Doing yoga at home is not just for yoga teachers and hard-core yogis. It’s what we should all be striving to do, in my opinion. Now, with the internet, it’s easier than ever … but it can be potentially dangerous too!

The internet didn’t exist though, when I first started yoga. Perhaps that was a good thing. The only real option (to me at least) was going to India … the source, which is exactly what I did, spending years in yoga ashrams and studying with various yoga teachers along the way.

But still, I felt like something was missing.  It wasn’t until I found Swami Gitananda’s “Yoga Step By Step” correspondence course that the “yoga lightbulb(s) finally came on. Yeah, I know … but this was no ordinary yoga book. It was a yoga masterpiece, and my understanding of yoga has never been the same since.

That program really taught me what yoga was all about … and it demonstrated to me that, when done skilfully, yoga can indeed be taught in this medium … and taught very effectively.

To find out how yoga can learn yoga online, Click Here …

Over the years, I have experimented with various “non-traditional” yoga teachings methods of my own. Ever since the early days of the internet, I’ve known that this would eventually become the next yoga frontier. Now, after many versions and variations, I have some solid training programs online that seem to be doing a good job teaching people how to practice yoga at home.

There’s no substitute to yoga instruction live and in person, which is why I will always teach yoga classes. But I know that there are also many limitations to this modern way of teaching, which is why I have created more comprehensive yoga training programs online.

To learn more about Yogacharya’s comprehensive online yoga programs, Click Here …

The internet is an important tool for the future of yoga, one that only a very few teachers have realized so far.  The zillion yoga websites out there today haven’t gotten it yet.  But some yoga teachers are honing their web development skills and recognizing the power that cyberspace has for spreading the transformative power of yoga around the globe. When more enlightened folks start to clue in to this potential, the future of yoga online looks very enlightening indeed.

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Yogacharya is the Director of International Yogalayam, Editor of The Yoga News, and creator of The Yoga Tutor, a step-by-step online yoga training website.

For your FREE TRIAL of The Yoga Tutor, visit www.theyogatutor.com

© Copyright – Yogacharya. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. You may freely republish this article, provided the text, author credit, the active links and this copyright notice remain intact.

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Carving up yoga into levels of physical difficulty, does not give the right impression of it. It sends the message that yoga is about how well conditioned and flexible your body is.  In case you didn’t know … that has little to do with yoga.

For comprehensive online yoga training, click here …

Rarely do I meet anyone who is not a yoga beginner, actually … and that goes for some extraordinarily flexible yoga teachers too.  The modern yoga class culture would seem to suggest that physical mastery of some yoga exercises is the gauge we use to assess a person’s “level” of yoga.
If that were true, though, then we’d have to consider many athletes, world-class dancers and even circus performers as advanced yoga practitioners too.

But we don’t because we know that yoga has very little to do with how flexible you are or how much bodily strength and control you’ve gained. In the holistic science of yoga, these physical abilities really actually don’t count for very much.

Being an advanced yoga practitioner means much more than demonstrating how far you can backbend. It means demonstrating an uncommon level of poise amidst the challenges and turmoil of life … and a firm control over our emotions and mental urges too, not just our physical body.

Most importantly, it means showing others, by example, how to live in a way that reflects a deep respect for everyone on this earth, regardless of their ideologies or actions. That’s not easy for the average person to do, I agree, but the one who is advanced in yoga is truly no “average person.”
In contrast, I’ve met many so modern “yogis” who can do amazing things with their bodies … yet they continue to overindulge all their cravings and desires, and their personally lives seem to be in no less disarray than anyone else.

Yoga has the power to transform our lives so much, but if we want that to happen then yoga for beginners needs to start with essential guidance in the yogic approach to healthily, productive and evolutionary living.

If, right from the start, yoga teachers would approach yoga for beginners with a more comprehensive view, rather of just a physically focused one, then we might start to see some genuine “advanced yoga practitioners” eventually arriving onto the modern yoga scene … and that, in my opinion, would be good for all of us.

For more information, visit TheYogaTutor.com … First in online yoga training …

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Yogacharya is the Director of International Yogalayam, Editor of The Yoga News, and creator of The Yoga Tutor, a step-by-step online yoga training website.

For your FREE TRIAL of The Yoga Tutor, visit www.theyogatutor.com

© Copyright – Yogacharya. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. You may freely republish this article, provided the text, author credit, the active links and this copyright notice remain intact.

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I did a Google Search for “ashtanga yoga postures” today, just to see what will come up. All ten first-page results gave me exactly what I didn’t want … It gave me websites about the wrong ashtanga yoga.

There’s more than one Ashtanga yoga?

No, not really … but in recent times the word “ashtanga” has been attached to a dynamic system of yoga-based exercises … and it’s become so popular that it has literally taken over the word ashtanga yoga as its own, leaving many practitioners of the traditional system of ashtanga yoga baffled and dismayed.

To them, yoga is a sacred, disciplined, eight-limbed science for personal development and inner transformation … a system that includes much more than what is utilized in the newer, fitness centered pop-ashtanga version.

To learn more about the 8 parts of yoga, Click Here …

How Strong Are Your 8 Limbs?

You may have heard about the first 2 limbs of yoga, the yamas and niyamas … those pesky morals and ethics that the yogis always seem to keep harping on. Really though, we all know how to be a good person, so what’s the big deal?

Unless you’re from Mars, then you know about the third limb … asana. That’s the cream of yoga for us body obsessed Westerners … and of course, who wouldn’t want to look as young as Madonna in their 50s?

The fourth limb you probably know too. It’s that monotonous breathing they call pranayama (like that exotic word is supposed to make it more interesting?). I already ready know how to breathe, don’t you?

But after that, things start to get vague for most of us.

Can you even name limbs five through eight? Don’t feel bad if you can’t, even most yoga teachers today don’t have much to say about them, let alone teach about them. Which is why modern yoga really is more like “yoga preschool” than “yoga college.”

It’s in the last four stages is where yoga really begins. That’s what all the classic literature on yoga says and any real Guru (not the kind with a fake beard and moustache) would agree.
What’s the point of the first four limbs then?

We all know the saying, “you need to crawl before you can walk.” The first four limbs are “yoga crawling” so to speak … preparation for the higher stages. But one of the biggest yoga delusions people have is thinking that, because they can contort their body into all sorts of extreme positions, they are “advanced” in yoga.

The ashtanga yoga postures are indeed great tools for improving and maintaining our physical health. They even help ground us a lot on the mental and emotional levels too. But transforming from someone who is deeply attached to their possessions, emotional dramas and relationships in this world, into someone who is able to detach from all these things and experience the real joy of being part of this miracle of life, requires a journey to the higher yoga mountain peak.

If we don’t want to go there, then perhaps our yoga teachers haven’t done a good enough job to inspire us … to let us know what we’re missing, and why we need to set our sites a little higher. If we don’t outgrow our attachment to the Ashtanga yoga poses, then we’ll be stuck in that land of preparation forever. The question is, what exactly are we preparing for?

For online lessons in Traditional Ashtanga Yoga, Click Here …

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Yogacharya is the Director of International Yogalayam, Editor of The Yoga News, and creator of The Yoga Tutor, a step-by-step online yoga training website.

For your FREE TRIAL of The Yoga Tutor, visit www.theyogatutor.com

© Copyright – Yogacharya. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. You may freely republish this article, provided the text, author credit, the active links and this copyright notice remain intact.

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TAGS: Ashtanga Yoga Postures, Astanga Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga Poses, 8 Limbs of Yoga

Karma arises not so much as a result of an action. Rather, it is the result of the INTENTION behind an action. And karma actually comes in two forms: ‘good’ or ‘bad’. Here’s an example: My child comes to me and asks for $10,000 to go to university. My action is to give him/her the $10,000. My intention behind giving the $10,000 is what really matters. If I gave my child the money in order to be good to them, I would gain ‘Good’ karma. If I gave the money in order to have my child feel indebted to me however, I would gain ‘Bad’ karma. Same action, different Universal consequence. But here’s the real kicker… at the end of the day, you don’t actually want to gain any karma. Confused? I’ll explain.

Yoga explains the universe and the way it works this way: If the universe is shaped like a human being, our ‘soul’ would be like a hot-air balloon that hovers somewhere in the middle (around the belly). The lower portion of the universe (below the belly) represents more and more difficult circumstances or existences. The upper portion (above the belly) represents more pleasant circumstances or existences. The crown of the head represents Nirvana or liberation/enlightenment. That’s where the soul wants to get to. But here’s the thing, the soul (the hot-air balloon) is kept down by sandbags. These sandbags are made of karma.

At the end of a life, if one has gained mostly ‘good’ karma, one reincarnates back into possibly more pleasant circumstances (above the belly). If one has gain mostly ‘bad’ karma however, one still reincarnates, but into possibly less pleasant circumstances (below the belly). (A quick note to be made here is that reincarnation, whether into more or less pleasant circumstances is NOT a punishment. It is simply the Universe’s way of placing you into circumstances best suited to your chances of learning and progressing spiritually). So, it may sound great to gain lots of good karma and thus keep coming back into perhaps more pleasant circumstances. But here’s the catch… You keep coming back. So long as these karmic sandbags are attached to the soul, it is impossible to break the worldly cycle of birth, death, and reincarnation. It is impossible to get to Nirvana… to freedom and enlightenment.

So herein lies the real question… How does one get to Nirvana? Well, it’s all about the karma. First, one must stop gaining karma. Second, one must get rid of the karmic sandbags that one has already gained throughout one’s lifetimes. How do we do both? Find out in part Understanding Karma Part 2.

Rajasic foods make the mind overactive. They create sensuality, sexuality, greed, jealousy, anger, delusion, fantasies, egotism and irreligious feelings. They tend to be bitter, sour, salty, pungent, hot and dry. A rajasic person tends to desire a variety of foods to satisfy his/her palate. Examples of rajasic foods are pungent condiments, meat, fish, eggs, sweets, fried bread, curd, egg plant, carrots, onions, garlic, lemon, tea, coffee, and tobacco.

Tamasic foods on the other hand make the mind sluggish, they rob the mind and body of energy. They increase pessimism, ignorance, lack of common sense, greed, laziness, criminal tendencies and doubt. Tamasic foods tend to be stale, dry, bad smelling, distasteful or unpalatable, overripe, or rotting. The tamasic person will eat food which has been cooked a day and a half ago and also will like the food which is half-cooked or burnt. Examples of tamasic foods are foods that have been processed, canned or frozen. Wine and cheeses are also tamasic. Swiss cheese is an especially good example of a tamasic food. High-smelling, swiss cheese is made by allowing bacteria to decay or rot the food creating the trademark holes.

Satvic foods keep the mind balanced. They increase the energy of the mind and produce cheerfulness, serenity and mental clarity. They are highly conducive to good health. Satvic foods are fresh, juicy, light, oily, nourishing, sweet and tasty. A satvic person relishes juicy food and other foods which are attractive in form, soft to touch and pleasant to taste, which are small in bulk but great in nourishment. Milk (from well-treated animals), butter, ghee (clarified butter), fresh ripe fruits, almonds, dates, sprouts, barley, wheat, cereals, tomatoes, plantains etc., are satvic foods.

The traditional yogic diet is based upon satvic foods: quality foods, not overly spiced or overly processed. The traditional yogic diet is also strictly vegetarian to follow the rule of Ahimsa or nonviolence. Again, the world is energy, and energy affects energy. No animal gives it’s life willingly. While being slaughtered, it will fight against you. It’s body and energy registers this struggle.

From a physical point of view, the adrenaline, cortisol, and other toxins released into the animal’s flesh during fight or flight remain in the flesh as death brings a shut down of the body’s circulatory and detoxification processes. That is what we then ingest when we eat their flesh. That is the state that we then induce upon ourselves. As a result, the traditional yogic diet consists of as many plant foods as possible that can be taken without killing the plants themselves. This then means living in greater harmony with the world’s ecology, living off of an essentially renewable resource. And in a world quickly depleting it’s resources, this makes more than just yogic sense.

Kavita Maharaj is the owner and operator of Red Door Yoga. She can be reached at 604-751-1458 or go to www.reddooryogacanada.com for questions.

Online learning offers students an opportunity to learn at their own pace and at the times of day that are most convenient to them. For instance, a working mother of three children may only be able to do yoga after the kids go to bed, and there aren’t many studios offering late-night classes, so using an online yoga studio is a great, convenient option.

Online yoga offers many benefits to people who want to maintain a consistent yoga practice but may lack money for a monthly studio membership and are bored with their yoga DVD collection, or may have moved beyond it. Let’s face it – in many communities, yoga studios are too expensive for the yogi on a budget so online yoga is perfect – the cost of a membership is less than the cost of a single drop-in class at many studios, and there are no transportation costs.

Online learning has benefits that live learning simply cannot offer due to time and location constraints. Online yoga communities offer free forums where yogis can chat with their peers and instructors and gain learning from a wider variety of sources and disciplines. And because the Internet never closes, you can take as much time as you like asking or answering questions.

Online yoga websites are convenient and offer a wide variety of practices to chose from; there aren’t many online yoga learning sites, but these online communities are an excellent place to learn yoga, communicate with other yogis, and instructors of all yogic disciplines.

Yoga classes online are also a great way to keep your practice with you when you are not near a computer – most yoga community sites have downloadable audio and video practices suitable for any portable media device, such as Ipod, or any mp3 player (many of them are free too!). So take your practice to the park, to the seaside, to the mountaintop, or just to a friend’s house.

There is no question that live yoga instruction is the best way to ensure proper posture and alignment, but online yoga classes offer a complementary way to continue your practice at home, or on the road, or any time you cannot get to your regular yoga class.  Try it for yourself and see!

In yoga,

Jenn

What’s Wrong With Sitting?

While the majority of the world (two thirds of the population) still squats to defecate, the western world with its sitting posture has some of the highest rates of bowel and colon related diseases including:

* Hemorrhoids , occurring in 50% of the population over the age of 50
* Appendicitis , occurring in 7% of the population
* Irritable Bowel Syndrome , affecting 10-20% of the population
* Diverticulosis , affecting half of all Americans age 60 to 80, and almost everyone over age 80
* Colorectal Cancer , over 148,300 new cases and 56,600 deaths expected in 2002 in the US alone
* Bladder Incontinence , 50% or more of elderly persons are incontinent and $16.4 billion is spent every year on incontinence-related care
* Prostate Cancer , over 190,000 new cases and 30,200 deaths each year in the US

What Happens When Sitting?

Hemorrhoids

When seated the anal canal is not straight. It curves quite sharply, the kink designed to maintain continence, and this frequently results in obstructive constipation. Because of the curve when sitting, straining is required to empty the bowels and this can damage the delicate tissues, and cause the veins to become distended. This can result in hemorrhoids. In fact, a study published in the Journal of Medical Science in 1987 showed a 90% cure rate from hemorrhoids after switching to the squatting position.

Prostrate and Bladder Problems

The perineum (the little patch of skin between the anus and the genitals) contains nerves that control the bladder, prostrate, and other organs. Bearing down to empty the bowels causes the perineum to bulge out and over time causes the nerves to stretch out and become damaged resulting in a loss of bladder control and loss of communication between the prostrate and the brain. The “pelvic floor nerve stretch injury” as it’s called is well known to medical science.

Colon Cancer

Eighty per cent of colon cancers occur in the cecum and the sigmoid colon. While sitting it is physically impossible to completely empty these regions. Residue left behind hardens, and exposes the colon to toxic carcinogens. An article in the journal Epidemiology listed fecal stagnation as a major risk for colon cancer. In traditional Asian and African cultures where squatting is the norm, colon cancer is virtually unheard of.

Appendicitis

When fecal matter becomes trapped in the cecum, it can block the opening to the appendix which then becomes inflamed. Emergency surgery is then required to prevent a fatality. Before sitting toilets were invented, approximately 150 years ago, appendicitis was virtually unknown, however by 1900 it was the most commonly diagnosed complaint in western society. Cultures that use the squatting position do not fall prey to this disease as the cecum is completely evacuated in the squatting position.

Another problem resulting from sitting to defecate is leakage of wastes from the large to the small intestines at the ileocecal valve. This valve is closed while squatting but relaxes open in the sitting position. With straining, wastes are forced back into the small intestine where they are “digested” and make their way into the blood stream, placing extra strain on the liver which must now filter the toxins out.

What Does Squatting Do?

In a full, natural squatting position the full weight of the body rests on the feet. Squatting opens the muscles of the pelvic area, angles the rectum for the best possible mechanical advantage, braces the muscles of the abdomen, and pushes the thighs into the abdomen to supply extra force for the abdominal musculature as well as supports both the ascending and descending colon. Squatting also protects the pelvic nerves by keeping the perineum rigid.

In a study by Australian researcher Wallace Bowles wherein 3,000 Australians converted to the squatting position, evidence showed a reversal of bladder incontinence (including bed wetting by children) and a reduction in men of prostate gland size as well as lowering of PSA (prostate specific antigen) levels.

It Used to be Easy.

When you were born you had “squatting facets” on the talus (heel) bones in your feet. In cultures where squatting is a way of life both on and off the toilet, these “squatting facets” are retained into adulthood. However in western cultures where sitting and standing are the norm, these facets disappear as we mature, tendons shorten and squatting becomes a difficult balancing act for many.

What about Semi-Squatting?

Some people, aware of the benefits of squatting but whom find it difficult, try to take on a “semi-squatting” position by sitting on the toilet and then raising their feet up on a step-stool or chair. While this position visually approximates the squat, the abdominal muscles designed for elimination are not engaged unless the full weight of the body is on the feet and therefore this position offers little advantage over conventional sitting.

What to do?

With the evidence mounting it would seem that squatting is the way to go. You can learn to squat right on the toilet seat. Here’s how:

• Begin as usual, pants down, sitting on the toilet seat

• Reach behind you with one hand and hold the top of the toilet tank

• Reach your other hand behind you and hold the tank on the other side

• Bring your legs up one at a time, placing your heels on the seat, your toes can hang over the edge if you like

• Using your hands, push yourself forward (away from the toilet tank) until all your weight is on your heels and you’re using your hands for balance only

You’re ready to go! To get down:

• Bend your elbows and let your back rest against the toilet tank

• Bring one leg down at a time

• Release your hands from the tank

• Finish up as usual

Try this a few times before resorting to the next method, which involves purchasing a prop.

If you simply can’t manage squatting on the toilet then you can order something called Nature’s Platform off the web. This is a plastic and metal platform with angled steps for your feet. It supports 300 pounds, does not put any stress on the toilet, needs no assembly and folds neatly out of the way.

So give squatting a try. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

In good health.

At any given period in the history of man, meditation has been an excellent remedy for the over-stimulation, stress and anxiety of society. It is one of the main therapies in the science of Ayurveda and even allopathic physicians recognize the benefits of meditation and recommend meditation to their patients. Scientists have examined meditation from all angles and not one can refute the positive physical, emotional, psychological and physiological benefits that a regular meditation practice can have on the human spirit. There are many styles of meditation and many reasons to meditate – for therapy, for stress management, for knowledge, for devotion, to further the practice of Pranayama or simply as a refreshing and restful break in the day. The entirety of meditation practice is far too vast to cover here, but the list includes:

~Mantra Meditation – focusing on sounds and sacred words

~Buddhist Meditation – as part of the Noble Eightfold Path to Enlightenment

~Vipassana Meditation – focusing on reality and insight into the mind

~Devotional Mediation – meditation on God

~Taoist Meditation – meditation on the teachings of the Tao Te Ching

~Zen Meditation – focusing on the teachings of Zen Buddhism

Meditation is an integral part of yoga practice, in fact, the purpose of asana practice is to settle the body and focus the mind in preparation for meditation. However, you do not have to be an accomplished yogi or Buddhist Master to practice meditation effectively, you don’t need to pretzel yourself into lotus pose – truly, for many of us, Lotus Pose is simply too physically challenging to allow focus. You can meditate while walking, while seated in a straight-backed chair, in Easy Pose, Simple Cross-Legged Pose and for the very flexible the classical meditation pose, Padmasana/ Lotus Pose. Any pose that allows comfortable stillness for the body is effective for meditation; when you remove as many physical and environmental distractions as possible, the mind and breath are free to focus.

Meditation has many benefits on many levels, including (but not limited to):

Physiological/Physical

~ revitalizes the nervous system

~ strengthens neural pathways within the brain

~ increases lung capacity

~ increases oxygen flow to the brain

~ increases alertness

~ improves sleep

~ can reduce the effects of asthma

~ improves immune system

~ assists with addiction/abuse recovery

~ reduces blood presure

Mental/Emotional

~ calms the senses

~ focusses the mind to bring clarity & perspective

~ soothes the over-stimulated Self

~ reduces stress

~ promotes positive outlook, reduces negative thinking

~ increases Self-Esteem

~ improves memory

~ reduces anxiety and hypersensitivity

~ increases creativity

Spiritual

~ allows the flow of prana/chi/life energy through the body

~ develops, promotes and maintains spiritual awareness

~ unites one with Consciousness and the truest Higher Self

~ increases connection with the Divine

~ balances the Doshas – especially Vata disturbances (see Ayurveda for information on the Doshas)

~ prepares the Self for the transition of Death

~ allows us to open our minds and hearts in order to Live more fully

~ brings us into the divinity of the present moment

Of particular importance to many of us today are the stress-reducing benefits of meditation; this applies to everyone regardless of age, profession, gender, race or spiritual path. Daniel Goleman’s research in the scientific community on meditation and stress tolerance returned very convincing results; the following is an excerpt from Goleman’s writing followed by a passage from ‘Creative Meditation’ by Richard Peterson, Ph.D.

“People who are chronically anxious or who have a psychosomatic disorder share a specific pattern of reaction to stress; their bodies mobilize to meet the challenge, then fail to stop reacting when the problem is over. Their bodies stay aroused for danger when they should be relaxed, recouping spent energies and gathering resources for the next brush with stress.” -D. Goleman

“The anxious person meets life’s normal events as though they were crises. Each minor happening increases his tension, and his tension in turn magnifies the next ordinary event – a deadline, an interview, a doctor’s appointment – into a threat. Because the anxious person’s body stays mobilized after one event has passed, he has a lower threat threshold for the next. Had he been in a relaxed state, he would have taken the second event in stride.

A meditator handles stress in a way that breaks up the threat ‘arousal’ threat spiral. The meditator relaxes after a challenge passes, more often than the non-meditator. This makes him unlikely to see innocent occurrences as harmful. He perceives threat more accurately, and reacts with arousal only when necessary. Once aroused, his rapid recovery makes him less likely than the anxious person to see the next deadline as a threat. ”

(From The Meditative Mind, pp. 164-165)

From Creative Meditation by Richard Peterson, Ph.D. A.R.E. Press, 1990.

When we have peace and clarity in the mind, we experience a healthier physical body. When we have a healthier body, our minds become clearer and settled; we can explore the infinite broadness of the mind when we learn to focus its energies toward that goal. This symbiosis is important in the practice of yoga, pranayama and meditation. All three of these practices together create an incredible wellness system, however, they are powerfully beneficial when approached individually.

Meditation does not require that you subscribe to any particular spiritual path, you need not meditate on any God at all – though prayer is a meditative act. Taoists meditate from a place of stillness and emptiness, Zen meditation often centres around the teaching of the Buddha, Christ went into the desert for 40 days and 40 nights in order to fast, meditate and commune with God. Beyond any spiritual application, just the simple act of focusing on the flow of your breath while meditating is enough to gain benefit.

Learning to meditate takes patience, just like learning anything. When we begin to meditate we are often critical of our inability to sit still, this is natural – for one, we are not accustomed to sitting still, sitting on the floor or sitting cross-legged (let alone Lotus Pose!). If you find it difficult to sit still for long periods of time, try interspersing walking meditation with sitting meditation. Our tendency is to be critical of ourselves if we do not get it right the in the first few attempts, it is necessary to practice non-competition with ourselves first. In the beginning of your meditation practice it will be difficult to quiet your mind, to cease the endless chatter that goes on inside our heads all the time – this is completely normal. Even those who meditate regularly have thoughts when they meditate, what you must practice is detachment from those thoughts, let them float by unobserved and return your focus to your breath – some find it useful to meditate with their eyes closed, others find that a point of focus like a candle or object works best.

More advanced meditation is a subtle practice, not merely sitting still and breathing, but a deeper method of connecting with your Self and working with the breath and the energies of the mind – the mind and the brain are separate entities working in concert; the brain is the tool that collects information, the mind is the system that interprets it. Peaceful existence is intrinsic to the human spirit; it is when we become distracted by external input that we lose our Selves. This creates imbalance and anxiety in the body, mind and spirit and draws us away from our purpose. Through meditation we have the opportunity to heal the mind, heal the body and in quiet contemplation we are re-introduced to who we truly are and to our true balance.

What is important is regular meditation practice. Try meditating for five minutes a day to begin with – as your practice becomes more regular you will find it easier to take the time for yourself to allow your mind to rest. Try different styles of meditation to see which style suits you best; you may of course practice as many different styles of meditation as you find useful, restful and beneficial. We have chosen a few meditations for you to try below but you may find more practices on YogaYak.com – above all enjoy your meditation practice and reap the benefits of reduced stress and increased health.

Namaste

How does one stop gaining karma?

Well, remember that karma is a result of the “intention” behind an action. If one has ‘good’ intentions, one gains ‘good’ karma. If one has ‘bad’ intentions, one gains ‘bad’ karma. So logically, if one has ‘no’ intentions, one gains NO karma. How does one do this? By acting in line with one’s dharma or duty. Here’s how it works using last week’s example: My child comes to me and asks for $10,000 to go to university. My action is to give him/her the $10,000. If I gave my child the money in order to make him/her happy, I would gain ‘Good’ karma. If I gave the money in order to have my child feel indebted to me, I would gain ‘Bad’ karma. If however I gave the money because it was my duty as a parent to make sure that my child got his/her education and so stand on his/her own two feet, then I would gain no karma. Following the rule of karma makes a lot of hard decisions much easier.

The second question is how does one get rid of karma already gained? The answer to that is easy. Remember that karma is the Universe’s way of keeping track of what you still need to learn. Your current circumstances and situations are actually provided as opportunities to learn these lessons. As you learn the lessons, karma is released. If you do not learn the lesson, you retain the karma, and the Universe will continue to provide opportunities for you to face it. With that in mind, you need to pay attention. Take note of the issues that arise in your life over and over again. Do you have problems with jealousy? Trust? Ego-based fears etc.? Issues that occur over and over, do so because you are being provided with repeated opportunities to release karma. How many times have you heard yourself or someone else say… “Why does this always happen to me?” There’s an answer to that question. Learn the lessons… it’s the only way to freedom.

Balancing poses are a yogic gift. They are physical illustrations of your state of mind. To hold one’s balance, one must be present in the body… here and now, moment to moment. A wandering mind cluttered with thoughts and needless chatter cannot produce a body perfectly in balance. Balancing poses are the ultimate meditation in motion.

Balancing poses also bring our ego to the forefront, making us aware of how strongly it exists within us. Some students are so ruled by the ego, that they cannot bear to topple in front of others. They thus refuse to try balancing poses in a class setting. And even those who practice within the group may notice the ego respond in the form of small waves of embarrasment or self-aggression as they lose their balance. But this is not to say that the ego only arises when one is unable to hold a balancing pose. In fact, the ego surfaces in an even more potent manner when one is able to perform a pose ~sucessfully~.

At the point that you enter into the pose and are able to hold it for a moment, the ego rushes in bringing thoughts of ‘Look at me… no one else can do it… aren’t I good! . That’s usually the point at which you’ll topple. Why? Because the ego has taken over the mind. It has crumbled concentration on the moment, taken focus away from being present within yourself and placed it upon trying to impress an imaginary audience in the ego’s “Everyone’s Looking at Me” world.

Balancing poses also teach us how to relinquish our fears and experience life. When you’re used to standing with two feet firmly planted on the earth, relying on only one can seem quite scary. Sounds silly? It’s not. The fear of falling is a very ligitamate worry for some. Those with osteoperosis or brittle bones must take care with balancing poses. Certain poses require you to balance not on your feet, but on your hands, and the idea of toppling forward in that position can frighten many.

The first thing to know about balancing poses, is that there are always ‘baby steps’. Poses can be supported as you learn them. And as you’re ready to give up those supports, learning how to fall is important. The fear of falling itself makes the fall uncomfortable, but if you understand how to let go it’s actually a whole lot of fun. Such is the rule of life.

COLUMN NAME:
The Yogic Way

Kavita Maharaj is the owner and operator of Red Door Yoga. She can be reached at 604-751-1458 or go to www.reddooryogacanada.com for questions.