Newsletter March, 2015
In this issue:
Five steps to inner peace
As we know, the goal of yoga practice is to attain the highest state of inner peace. Patanjali, in his Yoga Sutras, calls this the Asamprajnata Samadhi (seedless samadhi). This samadhi finally leads to the state of "Kaivalya" which can be translated as self-realization.
In this connection, Patanjali, in yoga sutra 1.20 provides us a great insight into the kind of endeavor needed to attain this state of seedless samadhi:
"For those (who are willing to follow the path of prescribed effort), this Asamprajnata Samadhi is attained through faith (shraddha), energy (virya), memory (smriti), contemplation (samadhi) and discernment (prajna)."
You can think of these five steps as the rungs of a ladder. Most commentators depict these as successive steps, one leading to the next. Thus shraddha (faith) leads to virya (energy) and so on, until we reach the state of prajna (discriminative wisdom). Prajna has been identified elsewhere in the sutras as the state leading to "seedless samadhi" (sutras 1.48 - 1.51).
Read more ...
Prasarita Padottanasana (Wide-legged standing forward bend)
Prasarita Padottanasana (Wide-legged standing forward bend)
Prasarita Padottanasana (Wide-legged standing forward bend) (प्रसारित पादोत्तानासन) is a variation of the more commonly practiced Padottanasana (standing forward bending pose). In most of the classes that I teach, we practice Padottanasana as a part of the Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation) sequence. The Prasarita Padottanasana can be practiced either as a part of the Surya Namaskar sequence (from Warrior 2) or as an independent pose as one of the standing poses. It is a nice pose for stretching the legs, hips, inner thighs and the spine.
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Upcoming Programs
21-day Yoga Immersion – March 1-21, 2015
 Virabhadrasana (Warrior2)
I am pleased to announce the next 21-day Yoga Immersion program. I invite you to join me on this exciting and deeply rewarding 21-day yoga journey. Here are the particulars:
[Please download the flier here]
- When: Sunday, March 1 - Saturday, March 21, 2015
- Time: 6:00 AM - 7:30 AM
- Where: 4000 Bear Cat Way, Suite 102, Morrisville, NC 27560
- Cost: $125
- Commitment:
- A firm commitment to complete the program without missing a day
- At the end of the program, continue the same practice at home for another 21 days to make it a life-long habit
Read more ...
Understanding the Mind to eliminate Stress
- What: An Introduction to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
- When: First Saturday of the month
- Next Session: Saturday, March 7, 2015
- Focus: Eight Limbs of Yoga (Ashtanga Yoga): focus on pranayama, pratyahara, meditation
(Visit here for a brief intro )
- TIME: 2:30 - 4:30 PM
- LOCATION: Integral Yoga Studio, 4000 Bearcat Way, Suite 104, Morrisville, NC 27560
- FEE: by voluntary donation
Yoga in the News
Pain Really Is All In Your Head And Emotion Controls Intensity
When you whack yourself with a hammer, it feels like the pain is in your thumb. But really it's in your brain.
That's because our perception of pain is shaped by brain circuits that are constantly filtering the information coming from our sensory nerves, says David Linden, a professor of neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University and author of the new book Touch: The Science of Hand, Heart, and Mind.
Read more ...
New Study Highlights Yoga’s Cardiovascular Benefits
The research, led by Professor Myriam Hunink of Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam and Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, was a review of 37 randomized studies involving 2,768 participants which found that yoga is linked to the reduction of key risk factors for heart disease, including lower body mass index (BMI), weight loss, improved cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and reduced heart rate. Researchers also found that when it came to these improved risk factors, there was not a significant difference between yoga and other forms of exercise.
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7 Ways Meditation Can Actually Change The Brain
he meditation-and-the-brain research has been rolling in steadily for a number of years now, with new studies coming out just about every week to illustrate some new benefit of meditation. Or, rather, some ancient benefit that is just now being confirmed with fMRI or EEG. The practice appears to have an amazing variety of neurological benefits – from changes in grey matter volume to reduced activity in the “me” centers of the brain to enhanced connectivity between brain regions.
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Meditation transforms roughest San Francisco schools
At first glance, Quiet Time - a stress reduction strategy used in several San Francisco middle and high schools, as well as in scattered schools around the Bay Area - looks like something out of the om-chanting 1960s. Twice daily, a gong sounds in the classroom and rowdy adolescents, who normally can't sit still for 10 seconds, shut their eyes and try to clear their minds. I've spent lots of time in urban schools and have never seen anything like it.
Read more ...
Have a question/suggestion?
If you have a yoga-related question, please write to me and I would do my best to provide an answer in a timely manner. I would love to hear your suggestions for future newsletter articles.
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