“Memory is a friend if you use it for progress and refinement in your practice. It is a hindrance when you brood over and repeat past experiences. See new light each time in your practice” ~ B.K.S. Iyengar, Light on Pranayama
See the Light in Your Life
What do you think when you look in the mirror? Continue reading
“Yoga Therapy is the process of empowering individuals to progress toward improved health and well-being through the application of the teachings and practice of yoga” – International Association of Yoga Therapists (definition 2011)
“viveka-khyatir-aviplava hana-upayah”
“The means of attaining cessation is the unceasing vision of discernment” – Yoga Sutra 2:26
“The first thing to do is to introspect. Take stock of yourself and your habits, and find out what is standing in your way” – Paramahansa Yogananda, Where There Is Light
“Stillness is not the same as a void in activity, it’s more like a stabilizing strength” – Daniel J. Siegel, The Mindful Brain
Time off is relative I think. Some folks get an entire summer “off”, some take a week or 2, some have long weekends. For parents with children, is there really such a thing? If you are self-employed, what does this mini expression actually mean? Continue reading
photo: breahn
The other day I was talking to a friend, also a yoga teacher, about the expression “open your heart—lift your heart.” It is a great cue to get students to expand the rib cage and drop the shoulders away from the ears. Especially in back bending asanas, we want to lift up through the mid torso and ribs to avoid compression in the lumbar spine, and to bring more breath and energy into the lungs and heart. This encourages a shift from shallow breathing and also enhances lung capacity. Continue reading
“Almost all experts agree that prevention of osteoporosis is more effective than treatment” – Loren Fishman, MD, and Ellen Saltonstall , Yoga For Osteoporosis
“According to yogic texts, regular practice of Pranayama prevents and cures diseases” – B.K. S. Iyengar, Light on Pranayama
“heyam duhkhamanagatam: Future suffering should be avoided” –Patanjali, Sutra 11.16, The Essence of Yoga by Bernard Bouanchaud
STOP – take a breath, exhale completely
LOOK – inside, be aware
LISTEN – for guidance, the voice of instinct or just common sense Continue reading
“Dhyana (meditation) means absorption. It is the art of self-study, reflection, keen observation, or the search for the Infinite within. It is the observation of the physical processes of the body, study of mental states and profound contemplation. It means looking inwards to one’s innermost being. Dhyana is the discovery of the Self” – B.K.S. Iyengar, Light on Pranayama
“Sound can change our entire life’s course in an instant. Words spoken in anger can cause permanent problems between a husband and wife, or parent and child. The throb of a well-tuned motor can engender such satisfaction in an amateur mechanic that a whole new career path suddenly opens before him. A word of encouragement from a teacher at just the right time can inspire a student for many years to come.” – T. Ashley-Farrand, Healing Mantras
Each one of us has a story about where we find ourselves at this moment in time, mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually. Continue reading
