STILLNESS OR STAGNATION?

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STILLNESS OR STAGNATION?

Recently I was asked to comment on my feelings towards the school bombings in Oregon that occurred on the 01st of October 2015. I said I was very sad about this incident and felt great grief for those who suffered from it, directly or indirectly. To this one of the students retorted back “As Yogis, should we be moved by such things and not be still?” 

This grieved me even further. 

As Yogi-s we search stillness. But very often the result is stagnation. 

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Intuition in Yoga Therapy

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Intuition in Yoga Therapy

On its journey to gain acceptance into mainstream society, Yoga Therapy is at a very interesting place now. From being an obscure discipline that was reserved to saints living in caves and mountains, Yoga has found such a formidable acceptance by people around the world, that even 177 countries celebrated the International Day of Yoga on the 21st June 2015. Yet for all its current popularity, there remain many skeptics, who question its validity, especially as a form of healing.

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The Hathayoga Interview

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The Hathayoga Interview

In the year 2011, an interview was conducted on the topic of Hathayogapradipika, with three of the senior students of TKV Desikachar - Frans Moors, S Sridharan and Dr. Kausthub Desikachar. This interview was published in the newsletter called "Synergies in Yoga", published then by the Krishnamacharya Healing & Yoga Foundation. 

The interview is presented here for public interest and with an attitude of sharing this conversation on the most interesting topic of Hathayoga. 

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Beginning with the Breath

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Beginning with the Breath

Everyone knows that the breath is the most fundamental component of a yoga practice. It is this commonality of mankind that allows everyone to practice yoga, no matter how old or young, flexible or inflexible, sick or healthy they are. Yet very few of us actually know how to work with our own breath, let alone know our breath at all.

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Nine Reasons to Love Mantra-s

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Nine Reasons to Love Mantra-s

Among all of the tools that Yoga has to offer, one of the most intriguing among them is Mantra-s. Through the history of the Vedic culture and the Yogic tradition, Mantra-s have always played a very significant role in the path of personal transformation and spiritual liberation. Hence an aura of reverence and dignity always surrounds it, even to the present day. 

Yet, in its journey from antiquity to modernity, for various reasons known and unknown, it has become limited in its scope and hence in practice. However, in recent times there seems to a renaissance in the openness people have towards its practice, prompting many to seek ways to begin their own personal journey with Mantra-s. 

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Jñana, Karma & Bhakti | The river of Yoga

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Jñana, Karma & Bhakti | The river of Yoga

The spiritual journey of Yoga can be compared to that of a river. A river gets born in a little spring and slowly separates itself from its source. Then it winds its way meandering through mountains, valleys, cities, towns and caves, finally merging into one big gigantic ocean.

The evolution of Yoga, not just as a philosophical system, but a more in a metaphysical notion mirrors the journey of such a river. The concept of Yoga took a wonderful journey through the history of time. All the great seers of the past saw this clearly and categorised it into three different kinds - Jñana-yoga, Karma-yoga and Bhakti-yoga.

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Holistic Manifestation | Yoga for Pre-conception

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Holistic Manifestation | Yoga for Pre-conception

Pregnancy is for many future parents a very special period in their lives and often couples invest much time and energy to prepare themselves accordingly.

The ancient yogis also treated pregnancy with utmost importance, but their perspective on what it actually meant had a much wider scope than what many people think of it today.


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Darkness to Light | Yoga & Depression

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Darkness to Light | Yoga & Depression

Depression, like all other sicknesses, works on various layers of our existence.  We might experience symptoms on a physiological level, such as digestive problems, constant exhaustion, fatigue or headaches. We might also cope with psychological effects and suffer from feelings like worthlessness, diverse anxieties or total numbness. On a spiritual level we experience a disconnection from others, the divine and our Self.

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Is Yoga non-dual?

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Is Yoga non-dual?

Non-dualism is a branch of Vedanta philosophy that was propagated primarily by the great Adi-Sankara, who synthesised the essence of many preceding scholars and systematised it as the Advaita-vedanta system. 

​The influence of Advaita-vedanta on the field of Yoga gained significant prominence and has lasted till the current day. Today there are numerous practitioners who identify themselves as belonging to the Advaita school of Yoga. 

But is Yoga indeed non-dual? 

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I shall happily go to hell

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I shall happily go to hell

The greatness of traditional masters was not merely established based on the extent of their knowledge, but rather on how well they used it to serve the people. One such giant from Indian history is the great Ramanujacarya, a grand Vaisnava master who lived in the twelfth century and is considered the most important proponent of the Visistadvaita Vedanta philosophy. 

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Who are the Kapalikas?

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Who are the Kapalikas?

The Kapalika-s (Sanskrit कापालिक) are one of the two main sects of Siva follows, who follow a a non-Puranic or tantric form of Saivism. Some of their members were considered to have written the Bhairava Tantra-s, including the subdivision called the Kaula Tantra-s.

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Are you ready for Yoga?

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Are you ready for Yoga?

It is definitely a positive sign that more people are embracing this discipline each day. If you are reading this article, it is highly likely that you are one of those who is hooked on to Yoga. But a question the ancient Yogi-s would ask you  "Are you ready for Yoga?"

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