Inner Peace through Sound and Positive Expression with Swami Muktidharma When we leave the periphery and come closer to the centre, we experience calmness and gain access to an inner source of joy and deep peace. Sometimes life shakes and challenges us and ripples are created in our lives. When we learn to look within, we can connect to a place of strength, balance and unwavering peace. Leave the intellect at home and connect to this innate depth and wisdom. Explore the ancient sciences … [Read more...]
February 16-17: Albany, Meeting in the Heart: Dialogues with Prajnaparamita
Dialogues with Prajnaparamita about love, truth, inner peace and freedom. Prajnaparamita is an awakened Master, tirelessly travelling the world giving satsang and retreats, inspiring all who are longing to awaken to their inherent Buddha nature. Her teachings are no teachings really. In the togetherness of the satsang, in her response to questions being asked about all aspects of life, there is a spontaneous expression of universal truth, as an ongoing encouragement to come to rest in … [Read more...]
How to make your office practice your yoga practice
by columnist Gabrielle Harris, The Suburban Yogini Are you too busy at work to become liberated? Would aliens snatch you up out of your office desk for analysis because of that mindless look on your face? Do you want to incorporate more yoga into your daily work life? Here are a few simple tips to turn your office day into a yoga day. One of the definitions of yoga is to become disconnected from the connection to suffering. Going to work can potentially be a breeding ground for … [Read more...]
DVD Review: Bhakti – The Path of Love
Win your own copy of Swami Ji's Bhakti - The Path of Love. See the end of this article for details. I’ve always considered myself a bhakti yogini – 4 of my 5 tattoos are overt reminders to myself of my relationships with the Divine. Yet it wasn’t a topic covered by any of my trainings or workshops. Bhakti Yoga is one of the major paths of yoga, alongside Hatha Yoga, yet very little of this particular approach is shared in the West. So I was rightly chuffed to be assigned Swami … [Read more...]
Gaura Yoga Bhakti Centre introduces a vinyasa flow class with musicians and kirtan
If you've been reading The Yoga Lunchbox for awhile, you'll know that I'm a huge fan of Kirtan, or call and response chanting. Kirtan is a practice of the Bhakti Yoga path, the path of devotion, and as a heart opening practice it's awesome for challenges we face in the 21st century. We all need to be doing it! So I was super excited when I heard from Gaura Yoga Bhakti Centre in Wellington that they're introduced a regular Thursday night vinyasa class that adds in music and kirtan. What an … [Read more...]
Music as a spiritual tool
by guest author Premratna (Sarah Spence) Over the last few years I have started to see the difference between the different levels that music can take me to. After the hip hop, pop and theatre music of my teens and early adult years, I was relieved and excited to find a world of fun upbeat music that is spiritual in nature: kirtan and mantra came into my life. I can liken my musical journey to a music pyramid (like the healthy food one). I started at the wide bottom … [Read more...]
Why kirtan is one of the most powerful yoga practices you’ll ever do
I want to let you in on a secret. Ok, it's not really a secret, because I'm telling you right? But until I actually experienced this for myself I had absolutely no idea of how powerful this particular yoga practice is. It is the most powerful practice I have done. Ever. … [Read more...]
Bhakti Yoga & Kirtan – it’s How Yogis get High
by Kara-Leah The mission of this website is to get everybody in New Zealand doing yoga - but it's really important to remember that yoga is not just about the physical postures called asana. One of the lesser known and yet perhaps most powerful forms of yoga is Bhakti Yoga. This is the yoga of devotion and is often practiced via kirtan - or chants. Take a moment to think of your favourite music right now, and how it makes you feel when you sing it - when you lose yourself and get right into the … [Read more...]