You are your own best yoga teacher. While it’s true that finding a good yoga teacher is like falling in love, ultimately that “teacher” is you. The trust and enthusiasm you experience with a teacher who has you coming back for more is just your own desire for that knowledge. (more…)

Something happens during a yoga class that is different from going to a gym or taking a nap (two activities that students will often try comparing with yoga).

I’ve already mentioned that the nature of coming into yoga poses, moving with breath, staying with the yoga poses for extended periods of time followed by a deep relaxation creates a type of whole body meditation. While many forms of meditation encourage a complete stillness of the physical body in a “lotus” sitting pose, yogic meditation can happen within each pose. So that you may experience a profound meditative state while in the head stand or the tree! (more…)

Having participated in an all-night meditation and chanting session in honor of Sivaratri, gave me plenty of time to reflect on and wonder about Siva energy. (And when I say “all-night”- I mean from 9pm – 6am)!
First, let me explain what Sivaratri is and why I participate in this annual “night of Siva.” Siva (also spelled Shiva) is often described as the ultimate yogi in deep meditation. He is painted with long flowing hair (of the river Ganga) and coiled snakes embracing him. Stories about Siva portray him as both a devoted ascetic who renounces the world and then with Parvati and their child, Ganesha. (more…)

Keeping a journal is a common enough practice these days. Artists often use journals as a way to remember inspirations and reflect on what they are experiencing. Similarly, starting a yoga journal can help you record and notice how your daily life is changing because of your yoga practice. (more…)

One of the rumors about yoga is that it creates a youthful body, hinting at longevity.

Don’t know about that-I’ll tell you when I get there but I was reflecting on the whole age thing this week because my beloved auntie celebrated her 96th birthday (her husband is a younger man at 95!). My sister Basia, who has an incredible blog, wrote a beautiful piece about them and how significant they’ve been in our lives. (See India Ink entry for January 9, 2007, it includes one of my poems) (more…)

I’ve written previously how devoting my breaths to the Durga mantra, Lakshmi mantra and Saraswati mantra has affected my life. (See my blog entries on Navaratri for September 23- October 2, 2006). (more…)

It’s a very different feeling creating your own yoga session than it is showing up for a yoga class. In my 20 years of yoga practice, I’ve gone through periods of knowing that I needed the structure and guidance of another yoga teacher and other times when I was able to go much deeper into my own yoga practice by going solo. (more…)

Yes, I do celebrate the holidays- the light returning, as of yesterday’s Winter Solstice; thinking of what else I can give, give, give; smelling evergreens when I visit my friends’ homes; hearing from friends I thought I lost track of since my move; cheering those on who are in dire need of rest from their 9-5 jobs; updating my address book; finishing writing projects begun this year. (more…)

Meditation, in yogic practices, is not usually given as much explanation time in beginners yoga classes as guidance on the positioning and alignment of asanas. In fact, many of the explanations used by yoga teachers actually arise from Buddhist meditation techniques. Partly this is due to the fact that Buddhist practices have more written material available – having been developed and maintained through Buddhist monastic traditions.

So what’s the difference and isn’t it all just meditation anyway? (more…)

Even though sunset today was at 4:50 pm, I kept on walking.  It gets dark quickly now, days before winter solstice. So my vigorous 5 mile walk felt very dramatic as the trees and bushes I’ve become familiar with became unrecognizable in the dark.  The line between the road and the tree roots was blurred and the afternoon rain storm had painted a blue tinge  on the sidewalk ahead of me.  (more…)