by Nischala Joy Devi.September 14, 2013. Asteya: Abiding in generosity and honesty, material and spiritual prosperity is bestowed.-The Yoga Sutras This wonderful teaching from Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, Asteya, is one of the ethical teachings of yoga. Asteya encompasses...
Imagery: All Things Are Possible
by Nischala Joy Devi.September 7, 2013. A great story of healing came from a dear friend who was out for a walk on a wintry day. She stopped in the library; and, by the time she departed, the weather had turned to freezing rain and sleet. Putting her coat over her...
Ahimsa: Love & Reverence for All
by Nischala Joy Devi. August 31, 2013 Embracing reverence and love for all (Ahimsa), we experience oneness. Yoga Sutra II:35 Most often this exalted virtue of Ahimsa is translated simply as "non-harming" or even "nonviolence." Again, we visit the idea of placing a...
Meditation to Withdraw the Senses – Pratyahara
by Nischala Joy Devi. August 21, 2013. Our senses are wonderful tools, but they can also pull our attention here, there, and everywhere. The yogic practice of pratyahara, withdrawal of the senses, helps us have control over them and use them well, rather than being...
Natural Vitality with Balanced Food
by Nischala Joy Devi. August 14, 2013. Sattwic, or balanced, food brings vitality and health to the body and peace and joy to the mind. It is food that is simple, tasty, and as close to its natural form as possible. When food is natural, we eat less of it; our bodies...
A Meditation: Dissolving the Five Kleshas
by Nischala Joy Devi. August 7, 2013. In last week's blog post, I talked a bit about the kleshas (the veils over the inner Light) and why dissolving them will bring us full awareness of that Light. Here is a guided mediation that can help dissolve those kleshas. Take...
Dissolve the Veils Over Your Inner Light
by Nischala Joy Devi.July 30, 2013. There are five veils, kleshas, that cover the light of the Divine Self, obscuring it from recognition. When we become aware of them, the veils dissolve one by one, and the Divine Light within is seen again. Dissolving the five...
Pick a Technique You Love
by Nischala Joy Devi. July 10, 2013. When we are choosing tools for work or play, we must take the time to select the correct size, shape, texture, and level of use. I may like the look and feel of advanced skis; yet, if I am a beginner, the skis designed for...
The Eye of the Beholder: Gazing Meditation (Tradak)
by Nischala Joy Devi. July 3, 2013. Each evening after a very stressful day working at a medical clinic, I joined hundreds of other people in making the pilgrimage to watch the sunset at the ocean. We would leave our cars and worries in the parking lot and jog to a...
A Ring to Soothe a King
by Nischala Joy Devi. June 26, 2013. Sometimes life feels like a rollercoaster. We have joy. Then we have sadness. But joy is certain to come again. It can seem that we are simply puppets, buffeted back and forth by all the changes. Yet, yoga provides great tools to...