Yoga Articles write an article

 
I am really taking what I have gathered from all I have read, experienced, and felt and drawing it into clear genuine feeling. 
 How do you show what you think and what you experience? Simple, by completely feeling and loving and watching each moment you are in.  I am not sure if I can...

Really, isn't it wonderful?If your reading this right now you have the time, a computer or access to one, able to read, most likely in good health, and most certainly have the right conditions to experience real peace, joy, and compassion (everyone does it's limitless really). It is really amazing the amount of love and compassion we can share with everyone each day. I love the idea of...

What to wear Wear comfortable, stretchy clothing. It is helpful to the instructors if you wear clothing that isn’t too loose, so that they can check your alignment in the poses. Layers are a good idea because portions of the class can be quite warming and the final relaxation is quite cooling. Shoes are taken off in the dressing area/reception area prior to entering the yoga studio. Mats are available and all necessary props are provided, but you are welcome to bring your own mat, eye pillow, etc.
To eat or not to...

The Uttara Yoga Studio stands inconspicuously on Kirk Avenue.
But, open the door at 112-B, follow the steep stairs upstairs and discover a peaceful oasis with high ceilings, wood floors and expansive windows letting in light.
The owner, Jill Loftis, wanted to create an inviting space where people could improve their health and their lives. She opened the studio on June 1 and teaches classes along with another instructor Vanessa Fassie.
"I wanted them to feel like they weren't even in Roanoke; that they could escape from their lives for an hour," Loftis said.
Until recently, Loftis was a 41-year-old, stay-at-home mother of three. She looks a good decade younger and credits yoga for that.
With her red rectangular glasses and light blond hair pulled into a ponytail, Loftis energetically described her love for yoga on a recent day in her studio.
She decided to try yoga eight years ago after watching a show called "Inhale" on the Oxygen channel.
"Look at all those happy, fit people," Loftis said she thought to herself.
At the time, she had recently had her second child. Yoga helped her lose her post-pregnancy...

I just got back from a Svaroopa Conference where we talked about how to get the word out about this unique approach to yoga. Maybe unique isn't the perfect word, it's different...it's got a funny name - why someone even suggested a tag line of "That yoga with a funny ame" which doesn't give you a clue what Svaroopa is either. It's hard to discribe something so incredible, so powerful, so transformative in a bumper sticker kind of slogan. I've tried using food/restaurant analogies, but haven't come up with a very good one yet. Although the other day I came up with "Foodie's love flavor, yogi's love Svaroopa" that's kind of dorky...but it captures the essence of what I'm trying to communicate.
Usually we start by saying that Svaroopa is Sanskrit for "the essence of your being" or "the bliss of your own being". It may sound like a tall order, but that is essentially what it's about. Giving you tools - poses, breathing, meditation, guided awareness, contemplations, yoga philosophy and even anatomy - to become aware of who you are. Again, that may sound a little far-fetched to some, but to others it seems entirely natural that one would be interested in discovering thier essence.
Svaroopa Yoga...

Yogi Bhajan (Harbhajan Singh Puri) was born in what is now Pakistan and moved to India during the partition. He was born into a family that had prayed for a son for 25 years and after his birth his father took young Harbhajan to the temple to pray in thanks for a prayer answered. His father, Dr Kartar Singh Puri, was a medical doctor and his mother, Harkrishan Kaur was a woman of indomitable will and unswerving adherence to righteous principles.
Harbhajan was born into a landlord's family and consequently his birthday was a very festive occasion and each year he would be weighed on his birthday and as many pounds as he weighed, that many gold, silver and copper coins, along with seven times that number of pounds of wheat, would be given to the poor people of the village. From this tradition of feeding the poor on his birthday, the consciousness of seva (selfless service) was established in him from an early age.
He was educated as the only boy attending a girls' Catholic convent school, a school that provided the finest education available in the area. His most influential teacher during his formative years was his saintly grandfather, Sant Bhai Fateh Singh, who used to take the young Harbhajan Singh on his lap and tell him inspiring stories, always encouraging him to live righteously. His paternal grandmother also held a very special place in respect to moulding his character, Ishar Kaur was a formidable woman who would always catch the young Harbhajan in his mischief and with love and kindness would guide him on the right path....

Is Kundalini Yoga dangerous? I've heard this question many times. Unfortunately, it is a common misconception. As someone who was unfamiliar with Kundalini Yoga & Meditation before I started practicing, I can understand the concern. We do raise our Kundalini (creative energy within), but we do it in a safe, methodological way. The Kriyas (sets) are part of a sacred science, as taught by Yogi Bhajan. He is the Master of Kundalini Yoga. He brought this amazing form of Yoga to the US from...

This is a copy of the email that I received on January 4, 2008. I cried & immediately forwarded it to my teacher saying, "I can't believe my name is Sat Kriya!"
Sat Nam, dear sister in divine. Your request for a spiritual name has been gratefully received. You have been blessed to live as Sat Kriya Kaur, which means the Princess/Lioness who takes true action, and who walks throughout her life with grace and power.   Sat means...

“What we do is, we consider what your past is, calculating your destiny, and give you a target name, a spiritual name. That is the journey you have to travel. It sets the standard, the base.” ~ Yogi Bhajan
Yogi Bhajan first started giving spiritual names in 1971. Day by day, as those of us who received them pronounced and announced them to the world, we became a part of them, and they became a part of us. The power of the sound of our names vibrated and echoed in our ears. This sound current, together with the meaning of our names, reinforced our spiritual base and became a tool which daily touched our hearts and delicately influenced our actions.
The power of a spiritual name is that the more people speak it, the more it permeates your being, and the more you can experience its power to manifest in your life. The only thing you have to do is be open and allow yourself to receive the power of its Naadh (spiritual sound current). The sound of it vibrates every part of your being to come into harmony with your spiritual name’s meaning, which reflects your destiny.
Taking on a sacred name can be a step on your spiritual journey that helps you leave past patterns behind, take a new direction, and embrace your spiritual identity. Making the choice to receive a spiritual name, and using it, is taking a rebirth in...

Kundalini Yoga is the Yoga of Awareness. It uses movement (asana), sound current (mantra), breath (pranayam) and meditation to relax and heal your mind and body, allowing the spirit to flow freely. This powerful and effective form of Yoga, as taught by Yogi Bhajan, PhD., Master of Kundalini Yoga, is a wonderful way to de-stress, recharge and heal your body quickly.

Kundalini Yoga is about what YOUR BODY & MIND CAN DO. It's not about how flexible you are, if you can touch your toes, or hold a posture for five minutes. We focus on the breath in conjunction with...