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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RELEVANCE OF THE YOGASUTRA-S OF PATANJALI

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RELEVANCE OF THE YOGASUTRA-S OF PATANJALI

The Sat Vaidika Darsana-s or the six philosophical schools as they were more commonly known, evolved in ancient India during a period which many consider as the Golden Era of Spirituality. The context and challenges that society faced at that time would have deemed such a revolution essential. Almost all of the great schools of wisdom originated at this time, and has not only been a great source of wisdom for generations through time, but also has been a great source of inspiration for other teachings that evolved later in other parts of the world.

The Yogasutra-s of Patanjali belongs to this collection of extra-ordinary teachings, and is presented through a series of 195 aphorisms. 

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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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The Purge of Yajnavalkya

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The Purge of Yajnavalkya

Sage Yajnavalkya of Mithila is a legendary sage of the Vedic tradition and is credited with many important contributions to the Vedic culture. These include the Satapatha Brahmana, which includes the gigantic Brhadaranyaka Upanisad, and also the Yoga Yajnavalkya and the Yajnavalkya Smrti. He is also featured in some of the major Upanisads as a key personality. 

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Does Bad Karma cause Disease?

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Does Bad Karma cause Disease?

'Why me? My family and I have done so much good for so many people. Is it my bad karma?' a lot of people ask me.

When oneself or a loved one of the family is confronted with severe illness, this question often comes up. Disease has its own persuasive way of creeping into the psyche of even the most positive citizens and cause doubt, fear and much negativity.

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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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Gratitude is an Attitude | Yoga on Stress

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Gratitude is an Attitude | Yoga on Stress

Stress is a buzz word today. Everyone from executives and factory workers to housekeepers and even children deal with stress in their daily lives. Even yoga teachers are not free from the effects of stress. We wouldn’t have to worry about stress too much if it didn’t have such insidious effects. While a certain amount of stress is normal and healthy, too much stress can lead to burnout and inefficiency at work, troubled relationships, and nagging feelings of anger and anxiety. Since stress, when unmanaged, can drain the joy from our lives, we need not only to pay attention to it, but also take steps to deal with it.

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The Bold Beggar

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The Bold Beggar

A short story from Chandogya Upanisad

Long ago, there were two men of wisdom (Rsi-s) who lived in a peaceful and quite hermitage in the middle of the forest. They were ardent devotees of the wind God Vayu, and spent most of their time offering chants and rituals to honor him. 

One afternoon, just as they were about to begin their meal, a beggar arrived holding his begging bowl and made a sincere request to them. "Pardon me respectful sages, could I beg for a part of your excess meal so I can sustain myself?"

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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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