Yoga Nidra: An Outside In and Inside Out Practice
I spent January sinking deep into the study and practice of Yoga Nidra with Julie Lusk. I started practicing Yoga Nidra almost daily in 2020 during the COVID pandemic. Over time Yoga Nidra became a respite from all that swirled around me. As we emerged from the pandemic and life began to open, my routines shifted and Yoga Nidra got lost in the re-awakening of life. It became a reaction to the stressors in life instead of a proactive foundation. Yoga Nidra training presented me with an opportunity to come back to this dear friend and to deepen my practice. I’ve always been drawn to the concept of the koshas but I never truly understood the connection between Yoga Nidra and the koshas until diving deeper in this training. The koshas, known as energetic layers, sheaths, or coverings, are what shield us from the truth of who we really are: the truth that we are joy and love. Yes, my sankalpa (intention) for the last 3 years has been “Be, in love.” Be.Live.From love.Always. Yoga Nidra...
Finding Home in Integral Yoga Therapy
IYTh is based on the teachings of His Holiness Sri Swami Satchidananda Maharaj who taught that health and happiness are our birthright; our work is to undo the attachments and stressors that cause suffering.
How Meditation Can Help
in Times of Loss and Heartbreak
In grief and loss, the mind is powerfully affected. The way we think is changed. The content of our thoughts is altered. Particularly in early and traumatic grief, we forget things, we lose things, we are distracted and inattentive. Alternatively, we can be utterly...
More Recent Articles
Raspberry Chocolate Ganache
The raspberry chocolate ganache created by Yogaville's James Kovalenko is a truly gourmet dish. Not only is this five star delicacy delicious, it's raw, gluten-free, and vegan. Try your hand at this dessert this Thanksgiving season to delight your friends and family....
Living Yoga Training Program: Q&A with Alumni
The Living Yoga Training (LYT) program at Satchidananda Ashram-Yogaville is a twenty-eight day residential program designed for conscientious seekers to establish or deepen their practice. Within this supportive Ashram environment, participants, fondly called LYTs,...
The Dancing Nataraja: Finding Home in the West
On a cold and rainy day in March of 1991, a group of religious dignitaries gathered at the highest point of Yogaville to celebrate the inauguration of the Kailash shrine. The shrine was built to house the seven-foot-tall bronze moorti (sacred statue), depicting Lord...
Five Insights for New Yoga Teachers
For those of you who are newly certified Yoga instructors and pondering 'what’s next', read today's article about Tara Echenroeder and her five insights for new yoga teachers. Tara is an experienced ERYT500, RCYT, YACEP certified Yoga instructor, life coach,...
Release Into Restorative Yoga
Sometimes injury, stress, or the day's wear can leave us exhausted and unwilling to step onto the mat. In these times, the healing qualities of Restorative Yoga may be the perfect method for your practice. In Restorative Yoga, the body is placed in supported asanas...
The Value of Gratitude
Autumn has arrived to Yogaville and with it brings an abundance of reasons to be grateful. Fall foliage splashes the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains with color. Temperatures cool, and as the outside world transforms we acknowledge our own internal...
Jackfruit Tacos
Jackfruit is the fruit of all trades! You can enjoy it when it is ripe and sweet or when it’s unripe, green, and savory. It’s texture is almost identical to chicken, which makes it an incredible meat substitute. Trying to convert your loved ones to a healthy...
Are You Living Yoga? Or Just Stretching?
Yoga is much more than leggings, expensive mats, and contorting your body into complicated shapes. Despite its increasing popularity, western Yoga culture still tends to exclude many aspects of this ancient science. Luckily, Satchidananda Ashram-Yogaville is committed...
Vegan Potato Leek Soup Recipe
This classic Yogaville recipe is easy to make yet tastes like you really know your way around the kitchen. The entire family will enjoy this cozy and comforting soup. Ingredients 1 - 1.5 lbs of potatoes Olive oil 4 cloves minced garlic 3 cups chopped leeks...
4 Reasons To Practice Kirtan
In recent years, the practice of kirtan, or devotional chanting, has become increasingly popular in the West—and for good reason. Saints and Sages have claimed that it not only increases happiness and quality of life, but can lead to God realization. Not sure if...
Rewire Your Brain With Silence
Sound affects the human body on a deep cellular level. All of the sounds we hear throughout the day (alarms, music, traffic, etc.) vibrate every cell of our body, whether we are aware of it or not. In recent years, studies have suggested that Mozart’s sonatas have a...
Mouthwatering Mulligatawny Soup Recipe
“Mulligatawny” is the anglicized version of the Tamil words “miḷagāy taṇṇi”, or “pepper water”. In the late 1800’s while India was under British rule, English workers stationed in India with the East India Company took a liking to this flavorful soup. The recipe has...