Introduction from Arjun von Caemmerer.
My exposure to Praṇava-Japa, the repetition of ĀUṂ, at the Ramāmaṇi Iyengar Memorial
Yoga Institute (and at other Iyengar Yoga schools) has been limited to the 3-fold recitation of ĀUṂ that prefaces ‘The Invocation to Patañjali’ at the commencement (and
sometimes also the conclusion) of classes. In this article I wish to consider Japa Yoga in
more depth, particularly in its relationship to the practice of prāṇāyāma. It is noteworthy
that in Patañali’s Yoga-Sūtra there occur almost as many sūtras on Praṇava-Japa as there on āsana and prāṇāyāma counted together.
Link to pdf of full article.
Sounding the Depths : On Japa Yoga
Arjun von Caemmerer is certificated as a Level 3 Iyengar Yoga teacher with Iyengar Yoga Australia (IYA) and is a medical practitioner, specialized in general practice (FRACGP),consulting in Moonah, Tasmania. He has, with Naomi Cameron, run the Hobart School of Iyengar Yoga, since 1995. He has had roles with IYA as a teacher trainer, assessor and moderator, and has served on the Teachers’ and Ethics Committees.