customizing radiant health
and wellness programs for you
HOME ::
| |
| contact Michael McEvoy |
| articles |
| resources & links |
| Yoga Services - Michael McEvoy | ||||||||||||||||||
I have been a diligent and passionate student of yoga for 7 years. During this time I have explored the ancient science of asana (postures), pranayama (breath regulation) and dhyana (meditation) as well as having examined some of the many philosophical systems of ancient India including Buddhism and Vedanta. Click HERE to view Michael McEvoy's Chicago Yoga class schedule. The yoga that I teach encompasses many of the styles and traditions that I have been exposed to in seven years of practice. This includes both hatha yoga and other systems such as Raja Yoga, Gnana Yoga, Tantra and Advaita Vedanta. I teach students of all ages and skill levels. My classes are uplifting, explorative and challenging. I encourage students to find their own inner teacher that inspires them to do the practice. My hope is that yoga practitioners will use the tools of nutrition and detoxification to not only keep the body vibrant, but to also develop a greater understanding and respect for the human organism.
"Hatha yoga has the potential to heal the body and to transform the mind." -Michael McEvoy
"Listen to your breath and how it moves. Hatha yoga is less about moving the body than it is about watching the evolution of consciousness." -Michael McEvoy |
| Yoga, Nutrition & Detoxification | ||||||||||||
Cleansing the body for the yoga practice is not new. The ancient yogis would perform the 6 shatkarmas, or cleansing techniques. There are many different variations of these basic 6 cleansing techniques. Most of the knowledge of shatkarmas come from two major hatha yoga texts: The Hatha Yoga Pradipika and the Gheranda Samhita. These techniques are designed to clean out the body in every which way. The six major shatkarmas are:
It is my belief that many of the shatkarmas are outdated. There are more practical and modern ways to achieve the same effects. For example in Dhauti, one drinks 16 glasses of salt water which is to be evacuated from the colon. The end result is purification of the stomach and intestines. Supplementing one's diet with colon cleansing herbs such as psyllium husk fiber and bentonite clay will powerfully clean the intestines, better than water and salt. A diet that is rich in acidic foods, like that found in a standard Indian diet will impair the stomach's ability to digest food. Therefore eliminating the acidity and supplementing with enzymes, raw foods, and alkalizing substances such as green superfoods will clean the stomach and repair digestion. Nonetheless, the ancients were using the resources that they had with tremendous success. Shatkarmas such as kappalabhati, neti and trataka are still of importance. Another factor that can't be overlooked is the toxicity of the modern world. The ancients lived in a time before industry; before automobiles. Today our world is oozing with environmental poisons. The need for detoxification now is absolutely crucial. Just breathing in the air of a major city like Chicago, New York, or Los Angeles is harmful and a worthy reason for detoxification. Yoga asana (postures) and pranayama (yogic breath development) aims to purify many systems of the body including the lungs, the lymphatic system, the pranic body, the blood as well as the abdominal organs. Yoga asana helps the body to clear out toxicity which often remains buried in the lymph tissues, the fatty tissues and the cells. Nutrition and the Yoga Practice Many serious yoga practitioners are aware of the effects that diet has on the body as it relates to the yoga practice. A body that is nutritionally depleted and chronically toxic will not serve your practice well. Fatigue, acidity, toxicity and stress will all weigh your practice down. Foods that are alkalizing to the body such as vegetables, lemons and some fruits are much more beneficial to the practice. A diet rich in raw vegetables will leave you feeling much lighter. Many yoga practitioners agree that feeling lighter is much better than being weighed down and sluggish. Vegetarian Versus Non-Vegetarian Certainly there is a debate as to whether a yoga practitioner should eat animal protein. There are many sides to the debate including: moral reasoning, digestive reasoning, protein synthesis. From the moral perspective, many believe that harm to animals should be avoided at all costs. Certainly, abuse to animals should be avoided at all costs. If one chooses to eat meat, then it should come from an animal that was humanely raised and fed only natural foods. From the digestive perspective, many feel that animal protein is difficult to digest. This may be so for the person who suffers from a debilitated digestive system. I was a vegetarian for nearly 5 years. I became vegetarian because I thought that flesh foods were mucus forming, thus impairing digestion. It wasn't until I addressed the underlying causes of why this was happening, that I regained the ability to adequately digest animal protein. In fact my digestion was worse when I was vegetarian! This is a common problem with many vegetarians that is little discussed. From the perspective of protein synthesis, many vegetarians feel that they can get enough protein from other sources like soy, nuts and seeds. For a short time these foods may be adequate, but over the long run you will probably run into some problems. Soy, particularly tofu is a sub-optimal food. It contains harmful phytates that blocks protein synthesis, zinc absorption, iron absorption, calcium absorption and enzyme activity. Soy often contains nitrosamines, which are harmful carcinogens. Often times soy contains rancid fatty acids which must be filtered out by the liver. Soy protein isolate is highly processed and may contain the toxic metal aluminum. Fermented soy like tempeh and miso are much less harmful and generally better to digest. Another vegetarian protein source is hemp protein. It has a good amino acid spectrum. Spirulina and algaes have a high protein content. However, vegetarian protein sources lack adequate sulfur amino acids which are found in animal proteins. These are: methionine, taurine and cysteine. Methionine and cysteine are essential amino acids, meaning that the body must get them from food sources. Methionine is very important for detoxification. It will bind to toxins such as methyl mercury and de-activate their potential harm. Methionine can be converted into cysteine which is a pre-curser for glutathione, a powerful anti-oxidant and free radical fighter. Methionine also assists detoxification of the liver by breaking down fats. It is my opinion that animal protein is essential for the body's health and development. At the very least a vegetarian should eat eggs. I know many vegetarians who suffered from protein deficiencies, anemia and fatigue. Their health improved with the intake of animal protein. If a person is considering vegetarianism, one should investigate into the subject first. Yoga and Purification For thousands of years the ancient religious systems of the east taught from the basis of morality. Whether it was Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism or Jainism, morality was the foundation of any spiritual practice. Rightfully so. Even in the 2500 year old yoga treatise the "Yoga Sutras of Patanjali" we find that practice begins with the observances of the yamas and niyamas.
In the 16th century, Swatmarama, the author of the text "the HathaYoga Pradipika" did somehting radical. Rather than teaching yoga from the basis of morality, he taught that cleansing the body should be the first spiritual observance. How could one engage in moral living if one's body was impure? He taught that the body should be purified through shatkarma before even engaging in the practice of asanas (postures). In yoga today, this usually goes unobserved. People generally think of yoga as a form of exercise rather than as a spiritual practice. The amount of understanding, respect and compassion for the human body is very little. Yet at the same time, the hectic world in which we have created provides an ample amount of congestion and filth. People are grossly toxic, overweight, overburdened and burned out. To combat their toxic lifestyles a person may drop into a yoga class to get a little relief. While this may be good and sometimes of dire importance, a person should see the bigger picture. Yoga can definitely serve as a doorway to self-respect and self-responsibilty. This is so necessary in today's world. Many people are co-dependant on authority figures. Many people have forgotten their own given freedoms. It is my hope that through yoga, nutrition and this website, people can learn to trust themselves.
Foundational Elements of a Yoga Practice Hatha Yoga is about waking up the body, the brain and the senses. Numerous elements of American living has the ultimate effect of deadening the senses and dulling the mind. The role of the yoga teacher is to enrich the quality of awareness of the student. The aim of yoga is to ultimately bring a deeper sense of introspection and heightened awareness to the individual. The style of my teaching keeps students on their toes, so to speak. I challenge not only their capacities to learn but also how they form their beliefs. Many people are not aware of how their beliefs were formed, let alone what many of their beliefs are. These unconscious beliefs are at the root of your own limitations. As Yoga Master B.K.S. Iyengar has said 'there is a distinction between actual and perceived limitations.' Most people are unaware of their own capacities for growth. As a result, they become stagnant in the belief that nothing can be done. They're stuck. Yoga is about un sticking, ungluing the deep rooted conditionings of the body and mind. The body can be shaped, molded, re-formed in ways that are normally perceived to be impossible. Many people who are hesitant to start a yoga practice say "I was never very flexible, I'll never be good at it." This defeatist attitude is exactly what yoga has the potential to un-glue. From the perspective of the "stuck" student, nothing can be done that they aren't already capable of. This classic mind set is the breeding ground for what has been called 'dukkha'. Dukkha is a Buddhist term that can mean "suffering" or "dissatisfaction". Dukkha is a central word in the Buddhist teachings. All conditioned existence is "dukkha". Yoga, like many ancient spiritual systems is the endless process of moving with nature. This does not connotate an escapist attitude. People that are "running away" are also stuck in dukkha. The introspective practice of yoga brings students face to face with their conditionings. As individuals we have the opportunity to either face these issues or to ignore them. Most people choose to ignore them. While this may seem dark, it really is not. When issues arise to the conscious mind, they are released from within. Yoga is very much about shining the light of shakti (energy) deeply into the core of the heart. As I have said, many people are depleted of this powerful and vibrant energy. It takes a rare individual to rise up out of the tamas (lethargy, dullness) to embrace the tapas (spiritual heat) and ojas (vigor) of the yoga practice. Many people are not aware of their body from the inside out. Yoga puts one into direct communion with the body, the complexities of the mind and your true spiritual nature. Yoga is a Science, not a Religion Many people incorrectly and unfairly accuse yoga of being a religion or a cult. This couldn't be futher from the truth. Religion espouses certain beliefs and often involves idolotrous worship. Yoga is a science of exploration, first and foremost. Unlike most other sciences, which involves the study of objects, yoga is a science in which the subject becomes the object of investigation. Yoga is a science of the first person. The science of yoga itself is based on observing and studying the nature of what is and comparing it to what is known or interpreted to be true. It is through this method that yoga serves as Gnana, or true knowledge of Self. The teachings of Vedanta, which pre-dates yoga is based on methods of rejecting rather than accepting. By the process of negation, we come to understand what is not. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali was the first known yogic text to synthesize the teachings of yoga and to outline its practice. The sutras were probably synthesized 2500 years ago. Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
Book I: Samadhi Pada Book II: Sadhana Pada Book III: Vibhuti Pada
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali 2.49-2.55
Contact Michael McEvoy: |
