Like many yoga practitioners, I started with with asana, and began to seek out yoga philosophy later rather than sooner. Part of the reason for this was my initial glance at the yamas, or moral restraints; I thought of them as the second half of the ‘yogic Ten Commandments.’ They didn’t seem that difficult orContinue reading “Focus on the yamas: Asteya”
Author Archives: Korie Beth Brown, Ph.D.
A Yoga Practice for Manipura Chakra
Located at the center of the body, behind the navel, manipura chakra is the energy center that represents what Western civilization thinks of as personhood. Here, vitality impacts willpower, personality, and the ego. Who are we, and how do we share ourselves with the world? When manipura is balanced, we experience clarity of thought, physicalContinue reading “A Yoga Practice for Manipura Chakra”
Meditation Apps and My Own Practice
I will honestly make the following admission: developing a meditation practice can be difficult. Over the past ten years, I’ve had periods of dedication interspersed with times that were anything but that. I’ve focused on mantra and on my breath. I’ve read a number of books, and I’ve experimented with different phone and computer applications.Continue reading “Meditation Apps and My Own Practice”
Yoga Sutras: theNature of Vritti
Patanjali begins the Yoga Sutras with the phrase Yoga citta vritti nirodha. In English, this translates to “Yoga calms the disturbances of the mind.” When we practice, we are thus turning over thoughts that stand in the way of our progress. Why is this so important? Yoga philosophy holds that we are all connected. Therefore,Continue reading “Yoga Sutras: theNature of Vritti”
My Knee Wants Its Say (a personal interlude)
I’ve been sidelined this week by the voice of my unrepentant right knee, which currently insists that it doesn’t want to bend. This knee has been troublesome every since that time I almost died in Patagonia (a phrase I love to throw around that exaggerates a hiking mishap outside of Ushuaia, Argentina), but lately it’sContinue reading “My Knee Wants Its Say (a personal interlude)”
A Beginning Yin Sequence
I’m always conflicted about posting a sequence for people to practice by themselves, since I very much believe that learning any style of yoga should always begin with lessons from a qualified teacher. In a perfect world, this lesson would be face to face. However, amidst the realities of COVID, most of us have practicedContinue reading “A Beginning Yin Sequence”
Loka Samasthah Sukhino Bhavantu
In this time of chaos and sorrow, it’s good for us to focus on service rather than on our own personal problems. Considering that we’re still largely housebound after two full pandemic years, this seems like a tall order. We need to remember, however, that we have the power to change the world, simply byContinue reading “Loka Samasthah Sukhino Bhavantu”
A Yoga Practice for Your Sacral Chakra
As human beings, we are engineered to create. Some of us do so by raising children; others generate art; many of us do both. Unfortunately, the pace of modern life often drains our reserves, leaving us burned out and unproductive. Combine this with the stresses added by the pandemic, and is it any wonder weContinue reading “A Yoga Practice for Your Sacral Chakra”
Introduction to the Vayus
Why do you practice yoga? It was first believed that enlightenment comes from meditation; asana was originally systematized as a way to make the seated body and erect spine more comfortable. Over the last century, Western yogis have moved away from this towards a focus on perfecting the body. Of late, we’ve moved again, toContinue reading “Introduction to the Vayus”
Book Review: Breathe In Calm
It’s been a wild and wooly last few weeks, and my plans for January definitely involve going back to basics in terms of self-care. For me, this means asana and pranayama, but also some raja yoga – taking the time to study my mind body and learn more about how to work with it. BecauseContinue reading “Book Review: Breathe In Calm”
Yoga Cielo Stellato 