Yoga: What It’s All About

For some Westerners, yoga is all about the mat. For some, it’s about the mat and maybe some philosophy and chanting. But in ancient practices—and still active in India—it’s about yogic cleansing techniques called Shatkarma. Ashok Naik, a yoga instructor at Fitness First in England, discusses the six important areas of yoga devoted to the cleansing of the body. For example, there’s Dhauti, which refers to the washing of the alimentary canal (the digestive system, from mouth to rectum.) Some of these rituals are challenging and Naik recommends doing them only under the supervision of an experienced practitioner. People engaging in Shatkarma are able to tap into another area of yoga not often seen in mainstream Western yoga practices. In this blog, each cleansing method is spelled out for the curious yogi. See yoga-abode.com.

Take a Retreat

Why not take some time to think about starting, enhancing, or mastering your practice through one of the upcoming yoga retreats? This recent article in the Los Angeles Times highlights some fantastic upcoming retreats in beautiful inspiring areas such as Honduras, Arizona, and Hawaii. In addition to these, Yoga Journal sponsors retreats throughout the year to keep you moving and motivated. I can vouch for these as I have been to the one in Estes Park, Colorado, and will be attending the upcoming YJ retreat in Hollywood, Florida in November. The Chopra Center also hosts yoga retreats, and for a fabulous East Coast yoga experience year-round, try Kripalu (another personal recommendation.) Here’s the LA Times article with details: travel.latimes.com.

Energy Work Tips

Dr. Norman Allan is a physician in Toronto who practices alternative medicine and has a four-part video series on energy healing. In this video—geared mainly for practitioners but an excellent watch for anyone interested in the form—he discusses the approaches and pitfalls for energy workers. For example, he emphasizes the importance of the patient’s agenda, not the practitioner’s. He also says, wisely, “If you use your own personal energy to heal yourself, you will exhaust yourself.” Instead, he suggests imagining the energy flowing through you. If you’re intrigued by part one, you can find the rest of the series on youtube.com. He also has a website where he lists his class offerings on energy healing. See the video at Youtube.com.