http://somathread.ning.com/groups/yoga-and-tantra/philosophy-of-yoga/vasana-conditioned-inclinations * Vasana are the seeds of desires and inclinations, the vibrations in our being even before thought. They are the automatic tendencies that condition our behaviour and personality. They generate the habits that become stronger with repetition, and that…

UJJAYI Can be done sitting in meditation pose or lying, or even standing and going about your day…. Ujjayi involves both awareness of the breath as it moves and the actual physiological contraction of the throat muscles, at the glottis.…

Khechari Mudra Very simple technique, used in conjunction with many practices. This is the Raja Yoga version…. (I am not covering the more advanced technique here – I don’t practice it…so…) While sitting in any comfortable meditation pose, turn the…

Some Hand Mudras Mudra means ‘attitude’, ‘symbolic gesture’ or ‘seal’. A mudra can be a whole body position, or relate to different parts of the body, but here I will cover some common hand mudras.  Basically the idea is that…

Shanti Mudra ~ Peace Practice This is one of my all-time favourite yoga practices..It is called Shanti Mudra meaning ”Invocation of Peace” or Prana Mudra meaning ”Invocation of Life Force”. It is a combination of a pranayama practice and a…

”This is the level of awareness that is symbolised by the Biblical story of Adam and Eve after they ate the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. That is, their ”fall” occurred when they lost contact with the deeper…

”Where is the end to the desires of life? Can you ever satisfy your desires? Even when you reach the age of 80 or 90 and your body can no longer enjoy pleasures, the mind still dwells on them constantly.…

http://somathread.ning.com/groups/yoga-and-tantra/chakras/manipura-chakra Mani means ‘Jewel’ and Pura means ‘City’ in Sanskrit, so this chakra is ”The City of Jewels”. In Buddhism, Manipura Chakra is considered the seat of Kundalini. Tantra-yoga says it resides at Mooladhara, because this is where we begin to become aware…

Alternate Nostril Psychic Breathing This is not Nadi Shodhan (Anuloma Viloma) which uses manipulation of nostrils with finger and thumb – This is a simple VISUALISED technique, which calms the mind, and helps release tension and induce sleep. Lying down. Eyes closed.…

Chapter 2 of the Bhagavad Gita describes more than any other chapter the basic philosophy of the poem. Basically this chapter is about being brave in the face of life..and taking action, rather than falling into depression and a sense…

Who gets up early to discover the moment light begins? – Rumi Brahma Muhurta is the ”Time of God” – the best time, it is said, for spiritual practice. This is the time when Sattwa guna – or the vibration…

”I slept and dreamt that Life was Joy, I woke and found that Life was Duty, I acted And behold! Duty was Joy”. (Rabindranath Tagore)   In ancient times the yogis divided life into 4 sections – called ‘’ashrama’’. The…

The Ashtavakra Gita was written in around the same time as the Bhagavad Gita (about 2500 years ago). They are fairly different in approach. The Ashtavakra Gita is about radical non-dualism – Advaita Vedanta – like the Upanishads are, like…

    To tell the truth if I had discovered yoga asana as it is widely practised today in both the West and in modern India, with its emphasis on super-skinny gymnastics, hot-rooms, and body-beautiful, I would probably never have…

SAKSHI – the Witness…the Seer….that which is aware of everything but affected by nothing. ”Now therefore complete instructions regarding Yoga.” ”To block (or detach from) the patterns of consciousness is Yoga’.” ”Thus the Seer is established in his own essential…

Based on Patanjali’s Sutra’s 32 ~ 39. In earlier sutras Patanjali states that to move towards samadhi one needs faith, courage, intense desire and effort, strong will, energy, memory and higher intelligence; he also says some people come to it…

Swami Vivekananda was one of the earliest people who introduced Yoga to the West. His teacher was Ramakrishna, the simple humble man who had experienced awakening at age 6 and who had developed such a passion for Kali (Goddess) that…

These asana (postures) involve learning how to focus on the centre of gravity in the body, gaining co-ordination and  well, strangely enough, ‘’balance’’ in the body. They work on the physical level, stimulating those parts of the brain and nervous…