Posts

Yoga, Arts and Crafts

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Welcome to my blog where I am sharing articles on yoga and the healing and transformative arts.    With thanks to students, teachers and all who visit.  Namaste and Peace. Sejel

Yoga with Sejel - Testimonials

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Dear Students, thank you so much for your continued support and your dedication.  Namaste, Sejel " Sejel has a natural talent as a Yoga teacher. Her calming manner and extensive knowledge makes her classes a real pleasure. I come away feeling calm & centered. I can't recommend her enough." L Murray, Yoga with Sejel in Maida Vale and St. John's Wood Sejel's classes strike the perfect balance be tween the mental and physical, the spiritual and the practical, and relaxation and invigoration. When leaving her class I always feel calm, peaceful, more focused and stronger in both body and mind. It's the best yoga class I've found." L Scott, Yoga with Sejel in Covent Garden "Attending Sejel 's Yoga class is often the highlight of my day. My job is pretty stressful but regular practice has helped me to improve my mental and personal strength so I can cope with stressful situations more effectively. I have even been inspired to enr

Yoga: Art, Science and Harmony

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Yoga is an art as well as a science with many different forms and styles. It is a beautiful way to find harmony, courage and self knowledge and also to explore our relationship with others and with our world. The following chant expresses yogic compassion for others:  "Lokah samasthah sukhino bhavantu," or " May all beings everywhere find happiness and freedom".

Wisdom from the Upanishads

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  “You are what your deep, driving desire is. As your desire is, so is your will. As your will is, so is your deed. As your deed is, so is your destiny." Brihadaranyaka Upanishad

Pranayama - The Fourth Limb of Yoga

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Pranayama involves the use of various breathing techniques, and can be translated as "control of the breathing", or "breathing exercises." However, the use and effects of pranayama are much greater than this. The word p rana actually refers to the “vital life force” and ayama means “to control or extend”, so pranayama can also be defined as “extension of the life force”, which is why it can help to restore, to heal and to relax. . The yogis figured out in ancient times that “when the breath wanders, i.e. it is irregular, the mind is also unsteady, but when the breath is still, so is the mind, and the yogi lives long. So one should restrain the breath.” (Hatha Yoga Pradipika). The yogis also believed that the length of our lives could be measured in terms of how many times we are destined to breathe, rather than in terms of days or years. We can observe the same in the animal kingdom, animals such as tortoises, elephants, and snakes have a slow breathi

The Ego vs The Self

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Like two golden birds perched on the selfsame tree, Intimate friends, the ego and the Self dwell in the same body. The former eats The sweet and sour fruits of the tree of life While the latter looks on in detachment. (Mundaka Upanishad)

Yoga Mudra, Ayurveda and the Chakras

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In Ayurveda, the element corresponding to each finger Thumb = Fire Index finger = Air Middle finger = Heaven/Ether Ring finger = Earth Little finger = Water In yoga, the chakra corresponding to each finger Thumb = Solar plexus/manipura Index finger = Heart/anahata Middle finger = Throat/vishuddhi Ring finger = Root/muladhara Little finger = Sacral/svadisthana