by Kara-Leah Grant Meet Judith Hanson Lasater. A yoga teacher since 1971, and the co-founder of Yoga Journal, Judith is a physical therapist, and holds a PhD in East West psychology. She's also written eight books and recently released a second edition of her popular book Living Your Yoga: Finding the Spiritual in Everyday Life. (The first edition was released in 1999.) That was a great excuses for me to hit up Rodmell Press (her publishers) about interviewing Judith, and I was very … [Read more...]
Further Yoga Lessons in Bone Compression and Anatomical Limitations
by Kara-Leah Grant This week in my Ashtanga practice I've been exploring and playing with two joints in particular - my ankle joints and wrist joints. Thanks to a Yin Yoga workshop, I've identified that I have a limited range of movement in both of these joints - less than the normal range. The only posture that my limited ankle mobility appears to impact in the Primary Series (I'm up to Bhujapidasana (Shoulder-Pressing Pose)) is Utkatasana (Chair Pose). Prior to the realisation about my … [Read more...]
How Bone Compression Prevents Me from Doing Bhujapidasana
By Kara-Leah Grant I've been aware of the role that bone compression plays in our range of movement since watching a series of Paul Grilley videos on YouTube. Yet despite knowing this intellectually, it wasn't until I attended a Yin Yoga Workshop with Karin Sang and Markus Henning Giess of Yin Therapy that I realised how bone compression was impacting my yoga practice. Over the course of the day, Markus lead us through several bone compression tests so we could determine our natural range of … [Read more...]
Is Meditation Dangerous?
by Kara-Leah Grant I got a call from a journalist at the Waikato Times who wanted to interview me for an article on the 'pros and cons' of meditation. I wasn't sure if I could help her out - after all, I don't teach meditation - however it turned out she wanted to interview me about my experience of awakening and psychosis. Ah... I was to be the con in the article. Yes, meditation is dangerous, it can send you crazy! I pondered whether to do it or not. I understand journalism and how most … [Read more...]
What Are We Really Doing in Asana? Online Interactive Workshops on Injury Prevention in Yoga
by Kara-Leah Grant Last August, I interviewed Matthew Remski almost a year ago about his project What Are We Really Doing in Asana?, investigating yoga and injury. He's been doing great work and has interviewed hundreds of yoga practitioners about their history of yoga injury - a topic that was largely taboo or silent until this conversation began. The articles that Matthew has written, and the interviews that he's done, are all going towards a book that he's writing. But in the … [Read more...]
I’m Afraid my Students are Going to Get Bored with my Yoga Sequences
by Kara-Leah Grant This came up in conversation this week - a new teacher expressing a fear that her yoga sequences weren't interesting enough and that she was going to be boring her students. She wanted to know how to make her sequences more interesting. However, there is a fallacy of logic here. The teacher has a fear arising - that of boring her students. Her approach to working with that fear is to ensure that the external circumstance triggering the fear is removed - bored … [Read more...]
I Give Up
by Kara-Leah Grant I just wrote some 700 words and I realised that I've been telling the same damn story on this website for the past five years. A story of struggling to earn money through teaching yoga and writing. And now, I'm dropping the story and simply saying: I give up. I've had enough. I don't care anymore. I'm going to stop trying to earn a living from writing and teaching. Oh, I won't stop writing, nor will I stop teaching. These things I will continue to do, always and … [Read more...]
Home Yoga Practice Question: How do I Work with Alignment When I Can’t See Myself? {video}
by Kara-Leah Grant This week, Bianca had this question. I always find it difficult to keep my hips balanced without a mirror....where should I feel that I'm balanced? I often get corrected when it actually felt right to me. Seeing it though in a before and after picture I was way off. How do I know where balanced alignment is in my home yoga practice? - Bianca It's a great question and one that will apply to many people, so I thought I would answer it in this short article and … [Read more...]
A Review of the Shakti Mat – A Modern Bed of Nails
by Kara-Leah Grant Running a popular yoga website means I get all kinds of emails from people wanting me to review or share their yoga-related products and services. My favourite so far was the press release from a company launching a range of yoga shoes. Because we all know you wear shoes while practicing yoga right? So I was sceptical when Jonathan from Shakti Mat New Zealand emailed me ask said he'd send me a free Shakti Mat if I did a review about it. Road-testing, assessing and reviewing … [Read more...]
Jonathan from Team Shakti on Bringing the Bed of Nails to NZ
by Kara-Leah Grant Apparently one in ten Swedish people own a variation of the Shakti Mat - a modern-day rendering of the bed of nails. Consisting of a thin foam filler inside a cotton case mounted with 6000 plus plastic spikes, the Shakti Mat is meant to "increase blood circulation and stimulate the body to release endorphins which help to bring about a deeply relaxed state." And now, thanks to Jonathan and his business partner, who came across the Shakti Mat on a beach in Thailand, the … [Read more...]