(First published 6/9/09) “The practice of asanas and pranayama is not only the most effective, but also the most natural therapy for stress,” says yoga master BKS Iyengar. Stress has been with us since the beginning of civilisation. Our ancestors might have had different pressures and worries to deal with, but the inner turmoil they experienced would have been the […]
more >(First published 27/7/09) Here are some thoughts about yoga and practice for you to contemplate and explore during the sultry, stormy and changeable summer months. TKV Desikachar, renowned yoga teacher based in Chennai (Madras), India, was asked “Can anyone practice yoga?” He responded: “Anybody who wants to, can practice yoga. Anybody can breathe: therefore anybody can practice yoga. But no […]
more >(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 mean anything from a slight […]
more >(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 as one word, so that […]
more >(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 deep feeling and profound knowing, […]
more >(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 other, it is where our […]
more >(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 the ability to remain comfortable […]
more >(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, possibly bigger or a lot […]
more >(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 can attain union: a balance […]
more >(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 not surprising to discover that […]
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