by Seka Ojdrovic-Phillips, Spirit Fire Yoga Yoga in all its forms has brought me head-to-head with my greatest challenges and the satisfaction that comes from working through them. My own brand of yoga evolution led me to teaching, first in New Zealand and now in the States. As with every evolution, I learned tons each time I showed up to teach. Showing up at anything is all it takes. While making mistakes as a teacher, I grow and learn to become more connected to others, and kinder to … [Read more...]
The Best of Yoga Philosophy
The Yoga Lunchbox is proud to host this week's edition of... Best of Yoga Philosophy A Virtual Magazine & Forum The very best Yoga philosophy articles from all over the Web. Follow daily on Pinterest (best browsing), Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin Please pass the word to your friends who like Yoga philosophy. Thanks for your interest and support. Bob W. Editor ***** Very interesting discussion about the Bhagavad Gita ~ A Fascinating Discussion Going on over at Facebook - read … [Read more...]
From city yoga chick to rural home lady
By Guest Author Jacinta Aalsma, Yoga Circle The biggest obstacle for me when I moved from Auckland to Whangarei, was leaving behind my yoga studio, yoga community and yoga friends. My yoga studio is my safe place and my yoga friends felt like my family. On the other hand, I knew this move was eventually a good thing for me to do. So here I am in rural New Zealand; my home practice and me. Suddenly I spent heaps of time at home, instead of at yoga studios. My partner prices himself lucky, … [Read more...]
Your most valuable tool as a Yoga Teacher (it’s not what you think)
by guest author Louise Thompson, Positive Balance Do you know what your most valuable tool is as a yoga teacher? What sets you apart? What makes you unique and special? What keeps students coming back to class again and again? What makes your classes work? What makes your classes inspiring and challenging? Is it your awesome back bend ability? Your demonstration of a perfect pigeon pose? Your hard-out arm balance? Your unique sequence of poses and your hard earned teaching … [Read more...]
Five things a yoga instructor should never say in class
by Vanessa Roberts I love me some yoga, and have loved it (albeit sometimes a little inconsistently) for a good solid ten years. While I always seem to learn something new – a new posture, technique or way to relax into my poses – I have also been privy to some cringe-inducing, nose-scrunching phrases muttered by an instructor (or five) of mine. Though most of them can be shrugged off with a simple “ew”, others have left me questioning my instructor's reasons and shaking my head in … [Read more...]
The meanings we give to work
By guest author Brook McCarthy, 30 Steps I was your typical baby hippie. I grew my armpit hair, ate lentils, chanted Hari Krisna, and choose my university subjects by how I perceive they’d help with the old “meaning of life” conundrum. My late teens and early 20s were spent meditating, chanting, teaching yoga and travelling. I became a tour leader because I didn’t like having to return home in between travels to make more money to travel again. For two years, I took small groups … [Read more...]
Healing the black hole: John Ogilvie’s story from drug addict to yoga teacher
John's article first appeared in Australian Yoga LIFE by guest author Ana Davis John Ogilvie is one of those rare people you meet with whom you feel an almost instant heart connection. There is a glint in his eyes that tells of an inner-spring of joy and a hint of boyish cheekiness. His presence is one of yogic lightness that makes it difficult to imagine him ever having plumbed the depths of despair and spiritual emptiness that characterise a destructive drug addiction. Nowadays John … [Read more...]
What’s it like teaching yoga in prisons?
by Adhyatma, Satyananda Yoga Teacher and author of Broken Warriors - Reaching out to prisoners with yoga [Editor's Note: The Yoga Lunchbox is proud to support the Yoga Education in Prisons Trust through offering free listings of YEPT fundraising events. Plus $1 from every print copy of Forty Days of Yoga goes to YEPT. It's awesome work they're doing! You can make a tax-deductible donation here.] We thought it was time for an update on the activities of Yoga Education in Prisons … [Read more...]
How a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis led to daily home yoga practice and teacher training
By guest author Susan Kitson, author of In Search of Health Ed. note: See the bottom of this article for a chance to win a copy of Susan's book. Fifteen years ago I had barely heard of yoga. Eleven years ago I was attending two classes a week in the hopes it would help improve my chances of conception. Now I practice every day. Here's how my yoga journey unfolded: In June ’07 I left Napier with my family for our annual winter break in Fiji. Bliss right? Not so much on this … [Read more...]
Thoughts on living in an awakening world
An Interview with Prajnaparamita, an awakened Master Prajnaparamita is leading a retreat at Kawaipurapura on Feburary 16 and 17. Find out more here. 1. There seems to be a big shift in the way businesses are being run and in the way people are reconsidering their lives. What do you see happening? Globally, structures are breaking down on all levels. They can no longer hold themselves. The banks, politics and many corporations, the way they were used to operating is no longer … [Read more...]