Attending the Dalai Lama’s teachings in Dharamsala, India, is quite a different experience from doing so in the West. Trade comfortable cushioned seats in a temperature-controlled environment for seats on a concrete floor under a covered rooftop exposed to the wild fluctuations of the Himalayan weather. Trade state-of-the-art bathrooms with the most basic plumbing alternative [...]
Autobiography of a Yogi is a book with a profound impact over the decades since it was written by the great master Yogananda. Among many who have been touched by the words, physical presence or energy of this teacher is Swami Kriyananda, who was only in his early twenties when he met Yogananda and from that [...]
From the perspective of Ayurveda, seasonal junctures can be times of vulnerabilities. Throughout the hot pitta summer, heat has been constantly building. Then in the fall, the fire of summer meets the wind of the vata fall season. This is a time when paying attention to our digestion and our vitality are both [...]
PERHAPS YOU’VE HEARD SOME of the astounding claims surrounding kombucha: it helps the body fight cancer, detoxifies and alkalizes the system and reduces cholesterol. Though relatively new in the States, kombucha’s Far Eastern folklore stretches back 2,000 years. First mentioned during the Chinese Tsin Dynasty of 212 BCE, it was then called “The Elixir of [...]
Practice Pages: Meditation Japa Breath From The Radiance Sutras, A New Version of the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra AYURVEDIC PHYSICIANS ARE FOND of saying, “Have all six tastes on your tongue every day: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent (spicy) and astringent.” Whatever your body type, by treating yourself to diversity of taste (rasa) you will have more [...]
Meeting The Man Behind The Shadow I USUALLY CONSIDER MYSELF to be conscious of what is going on around me, but when I entered a Los Angeles hotel room to interview Zhander Remete, the founder of Shadow Yoga, he seemed to appear out of nowhere, despite being in plain view. As his steady [...]
Brother Achalananda speaking at the Self-Realization Fellowship annual convocation in Los Angeles. Self-Realization Annual Convocation in LA August 2 - 8, 2009 There’s something both powerful and inspirational about sharing an enormous room with nearly 4,000 people, all poised and sitting silently, creating a meditative space that vibrates far beyond the walls. This [...]
Older Volunteers Enrich America: Frank Iszak and Silver Age Yoga Honored In 1956, Frank Iszak was a political refugee who emigrated from his native Hungary to the US. He was inspired by the freedoms, liberties and social programs that are part of America’s landscape and over time, directed his energy into developing the Silver Age [...]
Accessible Yoga in West Adams District Yoga lovers can add DHARMA MITTRA YOGA LA to their weekly studio rotation. Named after Sri Dharma Mittra, who is frequently referred to as the “Teacher’s Teacher” and “The Rock of Yoga,” the studio shares Dharma Mittra’s teachings through classical Yoga practice. The sequences, “Shiva Namaskara Vinyasas” are taught [...]
Practice Pages: Yoga Therapy Observing Habits and Affecting Change Through Conscious Direction THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE provides teachings to allow people to listen to the body’s habits in movement and posture and reorganizing our internal coordination. Like yogis entering a pose with specific actions such as anchoring the legs, Alexander students watch themselves stand, sit, [...]