Ever since I started playing the flute as a child, my life revolved around a simple yet profound ritual: practicing. And good practice, my teacher often reminded me, starts with long tones! If you’re unfamiliar with the art of long tones, let me explain. It’s not about dazzling melodies or intricate finger work. Instead, it’s […]
Embracing change: a new perspective on the body In today’s society, the emphasis on physical appearance is undeniable. We’re bombarded with messages about looking good, being fit, and striving for an ideal body image. This obsession with outer beauty has even permeated the world of yoga, as well. Magazines and brands portray the modern yogi […]
How many times have you been instructed to “listen to your body”, or to “move freely” in yoga classes and wondered what the heck you”re supposed to do now? Probably too many…I certainly know I have! Such expressions are really popular in mainstream yoga and while teachers giving them are most of the time super […]
Most of the physical movements and postures commonly recognised as “yoga asanas” haven’t been around that long, but have come to be widely accepted as sacred forms. But things are evolving quickly, and yoga is now adapting to evidence-based understandings of the human body. A tailored fit is everything It’s not the suit that makes […]
To paraphrase the great German dancer and choreographer Pina Bausch, it’s what moves us that really matters. And still, we so often get preoccupied with the ‘how’. Because the ‘What moves you?’ question is complicated, personal, political, poetical, elusive, mystical, out of the scope…you name it. It is much easier and safer to engage with […]
Suchness of the body is a Buddhist teaching on embodiment. By its nature, the body is perceived as neither pure nor impure, but simply as “such”; the way it is – tathata. Read the full article on Buddhist Yoga here. Befriending the body Like streams flowing into a river, suchness of the body is the […]
You know that story of ‘doing life right’? People who ‘do it right’ are born in the right family, attend the right school, get accepted to the right university, get the right job, pick the right partner, settle in the right neighborhood, etc. The template of this story is quite similar all over the planet, […]
There is nothing we can accomplish in life without investing energy. In this article we discuss virya and how to cultivate it. Many of us dream about being an elite athlete, performer, artist or actor. Yet, if we were a fly on a wall, and able to see how much time and effort these people […]
Embrace who you are right now As long as our orientation is toward perfection or success, we will never learn about unconditional friendship with ourselves, nor will we find compassion. – Pema Chödrön Ugly duck syndrome The famous fairy tale about the ugly duckling that turned into a beautiful swan is familiar to many of […]
In this fourth instalment of our series on the Six Perfections, we boost our energy levels by looking at Virya: Exertion. The new lazy? “I am soooooo busy,” I said. “Oh my god, same here,” my friend replied. We shook our heads saying this, our bodies implying we would rather say ENOUGH to this constant busyness. […]
HOLD YOUR HORSES! In this third instalment of our series on the Six Perfections, we explore the topic of “kshanti” – having patience or forbearance. Heard this before? “I’ve been patient with this, I really have…but I’m TOTALLY over it now. I’m fed up with being patient, it doesn’t get me anywhere!” You’ve probably heard […]
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