The Inspirational Yogi Series Begins...

Are you doing yoga because you were inspired by a great teacher or yogi? This is the case for many yoga enthusiasts. 

It can be so inspirational to find out about the paths of influential yogis who came before us, as well as those who are doing incredible work in the world at present.

So this is the first in a series of articles about famous yogis, gurus and swamis - we start off with a little info about the lingo.... 

See the full article here.

Meet the yogis here:

1. 10 Essential Lessons From Guruji, The Founder Of Mysore Style Yoga
2. “Be Easeful, Peaceful and Useful,” The Story Of Sri Swami Satchidananda
3. Was Sivananda the most generous yogi that ever lived?

5 Things to Consider When Deciding Which Style of Yoga to Practice

Yoga newbies often ask which style of yoga to practice, so I've put together some of the main reasons you might choose one style over another:

1. You're looking for a strong physical practice
2. You like to get hot and sweaty
3. You're into perfect alignment
4. You need some healing
5. You're interested in the spiritual aspects of yoga

Read the full article to find out which style would suit you.

Styles of yoga often overlap, so these are not cast in stone - but it will give you a starting point!

Samadhi - Everything is Here In This Moment

This is the last in a series of articles I'm writing for Zen Monkey on The Eight Limbs of Yoga.

This one is about the eighth limb, Samadhi, where we achieve perfection in concentration and meditation. 

To help build an understanding of this concept, I give some perspectives from 3 of the great teachers of yoga and meditation.

Read the article on the Zen Monkey site here. 

Dhyana - Meditation

This is part of a series of articles I'm writing for Zen Monkey on The Eight Limbs of Yoga.

This one is about the seventh limb, Dhyana, where we start to enter the continuous stream of meditation. 

I give 3 ways to find out if you may have entered the state of dhyana.

Read the article on the Zen Monkey site here. 

Dharana - One Focus

This is part of a series of articles I'm writing for Zen Monkey on The Eight Limbs of Yoga.

This one is about the sixth limb, Dharana, where we encounter the mind directly. Dharaṇa is about focus and concentration, a step on the road to meditation.

I give 5 techniques for how you can start to bring this into your practice.

Read the article on the Zen Monkey site here. 

Pratyahara - The Isolation Station

This is part of a series of articles I'm writing for Zen Monkey on The Eight Limbs of Yoga.

This one is about the fifth limb, Pratyahara, where we to find a way to pay less attention to the sights, sounds, smells, feelings and thoughts which feed our ‘monkey mind’. 

I explain the science behind it, and some ways to start practicing pratyahara.

Read the article on the Zen Monkey site here. 

Pranayama - The Silken Thread

This is part of a series of articles I'm writing for Zen Monkey on The Eight Limbs of Yoga.

This one is about the fourth limb, Pranayama, often described as breath control. This is not quite the full story though. There is far more to learn about pranayama, and about the benefits to be gained.

Read the article on the Zen Monkey site here. 

Asana - A Steady and Comfortable Seat

This is part of a series of articles I'm writing for Zen Monkey on The Eight Limbs of Yoga.

This one is about the third limb, Asana, the physical postures we see in a yoga practice.

Asana is only 'the tip of the iceberg', as I explain in this article.

Read the article on the Zen Monkey site here. 

Practicing yoga with arthritis?

One of the things I love about yoga is that it can be practiced by almost anyone, and can accommodate most ailments or injuries people may be practicing with. 

If you're suffering from an ailment or injury, it takes a little knowledge and confidence to practice safely, and I wrote this article specifically for people with arthritis. This is also for teachers who need some information about the presentation of the disease so they can help their students.

Check out this article I wrote for Zen Monkey on this topic.

The Eight Limbs of Yoga

When people think of yoga, they most likely think of the physical exercise, or a set of contortions performed by only the most flexible of people. It is also difficult not to associate yoga with a huge marketing machine, churning out images of picture-perfect people wearing very cool and expensive yoga clothes, and going to the trendiest yoga studios.

It can be difficult to associate those glossy images with yoga as an ancient science, which comprises eight aspects, commonly known as the eight limbs of yoga. The physical aspect of yoga - known as asana - is only one of the eight.

These eight limbs were explained in the classic Yoga Sutras of Patanjali as far back as 100 AD, and really it was all about the understanding and complete mastery of the mind. The idea is that all eight aspects are practiced, to achieve "the cessation of the modifications of the mind".

Here's a short summary of the eight limbs of yoga:

1. Yama - Ethical disciplines
2. Niyama - Self observations
3. Asana - Physical poses
4. Pranayama - Breath control
5. Pratyahara - Sense withdrawal
6. Dharana - Concentration
7. Dhyana - Meditation
8. Samadhi - A state of freedom, joy and peace

The first two limbs, yama and niyama, serve as the foundation of practice. Within each of these limbs, there are five qualities, which I will cover in a future post. An example would be non-violence as one of the yamas and self-study as one of the niyamas. It is very important to note that yoga doesn't say you must follow these rules, like a sort of Ten Commandments, but it is suggesting that following these are helpful if you wish to steady the mind.

Limbs three to five, asana, pranayama and pratyahara, are what people may be most familiar with, as these are commonly encountered in yoga classes. These aspects prepare the practitioner for the deeper practices where some steadiness of the mind is required.

The last three limbs are a little more difficult to explain, but simply put, it can be said that a practice of concentration (dharana) will lead the way to meditation (dhyana) and eventually to states of joy and peace (samadhi).

In order to get the most benefit from a physical yoga practice, it is useful to understand the context in which it was created, and the system of which it is a part. Often these more subtle aspects are not covered in classes, and much of this rich knowledge is not shared, so this is my attempt to ensure that students have an overview of the system.

I'll write another post soon explaining the yamas and niyamas in more detail, the styles and paths of yoga, as well as give some suggestions for how you might take your yoga study further.

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Struggling with the monkey mind? Find out about how the Eight Limbs can help in this article I wrote for Zen Monkey.