Newsletter December 2021
In this issue:
Anger – how yoga can help deal with it
Almost everyone experiences situations which cause anger. Anger is usually accompanied by fear, frustration, powerlessness etc. On the one hand, it can lead to uncontrolled, violet behavior. On the other, we can temporarily suppress it but deep down it can keep simmering, ready to explode given a suitable trigger. A few common examples of situations that can cause anger:
- you have to wait for someone who is late for an appointment
- getting stuck in traffic
- getting into an accident where you think the other person was at fault
- you suddenly thought of something that happened long time ago when you could have behaved differently
- a current event triggers the memory of a past traumatic experience
- At work, you present a unique, creative approach that can help the company's bottom line. Someone else picks on the idea and develops a plan which gets approved by the company.
- Etc. ...
Read more ...
Samkhya Study Group, starting Nov 27, 2021
As many of you are aware, we have a study group wherein we have been discussing the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. We started the group in 2008 and have been meeting twice a month, on the second and fourth Saturdays at 1-3 PM EST.
I am please to let you know that after over 13 years of Svadhyaya, we “completed” our study of the yoga sutras on Nov 13, 2021. Starting with the next session of the study group on Nov 27, we embark on the study of the text “Samkhya Karika” by Ishwara Krishna. Many of the concepts discussed by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras are known to have, as their basis, some of the basic tenets of another philosophical system called Samkhya.
Samkhya is regarded as the most ancient of the Indian Schools of thought. Some scholars believe that it even pre-dates the Vedas. Even though Kapila is considered to be the original founder of Samkhya and the author of “Samkhya Sutra”, many believe that the version of his text available today may not be authentic or original. Currently, the text that is widely studied as the original text on Samkhya is “Samkhya Karika” by Ishwara Krishna. That is why we have chosen this text for study in this study group.
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
7-day hip opening yoga intensive
 Kapotasana (pigeon pose)
- Program: 7-day "hip opener" yoga intensive
- Location: In-person, at my home studio located at 206 Redwood Park Drive, Morrisville, NC 27560
- Zoom access: The link to access via zoom will be provided upon receipt of registration and payment.
- When: Monday, December 13 - Sunday, December 19, 2021
- Time: 6:00 - 7:30 AM (US East Coast time, EST)
- Program Fee:
- $50 - cash, check, Zelle (use subhashmittal@gmail.com) or Venmo (use 9199269717)
- $55 - paypal (go to bottom of page)
- Instructor: Subhash Mittal
- Daily routine:
- Basic yoga sequence with focus on hip opener asanas
- Yoga Nidra
- Pranayama
- Brief meditation
- To register: please fill out the registration form , providing information in all the fields, and submit it online.
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
5 Major Improvements You'll See From Doing Yoga Every Day, Says Science
One of the biggest factors separating yoga from other physical endeavors is that it's much more than a simple exercise or stretching routine. In fact, yoga is just as much a philosophy as it is a workout. At the core of yoga's message is the idea that body, mind, and spirit are all deeply and irreversibly interconnected. What's good for the body is also good for the spirit and so forth.
Read more ...
Yoga improves quality of life in men with new diagnosis of prostate cancer
An estimated 1.4 million men were diagnosed with prostate cancer worldwide in 2020, according to the American Cancer Society and the International Agency for Research on Cancer. With a new diagnosis of prostate cancer, these men have approximately a 30% incidence of depression and anxiety, a fourfold higher risk of heart attack and a twofold higher risk of committing suicide.
Yoga, a set of specific body postures combined with breathing techniques and mindfulness, may be an easy-to-implement answer in this stressful situation, according to a study published Nov. 23 in the journal Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases.
Read more ...
Study Reveals Yoga and Meditation Lessen Chronic Pain Levels
A study was carried out and it was published in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.
This research subjected the participants to an eight-week mindfulness-based stress reduction course, which has been found to produce significant improvement in levels of depression, pain, and disability.
It is worth noting that a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) course benefited patients with chronic pain and depression.
A majority of the study respondents or 89 percent actually reported that the course helped them look for ways to better cope with their pain. Further, 11 percent of them remained neutral.
Read more ...
What Is Ego and Why Does It Matter?
With spiritual practices like Buddhism, eliminating suffering through conquering the ego and embracing our true self is a central goal. Ego gets in the way of our happiness. It is overly preoccupied with our survival, accumulation, and success and works to build an identity that both sets us above everyone else and helps us to fit in. Ego is our false self, the person we become so other people will like us, admire us, and accept us.
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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