday, as these postures, and many that follow, invite us to explore grounding and our connection to the earth element. What does it mean to bring the quality of pṛthvī into our practice? Read more in my Substack article out today! Sign up at the link in my bio. Autumn/Spring offerings Coming Home to Yourself — 21-day online programme for women 40+, 4–24 October Online Śālā — ongoing online practice October to mid-November Sacred Sites — Tamil Nadu Retreat — 28 November–5 December #ashtangayoga #primaryseries](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png) ](https://www.instagram.com/p/DdJo7PshHG1/) [ Glimpses into Tamil Nadu.,, Start the day with su ![Glimpses into Tamil Nadu.,, Start the day with sunrise meditation, then enjoy the famous South Indian dosas and filter coffee. See the hand-drawn kolam lining the streets, on the way to buy flowers for temple, to take part in an ancient ritual. Spend the afternoon meeting traditional textile and sculpture artisans, drinking a coconut or two. Sounds like my perfect day. How about you? Join me for an eight-day pilgrimage through the ancient Śākta heartland of Tamil Nadu, South India — a landscape where the goddess has been worshipped without interruption for thousands of years. Curated specifically for women, this trip will be an immersive journey into the rich culture, philosophy, spirituality and arts of South India, with a focus on Śākta (Devi) and Pañca bhūta (Five elements) sthalams. Sacred Sites Women’s Retreat Tamil Nadu Nov 28 - Dec 5 Booking close September 30 #womensretreat #tamilnadu](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png) ](https://www.instagram.com/p/DdElLwlgKH8/) [ Book review: The Science of Enlightenment — Shinze ![Book review: The Science of Enlightenment — Shinzen Young One of my biggest takeaways from Shinzen Young’s The Science of Enlightenment was his way of looking at meditation practice. He describes three different ways we can practise: Formal practice — our daily meditation sit. Time deliberately set aside to cultivate attention, awareness and equanimity. Informal practice — what he describes as those “micro-hits” of meditation throughout the day. Moments of coming back to what is actually happening in our experience — for me it’s breath awareness, particularly belly breathing. Intensive practice — periods such as meditation retreats, where we have the opportunity to immerse ourselves in practice and go much deeper. What are your top mindfulness micro-hits? 🍂🌸Autumn/Spring offerings Coming Home to Yourself — 21-day online programme for women 40+, 4–24 October Online Śālā — ongoing online practice October to mid-November Sacred Sites — Tamil Nadu Retreat — 28 November–5 December DM for more info #ashtangayoga #meditation #yogaforwomen](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png) ](https://www.instagram.com/reel/Dc_X9fhyyH0/) [ On my very first six-month trip to India in 2006, ![On my very first six-month trip to India in 2006, I travelled everywhere with a small bag with an image of Kṛṣṇa on it, that my mother had given me. She chose it as I also played the flute. I travelled through Kerala and Karnataka by myself as as well as a train journey from Bangalore to Varanasi and back. I felt like Kṛṣṇa protected and guided me the whole time!  I have always loved the art and iconography of Kṛṣṇa with a flute. I’ve recently started playing again after a long break. It brings me a lot of joy!  Happy Kṛṣṇa Janmāṣṭamī! 💙 🦚 (Piece I am playing is Gluck’s Dance of the Blessed Spirits) #KṛṣṇaJanmāṣṭamī](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png) ](https://www.instagram.com/p/Dc3EyDZjpzv/) [ This week I faced some doubt in my sādhanā. It was ![This week I faced some doubt in my sādhanā. It was so strong it almost derailed me from my practice. The mental chatter drained me of the energy I should have been putting towards sādhanā. Using the lens of menstrual cycle awareness, I could see it for what it was - the intensity of the inner critic pre menstruation. It’s so interesting once we see something for what it is, it diffuses it of its grip over us. Awareness is everything. #yogasadhana #menstrualcycleawareness #yogaphilosophy](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png) ](https://www.instagram.com/p/Dc1EkSOAEq-/) [ I have always loved wearing sāṛī but used to feel ![I have always loved wearing sāṛī but used to feel a bit shy about it. Until I learned that wearing a beautiful sāṛī, adorning oneself with flowers, jewellery and fragrance is actual part of the ritual involved in visiting temples.  I’m so excited the first stop on our Tamil Nadu Women’s retreat will be Kanchipuram, famous for silk sāṛī! Hope you can join me.  Sacred Sites  Women’s Retreat  Tamil Nadu November 28 - Dec 5 #womensretreat @smuktiindia](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png) ](https://www.instagram.com/p/DctUu-jAHK2/) [ Balancing āsanas have always been a challenge for ![Balancing āsanas have always been a challenge for me. This one (gālavāsana) took two years to be able to do and it’s still a bit hit and miss. To be honest, many of these so-called “advanced” āsanas aren’t really necessary. A half-primary practice, done consistently, would probably do the trick. But I still like to do them. Because I can. And I like to challenge myself. It’s fun! But not every practice is a challenge practice. Recently, I’ve got into the routine of doing third series on Wednesdays, and that works well for me. I also like to make the most of the peak energy levels I experience around the middle of my menstrual cycle and use that time to give myself an extra push. But just before menstruation, there’s no pushing through. I’m not trying to test my nervous system during this time. From experience, it seems that the more I honour this cyclical pattern, the more I’m able to harness its power. One of the questions I ask myself is: How should I pace my practice today? Read more about the superpower of pacing in my substack out today! See stories. #yogaforwomen #ashtangayoga #menstrualcycleawareness](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png) ](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DclgL_fA6W5/) Load More [ Follow on Instagram ](https://www.instagram.com/neaferrieryoga/) Nea is professional and caring with decades of experience and knowledge in yoga. Nea is a very inspiring and empowering women and I have loved every minutes spent by her side during the Ashtanga Yoga Practice & Philosophy Appreciation Programme. Nea being an extremely intelligent and inspiring teacher has guided me through this exploration – transforming my practice, views and mindset completely. Nea is a wonderful teacher, gentle yet firm. She does not push unnecessarily just to prove a point but she guides gracefully when and where its required. If you put in the dedication she will watch over every step of the way and you will quickly start seeing the progress in your practice. The six-month yoga appreciation course had a profound positive impact on my life. Making the one “big” commitment to the course helped me make the daily choices of coming to practice on the days when I wouldn’t have otherwise. I t provided the right level of accountability and structure I needed to develop a consistent practice. I expected progress on the mat but the ripple effects of this course off the mat are a joyful surprise even three months after its conclusion. The knowledge and understanding shared by Nea in the monthly lectures helped my asana practice but also seeped into my daily rhythms beautifully. I see the transformation started during the course is still happening, making it completely worth the investment. Participating in this course remains one of my best life choices and I highly recommend it. You will not regret it. Six months ago, I decided to join the Ashtanga Yoga Appreciation program without knowing how much it would benefit me. Now, six months later, I can confidently say it was the best decision I’ve made. The in-depth knowledge of Ashtanga yoga, its history, and philosophy has been a game changer for me. My practice has evolved significantly just by understanding the ‘why’ and ‘how’. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to deepen their practice and gain a deeper understanding. I enrolled in the Ashtanga appreciation and philosophy course seeking a deeper understanding of this beautiful and ancient practice. Nea being an extremely intelligent and inspiring teacher has guided me through this exploration – transforming my practice, views and mindset completely. The learnings and insights received through the past six months have been truly enriching with several a-ha moments, contemplations and tons of food for thought! Highly recommended for anyone looking to deepen their yoga practice. Nea is a wonderful teacher , gentle yet firm. She does not push unnecessarily just to prove a point but she guides gracefully when and where it’s required. She suggests modifications and progressions which make challenging asanas more accessible. If you put in the dedication she will watch over every step of the way and you will quickly start seeing the progress in your practice. Her beautiful Nilaya yoga shala is a perfect sacred space for a dedicated yoga sadhana if you wish to undertake one. I would highly recommend this course to all levels of yoga practitioners , those who are curious about ashtanga but apprehensive like i was and specially to those who want to bring more consistency to their practice. Nea, her beautiful yoga shala and the practice of Ashtanga yoga will not only benefit you in many ways and it will definitely make you appreciate and be part of this great tradition of yoga. “This Appreciation Programme was the perfect complement to my beginner student’s physical practice. The course gave details on proper alignment and preparations, as well insights into the larger world of yoga, including its history and philosophy. It gave me direction for any further quests in yoga. The shala is serene, authentic and has a wonderful community feel. The teacher Nea is professional and caring with decades of experience and knowledge in yoga. The wider knowledge in yoga and regular practice made a deep and meaningful impact on me and I fully recommend this six month commitment.” I enrolled in the six month Ashtanga Yoga Practice & Philosophy Appreciation Programme with the intention to learn from Nea. Nea is a women who possesses a very strong knowledge about Ashtanga. She is dedicated and devoted to Ashtanga yoga and I was beyond curious to study and learn by her side. Being in this program enabled me to build strong foundations in my knowledge and also grant me with technical and comprehension skills. From the history to the philosophy, to the asanas, to the yogic lifestyle and way of thinking, Nea will feed you with most valuable values and awareness about the Ashtanga yoga. She’ll help you to build strong foundations in your personal practice and will give you all the tools to open up yourself towards this beautiful committed and transforming way of living. Nea is a very inspiring and empowering women and I have loved every minutes spent by her side during the Ashtanga Yoga Practice & Philosophy Appreciation Programme. If you want to deepening your knowledge, if you are curious and open to a unique commitment made towards yourself, then go for it you won’t regret it! --- ### [NEW ONLINE SHALA](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/new-online-shala/) **Published:** October 26, 2019 **Author:** jimmycrow **Excerpt:** ASHTANGA YOGA - PRACTICE & PHILOSOPHY APPRECIATION PROGRAMME WITH KPJAYI LEVEL 2 AUTHORISED TEACHER NEA FERRIER **Content:** ## ONLINE SHALA Six-Week Practice Collective With Nea Ferrier **Commencing October 4 – November 12** Practicing in community under the guidance of a teacher can do wonders for re-igniting love and commitment for your practice. Come and feel the nurturing support of practising together over six weeks. Attend some or all of the sessions below. ##### Dates:​ October 4 – November 12 Join for some or all of this timeframe ##### Weekly Schedule: **Mysore classes (2 per week)** Tuesday & Thursday 7:00-8:30am (CET)/9:00-10:30am (DXB) **Sunday Led Class (1 per week)** 7:00-8:45am (CET)/9:00-10:45am (DXB) ##### Pricing: **EURO 195/AED 820** for full six weeks Or **EURO 35/AED 150** per week Five class pass – **EURO 60/AED 250** Ten class pass – **EURO 12/AED 500** Please visit [**HERE**](https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__docs.google.com_forms_d_e_1FAIpQLScYMBo66qJn4oBtULPE1lc3Nzle-5FhKpmUqpn3jd9NNV0osQ1g_viewform-3Fusp-3Dpublish-2Deditor&d=DwMFAw&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=sqohW9dNMGvb3vN3CX7-NqNVspBCseopzfqohTssUIU&m=7dsxEItxYX6qsTf5QBCZdqy3bzmHXec02NbRyM6E4YF-cfGHtc73GWaG-8YRFk_4&s=11a-FSpRYO90qwSFu4sF9LnbFKeYmwhwbbXx3cvVGw0&e=) to apply Her approach to teaching philosophy was equally remarkable. She has a natural gift for curating and presenting complex ideas in a way that feels both accessible and profound. What stood out most was Nea’s ability to meet me exactly where I was—with a rare sensitivity and intuition that guided me back into practice with a sense of presence, patience, and acceptance. Rather than pushing toward an ideal, she created space for an honest engagement with my current stage of growth, which allowed the practice to unfold more meaningfully. Returning to my Ashtanga Vinyasa practice after a long hiatus felt daunting at first, but this course became a deeply supportive and transformative re-entry point. I’ve been a yoga student for over 20 years, and learning the Ashtanga sequence by heart has always been a personal goal. When I found Nea’s six-week online course, I knew it was the right fit. The class was engaging, thoughtful, and incredibly informative, and it has truly shifted my personal practice. Nea is attentive, deeply knowledgeable, and a wonderful teacher. I’m so grateful for the experience and highly recommend studying with her. --- ### [NEA FERRIER COURSES](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/nea-ferrier-courses/) **Published:** March 31, 2025 **Author:** jimmycrow **Excerpt:** ASHTANGA YOGA - ASHTANGA YOGA PRACTICE & PHILOSOPHY WITH KPJAYI LEVEL 2 AUTHORISED TEACHER NEA FERRIER **Content:** COURSES Coming Home to Yourself –> Nea’s Online Ashtanga Yoga Course –> Coming Home to Yourself **October 4 – 24, 2026** 21 days to build a sustainable yoga practice through yoga, pranayama, meditation and daily rituals—for women 40+. ### Who is this programme for? This programme is for women 40+ who are ready to make themselves a priority again. **It is for you if you:** - Want to establish a regular yoga practice or return to one after time away. - Are navigating the hormonal changes of midlife and looking for practices that support your body and mind. - Feel overwhelmed by the demands of work, family or caring for others, and need space to reconnect with yourself. - Are looking for practical ways to manage stress and cultivate greater calm. - Want to improve your energy, sleep and overall wellbeing through simple, sustainable daily practices. - Are seeking a more holistic approach to yoga that includes movement, pranayama, meditation and lifestyle. - Long for a consistent practice that supports you not just for 21 days, but for years to come. No previous yoga experience is necessary. Whether you are stepping onto the mat for the first time or rediscovering your practice, you are welcome. ### What the programme involves; - 9 live online sessions over three weeks - Recorded philosophy/lifestyle lectures - Handouts and resources - A structured progression - Close guidance throughout the programme - Accountability of practising as a group ### Dates / Times **October 4 -24** Tuesday & Thursday mornings 6:00-7:15am (Central European Time) yoga-asana, pranayama & meditation Sunday afternoons\* 4:00-5:30pm (Central European Time) talk & restorative/yin session *\*These sessions will be recorded* ### Pricing Early Bird: *(Before September 15 )* **€150** Standard: **€175** By the end of the 21 days you’ll have the knowledge, confidence and rhythm to continue a sustainable yoga practice on your own. Apply for this programme here SIGN UP ### Navarātri This programme runs over Navarātri, a nine-night period where the Divine Feminine is honoured in her many forms. It is a time traditionally dedicated to practice, prayer and inner reflection. Many people simplify their diet, spend more time in meditation, and recommit to the disciplines that support a clear and steady mind. Navarātri also falls at a seasonal turning point (this is no co-incidence). Ayurveda encourages us to pay attention to these seasonal changes, and use them as times for close attention to self care. Rather than another challenge or quick fix, Coming Home to Yourself is an invitation to return to the foundations of yoga. Over twenty-one days, we will build a sustainable practice through yoga, pranayama, meditation and simple lifestyle practices that can become part of everyday life. Whether you are beginning your yoga journey or returning after time away, this is an opportunity to reconnect with yourself through one of the most sacred periods of the yogic calendar. Feel free to email me <nea@neaferrieryoga.com> with any questions. Join Nea’s Online Ashtanga Yoga Course SIGN UP This is a pre-recorded, self-paced online course of more than 50 tutorials and practice classes. This course will introduce you to the full set of postures (asanas) that make up the Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series as well as the method for practice. The course follows the traditional method of teaching the asanas step-by-step, slowly building the practice. Eventually the sequence is memorised and you will be able to practice by yourself. The course includes: – Tutorials on each asana and how to practice it safely – Suggestions for modifications and how to incorporate props – Additional exercises to support the practice – Guided classes of varying lengths you can practice along to – Q&A function for direct feedback from Nea USD 125 --- ### [Retreats](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/retreats/) **Published:** October 26, 2019 **Author:** jimmycrow **Content:** ## UPCOMING # Retreats SACRED SITES WOMEN’S RETREAT – TAMIL NADU ṚTÚ VIDYA: SEASONAL WISDOM – ASHTANGA & AYURVEDA – AN IMMERSIVE RETREAT FOR WOMEN ### November 28 – December 5, 2026 ## Sacred Sites Women’s Retreat ### TAMIL NADU This eight-day pilgrimage moves through the ancient Shakta heartland of Tamil Nadu, South India — a landscape where the goddess has been worshipped without interruption for thousands of years. ### Retreat Summary Curated specifically for women, this trip will be an immersive journey into the rich culture, philosophy, spirituality and arts of South India, guided by long-time India traveler and yoga educator Nea Ferrier, with a focus on Śākta (Devi) and Pañca bhūta (Five elements) sthalams. Your days will be filled with practising yoga and meditation (optional); visiting temples where we will have the chance to participate in ancient rituals; meeting traditional textile and sculpture artisans; and sampling the local cuisine, all led by local guides who have been part of these traditions for generations. ### Retreat Itinerary **Starting Point – Chennai Airport** - Day 1 – Travel to Kanchipuram – Ekambareswarar Temple (earth element) and site of Parvati’s tapas - Day 2 – Kanchi Kamakshi Amman Temple (Lalita Tripura Sundari) & Saree artisans - Day 3 – Kanchipuram to Trichy – Kaveri river - Day 4 – Utchi Pillayar Temple. Jambukeswarar Temple (water element) & Goddess Akhilandeswari. Drive to Thajavur – Tanjore Palace & Brihadeeswara Temple (UNSESCO site) - Day 5 – Swamimalai (the origin of Om temple) & bronze deity artisans - Day 6 – Kumbakonam – Varanasi of the South - Day 7 – Chidambaram Nataraja (dancing shiva) Temple (ether element) - Day 8 – Mahabalipuram (UNESCO site) – return to Chennai ### To learn more about this trip watch a 30-min webinar Click Here ### Accommodation We’ll be staying at a mixture of 4-star and heritage properties. Three nights will be at the stunning 150-year heritage hotel Indeco Heritage. The last night will be at the Madras Chronicles Bay Resort. ### What’s Included - Individual Airport Transfers (suited to your arrival & departure times) - AC Tempo Traveler for entire journey - 7 Nights Accommodation in handpicked 4-star hotels and heritage properties - All Meals – vegetarian breakfast and lunch and dinner and tea breaks - Expert English-speaking Dhost guide at every temple and sacred site - All temple entry fees - All monument admission charges - Darshan coordination at every site - Private ritual and puja access at Kanchipuram, Trichy and Kumbakonam - Special inner sanctum access and priest introductions Kanchipuram silk-weaving studio visit - Bronze statue-making artisan workshop A - ll foreigner registration and documentation handled on your behalf - Dedicated on-ground support person with you for all 8 days - 24/7 emergency assistance throughout ### What’s not included - International flights to/from Chennai - Travel and medical insurance - Indian visa fees and documentation - Personal expenses – SIM cards and laundry and personal shopping - Temple donations and individual ritual offerings (flowers and oil lamps and coconuts..etc) - Tips and gratuities - Anything not listed above ### Retreat Highlights: Walk through three of the five Pancha Bhoota Sthalams — the elemental temples of Earth at Ekambareswarar, Water at Jambukeswarar, and Space at Chidambaram — each one still operating as a living site of worship, not a relic. Be present for a full one-hour abhishekam at the Kanchi Kamakshi Amman Temple — one of the three foremost Shakti Peethas in India, whose fierce energy Adi Shankara is said to have transformed by installing a Sri Chakra beneath the goddess’s feet. At Jambukeswarar in Trichy, stand before Goddess Akhilandeswari — the fierce form of Shakti who never sits, whose energy is so intense that Adi Shankara himself is said to have placed ear ornaments on her to temper her power — and witness the underground spring that keeps the Shiva Lingam permanently submerged. Walk the grounds of the Brihadeeswara Temple in Thanjavur, built from 60,000 tons of granite in 1010 CE, and the 7th-century Pallava rock-cut wonders at Mahabalipuram — both UNESCO World Heritage Sites that reward slow attention. Spend a full day in Kumbakonam, “Varanasi of the South”, the temple city on the Kaveri where sacred tanks outnumber streets and medieval Chola heritage is still part of daily life Sit with master silk weavers in Kanchipuram and bronze sculptors in Swamimalai, to witness ancient ritual protocols firsthand, and receive context for what you’re seeing from guides who have lived inside these traditions from birth. We close the trip at the Nataraja Temple at Chidambaram and stand before the Chidambara Rahasya: the formless void at the heart of the tradition, pure consciousness with no image and a closing sunrise meditation at the Shore Temple in Mahabalipuram, with the Bay of Bengal at your feet. **This is not a tour of Tamil Nadu. It is a meeting with her.** ### PRICING **SHARING (DOUBLE ROOM)\*** - EURO 1850 early bird by July 31 - EURO 1950 regular price **SINGLE** - EURO 2050 early bird by July 31 - EURO 2150 regular price *\*Please note if you are not travelling with a partner, I will match you with someone. From my experience, retreat travelling partners end up becoming firm friends!* Bookings close September 15 or when spaces are filled. ### PAYMENT TERMS 50% deposit to secure your spot. Please wait on booking flights until confirmed the retreat will go ahead ( by September 15). Final balance by October 28. Payment is by bank transfer (Wise account) unless otherwise requested. **OTHER DETAILS** Flights and visas to be organised independently. Arrival and departure from Chennai International Airport. We can also help you arrange additional days either side of the retreat dates. **APPLICATION** Please complete this application form for to apply for this trip. APPLICATION ### About Nea For more than eighteen years, Nea has been teaching yoga and guiding students in the transformative practices of the yogic tradition. Since first travelling to India in 2005, she has returned almost every year, developing a deep connection with the country’s spiritual, cultural and philosophical traditions. Her travels have taken her across Bengal, Bihar, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Ladakh, Rajasthan, Sikkim and Uttarakhand, enriching her understanding of India’s diverse sacred landscapes and living wisdom traditions. Nea has spent extended periods studying Ashtanga Yoga in Mysore at the Sri Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute and received the blessing to teach from Paramaguru R. Sharath Jois in 2010. Since 2015, she has been leading retreats throughout India, including in Gokarna, Dharamsala, Jaipur, Udaipur and Varanasi. These journeys weave together daily yoga practice, meditation, chanting and philosophy with meaningful cultural experiences, creating opportunities for both inner exploration and authentic connection with India. Inspired by a lifelong fascination with Yoga, Ayurveda, Tantra and Vedic wisdom traditions, Nea thoughtfully curates retreats for women seeking both personal growth and adventure. Her approach balances the depth of traditional practice with the richness, beauty and vitality that come from travelling through one of the world’s most compelling spiritual landscapes. ### April 11 – 18, 2027 ## ṚTÚ VIDYĀ: SEASONAL WISDOM ASHTANGA & AYURVEDA RETREAT FOR WOMEN ### SALENTO, ITALY With **Nea Ferrier,** Yoga Educator & Menstruality Mentor (Authorised level 2 Ashtanga Yoga teacher, 2010) and **Kate O’Donnell,** Founder of the Ayurvedic Living Institute (Authorised level 2 Ashtanga Yoga teacher (2011). Join Nea & Kate in beautiful Salento, Italy for an immersion into the sister sciences of Ayurveda & Yoga to enhance your journey as a female Ashtanga yoga practitioner. The retreat combines the Ashtanga yoga method, along with a deep dive into Women’s health from an Ayurvedic viewpoint; anatomy of the subtle body, women’s physiology and how to connect to your innate cyclical wisdom. You will leave this retreat with valuable take-home Ayurvedic lifestyle practices along with a refreshed approach to practising and/or teaching yoga. We’ll also make time for some site-seeing in picturesque Puglia – la dolce vita! **This 6-day immersion will include;** - Daily Ashtanga Yoga practice – one-on-one Mysore-style teaching - Daily Sanskrit mantra chanting - Asana workshops with a woman-centric focus - Complimentary Yoga Practices: Pranayama, Restorative & Yin Yoga & Meditation - Daily lectures covering Ayurvedic theory and practical application for Women’s Health **Lecture Topics** - Introduction to Ayurveda: Dośa system - Dinacharya and Rtucharya: Daily and Seasonal Practices - The Ashramas (life stages) - Prana, Tejas & Ojas - Anatomy of the Subtle body - Ayurveda and Western view on Hormone Health - Ayurveda view on asana and pranayama, Modifications for different stages of Life - Daily rhythms for Mind, Mood & Sleep - Ancient Beauty Rituals - Menstrual Cycle Awareness **Daily Schedule** - 8:00-9:30 – Mysore Class - 9:30-10:00 – Sanskrit chanting - 10:30am – Brunch - 11:30am -1:30pm – Ayurveda Lecture - 1:30-4:00pm – Free time (spa/sauna available) - 4:00-6:00PM – Yoga workshop - 6:30pm – Dinner (No afternoon class on Wednesday to allow time for additional site-seeing) **Package Includes** - 7 nights’ accommodation (single and sharing options available) – accommodation to be booked separately through Yoga in Salento - All yoga workshops and lectures\* - Daily organic vegetarian brunch and dinner (straight from the farm!) \*We will provide transcripts of all lectures **Additional extras** - Transfers between retreat centre and aiport/train station - Use of spa/sauna and any treatments - Any additional site-seeing **Certification** - We can provide certificates of participation on behalf of the Ayurvedic Living Institute **About the Retreat Centre** [Yoga is Salento](https://www.yogainsalento.com/it/default.aspx) is one of the world’s top Ashtanga yoga retreat centres. Set in the stunning southern Italian countrside on a working organic farm Agricola Samadhi, Yoga in Salento has become of favourite of teachers and students worldwide. Enjoy your yoga practice in the beautiful custom-built shala and when not practising, walk through the gardens, be at the pool or use the spa. Located in the inland of the ‘Heel of Italy,’ an enchanting peninsula in the south of Puglia, [Yoga in Salento](https://www.yogainsalento.com/it/default.aspx) & Agricola Samadhi are just a few kilometers from the ‘beautiful Baroque Lecce’ and equidistant from the Ionian Sea and the Adriatic Sea, offering a perfect location to explore the wonders of Salento. The closest town Zollini is ten minutes walk away and Lecce is 15 minutes drive. **How to Reach** Nearby airports: • Brindisi Airport (BDS) – 50 km from Zollino (about 50 min by car) • Bari Airport (BRI) – 180 km from Zollino (about 2 hours by car) **By train:** The agriturismo is just a short walk from the Zollino train station (Ferrovie del Sud Est), making it easy to explore Salento even without a car. **International connections:** - International flights: The airports of Brindisi and Bari are well connected with numerous low-cost flights. - From outside Europe: You can stopover in Rome or Milan, both well connected to Brindisi and Bari by flights and trains. **Pricing** Ashtanga Yoga & Ayurveda Programme – - EURO 695 for early bird (*until December 31*) - EURO 875 for full price For bookings email <Nea@neaferrieryoga.com> Accommodation to be booked separately via Yoga in Salento. <info@yogainsalento.com> Prices start from EURO 750 per person. *\*We have a special price for local Italians. Get in touch for details.* VISIT HERE **Booking Terms & Conditions** Secure your spot with a 50% non-refundable deposit. Final payment to be made 30 days before retreat start date. *Please wait for confirmation before booking flights.* **About Kate** [Kate O’Donnell](https://healwithkate.org/ "https://healwithkate.org/") has spent the last twenty-five years traveling through the far-reaches of India in search of ancient healing practices to bring back to the United States. Through her own healing journey, Kate experienced first hand how a holistic system creates lasting health. She’s since emerged as a preeminent expert in Ayurveda—the sister science to Yoga—and has built her own method customized for modern Americans. Her individualized approach—“guiding from disease to ease”—has transformed the lives of thousands of people and made her one of the most respected thought-leaders in holistic medicine. Kate is a four-time bestselling author of the *Everyday Ayurveda Cookbook*series, host of the [Everyday Ayurveda](https://healwithkate.org/podcast "https://healwithkate.org/podcast")podcast, international speaker and the founder of the [Ayurvedic Living Institute](https://ayurvedicliving.institute/ "https://ayurvedicliving.institute/")where she has educated a generation of practitioners. **About Nea** Nea is a teacher of Ashtanga yoga practice and philosophy. She was given the blessing to teach by Paramaguru Sharath Jois in 2010. She has taught as resident teacher in Australia, Japan and the UAE where she founded Ashtanga Yoga Dubai in 2014, as well as a visit teacher to yoga shalas in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. A student of yoga for more than 20 years, Nea continues her personal studies in Ayurveda, Tantra and Veda Chanting. She is Menstruality Mentor, certified by The Red School, and is passionate about sharing menstruality as the ultimate spiritual practice for women. Nea’s teaching style is gentle, compassionate and intuitive, focused on guiding students to find their own balance between effort and letting go, and to practice in a way that is sustainable and supportive for various life stages. Nea now resides in Cape Town and currently teaches online and as well as leading retreats internationally. ### October 7 – 12, 2025 ## STILLNESS & MOVEMENT SHIVA-SHAKTI ASHTANGA YOGA & MEDITATION RETREAT ### RISHIKESH Join Nea for a 6-day/5-night yoga retreat, to India’s yoga heartland, Rishikesh. We’ll be staying at a boutique hotel nestled right on the banks of the Ganges river, surrounded by the serene Himalayan foothills. The retreat will include daily yoga, meditation and philosophy talks by the majestic Ganga, along with excursions to nearby temples and sites, expertly curated for the perfect balance of stillness and movement. **Retreat Highlights** - Daily yoga, meditation & chanting - Daily talks and satsangs - Visits to nearby Shiva & Devi temples - VIP experience of the famous Ganga Aarti - Shopping and exploring in Laxman & Ram Jhula - Gentle hiking and time in nature **Package Includes** - Five-nights’ accommodation in boutique hotel - All yoga classes - All meals - All day trips and entrance fees - Local guide - Airport transfers and transport in comfortable vehicles \*Airfares and visa costs are additional **Is this retreat for you?** This retreat is open to yoga practitioners of all levels who have a desire to visit India. Experience in Ashtanga yoga and meditation is not required, however participation in classes while on retreat is expected. The most important reason to join this retreat is for a soul immersion into India’s spiritual history and culture. If you are solo traveller, but looking to share a room – just let us know and we will organize the perfect roommate for you! **Pricing\*** - Sharing Room (two people ) – **AED 6500** per person - Single Room – **AED 8950** **Suggested Flights** Departure Monday October 6 Dubai – Delhi (Emirates 9:50-2:45pm) Stay one night in Delhi (accommodation to be recommended) Tuesday October 7 Delhi – Dehra Dun (Air India 12:10-1:00pm) OR Tuesday October 7 Dubai – Delhi (Emirates 3:55am – 9:05am) Delhi – Dehra Dun (Air India 12:10-1:00pm) Return Sunday October 12 Dehra Dun – Delhi (Indigo 10:20am – 11:15am) Delhi – Dubai (Emirates 4:20-6:20pm) **Bookings** For bookings email <sophia@sugarcaneelephants.com>. As this is a small boutique hotel spaces are limited. Bookings will close by September 15 **About Nea** Nea was authorised level 2 by Paramaguru Sharath Jois in 2010. She has taught Ashtanga yoga internationally for the past 15. Years and is the founder of Ashtanga Yoga Dubai and Nilaya House. She has been a regular traveler to India for the past 20 years and has led retreats in Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Rajastan and Varanais. Her last visit to Rishikesh was in 2017 with her dear teacher Sharathji. --- ### [CONTACT INFO](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/contact-info/) **Published:** October 26, 2019 **Author:** jimmycrow **Content:** ## CONTACT # Get In Touch with Nea nea@neaferrieryoga.com nea@neaferrieryoga.com +971 50 230 1363 NILAYA HOUSE Warehouse 4, Building 1 9B Street Al Quoz Industrial Area 3 (opposite Buamin Marble & Granite Factory) ## use the form below to send nea an email Contact Page Form instagram facebook --- ### [WORKSHOPS](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/workshops/) **Published:** October 21, 2025 **Author:** jimmycrow **Excerpt:** ASHTANGA YOGA - TRAININGS PROGRAMME WITH KPJAYI LEVEL 2 AUTHORISED TEACHER NEA FERRIER **Content:** Connecting to Your Inner Moon **Menstrual Cycle Awareness Workshop** Ashtanga Nilayam Singapore Saturday, July 25 - 4:00pm – 6:00pm ### SGD 150 BOOK HERE **Menstrual Cycle Awareness Workshop** Om House, Sydney Sunday, September 20 - 4:00pm – 6:00pm In Tantra, the female body is a living yantra, a sacred geometry through which cosmic energies express themselves. The menstrual cycle is not random but follows the same rhythm as the lunar cycle. The moon itself is considered Soma, the cooling, nourishing essence of the feminine. Because Lakṣmī is associated with the moon’s nurturing, luminous, and rhythmic qualities, **a woman’s cycle is seen as her inner moon, the inner Lakṣmī flow.** Connecting with and honouring our menstrual cycle is the doorway to greater health, wellbeing and spiritual development. Join me for this workshop delving into the nexus between Ayurveda, Tantra & Menstruality. The workshop will include a lecture as well as some supportive practices. Wear comfortable clothing and have some pillows and a blanket available. --- ### [FREE RESOURCES](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/free-resources/) **Published:** February 21, 2025 **Author:** jimmycrow **Content:** # FREE RESOURCES ## from Nea Ferrier Yoga **ABOUT ASHTANGA YOGA** DOWNLOAD PDF **PRACTICE GUIDELINES** DOWNLOAD PDF **ASHTANGA YOGA PRIMARY SERIES** DOWNLOAD PDF **ASHTANGA PRIMARY ASANA NAMES** DOWNLOAD PDF **OPENING & CLOSING CHANTS** DOWNLOAD PDF **MENSTRUAL CYCLE SEQUENCE** DOWNLOAD PDF **MOON DAYS 2025** DOWNLOAD PDF --- ### [ABOUT Nea](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/about-nea/) **Published:** October 26, 2019 **Author:** jimmycrow **Content:** ## ABOUT # Nea Ferrier **Nea is a teacher of Ashtanga yoga practice and philosophy. She was given the blessing to teach by Paramaguru Sharath Jois in 2010.** **She has taught as resident teacher in Australia, Japan and the UAE where she founded Ashtanga Yoga Dubai in 2014, as well as a visit teacher to yoga shalas in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.** A student of yoga for more than 20 years, Nea continues her personal studies in Ayurveda, Tantra and Veda Chanting. She is Menstruality Mentor, certified by The Red School, and is passionate about sharing menstruality as the ultimate spiritual practice for women. Nea’s teaching style is gentle, compassionate and intuitive, focused on guiding students to find their own balance between effort and letting go, and to practice in a way that is sustainable and supportive for various life stages. Nea now resides in Cape Town and currently teaches online and as well as leading retreats internationally. Nea is professional and caring with decades of experience and knowledge in yoga. Nea is a very inspiring and empowering women and I have loved every minutes spent by her side during the Ashtanga Yoga Practice & Philosophy Appreciation Programme. Nea being an extremely intelligent and inspiring teacher has guided me through this exploration – transforming my practice, views and mindset completely. Nea is a wonderful teacher, gentle yet firm. She does not push unnecessarily just to prove a point but she guides gracefully when and where its required. If you put in the dedication she will watch over every step of the way and you will quickly start seeing the progress in your practice. ## Letting Go of Transcendence – Settling into Embodiment Atha Yoga Anusasanam – Now the Teachings of Yoga Begin Like all of us, I’m currently wearing a few different hats in life. Of yoga teacher, shala owner, slow fashion entrepreneur, wife, and mum to four cats, while continuing to study and practise yoga. But if I’ve learnt anything in the last 15 years of practice and 11 years of teaching, it is the paradox of using yoga practice to disentangle from over-identification with these roles, to recognising that the “yoga” is to be found in all these things. **BEGINNINGS** Since childhood I’ve felt a pull towards seeking a deeper reality, a strong desire for a tangible experience of the divine. In my twenties, after living and working in Hong Kong for a few years, I found myself in an ashram in south India, having resigned my corporate job with no idea when I would return. In the years that followed (I call my transition/transient/transcendence period) I spent months at a time in India studying in Mysore (the birthplace of Ashtanga Yoga) and travelingextensively throughout the Himalayas visiting ashrams and places of spiritual significance. **TRAVEL & SEEKING** During this period, I dived deep into the study of Theravada Buddhism, developing a meditation practice and extending my travel to retreat centres and monasteries in South-East Asia. After a period of apprenticeship, and accepting that teaching seemed to be part of my path (I was given the level 2 authorisation by KPJAYI to teach in 2010) I began teaching yoga in Japan, where I lived for a couple of years. After eight years in Asia I returned to Sydney ready to put down roots, however life had other plans for me and after a year back home teaching, I was on the road again. This time an epic journey through fifteen countries, including Myanmar, Japan, China, the transiberian railway to Russia, eastern Europe, Turkey, India, practising and teaching yoga along the way, culminating in moving to Dubai at the beginning of 2012. **ARRIVING & SETTLING** Coming to Dubai was a major turn point in my life, where I left behind not only a transient but also a transcendent way of life. I realised that while I was living in the world, I needed to actually “live” in the world and put all the “yoga” into action. Ironically, a city which I had never given much thought to, or even had the desire to visit, has become my home. My spiritual journey has evolved to be less about seeking new experiences through travel, to being fully engaged with my day-to-day life in the various roles of partner, friend, teacher and business owner. This ‘settling’ has physically manifested in Nilaya House, a yoga shala I created in Al Quoz, Dubai, where those seeking a deeper connection with their Self through yoga, can feel at home. **TEACHING** I teach Ashtanga yoga daily as it continues to be my trusty companion and steady foundation and I know what magic it can work. However as my own personal practice has evolved, through the study of various yoga and movement methodologies, I teach in an integrative, intuitive and non-dogmatic way, drawing on different tools and approaches to meet the individual needs of my students. I hope to empower and inspire students to learn, explore and grow along their own very personal path of yoga, uncovering what brings balance and joy and keeps the flame of yoga burning bright. I’m grateful to my mentors and teachers on the path of yoga including R Sharath Jois, Eileen Hall, Kiki Flynn, David Roche, Alex Medin, Simon Borg-Olivier, Rolf & Marci Naujokat, Dr Abhay Keste and Noriyuki Tomiyama. **TANTRA** My personal sadhana has also always been inspired by female mystics, starting with a love of St Teresa of Avila, who by a strange turn of events I ended up performing as in an Indian film. I’ve been greatly influenced over the last few years by the path of tantra and the divine feminine through the work of Sally Kempton, Uma Dinsmore-Tuli, Kavitha Chinnaiyan and Lama Tsultrim Allione. These teachings have helped me find my place in the world and harness the shakti energy of creativity, strength and nurture to grow personally and professionally. This website includes details of my current teaching schedule in Dubai and elsewhere, trainings, retreats and passion for slow fashion and maybe an occasional cat photo, as to be honest it really is impossible to delineate the line between yoga and the rest of life. --- ### [GALLERY](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/gallery/) **Published:** November 3, 2022 **Author:** jimmycrow **Excerpt:** KPJAYI level 2 authorised teacher. Teaching Ashtanga yoga practice and philosophy in Dubai and on retreat and guest locations. **Content:** # GALLERY --- ### [Nea's Journal](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/reflections/) **Published:** October 27, 2019 **Author:** jimmycrow **Content:** ## NEA’S BLOG # Reflections ### Contact Me ## Get In Touch With Nea Conact Info ### SUBSCRIBE TO NEA’S NEWSLETTER --- ### [TEACHING SCHEDULE](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/teaching-schedule/) **Published:** October 26, 2019 **Author:** jimmycrow **Content:** ## NEA’S # Teaching Schedule ## Dubai ### Morning Mysore Classes #### at [Ashtanga Yoga Dubai](https://ashtangayogadubai.com) (located at [Nilaya House](https://nilayahouse.com/)) **Monday, Wednesday and Friday** **6:30-9:30am** ### Morning Mysore Classes #### Online via ZOOM **Tuesday & Thursday** **7:00-9:00am** ### Led Class **Friday** **8:30am – 10:00am** (in shala & online) FOR CLASS BOOKINGS VISIT HERE ## Travel schedule ### Mumbai, India March 15-17 #### Morning Full Primary Led Classes **Wednesday and Friday** 8.30am – 10:00am **Thursday** 7:00am -8.30am **Evening Masterclasses on all days ;** 5:00-7:00pm - Breath, Bandhas & Surya Namaskar - Building the Foundation; Standing Postures - Finding your Seat: Journey to Padmasana --- For more information contact <info@tangerineartsstudio.com> ## For private lessons ### I am currently accepting online students only. **Please email <nea@ashtangayogadubai.com> for details.** --- ### [Ashtanga Yoga Online Course (via zoom)](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/ashtanga-yoga-online-course-via-zoom/) **Published:** May 4, 2020 **Author:** jimmycrow **Content:** # Online Courses ## ASHTANGA YOGA ONLINE PROGRAMME (via zoom) REGISTRATIONS OPEN FOR OCTOBER – DECEMBER MODULE This programme is for students wanting an immersion into the practice of Ashtanga Yoga under the guidance of an authorized teacher, but who are not able to come into our shala in Al Quoz due to distance or time constraints. The course includes; Full access to Ashtanga Yoga Dubai’s online class schedule; - Ashtanga level 1, Mysore, Full led primary classes - Up to ten classes per week to choose from Two Saturday workshops per month - Asana techniques workshop (2 hours) - Theory lecture (1.5 hours) The course is open to students of all levels including beginners. All classes and workshops will be live and interactive (via zoom). Enrollments are now open for OCTOBER TO DECEMBER. #### Program - Asana techniques workshop (once per month) - Theory lecture (once per month) - Participation in a minimum of two online classes per week (Ashtanga level 1/Ashtanga full primary/ Mysore class) #### ASANA TECHNIQUES (2 hours per month) October: Building Inner Strength with Bandhas November: Awakening the Spine December: Restorative Postures #### THEORY LECTURES (1.5 HOUR PER MONTH) October: Introduction to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras November: Introduction to Ayurveda/Lifestyle of a yoga practitioner December: Lifestyle of a Yogini: Special focus for women #### Dates: **Saturdays** - Oct 3 & 17 - Nov 3 & 21 - Dec 5 & 19 Times 3:00-4:30 or 3:00-5:30pm For more information email <nea@ashtangayogadubai.com>. Spaces are limited. #### Online Classes Schedule\* Sunday - 7:00am – Led class Monday - 7:30am – Mysore class - 6:00pm – Led class Tuesday - 9:00am – Ashtanga Level 1 - 7:00am – Led class - 5:00pm – Ashtanga level 1 Wednesday - 7:30am – Mysore class - 6:00pm – Led class Thursday - 7:30am – Mysore class - 5:00pm – Ashtanga level 1 Friday - 8:30am – Led class \*Please note this timetable is subject to change. #### PRICING EARLY BIRD Pricing AED2060 by September 19 Afterwards AED2750 ENROLL NOW For inquiries email <nea@ashtangayogadubai.com> #### \*\*SPECIAL OFFER\*\* Accces to the past recordings of workshops and class from July to September available for AED650 Month 1: Workshop: Surya Namaskars & Breath/Lecture: Methodology of Ashtanga Yoga Month 2: Workshop:Standing Postures/Lecture: History of Yoga Month 3: Workshop:Forward bending/hip mobility/Lecture: Opening and Closing Email <nea@ashtangayogadubai.com> to purchase access to these recordings --- ### [SLOW FASHION](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/slow-fashion/) **Published:** October 26, 2019 **Author:** jimmycrow **Content:** ## SLOW FASHION # Oni Earth-Kind Fabrics ### [onifabrics.com](https://onifabrics.com) Oni was born out of our love for India and a desire to support the slow-fashion movement. Our range of bed quilts are made piece-by-piece, slowly, kindly and with respect for the earth. All our quilts are made with 100% GOTS-certified pure organic cotton and printed with plant and non-toxic dyes. They are handmade in India by artisans using traditional methods such as hand-block printing, mud-resist printing, and hand embroidery. Integral to our vision for creating “earth-kind” fabrics, is to ensure our production methods are also kind. We have met the people who hand-dye, hand-print and hand-stitch our fabrics. Each Oni piece is an intrinsically human act of creation, often by women who are empowered by being able to earn money from their craftwork. We support fair-trade and sustainable, equitable business practices which means no child labour, safe working conditions and fair pay for all workers. Ultimately our priority is kindness; for the natural environment, for the people who make our fabrics and for the people who use them. We hope you get as much pleasure from our quilts as we do creating them. Find Oni Earth-Kind Fabrics on sale at [Nilaya House](https://nilayahouse.com/). --- ## Tags ### [ASHTANGA YOGA](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/tag/ashtanga-yoga/) --- ### [YATRA](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/tag/yatra/) --- ### [BUILDING RESILIENCE](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/tag/building-resilience/) --- ### [WALKING THE TIGHTROPE](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/tag/walking-the-tightrope/) --- ### [GOOD YOGA PRACTITIONER](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/tag/good-yoga-practitioner/) --- ### [MYSORE STYLE](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/tag/mysore-style/) --- ### [YOGA OF DRIVING](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/tag/yoga-of-driving/) --- ### [SALAH](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/tag/salah/) --- ### [SAINTHOOD](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/tag/sainthood/) --- ### [REFLECTIONS](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/tag/reflections/) --- ### [YOGA](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/tag/yoga/) --- ### [TRAVEL](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/tag/travel/) --- ### [MYSORE MEMORIES](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/tag/mysore-memories/) --- ### [ASHTANGA](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/tag/ashtanga/) --- ### [PARAMPARA](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/tag/parampara/) --- ### [INTERVIEW](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/tag/interview/) --- ### [JANUARY NEWS](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/tag/january-news/) --- ### [March News](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/tag/march-news/) --- ### [Primary Series Asana Chart](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/tag/primary-series-asana-chart/) --- ### [Fascia Connections](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/tag/fascia-connections/) --- ### [Mirabai](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/tag/mirabai/) --- ### [Trikoṇāsana](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/tag/trikoṇasana/) --- ### [The Three Guṇas](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/tag/the-three-guṇas/) --- ### [Ashtanga Anușthāna](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/tag/ashtanga-anusthana/) --- ### [April Newsletter](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/tag/april-newsletter/) --- ### [May Newsletter](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/tag/may-newsletter/) --- ### [Happy Buddha Pūrṇimā](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/tag/happy-buddha-purṇima/) --- ### [Utthita Pārśvakonāsana](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/tag/utthita-parsvakonasana/) --- ### [JUNE NEWSLETTER](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/tag/june-newsletter/) --- ### [Opening Chant](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/tag/opening-chant/) --- ### [Menstrual Cycle Sequence](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/tag/menstrual-cycle-sequence/) --- ### [let's talk shoulders](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/tag/lets-talk-shoulders/) --- ### [Confessions of a Standing Postures Nerd](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/tag/confessions-of-a-standing-postures-nerd/) --- ### [Sub Stack](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/tag/sub-stack/) --- ### [Nea Ferrier](https://www.neaferrieryoga.com/tag/nea-ferrier/) ---