Through yoga, I first had exposure to the Eastern traditions of spirituality. At the time though, I didn't think of it as spiritual. I was looking for a form of exercise that didn't involve lifting heavy weights or spending hours on a treadmill. I think that's how a lot of Westerners come to yoga. We find it at our health clubs, gyms, or on videos that allow us to exercise at home. It sneaks in, but soon, if we are lucky enough to have a good teacher, the precepts can sneak in too. Yogic philosophy becomes integrated into our outlook on life. The postures become not just exercise, but life teachers. We manifest their qualities in our day-to-day life. We know to hold strong with the power ...
There is an ebb and flow to our lives: the sun rises, the sun sets; tides rise and fall; the moon waxes and wanes. We can find balance in our yoga practice and in our life by connecting with nature and the cycle of the seasons. An awareness of the ebb and flow of the year can help us to know when it's a good time to push forward and take action, and when it's better to take a more contemplative approach. When you combine yoga with an awareness of the changing seasons you connect with the rhythm of the year and align your energy to that rhythm, promoting happiness, health, and harmony in every season. Of course, modern technology has many benefits, including connecting us with communities ...
Yoga is a transformational process. This simple fact is something that has become more and more evident to me during the twenty-plus years that I have been teaching yoga. While people practice yoga for many reasons, everyone comes to realize its benefits of self-improvement and healing. Over the years, I have seen people join yoga programs to lose weight, improve their study skills, reduce stress, heal injuries, strengthen their body and mind, find compassion, feel better...and the list goes on. We all face challenges in life and struggle to transcend them. Yoga is a great way of doing just that. I find that most students come to yoga class assuming that they need to either have or learn ...
Let's take a look at the rules of a yogic lifestyle. 1. Intent to Refrain from Negative Behaviors (Yamas)Yamas are your social responsibilities to others and are practiced by setting an intention to refrain from negative behaviors. Yamasyamas reinforces the yogini way of life. To achieve bliss, you must be mindful of these behaviors in your daily life. The idea is that once you refrain from one of these behaviors, the rest will fall into place as a result. As you read the following yamas, recognize if one resonates with you more than another. I have asked you a series of questions after each one that will help you think deeper into the meaning of the intention. Jot your thoughts down on ...