Early on in my teaching career I had three symbols made for my first yoga studio. Each one was painted on a small canvas, so that I could move them along to future studios. Nearly thirty years on and I still have the yin-yang, AUM and The Way of Tao in my current studio. Symbols represent a practice, philosophy and a way of being. Exactly what “the way” may mean is open to individual perception, but the broad strokes are as follow:

Nourish this understanding, of Self, in Life, and you balance yin and yang (doing, non-doing, form and formless) with, according to The Way of the Tao, Lao Tzu’s poetic, deep mind experience of nature and inner nature (a lovely companion to Patajali’s 8 Limb Principles and Sutras). And of course all of this happens in the Universe, or All That Is. The undifferentiated A-U-M is the Totality, the sound mantra, is the vibration we make in our practice, and it resonates with the vibration or multiple octaves of matter and subtle energy frequencies of Everything. Jesus said for us to build our lives on the rock of the Love of his parents, God/Goddess, or call it Shiva-Shakti.

This is what we are to surrender to if we are to be in the flow of the great Yin and Yang of duality, within the liberating Non-Duality of Pure Awareness. Practice of the Yoga of Self-realisation, Union is a practical day-to-day reality. It is a process where yoga is self-development therapy that supports change. We are the change, made possible by our surrender in our practice. Nourish this Way, Know Self, Know the Way and Grow. Realise Self, Be Bliss.

Practice Yoga and keep warm – I write this from a wintery Yoga Studio,
on Muizenberg Beach, Cape Town, July 2019.
Regards, Johann.

● Cape Town International Centre (CTICC) is Saturday 17th 2017, two sessions 08h30-13h30 and 14h00-19h00.
● The Consulate General of India, Cape Town presents Sunday, 18th at Samaj Centre Hall, Gatesville, 8.30 – 10.30 AM. A screening of a short film, a performance of some basic
yoga asanas by all, and a demonstration of more difficult yogic asanas.
● Solstice Celebration on International Yoga Day, Cape Town, 21 June 2017, 7.30 AM – 10 PM, Muizenberg Civic Center, Pavilion & Beach. Program on my workshop & events page and Facebook Event

The United Nations declared 21st June as the International Day of Yoga in 2014. This year this important day will be celebrated in all 193 member countries of the UN.

Practicing the sequence

Please note the absence of instruction for each individual pose.

● Level: beginner friendly if you are in good shape and have experience with the asana of the sequence
● Time/duration: hurry through this practice in 10 minutes, or draw it out twice as long, or more
● Stay in each pose or dynamic sequence as long as you like, or do as many repetitions as it suits you
● Use the 2 sets separately or as one

List of poses:

● Butterfly
● Forward stretch in butterfly
● Easy dog
● Dynamic cat-dog
● Down dog/Up dog (Cobra)
● Standing relaxed forward double bend
● Warrior
● Standing hands in prayer

● End with meditation, and/or relaxation for Alignment.

Posture, breath and mobility for stress release, peak performance and well-being

Develop greater understanding of practice with accurate, individual and knowledgable execution. Study my Essentials of Effective Yoga that shows how good posture improves breathing, for increased mobility and relaxation. It makes a strong case for its integration into hatha vinyasa flow, and into everyday lifestyle. The mix of asana, pranayama, mudra, kriya, yogic diet lifestyle, yogic Vedic philosophy, deep meditation and relaxation, all becomes part of the yoga. This is yoga as “union” of body-mind-spirit.

Johann Kotze,
OM Blessings
In Music & Yoga,
Johann
Cape Town, 14 December 2016.

Blog links

● Read more about vinyasa yoga
● Power Flow Yoga for Peak Performance
● Integral Yoga

Online video class: my 3 Part (1 Hour 3 Video Playlist) Easy Flow Vinyasa Class

Sunrise is an auspicious event, every day

Witnessing a brilliant sunrise is an awesome, spectacular phenomena. A reminder that we are so tiny in comparison to this display, and a reminder that we live on a planet that circles around the sun, every day. To appreciate the magnificence of a natural spectacle suggests the magnificent capacity of human beings to see, and understand natural wonder. The sale boggles the mind when we realise that our solar system is but a speck in a greater cosmos.

We are show how natures forces are so much bigger than oneself, yet knowledge and appreciation of these forces inspires us.

Big and simple

Appreciation and wonder sets in motion the wheels of philosophical insight and balances the thinking mind with what may thought of as mystical awareness. The big picture and the small details come into view at the same time, the science and magic of life just make more sense at dawn. Connecting with the extraordinary realisation that we live on a planet as a spinning, lit-by the-sun-world, helps balance the reality of traffic and deadlines, strife and striving, with exactly the kind of illumination one my find from yoga practice.

This blog was inspired by what was one of the most extraordinary sunrises I ever witnessed over False Bay. I went out for a quick sunrise surf before class, so didn’t have a camera to capture. I noticed the above image posted on Facebook (thanks, Derek) later the day.

What a great blessing to behold a sunrise

– make a commitment to treat yourself to those early morning rays.

Johann Kotze Music & Yoga,
Cape Town, Muizenberg,
3 February 2016.

In yoga technique is an ability to consciously access life force energy. A means to render the body and mind a more effective tool. Technique and inspiration, in evolving synergy, develop all yoga practices as it is intended, a spiritual or “meaning of life” practice rather than “effective for performance sake” only practice.

We are in the zone, on the mat, and off, when inspiration and technique comes together

Philosophical “right thinking” is as important as exact physical practices. A practical and esoteric orientation combined, or inspiration and technique, art and science, introversion, and extroversion, all forms a whole, metaphysical reality. In yoga life is best served when there is such knowledge at the forefront one’s awareness. And this is why “feeling”, a direct experience of the layers of being, by “self”, is vital.

One may think of technique as information and knowledge, and wisdom as the insight and understanding that grows from this knowing.

When one can “go within” to connect to the benefits of one’s practice, “true self” becomes aware of itself, and can verify itself. Awareness of an inner compass is activated. Self can “know” itself, self is realised. Self-realisation takes place in the bodymind.

Awareness
of how we are in the world
affects our state of being

When we become aware of our point of view or our bodies
We can see our strengths and weaknesses
Blinds spots, and magnificence, appear

We see the detail
and the big picture
Consciousness, is

In our lives we may either:
Numb or sharpen
Contract or expand

Developing holistic, mindfulness based techniques

Awareness blossoms into consciousness, or wisdom. Many different roads may take one there. My recommendation, self practice and teaching philosophy, is set out in my book Five Keys to Well-being. Essentials of Effective Yoga. It captures the simple, holistically, practical mechanics of yoga in a clean, clear and concise guide. All its instruction is based on mindfulness practices, aimed to develop greater self awareness with a powerful combination of do-able physical practices that will not take up a lot of time.

Develop an holistic awareness of body, mind and spirit with my Five Keys to Well-being. 

Use my mindfulness meditation 

Play my music for consciousness

Wishing you many, rich blessings!
– Johann

To answer I may in future refer all enquiries to this blog :-)) I just submitted a “who am I’ and “what will I say” synopsis to the organisers of a speaking engagement. Some of the info I sent them may go some of the way towards clarifying what I am about as a yoga teacher.

Anyone can do it

I also quote myself, from this website: “My vocation is to share the practical magnificence and spiritual significance of yoga in a modern and authentic way, with a doable and effective practice”. A passion to share the simple little gifts of yoga that makes a big difference. Easy but not lightweight practices, proof that meditation can be easy, short and sweet – an accessible way to experience expansive, focused states of being. And that yoga can be practiced by anyone who can breathe!

It’s metaphysical

My mission in a sentence: “I want to present yoga demystified, and re-mystified”. And that should just about cover why you should, and can, do yoga – seriously!

To help people understand that “healing” necessitates a big picture of who and what one is, simplistically and with a lot of detail. My particular interest in the metaphysics of well-being shows me time and again the perfect science and system of yoga. Experience has forced me to accept responsibility for my own breathing, postural alignment and movement skills, with mindfulness as a prerequisite for effective practice and esoteric knowledge of meditation.

Mindfulness and meditation is a simple-to-do and most vital life skill… essential to survival in the challenges of our age, and evolution into greater individual and collective potential. “My approach to well-being is to help people find an inner truth, to develop a passion to create an own brand of practical and advanced systems for their individual evolution. And I have become a firm believer in the power of conscious communities, and to be the change one would like to see in the world.

So that is what I share in my yoga classes

Most of the yoga basics I cover in classes, and talks or workshops, are in my book, Five Keys to Well-being. The Essentials of Effective Yoga. Posture, effective breathing and mobility, stress release and mindfulness. Basically holistic hatha yoga with simple but profound skills that constitute a reasonable level of preventative health care, and can help anyone connect with their personal journey towards inner peace.

I do my level best to teach and facilitate real skills to students and participants of whatever session or workshop or retreat I lead, to learn better posture, to breathe deeper, move with greater ease, better manage stress and anxiety and develop greater mindfulness. This is especially important in the context of escalating medical costs, and amidst the stress, chaos and turmoil of our times.

I am the appointed speaker at the 8 O’ Clock Club, Rondebosch. 28 October 2015:
Breathing effectively, being Mindful, expanding your Consciousness
Map and details here.

Johann,
Johann Kotze Music & Yoga, Muizenberg
23 September 2015

Yoga can be a daunting thing…

Most people can’t bend, stretch, twist and balance their bodies the way yoga is popularly portrayed. The logical conclusion of a stiff person or someone suffering chronic physical ailments may be that yoga is not for them. Prospective students who call me or email me to enquire about my classes begins, 9 times out of 10, with the question: “Would I be able to do your classes?” They are concerned that they are not fit, overweight, inflexible, can’t sit still long enough to meditate, are too weak to handle tough practice, or feel they won’t be able to keep up with a class. And these include younger or older, male or female individuals from a wide demographic, including more athletic types.

I shudder at the thought of how many people never bother to make the enquiry whether yoga is for them. The image of yoga as gymnastically difficult may be discouraging tons of perfectly normal people that could have been doing yoga to even try it out. Sadly, the manner in which yoga is portrayed in many yoga books and by yoga studios also adds to the mythical lithe yoga creatures that is just not the norm by any standard. Actually most real people don’t look, function or live like those who inhabit its image. It does not have to be like that. In fact, the un-doable image of yoga misrepresents yoga and is un-yogic.

Do-able Yoga

Yoga can be accessible for everyone interested. The physical practice of a basic, beginner or standard entry level hatha yoga class such as mine is a do-able and effective distillation of simple, practical and effective yoga practiced with mindfulness and thoughts on my personal world view of holism. Always to the fore is a basis of breathing techniques, coupled with good posture and exercises for mobility and strength, relaxation, straight-forward meditation and useful lifestyle considerations.

Yoga is a holistic system, comprehensive, vast in scope.  It is the most advanced system of well-being available on the planet because it is a balanced body-mind-spirit practice. None of its aspects should be removed or accentuated. Yoga incorporates physical practices, but the physicality should not dominate. When yoga is without focus on either the spiritual, intellectual or physical aspects integration of these area are natural. By avoiding hard-to-do poses persons with perceived limited physcial ability may be more inclined to try out learning to stretch, move, exercise, balance, grow strong, breathing and relax. Less physically abled persons are simply not inspired enough to do a more approachable level of practice.

My classes are easy

Reason why I aim to keep my classes easy is:

Life is hard enough : ) There is enough suffering already :-)) I like to please rather than alienate :-)))

There are probably enough studios out there catering to strong physical yoga. As its mostly already beautiful, athletic, able bodied persons (viz a viz the model yogi’s in magazines). There are plenty older people, persons with injuries or disabilities, and persons not inclined to or able to do demanding exercise, who are averse to gymnasiums, who may like to do yoga. There are certainly  legions who can benefit from an achievable degree of recovery from a busy life, raising children, struggling to cope with everyday challenges that probably hate the idea of being challenged by a tough class after or before work.

Despite its growing popularity yoga system, with all its wonderful health benefits touted and all, is yet to reach a wider market.  Apart from the way the way the yoga system challenges the conventional world view I am sure the preceding perceptions I mentioned that one has to be able to do all those difficult poses to achieve the much lauded benefits is partially to blame. Be it because of the yoga poses are presented by beautiful super models or yoga teachers and studios flaunting high end capabilities or not, there is just is not enough selling of yoga as do-able by individuals with (what is actually ordinary) limitations.

Gentle flow yoga and restorative practice

Effortless effort is the ideal. Be that in yoga class, or off the mat. With proper focus, attention to detail and holistic technique it is possible to release stress, achieve strong muscle tone, improve posture and expand the mind and connect spiritually. In my restorative flow style (remedial – vinyassa) yoga classes of an hour some poses are changed at a slow pace. Some practices are dynamic, faster, and some are aimed at releasing body stress. There are plenty brief resting periods. Combined with stronger poses and balances my focus is always on a degree of do-ablility accessible to most. Such yoga is ideal for beginners and less athletically inclined persons. Gentle, healing or remedial yoga also assists recovery from operations, injuries, and ideal for persons with chronic disabilities (mental or physical). At the same time, in the same class, a person with mastery of basic practices can easily get a lot out of a simple practice routine.

… spiced with power flow

I believe all stronger movement and physicality, sport or training, should begin with correcting alignment, learning of holistic skill-sets and body stress release. A lot, if not most of the people competing or working their bodies hard at whatever they are participating in are not actually prepared for the demands they place on themselves. Gentle yoga acts not only as counterpoint to balance other modalities, but can also be corrective, or remedial. And integrating elements of power yoga from this angle can help much with strength and fitness building while decreasing risk of injuries. Incorporating stronger yoga generates a powerful flow of energy into and within the body, and helps to focus the mind. Essentially it is this combination of stimulated abdominal fire and the previously mentioned aspects that makes yoga such a force.

And there is a metaphysical context

Those with an inclination towards the spiritual-metaphyscial aspects of yoga may resonate with the sacred, nourishing aspects of yoga. I like to think of it as non-dogmatic, practical spirituality. This way its practice is philosophical, and inclusive rather than exclusive. Yoga was never intended to be religious, yet it does not leave out the mind or awareness of a universal spiritual component. Yoga essentially recognises an innate body intelligence, an ecological intelligence, and a greater metaphysical universal intelligence that underlies life as we know it. Yoga is a quantum science, and really, taking out the metaphysics is like removing the breath from the practice. In the traditional sense yoga is not more Indian, but rather more universal. So less religious, and more spiritual. And everything happens within the context of the body. It can be no other way, else it is not yoga!

My free teaching aids

The blogs on this studio website and links my online yoga tools will help you discover and learn the basics of simple, do-able yoga.  Included is my 2006 book and CD of the Body-Mind-Spirit system of my Five Keys to Well-being technique.

To the new or experienced practitioners:
Blessings for your practice,
Johann,
Muizenberg, Cape Town,
278 May 2015.