When you are afraid, how do you know? What physical signs do you experience in fearful moments? When do we decide to face our fears and when do we just simply back off? Recognizing you are afraid in any situation is a way to practice ahimsa non-violence to yourself. The help manage fearful situations …
The two pillars of yoga consists of practice and dispassion. The first four petals of yoga involve the external world : social and internal observances, posture, and breath expansion. When we draw our senses inward, focus the mind on a single point and obtain higher meditative states we let go of the external world. Eventually …
Bounded Angle Pose known in Sanskrit as Baddha Koṇāsana. This is a seated pose where the hands catch the feet. Baddha can be translated into english as caught. This pose can be done without holding the feet as well. One can also rest the back against a wall. If sitting up straight is difficult then …
“Fully Supported All Limbs Pose” also known to many as shoulder stand is the Mother of all poses as written in BKS Iyengar’s Light on Yoga (LOY). Learning Shoulder Stand requires effort and “tapas” a burning zeal to gain stability. At first one may only stay for a few moments and gradually students build their …
The five senses of sight, taste, smell, hearing, and touch are quieted in down in yoga practice by relaxing their corresponding sense organs. The organs of perception include the eyes, tongue, nose, ears, and skin. The senses tend to be carried away by external objects and draw us into the world of experience. By quieting …
Today is May 3, 2021 and the moon’s phase is in the third quarter. The honor this celestial placement, today’s post is on revolved half moon pose, Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana is the sanskrit name. Parivrtta means revolved, Ardha means half, Chandra is moon, and asana translates to posture. This is a one legged standing pose …
The sacred syllable aum can be chanted at anytime by anyone. It can even be chanted silently. During yoga class the class usually begins with chanting aum . Doing so helps to bring peace and serenity of mind. One can also chant aum while doing a yoga pose either vocally or silently. Chanting aum repeatedly …
Let the blooming spring flowers inspire you to open up in your yoga poses. Let this message act a seed to plant the act of practicing yoga in your mind. One pose named after a flower is Padmasana (sanskrit term) in english means lotus pose. Shown here is a cartoon of Lord Shiva in padmasana with …
The best way to start practice is to just move. Stand up, sit down, or lay flat. Whether you are holding or flowing the poses, the main goal is to do the pose. Yoga is experiential. While it is possible to read texts, watch movies, or listen to pod casts about yoga, at the end …
When you breathe, where does the breath touch you? Where does it move to? Take a moment, inhale and exhale normally. Do this a few times. What part of body moves to accommodate the breath? What sounds do you hear on the inhalation? What about on the exhalation?