Many of us find that we are not performing our best at certain sports, sports that come easier to others, may present quite a challenge for us.  One thing to make note of here is your dosha.
Dosha refers to three basic metabolic principles connecting the mind, the body and biological humour.  These three doshas are often described as the manifestations of natural forces at work in the body. Each dosha is defined by two of the five natural elements: space, air, fire, water and earth.

• Vata is the space and air principle and is embodied by ether. It resides in the spaces of your body, filling empty airspaces and channels, helping to govern the function of the nervous system.
• Pitta is the fire and water principle and exists within your body mainly as bile and acid, and is most closely associated with the digestive and elimination systems.
• Kapha refers to the water and earth principle, relating to the respiratory system and mucous membranes, governing the majority of our physical composition.

Take the quiz and find out your dosha.  Once you know this key bit of information, start thinking about what type of exercise routine serves you best: [Read more →]

Yoga has benefits that are both preventive and therapeutic. Proven to offer both mental and physical benefits to the mind and body, there’s no time like the present to get started. Yoga is very different from other forms of exercise, as it generates motion, without straining your body.When done with focus, hatha yoga can be an extremely rewarding exercise. Involving almost every muscle in your body, hatha yoga stresses quality of movement, over quantity.Yoga done routinely works to quiet the mind and refresh the body. Bringing you better health, relaxation, and happiness.

Looking to get started? Come to the free yoga festival in NYC to celebrate the Summer Solstice.

Where: Times Square
When: Saturday, June 21st, 2008
Time: 8 am - 9 pm

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In the nonstop, hectic world we live in, meditation can often simplify our lives and help us be more in the flow. But it’s not always that easy to get started. When you begin to meditate, don’t give up, with time and practice, you will experience a real sense of peace and joy.

There is many ways people meditate, but we’ve gone ahead and listed our Top 10 Tips here:

1. Breathing: Slow down and become conscious of your breathing. Focus on carefully regulating your breathing, as this greatly benefits your meditation. I’ve heard many yoga masters say that when we meditate, our breath should be so gentle that if someone placed a feather by our mouth it would barely move.
2. Stop Your Mind and all its Thoughts: Easier said than done, I know. But this is truly the essence of meditation. If we can learn to stop our mind from pursuing endless thoughts, as Sri Chinmoy says, then we will be able to enter into real meditation.
3. Mantra: Using a mantra can be of great help in quieteing the noise of the mind. A mantra is simply a sacred word or phrase repeated many times. By repeating a mantra we calm the mind and also make it single focused. After chanting a mantra, meditation will be easie
4. Meditation Shrine: Create a sacred space for meditation. It can be a small corner of a room we use only for meditation. Over time we will find this space builds up a meditative consciousness helpful to our meditation.
5. Regularity: Like many other activities, the more we practice meditation, the better we will become. If we meditate sincerely everyday, then we will find that our capacity to meditate increases. The key is consistency!
6. Spiritual Heart: As we calm the mind, we should try to feel our whole sense of awareness is leaving the mind and entering the heart. If we are able to meditate in the heart this way, we will identify with the expansive and divine qualities the spiritual heart embodies.
7. Concentration: In order to meditate, we need to master the art of concentration — focusing on only one thing at a time.
8. Inspiration: Meditation should be viewed as a lifelong process of self–discovery. It is important to try and maintain our enthusiasm and inspiration for meditation.
9. Keep the Faith: Stay with it, making progress is not always immediately obvious.
10. Intensity. Meditation doesn’t just mean sitting down quietly for a few minutes. If we have real eagerness to experience the inner rewards of meditation, we will be rewarded with Peace of Mind.

Give it a go

Hanuman Meditation Mantra

Buddhist Meditation Relaxation Nirvana Yoga Technique vide

…Open your eyes after you feel more relaxed and centered

Specifically designed for slip prevention during yoga practice, the 100% silicone eco nubs, (healthy for mother earth), grip the mat or carpet, keeping your hands and feet from slipping mid-stretch.

These yoga towels are super absorbent, and put a hygenic layer between you and the yoga mat, (or any exercise equipment). Use them on the other side too, to stimulate pressure points on hands and feet.

To prolong the life of the towel, be sure to machine wash in cold water and tumble dry on a delicate (cool) cycle.
Size: 24″x 64″, 17″x 26″, 25″x 80″

Great for yoga-on-the-go when you are traveling!

YOGA STUFF

What most people refer to as “yoga” is actually Hatha Yoga. Hatha Yoga is a system of yoga introduced by Yogi Swatmarama, a yogic sage in the 15th century in India. This particular system of yoga is the most popular one. It is from Hatha Yoga that several other forms of Yoga originated including: Power Yoga, Bikram Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga, and Kundalini Yoga.

The word “hatha” comes from the Sanskrit terms “ha” meaning “sun” and “tha” meaning “moon”. Thus, Hatha Yoga is known as the branch of Yoga that unites pairs of opposites referring to the positive (sun) and negative (moon) currents in the system. It concentrates on the third (Asana) and fourth (Pranayama) steps in the Eight Limbs of Yoga. [Read more →]

On Sacred Ground by Chinmaya Dunster

British-born Chinmaya (formerly Stephen) Dunster is a master of the Indian lute known as the sarod. Known for mixing Indian classical raga with the Celtic styles of his native land, he does it again on his stunning new release, Yoga: On Sacred Ground. Keeping the Celtic vibe while going full speed ahead into the Indian mystic, he has created seven breathtaking tracks that are each linked to one of the body’s seven chakras. Each listener will have to decide whether or not this music is suitable for deep meditation or yoga practice, but the album will definitely soothe the soul. [Read more →]

Morning Yoga

Growing up in an East Indian household, I took much of the beauty and the traditions of the Hindu culture for granted. From simple things like my mom’s freshly made naan, to the rich and colorful saris that she wore, to the classic literature of Rabindranath Tagore she enjoyed reading to me as she sipped on her steaming cup of chai — I never fully appreciated all that this rich country had to offer.From practical traditions like using honey instead of constantly seeking out over-the-counter cough relievers to practicing yoga regularly, I didn’t recognize the benefits until I moved away from it all.

Did you know, according to Ayurvedic medicine, honey can be used to improve eyesight, relieve coughs, sore throats, when combined with black pepper powder and ginger juice, it acts to relieve asthma, mixed with garlic – it has been known to reduce high blood pressure, taken with water and lemon juice, it helps to purify the blood and my favorite, [Read more →]

Russell Simmons, the godfather of hip-hop at the helm of Rush Communications, a $300+ million conglomerate reaching beyond music to include clothing companies, arts, nonprofit organizations, and diamonds, who in the past has used street smarts and a bling bling Rolodex to achieve social and political goals ranging from overturning certain restrictive New York State drug laws to encouraging voter registration, has published a new self-help book, Do You!: 12 Laws to Access the Power in You to Achieve Happiness and Success. In it, he explains how readers can use yoga and Buddhism to find what he calls the “sweet spot”: one’s life’s work and mission. Simmons preaches about the practice of love and encourages readers to listen to their inner voice.

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Unlike the image I’m sure you’ve conjured up by way of the title of this piece, Bikini Boot Camp is all about massages and is one of the many offerings at Amansala, the solar-power resort in Tulum, Mexico.

Amansala, (which translates to mean: “tranquil waters”), focuses on mayan clay treatments, power exercise classes that come complete with meditation, stretching and yoga.

The best thing about Amansala…the variety. You can opt to attend every single class, or pick and choose if and when the mood strikes you… Need more to inspire you: Amansala offers body sculpting, sea kayaking, bike rides, and my favorite — tribal dancing. Guests stay in huts that are built of native wood with stone floors and thatched palapa roofs; each complete with its own bathroom.

You’ll leave feeling pampered, relaxed and rejuvenated!

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Lisa Coffey (the lovely Dosha Diva) featured a great piece in her daily enewsletter today about the yoga of sound.

Touching upon the fact that Ayurveda understands that sound has a profound effect on our well-being. Lisa sited how sound can be used to reduce stress, maintain health, and also to invoke spiritual awakenings.

The official term for the use of sound and music as a spiritual path is Nada Yoga, which translates from Sanskrit to mean, Sound Yoga

Russill Paul is a world-renowned musician who was born and raised in India. He blends Indian and contemporary music in his recordings and performances. Author of a new book, The Yoga of Sound: Tapping the Hidden Power of Music and Chant, Russill focuses on the four streams of the Nada Yoga system: mantra (sound), mudra (sacred gestures), pranayama (yogic breathing), and dhyana (meditation).

“When talking about music”, Paul explains, “…each note has intrinsic properties that generate healing, wholeness, and love.”