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Asana & Prana: The Vital Life Energy
Prana is the vital life energy that flows through every living thing on this earth. In Chinese medicine this energy is referred to as Chi. Many ancient cultures have an understanding of this energy, and it’s referenced in storytelling, traditional medicinal practices, and yogic philosophy. Understanding prana, and the subtle body systems, can drastically change the way you approach your asana practice. Prana and the Asana So what do the yoga postures, or asana, have to do with prana? The yoga postures are practiced for a number of reasons. One of those reasons, is to help regulate the energetic body. Certain postures tap into these energy centers known as chakras, and can help…
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Hatha Yoga: How to Approach the Theory and Practice
Hatha Yoga is a traditional approach to modern asana or posture practice. While Hatha yoga is derived from ancient texts such as the Upanishads and Vedic teachings, its approach is all encompassing. My favorite modern day resource on Hatha Yoga is The Hatha Yoga Pradipika. This book is used in teacher trainings and workshops all over the globe! It is one of the most comprehensive resources that bridges the gap between traditional yoga and modern day asana. A Brief History of Hatha Yoga Despite the belief that hatha derives from the words ha, meaning sun, and tha, meaning moon. Hatha yoga actually translates to “with force or great effort”. Hatha was one of…
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How to Practice Ishvara Pranidhana: Surrender to a Higher Source
The final niyama in yoga’s eight limbed path is ishvara pranidhana, or surrder to a higher source. The yoga niyamas are the second limb of the eight limbed path, and are referred to as mental observances. Both the yamas and niyamas are the foundational teachings in yoga philosophy, and Ishvara Pranidhana is the perfect niyama to summarize the first two limbs of practice. One of my favorite resources regarding this topic is The Yamas and Niyamas, Exploring Yoga’s Ethical Principles by Deborah Adele. Before diving into the topic of surrender, the idea of a higher source is personalized to each practitioner. Traditional texts may refer to this higher source as God, or Brama…
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How to Practice Saucha, Purity
The yoga niyamas are the second limb of the eight-limbed path of yoga. Similar to the yamas, students should have a solid understanding and application of the niyamas before diving into the practice of yoga asana or yoga postures. While the yoga yamas are moral disciplines that focus on how you interact with the world around you, the niyamas are mental observances. As with each limb, the niyamas guide you deeper into the layers of your being, and closer to your core self. The First Niyama, Saucha Saucha means purity or cleanliness and is the first niyama of the eight-limbed path of yoga. Being the first yama, saucha effortlessly ties in the practice…
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What is the Ashtanga Yoga Tristana Method?
Ashtanga yoga is structured, challenging, and quite frankly, not everyone’s cup of tea. However, aspects of the Ashtanga yoga system can easily be applied to various lineages of yoga. By adopting the tristana method used in Ashtanga you can greatly improve your overall asana practice. Using three points of focus, the tristana method draws your awareness inward to the divine, energetic experience of yoga asana. The Tristana Method Moving beyond a strictly physical practice, despite its challenging postures, the system of Ashtanga is careful crafted around the inner workings of asana. This can be observed using the focal points of the tristana method, the breath, bandhas, and gaze. These three tools create concentration…
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Tapas: Stoking the Inner Fire
Tapas is one of the five niyamas of yoga, or moral disciplines that guide yogis in their daily practice. Translated to english, Tapas means to heat or shine. Not to be confused with agni, which is often used to describe the fire of purification created through the yoga practice (and also the name of the Hindu God of fire). Instead, tapas is the act of building the inner fire, it is a process of self discipline that ultimately leads to change. Tapas in the Physical Practice of Yoga Practicing the yoga postures is one of the easiest ways to feel tapas in action. While there are some styles of yoga that are cooling,…
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5 Yoga Myths We Need To Bust
Not flexible enough, not strong enough, and not having a thin, able-body are all reasons why newbies shy away from the practice of yoga. Any yoga teacher will tell you that these factors have nothing to do with the actual practice of though. Today, I’m going to tell you why. Here are five yoga myths that need to be busted! I’m Not Flexible Enough For Yoga I hear this all the time and I can’t help but laugh. Flexibility is a byproduct of the physical practice, not an initial requirement. When I came to yoga I was far more strong than flexible. In fact, when I started my teacher training I couldn’t even…
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The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: Understanding the Fundamentals of the Yoga Practice
The yoga sutras are some of the first written record we have of the yoga practice. They are ancient philosophies passed down from guru to student, and describe the purpose, intention, and major aspects of yoga. Initially these texts were strictly verbally taught until Sage Patanjali wrote physical copies in the sanskrit language. The sutras were then translated and expanded upon by Sri Swami Satchidananda, which is the most common translation seen today in studios and teacher trainings across the nation. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is my favorite book to recommend to students looking to deepen their awareness and yoga practice. The physical book is broken down into four main parts; the…
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The 5 Yoga Yamas: Yoga Philosophy and the Eight-Limbed Path
This post contains affiliate links, reash disclaimer for more info. I recently wrote a post about the eight-limbed path and the yoga philosophy. Traditionally the first limb taught to students is the yamas. In today’s day and age, yoga has become more of a mainstream exercise than a truly spiritual practice. This means philosophies such as the yamas and eight-limbed path often get overlooked. While I’m not here to get into the debate of “what is yoga,” I do want to share the philosophies of the practice so we can have a deeper understanding of its purpose in our lives. If you haven’t checked out my post about the eight-limbed path I recommend…
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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.…
