Posted by: Trina Bawden-Smith
Why I chose the speakers for our first series of events.....
Simon Borg-Olivier is Australia’s number one yoga celebrity. He really is everywhere! On TV, radio, in every Yoga mag. I don’t know how you could be interested in Yoga and not know about him!
I have attended Simon’s yoga classes at Bondi Junction over the past few years. I love Synergy style yoga! It has really helped with my lower back problems, my core strength and my balance!
I also did Simon’s course in Practical Applied Anatomy & Physiology of Hatha Yoga a few years ago. He really knows his stuff! The course was fascinating and very detailed. Unfortunately, my knowledge of Anatomy and Physiology is fairly inadequate so some of it went over my head. It’s a great course for Yoga teachers to do especially, these days, as students expect Yoga teachers to know everything about A & P and every medical condition that ever existed. I initially met Simon when I asked him to speak at the first conference I organised with the Vedanta Centre back in 2004 and we have a kept in touch ever since.
Dr. Rama Prasad. Where do I start? I first went to see him years ago when he was still working from his clinic in Neutral Bay. His diagnosis was spot on and really set me on a path to exploring Ayurveda. Since then I have sent so many of my friends to him for treatment.
Then after I completed my Yoga teacher training, I did Rama’s Ayurveda Lifestyle Practitioner course. It was a fantastic course! Rama teaches with such great anecdotes that the information and wisdom that he taught stayed with me ever since.
One of the really useful tools I learnt was the Five Element theory. In fact, I would go so far as to say that this knowledge is the cornerstone of understanding the science of Ayurveda. If you understand the Five Element theory, you will be able to apply it in all areas of Ayurveda and in all areas of your life.
It really worked for me. I used to beat myself up for finding writing so difficult. I would chew off all my fingernails anytime I had to write something – an essay, an article, a business letter. After doing Rama’s course a few years ago, I realised that one of the things that I was really good at is organising events. Not writing! So now here I am running an events company. I can’t avoid writing so I still have to chew on those nails but these days I know what I am naturally good at. I get so much more enjoyment out of life because I know I don’t have to be good at everything and I can just focus on the things I love!
It also helped me decide what exercise is suitable for my body. With all that water and earth in my constitution, I know I am better off doing yoga, swimming or walking. Rama taught me that my joints simply can’t handle jogging and he is right. Every time I jog, I wind up with a sore back, sprained ankle or sore knees. My temperament isn’t designed for hard-core work outs whereas my fire element friends love pushing themselves to the limit in a Body Attack class.
Not only has this knowledge helped me understand myself, it has helped me understand my relationships better. I know my ‘ether’ husband has to be creating something all the time otherwise he won’t be happy and I know he changes his mind all the time! I know why my daughter walks around in a singlet while I am wrapped up in the thickest jumper I can find!
I have the greatest respect for Rama. He has dedicated his life to disseminating the wisdom of Ayurveda without any interest in personal gain. He is one of my greatest teachers!
I first met Dr. Shaun Matthews many years ago when he was looking for assistants to help with one of his cooking classes at Nature Care College. It was a really fun day, even though I was mainly just chopping and washing up! His knowledge of Ayurvedic nutrition and food is outstanding. I still use some of the recipes I learnt from him to this day. The Panacea to Modern Life is a great little recipe and I really like the tofu mulligatawny too.
I also volunteered at the Ayurveda Yoga Australia conferences. Shaun was a member of the founding and organising committee for the 2006 and 2009 conferences. This was a great experience and I really enjoyed it. In 2006, I looked after the registration area and in 2009, I was backstage and helping with the speakers. The conferences were great. It was amazing to see so many outstanding speakers from the field of Ayurveda in one place.
I have been a member of the Ayurveda sangha (community) for a number of years. This group was set up by Rama Prasad and Fiona Thompson. Shaun regularly presents at these informal gatherings and I was fortunate to hear him speak in April this year on the Ayurvedic and Yogic management of Depression.
Shaun’s special gift is his ability to make ancient Ayurvedic teachings relevant to modern life. With his Western medical training and his Eastern knowledge, he plays a unique role in bridging the gap between the East and the West.
I first met Michael de Manincor at our second Vedanta Centre conference in 2005. Even back then, when he wasn’t involved with the YTAA (Yoga Teachers Association of Australia), he was still considered one of the most respected and knowledgeable teachers in the community. I also met his partner, Lisa, while doing a massage course with Rama Prasad. We immediately gelled and as mother’s often do, spoke of our children, as both our daughters are almost the same age.
I first met Annette Loudon when I was looking for a pre-natal yoga class in Forestville in 2000. I really enjoyed Annette’s classes. I found her to be knowledgeable and caring. She really went the extra mile with all of her students and gave them individual attention. She knew everything about her students’ bodies and I felt sure that the precious bundle growing inside me would be safe with the Yoga practices she was giving me.
I did Yoga with Annette right up until the birth of my daughter. I gave birth on a Monday and the following Monday, I returned to class! They were all very surprised when I walked in a week later ready for my 6 pm session. I am sure the Yoga classes I did with Annette, helped me give birth naturally and recover so quickly.
Annette has since become one of Australia’s rising Yoga stars. It’s great to see another talented, female speaker out there! Her ground-breaking DVD on “Yoga for Women after Treatment for Breast Cancer” is being launched Thursday morning 3rd June at Wentworth Ave YWCA, can’t wait...