MORE ABOUT DRU YOGA

Much of the following information has been adapted from an article first published by Paulette Agnew, a director of the Life Foundation and from the extremely valuable book Dru Yoga for all Seasons by Padma McIntyre and Helena Waters. Please visit the Dru Yoga website listed on our links page for even more resources and information.

Does it work?

A recent survey, which was designed by psychiatrists and passed out to hundreds of Dru yoga practitioners, aimed to get a qualitative idea of how Dru Yoga affects people’s lives. Covering a battery of 34 physical and mental-emotional indicators, the results are remarkable.

Emotional health

89% of respondents said Dru Yoga helps them overcome stress,
93% are better able to handle negative thoughts and
83% are better able to handle their emotions.
Over 84% experience a positive shift in their mood after practicing Dru Yoga
Nearly 73% have a better ability to deal with conflict.
Over 79% of people practicing Dru yoga who returned questionnaires experience higher levels of serenity.
Over 79% report they are more patient and open with others.
More than 82% feel more tolerant towards others and over 76% feel greater feelings of compassion for others.
Nearly 74% report a positive improvement in their communication skills and over 74% report an improvement in their ability to handle relationships.
Over 74% of people practicing Dru Yoga who returned questionnaires experience better family relationships.
Nearly 68% experience better social relationships in general.
66% have better experiences in the workplace.

Physical energy and vitality

85% of respondents experience a boost in their energy levels
82 % of respondents notice an improvement in their strength and stamina.
92% of people report that their body awareness has improved.

Back problems

72% of people experience a positive change in their back pain after doing Dru yoga.
93% of people who practice Dru Yoga experience greater flexibility of the joints and spine.
84% experience an improvement in overall body tension, a significant factor in decreasing back pain.

Dru Yoga is effective in boosting overall physical wellbeing

88% of people say their breathing has improved, while 86% say theirr balance is better.
69% mention that their sleep pattern is now better.
About 80% of respondents experience a positive change in their physical wellbeing on one level or another.
Over 72% found they were better able to change unhealthy lifestyle habits with Dru Yoga e.g. eating, smoking.
Nearly 74% find they have a greater clarity of purpose when doing Dru Yoga.
Over 81% feel more confident and 75% have more courage after doing regular Dru Yoga while about 72% feel more intuitive and creative.
Nearly half of people even had others commenting on changes that they noticed in the person since they started Dru.

Remarkably, only 53% of respondents say they practice their yoga more than once every 5 days. It is worth considering what benefits could accrue from more regular practice!

What does the word Dru mean?

The word Dru comes from the Sanskrit dhruva, meaning still and unchanging. Historically Dhruval is the name given to the North Star, which remains fixed while all other stars appear to move around it. When practicing Dru yoga our awareness is directed to that place inside ourselves called the Dhruvakasha, which is still and spacious. This is the place where we are able to retain our inner tranquillity and strength no matter what is happening in our lives.

In this place of stillness we become aware of the various levels of our being – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. This awareness allows us to heal and to integrate those parts of ourselves which we may have neglected or which may have become fragmented.

What do we do in a Dru Yoga class?

Your class will be a combination of five therapeutic techniques:

Gentle movements
Hand gestures (mudras)
Visualisations
Sound (mantras) and affirmations
Breathing (prana)

Gentle movements

A feature of Dru yoga is its emphasis on a soft gentle approach to the physical movements. They are performed slowly and with awareness, often with many repetitions of each movement. At first it may appear that you are not working your body deeply enough to impact on your physical health, especially if you are familiar with more dynamic exercise programmes. With experience however you will come to know you are working the body at deeper levels. As we soften and enter a deeper awareness we find strength, both of mind and body, which we may not have previously believed possible.

These gentle movements are specifically designed to stretch and detoxify stressed muscles and organs, realign the skeletal system, relax the nervous system, boost the immune system, replenish vitality and assist efficient energy management.

Hand gestures (mudras)

These gestures act on the body’s subtle energy systems to recreate a balance of energies, hormones and nerve impulses. Hand holds have been used in the Indian subcontinent for centuries to transform the hormonal changes that produce emotions.

Visualisations

This skill develops mind strength and allows us to use the power of the mind to direct energy towards healing and regenerating and replacing old, unwanted thought patterns.

Many people today believe that our children are in danger of losing this skill of visualisation – instead of reading books and having to ‘imagine’ the characters and story line or playing ‘make believe' with friends, many children prefer to watch dvd’s or television where the visual image is provided to us directly so as we no longer need to use our imagination to 'see' the ideas. As Albert Einstein said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world." Maintaining our ability to visualise is an important life skill.

Affirmations and sound

Are keys to transforming the way we feel, by altering the way we think. The sounds we make and the words we speak to ourselves and others, powerfully affect the way we feel on every level and the way our relationships develop. In Dru yoga we utilise the power of positive language and healing sounds to bring about healing at all levels.

Breathing consciously

Many of us spend hours hunched over a computer or desk, constricting our chest and heart area and restricting our breathing. Life it is said, happens between breaths and if we are only half breathing then we’re probably only half living. When we learn to breath consciously we calm the emotions and energize the mind. Conscious breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system which in turn reduces stress and anxiety and creates a sense of calmness and control.

The Five Stages of a Dru Yoga Class

Your Dru Yoga class will typically following these five stages.

Activation
Energy Block Release
Flowing Sequences
Postures
Relaxation

1. Activation

The first stage of activation has five main benefits:

stimulation of the energy pathways or nadis – many of which are specifically connected with organs in the body, while others are related to functions and systems of the body. Activation improves and regulates the energy flow within the whole body
if you have been more mentally than physically active through the day activations help you to re-connect with your body
loosens and warms up the body –particularly important before stretching because soft tissues relax and stretch more easily when they are warm
helps access our vital energy or prana which may be lying dormant in our organs, soft tissues and joints
fun and easy ways to awaken the whole energy system prior to energy block release sequences

2. Energy Block Release Sequences

EBR’s are unique to Dru Yoga and are designed to assist us release any ‘negative’ emotional energy or thought patterns, which if not released may move inwards to the vital organs causing dis- ease. For example if someone is angry with us the energy of their anger not only finds a niche in our minds but may also percolate to how we feel physically and emotionally. This ‘negative’ energy may lodge in our joint, causing stiffness and aching (he/she’s giving me a pain in the neck). From the joints, if the energy is not released from our body it will transfer to the muscles and from there to the internal organs. Once this happens the energy block becomes deep seated and if it continues over a long period of time it creates dis – ease. The gentle movements of EBR’s work with the joints and muscles releasing energy and allowing it to flow back out to the external world.

EBR’s when practiced over time also help soften the ‘emotional and energy’ body so as we become less rigid in our thoughts and actions. Any impenetrable barriers and defences which may in the past have limited our ability to give and receive love and joy soften and are melted away. We begin to ‘feel’ again.

EBR’s initially release energy at a physical level and then gradually at deeper levels. When we add visualization and affirmations as well the whole process is accelerated.

EBR’s allow us to detoxify from the inside out and at every level of our being.

3. Movement Sequences

Sequences are one of the hallmarks of Dru Yoga. They are beneficial in many ways, because anyone can do them and partly because they focus on building and directing energy flow. Each sequence has a powerful focus aimed at helping to alleviate physical conditions and to change old habit patterns – (those unhealthy mind-sets we tend to hold on to and act out every day).

While each sequence has a specific health focus, all sequences help to relate to the constant flow of life. Nothing in nature exists in a state of rigidity, everything is in a state of flux, and yet habitually most of us resist change rather than embrace it as a source of new opportunity. These sequences allow us to tune into this aspect of our mind and in particular give us tools to change long-standing mind-sets, which hold us back from experiencing our full potential.

Many people experience less resistance to gentle flowing sequences than to stronger more demanding postures. Sequences of movements practiced in synchrony with the breath and with special emphasis on softness of the joints, directs our body’s own natural healing and empowering responses to where they are needed.

Dru yoga sequences are like a ‘lifestyle counter posture’ – the more we are able to relax and find inner quite, the more we can counteract the demands of constantly busy and challenging lifestyles.

4. Therapeutic Posture Work

Dru yoga incorporates many of the traditional Hatha yoga postures but presents them in stages and with modifications so that they are achievable by everyone. A feeling of fulfilment and success can be experienced by everyone, regardless of your level of flexibility or physical ability.

5. The Art of Deep Relaxation

In Dru Yoga, relaxation sessions are given plenty of time in order to allow the energy that has been activated to settle in the right way and place, so that maximum healing takes place. We know the body is designed to heal and repair itself given the right conditions. This time of relaxation is the perfect opportunity.

Meditation

Your Dru yoga class may end with a short meditation. The heightened awareness and clarity gained from meditation allows you to unfold your personal power. You may have noticed that often when you sit for meditation, your mind and body is too unsettled. After practising the first six steps of Dru yoga you will find meditation so much easier and effortless, because we have cleared away all those internal agitations and discomforts.

Why is Dru Yoga called the yoga of the heart?

In yoga the heart centre (or anahata chakra) is known as the centre of transformation. Dru Yoga is often called a ‘yoga of the heart’ because many Dru postures and sequences are designed to stimulate the nadis (energy pathways) around the heart centre – thus activating ‘heart power’. Research now suggests the electrical field generated by the heart is 60 times greater than that of the brain and using this ‘heart energy’ to transform is a key factor in Dru yoga’s effectiveness as a therapy.

From a physiological perspective, our thymus gland, which is the seat of our immune system, is located very close to the physical heart, just under the sternum. The location of the thymus gland makes it directly affected by the energy fluctuations of the heart chakra. Hence, by caring for the heart through Dru Yoga movements, we massage and nourish the physical organ, and stimulate the heart chakra, which in turn will work energetically to stimulate the thymus gland and begin a deep healing process.

Dr Dean Ornish, Dr Candice Pert and many other eminent scientists today are showing how, when we feel loved and have close caring relationships (with ourselves and others) our immune systems are stronger, we can resist diseases such as cancer, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure and many degenerative conditions more powerfully. When we are happy, we are also more resistant to invading bacteria and germs. Depression, anxiety, stress and many other conditions living in our world today presents us with are just some of the other conditions Dru yoga can help prevent or manage.

"The heart’s language of love and compassion for self and others is the greatest communication tool known to humanity. In essence, happiness is the raison d’etre for living. We may not be fit, or rich, or have the perfect figure or job, but we can be happy. Whatever the trauma, crisis or problem, by opening the heart, healing begins, be that through laughter, or forgiveness, or simply by beginning to experience. Nelson Mandela talked of learning to love when he said ‘No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin. People must learn to hate and if they can learn to hate, they can learn to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart.’”
Paulette Agnew, Life Foundation

I'm not very fit can I do Dru yoga?

Dru Yoga focuses on energy flow, awakening our proprioception and directing our awareness; the ability physically to perfect a posture or mudra (hand gesture) is not all-important. All the sequences can be modified to suit the old, the infirm, an excitable child or someone with disabilities. We can all experience that graceful flowing feeling and find progress at any stage in our practice.

How does Dru yoga work so effectively?

The gap between modern medicine, quantum physics and ancient forms of health care, is closing fast. According to quantum physicists we are essentially beings of light or energy – a fact well known to the ancient yogis who studied the universe many thousands of years ago.

Masters of the Far East have shown immense control over their bodies and their control of energy. So what is this force or chi or pranic energy? It is our life force – our prana – and it can be measured, directed and transformed at will given the correct training. There is no need to try to become a Jedi knight or yogi with special powers (called sidhis) but it is worth learning how to direct our life force to heal parts of our body that may be unwell.

We can also choose to use our prana or energy to help us focus our mind to achieve our goals and dreams.

Unfortunately, when we carry negative or disempowering thoughts about ourselves and others, we lose our power and potential to tap into this unlimited resource.

Dru yoga a physical therapy for changing mental and emotional states

Extensive modern research validates the ancient yogic principle that our bodies, emotions, thoughts and self are all inextricably linked. If we observe ourselves carefully we will notice how certain thought patterns are intricately connected to our physical wellbeing and vice versa. For example, remember when you felt incredibly happy, and your body radiated health and strength. The opposite also applies. Think about a time when you had a bad cold and your nose was streaming and you ached all over – did you feel like jumping for joy? The answer is usually no.

When we are feeling ill and our body is low in vitality we will often begin to have negative thoughts. Similarly if we have negative thoughts, sooner or later this will become reflected in the body. When we change how we move we also change how we think and feel. For instance improved mobility in the spine or joints as a result of Dru yoga can result in the release of stored emotions from earlier traumas. When we release these stored emotions, chronic pain and disease will often be resolved and we will think and feel better as well.

Our physical body mirrors our subconscious mind. It is hard to change a thought like anger or a feeling like grief, regardless of our efforts, and these emotions can stay with us for months and years, often to the point where our health begins to break down.

Dru yoga recognizes and works with the intimate relationship that exists between the emotions and the body’s organs. This interplay is a well known science in Eastern and indigenous people’s medicine. Emotions are a form of energy, which, if they cannot find an outlet or a way to transform themselves, can become trapped in a particular part of the body. Louise Hay has done much to bring this science into the public eye. For example, the liver will hold feelings of anger and resentment, the lungs store sadness and grief, and so on.

In the past 25 years therapists from the Life Foundation have been working and researching just how we can heal and harmonize our constantly changing states of mind and mood swings along with physical health problems through Dru Yoga. One of the easiest pathways is through daily practice of certain movement sequences, hand gestures (mudras), spinal work and specific pranayama (breathing) exercises that help to move energy blocks. Each exercise works on a specific part of the body, so with just a little patience and 15 minutes’ practice each day, you can learn to free yourself and find great inner peace and harmony, without any kind of cathartic responses. In short, Dru Yoga is a holistic approach to uplifting and healing your whole being.

“Someday after we have mastered the winds, the waves, the tides and gravity, we shall harness the energies of love. Then for the second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire.

“Teilhard de Chardin”

Where does Dru Yoga come from?

Dru Yoga has been available in the West for a quarter of a century thanks to an Indian couple, Echanben and Chaganbhai Patel, who moved from Gujerat, India, to Kenya, and then to escape the unrest of the civil war, to Britain. Their son, Dr Mansukh Patel, began offering Dru Yoga classes whilst at University in Bangor, North Wales.

Mansukh and four other yoga and complementary therapists, Annie Jones, Chris Barrington, Rita Goswami and John Jones formed the Life Foundation, of which Dru Yoga has become an international hallmark. Their aim was to create a safe platform in a busy world where anyone of any age or culture or ability can explore yoga and spirituality and enjoy the journey of self-discovery. Today Dru yoga is being taught and enjoyed all over the world.