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By Jennifer French In the Yoga Sutras, one of yoga’s most sacred and oft referenced texts, Patanjali tells us that our “practice becomes firmly grounded when well attended to for a long time, without break, and in all earnestness.*” When I think on firmly grounded, I...
Jnana Yoga is the branch of knowledge, wisdom, introspection, and contemplation. The study of classical texts, such as the Bhagavad Gita, Mahabrata, Ramayana, the Vedas, and the Upanishads form the basis of Jnana Yoga. It is important to understand, however, that...
The hardest part of yoga is getting on your mat on a regular basis to practice. It can seem as though there are 30 different reasons for NOT showing up to practice on some days. And often, a lapse in practice can snowball into quite a lengthy period of time. In order...
For the majority of Westerners, yoga begins with the physical asana (posture) and pranayama (breathing) practice. For this reason, in the West yoga has come to be loosely defined as primarily a physical practice. But the reality is,...
Quite possibly, you have felt a wave of emotion come over you during yoga class. It may have been sadness, joy, or even a negative sentiment that took you by surprise as you moved through your practice or held a certain pose. Crying...
The last of the five koshas is anandamaya kosha—the bliss sheath. Anandamaya encompasses not the feeling of bliss, but rather, the experience of bliss. In contrast to vijnanamaya kosha, you do not witness the bliss...
We are so proud of Melissa Goodwin, an instructor at The Yoga Sanctuary and accomplished children’s book author. In fact, Melissa has been published extensively in children’s and national magazines and won...
I often tell my yoga students that the hardest part of class is getting there—getting on your mat to practice. But no matter how difficult it might have been (aligning those stars to get there), you’re always...
The fourth of the five koshas is vijnanamaya kosha—the wisdom sheath. Vijnanamaya encompasses intuition and intellect. It can be thought of as the witness mind, or that aspect of our consciousness that is not entangled...
If you spend a number of hours seated at a desk each day, you have likely felt the strain on your back, hips, legs, and, well, just about everywhere. Sitting for hours is unhealthy, simply put, but you can...
"If you really want to understand something, teach it," often quotes my husband (many of you know I was recently married and still smile when I say "my husband"). It's one of the reasons he became a...
I was fortunate enough to take my first yoga class when I was 10 years old. My mom and I went together to classes at a community center in our town. I wasn't an athletic kid-didn't run fast, wasn't good at...
I appreciate and enjoy asana practice as the physical aspect of the yoga tradition, which I have gradually turned into my lifestyle. Learning occurs through repetition and I try to practice...
The third of the five koshas is manomaya kosha—the mind sheath. Manomaya encompasses the processing of thoughts and emotions. It is the connection point between the lower and upper two sheaths. It involves the functions...
If you have practiced yoga for any length of time, you are likely familiar with the sound of OM. Often chanted at the beginning and/or end of class, OM is a seed mantra, or a one-syllable chant. Possibly the quintessential Sanskrit mantra due to its vibrational nature...
People come to yoga for many reasons. Some want stress relief, some want to nurse an injury, others want to prevent injury, and some want to build strength, flexibility, or both. More and more, people are also coming to yoga as a way to enhance their performance in a particular sport. Any sport can be supported through yoga practice, and since golf and tennis are so popular here in Florida, we’ll focus on the practice of yoga for golfers and tennis players.
The second of the five koshas is pranamaya kosha—the energy body. The vital energies of the body—also known as prana—on the physiologic level and on a more subtle level, are contained within this kosha. Prana does not necessarily “reside” within the body, as it...
At this time of year the heat can seem unbearable at times. Keeping cool becomes a priority throughout the long days and sometimes breezeless nights. If your yoga mat is collecting more dust than you’d like because the thought of working up a sweat is the furthest...
The first of the five koshas is anamaya kosha—the physical body. Your limbs, torso, and head; your skin, muscles, bones, and organs—everything that makes up your body, inside and out, is the anamaya kosha. The practice of yoga begins with the anamaya kosha because it...
Summertime is in full effect. It’s the perfect time to slow down and take a vacation, either near or far. There is one downside of vacation, however—our regular yoga practice takes a backseat. But it doesn’t have to. While on vacation it can be fun to get creative...