"Without continuous change, it would be impossible to grow." In wrapping up my philosophy discussion on aparigraha (the fifth yama) with my George Washington University yoga class last week, I concluded with the following reading from Charlotte Bell's Mindful Yoga, Mindful Life - a simple, down-to-earth book on the 8 limbs of yoga. After class a couple students asked me to share the reading. So here it is: "Freedom does not come from acquisition. It comes from letting go. In the same way … [Read more...]
Meditation 101
This morning kicked off a four-week meditation course I'm teaching at Journey Yoga in Arlington, VA. It was exciting to see 14 yogis I've never met before truly interested in learning how to meditate. It was also fun to share with them that yoga is so much more than the asanas -the yoga poses. The physical postures of yoga are just a sliver (seriously, like 1%) of what makes up the practices of yoga, yet they are what we most think of when we hear the term "yoga". Yoga, as defined by … [Read more...]
Beyond OM
As Sri Dharma Mittra often states at the start of a Master class, "all yoga practices begin and end with the sound of OM." True to form, this video captures this instruction at the beginning of his full day of teaching at the Washington Convention Center April 6, 2014. Beyond the sacred sound of OM, which is said to be the oldest mantra in the world, there are many other mantras frequently chanted in asana classes at yoga studios around the world. Mantras exist for many things including … [Read more...]
Moderation is Key
At least twice a year I recommit to stop buying books on Amazon.com and instead read one of the many I already own (and this is one of those times!). Regardless of this commitment, almost daily I pick up one of my many versions of either The Yoga Sutras or The Bhagavad Gita - both are key if you wish to delve deep into the philosophical heart of yoga. So while the rain poured and poured outside this morning, I huddled reading a few slokas (aka verses) of my favorite version of The Bhagavad … [Read more...]
500-hour Yoga Teacher Training -is it right for you?
An advanced yoga teacher training program (such as a 300-hour or 500-hour yoga teacher training) can be an exciting decision - assuming you're ready for it. Maybe you "think" you are ready for it since you just completed your 200-hour in the last year, but is that enough of a prerequisite to take the leap to doing a 500-hour yoga teacher training? My recent observation is people are treating yoga teacher trainings like college degrees: you graduate with a Bachelor's degree and then … [Read more...]
No Expectations, No Coincidences
In the last few weeks I received emails from a few publishing houses & PR firms asking if I'd be interested in reviewing some of their clients' yoga books. Though my reading list for the new year is already full, I figured maybe (just maybe) one of these books might inspire me to hop back onto my blog which I've clearly neglected the last couple months. So I graciously accepted the offers stating I would add each book to my 2014 reading list. Well here it is - and the best part is the … [Read more...]
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