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[‘Self Study’] – Svadhyaya – the 4th Niyama
The meaning of Yoga is union. Union of the body, the mind, the soul and the spirit 🙂 On our class we practiced Svadhyaya, the 4th Niyama from the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali which function as a guide towards that union. The Yoga Sutras is one of the yoga philosophy texts. It contains 196 Sutras, it discusses the aim and the practice of yoga. Each Sutra has a teaching, but we today will focus only on the 4th Niyama. Patanjali describes the essence of the first sutras: ‘Yoga is the progressive settling of the mind into silence. When the mind is settled, we are established in our own essential state,…
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Be Playful
If there is something that my Yoga practice has taught me throughout the years, is that we cannot take everything so seriously. When we live within our daily practice it doesn’t mean that all our worries will disappear, but it will allow us manage the situations with a lighter heart. It provides a different state of mind where you can be present and decide how to move along within your day. Daily meditation and asana practice can take you there and curving your lips upward when you feel like a situation is getting out hand, might be what you need for the day.
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What is Yoga and what role does it play in your life
“Submit to a daily practice. Your loyalty to that is a win at the door. Keep knocking, and the joy inside will eventually open a window and look out to see who’s there.” – Rumi What comes to your mind when you hear the word yoga? Yoga is so much more than that, actually in Sanskrit Yoga means union. This is one of the reasons why yoga encompasses so much more than the Asanas (yoga poses). If you are curious and want to learn more about it, a really good book is The Yamas and Niyamas, by Deborah Adele. The Yamas are external ethics and Niyamas are internal ethics. They…
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Welcome 2023!
I woke up with a headache today, and I have to clarify that I didn’t party last night. The headache was a good reminder that I should do some self caring today, specially being that it is the beginning of the year and it is a Sunday! The best action to take? Rest and relax. The suggestion was to take a bath with with epson salts and hot water and just sink into it while letting my muscles relax. I have to say that it wasn’t my idea my other half was the one that suggested it. As I tried to let the muscles in my neck relax I started…
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A little Yoga Nidra for the end of your week
https://insighttimer.com/feryogini/guided-meditations/yoga-nidra-love-and-compassion-2 We are always busy and on the run, and always need a reminder to stop and smell the roses!! The practice of Yoga Nidra is a practice of rest and relaxation. It is also an an opportunity to connect to our inner self. Yoga Nidra is a form of a guided meditation where all you have to do is lay down on your mat and listen to the voice of a teacher. It is one of my favorite practices both teaching it and practicing it. If you haven’t tried it, I added one recently to InsightTimer, which is a meditation app that offers an extensive meditation library. The link…
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Birdwatching -fulness
We all have our day jobs and we tend to get caught up with our daily routines. Most of these routines are fast paced and when we get time to wind down, most of the time the easiest thing to do is to grab our phone and scroll, or to catch up with any of the series that we have been streaming. Any season is great for taking a stroll around your neighborhood or going for a walk to a nearby park and do a walking meditation. This is a great way to practice mindfulness and experience every aspect of your surroundings. Birds are the best way to start drawing…
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Reconectando con la Naturaleza
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The Main Branches of Yoga
The Main Branches of Yoga Last week as I was talking to a friend, she asked me about the different types of yoga are out there. As our conversation evolved into other topics, it made me realize that Yoga is such a broad topic, and knowing the different branches is a good segue into understanding it better. She wanted to know a little more about the topic, which made realize that it would be a good idea to write this post. Below is a classification that can be followed, but take note that this is not a comprehensive list. I am also not getting into a full description of each one of them.…
