Yet another famous person is singing the praises of yoga. In the Sunday issue of The New York Times Magazine, “Hip-Hop Guru” Russell Simmons confesses to practicing yoga and meditation every day. He also says he has read “The Autobiography of a Yoga” by Yogananda (although he claims he can barely read). (more…)

Basia asks:

“When exactly does the peace and good will to all kick in?”

(more…)

Nico asks:

“I’d like yoga to get me into spring since the weather won’t cooperate–Saraswati do you think you need to be fairly strong in yoga practice to be able to properly meditate?” (more…)

Sleep is the best medicine. (And I don’t mean the medicated kind, despite the annoying pop-up ads that may find their way onto this web site. My apologies, I have no control over these ad searches but I repeat I do not advocate use of sleeping pills.) Even though we’re still not quite sure what happens during the sleep state, we know when we’ve gotten enough sleep to feel healthy. (more…)

Every yoga pose (asana) can also be a meditation. These two functions of a yoga practice are often isolated. In fact, meditation can occur naturally while in one of the hundreds of asanas when you settle into the pose for an extended hold.

This does not mean hold your breath or hold till it hurts. The instruction to find a “comfortable, steady pose” is common in most schools of yoga. In this way each pose reveals itself to the practitioner. Experiencing a meditative quality while in sitting forward bend will feel very different from doing meditation while walking or sitting in lotus pose. (more…)

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…)

In many ways, the practice of yoga is an enactment of powerful symbols using your own body. “Symbols” however is not exactly the right word as the use of mantra, mudra and yantra serve more as guiding yoga techniques bringing us back to our original connection and into deeper states of being. (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…)

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…)

There are two ideas here: mantra practice and yoga practice. One may include the other, for example, OM is actually considered a mantra and you’ll frequently hear the sound of OM at the beginning and end of a yoga class. Perhaps you’ve also heard of or participated in chanting the Lakshmi mantra or Siva mantra. (more…)