ERROR RG P4 22.2.2000 In an article on Yoga in Friday's Royal Gazette it was stated that Frances Marshall could be contacted at Iyengar Yoga. Ms Marshall is in fact the co-director of the Integral Yoga Centre and can be reached on 295-3355 or 295-0190.

Yoga is among the oldest known philosophies to good health practised in the world today. The physical postures, breathing exercises and meditation practices of Yoga have been proven to reduce stress, lower blood pressure, regulate heart rate, strengthen the immune system and even retard the aging process. Many studies conducted at the Menninger Foundation in Kansas show Yogis were able to control functions ranging from their thyroid output to heart rate.

These studies were important in alerting scientists to the link between the consciousness and physical functioning.

The word Yoga means "union'' - the integration of physical, mental and spiritual energies that enhance health and well-being, first systematically set down in writing by Pantanjali in the second century B.C. in the Yoga Sutras. Today many people all over the world from different faiths and backgrounds practice Yoga.

Francis Marshall, co-director of the Integral Yoga Centre-Bermuda, teaches Hatha Yoga and meditation and Raja Yoga, a way of wisdom that originated in India in the 4th century B.C. Francis, who has been studying and teaching Integral Yoga for 20 years, began studying in her late 20s and was fortunate to find a teacher and a sanga (spiritual community), very quickly, though she jokes that they found her because she really wasn't looking for a teacher or an organisation.

"I was immediately drawn to Integral Yoga because it was representative of the things I most valued and enjoyed: esoteric yet extremely practical, inclusive of all spiritual paths, respectful of all life and highly personal,'' she told me. "The founder Sri Swami Satchidananda's philosophy, Truth is One, Paths are Many, was home to me.'' Sri Swami Satchidananda is a world-renowned spiritual teacher and Yoga Master.

He serves as Advisor to the International Yoga Teachers Association and is the recipient of numerous Humanitarian awards and Honorary Doctorates.

The Integral Yoga society in Bermuda is now five years old. There are seven qualified teachers and the centre offers a wide variety of Hatha Yoga classes -Gentle, Beginners, Pre-natal and Intermediate; beginners and advanced Meditation; Stress management; and a choice of workshops and courses incorporating Yoga philosophy and psychology. Integral Yoga is a synthesis of the various branches of Yoga.

"The teachings of Integral Yoga range from how to keep the body healthy to finding everlasting unchanging happiness and peace,'' Mrs. Marshall said.

"It teaches us to look beyond our first perception to the very personal lesson in every experience. One of my favourite teachings is: `When pointing your finger at someone else , remember that three fingers are pointing at you'.'' She said the ultimate objective of all the lessons is, of course, for us to grow in the realisation of our true nature and to offer service selflessly.

The yoga of selfless service is called Karma Yoga. Karma is the law of action and reaction-as you sow so shall you reap.

"Karma Yoga teaches us to act or do things without the expectation of getting something in return,'' she said.

"The important word here is expectation. Expectations create disturbances of the mind-anxiety, worry, fear, selfishness. When the mind is disturbed, we lose our peace. So, it is okay to get things and to have things, but it is our attachment to them (money, fame, possessions) that cause us problems. For students of Yoga, Karma Yoga can be practised every waking minute of the day, whether they are at work, at home or at play.'' Although Hatha Yoga classes are the calling cards of Yoga, in that most people come to Yoga because of a physical ailment or because of stress, many who come begin to explore other facets of Yoga.

According to Mrs. Marshall, "The practice of Yoga addresses itself to every aspect of the individual: physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual and social and leads to the understanding and mastery of one's own minds. When the mind becomes clear and balanced, we are able to look within ourselves to experience the peace and happiness that is within us as our true nature.'' Another type of Yoga taught in Bermuda is Iyengar Yoga. This type of Yoga is a precise, systematic method according to the teachings of world-renowned Yoga Master BKS Iyengar. Props such as bolsters, belts, and chairs are used to help everybody to obtain the poses. Iyengar Yoga is very directive and particular in how to do the postures (asanas). The postures and movements are introduced gradually, and from pose to pose and from week to week it builds on the previous pose and the previous week. Properly understood and co-ordinated with the breath, these stances help to exercise, strengthen, balance and cleanse every system of the body- musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, immune, digestive, nervous and respiratory. This very physical style of Yoga uses the body as a vehicle for evolving mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

Iyengar instructor Sally Kerr, who recently returned home from Toronto where she taught for 17 years explains: "The body stores all we have been through.

Relaxing through Yoga "If you are constantly getting bent out of shape, so to speak, the body is storing that emotional stress.'' The Iyengar method lends itself to the special needs resulting from injury, illness and chronic disease. Mrs. Kerr who has recently returned from the 25th anniversary of the BKS Iyengar Institute in India would like to see students ignited and grow to the point where they practise yoga. BKS Iyengar who is now 81 still practises everyday, and encourages his students to return to him throughout their lives to upgrade.

Some recommended Books: To Know Yourself by Sri Swami Satchidananda (available at the Integral Yoga Centre), Light On Yoga by BKS Iyengar.

Contacts: Integral Yoga, at Integral Yoga Centre on 295-3355 or 295-0190.

Francis Marshall at Iyengar Yoga on 295-0190. Sally Kerr at 236-5691.

Sivananda Yoga, Mohini Natarajan at 293-0579.

Camilla MacPherson is the co-owner of Nature's Chi alternative health store and is studying for her Bachelor of Science in Natural Health.