The winter solstice is a time, in the northern hemisphere, when nature sends us signs to rest and metaphorically hibernate. Yet we often do the opposite in December: rushing around buying lots of things, stocking up on food because the shops are closed for one or two days, travelling here and there despite the bad … Continue reading Light and trataka at the winter solstice
Although cultural appropriation is not new, the term itself has become used in the last 40 years of so, and particularly in the last 5-10 years, within a variety of settings including yoga. As a white, Western, middle-class woman of many privileges (check yours here) who is appalled by repression, oppression, racism and sexim and … Continue reading Yoga, cultural appropriation and appreciation
Here's a nice video introduction about the paths of yoga which explains the eight different forms of yoga: Hatha, Bhakti, Jnana, Karma, Tantra, Raja, Kriya, and Kundalini. This is a free episode (30 minutess long) of a series by Gaia that then explores each path in turn. https://youtu.be/v3gqJgBSBV4
We probably think we know what the history of women in yoga is. My assumptions were that yoga was originally, and until about 100+ years ago, a male-dominated (or even male only) tradition. This is what most books and articles say. However, recent research on the history of yoga e.g. Norman Sjoman's book on the … Continue reading Women, yoga history and new understandings
This is a huge book. Huge in size, huge in scope, and huge in terms of the content. My review here will not do justice to all c.650 pages of Yoni Shakti: a woman's guide to power and freedom through yoga and tantra. Having finished reading it almost a year ago, in my mind it … Continue reading Yoni Shakti – a book review
In the monthly journey through Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, we have now arrived at the final limb/stage: samadhi. The previous two limbs (dhyana and dharana), have taken us on the journey of focusing the mind and meditating, and now the mind is suitably prepared for samadhi, which is interpreted as full absorption of the self. The … Continue reading Samadhi – an end or the beginning?
Meditation. Lots of people have heard of it, many may think they "can't do it", others may not know what its benefits are, and quite a few probably think it sounds all bit strange and isn't for them. We have reached the seventh limb of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, and after practising how to concentrate (see … Continue reading A one-track mind, or, dhyana
September is often a month of new beginnings: maybe going to school for the first time, or college, or university. Even if you're no longer involved with the education system in the UK, September still feels like a new start. Maybe the end of summer and the autumnal feel in the air makes people remember … Continue reading New beginnings: new to yoga?
In my monthly look at Patanjali's eight limbs of yoga, we're drawing towards the last few now. The three remaining are internally-focused and build towards what can be seen as the ultimate goal of yoga. These three are: dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation) and samadhi (absorption, union). This month I will concentrate (pun intended) on dharana. Dharana (pronunciation guide) … Continue reading Dharana: training the brain to concentrate
Pratyahara is the fifth limb in Patanjali's ashtanga system. It can be loosely translated* as 'withdrawal of the senses' or more fully as 'pratyahara is withdrawing the senses, mind and consciousness from contact with external objects, and then drawing them inwards towards the seer [self]' (Sutra 2:54; Iyengar, 2002 p.168). In some ways it can … Continue reading Pratyahara – the forgotten element of yoga?
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