By Christina Sell, Live the Light of Yoga This article was originally published on Christina's blog Live the Light of Yoga and is reprinted here with Christina's permission.Last night I dreamt of Las Vegas. In my dream, among other common dream-time images was something new— toxic rain. Down from the sky rained a green, thick, and rotten goo that covered everyone and stifled their ability to breathe, to see, and to speak. As the rain continued, the situation became increasingly dire and I … [Read more...]
10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Yoga
by Lucinda Staniland Most of us come to yoga with a whole lot of misconceptions about what yoga is. I was no different. Here are some of the mistakes that I made, and lessons that I learnt, as a new yoga student. 1. Asana does not equal yoga. When I started doing yoga I was awed by the strength and grace of the physical practice I saw my fellow students doing. I couldn't wait for the day when I too would move with such beauty. I fell in love with asana.But asana (physical postures) is not … [Read more...]
The Inside Story on Nadi Yoga’s 200Hr Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training
By Kara-Leah Grant When you're contemplating which Yoga Teacher Training is right for you, one of the best resources can be speaking to someone who has already done that training. Of course, it can be hard to track down former trainees, so we've done that hard work for you.We spoke to Helen Thomas, a Napier-based yoga teacher who did her teacher training with Nadi Yoga nearly two years ago. Helen had been practicing yoga for over ten years before finally making the decision to train as a … [Read more...]
Who are the Best Up-and-Coming Yoga Teachers in New Zealand & Australia?
by Kara-Leah Grant Nominations now closed. Stay tuned for the winner of a three-day double pass to Wanderlust Sunshine Coast 2016, and the list of successful nominees. We want to identify yoga teachers in Australasia that are flying under the wire. These teachers don't have a huge presence on social media, they're not getting booked for festivals, AND they are doing great work. They have a committed yoga practice, they are dedicated to their students, they have an intimate understanding of … [Read more...]
The True Meaning of Yoga and Why It’s Not About Asana
by Kara-Leah Grant Let's get technical, technical, I wanna get technical... Let me hear your ego rock...OK fellow yoga students. Here's the deal. The word 'Yoga' gets bandied about all over the place, but it's rarely defined. We assume that we all know what we're talking about, but often we're talking about different things.First up, physical postures are not Yoga. They are called 'asana'. When you go to what is commonly called 'a yoga class', you are likely attending an asana class. … [Read more...]
Les Leventhal’s Journey from Drug-Addiction and the Porn Industry into Yoga and Consciousness {Video Interview}
by Kara-Leah Grant The back of his book says it all: 'How did the crystal-meth addicted, alcohol-abusing porn star cross the road to become a beloved, world-famous yoga teacher?' And how did he? How did Les Leventhal transform and rise from the depths of the darkness to a place of light? Like all transformative journeys, Les Leventhal's certainly didn't happen overnight. Les was just 17 years old when he ran away from home, and the East Coast, landed in LA. No money. No friends. Nothing but … [Read more...]
The Ethics of Teaching Newly Learned Material in Your Yoga Class
by Kara-Leah Grant Once, I taught a weekend workshop to an eager group of students, including the studio owner and some teachers from the studio. My style of yoga and teaching was fairly different to the usual style on offer at this particular studio. My offering was lapped up and everyone enjoyed the workshop, excited to have a new way to approach yoga. So far so good right? This is exactly the kind of response one wants from teaching a workshop. A day or two after the weekend, one of the … [Read more...]
Discard Your ‘Intentions’, just do Your Yoga and Pass the Ketchup
By David Cary I came to yoga in the early 2000s quite by accident.At the time I was struggling with ‘a big move’. Yoga was calming, and of course being in a room graced by a sprinkling of beautiful people did help.I finished one term, and, not knowing, moved to the next level class. Was that a mistake! Suddenly it was filled with lentil eaters, ujai breathers, spiritual people and other misfits from the fringes of society. And it was hard. That was the end. A year or so later, I found … [Read more...]
Is Yoga Really as Dangerous as Downhill Skiing? High ACC Levies Hit NZ Yoga Teachers
By Laura Brookes If ACC’s got it right, all New Zealand yoga teachers should be on immediate hazard alert.They currently face the same risk of injury in their workplace as downhill ski instructors. Yoga instructors are charged $1.37 for every $100 earned in ACC levies, a higher rate than prostitutes ($0.40), firefighters ($0.92) and professional netball players ($1.31). ACC groups yoga instruction into the classification unit for Sports and physical recreation instruction, meaning they … [Read more...]
Donna Farhi on Why Your Yoga Teacher is Not Your Friend
Donna Farhi, author and yoga teacher, as interviewed by Kara-Leah Grant Donna Farhi is a world renowned yoga teacher who has been practicing yoga for thirty nine years, and teaching it since 1982.She lives here in New Zealand but teaches intensives and teacher trainings internationally, and is the author of several well loved yoga books including The Breathing Book, Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit: A Return to Wholeness and Bringing Yoga to Life: The Everyday Practice of Enlightened … [Read more...]