Twenty years ago, I had the experience of disappearing and becoming one with everything in the universe. And that was a real game-changer for me. Since then I’ve been speaking, sharing, and giving healings with the energy that I experienced during this awakening time.

So, What is enlightenment?

Enlightenment is simple; it’s another kind of communication, a communication that is nonlinear, without words, a knowingness. When this communication occurs, the entire feel of your persona- your soul, spirit, physical body, ego body and ego mind- explodes. It’s a supernova, it’s THE aha moment where you break through the prison wall, the energetic wall called the mind.

Yes, we need our minds. But the mind is also the barrier to enlightenment. Because the mind, the thinking mind, just thinks itself into all kinds of little traps and little muttering rooms where we try to figure it all out. And that’s all wonderful. We love the mind and we need the mind. But there is a window in this prison-like room of the mind where the light is always shining in through the bars. And you, who are a seeker, you are the one looking up within the small room of your mind saying, “I want that light. I want to fly out that window.”

Unfortunately, the path to that window gets very complicated. Because we’ve had thousands of years of incredible teachings and practices designed to help us find enlightenment, so much so the path has gotten very heavy. It’s loaded with the weight of all these ideas and thousands of big books, such that many of us say, “Oh, my gosh, I can never do this! It’s just too hard. There’s so much dogma and so many rules. I don’t think I can do it!”

Help while walking the Path

But the thing is, we all really do have help walking this path. And here’s how I know.

Back when 911 happened, I was living in Topanga Canyon outside of Los Angeles. I was in the grocery store at Gelson’s in Pacific Palisades, writing a check for the groceries. And suddenly, behind the clerk, a petite young woman appeared wearing an antiquated nun’s habit. I turned to the woman next to me and said, “Wow, isn’t it odd there’s a nun standing there in Gelson’s?” And from the look I got I realized, Oh, my gosh, she can’t see this person! So, I said nothing more and just kept writing the check. Finally, I got my groceries and left the store, and the nun followed me.

I stopped outside, turned to her, looked right into her clear, crystalline blue eyes and said, “Okay, who are you?What’s going on?”

She smiled and said, “I am Saint Catherine.”

“Why are you here?” I asked.

“I want you to know that I am watching over you and watching over the children of God,” she said. “We want humanity to know that there’s a great light coming, a great Ascension of Transformation that’s coming, and we want you to not be afraid. Even though events look terrible, please know that the saints and the angels of God are all here now on the Earth, walking among you to help nurture, love, and minister to humanity and the broken heart of humanity.”

She went on. “You are all always cared for and loved. Find relief letting go of the story that you and all humanity must suffer. Let those stories from another time wash away. You are here to live in joy. You are free, free from the prison.”

For me, the whole world changed in that moment, right in front of Gelson’s. And for years I contemplated this vision, wondering, Why me? And for heaven’s sakes, why at Gelson’s? This was one of the most powerful visions I’ve ever had. It was one of only five times in my life when I’ve seen the actual physical body of a saint, an archangel or prophet. I wasn’t in a church or a monastery. I wasn’t in a yoga studio. It didn’t happen during meditation. I was writing a check at the grocery store in a checkout line.

And the main lesson I received was: Don’t have a preconceived notion about where or when your aha moment—your awakening moment—will happen. Just throw that out. The lesson is to be in the moment and know that while doing the mundane work of living, Spirit is right there, the potential to awaken is right, all the time.

How to open the door for the aha moment of enlightenment

Step 1

First of all, be inquisitive. Be inquiring, be active. Ask to be given information. Look for the light, the goodness of life. Look for those moments, because they are there all the time. Enlightenment and receiving alignment require a commitment and an intention to live life fully present, to experience it fully. We just get so busy, we run right by those moments. So, the first thing is to be inquisitive. Be proactive. Ask and ye shall receive.

Step 2

In the morning when you wake up, say to the universe, “I am ready for my enlightenment. I am ready for my awakening. I am ready to reconnect to the most magnificent, incredible creation of all that is.” And then, even while you’re doing the rest of your work, put your attention on that. This can’t be something you just casually think about once a week or remember on your way to yoga. It has to be an intention that is alive, living inside of you 24/7.

Step 3

Don’t have a timeline. Say, “I’m ready! But it’s on your time, Spirit.” When you say that, wow! The world, the creation, the mystery opens, the veils part and that inner eye, that Silent Watcher within you, gets activated. And that’s when the magic happens.

It may happen for just a few moments. But here’s the other thing about enlightenment. It’s very important to know that it’s not as though you have this experience and then you stay like that forever. Yes, that happens down the line.

But in the beginning stages you’ll have this moment of oneness, and then it’ll close down. At that moment it’s important to think, “Okay, I felt it! I felt it! Now, please know, I’m ready again!”

Pray to be in the moment and then seize the next time the opening happens. Do this and you are well on your way to having your greatest dream answered: The dream of living a fully connected and happy, joyous life.

Staff Writer Lakshmi

The post The Many Paths to Enlightenment appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Tias Little photographed by Robert Sturman

Everyone is into the core these days. We build the core, activate the core, power up the core. We look for ways to develop real core strength. Yet what in the body really comprises the core? Is the core the spine, the iliopsoas muscle or the perineal fibers associated with mula bandha? I would like to propose that the bones are our innermost core tissues.

In all of the internal arts including Tai Chi, Qigong, or Yoga, the bones are a source of longevity and lasting wisdom. In the ancestral teachings from Tibet, India, and China, the bones were believed to be invested with enduring power.

For instance, in Tantra rituals, the femur and skull cap were used as implements to increase yogic power. In early Greek culture, the sacrum was believed to be the one bone in the body that never decomposed and that the soul incarnated from the holy bone of the sacrum.

In Sanskrit, bone is called asthi. This is easy to remember because the word asthi shares a common root with the Greek word for bone osteon. In this light, you can think of your bone doctor as your “asthiopath”! In Ayurveda, bone is directly linked to the nerves. In Yoga, the more we settle into our bones the more stable and equanimous our nervous system.

In Chinese Medicine, living bone is the source of the body’s essential vitality. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Qigong it is held that bone stores jing, the deepest life force in the body. Jing is related to blood and reproductive fluid. It is the most subtle, fine, and potent of all bodily substances.
In Qigong, standing meditation is paramount to the cultivation and preservation of jing. When standing for long periods of time (such as in the Horse Stance) the bones are amplified and jing is concentrated in the bones.

Standing poses in Yoga also help to build resiliency and real core strength in the bony matrix. Yet to do so it is critical to remain in the standing position for two to three minutes. This can be done without strain in poses such as mountain pose, half-moon pose, or utkatasana.

The heart of the bone is the marrow. Bone marrow is the innermost fluid within the body. In TCM, bone marrow is linked to the jing and in Ayurveda it is linked to ojas, the life force relating to immunity and reproductive power. Marrow is the source of prana. If we consider that prana is blood (namely as oxygen) then prana is to a great extent born out of the bone. Bone is continuously generating blood. Your bone marrow has produced approximately 200 billion blood cells just today!

Red blood cells and white blood cells along with platelets and lymph cells are secreted from the bone into circulation via numerous tributaries of artery inside the bone. Consider that your bones are your virtual blood banks.

The sponge-like interior of bone is both resilient and adaptable. In somatic practices, bones shape shift over time. One can reshape the contours of bone by mobilizing the surrounding connective tissues. Bone receives approximately ten percent of all of the blood pumped from the heart. Thus, it is not outlandish to say that we breathe into our bones! Bones are more vascular than cartilage and thus, unlike cartilage, bones are being remodeled and reformed continuously.

As people age (especially women), the vascular supply to the bone wanes. For this reason, women are more prone to osteoporosis, wherein the bone’s capacity to rebuild its own tissue is compromised. By positively stressing the bone (for example standing on one leg in warrior 3), we support circulation into the bone and help increase bone density.

If we look at the bones from the point of view of the elements, the bones are comparable to the earth. The bones are the ground of our being. This makes sense in light of the fact that bone is a storehouse of minerals, namely calcium, but also salt, magnesium, and phosphorus. The mineral deposits in bone are largely overseen by the throat chakra, namely the parathyroid gland within the throat. The parathyroid governs levels of calcium in the bone. You can experiment with generating vocalized resonance (like the OM sound) and sensing the vibration into your bones.

Our bones are encased by a silvery layer of connective tissue called periosteum. If you have ever pulled chicken flesh off the bone, you have likely seen a thin membrane of tissue that envelopes the bone. Periosteum is one of the deepest connective tissues in the body. Ligaments, tendons, and muscles attach into the periosteum in order to pull on the bone. Ligaments hold bone to bone. The tension held in the ligaments determines, at the deepest level, our characteristic shape. When you stretch in a pose, you can sense the continuity of fascia from your musculature, through your tendons, to the surface of your bone.

Bones are not static and rigid struts. Rather they are dynamic living tissue that are being continuously reconstructed. When I teach savasana or Yoga Nidra, I encourage students to sense the living presence of their bones. When we drop our bones into the ground, we experience a profound sense of stillness. We release our core tissues including the ligaments, tendons and joint capsules. The next time you are in savasana, listen to your bones. Sense their weight, gravity, and mass. At the same time sense their fluidity and aliveness. Sense the way your innermost core structures settle deeply into earth.

Staff Writer Lakshmi

The post Real Core Strength: Developing Vitality in the Bones appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

How our Minds Can Collectively Shift the Course of Humanity

The documentary The Portal explores the power of meditation and the positive outcomes that emerge from committing to a mindfulness practice, such as inner stillness and interconnectivity between individuals and all living beings. The film offers up the possibility that mass meditation carries the potential to shift humanity and our planet into the next stage of our evolutionary development.

Human stories come to life through the inner minds and experiences of six characters. Their experiences are flawlessly interwoven with behavioral science and the theories of futurists and philosophers.

Each character shares a highly compelling life story and circumstance; each uses meditation to regain a love for and appreciation of life and themselves. The result is powerful and honest. The film evokes unwavering compassion and interest for our characters accompanied by potent commentary on the effects of meditation on the individual and the collective.

One of the film’s prominent thinkers, Robotics Engineer Mikey Siegal, relates his thoughts on interconnectivity in the modern age. “We are living in a very unique time because almost every crisis on the planet is a human-generated one. Natural disasters may be amplified by global warming and climate change, but the problem that we’re facing is a human problem.”

Siegal follows with a dynamic resolution, “By definition, if there is a human problem, then humans have the power to change it, and in doing so, the power to shift the course of humanity.”

As a cinematic expression, The Portal employs a hybrid documentary technique, making use of animation, archival footage and cinematic re-enactments alongside interviews and stock footage to highlight the narrative.

Filmed in the USA, Canada, Australia and a Syrian refugee camp in Jordan, The Portal blends human experience with scientific research into Love and Empathy. Well-paced, beautifully shot and edited, it effortless weaves philosophical contemplations on the evolutionary capacity of humankind throughout.

See The Portal

The Portal opens in Laemmle Santa Monica on Friday November 1 and will be showing in theaters across the U.S.

Staff Writer Lakshmi

The post The Portal, a Documentary on Meditation and the Power of the Human Mind appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

As a mystic, I have been receiving information and guidance from the angels since I was a young girl. As I watch the news, I see a world of souls searching to make sense of the daily Surprise that is thrown upon us. In a recent meditation, The Archangels (the architects of the Heavenly Realms) came to me with a message for our time. I would like to share this message of reconnecting with your heart.

Message from The Archangels

“We the Archangels of Light are here with you now. We are walking among you. All we need to accomplish our mission to help humanity is for enough of you to open your hearts and become aware of the Oneness of All, that we, you and we and every aspect of creation are part of One Living Being. This state of understanding will bring the necessary wisdom for the wars of your world to cease. At this time, your world has a window of opportunity. The winds of grace are blowing. We are here to bring you the strength of heart you need to reconnect with every other heart. Perseverance will bring the virtue of your full heart’s potential. Stay the course with tenacity for this is what will turn the ship of destiny around in your personal life as well as in your world as a whole.”

The Archangels ask us to break open our limited belief patterns and peer inside, for there is our hidden and lost light and our power to truly transform our world. In order to do this, we are being summoned to dive deep into the heart of our hearts.

Finding Alignment with Your Feelings

Since you were first born, there have been many disappointments and many betrayals. But these painful experiences need not stop you from expanding and living the truth of your heart. It is possible to live a beautiful heart-centered and fulfilling life. Your heart is the great magnifier. And your heart is young in this world. As you heal trauma and clear the obstacles to understanding love in your heart, an unfolding of divine presence occurs. Your heart is the engine of your feelings and emotions.

As your feelings align with the Oneness of All Creation, you enter into the original pattern of humanity. A pattern that heals instead of harms, a pattern of tolerance instead of intolerance, peace instead of war, love instead of hate. You are free. This is spiritual freedom. In spiritual freedom your mind, body, spirit and heart release enormous quantities of transforming energy, the radiant light which reconnects us soul to soul.

When we come together in the magnificence of who we are as noble, dignified human beings, grounded in our virtue, grounded in the core value of who we are, we are living in the heart of reconnected consciousness. When we come together to clear our trauma, we open the door to attaining wisdom. We are free when we’ve cleared the obstacles to love. Spiritual freedom is the radiating connection between all living things. It is what heals. It is the language of nature and it is what the trees use to speak to one another around the globe.

Spiritual Freedom

In spiritual freedom, you have the ability to send a message around the globe. The only thing keeping you from fulfilling that divine prophecy of spiritual freedom is that you think your obstacles are insurmountable. But that is just not true. What you think you believe from your past lives, this life, family patterns and DNA are really only fragments of used energy held up in your nervous system which are relayed to your heart.

Your heart interprets this pre-used energy and returns the old pattern of messages to your brain, which sends it back to your nervous system, continuing the cycle of limiting beliefs. For example, you may think, “Oh, I’m depressed because so and so didn’t call me back.” But your depression may actual stems from an old pattern of loss, a non-truth from the past that does not truly exist now. Non-truths cause disconnection between us.

Here is a simple beginning meditation from Archangel Ariel that has helped me break this cycle of disconnection. Try this short meditation and see what magic grows.

Meditation from Archangel Ariel

With your minds inner eye, look into your heart. Imagine that inside of your heart is the most beautiful rose, a beautiful, incredible flower of light. In the middle of this rose there are many gemstones of light. These gemstones of light are dancing and spinning, and as they turn they are like sparklers emitting a rainbow of light.

Hold your attention on this jewelled center in your heart. Now think of someone you love, someone you love so much that when you think of them your heart just melts. Do you feel it?

Take that feeling of love in your heart for that person, place, or thing that makes your heart melt, and place this feeling of love within those spinning gems of light until they become a ring of light pulsating from your heart to form a ring of light around your heart. Allow this ring of light to turn.

The Divine Presence is effortlessly clearing and rejuvenating your heart, radiating in pulses of love. This is the language of love, the language of nature filling your body.

The Oneness Factor and Reconnecting with your Heart

You can even take this journey of reconnecting with your heart one step further. Take a deep breath. Is there someone you don’t feel love for? Someone who is really giving you a problem, either now or in the past? Take this feeling of love, the ring of light from your heart, and imagine you are giving this to them as a gift. What happens? Effortless forgiveness. Feel the gems stones of love expanding. This is a mystical experience of changing a harmful pattern. This is how to energetically heal old wounds, misunderstandings and pain. This is how you enter into the Oneness Factor of all things.

How do you feel inside of your body now? How does your heart feel? Greet life with your open heart. Experience the inner peace of a free heart, and more happiness, greater opportunity, synchronicity, and wisdom will follow. This is reconnecting to your heart.

The big task of healing our world is going to take all of us. It’s going to take you, me and millions of others. By doing this simple heart meditation daily, you have taken a big step to healing. I have committed my life to this practice, and my life has been filled with miracle after miracle in health, prosperity, and love. But this only happens when I make my daily practice of re-connecting to my heart my top priority. Give it a try. You might be happily surprised by the results!

The Four Chambers of the Heart

To further experience reconnecting to your heart, join Deirdre in Healing The Four Chambers of The Heart, a 40-minute guided meditation from Archangel Ariel that will leave you feeling healed, alive and refreshed.
http://deirdrehade.com/the-four-chambers-of-the-heart/

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Staff Writer Lakshmi

The post Reconnecting to Your Heart: A Guided Meditation from the Archangels appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

How to Cultivate Passion and Fertility

Denise Wiesner’s new book Conceiving with Love will change the way you think about sex. It is a whole-body approach to creating intimacy, reigniting passion, and increasing fertility.

Although this book was specifically written for couples who have been trying to conceive through natural means and using Western reproductive technologies like In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), all readers will learn new techniques to enhance intimacy with themselves and their partners.

What makes this book special is the plethora of Eastern practices that help move and balance energy so that partners can connect authentically and bring spirituality back to love-making.

Sometimes couples lose their loving connection and need to find ways to reignite the flame they had when they first met. Conceiving with Love delineates all of the obstacles that hinder authentic connections, and then provides solutions, practices, and resources to overcome them.

Good Sex Comes from a Loving Connection

Denise Wiesner, founder of the Natural Healing and Acupuncture Clinic in West Los Angeles, is a recognized practitioner specializing in the Whole Systems Traditional Chinese Medicine approach to health, sexuality, and fertility. Since 1994, she has treated and helped women manage challenges regarding sexuality and fertility. Using a combination of acupuncture, diet and lifestyle counseling, nutritional supplements and Chinese herbs, Ms. Wiesner has helped thousands of couples navigate the tricky and often stressful journey towards getting pregnant. All while increasing their loving connection.

For Conceiving with Love, Ms. Wiesner travelled around the world to interview leading experts. The exhaustive group includes Western reproductive endocrinologists, urologists, gynecologists, Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners as well as Tantra experts, trauma experts, qigong teachers, Taoist practitioners, kink educators, sex toy manufacturers, yoga practitioners, Feng Shui experts, Buddhist and Hindu authorities, mindfulness practitioners, psychologists, authors, sexologists, and sacred sexuality workshop leaders.

Her secrets to how couples thrive tap into the Taoist inner smile practice, the eye-gazing during love-making practice, partner breath work, and many others.

Extremely well-researched and well-written, this heartfelt, comprehensive yet practical book will enhance the life of anyone who was ever interested in either procreational and non-procreational sex.

Staff Writer Lakshmi

The post Conceiving with Love by Denise Wiesner appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

LaLaLå! Jivamukti Yoga Los Angeles in the DTLA Arts District

Tucked away in an industrial looking alley in the Arts District of Downtown Los Angeles is the Jivamukti Yoga Los Angeles Center. The studio is a welcome addition to the growing number of boutiques, cafes, communal workspaces and juice bars in the area. The first and only licensed Jivamukti Yoga studio on the West Coast opened in February, 2019. It looks like it is right at home in the evolving enclave.

For those not familiar with Jivamukti, it is a vigorous vinyasa style Hatha Yoga practice that incorporates ethical and spiritual awareness as part of its five tenets. These include: ahimsa (nonviolence, non-harming), bhakti (devotion), nada (music and sound), shastra (study of teachings), and dhyana (meditation). The method was founded in NYC in the 1980s by Sharon Gannon and David Life. Independently owned schools create a strong global community and views yoga as a conduit for activism.

The DTLA space is inviting, filled with light and plants. True to its industrial roots, it is constructed with repurposed and found building materials. The space has two practice studios. One is larger with a wall made of perfectly weathered, sliding industrial doors. The smaller studio is behind two beautifully hand-painted turquoise doors. Pink lights adorn the recessed shelf in the boutique stocked with local, handmade lotions and oils and a thoughtful selection of books. The different textures, materials, and colors in the studio are thoughtfully combined like a handmade quilt.

Community and Practice

Envisioned by founder and Advanced Certified Jivamukti Yoga Teacher Ha-Chi Yu several years ago as a way to bring the Jivamukti practice to Los Angeles, as well as a place to engage the local community through events and workshops. The new studio has something for everyone. Each week, the studio offers signature Jivamukti Fundamentals, Spiritual Warrior, and 75, 90 minute open level classes as well as vinyasa, restorative, and Karunta or “puppet” yoga performed with the aid of the ropes wall for added release, spinal traction and alignment.

There are several workshops each month ranging from Ayurvedic Facial Massage to Chakra Tuning to conscious movie nights. Look for the rotating roster of visiting international teachers for events and trainings. Before jumping back into the work week, find your way to DTLA for Sunday Reset, a guided meditation journey with certified clinical hypnotherapist Bianca Degroat.

LaLaLå! Jivamukti Yoga Los Angeles

421 Colyton St, Los Angeles, CA 90013 213-221-7978 Jivamuktiyogala.com

Staff Writer Lakshmi

The post LaLaLå! Jivamukti Yoga Los Angeles appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

In 2018, Candidates Came to Knock Down the House

Knock Down the House is one of the poignant and triumphant films ever made.

Imagine if a monk in a monastery in India in 1974 had said to a fellow monk, “I’m going to follow around this Steve Jobs kid with a video camera.  He has been saying some crazy stuff and I want to record it.”  Well, that is the type of luck that filmmakers Rachel Lears and Robin Blotnick experienced in this film.

Not Following the Money

Lears and Blotnick decided to follow Congressional candidates in the 2018 midterm elections, candidates who were not taking corporate nor lobbyists’ money. They found an African-American nurse named Cori Bush, a grieving mother from Las Vegas named Amy Vilela, a West Virginian coal-miners’ daughter named Jean Swearengin, and a bartender from the Bronx named Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Watch the Knock Down the House Trailer

Staff Writer Lakshmi

The post Knock Down the House Showing on Netflix appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Charming Old Town Newhall has a rich history. It’s a community whose present has just become richer with Rising Lotus Yoga Santa Clarita.

Rising Lotus Yoga, the vibrant studio located in Sherman Oaks and co-founded by Daniel Stewart and Claire Hartley in 2006, is expanding with an oasis for practice in the heart of the Santa Clarita Valley. Rising Lotus Yoga Santa Clarita Co-Owners Claire Hartley and Santa Clarita native Heather Riggen have come together to create this space that promotes the unity and awareness inherent in yoga. They exude enthusiasm with their mission to provide a yoga experience that is joyful, immersive, and creates a sense of ease for students.

Classes at Rising Lotus Yoga Santa Clarita

Claire and Heather are both long-time dedicated yoga practitioners whose want to share yoga and build community. Some of the classes offered at Rising Lotus Yoga Santa Clarita include: Urban Zen, which features Reiki as well as the use of essential oils; several Restorative yoga classes to quiet and relax the mind and body; and the studio’s signature Flow Yoga class. In the Flow class, students move from pose to pose with variations that encourage deep strength and a greater range of motion.

Rising Lotus Yoga Santa Clarita is full of good vibes and a welcoming spirit. The space features practice-friendly bamboo floors, sunny classrooms — named the Shiva and Ganesha rooms, and a mission-driven retail store. Stop by and participate in Rising Lotus’ invitation to experiment new practices, shift perspectives, and develop strength, and even greater happiness. As their tagline asserts, “Let Joy Rise!”

All Photos by Golden Bee Artistry

For More Information

Rising Lotus Yoga Santa Clarita
23550 Lyons Ave, #117 (In the Plaza Posada)
Newhall, CA 91321
661-200-7293
risinglotusyogascv.com

Staff Writer Lakshmi

The post Rising Lotus Yoga Santa Clarita appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Six Keys offer techniques for living a spiritually-connected and purpose-filled life.

These energetic Keys will give you simple, easy, and quick access points to opening the gates to the inner reservoir of your strength, resilience, love, and harmony.

Why are the 6 Simple Keys so important? The rapidly changing culture of our times is pushing us into deeper states of anxiety and depression. More than ever, you need to know how to reconnect with the home base within you, the place where you feel secure, steady, resilient, wise and calm. How you heal is by reconnecting to your heart’s values and virtues as a spiritual being. To attain these goals you need calm. You need this home base, the central pillar, which is the psychological core of your thoughts, feelings, and emotions to effectively manage today’s level of stress. When everything around you is fractured, you need a resting place of wholeness within.

Staff Writer Lakshmi

The post 6 Simple Keys to Happiness appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Sip Tea with Calming Herbs for Sleep and Stress Reduction

With all that’s going on these days, it’s not so hard to slip into a situation that leaves you feeling stressed out, anxious and lacking in sleep. These unwanted feelings might plague you thanks to money worries, health issues, an unappreciative boss, family troubles, or strife with your love life. These are just a handful of the most common examples, but don’t think that’s the end of the story though; you can implement a kind of lifestyle detox with the help of some calming herbs for sleep and stress reduction.

These five herbs are commonly used and effective for supporting our ability to reduce stress and help with the issues you are dealing with in modern life. Try them individually and see which you enjoy sipping as a calming tea.

1. Camomile

Camomile is well-known for its ability to soothe your mind and your body. The flowers provide the source of calming elements when you drink it as a herbal tea. It helps to relax the nervous system, which is exactly what you want to do.

Camomile acts to aid in the reduction of the tensions that build up in your day, which makes it that much easier to sleep, relax/unwind, and remained focus. Such is the soothing property of camomile some people find it’s best to drink at night before bed.

The mild taste and gentle aroma bring a certain pleasantness that can help with chilling you out.  Camomile can also help with children, reducing restlessness and colic.

2. Hibiscus

The delicious, aromatic hibiscus flower tea is produced using the calyces of the tropical hibiscus plant. Hibiscus is brimming with a host of health benefits that not just help anxiety, but your overall health. It is full of antioxidants and Vitamin C, and it is traditionally used as a trusted go-to for people looking to lower their blood pressure.

Sip the sweet-flavoured hibiscus tea either hot or chilled to reap its calming benefits. Hibiscus also can reduce insomnia, assist with weight management, and also rid your body of free radicals, which is something that you can find The Sleep Advisor mentioning on their official website.

3. Red Clover

Red Clover is a bit of a lesser-known option for relieving signs of anxiety, sleep and stress is red clover. It’s produced via the dried blossoms from the red clover plant. The flower is recognized as being a natural tool when facing the symptoms of menopause. A warming cup of red clover tea can reduce the intensity and frequency of hot flashes, which is a great ally when sleeping.

People who drink red clover are also known to enjoy improved levels of sleep, reduced anxiety, and stronger bones.

4. Passion Flower

Passion flower is particularly efficient at helping you out when you’re unable to wind down your active mind. The boosting properties that passion flower offers the brain’s GABA creation is vital to relieving stress and anxiety.  GABA is the body’s focal calming neurotransmitter. Increased GABA can calm pain and muscle tension and reduce suffering from overthinking or anxiety.

Passion flower is also easy to grow. You could even plant the vine in a pot at home and brew the tea from the gorgeous flower when the time is right.

5. Valerian root

Valerian root is a  long-standing favorite for people enduring anxiety, difficulty sleeping, and challenges remaining calm. If you’re after a solid night’s sleep, reaching for some valerian root could be the answer. You can drink it as a tea, so fire up the kettle on an hour or so before bedtime.

For some people, valerian can slightly increase morning grogginess. But the full and effective deep sleep you receive thanks to valerian root is delightfully restorative.

Valerian root works through a different GABA receptor than that of the passion flower, so you can try them both and see which works better for you.

Read More About Sleep on LA YOGA

6 Essential Oils to Promote Sound Sleep

5 Steps to Harmonize your Circadian Rhythm 

Sleep Hacks from Sleep Advisor

In addition to 5 sleep-promoting teas, try 48 sleep hacks from Sleep Advisor.

Staff Writer Lakshmi

The post 5 Calming Herbs for Sleep, Stress, and Anxiety appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Dead Set on Living

You know when people ask you, “If you could host the ultimate dinner party, who would be on the guest list?” Dead Set on Living: On Making the Difficult but Beautiful Journey from F**cking Up to Waking Up reads like the transcript of the best dinner party ever. If you don’t yet know who author and teacher Chris Grosso is, you should, and you will.

Chris Grosso, the Indie Spiritualist

Dead Set on Living is Chris’ latest book (written with Alice Peck). His first two, Everything Mind, and Indie Spiritualist, were both solid contributions to the modern spirituality space. Dead Set On Living is a manual for navigating human condition at high contrast. Grosso’s voice is sweet and raw, confident and vulnerable, curious and knowledgeable. He openly shares the frustration and shame of his (at times) life-threatening struggle with addiction. Recovery, relapse, and recovery, rinse and repeat.

The Personal and the Practice

Grosso weaves his personal story throughout Dead Set on Living. This book is comprised of conversations with a series of teachers and thought leaders from a variety of disciplines. Some of the people featured include Gabor Maté, Tara Brach, Ram Dass, Noah Levine, Duncan Trussell, Sharon Salzberg, and many more. Each chapter explores the nature of suffering and addiction through a particular lens. Each one of these chapters is also punctuated with instructions for a practice that will help cultivate whatever soul hack was covered. Dead Set on Living delivers wisdom for everyone.

Let’s be honest. We all have our ways of numbing out when the endurance test that is life feels too hard. Whether your addictive behavior is obvious or subtle, legal or contraband, Grosso and his posse offer practical wisdom for the journey towards self-mastery. It is meaningful advice that is delivered with both humility and compassion.

Staff Writer Lakshmi

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Nature is the Ultimate Teacher

Today’s lesson is simple: Step outside and learn from the ultimate teacher. Nature is our guiding light when it comes to cycles and rhythms. She functions under a perfect ebb and flow of counterbalancing principles. Heat and cold balance with light and dark. Growth and decay are fully realized in cycles of the year, as are birth and death. Nature has all the wisdom you need, packed into plain sight.

We’ve simply forgotten to look.

Today’s practice is to step outside and spend some quiet time in nature. Even if a public park or back lawn of an office park is all you can access, I am positive that there is going to be some semblance of the natural world available to you today if you open your eyes and look for it. Go there.

Practice in Nature

Sit in a comfortable spot and start to breathe deeply to your lower abdomen. Relax into your breathing and sink into the sounds all around you. Feel the wind on your face and maybe take off your shoes and wiggle your toes into the dirt. If you have the luxury to fully immerse, get into some clay or bury your body at the beach. Break down the wall and allow for nature’s majesty to touch you and surround your senses.

Trees can get to hundreds of years in age, but the pebbles below your feet are millions of years old. Where did they come from? Were they part of some large rock aeons ago? How did they get here?

Now observe the dirt under your feet. Long ago, certain fungal elements evolved to break down rock and create dirt. With the coming of bacteria, Protozoa, nematodes, and multiple other life-forms, the dirt started to become soil. This allowed for certain life-forms to take inorganic materials and make them available to the plant kingdom, which then took off and spread across the planet. Those plants adapted to drink light and create energy from the sun, trapping energy in carbohydrate bonds. This became the fuel for certain animals to eat, and fast-forward several million years, here you are.

The microscopic life under your feet created a long cascade of processes that eventually allowed you to be here as a consumer of sunlight via plants. If you eat animals, you’re capturing the sunlight they ingested via the plants they consumed.

Breathe It In

Life: It’s all around you. You’re breathing it in right now as you’re reading this. Millions of bacteria and viruses just entered your lungs and are all over your skin. They help you interact with the natural world all around you. They help defend against invaders. And they are part of the ecosystem of your body, which is part of the ecosystem of the planet. This is all going on while you go through your day, millions upon millions of life-forms living their lives, oblivious to your bills or petty dramas.

Observe Nature

Sit outside in the symphony of nature and notice the oddity of scale. On the one hand, you’re this universe of life with bugs in you and on your skin, all interacting as an ecosystem. On the other, you’re a tiny speck on a single planet at the edge of a regular galaxy that is lightyears from the next.

Up and down it’s all amazing, and you sit in the middle of all of it. You are a focal point where infinity collides into a single point of time and space. How can you make sense of it all? The only way is to open your heart and fall into the wonder that it induces. This way, we don’t take ourselves so seriously. It helps us think about the big questions and puts in perspective where we stand in the grand scheme of things.

You only get a moment of time here as the person you think you are. What are you going to do with it?

The Art of Stopping Time

Reprinted from The Art of Stopping Time by Pedram Shojai, OMD. Copyright (c) 2017 by Pedram Shojai, OMD. By permission of Rodale Books. Available wherever books are sold. Learn more and pick up a copy of the book at TheUrbanMonk.com

Read the LA YOGA review of The Art of Stopping Time.

Staff Writer Lakshmi

The post Nature is the Ultimate Teacher appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Photo Courtesy of the Flex Company

The following organic, natural, and toxin-free brands include manufacturers and distributors of underwear, liners, pads, tampons, cups, and discs. Cutting-edge designs include the use of body-safe, technologies that emphasize comfort, security and sustainability. Obtaining these organic menstrual products is made even easier with the proliferation of subscription services that offer home delivery. Furthermore, companies with a social conscience are integrating ways to give back and pay it forward around the world.

Less mess. Less waste. More options to help not only yourself but the planet.

BFF Period Undies

Founded by Grace SooHoo, Simple Necessit-EASE has been making period undies since 2004. These comfortable and fashionable leak-proof pairs of underwear are made with three ways of soft absorbent technology. The extra layer of protection offers a back-up to keep you from leaking through your clothing while using other feminine hygiene items. They provide soft (made from cotton) secure coverage and peace of mind.
necessit-ease.com

Cora

Ethically sourced, organically grown cotton serve as the material in tampons (with and without applicators). You can also add organic cotton liners and/or body cloths to monthly subscriptions. The Cora Fearless Necklace is a statement piece that does more than look good; it holds a single Cora Applicator Free Tampon, and the purchase price provides a year of pads to a girl in Kenya. An 18-pack of applicator free tampons is also included with purchase. Free trials and Signature Kits with are available for this monthly subscription service.
cora.life

DivaCup

Mother and daughter team Francine and Carinne Chambers designed The DivaCup to be reusable, comfortable, convenient to clean, and easy to insert and remove. It is made from healthcare-grade silicone and is free of questionable ingredients such as latex, BPA, phthalates, and others. Two sizes accommodate women of different ages who may or may not have had children. DivaWash is made from plant-based ingredients that are safe for your body and for cleaning the cup.
divacup.com

Lola

Lola offers customized assortments of tampons, pads, and liners made with organic cotton and without toxins, dyes, or synthetics. You can choose tampons with BPA-free compact applicators or cardboard applicators with a curved tip. Tailor your subscription with a variety of items to meet your specific needs. Lola partners with the nonprofit initiatives Support the Girls, Simply the Basics, and Distributing Dignity to donate feminine care products to homeless shelters and low-income women and girls across the US.
mylola.com

Natracare

In 1989, Natracare founder Susie Hewson watched a documentary that revealed the dangers of dioxin pollution from the chlorine bleaching of paper and pulp products, including those found in feminine hygiene products. This inspired Natracare’s commitment to selling certified organic tampons and chlorine-free pads and panty liners. Natracare offers pads, tampons, and liners with different levels of absorbency; their product line has expanded to include maternity and incontinence items, as well as wipes.
natracare.com

OI: Organic Initiative

Based in New Zealand, made in Europe, and sold around the world, OI values transparency, honesty, and integrity. The boxes proudly declare slogans such as “Zero Waste, Period” (for the menstrual cups), “Revolution in a Box” and “Pure Inside, Nothing to Hide.” OI’s products include tampons (with and without applicators), pads, liners, and menstrual cups. They are committed to social responsibility in all of their practices, including manufacturing and packaging. Subscriptions are available.
oi4me.com/us

She.

Three sisters: Lauren Carletta (registered nurse), Kim Lambert (doctor of physical therapy), and Lindsay Aschtiani (certified financial planner) started their company to offer the products they wanted to buy. What are they? Organic cotton tampons with an ultra-thin BPA-free applicator. Choose a box of 18 or 32 tampons in sizes little, regular, and super to be delivered to your door monthly.
sheisorganic.com

The Flex Company

Flex is a tampon alternative that lasts up to 12 hours. This disposable menstrual disc is made from a medical-grade polymer blend without latex, silicone, BPA, or phthalates. Its shape sits in the vaginal canal differently from tampons or cups, and one of its advantages is that you can wear it for mess-free period sex. Available by subscription.
flexfits.com

Thinx

This specially designed underwear to wear during periods is available in sizes xxs-3xl to accommodate a variety of body types. The range of styles include: hi-waist, thong, leotard, hiphugger, boyshort, brief, bikini, sport, and even training short. Depending on your flow, they can serve as a backup to prevent leaking or even a substitute for other products. The high-tech multi-layer design is anti-microbial, moisture-wicking, absorbent, and leak-resistant.
shethinx.com

This is L

With creative packaging, and products free of synthetics, fragrances, and dyes, This is L delivers a variety of different absorbency of organic tampons and chlorine free pads. For every pad purchased, one is donated to a girl in need in a developing country so that they can still go to school even when they have their period. And if you need more than just menstrual products delivered, This is L also offers a condom club.
thisisl.com

Staff Writer Lakshmi

The post Organic Menstrual Products appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

How to be an Engaged Citizen and Live a Purpose-Driven Life

Advocacy, community engagement, civic leadership, and wellness comprise my core values as well as my areas of professional focus. I have worked in both public and private sectors to promote the yogic ideals of service and engagement in everyday life. These ideals are part of my career as a Community Relations Specialist and by way of my service as a former Santa Monica City Commissioner on the Status of Women & Girls. Throughout, I have engaged in self-inquiry and along the way have identified five steps for creating a purpose-driven life.

Many of us hear the call to contribute to the collective well-being and address societal challenges. We can show up with our passion, our ingenuity, and our work ethic to activate this purpose. Being of service and connecting with community are important remedies for our own potential feelings of isolation and helplessness. Empowering others is a gateway to empowering ourselves.

The following steps streamline our ability to channel our desires for engaging in seva, or selfless service, and to understand how to live lives full of presence and purpose.

1. Self-Acceptance

This is crucial to building your own courage, confidence, and self esteem. Recognize your personal values and worth when giving back. Your personal story will be an asset to others. In this process, forgive yourself for any decisions that have negatively impacted you or someone you care about. Take ownership of your choices, appreciate who you are and what you have now.  Strengthening your foundation in this capacity gives you a place from which you can grow and expand as a humanitarian.

2. Self-Care

Cultivate the personal self-care resources necessary to be successful. Giving from an abundance of energy is crucial for your own well-being, as well as your longevity as an activist and an engaged citizen.

Some of the most important self-care practices are often the simplest. Consider what replenishes and restores you. This can include yogic practices such as meditation and asana, and nourishing your body with healthy foods, smoothies and juices.

I have a regular practice that includes meditation, prayer, healthy eating, yoga, outdoor exercise, soulful reading, and surrounding myself with positive, optimistic people. Regular journaling helps me stay connected to personal voice and inner development.  Writing is an excellent medium for spiritual therapy.

3. Taking Stock and Inventory

In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali speaks of the importance of svadhyaya–the practice of self-inquiry or self-study. When you seek to understand yourself and apply the resulting knowledge to a personal call to action, it supports your ability to be in alignment with your goals and actions.

Taking time to list your passions, skills, and talents will guide you to specific organizations in need of your presence. Ensuring your personal mission aligns with the organization’s will allow you to access points of mutual interest.

In this process, take notes. I found it helpful to journal about my character traits as well as skills that my professors, friends, family, colleagues, and former employers and employees considered valuable in me. I then coupled those traits with things that come naturally to me like marketing outreach, communication strategy, and public affairs.

Sit with a trusted friend or family member to support you and find someone who can hold space for vulnerability and support reflection. Do the same for them. Ask each other questions: “What do you see me doing?” or “What do you think I’m really great at?” or  “How can I serve?”

Look at everything you have done. What have you studied? What is your vocation? List your hobbies. We don’t always recognize the complexity and value of life experience. For example, managing a household takes real skill.  Go deeper and acknowledge all of it in your quest to create a purpose-driven life.

4. Identify Your Skills and Assets

What kinds of activities do you gravitate to or have a passion or love for, whether you are paid or not paid?  What activities make you happy? Maybe you always have a pot of soup going. Perhaps you are knitting scarves in spare moments. You might be the neighborhood dog-walker or a 24/7 techie.

Ask yourself: How can I be of service in these areas? For example, if soup-making is top of the list and you know how to shop for healthy ingredients, and perhaps have a nutrition background, you may find a way to be of service through the culinary industry.  Serving hot meals to the homeless or volunteering at a shelter.

5. Integrate and Take Action: Living a Purpose-Driven Life

When we’re sharing anything from the place of our skills and gifts, the seva becomes more successful. Focus on your niche and start networking. Reach out to volunteer coordinators of nonprofits. Ask friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors for referrals. Look for organizations and/or initiatives that feel like a match for your purpose and passion.

Check in with the strategic goals of the city or town in which you live. Call or email your appointed and elected officials; it is their job to hear your concerns and ideas about how to make a difference. You are the “voice” of the people. Your experience—no matter how big or small— serves the greater good. Activate by stepping out of your comfort zone and build new relationship based on common goals.

Remember that small actions can have powerful ripple effects. It is time to consider your piece in the part of the whole.

I write this in honor of my yoga lineage: Mother, Sue and Grandmother Padma. I love you!

Staff Writer Lakshmi

The post 5 Steps for Creating A Purpose-Driven Life appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Dr. Tererai Trent’s Story

Consistent with the culture she was raised in, Terarai was married by the age of 14. By the time she was 18, she had borne four children. One day, an American woman from Heifer International—a nonprofit that works to end hunger and poverty—visited the small village. With the belief that anything is possible, she helped Tererai identify and voice her desire to go to the United States and pursue an education. Tererai’s wish for education did not end with her own, but included making education accessible to all women as a means to awaken their dreams.

Universal Truths of Womanhood

Dr. Trent insightfully identifies universal truths of womanhood. She then leans into the wisdom gleaned from her own experience and cultural knowledge to offer practical means to navigate the path from sacred dream to achievement.

Realize Your Sacred Dreams

I have had the privilege of spending time with Dr. Trent and have heard her speak several times. She is truly a force of nature. Her deep and accessible wisdom fills the pages of The Awakened Woman. It’s a soul-shaking and potentially life-altering read filled with stories, guidance, and rituals to help readers realize their sacred dreams.

For More Information

Tereari Trent shares her personal dreams and her encouragement of other women’s dreams in her book. The calls on women to form sacred circles. To learn more about Dr Tererai Trent and her book, The Awakened Woman: Remembering and Reigniting our Sacred Dreams, visit her author page here. Learn more about her social change and empowerment work on her website: tereraitrent.org.

Staff Writer Lakshmi

The post The Awakened Woman: Remembering and Reigniting our Sacred Dreams by Dr. Tererai Trent appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

How to Survive Your Childhood Now That You’re an Adult by Ira Israel is both scholarly and accessible. Ira Israel is a prolific and accomplished psychotherapist, meditation teacher, and author. He graduated from University of Pennsylvania and subsequently studied for 25 years in Paris, India, Los Angeles, Connecticut, and Santa Barbara. Israel earned graduate degrees in philosophy, psychology, and religious studies (Buddhism, Hinduism, and Kabbalah). He has also studied and sat with a long list of spiritual masters like Fred Luskin, Jack Kornfield, Rodney Yee, and Richard Rosen, to name just a few.

Authenticity and our Longing for Unconditional Love

Ira Israel has spent his adult life traveling freely between the worlds of academia and spirituality. This explains how he is able to deliver such comprehensive work. Driven by the breadth of his education and experience, Israel lays down a comprehensive and well-argued analysis of the suffering (resentment, addiction, neurosis, et cetera) around our inherent longing for unconditional love. He adeptly deconstructs the many layers of influence—from human nature to a system of complex structures and customs— that cause us to drift from authenticity.

Ira Israel on the Tenets of Authenticity

Leaning into his deep knowledge of Eastern spirituality, Ira Israel then offers a path to wholeness by redefining authenticity in terms of five tenets. The five tenets he describes are: attachment, at-onement, attunement, presence, and congruence. When we are able to incorporate these practices into our lives, we can cultivate happiness.

The uniqueness of Israel’s approach does not lie solely in his content, but also in the way in which he delivers it. You can add to his credentials a firm grasp of popular culture and idiom that make his style relevant, relatable, and irresistibly personal.

If you are looking for ways to live a life of authenticity, this is the book for you.

Staff Writer Lakshmi

The post How to Survive Your Childhood Now That You’re an Adult by Ira Israel appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Musician Chris Brown. Photo by Kirsten Ritchie

Chris Brown as a Musical Activist

When Hugh Christopher Brown built a studio on Wolfe Island, in Ontario, Canada, he didn’t know the effects it would have. It was only after some time when he realized that it would inspire him to enter the nearby prison and even launch a groundbreaking prison music rehabilitation initiative. Chris spearheaded the amazing Pros and Cons Program that infuses the power of healing for inmates by making music behind bars in Canadian prisons.

It is a story he tells in a thoughtful TEDx talk. Chris says, “Human beings can change for the better against great odds with the emotional platform and patience that music provides.”

Artist Hugh Christopher Brown

Multi-instrumentalist Chris Brown has performed with Ani DiFranco, Barenaked Ladies, Crash Test Dummies, Joan As Police Woman, the Bourbon Tabernacle Choir, Kate Fenner, and many others. Chris also produced highly acclaimed debut albums for Suzanne Jarvie and David Corley. He will soon be releasing his newest solo record, Pacem.

I have listened to all of Chris’ CDs and would not hesitate to call him “The Canadian Van Morrison.” His songs and his musicianship are incredibly soulful, clever, and inspiring.  In particular, I was blown away by his songs “Superior” from Burden of Belief; “Oblivion,” “Snow” and “Whoever Built This Would Never Live Here” from Other People’s Heavens; “Drive While You Sleep” and “The Lesser Amount” from Geronimo; and “Failed” and “Exquisite Corpse” from O Witness.

The Pros and Cons Prison Music Project

In addition to his work as an artist, Chris is also a passionate and committed social justice activist. As part of the Pros and Cons music rehabilitation program at Joyceville Institution, he produced an album of the prisoners’ songs called Postcards from the County. Chris continues to run music workshops there.

The David Rockefeller Fund awarded $75,000 to expand Brown’s program to more prisons over the next few years. Chair of the Fund Michael Quattrone said, “The David Rockefeller Fund is pleased to support the Pros and Cons Project. Hugh Christopher Brown is an artist who understands the power of music and mentorship to transform lives. We especially admire his passionate commitment to bring that healing force to those who need it most. Pros and Cons has the potential to be a standing government program at a far greater scale.”

The Yoga of Music in Prison

Chris told me that his program brings “a brief escape from the dominating identity of being an inmate in a prison.” He compares it to yoga because “it takes great humility and great courage to feel in a place where you have so much pain. When that pain is brought about by suffering that you have caused others, it is usually avoided. The music provides a platform for unyielding emotions the way yoga provides a platform for the unyielding body to find other ways of being.”

More than four years ago, Chris was inspired to start the Pros and Cons project after the closure of the prison’s agricultural program at the Joyceville Institution. His request to “go inside” and work with the inmates was granted. He began hosting biweekly music sessions at the prison. While doing so, Chris encouraged the men to sing and write music as well as to learn production, arrangement, recording, and engineering skills.

A Few Pros from Cons Involved in the Music Project

Some of the prisoners who wrote songs for, sang or played music on Postcards from the County have now been released or are out on parole. One parolee, Lloyd Ingraham, said, “In my 11 years inside the Federal Prison system, I have never seen anything touch the hearts and souls of so many.

Chris was able to reach out to the guys through the power of music. The music drew them out and sometimes it took a lot of encouragement to convince them to get involved. There is a great power to seeing the look on a man’s face as he listens to himself for the first time on tape and realizes this is an accomplishment and he is capable of doing more than he ever thought he could. This experience gave the guys a new sense of purpose that brought them out of the darkness that had been in their life for so long.

Another parolee, Adam Harris wrote, “Music has been the only way I could express myself in a positive way. However, I never developed any associated skills much beyond playing guitar and writing rudimentary songs on my own, but never in a collaborative effort. Throughout our recording sessions and time on our own, I developed strong social skills that are helping me during my current-day parole release. I fell in love with music again. By receiving the positive feedback from Chris and the other professional musicians, my self-esteem started coming back as I flourished under their guidance and encouragement.”

The Success of the Pros and Cons Program

Chris expressed that he is proud that the art of all the participants over the last five years is having such a profound effect. The work stands as an example to help so many others. Chris says, “The practice of restorative justice lowers crime and recidivism rates, reduces violence and promotes mental health in prisons. It also prepares convicts for re-integration into society upon release.”

More information: Chris Brown and the Prison Music Project

For more information about Hugh Christopher Brown and the Pros and Cons Program, please visit ProsandConsprogram.com

For more information about the music and Chris’ new album Pacem, visit http://wolfeislandrecords.com/hughchristopherbrown

Staff Writer Lakshmi

The post Chris Brown Empowers Cons with a Prison Music Project appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

The Tzu Chi Thousands of Helping Hands Charity Art Performance raises funds for this faith-based organization’s global acts of compassion.

The worldwide nonprofit spiritual organization Tzu Chi spreads a mission and a message.

In Southern California and beyond, the worldwide nonprofit organization Tzu Chi spreads the message that giving awakens kindness and love in our hearts. Master Cheng Yen is the founder and leader of the Tzu Chi Buddhist charity organization.
 
Over the past five decades, Tzu Chi has dedicated itself to the missions of disaster relief, charity, medicine, education, and humanistic culture. The focus of these is to offer material aid and psychological support to those in need, spiritual and moral guidance through education, in addition to protecting the environment and providing international disaster relief.
 
Wherever Tzu Chi goes, good health, peace and love follow closely. As part of their worldwide mission, they are hosting a series of inspiring evenings through the Charity Art Performance Tour. The tour will be coming to LA on October 1.
 
In Chinese, tzu means compassion, and chi relief. Tzu Chi’s mission includes eight categories called One step, eight footprints. Its mobile food pantry travels to impoverished communities in California weekly, benefiting 20,000 families annually.
 
Around 900 inmates have received spiritual support through books, magazines, and over 1,200 letters that were answered, offering guidance towards a meaningful life of helping others. A Tzu Chi principle is that illness, while creating pain, can become the root of poverty as well, which is why the organization makes it part of its mission to offer quality and free medical care.
 

The Compassionate History of Tzu Chi

The organization was founded when the devoted Buddhist nun, Dharma Master Cheng Yen, was moved by the pain and misery she saw around her. She made a powerful commitment to help the poor and relieve suffering.
 
She collaborated with five other female disciples and thirty housewives. In order to fund their work, the disciples made and sold baby shoes while the housewives set aside some of the money that they had for food. Their mandate: to help the poor and ill with love, joy, compassion.
 
The footprint of Tzu Chi’s work at the forefront of disaster relief and poverty reduction has spread throughout the world, reaching 94 countries. They have over 10 million volunteers and supporters worldwide, the volunteers serving with steadfast dedication, grateful for the opportunity to provide relief that people can always count on.
 

 

Sharing Charity through Art

In advance of the Thousands of Helping Hands Charity Art Performance Tour, we sat down with the Tzu Chi’s CEO, Dr. Han Huang, to learn more about this inspiring organization, its vision, and initiatives.
 
LA YOGA: We understand that businessman Stephen Huang was inspired to bring the work of Tzu Chi to the United States in part by Taiwan-based Master Cheng Yen‘s emphasis on work and self-sufficiency as part of a spiritual organization. This is demonstrated in how the organization was founded and operates, the fact that she built six hospitals in Taiwan, and spreads the message of service.
 
Tzu Chi: Yes, yes. I think most people are pretty amazed by that.
 
LA YOGA: Was Master Cheng Yen’s commitment to medical care inspired in part by what drew her to the dharma, her mother’s surgery, personal challenges, and her father’s death?
 
TC: We have to go back 50 plus years ago, when she, well there are a few things, a few reasons that she really wanted to set up the foundation. One of them is that she went to a local hospital, it was a hospital, but the scale was in no way comparable to what we have here.
 
She saw some sort of blood on the floor and then she asked around, “What happened? Why is there blood on the floor?” And then, this lady told her “There is a lady, she had a difficult time to deliver the baby.” There are some residents in the mountains in Taiwan, and it’s difficult for them to travel so they are carried down the mountain.
 
But then this lady had a hard time delivering her baby and she didn’t have the money to pay the required deposit, so the hospital refused to take care of her. Then they had to hand carry her back, which means that she would just die with the baby.
 
Master Cheng Yen heard this story and she was so shocked, and she asked, “How could this happen?” But it was a policy of the hospital at the time, and pretty much in all of Taiwan. She was afflicted with grief and sensed the importance of financial support in times of critical need. This incident turned into the catalyst that prompted her to set up a charity.
 
Master Cheng Yen established the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation. Her dedication and determination to change medical care and her commitment to medical care is what drew her to the dharma.
 
Some other experiences that strengthened her commitment include when she witnessed the suffering of sickness and pain while caring for her debilitated brother in the hospital for months. When her mother needed a risky operation, she prayed and offered to give up years of her own life in exchange for her mother’s health. Her mother recovered without surgery.
 
Master Cheng Yen’s spiritual calling intensified when her father died and she was left bereaved and full of questions about the meaning of life. The shock and trauma of her father’s death marked a turning point in her life. She began to search for the truths behind life and death, and often visited a Buddhist temple in her hometown to study the Buddhist sutras and to seek answers to her questions.
 
After her father’s death, she ran away from home to become a Buddhist nun, needing to expand the love for her family to all of humanity. The conditions there were harsh, but her commitment to the Dharma only grew stronger.  Her auspicious first contact with Buddha Dharma at this crucial moment offered the wisdom and guidance she was seeking.
 

Tzu Chi Spreads the Dharma through Compassionate Action

LA YOGA: It sounds like these experiences strengthened her resolve to focus on healthcare as a means of reducing suffering and making a difference. It looks like healthcare is one of the missions of Tzu Chi in the US. What are some of the ways in which this commitment is implemented?
 
Tzu Chi: In 1993 we had the first clinic, a free clinic in Alhambra, not far from where we are speaking now in El Monte. If patients can prove that their monthly income is below the federal poverty line, they are qualified to receive free medical and dental care. We decided to do a health fair in San Bernardino.
 
From that we expanded and we developed a portable unit for dental care. We developed a dental bus with two dental chairs, X-rays, everything that a dentist would need. You could even do some light surgery in the van. This progressed from supporting a Dental Van to offering a Vision Van with same-day glasses.
 
We have a program called See 2 Succeed which is a collaboration of community partners such as, Kaiser Permanente, CalViva Health, Health Net, Eye-Q Center, and many more. Tzu Chi’s Vision Mobile Clinic is serving 10 school districts in Fresno County with the support of community grants and in-kind support.
 
LA YOGA: What are some of the reasons why people volunteer for Tzu Chi and do you have any stories about the impact of this work on the volunteers themselves?
 
Tzu Chi: I think they volunteer for the Foundation because we are a faith-based foundation. There is a philosophy behind volunteering. Our volunteers came here to Tzu Chi not just to help; they also want to learn and improve their lives. Some of our volunteers, volunteer with their kids from when they are in primary school until they are teenagers.
 
The work they do has an impact on their own lives. For example, a group traveled across the border to Tijuana to volunteer for our health fair, and when they came back their attitude completely changed. Now they appreciate everything they have.
 
LA YOGA: Oh they’re in gratitude.
 
Tzu Chi: Yes, and the parents are very happy about it because somehow through this opportunity of volunteering the kids learn that the most important thing is to really appreciate everything that you have. The kids especially learn this through volunteer work.
 
LA YOGA: We understand that Tzu Chi USA began by mobilizing volunteers, then hosting tea parties where they could share their thoughts, experiences, and joy of volunteering. The events quickly inspired the creation of additional chapters gaining supporters.
 
Today, Tzu Chi USA has more than 60 service centers, with over 100,000 volunteers working to make a difference in their communities. It sounds like the movement has gained traction with the Chinese and Taiwanese communities in the US. How is Tzu Chi reaching beyond their roots to connect with a wide variety of people?
 
Tzu Chi: Yes, that’s a very good question. That’s the thing that I am trying to work on now. I think every foundation has its history, its story to being with. But I think it’s time that we should think about how we invite more people to participate.
 
We want to reach out to people who are looking for a philosophy, message, and work that involves the mind, body, and spirit. We are spreading our vision and message through publications such as LA Yoga  and other media and talk radio, sharing the spirit of Tzu Chi, which inspires the heart, encourages putting compassion into action, and advocates giving as a way of life.
 

 
LA YOGA: In addition to the initiatives such as the Back To School Kick- Off, what are some other Southern California-based programs run by Tzu Chi?
 
Tzu Chi: Some of the other Southern California-based programs run by Tzu Chi include individual aid cases, disaster relief, Happy Campus Program, mobile food pantries, free medical services,  job referrals, charity distributions, character education, and scholarships. There is a lot of variety in the work that we do.
 
LA YOGA: You mentioned being a faith-based organization and one focused on body, mind, and spirit. What are some of the teachings that are integral to the organization and the mission?
 
Tzu Chi: Gratitude, Respect and Love. Especially Love.
 
We are a foundation based on love, and encourage people to take care of others, and to give without asking for anything in return.
 
LA YOGA: Does Master Cheng Yen share dharma teachings with her students and members of the organization?
 
Tzu Chi: Yes. Every day in the morning, she offers a sutra teaching. You can listen online here.
 
You can watch Tzu Chi Teachings related to the spirit of gratitude here.
 
LA YOGA: Is there any emphasis placed on a daily or personal practice? How is the charity work influenced by the dharma teachings?
 
Tzu Chi: It is a daily practice. Here is a typical example how our charity work is influenced by dharma, say when we do disaster relief. We will give those impacted some blankets typically because the weather is cold, and then we give them some kind of emergency financial aid, ($300 or $500 depending on the size of the family), and perhaps a hot meal, or some kind of easy to eat nutritious food.
 
But the manner in which we offer this aid is integral to our practice. The typical way our volunteers deliver items to people is to hand things to them with a 90 degree bow. Through this gesture, we want demonstrate our respect.
 
We want to show that people care, we care. We want to send the message to people not to give up because a lot of people care, we don’t even know who you are but we’re here! We want to give the message, “Don’t give up, just keep going, we know that you are suffering and we do what we can do to help. The point is you, don’t give up, because we don’t give up, so you don’t give up, just keep going, you’ll be fine.” Hopefully by doing that we encourage and inspire people.
 

 

Tzu Chi’s Thousands of Helping Hands Charity Art Performance

LA YOGA: Los Angeles hosts the Charity Arts Performance on October 1. What is the connection of the upcoming  Charity Art Performance series with the mission of the organization?
 
Tzu Chi: The Thousands of Helping Hands Charity Art Performance features the astonishing artistry of the world-renowned China Disabled People’s Performing Art Troupe ( CDPPAT )
 

 
Tzu Chi: They may be visually, hearing, or physically impaired, but they’re able to move, dance, keep a rhythm, and do so much more because of how they inspire others. The message here is that “Everybody can contribute.” Hopefully this can serve as an inspiration to everyone.
 
The world can use more helping hands to join together and do good deeds on behalf of those in need in their communities and beyond.
 
Right now, Tzu Chi has truly taken the suffering resulting from Hurricane Harvey to heart. We mobilized an extensive disaster relief mission for this catastrophe, which has begun, and will continue for some time.
 

 
But then Hurricane Irma appeared on the horizon. Our mission will simply embrace this disaster as well.
 
When it comes to love, there are no boundaries, no limits, and no obstacles that can’t be overcome. That’s what every Tzu Chi volunteer believes and practices daily. In a way, we’re planting seeds of compassion in each aid recipient too – because we have seen how those who receive unconditional love, are then motivated to give and to pass it on to others. It’s a beautiful thing, it really is.
 

 
Let’s come together and do more for society! May these two hands that we each possess, and our activities, help others. It feels great, and what greater meaning is there to life, than that – being of benefit to others.
 
LA YOGA: We are inspired by the mission and work of Tzu Chi. Please support this work by attending the Charity Art Performance to celebrate and support.
 
To learn more about the Tzu Chi Foundation click here.
 

 

Staff Writer Lakshmi

The post Tzu Chi embodies Charity through Compassion and Good Works appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

To me, pizza is one of the easiest and most satisfying foods there is and I have yet to meet anyone who doesn’t like a good pizza. Sure, there are opinions about crust, cheese, and sauce, but when it comes down to it, everyone loves a good pie. I have tried grilling pizza to varying success but the preparation is time-consuming—especially for just one or two pizzas. As an apartment dweller, a custom wood burning pizza is obviously not a viable option, so when I was introduced to the Uuni portable wood-fired pizza oven at the affordable price of $299, I discovered a life-changing appliance.

With a compact 14-by-25-inch footprint and weighing just under 30 pounds, Uuni is easy to transport for a cookout on the beach, in a campground, park, backyard, or on a patio. What makes this even more user-friendly is that there is no need for giant piles of lumber. This stainless-steel miracle machine is fueled by energy dense, sustainable wood pellets. As an added perk, Uuni plants a tree for every three bags of pellets purchased.

The ultra-efficient oven heats to more than 900 degrees in just 10 minutes, cooking a perfectly bubbly and slightly charred 12-inch Neapolitan-style pizza in just 60 seconds. The high heat and open flame of Uuni is also ideal for cooking summer vegetables. Sliced zucchini, asparagus, summer squash and corn tossed with olive oil, sea salt and fresh pepper turned out amazing with just the right amount of char and smokiness. For more information visit: uuni.net

Staff Writer Lakshmi

The post Uuni provides a portable option for wood-fired pizza appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Kelsey Patel and the Magic of Morning Routine

No matter what type of sleeper you are or how much you love (or don’t love) mornings, everyone can agree that how you spend this time can impact the flow of the rest of your day. In my own life, I love bringing the elements of magic and intentional connections to my early hours. Here are some of my favorite tools and routines I’ve added over the years to bring magic not only as I awaken, but to my entire day.

Instead of Hitting the Snooze Button—Meditate

The moment I wake up, instead of jumping out of bed or even hitting the snooze button, I turn off my alarm and turn on my meditation. I lie in bed, place my hands on my heart, pay attention to my breath, and slowly begin the day by listening to a grounding and peaceful meditation.

My life is packed with responsibilities, so this morning practice helps set a powerful yet calm tone. After the meditation, I sit up in bed, take a few deep breaths, and gently stretch out my back; these stretches feel to me like a little greeting card to my body!

I begin to think about what lies ahead and set a few intentions for how I want to feel, give, and receive throughout the day. It can be simple: Just for today, I am ease and grace. Just for today, I am kind to myself and others. My intention for today is to have fun and feel peaceful. I am so excited and open to receive and share my gifts today.

From the Bathroom to the Kitchen

Once I feel that I’ve given myself the space and time to connect with the day and share my intentions, I start the rest of my morning routine. After tooth-brushing (I always remember my tongue scraper!), face washing, moisturizing, and getting dressed, I head to the kitchen. The very first thing I put in my body is alkaline water with fresh squeezed lemon. It’s amazing how this simple and consistent morning energizer can hydrate and alkalize the body. Of course, because I’m a coffee lover, alkalizing is an extra-necessary step to keep my body thriving and balanced. Next up, coffee time!

Kelsey Patel and the Magic of Morning Routine

Connecting over Coffee

As a married woman and entrepreneur, my days can be all over the place. So the morning time is precious to my husband and me. Almost every day we walk together to get coffee and deliberately leave our phones behind so we can connect, be silly, and just be with one another before the activity starts. When we return home, he prepares breakfast – either Greek yogurt with loads of superfood toppings or eggs and fruit – so we are nourished and ready to take on a new day. Twice a week, before breakfast, I work out with yoga, pure barre or some type of cardio. Those are my favorite days!

From Chaos to Calm

These added gifts to my morning routine have given me the ability to feel more peaceful, connected, and grounded. Changing my routine was not about changing who I am or being something other than me. It was about noticing what works for me. I now truly prefer to wake up early because I know I will feel better, and my day will be smoother. When I’m in the magic of my morning routine, I’m not always trying to catch up to the day, instead I’m simply guiding it.

Staff Writer Lakshmi

The post The Magic of a Morning Routine appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

View at Esalen; photo by Ira Israel

After weeks of rains it was extremely sunny on the south side of the Julia Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge in Big Sur on Sunday, February 12, 2016.  Which made it even more surreal when the California Highway Patrol officer told us that we would probably have to leave our cars in Big Sur for the winter, hitchhike to Monterey Airport, fly home, and come back in a few months to recuperate our possessions. I felt as if I were back in India.

A few hours later the engineers decided that one car at a time could cross the bridge over a span of two hours. I was one of the last people to escape. Between twenty miles of mudslides on CA-1 to the south and a condemned bridge to the north, hundreds of people would be trapped in Big Sur for the winter. One of the most gloriously scenic roads in the world—home to the Esalen Institute, Post Ranch, and Ventana Inn—was now only accessible by helicopter.

Esalen has been closed to the public since February 12, sustaining damage on its property including fallen Monterey Pines as well as multiple mudslides. On a practical level, a small core team has remained on the property to address those damages, take care of the land, and ensure that all of the accommodations will be completely ready when they reopen on June 9. On a more holistic level (and in typical visionary fashion), Esalen is taking this unique opportunity to reconnect to its groundbreaking roots and reimagine its future as leader of realizing human potential in our troubled culture.

Ira Israel teaching at Esalen. Photo by Theo Kyriakos

Esalen’s new Executive Director Ben Tauber told me, “Mother Nature is one of our greatest teachers in understanding that life is cyclical – and with every ending comes a new beginning. Esalen has weathered challenges in the past, including the loss of the baths during a particularly bad El Nino winter, and we’ve always come out stronger due to our community here in Big Sur and around the world. I see this as an opportunity to refresh and restore our community and our land.”

In addition to addressing winter-related damages, Esalen is making the most of this time without guests to give more attention to their accommodations and shared spaces in ways that would not be possible with their full year-long calendar of transformational workshops. Ben added, “We hope when our guests return they will be inspired by the beauty waiting for them – in the Lodge, in our guest rooms, at the baths, and all points in between.”

After the mudslides to the south are soon cleared, Esalen encourages all guests to approach from the south until the new Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge is completed in the fall. Visitors from the north will have to circle down the 101 highway, across the Nacimiento-Fergusson Road and then come up CA-1.

Ira Israel teaching at Esalen. Photo by Theo Kyriakos.

In the meantime, many people do not realize that Esalen is a nonprofit organization that relies heavily on the students’ tuitions to cover their operating expenses. Four months without students means substantial losses. Friends of this amazing community can support Esalen by donating to their Emergency Closure Relief Fund at www.esalen.org/relief  as well as – of course – now booking your next yoga, meditation, or personal growth workshop at Esalen for June and beyond.

Staff Writer Lakshmi

The post Esalen Update: from Rain to Renewal appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

On Earth Day and beyond, implement some the following landscape tips for water saving garden design.

1. Be conscientious with your sprinklers:
Staying on top of your irrigation is always important, but it’s crucial in a drought. Overwatering is unnecessary, and easy to avoid. 30% of the average American family’s water use is devoted to lawns and gardens, so turning the sprinklers off when it rains can really add up quickly. When it isn’t raining, water in the early hours of the morning to reduce evaporation.

2. Catch rainwater and air conditioner condensation with stylish rain catcher planters:
There are so many stylish rain catchers now, that double as storage tanks and planters! They have thought of everything – spigots make it easy to attach a watering hose, and the back is usually flat to maximize space if you’re placing the catcher against a wall (think: next to the air conditioner to catch condensation.) Here is a charming 65-gallon product that I love! You could be harvesting rainwater all over the yard without anyone ever knowing it!

3. Replace portions of grass with gravel:
Remove portions of your grass and install gravel or decomposed granite, surrounded by shade canopy trees. The design possibilities with this additional outdoor entertaining space are endless! Create a gravel sitting area with tables and chairs, or turn a blank canvas into a relaxing retreat with benches, pillows and throws. With your feet up and a margarita in hand, you won’t miss grass at all.

4. Plant drought-tolerant items such as rosemary, lavender and Little Ollie shrubs:
Contrary to popular belief, succulents aren’t the only plants that are drought-tolerant. Fragrant herbs like rosemary and lavender are not only beautiful, but extremely water-conscious! For fantastic border plants, Little Ollie shrubs are a compact-growing and clean shrub that requires very little attention or water.

5. Add a rain gutter catch basin to your rain gutters:
Add a rain gutter catch basin to your rain gutters, redirecting rainwater to a drought-tolerant herb garden or storage tank. There are very discreet underwater storage tanks that hold quite a bit of water, and are completely out of sight. There are also slim, wall-mounted tanks that can run alongside walls and fences. Attach a hose and water your yard with pride knowing that you are doing something great for the world.

6. Keep a pitcher or bucket by the sink, and collect greywater to keep potted plants looking bright:

There’s no need to get rid of your favorite potted plants if you work a little harder for the water needed to irrigate them! It’s surprising how much greywater we produce without realizing it. To see what I mean, keep a pitcher or bucket by the kitchen sink (or better yet – every sink in the house), and collect excess water over just one day. Save the water that usually goes the drain while you wait for the faucet to warm up, and add the water used to rinse fruit and vegetables. Even water leftover in drinking glasses and water bottles can be collected. At the end of the day, you’ll feel so accomplished giving this saved, repurposed water back to Mother Earth, that you’ll want to continue your crusade! And, you can keep your favorite potted plants looking beautiful, minus the guilt!

Even if your entire garden is drought-tolerant, if you have a leaking pipe or hose, you’re wasting water. A great way to check for leaks is to check your water meter at the beginning of a two-hour window of no water use, and then check again at the end of the two hours. If the number is different, you have a leak.

7. Add mulch around trees and plants:

Mulch discourages weed growth, minimizes water runoff, and retains moisture. Adding a few inches of compost or mulch around trees and plants will help slow the evaporation of moisture, and give your garden plenty of time to take a long drink of water! Mix mulch with all of your soil to encourage moisture retention in the entire yard!

8. Install a drip irrigation system:

Drip irrigation systems save 50% more water than sprinklers, with little to no water loss from runoff or evaporation. Drip irrigation systems can be installed anywhere from large yards to individual planters. You have total control over the amount of water supplied to each designated area, and it works wonderfully with mulched areas, thoroughly soaking the moisture-retaining mulch without getting any runoff.

9. Think about the Bees & their needs!

Bees pollinate one-third of everything we eat, and we’re seeing fewer of them every day due to climate change and habitat loss. They pollinate all kinds of fruit and vegetables, such as broccoli, apples, almonds and squash. Indirectly, bees contribute to our meat resources by foraging crops like beans and clover, used to feed livestock. Bees need flowering plants and herbs to thrive, and with the popularity of suburban lawns and the destruction of native landscapes, bees are rapidly disappearing. Encourage bee production by planting flowering trees and clover in your yard or in planters, and avoid chemically treating plants and flowers, since chemicals can negatively affect a bee’s system. Bees like volume in their flowers, so plant plenty of the same type of bloom together. A few good examples are lilacs, lavender, sage, wisteria, and verbena. These are beautiful plants with a purpose!

10. Plant a tree (or two!)

Scientists estimate there are about 200 billion tons of excess CO2 in the atmosphere, and planting a single tree eliminates one ton of CO2 every year. Planting a tree is not only good for nature and for the battle against global warming, it’s good for us, too. In one year, a single acre of mature trees can provide enough oxygen for 18 people, and trees help keep cities about 10 degrees cooler, releasing water vapor into the air and breaking up urban hot spots. Shade from trees slows water evaporation, and surprisingly, most new trees only need 15 gallons of water per week. Surround your home with tree after tree, and enjoy the benefits that trees provide while also giving back to Mother Nature.

Try one or more of these water saving garden design ideas as part of your landscape upgrade and enjoy the beauty and sustainability they provide.

Staff Writer Lakshmi

The post Earth Day tips for Water Saving Garden Design appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Richard Rosen’s book YOGA FAQ: Almost Everything You Need to Know About Yoga – from Asana to Yama is a portal. Through Rosen’s modern lens we traverse the history and evolution of yoga from its ancient spiritual practice to its contemporary incarnation primarily as asana. Mister Rosen is a much better Sanskritist then he realizes and his sense of wonder – as well as his realism/skepticism – is refreshing, compelling, and infectious.

This is the ideal book for all 200-hour yoga teacher training students and it will inspire them to go down sundry rabbit holes to discover for themselves how yoga can help them tame their egos and/or “merge with the godhead,” as Eliade put it.

Before YOGA FAQ, one of the the best bridges to cross the schism between academic and popular yoga was Mark Singleton’s Yoga Body: The Origins of Modern Posture Practice, but now Richard Rosen has offered the perfect text to accompany all students who want to understand what yoga is and what yoga isn’t.

YOGA FAQ carefully weighs the essential texts and compares them with how yoga has evolved in America since Vivekananda spoke at the Parliament of World Religions in 1893—through Krishnamacharya down through the Iyengar lineage and Rosen’s own practice in the 1980s, which culminated in founding a yoga studio with Rodney Yee in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Much of the book is devoted to answering the typical questions of yoga students; however, I greatly appreciated the research that Rosen did and more specifically his point of view. Rosen exercises healthy amounts of doubt, sarcasm, and humor to help readers sink their teeth into topics such as Vedanta, the yamas and niyamas (ethical precepts and restrictions), the subtle body versus the gross body, mudras, bandhas, how pranayama relates to yoga, and then the evolution of asanas.

YOGA FAQ is an essential text for curious yoga students – particularly those who partaking in yoga teacher training programs or a lifetime of ongoing study – who yearn for a more comprehensive understanding of the history and evolution of yoga.

Staff Writer Lakshmi

The post YOGA FAQ by Richard Rosen appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

They say that for every one thousand saints there is only one siddha, and yet so many of these people seem to have sprung forth from the tiny Kumaon region of Northern India. One of the most well-known of these siddhas was Neem Karoli Baba, or Maharajji, as his devotees call him. He is the teacher or guru of well-known figures including Ram Dass, Krishna Das, Jai Uttal, Dr. Larry Brilliant, and others. When these seekers arrived in India, Deva Bhumi author K.K. Sah introduced them to Maharajji and served as their translator and beloved guide.

K.K. Sah was sprung from his mother’s womb directly onto the spiritual path. His family is from this region, and they have been in the company of siddhas for generations. The history of these enlightened beings, like Sombari Baba and Hairakhan Baba, is contained not in books, but in the stories told by the people who lived among them from generation to generation—until now.

In Deva Bhumi, K.K. Sah has masterfully assembled stories about these Kumaon teachers including Neem Karoli Baba. The tales here are essential reading for anyone interested in the rich history of devotional yoga and Hindu spirituality because K.K. Sah successfully communicates the experience of what it is like to be in the presence of the siddhas. It is as though their energy and teachings—known as their darshan—is transmitted through these pages. For more information, visit Love Serve Remember.

Staff Writer Lakshmi

The post Deva Bhumi: The Abode of the Gods in India By Krishna Kumar (K.K.) Sah appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.