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- June 2nd & 3rd: Wellington Yoga Centre, Iyengar Yoga Workshop with Louisa Potter
  A weekend workshop with Louisa Potter at the Wellington Yoga Centre on June 2nd and 3rd. Release grief & anxiety from the heart, to live with more freedom. Learn to work the ‘organs of action’,…
Practicing Yoga (110)
- Committing to Yoga (27)
  - The end of the 40 Day Hot Yoga challenge... the beginning of a new me (1)
    by guest author & freelance writer Hazel Slade There is no real way to describe how amazing it feels to successfully complete a 40-day Hot Yoga challenge... But I will try to put it into words. …
  - How to get the most out of any yoga teacher training - ask questions! (5)
    I’ve had the same conversation repeatedly since becoming a yoga teacher - a conversation about access to a skilled senior teacher and what can be done about it.
  - Hazel's 40-Day Hot Yoga Challenge: She's counting down (1)
    As I head into my last week of the 40-day Hot Yoga challenge, I have to start by telling you about something I overheard.
  - Hazel hits the halfway mark of her 40-Day Hot Yoga Challenge
    by guest author & freelance writer Hazel Slade So.... last weekend I hit the halfway mark in my first ever 40-day hot yoga challenge. And, I have to say, it felt absolutely wonderful. Not only…
  - Learning, laughter and letting go: Hazel on her first 10 days of a Hot Yoga Challenge
    For the first few days of this challenge I ached. My whole body ached. Muscles which I didn’t even know I had ached. All I could think about was how much doing this much yoga hurts and how…
  - Inside a 40-Day Hot Yoga Challenge - will Hazel go the distance?
    On Monday, January 23, I will tackle my post-Christmas slump by launching myself into a 40 day Hot Yoga and Green Juice challenge at Hot Yoga Wellington. This may sound like a massive feat. And it…
  - Swami Ji reveals why every yoga practitioner needs a guru
    Swami Govindananda, affectionately known as Swami Ji, is a Kiwi boy born and bred, and a Swami by education and spirit. Swami Ji gives some interesting insight into what it means to be a swami, and…
  - How being kind to myself helped me do 108 sun salutations at Global Mala Wellington (7)
    Alys Titchener shares her experience of completing 108 sun salutation at Global Mala Wellington 2010.
  - Kickstart 2010: After 30 days, what next? (2)
    After 30 days of yoga, what next? You probably already know. The point was never to do yoga for 30 days. The point is to make space to practice yoga every day.
  - Kickstart 2010: Are we having fun yet?
    Is it possible to have fun with yoga? Isn't yoga supposed to be serious and heavy? In my experience yoga is also a practice of joy. So, are you having fun yet?
  - Kickstart 2010: No pain, no gain?
    Third post in a series about committing to a 30 day sadhana, or practice of yoga. Is it true that no pain means no gain in yoga? How can we find a balance between strength and flexibility, between…
  - Kickstart 2010: Setting a sankalpa (intention)
    How to use the power of intention to make positive change in your life, and in your yoga practice.
  - Kickstart 2010 with a commitment to your yoga practice
    Join Marianne on a 30 day commitment to your yoga practice via three different options, outlined in this article. It doesn't matter how or where you practice yoga, you can follow along.
  - Completion of a loving-kindness sadhana, Day 30 to Day 40 (2)
    After forty days of continuous daily practice, Kara-Leah shares the changes in her life as a result of this meditation. It's been such a profound and joyful experience that she's continuing on with…
  - Inside the experience of a Loving-Kindness sadhana to day 29 (2)
    Over halfway through her forty day commitment of daily loving-kindness meditation, KL shares her experiences of prana rising in the spine, and shifting into a field of awareness.
  - Inside the experience of a loving-kindness sadhana to Day 20 (4)
    I wanted a practice that would teach the art of intimacy, and I found this simple loving-kindness meditation. For in essence, isn't that what all of life about? The way we relate to each other. The…
  - How to connect to other people while holding your centre – a new loving-kindness sadhana (33)
    Do want to feel more love, more acceptance, more balance, more joy in your life? Join KL on her forty day practice of a loving-kindness meditation
  - What is a sadhana and why do I need one in my life? (8)
    A sadhana is a regular spiritual practice that can include yoga postures, breath work, meditation, study, chanting, or even just walks in nature.
  - Day 1 to 15: Forty Day Sadhana of Infinite Energy and Prosperity Meditation (4)
    These are interesting times. It's getting harder and harder to ignore the fact that we live on a finite planet, yet continue to promote a consumerist, throw away society that generates money for the…
  - How to access infinite energy and prosperity using a sadhana (1)
    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…
  - Day 40: Completion of my Forty Day Sadhana of Sodarshan Chakra Kriya (4)
    I've done it! Yes, on Saturday, 94 days after I made a commitment to complete a forty day sadhana, I did my forty days in a row. On my first attempt back in January and February, I missed a day at…
  - Day 32 to 35: Forty Day Sadhana of Sodarshan Chakra Kriya (7)
    After 35 days of daily practice, Kara-Leah Grant accidentally misses a practice of sodarshan chakra kriya - which means she's got to start the forty days all over again.
  - Day 22 to 31: Forty Day Sadhana of Sodarshan Chakra Kriya (2)
    Prana Flow NZ author Kara-Leah Grant shares her experience of a forty day sadhana of sodarshan chakra kriya.
  - Day 15 to 21: Forty Day Sadhana of Sodarshan Chakra Kriya (2)
    Prana Flow NZ author Kara-Leah Grant shares her experience of a forty day sadhana of sodarshan chakra kriya.
  - Day 8 to 14: Forty Day Sadhana of Sodarshan Chakra Kriya (4)
    There have been so many "ah-ha!" moments this week, brought about by a combination of this sadhana, but also an amazing book I am reading called Yoga and the Quest for the True Self, by Stephen…
  - Day 1 to 7: Forty Day Sadhana of Sodarshan Chakra Kriya
    It's one week into my forty day Sadhana and I am loving it. No matter what is going on in my day, no matter how I am feeling, I know I can take eleven minutes out to myself to do this practice of…
  - Committing to a Forty Day Sadhana of Sodarshan Chakra Kriya (5)
    In yoga, the commitment to a specific daily practice is sometimes called "sadhana" - or spiritual practice. As my stated mission on this site is for everyone in New Zealand to be doing yoga, I'm…
- Yoga Lifestyle (18)
  - How to make your office practice your yoga practice (3)
    Are you too busy at work to become liberated? Would aliens snatch you up out of your office desk for analysis because of that mindless look on your face? Do you want to incorporate more yoga into…
  - Breaking down my self-made prison through truth (10)
    Forrest Yoga Teacher Training brought me to Denver for 27 days of karmic hell and dharmic euphoria. It reincarnated 28 years' of emotional bullshit compost into rich spiritual soil. The practice…
  - Looking for the man of your dreams? ... Don't! (3)
    My flatmate Kara-Leah and I were sitting on our lounge floor one afternoon doing some stretches before dinner. I was deep in thought and before I could censor myself, I blurted out; I feel like…
  - Nadine Fawell shares why Yoga is her chosen faith (32)
    by guest author Nadine Fawell, a Melbourne-based yoga teacher, blogger, and author of the yogAttitude cards. She is most interested in yoga's power to heal body, mind, and spirit. I’ve just come…
  - How to heal your toxic emotions
    Deepak Chopra shares a seven step process on how to heal your toxic emotions, once and for all. He's in Auckland on August 2nd talking about healing and transformation.
  - Breaking away from asana and exploring the other limbs of yoga (4)
    Since asana is only one of eight limbs of Yoga, dropping it hasn’t dropped Yoga from my life. Instead it has opened up more time and focus for the other limbs.
  - Applying the fifth yama, Aparigraha (non-hoarding), to daily life (4)
    Of all the yamas, this is the one which, if kept, would have the most profound on our western, consumer, materialistic society. If we all lived in such a way that we were non-possessive, non-accumulat…
  - Applying the fourth yama, Brahmacharya (moderation), to daily life (3)
    Brahma literally means the ‘divine consciousness’ and charya, in this context, means ‘living’ or ‘one who is established in’. A literal definition of the fourth yama becomes not 'celibacy'…
  - Applying the third yama, Asteya (non-stealing), to daily life (2)
    Far more than just refraining from stealing material items, Asteya also means not taking that which is not offered. Tricky double negative there, but if it hasn't been offered, hands off. And that…
  - Applying the second yama, Satya (truth), to daily life (1)
    It didn't surprise me to discover this week that a yoga asana (posture) for Satya could be Virabhadrasana 1 or Warrior 1 Posture, as this is a posture of standing forward and being forward in your…
  - Applying the first yama, Ahimsa (non-violence), to daily life (4)
    Last week I made the decision to apply myself seriously to the study and application of each yama week by week. First up is Ahimsa, appropriately the first of the yamas (or wise characteristics that…
  - Can you name all the yamas and niyamas from Patanjali’s Eight Limbs?
    Despite being a practicing yoga student for more than ten years and a teacher for five or so, I still struggle to remember what the yamas and niyamas are, and I can never list all five of each.
  - How yoga practitioners can integrate Ayurveda into their practice
    It is the purpose of Ayurveda to give us the means of health and healing on a physical and psychological level so that we can pursue the path of Yoga.
  - An exploration of non-attachment, or vairagya (2)
    by guest author Swami Muktidharma Saraswati For details of a retreat this weekend at Anahata Retreat on non-attachment, please see the end of this article. Attachment is one of the main…
  - What's yoga got to do with climate action?
    Learn why being a yogi automatically brings you into alignment with the environment. It's all about the yamas - in particular, non-violence, non-theft and non-greediness.
  - How yoga helps unleash the power of truth in your life (3)
    How often do you lie in your day to day life? What stops you from feeling the power of being a truth-teller? Find out how yoga builds courage and encourages truth.
  - A central teaching from Sri Swami Sivananda – The Eighteen ‘Ities’
    "Serenity, Regularity, Absence of Vanity, Sincerity, Simplicity, Veracity, Equanimity, Fixity, Non-irritability, Adaptability, Humility, Tenacity, Integrity, Nobility, Magnanimity, Charity,…
  - Am I a bad yogi because I want to eat steak? (34)
    Find out what you should and shouldn't be eating if you're serious about your practice of yoga.
- Home Practices (22)
  - Wellbeing World Online launches audio yoga classes featuring New Zealand yoga teachers (5)
    Have you ever tried following a Yoga DVD only to find it difficult to perform the postures correctly whilst having to look at the T.V? Constantly looking at the screen can make it tricky to fully…
  - Starting a Home Meditation Practice
    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,…
  - DVD Review: Love and Happiness (13)
    We all want love and happiness in our lives and in his DVD set, kiwi-born Swami Govidananda lays down some hard truths and deep insights from Indian philosophy on how to get just that.
  - Bra-Free Pyjama Practice: My Yoga at Home (9)
    I’ve barely bothered to take any group classes since 2004. I like it that way. Let’s consider the arguments for home vs. group practice...
  - How to cope with post-pregnancy poopiness
    Creating a baby is such a natural thing, yet it can change your world so irrevocably and unexpectedly that it’s no wonder women struggle after the intensity of birthing to feel centred, balanced…
  - Practices for the Heart Chakra, Part 2 (1)
    Embodying the Heart In Part One, The Meaning of Anahata, I wrote about the energy of the heart center, the compassion and love that it exemplifies and gave simple breath-focused meditation…
  - Practices for the Heart Chakra, Part 1
    In both parts of this article are a collection of useful techniques for working with the heart center to create more peace, joy, and unconditional love in your life. Start with what interests you…
  - Chanting through the chakras
    Starting at the base of the spine, the coccyx, and moving up to the crown of the head, these seven energy centers represent and offer a way of working with the unconscious and subconscious realms of…
  - How to maintain a home yoga practice with a baby (or generally demanding life) (7)
    It's something other mothers have been asking me for the last few months - how do I maintain my home yoga practice when I've got a 9 month old baby boy? It's simple really.I make my practice the…
  - How to work with an aromatic sadhana (spiritual practice)
    The rich fragrances of sandalwood, frankincense, myrrh, and rose have been intertwined with spiritual practices throughout history and yoga is no exception, just think of the prevalence of incense in…
  - Learn the practice of neti and experience a clear head space (2)
    Neti is one of the easiest and quickest shatkarmas* to learn. Its mastery can be accomplished within a couple of goes then effortlessly incorporated into your daily life. You can do Neti in the…
  - Music as a spiritual tool
    Yoga teacher and musician Premratna shares her passion for music, and her understanding of how different music forms take us closer and closer towards the Divine.
  - How to apply the right yoga practice to your daily life (2)
    When life changes it can be difficult to keep up our yoga practice, yet the biggest barrier to our practice is not the shift in our circumstances but our mind's inability to accept and roll with…
  - Effects of the Sankalpa in Satyananda Yoga Nidra – Manifesting the positive
    Satyananda Yoga Nidra provides the tools to ‘weed out’ unconscious negative patterns and instead plant positive seeds deep in the subconscious mind, using the power of Sankalpa.
  - How to fit well-being into your holiday season (5)
    Ah, 'tis the season to be jolly, and merry, and over-indulge, because by golly you've earned it. But it is possible to maintain some semblance of well-being, even in the midst of all the must-dos and…
  - Twee Merrigan teaches an on-line Prana Flow Yoga Class
    Yeah! Twee's released on on-line twenty minute Prana Flow Yoga Class, aimed at all levels. Fantastic stuff.
  - Day 8 to 14: Forty Day Sadhana of Sodarshan Chakra Kriya (4)
    There have been so many "ah-ha!" moments this week, brought about by a combination of this sadhana, but also an amazing book I am reading called Yoga and the Quest for the True Self, by Stephen…
  - Day 1 to 7: Forty Day Sadhana of Sodarshan Chakra Kriya
    It's one week into my forty day Sadhana and I am loving it. No matter what is going on in my day, no matter how I am feeling, I know I can take eleven minutes out to myself to do this practice of…
  - Committing to a Forty Day Sadhana of Sodarshan Chakra Kriya (5)
    In yoga, the commitment to a specific daily practice is sometimes called "sadhana" - or spiritual practice. As my stated mission on this site is for everyone in New Zealand to be doing yoga, I'm…
  - A short home yoga practice for managing back pain (5)
    nspired by an uncle-in-law who's doctor told him he needed to do yoga to help his back... this practice is designed for people who have never done yoga before, but know it might be able to help them…
  - How to build a home yoga practice (3)
    As a yoga teacher, my goal is to inspire my students to practice yoga at home. It's great when people get themselves to classes three times a week, but the true benefits of yoga really start to…
  - How do I open my third eye? (18)
    The third eye is located in the middle of our forehead, about where the pituitary gland is. It's where our sixth chakra, or anja chakra is located. Many yoga practices focus on opening this eye, so…
- Meditation Practices (32)
  - How to meditate in four easy steps
    byPeter Fernando, The Meditation Guy. I like to consider what 'meditation' is, from the perspective of a beginner, or someone who's never heard of it. Sometimes the more I think I know about…
  - The joy hidden within chaos
    On the surface of things, spirituality can seem to be about control, right? 'Mind Control' perhaps. Or 'Body Control'?
  - Why 'letting go' and 'detachment' can be pitfalls on the spiritual path
    I received this honest and moving question a few weeks back: If you have never bonded with your mother and so have never experienced secure attachment in a primary relationship, how can you work…
  - Starting a Home Meditation Practice
    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,…
  - Why Do I Meditate?
    Peter Fernando reflects on what inspired to meditate, the fragility of life, and the feeling of 'wrongness' in the heart.
  - Review: A Month of Mindfulness Meditation Practice with Peter Fernando
    Alys Titchener reviews the online meditation course 'A month of mindfulness' offered by Peter Fernando.
  - How does Gangaji describe the practice of enquiry? (3)
    The path of direct enquiry is the lineage of Ramana Maharshi and what he offered as a path to his own spiritual self-realisation. It is what Papaji taught, and what Gangaji now teaches. Ramana…
  - Rolling with Gangaji and how she scuttled my boat Part 2 (3)
    Revealing the work of Enquiry as we dive into the nature of spiritual practice and noticing when we are avoiding unwanted feelings or sensations in the body, particularly the feeling of powerlessness.
  - Rolling with Gangaji and how she scuttled my boat Part 1
    Enquiring into Vigilance and Stopping.
  - How to meditate with a baby or toddler (4)
    Don't let having a baby stop your meditation practice. It's totally possible to maintain a daily meditation practice even if you've got a baby or toddler. Here's how!
  - Establishing a daily mindfulness practice is easier than you think (4)
    Establishing a daily meditation practice can be an opportunity for creativity and a fresh perspective on how we live in the world. It doesn't have to seem like just another thing we should be doing,…
  - Equaniminity and the dying mouse
    Alys shares a story about what it means to move through life with an open heart, how we can learn to open to the pain of life around us while maintaining equaniminity.
  - Learning to soften (1)
    Lia Aprile discovers via her regular meditation practice how she needs to soften - quite literally!
  - An interview with Insight Dialogue author and teacher Gregory Kramer
    Find out how international author and meditation teacher took Insight Meditation and developed a method to improve interpersonal relationships.
  - An interview with India-based meditation teacher Tarun Kumar
    Meditation. Why is everyone getting so excited about it? Could be because it works - on many different levels. In March & April New Zealanders will have a chance to find out why meditation is so…
  - Being still for a change – why meditating is a response to climate change
    How can meditating possibly be a response to climate change? Renowned activist and writer Christine Dann explains why just sitting is a great way to counter-act consumerism.
  - Completion of a loving-kindness sadhana, Day 30 to Day 40 (2)
    After forty days of continuous daily practice, Kara-Leah shares the changes in her life as a result of this meditation. It's been such a profound and joyful experience that she's continuing on with…
  - Inside the experience of a Loving-Kindness sadhana to day 29 (2)
    Over halfway through her forty day commitment of daily loving-kindness meditation, KL shares her experiences of prana rising in the spine, and shifting into a field of awareness.
  - Inside the experience of a loving-kindness sadhana to Day 20 (4)
    I wanted a practice that would teach the art of intimacy, and I found this simple loving-kindness meditation. For in essence, isn't that what all of life about? The way we relate to each other. The…
  - Wellington Meditation Teacher: Stephen Archer
    With an honours degree in Eastern religions and training as a Buddhist monk for 13 years in the Theravada tradition, Stephen Archer really knows his meditation.
  - How to connect to other people while holding your centre – a new loving-kindness sadhana (33)
    Do want to feel more love, more acceptance, more balance, more joy in your life? Join KL on her forty day practice of a loving-kindness meditation
  - How do I know what type of meditation would suit me? (4)
    Want to get started with a regular meditation practice but not sure where to start? Find out how in this article by Wellington yoga teacher Kara-Leah Grant.
  - Day 1 to 15: Forty Day Sadhana of Infinite Energy and Prosperity Meditation (4)
    These are interesting times. It's getting harder and harder to ignore the fact that we live on a finite planet, yet continue to promote a consumerist, throw away society that generates money for the…
  - How to access infinite energy and prosperity using a sadhana (1)
    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…
  - Wellington Meditation Teacher: Peter Fernando (1)
    Wellington Insight Meditation teacher Peter Fernando shares his journey into meditation, and his understanding of the art of happiness.
  - What it means to embody presence in all that you do
    One of the first times in my life I remember feeling fully present in the body was when I was in my early twenties. It was a time when I was in quite a lot of mental distress. My life at the time…
  - My nine favourite places to practice asana, pranayama and meditation (7)
    Breaking free of our ideas of how yoga, pranayama and meditation "should" be practised is one of the first steps to getting yoga off the mat and integrating it into your everyday daily life.
  - Because you want to make a million and meditate on it too (3)
    Yes! It is possible to live a spiritual life, and be wealthy too. Blending buddhist principles with business is possible, and can help you find that wealth you're looking for.
  - How do I stop these compulsive thoughts invading my brain? (1)
    There is no easy way to stop the thoughts, except to withdraw energy from them, but also one must recognise why one is having these thoughts. See, YOU are not your thoughts, nor your mind, nor…
  - How do I begin to meditate? (2)
    For those of us who practice Hatha Yoga (asana, pranayama and meditation), when we are pressed for time, meditation often gets set aside – we want to do it, but how to fit it in our busy day?
  - The wise do not waste time on meditation (2)
    Do not think that because you take an hour a day to sit and meditate that you have arrived. You have not arrived. Because when you get up off your mat All full of pride That you can stop…
  - Ten Free On-Line Guided Meditations (5)
    Reviews of ten free online meditations ranging from six minutes to 30 minutes. Great for de-stressing, relaxing, and letting go of all worries.
- Breathing Practices (8)
  - Starting a Home Meditation Practice
    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,…
  - How to adjust your yoga practice for autumn
    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…
  - How to access infinite energy and prosperity using a sadhana (1)
    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…
  - My nine favourite places to practice asana, pranayama and meditation (7)
    Breaking free of our ideas of how yoga, pranayama and meditation "should" be practised is one of the first steps to getting yoga off the mat and integrating it into your everyday daily life.
  - Why adding Pranayama to your yoga practice is so powerful (6)
    Yoga is not all about asana, and someone who is paralyzed from the neck down can practice yoga. In fact, if you can breathe, you can practice yoga.
  - Why it's important to breathe (3)
    I know, you're breathing already, automatically, all the time - about 25,000 breaths day. But are you really breathing? Stop right now. Place both hands lightly on your belly. Exhale ALL…
  - Committing to a Forty Day Sadhana of Sodarshan Chakra Kriya (5)
    In yoga, the commitment to a specific daily practice is sometimes called "sadhana" - or spiritual practice. As my stated mission on this site is for everyone in New Zealand to be doing yoga, I'm…
  - How to start a home yoga practice (2)
    Getting started on a home yoga practice is the beginning of a journey with the power to transform your life. Here's some tips on how to make it happen for you.
- Physical Practices (13)
  - Who knew? There isn't just one right way to do things. Even in Yoga. (3)
    Once, when I was staying at an ashram in India, happily practicing trikonasana, I was given an adjust that went against everything I understood about the asana. And so I asked: 'Why?' The woman…
  - A curious approach to sitting and back-bending (1)
    Now, as you sit at your desk, it is likely that the muscles of your back are stopping you from toppling into the keyboard. Parts of your back can easily overwork, whether you are slumping forward or…
  - Why do I resist my yoga practice when I know it's good for me? (11)
    Got serious mat resistance? Oh boy, have I been there! Here's my experience, what helped me bust through that resistance once and for all, and what I learned in the process.
  - How yoga has the power to transform and release avidya (self-ignorance) (6)
    Warrior I is so named because it commemorates the ideal of a “spiritual warrior,” one who bravely does battle with the universal enemy, self-ignorance (avidya), the ultimate source of all our…
  - What's it like to do 108 sun salutations in a row? (28)
    Mention doing 108 sun salutations in a row to most people, even regularly practicing yogis, and their eyes widen as their mind says "No way!" Yes way! Not only can your average yoga…
  - Is asana practice a totally over-rated part of yoga? (8)
    Think yoga and most people think about twisting and turning the body into some weird shape, but asana (postures) is only one small aspect of yoga. If you're truly practicing yoga, you need to be…
  - How to introduce your children to yoga (1)
    The power of yoga to improve the quality of life for our children is an untapped resource.
  - The joys of introducing yoga to children (3)
    Kids love movement and love exploring the potential of their bodies. It is so much fun to offer them different options for doing so and watch them delight in the outcome. Yoga enhances children's…
  - How to use the creativity of yoga to unleash the child within (1)
    We’re all too often wrapped up in the tasks of life. As we age, we run the risk of diminishing our natural creativity for the sake of ‘being a grown-up’. The practice of yoga will help keep…
  - My nine favourite places to practice asana, pranayama and meditation (7)
    Breaking free of our ideas of how yoga, pranayama and meditation "should" be practised is one of the first steps to getting yoga off the mat and integrating it into your everyday daily life.
  - How to surrender into back bends using a sankalpa (2)
    by guest author Trudi Collins, Yoga teacher at Synergy Fitness, Napier After reading Kelly’s article about sankalpa’s, and KL’s inspiring 40 day commitment to Sodarshan Chakra…
  - How to approach challenging yoga poses with patience and self-kindness (5)
    Though we all know, as good yogis should, that the purpose of our practice is to create a greater sense of inner peace and self-actualization, it’s sometimes difficult to not push ourselves past…
  - A short home yoga practice for managing back pain (5)
    nspired by an uncle-in-law who's doctor told him he needed to do yoga to help his back... this practice is designed for people who have never done yoga before, but know it might be able to help them…
- Energetic Practices (6)
  - How to answer: what exactly is the energy body?
    What is the energy body? In our small group were varying degrees of comfort with the very idea. From absolute belief to a lot of questions. And a lot of doubt.
  - Tantra: A system for mind expansion
    There is a huge misunderstanding about the great science of Tantra, especially in our western society. Some confuse it with witchery or black magic and a lot more think that Tantra is only related…
  - Suggestions on what to do if you've had a Kundalini Awakening (14)
    It can be scary, disorientating, dislocating and downright awful when Kundalini awakens. Sometimes a Kundalini Awakening will look like mental illness, physical illness or emotional difficulties.…
  - What is a Kundalini Awakening and have I had one? (5)
    Find out all about Kundalini, what happens when she awakens, and whether or not you might have had a Kundalini awakening. These are my reflections and my understandings based on my own experience of…
  - Be a Tree: Interpretive Yoga for Adults
    Pay attention to Nature move through a full cycle of gestation, birth, growth, and decay through the year you’ll see letting go as making space.
  - Chakra Vinyasa: Meeting the Energy Body (2)
    I began learning about the chakras via determined questioning of my first instructors. This is the intro article into a series sharing what I've discovered.
Starting Yoga (60)
- The Basics (13)
  - The beginner’s guide to yoga: Part 3 (2)
    Doing asana 'right' is also about the relationship you have with the pose while you're doing it. Are you liking the pose? Disliking the pose? Or are you completely absent from the pose as you think…
  - The beginner’s guide to yoga: Part 2 (5)
    It's so easy to think that doing a pose right means looking a certain way in the pose. But that's not true at all. Finding your way into a posture is about finding your breath.
  - The beginner’s guide to yoga: Part 1 (5)
    Everything you need to know about starting yoga and going along to your first class. What to wear, what to take, what to think... and what yoga is really all about.
  - What is a sadhana and why do I need one in my life? (8)
    A sadhana is a regular spiritual practice that can include yoga postures, breath work, meditation, study, chanting, or even just walks in nature.
  - How do I know what type of meditation would suit me? (4)
    Want to get started with a regular meditation practice but not sure where to start? Find out how in this article by Wellington yoga teacher Kara-Leah Grant.
  - How to introduce your children to yoga (1)
    The power of yoga to improve the quality of life for our children is an untapped resource.
  - What is Ayurveda all about?
    One does not discover Ayurveda, or discover that Ayurveda is something removed from whom we are. Ayurveda by definition is “the Science of Life and Longevity”, we are already ‘in’ Ayurveda…
  - How to set an intention for your practice (10)
    Guest author Kelly Fisher details the importance of working with a sankalpa (intention) in yoga practice, and in life.
  - How do I begin to meditate? (2)
    For those of us who practice Hatha Yoga (asana, pranayama and meditation), when we are pressed for time, meditation often gets set aside – we want to do it, but how to fit it in our busy day?
  - What is this yoga stuff all about? (4)
    An article examining what yoga is truly all about, beyond asana, beyond pranayama, beyond meditation. What is the point of it all?
  - How to start a home yoga practice (2)
    Getting started on a home yoga practice is the beginning of a journey with the power to transform your life. Here's some tips on how to make it happen for you.
  - How to choose the right yoga studio for you (3)
    With so much choice out there today, how do you choose the right yoga studio for you? Choosing the right yoga studio is an investment in your health and well-being
  - What style of yoga is Prana Flow? (9)
    Taught by Master Yoga Instructor Shiva Rea, Prana Flow is a liberating, evolutionary, rhythmic, vinyasa flow class that encompasses mudra, chanting, bandha, pranayama, meditation, asana, kriya and a…
- Yoga Styles (8)
  - What I love about Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga (6)
    Ashtanga practitioner Nick Potter shares his passion and insight for the yoga practice which works for him, explaining that Ashtanga is a moving meditation. The body moves, but the mind becomes more…
  - Turning Yin – an insider’s look at Yin Yoga (4)
    Yin Yoga teacher Jessica Powers explains what Yin Yoga is all about - where it came from and how it's different from other more yang styles of yoga like Vinyasa.
  - Kundalini Yoga – the Yoga of Consciousness
    Curious about Kundalini Yoga and want to know more? Kundalini Yoga Teacher Amanda Reid gives a concise breakdown on the ins & outs of Kundalini.
  - Why kirtan is one of the most powerful yoga practices you'll ever do (4)
    The practice of chanting, or Kirtan, is a fun and joyous way to move energy within then physical/emotional/mental bodies, enabling healing and bliss to flow freely
  - Why practicing ‘Freedom Yoga’ can work wonders for your practice (4)
    Yoga teacher Bruce Foley examines the difference - if there is any - between practicing 'fixed pattern' yoga (astanga, bikram, iyengar) and 'freedom yoga'.
  - Witnessing the evolution of yoga from Vinyasa to Prana Flow to Flow Motion to Your Yoga (1)
    Yoga is yoga is yoga is yoga. It's connecting to the breath and feeling our connection to All that Is. It's surrendering the ego self to the higher self and letting the innate intelligence within the…
  - Bhakti Yoga & Kirtan - it's how yogis get high (9)
    One of the lesser known and yet perhaps most powerful forms of yoga is Bhakti Yoga. This is the yoga of devotion, and is often practiced via kirtan - or chants.
  - What style of yoga is Prana Flow? (9)
    Taught by Master Yoga Instructor Shiva Rea, Prana Flow is a liberating, evolutionary, rhythmic, vinyasa flow class that encompasses mudra, chanting, bandha, pranayama, meditation, asana, kriya and a…
- How yoga helped me (29)
  - How yoga helped me... enjoy a fulfilling pregnancy
    Currently expecting her first child, Mandy is enjoying the wonders and challenges of being a pregnant yogini.
  - I’m not flexible enough to do yoga (19)
    Most people were caught by surprise when I confessed I’d never done a yoga class; I’d always append the confession with – I’m not flexible enough.
  - How yoga helped me… recover from drug and alcohol addiction (1)
    Coming from a dysfunctional family, it is not really a surprise that I got involved with punk rockers and street kids in my early teens. I felt a sense of belonging, I was needed. I brought them…
  - How yoga helped me… stand tall, both literally and emotionally
    Yoga has taught me to be aware of my body and it has helped me become aware of how nice it feels to expand and stretch my body so that I stand tall and embrace the world around me.
  - How to learn from the goals we don’t achieve (4)
    I’ve recently committed myself to a 30-day sadhana or committed practice through 30 days of yoga. And as a result I’ve not gone anywhere near my yoga mat for days. Every morning I wake up and I…
  - How yoga can ease the shift to a brand new city (3)
    I was a happy Canadian girl living in London. I had my push bike and my belly dancing and my charity job. I had friends and I had my yoga. Then I met a Kiwi boy and fell in love. And now I'm in…
  - Is regular yoga practice a good way to lose weight? Part II (2)
    Weight loss may be the direct result of vigorous regular yoga practice or it may be indirectly related to the cultivation of mindfulness. Successful weight loss is also more likely to happen if yoga…
  - How yoga has helped me… with Sarcoidosis
    This is the fifth post in a series of yoga stories from readers. Tell us how yoga changed your life and go in the draw to win a yoga prize package.
  - How yoga helped me to… become curiouser and curiouser (2)
    This is the fourth in a series of articles where readers share their story of how yoga has changed their life.
  - Is regular yoga practice a good way to lose weight? (5)
    Nutritionist and yoga teacher Jude Mahood gives us the ins and outs on how regular yoga practice affects what we eat and how many calories we burn.
  - How yoga helped me… balance my Type-A personality
    The third in a series of articles submitted by readers on how yoga has changed their life. Lisa Morrison shares how yoga has brought her bliss and a sense of contentment.
  - How yoga helped me… find steadiness and beauty within my body (3)
    I saw a flyer for yoga classes at a place I already felt some connection with. I rang the teacher and stammered something about chronic pain (a damaged pelvis - you can guess what caused that - and…
  - How yoga helped me… lose weight and feel good again (1)
    Tash shares her story of how yoga helped her lose fifteen kilos and begin to feel happy again after she hit rock bottom.
  - How yoga has the power to transform and release avidya (self-ignorance) (6)
    Warrior I is so named because it commemorates the ideal of a “spiritual warrior,” one who bravely does battle with the universal enemy, self-ignorance (avidya), the ultimate source of all our…
  - Wellington yogi Kelly Fisher interviewed on Forever Fitness
    Co-owner of Wellington's Yoga Unlimited, Kelly Fisher, has just been interviewed on Forever Fitness by Ish and Bevan. It's a great 30 minute podcast, and well worth a listen (click to hear).
  - How yoga practice teaches you to listen to your intuition through life’s transitions (1)
    Life is full of constant transitions. By learning to listen to our yoga practice, we can find the way to follow our heart and intuition through the many changes and seasons of our lives.
  - How to use yoga to help you be a better parent
    There are some great tools in Yoga to deal with times of emotional crisis, and times of parenting crisis! Just remember a time that your child is cajoling, whining, maybe even screaming – pushing…
  - Why kirtan is one of the most powerful yoga practices you'll ever do (4)
    The practice of chanting, or Kirtan, is a fun and joyous way to move energy within then physical/emotional/mental bodies, enabling healing and bliss to flow freely
  - How yoga gives you faith in your ability to cope (2)
    People are afraid right now. They're afraid for their jobs, their mortgages, their income, their debt. They don't know what's happening, or what's going to happen. I have empthy for this - I…
  - The best detox diet you can ever do (4)
    There is one simple action that you can take to detox your body and maintain your ideal body weight with ease. Practice yoga. Yep. That's it. Regular practice of yoga will solve all of your weight…
  - How practicing yoga builds internal strength for day to day living (2)
    Finding something to passionately believe in is indeed daunting, but immensely rewarding. Discover who you are through yoga, and discover what it is that you passionately believe in.
  - How to stay young forever with yoga (4)
    Yoga keeps you young. And it keeps you young in the only way that really counts - on the inside. Yet when you're young on the inside - young organs, young joints, young nervous system, young…
  - Ten reasons to make practicing yoga your New Years' Resolution (4)
    It's that time of year again when we list out all the things we want to do to make our lives better. Here's a suggestion. Just make one resolution - to do more yoga.
  - What can yoga do for me physically, mentally and emotionally? (7)
    Yoga is the science of life. It is thousands of years old, and with regular practice, yoga can bring you back into balance physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. No matter what issue you…
  - Will yoga give me a great body? (22)
    Yes! It will, and here's a list of ten major changes that you will notice in your body when you begin to practice yoga regularly. Now is the time to start!
  - An interview with Hillary Rubin – coming to terms with Multiple Sclerosis (2)
    Part of the reason for this website is to gather stories and inspiration of the way that yoga has helped people to manage or heal health issues. My hope is that by sharing these stories and increasing…
  - How a yoga practice can manage Multiple Sclerosis – Hillary Rubin's story (4)
    Meet Hillary Rubin. That's her there, practicing yoga. She's was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1996, and decided that it was the perfect opportunity to transform her life from the inside out.
  - Ten reasons to start practicing Yoga today
    So why do you want to do yoga? Since most people don't start yoga because they want to experience the Self as the Divine, here's ten OTHER reasons to start yoga, today:
  - Top Eleven reasons to start practicing yoga TODAY! (9)
    The #1 choice you can make for your body is to commit to a regular yoga practice - find out why in this article.
- Yoga Resources (12)
  - Wellbeing World Online launches audio yoga classes featuring New Zealand yoga teachers (5)
    Have you ever tried following a Yoga DVD only to find it difficult to perform the postures correctly whilst having to look at the T.V? Constantly looking at the screen can make it tricky to fully…
  - An interview with Michelle Taffe, founder of The Global Yogi (1)
    Michelle Taffe, a Melbourne based yogi, writer and entrepreneur is the founder of The Global Yogi, a website dedicated to helping yogis check out yoga around the world. The YLB spoke to Michelle…
  - From Rock ‘n Roll to mind control, a tale of meditation sound creation
    by guest author Jen Hall, of Venture Beyond Ever wondered who the musicians are behind those soothing and relaxing Healing Sounds CDs? Here's the tale of one such musician, a Kiwi boy no less,…
  - Top ten yoga books in my library, Part 2
    These are the second half of my top ten yoga books. I own every one of these books, and refer to them again and again. Each of them has helped me enormously and contain so much wisdom.
  - Top Ten Yoga Videos online, Part 1 (2)
    Lately, I've discovered a new world of inspiring yoga videos that offer a window into a yoga world that many of us may not have experienced living down here in New Zealand.
  - Review of YoGoBolster, made by Kiwi company YoGoGear
    Loris Mills and her partner Graham Dickson have developed an inflatable YogoBolster that's light, portable and functional. The Dunedin-made bolster includes a cotton covers imported from India. It…
  - Top ten yoga books in my library, Part 1 (1)
    Yoga teacher Kara-Leah reveals her top ten yoga books, all from her own personal library. These are the must-own, must-reads for any yoga student!
  - Top Ten best yoga websites and articles on the web (13)
    There are some fantastic yoga websites out there in the worldwide web, but finding them can be tricky. This is a list of my best of the best yoga reads.
  - Help me find or develop the ultimate ‘Find a Yoga Event in NZ’ tool
    Prana Flow NZ needs your help to find or develop the ultimate "find a yoga event in NZ" tool. Do you know of anything with the right features?
  - Twee Merrigan teaches an on-line Prana Flow Yoga Class
    Yeah! Twee's released on on-line twenty minute Prana Flow Yoga Class, aimed at all levels. Fantastic stuff.
  - Mastery of Meditation, Enlightenment & Kundalini Yoga Blog
    Review of Anmol Mehta's excellent yoga website where you'll find some of the most detailed descriptions of Kundalini practices on the internet. Review features selected highlights.
  - Ten Free On-Line Guided Meditations (5)
    Reviews of ten free online meditations ranging from six minutes to 30 minutes. Great for de-stressing, relaxing, and letting go of all worries.
Yoga Community (82)
- Hot topics (61)
  - Thinking of quitting your job to teach yoga? 10 questions to ask first
    by guest author Louise Thompson, Positive Balance Are you working in corporate but dreaming of jacking it all in to be a yoga teacher? Do you fantasize of days wafting about from class to class, no…
  - Today I found my inner witch, and she denounced yoga (1)
    This morning my inner witch told me, to my horror, that yoga was the man’s way to the heart. My inner witch asked me, why was I doing yoga? To get better, I answered. Why? She asked, better…
  - The top six best yoga magazines in the world (2)
    Yoga magazines, both on and offline can be awesome way to deepen your understanding of yoga, and be exposed to a range of different perspectives and viewpoints. For me, reading yoga magazines…
  - NZ Yoga Community raises 94 for Yoga Stops Traffic
    The Results Are In! Thanks to everyone who supported our effort, it was a massive success. You can also see photos and results from individual events on our facebook page. Thank you to everyone…
  - Forrest for the trees - no bullshit, just yoga
    It was a simple advertisement, maybe 4 X 2 inches or something like that. There must have had a web link, maybe “Ana Forrest” or “Forrest Yoga,” something to tie it all together. I don’t…
  - Yoga Stops Traffick Complete Event List for New Zealand
    Global movement Yoga Stops Traffick will sweep New Zealand on March 4 -10, with over 25 events nationwide. Check the events list below for one near you. By attending an event and giving a…
  - Why I'm sharing the light and stopping traffick with yoga. (2)
    The week of March 4 - 10, all over New Zealand, there will be yoga classes, film screenings, yoga malas (108 sun salutations), and many other events for Yoga Stops Traffick NZ, part of the global…
  - Looking for the man of your dreams? ... Don't! (3)
    My flatmate Kara-Leah and I were sitting on our lounge floor one afternoon doing some stretches before dinner. I was deep in thought and before I could censor myself, I blurted out; I feel like…
  - Yoga morning glories - what's your practice look like? (8)
    Recently, this video from Equinox has been floating around the web. Love it or hate it, it made me laugh. At myself. You see, this is not what I look like in the AM practicing yoga. And, I like…
  - Learning to wait, and wait, and wait some more (4)
    I was very sick a while back. Now I am, essentially, convalescing. I can’t walk too far or too fast, I get muscle soreness from my yoga Much as I'd like to, I can’t set a deadline on the…
  - The best way to collect menstrual blood - the Mooncup! (29)
    If you’re anything like me, you may never have heard of the Mooncup – despite it being the best method of collecting menstrual blood out there. I was 25 years old before I heard of it, and I…
  - YogaPass connects 350 studios in Australia - now it's coming to NZ (2)
    YogaPass is about introducing yoga to those that haven’t done yoga to date... those that haven’t yet found their way to the mat. It’s aimed at people who haven’t got around to exploring yoga,…
  - There is no future in yoga (7)
    A brief musing from artist Mike Nixon on the nature of yoga. Its not going to make you famous, rich or help find the perfect partner of your dreams.
  - Competition: Win a space at Swami Ji's Taupo weekend workshop in June
    Alrighty then Lunchboxers, here's the sweet deal we've got lined up for you. We're giving away one place to Swami Ji's Weekend Workshop in Taupo on Saturday and Sunday, June 4th &…
  - The benefits and pitfalls of conscious community (1)
    It seems there are many people wanting to be involved at some level in a spiritually motivated community - including flatting situations. I’ve co-created and lived in such a community, right in the…
  - How sponsorship helped WholeBody Health after the Christchurch earthquake (4)
    Lori-Ellen Grant's business, Wholebody Health, was sponsored by Wellington's Bright Communications after the Christchurch Earthquake. This is Lori-Ellen's story of what she did with that support.
  - Bodha Clothing commits to manufacturing yoga clothes in New Zealand (8)
    It's tough for a clothing manufacturer to make her clothes in New Zealand but Emily L'Ami of Bodha Clothing was determined that her new range of yoga clothing all be home grown. "New Zealand's…
  - How the Yoga Lunchbox community can tangibly support the Christchurch holistic health community (5)
    Help holistic businesses in Christchurch offer healing treatments to those who need it most by being a sponsor. Small businesses need our support so they can provide support to the Christchurch…
  - Don't look at my ass in asana (33)
    A normal person practicing and teaching yoga struggles and fights back with the yoga media idealization of asana and body shape.
  - Win a place on Peter Fernando's Month of Mindfulness
    Yes loyal Lunchboxers, Peter Fernando has decided to give away a place on his fabulous A Month of Mindfulness course, starting in March. To win this incredible opportunity, all you need to do... well…
  - An apology to the Ashtanga community (8)
    Yep - I messed up. My recent article was intended to articulate a view that it doesn't matter what kind of yoga we practice, only that it is the right kind of yoga for us. Instead, because I was…
  - What I love about Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga (6)
    Ashtanga practitioner Nick Potter shares his passion and insight for the yoga practice which works for him, explaining that Ashtanga is a moving meditation. The body moves, but the mind becomes more…
  - Why I may never take another yoga class – a teacher’s response (9)
    Last week's article Why I may never take another yoga class generated some great discussion. Two of the comments were so beautifully written, plus added such balance and insight to my original…
  - How online courses are changing the way we connect to yoga wisdom (5)
    Many years ago, access to true wisdom was extremely limited. Distance and language meant that only those in the immediate vicinity who spoke the same language could access a wise person like Jesus or…
  - Yoga trippy – an Indian viewpoint of Western Yoga (1)
    Yoga is an ancient practice, which can bring transformation and liberation to the disillusioned, disenfranchised masses of the Technological Age by combining universal moral codes and postural…
  - Everything is stable… until it’s not
    by guest author Katie Lane What the Christchurch earthquake is teaching me about stability. Just when I thought I’d found my roots...the ground shook. AGAIN. Tuesday morning,…
  - Is your yoga fashion destroying the planet? (2)
    Everything you do in this life carries with it a weight. The food you eat, the transportation you choose, how well you remember to turn off the lights and even what's in your wardrobe. These are the…
  - What does it feel like to be in the flow?
    I came across this question on facebook today. Brilliant question! One thing I can point to right now is, it doesn’t feel like this – me scratching my brains wondering how I can pull off a blog…
  - An interview with yoga researcher Brandon Eggleston PhD (2)
    Brandon Eggleston is a faculty member at the University of Southern Indiana, USA, who researches yoga practice. He's coming to New Zealand in December to conduct interviews with yoga practitioners to…
  - Global Mala NZ 2010 wrap up
    Up and down the country, form Auckland down to Dunedin, yoga practitioners gathered together on Sunday September 19th to do a practice for peace and raise money for the Yoga in Prisons Trust.
  - How the Abundance Yoga and Pilates Studio came to be
    Every now and then, I am asked to recall my first yoga experience. The inquiring minds have usually heard transformational stories from some of their favorite teachers and want to hear more… often…
  - What if yoga is like religion? (2)
    For years I’ve seen the fear people have around Yoga, some claiming it’s a cult or a religion and refusing to take part because they would be seen by the upholders of their own religion as…
  - Global Mala NZ 2010: You CAN do 108 sun salutations (3)
    108 sun salutations!!! You've got to be kidding right? There's NO way I could do 108 sun salutations. Ah, but of course you can grasshopper - you do 108 sun salutations the same way you do five sun…
  - Is it wrong to mix different yoga traditions in one practice? (6)
    Elissa Jordan explores the question of whether it's ok to mix up several different yoga traditions on the mat in one's own personal practice.
  - Top Ten best yoga websites and articles on the web (13)
    There are some fantastic yoga websites out there in the worldwide web, but finding them can be tricky. This is a list of my best of the best yoga reads.
  - How a non-certified yoga teacher with no guru ended up teaching (and should she be?) (13)
    This is a question I have contemplated many times since teaching was first thrust upon me. And it's also one this website has explored extensively in recent weeks. I began to wonder... how on earth…
  - Will you still be doing yoga at 90? (1)
    There is no doubt that yoga keeps you young. Dunedin Yoga Studio owner and teacher Emma Furness shares stories of some of the older yoga teachers and students who inspire her.
  - Exposing oneself to the news – what’s the real story? (1)
    Alys Titchener on homework assignment from her Yoga Off The Mat course has to listen and watch the news. Read how it affects her as she is moved from anger to compassion.
  - Is the Bikram series a victim of yoga snobbery? (31)
    There's a subtle judgment that I've perceived in the world of yoga against Bikram Yoga. Now maybe it's just me... but amongst yogis there's this idea that Bikram is not real yoga.
  - Reflections on hope, inspired by a poetry competition (2)
    Does hope prevent us from experiencing life as it really is? What happens if we drop hope? Alys Titchener explores these questions after being named a finalist in a poetry competition.
  - Share your yoga story and inspire others in their practice (2)
    Has yoga made a real difference in your life? The Yoga Lunchbox wants to know all about it, as there's nothing more inspiring than reading stories about real people who've been helped by yoga.
  - Growing in Faith: Impressions of Maha Samadhi
    Jignasu sanyasin Karunananda was at the Ashram when Swami Satyananda left this life on December 5th, 2009. She shares her impression of being present at Maha Samadhi.
  - A yogic Christmas fable – The Christmas Tree
    Yoga teacher Roger Livingstone spins a yogic Christmas fable about the symbology of the Christmas Tree. How do we rise up to meet the Angel at the top of the tree?
  - How yoga supercedes the need for political correctness (5)
    When we get upset about the words people use to describe us, we're giving away all our power. Forget enforcing political correctness, instead look inside yourself to see why you're so affected by…
  - How much is a yoga class worth to you? Readers respond (12)
    Creating classes taught by seva where students set the cost for the class is all about creating mindfulness around money. It's taking the teaching of yoga off the mat and asking you practice yoga…
  - How much is a yoga class worth to you? (21)
    Six months Prana Flow yoga classes launched with the intention of carrying out a social experiment on value and yoga. If if people were allowed to determine the value of a 75 minute yoga class all by…
  - Help me find or develop the ultimate ‘Find a Yoga Event in NZ’ tool
    Prana Flow NZ needs your help to find or develop the ultimate "find a yoga event in NZ" tool. Do you know of anything with the right features?
  - What's yoga got to do with climate action?
    Learn why being a yogi automatically brings you into alignment with the environment. It's all about the yamas - in particular, non-violence, non-theft and non-greediness.
  - Being still for a change – why meditating is a response to climate change
    How can meditating possibly be a response to climate change? Renowned activist and writer Christine Dann explains why just sitting is a great way to counter-act consumerism.
  - How yogis can have a critical impact on the world (6)
    Peace is not something we can "fight for" - It is only by being peace itself that peace will exist in the world. The practice of yoga helps us to cultivate this peace within.
  - Why the Government needs to make Bikram yoga compulsory (33)
    There is one simple action that the Government could take which would slash hospital waiting lists. It would turn us from a nation of porkies into a nation of bendies.
  - Journeys with Satyananda in Rikhia – one yogi tells all (4)
    Sometimes yoga gives us exactly what we need to turn our lives around, bring light to the darkness and peace to the heart. So it was for this yogi when he discovered Satyananda yoga.
  - Is asana practice a totally over-rated part of yoga? (8)
    Think yoga and most people think about twisting and turning the body into some weird shape, but asana (postures) is only one small aspect of yoga. If you're truly practicing yoga, you need to be…
  - What do you see when you look at the world? - The yogic perspective
    The outer world, or at least, our perspective of the outer world, is but a reflection of where we are internally. What does a yogi see when he or she looks at the world?
  - Why practicing ‘Freedom Yoga’ can work wonders for your practice (4)
    Yoga teacher Bruce Foley examines the difference - if there is any - between practicing 'fixed pattern' yoga (astanga, bikram, iyengar) and 'freedom yoga'.
  - Am I a bad yogi because I want to eat steak? (34)
    Find out what you should and shouldn't be eating if you're serious about your practice of yoga.
  - Prana Flow NZ yogi photo shoot at Oriental Parade, Wellington (8)
    Four Wellington-based yogis hit Oriental Parade on a stunning summer's day to shoot some 700 hundred yoga photos.
  - An interview with Hillary Rubin – coming to terms with Multiple Sclerosis (2)
    Part of the reason for this website is to gather stories and inspiration of the way that yoga has helped people to manage or heal health issues. My hope is that by sharing these stories and increasing…
  - Check out this awesome trailer for Y-Yoga Movie (3)
    The world is changing and yoga is leading the way - check out this awesome movie trailer for Y-Yoga Movie.
  - How a yoga practice can manage Multiple Sclerosis – Hillary Rubin's story (4)
    Meet Hillary Rubin. That's her there, practicing yoga. She's was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1996, and decided that it was the perfect opportunity to transform her life from the inside out.
  - Yoga documentary - can anyone truly be transformed by yoga? (5)
    Check out the trailer for yoga documentary 'Enlighten up.
- Reviews (14)
  - The top six best yoga magazines in the world (2)
    Yoga magazines, both on and offline can be awesome way to deepen your understanding of yoga, and be exposed to a range of different perspectives and viewpoints. For me, reading yoga magazines…
  - Shiva Rea DVD Review & Giveaway! (12)
    In this workshop DVD, instead of practicing beautifully and voicing over the instructions, you can take advantage of hearing Shiva instruct to bodies.
  - Enlightenment - one drop of sweat at a time? (4)
    Scott does a most excellent job of telling the story of a Bikram Challenge he undertakes during a time when his wife is facing serious illness. He holds lightly to the intertwining threads of his…
  - Kirtan CD: A joy-filled experience at your fingertips
    Alys Titchener review's local Wellington Kirtan CD "Yoga for the Heart" by Tyag Fenton and Peter Fernando.
  - Review: A Month of Mindfulness Meditation Practice with Peter Fernando
    Alys Titchener reviews the online meditation course 'A month of mindfulness' offered by Peter Fernando.
  - DVD Review: Karma – The Path of Action (6)
    Alys Titchener reviews Swami Govindananda's DVD Karma - The Path of Action. Find out why staying part of the community is the greatest service a yogi can offer
  - DVD Review: Love and Happiness (13)
    We all want love and happiness in our lives and in his DVD set, kiwi-born Swami Govidananda lays down some hard truths and deep insights from Indian philosophy on how to get just that.
  - How to make online yoga classes work for you (4)
    I have a limited time slot available to enjoy yoga in the morning. So I was excited to see 6 pages of 15-30 minutes practices on My Yoga Online.
  - DVD Review: Bhakti - The Path of Love (3)
    I’ve always considered myself a bhakti yogini and was rightly chuffed to be assigned Swami Govindananda’s DVD set Bhakti – The Path of Love living to review.
  - What's it like attending an Online Studio? (5)
    Jessica has signed up for a year's membership with My Yoga Online, and shares her first month's experience.
  - ReTreat Yourself – the joys of going on a yoga retreat (2)
    To go on a retreat is to find a safe place, a haven. Perhaps to get away from a different kind of enemy; the worries and stresses of everyday life.
  - Reflections on organising Global Mala Wellington 2010 (4)
    Four weeks out from Global Mala Wellington 2010 and there was no plans for a third annual event. Melissa Billington from MYOGA took on the challenge and made it happen.
  - Insight into experiences from a Donna Farhi workshop
    Ever wondered what it's like to do a workshop with international yoga teacher Donna Farhi? Sue Grbic shares her experiences and insight of a workshop with Donna.
  - Review of Yoga Foundations DVD: Hillary Rubin (4)
    A review of Hillary Rubin's new Yoga Foundations DVD. Now, after many years of exploring, experimenting and finding what worked for her, Hillary is grateful to offer you some methods that can help…
- Video Interviews (5)
  - Video Interview: Swami Samnyasananda on the science of pranayama & breathing
    Two weeks ago, The Yoga Lunchbox published a text interview with Swami Samnyasananda, a consultant neurophysiologist who specialises in research on sleeping. He sounded like such an interesting…
  - A video interview with Swami Shantimurti of Ashram Yoga (6)
    It's just three weeks until the International Yoga Conference and Festival at Kawai Purapura so I took the opportunity to have a chat to one of the many highly respected yoga teachers who will be at…
  - An interview with Kiwi filmmaker Kate Clere McIntyre on Yogawoman, premieres in NZ in April (17)
    Following rave reviews and sell out screenings in New York, London, Munich and Melbourne, NZ film maker Kate Clere returns home for exclusive presentations of Yogawoman in Auckland, Wellington,…
  - A video interview with Swami Ji, touring NZ in April 2011 (2)
    Swami Ji, born in NZ, gives the low down on how a Kiwi boy became a Swami, and how the wisdom he speaks of is relevant to your every day Kiwi bloke and blokini. See tour details here... Swami Ji…
  - Kirtan musician Steve Gold talks about his new album Stoned on Shiva (2)
    KL caught up with Steve via Skype to have a chat about music, playing live during yoga classes, mixing kirtan with blues and what it's really like to play and party at Wanderlust.
- Yoga News (3)
  - Wellbeing World Online launches audio yoga classes featuring New Zealand yoga teachers (5)
    Have you ever tried following a Yoga DVD only to find it difficult to perform the postures correctly whilst having to look at the T.V? Constantly looking at the screen can make it tricky to fully…
  - Yoga in Prisons Trust charity recipient for Global Mala NZ 2010
    It's been a power-packed day and a half in Wellington, catching up with friends - all of whom happen to be part of the local yoga community. There's so much wisdom and presence out there, and…
  - Gaura Yoga Bhakti Centre introduces a vinyasa flow class with musicians and kirtan (4)
    Kirtan is a practice of the Bhakti Yoga path, a practice that Swami Satyananda maintained is THE practice for the 21st century. I was excited when I heard Gaura Yoga has introduced a regular…
Yoga Teacher Profiles (65)
- International (5)
  - My Yoga Online co-founder: Kreg Weiss (2)
    He's the co-founder of on the internet's most popular streaming yoga classes website, My Yoga Online. Vancouver-based Kreg Weiss was competing in national-level sports when he first discovered yoga.…
  - International AcroYoga & Vinyasa Teachers: Jason Magness & Chelsey Gribbon
    Yoga's meant for far more than just a sticky mat. Jason Magness and Chelsey Gribbon know this, and they've been taking their yoga all over the world, into all kinds of different worlds, for a few…
  - American Yoga Teacher: Kaitlyn McConnell
    It's not often I feature an International yoga teacher here on the yoga Lunchbox, so I'm please to introduce California-based Kaitlyn. She's coming down to New Zealand for a three month trip and is…
  - Profile of Lara Hedin: Author of Yoga Peeps (2)
    I am so inspired by what Lara Hedin is doing with her yoga website, Yoga Peeps. Launched in February 2006, Lara interviews yogis from all over the world and shares the results via podcast…
  - An interview with Hillary Rubin – coming to terms with Multiple Sclerosis (2)
    Part of the reason for this website is to gather stories and inspiration of the way that yoga has helped people to manage or heal health issues. My hope is that by sharing these stories and increasing…
- North Island (45)
  - Auckland Yoga Teacher: Wilhemeena Isabella Monroe
    Willa is the founder and director of the SOUL CENTRE. An established choreographer, director, filmmaker and dancer who has performed all over the world Willa has been working in dance holistic…
  - Wellington (27)
    - Wellington Yoga Teacher Profile: Scott Milham (5)
      Scott Milham has practised yoga for 20 years and been a teacher for 11 of them. Prior to bcomeing a fulltime yoga teacher he was a professional dancer for over a decade working with such companies…
    - Wellington Yoga Teacher: Jenifer Parker (2)
      A California-native who's always moved around a lot, Jenifer settled in Wellington with her family in 2009. She grew up practicing yoga and started teaching at age 18.
    - Wellington Yoga Teacher: Adhyatma of Satyananda
      It was a long time between The Yoga Lunchbox asking Adhyatma to do a yoga teacher profile, and her finally sending in her answers. In between came Global Mala, which raised money for one of…
    - Wellington Yoga Teacher: Greg Colson (5)
      Sivananda-trained yoga teacher Greg Colson shares his story of how yoga healed his bad back and changed his life.
    - Wellington Astanga Yoga Teacher: Kiri Sutherland
      Astanga is one of the most physically demanding yoga styles, which is why that photo of Kiri displaying such grace and ease in the midst of challenge is so beautiful. She's demonstrating the…
    - Wellington Yoga Teacher: Melissa Billington of MYOGA
      You may have caught Melissa on TV One's Good Morning Show, distilling her wealth of yoga knowledge and understanding down into a five minute snippet digestible and accessible to the daytime TV…
    - Wellington Yoga Teacher: Jessica Latton (3)
      Jessica reveals how she got into yoga, what it's done for her, and what it's like to maintain a home yoga practice with two young children.
    - Wellington Yoga Teacher: Megan Collier (2)
      Megan has just started teaching yoga in a new yoga room above Realsurf in Lyall Bay. She first discovered yoga through her Mum in the 1970s and has taught in Mt Maunganui and in Wellington.
    - Wellington Hot Yoga Teacher: Andrea Tutt
      Andrea's pregnancy taught her that yoga is about far more than just asana, and her home practice reveals the power of yoga when we take it off the mat.
    - Wellington Yoga Teacher: Roger Livingstone (7)
      Roger's been teaching professionally since 1998. Used to teach yoga in many places, now you'd be lucky - or at least diligent - to track him down. Which is exactly why serious yoga students still…
    - Wellington Hot Yoga Teacher: Manu Moana (1)
      He's young, vibrant, full of energy and passionate about yoga. Find out why you should get along to one of Manu Moan's Hot Yoga classes in Wellington.
    - Wellington Hot Yoga Teacher: Lou Cassella
      He's a 67 year old ex-construction manager bursting with life and passionate about yoga. How could you not love this guy, and after seeing his photo, how could you not want what's he got?
    - Wellington Yoga Teacher: Bridget Kelly
      If the sounds of the sea providing a back-drop for your yoga class and home made chai served up afterwards sounds like your cup of tea, then Bridget Kelly's Yoga by the Sea is for you.
    - Wellington Meditation Teacher: Stephen Archer
      With an honours degree in Eastern religions and training as a Buddhist monk for 13 years in the Theravada tradition, Stephen Archer really knows his meditation.
    - Wellington Yoga Teacher: Annie Chapman (2)
      Find out all about how Annie got into yoga, what it's done for her and what she believes it might be able to do for you.
    - Wellington Yoga Teacher & Freelance Writer: Seka Ojdrovic (3)
      Like many of us, Seka is a yogi with several passions. She teaches yoga in Wellington through Yoga Sangha (now at Yoga Unlimited) plus she writes heart-felt articles about it. She's written…
    - Wellington Yoga Teacher: Bruce Foley (4)
      An interview with Wellington yoga teacher Bruce Foley
    - Global Yoga Teacher: Marianne Elliott (3)
      Marianne teaches Prana Flow Yoga on the Kapiti coast, just above Wellington.
    - Wellington Meditation Teacher: Peter Fernando (1)
      Wellington Insight Meditation teacher Peter Fernando shares his journey into meditation, and his understanding of the art of happiness.
    - Wellington Hot Yoga Teacher: Claire Szabo-Cassella (1)
      Claire Szabo-Cassella shares how she got into yoga, what's it's done for her and how it's changed her life.
    - Wellington Yoga Teacher: Kelly Fisher of Yoga Unlimited
      Wellington Yoga teacher Kelly Fisher tells how she got into yoga, how it's transformed her life, and what her home practice is like.
    - Wellington Yoga Teacher Profile: Mike Berghan of Te Aro Astanga
      Wellington Astanaga Yoga teacher Mike Berghan shares his journey into yoga, and describes the transference of shaktipat from his teacher Sri K Pattabhi Jois.
    - Wellington Yoga Teacher Profile: Taisuke Tanimura
      Wellington Prana Flow yoga teacher Taisuke Tanimura explains why he thinks the process of yoga is connecting with who we really are.
    - Wellington Yoga Teacher Profile: Phil Savage of Yoga Space
      It is my pleasure to introduce a profile of Wellington Iyengar yoga teacher and studio owner, Phil Savage. He owns and teaches at Yoga Space.
    - Wellington Bikram Yoga Teacher: Anika Speedy
      Wellington yoga teacher Anika Speedy owns and teaches at the Bikram Yoga Studio in Wellington, New Zealand. Read all about her journey into yoga.
    - Wellington Satyananda Yoga Teacher: Tyag Fenton (16)
      Profile of Wellington Satyananda Yoga Teacher Tyag Fenton, including his current classes and contact information.
    - Wellington Yoga Teacher: Ali Hale Tilley of Sadhana Yoga (2)
      Blessed with the radiance of those who practice yoga regularly, Ali seems a decade younger than her chronological age (something very common to yoga teachers!). Her compact frame literally radiated…
  - Auckland (7)
    - Auckland Yoga Teacher: Wilhemeena Isabella Monroe
      Willa is the founder and director of the SOUL CENTRE. An established choreographer, director, filmmaker and dancer who has performed all over the world Willa has been working in dance holistic…
    - Auckland Hot Yoga Teacher & Studio Owner: Fiona Liu
      Hot Yoga is coming to Auckland in late September, and this is our first profile of an Auckland Hot Yoga teacher, and the studio owner, Fiona Liu. Once a risk analyst in China, before moving to New…
    - Auckland Yoga Teacher: Yogitaratna Chaitanya
      Yogita's passion for yoga fair leaps off the page in this teacher profile. She is the only yoga teacher in the country teaching Vyayam Yoga, which is a moving style of yoga that formed the foundation…
    - Auckland Yoga Teacher Barbara Coley
      Once a financial controller, now owner of a yoga studio, Barbara Coley makes time in her life to visit India as often as she can to continue her studies with A.G. and Indra Mohan, both of whom were…
    - Auckland Yoga Teacher: Maree Martin
      Like many natural-born Kiwis, Maree's lived all over the world including Sydney and London. She now calls Auckland home, and has stayed put for the last four years. Once upon a time she was a fashion…
    - Auckland Yoga Teacher: Sue Grbic
      Director of the Albany Yoga Room Sue Grbic shares tales of her yoga journey, and her hopes that people give yoga classes a couple of chances before deciding yoga is 'not for them'.
    - Auckland Yoga Teacher: Katy Carter (3)
      Auckland yoga teacher Katy Carter teaches at Inner Space in Western Springs, and she also works at We'ar Yoga Clothing on Cross Street. Find out more about her passion for yoga here.
  - Taupo (3)
    - Taupo Yoga Teacher: Anandi Greene (3)
      Anandi spent around three years in India during her twenties, which led to her first ever Yoga class. It was an Iyengar class and she was hooked immediately! She did her first teacher training…
    - Taupo Yoga Teacher: Fiona Links
      Australian-born Fiona Links fell in love with a kiwi and as a result has ended up living and teaching in Taupo. Earlier this year, she spent an awesome two months living in Mysore, India, studying at…
    - Taupo Yoga Teacher: Debi Hall
      Debi started practicing yoga in 1996 – after graduating, living in London and doing what she thought she should (and how many of us can relate to that!). Work as a writer and then as a…
  - Bay of Plenty (1)
    - Bay of Plenty Yoga Teacher Profile: Radhe
      An interview with Satyananda Yogi Radhe, who first got into yoga in the 1970s.
  - Hamilton (1)
    - Hamilton Satyananda Yoga Teacher: Samadhimurti
      In 2008, Samadhimurti set up a charitable trust Shraddha – Yogic Lifestyle Education Trust in New Zealand to make the ideas and principles of a yogic lifestyle widely available.
  - Orewa (1)
    - Orewa Yoga Teacher: Natasha Rainger (2)
      Heading even further north this week, it's my pleasure to introduce Natasha from Orewa, proving that New Zealand is well served by yoga teachers, no matter where you live.
  - Mount Maunganui (1)
    - Mount Maunganui Yoga Teacher: Ross Howatson
      Ross opened the first Bikram studios in Auckland and the Mount, and while overseas studied with a number of renowned international teachers. He's back in New Zealand now, spreading the yoga love…
  - Havelock North (1)
    - Havelock North Yoga Teacher: Doris Blum
      Havelock North yoga teacher Doris Blum talks about her path to yoga, working with John Scott and experiencing ever-deepening transformation as a result of her practice
  - Napier (1)
    - Napier Yoga Teacher: Trudi Collins (2)
      A profile of Napier Yoga Teacher Trudi Collins - a woman with boundless energy and enthusiasm for yoga, and life in general.
  - Horowhenua (1)
    - Horowhenua Yoga Teacher: Peter Macdonald
      Peter Macdonald of More Yoga is a Horowhenua-based certified organic farmer and Yoga teacher. He's shared his life for the last 30 years with his partner Rose Boyle, an example of commitment and…
  - Whangarei (1)
    - Whangarei Yoga Teacher: Amy Bankoff (6)
      As a wife and mother of two small children, Amy has made yoga an essential part of her family. After owning and managing a natural health clinic for five years, Amy returned to studying yoga and…
- South Island (15)
  - Wanaka Yoga Teacher: Carmen Howell
    Carmen is both a mother and a studio owner, currently creating an Ayurvedic and Yoga space called Sadhana Yoga & Ayurveda in serene Lake Hawea, just ten minutes from Wanaka. She's offering…
  - Dunedin (5)
    - Dunedin Yoga Teacher: Lisa Morrison
      There's so much in Lisa's story for women of our generation to relate to. Growing up in the '60s & '70s, we were taught that we could 'have it all' and 'do it all' but real life is so…
    - Dunedin Yoga Teacher: Rachel Dalley (5)
      Rachel first got interested in yoga at the young age of 14 years, but didn't feel comfortable in her first class so it was many years before she went back. Now, a few decades later, Rachel is…
    - Dunedin Yoga Teacher: Emma Furness (3)
      Emma's one excited yoga teacher - she's just bought the Dunedin Yoga Studio in Moray Place and will be taking over in early June. She's been teaching yoga for about five years and used to teach…
    - Dunedin Yoga Teacher: Jude Mahood
      is a Registered Nurse, Registered Nutritionist and a yoga teacher in Dunedin. She has a Masters in Nutrition and has trained with IYTA as a yoga instructor.
    - Dunedin Bikram Yoga Teacher: Donna Wikio
      Donna has been living in Queenstown with her two children, and working at the Queenstown Bikram Studio. Now she's headed over to Dunedin to open up her open Dunedin Bikram Yoga Studio.
  - Christchurch (3)
    - Christchurch Yoga Teacher: Pavitra of Yoga for You
      Born in Germany, she discovered yoga through books at the age of 17. Already burning with a strong desire to know more about the mysteries of life, Pavitra didn't let the lack of a real-life teacher…
    - Christchurch Yoga Teacher: Kris Woods
      Kris didn't even like yoga when she first started going to class, yet she stuck with it and says now that yoga has completely changed her world. Find out how in this interview.
    - Christchurch Anusara Yoga Teacher: Katie Lane (4)
      Katie Lane was the first yogi to bring this heart-centred and life affirming style of yoga to New Zealand. She is based in Christchurch, but travels to deliver workshops.
  - Nelson (3)
    - Nelson Hot Yoga Teacher: Dana Morgan
      Find out all about Dana's journey into yoga, her other passion, and how she sees yoga impacting our world. You can find her teaching yoga at Nelson's hot Yoga Studio
    - Nelson Yoga Teacher: Chaitanya Deva, Hot Yoga
      Nelson Hot Yoga teacher Chaitanya Deva reveals how yoga has transformed his life, and what influences his teaching.
    - Satyananda Yoga Acharaya: Swami Muktidharma, Anahata Yoga Retreat (2)
      There's a lot of Sanskrit words in that headline, and for those not familiar with the meanings, it might not make any sense at all. But there is a depth of information contained in each and…
  - Queenstown (1)
    - Queenstown Yoga Studio Owner & Teacher: Peggy Preston
      Find out how Queenstown Yoga Studio owner Peggy got into yoga and how she thinks it can benefit our world. And if you think Bikram's too hot.... Peggy's got the answer.
  - Invercargill (1)
    - Invercargill Yoga Teacher: Linda Ryder of the Yoga Centre (2)
      Linda has been running the Yoga Centre in Invercargill for about ten years now, she shares her passion for yoga, how she got in to it, and what it brings to her life.
  - Cromwell (1)
    - Cromwell Yoga Teacher: Bron Poole
      Scattered throughout small towns in New Zealand are people who've discovered yoga somewhere along the journey of their life and now teach it in that place they've ended up. Bron Poole is just of…
  - Wanaka (1)
    - Wanaka Yoga Teacher: Carmen Howell
      Carmen is both a mother and a studio owner, currently creating an Ayurvedic and Yoga space called Sadhana Yoga & Ayurveda in serene Lake Hawea, just ten minutes from Wanaka. She's offering…
Teaching Yoga (48)
- Marketing Yourself (14)
  - Suggestions on ways to market yoga with integrity (2)
    So many people have been meaning to do yoga for years. These are the people that we as yoga teachers need to reach out to. They already have desire... there's just something stopping them from…
  - Why I wouldn't offer donation-style yoga classes again (31)
    I'm no longer teaching 'pay-what-you-think-it's-worth" classes and I'm no longer in the first-flush of excitement about making yoga accessible to everyone who wants it. Nope, I've gone past that…
  - Does yoga need marketing, and is there a right way to market yoga? (4)
    Studio owner Jenifer Parker of Wellington's chats about what it means to market yoga, and how it's really about connecting and communication with our communities.
  - How to create a super successful yoga event Part 3
    In Part 1 of this article, we looked at booking a teacher, sorting out the timing and location, and getting clear on exactly what you're trying to create. Part 2 covered details like…
  - Vote for The Yoga Lunchbox in the NetGuide Web Awards today (2)
    Ok, so I'm a bit slow out of the box on this one as voting opened on April 30th (!), but it's never too late right? I figure with a groundswell of support from you, the Yoga Lunchbox reader, we…
  - How to create a super successful yoga event Part 2
    Find out how to reach the biggest possible audience for your yoga event, how to deal with the media and how to create promotional material that really sells.
  - How to organise a super successful yoga event Part 1
    It's one thing to offer to host a visiting yoga teacher. It's quite another to know how to organise and promote the event. After all, yoga teacher's aren't event organisers. It takes energy,…
  - How teachers and studios can infuse their businesses with yogic principles (3)
    As yoga infiltrates the western world more and more there is a huge opportunity for all teachers to embody the principles of yoga within the business world.
  - Why good marketing is good for yoga and good for yoga teachers (13)
    Too many people think you have to be flexible to do yoga - yet flexibility is a result of yoga practice, not a prerequisite. How can we as yoga teachers change this impression.
  - How much is a yoga class worth to you? Readers respond (12)
    Creating classes taught by seva where students set the cost for the class is all about creating mindfulness around money. It's taking the teaching of yoga off the mat and asking you practice yoga…
  - How much is a yoga class worth to you? (21)
    Six months Prana Flow yoga classes launched with the intention of carrying out a social experiment on value and yoga. If if people were allowed to determine the value of a 75 minute yoga class all by…
  - How to successfully create a yoga career (15)
    Welcome to the path of a yoga career - it's not just all blissed out, touchy feely good times. Nope. Teaching yoga, and deciding to make a living from teaching yoga is a challenge in and of itself.
  - Prana Flow Yoga launches classes where students decide how much to pay (4)
    We're launching Prana Flow Yoga classes at Pump Dance Studios in Wellington. And we're going to offer them freely. That is, we're going to offer up as much value as we can within our classes, and let…
  - How to market yourself as a yoga teacher - Tip #1 (2)
    This is the first in a series of short tips on how to market yourself as a yoga teacher, or studio. But even if you're not a yoga teacher, or running a studio, you'll still benefit from these tips as…
- Teacher Training (18)
  - Thinking of quitting your job to teach yoga? 10 questions to ask first
    by guest author Louise Thompson, Positive Balance Are you working in corporate but dreaming of jacking it all in to be a yoga teacher? Do you fantasize of days wafting about from class to class, no…
  - Breaking down my self-made prison through truth (10)
    Forrest Yoga Teacher Training brought me to Denver for 27 days of karmic hell and dharmic euphoria. It reincarnated 28 years' of emotional bullshit compost into rich spiritual soil. The practice…
  - How to get the most out of any yoga teacher training - ask questions! (5)
    I’ve had the same conversation repeatedly since becoming a yoga teacher - a conversation about access to a skilled senior teacher and what can be done about it.
  - How to find the purpose in your teaching (1)
    When teaching yoga knowing why you’re doing what you’re doing means you can have a room full of quadriplegics and carry on as though it’s what you planned for.
  - How to answer: what exactly is the energy body?
    What is the energy body? In our small group were varying degrees of comfort with the very idea. From absolute belief to a lot of questions. And a lot of doubt.
  - How to take your teaching even further - assist!
    As a yoga teacher eventually you stop seeing people covered in clothes and shoes and hair. Instead you see collections of muscle and bone, alignment and postures carried around in a thin casing of…
  - An interview with Lance Schuler on INSPYA Yoga Teacher Training (3)
    INSPYA yoga teacher Lance Schuler may make his home in Bryon Bay, but he's always looking for an excuse to come back home to NZ. Now he's found a way to spend an entire month here - hosting New…
  - An interview with Allyson Donnelly, Director of Programming at Abundance Studios, on Power Living Yoga Teacher Training (2)
    As yoga continues to grow in popularity worldwide, so too do opportunities to study to be a yoga teacher. Even here in New Zealand, there are now a multitude of choices for yoga teacher training. T…
  - An interview with Jenifer Parker on Healium Yoga Teacher Training (2)
    Wellington-based yoga collective Healium offers four levels of yoga teacher training through experienced yoga teacher Jenifer Parker.
  - An interview with Barbara Coley on Svastha Yoga Teacher Training
    Find out all about Svastha Yoga Teacher Training available in Auckland. Next intake starts in October 2010. Intakes every year.
  - How do I go about becoming a yoga teacher? Part V
    Thinking about becoming a yoga teacher? This series of articles written by yoga teachers explores what it takes to become a teacher. Are they trained? Initiated? Born?
  - An interview with James Bryan on Knoff Yoga Teacher Training (2)
    Knoff Yoga holds yoga teacher training all over the world, including in New Zealand. Their comprehensive course covers everything from yogic philosophy and lifestyle, to asana, pranayama & meditation,…
  - How do I go about becoming a yoga teacher? Part IV
    Who wouldn't want to be a yoga teacher? You do yoga all day long, attending workshops and teacher trainings is part of your job, and you're blissed out all the time. What a great career yoga teaching…
  - How do I go about becoming a yoga teacher? Part III (2)
    I'm still getting a fantastic response from yoga teachers on what it takes to be a yoga teacher. This week we have an in-depth exploration from Satyanada representative Swami Karma Karuna. S…
  - An interview with Claire Szabo-Cassella on the Hot Yoga Teacher Training programme
    Find out more about Hot Yoga's six month teacher training programme - one of the few programmes available in New Zealand.
  - How do I go about becoming a yoga teacher? The teachers respond (2)
    Yoga teachers from all around New Zealand give their perspective on the best way to become a yoga teacher and start a successful yoga career.
  - How do I go about becoming a yoga teacher? (12)
    Find out everything you need to know about how to be a yoga teacher, plus information on some of New Zealand's leading yoga teacher training courses.
  - Yoga Teacher Training and Yoga Master Classes with Twee Merrigan in Wellington (3)
    Twee Merrigan is coming back to Wellington! Last here in October 2008, Twee will again be delivering Teacher Training and also holding master classes open to the public.
- Insights to teaching (10)
  - Managing fear when teaching yoga (9)
    Am I good enough? When near-paralysing fear rear it’s ugly head use your yoga practice to get much better at telling your inner critic - ‘I’ve got this’.
  - Why I may never take another yoga class – a teacher’s response (9)
    Last week's article Why I may never take another yoga class generated some great discussion. Two of the comments were so beautifully written, plus added such balance and insight to my original…
  - Confessions of a shiny new yoga teacher
    Guest author Seka Ojdrovic-Phillips, remembers teaching her first yoga class. You can catch one of her Yoga Sangha classes at Yoga Unlimited in Wellington.
  - How a non-certified yoga teacher with no guru ended up teaching (and should she be?) (13)
    This is a question I have contemplated many times since teaching was first thrust upon me. And it's also one this website has explored extensively in recent weeks. I began to wonder... how on earth…
  - Broken Warriors – reaching out to prisoners with yoga (3)
    Satyananda Yogini Adhyatma shares her experience of teaching yoga to prisoners at Waikeria Prison - something that she's known for a long time was her dharmic path.
  - Wellington yogi Kelly Fisher interviewed on Forever Fitness
    Co-owner of Wellington's Yoga Unlimited, Kelly Fisher, has just been interviewed on Forever Fitness by Ish and Bevan. It's a great 30 minute podcast, and well worth a listen (click to hear).
  - The Benefits of Teaching Yoga (1)
    As practitioners of Yoga we are all well aware of the benefits Yoga can have on all levels of our being. Teaching Yoga gives us an opportunity to serve others, enabling us to really be of help to…
  - Witnessing the evolution of yoga from Vinyasa to Prana Flow to Flow Motion to Your Yoga (1)
    Yoga is yoga is yoga is yoga. It's connecting to the breath and feeling our connection to All that Is. It's surrendering the ego self to the higher self and letting the innate intelligence within the…
  - Experiences of Prana Flow yoga teacher training
    Prana Flow teacher Kara-Leah shares her experience of a five day Prana Flow yoga teacher training with Twee Merrigan in Wellington.
  - What yoga can teach us about opening to the flow of life (4)
    In every moment, we have access to the guidance we need to respond to life and be exactly where we need to be. The question is, are we listening? Yoga can help us easily get into this state.
- The Business of Yoga (7)
  - Thinking of quitting your job to teach yoga? 10 questions to ask first
    by guest author Louise Thompson, Positive Balance Are you working in corporate but dreaming of jacking it all in to be a yoga teacher? Do you fantasize of days wafting about from class to class, no…
  - An interview with Michelle Taffe, founder of The Global Yogi (1)
    Michelle Taffe, a Melbourne based yogi, writer and entrepreneur is the founder of The Global Yogi, a website dedicated to helping yogis check out yoga around the world. The YLB spoke to Michelle…
  - The Yoga of Business: Goals, Clarity, Values & Commitment, Part 4 (1)
    Once you have all of these elements coming together -- a specific, defined goal; clarity around the values on which the business is formed; and a commitment to that goal as a business -- then the…
  - The Yoga of Business: Goals, Clarity, Values & Commitment, Part 3
    Of course, a lot of people have goals, even specific ones with well-laid plans and a great deal of clarity around their purpose, that still don't succeed. Why is this? A lot of people look at…
  - The Yoga of Business: Goals, Clarity, Values & Commitment, Part 2 (1)
    As we have all experienced, sometimes goals do not come to fruition even when they are specific. They can be ridiculously detailed and give a clear way to success, but still fail spectacularly. …
  - The Yoga of Business: Goals, Clarity, Values & Commitment, Part 1 (4)
    For many, the common perspective is that yoga and business don't mix, and that going into business with yoga not only denigrates yoga but makes it impossible to be a "true" teacher of yoga. My…
  - Economically, yoga doesn't make any sense at all (21)
    We've all heard about those wonderful yoga studios delivering fantastic yoga to the community, but struggling to pay their overheads, let alone make any profits. On the flipside of the coin are…
Yoga Events (86)
- June 2nd & 3rd: Wellington Yoga Centre, Iyengar Yoga Workshop with Louisa Potter
  A weekend workshop with Louisa Potter at the Wellington Yoga Centre on June 2nd and 3rd. Release grief & anxiety from the heart, to live with more freedom. Learn to work the ‘organs of action’,…
- Event Listing (74)
  - June 2nd & 3rd: Wellington Yoga Centre, Iyengar Yoga Workshop with Louisa Potter
    A weekend workshop with Louisa Potter at the Wellington Yoga Centre on June 2nd and 3rd. Release grief & anxiety from the heart, to live with more freedom. Learn to work the ‘organs of action’,…
  - July 1st: The Dunedin Yoga Studio, Foundations of Vinyasa Flow Yoga with Kara-Leah Grant
    Come and experience an energetic, creative, full-spectrum approach to embodying the flow of yoga as taught by Shiva Rea. Learn classical and innovative approaches to vinyasa yoga and the state of…
  - June 30th: The Dunedin Yoga Studio, Yoga Trance Dance with Kara-Leah Grant
    Come and experience Yoga Trance Dance with Karah-Leah Grant, June 30th at the Dunedin Yoga Studio. Yoga Trance Dance uses the format of a yoga class but with the space to explore and play, taking…
  - June 2 - 4: Auckland, Aio Wira Centre, Breathing & the Brain - The Science of Spirituality
    Experience the scientific applications of yoga under the guidance of a brilliant neurophysiologist and long-time yoga practitioner. Throughout history there have been various scientific studies…
  - June 16: Auckland, Yoga Teacher Training - 200 Hour Level 1 Training
    Both Kawai Purapura and Byron Yoga Centre have a holistic and integrated approach to yoga, encompassing not just physical postures but also philosophy, meditation, pranayama and the yogic personal…
  - April 14 & 15, Wellington, Iyengar Yoga workshop with Louisa Potter
    Louisa Potter is an Iyengar teacher with over 20 years of teaching experience. She has been to India to train with BKS Iyengar or his daughter six times. Louisa is coming to Wellington! This is…
  - April 27-29: Albany, Auckland, International Yoga Conference & Festival
    You're invited to New Zealand's first International Yoga Conference & Festival, where world-leading teachers and presenters will gather for 3 days of celebration, seminars, workshops and fun. Kawai…
  - NZ Yoga Community raises 94 for Yoga Stops Traffic
    The Results Are In! Thanks to everyone who supported our effort, it was a massive success. You can also see photos and results from individual events on our facebook page. Thank you to everyone…
  - May 5th-6th: Wellington, Laughter Yoga Workshop
    This experiential (and often life-transforming) workshop is ideal for personal development and anyone interested in running a Laughter Yoga group.
  - April 21: Christchurch, Energetic Vinyasa Flow Workshop with Kara-Leah @ Flow Hot Yoga
    Energetic Vinyasa Flow - The Evolution of Yoga In this workshop, students will: Learn how to allow asana to emerge as a natural unfolding Relax into moment by moment expression of prana Experi…
  - Yoga Stops Traffick Complete Event List for New Zealand
    Global movement Yoga Stops Traffick will sweep New Zealand on March 4 -10, with over 25 events nationwide. Check the events list below for one near you. By attending an event and giving a…
  - February 24 – March 4, Awaroa, Ten Day Retreat with Senior Iyengar Teacher Carrie Owerko
    New York based senior Iyengar teacher Carrie Owerko will lead her first downunder retreat in late February / early March 2012. It will take place in two fantastic locations - the seaside village…
  - March 11: Nelson, Energetic Vinyasa Flow Workshop with Kara-Leah
    Energetic Vinyasa Flow - The Evolution of Yoga Liberate your practice! Learn how to allow asana to emerge as a natural unfolding Relax into moment by moment expression of prana Experience…
  - February 26: Auckland, Positive Balance Yoga Summer Wellbeing Retreat
    Positive Balance is super excited to announce its first Wellbeing Retreat! Come and join us for a day of bliss – leave all your worries and obligations behind and spend a beautiful day focusing on…
  - March 9 & 10: Hamilton, Mother Maya Workshops & Satsanga (2)
    Hamilton is blessed to be hosting renowned spiritual teacher, Mother Maya who is returning to New Zealand to offer Her Message for Healing and Peace. Maya Tiwari, affectionately called “Mother”…
  - March 2 - 4, Auckland, The Heart of Anusara Yoga with Katie Lane
    Join Katie Lane for a workshop exploring the heart of Anusara Yoga. Anusara is a Sanskrit word that means "flowing with Grace". Founded by master teacher John Friend in 1997, Anusara Yoga is a…
  - March 4 - 10, New Zealand-wide, Yoga Stops Traffick
    every year there's a global funds and awareness raising event called Yoga Stops Traffick. Last year over ,000 (NZD) was raised by 2,631 people at 93 events in 33 countries. This year, Yoga…
  - March 24: Tauranga, Yin Flow: Tension and Compression
    With visiting teachers Zach and Mariam Matheson Through a yin flow you will discover the difference between Tension and Compression in your body. Students will investigate joint development…
  - January 15th: Auckland, Bikram Choudhury Lecture & Book Signing
    Bikram Choudhury, yogiraj and master teacher of his own unique yoga series, is coming to New Zealand for the first time! Bikram will host a lecture and book signing event which will raise funds…
  - February 4th: Christchurch, Yoga in the Park
    Yoga in the Park is a two and half hour inspiring yoga event for all levels and all ages. Join four local Christchurch teachers for a playful, dynamic, and FUN exploration of some of the many…
  - December 10 & 11: Auckland, Body Mind Centering with Olive Bieringa & Otto Ramstad
    Somatic movement education incorporating embodied anatomy and developmental movement through the systems of the body (e.g. bones, organs, ligaments, fluids, endocrine, nervous system, senses and…
  - January 14 & 15: Christchurch, Mark Whitwell Weekend Workshop
    Come for a weekend of yoga practice and yoga understanding through discussion. The weekend will consist of half practice and half philosophy. The weekend is open to everybody who enjoys yoga or is…
  - Unravelling the stories that shape our yoga practice (5)
    The Power of Presence - Unravel the stories that shape your yoga practice. This workshop will give you the tools to write your own stories about your yoga practice and your body. It doesn't matter if…
  - Swami Ji reveals why every yoga practitioner needs a guru
    Swami Govindananda, affectionately known as Swami Ji, is a Kiwi boy born and bred, and a Swami by education and spirit. Swami Ji gives some interesting insight into what it means to be a swami, and…
  - How to create a spiritual home with a child-friendly meditation circle (12)
    Jenifer parker talks about her family's search for a child-friendly meditation group, and how in the end she decided to start her own.
  - A video interview with Swami Ji, touring NZ in April 2011 (2)
    Swami Ji, born in NZ, gives the low down on how a Kiwi boy became a Swami, and how the wisdom he speaks of is relevant to your every day Kiwi bloke and blokini. See tour details here... Swami Ji…
  - An interview with Swami Satsangi on her visit to New Zealand
    The New Zealand yoga community welcomes Swami Satyasangananda Saraswati (fondly known as Swami Satsangi) to its shores this Easter to receive the torch of light, which she brings in the form of…
  - Why I’m so excited Simon Borg-Olivier’s giving a workshop in Wellington
    On February 19 & 20, Simon will be presenting a workshop at Wellington's Yoga Unlimited called ‘Firm but Calm – Sthira Sukham Asanam’. It will consist of four three-hour sessions based on…
  - Don’t let the idea of a yoga weekend retreat intimidate you
    Most of us are somewhat intimidated by the thought of heading off, possibly all alone, to spend time in a strange environment with a bunch of complete strangers, all of whom, we are quite sure, do…
  - A podcast interview with Brandon Bays of ‘The Journey’ (2)
    Listen to Brandon Bays of 'The Journey' chat to Kara-Leah Grant of 'The Yoga Lunchbox' about healing, dealing with loss, awakening consciousness and changing the planet.
  - Establishing a daily mindfulness practice is easier than you think (4)
    Establishing a daily meditation practice can be an opportunity for creativity and a fresh perspective on how we live in the world. It doesn't have to seem like just another thing we should be doing,…
  - Win a free place on Thirty Days of Yoga with Marianne Elliott (1)
    I remember sitting at Deluxe in Wellington one afternoon with fellow yoga teacher Kelly Fisher and marveling over the enormous amount of work Marianne was putting into this course. She was personally…
  - It’s summer time – take your yoga outside!
    Already well established in other countries around the world (mainly in the United States), Yoga in the Park is an activity that many individuals and yoga studios have begun as a way of making yoga…
  - Wanderlust Yoga & Music Festival 2011 dates announced
    Wanderlust is the world's premier yoga & music festival, and the dates for the third annual festival have just been announced. Billed as a place to relax, unwind, bend, dance, revel, and contemplate,…
  - AcroYoga comes to New Zealand
    AcroYoga is a unique practice that combines the spiritual wisdom of Yoga, the dynamic and playful energy of Acrobatics and the loving kindness of Thai massage. Originating in California in 2003,…
  - Everything is stable… until it’s not
    by guest author Katie Lane What the Christchurch earthquake is teaching me about stability. Just when I thought I’d found my roots...the ground shook. AGAIN. Tuesday morning,…
  - An interview with Pam Harding on her workshop 'Unveiling the New'
    Imagine if you could experience everyday life with the same amount of presence you bring to yoga or meditation. Imagine how you would feel if you could bring that keen awareness to everything, not…
  - So what’s your purpose in life?
    It’s not exactly the kind of question people are likely to ask you at a cocktail party, but increasingly I hear people asking themselves and others: What is your purpose in life? Many of…
  - An interview with Vyayam Yoga teacher Yogitaratna on an up-coming Auckland workshop (1)
    Oh I LOVE the sound of this form of yoga - it's history, it's execution, it's purpose... Originally the main training for warriors, Vyayam was prohibited from being practiced or taught for many…
  - An interview with Kausthub Desikachar, son of TKV Desikachar, grandson of Krishnamacharya
    Kausthub Desikachar, son and student of TKV Desikachar, grandson of the great Yogi, T. Krishnamacharya is coming to Wellington to deliver the fourth in a series of in-depth seminars on the Yoga…
  - Taking yoga off the mat, into the world
    My path to yoga came via a decade as a human rights advocate, an activist and a humanitarian worker. Amongst other things, I needed to learn the lessons of yoga in order to make my activism more…
  - Global Mala NZ 2010: You CAN do 108 sun salutations (3)
    108 sun salutations!!! You've got to be kidding right? There's NO way I could do 108 sun salutations. Ah, but of course you can grasshopper - you do 108 sun salutations the same way you do five sun…
  - An interview with Anusara Yoga Teacher Noah Maze (2)
    The Yoga Lunchbox caught up with international teacher Noah Maze to find out how he got into yoga, why he's coming all the way down to New Zealand and just what heroes and heroines have to do with…
  - An interview with Power Yoga teacher Janine Leagh
    Janine turned to Power Yoga in 1996 for guidance with her many injuries and has been teaching and practicing ever since. She has a Sports Science Honors degree, Personal Training and massage…
  - An interview with Donna Farhi (3)
    I first discovered Donna Farhi in my local library in Queenstown. Her book Yoga Mind, Body and Spirit: A Return to Wholeness was liberating, informative and challenging. She taught not asana…
  - An interview with Rishi Nityabodhananda
    Today's interview is with Rishi Nityabodhananda. He is a Yogacharya (Master of yoga), a versatile teacher with decades of experience, and he has just written a book called Ajna Chakra.
  - An interview with Rishi Yoga Diwali
    This month two of the most senior Satyananda teachers are coming to New Zealand to deliver workshops on various yoga topics including Ajna Chakra, Yoga & Art and Kriya Yoga.
  - An interview with Anusara Yoga teacher Katie Lane
    It's a style of yoga nobody knows too much about in New Zealand, but Christchurch Anusara teacher Katie Lane is doing her best to change that by teaching workshops across the country.
  - Learn the practice of neti and experience a clear head space (2)
    Neti is one of the easiest and quickest shatkarmas* to learn. Its mastery can be accomplished within a couple of goes then effortlessly incorporated into your daily life. You can do Neti in the…
  - Yoga events run by Anahata Retreat - expand your mind!
    Anahata Retreat has just released it's next round of yoga events for 2010. There's a huge range of yoga events on offer - everything from Kids Yoga taught by 13 year old Sundari to in-depth…
  - Swami Govindananda tour dates for New Zealand 2010
    Swami Govindananda is coming to NZ to talk about how to enhance your life through understanding the philosophy of the great yoga practices – karma (action), gyan (wisdom) and bhakti (love/devotion).…
  - Yoga-In-Action Groups: Small Circles of Change
    Launching Yoga in Action group in New Zealand. An opportunity to build community around yoga and service, develop relationships with yogis in your area and collaborate to create change.
  - An interview with Claire Szabo-Cassella on the Hot Yoga Teacher Training programme
    Find out more about Hot Yoga's six month teacher training programme - one of the few programmes available in New Zealand.
  - An interview with Swami Muktimurti about the power of sound to transform (2)
    When one practices mantra regularly, there is a greater level of mental and emotional equanimity when dealing with the ups and downs of daily life.
  - Free yoga day in Hamilton - find the right type of yoga for you
    If you live anywhere near Hamilton, it's worth planning a trip to the Celebrating Age Centre at 30 Victoria Street on March 13th. That's where a wide variety of yoga teachers and organisations are…
  - How you can have a taste of ashram life, right here in New Zealand (3)
    Visualise a daily life of hatha yoga, meditation, pranayama, chanting, deep philosophical discussions. Imagine absorbing the positive energy and inhaling fresh air in a quiet and idyllic environment…
  - Kickstart 2010: Setting a sankalpa (intention)
    How to use the power of intention to make positive change in your life, and in your yoga practice.
  - It's time to think about which yoga retreats you're going to do this coming year
    Check out these awesome retreats and workshops on offer at Anahata Retreat, located in the Marlborough Sounds, just out of Nelson.
  - What's yoga got to do with climate action?
    Learn why being a yogi automatically brings you into alignment with the environment. It's all about the yamas - in particular, non-violence, non-theft and non-greediness.
  - What it means to embody presence in all that you do
    One of the first times in my life I remember feeling fully present in the body was when I was in my early twenties. It was a time when I was in quite a lot of mental distress. My life at the time…
  - Yoga Teacher Training and Yoga Master Classes with Twee Merrigan in Wellington (3)
    Twee Merrigan is coming back to Wellington! Last here in October 2008, Twee will again be delivering Teacher Training and also holding master classes open to the public.
  - @ Anahata Retreat (9)
    - May 24th - June 4th: Where Science Meets Yoga - Swami Samnyasananda's North Island Tour
      Experience the scientific applications of yoga under the guidance of a brilliant neurophysiologist and long-time yoga practitioner. Swami Samnyasananda will be touring the North Island this…
    - June 8 - July 6: Anahata Yoga Retreat, Seva Month -Selfless Service (1)
      During the month of June we are celebrating "Seva" month, a special theme for each week, culminating with the celebration of Guru Poornima on the full moon. Stay for 1 or all 4 weeks. Experience…
    - On-Going from Jan 23 – May 27: Anahata Yoga Retreat, Explore Your ‘Self’ Interactive Lifestyle Retreats
      Experience a 1 week Intro to a 1 month In Depth retreat, “living” yoga through active immersion into the daily life of Anahata. Receive support and a daily focus in guided intimate group…
    - May 11 - 13: Anahata Yoga Retreat, Yoga and Sacred Feminine Weekend Retreat
      During this sacred and powerful weekend we share from the heart, shedding light into the spaces that are often hidden and pushed aside in the hustle and bustle of daily life. Exploring music,…
    - April 14 -17: Anahata Yoga Retreat, Family Yoga Retreat
      Come join us as Anahata transforms into a special place for the whole family. A perfect opportunity to be in nature, be natural and allow the freedom of self expression. This exciting retreat…
    - April 6 - 9: Anahata Yoga Retreat, Nurturing Positivity through Yoga – Easter Weekend Retreat
      With international guests Rishis Nityabodha and Yoga Diwali from Australia A positive mind anticipates happiness, joy, health and a successful outcome of every situation and action. Whatever the…
    - March 23 - April 1: Anahata Yoga Retreat, Mantra, Meditation and Reflection – Navaratri Sadhana Retreat
      Expand your consciousness with an intensive period of mantra chanting (specific sound vibration), intended to purify, energise and awaken. This powerful 9 day period of astrological significance,…
    - March 9 - 11: Anahata Yoga Retreat,The Art of Living and Dying with Yoga
      Enter into the joy and clarity of the present moment! Gain liberating techniques to help face your fears, phobias and challenges of life. How could one know the art of dying if they have not…
    - February 24 - 26: Anahata Yoga Retreat, Yoga Nidra – The Total Personality
      The practice of Satyananda Yoga Nidra™ crosses all the layers of the human experience, supporting integration, relaxation and health on all levels. This retreat is open to all to receive the…
  - @ Wellington Hot Yoga (4)
    - May 12 & 26: Wellington's Hot Yoga, Power Vinyasa Training Workshop
      Teachers and students - deepen your understanding of the Power Vinyasa practice. Find out how you can get the best from this challenging but very rewarding practice by understanding the philosophy…
    - March 30: Wellington's Hot Yoga, Yoga Trance Dance with Kara-Leah
      It’s ok to dance and practice yoga all at the same time! Yoga and dance are one and the same – breath-led movement designed to free our souls. Yoga Trance Dance follows the format of a yoga…
    - February 18: Wellington's Hot Yoga, Yog'Art of Tarot and Creativity
      Marion with share simple tools and for recovering your creative electricity and lead you through a symbolic yogasana flow and deep relaxation that will allow you to access insights on and off the…
    - Various Dates: Wellington, Mantra & Meditation Courses & Workshops
      Explore the subtle, healing and transformative practice of Nada Yoga, the yoga of sound. Meditation and relaxation techniques are highlighted on this exploration of the healing sound vibrations of…
- Interviews with Teachers (12)
  - An interview with Swami Samnyasananda, a consultant neurophysiologist
    Swami Samnyasananda is a consultant neurophysiologist whose research explores the effects of pranayama, meditation and relaxation on the heart, brain and autonomic nervous systems. He is a…
  - A video interview with Swami Shantimurti of Ashram Yoga (6)
    It's just three weeks until the International Yoga Conference and Festival at Kawai Purapura so I took the opportunity to have a chat to one of the many highly respected yoga teachers who will be at…
  - An Interview with Swami Muktimurti on the Yoga of Sound
    An expert in Mantra, ancient Sanskrit and singing, Swami Muktimurti and Swami Muktidharma (NZ Acharya) are presenting a retreat focused on Nada Yoga, or the yoga of sound, during this auspicious…
  - An interview with Satyananda Yoga teachers, Rishis Nityabodha and Yoga Diwali (3)
    Rishi Nityabodhananda (NB) and Rishi Yoga Diwali are dynamic masters of the Satyananda Yoga tradition. They have tutored students for over 40 years in India, Australia and other ashrams around the…
  - An interview with senior Iyengar teacher Carrie Owerko
    Carrie Owerko has been practicing yoga for many years and is a core faculty member of the Iyengar Yoga Institute of NY. She holds a Senior Intermediate I teaching credential and serves as an assessor…
  - An interview with Gangaji
    There is a simplicity in the teachings of Gangaji that underscores the paradox of the spiritual journey - she teaches that the truth of who we are is already free and at peace, and that it can be…
  - International AcroYoga & Vinyasa Teachers: Jason Magness & Chelsey Gribbon
    Yoga's meant for far more than just a sticky mat. Jason Magness and Chelsey Gribbon know this, and they've been taking their yoga all over the world, into all kinds of different worlds, for a few…
  - An interview with Rachael Lowe on her up-coming Kundalini Workshop 'Experience Your Innocence' (1)
    Check out this great workshop in Wellington on October 30th, 2010 plus read all about Rachael's journey into Kundalini Yoga.
  - Marianne Elliott dishes up the goss on why Wellington's Prana Flow classes have morphed into Yoga Sangha (3)
    Marianne Elliott is spearheading a series of yoga classes at Yoga Unlimited called Yoga Sangha. These classes are delivered by seva - that is, they have no set price and students decide what they'd…
  - An interview with Insight Dialogue author and teacher Gregory Kramer
    Find out how international author and meditation teacher took Insight Meditation and developed a method to improve interpersonal relationships.
  - An interview with India-based meditation teacher Tarun Kumar
    Meditation. Why is everyone getting so excited about it? Could be because it works - on many different levels. In March & April New Zealanders will have a chance to find out why meditation is so…
  - Wellington yogi Kelly Fisher interviewed on Forever Fitness
    Co-owner of Wellington's Yoga Unlimited, Kelly Fisher, has just been interviewed on Forever Fitness by Ish and Bevan. It's a great 30 minute podcast, and well worth a listen (click to hear).
Regular Columnists (128)
- Musings from the Mat (101)
  Kara-Leah Grant gets up close & personal about life on and off the yoga mat.
  - 10 reasons why I'm excited to choose corporate work over teaching yoga (14)
    Normally the story we here is about people getting disillusioned with working for a living, with being in the corporate world, with having a job... and making a brave leap to follow their heart and…
  - Confessions of an ex-relationship manipulator and control freak (14)
    I've been working with a relationship pattern (a samskara) of giving away my power by not speaking my truth because I was afraid of the consequences. It's an insidious pattern because it has all…
  - Is peace on earth possible? Yes, yes it is. Today. (3)
    Peace on earth? Possible? Yes. Not sometime off in the future. But right now. Peace is possible. In my heart, and in yours too. I know this. And I know you know it too, although you may not have…
  - Dude, Love is the Guru (10)
    by Kara-Leah Grant, Musings from the Mat Back at the start of the year I wrote a couple of posts be-moaning my lack of connection to a Real Yoga Teacher and a Guru. 'Dude, Where's My Guru?' &…
  - If you can't publicly own it, don't do it (easy to say right?) (3)
    Forget the Ten Commandments. Forget even the Five Yamas or Niyamas. Here instead is the Golden Litmus Test. Apply it to all your behaviour. Everything you do. Everything you say. And…
  - Trust those feelings of yours... they're trying to tell you something!
    It's Monday morning and I have a stack of work to do. There's a multitude of emails in my inbox, two WordPress clients expecting results, my personal website to re-brand, articles to load into The…
  - Is Bikram Choudhury really an alien? (8)
    At a lecture on Sunday in Auckland, I got my chance to find out who this Bikram guy really is, what's he about, what's his truth? Is he Self-Realized? During the lecture, I found myself swinging,…
  - Walking the Path with Kara-Leah Grant, Musings from the Mat
    As I slowly introduce more regular columnists to The Yoga Lunchbox, you'll be getting to know them via this written interview. So it's only fair that I do the interview myself, even though I've now…
  - How dropping my story helped me change my yoga practice (2)
    I'm inflexible and I've had a spinal fusion. This is my story that's been holding back my yoga practice. It may have been true - in the past. But now it's just a story. And holding on to…
  - Home is where the heart is, heart is what the home needs (7)
    Home. It's a deceptively small four-letter word, but oh how much punch it can carry. Our home is our whole world when we're kids, and when we grow up to be adults, we often unconsciously carry…
  - Unravelling the stories that shape our yoga practice (5)
    The Power of Presence - Unravel the stories that shape your yoga practice. This workshop will give you the tools to write your own stories about your yoga practice and your body. It doesn't matter if…
  - Let's make yoga a part of daily life in New Zealand (4)
    The Green Party is all good and well, but in the end, in order to create real and lasting change, the only thing we need to focus on changing is our minds. Our minds are what we experience life…
  - The danger of thinking you know more than your yoga teacher (22)
    A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. Once we've been practicing yoga for a while, it can be difficult to experience a yoga class with relaxed openness
  - The Yoga Lunchbox goes on holiday... time to take a break (3)
    I wish I could say I had something profound and meaningful to share, but I don't know that I do. And that's kinda why I'm taking a break from publishing articles on the website. Over the last…
  - It ain't the life I ever wanted, so how come I'm having so much fun? (7)
    When I was growing up, I was hell-bent on being a career woman, and I vowed I'd never have children. The idea of being a single parent with a child living in the suburbs on the DPB was my idea of…
  - The future of The Yoga Lunchbox looks... bright! (13)
    The Yoga Lunchbox will be taking a break from publishing new content in a month's time. But it will start up again a few months after that. And guaranteed, it will be better and brighter then ever.
  - I'm alive! I'm alive! I'm alive! (8)
    A couple of weeks of illness kept me from my asana, meditation and pranayama practice... and I began to feel lost, dull, colourless and lifeless. And dare I say it, even depressed!
  - Confession time people. I've been dodging a heart truth (55)
    I have a huge confession to make. I don't want the responsibility for The Yoga Lunchbox anymore, and I don't know what to do about this. Because even though I don't want responsibility for the…
  - Why I wouldn't offer donation-style yoga classes again (31)
    I'm no longer teaching 'pay-what-you-think-it's-worth" classes and I'm no longer in the first-flush of excitement about making yoga accessible to everyone who wants it. Nope, I've gone past that…
  - Making peace with feeling guilty 'cos I'm a single mum on the DPB (21)
    'm now living in my new home, and it’s every bit as super-duper wonderful as I suspected it might be. The house is beautiful, my flatmates are wonderful, and it feels fantastic to be living in a…
  - It's ok to be happy you know? (11)
    Why am I so afraid to be happy? And then I realise. It's not that I'm afraid to be happy. It's that Happiness is the unknown. And I'm afraid of the unknown.
  - Dude, where's my Guru? (15)
    When I returned to New Zealand in 2004, and began searching for a Real Yoga Teacher, that search was motivated in part because i'd had a Kundalini Awakening. I suspect it began in 2000 after a…
  - Dude, where's my teacher?! (22)
    I've been totally short-changed on my yoga journey. Never once have I had a Real Yoga Teacher. You know - the kind you have an on-going relationship with.. the kind who supports your yoga…
  - Whereupon our heroine is hoodwinked into a headtrip (9)
    Last week I was having a shit of a week. I could tell it was bad because I kept having these on-going conversations in my head. I'd be eating dinner, or sitting outside in the sun, or walking down…
  - Honouring the changing season with gratitude, release and acceptance of change (5)
    Here at The Yoga Lunchbox, the end of the summer and beginning of autumn has brought both gratitude and letting go. I'm grateful for the support and encouragement of the community over the last…
  - Why I almost gave up teaching yoga (12)
    After spending two weeks doing Prana Flow with Shiva Rea, I thought I'd come home all fired up to teach kick-arse yoga classes. Instead, getting out of my car to teach my one and only yoga class a…
  - Falling in love with seated postures, falling in love with me (6)
    Once upon a time, seated postures were so impossible for my rigid and bound body that I could only ever practice a standing series. Now, seated postures are exactly what I need. Partly it's…
  - What I'm doing in the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquake (16)
    I'm resisting the urge to head over to Stuff.co.nz right now and watch all the footage of the earthquake in Christchurch. I did earlier, and it was overwhelming. Emotions coursed through my body…
  - How I finally kicked my co-dependent relationship to the kerb (20)
    It took courage to finally turn around and face the fears which were keeping me stuck in a co-dependent relationship. Fortunately I had some help which made all the difference.
  - Wherein our Heroine gets to spend the afternoon with Yoda (8)
    KL shares the extra-ordinary weekend she spent at The Journey Intensive with Brandon Bays. Not only did she get to hang out with Yoda, but she's seen Consciousness Awakening.
  - Because you've got to have faith, faith, faith (3)
    I have an opportunity right now to face heart-wrenching change in my life with great courage. And write about the challenges, the difficulties and the triumphs will show other people a yogic way to…
  - Why I may never take another yoga class ever again (20)
    There's a great debate raging about what yoga is and what yoga is not - and it's all so silly! Yep silly! Because it's all yoga. At least, it's all along the path of yoga. Or put another way. It…
  - How to meditate with a baby or toddler (4)
    Don't let having a baby stop your meditation practice. It's totally possible to maintain a daily meditation practice even if you've got a baby or toddler. Here's how!
  - Love comes first, we’ll make heaven a place on earth (2)
    It's tough dealing with separating from your partner, sharing child access, staying with the grief and the pain. But if we can do all this, and meet whatever arises with love, we heal not only…
  - It's the end of the world as we know it... and I feel strong (16)
    I finally broke up with my partner of three and half years on December 30th, a decision that's been a long time coming, but something I was fervently doing my best to avoid. In the end, there was…
  - The one thing you can be to create positive change on planet earth
    We've heard it all before. This is a crucial time for Planet Earth. We're doing great damage. We're living from mind consciousness, in an ego-based way. The solution is to switch to heart…
  - Is it yoga if we 'leave the mysticism behind', or is it just a workout? (21)
    I forget sometimes that to many people yoga is just a workout. It's a way to stretch, to get a tight butt, to flatten the belly. I forget that Prana doesn't necessarily even exist for many…
  - My third eye’s a’twitchin’ – does that mean she’s awakening? (11)
    My third eye has been twitching all afternoon. So does this all mean I'm now "awakened"? Nope. Not yet anyway ;) But I do have an awareness of what it's like to be enlightened. And it's not…
  - Want to own a slice of NZ's premier online yoga magazine? (2)
    I need help taking The Yoga Lunchbox to the next level - which means there's an awesome opportunity here for a yoga-minded, tech-savy, online business guru with a passion for serving the yoga…
  - A day in the life of a Prana Flow teacher trainee (2)
    Dunedin-based yoga teacher Kara-Leah Grant shares her experience of a recent teacher training with Shiva Rea in LA. From 6am until sometimes 10pm at night, it was one crazy ride!
  - Integrating Tantra practices into daily life (3)
    one of the most beautiful aspects of Tantra practices (as this one is) is that Tantra is life-affirming. It's not about taking our spiritual practice away from the ups and downs of daily life, but…
  - Diving into the flow of Fluid Power
    We can all feel the internal pull towards our truth, it tugs at our heart and swirls in our belly. As each one of us finally takes that dive, having the courage to follow our own flow, expressing…
  - There’s magic in them there fuck-ups (9)
    Upon which Kara-Leah is denied entry to her LA flight as she heads over to Prana Flow teacher training with Shiva Rea, and discovers the magic in life.
  - Applying the fifth yama, Aparigraha (non-hoarding), to daily life (4)
    Of all the yamas, this is the one which, if kept, would have the most profound on our western, consumer, materialistic society. If we all lived in such a way that we were non-possessive, non-accumulat…
  - Applying the fourth yama, Brahmacharya (moderation), to daily life (3)
    Brahma literally means the ‘divine consciousness’ and charya, in this context, means ‘living’ or ‘one who is established in’. A literal definition of the fourth yama becomes not 'celibacy'…
  - Applying the third yama, Asteya (non-stealing), to daily life (2)
    Far more than just refraining from stealing material items, Asteya also means not taking that which is not offered. Tricky double negative there, but if it hasn't been offered, hands off. And that…
  - Applying the second yama, Satya (truth), to daily life (1)
    It didn't surprise me to discover this week that a yoga asana (posture) for Satya could be Virabhadrasana 1 or Warrior 1 Posture, as this is a posture of standing forward and being forward in your…
  - Surviving and thriving in the Christchurch earthquake (5)
    Like many yoga workshops, the recent Anusara Workshop in Christchurch with Noah Maze shook up our concepts of reality, purpose, values and life. Only in this workshop, Heroes and Heroines: Stories…
  - Applying the first yama, Ahimsa (non-violence), to daily life (4)
    Last week I made the decision to apply myself seriously to the study and application of each yama week by week. First up is Ahimsa, appropriately the first of the yamas (or wise characteristics that…
  - Can you name all the yamas and niyamas from Patanjali’s Eight Limbs?
    Despite being a practicing yoga student for more than ten years and a teacher for five or so, I still struggle to remember what the yamas and niyamas are, and I can never list all five of each.
  - It's a hard road finding the perfect man
    I've spoken a great deal about my relationship challenges - and there's been a few. My partner and I have been together for three years now, and as he's fond of saying, we were both mad when we got…
  - Following the threads of life and honouring one's energy levels
    Shifting into flow and inspiration allows us to access the wave-like, circular nature of life. Sometimes an inspiration arises and it doesn't make sense at the time, or not for awhile. And sometimes…
  - Breaking free and living life via inspiration - the yogic way (2)
    Break out of the boxes you've been putting yourself in, learn to trust in life and your intuition and start to flow with the inspiration that arises.
  - Getting out of my mind – drugs, yoga, meditation and me (10)
    Kara-Leah examines why so many people use drugs - of all kinds - from the perspective of her own journey into and out of serious recreational drug use.
  - The Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill: Whose fault is it anyway? (2)
    It's easy to blame the government, or the bog companies when things like oil spills happen...but who never uses plastic, or travels in a car? We all benefit from our oil economy...
  - Enlightenment is available to us in every moment - right here, right now (11)
    Never more am I reminded that every moment is an opportunity to wake up than during a morning with a crying baby. After all, what's the point of practicing our yoga on the mat when we're not taking…
  - How a non-certified yoga teacher with no guru ended up teaching (and should she be?) (13)
    This is a question I have contemplated many times since teaching was first thrust upon me. And it's also one this website has explored extensively in recent weeks. I began to wonder... how on earth…
  - Is the Bikram series a victim of yoga snobbery? (31)
    There's a subtle judgment that I've perceived in the world of yoga against Bikram Yoga. Now maybe it's just me... but amongst yogis there's this idea that Bikram is not real yoga.
  - Even yoga and meditation can be a way to escape from reality (8)
    We usually think of yoga and meditation as a good thing - and they are. But sometimes even our spiritual practice becomes a way to run from the reality of our lives.
  - How yoga helped me find my fortune in the big city (15)
    Two years ago, I came to Wellington to seek my fortunate and make my mark in either the corporate world or politics. But it's turned out to be the world of yoga where my fortune was to be found.
  - Confessions from a living room dancefloor (2)
    It's impossible for me to stay sad, or depressed, or fearful when I surrender to the music and to the dance - which is why dancing is one way to release negative samskara and create positive ones.
  - Five things I learned in 2009 from my yoga and meditation practice (11)
    Yoga teacher Kara-Leah spills the beans on the five big lessons she learned from yoga and meditation in 2009. And it wasn't how to place her foot in Warrior II.
  - How yoga supercedes the need for political correctness (5)
    When we get upset about the words people use to describe us, we're giving away all our power. Forget enforcing political correctness, instead look inside yourself to see why you're so affected by…
  - The path to true abundance lies within
    Want to experience infinite abundance? It's not about your bank balance, nor the job you hold or the house you live in. Living in a state of abundance is first and foremost about how you feel.
  - Why forgiveness of self is part of the yogic path toward samadhi (bliss) (3)
    The path of yoga leads us towards bliss, or samadhi. Along this path, we are called to forgive ourselves for all that we have done which has caused pain.
  - Why sangha (spiritual community) is the most precious thing on your path (3)
    In Buddhist practice, the three jewels of life - or the three refugees - are what you turn to for support, for guidance, and for friendship. These are: The Buddha nature - the ideal or…
  - How yoga helps us ride the storms of life (2)
    Life can throw all sorts of tough things our way, but with regular yoga practice, we can learn to ride the storms.
  - Why nothing is a problem anymore
    What's it like to go on a meditation retreat? Will it really solve all your problem and dilemmas? Find out in this account from KL, who attended a four day retreat with meditation teacher Stephen…
  - Why the Government needs to make Bikram yoga compulsory (33)
    There is one simple action that the Government could take which would slash hospital waiting lists. It would turn us from a nation of porkies into a nation of bendies.
  - How to unleash your inner Goddess (1)
    Every woman has a Goddess living deep within her heart, just waiting to get out and express herself. Yoga can help you unearth this Goddess of yours.
  - Why it's important to have friends that share your vision for life (5)
    For those of us who have chosen to walk a spiritual path, it's important to surround ourselves with friends on a similar quest. The Wellington yoga community is growing in strength, and everybody is…
  - A yogic exploration of winning the Big Wednesday jackpot (6)
    What would a yogi do if he won Big Wednesday? How does the path of Karma Yoga inform our actions in the world? Does money really bring happiness, and can we achieve lasting happiness without money?
  - Is asana practice a totally over-rated part of yoga? (8)
    Think yoga and most people think about twisting and turning the body into some weird shape, but asana (postures) is only one small aspect of yoga. If you're truly practicing yoga, you need to be…
  - How yoga gives you faith in your ability to cope (2)
    People are afraid right now. They're afraid for their jobs, their mortgages, their income, their debt. They don't know what's happening, or what's going to happen. I have empthy for this - I…
  - The best detox diet you can ever do (4)
    There is one simple action that you can take to detox your body and maintain your ideal body weight with ease. Practice yoga. Yep. That's it. Regular practice of yoga will solve all of your weight…
  - What is this heart-opening stuff all about? (5)
    Opening the heart means that we allow ourselves to feel vulnerable. It is the natural state of a human being - being closed off is a learned response. Most of us experience pain and hurt in childhood…
  - Enough of the doom & gloom! We are in a time of great transformation, can we grab the opportunity it represents? (13)
    At any one time, many possible futures are available to us as individuals and as a whole. Times of great change represent both times of great challenge and times of great opportunity.
  - My nine favourite places to practice asana, pranayama and meditation (7)
    Breaking free of our ideas of how yoga, pranayama and meditation "should" be practised is one of the first steps to getting yoga off the mat and integrating it into your everyday daily life.
  - Witnessing the evolution of yoga from Vinyasa to Prana Flow to Flow Motion to Your Yoga (1)
    Yoga is yoga is yoga is yoga. It's connecting to the breath and feeling our connection to All that Is. It's surrendering the ego self to the higher self and letting the innate intelligence within the…
  - Experiences of Prana Flow yoga teacher training
    Prana Flow teacher Kara-Leah shares her experience of a five day Prana Flow yoga teacher training with Twee Merrigan in Wellington.
  - Yoga Peeps podcast interview of Kara-Leah Grant
    Owner of Yoga Peeps, Lara, chats to Prana Flow NZ site owner and yoga teacher Kara-Leah Grant about NZ Ministry of Health, truth, surrender, planting seeds, the yoga of economics, and abundance.
  - How to stay young forever with yoga (4)
    Yoga keeps you young. And it keeps you young in the only way that really counts - on the inside. Yet when you're young on the inside - young organs, young joints, young nervous system, young…
  - Because you want to make a million and meditate on it too (3)
    Yes! It is possible to live a spiritual life, and be wealthy too. Blending buddhist principles with business is possible, and can help you find that wealth you're looking for.
  - Bhakti Yoga & Kirtan - it's how yogis get high (9)
    One of the lesser known and yet perhaps most powerful forms of yoga is Bhakti Yoga. This is the yoga of devotion, and is often practiced via kirtan - or chants.
  - What can yoga do for me physically, mentally and emotionally? (7)
    Yoga is the science of life. It is thousands of years old, and with regular practice, yoga can bring you back into balance physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. No matter what issue you…
  - Will yoga give me a great body? (22)
    Yes! It will, and here's a list of ten major changes that you will notice in your body when you begin to practice yoga regularly. Now is the time to start!
  - What do you mean 'We are all One'?
    Yoga talks often about this concept of Unity - that we are all One. What does this actually mean? Using physics, this concept is explored so it can be understood not just intellectually, but…
  - How do I open my third eye? (18)
    The third eye is located in the middle of our forehead, about where the pituitary gland is. It's where our sixth chakra, or anja chakra is located. Many yoga practices focus on opening this eye, so…
  - How practicing yoga can pierce the veil of Maya (2)
    Maya is a Hindu, or Vedic concept - the word refers to the illusion of physical and mental reality that we operate under. Piercing the veil refers to seeing or perceiving past this illusion to…
  - What plank pose can teach us about transformative power (5)
    We access prana and power when we press down into the earth and feel ourselves lifted up to the sky. Without the ability to press down, to connect to the earth, we are unable to reach for the sky. To…
  - The wise do not waste time on meditation (2)
    Do not think that because you take an hour a day to sit and meditate that you have arrived. You have not arrived. Because when you get up off your mat All full of pride That you can stop…
  - On moving toward a world with no moral codes, rules or regulations
    There is no authority that exists, or need exist externally from our Selves. We need no moral code. We need no rules. We need no regulations. All we need is be completely honest with…
  - What is this yoga stuff all about? (4)
    An article examining what yoga is truly all about, beyond asana, beyond pranayama, beyond meditation. What is the point of it all?
  - What yoga can teach us about opening to the flow of life (4)
    In every moment, we have access to the guidance we need to respond to life and be exactly where we need to be. The question is, are we listening? Yoga can help us easily get into this state.
  - How yoga will give you a body you LOVE (4)
    How doing yoga will give you a body that you will absolutely LOVE with no dieting required!
  - How to choose your own experience of reality (2)
    One of the most valuable lessons that yoga can teach us is to observe our reactions to the world. When we practice, we pay attention to our breath, we are aware of physical sensations in the body, we…
  - On the power of paying attention to your words (5)
    All around us lie opportunities for us to take our yoga off the mat - not just in a physical way, but in the way in which we relate to everything around us.
  - How to find true love
    Somewhere out there in the world is the perfect person for you. Someone who will love you unconditionally, and meet all your needs, and shower you with love. Right? Absolutely. And you…
  - How to harness the natural flow of life (4)
    Yet our lifestyles so often don't support this natural energetic cycle of life. Very few of us are in any way connected to the land anymore, and without the external reminders, have become disconnecte…
  - What causes depression? (4)
    So what really causes depression? Here's my big bold claim. Depression is caused by a soul in crisis. It's a desperate plea for attention. It's a flare above stormy seas during a dark and windy…
  - How to eat an optimum diet for maximum energy vibration (3)
    In an ideal world, everything you ate would be organic and locally grown. It would be planted, tended, harvested and stored with love and attention. It would be cooked and presented and…
- The Meditation Guy (11)
  Peter explores ways of translating the Buddha’s early teachings into an urban, lay context that makes sense to your average New Zealander
  - How to meditate in four easy steps
    byPeter Fernando, The Meditation Guy. I like to consider what 'meditation' is, from the perspective of a beginner, or someone who's never heard of it. Sometimes the more I think I know about…
  - What's Love got to do with it? (4)
    In many traditions, the practice of kindness and love is an integral part of the meditative journey. You may wonder, 'why?'
  - The joy hidden within chaos
    On the surface of things, spirituality can seem to be about control, right? 'Mind Control' perhaps. Or 'Body Control'?
  - Why 'letting go' and 'detachment' can be pitfalls on the spiritual path
    I received this honest and moving question a few weeks back: If you have never bonded with your mother and so have never experienced secure attachment in a primary relationship, how can you work…
  - Starting a Home Meditation Practice
    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,…
  - Why Do I Meditate?
    Peter Fernando reflects on what inspired to meditate, the fragility of life, and the feeling of 'wrongness' in the heart.
  - Walking the Path with Peter Fernando, The Meditation Guy
    Peter written a few articles here on the website, and runs the ever-popular an on-going Month of Mindfulness course. Peter is our resident Meditation Guy. That means you can ask him any questions…
  - Review: A Month of Mindfulness Meditation Practice with Peter Fernando
    Alys Titchener reviews the online meditation course 'A month of mindfulness' offered by Peter Fernando.
  - Establishing a daily mindfulness practice is easier than you think (4)
    Establishing a daily meditation practice can be an opportunity for creativity and a fresh perspective on how we live in the world. It doesn't have to seem like just another thing we should be doing,…
  - Wellington Meditation Teacher: Peter Fernando (1)
    Wellington Insight Meditation teacher Peter Fernando shares his journey into meditation, and his understanding of the art of happiness.
  - What it means to embody presence in all that you do
    One of the first times in my life I remember feeling fully present in the body was when I was in my early twenties. It was a time when I was in quite a lot of mental distress. My life at the time…
- Yoga on a Plate (4)
  Regular Columnist Valerie Love explores the connections between the food we eat, the energy centres of the body, and the practice of yoga.
  - Positively pitta: how understanding your dosha can revolutionize the way you eat
    Ayurvedic teachings can help pacify imbalances in our lifestyles, eating habits, and behaviours in order to promote optimal health. By understanding our dosha (constitution), and the foods and…
  - “How’s puku?”: Unlock the wisdom of the belly (1)
    The chakra systems states that the belly is the space that holds the seeds of personal power – our strength, confidence, and enthusiasm are all reflected in Manipura chakra, the third energy centre…
  - Mindful eating: a powerful practice in transforming your relationship to food (4)
    Like breathing, eating is a basic, life-giving function that we do everyday. But we don’t always think about the practice of eating, and how to eat mindfully.
  - Introducing “Yoga on a Plate:” A New Column for the Yoga Lunchbox (9)
    Yoga on a Plate is a new column for The Yoga Lunchbox which explores the connections between the food we eat and the way we live, on and off the mat.
- The Suburban Yogini (4)
  My name is Gabrielle Harris, I am 47, I live in the suburbs. I am the Suburban Yogini.
  - How to make your office practice your yoga practice (3)
    Are you too busy at work to become liberated? Would aliens snatch you up out of your office desk for analysis because of that mindless look on your face? Do you want to incorporate more yoga into…
  - Dumped by my Guru (7)
    I had travelled to Australia to be with the teacher I was attached to. He made me believe in myself and my gift of yoga. He made me believe that yoga was my dharma. He helped me do a fall back, and…
  - Pranayama in Pyjamas
    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…
  - Introducing "The Suburban Yogini", a new column for The Yoga Lunchbox
    I was the girl picked last for the net ball teams - hand eye coordination not good, didn’t like team sports or competition. I spent most of my life in fruitless physical endeavours (think jazzercise…
- Adventures in Teaching (7)
  Elissa focuses on her adventures as a newbie teacher, plus researching and answering any questions readers might have about becoming, or being, a yoga teacher.
  - Leave your assumptions at the door and open to your full potential (3)
    What you tell yourself is what you believe. When you make a blind assumption - I can’t cycle this hill, I can’t do a handstand, I can’t hold plank pose - this is what comes true, because you…
  - How to get the most out of any yoga teacher training - ask questions! (5)
    I’ve had the same conversation repeatedly since becoming a yoga teacher - a conversation about access to a skilled senior teacher and what can be done about it.
  - Managing fear when teaching yoga (9)
    Am I good enough? When near-paralysing fear rear it’s ugly head use your yoga practice to get much better at telling your inner critic - ‘I’ve got this’.
  - How to find the purpose in your teaching (1)
    When teaching yoga knowing why you’re doing what you’re doing means you can have a room full of quadriplegics and carry on as though it’s what you planned for.
  - How to answer: what exactly is the energy body?
    What is the energy body? In our small group were varying degrees of comfort with the very idea. From absolute belief to a lot of questions. And a lot of doubt.
  - How to take your teaching even further - assist!
    As a yoga teacher eventually you stop seeing people covered in clothes and shoes and hair. Instead you see collections of muscle and bone, alignment and postures carried around in a thin casing of…
  - Who knew? There isn't just one right way to do things. Even in Yoga. (3)
    Once, when I was staying at an ashram in India, happily practicing trikonasana, I was given an adjust that went against everything I understood about the asana. And so I asked: 'Why?' The woman…
- Off The Mat Into the World (1)
  Lucinda explores what it means to take yoga ‘off the mat’, in both her life as a yogi and a climate activist, and in the lives of other changemakers. Presented in collaboration with Off the Mat,…
  - Taking yoga off the mat (1)
    by new regular columnist Lucinda Staniland, Off the Mat This is the first of a regular column presented in collaboration with Off the Mat, Into the World New Zealand, It will explore what it…

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