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The 8-Limbed Path; a Guide to the Spiritual Practice of Yoga
When I tell most people I’m a yoga instructor, a lot of people have a picture in their brains of what that means. Typically it involves pretzel-like shapes and circus-style acrobatics. While yoga asana does include some crazy shapes, the actual application of the yoga practice extends far beyond the physical aspects. Yoga asana is just one of the eight limbs of the yoga practice. Traditionally, through the Ashtanga method, yoga was taught in segments. Starting off with one limb, and working your way up. The traditional eight-limbed path was intended to guide yoga students to the ultimate freedom of Samadhi, or total liberation. The Eight Limbs The eight limbs are intentionally sequenced.…
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Chitta Vritti, Thoughtlessness, and the Mind.
I’ve written about mindfulness and meditation a few times before on my blog, but meditation is such a diverse topic. I find I am constantly discovering more and more about the practice, and I’m always excited to share what I’ve learned! Something I have been exploring lately is the idea of Chitta Vritti, often translated to mind chatter, or monkey brain. I would say most people experience this mind chatter regularly in their everyday lives. It’s hard not to when we live in such a sensory-driven society. While having thoughts is totally normal, why is it that we try to suppress them when we meditate? This idea of having absolutely no thoughts when…