Dvesha is the yogic concept of aversion – and one of 5 root causes of suffering outlined in yogic philosophy. This is when we reject or avoid something because we perceive it to be unpleasant. There is a body-based component, a felt sense of bracing, holding,...
Tapas is the energy of transformation, our inner fire. It’s what drives us forward to a dedicated practice of right effort and self-discipline. Tapas propels us beyond our limitations and into possibility. In the northern hemisphere we are heading for summer,...
The Sanskrit word we’re looking at this time is sthira. This is one of 2 qualities the Yogasutra posits as necessary for asana practice. Like yin and yang, they are interdependent. Sthira can be translated as strong, steady, or stable. It has undertones of...
Let’s explore the Sanskrit word pranayama. Prana is our life force energy, and pranayama includes various ways of working with the breath to affect change in our prana. Leslie Kaminoff calls it the practice of “unobstructing the breath,” or removing...
Today we’re exploring the Sanskrit word bhakti. Bhakti (pronounced Bach tea…now there’s a visual!) can simply be defined as devotion to God. Bhakti yoga is one of the 4 paths of yoga in yoga philosophy: the paths of action (karma yoga), devotion...
A common term in Ayurveda (the sister science to yoga), chikitsa, is the transliteration of the Sanskrit word often defined simply as “therapy.” Yoga chikitsa applies the tools of yoga therapeutically to help someone find balance in the koshas we talked...
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