What is Ujjayi Breath?
“Having closed the opening of the Nâdî (Larynx), the air should be drawn in such a way that it goes touching from the throat to the chest, and making noise while passing.”Hatha Yoga Pradipika 2:51 “Ud” is a prefix which means moving upward, “Jaya” means conquest, victory. Therefore, its usually translated as “Victorious”. Also Ujjayi…
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10 common habits that can damage your kidneys
The pair of kidneys is located at the back of abdomen and they have a shape of kidney beans. Each kidney contains approximately one million particles called nephrones. These nephrons are responsible for removal of any unwanted toxins from our body. So its really important to know what is damaging our kidneys so we could…
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The subtle energy of your food becomes your mind
Dear yoga practitioners, There is a very illustrative story we found and wanted to share with you (below). The message here is that we are very effected by food we take. We may not notice that and not feel it so much, but if we wish to purify our body and mind and progress on…
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What do we need to know about drishti
“Drishti means gazing point. Drishti improves concentration and brings about a realization of oneness during the practice. With the gaze focused in one place during our practice, we can be more present in the postures. This focus and awareness can carry over into our daily life.” R. Sharath Jois When we keep our attention to…
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Ashtanga toe
Many ashtangis all over the world have caught a toe at least once. When the skin is peeling back on the big toe it is called Ashtanga toe. It may happen due to intensive jumping back when the force and friction from landing in chaturanga dandasana repeatedly or just from propelling yourself forward while walking…
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Rub the sweat during the practice
“The perspiration exuding from exertion of practice should be rubbed into the body (and not wiped), as by so doing the body becomes strong.” Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Chapter 2 verse 13 Sweat is important product of vinyasa (breathing and movement system) and during the practice when we combine asanas with the breath and the movement…
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Inspiring quotes from B.K.S. Iyengar
Dear friends! Here are some Inspiring quotes from B.K.S. Iyengar. He founded the style of yoga known as Iyengar Yoga which now benefits millions of practitioners around the globe. He dedicated his life to the yoga practice and to teaching others how to make use of yoga in their lives. Enjoy reading beautiful quotes and may…
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Quotes by Krishna Pattabhi Jois
Dear friends, here are some quotes of Sri Krishna Pattabhi Jois. We hope you will find them inspiring. These simple statements clarify the essence of Ashtanga Yoga. “Yoga is 99% practice and 1% theory.” “So whether you do your first downward dog at 14 or 44, it’s not your history but your presence on your…
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Bear Ashtanga
Dear friends, there is no doubt that yoga is most important aspect of our life as when we practice we live. And there is not a surprise that even bears offers us their modifications of Ashtanga asanas. Upavishta Konasana B is most popular among bears : “Upavishta Konasana A” is also offered: …
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Pink Himalayan Salt
Dear yogis! We want to share with you the benefits of pink Himalayan salt, we use it ourselves and we think the below information would be interesting for you. Once upon a time (a couple of hundreds of millions of years ago) crystallized sea salt beds, now deep within the Himalayans, were covered by lava.…
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Why dont we practice asana on moon days!
Full moon days and new moon days are considerate as rest days in Ashtanga Yoga Tradition. What is the reasoning behind this? Pattabhi Jois was a student at the Marajas Pathashala (Sanskrit College in Mysore) and then he was the Professor of Yoga there from 1937 to 1973. Sanskrit College was closed each month for…
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Squatting vs sitting
Squatting toilets sometimes leave confused westerns or people from “developed countries”. We used to think that sitting toilet facility is an attribute of civilization. Squatting toilet requires one to take a squatting posture to proceed with motion where knees and hips should be sharply bent and buttocks should be close to the ground. This type…
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Fruit for yoga practitioners!
Its a a last month of durian fruit season here in Thailand and of course yoga practitioners dont miss a chance to fulfill their needs in nutrition! But only true gastronome can really appreciate and enjoy this very special fruit. Weather you love durian or hate it and there is no any other option. This…
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Birth day of Sri Krishna Pattabhi Jois
Today 31st July 2015 is full moon and this day is marked as special day for ashtangis all over the world as its birth day of Sri Krishna Pattabhi Jois (1915-2009). Guruji’s birth date is understood as auspicious in the lineage of Ashtanga Yoga since the full moon of July each year marks the celebration…
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Оne more timing…
WOW!!!! Now we have one more timing for dedicated Ashtanga practitioners. Monday to Saturday The Shala is opened for self practice at 5.40 am where any student can join the teacher for the yoga practice at sunrise. At this time there is no interaction of the teacher, there is no adjustment but its the…
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The breathing technique performed with vinyasa is called ujjayi [victorious breath] , which consists of puraka [inhalation] and rechaka [exhalation] (“Ashtanga Yoga”). “Both the inhale and exhale should be steady and even, the length of the inhale should be the same length as the exhale” (“Ashtanga Yoga”). Over time, the length and intensity of the inhalation and exhalation should increase, such that the increased stretching of the breath initiates the increased stretching of the body . Long, even breathing also increases the internal fire and strengthens and purifies the nervous system.