The path of yoga leads towards the soul. This has been the message of the yogis since time immemorial. As B.K.S. Iyengar wrote: “Yoga practice [guides] the mind towards its source, which is the core of being — atman (the soul), or purusha (Self).”[1] The quest for the soul, however, begins with external awareness. What […]
Asana & Pranayama
No MO Yoga Tax
RE: Missouri House Bill 1463 Winter, 2016 Dear Fellow Yoga Students and Teachers, Will you join me in supporting Missouri House Bill 1463 to prohibit sales tax on yoga class fees at yoga studios and gyms? Ask your state legislators to support HB1463, sponsored by Representative Eric Burlison, (R) Springfield, that will correct the overreach […]
Three Rivers of the Spine in Dog Pose
Ganga, Yamuna, & Saraswati The images of river goddesses Ganga and Yamuna (Jamuna in Hindi) often flank the entrances of Hindu temples.[1] Just as the sacred Ganges River flows from its source in the Himalayas to irrigate its plains, so has Mother Ganga descended from Heaven to give life to the dead and purify the […]
Provenance — Where Does Yoga Asana Come From?
Some Western scholars have contended that modern asana practice is not rooted in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras (2nd c. B.C.E.), and that claiming so is a false, self-justifying, claim of provenance. I know the arguments well: only eleven asanas are described in Vyasa’s fifth century commentary on Patanjali (half of which are sitting asanas for meditation), […]
Samkhya Cosmogeny in Asana
Introduction to Samkhya Metaphysics India is a land of diverse opinions and divergent viewpoints. Its culture has been described as a “salad bowl” (as opposed to our “melting pot”) containing many ingredients that remain uniquely distinct within the whole. At the core of this diversity are the six different schools of Indian philosophy. One of […]
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