Yoga Articles
List of Yoga Articles covering all aspects of Yoga
Yoga In Scotland
In the Know About Scottish Yoga
Sometimes, being a Yoga student in Scotland can seem a lonely pastime. We catch the Yoga bug, love our weekly class, and get that feeling we want “more”. But where exactly is this “more”? It’s not actually that there’s a death of Yoga going on in Scotland -- in fact when you scratch the surface there are loads of classes and events all over our wonderful land. The difficulty is being able to scratch the surface – where do you go for Yoga information? ...
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama has thrown his weight behind the Scottish devolution model, declaring that he believes a version of it might bring peace to Tibet. "I think so. Scotland has its own tradition, its own heritage, something unique in its identity there. The UK works in different parts and with different accents, like in Scotland. These differences are not imposed but come from nature and fit the local people. These are things that give that uniqueness of identity. But it is very important not to forget the bigger picture, the common interest of the whole. This I think is not only now relevant to some individual countries but to the whole world, to think in the global sense. Each country should consider itself to be a member of that whole humanity."
Kesang Takla, His Holiness the Dalai Lama's Northern European representative, was in Edinburgh for two days during May, prior to the Dalai Lama's visit here in June. Interesting for a host of reasons - being the only woman doing a job like this, she was born in Tibet and was educated in a Roman Catholic convent, and was married to HHDL's head of security who accompanied him out of Tibet in 1959, dressing him as a soldier.
Yoga and Health
Yoga and PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)
The World Mental Health Survey estimates that 118,000 adults have showed signs of PTSD at some point in their lifetime. Most individuals using medication and therapy had no significant decrease in their symptoms. A ground breaking study reveals that yoga practice actually changes core physiology related to PTSD.
Ishwara Pranidhana: Surrendering To Life In An Ashram
Jennifer Ryan's experiences as she travels to the Sivananda Ashram in India and how the experience changed her.
Celia Hawe is the author of Yoga for Weightloss and used her own experience around the issue of weight gain, inappropriate over eating, and despair around body image, to develop a system of weight loss which uses yoga as the “anchor” in which to reframe the mind to think positively, to combat stress and therefore emotional eating. She believes that sustainable and enjoyable weight management needs a body - mind - spirit approach.
Celia Hawe, who live's at Findhorn in Scotland, is the recent author of a successful yoga book 'Yoga for Slimmers' which is for sale at Tesco, Amazon, and other bookshops. It has only been out 3 months and is already in many countries of the world, and is being translated into many languages too.
Candida : an Ayurvedic perspective
Candida overgrowth is an infestation of the Candida albicans yeast. Everyone has a certain amount of Candida in their digestive tract, but if the Candida increases beyond a certain level, it cause problems. The main symptoms are chronic low energy, low-grade fevers, variable digestion, weak immune system and food allergies. These symptoms can be confused with other conditions, especially complaints relating to general digestive weakness and immunity disorders, so it is best to have a medical examination to verify whether Candida is present at significant levels.
Yoga, meditation and deep breathing practices have been shown to calm the mind, relax the body and strengthan the immune system - all powerful benefits, when you consider that many medical studies pinpoint emotional stresses as a major cause of physical illness.
In the Western world, yoga has become the mainstay for the very athletic, the super stressed, the out-of-balance bodies and the “I want something more” wannabe’s. Every time I turn around, I see people with to much to do, to many commitments, to many waking hours and to many wishes for a better life.
'There is no pus formation without Pitta' says an ancient Ayurvedic proverb. Acne indicates ‘toxic blood’, where aggravated Pitta Dosha (which is hot and humid) mixes with Ama (toxins) and vitiates the Rakta Dhatu (blood tissue) manifesting as pus filled eruptions on the skin, as well as other inflammatory skin conditions. Since this is Pitta season (hot and humid summer time), it is no wonder you are looking for a remedy.
It is clear that Ayurveda is becoming increasingly popular in the complementary health field in the west. Articles are cropping up in yoga magazines, even mainstream newspapers. There is a plethora of books available offering modern insight into this ancient life-wisdom. Many authors of Ayurvedic texts, such as Deepak Chopra, are winning acclaim from mainstream society.
Hellerwork aims at structural integration -- that is, to change the structure and functioning of the body such that it can work in its most efficient way, undoing some of the negative habits we have picked up over the years.
Yoga Practice
Beginning Yoga can be an important step in improving your physical and emotional health. Yoga's benefits include greater emotional equanimity and physical stamina as well as amelioration of common health concerns such as insomnia and high blood pressure. Yoga is also effective in combating stress and its negative effects on the body.
Maintaining a Home Yoga Practice
Yoga cannot take place another time, it must begin now with your intention to practice. Easy for me to say as I sit at the keyboard, typing ideals and impossible goals for people I don't even know! Or is it? Where in the yoga sutra-s does Patanjali say that yoga must be a ninety minute class of asana-s? Or an hour? Or half an hour? Does he even prescribe that we must dedicate one minute to yoga?
When we look at health and sickness from an Ayurvedic point of view we learn the importance of our diet, how we digest our food and how our daily routine influences our vitality and resilience in life. Ayurveda also helps us understand the real root cause for how we become out of balance in all the above factors.
I learned about Surya Meditation from Dr. Michael Mamas after having practiced other techniques for 18 years. Besides the gazillion other self- improvements I imposed upon my confused Self, I could sit on the cushion stock still for hours on end, observing my breath, following a mantra, or staring at a candle. I was at times even mildly successful at “blanking out” my mind.
Change – Adapting through Yoga
Yoga offers the opportunity to be ok, learn and grow from our changes. When we come to our mat to practice, each breath will be unique, each posture different from the last time we practiced, each thought presented in a different perspective. When we sit and meditate, understand that the fluctuations of the mind will adapt and change the meditation, the sitting may be comfortable or challenging, the stillness different each time.
I have recently re-discovered my yoga. I say re-discovered, have discovered again, as I already had my initial discovery. Those who have had this will understand the discovery as being the movement from an inability to conceive how exactly bending yourself into a series of seemingly inactive postures can have any particular benefit physically and , more especially, mentally, into a state of revelation as to yoga’s worth and wonderment as to how you got by before this revelation.
The Yama 'Satya' - Truthfulness
The second Yama is Satya (sut-ya) or truthfulness. This is far beyond not telling lies. Satya settles in the very core, the very essence of who we are as human beings. Before we can be truthful with anyone else, we must be honest and truthful with ourselves. This is definitely under the hard to do list.
“Now”. Is it that hard to find?
Each of us has the ability to be in the now. Yoga practice leads us down the right path every time but we soon forget as we leave our mat go about our busy lives. Yoga gives us a taste of what awareness is by asking us to breathe, to stay focused, to be in the moment.
Teaching Yoga
There is an old saying in the academic world, those who can’t do, teach. I hope the opposite is true when teaching yoga, as my teacher once explained, “when you can do it, you can teach it.”
Why would anyone want to take up learning Yoga during pregnancy? I mean, aren’t the utterly amazing yet often difficult transformations that this time brings enough of a challenge in themselves. If Yoga is specifically adapted to the needs of pregnant women, it has some pretty amazing benefits to offer mums-to-be without adding to their already-full plate. In simple, I feel that for many women Prenatal Yoga gives them an accessible way to enjoy the various stages of your pregnancy to the full, helping them connect with their your baby as he or she grows, and preparing for their birthing experience.
Yoga Teacher Interviews
I first discovered yoga over twenty years ago when I developed an interest in eastern philosophy and vegetarianism.
I came across yoga in my twenties. When I was younger I never had any contact with yoga. I had been interested in martial arts and eastern philosophy.I practiced qigong before I started practicing yoga.
In my 20s I was a typically harrassed Londoner, and was always thinking about doing yoga, but never got round to it. Eventually I did - it was a very stylie hatha yoga school in West London, and pretty soon i was hooked.
To me, Yoga is all about the journey in its entirety rather than single moments, but I guess I can also agree that on any journey there are moments of outstanding beauty. I've had the joy to study with some amazing teachers in my time, and also learn from some amazing students too.
Yoga General
And four weeks later I'd had my yoga. A surprise still waited round every corner, but the song of India had faded into the background. The beautiful sari's and flower kolam on the doorsteps were just as bright and beautiful, but not so eye-catching as before. The pleasant smells were known quantities, only the not-so-pleasant smells still catching the mind and warning of something bad in the neighbourhood.
I have worked professionally in the fitness industry for twenty years. I have enjoyed a personal fitness program for just as long. Only by chance did I introduce myself to yoga as an opportunity to “try something different”. From that first deep breath, yoga became my lifelong philosophy, practice and mentor.
The Clare Island Yoga Retreat Centre began somewhat unexpectedly when, in 2001, we had the crazy idea of doing an Easter yoga retreat on the island where Ciara had been living on and off for nearly twenty years. We were surprised when the course filled up. Do people really want to come all this way, to a spectacularly beautiful, but difficult-to-get to island with a decidedly temperamental climate? But they did, and we soon we were made aware of the satisfaction and delight and gratitude that many expressed for just such an opportunity.
You know exactly where I’m coming from. You may have been there yourself or are there now. Me? I have a strong aversion to divorce. Never wanted it, never expected it and definitely didn’t think I’d participate in it. Well, here I am on the other side and my yoga practice is gently reminding me that all things change and nothing is permanent. Sometimes I really hate that yoga voice.
Whist Yoga centres the energy in our body; Feng Shui centres the energy in the environment around us, ensuring it is comfortable and nurturing. Whilst Yoga strengthens our limbs and focuses our minds, feng shui strengthens the positive energy, or Chi, around us, and can be focused on an element that balances the areas of life we are working on.