"This is not intended to be a scholarly treatise on yoga philosophy; the subject is so vast that it would be presumptuous of me to try." Alice Christensen Echoing similar sentiments, I have used the words of the yogi-authors (see below) in this attempt to introduce you to Rāja Yóga. Type of Yoga The name Rāja …
Bhramarī Prānāyāma
Recently, I read an interesting article about bees in Slovenia. It was not about 101 of Apiculture or that beekeeping has grown in popularity in recent years or that raw honey and beeswax are much sought after products. It was about how that country has a time-honored tradition of using sounds of bees buzzing as a …
Indriya – Sense Organs
Click. Open the App. Click. Start. Adjust the camera. Adjust the mat. Adjust the props. Wait. Click. Admit. Click. Admit. Begin. Speaker view is fun as scrolling becomes more captivating than the actual program. Gallery view starts with one clear image and ending with multiple small heads. But if you are one of those lucky …
Śunmukhi Mudra
The cliché, “a picture is worth a thousand words”. Artist: Asha Parayanthal Images and sounds. Very powerful. We process images at an alarming speed connecting us quickly to our past, reminding us of people, places, feelings and stories. They can inspire and help us learn. Or they can be frightening and nightmarish. Recently, a video …
Āsana Dozen – reminders for abhyāsa
The only instruction about āsana that Śri Patanjali has in the Yóga Sūtra is in the second chapter called Sādhana Pāda. Sūtra 46, Shithra Sukham Āsanam; states ‘that position which is steady and comfortable is āsana’. Practiced within this context, postures are meant to develop the ability to sit comfortably for long periods of time …
Pādadhirāsana, Breath Balancing Pose
Anyone remember the groundhog's prediction? On 02-02-2020 (a palindrome), Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his den at 7:25 a.m. to predict an early spring as the marmot did not see his shadow. This 134th prediction came on the same day as the presidential proclamation on suspension of persons posing a risk of transmitting the virus COVID-19 …
ÓM in Ancient Writings
I hadn’t planned on writing a series on ÓM. Sometimes you get caught up in the moment, right? So, here is a naïve attempt to bring out the essence of the wisdom of ÓM in the earliest writings in the next few paragraphs. As a longtime yogini (that is, one who only does āsanas and …
Deciphering ÓM
If you think this title is a bold move, you are absolutely right. But you must agree that there is something magnificent about the sound ÓM that is waiting to be explored. Have you noticed students after chanting a chorus of ÓM in their yógāsana class fall out of the room energized and at the …
Aparigraha – Non Hoarding
"Freedom does not come from acquisition. It comes from letting go." Sogyal Rinpoche In the Bhagavad Gita it is said, "The yogi is quite happy with what comes unsought"; but here Patanajli goes further and says, "Stop receiving even that" (Svāmi Venkateśananda). Meaning, a person practicing Asteya (non-stealing) may not steal, but if something …
Brahmacharya
Brahmacharya is much more than the popular notion of celibacy. While celibacy is a must for those choosing the life of monk and svāmihood, the rest who partake the sensory world, will certainly appreciate a simpler explanation of Brahmacharya. Living in a society permeated with pleasure, the principle of Brahmacharya presents a ground rule towards …
yogajivan 