Yoga Citta Vritta Nirodha Yoga means stilling waves of the mind-body complex The Yoga Sutras of Pantanjali, Verse 2 As a Yoga teacher and Yoga Therapist promoting the benefits of a holistic Yoga Lifestyle for over 25 years, I have found that of the many definitions of yoga, this simple verse from the Yoga Sutras…

If you use the word yoga in an average conversation today, you are likely to come across different perceptions and definitions of what yoga is or is not. In Western culture Yoga is often conflated with general concepts like health, stretching and exercise. You could say that many of the people in America today are…

HONORING CYCLES: SLEEP AND REST Like food, rest and sleep are nutrition for our whole self. Creating a lifestyle that honors rest and sleep is essential for physical, mental, and emotional health. Without enough rest, the physical systems of our body are affected, as is our mental clarity and ability to balance emotional responses. Interestingly…

Yoga and Archetypes: A Natural Evolution of Observation and Practice An archetype is an original model or type after which other similar things are patterned. Sanskrit, the language in which Yoga was codified, an archetype is known as Purvaja. Purvaja means ahead of all others or firstborn. An archetype may be derived from, but not…

There are many ancient texts that lay the foundation of our modern understanding of Yoga. The Bhagavad-Gita is one of those texts. The term Yoga covers a wide range of meanings, but in the context of the Bhagavad Gita, Yoga is viewed as a unified outlook, serenity of mind, skillfulness in action and the ability…

This practice offers a selection of animal and nature oriented practices along with suggested qualities to explore embodying or meditating. Use your inner guidance to choose a quality that is meaningful to you within each pose. Notice that there is an emphasis in this practice on movement within some of the poses and stillness within…

“Attachment is that which follows remembrance of pleasure.” – Yoga Sutras II, 7 In Yoga’s monastic tradition, upon initiation the monk is given a robe and an alms bowl. The acceptance of these objects represents a commitment to a life of simplicity, virtue and piety. These basic virtues seem at odds with a world that…