“Everyone deserves music, sweet music. Even our worst enemies, Lord, they deserve music. Even the quiet ones in our family, they deserve music!” ~Michael Franti People begin a yoga practice for many reasons, often times to achieve things like a healthi …
The word “yoga” can be used in two ways: as a noun, or as a verb. In the first instance, yoga refers to our natural state of being in which we no longer identify ourselves with the body and mind, but know ourselves to be the infinite, communal life for …
Through yoga practice, one becomes at ease – comfortable, fully alive in one’s body, free of disease, inhibition, up-tightness and self-consciousness. One becomes free in mind, body, and heart. Saints and peaceful warriors all have this ease of being a …
Our beloved teacher, Swami Nirmalananda would often remind us, “Practice dying everyday of your life and when the time for your death arrives you will be ready for the great samadhi.” Yoga is eternal. It exists in the infinity of the present; there is …
Yoga is suddenly becoming popular all over the world, and at the same time, we are in the midst of a global crisis. Human beings have caused this crisis, but yoga may hold the potential to save the planet, because yoga teaches us how to live harmonious …
All living beings are spiritual beings, because in one manner or another, all of life breathes. Breath is an indication that spirit is present. In the ancient languages of Aramaic (ruha) and Hebrew (ruach), the word for spirit also means breath. Even i …
Yoga provides the means to reintegrate all aspects of one’s being. If ones heart is filled with sincere, pure, and selfless intention, then one will experience a deep internal healing and a deep inner peace in one’s own body, mind, and soul. But, more …
Dharma means that which holds together and sustains. There is really no equivalent word in the English language. Perhaps this is significant in light of the fact that our present culture, which is very adharmic and unsustainable, is promoting selfish, …
Just as you cannot “do yoga,” you cannot “do meditation.” Yoga is the natural state of union with the divine source, happiness itself. What we can do are practices, which may reveal to us our resistance to that natural state. The practices of meditatio …
When the direction of our attention is fixed on Divinity, we will arrive there eventually but inevitably. The practice and experience of this asana realigns us with our innermost purpose, the reason we exist. The Taittriya Upanishad proclaims Love as t …
Kapalabhati means skull shining, and it is the sixth or last of the shat karma kriyas, which are important purification practices found in the Hatha Yoga system. The Hatha Yoga system acknowledges that our bodies are made from our past karmas. Our unre …
Hatha Yoga practices are alchemical practices, which can transform an ordinary body into a shining, diamond, light body. The transformation is one of perception. There are six important preliminary practices of purification, which are referred to as th …