by guest author Marianne Elliot Okay – as promised – here is everything you need to know to join me in starting 2010 with yoga. I’ll be starting my 30 day sadhana (Kara-Leah wrote more about sadhana, what they are and why we do them here) on 15 January because it is the first new moon of the year and that’s generally a great time to start new things. I’m inviting you to join me. Make your own commitment. My commitment is to practice a particular set of asana, pranayama and … [Read more...]
How to fit well-being into your holiday season
Ah, 'tis the season to be jolly, and merry, and over-indulge, because by golly you've earned it. 'Tis also the season to rush around like crazy, attending parties and drinks, buying presents and gifts, and squeezing as much fun and leisure into your holiday break as possible. In short, 'tis a time of madness, when long established patterns of well-being - think solid eating habits and regular yoga practice - fall by the wayside like Christmas wrapping paper on Boxing Day. To make it … [Read more...]
What’s it like to do 108 sun salutations in a row?
by Kara-Leah, Mention doing 108 sun salutations in a row to most people, even regularly practicing yogis, and their eyes widen as their mind says "No way!" Yes way! Not only can your average yoga practitioner easily complete 108 sun salutations, but it's such an energizing practice, that at the end of 108, some people actually feel like they want to do more. Remember, yoga is not "exercise". It doesn't wear out the body, but energises the mind, body and soul. Sun salutations open and … [Read more...]
How to set an intention for your practice
by guest author Kelly Fisher, Urban Yoga, Wellington From a yogic point of view, the process of setting a sankalpa (an intention) goes a little like this. Step one: Set a positive intention, focusing on the results you want, rather than thinking about what you don’t want (as tends to be the case when we set New Year’s resolutions). Step two: Let it go. The Universe conspires on our behalf. Where energy is placed, the Universe augments it. At a workshop I recently attended, Anusara … [Read more...]
Ten Reasons to Make Practicing Yoga Your New Years’ Resolution
by Kara-Leah Grant It's that time of year again when we list out all the things we want to do to make our lives better. Here's a suggestion. Just make one resolution - to do more yoga. One resolution is all you need, because doing more yoga has a flow on effect into every other aspect of your life. When you regularly practice yoga- whether it's bhakti yoga, karma yoga, hatha yoga, jnana yoga, raja yoga, mantra yoga, tantra yoga, laya yoga, or any combination of the eight main types of yoga - … [Read more...]
What Can Yoga Do For Me Physically, Mentally and Emotionally?
by Kara-Leah, Yoga is the science of life. It is thousands of years old, and with regular practice, yoga can bring you back into balance physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. What does this mean? It means that no matter what issue you are dealing with in your life, yoga can help you manage it. And increasingly around the world, the scientific and medical world is doing the research to back this up. Spend some time digging around on the 'Net, and you'll uncover more and more … [Read more...]