New to Yoga
Practices
Yoga in Your Daily Life
Yoga Beyond Asana
Sister Sciences »
Our Sangha »
The Third Aim: Kama As our investigation of the Purusharthas continues, we come to the third aim, Kama, which means longing, wish, or desire. Kama pertains to the enjoyment of life and needs to be in balance with Dharma (duty) and Artha (means) if we are to experience...
by Jaime Boswell As yoga therapy becomes a bit more mainstream in the U.S., with yoga therapy schools now receiving accreditation and yoga therapists being certified through the accredited programs, it is a good time to talk about some of the questions that are...
By Jaime Boswell Yoga Therapy stands distinctly apart from other therapies in that it is based on the application of yoga philosophy through a holistic approach to individuals. Yoga therapy does not take the place of medical treatments. In fact, the yoga therapy...
Complementary Practices to Promote Relaxation and Healing by Melissa Goodwin Students often ask, “What is the difference between meditation and restorative yoga?” This is a great question, because we tend to think of both in terms of the same set of desired results:...
October 9th - 18th, 2018 by Gwen Burdick Navratri, a nine night-long celebration of the Divine Feminine, occurs every year on the New Moon in the Vedic month of Ashwin (usually our September, but not always) near the autumnal equinox. Worship of the Goddesses Durga,...
The Yoga Sanctuary is excited to share this excellent essay by local Tennis Professional, Jak Beardsworth. Jak writes about the importance of using the breath, particularly the exhale, to improve your game -- something we yogis know very well! To learn more about Jak,...
By Gwen Burdick The billions of years old and never-changing distant stars visible in the night sky make up the circle that mankind has observed and described as the zodiac. Vedic Astrology, Jyotish in Sanskrit, divides the 360 degree sky into 27 stellar...
In the Vedic tradition, the ancient root of yogic philosophy, the concept of God or Supreme Reality is understood in a three-fold manner. The triple function of God, Trimurti in Sanskrit, is expressed as Brahma the creator, Vishnu the sustainer and Shiva the...
Vedic Astrology, Jyotish in Sanskrit, is a sister science to Yoga and Ayurveda. It is the study of the precision of our solar system and planetary movements that create linear chronological time. Comprehension of this ancient wisdom tradition allows for the awareness...
As a young man, Glenn began his career in the car business. When he moved to Punta Gorda, he obtained a degree in culinary arts and worked as a chef catering with Dean of Dean's South of the Border, first at Edison College and then Hurricane Charley's. Edie is retired...
Yoga sutra 2.29 states, Yama niyamasana pranayama pratyahara dharana dhyana samadhi astau angani: The eight limbs of yoga are: yama (self-regulation), niyama (observances), asana (posture), pranayama (breath control), pratyahara (withdrawal of senses), dharana...
Skipping ahead a few sutras to yoga sutra 1.14, which states, sa tu dirghakala nairantarya satkarasevito drdhabhumih: Practice that is done for a long time, without break and with sincere devotion becomes a firmly rooted, stable, and solid foundation. This is an...
According to Vedic science, when Spirit (Purusha in Sanskrit) takes form as life, it is called Prakriti. Prakriti is composed of five elements, known as the Maha Bhutas, which range from the finest to the grossest: space, air, fire, water, and earth. In Sanskrit, they are called Akash, Vayu, Agni, Jal, and Prithvi, respectively. Every individual is a microcosm of nature and, as such, contains all five elements. Let us explore each of them.
The word Guna means "that which binds" in Sanskrit. According to Vedic science, all matter and energy that make up the manifest world consists of the three gunas in different quantities. They describe the qualities of nature and states of awareness, and are likened to...
Building on the first three sutras, yoga sutra 1.4 states, Vritti sarupyam itaratra: When one is not in Self-realization, the Seer takes on the identity of the fluctuations of mind (thought patterns). That is, when we are wrapped up in our thoughts, unable to stay...
When we moved to Florida in 2007 I had always wanted to try yoga so I took a class at The Yoga Sanctuary. I came for the physical aspect, but after my first class I felt so peaceful and calm I couldn’t get enough. Jennifer encouraged me to try different level classes, and I did. All the teachers at the Sanctuary had so much to offer. Then I realized this is what my heart had been looking for. I talked to Bonnie, the studio’s former owner, and Jennifer to let them know I was interested in doing the teacher training, and they encouraged me to take as many classes and workshops to help me prepare. It was good advice.
A concentration of energy occurs twice a year on average as the Sun, Moon, and Earth line up in space, creating solar and lunar eclipses. Solar eclipses take place on the New Moon and lunar eclipses on the Full Moon, always two weeks apart. They are events when the...
Following up on yoga sutra 1.2 (essentially, yoga is the cessation of mind chatter), yoga sutra 1.3 states, Tada drashtuh svarupevasthanam: then the seer abides in itself, resting in its true nature, also known as self-realization. This sutra explains the...
A wise friend of mine once said that all rivers lead to the same ocean. Taking into consideration all the investigating I have done on many different philosophies, sacred texts, and literature from various authors throughout the years, I concluded that not only was this true for me, but that all share a common thread in the tapestry of life which culminates in one word, yoga.
In yoga sutra 1.2, the second sutra of book one, Patanjali lays out the definition and purpose of yoga. Yogas citta vrtti nirodhah: yoga is the cessation of the modifications, or fluctuations, of the mind. This sutra gets right to the heart of why we practice yoga.