The Yoga Shala Calgary: Ashtanga Yoga Instruction & Practice

Christian Reuten

My study of the self began in my childhood when I showed more interest in the spiritual than competitve aspects of martial arts. During my teenage years, I became fascinated in monastic life; had it been the sixties rather than eighties I probably would have travelled to India. As an adult, I began 'spiritual window shopping': transcental meditation, martial arts, tai chi, chi gong, and yoga. Ten years ago, I met my Zen teacher in Vancouver, who helped me realize that enlightenment is not a special state happening in a special place or time but 'simply' the manifestation of ones true self right here and right now. He also taught me that Zen is not the only way to get you 'there'. I searched the literature and different religious traditions for common secular techniques for manifesting ones true self. Last year, I began sharing these techniques at the Centre for Teaching and Academic Growth at UBC and hope to inspire some of you at the Yoga Shala to join the journey.