Insights & Inspiration

A forearm balance with the feet curling over the head stops people mid-sentence in any yoga class. Students who see it for the first time usually ask two things. How does anyone get there, and is it safe? This guide answers both. You will learn what the posture is, what your body needs before you try it, how to build toward it, and where most people go wrong.

Breathing is one of the natural things we do.. In yoga breathing takes on a more intentional role through a practice called pranayama. Among the breathing techniques passed down through tradition alternate-nostril breathing stands out. It is widely practiced because it is slow, controlled and deeply meditative.

Spiritual development does not occur at any one predetermined moment. It deepens slowly as one is awakened, as the mind heals, self-examines, and above all, as one is in contact with one's mind, even in life's most difficult times.

I know that choosing the yoga school can shape your entire learning experience. If you want to deepen your practice learn traditional yoga or become a professional yoga teacher you must research carefully to pick the right institution.

Sound has been a part of spiritual and wellness traditions for many centuries. From chanting and meditation to the use of bells and resonant instruments sound has always played a role. Today singing bowls, gongs, tuning forks, drums and other instruments are used more and more in meditation and relaxation practices.

Sound has always played a role in yoga, meditation and spiritual practices. It’s also central to traditional wellness systems around the world. People use sound in ways—like chanting mantras playing singing bowls, gongs or bells—to help calm the mind focus attention and go deeper into awareness.

Yoga is much more than postures. Traditional yoga includes practices for the body, breath, mind, concentration and inner awareness. Among these practices the word kriya refers broadly to an action or process used as part of yogic practice. Depending on the tradition or lineage a kriya may involve movement, breath regulation, meditation, mantra, concentration or cleansing.

Some yoga practices are built around movement. Yin Yoga asks you to slow down, stay in a posture, breathe, and notice what is happening inside. Sound healing works in a similar way. Instead of presenting the mind with more things to think about, sound healing calms the mind.

Ever seen how a favourite song can lift your mood very high in a flash? Or, how a wet day can relax your mind after a long day. There is a power in sound, beyond the audible. It impacts us – body, mind and emotions. This, in short, is the essence of sound healing.