Why ‘letting go’ and ‘detachment’ can be pitfalls on the spiritual path

Mother and child

by regular columnist Peter Fernando, The Meditation Guy 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 with non-attachment? And letting go? When you have never really experienced having anything to hold onto? The first thing I should say is this: I am no expert in this field, so please don't take my word as gospel. I can only reflect from … [Read more...]

How yoga can ease the shift to a brand new city

Elissa Jordan

by guest author Elissa Jordan I miss Jaqui. 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 Wellington. A whole new chapter with thrilling opportunities and possibilities. It's an exciting time. And in every yoga class I go to in Wellington I am met by my mat, my openness to the teachings and a stranger leading the practice. And so I miss … [Read more...]

The beginner’s guide to yoga: Part 3

Our mental approach to a posture says it all

Part 1 of this series in the Beginner’s Guide to Yoga gave you a heads-up on things to be aware of before rocking along to your first yoga class. Part 2 of this series in the Beginner's Guide to Yoga explored how our connection to breath and prana means we create our postures from the inside out, rather than impose them from the outside in. Now it's time to take our journey into yoga one step further - where doing asana 'right' is also about the relationship you have with the pose while … [Read more...]

An exploration of non-attachment, or vairagya

Swami Muktidharma, Anahata Yoga Retreat

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 causes in our lives of unhappiness. Attachment causes fear and fear is the trigger for a lot of other emotions such as anger, stress and lack of satisfaction in life. When there is attachment to an object, however small, there is fear of losing it. … [Read more...]