Inside Yoga 41 (8/8/11) One of the common questions by yoga practitioners is how much practice must I do to achieve X, Y or Z? It’s a valid question though one that does not come with a simple answer. One response could be: “how long is a piece of string?”, as how much we get [...]
—moreYou cannot “do meditation”!
Inside Yoga 40 (9/7/11) How do we know if we are meditating? In our yoga classes, we sit in meditation, but are we really meditating? There are some useful tips for meditation. One states that you cannot do meditation. The word, “do” being the key to this. Another guidelines states, “If you think you are [...]
—moreGetting stuck and letting go
Inside Yoga 39 (12/6/11) Last week Radio Five Live brought up the topic of depression, anxiety and stress suffered by top sports people, with interviews with rugby players and cricketers who have spoken about their battles with such problems. And more importantly, they spoke about the culture of silence within sport surrounding depression and other [...]
—moreLiving in the present
Inside Yoga 38 (30/5/11) “The past is history, the future is a mystery, and today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.” This is often quoted sentence highlights one of the most important teachings within yoga, Buddhism and most spiritual traditions. This was the theme of my classes last week. In [...]
—moreChild-like curiosity
Inside Yoga 37 (19/5/11) Staying attentive to where we are in the present the moment is a challenge, so challenging that we might feel we spend most of our time in a distracted state. The more challenging the yoga posture, the easier it is to remain focused on the position and thereby the present moment [...]
—moreMeet my other half!
Inside Yoga 36 (9/5/2011) On April 29 an estimated 2billion people watched the royal wedding… almost 30 per cent of the world population. Leaving aside Republican and Royalist views, the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton was a celebration of love and partnership – an important part of human ceremonial life that dates back [...]
—moreRemember to breathe!
Inside Yoga 35 (29/4/2011) In TKV Desikachar’s book Heart of Yoga he states that “yoga is as much a practice involving breath as it is involving the body. The quality of our breath is extremely important because it expresses our inner feelings… The breath is the link between the inner and outer body. It is [...]
—moreWhat is happiness?
And where is it? Inside Yoga 34 (14/4/11) This week it was reported that the “the world’s first membership organisation dedicated solely to spreading happiness has been launched in London.” “Action for Happiness” was launched on April 12 and it is a campaign calling for positive action to promote happiness at home, at work or [...]
—moreInside Yoga 33
Who am I? What is the mind? Is it my mind? And is my body really my body? When one answers these questions from the viewpoint of yoga, the answers can change the way we, in the West, see things. Especially as Western philosophy takes the view, as Descartes – seen by some as the [...]
—moreInside Yoga 32
All change! There are many lessons in life, but there is one that underlines our existence. It is a simple truth about life that the Buddha pointed out thousands of years ago – and one that is still relevant today. The Buddha said it simply: Everything is impermanent. All things change; all things must pass. [...]
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