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Monday, September 15, 2008 by Kelly Golden
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Yoga is Ageless
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Yoga is for all ages. From babies to children from adults to elderly, the practice of yoga appeals to all ages and all shapes and sizes. Though commonly thought of as a fad for the 20-40 set, the practice of yoga covers all ends of the spectrum. |
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Friday, September 05, 2008 by Maya Koenig
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From Seed to Sapling
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I'm not sure it's possible to innumerate, in so many words, the powerful process of a Yoga teacher training. But, if forced to choose three to describe my experience at Mount Madonna's YTT 2008 they would be rigorous, inspirational, and life transformational. The courses were thorough and authentic, covering all aspects of Yoga from Shat Karma to "Yoga and Social Activism". From 5:30 in the morning to 8:30 at night, we practiced Asana, taught Asana, purified our bodies and redirected our minds. Like new-born-babes, we yoga-teachers-to-be had the opportunity to relearn from the Yogic perspective how to move, breathe, and reconsider our preconceptions of reality. |
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Wednesday, September 03, 2008 by Kelly Golden
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The Great Yoga Escape
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The popularity of the Yoga retreat has exploded recently, and though retreats are part of the yogic tradition, they have evolved from the original intent of self imposed exile into a much more alluring commodity. Yogis of old were expected upon reaching a certain age, to walk away from family, friends, business and home to retreat into the forest, practice austerities, and find realization. In this era, they were not expected ever to return. Conversely, today not only are we expected to come back, but to come back refreshed, realigned, and ready to hit the ground running. So can it be done? Can we leave our lives to uncover the presence of consciousness beneath our everyday experiences, and retain this knowledge upon our return? If you believe the answer is yes, or if you are looking only to “get away” without the pretense of self-discovery, then there are a plethora of options from which to choose. |
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Monday, September 01, 2008 by Timothy Burgin
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New Writer on Board: Maya Koenig
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I am proud to announce and welcome Maya Koenig to the YogaBasics.com team. Maya is a recent recipient of our Yoga Scholarship program and will be sharing her journey of going through a yoga teacher training program, and her experiences of becoming a new yoga teacher in the world. Currently Maya is a Sophomore at Brandeis University in Massachusetts. |
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Monday, August 25, 2008 by Kelly Golden
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Gurus Going Green for the Ganges
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For Millennia the river Ganges in India has been the most revered river in the world. Hindus who worship the river as the goddess Ganga consider it to be sacred, and believe that bathing in Ganges will purify the body and the spirit. As death approaches it is believed that drinking water from the Ganges with the last breath will ensure that the soul attains freedom, and upon death, cremations by the tens of thousands are performed every year at its banks on funeral pyres made of wood set fire and sent into the river taking the soul of the deceased straight to god. But today, as India becomes on of the most industrialized nations in the world, the holy river Ganges is suffering. Pollution levels in the river are at an all time high, and rising exponentially is the number of worshipers. Now, in response to what is quickly becoming a dire situation, Gurus and spiritual leaders are rallying together in an attempt to improve the conditions of this ancient and venerated river. |
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Sunday, August 17, 2008 by Kelly Golden
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Athletes find Support in Asana
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Watching the Olympics this past week has led me to wonder how professional athletes find balance. There, on the television screen, are a plethora of young, determined athletes with a solitary focus, to win. Their bodies show the commitment to their sport with powerfully strong muscles in sometimes disproportionate bulk. Some have worked their whole lives for this experience of competing in the hopes that there hard work will lead to reward. In the Olympics it is a medal, Gold specifically, although there are a couple of others we don’t hear much about, and in other professional sports it’s the championship, the title, the ring that drive these athletes to push beyond their perceived limits mentally and physically and reach for the victory. In order to help these athletes find equanimity, both physically and mentally, many coaches and trainers are looking toward inclusion of yoga in the routine of the professional athlete. |
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