• Table of Contents
  • Purgation by Swami Veda Bharati
  • Seven Steps by Swami Rama
  • Pranayama Week at SRSG by Trix Dekkers- Heezius
  • Thank you! by Sofia Foteina
  • Something’s Brewing in Tucson by Randall Krause (Mokshadeva)
  • Dear Yoga Mentor, My Question Is
  • 2019 Events and Beyond
  • Full Moon Meditation Dates
  • Location of our SRSG ashram
• AHYMSIN Newsletter Archive

Pranayama Week at SRSG

by Trix Dekkers- Heezius

What a warm welcome on Sunday morning November 1st and what a great joy to see all those familiar faces! Although my yearly visits are seldom longer than 2 or 3 weeks, it felt like coming home.

The ashram was very much alive and vibrant, not in the last place due to all the constructions going on. Outside the ashram approximately 3 or 4 buildings tend to block the sight towards the mountains, but it seems that also the noise from the traffic is blocked by them.

Even above our heads in the meditation hall was a lot of noise but for a good purpose. A new meditation hall is being built above the old one, which will be dedicated exclusively for meditation.

One would think that all that noise was a reason for complaining, but strangely enough I heard nobody about it. As for myself, I felt no irritation or disturbance, except for the one time 2 drills started their activity at the same time during meditation! Luckily Swami Ritavan also thought that here a limit was reached and stopped the meditation a bit earlier!

For the initiators, who are observing 40 days of silence, it must have been an extra challenge. I wonder if it was because of their peaceful and silent company that the noise was so well accepted and seemed to dissolve in stillness.

The gardens looked beautiful and well kept as always;, there were more butterflies than I could remember, a joyful sight.

As I stayed 2 days in the ayurvedic hospital (which cost me a lot of reproaches from the doctor for not staying longer) before arriving in the ashram, the adjustment was rather fast so that I could join the pranayama week the same Sunday.

We were a small group of 12 people, but very international. India, China, Bulgaria, Italy, Netherlands, Austria, Korea were represented.

Charles and Carol Crenshaw from New York guided us from the very basics to the more advanced practices in a very clear and practical way. They have put all their heart in the teaching.

We went from the very first qualities of breath to a lecture on Swara Yoga.

It is beautiful how both seem to operate complementary; while Charles is a very lively and entertaining speaker, Carol has a very calm, slow and soothing voice. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that both are so very practical; we had plenty opportunity to practice. Charles, at every occasion, encouraged us to “ go to the lab”  meaning to check everything in our own body. They made us feel every statement made. It was such a luxury to have 6 full days to practice and explore. Some found it even a life changing event.

It was great to have one more week to let all the information sink in.

The presence of the silent group of initiators inspired me to go into silence also for a few days. The experience was quiet different from the silence retreats I did in Holland, because there everybody is silent. Here TTP was going on, my roommate was a very enjoyable French girl, and it was rather difficult to withstand the seduction of communicating with her. But still, the silence felt so good that I would like to keep it for a few days more next year.

Editor's Note:

Beatrix Dekkers-Heezius teaches in Driebergen, Netherlands. She received her 500 Hour Certification from HYT-TTP (Himalayan Yoga Tradition - Teacher Training Program) in November, 2015.

To visit her website, please click on Yoga Studio Driebergen.

The 2019 Breath and Pranayama Intensive Workshop was held 3 - 8 November 2019 at Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama (SRSG). Carol and Charles Crenshaw were the teachers.