YSTT Week 2: Exploring Feminine & Masculine Qualities

The pineal chakra and the Hara chakra can be  related to masculine and feminine qualities (but not only) . . . the sketch below might offer some natural inspiration. 

QUESTION for REFLECTION: Where in nature are you most at home . . . can you relate this to any feminine or masculine qualities (or both) in a natural setting you love?

Il chakra pineale e il chakra Hara possono essere collegati alle qualità maschili e femminili (ma non solo) ... lo schizzo a sinistra potrebbe offrire un'ispirazione naturale. 

DOMANDA per RIFLESSIONE: In quale ambiente della natura vi sentite più a vostro agio ... potete mettere in relazione questo aspetto con le qualità femminili o maschili (o entrambe) di un ambiente naturale che amate?

Bowls can be considered a symbol of the feminine. 

QUESTION for REFLECTION: What are some symbols of feminine bowl shape that you can imagine?  What would be some masculine symbols that you could imagine (imagine something that is not necessarily bowl shaped). What are some bowls in your body? How do you perceive them?

Le ciotole possono essere considerate un simbolo del femminile. 

DOMANDE per RIFLESSIONE: Quali sono alcuni simboli femminili a forma di ciotola che potete immaginare?  Quali sono i simboli maschili che potete immaginare (immaginate qualcosa che non sia necessariamente a forma di ciotola)?

WEEK 2 HOMEWORK:

Part 1:

Please reflect upon and answer the questions above - submit in WORD or PDF format.

Part 2:

Please draw or paint a natural setting - it could be imaginary or it could be a place in nature that you love. Let yourself have a gentle and open approach to the artwork - it need not be literally or artistic . . . more flow, and enjoyment and expression. Do not TRY to make the drawing, and invitation to let it flow.

Notice what elements of this illustration contain “feminine” elements and “masculine” elements . . . say a little bit about this.

Some key considerations could be: the natural elements in the picture (earth, water, fire, air, space) or colours or temperatures (cool, hot, dry, wet) or animals that like to be in that environment, etc.

Please include a photo of your image/painting/drawing with the other questions from above as well!

Part 3: Please write if you have any spefiic questions about the practice we have done in the last week (if you do)

Submit by WORD.doc or PDF format by Sunday 23 February, 2025 to ateekayoga@gmail.com

YSTT Week 1: 5 Natural Competencies of Every Human Being

I welcome you to become familiar with this model called “The Pentagram” or “The Pentagon”.

This model helps to illustrate 5 NATURAL COMPETENCIES of EVERY HUMAN BEING that helps lead to a deeper trust in the HEART and contact to WHOLENESS.

The 5 NATURAL COMPETENCIES are:

Body - Breath - Heart - Natural Creativity - Consciousness

This pentagram - or 5 pointed star - can be a nice support for our yogaSOMATICS practice, both as practitioners and as teachers. It can help give a good trust into the natural human competencies that lay within us all, that can be expressed as such through our unique qualities. Perhaps it can help us to find a good grounded trust in our own natural humanness, as well as observe the humanness in all of our students.

In this YSTT Module 4, we will be giving good attention to a paradigm shift based in acceptance, kind neutral observation, “being with our students rather than fixting symptoms”, awakening empathy within, seeing/feeling life as the moving, fluid energy that it is. The pentagram model gives a gentle structure around exploring these themes.

This model was brought forth by Jen Bertelsen, founder of the Vaekstcenter in Nørre Snede, DK and Danish spiritual teacher in the Tibetan Buddhist Dzogchen lineage.

Please listen to the guided audio (12 minutes) while sitting quietly a few times this week. You can also download it to save for later.

Please reflect upon the practice and answer the following questions. Return your response in a doc. or PDF format by email to ateekayoga@gmail.com by 17 February 2025

• Of the 5 Natural Competencies, which feels like your most natural way inwards towards yourself?

• Was there anything that made a certain impression on you or was “new” for you when you listened to the meditation?

• Share a few words about your relationship to EMPATHY. What does empathy mean for you?

• How does it feel to “leave the world to its own devices” (this basically means just letting things “be as they are” ) for a few moments? Can you recognise moments in your life when you are able to “let things be”? In the moments that you can't/don´t . . . how does that show up in your body and emotion sensation. (Be gentle and soft with your answer, we are not trying to condemn anything . . . just to observe patterns that occur from time to time)

• If you have a student in your class who you would describe as “restless” or “not-paying attention”, how does that feel in your body? What emotion does that illicit in you? Of course the answer can be different from scenario to scenario, but just in general . . . how does that affect you?