Marla Meenakshi Joy, Owner and Director of Downward Dog Yoga Centre, spent years in the Himalayas studying Meditation, Sanskrit and Yoga Philosophy. She’s been studying meditation and the philosophy of the Vedas since 1988. She began teaching in 1999 in Teacher Training programs across Canada, the U.S., Europe and Asia, as a teacher of Philosophy and Sanskrit, Chanting and Meditation, Ashtanga and Vinyasa yoga, and Restorative Yoga. Wait, there’s more! She’s also a celebrated song-stress and leads Kirtan with her band SWAHA.
What a pleasure it was to have a conversation with this soul that’s been steeping in the wisdom of yoga, continuing to expand her growth year after year. What’s really interesting is hearing what the yoga scene was like 30 years ago. In this episode, Marla shares her yoga journey from being a young 19 year old who went off to the Himalayas and finally found “home” in her yoga practice to the influential teacher/yoga studio owner/songstress that she is today. We catch tidbits of her wisdom along the way as we take dips into understanding ashtanga vinyasa yoga, the Vedas, Kirtan and more. Amongst the tools she shares are mantras to help clear the way, remove fear and reconnect to your true nature.
Resources:
Books recommended by Marla:
Yoga Mala by Pattahbi Jois
- Knowledge on Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga
- Understand the cleansing process in the body as a result of practicing this type of yoga
Learn more about mantras: Thomas Ashley-Farrand's Books
- Marla’s mantra recommendations:
- To Ganesha, the remover of obstacles. Use this to clear the way for your day: “Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha”
- To Durga, the protectress goddess. Use this to help remove fear: “Om dum durgayei namaha”
- An abstract mantra that’s not associated with any deity or any form. A universal mantra – the mantra of the breath. It repeats itself on every inhalation and exhalation naturally. Use this one to be reminded of your true nature and reality: "So Hum" Translated, it means “all that there is, is me or I am all that there is”
- Inhale: SO
- Exhale: HUM
Key Nuggets:
- Part of the practice of yoga is to contemplate the question "What is my true nature?"
- Once you find the answer of what your true nature is then it becomes about deepening that understanding at all levels; and that’s where our practice of meditation practice comes in.
- Advaita Vedanta – non dual philosophy of yoga. Based on this philosophy, there's an underlying oneness despite our perception of duality. How do we get to that core of the oneness in nature? Everything that we sense in the world will tell it that it’s separate from us. To get to the core, we need to go within and get silent to understand it. If we don’t do the deeper practice, we end up wit intellectual knowledge but not experiential wisdom.
- Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga
- Richard Freeman brought the first exposure of this type of yoga in 1995
- Consists of six series of movements, each series more advanced than the next.
- Involves cleansing of the organs for each posture, concentration through your gaze, pranayama (breath practice) within the movements and vinyasa to link each pose elegantly
- As a result of this practice, it changes the energy in your body and nervous system
- One of the advantages of practicing the same sequence over and over is that it allows your mind to shut off and you can just get into the moves
- If you want to do more of a free flow class, you can create a sequence around the primary series.
- Marla’s top concepts that she tries to live by everyday:
- Come from a place of love
- Begin day with Sadahana (a daily spiritual practice) so that you give yourself space to fill your cup (and in turn have enough to fill others' as well).
- Marla’s Sadahana: puja (ritual offerings) to deities, meditation, pranayama, asana
- Continuation of expansion on the path of self reflection
- The Vedas
- “Vedas” means knowledge
- It comes out from a time period where the great seers revealed wisdom that they channeled.
- Overtime, many different branches of philosophies has blossomed but ultimately the teaching comes from the well of knowledge that we are all one.
- Where vedas and what we know as yoga in the western world connects is that the asanas (the poses), which serves as a great start into the more heart centered aspect. Once the seed is planted, the community, teachers and practice that you surround yourself will eventually lead you to bloom into the deeper inquiries. Usually the next inquiry is the breath work and then meditation. Maybe even eventually getting into chanting and mantras.
- Kirtan
- Comes from the root word “kirt” which means to celebrate, glorify and describe. That’s why there is a sense of story.
- Usually done as a call and response performance
- Joy and bliss comes from the practice
- Bypass the mind and transported into the heart
- Kirtan versus chanting
- Kirtan is specifically a collective call and response performance. On the other hand, chanting can be done in a variety of ways - you can chant a mantra, sutra, scripture or a prayer; they could be short or long; they can be done alone or with others.
- Mantras can help shift our energy, and the shift is different depending on if you're chanting externally versus internally. Can help bring you deeper into meditation when done internally.
- Marla’s mantra recommendations:
- To Ganesha, the remover of obstacles. Use this to clear the way for your day: “Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha”
- To Durga, the protectress goddess. Use this to help remove fear: “Om dum durgayei namaha”
- An abstract mantra that’s not associated with any deity or any form. A universal mantra – the mantra of the breath. It repeats itself on every inhalation and exhalation naturally. Use this one to be reminded of your true nature and reality: "So Hum" Translated, it means “all that there is, is me or I am all that there is”
- Inhale: SO
- Exhale: HUM
One of Your Biggest Lessons So Far:
This path of enlightenment is something that really takes daily work, effort, and practices in order to allow it to unfold within yourself. Have humility along the path because we are human and we mess up. Be humble enough to reflect, apologize first, and grow.
One nugget of wisdom that you would share with fellow seekers who are also on this journey of growth and transformation:
Keep finding ways to open your heart and drop the monkey mind into your heart as much as you can. Cultivate compassion for yourself and in turn you’ll be able to turn it to others. The practices that yoga gives us should be melting the heart. If your yoga practice seems to be hardening you, take another look at it. Unhappiness comes from disconnecting with self.
There are two choices in this world: love or fear.
FEAR: False Evidence Appearing Real
Links:
If you have any questions for Marla or want to learn more, connect with her through:
Websites:
Music: www.swaha.ca
Yoga Studio (Toronto, Canada): www.downwarddog.com
Email: info@swaha.ca
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marla.m.joy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meenakshiswaha
Twitter: https://twitter.com/meenakshiswaha