Katha Upanishad: The Secret of Death

Shadow puppet animation based on Katha Upanishad

When the five senses are stilled, and so is the mind, and even intellect does not stir, they call it the highest state. This state, the steady control of the senses, is considered to be yoga - Kaṭha Upaniṣad (6.10-11)

I’ve just completed a course on the history of yoga, which proclaimed that the word ‘yoga’ was first recorded in the Katha Upanishad (estimated 300 BCE).

In 2007, I made a short animation called ‘The Secret of Death’ based on the Katha Upanishad for my final year of Illustration with Animation degree. Katha Upanishad is said to be challenging to translate, as it contains many difficult and unique terms that are not clear. This short animation is a very simplified adaptation of the tale between a boy named Naciketas and Yama, the God of Death.

It’s made using shadow puppets and stop motion techniques. I remember making many puppets and background pieces, and spending lots of time in the dark moving them frame by frame. It was a frustrating but a meditative experience.  

I managed to get a lovely sitar player called Wasif Mullick to make the music and a friend called Tom Heron to narrate the story. My partner, Laurie Gibbs also helped too. After graduating, I did a bit of illustrating work but I mainly focused on teaching yoga. I do miss the creative aspects…maybe I will do something like this again.

I hope you enjoy watching!

Katha Upanishad

Yoga for Stress

By letting go, it all gets done - Lao Tzu

Yoga for relaxation and stress relief workshop at the Bristol Yoga Centre

We often think that we are relaxed when watching TV or cycling. Whilst these can be more relaxing than going to work or driving the kids around, they are still bombarding our senses. Yoga is a great remedy for stress as it teaches you how to relax fully. 

Relax the yoga way

One of the main causes of chronic stress is our inability to release tension and strain once the cause of the stress has passed. We often worry and carry the disturbance with us long after an incident has taken place. This can cause many of us to suffer tension in our head, neck and upper back. We physically carry the weight of the world on our shoulders! In Savasana (full relaxation), we take the weight off and our body can begin to really relax and rejuvenate.

Be with the breath

Bringing our awareness to our breathing enables us to be in the present moment, rather than focusing on the past or future. Breathing properly means that our body is being supplied with the right amount of oxygen, replenishing our brain and other vital organs.

Balance the nervous system

Yoga also helps our nervous system to rebalance after a challenge has passed. In our practice, we often alternate between strenuous poses and gentler postures, conditioning us to move easily between states of challenge and rest. This teaches us to let go and release once the challenges have been met.

Regular Asana practice

Doing regular asanas keeps our body and mind balanced, strong and flexible. It also relieves muscular tension and mobilise our joints.  If you are feeling healthy, it’s much easier to handle stress and worries.  

Learning to accept change

Often, we feel really stressed when going through changes. Just like stress, changes are an inevitable part of living. Therefore, it’s worth learning techniques to help us when these changes become challenging. When we practice mindfully every day, we can become inquisitive about the process of change and every moment becomes fascinating.

I am running a short relaxation and stress relief workshop on 4th June. Come and learn how to relax fully and ward off stress! This will be a lovely Sunday afternoon event supporting Bristol Mind, a mental health charity who do great work in Bristol.  

We have also scheduled a new meditation workshop on stress and life management on Sunday 2nd July by Kay Baxter at the Bristol Yoga Centre studio.