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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,...
The technology through which Spirit takes form as the manifest world commences with sound vibration traveling through the Akashic realm of space. The shortest possible sound in Sanskrit, the ancient language of the Vedas, is the mono-syllabic sound or Beej Mantra. The...
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.
In the early days of yoga, men were the only practitioners. In fact, up until the latter part of the twentieth century, the practice was almost exclusively for men. But as Westerners became interested in the practice, traveling to India to learn more about its...
Gwen Burdick; 9/23/61 – 7/14/19; Always loved, always remembered
This collection of essays, written by Gwen Burdick, a beloved TYS teacher who passed in 2019, is part of our Teacher Spotlight series. Her words continue to inspire, offering timeless insights and lessons that still resonate with all who knew her.
A great many of my most important teachers are people I’ve never met. That seems like an odd statement, I know, so I’ll have to explain. I’ve been an avid reader since – well, since the moment I learned to read. As a child, my first favorite book was The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne. I have a very clear and distinct memory of thinking, Someday I want to write books like this, after reading it at around the age of eight.
By Margit Bannon If you play tennis it’s not such a stretch (pardon the pun) to say that you might enjoy the practice of yoga, and if you practice yoga that you might enjoy tennis. Let’s consider the parallels between these two disciplines. As yogis we often...
One reason that yoga appeals to so many people is because, in addition to the great physical and mental benefits, its added spiritual/philosophical dimension can be integrated into a wide range of belief systems. When you hear the phrase, “Yoga is for all,” you may...
Summertime brings with it warm days and a slower pace. Often, our yoga practice falls prey to the sloth of summer. You For example, you may not practice while on vacation and then, two weeks after you return, you find that you still haven’t gotten back on your mat....
Athleticism requires a certain drive—mentally, physically, and emotionally. The dedication of an athlete is admirable—the many hours spent training, week after week, and the moment of glory when an athlete is making a play or finishing that last mile—it’s no wonder so...
Some days it seems as though you have an endless list of reasons to not practice yoga. You’re too tired, you have too much to do, you can practice later/tomorrow, you just don’t feel like it, etc., etc. Your mind will come up with an impressive and convincing range of...
The most familiar form of yoga practiced in the West is Hatha Yoga, which is a combination of physical postures (asana), breath work (pranayama), meditation (dhyana), and relaxation. There are many different styles, or expressions, of Hatha Yoga. In fact, there are so...
I appreciate and enjoy asana practice as the physical aspect of the yoga tradition, which I have gradually turned into my lifestyle. Learning occurs through repetition and I try to practice...
The third of the five koshas is manomaya kosha—the mind sheath. Manomaya encompasses the processing of thoughts and emotions. It is the connection point between the lower and upper two sheaths. It involves the functions...