The Purpose of Yoga: Finding Yourself
Some people claim to find themselves after practicing Yoga faithfully – but how can this be? Yoga is an art of living. In fact, Yoga is a…
How Does Yoga Philosophy Fit Into Our World?
While I am sure that the philosophy of yoga will vary according to who you speak to, my basic version can enhance your life. The simple philosophy of yoga can be applied even in our lives over 3000 years after yoga was documented. Yoga is a practice of developing your mind and body’s energies to produce a happier and healthier lifestyle. My philosophy? Be good to yourself and share the good with others.
Yamas and Niyamas – The Eight Fold Path of Yoga
The Yamas and Niyamas are self-disciplinary qualities that everyone should have and observe for their own spiritual development. One may practice Asanas and have a fit body. One may practice Pranayama and balance the Pranic energy, the Nadis. One may practice Pratyahara and Dhyana and reach deeper state of consciousness, but what use is that if one does not practice the Yamas and Niyamas. The Yamas and Niyamas create a fit and balanced mind.
What are the Benefits of Heart Opening Yoga Poses?
If you have taken or seen a Yoga class you may have heard “Lead with your Heart Center” (or something else similar). The Heart Center in Yoga refers to the Heart Chakra. The Heart Chakra is the 4th of 7 Chakras (or Energy Centers in the body). These centers are often used as reference points in Yoga, Chinese Medicine, Thai Massage or other traditional healing methods.
Teaching Yoga Students about Samskaras
When you are teaching a Yoga class, you may wish to introduce this elucidating Vedic concept during the beginning of a session, so that your students will be able to practice witnessing the thoughts and emotions that arise during asana practice.
The Importance Of Yama In Yoga Today
Yoga is a lifestyle, which can enrich a practitioner’s life far beyond the physical practice time spent in classes. Yoga promotes a peaceful co-existence with everything. This Yogic mindset creates a setting of living in harmony, in order to get better along with one’s self, as well as with others. Within the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, yama is a vital part of a complete life. The yamas teach us principles and values, which lay the foundations of social behavior. These guidelines of social behavior are the first limb of Patanjali’s Raja Yoga. The yamas are a reference for living a lifestyle that is in complete harmony with the world around us.
The Eight Limbs of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra
The ideal Yoga practice is a delicate balance between science and art, creating a union between mind, body, and spirit. The practitioner uses the body and breath to nurture an awareness of individual and unified focus. The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali describes the foundations and framework of Yoga philosophy from before 200 A.D. The sacred text offers a description of the innermost workings of the mind and provides an eight-part practice for controlling mental restlessness and cultivating unshakeable peace.
Hypnotherapy & Yoga: Healing the Five Layers of Human Existence
Unwanted thoughts, behaviors, habits, feelings, phobias and situational reactions are programmed deep within the Manomaya Kosa (mental layer). This deep seeded programming creates inner conflicts and mental agitation that is harmful to overall health.
What is the Shiva Samhita?
The chapters of the Shiva Samhita cover various aspects of the practice of Yoga. The word “Yoga” means the union of a human soul with the divine. Some of the aspects that are covered in the chapters of the Shiva Samhita are several methods of liberation, the structure of our 72,000 nadis, and the awakening of the Kundalini Shakti energy. Additionally, the Shiva Samhita outlines the importance of having a true Guru who can awaken the Kundalini energy safely, as well as describing the subtle body and the movement of prana.
Discover the Secrets of Karma Yoga
Within the Bhagavad-Gita, Karma Yoga is mentioned as a spiritual discipline, which is based upon giving and service without the desire for rewards. We might also say that Karma Yoga points us toward supreme consciousness through selfless service and actions of giving.