Posts Tagged ‘yoga’
5 Key Breathing Techniques
As one of my teachers said, there is no correct way to breath, but there are alot of incorrect ways. Here are some of the recommendations from our lineage and practice that we find useful to refine your breathing during asana, pranayama or meditation… 1 Breathing through the Nose (Nasanapana) Air inhaled through the nose…
Read MoreRestorative & Yoga Nidra
As the name suggests, restorative yoga “restores” the body to its parasympathetic nervous system function, which, in turn, helps the body rest, heal, and restore balance. By allowing time for longer asanas and deeper breathing, restorative yoga helps elicit the relaxation response. The actual effort involved in restorative yoga is the willingness to look at…
Read MoreClassical Yoga: A 4-Part Solution
These days just about anything is marketed as “yoga”. You may have heard of “goat yoga”, doing yoga postures with an animal walking on your back. Perhaps you like to drink alcohol. Quench your thirst with some “beer yoga”. Do you like intense physical exercise that really works up a sweat? “Hot yoga” will help…
Read MoreMy Favorite Class
My Favorite Class: My Guide to a Great Class for Teachers and Students My favorite yoga class I have ever been to was one of my own.I know that sounds very conceited, but it is true. I believe that once you get a good pattern established, your self-practice or the classes you teach will be…
Read MoreOwning Your Dosha: Implications, Effects and Opportunities of Each Body Constitution
“He who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened.” —Lao Tzu “What’s your dosha?” If you don’t already know the answer to that increasingly mainstream question, visit this website to take a dosha quiz and determine your body type. Thanks to famous Ayurvedically influenced health gurus like Deepak Chopra, Dr. Vasant Lad and Dr. John…
Read MoreYou Look Stupid and Nobody Cares: Reassurances and Tips for the New Practitioner
Here’s the thing: I actually think you look beautiful and I care deeply. I’m not a cynical curmudgeon, but in fact a warm, positive yoga instructor who happens to have a sense of humor. I want you to stop talking about how you have begun to think about how you might ponder possibly one day…
Read MoreGet Your Mind Right: Using Meditation in the Classroom
Taft High School student Laura K. used classroom meditation techniques as preparation for testing. “The relaxation meditation made a big difference because it calmed me down,” she said. “It gave me enough patience to read the passage and answer the questions carefully.” With the current educational focus so heavy on data, assessment and accountability, students…
Read MoreYoga & Self-Acceptance
In Pema Chodron’s book “When Things Fall Apart,” she writes, “It is said that we can’t attain enlightenment, let alone feel contentment and joy, without seeing who we are and what we do, without seeing our patterns and our habits. This is called maitri—developing loving-kindness and an unconditional friendship with ourselves.” Last fall, my teacher…
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