Wednesday, August 20, 2008
The Heart of a Yoga Practice: Dedicating Your Efforts
... a practioner of yoga does not believe in any form of divinity, this does not present a problem. They must simply recognize that the nature of all beings is joy and try to connect with that.
Now that weve gotten that sticky subject out of the way, I want to explain this idea of dedicating your practice in greater detail. Its not even so much about dedication as it is relinquishing or letting go of everything whether they be worries, fears, misunderstandings, or hang-ups. My teacher, Sharon Gannon, always promotes the idea that Youve got to get down to get up. What she means is that you need to be rooted in the here and now and be able to let go of all the fruits of your actions. Why, you ask? Why shouldnt you just keep on doing yoga to perfect your chatturangas, balance longer in tree pose, and get that yoga butt? The answer is a simple one. What are all those things going to get you in the long run?
Sure, nailing that Chatturanga feels great, and deepening your Hanumanasana (splits pose) can give you a bit of a rush. Im not denying that one bit, but what is the true purpose behind the motions? Yoga practice can help you to break a cycle, stop bad habits, and transform your life. Yes, it can do all of those things, but you have to let it. You see, you cant acquire yoga like you can dance steps or aerobic maneuvers; you have to let go of what is obscuring it. You have to let go of your preferences and simply be in the moment as a divine being.
So why do asana at all if youre not supposed to be attached to the outcome? Because the asanas help to show you the interior of your own mind, they clearly point out what youre holding on to and what you still need to work through. They transform you into the tree or the warrior and make you see what it is like to step outside of yourself...more
Yoga, Do Not Knock It Until You Try It
...gamut of reasoning from brain wave cycles to nerve response; temper management to handling stress; cardiovascular to healthy hearts. Some try it and do not like it, I for one. I am a long distance runner and would rather go run ten miles and get into a deep rhythm and I can tell you that is about the healthiest thing one can do. Now then when I describe this to friends who do yoga, they describe some of the exact same sensations. Interesting indeed, perhaps they have a better idea. After all jarring your knees and running up...more
Yoga for Weight Loss
...In the United States today, the cases of Obesity have become a constantly increasing cause for concern among the average population. The somewhat alarming statistics inform us that over 130 million adults (20 years old or older) suffer from extreme weight gain issues. The medical implications of obesity make this a great cause for concern. Risk factors for obesity include diabetes, high blood cholesterol, coronary heart disease, hypertension, stroke, osteoarthritis (A condition of degenerative cartilage and joint tissue), sleep Apnea, Breast cancer, colorectal cancer, endometrial cancer, kidney cancer, pregnancy complications, menstruation irregularities, urine leakage, excessive bodily hair, and depression.
Though there are many very effective weight loss programs in the United States, how do you know...more
What's the Best Program to Get Certified to Teach Yoga?
...one has to learn from the very best options available.
Since we were both intrigued, I decided to research online and see what I could come up with as to the choices and did come across some viable ones.
One stand out was Yogafit , and they state that they have the ability to teach yoga in a variety of settings to a wide range of students.
Their yoga certification cou...more
