Meditation class at AYC
By Fiona Hardie
While I am a yoga teacher, I remain forever a student of yoga. After attending Denise’s class on Thursday night, I wanted to share my experience, to encourage others to take the step into a meditative practice.
At Āgama we have recently been offering meditation classes as series, rather than as a regular class, but in 2024 we’re offering a meditation class every Thursday evening. In term 1 at least, Denise Duprat is taking the classes. Denise moved to Melbourne several years ago from Argentina where she has practised and trained in a few different traditions, including the tradition of Krishnamacharya, which is the one we follow at Āgama. Denise’s classes are very considered and grounded in tradition. She always uses chant, and encourages students in a very gentle way to chant in the practice when they are comfortable to.
Let me tell you something about the most recent class I attended.
Denise started the class by setting the scene. She explained her intention in the class, and using a whiteboard, gave us some background to the concepts she was drawing upon. She explained to us the qualities of the Hindu deity, Durga. While Denise is not Hindu, and none of us in the class were, Denise explained that she wanted us to link with the energy of Durga, who is fearless, courageous, and by virtue of these qualities finds the clarity to overcome obstacles. We were also given a visual image of Durga, who in her depictions sits astride a tiger or a lion, her many arms holding weapons to aid her in her task.
Denise explained that while Durga is said to be able to defeat evil forces, the ‘evil forces’ we face are most often obstacles that we create ourselves: for example a hesitancy in making decisions; fear of making changes in our relationships, jobs or habits; stopping us from moving forward. She told us that at a few points in the practice she would ask us to reflect on such obstacles in our own lives, and towards the end of the class we invoked Durga to help us overcome them. We finished the class also offering the strength of Durga to a friend, loved one or group of people who we knew also needed help. That was a lovely way to share our experience.
In getting to this point, we did slow and mindful vinyasas or sequences, learning them by following Denise, and repeating them so that the movement and breath in the movement became a part of us. We gradually added deeper tools, for example increasing the hold at the end of the inhale, chanting a mantra to Durga on the exhale and in pranayama (a breath practice). The mantra we used invoked and honoured Durga and her energy: Durga ya namaha.
The class runs for an hour and fifteen minutes. It moves slowly and steadily, allowing us to move deeper inside as we follow Denise’s very intentional progression. Everything links, everything comes together, you take your time, and the practice takes you wherever you are willing and able to follow it to. I left the class feeling empowered – the energy of Durga with me. Others felt soothed and relaxed. We all respond slightly differently. What is consistent is Denise’s respect for your experience, as she guides you with candour and care. Her class is suitable for those new to meditation, as well as for experienced practitioners. With her somewhat mesmerising Argentinian accent Denise explains clearly the intention of the class, and only asks that we are open to experiencing it, and seeing where it leads us.
The set up of the class will be familiar to you in many ways – the movements, and the breath; but by consistently using mantra and meditative concepts it helps us go a little bit deeper. It’s a beautiful class, and I encourage you to experience it.
Join Denise on Thursdays, 6.30 – 7.45pm.
Bookings can be made by emailing info@agamayogacentre.com.au