Ashtanga Picture Project on Periscope
The APP is joining periscope. I will be using periscope to go more in depth into what is being presented here. What it will be: Tips on the pose of the week Commentary on the Sutra of the Week Commentary on APP blog posts In depth conversations on Ashtanga Conversations on events happening in the yoga world What it wont be: Rambling Conversations about me personally like who cuts my hair, what I wore last week, what I had for breakfast Perfect Join me at @AshtangaPicture on periscope. My personal account is @wellnessyogini..like if you want to know what I had for breakfast or something.
Pose of the Week: Upavistha Konasana
How To Do Upavistha Konasana
The Magic Happens When Your Yoga Practice Sucks
Unfortunately, the magic happens when it sucks. This is why the yogis and Patanjali told us to practice consistently. They knew that we needed to come face to face with the suckiness and often. I am not talking about pain from injuries. I am talking about the suckiness of being uncomfortable. The suckiness of wanting to be anywhere but on that mat. When it sucks, the biggest opportunity for transformation occurs. History shows us this. When we hear stories of huge internal life shattering transformations, it is usually prefaced by a heart wrenching story that sucks. For something to transform, it need to hit its “boiling point”. The boiling point is where the…
Yoga Sutras For Modern Day Life: A Yogi on the Mat and a Jerk In the Streets
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali 1:18: By the firm practice of the cessation of the mental modifications(right knowledge, misconception, verbal delusion deep, sleep memory), the impressions only remain. This is the other samadhi (objectless samadhi). Go here for more in depth information on the mental modifications and objective Samadhi. Defining the Sutra In this form of samadhi, you are totally liberated and free from the mental modifications. They don’t pop into your mind anymore. You are jivanmukta, liberated while still alive. Many spiritual teachers view death as the great letting go. Many people will not let go of the false self until they are forced to through death. To be jivanmukta is…
- Alignment and Injuries, Ashtanga Adaptability, Reblogs, Teaching Ashtanga, Uncategorized, Videos, Yoga Philosophy, Yoga Sutras
Asteya: Stealing a Yoga Practice
Photo above by Wanda Koch When our culture (our media, our power structures, our society) says, “people who look like you shouldn’t expect to have a life like that,” we’re stealing. Stealing from people capable of achieving more, and stealing from our community as well-Seth Godin I feel blessed to have started yoga with my Atlanta teachers. In my 5 or so years of working with them. Never once did anyone tell me that I could not do anything. There were never any talk about the short falls of my anatomy. There were never any talks about disadvantages of my body or body type. The message was always…
Why It Is Important To Be Uncomfortable in Yoga
One reason why ascetic paths were set is simply because of this: you start doing things that are naturally not comfortable for you. If you have to do something that you do not like, you can only do it consciously. There is no other way to do it. Things that you like, you can do compulsively, but things that you do not like, you can only do consciously. That is why the ascetic path. You start doing everything consciously. There is no other way to be. You are practicing how to be conscious in various situations in your life-Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev Yoga is supposed to wake you up-Peg Mulqueen …
Pose of the Week: Urdhva Dhanurasana
How To Do Urdhva Dhanurasana
Pose of the Week: Ubhaya Padangusthasana
How To Do Ubhaya Padangusthasana
The Most Common Transition Mistakes of Primary Series
“Many teachers, crazy making, one teacher, shantih is coming-Pattabjhi Jois Below are the most common transition mistakes of Primary Series. For more information on transitions and pose counts, read the Astanga Yoga Anusthana by Sharath Jois and The Yoga Mala by Pattabhi Jois. Padangusthasana Common Mistake: taking the hands to the waist before folding Correct Method: Inhale, catch the big toes and head up Trikonasana Series and Parsvokonasana Series Common Mistake: stepping to the right and turning the feet at the same time Correct Method: Step out inhale, turn the foot and come into the pose on an exhale Trikonasana Series Common Mistake: Feet too wide Correct…
Yoga Practice Vs Asana Demonstration vs Asana Inspired Play
I got a wake up call recently when Peg Mulqueen of Ashtanga Dispatch cautioned us against incorporating things we see on social media into our Ashtanga practices. It was a wake up call because I realized that I had been doing just that. Over the past few days, I have been thinking long and hard about this. It is important to understand the context under which the video or picture is being presented. Even if a certified/authorized Ashtanga teacher is doing it, we have to ask, are they giving us a glimpse into their yoga practice, is this a demonstration or is it asana inspired play? It is also important for us…