Manasa Yoga was founded by Manoj Kaimal and his wife Sandhya Manoj, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
“Manas’ means mind or awareness, as we manasa yogis like to refer to it.
Manasa Yoga focuses on integration of a strong and dynamic body with a mind that is non-reactive and capable of maintaining an open awareness of the present moment, enriched by the deeply concentrated and contemplative intellect.
Focusing on grounding into the present moment (atha) is one of the principal objectives of Manasa Yoga.
As we guide students through the various practices the aim is to help them keep their awareness in the ‘here and now’, for their inner wisdom to be slowly arising.
In Manasa Yoga we start the practice with the body, as this is something we are familiar with, something we know. Here we teach students a proper asana alignment, getting to know their bodies better and then connecting the movement with the breath. Through those techniques they are also anchoring their awareness into the present moment.
Once the student is capable of keeping the mind focused in the ‘now’ for extended periods of time, the inner wisdom starts emerging. We start connecting deeper into our layers of existence and then we see and feel our body not merely as a static shape, but as a spiralling mass of energy, not different to the rest of the Universe.
The teachings are not only about the body, its anatomy and alignment, but also the philosophical teachings like: sankhya, sutras, vedanta and tantra are an integral part of Manasa Yoga, that help us to get deeper into the experiences of our mind, such as our thoughts, moods, feelings and as a result to see ourselves clearer.
Being more aware helps us to be able to see wholesome, but also unwholesome tendencies and intentions within us. Knowing that will allow us to make more conscious choices in our practices on the mat, but also off the mat, in our daily life.
To read more on Manasa yoga philosophy and principles go to https://manasa-yoga.com/about-us/
