While I was pregnant, I remember nervously thinking about my approaching due date. I had many concerns about giving birth, and my mental outlook of the upcoming event was based in doubt and fear. Will I really have to give birth? How will I possibly get through this? While speaking to a 26 year old girlfriend of mine who recently … Read More
by Kyle McDonald As Ananda-trained yoga and meditation teachers, many of us find ourselves teaching in environments where our language skills are put to test, particularly in replacing or avoiding the word “God.” This year, I had the opportunity to work in two very different environments, one secular and one non-secular. Semantics proved helpful in one situation and harmful in … Read More
by Michelle Dossett As the end of Ananda Yoga Teacher Training approached, and I realized that it would likely be six weeks before I would have a chance to lead a yoga class or sadhana back home, I wondered if I would get rusty. Might there perhaps be an opportunity to lead a sadhana or two while I was staying … Read More
People often ask, “When we come out of deep relaxation in Savasana, why do you always have us roll onto our right sides? Why not the left side?” I sometimes jokingly answer, “I want everyone to roll the same way so they don’t bump into each other, and since most people are right-handed, I’m fairly sure they know which way … Read More
For fifteen years, I’ve been teaching yoga. In December of 2012, I did something that changed the direction of my yoga teaching in a very positive way: I took a week-long course Yoga Therapy Training: Seniors and Bone Strength at Ananda’s retreat center, The Expanding Light, near Nevada City, California. The course is part of the curriculum for Ananda’s Yoga Therapy … Read More
Anyone can receive many benefits from meditation during pregnancy, and all of those benefits—calmness, communion, centeredness and more—are especially important at this special time in life. Meditation practice can help you get through, not only the challenges of pregnancy, but also those of delivery. However, meditating while pregnant can have its challenges. Here are some tips on how to work … Read More
Have you ever heard Raffi’s rousing rendition of the children’s song “Knees Up, Mother Brown”? It goes something like this: Knees up, Mother Brown, Knees up, Mother Brown, Knees up, knees up, never let the breeze up, Knees up, Mother Brown. Hopping on one foot, hopping on one foot, Hopping, hopping, never stopping, Hopping on one foot, Hopping on the … Read More
Hyperextension When the leg is straight, the knee is said to be in extension. When the leg bends at the knee it is said to be in flexion. When the knee goes backward beyond its straight position, it is said to be in hyperextension. Extension and flexion are part of normal, healthy range of motion, but hyperextension can potentially destabilize … Read More
Now, with spiritual hunger growing worldwide, more and more people are asking, “How can Yoga help meet my spiritual needs?” They suspect that spiritual experience can be cultivated through Yoga practices—and they’re right.
A research study at The Expanding Light Retreat that looked at the effects of a comprehensive, 4-month Ananda Yoga program was recently published in the International Journal of Yoga Therapy. 24 people with MS participated in an intensive Ananda Yoga training, followed by 17 weeks of home practice that included Energization Exercises, Ananda Yoga postures, affirmations, pranayama, deep relaxation, and … Read More
