YOGA by Brittney

There is much more to yoga than meets the eye. The practice of yoga was developed in ancient India over 5,000 years ago by monks and other enlightened beings for health, happiness and longevity. Following is a very brief and simplistic overview outlining what Raj yoga, or Ashtanga yoga is according to Patanjali's Sutras, from my Advanced Teacher Training lecture notes. The goal of yoga is union of the self with the supreme reality. There are eight limbs. 1. The Yamas {Purification of Nature}: a) Ahimsa (non-violence), b) Satya (truthfulness), c) Asteya (not stealing), d) Aparigraha (non-collection), e) Brahmacharya (non-indulgence) 2. The Niyamas {Purification of Nature} : a) Saucha (cleanliness), b) Santosha (contentment), c) Tapas (self-discipline), d) Svadhyaya (self-study), e) Ishuara Pranidhana (surrender to God) 3. Asana {Purification of the Body} : The physical practice of yoga postures 4. Pranayama {Purification of Energy} : Breathing exercises to control th...

I have now been a vegetarian for a total of two weeks. My reasoning for eliminating meat in my diet is two fold: 1) I have a very sensitive digestive tract and needed to make some sort of change, and 2) One of the five yamas (self-restraints, or moral and ethical   guidelines for yogis ) is Ahimsa, or non-violence, and I wanted to more deeply integrate this practice into my daily living in a way that was meaningful to me. I began with a one day Ayurvedic cleanse . Ayurveda is essentially a "Science of Life" that originated in India (like yoga) and marries yogic philosophy beautifully. Ayurveda teaches that the mind and the body are inextricably connected. The Khichdi cleanse is basically comprised of soft, easily digestible foods, tea and lots of water. It's meant for three days, but I didn't eat much meat to begin with, so I felt one day was sufficient for me as a digestive reset. For breakfast, I had plain oatmeal, and for lunch and dinner Khich...