Two wonderful beginning standing Yoga poses that help to develop skills of present awareness, balance and wholeness are Tadasana or Mountain Pose and Tree Pose. Practicing Mountain Pose in a very aware manner will help a trauma survivor to simply feel more and be more in his or her body.
There are some asanas that are not meant to be done for minutes at a time. It is not always true that holding a pose for an extended amount of time is better. For example, the Peacock Pose (Mayurasana), the Eagle Pose (Garudasana), and the Crow Pose (Kakasana), are asanas that might not be executed for very long time, due to their ability to cause internal or external strain.
There are specific Yoga poses that nurture and intensify the internal experience of fire. Utkatasana or Powerful Pose and Warrior Three…
Asana is a step towards bringing deeper spirituality to your Yoga practice. There is no “right answer” about what a pose means. It can…
There are a number of Yoga poses, breathing exercises and contemplative techniques that will help to fan the fires of creativity and give you the energy to bring your creative projects to completion. Back bending Yoga poses are profoundly effective at releasing unproductive holding patterns all along the front side of the body.
Of all the various stances of Yoga, the Downward-Facing Dog, or the Adho Mukha Svanasana, is one of the most well-known and for good…
The word “chakra” literally means wheel. Traditionally, they are thought to be energy centers with the body. Chakras generally do not correspond to any western idea of the anatomy of the body. More commonly they are thought to be part of the subtle or astral body rather than the “gross” body. Kundalini Yoga attempts to awaken these energy centers though meditation. In Kundalini Yoga, seven Chakras are recognized (Tantric Buddhists recognize only four).
Performed in a studio heated to approximately 105 degrees Fahrenheit, Bikram Yoga aims to promote deeper stretching, restoring health to every part of the body. A Bikram Yoga series consists of 26 asanas, or postures, and two breathing exercises. In each Bikram Yoga asana, a particular part of the body is compressed, temporarily restricting blood flow to that part of the body.
It is important to practice Yoga while in optimal internal alignment. This internal alignment, with the flow of divine grace, is experienced through the correct alignment of our thoughts, words, and deeds. Study of the Yoga Sutras, by Patanjali, helps students to align their thoughts and actions with the deep wisdom of the Yogic tradition.
The Sixth Chakra is known in Sanskrit as the “Ajna Chakra.” This chakra is also known as the Third Eye Chakra. It is where spiritual…