Child's pose (balasana in Sanskrit), one of the more relaxing resting postures found in yoga class, offers more than just an opportunity for restful slumber and stretching. This simple yet therapeutic pose helps calm frazzled nerves while rebalancing nerves. Lois Maple from OrthoCarolina Winston recommends child's pose as an excellent way for people with desk […]
Chanting is an essential component of many yoga practices, particularly japa (repetitive mantra chanting). Chanting can help calm and center the mind as well as deepen meditative aspects of physical yoga practices. Mantras provide powerful sound vibrations into our bodies, hearts, and spirits which help balance chakras. Bija mantras (or seed mantras) are single syllable […]
Jnana Yoga seeks to uncover the truth about yourself and the universe through self-inquiry; its objective being liberation from limiting beliefs and attachments while realizing a shared divinity present within all beings. Jnana is associated with Advaita Vedanta, a form of Hindu philosophy which draws heavily upon ancient scriptures (Vedas). This branch of yoga takes […]
At this point, you are beginning to take your spiritual journey seriously and start seeing life differently. No longer content with dabbling in feel-good spiritual philosophies, you are eager to know what's real and who you really are; thus beginning an exploration into meditation, mindfulness, self-inquiry, karma yoga and nonduality among other transpersonal practices. Now […]
Chakra symbols offer an effective way of understanding your energy body, serving as powerful healing and spiritual growth tools. Composed of circles, triangles, lotus petals and squares rooted in sacred geometry tradition from yoga, each chakra symbol represents different aspects of yourself including color and animal correspondences. Muladhara (root chakra), is the center of all […]
Bhakti Yoga, often referred to as The Yoga of Love, is an inward spiritual path focused on love. It involves worshipping God with devotion while seeking unconditional compassion toward all beings and creation. Bhakti yoga can be an especially rewarding path for emotionally sensitive people seeking a way to connect to something larger through their […]
Yoga has long been known for its therapeutic benefits on body and mind. Yet when looking deeper, tantric yoga - with its emphasis on spiritual liberation - has long been misunderstood and misused for centuries. Tantra, an ancient Indian spiritual system, means to weave or expand. Tantra was an early attempt at merging spiritual and […]
Warrior pose is a crucial and challenging standing posture that provides vital balance to flexibility and strength in the legs, core, arms and shoulders. Additionally, it helps build courage, concentration, focus and concentration. In order to reap all its benefits and avoid injuries during practice of Warrior poses (Virabhadrasana I & II), certain key considerations […]
Yoga, an ancient Indian practice that integrates physical exercise, breathing exercises and meditation, has become an increasingly popular lifestyle choice in recent years, often touted for its health-giving properties. But what exactly is it? Yoga has been practiced for over 5,000 years. Its aim is to unite body, mind, breath and awareness through breathing techniques […]
Yoga is an increasingly popular discipline for relieving stress, stretching the body and soothing the mind. But its terminology may be daunting to newcomers to the practice - whether in physical classes or watching online yoga videos. Sanskrit, which forms the backbone of many Indian languages and one of the oldest human tongues, provides much […]
