by Caren Baginski I remember the first time I took an antidepressant. It was my third year of high school and I couldn't swallow pills, so I had liquid Prozac in a tiny cup. It didn't taste like anything, but during that time nothing did. I looked intensely at that drug for an hour before I took it, tears streaming down my face, feeling like a big fat failure. I remember the last time I took an antidepressant. I had moved to a new state, was on Zoloft, and weaned myself, thinking I … [Read more...]
Yoga Injuries and Pain During Yoga Class – What’s the Story?
by Kara-Leah Grant, Musings from the Mat Matthew Remski is currently researching asana-related injuries in an attempt to understand what we are actually doing with yoga, and how we can know the value or safety of the postures we practice. After taking the time to read his first article on the subject - What Are We Actually Doing in Asana - I found myself asking questions about my practice and the pain I sometimes experience in yoga. In particular, Matthew says: I would like to explore … [Read more...]
What is an Ayurvedic Consultation and Treatment Plan All About?
by Kara-Leah Grant, Musings from the Mat I went and had an Ayurvedic Consultation recently with the fine folk at Ancient's Best here in Blenheim. I've had a subtle sense of certain bodily functions not performing at optimum for awhile now. Nothing wrong or broken as such... but just a knowing that things need looking at. It's not the kind of thing you can go to the doctor for though - doctors are great at broken arms and clearly defined illnesses and disease but show up with a vague … [Read more...]
How Living Your Yoga Can Mean Taking Parenting Lessons From The Rock (Dwayne Johnson)
by Kara-Leah Grant First night in Napier, staying at my Uncle's house. The TV's on. I haven't lived with a TV for three years. It's novel. I sit to eat my dinner and catch the beginning of a movie. By the time I've finished my dinner, I've grasped the plot and I'm chuckling at the weirdness of the Universe. The movie is about a high-achieving, selfish, self-centered football player who discovers - when she shows up on his doorstep - that he has an eight year old daughter. The plot revolves … [Read more...]
Is Awakening the Evolutionary Destiny of Humanity?
WIN a copy of Kara-Leah’s new book ‘Sex, Drugs & (mostly) Yoga - Field Notes from Kundalini Awakening’, publishing in November 2018. Guaranteed to take you on an intimate journey into the depths of the Kundalini experience. Click here to sign up for the book launch list and go into the draw to win one of THREE print copies. by Kara-Leah Grant I once knew a yoga teacher who would joke how awakening would never happen to her - she wasn’t far enough along the path, or didn’t know enough, or … [Read more...]
How Brandon Bays’ ‘The Journey’ Helped me Open up to Real Intimacy
By guest author Jacinta Aalsma I am always wondering if I would have chosen the path of yoga with the same passion and intensity if I didn't come across the Journey work. Would I be brave enough to follow my passion by facing my insecurity, fear of exposure and perfectionism? Would I dare to stand for a group of exciting yogis and teach them in English, my second language? Would I dare to show the real Jacinta? I guess we will never know. Clearly, Journey work has transformed my yoga … [Read more...]
Are We Drowning Under a Deluge of Perfect Yoga Images?
by Kara-Leah Grant, Musings from the Mat As many of you know, Wanderlust is coming to New Zealand and Australia next year - first with one-day city-based events, and then in 2015 with the whole four day festival she-bang. I'm one yoga teacher who's been selected as a Wanderlust Wayfarer. Wayfarers are a network of teachers who spread the word about Wanderlust to their local communities. As part of my role, I had to send in my bio and a photo of me. Should be easy right? I'm all over the … [Read more...]
Drinking Alcohol: A Big No-No for Serious Yogis?
by Kara-Leah Grant, Musings from the Mat It was one of those behaviours or activities that started softly, softly, slipping in under the mat and under awareness. A shared bottle of wine once a week. A shared bottle of wine twice a week. A bottle of vodka in the house - a cocktail before dinner four or five times a week, then a glass or two of wine. Never more than two or three drinks in a night, never every night of the week. But still... As time went by, this behaviour began to tug at my … [Read more...]
What if Enlightenment was just Dropping into Total Ordinariness. What then?
by guest author Emma Fernbloom, author of Conscious Creation of Wholeness & Community It’s strange to find myself free of ambition. It’s been a slow change, but now it’s happened completely, it feels a bit weird. It leaves gaps in conversations, like when everyone is talking about some TV programme you haven’t seen and they’re all wrapped up in the drama of it, but you haven’t been pulled into it so your smile is merely polite with a tinge of enjoyment or irritation at their … [Read more...]
How I Practiced Hot Yoga for 100 Days Straight
by Anthony Light Editor's Note: Anthony recently completed 100 days of yoga classes at Flow Hot Yoga in Christchurch. Downward dog can actually become a resting posture. Sound a little exaggerated? Well it can sound that way on days where I am feeling tight or tired. But for most of the time I’m now content hanging out in Downward Dog and observing how my body and mind adjust to the posture. If you had said that to me before a few months ago, I would have laughed with a small … [Read more...]