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My recent (yet another!) shoulder surgery

It’s “déjà vu” all over again! It was around the beginning of this year (2022) that I started feeling pain in my left shoulder. Every now and then, the pain would get aggravated, even during some of the common activities like washing the dishes or doing a simple yoga pose. Over time, gradually I continued to lose strength and flexibility in my left shoulder. Since my right shoulder was already weak, I began to have trouble performing my daily activities. It became obvious that I need to see the doctor to find out what was going on. Because of my previous experience, I was already suspecting yet another tear in my left shoulder. The MRI confirmed the suspicion, and it was labeled as “full thickness tear”. Because of my previous surgery on this shoulder and the size of the current tear, the doctor felt that the traditional treatment of “repairing” the tear would not work. It was declared as a “massive irreparable tear”.

As I mentioned in an earlier blog post, I had surgery in January 2017 on my right shoulder to repair a tear in the rotator cuff. As per the surgeon, the surgery went well. Unfortunately, though, the shoulder was re-torn during one of the post-surgery physical therapy sessions. As mentioned earlier, that was the second unsuccessful attempt to fix the tear on the right shoulder. After the previous surgery also, done in 2013, the shoulder was re-torn during a PT session. As such, I was left with no option but to live with the tear in my right shoulder.

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14-day Meditation Intensive, April 25 – May 8, 2022

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Padmasana (Lotus Pose)

I am pleased to announce the next 14-day Meditation Intensive. In this program, I plan to discuss the basic concepts of meditation and practice several meditation techniques. Most of the information that I will be sharing is based on the concepts discussed in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and related classical yoga texts.

No prior asana, pranayama or meditation experience is required.

Flyer: You can view/download the program flyer here. Feel free to share it on social media and with your own distribution lists. 

You can join the class either online via zoom or in person at my home yoga studio.

Program Information

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What does the word “yoga” mean?

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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. Continue reading »

14-day Pranayama Intensive, March 7-20 2022

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Padmasana (Lotus Pose)

I am pleased to announce the next Pranayama intensive. In this program, we will be practicing some of the main pranayama techniques given in our ancient yoga texts. I will also discuss the underlying concepts in the practice of pranayama and all the wonderful benefits that the practice can bring us.

You can join the program either online via zoom or in person at my home studio.

A brief outline of what I plan to cover in the course is given in this document (pdf format) in my dropbox folder.

No prior yoga (asana, pranayama or meditation) experience is required.

Progaram details:

  • What: 14-day pranayama intensive
  • When: Monday, March 7 – Sunday, March 20, 2022
  • Time: 6:00 – 7:30 AM (US East Coast time, EST)
  • 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.
  • Fee:  
  • Instructor: Subhash Mittal
  • Daily Routine: Light stretching (10-15 minutes), Pranayama practice (45 min), Relaxation (15 min), Yoga philosophy/meditation (15 min)
  • Commitment: A firm commitment to follow this schedule and attend every day
  • To register: fill out the registration form, providing information in all the fields, and submit it online

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What is my true identity?



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Who am I?

Let’s look at some of these statements that we either make or hear from others.

“I am angry”

“I am frustrated”

“I am now 5’3” tall; was only 16” tall when born”

“I am cold/hot”

“I am really happy”

What we notice in all these statements is the common factor “I” which has been identified with various thoughts, feelings, emotions and other aspects of our life. Continue reading »

14-week “Intro to Yoga Sutra”, every Sunday, starts March 20 2022



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Patanjali Yoga Sutras

Here is a great opportunity for you to get introduced to the underlying concepts of yoga! These discussions can help greatly in developing a deeper understanding of your true nature and also eliminate stress and anxiety from your lives. I invite you to join me for this 14-week intensive.

The class will be offered via live video streaming using the Zoom platform. There will be no in-person participation in the studio.

As we all know, practice of yoga is known to provide us with a sense of well-being, both at physical and mental levels, even in trying circumstances. A study of the Yoga Sutras can help us understand how our mind functions and how we can stay calm despite the adversity we are facing.

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30-minute Hip Opening Yoga Sequence

In a few previous posts, I have written about some of the short duration hip opening yoga sequences. These were provided in the standing, seated and reclining categories. In the present article, I am providing a 30-minute sequence that combines a few asanas each from the standing, seated and reclining positions. You can integrate this sequence into your personal yoga routine and practice it from time to time.

I hope you will enjoy practicing with me using the video sequence.

Seated hip rotation and half butterfly

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Seated hip rotation

Step-by-step

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Intro to Yoga Sutras – 14-day intensive, Feb 21 – Mar 6, 2022

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Patanjali Yoga Sutras

Here is a great opportunity for you to get introduced to the underlying concepts of yoga! These discussions can help greatly in developing a deeper understanding of your true nature and also eliminate stress and anxiety from your lives. I invite you to join me for this 14-day intensive.

The class will be offered via live video streaming using the Zoom platform. There will be no in-person participation in the studio.

As we all know, practice of yoga is known to provide us with a sense of well-being, both at physical and mental levels, even in trying circumstances. A study of the Yoga Sutras can help us understand how our mind functions and how we can stay calm despite the adversity we are facing.

Understanding the Mind to eliminate Stress

  • What: An Introduction to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, 14-day intensive
  • When: Monday, February 21 – Sunday, March 6, 2022
  • Time: 6:00 – 7:30 AM (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 

Continue reading »

21-day Yoga Immersion, January 10-30 2022

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Tip-toe balance

21 days to Transformation

I am pleased to announce the next 21-day Yoga Immersion program. The past programs have been very well received by all the participants. For most of them, it has been truly a life-transforming experience. I invite you to join me on this exciting and deeply rewarding 21-day yoga journey.

You can download the 21-day Yoga Immersion flyer here. Feel free to share it with your own distribution lists. 

No prior asana, pranayama or meditation experience is required.

You can participate in the program online via zoom or in-person at my home studio..

  • What: 21-day yoga immersion
  • When: Monday, January 10 – Sunday, January 30, 2022
  • Time: 6:00 AM – 7:30 AM (US East Coast (Ney York) time)
  • In-person participation: at my home studio located at 206 Redwood Park Drive, Morrisville, NC 27560
  • Zoom Access:  Login info will be provided upon receipt of registration and payment 
  • Instructor: Subhash Mittal
  • Fee:
  • Continue reading »

Two balancing poses – Warrior 3 and Natarajasana

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Virabhadrasana (warrior 3)

In this post, I’ll be talking about two of the standing, one-leg balancing poses – vīrabhadrāsana (Warrior 3) and naṭarājāsana (Dancer’s pose). Given the alignment, flexibility and balance required to get into and maintain these asanas, they are considered intermediate level balancing poses. As with most balancing poses, these two asanas develop strength in the legs, and physical balance. Since these asanas require the visual gaze and the mind to be totally focused to maintain balance, they also help in developing deep mental focus and concentration.

Hope you will enjoy practicing with my good friend, Maanasa, in this video sequence.

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