Every now and then, you read a book that stops you in your tracks. It blasts through your mind and fires up your heart. It makes you leap out of your seat and want to run around yelling the message from the top of your lungs. These are the best books - books that speak to my heart, reminding me of all I already know. The kind of books that I read and I feel like I'm not just reading the messages contained within, but that I'm remembering them. The first is The Diamond Cutter, about … [Read more...]
Bhakti Yoga & Kirtan – it’s How Yogis get High
by Kara-Leah The mission of this website is to get everybody in New Zealand doing yoga - but it's really important to remember that yoga is not just about the physical postures called asana. 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. Take a moment to think of your favourite music right now, and how it makes you feel when you sing it - when you lose yourself and get right into the … [Read more...]
How do I squeeze yoga and meditation into my jam-packed day?
It’s the end of the week and while you managed to make it to two yoga classes, you haven’t unrolled your yoga mat at home once. Family, work, & household commitments make finding a 90-minute slot during the day next to impossible. Short of getting up at 5am, or re-prioritizing your life to ditch other commitments, there are other ways to regularly practice yoga. After all, home practice is where the deeper rewards of yoga blossom. So how do you manage to fit regular yoga and meditation … [Read more...]
How do I Stop These Compulsive Thoughts Invading My Brain?
by Kara-Leah Grant It happens all the time - people tell me they can't meditate because they think too much. They can't stop themselves from thinking... But none of us can stop ourselves from thinking, even when we've been meditating for a long time. Meditation is the process of being aware of the thoughts... The following dialogue was inspired by a couple of emails from readers, who wanted to know how to control their thoughts. How do we stop compulsive thoughts from invading and taking over … [Read more...]
How do I begin to meditate?
By Guest Author James Bryan, of Knoff Yoga 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? To get the full benefit of what Hatha Yoga offers, we do need to meditate and in this article, we will look at a few reasons for setting up a daily routine to include it. … [Read more...]
The wise do not waste time on meditation
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 your thoughts and focus your attention for an hour YOU Have not arrived The wise man does not meditate … [Read more...]