Liberated Yoga
Yoga is for everyone!
Topic: Yoga Theory
Dharma: I am a Door...
Albeit a narrow one. This entry is, in a way, about my Dharma the way I see it, or my purpose in Life, and in another way, about Chakra One, which governs our ability to feel sustained by our environment, to be provided for by the universe, to feel that we have a right to be here. By examining these things I feel aligned with the Universe, and I invite you to conduct a similar analysis of your Dharma and see how it aligns with the larger scheme of things. Let's begin with Chakra...
The Many Dimensions of a Human Being
The Pancha Mayas or the Five Sheaths Do you agree that there is more to you than meets the eye? That you are more than just this flesh and bones? We have feelings, thoughts, memories. Our awareness of these other dimensions of reality is what makes us different from animals. It is our unique privilege to have the ability to perceive reality beyond our senses, and by denying ourselves this privilege we violate something sacred – our right to fulfill our full po...
Three Directions of Awareness
You often hear in a yoga practice: Ground down through your big toe mounds Lift up the arches of the feet/tone the belly Broaden the chest Lengthen through the crown of the head It would be interesting to investigate in your own practice how easily you are able to do these three things, each on its own, and all three simultaneously. A balanced Yoga practice would involve, among other things, a fine-tuned awareness of these three subtle movements, and t...
Pancha Maya Koshas - what comes first, the body, or the soul?
The whole purpose of Yoga is to learn who we are, because if we know who we are, then we will be able to live more fulfilling lives, be able to solve the problems that we have, and maybe, who knows, be content. The Pancha Maya Kosha model is one way of examining ourselves to gain a deeper understanding of who we are. Pancha means five. Maya means "dimensions" or "layers". Koshas means "container." The ancient Yogic view of the human being is that there is more than just the physical body,...
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Empathy in Yoga
Empathy through our eyes By Anna Mikheeva When I first came to a Yoga class and saw the Yoga teacher flow fluidly from pose to pose, I knew there was more to Yoga than just the poses. She had the most serene presence about her. She made me feel quiet inside by being quiet herself. And now that I became a Yoga teacher, I realize that I also am being looked at by my own Yoga students, and I also hope to show them that there is more to Yoga than at first meets the eye. ...
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Breathing Techniques: Alternate Nostril
In my previous post we discussed The Three Part Breath , which should be mastered first before attempting more advanced Pranayama. Of the more advanced breathing practices, Nadi Shodhana is my favorite. It is very soothing to the nervous system and it can be adapted to whatever needs I may experience at the moment - it can energize me if I am tired, or calm me down when I am stressed. In order for you to fully appreciate the Alternate Nostril breathing technique, also called Nadi Shuddhi in s...
Chakra One - Muladhara
As promised, I am continuing with my introduction to the chakras , beginning at the root with the first one. This way of moving through the Chakras could very well be another Western construct, where things are arranged in order, from "lesser" to "greater". As my personal experience with the Charkas evolved, I think of them more like a dial, where you can start counting from any point and turn the wheel of the dial in any direction. The first chakra is where the Ida and the Pingala come to...
What are the Chakras?
This will be a short introduction to the Chakras. In the following posts I will present each chakra individually, with a short video practice to help balance each one. Chakra is the place where several Nadis come together, and there are seven main Chakras in the model that is most popular in the West. Originally there were many chakra models, with different number of chakras, from three main ones - lower belly, heart center, and the crown of the head, to models that have 16 chakras (o...
The Five Winds of Prana
The ancient Yogis called the life force that permeates all existence Prana. Prana cannot be controlled directly, but it can be affected by your Yoga practice - and one of the definitions of a Yogi is "one who has all his Prana within." Due to poor posture, our Prana constantly "leaks" out, leaving us drained, tired, in foul mood. By manipulating the body into a better alignment we re-direct energy in the body, concentrate it, build it, and in turn, Prana in the body is increased....
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What is Kundalini
Kundalini is a concept we often encounter in Yoga philosophy and literature, and it is often a murky concept with contradictory and confusing information. Kundalini is most often described as a snake, coiled at the root of the spine and blocking the energy from entering the central channel or Nadi, of the body, called the Shushmna. The body is believed to have many nadis, several thousand, in fact, that carry energy in the body. There are three main ones, ho...
