Yoga Articles
Karuna: The Art of Self-Compassion
Yoga is a practice that teaches us to cultivate awareness and compassion towards ourselves and others. A critical aspect of this practice is the art of self-compassion, known as karuna. Karuna is a Sanskrit word that translates to compassion, empathy, or mercy. It...
Tendons, Ligaments and Muscles Explained
In the context of yoga, it is important to know and understand the difference between tendons and ligaments and how these tissues facilitate the interaction of bone and muscle. A Description of Tendons, Ligaments and Muscles | Livestrong.com Tendons are tough bands of...
Opening Invocations and Closing Chants
We had many new students in class this morning, and as we were practising the Iyengar style of yoga, I opened the class with the Invocation to Patanjali. Which would have been fine had I just gone ahead and chanted on my own. However, in the spirit of learning and...
Yoga for Sciatica Relief
What is Sciatica? The sciatic nerve is the longest and widest nerve in the body. It starts as a collection of spinal nerves extending from the L4 to S3 spinal segments of the lumbar spine and sacral plexus and extends down from your lower back through your hips,...
Why Start an Ashtanga Practice?
This is an interesting question because there is a perceived dichotomy between yogasana being relaxing and Ashtanga being physically demanding. More important, however, is the realisation that once immersed in the practice, the challenge of finding relaxation amidst...
Dropbacks and Standing Up
My Dropback Notes Ah dropbacks, what a long and winding road it has been. Well over a year since I started practising drop backs into Urdhva Dhanurasana in earnest preparation for my transition into Ashtanga intermediate series, I still feel (almost) as inept now as I...
Starting Yoga
Yoga is a journey of introspection and self-discovery. Starting Yoga begins with the first step on a unique personal path towards experiencing paradigm-shifts by challenging your self-imposed boundaries. It’s an investment in your future, requiring only that you focus...