Poornima

Yoga and Ill-Health

I often hear Yoga instructors and teachers in India (do Yoga teachers elsewhere also use similar language?) say that if you practise Yoga well, you’ll never fall sick, never have to take medicines, never get old. What does it mean to practise Yoga well? If I fall sick or have to take medicine, does thatContinue reading “Yoga and Ill-Health”

KLĒSHA– A CORE CONCEPT FOR YOGA SĀDHANA

My favourite concepts in Yoga are usually those that challenge me every day, concepts that coax me to be aware every moment and find the extraordinary in the mundane. The physical aspects, especially Āsana, have never really been the main thing that draws me to Yoga; it has almost always been other bits. What isContinue reading “KLĒSHA– A CORE CONCEPT FOR YOGA SĀDHANA“

INTENT, ACTIONS, AND PRACTICES

This bit of contemplation has come about from repeated questions about the difference between Āsana and exercise, Āhāra and the diet culture, Vairāgya and disinterest. They are interesting questions, ones that I have had myself before others asked me these things. For the longest time, I did not have an answer; I did not knowContinue reading “INTENT, ACTIONS, AND PRACTICES“

HABITS AND HOBBIES AS YOGA

Let us start with what is seen, heard, and understood as Yoga by most of us today. My understanding of what Yoga is perceived as from what I have encountered online and offline is this – it is physical movement, light stretching, and exercise; it is breath control; it is slow and easy and notContinue reading “HABITS AND HOBBIES AS YOGA”

HOW TO BE A YOGA SĀDHAKA

Yoga Sādhanā, or Yoga practice as it is popularly translated, is a phrase that is used quite often in conversations around Yoga, especially on social media but also in classes and studios. People talk about being regular with Yoga practice, building a practice, having a daily practice that lasts at least for a certain amountContinue reading “HOW TO BE A YOGA SĀDHAKA”

FINDING MY SPACE WITHIN YOGA

I started learning Yoga back in the year 2003 when it was quite big in some places but in India, few people were seriously interested in Yoga or teaching it. There were Yoga schools and Yoga teachers but nothing close to the kind of numbers and popularity we see today. I started learning it becauseContinue reading “FINDING MY SPACE WITHIN YOGA”