KEMETIC YOGA TO HOST SOUL YOGA FEST
BY TIA CAROL JONES
Yirser Ra Hotep has been practicing Kemetic Yoga since the 1970s. He is an instructor of Kemetic Yoga and creator of the YogaSkills Method. Throughout the years, he has certified and trained more than 5,000 Kemetic Yoga instructors. He also has developed a YogaSkills for Kids program.
On July 7th and 8th , YogaSkills School of Kemetic Yoga
will host Yoga Soul Fest in Fuller Park. People who attend can
learn how to do Tai Chi and enjoy natural food and organic
products, as well as African clothes and jewelry. Exhibitors
who specialize in holistic health will be on-hand. Yoga and
meditations will be available.
Kemetic Yoga is the practice of yoga and meditation, based in Ancient Africa and Kemet, which is one of the original names for Egypt. Kemetic Yoga is based Maat, a philosophical foundation
that deals with the nature of the Universe such as order, balance, harmony, justice and reciprocity.
“African civilization, African cultural values, are all based upon this idea of Maat, which has its origins in Ancient Egypt. That
philosophy is a guiding principle that helps you lead a healthy life,” he said. Yirser Ra Hotep believes that yoga is a system of how to live in harmony and balance with oneself and the world around them.
“That is also our world view, so as people of African descent we have a world view that is different from what you may call, a European or Greek perspective,” he said, adding the world view is very important. The practices in Ancient Kemet were geared toward helping them psychologically and physiologically maintain their world view. Yirser said the foundation of yoga is breath and breathing. And, in yoga, a person learns how to do things to relax, focus, concentrate and experience inner peace. He talked about Shu.
“It is through controlled deep breathing that you are able to achieve a physiological state that is going to cause you to
be calm, because you have this internal experience of peacefulness, this internal experience of relaxation, this internal
experience of feeling as if you are in harmony and in balance,”
he said.
Yirser said when a person is in this state, they don’t feel anger or stress. And, it all begins with a person controlling their breathing, because its when breathing is slowed down that it deactivates your stress response. The health benefits of this include a slower heart rate and lower blood pressure.
Yirser said by practicing meditation and controlled deep breathing, a person can change the way they behave, the way they interact with the environment and the way a person interacts with other people. He believes it can lessen the vulnerability to stroke, hypertension and heart disease. The positions and postures in Kemetic Yoga are unique to Ancient culture. Yirser said they can be found on the walls of the temples in Kemet.
Yirser said yoga can be essential in youth development. He believes that yoga can help young people and children with their concentration. He also wants men to practice yoga and wants to eradicate the belief that yoga is only for women. The YogaSkills School of Kemetic Yoga is located at 4507 S. Michigan Ave. For more information about YogaSkills, visit kemeticyogaskills.com
