Newsletter June, 2020
In this issue:
Six enemies of the mind (shad-ripu)
 krodha (anger) Suffering, as we know, is a part of life. When the baby is born, the first sound you hear from the baby is that of a cry. During our lifetime, we go through all kinds of pain and suffering caused by disease, injury, fatigue, stress, disagreements, old age, and finally death etc. Even the so called moments of pleasure are short-lived.
Our scriptures and the great teachers from the ancient times talk about suffering and how the goal of life is to end this suffering so we can be liberated.
In Buddhism, there is mention of four noble truths:
- Dukkha (suffering): This life is full of suffering
- Dukkha samudaya (reason for suffering): lustful cravings (trishna) lead to suffering
- Dukkha nirodha (end of suffering): It is possible to put an end to this suffering
- Nirodhagamini pratipad (path to freedom from dukkha): Buddha gives the eight-fold path to eliminate dukkha
Read more ....
Online video streaming of yoga classes
As many of you are aware, due to the current situation with COVID-19, I am offering the weekly ongoing yoga classes online via Zoom video streaming platform.
Current Schedule (all timings are US East Coast time, GMT-4):
- Monday: 6:30 - 8 PM (level 1)
- Tuesday: 6:30 - 8 PM (level 1)
- Wednesday: 6:30 - 8 PM (level 1)
- Thursday: 6:30 - 8:00 PM (Pranayama and meditation)
- 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.
Read more ...
Upcoming Programs
Understanding the Mind to eliminate Stress
- What: An Introduction to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
- When: Third Saturday of the month
- Next Session: Saturday, June 20, 2020
- Access: remotely via live video streaming using Zoom
- TIME: 2:30 - 4:30 PM
- FEE: by voluntary donation
- Instructor: Subhash Mittal
- To register: please fill out the registration form
Read more ...
14-day Meditation Intensive
Padmasana (lotus pose)
- What: 14-day Meditation Intensive
- When: Monday, June 8 - Sunday, June 21, 2020
- Time: 6:00 – 7:30 AM (US East Coast time, GMT-4)
- Access: Remotely via live video streaming (Zoom); login info will be provided upon receipt of registration and payment
- Instructor: Subhash Mittal
- Daily Routine: Light stretching (10-15 minutes), Pranayama (15 min), Relaxation (10-15 min), Discussion and meditation practice (40-45 min)
- Commitment: A firm commitment to follow this schedule and attend every day
- Fee:
- To register: fill out the registration form and submit it online.
Strongly recommended
- Light,’sattvic’, nutritious, VEGETARIAN food
- No alcohol, drugs, tobacco or any other item of similar nature
- A personal commitment to continue the practice after the program is over
Please visit here for more details...
Yoga Sutra 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
New study finds this type of workout is best for fighting depression
The study defined yoga as “a multicomponent mind–body practice comprising physical postures, movement, breathing control and techniques, relaxation, mindfulness and meditation.”
Researchers found that mindfulness, meditation, and exercise are all effective in reducing depressive symptoms. As yoga combines these three key elements, the researchers believe that yoga practice has additional benefits beyond the practice of any one single component.
Read more ...
Yoga a powerful tool to improve mental health during COVID crisis
A recent research has pointed out that movement-based yoga can significantly improve mental health during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The new research from the University of South Australia was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
The world-first study conducted in partnership with the Federal University of Santa Maria, UNSW Sydney, Kings College London and Western Sydney University found that movement-based yoga improves the mental health of people living with a range of mental disorders, with the benefits being incremental with the amount of yoga they practised.
Read more ...
Pranayam: Breath to Cure Bronchial Asthma
Practice of yoga even for a short span of 6 weeks can make significant improvements in respiratory muscle strength and endurance.[11]Presently, it is difficult to control all the triggers in a single patient. Yoga seems to have a stabilizing effect on bronchial reactivity, thus making the vagal efferent less excitable. Thus, Yoga practice may modify anxiety by the effect on breathing through muscle relaxation and modifying the mental state to induce feelings of wellbeing. Researchers have observed that the significant change in the lung functions can be brought about even with short-term yoga training.
Read more ...
Struggling with migraines? This specific yoga routine can help, study says
Waking up with a slight headache that becomes painful enough to hinder daily life is the experience of many who suffer from migraines.
But for those on a medication plan, adding a yoga practice to their treatment repertoire may help to reduce the intensity and frequency of those troublesome migraines, and how many pills they need to take to ease the pain, found a study published Wednesday in the journal Neurology.
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.
back to top  |
