Jute mat yoga

The Jute Eco Yoga Mat is made from jute and Polymer Environmental Resin. The jute fiber is excellent for any steady practice of Yoga, the jute material on top offers superb traction. The mat material gives a highly durable, tactile and pleasantly natural surface to practice on with excellent grip. Read more

The Law of Karma

“Karma” is a Sanscrit term for that great Law known to Western thinkers as Spiritual Cause and Effect, or Causation. It relates to the complicated affinities for either good or evil that have been acquired by the soul throughout its many incarnations. These affinities manifest as characteristics enduring from one incarnation to another, being added to here, softened or altered there, but always pressing forward for expression and manifestation. And, so, it follows that what each one of us is in this life depends upon is what we have been and how we have acted in our past lives. Read more

Karma – Life is a school

Life is a great school for the learning of lessons. It has many grades, many classes, many scales of progress. And the lessons must be learned whether we will or no. If we refuse or neglect to learn the lesson we are sent back to accomplish the task, again and again, until the lesson is finally learned. Nothing once learned is ever forgotten entirely. Read more

Two principles at work in the matter of Karma

Under the Law of Karma every action, yea, every thought as well, has its Karmic effect upon the future incarnations of the soul. And, not exactly in the nature of punishment or rewards, in the general acceptation of the term, but as the invariable operation of the Law of Cause and Effect. The thoughts of a person are like seeds which seek to press forward into growth, bud, blossom and fruit. Read more

Heaven

Yes, the Yogi Philosophy does teach that there is a real basis for the popular religious beliefs in “Heaven,” and that there are states of being, the knowledge of which has filtered through to the masses in the more or less distorted theories regarding “heavens.” Read more

What is meant by – the Days and Nights of Brahm – ; the – Cycles -; the – Chain of Worlds -, etc., etc.?

In Lesson Sixth, of the present series, you will find a brief mention of the “Days and Nights of Brahm”–those vast periods of the In-breathing and Out-breathing of the Creative Principle which is personified in the Hindu conception of Brahma. You will see mentioned there that universal philosophical conception of the Universal Rhythm, which manifests in a succession of periods of Universal Activity and Inactivity. Read more

Mind is the instrument of I

The Yogi Philosophy teaches that instead of Mind being the “I” it is the thing through and by means of which the “I” thinks, at least so far as is concerned the knowledge concerning the phenomenal or outward Universe–that is the Universe of Name and Form. There is a higher Knowledge locked up in the innermost part of the “I,” that far transcends any information that it may receive about or from the outer world, but that is not before us for consideration at this time, and we must concern ourselves with the “thinking” about the world of things. Read more

Pratyahara

The first exercise in Raja Yoga is what is called Pratyahara or the art of making the mind introspective or turned inward upon itself. It is the first step toward mental control. It aims to turn the mind from going outward, and gradually turning it inward upon itself or inner nature. The object is to gain control of it by the Will. Read more

The Cultivation of Attention

In our last lesson we called your attention to the fact that the Yogis devote considerable time and practice to the acquirement of Concentration. And we also had something to say regarding the relation of Attention to the subject of Concentration. In this lesson we shall have more to say on the subject of Attention, for it is one of the important things relating to the practice of Raja Yoga, and the Yogis insist upon their students practicing systematically to develop and cultivate the faculty. Attention lies at the base of Will-power, and the cultivation of one makes easy the exercise of the other. Read more

Yoga and modern life

Yoga has many meanings: discipline, union, concentration, attainment. The purpose of Yoga is to stretch the muscles, strengthen the body and increase concentration. It can also help you relax, if you have trouble doing that.

No wonder this ancient discipline has become popular among modern entertainers and athletes. Depending on who practices it, yoga can be simply a set of exercises or a total way of life.

Yoga is an ancient Hindu practice; and these days Yoga has conquered the world with its helpful healthy effects on those who practice it. Yoga is more than just an exercise to get your physical body fit and healthy, proper practice of yoga is intended at bringing mind, body and soul in perfect harmony.

Yoga practices includes traditional elements like morals and ethical principles (yama, niyama), yoga poses to help keep the body fit, the repetition of mantras, yoga breathing exercises ( pranayama), calming the mind and body through concentration, meditation and enlightenment.
There are many types of Yoga, the traditional classification has Hatha Yoga, Karma yoga, Bhakti yoga, Jnana yoga, and Raja yoga; while more modern types of yoga which are based mostly on Hatha Yoga are known as Bikram yoga, Ashtanga yoga, Iyengar yoga, Anusara yoga, etc.

Some who practice yoga, called yogis, try to use the discipline to reach a high level of consciousness. They respect certain abstentions (things not to do), such as not lying, stealing, being greedy or harming other people. They also practice certain observances (things to do), such as being clean, content, self-controlled, studious and devoted.

Physical control is also important in yoga. Yogis train themselves to take full, deep breaths. They consider breathing a life force, counting a lifespan not in years but in the number of breaths taken.

Unlike exercises that work only on strength, yoga also helps the body become flexible. As a result, some yoga exercises (called asanas) look a little strange, and you may think you need to be a human pretzel to do them. Not so. You just have to relax.

In yoga, you ease into stretches, never forcing yourself. The saying no pain–no gain simply does not apply. You do only the best you can at the moment, and at some later moment you will do more.

All yoga poses demand balance. And since you can’t balance if you’re thinking about last night’s TV show, yoga also demands concentration. Learn to concentrate in yoga, and you will be better able to concentrate in baseball, tennis or even school.

Yoga exercises copy nature. Many yoga poses can be traced to the shapes of creatures, such as the cobra, cat, dog, tortoise, crab and eagle.

In the cobra pose, for example, you ask yourself, What would it feel like to be a cobra. You lie on your stomach with your forehead to the floor. As you inhale, you slowly roll your head back, supporting yourself with your hands. You hold that pose, then come down slowly, trying to move as a snake would move.

All yoga exercises promote strength and calmness. Each move’s effects on a muscle, a gland or a nerve center are carefully thought out.

You can choose certain exercises to rid yourself of particular pains, such as back pain from back-packing or leg pain from jogging. Yoga can help condition you for skiing or help you control feelings of depression or fear.

Any good book or DVD on yoga will describe various asanas and tell how each works. You may even have done yoga exercises already. Ever done a handstand, or the wheel. Many exercise programs borrow from yoga.

Yoga NEWS

---