Tech meets Tradition - Hindustan Times

Ancient meets contemporary at Planet Health, the interactive digital museum on yoga and ayurveda at the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga in the heart of New Delhi. Close on the footsteps of the international museums veering towards participatory displays to engage the new tech-savvy generation with no patience for one-dimensional gallery exhibits, the Union Ministry of Health has set up, what it calls, “the first of its kind museum on traditional medicine”.

The displays fuse traditional art and craft with modern computing imagery, touch-sensitive sculpture and interactive installations.

“Nobody has the time for scriptures. We have presented traditional knowledge in a modern format to intrigue people enough to want to know more,” said S. Jalaja, secretary, Department of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Naturopathy, Siddha and Homeo-opathy) under the Union Ministry of Health.

And intrigue it does. Arushi Khadelwal, 15, jumped back in surprise when the carved lotus on a pedestal she accidentally touched, triggered off an audiovisual commentary  by Swami Niranjanananda, chief patron of the Bihar School of Yoga in Munger.

“I knew the museum was interactive, but the location of touch sensors is far more innovative than the red and black buttons that say ‘push me’ at science museums,” said Khandelwal, a student of DPS R K Puram, New Delhi. The displays are by Ranjit Makkuni of Sacred World, whose team has also done installations at the Eternal Gandhi Multime-dia Museum at Gandhi Smriti in Delhi.

“The word, Yoga, has a Sanskrit root,  yuj, which means to unite or join. Even though the presentation is in an interactive three-dimensional exploration format, the exhibits rely on scientifically-validated concepts and traditional manuscripts,” said Dr Ishwar V. Basavaraddi, Director, Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga, which has a faculty of 20 to teach yoga to 500 students, including 120 diploma students.  

“The present venue for the exhibition is temporary — it’s at the Institute of Yoga till October 31 — but we hope to find permanent display for it at the National Museum,” said Jalaja, who conceptualised the project.

This is not the Department of AYUSH’s first encounter with technology. Drawing lessons from the long-drawn battle over neem and turmeric patent infringements, India set up the world’s first Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) database to stop bio-piracy way back in 2001. The R7-crore TKDL project took nine years to list 2,00,000 formulations from Auyurveda, Unani and Siddha schools of medicine in over 30 million pages from texts in Sanskrit, Hindi, Arabic, Urdu and Tamil, to name a few. TDKL makes the information available in five foreign languages: English, Japanese, French, German and Spanish.

“This is just the beginning. We put together Phase I focusing on Yoga and Ayurveda in a rush to meet the Commonwealth Games deadline. The complete museum will be a mine of information,” said Jalaja. We’d like to wait and watch. Or, in this case, touch and participate.

More info at : http://yogatips.infoplugin.com/

Yoga Mudra: Where Spine Meets Spirit - Patch

"Yoga is for the spine.  The spine is the central conduit of consciousness.  Consciousness is equal to the One, or the Universal Mind, so the spine should be well cared for and should be in proper working condition.  That is in essence the spiritual connection." – Jeffrey Comulada, CSYT, RYT

Svaroopa Yoga is a unique yoga style that is restorative and therapeutic.  The Sanskrit word Svaroopa means the bliss of your own being—and  through engaging in the gentle practice of Svaroopa Yoga, students may learn to transcend physical, mental and spiritual discomfort to access the truth of the soul. 

Svaroopa Yoga was developed by Swami Nirmalananda of the Master Yoga Teaching Institute.  Nirmalananda is more widely known as Rama Berch.  She is a master yogi and teacher who founded Yoga Allianceand the Master Yoga Foundation. She has conducted workshops at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Western Massachusetts and at The Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, New York, in addition to other national and international venues. 

At Yoga Mudra Studio in Dobbs Ferry, Rivertowns residents have the opportunity to study under two of Nirmalananda's most devoted followers: Jeffery Comulada, CSYT, RYT and Sue Kessman Krieger, RYT. 

Comulada insists that it is not his own wisdom, but that of Nirmalananda which he imparts to his students.  "We take no credit," he said.  "We bring her awakening through to people. It is her awakening that we are trying to recreate and convey to our students.  We have to get out of the way and let her teachings come through, and that is our best work."  

Describing his teacher, Comulada explained, "The name Nirmalananda means one without contraction.  She exists in truth, and if you just listen and do, it works.  It is the most spiritually connected practice that I know of." 

Comulada and Krieger opened Yoga Mudra Studio five years ago as a part time business.  Krieger has worked for 35 years in the corporate world and Comulada is a decorative painter and musician.  Juggling their busy careers in addition to teaching yoga was challenging for both of them.  When Krieger was laid off last month from her job as a Vice President for a marketing research firm in White Plains, she immediately knew what her next step would be.  "The Universe gave me the answer," she said. 

Krieger is now teaching at the studio full time and says there is nothing she would rather be doing.  Yoga Mudra Studio is now offering Svaroopa Yoga classes at on weekdays, evenings and Saturdays to accommodate every lifestyle. 

Comulada and Krieger are now facing the challenge of keeping their dream  alive in a very tough economy.  "When the studio was a part time concern, operating at a loss was less of an obstacle than it is now," says Comulada.  In spite of the economic slump, they hope to keep their doors open and continue in what they see as a noble mission. 

Their hope is that getting the word out about the new full time class schedule will revive Yoga Mudra Studio.  "It is a brand new experiment we hope will save it," he said. "We are at risk of having to let go of it.  This place is what we truly feel gives meaning to our lives.  This is the most honorable service we can provide.  This is the truth.  This is our story."

Krieger began studying and practicing yoga with Comulada ten years ago.  She has 500 hours of yoga teacher training and Comulada has amassed 1500 hours of training over his yoga career.  Generally, 200 hours of teacher training are required to begin as a yoga instructor, but Svaroopa Yoga teachers have rigorous certification requirements.  "Training is important because you are dealing with people's bodies and minds and you respect the fact that it is a huge responsibility.  You want to go in with as much wisdom as possible.  We have to take into account what people's needs are.  We try to use the most gentle, skillful means," says Comulada.    

Although they teach the same style of yoga, Comulada and Krieger each bring a unique approach to their classes.  Speaking of his longtime student and business partner, Comulada says, "She is a great teacher because she has a nurturing and warm spirit which is really good for this.  I tend to have a more philosophical, intellectual edginess to me."

Comulada has been interested in yoga from adolescence, but Krieger came to yoga later in life.  As a working mother, Krieger found in yoga a much needed physical and spiritual outlet:  "I was not a yoga person; I was a runner.  Then, neighbor told me that her friend had opened a yoga studio, and I should go.  Just to be politically correct, I went to a yoga class, fully intending never to go back," she recalled.

But her attitude changed in class: "We were in warrior pose, and the teacher said something to another student who was trying too hard.  He said, 'Range is ego.  Form is spirit.'  I thought that was something to apply to life.  I went back after that, and I thought it was the only place where I did not have to be the perfect wife, the perfect mother, the perfect daughter or the perfect employee.  I could be who I wanted to be and who I was at that particular point.  That is why I continued."

She hopes to share the home that she has found in Svaroopa Yoga practice with each person who enters Yoga Mudra Studio. 

Yoga Mudra Studio is located at 117 Main Street in Dobbs Ferry.  For more information, please visit the website at www.yogamudrastudio.com, or call 914-478-0441 to reserve a class.  Normally classes are $20.  All new students can take advantage of a $60 4 class pass.    

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