by Kara-Leah Grant When Wanderlust asked me to submit four classes to teach at the inaugural four-day festival in New Zealand, I pondered how to theme those classes. One of my yoga students had recently told me how she thought my teaching was Goddess-focused and she always felt like I was helping her step into her feminine power in class. I pondered that for a few days. And then it hit me. I was a long-time Tarot enthusiast and love the symbology and depths of insight revealed in Tarot … [Read more...]
Embody Your Purpose: Insights from an Off the Mat Workshop
by guest author Jen Wilson, Off the Mat, Into the World I had never been to a ‘proper’ yoga workshop before despite I’ve practiced on and off since my teens. To start with I guess I thought yoga was cool, a bit hippy – I dug that. As life went on I wanted and needed more yoga, but I wasn’t sure where to find it. I was often overwhelmed, prone to the black dog, and scared of everyday life. I started to realise yoga was always there when I fell down. I committed to my yoga practice and … [Read more...]
Peering into the Darkness with Ashtanga Yoga
by guest author Pip Bennett I’ve had some dark, dark clouds following me around these past couple of weeks. One day at a work lunch I found myself judging everyone for how happy they were. I was thinking, they are only happy because they have such-and-such. If I had those things, I would be happy. They don’t understand what it is like to not have choice, be in a difficult situation. Oh dear. I’ve listened to enough Buddhist teachings to know that these thoughts are not true. Things … [Read more...]
How Compassion Makes Yoga Relevant
by John Guthrie Sitting quietly, the dawn chorus yet to begin, I think of that one word, compassion. The image of a hermit in a cave somewhere comes to mind, and I reflect on this as the embodiment of compassion. Away from the world, yet radiating out the peace that arises from compassion, which has been birthed in the depth of their silence. A place that could just as well have its roots in suffering. There are those whose compassion has arisen from personal suffering. In the last … [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 yoga supercedes the need for political correctness
OK. Here’s what we need to do to shift this whole PC thing that has infected our culture. Let’s start by getting a few things straight. If someone calls me a bitch, does that make me a bitch? According to their world view, it does. But I don’t have to believe them. And more importantly, I don’t have to get upset about it either. … [Read more...]
How to connect to other people while holding your centre – a new loving-kindness sadhana
Perhaps my biggest discovery this year has been the power of sadhana. I started my new years with a Forty Day Sadhana of Sodarshan Chakra Kriya. It took me a bit longer than forty days to finish it, as I missed a day at day 35 and had to start all over again... but boy was it powerful when I finally finished. I was super excited when I started my next sadhana - all about accessing infinite energy and prosperity. Unfortunately, I had to stop that one at Day 15 because I discovered I was … [Read more...]
Havelock North Yoga Teacher: Doris Blum
One of the many blessings of creating The Yoga Lunchbox is opening my inbox to find teacher profiles like the following picture and profile from Doris Blum. What a sensational photo! It's not of an asana, but captures so much of the spirit of yoga - the connection between earth and sky, the connection between us and nature, the opening of the heart, the joy of life... … [Read more...]