FOTM Archive

Deep thoughts to ponder

Focus of the month

Pratyahara – Healing the Disease of Disconnection

Pratyāhāra, the fifth limb of Patanjali’s eight limbs, is commonly described as ‘withdrawal’—to be able to withdraw

July, 2011

The Guru as Mirror

by Sharon Gannon

Often when a student talks about their guru, they say things like, “It was like they saw right through me. There is nothing I can hide from them; I am transparent in their presence. They remind me of God; I feel more whole when I am with them. They see …

June, 2011

Practice and Non-Attachment

by Sharon Gannon

In sutra 1.2 of his Yoga Sutra, Patanjali defines the state of Yoga as the cessation of identification with the fluctuations of mind. Then in sutra 1.12, he offers a 2-step method for how to stop those fluctuations and thus how to attain Yoga. He tells …

May, 2011

Yogic Detox

by David Life

Is yoga an effective method of detoxification? Is yoga an effective method of detoxification? It may be, but it may depend on what you want to detoxify. While it makes sense that yoga asana practice could detoxify the physical body, there actually are …

April, 2011

Music: the Language of the Universe

by Swami Nirmalananda

Music is the language of the Universe. By creating good and harmonious sound-vibrations, we should, therefore, extend and expand our mental horizons even while sitting quietly in our home instead of wasting time on cheap entertainment like cinema and T …

March, 2011

What is Yoga?

by Sharon Gannon

This sutra is how Patanjali defines Yoga: when you cease to identify with your thoughts, fluctuations of mind, then there is Yoga-identity with Self, which is samadhi, happiness, bliss and ecstasy. Wow, what a concept! And it is from this simply stated …

February, 2011

The Sheltering Roof

by Sharon Gannon

There was a time in the not so distant past when during the winter months the old growth forests with trees, some of whom might be a thousand years old, would form a canopy with their upper branches and greenery, protecting the forest floor from snow f …

January, 2011

Three Steps

by Sharon Gannon

My first real spiritual teacher was an alchemist. By “real spiritual teacher” I mean that he consciously gave me teachings and practices to help me understand the spiritual principles underlying all of existence. By “alchemy” I mean the ancient practic …

December, 2010

Sweeping The Dust

by Ruth Lauer-Manenti

When I first went to India, I was eager to look at Indian miniature paintings from the sixteenth century. I had seen many of them in museums in the West, and I assumed that in India I would find the best collections. But the museums in India are poorly …

November, 2010

Asteya and Veganism

by Sharon Gannon

In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali gives us five recommendations, called yamas, for how we should treat others if we want to attain liberation. The third yama is asteya, which means “non-stealing.” Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati defined theft as “the unauthoriz …

October, 2010

Valmiki

by Sharon Gannon

Valmiki is the author of the epic story, The Ramayana. But before he was a best selling author, he was a thief and, as legend has it, a very good one. Once, as he was about to steal a gold pot from the home of a yogi, the yogi appeared. The yogi did no …

September, 2010

Daily Asana Practice

by Sharon Gannon

Progress in all forms of yoga is directly related to how persistent and regular one practices. Asana is no exception. To obtain the most benefit, one should practice every day. Beginners should develop a daily practice from the start. Like brushing tee …

August, 2010

The Magical Power of Giving Blessings

by Sharon Gannon

What is realized in the yogic state of enlightenment is the oneness of being. In this state, all separation between self and other dissolves. The yogi realizes him- or herself as one with all that is. Then the world no longer appears as out there. I on …

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