with Robyn Regula
The two qualities of sthira and sukha are essential to a yoga practice. Without these two attributes there is no yoga. Yoga is a state of union… mind, body and spirit. Without sthira and sukha, asana practice (physical postures) will remain relegated to the realm of calisthenics, stretching, exercise. There is nothing wrong with exercise. Exercise is fantastic. And we want more. More “bang for our buck” as the saying goes.
If you have been to a yoga class you might have been involved with chanting the sound Om. When a group of people chant this sound and all the voices find a resonance together a beautiful feeling is created. The benefits of chanting come through participation because it is something that has to be experienced to be understood. However, you may be wondering what this word is all about and why it is chanted so often, before you feel comfortable belting it out in a yoga class.
Yoga is a journey. It is not an outward adventure like it may appear, as you see yogis practicing backbends in mid-air gracefully touching their pointed feet to the top of their head as they balance, a bit precariously, on their forearms. In actuality, it is an inward exploration. And just like any trip you would take it is helpful to know where you are headed
Yoga has become so integrated into my sense of Self, health and well being I really can’t separate them anymore. Days that I abstain from practice just don’t seem to go as well, in general, as days that I do; I tend to be more emotional, a bit more down and the day just seems [...]
I never really thought about keeping my yoga mat clean until one day, in cobra pose, my nose revealed the truth of the situation at hand. It was at my yoga teacher training in Thailand. We were there for three months and it was very hot! Not to mention we were doing a very vigorous [...]