Abhyasa is a Sanskrit word that is defined as the effort to remain steady in a state of yoga (citta vrtti nirodha) and thus be able to see beyond the visible, material world to the sacred...
Even though most of us begin yoga without giving much or any thought to the yamas eventually we open the door to contemplating and even putting them into action.
Every exercise in practice provides you with a microcosmic opportunity to advance along your solitary path to the macrocosmic pinnacle of yoga.
There is a sacred text called the Vijnana Bhairava, a gift from the God Shiva, and in it Shiva gives a set of yantras or images that are to be repeatedly held in the mind as devices for meditation.
Hi level shape making has little to do with doing advanced shapes and more to do with feeling compelled to mine the gold from nearly any shape.
Every act of prayer contains an element of emptying yourself, a relinquishment of volition, will and ego.
Sansaya (doubt) is one of the 9 obstacles that clouds the mind and thwarts practice. Skepticism, cynicism, jadedness, lack of trust, fear of trust, worry, anxiety, anticipating the worst, finding the worst, all of these are reflective of doubt.
Your work with the pelvic floor is more than a physical practice of contracting certain muscles in the lower pelvis. Whether you contract the anus, genitals, or the perineum, it is more valuable to focus on mula bandha as an energetic redirection...
I was 17. It was 1980. I was your classic looking punk rocker; tucked pants into army boots, a black leather jacket, and hair spiked with Murray’s pomade. I was scary looking.
I’m a bit of a nut when it comes to practicing in solitude. I imagine at times this can be hard on my practice partner but she also knows how thankful I am for her and our practice time.
