My life right now is a fluid mix of story & yoga. I'm studying creative writing at Victoria University and I'm finishing off my Prana Flow Yoga Teacher Certification (posted off all the book work in the mail on Monday! Woo hoo... now just have the exam to sit.) This combination of story and yoga has dovetailed into a deeper understanding of how we write the scripts for our lives, how we cast ourselves and the people around us as characters, and how we react to these scripts and … [Read more...]
How to create a spiritual home with a child-friendly meditation circle
by guest author Jenifer Parker, owner of Healium Yoga Studio in Wellington They say that it takes a village to raise a child, but it can be a struggle to find the right village! We are blessed that there are many secular villages in which we can participate, like our play groups and parent meetings with thosewho practice attachment parenting techniques, but we have really struggled to find the right spiritual home for our family. Both my husband and I were raised in religious … [Read more...]
A podcast interview with Brandon Bays of ‘The Journey’
Alrighty then Lunchboxers... I've just spent a rainy Sunday afternoon up-schooling myself on the ins and outs of editing a .mov file and converting it to a M4a and MP3 file all so you can enjoy a live interview between Moi & Brandon Bays. Brandon Bays who some of you may ask? Brandon Bays. She who, upon discovering she had a basketball - yes, basketball! - sized tumour in her belly, asked the doctor if she could be allowed to 'walk her talk' and apply all her mind-body healing know-how … [Read more...]
So what’s your purpose in life?
by guest author Marianne Elliott, Off the Mat NZ 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 us long for a clear sense of purpose: one coherent story about what we are supposed to be doing with our life. We wish we could feel confident that we are spending our “one wild and precious life” in a way that is meaningful, that is contributing … [Read more...]
An interview with Donna Farhi
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 by asana, this body part in that body place, but through universal principles that underlay every asana. It was a watershed moment in my Yoga journey as my home practice had begun to diverge from anything resembling a standard hatha class. With Donna's book within easy reach, I felt able to honour the … [Read more...]
Learn the practice of neti and experience a clear head space
by Guest Author Do you suffer from allergies? Sinus problems? Frequent headaches? Nasal infections? How is the autumn effecting you? Find your nostrils are blocked, affecting your pranayama? Looking for a way to gently clear the mind before meditation? The practice of Neti is for you. 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 … [Read more...]
Yoga-In-Action Groups: Small Circles of Change
Are you ready to take your yoga practice/teaching to the next level? Do you feel as if you have authentic purpose in the world, but are not sure what it is or how to activate it? Do you feel ready to live your life in a more meaningful and connected way? Are you drawn to service but don’t know where or how to begin? The first ever Yoga-in-Action group in New Zealand is for you! WHAT IS IT? … [Read more...]
An interview with Swami Muktimurti about the power of sound to transform
There is a rich Satyananda Yoga tradition in New Zealand, which means we are fortunate to often play host to traveling Satyananda Swamis from around the world. Next month (March 2010), Anahata Retreat just outside of Nelson is hosting Swami Muktimurti from Mangrove Mountain near Mountain. An expert in Mantra and ancient Sanskrit, she is hosting a nine day/ten night retreat focused on Nada Yoga, or the yoga of sound. Swami Muktimurti is well known for her singing. She has pursued a deep … [Read more...]
What’s yoga got to do with climate action?
Well, plenty actually. And this is the perfect time to write about that connection. One, it's International Blog Action Day, when bloggers around the world write about one topic that matters - this year the environment. And two, next Saturday October 24th is International Climate Action Day, also happening worldwide. Here in Wellington, there will be meditation at Frank Kitts Park all day, and The Big Stretch - a free yoga class at 3pm. We want to get as many yogis to the free yoga … [Read more...]
What it means to embody presence in all that you do
by guest author Peter Fernando, A Month of Mindfulness 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 was all doing – doing this, achieving that; fixing this, making that. It was all about activity. To be honest I was a bit compulsive – I felt I had to constantly be doing something to prove my worth to others. … [Read more...]