Last week I received a comment from a reader prompted by the article they'd been reading, Will yoga give me a great body? I have recently started yoga, been almost a month & I love it. I have been doing "The Paleo Diet" - Lean Meats, Fruits, Vegs, No breads or Grains, Beans etc. I am eating more of what a cave man would/could eat and with that & yoga I am losing weight. I have to be honest with you, I kinda feel bad. I feel that I can't love yoga & be a yogi if I eat meat, which … [Read more...]
Day 40: Completion of my Forty Day Sadhana of Sodarshan Chakra Kriya
by Kara-Leah, I've done it! Yes, on Saturday, 94 days after I made a commitment to complete a forty day sadhana, I did my forty days in a row. After a couple of false starts, I was back into it and truly committed. I'd failed once, and knew this time what it took to complete the sadhana. Every day when I woke up, one of my first thoughts was, "When am I going to do my sadhana?" It became the one concrete action in my day that everything else had to bow down to - and this was good. I looked … [Read more...]
What is Ayurveda all about?
In this article David explains his journey into Ayurveda, and it's application to our lives. by Guest Author David Timbs ND, Dip Ayur (India), Dip Acup, BEd One does not discover Ayurveda, or discover that Ayurveda is something removed from whom we are. Ayurveda by definition is “the Science of Life and Longevity”, we are already ‘in’ Ayurveda as long as we are already ‘in’ life. … [Read more...]
How yoga gives you faith in your ability to cope
It's been a full-on week at work - lots of different projects on the go, lots of meetings, lots of reviewing other people's writing, and lots of writing. Yesterday, it was a beautiful blue sky Wellington day. At about 1pm I decided I needed a break from the computer screen, so did the fast change in the bathroom, grabbed my yoga mat from it's posse under my desk, and dashed out into the sunshine for a power practice. … [Read more...]
What is this heart-opening stuff all about?
Is your heart closed, or open? Do you feel yourself as a separate entity, or do you feel yourself to be a part of a whole? Do you see other people in a judgmental, critical way... or do you see them through eyes of love and compassion? If your heart is closed... are you ready to open up to a new way of being? … [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...]
Why adding Pranayama to your yoga practice is so powerful
One of the most common reasons I hear for why people don't do yoga is that they're "not flexible enough". Aside from the fact that this is exactly why they would get so much out of yoga, I find myself wanting to scream from the rooftops: practicing yoga does not require you to be flexible! When I went to my first class my body was so tight that just to sit on the floor with a straight spine and straight legs, I had to perch up something like four blankets! … [Read more...]
How practicing yoga builds internal strength for day to day living
Finding something to passionately believe in is indeed daunting, but immensely rewarding. Discover who you are to discover what you passionately believe in. By guest author Seka Ojdrovic I was given an amazing Christmas gift this year. My aunt had taken it on herself to translate from Serbian to English a story written by my grandfather about an experience of his during World War 2. He and his fellow patriots were told that they would be taken from former Yugoslavia … [Read more...]
Day 32 to 35: Forty Day Sadhana of Sodarshan Chakra Kriya
It happened on Thursday. It was the end of the week, as here in New Zealand we celebrate Waitangi Day on February 6th which was Friday last week. I finished work and met my partner at his workplace to catch a ride up to his boss's house to get our car. His boss lives on top of a hill with panoramic views of Wellington, and he invited us in for a drink on the patio. A couple of wines and some conversation later, it was back to our house for a much needed meal. And then, pleasantly … [Read more...]
Day 22 to 31: Forty Day Sadhana of Sodarshan Chakra Kriya
I'm a-changin'... of that there is no doubt. And it's the most wonderful thing. In situations that I would have run a mile from just three or so weeks ago, I find myself stepping up to the plate, beating heart and all, and dealing with calmly and clearly. This week during my eleven minute practice of sodarshan chakra kriya, I have found myself breathless far more than last week. It's important in pranayama not to force anything, so when I feel breathless, I have a choice. Do I push on … [Read more...]