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The palms gracing Fifth Avenue South in Naples, Florida pull the eye to the unseen horizon where the beach meets the Gulf of Mexico. The horizon becomes visible at the pristine beach at the end of the road. From the first hint at the vastness of that place, I knew...
Natarajasana, or King Dancer Pose, is the embodiment of King Nataraja, a depiction of Shiva, the god of destruction. Shiva represents change. With birth must come death; with destruction must come rebuilding. Nataraja represents Shiva as the ever-present change in the...
By Margit Bannon If you play tennis it’s not such a stretch (pardon the pun) to say that you might enjoy the practice of yoga, and if you practice yoga that you might enjoy tennis. Let’s consider the parallels between these two disciplines. As yogis we often...
One reason that yoga appeals to so many people is because, in addition to the great physical and mental benefits, its added spiritual/philosophical dimension can be integrated into a wide range of belief systems. When you hear the phrase, “Yoga is for all,” you may...
Diwali, which means "row of lights" in Sanskrit, is a celebration in India and around the world to honor the inextinguishable Light within all of us. It occurs in late October or early November every year on the New Moon when the two great luminaries of our solar...
Growing up in the Netherlands, I was introduced to yoga as a child by my aunt, Frieda Thepass, who lived with us. In 1957 she founded Stichting Yoga Nederland (now known as Yoga & Vedanta) with a small group of yoga friends. It is still one of the most respected...
Yoga practice as we know it in the modern world tends to be heavily focused on the physical aspect of yoga. Western practitioners are first intrigued by the asana (postures) and pranayama (breath control) that are taught in yoga studios far and wide, but when we view...
Trikonasana, or Triangle Pose, is a symbol of trinity. Sacred trinities exist in so many forms in yoga. From the practical mind, body, and spirit or birth, life, and death to the more esoteric main energy channels (nadis) of ida, pingala, and sushumna or the three...
The word Sadhana in Sanskrit means spiritual exertion towards an intended goal or the means of accomplishing something. According to Vedic teachings, that something is to live in a state of Self-realization, and any discipline or practice undertaken for ego-transcendence, freedom from suffering, or spiritual liberation is the final goal of life.
If you have been to a yoga class, chances are you have been invited to chant ‘om.’ Whether at the beginning of class as a way to set the space or at the end of class to close the practice, chanting om is a wonderful way to tune back into the present moment and connect...
Summertime brings with it warm days and a slower pace. Often, our yoga practice falls prey to the sloth of summer. You For example, you may not practice while on vacation and then, two weeks after you return, you find that you still haven’t gotten back on your mat....
I was born and raised as the youngest of three children in Kempen am Niederrhein, Germany, and then West Germany. After my school years I did an apprenticeship in a local firm. I met my husband (who was in the army) in 1974, got engaged a year later, and we married in...
Athleticism requires a certain drive—mentally, physically, and emotionally. The dedication of an athlete is admirable—the many hours spent training, week after week, and the moment of glory when an athlete is making a play or finishing that last mile—it’s no wonder so...
I was born, raised, and educated in Brooklyn, NY. I studied social science at Fordham University, NYC and 35 years ago married my husband Jay. We have two sons, Ian and Ryan. Jay and I lived in NYC, Long Island, and Boston before purchasing our home in Punta Gorda in...
Yoga is a centuries old practice with a rich philosophy steeped in the ancient language of Sanskrit. A language once rarely spoken by people in everyday life, Sanskrit is being revived in India such that over 14,000 people currently consider it to be their native...
Teacher Appreciation Day By Gwen Burdick "Everything in the world has come out of one Divine Being, the sacred fire. The sages are the direct manifestation of that fire. No one understands them. No one talks to them. No one walks with them. They live in their own...
A few times over the past couple years I have been asked the question, “When did you start practicing yoga?” I realized that, subconsciously, I have been practicing yoga throughout my life and in various ways since I was five years old. At that age, I would put on...
My name is Sarfraz Islam. I have lived in Port Charlotte for the last 30 years and recently moved to Punta Gorda. I am a physician who has practiced for 30 years, until March 2014 when I retired. I have always been inspired by the physical and spiritual aspects of...
The word prajna is a very old word, akin to the Greek word gnosis. Prajna suggests wisdom, a kind of sixth sense—or seventh sense—not intellectual but an intuitive wisdom. Through prajna one actualizes the dharma in everyday life and engages in the world...
ISHTA Yoga, or the Integrated Science of Hatha, Tantra, and Ayurveda, was developed in the late 1960s by Alan Finger and his father, Mani Finger, who was a student of Paramahansa Yogananda (author of Autobiography of a Yogi). Mani Finger transformed his home into an...