Newsletter December, 2019
In this issue:
Lead me from darkness to light
 Darkness to light
In the Integral Yoga style of yoga that I practice and teach, we conclude each yoga class by chanting this shanti mantra (peace chant):
ॐ असतो मा सद्गमय ।
तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय ।
मृत्योर्मा अमृतं गमय ॥
OM, Asato ma sadgamaya
Tamaso ma jyotirgamaya
Mrityorma amritam gamaya
Om shanti, shanti, shanti!
"OM, Lead me from unreal to the real, lead me from darkness to light and lead me from the fear of death to the knowledge of immortality"
This is a verse that appears in one of the Upanishads called Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.
Usually these prayers are addressed to either the Guru, the teacher who is known to be a realized soul, or to God.
Most verses in the Hindu tradition start with the recitation of OM, the symbol that represents Ishwara (God). Thus, before we recite the mantra, we bring our awareness to the ultimate consciousness called Ishwara.
Let us try to get an in-depth understanding of this shanti mantra.
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, December 21, 2019
- TIME: 2:30 - 4:30 PM
- LOCATION: Integral Yoga Studio, 4000 Bearcat Way, Suite 102, Morrisville, NC 27560
- FEE: by voluntary donation
- Instructor: Subhash Mittal
- To register: please fill out the registration form (if you have filled the form recently, send me an email to register)
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14-day pranayama intensive
- What: 14-day pranayama intensive
- When: Monday, December 9 - Sunday, December 22, 2019
- Time: 6:00 – 7:30 AM
- Location: Integral Yoga Studio, 4000 Bearcat Way, Suite 102, Morrisville, NC 27560
- Instructor: Subhash Mittal
- Daily Routine: Light stretching (10-15 minutes), Pranayama (45 min), Relaxation (15 min), Yoga philosophy/meditation (15 min)
- Commitment: A firm commitment to follow this schedule and attend every day
- Fee: $120 (cash, check or zelle)
- To register: fill out the registration form, providing information in all the fields, and submit it online
Yoga Sutra study group, 2nd and 4th Saturday
- Event: Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Study Group (YSP SG) meeting
- When: Second and fourth Saturday of the month
- Time: 2:00 – 4:00 PM (followed by social tea)
- Location: 206 Redwood Park Drive, Morrisville, NC 27560 (Breckenridge sub-division)
- Recommended texts for study:
- “The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali” by Swami Satchidananda
- “The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali” by Edwin F. Bryant
- “Science of Yoga”, by I. K. Taimni (free pdf download)
- “Yoga philosophy of Patanjali”, by Swami Hariharananda Aranya
- Summary of earlier discussions - YSP blog (your comments on the blog posts are welcome)
- Audio recording of yoga sutras – in Sanskrit, English and Sanskrit+English
- Invocation to Sage Patanjali and the closing Shanti Mantra
- Podcasts of my talks on Yoga Philosophy in the monthly workshops
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 can modify and improve brain function
Yoga is a mind-body based physical activity that has demonstrated a variety of physiological, psychological and cognitive health benefits. Although yoga practice has shown to improve cognitive performance, few studies have examined the underlying neurological correlates.
Read more ...
Meditation May Best Gold Standard Therapy for PTSD
Transcendental meditation (TM) is effective in reducing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in veterans and may be a helpful alternative for those who prefer not to receive or do not respond to traditional trauma-focused prolonged exposure (PE) therapy, new research suggests.
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Yoga Worth 'Serious Consideration' for Major Depression
Yoga practice consisting of physical postures and breathing techniques can be helpful in improving symptoms of depression and anxiety in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), new research suggests.
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Just 8 weeks of yoga benefit rheumatoid arthritis
New research, published in the journal Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience, finds that an 8-week regimen of intensive yoga eases both the physical symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and the psychological distress that usually accompanies the condition.
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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