Avinashi's Biography
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Last edit of this page 11/10/05Avinashi's personal background
This lifetime I was born to UK parents. A mother, loving, feeding, a librarian by training. She taught us girls to question and to aim for independence. She taught us ethics of kindness and care.
Dad is a theoretical physicist, from a tiny island called Jersey. He understands milking cows and growing potatoes, and ponders quantum mechanics while he digs. He taught us that what you see isn't what matters. That matter is the veil for energy. That chaos is continually increasing and the universe is continually expanding. It takes continual input of energy otherwise matter will evenly distribute itself throughout the universe. (Does that happen in your house?)
When I came across yoga, I felt I had met the experiential scientist who knew the path of life and its meaning. I felt this had been my way over lifetimes, with Swami Satyananda as my guide and friend.
Initially, I spent ten years resident in Satyananda Ashram, studying yoga. I received initiation as a Swami from Swami Satyananda Saraswati in 1980. The opportunity to practise postures, breathing and meditation intensely gave me insight into the process of my bodymind that I use as my reference now when I work to facilitate the journey of others. I sat while I felt anger tighten my blood vessels, my heart race. I sat while I experienced deep calm. I sat and fell into trances of dream-like images, unable to waken, as if drugged.
I breathed and felt the air make me light like a balloon. I breathed and felt my brain hemispheres start to co-ordinate. I breathed and found myself finally able to know that I was addicted to the events of the world, and felt myself drag out of it like pulling myself from waist deep mud.
I stretched my body into postures and felt the habitual body shape pull me back, pull me into my characteristic body posture. I felt my mind enter fear of changing, my muscles armoring to stay in the safe, known world. Slowly friend, come slowly body. Let me re-shape and enter a new body stance.
After my years of tugging and pulling I left (1987) and began to balance the introversion of the ashram experience with the independence and assertiveness of a single woman in Australia. I became a registered nurse (1990) and learnt medical precision. I discovered rebirthing and began to say this is what I want rather than what does my guru want. I listened to my cells in a different way and I learnt to be with others in this process, training with Colin Sisson in rebirthing (1991). I began my practice as a massage therapist and bodywork practitioner (1990), exploring with touch the somatic experiences of my clients. I feel we meditate together, following the process of unfolding to wholeness. I enjoyed the growth and comradeship of learning counseling. IT is a way of putting words to the yogic experience.
My curiosity took me to study a Grad. dip. in Community Counseling at UCAN (1994), to qualify with the International Yoga Teachers Association (1991) and to become a certified gestalt therapist with IGA (2002).
I have also explored Iyengar yoga, Pilates, Continuum, Rolfing, Process Work and Hakomi.
Swami Satyananda remains a brilliant illuminating light in my life. I am an accredited and affiliated Satyananda yoga teacher, in order to uphold this tradition. Our lineage is dedicated to the Goddess Saraswati, goddess of learning, beauty and the arts.
I married Ziji in Devgar, Bihar, India 1994 and we have one gorgeous little boy. If you want to join Jonathan's web site please contact Avinashi directly.
