Newsletter April 2022
In this issue:
What does the word "yoga" mean?
Samadhi
In my yoga classes, every now and then I ask the question, “what do you understand by the term yoga”? The most common answer that I get is, “yoga is the union of mind, body and the soul”.
Some other answers are:
- Union of mind and body
- Union of mind, breath and body
- Oneness with the universe
- A few more …
The key theme in these statements is that yoga is “union” of two or more entities. If they are asked to explain these concepts a little more, most begin to fumble and are unable to add much more to these basic statements. The main question is whether yoga indeed implies union of two or more entities.
In this article, I’d like to dig a little deeper and understand what the word yoga means, especially when it is applied to our yoga practice.
Read more ...
Weekly ongoing classes
As many of you are aware, I teach weekly ongoing yoga classes as per the schedule given below. These classes are offered both online via Zoom as well as in-person at my home studio.
Schedule:
- Monday: 6:30 - 8 PM (level 1)
- Tuesday: 6:30 - 8 PM (level 1)
- Wednesday: 6:30 - 8 PM (level 1)
- Saturday; 10:15 AM - 12:00 noon (level 1/2)
Instructor: Subhash Mittal
Registration: Fill out the registration form, providing information in all the fields, and submit it online.
Access: In-person at my home studio, or online via zoom. Zoom access will be provided upon receipt of registration.
Schedule and Fee: Please visit my website here for the current schedule and available payment plans. If you are a new student, the fee for the first month is $40.
How to pay: check, Zelle (use subhashmittal@gmail.com), Venmo (use 9199269717) or paypal (go to bottom of page)
Upcoming Programs
Intro to Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, 14-week intensive (ongoing)
- What: An Introduction to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, 14-week intensive
- When: Every Sunday starting March 20, 2022
- Time: 10:30 AM - 12 noon (US East Coast time EST)
- Access: Remotely via live video streaming (Zoom); login info will be provided upon receipt of registration and payment
- Fee:
- To register: please fill out the registration form, providing information in all the fields and submit it online
Read more ...
Samkhya Karika study group, 2nd and 4th Saturday
podcast channel
As you may be aware, I have been offering monthly workshops wherein I discuss various aspects of yoga philosophy. The main focus in these workshops is to discuss the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali in some depth. In addition, from time to time, I also discuss concepts from the Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads and other related ancient scriptures. In order to preserve these talks for future reference, I have been making an audio recording of these discussions and sharing them with the participants. These audio recordings are now available on the podcast channel on my blog. You are welcome to download these audio recordings for your use. In addition, you can listen to these podcasts as well as subscribe to them on itunes as well.
youtube channel
As you would have noticed from many of the recent posts on my blog, I have been adding short videos of many of the commonly practiced asana and pranayama sequences. I strongly urge you to subscribe to my youtube channel and visit the channel frequently to get instructions for your own asana and pranayama practices. Please share the link to the channel with your friends who might benefit from these detailed video instructions.
I would love to hear your feedback and, of course, would welcome suggestions for future videos that you would like to see on the channel.
Yoga in the News
Yoga shows promise for weight-loss maintenance
Yoga burns fewer calories than aerobic exercise so it’s usually not the go-to workout for people who want to lose weight. But what if the mind-body connection fostered by yoga could help them maintain that weight loss for the long term?
It’s an idea researchers set out to test in an intriguing study, published last month in PLOS One, with some promising preliminary results.
Read more ...
A world record at Qatar yoga event and PM Modi's message
Qatar saw a new world record this month when a yoga event - organised by the Indian Sports Centre - registered a participation of 114 nationalities. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has been known for propagating the benefits of yoga, on Sunday yet again acknowledged the achievement in his monthly radio address - 'Mann ki Baat'. "We are witnessing today how the world is much more inclined towards Yoga and Ayurveda. You saw last week, how a new world record was created when people of 114 nationalities took part at a yoga event," the prime minister said.
Read more ...
The Inspirational Story of Swami Sivanand of Varanasi
When the nation honoured 54 prominent personalities with Padma awards, Swami Sivanand was just one among them. However, the 125-year-old yoga practitioner won the hearts of people all over the country when videos of him prostrating before Prime Minister Narendra Modi before receiving his honour went viral on social media.
Read more ...
New Study Shows that Yoga Streches and Strenghtening Exercises Can Reduce Chronic Pain
A new study lends further evidence to previous research showing that yoga and meditation can benefit patients with chronic pain. A program including yoga stretching and strengthening exercises significantly reduced chronic pain from lumbar herniated discs. This supports earlier findings that yoga and meditation lead to a significant improvement in pain, mood and functional capacity in people suffering from chronic pain.
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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