Here at last! Today we are exploring the last of the 8 limbs of yoga – samadhi, or oneness with the absolute. To put samadhi into context, let’s revisit Limb 7 – dhyana, or meditation. Dhyana allows us to maintain continuous focus on an object, mantra, action, etc. – without interruption from unrelated thoughts or […]
A Grateful Heart Challenge
I’m sure you’ve heard about how important gratitude is. That’s not just a made up idea to get people to be nicer. Being grateful has a physical and emotional effect on your body and overall life. Though many studies have been done on this subject, Professor of Psychology, Robert Emmons is acknowledged as the pre-eminent […]
Dhyana- Limb 7
Almost to the end of the 8 limbs! Today we will discuss Limb 7 – dhyana, or meditation. This limb may be a little more familiar to those interested in yoga. You almost can’t go a day anymore without hearing about the benefits of meditation! Dhyana occurs when we have focused our concentration on something […]
Dharana- Limb 6
Today we will talk about Limb 6 – dharana, or concentration. Recall that the last limb discussed (Limb 5) was pratyahara, or withdrawing the senses from the outside world and bringing them toward the internal world. In a way, Limb 5 marks the transition from the physical world to the inner spiritual world. Limb 6 […]
Pratyahara- Limb 5
My apologies for the absence our world has been chaotic as of late! Middle school football, preschool field trips, hubby working insane amounts of overtime, and I have been prepping to finish out the year for the studio! Onward to Limb 5 – pratyahara! Pratyahara is the practice of withdrawing the senses from the outside […]
Pranayama- 4th Limb
The fourth limb of yoga is pranayama, or control of breath. Why is breath control important to mind-body balance? We all know the feeling – when we feel anxious or panicked, all we can think about is the stressful situation. Our heart rate goes up, our muscles become tense, and in most cases, our breathing […]
Asana, the 3rd Limb
Ahhhhh, we’ve finally come to Limb 3: Asana. AHHHHH-sana. (Did you see what I did there?) Asana is the part of a yoga practice that we typically think of when we tell a friend, “OMG come to yoga with me!” We are usually talking about the physical practice of getting into poses and breathing as […]
The Niyamas- 2nd Limb
The second of the eight limbs is the niyamas, or spiritual observances. The niyamas are recommended practices for day-to-day living that contribute to balance within mind, body, and spirit. There are 5 niyamas, which are as follows: 1. Saucha, or cleanliness/purification. Based on saucha, we are encouraged to remove impurities from both our external and […]
Limb One- The Yamas
The first of the eight limbs of yoga is the yamas. The yamas are the physical restraints or ethical guidelines for embarking upon the yogic path. I want to make something clear. The yamas (really, all 8 limbs for that matter) are to be taken as guiding principles. The truth is, it is very difficult […]
Breaking down the 8 limbs
Before my teacher training, yoga poses were so important to me. Power flows, and Bikram poses were what I focused on the most. All I cared about what “mastering” different arm balances. But I wasn’t carrying yoga off the mat. I wasn’t pushing myself past the four restricted corners of the mat. I still became upset […]