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Kalari Yoga
KALARI YOGA
Kalari Yoga is a mystical tantric form of Yoga which evolved from Vadakkan Sampradayam (Northern Style Kalarippayat) and cannot be seperated from Kalarippayat. According to legend its purpose in the practice was to combine the advantages of Hatha Yoga with those of Kalarippayat to enhance the physical and spiritual growth of the Kalari-warriors of medieval Kerala.
THE REDISCOVERY OF AN ANCIENT ART
Even though Kalari Yoga is traditionally part of Vadakkan Sampradayam it was considered lost. In fact, few Gurukkal even knew about it and the few remaining scriptures remained unitelligible without a living master's guidance. C.M. Sherif Gurukkal had been knowing about Kalari Yoga for a long time. His interest in the art and the hope for its revival was rekindled by a trip to central Kerala, where Kalari Yoga has indeed managed to survive the millennia in remote hidden areas.
KALARI YOGA VANAKKAM
Intrigued by this encounter C.M. Sherif Gurukkal closely examined old palmleaf manuscripts from the archives of the academy, which contained allusions and references to the practice, its secrets, postures and sequences. With the help of a monk whose northern Indian order safeguards a similar tradition C.M. Sherif was able to decrypt the ancient palmleaves and bring powerful practices like the Kalari Yoga Vanakkam, the Surya Namaskara in the Kalari Yoga tradition, back out of the mists of time. C.M Sherif collects and researches the fragmented and obscure tradition of Kalari Yoga eversince and the journey has just begun.
DIFERENCES TO (HATHA) YOGA
The main difference between Kalari Yoga and other traditions is the focus of the practicioner, which is directed into the outer reality with open eyes and a wide field of vision. The underlying concept is called "when the body becomes all eyes" and is practiced in the same way in Kalarippayat. Interestingly enough, focusing a single point in the outer world produces results not unlike the practice of Pratyahara and beyond within the classical eightfold path of Ashtanga Yoga as laid out by the sage-saint Patanjali. Kalari and Yoga are like two sides of the very same coin and as C.M. Sherif says: "In the heart, Kalari is Yoga."
ANIMAL POSTURES
The heart of the practice are the so called "Animal-Postures". 18 have been handed down of which 14 are still actually practiced today. The most important postures are:
Gaja Vadivu (Elephant Posture) – Power, Groundedness, Stability
Ashva Vadivu (Horse Posture) – Forward Energy, Intention, Extension
Simha Vadivu (Lion Posture) – Readiness, Speed, Grandeur
Matsya Vadivu (Fish Posture) - Ability to Jump, Lightness, Forward Flow
Majura Vadivu (Peacock Postures) – Flee-footedness, Speed, Peripheral Vision
Vahara Vadivu (Wild Boar Posture) - Perseverence, Assertiveness, Punch
Marjara Vadivu (Cat Posture) – Sublimeness, Calmness, Suppleness
EMBODYING THE ANIMAL SPIRIT
Animal-Postures are powerful phyco-physical exercises strongly influenced by the shamanistic heritage of the indigenous Dravidian culture of Southern India. In these postures the practicioner learns how to internalize specific attributes and energies of the given animal spirit. At the same time specific physical traits are enhanced, e.g. hip-opening in Simha Vadivu and strenghtening and stretching of the back in Gaja Vadivu. The postures are much more about finding the right postures to create the proper energetical enviorenment, rather than just physically stretching as much as possible. "Simpel", but powerful.
FORMS AND MOVEMENT
Kalari Yoga is not static. The way into the posture is just as important as the posture itself and some postures are actually only done in movement. At a later stage, postures are also intertwined with different turns and Leg-Swings in which the practicioner learns to momentarily surrender focus, just to powerfully regain it in the next posture. The practicioner learns to the "rider", not the "horse" of these states. In addition to the postures, a powerful form known as "Kalari Yoga Vandanam" is practiced. This form is an adaption of the "Kalari Vandanam" and requires power as well as grace and flow which is adjourned by short phases of open eyed meditation. This form in its grace and seeming simplicity is a powerful tool for the Abhyasis developement and foundation of the practice.
THE BODY AS MUDRA
Another fascinating aspect of Kalari Yoga are the Mudras, commonly describing the posture of hands and fingers in classical Yoga. However, in Kalari Mudras are done with the whole body and are not static. This results in complex, and energetically very potent exercises, which require the power and routine of accomplished Abyasis.
Kalarippayat Workshops 2008
March 29-30, Malibu CA, Malibu Yoga, Introductory Workshop
April 4-6, Chicago IL, Moksha Yoga Center, Introductory Workshop
April 26-27, Hamburg Germany, SUTRA.Collective, Introductory Workshop
May 24-25, Riga Latvia, Shivas Centrs, Introductory Workshop
May 30 - June 1, Salt Lake City UT, Flow Yoga SLC, Introductory Workshop
May 31 - June 1, Muenchen Germany, AIRYOGA, Introductory Workshop
June 14 - 15, Hamburg Germany, SUTRA.Collective, Introductory Workshop
June 14 - 15, Malibu CA, Malibu Yoga, Introductory Workshop
June 21 - 22, Riga Latvia, Shivas Centrs, Introductory Workshop and Review
June 28-29, Duesseldorf Germany, Vishnu‘s Vibes, Introductory Workshop
July 4-6, Hamburg Germany, SUTRA.Collective, Intensive*
July 11 - August 28, Kerala India, Teachertraining/Intensive* (Invitation only)
July 19 - 20, Riga Latvia, Shivas Centrs, Introductory Workshop and Review
August 2-3, Hamburg Germany, SUTRA.Collective, Introductory Workshop
August 16-17, Hamburg Germany, SUTRA.Collective, Intensive*
September 6-7, Venice CA, Exhale Center for Sacred Movement, Introductory Workshop
September 6-7, Hamburg Germany, SUTRA.Collective, Introductory Workshop
September 12-14, Philadelphia PA, Introductory Workshop
September 20-21, Salt Lake City UT, Flow Yoga SLC, Introductory Workshop
September 22-25, Salt Lake City UT, Flow Yoga SLC, Class Intensive
September 27-28, Hamburg Germany, SUTRA.Collective, Intensive*
September 27-28, Chicago IL, Moksha Yoga Center, Introductory Workshop
September 29 - October 3, Chicago IL, Moksha Yoga Center, Class Intensive
October 3-5, Hamburg Germany, SUTRA.Collective, Introductory Workshop
October 15 - November 31, Kerala India, Teachertraining/Intensive* (Invitation only)
October 18-19, Duesseldorf Germany, Vishnu‘s Vibes, Introductory Workshop
October 25-26, Riga Latvia, Shivas Centrs, Introductory Workshop/Intensive*
November 15-16, Muenchen Germany, AIRYOGA, Introductory Workshop
November 29-30, Zuerich Switzerland, AIRYOGA, Introductory Workshop
December 13-14, Hamburg Germany, SUTRA.Collective, Introductory Workshop
December 20-21, Hamburg Germany, SUTRA.Collective, Intensive*
------------------------------------- 2009 -------------------------------------
April 4-5, Cologne Germany, Vishnus Couch, Introductory Workshop
*part of future teacher training requirement (to be announced)
Kalarippayat
KALARIPPAYAT
Kalari is also known as "The Tantra Yoga of Martial Arts", building its principles upon 96 tattvas that constitute our universe in the eternal dialogue of Shiva and Shakti. It developed at the junction of the indigeneous Dravidian culture of southern India and the Vedic culture that migrated from the north. Kalarippayat literally means "training ground-exercise" and the term "Kalari" can used both to describe the practice, as well as the room in which it is practiced. It has been a major influence on the development of Yoga and Ayurveda and vice-versa since times immemorial.
WHEN THE BODY BECOMES ALL EYES
Kalari and Yoga share principles and a lot of terminology. However, there are also obvious differences.Kalari stresses the tantric concept of living in this world, strongly stressing the expansion and development of the senses, as opposed to the classical practice of pratyahara or going inside.This paradigm is commonly called "when the body becomes all eyes". Another unique principle is called "embodying the animal spirit", a psycho-physical practice in which the Abhyasi actually takes on the animal's attributes, not just its shape or posture.
THE MOTHER OF MARTIAL ARTS
Scholars often refer to Kalari as the mother of all martial arts. According to legend, a young prince from Kerala named Boddhidharma and was a skilled Kalari warrior, converted to Buddhism and later traveled north where he became the tutor of the Shaolin monks. Even today, the similarities can still be seen in some animal postures, movements and exercises. But Kalari has also influenced classical Indian dancing and vice-versa. In Teyyam special Kalari-Teyyams reenact famous battles and the dancers often lose themselves of trance-like frenzy not unlike the transformative fury of Kalari-warriors. Kalari-training is also the preliminary education for dancers of Kathakali.
TO HEAL AND TO HARM
Last but foremost Kalari is a unique healing system. This branch is called "Kalari Chikitsa". It is most famous for its original system of marma-therapy, as well as the unique nadi- and foot-massage. It is believed that only a practicioner who is both physically and spiritually strong and pure can bear the strain of the intense treatments where strokes are often administered in the same deep and energetically powerful stances that the practitioner has been practicing for years before finally being taught the massage. It is said that in order to heal, you must first learn how to destroy.
KALARI IN PRACTICE
The actual practice presents itself in class as a blend of yoga, martial arts and dance. The four most important principles in every class are grounding, aligment, flow and focus. Other Key principles include the concept of Siva and Sakti, expansion of sensory awareness, the embodying of animal spirits and continuous flow of contraction and expansion and the reenactment of the eternal cosmic story of creation and destruction. Unlike in many schools of modern Yoga, experience is not induced by the teacher's instructions and practicioners are usually not told when to in- or exhale. In Kalari breath follows movement, not movement breath. The practicioner's subtle as well as his physical bodie's own innermost intelligence and power is encouraged to unfold as the he starts to truly embody the forms.
Gerhard Schmid
„No sports“ had been the credo of Gerhard Schmid for a long time – till his back started complaining loudly about too much computer work. Having practised Karate at a young age, and therefore being interested in martial arts,he began to practise an inner style of Kung Fu and other techniques, but nothing filled his need to move and stretch his body sufficiently. Finally he came across Kalarippayat (“Kalari”) - the traditional Indian martial art, that has been taught for thousands of years orally from teacher to student and is still sparsely known in the West. 
From the first session onwards Gerhard was amazed about the effects: After a hard training he felt more fit, more present than before. He was totally taken only a few months later, when he had the chance to attend a class with C. M. Sherif Gurukal, one of the most acclaimed grand masters of Kalarippayat. That was back in 1999. Since then Gerhard has embarked on a powerful journey, training up to six months every year with his teacher C. M. Sherif Gurukal in Kerala/India, and immersing himself ever deeper into what is said to be the most ancient martial art in the world. By now he has completed eight years of the traditional 12-year-„gurukkula“-education and is one of the very few Westerners who have been trained in the three different styles of Kalarippayat - Vadakkan (Northern), Madhya (Central) and Tekan (Southern) Sampradayam.
Gerhard has intensely explored the traditional weapons of the Kalari, among these the Otta, a marma weapon unique to Kalari.
Which, not only being a martial art, but at the same time being a healing art (Chikitsa), Kalarippayat offers a wide range of treatments and is considered to be the neurology and physiotherapy branch of Ayurveda.
As such its focus is on the marmas, the vital spots of the body. Gerhard is trained both in nadi and marma therapy as well as in foot massage (Chavutti Uzhichil) – a complex full body treatment given with the feet of the therapist.
He is a certified senior instructor of the Kerala Kalarippyat Academy in Kannur/Kerala and teaches at his own studio in Hamburg/Germany as well in various places all over the world. His inspiring classes are deeply rooted in his fundamental knowledge, his descriptive approach, his love to share what he was granted to discover and his great sense of humour. His ability to lead each student according to his/her individual potential makes every class an experience of growth and joy – for beginners and advanced practitioners alike.
Born in southern Germany and raised in Toronto/Canada, Gerhard has lived in Ireland, France and Germany. In an “earlier life” he has been a photographer and web designer. Teaching and continuously learning Kalari, the true cosmopolitan is now based in Hamburg, frequently travelling to India and the US.
„Kalari has not only relieved me from back pain and made me more flexible and stronger than I could ever imagine. This spiritual art is tremendously grounding. It always strikes me, how it makes you focus on your goals and at the same time trust the flow of the moment.”
Born in southern Germany and raised in Toronto/Canada, Gerhard has lived in Ireland, France and Germany. In an “earlier life” he has been a photographer and web designer. Teaching and continuously learning Kalari, the true cosmopolitan is now based in Hamburg, frequently travelling to India and the US.
„Kalari has not only relieved me from back pain and made me more flexible and stronger than I could ever imagine. This spiritual art is tremendously grounding. It always strikes me, how it makes you focus on your goals and at the same time trust the flow of the moment.”
Welcome
Dear Abhyasis, friends and lovers of the art of Kalarippayat, We still remember the story our teacher, C.M. Sherif Gurukkal, told us about his innitiation into the Kalari. He was just 14 back then and the fact that he was a muslim and his teacher-to-be a hindu created a lot of commotion in the respective muslim and hindu communities. However, traditionally the Kalari was never a place of segregation on the grounds of concepts such as creed, colour, caste, religion or sex and the two started a fruiful teacher-student-relationship that has been lasting for over 40 years. Candran Gurukkal is now in his 70s, but his eyes still radiate the fire of a 25 year old Abhyasi. He likes to say: "I know how to cure backpain, but I just don't know what it feels like." Still today, he frequently visits and it is a rare pleasure to listen to him chanting Sankrit verses from the Gita on our teacher's porch in the evenings. Let's keep our community just as open-minded, tolerant and strong. With open eyes, Gerhard Schmid
C.M. Sherif Gurukkal
Nelly D'Argent
Nelly D'Argent is a senior student of C.M. Sherif Gurukkal from Toulouse in the south of France.
Monika Peconek
Monika Peconek is teaching in Breslau, Poland.
Please refer to kalaripolska.blogspot.com for further information on Monika and her current schedule.
Teachers
Associated teachers in the tradition of C. M. Sherif Gurukkal:
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