Awakening Body Awareness
Yoga Studios Shouldn’t Have Mirrors. And, for that matter, you probably shouldn’t compulsively make videos of yourself doing yoga. I will admit that when I edit my videos each week, I pay attention to some of the good stuff (alignment, posture, tension) but mostly notice the stuff that shouldn’t matter (my bald spot, my love […]
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I Hate #Mindfulness
As I started to meditate on the idea of Mindfulness, I heard myself sounding like all of the clichés that riddle the yoga community and social media. I know that I roll my eyes every time I see a yoga influencer talking about their “mindfulness practice” that includes sitting in a gorgeous outfit in full hair and makeup peacefully gazing on a million dollar view. I want more for us.
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Dharana
Dharana means concentration or meditation on a single point. When we achieve Dharana, we are actively concentrating on a point of meditation, whereas we release all of the effort fully in Dhyana (next week!).
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Pranayama
Breath is connection. It brings the outside world, quite literally, in. We consume it in much more intimate way that we do food. Think about it: food is chewed, swallowed and goes through a lengthy digestive process.
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The Niyamas: Iswara-Pranidhana
If you simply reframe your current activity — the thing you’re doing right now (presumably reading this blog) — as being in service rather than self-serving, you’ve done it. You’re there. Sutra 45 tells us that if we do something fully in service, we gain Samadhi.
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The Niyamas : Saucha
So Saucha, Purity, is about how you regard and purify (and keep pure) your body. But it’s about more than that. We all think of the same “pure” imagery, I’m sure: virginity, doves, driven snow.
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The Yamas : Aparigraha
The fifth (and final) of the five Yamas is Aparigraha, which can be translated as “non-greed” or “non-grasping.” I had never considered before that grasping non-material things — like my need to “win” in competitive cycling classes or my need to advance my career — might be a form of greed. I’m also more and more […]
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The Yamas : Brahmacharya
Brahmacharya means “continence” or “moderation.” It’s clear that Patañjali is referring to sexual abstinence, at least in large part, but it’s also about moderation in all things. Specifically, it’s about moderation in all things that give us pleasure. But I just want to do yoga and have a ‘yoga body’ and have all of my […]
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