Pranayama in Pyjamas

Pranayama in Pajamas

by new columnist Gabrielle Harris, The Suburban Yogini It’s 5.30 am, I’m up to do some serious breathing. It feels virtuous and good to be up at this time, just like a real yogi, however I do note that not even the birds seem to be breathing at this hour. But I’m a yogini and I’m on a mission - to find out more about Pranayama and its reported effects. I read somewhere that you should aim for at least 5 minutes breathing, 10 minutes meditation and 20 minutes asana in your morning … [Read more...]

Starting a Home Meditation Practice

Anyone can meditate at home

by guest author Peter Fernando, A Month of Mindfulness Are you wanting to start your own home meditation practice? The number one piece of advice I have for you is: Just do it! Having said that, a recent question that came in asked for more details, so in response to that reader, here's... Six Useful Home Meditation Tips 1) Don't meditate in front of the TV (even when it's off), or in front of the computer. If you take some time to create a meditation-only space in your home, it's … [Read more...]

How to adjust your yoga practice for autumn

Rachel practicing nadi shoden in the crisp autumn air

Take a big breath – air is all around us...... Autumn is a transformation beyond just the season. There are the obvious tell-tale signs that autumn is upon us in a change in the weather and changes in nature.  The days become shorter, the rhythm shifts, the light and heat of summer  subside. We move towards something more mellow and soft, which encourages us to look within and reflect. As you slow down, find the time to ponder an Ayurvedic approach to autumn. Ayurveda is a sister … [Read more...]

How to access infinite energy and prosperity using a sadhana

Anmol Mehta demonstrates Infinite Energy and Prosperity Meditation

I'm so excited! Today I started a new sadhana. The results from the last sadhana I did, Sodarshan Chakra Kriya were fantastic, and I'd been waiting for another sadhana to make itself known. What's a sadhana? Simply a daily spiritual practice like meditation done for forty consecutive days. On the weekend, while cleaning out my bedroom, I stumbled across a copy of Infinite Energy and Prosperity Meditation, taken from Anmol Mehta's wonderful website. … [Read more...]

My nine favourite places to practice asana, pranayama and meditation

Kara-Leah pacticing yoga on a dock

Part of my mission as a yoga teacher and writer is to show people that asana, pranayama and meditation can happen anywhere, anytime - not just in a yoga class, at a yoga studio, in a gym or on your mat at home. Breaking free of our ideas of how asana, pranayama and meditation "should" be practised gets yoga off the mat and integrates it into your everyday daily life. And when you integrate your practice into your everyday, daily life, you will see great gains, giant leaps, and experience … [Read more...]

Why adding Pranayama to your yoga practice is so powerful

Kelly catching a spontaneous full breath on the December Prana Flow photo shoot

One of the most common reasons I hear for why people don't do yoga is that they're "not flexible enough". Aside from the fact that this is exactly why they would get so much out of yoga, practicing yoga does not require you to be flexible! When I went to my first class (an Iyengar class on the North Shore of Auckland in 1995), my body was so tight that just to sit on the floor with a straight spine and straight legs, I had to perch up something like four blankets! … [Read more...]