Sheather - Mana Yoga: Discovering Your Yoga Nature

Mana Yoga

Discovering Your Yoga Nature

DENBY SHEATHER

Copyright 2021 Denby Sheather.

Interior graphics/art credit: Manuela Tommasone

Interior photography: Stephen Murray and Jacqueline Andronicus

Photograph of Gillian Garland from Yoga in Pictures by Roma Blair (1963): courtesy of her niece, Margo Robertson.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Balboa Press

A Division of Hay House

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Bloomington, IN 47403

www.balboapress.com.au

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

ISBN: 978-1-5043-1645-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5043-1646-0 (e)

Balboa Press rev. date: 9/30/2021

Contents

Stretch or Stress?
Yin & Yang Tissues
Releases & Alignment

I respectfully acknowledge the rightful indigenous owners and traditional elders of Country of both the Guringai and Darkinjung tribes and bow to all custodians, past, present and future upon whose land I live, work and w rite.

I acknowledge that this land was stolen and that sovereignty has never been c eded.

I recognise the loss of land, children, health and kin and the erosion of language, culture and lore that the Original Peoples have suffered at the hands of European colonisa tion.

Australia can only become a mature and conscious nation when the truth about the past is disclosed when the present is resolved and when the future is united through mutual respect, forgiveness and love.

~

By Katerina Cosgrove

I came to Denby Sheathers book as a writer and reader, not as a current practitioner of yoga. If any teacher can bring me back on the path to regular yoga practice, it is her. Denbys inimitable style of relating to her students as fully-realised humans, shines in each carefully placed word.

This is a powerful yet gentle book, resplendent with Denbys intimate and at times humorous and irreverent voice. Synthesising the traditions of Ki yoga, Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine, it is both rigorously academic and disarmingly personal; full of depth and simplicity. She is not preaching from on high but entering into a journey with her readers. She elucidates her wisdom and knowledge, gained from years of life experience, but also lets them in to her own flaws and challenges, her beautifully cracked vessel of light.

Above all, this is a profoundly spiritual book. For me, it really isnt about yoga or the other disciplines, at its heart. On close reading, it makes its way through Zens gateless gate and acknowledges the many different paths that lead to one universal truth: compassion for all beings and an absolute openness to the present moment.

Anyone, from any spiritual or cultural tradition, can benefit from studying this book. At its core is the purest intention that of love.

Katerina Cosgrove

Awarded author of two novels and one novella, including Bone Ash Sky (Hardie Grant 2013)

By Simon Borg-Olivier

There are many ways that people come to yoga.

Some are advised by their doctor, some are introduced by a friend, some fall into it by accident and others answer a deep yearning inside that calls them towards self discovery, better health and happiness.

It really doesnt matter how you start or which style you prefer: when yoga speaks to your heart, it is the inner process, the journey that you embark upon once you have arrived and how you choose to weave it throughout your life, that defines yoga for you.

I know that it was originally injury that brought Denby to the mat; but I believe it is destiny that keeps her there.

I have known Denby since she began teaching over two decades ago and have witnessed and admired her development as a yogini, a single mother running a business, a respected leader within her community and as a gifted practitioner. She has an intuitive and potent affinity with energy and an inner knowing of what she is here to do; a belief that drives her with courage and passion, yet one that is also tempered and woven with love, gratitude and patience. She has grown in body, mind and heart, through personal experience and challenge and both consciously and unconsciously, opened the door of healing to many.

She also has a wise, gentle and humorous spirit that she openly and equally shares with her students and colleagues, qualities that endear her to us all and help spark and define our own authenticity and voice. Above all she is a humble warrior and willing to look at and learn from the shadows; attributes she now shares generously in this, her first wonderfully inspiring book. It is a book for living yoga, not just practicing it.

Within these pages, Denby pioneers a unique blend of traditional Indian yoga asana with the subtleties of Eastern Medicine, revealing the healing power of nature and the dance between the seasons, the five elements and universal energetic principles. By revealing this exciting new way of defining and refining our human nature, she shows how simple it is to locate and rebalance all levels of being that keep us in step with ourselves, each other and ultimately, with our planet.

The information and images included are thorough, concise and presented in an easy-to-read and understand format. It engages the reader not just intellectually, but visually and spiritually and as well as being beautifully designed, it explains a precise and holistic practice with many layers to its intention and application.

I have always been impressed with her enthusiasm and willingness to keep honing her craft, adding to her knowledge base, sharing her insights and endeavouring to make and strengthen bonds across the wider yoga family. Denby is all about awareness, connections and breaking free of boundaries and so it is in this spirit that I encourage you to read, absorb and apply the myriad of, not just yogic and practical wisdoms, but the scatterings of personal gems and heartfelt poetic musings that she offers in Mana Yoga. Let yourself be moved.

This book is a valuable text for student trainees and seasoned yogis from all traditions alike and a valid addition to any yoga library.

Namaste,

Simon Borg-Olivier

MSc BAppSc (Physiotherapy)

Course Coordinator/Lecturer

Masters of Wellness Degree RMIT University

Director Yoga Synergy PL

To one of the special ones

This book is dedicated to my late aunt, the beautiful Gillian Garland; an original Roma Blair devotee and sister, yoga student, gifted teacher trainer and a mother to two beautiful children. Gilly passed when I was two, yet her peaceful presence has always been with me, inspiring the yogi within to rise and awakening magical familial gifts as I have grown from maiden to mother myself. She held space naturally and easily, humbly touching the hearts of everyone she met and leaving them feeling happier and lighter for the connection.