“The body is stimulated by proper exercise, which both strengthens and relaxes. We all must travel a long distance in this physical body. If we do not care for it, how can we reach our goal?” —Swami Kripalu
On Being Flexible
The practice of yoga can help bring balance to our lives. We all have particular tendencies and patterns and, without awareness, these patterns can create imbalance. By becoming aware of our habitual tendencies—and consciously applying their opposites—we can release stuck patterns and bring body, mind, and spirit back into union. Here are some polarities you [...]
Kripalu Yoga Posture Clinic: Savasana
Welcome to the Kripalu Yoga Posture Clinic, week twelve! Here, Devarshi Steven Hartman, Dean of the Kripalu School of Yoga, and Jovinna Chan, Assistant Dean, share sound tips to help your savasana soar and soothe. These clips can be enjoyed independently or as a series for a complete practice, once they’re all published. Thanks for coming back every Wednesday for this 12-week series. Enjoy!
Posted on August 12th, 2012 by Thrive in Moment of Quiet
Moment of Quiet
“Struggle is a subtle sculptor who shapes the life of every great spiritual master into a unique and unparalleled work of art.” —Swami Kripalu
Posted on August 11th, 2012 by Thrive in Healthy Living
Turning Point: Melanie Roche
Melanie Roche, MA, is a healer in private practice who works with clients worldwide. She served on the faculty of the Barbara Brennan School of Healing at both the Miami and Tokyo campuses, and is now developing her own method, integrating healing with mind-body practices.
Q Describe what you do in 15 words or less.
A Work to heal clients via phone or Skype and in person, and lead workshops internationally.
Q Tell us about a turning point in your life.
A I found a lump in my breast when I was in my early thirties. I had surgery, but also went to an energy healer. That healing was a profound experience—it changed my life, and I switched careers. Now I give healings and teach others how to do the same.
Q What do you love about teaching?
Posted on August 9th, 2012 by Thrive in Healthy Living
Aromatherapy Soothes the Senses
Aromatherapy uses plant materials such as flowers, bark, roots, and stems to make essential oils that have powerful therapeutic qualities.Using a personalized blend of essential oils during a light lymphatic massage can help to eliminate toxins, strengthen the immune system, or relax the mind.
You can also incorporate essential oils at home. (Just remember that very few essential oils can be applied directly to the skin, and some are not ideal for everyone, especially pregnant women.)
• Tea tree is an excellent medicine-cabinet staple, since it has antibacterial properties. It’s great for bug bites, cuts, and blemishes when applied directly to the skin.
• For mental clarity and focus, try a blend of six drops of bergamot with three drops of rosemary mixed in some water.
• To rebalance, a self-massage using 4oz of grape-seed oil with nine drops of geranium, nine drops of lavender, and six drops of lemongrass is a perfect way to slow down, regroup, and set new intentions.
Kripalu Yoga Posture Clinic: Bound Angle
Welcome to the Kripalu Yoga Posture Clinic, week eleven! Here, Devarshi Steven Hartman, Dean of the Kripalu School of Yoga, and Jovinna Chan, Assistant Dean, share sound tips to help your bound angle soar. These clips can be enjoyed independently or as a series for a complete practice, once they’re all published. Come back every [...]
Posted on August 5th, 2012 by Thrive in Moment of Quiet
Moment of Quiet
“By firmly grasping the flower of a single virtue, a person can lift the entire garland of yama and niyama.” —Swami Kripalu
Off the Mat and Into the Woods
Where Yoga and Nature Meet
Tresca Weinstein, guest blogger
Each time they co-teach the Kripalu program Yoga and Kayaking, Greg DiLisio and Johnny Snyder lead what they call a “floating meditation.” As the sun begins to rise over the Berkshires, the group rows together toward the center of Lake Mahkeenac, its surface shrouded in early-morning mist. Then they pull in their paddles, close their eyes, and let themselves float wherever the current and breeze carry them.
“There’s a universal feeling that water can provide—a sense of being in the flow, and of being connected to the source,” says Greg, a quigong, tai chi, and yoga teacher as well as avid outdoor sportsman. “We encourage people to touch the water, to sense it around and within them, to appreciate it as a life force.”
Just as our yoga practice on the mat can serve as a microcosm for our day-to-day experience, nature can be a powerful metaphor for life. Confronting and moving through discomfort in the context of nature opens the door to overcoming fear in other areas of life. The offshore meditation in Greg’s kayaking program brings people face-to-face with their fears of being unmoored—literally and figuratively—and alone in the unknown.
Posted on August 2nd, 2012 by Thrive in Meditation
Turning Point: Tim Olmsted
Tim Olmsted has been a student of meditation for 35 years. For 12 of those years, he lived in Nepal, working as a psychotherapist and studying with many of the greatest Buddhist teachers of our time. After returning to the United States, Tim served for three years as the director of Gampo Abbey, the largest residential Buddhist monastery in North America. He now travels internationally, and is the president of the Pema Chödrön Foundation.
Q Describe what you do in 15 words or less.
A When not on the road teaching meditation for Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, I watch over the Pema Chödrön Foundation.
Q Tell us about a turning point in your life.
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