Meditation is a necessity in our multifaceted lives, and yet it doesn’t come easily for most people. People want to try it, but they find it is more difficult than they ever imagined. How hard can it be?! Sitting up straight takes muscles that that we may not use, and that may take time to develop. Maybe we sit at … Read More
Autumn is a time of change: the leaves fall from the trees and the weather signals a time of transformation for nature, animals, and people. With the energetic activity of summer behind us, there is now an opportunity—with encourage from nature—to slow down, calm the mind, and go within. As animals prepare for hibernation, you too can take a mini-hibernation … Read More
When I was first embarking on Yogananda’s path about 10 years ago, I was thrilled to be given such effective techniques to relax the body and calm the mind. The energization exercises were of particular interest to me and I dove into them with great earnestness. Having received the lessons through the mail with no personal training, I did my … Read More
During my early years of nurses’ training, I took a job on Saturday mornings piercing ears at a local department store. In the early 1980’s ear piercing was a new fad and stores wanted people with medical training doing the procedure, so they recruited students from the local nurses’ training program. Since it was a new and exciting fad, there … Read More
Supported Bridge Pose “I offer every thought as a bridge to divine grace.” This pose will give you an experience of slowing, cooling, and introspection. It is an antidote for living in an age, which manipulates our brains and nervous systems into being fast, hot, and extroverted. This is a great pose to practice during the summer time when our minds and … Read More
I recently discovered the enormous power of Ananda Yoga Therapy to change consciousness (specifically, my consciousness!). For almost a year, I had been dealing with chronic pain in my neck and upper back. When one day my chiropractor said with dismal finality that I might need a cortisone shot, I knew I needed to get more engaged in the healing … Read More
Posture awareness practiced regularly during pregnancy can help reduce many physical discomforts. The female body, in a very short time frame, will undergo drastic changes in every bodily system. Our bodies have the incredible capability of adapting to these changes while continuing to run efficiently. While no two pregnancies are identical, most women’s bodies will respond to these changes at … Read More
In his booklet Secrets of Meditation, Swami Kriyananda offers as his second secret a vital key to our success in meditation: correct posture. Even though it is the very first thing a beginning meditator learns, alas, often it turns out that even after years of regular practice this important foundation of our “house of meditation” still requires some additional “cement,” … Read More
This past year, I returned to teaching yoga after a nearly two-year hiatus while I recuperated from a painful back injury: a bulging disk at L5-S1, which was further complicated by a very inflamed sacroiliac joint. How did the injury happen? In brief, because I did not listen to my body when it was telling me the low back was … Read More
Yoga, as many people have experienced, can be much more than just a physical practice. It can also be a wonderful opportunity to tune into Spirit, particularly in the aspect of Divine Mother when preparing for motherhood. Divine Mother is a universal consciousness or presence within each person and in all creation. It isn’t necessary to follow a particular spiritual … Read More
