We have just moved house, my partner and I. In the midst of trying to insure we have all our things in spaces that make sense, I’ve been eyeing the large deck and huge lounge floor. This house is made for practicing Yoga. Which I haven’t done in I don’t know how long. Not specifically the sort that everyone thinks of when they hear the word ‘yoga’, anyway. That is to say: my life has had no asana practice for a couple weeks. Since asana is only one of eight – 1 of 8! – limbs of Yoga, … [Read more...]
I’m not flexible enough to do yoga
by guest author Alys Titchener It took me years to turn up to a yoga class. Years and years of liking the idea of yoga before actually appearing on a yoga mat. Why? Whenever I confessed I’d never done a yoga class; I’d always append the confession with – I’m not flexible enough. Never have been. I got dropped from the gymnastics club at the age of eight because I couldn’t reach my toes. I could do handstands, I could vault, I could balance on the beam, but I couldn’t touch my toes. Perhaps … [Read more...]
Don’t look at my ass in asana
There are times I fully embrace and enjoy in the relatively hype-free existence of yoga in New Zealand. Coming from Seattle - granola metropolis, yoga studio a stone’s throw in any direction - the lack of flash, and preoccupation with being seen as a yoga practitioner is a relief. How can I worry if I’m wearing the wrong brand name practice pants when there are no brand name practice pants to be bought? In comparison, the American online community - primed by yoga ‘rebels’, issues … [Read more...]
How to cope with post-pregnancy poopiness
by guest author Melissa Billington, POWA Centre, Wellington Creating a baby is such a natural thing, yet it can change your world so irrevocably and unexpectedly that it’s no wonder women struggle after the intensity of birthing to feel centred, balanced and “themselves” again. Not only is a new human created, but a new mother is created as well. As much as you read and research and reconnoitre with other women and mothers, no one and nothing can prepare you entirely for the reality … [Read more...]
How yoga helped me… recover from drug and alcohol addiction
This is an on-going series of yoga stories from readers about how yoga has made a difference their life. To contribute your story, click here. Submitted by Clare S. (not her real name) of New Zealand Coming from a dysfunctional family, it is not really a surprise that I got involved with punk rockers and street kids in my early teens. I felt a sense of belonging, I was needed. I brought them food and snuck them home for showers and meals. It didn't take long for me … [Read more...]
How yoga helped me… stand tall, both literally and emotionally
This is an on-going series of yoga stories submitted by Yoga Lunchbox readers. Tell us how yoga changed your lift here. By Anonymous I’ve been a sporty type for 10 years or so now I go through phases of running, biking, and weight training. Over the last 5 years I’ve found yoga and since then it has typically part been part of my weekly routine. I’m prone to very bad posture and yoga has taught me to be aware of my body. More specifically, it has helped me become aware of how nice … [Read more...]
Yoga trippy – an Indian viewpoint of Western Yoga
an essay by guest author Ali Halle Tilley Yoga is an ancient practice, which can bring transformation and liberation to the disillusioned, disenfranchised masses[1] of the Technological Age by combining universal moral codes and postural sequences, with breathing and meditation techniques. One main challenge for yoga practiced in the West, however, is the contagion of consumerism where yoga students and teachers buy into what is currently fashionable and dismiss what is genuine. This … [Read more...]
Everything is stable… until it’s not
by guest author Katie Lane What the Christchurch earthquake is teaching me about stability. Just when I thought I’d found my roots...the ground shook. AGAIN. Tuesday morning, 11.32am. The biggest aftershock I felt since our original 7.1 magnitude earthquake in early September. Compared to the BIG event, this shake was minor. However, a 5.0 on any scale is really no small thing! The woman I was talking with on the phone started to cry and hung up the apologizing that she needed to call her … [Read more...]
What does it feel like to be in the flow?
by guest author Alys Titchener, author of the poetry blog Squashed Mosquito, in honour of Blog Action Day 2010 | Water Blog Action Day is an annual event held every October 15 that unites the world’s bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day with the aim of sparking a global discussion and driving collective action. What does it feel like to be in the flow? I came across this question on facebook today. Brilliant question! One thing I can point to … [Read more...]
Applying the fifth yama, Aparigraha (non-hoarding), to daily life
by Kara-Leah, Of all the yamas, this is the one which, if kept, would have the most profound effect on our western, consumer, materialistic society. If we all lived in such a way that we were non-possessive, non-accumulative, and non-hoarding... it would totally shift our relationship to stuff, to the earth, to ideas, to ego-identity and to each other. The way we did business would change. The way we manufactured products would change. Our footprint upon the earth would lighten enormously. The … [Read more...]