Yoga Arts and Crafts

Book One 1.1. Atha yoganusasanam 1.2. Yogah chitta vritti nirodhah 1.3. Tada drastuh svarupe avasthanam The first three sutras introduce the subject and tell us of the goal and meaning of yoga. 1.1. Now the auspicious exposition of yoga is being offered. This is an auspicious occasion. The offering of yoga is made to the student at the right time, once the student has spent some time on an inner search, and therefore when it is likely to make sense and be useful. 1.2. Yoga is the stilling of the fluctuations in the mind (citta vritti) or a calming in one's state of being. The thoughts in the mind are calmed through the practice of postures, breath work, and concentration, leading to meditation. A mindful approach is required as meditation is interlinked with the physical side of yoga. As the nature of the mind is to fluctuate, so yoga ends up being a way of life. 1.3. Then the practitioner is able to see clearly and dwell joyfully in his/her true nature, wh...

An article written by NM Harmony My childhood and teenage years were very happy. In my adulthood, I suffered from many hardships (stress, anxiety, a stiff body due to long hours and hard work for many years, supporting my own plus my fathers family of 12 for 30 years, bladder cancer and subsequent surgery than went wrong, hypertension for 8 years, blurred vision for about 5 years, a urostomy, and an ileostomy). Despite all this, at 64, I am one of the happiest persons in the world. Partly this is due to my will power. But partly and certainly, it is due to the practice of YOGA over the last 30 years or so. The first thing I do each morning without fail is yoga for 30 to 45 minutes in a very gentle slow way where all limbs are stretched gently and slowly to the maximum until there is a tingling sensation in all of my body's cells or at least in those limbs I am stretching. I can even do the shoulderstand - I had practiced this before the operation but even now with my two bags (uros...

Chakrasana, the Wheel.  We rarely bend backwards in normal life so our spines can miss out on the benefits of performing this pose. Safety in yoga is key and when practiced in the correct way this pose can have many benefits.  Stemming from every yoga pose are a variety of gentle variations to explore whilst still reaping the many benefits the pose has to offer and at the same time gaining more self knowledge and awareness.  There are variations such as Salabhasana (Locust), Setu Bandhasana (Bridge), Adho Mukha Svanasana (Upward Facing Dog) - pictured above, and Bhujangasana (Cobra).  Backbends help to rejuvenate the spine, develop physical strength and vitality, and relax the nervous system. They keep the body supple, the mind active and alert. Doing relaxing variations can benefit us if we are feeling sensitive and emotional. The opening of the chest energises the lungs and breathing becomes deeper so that oxygenated blood is able to circulate all over the body m...

One of the ways the Seva Sadan Society raise money for underpriviledged girls in Mumbai is by running a cafe called "By the Way". I happened to come across this place, on one of my trips, and was happy to do so as the food was delicious. The experience was amazing too - if you take a look through the back door, you'll see a courtyard and a school. I happened to go back there when the children were playing and spent some time with their them as well as the teachers there. Hearing the girls sing and talk of their activities was so much fun I took my friends and family back there to meet them. One of the paths to yoga is karma yoga - the yoga of selfless service. The people who run this organisation put so much positive energy into it, that I felt inspired to help. See http://www.sevasadan.org/ for further information on the Seva Sadan Society, Mumbai. A few lines from the Isha Upanishad: "Those who see all creatures in themselves And themselves in all creatures know...

A few yoga postures. 1. Plank Pose  2. Extended Side Stretch (Utthita Parsvakonasana)  3. Modified Extended Side Stretch (Utthita Parsvakonasana)  4. Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I) Patanjali's Yoga Sutras talk about:  "Sthira sukham asanam, " meaning that asana should be both firm as well as comfortable.   The yoga postures also have a  drishti , or point of focus for the eyes, in order to encourage the meditative state in the posture and to deepen the meaning and effect of the posture on all levels.

Simple techniques for meditation include: i. meditation on the breath ii. meditation on a visualized or actual object such as an area of the body for healing, the chakras within the body, a deity, mandala, candle, yantra, or a quality such as compassion, and/or iii. the repetition of a mantra , (a sacred sound), which can be with the use of a mala , or prayer beads. Don't Worry About "Achieving" the Meditative State - This Occurs Naturally After Some Time Once you are well on your way in your yoga practice and healthy in body and approach you may be able to sit still and focus your awareness on a single point. This, according to the Yoga sutras of Patanjali, will lead you spontaneously into meditation. So it is actually concentration that we sit down to practice, i.e. the continuous focus on a specific point, not meditation. Meditation is the stage that follows it. Some Benefits of Meditation Meditation offers a chance to bring our attention to our rich inner and ...

Article By J Lamb Yoga doesn't present a sufficient challenge for blokes. Well, that’s what I used to think. Then just over a year ago, needing something to chill me out, I went to my first yoga class. An hour and a half later, I came away feeling beautifully relaxed, as if I’d drunk half a bottle of wine. But I’d also stretched parts of my body that hadn’t been stretched since… well, never . This was real exercise after all. And I kept going to weekly classes. Within three or four months people were commenting that I looked taller. All that stretching had improved my posture. I now stood up straight instead of slouching. I also felt more relaxed. On packed tube trains in the middle of July I didn’t get that tight-chested, breathless feeling because yoga helped me breathe correctly. But most of all I felt stronger, fitter. Men feel that yoga doesn’t present a sufficiently macho challenge – it’s for girls. But if you stick with it, the positions become more challenging. The repeti...