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If you wish to know how you are doing in your practice - look at your reactions - look at your life. Unless we connect 'off' the mat, bringing our practice into daily life, then any insights and breakthroughs will be of no great value. You may be great at practising yoga on the mat, or sitting quietly in a room - But how are you at practising it in your relationships - with your mother, your son, your neighbour, your boss? As you will your body on the yoga mat to let go of tension and stress, do you remember to do the same with resentment and irritations in daily life? The next time you tell someone that you are sorry, even for bumping into them on the street - really feel it, do you mean it?

By answering questions like this - you will find out how you are doing in your practice. You may feel that you are...more

The Purpose Of Yoga

...Yoga, or its ancestor, first appeared somewhere around 5,000 years ago. Since then, it has gradually evolved into the modern form. However, its "modern form" is neither completely modern, nor is it the only form of yoga. In the western world, when we speak of "yoga" we are commonly referring to Hatha Yoga, a branch of yoga introduced by Yogi Swatmarama in the 15th century. To keep it simple, Yogi Swatmarama saw Hatha Yoga, not as an end in itself, but as part of a pathway to a higher state on the yoga journey. Hatha Yoga concentrates more on the physical training, conditioning, and "preparation" aspects of yoga. So, as we talk about the purposes of "yoga", please keep in mind that we are talking only about one portion of the entire range of disciplines encompassed by the word.

We sometimes hear of someone who learned to become more relaxed by the practice of yoga. Or, maybe we have heard of someone who became more invigorated and energetic as a result of ...more

Yoga Sutras of patanjali - An Historical Text

...da can be translated power. The roles of the sutras in this particular book are to describe and help the yogi to achieve full awareness through yoga. It is essentially about attaining higher levels of awareness of one's self.

Finally, the Kaivalya Pada means, again in Sanskrit, isolation. What this book is really about, though, is achieving liberation, according to the principles set within it. Yoga teaches to concentrate on self and attaining higher levels of consciousness, and this book uses 34 sutras to pursue this idea.

The Yoga Sutras of patanjali are a staple for many, and describe the ideas upon which the yoga tradition has passed through more recent (from the 2nd century BC), history.

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Yoga Can Help Purge Addictions

.../p>When we are not in charge of our mind, it is easy to become addicted to something. We no longer see moderation as a reality. The mindset of an addict has lost any sense of moderation. The vice, or substance abuse, may also stem from a lack of ability to cope with a challenging situation. Life is full of challenges, but the death of a loved one, job loss, financial hardship, or divorce, can potentially cause anyone to have difficulty coping with the situation.

Yoga sessions offer many solutions for those who need coping skills. Beyond the ability of focusing one's mind, a good habit can easily take the place of a ...more

Yogapilates