Yoga is a an age old practice of joining body and mind, and our attention to this moment. As my teacher’s teacher, TKS Desikichar said “Yoga is relationship”. As we go deeper into the practices of yoga, we can see the quality of those relationships we have with our self,...
Yoga Heart
The Power of Pranayama
Pranayama is the yoga science of extending and building our life force with our breath, and the benefits of regular practice are many. A conscious breath practice links our mind with our body and directly affects our nervous system, bringing us into the present moment, and calming and relaxing all...
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and Asana (Pt. 2)
One learns that one's body is the bow, the asana is the arrow, and the target is the soul. - BKS Iyengar Continuing our series on the three definitive sutras by Patanjali on asana, we turn our attention to sutra 2.47. The previous sutra (2.46) mentions that the yoga posture...
Chakras
Swirling, expanding and contracting, a column of energetic wheels aligned from the base of our spine to the crown of our head, the chakras pulse as centers of spiritual power in the human body. Chakra meditation with Devin Koppel, YTT graduate, Paia, Maui Yoga Chakra is a Sanskrit word meaning...
Abhyasa and Vairagya: Effort and Release
In the first chapter of the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali describes two aspects of personal practice that will help us progress on our path of yoga - important qualities to understand for our practice on and off the mat. The first is abhyasa, which is often described as sustained, consistent commitment...
Why do a 300 Hour Teacher Training?
As yoga educators and practitioners, we know our practice is as dynamic and changing as we are. Everyday we learn something new and encounter challenges in our life and in our practice and everyday we have an opportunity to apply the wisdom of yoga to help us grow and evolve....
Why take a yoga teacher training?
Some things that may cross your mind when asked about a teacher training: I never plan to teach… Don’t you have to be flexible to do yoga… Yoga is only for spiritual people… Nine months ago if I had been asked if I would take a teacher training I would...
Aparigraha – The 5th Yama
We have been exploring the yamas, number 1 of the 8 limbs of Yoga. The yamas are the universal ethics; the foundations for a yogic lifestyle. Observance of the yamas progressively eliminates the temptations and distractions that create suffering in our lives, and take energy away from our focus,...
Bramacharya – The 4th Yama
Bramacharya translated means ‘directing our energy to the Divine, to the Sacred’. For many dedicated Yogis, that is interpreted as a call to celibacy, so that all sexual energies may be directed toward awakening and spiritual evolution. A broader understanding of Bramacharya can also be a wise use of all...
Asteya, the third Yama
Asteya means non-stealing. We know it to mean not to take what isn’t ours. If there is ever a questions of this, we have to stop and consider the action we're about to take. But the subtle applications of asteya show up in all areas of our life, on and...