Yoga Practice

How can we use the insights of scientific research to enhance our yoga practice? Exploring the mind-body connection and understanding our thoughts, emotions, and behavior in the context of neuroscience can shed new light on the power and potential of yoga practice to affect every aspect of our mind, even the unconscious, or “autopilot,” functions. In this special livestream conversation, two core faculty members—integrative physician Dr. Theresa Oswald and experienced yoga teacher Sandra Anderson— engage in a lively discussion of yoga in the context of the findings of neuroscience. They cover concepts like the negativity bias, the vagal brake, and the default mode network, using the framework of the triune brain model, which divides the brain’s complex functions into three categories: base survival, emotional, and executive. Discover how the intersection of yoga and neuroscience can inspire you to awaken your full potential and become more completely and joyfully alive! Format: Video with audio download Length: 1 hr 2 mins

As students and even teachers we tend to think of alignment in yoga postures as an external characteristic of the asana practice—we obsess over the outer shape or even muscular engagement in poses—but the underlying causes of misalignment are often energetic in nature. When we learn to follow the movement of energy in the body, we can start to locate and address the internal factors affecting the outward expression of the pose. In this fun and interactive livestream workshop, Shari Friedrichsen will share insights gained from decades of teaching yoga to students of all levels, ages, and abilities, as well as leading teacher training programs at the Himalayan Institute and around the world. Beginning with simple awareness in several common postures, learn to trace the source of tension or disrupted breathing. Invoking a sense of compassion, guide the breath to specific troubled areas to smooth out energy patterns. Invite the vibration of prana to allow greater strength, ease, and flexibility to emerge throughout the limbs and torso. Whether you are currently a yoga teacher or looking to improve your personal practice, you will gain practical knowledge to breathe new life into the pose and allow alignment to blossom from within. Find a partner to practice and sharpen your teaching skills, or engage in self-study as you move through the poses yourself. Tune in for this special hands-on program on December 16, 2018, at 3:00 p.m. EST, and begin to view alignment from the inside out.

Our bodies and minds are a reflection of the world around us, and just as the trees shed their leaves in autumn, it’s time to put away our summer clothes and step fully into the joys of the fall season. Through our yoga practice, we seek to remember that we are a microcosm of the great macrocosm—the more our movements, breath, and thoughts are in sync with the forces of nature that surround us, the more balance we will experience on every level. Using the techniques of asana and pranayama to ground and nurture ourselves, we can find harmony with autumnal beauty, meet its crispness with clarity, and prepare to wind down toward winter. Settle onto your mat and join Luke Ketterhagen on November 18, 2018, at 3 p.m. EST, for this nourishing all-levels yoga class to slow down and create steadiness physically, energetically, and mentally. Embrace the seasonal transition with a sense of groundedness, clarity, and balance, and allow yourself to embody the grace and grandeur of fall.

In Yoga Sutra 2:46, Patanjali tells us that “a stable and comfortable pose is asana,” yet many of us struggle with incorporating sthira and sukha (stability and comfort) into our yoga practice. Experiencing these qualities requires a deep understanding of, and connection to, the breath—specifically, deep, diaphragmatic yogic breathing. When we cultivate yogic breathing, we awaken a powerful support system for the body and mind. With the help of this supportive foundation, stability and comfort naturally emerge, allowing us to expand our current capacity, reduce our sense of effort, and cultivate enhanced inner awareness. Grab your mat for this all-levels yoga class with Judy Moulton, and discover key aspects of breath awareness and breath-aligned movement necessary to tap into your own inherent stability and comfort.

As seekers, we all have questions about the nature of sadhana (spiritual practice) and the best way to make progress on the path. In this never-before-released digitally remastered archival video from 1991, Swami Rama delves into the heart of spirituality to address students’ most pressing questions, including: What qualities can I cultivate that will transform my whole being? Does samadhi wipe out all other thoughts? What is the relationship between truth and love? What is the shortest path to enlightenment? How do we know which desires are healthy and helpful for us to pursue and which are not? If God is everywhere, then how can there be evil in the world? With his characteristic blend of no-nonsense wisdom, love, and humor, Swamiji invites us to reflect on what is important in life and what it means to transcend our subhuman tendencies and walk on the path of our true, divine self. As he makes clear again and again, this is a path that is available to us all—it is our birthright. Listen until the end for a special takeaway message from Swamiji: practical, straightforward advice about the best kind of daily sadhana, and tips on how to transform our life!

Treasured by yogis and vaidyas (ayurvedic physicians) alike, shava yatra (the 61 points practice) brings us to the potent tipping point between the outer world of the senses and the subtle source of life and intelligence. For spiritual aspirants, this transition to inner awareness is an essential step in mastering the tangle of the senses and mental distractions. For those struggling with difficulties of all kinds, this practice is a sanctuary and healing balm. In this livestream with Sandra Anderson, learn how the practice of shava yatra (“journey through the corpse”) can awaken and stabilize an inner state of consciousness, enlivening the innate healing energy of the body and loosening the grip of our deep habit patterns. Join Sandra for this timely discussion and practice, and experience shava yatra, a pilgrimage to 61 points of rejuvenation, healing, and spiritual awakening, in your own body. Format: Video with audio download Length: 53 mins

Core strength is not just about well-defined abdominal muscles. The pelvis and the abdomen make up the physical and energetic container of the body. When this container is strong, healthy, and flexible, we feel more comfortable with ourselves, we breathe better, and overall health and well-being are supported. Increasing strength and access in this area also helps us to move forward in life and creates a foundation for refined spiritual awareness. This all-levels practice will deepen breath awareness and offer options for strengthening and enlivening your physical and energetic “core” leading to a stable, meditative focus. This Livestream features a guided asana practice with Luke Ketterhagen. Listen and practice along with us; heed the powerful wisdom that will transform your life! Format: Video with audio download Length: 1 hr, 6 mins

Asanas are intrinsically healing. They create openness, strength, and stability. They support the mind, the body, and more subtle dimensions of our being. What is the key to asana? Breath is the essential element that allows asana to bring about an awareness that is lasting and not fleeting—an awareness that is tied to something greater than our existing condition or circumstance. Learn how breath awareness, when brought dynamically and mentally into the practice, can take your postures and your life to the next level. Join Luke for our Livestream event on Sunday, August 13th, 2017 at 3 p.m. EST for a combination lecture and asana practice. If you miss the livestream, you can watch the archived version on the livestream section of our Wisdom Library.

Swami Rama explains the fascinating intricacies of breath in this series from the classic Path of Fire & Light lectures (1986). Breath is the conduit of the more subtle life force (prana). Learn how actively changing the flow of breath can balance your nervous system and emotions. As Swami Rama demonstrates, the ancient yogis came up with a specific set of breathing and mental practices designed to lead you to sushumna—a state of equilibrium that induces meditation, a joyful mind, and (ultimately) samadhi. Fresh from the Himalayan Institute archives, this digitally remastered Wisdom Classic is exclusively available here in the Wisdom Library. Format: Multiple videos with audio download Length: 25 mins Source: Path of Fire and Light lectures (Honesdale, 1986)