Studies with Dharma Mittra!

Dharma Mittra is one very cool yoga master and I consider myself very lucky to be studying with him right here at the San Francisco yoga conference!  He started out today’s session by asking, “How many of you are here to study for the first time with Swami Pretendananda?”  It took all of us a few minutes to realize that we did hear what we thought we heard and that he was making a joke, making up a name for himself:  Pretend-Ananada.  There’s a one-of-a-kind humbleness and sense of humor he brings to the yoga session.

One cool yoga master!

Dharma Mittra is famous for his poster containing 908 self-photographed mastered advanced poses.  I have that poster, all of his books, and all of his DVDs, and  yet, this is the first time I am studying with him.  Referring to the poster, Dharma says at 75 years old, he is finding that every year, he loses mastery of 10 of the most advanced poses.  “Every year, I lose ten poses.  At the end, the only pose I will be able to do will be Shavasana (the Corpse Pose)!”   Everyone laughs because it is the predicament of each and every one of us and he says it with such humor.

The Fabulous Poster: 908 self-photographed images of a young Dharma Mittra (former competitive body builder) doing a variety of yoga asanas

He began yesterday’s intensive with the question, “What is the cause of pain and suffering?”  Eager hands instantly shot up in the air, “Attachment!”  “No, it is not attachment!  The cause of pain and suffering is IGNORANCE, ignorance of one’s own self!  Who are you?  If you do not know who you are, how can you be happy?  How can you find peace?  You will suffer greatly if you do not know who you are, if you do not know your true nature. Searching searching, buying this, buying that, but none of these quests and purchases bring happiness.  When you know yourself, you find happiness and peace on the inside, coming from inside, from here, the HEART.  The purpose of yoga is to set your mind to peace and silence.”

Dharma Mittra

Dharma Mittra is a very likeable man with a full head of coarse gray hair pulled back in a tight short ponytail.  He wears a trimmed beard and is originally from Brazil, but has lived in New York City for many years.  Somehow, he is both humble and confident.  He is a man at peace with himself. So far, my sessions with him have been part lecture, part meditation, part chanting of mantra, practice of pranayama (breathing), asana practice, and deep relaxation via yoga nidra (guided imagery).

We practiced this! He basically taught every single one of us in the room at the conference to do this very pose! Not sure how he did it, now sure how I did it, but we did it (without the storm drainage divot assist)!

So, what I’d like to include here are some of Dharma’s juicy nuggets of yogic wisdom from yesterday and today’s lectures:

• Your mind is infinite!  When you meditate, your mind keeps expanding.  OMMMMMM
• You must always begin and end your yoga class with OMMMMM
• Here is the secret to success in mastering the yoga asanas: do lots of repetitions in a short amount of time.  In other words, try it, try it, try it, try it , try it again!
• Dharma Mittra is a devout vegan.  He reasons, “We are not allowed to eat our brothers and sisters, right?  So how can you eat animals?  Are they not your brothers and sisters?”
• Calm your breath, slow down your breathing….and your cravings and restlessness will go away.
• Pranayama (breathing exercises) is great for the lungs, for those who suffer from asthma, and great for divers.
• The first obstacle to meditation is feeling sleepy.  Make sure you get enough sleep.  And don’t overeat because that also makes you feel sleepy.  We need to be alert to be able to watch and move toward inner observance.
• Eat simple food. Get rid of all the junk food in your home.  And get rid of any meat products in your home.  Otherwise, your home is nothing more than a morgue!
• More on being vegan:  All living beings love life.  All living beings feel violence.  Compassion has to go beyond your children and your pets.
• See Divinity everywhere!  Everything is Divine and Perfect.
• The friend you have inside of you is the only friend you have.  Your guru (teacher)  is there to tell you that your “true guru” is inside of you!  And Divinity is inside of you.
• A great deal of healing takes place during Shavasana.  It is actually a difficult pose because it is so hard to be still and simply be, to not let your mind wander. ..but you MUST start mastering  Shavasana (Corpse Pose) because as you get older, it will be the only pose you will be able to do!

On Karma: Dharma Mittra has had a number of Segways stolen…he is convinced that in another life, he was a horse thief and the stolen Segways represent Karma working things out.