Posts Tagged ‘Yoga’

From the darkest places comes the brightest of light…” When I first read this statement on a piece of community art, on display at a Yoga festival, I was astounded. I stood still, with my Yoga mat strung over my shoulder, my water bottle in hand, and a plethora of memories racing through my mind.

That moment instantly brought back my traumatic, abusive childhood, and destructive youth. I had come from some very dark places, until I ended up morbidly obese, depressed and suicidal at 30 years of age. I had to change my life and slowly I began to choose what I sensed was good for me. Read the rest of this entry »

I have been teaching White Tantric Yoga for 15 years. The premise of White Tantric Yoga, is to unite two people together. It is also designed to connect each person the to the Divine, as well as to connect each individual’s sexuality to their spirituality.

Our sexuality is linked to the second chakra. The color is orange. It is located just below the navel point. It is also connected to our creativity. If you are a dancer, an artist, a musician, or a poet, this is where that vibrant creative energy comes from. If there is any sexual trauma in this area, it can block creative energy, block the ability to connect your sexuality and your spirituality, created physical issues with the sex organs and can create depression and anxiety. Read the rest of this entry »

I have been teaching White Tantric Yoga for 15 years. It is based on the Kama Sutra, or the Kama Sutra is based on White Tantric Yoga. I incorporate these teachings in my partner workshops and find it to be a great way to lure men into the class! These teachings are not pornographic or about teaching wild sexual positions. It is actually the opposite. It is in fact designed to remove those things from our lives that disconnect our sexuality from our spirituality, such as porn, perversion, control, violence and infidelity. Read the rest of this entry »

I read an article by Sally Kempton some time ago, and this paragraph stuck with me: “In the Indian tradition, life is said to have four aims — wealth, pleasure, ethical conduct, or goodness, and enlightenment—and they are meant to be held in balance.” She then asks what your life would be like if you were to cultivate each of these areas equally?

So many thoughts came though my head when I read this. So many endless possibilities. What if we were to set the intention every morning to equally cultivate these four aims? How could our life experience change and be richer, more exciting, more fulfilling? Read the rest of this entry »

We are very affected by the colors in our homes, work environment and by the colors of food we eat and the colors we wear. Color permeates our very existence.

In Kundalini yoga, it is the tradition that teachers wear white outfits made of natural fibers, with a white covering over their heads. Just like the color white deflects the sun and black absorbs it, white also deflects negativity and the color black attracts and absorbs it.

Teaching Kundalini can attract students who are very evolved, and also many who are really struggling and sometimes even emotionally unstable. Wearing white can protect a teacher from the negative energy that may emanate from a person in class and is sometimes directed toward, or projected onto the teacher. Read the rest of this entry »

Over the years I’ve repeatedly heard the suggestion to “breathe” or “take a deep breath”.  The suggestion is always emphasized in meditation and yoga, and it comes up a lot whenever someone receives or gives a massage. It’s also included in energy healing and the martial arts, and it’s even mentioned when you are preparing to yank off a bandage.

There is something powerful and transformative about the breath and breathing when it is combined with intention. I’ve noticed how I can change emotionally, spiritually and physiologically when I breathe deeply. From time to time I’ve also realized the answer to a problem as I invoked a deep breath. Read the rest of this entry »

Every one of us deals with loss at some point in our lives. A family member, a friend, even our beloved pets. We may be angry or depressed long after the loss occurs, and ask ourselves why it happened. As we work through the stages of grief, keeping a sense of spirituality is essential.

It’s natural to ask our higher power for answers. We have to keep the lines of communication open. In doing so, we work through our grief and learn more about ourselves. This is called “soulwork,” or “soul-searching.” It should not be confused with connecting to our loved ones on the other side, though this may be part of the journey. Expressing grief is the most important thing we can do. Read the rest of this entry »

I have been teaching memory classes for 15 years based on my practice of Yoga. There are many yogic techniques that can help improve and protect our memory.

The most powerful tool for memory is the spine. There is a spinal fluid that runs up the spine and feeds the brain. It brings oxygen, blood and nutrients to the brain. When the spine becomes restricted and tight, and is not properly stretched, worked and used, it restricts the flow of these nutrients to the brain. This causes memory loss.

I believe this is why many people who have had back injuries report to me that they also have noticed problems with their focus, concentration and memory. This is also why people who practice Yoga claim to have improved their focus, concentration and memory. The movement and strengthening of the spine is emphasized in Yoga. I also believe the movement in Yoga stimulates the Kundalini energy that moves up the spine, and that also improves memory. Read the rest of this entry »