For many practitioners of Ashtanga Yoga, the name Richard Freeman<\/a> is very well known: he is a very special combination of a yoga teacher (his wife and he himself call themselves \u201eyogic teachers\u201d), Buddhist and philosopher. For many years, he and his wife Mary Taylor<\/a> have directed an Ashtanga Yoga studio<\/a> in Boulder, Colorado, US, offered teacher trainings and also taught a lot internationally. The studio in Boulder has been passed on to the next generation (Ty Landrum<\/a>) and Mary and Richard have established a second home on Koh Samui in Thailand. You can regularly study and practice under their guidance at the Samahita Retreat<\/a> \u2013 at least when there is no lockdown or \u00a0restrictions for the immigration of foreigners into Thailand. They are also quite present on the internet with many interesting contributions, again, not just for Ashtangis.<\/p>\n At the end of September they published another book together: \u201cWhen love comes to light \u2013 Bringing wisdom from the Bhagavad G\u012bt\u0101 into modern life.\u201d<\/p>\n The Bhagavad G\u012bt\u0101<\/em> (or shorter just the G\u012bt\u0101<\/em>) reflects a very short passage within a much larger drama, the Mah\u0101bh\u0101rata. This gigantic opus is over 100.000 verses, describing the long-lasting conflict between two families who are related to one another, the Kauravas<\/em> and the\u00a0P\u0101\u1e47davas<\/em><\/span>. The Mah\u0101bh\u0101rata<\/em> is the longest existing poem worldwide \u2013 ten times longer than Homer\u2019s Ulysses and the Iliad put together. It is about 2,500 years old, and \u00a0approximately 1,500 years ago reached the version in which it is known today (even though \u00a0there are still many different adaptations).<\/p>\n The G\u012bt\u0101<\/em> with its manageable \u00a0700 verses describes only one single scene out of the drama: the moment just before the start of the epic military battle between the two armies that both families lead against one another.<\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/ashtanga-yoga-plus.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Krishna-and-Arjuna.jpg” title_text=”Krishna and Arjuna” _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.5″ _module_preset=”default”] K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u00a0<\/em>is teaching Arjuna<\/em>, right in the middle between the two armies<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”3.22″][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.6.5″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_margin=”-113px||||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″] The G\u012bt\u0101<\/em> depicts the dialogue between Arjuna<\/em>, one of the brothers of the\u00a0P\u0101\u1e47davas<\/em>, and his charioteer, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a<\/em>. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a<\/em> is, in his main job within the Hinduistic pantheon, the deity of delight and passion \u2013 and he turns out to be a benevolent teacher for Arjuna<\/em> at the very moment when Arjun<\/em>a loses all his courage before this battle against his relatives, friends and playmates of his youth. This teaching is also the reason for the title: Bhagavad G\u012bt\u0101<\/em> can be translated as \u201cthe song of God\u201d.<\/p>\n Mary and Richard\u2019s book is, in my view, an artful and interesting combination of an innovative and at the same time concise introduction into the G\u012bt\u0101<\/em>. It also contains a new word by word and sometimes quite creative translation of the G\u012bt\u0101. In the appendix, the book offers very practical exercises that are meant to help embody the different aspects of the teaching , i.e. how one can integrate the teachings into one\u2019s own body and mind and of course one\u2019s life.<\/p>\n How does one react in a dignified way when thrown into a huge conflict and having remorse even though one knows what would be the right course of action? Is there a higher perspective on the issue? What is our task, our duty, our karma?<\/p>\n How can we express love in our behaviour \u2013 allow love more space in the situation at hand?<\/p>\n Mary and Richard argue that often our self-made (or adopted) concepts for love and loving behaviour lead to the opposite result: fierce arguments, conflicts, battle, suffering. In order to avoid such \u201dpitfalls\u201c, we need clarity about the actual situation, to be really awake and to check \u00a0our perception over and over again.<\/p>\n The transfer from the conflict on the battlefield into our daily relationships may be surprising at first glance, but it is well explained by Mary and Richard and absolutely appropriate.<\/p>\n Of course, it is not surprising that Mary and Richard interpret many aspects of the classical Hindu text from a Buddhist perspective, in light of the fact that Richard has studied Buddhism intensely and also lived as a Buddhist monk. It is in addition absolutely fitting, as in the times of the first creation of the Bhagavad G\u012bt\u0101<\/em> (around 150 BC plus or minus a century) the individual philosophies and religions were not crystallized, but were in active exchange with one another and thus enriched each other.<\/p>\n Should you find the subject of interest, you can listen here to a podcast<\/a> of the couple about their new book at Ashtanga Dispatch<\/a>. Should you be practicing at my shala, you can also find the book in the library and are welcome to take it home for a few days to check it out.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The new book by Mary Taylor and Richard Freeman For many practitioners of Ashtanga Yoga, the name Richard Freeman is very well known: he is a very special combination of a yoga teacher (his wife and he himself call themselves \u201eyogic teachers\u201d), Buddhist and philosopher. For many years, he and his wife Mary Taylor have […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":237520,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"\n F\u00fcr viele, die Ashtanga Yoga praktizieren, ist Richard Freeman ein bekannter Name: er ist eine sehr eigene Mischung aus Yoga Lehrer (seine Frau und er nennen sich \u201eyogische Lehrer\u201c), Buddhist und Philosoph. Gemeinsam mit Mary Taylor, seiner Frau, hat er lange in Boulder, Colorado, USA ein Ashtanga Studio geleitet, Lehrerausbildungen angeboten und auch sehr viel international unterrichtet. Das Studio in Boulder ist jetzt an die n\u00e4chste Generation weitergegeben (Ty Landrum), und Mary und Richard haben sich auf Koh Samui in Thailand einen neuen Lebensschwerpunkt aufgebaut. Dort trifft man sie \u2013 wenn nicht gerade Lockdown ist oder Einreisebeschr\u00e4nkungen f\u00fcr Ausl\u00e4nder nach Thailand gelten \u2013 regelm\u00e4\u00dfig in dem Yoga Retreat Samahita. Sie sind auch sehr pr\u00e4sent im Internet mit vielen \u2013 auch f\u00fcr nicht-Ashtangis interessanten \u2013 Beitr\u00e4gen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ende September kam ihr erstes gemeinsames Buch heraus: \"When love comes to light \u2013 Bringing wisdom from the Bhagavad G\u012bt\u0101 into modern life.\" (\"Wenn Liebe ans Licht kommt \u2013 Weisheit aus der Bhagavad G\u012bt\u0101 ins moderne Leben bringen.\", meine \u00dcbersetzung).<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Bhagavad G\u012bt\u0101<\/em>\u00a0<\/h3>\n
The content<\/h3>\n
The battlefield in daily life<\/h3>\n