by Nischala Joy Devi April 8, 2014 At last! After a harsh winter in many parts of the U.S., Spring is here. People who have been bundled up for months are stepping outside and deeply breathing the fresh air. Although pranayama, the yogic breathing practices, do us...
by Nischala Joy Devi.March 27, 2014. Reverse breathing is a habit that is born out of being frightened over and over again. As we feel fear, our "normal" sympathetic response is to inhale and hold the breath. This allows the blood to be shunted to our extremities,...
by Nischala Joy Devi. March 19, 2014. Most of us go through our lives with little awareness of the way different parts of our bodies hold tension and, of course, are eventually adversely affected. The more aware we are of the ways stress affects us physically, the...
by Nischala Joy Devi. March 12, 2014. In the last couple blogs, I've been talking about Abhyasa and Vairagya two components that are essential to reunion with the True Self. Patanjali talks about this in the Yoga Sutras: Yoga Sutra 1.12 Consciousness is elevated by...
by Nischala Joy Devi. March 1, 2014 In last week's blog, I talked about Abhyasa (Devoted Practice) and Vairagya (Remembering the Self)--the vital duo that team to elevate our consciousness and bring us union with the True Self. This week, let's talk more about...
by Nischala Joy Devi. February 18, 2014. We all want to soar in our yoga practice and spiritual growth. In the Yoga Sutras, Sri Patanjali talks about the importance of teaming devoted spiritual practice with remembrance of the True Self. Both are vital to our...
by Nischala Joy Devi. February 4, 2014. Knowing how much we have to give comes as we learn more about ourselves from the inside out, not from the opinions others have of us or how we would like to be. As we serve others without expecting rewards, our capacity for...
by Nischala Joy Devi. January 22, 2014. When performing any kind of service—whether paid or volunteer—genuine love and care for those we serve makes all the difference in the quality of service, the effect on the people being served, and the effect on our own hearts....
by Nischala Joy Devi.January 7, 2014. It's that time again"“the beginning of a fresh, new year. It's a time for reflection on our old habits and to make changes to better our lives. Often, I hear people reflect on and plan to make one change—"I am going to meditate...
by Nischala Joy Devi. December 14, 2013. This beautiful time of year is also one of the most stressful for many people. The rush and obligations of the holiday season—a season that should be simply joyful—can bring anxiety, worry and higher blood pressure. At times of...