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...
Why Study About Death and Dying?
One of the most important things we can do to prepare for death is to think about it. Bring it into your life, and as Don Juan said, “Use death as an advisor.” What would you do if you had six months to live? What would you cut out of your life? What would you do if...
The Best Comfort is Inside You
This above all: to thine own self be true. And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.—William Shakespeare If you have a poor opinion about yourself certainly it will affect your heart, your mind, your personality. What...
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Embrace the Power to Heal
Do you believe you have the power to heal yourself? The power to heal others? When most of us think of healing we imagine going to a bona fide “healer,” someone who purports to possess the rare and mystical power to heal. This could be a spiritual or religious...
Applying Yoga Therapy in Healthcare
Application of Yoga Therapy into Healthcare Dilip Sarkar, MD, FACS, CAP, C-IAYT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT: Yoga Therapy is the adaptation of the Yoga practices for patients with various chronic dis-eases. Yoga is a stepwise practice for self-realization. During the practice a...
Yoga for Moms: How to Relieve Mama Shoulders!
No one told me that one of the side effects of having a new baby was stiffness like all get out in the upper body and shoulders! It's chronic in the first few years. I remember being 5 or 6 months postpartum and catching sight of myself in the mirror: my...
Yoga as a Peace Practice: A Curriculum for Our Times
Yoga as a Peace Practice teaches ancient, contemplative practices of Yoga to help individuals and communities that have been impacted by violence improve their well-being and move toward self-love and wholeness. Yoga as a Peace Practice (YPP) is the first...
Meditating with Mantra: A Swami’s Experience
Did you know that there are many different ways to practice meditation? One type of meditation technique is called mantra japa, or repetition of a mantram—a sound structure of one or more syllables which represents a particular aspect of the divine vibration. In the...
The Neuroscience Is In: How Yoga Works
If you practice Yoga, you have probably experienced the physical, mental, and emotional benefits that it brings. But have you ever wondered why Yoga practice makes us feel so good? Modern research in the field of neuroscience is showing us just what's happening in our...
Campers, Get Ready for Summer!
If you've visited Yogaville during the summer, you may have seen a group of young yogis attending puja at Kailash, or you might have had the privilege of witnessing the boisterous fun of the Camp Yogaville talent show, or attending a lively Saturday night satsang...
Teaching Teens, Saving the World
In the early years of my career as a Yoga teacher, I worked with a lot of different populations—adults, seniors, cancer patients, kids and even toddlers. But I very consciously avoided one group… teens. I didn’t want to deal with their attitudes and hormones, and I...
Nourish Your Soul: Q&A with Marni Sclaroff
Sometimes, a sense of disconnection with who we really are sends us searching—for depth, for meaning, for reconnection. “Who am I?” is a question that has been asked since time immemorial. Too often it brings more questions than answers! Marni Sclaroff explores this...
Embracing Empowerment: Releasing Victim Mentality
The stories we tell ourselves about our lives help us understand the world and our role in it. But when those internal narratives become negative, blameful, and disempowering, then they may no longer serve us. Sid McNairy, former football coach at Northern Illinois...
Non-Greed (Aparigraha): The Folly of Craving
If you've ever taken a class with Swami Karunananda, you know that she is a Raja Yoga master and a fantastic storyteller. That's why we couldn't miss the opportunity to share her most recent satsang talk on Aparigrapha (non-greed). Below, Swami Karunanda offers many...
Go with the Flow
“Go with the flow!” We hear this phrase often as advice when we are struggling under pressure or we are experiencing something uncomfortable. Its intention is to shift us out of trying to control the outcome so that we accept what is happening and relax into the...