by Kara-Leah Grant, Musings from the Mat This is an interesting question - how can I possibly know what meditation might suit you, especially when I don't know 'you' at all? There is therefore no definitive answer I can give you to this question. However, what I can do is take you through a process which can help you determine which type of meditation might be best for you. In essence, I ask you questions, and you answer them. Because who knows best, what's best for you? You, that's … [Read more...]
Why kirtan is one of the most powerful yoga practices you’ll ever do
Photo credit: Pete Longworth by Kara-Leah I want to let you in on a secret. Ok, it's not really a secret, because I'm telling you right? But until I actually experienced this for myself I had absolutely no idea of how powerful this particular yoga practice is. It is the most powerful practice I have done. Ever. … [Read more...]
Day 1 to 15: Forty Day Sadhana of Infinite Energy and Prosperity Meditation
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 few while decimating the planet. These were my thoughts as I sat outside this morning on my deck, eating porridge, watching the sunrise, and enjoying the presence of a handful of sparrows attracted by the stale bread we'd thrown on the lawn. They pecked and chirped, hopped and nibbled. Read … [Read more...]
How to introduce your children to yoga
The power of yoga to improve the quality of life for our children is an untapped resource. by guest author Amanda Reid of Samadhi Yoga Although yoga has enjoyed popularity with adults for many years, it is only recently that we have come to understand how helpful it can be for children in their formative years, increasing their self-awareness, building their self-esteem, and strengthening their bodies - truly a welcomed oasis in a culture that offers little in the way of mindful yet … [Read more...]
How to access infinite energy and prosperity using a sadhana
I'm so excited! Today I started a new sadhana. The results from the last sadhana I did, Sodarshan Chakra Kriya were fantastic, and I'd been waiting for another sadhana to make itself known. What's a sadhana? Simply a daily spiritual practice like meditation done for forty consecutive days. On the weekend, while cleaning out my bedroom, I stumbled across a copy of Infinite Energy and Prosperity Meditation, taken from Anmol Mehta's wonderful website. … [Read more...]
The Joys of Introducing Yoga to Children
By guest author Theresa Bowen 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 strength, flexibility and general body awareness. It is quite powerful when kids explore and experience the effect of the breath as an extension of body awareness, and begin to use it as a tool to relax or energise themselves. Start with feeling where the breath comes … [Read more...]
How to use the creativity of yoga to unleash the child within
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 the inner child alive, and creativity flowing. By Seka Ojdrovic Children can be our best teachers Nearing the end of a particularly child-like weekend (spent tumbling down a waterslide, enjoying a double-scoop ice cream cone and visiting a toy store), I was thrilled when the sun shone bright so … [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...]
My nine favourite places to practice asana, pranayama and meditation
Part of my mission as a yoga teacher and writer is to show people that asana, pranayama and meditation can happen anywhere, anytime - not just in a yoga class, at a yoga studio, in a gym or on your mat at home. Breaking free of our ideas of how asana, pranayama and meditation "should" be practised gets yoga off the mat and integrates it into your everyday daily life. And when you integrate your practice into your everyday, daily life, you will see great gains, giant leaps, and experience … [Read more...]
How to approach challenging yoga poses with patience and self-kindness
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 our physical limits. by guest author Seka Ojdrovic It’s often said that we are our own worst critic. Part of being human is striving to attain the unattainable and not being satisfied until it’s within our grasp. The practice of yoga is no exception, as we often literally stretch … [Read more...]