Yoga in Asia

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Bo Srey is a traveling Anusara Yoga Teacher based in Asia. His aspiration is to help students in Asia to develop and deepen their understanding of Anusara Yoga. He will be offering more Anusara Yoga Immersions and Trainings soon all over Asia.

About Bo Srey

Bo Srey is a Certified Anusara Yoga Teacher. Born in New York City to Cambodian parents, he moved to Singapore in 2005. Having practiced yoga and meditation since 1996, Bo brings a joyful and caring spirit to the yoga practice. He draws inspiration and guidance from his meditation master Gurumayi Chidvilasananda. Bo also studied with renowned Indian philosophy scholars, Douglas Brooks, Paul Muller-Ortega, Sally Kempton and Bill Mahoney, who have been great influences in shaping Anusara philosophy. Yoga students can reach Bo at bo@spandananda.com or www.spandananda.com.

Victor: Bo, thank you very much for doing this interview. I understand that you are certified by John Friend. Tell us how you got into yoga and why did you decide to teach yoga?

Bo: My interest in movement and the body began at a young age when I took my first Tae Kwon Do class with Grandmaster Tiger Kim. He got that name because he was said to have fought tigers in the mountains of Korea! Since then I have practiced many different martial arts styles.

When I was at university in New York, I studied with Dr. Douglas Brooks. He is one of the scholars who regularly teach philosophy with John Friend and other Anusara Teachers. His courses, Asian Search for Self and From Confucious to Zen changed my life. I knew I had found the teachings I was searching for.

While in New York, I also met my Guru through my roommate. He brought me to meet the living Master Gurumayi Chidvilasananda. There are many great yogis who are disciples of Gurumayi and I have had the great good fortune of studying Hatha Yoga in New York with Rudrani Farbman, who taught me yoga from the inside out. Her inner state said much more than her words. Two years later, in 1998, I met John Friend at a workshop at Gurumayi’s ashram. I have spent two years on staff there and have offered my seva, selfless service, in many different capacities since 1996. At the ashram, I have also been fortunate to study and work with top scholars such as Sally Kempton, Carlos Pomeda, Paul Muller-Ortega and Bill Mahoney. I began teaching Hatha Yoga in 2002 as a form of service to my teachers.

Victor: Who inspired you in Anusara Yoga besides, of course, John Friend?

Bo: Besides John Friend, my dear friend and teacher, Jim Berneart inspired me the most. In the words of John Friend, “Jimmy Rocks!” Jim is about 6’5” (195cm) and full of long, lean muscle. If you don’t know him, he can look imposing. But his heart is so huge that this impression does not last long. He has a steady presence that inspires without being flashy or gimmicky. To me, Jimmy embodies Anusara Yoga because of his humble studentship, openness and knowledge. Jimmy is a few years older than John but he has an infectious, almost child-like, enthusiasm for John’s teachings. Talking about Jimmy’s steadiness once in class in Berkeley, Jimmy’s class theme was steadfastness. Well, Berkeley being where it is, during the middle of class there was an earthquake that shook the entire room. We were all a bit freaked out, but Jimmy continued the class without missing a beat. He was living the theme he was sharing with us.

Victor: If you were to introduce Anusara Yoga to beginners, how would you do it?

Bo: Anusara is a perfect balance of a dynamic, powerful and healing physical practice and a system of understanding the nature of Reality. The outward form of Anusara Yoga pulses between creating stability and alignment in the body and creating freedom in muscles, joints and connective tissues. The balance of these two is what leads to healing. Because we stabilize before we stretch, we greatly decrease the chances of injury. In fact, engaging muscles increases the ability to stretch, to create freedom. In addition to this basic principle of stability before freedom, there are other natural or Universal Principles of Alignment that work in contrary complement to one another to optimally align the body.

What’s more, this understanding of how to align the body comes from a very deep understanding of Eastern Philosophical Principles. The Anusara method is not something arbitrarily made up, but discovered. Pulsation or spanda in Sanskrit is just one of the subtle elements of this philosophy. As Anusara Teachers, we believe that the deep essence of everything is inherently good (Divine). This overarching view holds the space, creates the bhavana (feeling), within which we teach the other principles.

Above all, Anusara classes are fun! People who have experienced Anusara classes often comment that the energy is very good. For the most part, there is a shared feeling of community and respect in the class. As a teacher, I always try to connect with my students and encourage them to connect with one another to help dissolve the sense of otherness and competitiveness. This way, we support each other’s transformation and growth.

Victor: Where have you taught in Asia and how has each country's students been different?

Bo: Having taught and traveled throughout the region, I find that at essentially, we all want to be happy. We all come to yoga with this meta-intention. Through the conditionings of culture and our past experiences (samskaras), we act and react in certain ways with this one goal as our guide. I have learned a lot from my students and am fascinated how students of different cultures interact in and outside of the classroom. As Anusara Yoga teachers, we seek to see Beauty (Shri) in everything. We seek to honor the diversity of this auspicious play of life.

In Singapore and Thailand, where I have taught for extended periods, I noticed that the level of studentship and dedication is very high. Students really give themselves fully to the practice once they decide it is for them. It is not uncommon for them to attend two or even three classes per day, something that doesn’t happen very often in the United States. Both Singaporean and Thai students love to enjoy life. This is very Anusara. We do not try to push the world away and say that it is inherently evil. Instead, we meditate and practice to go within to know ourselves better and then we pulse back out with a deeper understanding of the divine play of life.

If I were to comment on differences, I might say that Thai students have a deep respect for the seat of the teacher. The word Kru in Thai is very similar to the word Guru in Sanskrit. Also, the culture of service and philanthropy to monks and the temple runs deep in the Thai psyche. Singaporean students are very self-determined and work very hard at getting the knowledge they seek – outside of class as well. I find that Asians in general are less willing to share or question in class, something I noticed when I first began to teach in Singapore. This trait may be indicative of the respect for the seat of the teacher and the less interactive education system found in many Asian countries.

I have also had Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, Chinese, Vietnamese, Malaysian, and Cambodian students in class and have learned from each of them as individuals and as representatives of their culture. Raised in a traditional Asian family, I can relate to these cultural idiosyncrasies and find it quite refreshing teaching in Asia. Both systems have value. Interactive Western education leads to faster group transformation while traditional Eastern education creates a more efficient environment for the teacher to deliver the lesson.

Victor: Where do you intend to teach now and what will you teach?

Bo: Right now, after having spent six weeks reflecting and doing spiritual practices at my Guru’s Ashram in India, I am being guided to offer more in-depth trainings. While I love teaching public classes, I feel I can best serve students who also wish to go deeper into their Anusara studies. I have been invited to offer ongoing retreats, Immersions and Teacher Trainings in Thailand, Singapore, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia. The current plan is to develop a comprehensive Anusara Yoga Training Program for Asia, which is already in the pipeline. I will be rolling out these courses with a team of Senior Anusara Yoga and Philosophy teachers to co-teach with me. There will be courses that are suitable for people who are entirely new to Anusara as well as others who want to go deeper into Anusara Training. I already have plans in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. Check out my website for more details.