There is no authority that exists, or need exist externally from our Selves. We need no moral code. We need no rules. We need no regulations. All we need is be completely honest with ourselves (conscious!) and understand the implications of our actions. All we need is to understand and know that we are a part of the Whole, and anything we do to another we do to ourselves because we are all One. … [Read more...]
What is this yoga stuff all about?
Yoga. It's not about twisting yourself into a pretzel - although many who practice yoga can manipulate their bodies in incredible ways. It's not about going to classes and learning how to do this posture, or that breathing technique - although practicing asana and pranayama is part of yoga. It's not about chanting, or meditating every single day no matter what because that's your sadhana - although establishing a sadhana ( a daily spiritual practice) is also a part of yoga. So what is yoga? … [Read more...]
What yoga can teach us about opening to the flow of life
One of the reasons I absolutely love teaching yoga is that I learn so much from the experience. My students are as much my teachers as I are them. I am sure this two way flow is common to many other teacher/student relationships, and also professional/client relationships as well. Take a moment to think about your interactions - whether it's teaching yoga or something else - how do you learn from the experience (and feel free to share your insights in the comments below!)? One of the … [Read more...]
How yoga will give you a body you LOVE
by Kara-Leah Grant, Common wisdom holds that if you are unhappy about your body, the only recourse is to lose weight via exercise, or dieting, or pills, or some combination of all three. But there is another way. It doesn't involve starving yourself, forcing yourself into an activity you hate or risking your health with dodgy chemicals. Instead of focusing on changing the external - i.e. your body - focus on changing the internal, i.e. your PERCEPTION of your body. Stop the hating and the … [Read more...]
How to choose your own experience of reality
One of the most valuable lessons that yoga can teach us is to observe our reactions to the world. When we practice, we pay attention to our breath, we are aware of physical sensations in the body, we notice our emotions and we watch our thoughts leaping and dancing about in the mind. In the watching, we begin to see space between thought and action. We begin to understand that we can choose our action. This gift of yoga could lead to the single biggest leap in evolution we could next make as … [Read more...]
On the power of paying attention to your words
by Kara-Leah Grant All around us lie opportunities for us to take our yoga off the mat - not just in a physical way, but in the way in which we relate to everything around us. When we practice, we listen to our breath, we let it guide us into postures, we accept ourselves right where we are, and we surrender into our body. When we live our lives, do we take the time to stop and listen to our breath? Do we allow our breath to take us into situations that we might find stressful? Do we … [Read more...]
How to find true love
Somewhere out there in the world is the perfect person for you. Someone who will love you unconditionally, and meet all your needs, and shower you with love. Right? Absolutely. And you already know this person. In fact, you are extraordinarily close to this person. For this person is you. You are the one responsible for loving yourself unconditionally, for meeting all your needs and for showering yourself with love. And when you do this, you will discover something … [Read more...]
How to Harness the Natural Flow of Life
by Kara-Leah Grant Have you ever noticed that a tree never needs wonder about what to do? Or who to be? No, the tree feels within when the time comes for budding and blossoming. For bearing fruit and blooming. And when the time comes to shed the old and dig in for the hibernation period. Trees follow the flow of internal energy as they respond to external reality. There is much we can learn from this way of being. For there are times in our lives when we need to hunker down and … [Read more...]
What Causes Depression?
by Kara-Leah Grant, Musings from the Mat What causes depression? No one knows. No really - not even the medical profession. Do a quick google search and see what comes up. The best they can offer is a few theories of biological factors combined with environmental and behavioural issues. They can estimate how likely someone is to experience depression based on this, but they don't know the root cause. Makes it hard to heal something when you don't know what is causing it! So we DON'T treat … [Read more...]