http://yogaworxindy.com/blog Free tips on yoga, meditation, holistic health and other musings... Mon, 04 Jan 2010 19:57:13 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en My classes resume today (1/4/10) and it's time for all of us to renew our commitment to ourselves. We had a 2 week break over the holidays and during that time I maintained my practice in a gentle way. It seems like a potential blog topic..... Yoga when you want to ... http://yogaworxindy.com/blog/2010/01/04/happy-2010/ In the news this week, I heard that 1 in 7 Americans are not getting enough food. (That's insane.) I teach all my public classes at Northwood Christian Church, 46th & Central in Indianapolis and their food pantry needs help. More families than ever are coming to the church on ... http://yogaworxindy.com/blog/2009/11/20/charity-a-local-way-to-help/ Self-surrender. Here in the west, we may have a problem with surrender (as in defeat). After all, as a nation we embody the archetype of the rebel. In our quest for self-realization we work, we change, we meditate like a crazy person, and then - zip. Where's our bliss? Perhaps ... http://yogaworxindy.com/blog/2009/11/20/ishvara-pranidhana/ Self-study, also studying scriptures and anything that motivates you. Self study goes way beyond our western approach to psychotherapy, although that certainly has merit. Start with studying the stories of saints and sages, those who have "made it" and who inspire you to do the same. Then apply as much ... http://yogaworxindy.com/blog/2009/11/20/svadhyaya/ Self-discipline or literally, tapas means "heat." Tapas can mean whatever gives you the motivation to change yourself, the drive, the transformational fire that keeps us on path. Start gently. Say, you notice that when you eat sugar you feel stiffer and your meditation isn't up to snuff. An option might ... http://yogaworxindy.com/blog/2009/11/20/tapas/ Contentment. Give up trying to impress people you don't even know with all your shiny stuff and be grateful for what you have, especially in these economic times. Acceptance of who you are and what you have makes contentment and happiness a conscious choice. Being in the moment is a ... http://yogaworxindy.com/blog/2009/11/20/santosha/ Now we enter the niyamas (observances). Saucha is purity - physical purity by cleansing the body inside and out (and the yogic cleansings may seem extreme!), verbal purity (akin to verbal non-violence), and mental purity - garbage in, garbage during your meditation. http://yogaworxindy.com/blog/2009/11/20/saucha/ Non-possessiveness. Enjoying the things of the world without attachment. It's important to fulfill our desires, to use the Law of Attraction and bring the things, people, and events into our lives that we want to experience, but true, lasting happiness lies only within. http://yogaworxindy.com/blog/2009/11/20/aparigraha/ Don't freak out. It's not just about celibacy, but gently curbing all our senses so that instead of our energies going "out," we have more energy within for our spiritual practice. This would include our visual sense cravings (lots and lots of movies), our aural sense (lots and lots of ... http://yogaworxindy.com/blog/2009/09/29/brahmacharya-celibacy/ Don't take things that aren't yours. Pretty simple, yet a lot of us have experienced bringing our home made lunch into the office, labeling it as ours, and putting it in the communal fridge, only to find later that someone has taken it!!! How irritating. Sometimes we have to hide ... http://yogaworxindy.com/blog/2009/09/29/asteya-non-stealing/