More and more frequently I hear these days when I encounter new students the words “spiritual” and “non-spiritual practice”. Recently I had a conversation with a new coming student about his preference for spiritual yoga classes rather than classes with too many and “difficult” asanas. When I asked him to tell me why he chose that kind of approach the …
Asteya(non-stealing) is the third from the five yamas(self-restrictions) that are mentioned in the text Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. It says “to not steal or desire something that is not yours, to not borrow something without the permission of the owner, to not take others’ ideas”. As to the rest of the yamas there is a lot more hidden behind this. …
The Buddha was born in Southern Nepal, he was a prince and lived in a way that all of his worldly needs were satisfied. He had abundance, luxury, pleasure & power. But the Buddha was a normal person not so different from any of us; later in his life when he started teaching he said: “Actually I am just like …
Mindfulness functions in an atmosphere of detachment and aspires towards pure objectivity, an awareness which reflects the nature of the object exactly as they are, without adding to them, without elaborating upon them, without interpreting them through the screens of subjective evaluation and commentary. – Bhikkhu Bodhi Mindfulness is the term that describes a mental or psychological property of the …
The second of the Yamas is called Satya, the word means truth and in the yogic tradition, it refers to the quality of staying true in thought, speech, and action. To not exaggerate and not speak for things you don’t know. The word sat means “that which is, that which exists”, so this virtue negotiates the ability to see and …
Halloween provides a time to put on masks and costumes. We can pretend to be someone else. However, after Halloween, we take the masks and the costumes off. But what happens with the invisible masks or armor that we wear in order to protect ourselves. Things like: … I am strong, I am weak, I get never sick, I can´t …
Chanting and mantra recitation have accompanied yoga practice for thousands of years. Chanting is of course both the in-toning of the rich vibratory sounds and the simultaneous listening to them. The concentrated in-toning of sound vibrates all along the axis of the body from the perineum up through the head, giving access to subtle and deep sensation and feeling. The …
Yoga philosophy is ancient and at the same time it is timeless. This is the reason why in our times it is one of the most effective tools that the modern man has in his disposal who looks for a balanced and a better everyday life that allows him to evolve. In this context, it is important to focus in …
For pranayama practitioners, Kapalabhati is the most important kriya. It should be mastered before any pranayama is commenced (unless it is very, very basic pranayama) and it should prelude any immediate individual pranayama session (unless the practitioner is very advanced). Benefits The Hatha Yoga Pradipika states that Kapalabhati dries up all the disorders stemming from an excess of phlegm …
For every person, yoga means something else, for one person it may be physical activity, for someone else maybe it is meditation, or maybe chanting, but definitely the word yoga which means “unity” is something more than a 60-minute class, it is something more than the ability to stand on your hands, twist and sweat. So, what do I do …