Ahimsa, (non harm-doing) is the first of the yamas, or the ethical rules of yogic practice. Ahimsa is the foundation upon which the rest of the yamas and niyamas are positioned, as well as being the underlying “goal” of practice in general. To do no harm is practically impossible as every action creates affect or [...]
Interview with Michelle Sarchiapone, owner of The People’s Yoga 6/9/10 RS: Something I’ve been thinking about a lot is the accessibility of yoga. It’s become an industry and pastime that has an image attached to it that tends to appeal mostly to certain demographics, yet at its heart it’s a practice that could be beneficial [...]
Community yoga is booming! Free, by-donation and cheap classes are making the way into the schedules of most yoga studios, if not making up the entire schedule of many studios. There’s a lot of bad news these days that we are collectively trying to come to terms with and figure out how to live with [...]
At some point in a yoga class you may have heard the teacher say, “Savasana is the most important pose“. Depending on your reason for practicing yoga you may have found this statement confusing. Why would sava (corpse), sometimes called mrti (death), asana (pose) be more important than dynamic standing poses like warrior one, or [...]
Yoga happening started happening in Toronto, and is now happening in Vancouver, New York City and Portland, OR. Yogahappening creates yoga events in public spaces: in the park, at a gallery, in the mountains, by the sea, the forest, the lake. Yogahappening asks you to pause in your yoga routine and consider the spontaneity of [...]
Today marks the one-year anniversary of the passing of Pattahbi Jois, (Guruji), the founder of the school of Ashtanga Yoga. With love, respect and deep gratitude we offer thanks and remembrance to a great teacher, student, scholar, and leader. AUM PURNAMADAH PURNAMIDAM PURNAT PURNAMUDACHYATE PURNASYA PURNAMADAYA PURNAMEVA VASHISHYATE. AUM THAT IS THE WHOLE. THIS IS [...]
(my-yer-ahs-anna) mayura = peacock One of the best detoxifying poses is Mayurasana. This pose is one of the first 15 asanas ever to be written down. The first Yogis practicing asana understood its tremendous health benefits. Here’s what Svatmarama wrote about mayurasana in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika: “Mayurasana quickly alleviates all diseases like enlargement of [...]
“Lower the shoulders. Revolve the stomach left and right with the speed of a strong whirlpool. This is called Nauli by the masters. This Nauli is the crown of Hatha practices. It kindles a weak gastric fire, restores the digestion, always brings happiness, and dries up all defects and diseases.” – From The Hatha Yoga [...]
The following is taken from NPR’s story “The Great Oom: Yoga’s Wild Ride to Respectability” You can listen to the complete story here on NPR’s ‘All Things Considered’ “Yoga, that mystical art that’s become a regimen for 15 million Americans, came to this country from the East. Eastern Nebraska, to be precise. That’s where, back [...]
Tao Porchon-Lynch has been a student of yoga for over 60 years and has studied with Indra Devi and B.K.S. Iyengar. At 91 years old she’s been teaching yoga for 4 decades and is still going strong as a living inspiration. Thanks Tao for setting a wonderful example! “The creator of life is inside of [...]
I’m not sure I agree with all the rules, or the generalization of what ‘Yoga Goddesses’ want, but the Guide to Dating a Yoga Goddess is a good start for potential suitors, or at least a good read. All the yoga goddesses and their would-be lovers will have to let me know what you think, [...]
Ryan Leier is the energetic and inspired owner of ONE Yoga Saskatoon and Yoga For Youth which is a project that has been responsible for bringing yoga and meditation into public schools and community centers throughout the Saskatoon school district and into lower-income neighborhoods. I was lucky enough to get the busy man on the [...]
My friend Roseanne Harvey, genius behind “It’s All Yoga Baby” had an interesting post the other day about new, nude trends in yoga, and as she said “the precarious relationship between yoga, nudity and sexuality”. She talked briefly about the work of Abby Winters who started Nude Yoga Girls (which features exactly that ok… so [...]
Michael Stone is a psychotherapist in private practice, lecturer, yoga teacher and author. He co-leads the Centre of Gravity Sangha, a community of Yoga & Buddhist practitioners in Toronto and travels internationally, teaching in academic, yoga studio and conference settings. Michael offers courses and retreats that focus on integrating yoga postures, breathing practices, meditation and [...]
Salabasana and Bhujangasana Salabhasana (sha-la-BAHS-anna) Salabha- Locust or Grasshopper, Asana- Pose Bhujangasana (boo-jang-GAHS-anna) Bhujanga- Serpent, Snake, Asana- Pose Salabhasana variations are simple backbends performed while lying prone (on the belly) that prepare the body for deeper backbending practice by strengthening and lengthening the muscles of the back, legs and “core”. There are many variations of [...]
In case you felt bored with your asana practice and were wondering what else there was to do… Check out the Advanced Ashtanga Series… And then take a deep breath and remind yourself that there are always things to aspire towards ; ) Absolutely Ashtanga is a great website and asana resource run by Sacramento [...]
Happy Valentines Day! Regardless of the plethora of possible associations you might have to this particular holiday, it’s never a bad excuse to explore the essence of the day… The heart. In western society yoga and meditation have started to receive recognition from the medical community as to their value for cardiovascular health and aiding [...]
(Raji Thron is pictured here demonstrating Ashtangasana. Please don’t try this one at home, unprepared or unsupervised.) Ever wonder what pose is which one, where and how? Good thing there’s this kick-asana (ooh…) web index of asana variations complete with notes, references, instructions and bibliography. And if you’re wondering what to do with all these [...]
Oooh! Goldmine!! I love it when I find amazing web resources like iHanuman. Hanuman the monkey-faced god of the Hindu tradition is considered to be a symbol of Bhakti (devotion) and love. As one incarnation of Lord Shiva, Hanuman represents good fortune and benevolence. iHanuman pays tribute to the namesake as an online community of [...]
Thanks to my friend Robert for bringing this recent New York Times article to my attention, it was sincerely one of the most entertaining 15-minute reads I’ve had in a while. It seems to me that the point of both yoga and food get lost a lot. The practice of yoga is one that has [...]