Posts made in July, 2012

Coconuts and banana leaves everywhere! Yesterday was the start of the puja season in Bangalore, being Varalakshmi Puja, a festival and worship of the Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. Money is a huge issue for a yoga teacher. When I started yoga teacher training many years ago, one of the first thoughts our trainer put across was not to expect wealth from teaching yoga. I’ve found that while my pockets may be burning (especially since I also tend to purchase more costly organic and eco-friendly items), my heart keeps yearning to learn more and more about yoga, and teach more too! Through dedication, I’ve managed to manage my budget and maintain a wonderful lifestyle without taking too much from others,  and give my gift of yoga to...

Airports are, especially in post 9-11 atmosphere, cold and unfeeling. Families no longer say goodbye or greet each other at the gate; mostly, we take those long, tiring journeys on our own. Yoga can be a great companion in such times, teaching us philosophical lessons of vairagya or detachment to heal our aching hearts while leaving loved ones. It also teaches us asana practices that can help keep our bodies limber while sitting in smallish seats and sipping teas and juices for hours at length. Often on planes, when possible I take long strides up and down the aisles, lifting my knees. I perform simple asanas like Utkatasana or chair pose while standing, and seated twists such as Bharadwajasana when the seat-belt sign is on. Then I went to Delhi airport,...

Yoga is universal. Anyone can do it, regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, health, ethnicity, race, socio-economic status, political affiliation, or other categorizations. Yet there is an undeniable connection of India to yoga. People traverse from afar to learn yoga from masters such as Iyengar, Krishnamacharya, Pattabhi Jois, amongst others, all whom are based in different parts of India. The form of yoga originated in India, though exact dates and places are unclear. Professor SR Bhat, who opened the stage for His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the Nalanda Siksha teachings in early June, laid the foundation for Pan-Indian thought. He spoke about 8 or 10 different philosophies that have bases in India/ South Asia, and of these, Yoga is one philosophy. His...