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Yoga Sutras For Modern Day Life: Yoga in Action
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali 2:1-Kriya Yoga, aka the Yoga of Action, aka a Yoga Practice has three parts: 1) training and purifying the senses (tapas), 2) Studying the Scriptures and ancient wisdom (svadhyaya), and 3) devotion and letting go into the creative source from which we emerged (ishvara pranidhana). Defining the Sutra: For those of you who were waiting patiently to dive into book two, here we go. The second book of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is Sadhana Pada or the Portion on Practice. This is the book that gets quoted the most often because it is the most practical and the easiest to understand. Most commentators see the first and…
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Ashtanga: The Power of Community
Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement shows how people working together can change the world. Blacks had individually yearned for these freedoms for years, it took people working together as a group, in peace, to get them. In order for an Ashtanga community to grow, a peaceful and powerful group needs to gather. Over the years, in two different cities, I have witnessed Ashtanga communities shattering over differences that really have nothing to do with the core of the practice. Maybe you are a part of one of these communities. Many people think that I am pretty radical. I am a big proponent of sticking as close to the method…
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Tales Of An Ex Ashtanga Whiner
The joy of whining Before starting, a question: Will it help? Like holding a grudge, or like panicking, whining rarely helps. If anything, any of the three make it far less likely that you’ll make progress solving the problem that has presented itself. And, like knuckle cracking, it’s best enjoyed alone- Seth Godin I used to be a huge Ashtanga whiner. Everyone had to know about my every ache and pain, all my perceived short comings and the list of reasons for why I couldn’t do the pose. Whining also includes nervous giggles, weird sounds, bizarre body movements, and crazy breathing all aimed at demonstrating a certain level of…
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Alignment and Injuries, Ashtanga Adaptability, Teaching Ashtanga, Uncategorized, Yoga Philosophy, Yoga Sutras
Yoga Sutras for Modern Day Life: A Firm Foundation
Yoga Sutras of Pantajali 1:30-Obstacles on the path of yoga are disease, dullness, doubt, carelessness, laziness, sensuality, false perception, failure to reach firm ground… Defining the Sutra: For commentary on the previous obstacles, go here. Failing to reach firm ground occurs when there is not a solid foundation for the yoga practice to build on. Modern Day Application The previous obstacles are all the reasons why people fail to maintain a firm ground Disease- It is hard to focus on yoga when you are sick Dullness-When we live a life that robs us of vitality and brightness, our mind grows dull Doubt- you doubt the practice,your teacher, or the method…
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Alignment and Injuries, Ashtanga Adaptability, Ashtanga Quotes, Ask The APP, Interviews, Reblogs, Social Media, Teaching Ashtanga, Uncategorized, Yoga Philosophy, Yoga Sutras
A Deeper Conversation on Pain In Yoga with Gregor Maehle and Satinder Khalsa
I received a comment on my article, Yogi’s Attitude Towards Pain, that made me realize that I deeper conversation on pain and suffering needed to take place. The comment centered around the difference between suffering and pain and the meaning of the word “duhkha” from the Yoga Sutras. Reader, Satinder Khalsa,wrote “It doesn’t say pain, it says suffering, duhkha, which has not come can be avoided.” I though this was interesting because the verse is always translated as “pain”. I decided to have a chat with Satinder, my Sanskrit teacher Kokila Kaul, and renowned Ashtanga teacher and Author of, Ashtanga Yoga: Practice and Philosophy, Gregor Maehle about Duhkha. …
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Yoga Sutras For Modern Day Life: Disrespecting the Practice
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali 1:30- The obstacles to yoga, which are distractions of the mind, are sickness, rigidity, doubt, negligence(carelessness, apathy), Defining the Sutra Today’s post is about apathy/negligence. For previous commentary, go here. Carelessness is a lack of respect for the practice of yoga. When we don’t respect the practice, we can’t get the full benefit. Modern Day Application When we don’t respect a person, we ignore them; we belittle their efforts; we don’t listen to them; we do what we want regardless of what they are saying; and we don’t trust them or value them. This is the same thing we do when we are careless (pramada)…
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Alignment and Injuries, Ashtanga Adaptability, Ashtanga Quotes, Teaching Ashtanga, Uncategorized, Yoga Philosophy, Yoga Polls, Yoga Sutras
Yoga Sutras For Modern Day Life: When You Have Doubts About Your Yoga Practice
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali 1:30: Obstacles on the path of yoga are sickness, dullness, doubt Defining the Sutra We will continue to look at the sutra on obstacles and move on to doubt. For previous sutras, please go here. There is nothing wrong with not knowing. There is nothing wrong with researching. There is nothing wrong with trying and experiencing many different options. However, to make any gains, you eventually have to settle on something. For example, if you doubt your career choice and you go back to school and study business a little while, law a little while, and then education a little while, you will have interesting experiences…
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Adventures in Mysore India, Ashtanga Adaptability, Ashtanga Quotes, Gita, History, Teaching Ashtanga, Uncategorized, Yoga Philosophy, Yoga Sutras
Highlights From Yoga Philosophy Study with Greg Nardi
I had the privilege of studying yoga philosophy this weekend with Greg Nardi. Here is his bio from his website, Ashtanga Yoga World Wide. Greg Nardi, founder of Ashtanga Yoga Worldwide, has spent years of dedicated practice under the guidance of Sri. K. Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India. In 2003, he was given authorization to teach from Pattabhi Jois, and in 2009, he completed a level 2 authorization course from Sharath Jois. He is currently learning the advanced series under Sharath’s guidance at the KPJAYI. Greg perpetually studies and practices Yoga, Eastern Philosophy and Sanskrit mantra chanting. He participates in Georg Feuerstein’s Traditional Yoga Studies course and has studied…
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Is Ashtanga Yoga a Balanced Practice?
Below are the 2 common reasons people feel Ashtanga is not balanced . This article is not geared towards people who have unique circumstances within their body that need special attention. Of course, the practice needs to change for them. This is about the healthy individuals who feel that the practice is imbalanced. Ashtanga is Just Forward Folds There are 50 + backbends in Ashtanga’s Primary Series! You do them in the Sun Salutes. You do them between almost every pose during floor work and than you finish with them! Upward Facing Dog is a back bend! Second Series has so many backbends that is is called “the nervous system”…
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Yoga Sutras For Modern Day Life: Sick, Dull and Nowhere Near Happiness
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali 1:30: The obstacles, which are distractions of the mind, are sickness…. Defining the Sutra This begins a list of obstacles that we will break down one by one. These distractions make it hard to stay on the path to yoga/ samadhi/freedom from suffering. One of the obstacles is sickness. Why It Is Important? Sickness is an obstacle when the illness causes the mind to be dull. In order to see truth, the mind needs to be clear. Sometimes sickness and injury can be a blessing because it slows us down and helps us to prioritize what is really important in our lives. Many people are bought to…
