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What's New at Jungleyoga...
Jungleyoga is Randall O'Leary's combination of yoga postures, breaths, Tantric philosophy and humor with an eye on transformation! Teacher Trainings are offered in Thailand in February and July, 2012, including a 500 hour, Level 2 course. We try to offer, true, authentic, high quality and fun yoga, largely free of ego, dogma and attitude. Our motto: "Yoga should be intense without being serious!"
New Links @ JY
The Jungleyoga Manual is now available for download... for free! Please enjoy!
Information about Level II Training in July/Aug, 2012
Reggae Yoga Page: New Updates.
New Humor Page: Hindi Phrases for the Traveller
New music Tracks by JungleG (Me), music i have created lately; have a listen!
News in Brief
In Delhi/Varanasi at the moment...
I am currently in Chiang Mai, Thailand, enjoying the town and recovering from India, tho i do miss the madness of the Ma, India! It is a bit like Thailand meets Bali meets San Francisco here, as there are hip coffee shops and the kids ride around on single speed track bikes (fixies) just like in San Fran, but it is all in Thai!! Excellent!!
Soon the February training will start and i will journey to the island to teach it. We have a small but excited group it seems... and i am sure that it will be another fun and intense month!
Welcome to Jungleyoga News and Information
Jungleyoga now sponsors Amarnath Baba (AKA Harishchand Baba) of Rishikesh, Uttarkhand, India!
As you may or may not know, the Sadhus of India (and the western ones as well) carry on a unique tradition. These are the monks or renunicates of the Vedic tradition who hold the keys to much ancient knowledge.
Traditionally, they are people who have decided not to live the 'normal' way or job and family but take to the spiritual life instead. This could mean many things: perhaps living nowhere or retiring to an ashram. It could mean that they are strictly non-sexual or perhaps they do have relationships. It could mean that they live strictly pure lives or that they smoke large amounts of ganja and hashish. There are really no definite rules.
If you have been to India, you will know that there are many types of Sadhus, some good, some bad. To be honest, it is hard to find one that is deeply good and trustworthy. Many are difficult and troubled people and others simply do not have much to offer.
However, thankfully, there are good Sadhus and finding a good one is truly like finding a treasure. Good Sadhus are amazing people, full of sparkle, knowledge, humor and intensity and some time in their presence is never a waste of time.
I never intended to become a Sadhu, but when i met my teacher and discovered what a real Sadhu is, i adopted the life and they adopted me into their order. Since i have not seen my guru in some years and i continue to go to Rishikesh, Uttranchal, India, i seek out the company of my guru's friend, Amar Nath Baba (pictured above).
AmarNath is a very good and kind man, a dedicated sadhu and always has time to walk and talk with me when i appear. He took us up to Neelkanth Mandir (a Siva temple) on a little trek and taught us about many things along the way, from mythology to herbal medicine to local history and sadhu tips and tricks.
I am proud to donate some of the money i make from the trainings to Amarnath Baba, who has no source of income. He is always grateful for the donation but expects nothing and gives so much in return.
He has recently lost most of his teeth, so i think next time we are going to the dentist together! Long life to Amarnath...
My Current Obsessions:
In order to keep life interesting, i continue to explore life. I have always had a passion for exploration both in the physical world and the inner world. I love to see what is around the next corner!
I find that things get a bit stuck in life if i stick to the same thing every day, so i love to shake things up and see what comes out (another reason i dont do Ashtanga yoga). Thus, i love to travel both externally and internally. My most exciting external adventures usually come in India, or in the nature (or both) and my internal adventures come from books, mantras, yoga and music...
Music
Currently i am completely crazy for music making. I have always loved music, listening and sometimes playing but now i have found my niche! I know you have heard some types of modern music (house, DnB, Hip Hop, dubstep, trance, etc etc.) This is all made with computer programs called DAWs. I recently put one on my computer and WOW!! A new world opened up, thanks to Ableton Live.
With these programs you can do everything and more that you could (or couldn't do) in a studio only a few years ago. It is a complete orchestra, band , mixing room and mastering studio all in one place. I could bang on for hours about how much i love it and all its potential, but i won't. Just have a listen to some of my tracks below in the music section of this page...
Jyotish
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I am also learning loads (again) about Jyotish, or Vedic astrology. It is truly an amazing and magical system of understanding life and the universe and everything. You don't need to want to read charts to study it, there are so many aspects to it that can teach us about life, it is well worth looking into.
The best, but by no means the simplest, book on the subject is Light on Life by Svoboda and de Feuw. It is well written, clear and very complete for an introduction to the subject. Many many things can be learned from this book! If you can get a basic understanding of the chart and the influences of planet, house and constellation, so many things in life become more clear.
You can begin to put together why things happen and what the fundamental influences and energies in life are, through the study of this subject. For example, how does Jupiter (Guru) influence life and what are the things, actions or places that it rules? What is 'Saturn Returns' and why is it so scary? Is it real? What does Saturn do to us?
Truly, learning something about Jyotish brings 'Light on Life' just as the title of the book suggests.
To learn a bit more of the basics, link here for the Wikipedia entry on Jyotish.
My Adventures:
Rishikesh and other points, India: Nov and Dec, 2011:
Our exit from India took us through Delhi, Varanasi and Calcutta... some hardcore cities! There was much beauty along the way, however, especially the Juna Akhara in Varanasi and the Victoria Memorial in Calcutta. Amazing places, but never go to Calcutta for new year's, just in case you were thinking it was a good idea!
The Asiatic Society was also interesting, the original institution (western) founded to study the knowledge of the East... I had a look when in Calcutta, at the original building, which is in a sad state of repair...
Ha ha ha, Varanasi, this says it all....
I spent some time with my favorite Sadhu in Rishikesh: Amarnath Baba (above). Part of the money i make in the trainings goes to him, to help him eat and live and continue the dharma of the sadhus. He is a very good baba, with a great and generous heart and a big smile. I know him because he was a friend of my guru's when my guru lived in Rishikesh.
The highlights of the trip were when we went on the motorbike up to some of the holy points in the Himalaya. Truly, they are some of the most amazing spots in the world. We went to temples on the mountain-tops and holy places where rivers come together (called prayags). Thus we did plenty of river and mountain worship!
My recent trip to India has yielded yet another set of unexpected rewards. My visit, this time for about 3 months, was spent mostly in Rishikesh, Uttarkhand state. This is more or less my ‘home’ area in India, the place where I am comfortable and known by some of the local people. Despite Rishikesh being touted as the “Yoga Capitol of India”, I did only a single class. However, this class was given by a yogi who claimed to be (and appeared to be) 103 years old. It was a very funny approach and certainly very ‘old school’, nothing like the modern vinyasa obsessed styles we find today. The man was funny, abrupt and spoke only Hindi language. I did enjoy it, but would never go back.
However, the most profound experiences came outside Rishikesh. Due to the fact that i have a great love for the mountains, we got a motorbike and went up towards the high Himalayan mountains. We visited a temple called Tungnath Mandir, which was at over 4000 M (12,000 ft.) and had an amazing view of the huge snow-covered Himalaya, including the mountains of Badrinath and Kedarnath.
There are 4 highly important pilgrimage places in the high Himalaya, called the ‘Char Dham’. These places are in intense and powerful areas of the mountains, and are closed for 6 months of the year due to snow. The closer one gets to them, the more power and energy one can feel. Even though we were still about 100 Km from Badrinath, I started to feel that special and unique power that only this area has.
Not only does the area have the inherent beauty that mountains have, but they also have the reverence and prayers of millions of Hindus who worship Badrinath as an exceptionally holy place. Once can certainly feel this as Badrinath approaches. The area also has special significance to me, because the head of the Giri Order of Sadhus, to which i belong, has its head and most important place in Badrinath. Reverence for this place is included in our daily prayers and mantras.
The trip was amazing but i will spare you the details. However, on the way back, near the Terhi Dam just after sunset.... WE SAW A TIGER!!!!! Yes, a Tiger. We were going to stop the motorcycle to put on warm clothes, but just at the place we were going to stop the bike, there was a Tiger. Truly an amazing moment in my life. I did not feel fear, but awe and reverence for such a magnificent and powerful creature.
The other life-changing experience for me was when we went to Varanasi. There, at Hanuman Ghat, is the headquarters of the Juna Akhada. What the Juna Akhada is can be a little hard to explain to westerners. It is an ancient order of Sadhus which is independent of one’s individual membership in the other sadhu clans and in some ways more important. Their existence pre-dates many of the current sadhu orders such as the Dashnami Sanyasis, but not the Nath order. The Juna Akahda traditionally was a highly powerful group of warrior monks and sadhus who defended the dharma of Hinduism and protected its secrets. The Akahada even used to have armies of sadhus who would fight enemies and invaders, such as the Moguls who invaded North India in the middle part of the first millennium.
I always felt some intense connection to the Juna Akhada, even though i knew little about it. While in Varanasi, i took the time to visit the headquarters of the order at Hanuman Ghat. What an amazing and powerful place it is! I was recognized and acknowledged as a member of the order and participated in the evening puja (ritual) to Dattatreya, the main diety of the Juna Akhada.
I spoke at length with a sadhu who had been in the order since his parents gave him to the Juna Akhada when he was 8 years old. He made me feel welcome, although i was being taught and disciplined in the way of the order from the first moment. He told me i could stay in the Akhada ashram if i liked and study and learn. This was especially important to me, as my Guru cannot be found and i have no guides at the moment. So I feel that i have found another guru in the Juna Akhada and i can once again learn and study and be a part of this spiritual system which has so powerfully shaped my life.
These photos were taken at the Juna Akhada ashram, which is a very intense place!!.
The Headless planet Rahu shrine at Juna Akhada.
The daily update on the astrology, called the Panchanga, in the Juna Akhada.
The main hall at Juna Ahkada, the Sanskrit says 'Sri Panch Dasnam Juna Akhada'.
A Review of a new Yoga Book:
The Science of Yoga: The Risks and the Rewards
IN THIS REMARKABLE BOOK ABOUT YOGA, William Broad, a lifelong practitioner, shows us that uncommon states are integral to a hidden world of risk and reward that lies beneath clouds of myth, superstition, and hype.Five years in the making, The Science of Yoga draws on more than a century of painstaking research to present the first impartial evaluation of a practice thousands of years old.
It celebrates what’s real and shows what’s illusory, describes what’s uplifting and beneficial and what’s flaky and dangerous—and why. Broad illuminates how yoga can lift moods and inspire creativity. He exposes moves that can cripple and kill. As science often does, this groundbreaking book also reveals mysteries. It presents a fascinating body of evidence that raises questions about whether humans have latent capabilities for entering states of suspended animation and unremitting sexual bliss.
The Science of Yoga takes us on a riveting tour of unknown yoga that goes from old archives in Calcutta to the world capitals of medical research, from storied ashrams to spotless laboratories, from sweaty yoga studios with master teachers to the cozy offices of yoga healers. Broad unveils a burgeoning global industry that attracts not only curious scientists but true believers and charismatic hustlers. In the end, he shatters myths, lays out unexpected benefits, and offers a compelling vision of how the ancient practice can be improved.
(I have not read nor seen the book and cannot vouch for its quality, but sounds interesting none the less. -Randall)
Breaking News:
Pakistan Arrests Indian Monkey
Authorities in Pakistan’s Punjab province have “arrested” a monkey after it crossed the border with India, according to a media report on Tuesday. The monkey finally made his way to the Bahawalpur zoo on Monday after being caught by wildlife officials following hectic chase in the
It had crossed the border into Pakistan earlier this week and was apprehended when the animal got stuck in a tree. Earlier, attempts by villagers and wildlife officials to catch it proved futile. Wildlife staff said that the monkey was too fast for them.
The monkey’s caretaker at the zoo, Muhammad Iqbal, said that he was delighted with the new addition and the zoo staff had named him Bobby. Bobby is in good shape, said Iqbal, adding that the word has gotten round of the new arrival and people were flocking to the zoo to meet the new resident.
Bobby is the immediate neighbour of Raju, a local monkey, who made headlines two weeks back when he escaped from the zoo.
Raju eluded zoo officials for several days and was captured only after Iqbal let out Rani, a female monkey, who then lured him back.
You can click to listen to Reggae as you Browse Jungleyoga!!
After being gifted with a life-changing gift by my friend Dave, I have started producing songs and re-mixes with Ableton Live music program. Here are some songs i have made, you can listen and even download them if you like. Every song i make is a new exploration into some part of music playing, processing, production, compressing, EQing, Reverbing, etc!!! If you listen, you can tell that i have a great love of Dub, Reggae, reverb and delays and most of all: BASS!
Click to go to the Reggae Yoga Page
Reggae Video Feature: Cocoa Tea
Dancehall legend Cocoa Tea sings about informer....
The Beginning Episode of the Ramayana in Hindi w/English subtitles... many more like this!!