News & Updates
Preventing Yoga Injuries: The Breath, Prana And The Vayus……
"When life’s strong winds come blowing, bend with them and let go. By bending you will become stronger in new places. By letting go you will be making room for the new and better." - Karen Salmansohn Just like wind moves both seen and...
Pranayama And The Human Machine……
The practice of Yogic breathing affects the human body in very predictable ways. The Sanskrit word, “pranayama” literally means the control of our life energy (prana). Prana is a bright and lively form of energy that is more subtle than...
Beat The Heat – Sitali The Cooling Breath……
It's hot out there! Practice Sitali breath to cool you down. Deep in the Himalayas, ancient sages observed and imitated the world around them in the noble attempt to master body, breath, and mind. They noticed the curve of a bird’s lower...
Complete, Square and Interrupted Breathing…..
Breathing in rhythmic formations will help you to concentrate and gain control of the breath and hence, control of the mind In most cases of so-called “normal breathing”, the breathing action is concentrated in the upper part of the...
The Importance Of Breath In Yoga….
The importance of breath in the spirit of yoga cannot be overstated. In fact, the practice of yoga is often referred to as “the union of breath and movement.” Breath is considered the life force energy that flows through our bodies, and...
Meeting Yourself……..
When you are so graced, there is a refraining from the habit of distraction and a turning inside. Instead of being reactive to what is arising in the play, you turn inside to feel into the internal response. It is always old, it is always...
Loving Kindness Meditation……
" … in reality, the practice of loving-kindness is about cultivating love as a strength, a muscle, a tool that challenges our tendency to see people (including ourselves) as disconnected, statically and rigidly isolated from one another....
The Roots of Suffering: Sprouted from the Mind, Healed by the Heart
Our thoughts have power and our minds are like windows through which we see and interpret the world. Cleaning these windows until they are clear is what we aim to do in Yoga. We do this so that we can see things as they really are and...
Allow For More Space With Heart Opening Asanas…..
If you’ve been to even just a few yoga classes, you’ve probably heard the term “heart opener”. This term, though often used to describe back-bending, chest-opening postures, actually digs so much deeper than that. Heart opening in yoga...
Heart Opening Meditation….
Heart awareness visualization meditation is one of the best practices you can do to get really present with the intelligence and awareness of your heart. Studies show that the heart’s intelligence is way more attuned to the truth of your...
Listening To The Voice Of Your Heart….
“Cultivate the art of listening to your intuition, your inner voice. This is the guidance of your heart. It’s a voice that speaks differently from the one in your head. The heart whispers softly; the head rambles loudly. The head has an...
6 Reasons To Practice Yoga At A Studio (Instead Of With A Laptop)…..
With the proliferation of online yoga tutorials and even YouTube, more and more yogis are practicing at home in front of their laptops. But as a yoga teacher who even has a few online videos of his own, I still find incredible value in...
Finding A Suitable Yoga Teacher Who Is Right For You……
“A wise teacher guides and sustains our momentum and discipline but can’t do it for us; ultimately we empower and uplift ourselves.” There are many reasons why a first experience of yoga can be off-putting. Or, later down the line, we...
Welcome To A New Year…….
Welcome to a New Year! Below are some gentle reminders of the teachings for your successful, healthy and fulfilling Yogic New Year as per Swami Sitaramananda. Happiness is within, calm the mind with Yoga practice to find happiness. Peace...
Festive Wishes….
“May all beings be peaceful. May all beings be happy.May all beings be safe.May all beings awaken to their true nature.May all beings be free.”- Metta Prayer Wishing you peace and love in abundance over the festive season going forward...
Holiday Meditation…..
“Let us now move away from the demands and needs of our chaotic world and slip into our inner world, into the quiet, still room of the mind. it is a place, a space of calm, stillness and peace. Here, I can let go of my concerns, worries...
Sitting In Stillness……
“When we are constantly doing something, we are simultaneously constantly stimulating our nervous systems to the point of exhaustion – and an overexerted, depleted nervous system can most certainly give birth to an array of health...
Rest and Renew…….
Resting is an art. We continually try to relax but don’t really know how to do it. Often, we feel that we should do more important things first, so that we can enjoy a well-deserved rest later. But somehow the time for rest never comes. ...
Rest In Being…….
Sitting quietly, feel what sits there. Observe the scintillating field of sensation we call the body. Notice sensation’s wordless quality. It's sense of simply being humming through the body. Go within sensation to that subtle presence by...
Resting In Balasana ( Child’s Pose)….
Balasana (Child’s pose), is a restorative pose that is known for its calming, grounding, and relaxing effects. It gently stretches the lower back, hips, and thighs, while calming the mind and relieving stress. Child’s Pose (Balasana)...
Trumpet Like and Elephant…….
Many foundational yoga poses come from things we see in nature. Animals, plants, mountains, celestial bodies and the elements. In this way, our yoga is not just a union of our mind, body and breathing but also a way to connect to the...
The Celebration of Diwali…….
YTF wishes all our Hindu members a Happy Diwali! Diwali also called Divali, Deepavali or the “Festival of Lights”, is an important five day festival in the Hindu calendar occurring between mid-October and mid-November. The name “Diwali”...
Children Of Unity Foundation……
Children are bearing the effects of stress more than ever before in any time of history. Anxiety, depression, panic attacks and fear have crept into the minds of our children. The time is now to address this. The world has evolved on many...
Children……
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Wholeness..
Yoga allows you to rediscover a sense of wholeness in your life, where you do not feel like you are constantly trying to fit broken pieces together. - B.K.S. Iyengar
Talk About What You Love…
Talking about the bad day you had, being late for an appointment, getting caught in traffic, or missing the bus are all talking about what you don’t love. If you get caught up in talking about what you don’t love, every one of those...
Judgement….
"It is part of the human nature always to judge others very severely and, and when the wind turns against us, always to find and excuse for our own misdeeds, or to blame someone else for our mistakes" - Paulo Coelho...
Synchronicity…..
"Our several senses, which feel so personal and impromptu, and seem at times to divorce us from other people, reach far beyond us. They’re an extension of the genetic chain that connects us to everyone who has ever lived; they bind us to...
The Essence of Love
"If you pour a handful of salt into a cup of water, the water becomes undrinkable. But if you pour the salt into a river, people can continue to draw the water to cook, wash, and drink. The river is immense, and it has the capacity to...
Wisdom…
“It is the nature of the saplings to quake in the winds; hesitant, learning to hold their own places. But, the older trees, with their years of testing and being tested, they are the ones who, whether in the long stern winds or misty...
What is TRUE LOVE?
True love cannot be bought, bribed, begged, manipulated or forced. It can only blossom from deep within the heart. Love is simultaneously the purest and one of the most complex emotions we find. True love at its purest, is just that –...
Apache Blessing
May the sun bring you new energy by day, May the moon softly restore you by night, May the rain wash away your worries, May the breeze blow new strength into your being, May you walk gently through the world and know its beauty all the...
The Wisdom of The Forest : By Kavi Yogiraj Mani Finger
All mysteries when investigated are very simple truths. They are only mysterious when enveloped in conjecture and shrouded in ignorance. The greatest mysteries seem to be ourselves. What is it in us that creates joy, hate, anxiety,...
Mindfulness
Spring comes with its flowers, autumn with the moon, summer with breezes, winter with snow; when useless things don't stick in the mind, that is your best season - Zen proverb
When Spring comes..
Sitting quietly, doing nothing, spring comes, and the grass grows by itself." ~ Zen proverb
That is Life: Charlie Chaplin
As I began to love myself I found that anguish and emotional suffering are only warning signs that I was living against my own truth. Today, I know, this is “AUTHENTICITY”. As I began to love myself I understood how much it can offend...
Forgiveness
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The Four Agreements
Happy for no reason
To be happier, everything you need is inside you.Take ownership of your happiness. You’ll focus on solutions instead of problems, find the gifts in life, and make peace with yourself. Don’t believe everything your mind tells you. You’ll...
What story do you feed?
There is a Native American parable about a grandfather who says: "I feel as if I have two wolves fighting in my heart. One wolf is the vengeful, angry one. The other wolf is the loving, compassionate one." When asked which wolf will win...
Om Namah Shivaya
Wisdom of Babaji to wonderful rendition of mantra. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYwmGWTWyEo Created by Laura De Giorgio and Marge De Vivo.
Global Coherence
We are love We are One We are how we treat each other when the day is done
Tibetan Sand Mandala
Worth a visit. Loved the Mandala done at Jozi Lam Rim years ago.
20 Ways to Get Good Karma
Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson. Follow the three R’s: - Respect for self, - Respect for others and - Responsibility for all your actions. Remember that not...
Butterflies are back
May the wings of the butterfly kiss the sun and find your shoulder to light on - To bring you luck, happiness and riches - today, tomorrow and beyond. Irish Blessing
One Action
Words to ponder as the global community heeds the call for 16 Days of Non Violence against Women and Children. "The source of love is deep in us, and we can help others realize a lot of happiness. One word, one action, or one thought can...
Songs of Inspiration
Videos on evolution of consciousness, spirituality and the hero's journey...Shafin de Zane [youtube]http://youtu.be/qYhEI7ugANI[/youtube]
Happy Give & Take
Studies show that babies who don't receive some form of compassionate touch are 78% less likely to survive infancy. Scientists, doctors and moms tell us that we should have at least 3 hugs a day. Hugs have an important medical benefit...
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Warming Winter Recipe: Curried Coconut Root Vegetables……
Do the cold, dark days of winter have you craving foods that are warm, hearty, and comforting? Look no further! These nourishing curried root vegetables may be just the thing to satisfy your tastebuds, fill your belly, and saturate your...
3 Yoga Breathing Techniques To Help You Build Internal Heat…..
The cold and dry air that accompanies winter weather can aggravate your sinuses, adding extra irritation on top of seasonal colds. While in the summer we can use sitali, the cooling breath, to reduce body heat, winter weather calls for...
What Makes Teaching Workplace Yoga Different?…….
Yoga can be intimidating and obscure when you’re new to the practice. There’s hot yoga, flow yoga, laughter yoga, slow yoga and yin yoga! But regardless of the style, as teachers our job is to meet students where they are and be...
The Second Yama of Yoga: Satya…….
The word ‘sat’ literally translates as ‘true essence’ or ‘true nature’. It also means something that is pure and unchangeable. ‘Sat’ also means ‘that which exists’, ‘that which has no distortion’, ‘that which is beyond time, space and...
Affirmations for Inner Peace…..
All I need to do right now is breathe. A warm, peaceful energy surrounds me and those I love. Inside me lies a great reservoir of calmness. I let go of anxiety and embrace tranquility. I am in control of my thoughts and emotions. I...
Ahimsa: Yoga’s Single Most Important Practice (Kindness)…….
" Your yoga practice actually takes place every moment of your day when you practice ahimsa -- that is, being mindful to not think, speak or act in a harmful way to yourself or others." During a yoga class, one has the space to learn to...
Awaken the Foundation: A Journey Through the Yamas……
The very first step on the eight-limbed path begins with setting rules for daily living. Known as the yamas in Sanskrit, the word itself translates to “restraint”. The yamas themselves exist beyond time and space as universal applications...
Creating Space In The Body…..
Our minds and bodies are interconnected, and the condition of one affects the condition of the other. This is why meditation is such a powerful tool for healing the body, as powerful as physical therapies. When our minds are cluttered...
The Chief Yoga Sciences…..
Yoga might have originated in India over five thousand years ago, but over time its vast language and diverse nature has been fashioned and interpreted in many different ways. According to Kavi Yogiraj Mani Finger, the word “yoga” itself...
Finding A Suitable Yoga Teacher That is Right For You…..
Finding a suitable teacher and the right teacher for you: When the student is ready, the guru appears. Self-Knowledge: Finding a teacher that best suites you – making beneficial choices that best suit you. “A wise coach guides and...
Now…….
"Tomorrow and plans for tomorrow can have no significance at all unless you are in full contact with the reality of the present, since it is in the present and only in the present that you live. There is no other reality than present...
Water, Water………….Everywhere
“If we consider that the human body is a universe within itself, it is only natural to conclude that we carry within us all the elements.” - Masaru Emoto, Hidden Messages in Water One of the things that we have in common as human beings...
Sunshine Yoga Studio: Balancing Your Fire Element
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (“TCM”) the summer season is governed by the Fire element, making it an easy one to remember as we associate the heat from the sun during this time of the year. I try to bring concepts from each of the...
Fan The Flames….
" Why should you practice Yoga? To kindle the divine fire within yourself. Everyone has a dormant spark of divinity in himself which has to be fanned into flame." - B.K.S Iyengar
The Five Elements……
Stop and imagine quietly standing barefoot out under the open sky. Feel the dirt under your feet, a breeze tickling the back of your neck. As the sun warms your face, listen for the trickle of a stream nearby. Breathe. It’s a serene...
The Light Of Diwali…..
It is that sacred time of Diwali, the Festival of Light! On this day as we light beautiful lamps in our homes, we must not only marvel at the glory and splendor, but we must also take the significance of the light into our lives. We must...
Sole2Soul Yoga Studio….
“…from the Soles of your Feet to the Seat of your Soul…” Sole2Soul Yoga Studio was established in July 2018. This cute and edgy studio is on the doorstep of the Union Buildings, over-looking the Pretoria skyline. It is easily accessible,...
The Call of the Soul…
"People can live their entire lives without recognising the call of the spiritual self. It's a call for deeper wholeness, to awaken to something greater within and around us. We all hear it, although not everyone recognises it. The call...
Love Your Feet Using Reflexology As A Tool……
How often during the day do we think about our feet? Generally not often unless they are hurting, “my feet are killing me” and then we do something. What if we were to work on prevention rather than cure, by looking after our feet? With...
Relax Upwards…..
When you’re faced with a challenging situation, instead of getting tense and tied up in knots, try to step back from the problem. Allow your energy to flow calmly upward to the third eye. Let your awareness rest there, and trust that you...
How To Embrace Solitude To Enrich Your Life…..
“Ordinary men hate solitude. But the master makes use of it, embracing his aloneness, realizing he is one with the whole universe” -Lao Tzu A fundamental aspect of loneliness is isolation and feeling disconnected from ourselves and...
Self Love…….
"Come in touch with yourself as being a child of the universe. Know that you are the beneficiary of all the universe has to offer, you need only be able to contact it. To begin, go to that place deep inside yourself, deep inside your...
Three Questions…..
What is working? What isn’t working? What if? A delightful painting instructor uses these three questions as part of his artistic process. When he is making a sketch for a new painting, he looks at his first attempt and keeps those things...