Seeking Ecstasy, Bliss And Equanimity Through Tantra My mentor, the Aghori Vimalananda, was fond of his whisky. I was fond of his drinking, for when he drank (usually Scotch) his already profound ability to speak meaningfully and insightfully on spiritual subjects would dramatically expand. Whenever we would imbibe together, he would encourage me [...]
Sinister Yogis David Gordon White University of Chicago Press What is a yogi? This is the question behind David Gordon White's new book, the last in a series which began with The Alchemical Body and continued with Kiss of the Yogini. Unlike most academic studies in this area, the book's main object of inquiry is [...]
Imagine that your elected representatives came to an art gallery in your neighborhood, and demanded, under threat of violence, that an exhibit be closed down because it contained photos that were upsetting to the Chinese government. That’s exactly what happened in October this year in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. The prestigious Drik Gallery had [...]
Ayurveda has been practiced in the US for only about 30 years, yet it is one of the systems of medicine native to India and is thousands of years old. Readers are invited to submit questions for “Ayurveda Q & A” to ayurveda@layogamagazine.com. Q: I have been having sharp pain in my stomach due to [...]
Fusionartist, Mystic Painter and Teacher Gazing at any of Fusionartist Rassouli’s creative works provides a glimpse into the mystic loving eye with which he looks at the world. Rassouli has been a celebrated and innovative painter since childhood who later trained as an architect. Born in Isfahan, Iran, and currently living in Southern California, Rassouli [...]
Imagine that your elected representatives came to an art gallery in your neighborhood, and demanded, under threat of violence, that an exhibit be closed down because it contained photos that were upsetting to the Chinese government. That’s exactly what happened in October this year in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. The prestigious Drik Gallery had [...]
The Sugar Buster Herb The Ayurvedic herb gurmar is popular known as the sugar buster. Gurmar (Gymnema sylvestre) is a member of the milkweed family of herbs and is native to the tropical forests of India. The plant also goes by other names such as: gurmari, gurmarbooti and mesbasringi. The Hindi word gur-mar literally means [...]
Dr Vasant Lad offers his wisdom for Ayurveda and Eye Health Dr. Vasant Lad Q: I am twenty-seven years old and have been suffering from floaters in both eyes for the past seven months. When I look at anything, I see two to three black spots and cloud-like formations coming into view which [...]
Around The World And On The Stage ONLY FIFTEEN MINUTES into the practice and we knew we were in over our heads. Guru Kal, (short for Kali), a powerful lion of a man, was barking out commands in a rapid and incomprehensible (to us) dialect of Malayalam. Following his direction, we awkwardly threw ourselves to [...]
BEFORE MY SUMMER, 2008, visit to Rancho La Puerto with Swami Veda Bharati, I was more than a little nervous about committing to a week of study and meditation. Fortunately, I sat on the bus ride to the ranch next to Praful Saklani, a busy New York executive and avid meditator who spent [...]