(First published 15/6/09) When we feel down, sad, anxious or other negative emotions, one of the feelings that arise is a sense of separation. A feeling of disconnection – from our bodies, from those around us, or perhaps, from everything. From this arises a feeling of isolation. This is where suffering (and by this, I [...]
—moreInside Yoga 20
(First posted 9/4/2009) Do you know your tadasana from your gomukhasana? All yoga postures have a name which is written in Sanskrit, the ancient language from India, so to help you know your paschimottanasana from your marichyasana, this chapter of Inside Yoga translates a host of yoga asanas for you. Sanskrit words are often written [...]
—moreInside Yoga 19
(First published 7/3/09) Following on from the last chapter of Inside Yoga, about the mind, I want to speak about the heart, not the physical blood engine that sustains us, but the emotional heart. “Chitta also means the heart and dwells in the heart. This is not the physical heart but the central core of [...]
—moreInside Yoga 18
(First posted 23/2/2009) “The mind is the vital link between the body and the consciousness,” says BKS Iyengar. In my classes, I often refer to the mind, in connection with the breathing and the physical body. But what is the mind? The mind is the collection of our thoughts on one hand, and on the [...]
—moreInside Yoga 17
(First posted 17/1/09) One of the most important principles of a yoga practice, and specifically, asana yoga practice, is the teaching of “sthira” and “sukha”. In the foremost yoga text, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, he describes an asana (yoga posture) as having two important qualities: sthira and sukha. Sthira is steadiness and alertness. Sukha refers to [...]
—moreInside Yoga 16
(First posted 4/1/2009) Well, we have made it to another year: the world is still here… and so are we. Some things don’t change, or do they? We are told the world has changed hugely since last year (dare I say credit crunch?), and as for ourselves, perhaps we feel different this side of Christmas, [...]
—moreInside Yoga 15
(First written 8/12/2008) In yoga the word “balance” is often mentioned. It is described in yoga as being a state which we strive for, would like to attain, or perhaps, feel we have but do not want to lose. The meaning of the word yoga when translated from Sanskrit refers to “union”. Through yoga we [...]
—moreInside Yoga 14
(First published 10/11/2008) The body is mentioned frequently in yoga, in relation to the breath, and in relation to the mind. There is a vast selection of postures available in yoga, from gentle resting positions to complicated athletic positions that seem impossible to get into. But is it all about the body? It is possibly [...]
—moreInside Yoga 13
(First published 4/10/2008) At times our lives can be busy and even chaotic, while at other times, a sense of quiet and peace can envelop us – albeit it briefly. Yoga teaches us how to tap into that sense of stillness and peace on command and to switch off the chaos. This might not be [...]
—moreInside Yoga 12
(First published 30/08/2008) In yoga one of the most important keys that will unlock your understanding of this practice is the breath. In “Hathayoga Pradipika”, a practical treatise on yoga, the author stresses importance of breath by saying that “if the mind is the king of the senses, the master of the mind is the [...]
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