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Asanas

At the beginning of each year we start our thematic months. We start with the basics and dive into the exploration of the self with the most accessible tool available to us, the physical body. It is "so close to us", but how much do we actually know about it? How conscious are we of the feel of our spine, pelvis, use of our waist or abdominal muscles? Are we aware of how we twist, or bend, or move automatically and mechanically?

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The Chakras

The literal sense of the word “chakra” is “wheel”, but in the yogic terminology, the best translation for this Sanskrit word is “vortex” or “swirl”. Chakras are “very subtle and highly dynamic energy vortexes that receive the cosmic Prana (energy) and function as converters, reducing its voltage, so that it can be used by the various organs and body parts”.

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Myths and Legends (Male Deities)

The myths and legends of the rich Indian tradition… Stories about the creation of the world (cosmogony), myths about the origins of the gods (theogony) with their strengths and their weaknesses, battles between the devas (gods) and the asuras (demons) over the prevalence of Good, creatures with superhuman powers, gods with the appearance of an elephant or a monkey, beautiful goddesses with many arms, sitting on blooming lotuses, creatures with selfish motives, who become omnipotent after intensive and year-long disciplined practices, and threaten Creation with scheming, decadence and moral decline of humanity…

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Hindu Mythology (Female Deities)

Woman… a creature full of grace and beauty, eroticism and innocence, warmth and compassion. A source of inspiration, the embodiment of creativity, of sacrifice and offer. Warrior and mother, full of power, mystery and love!

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The 5 Elements (Pancha Tattwa)

According to the tradition of yoga, the whole creation consists of and is governed by five elements – earth (prithvi), water (apas), fire (agni), air (vayu) και aether (akasha). Each element is the manifestation of primal cosmic energy (Shakti). The whole world is constantly changing because these elements coexist and combine with each other in infinite ways

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The 5 Vayus

In the tradition of Yoga, depending on its functions, the organs it supplies, and the part of the body where it circulates, Prana is categorized under the 5 Vayus. Vayu means “wind” or “air”. Understanding those 5 Vayus will help us find a better understanding of the Prana forces as well, and thus, leverage them in order to come closer to our innate health and vitality.

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The 5 Yamas

Somewhere between the 2nd and the 5th century B.C., the great sage Patanjali wrote down the Yoga Sutras. This text became Raja Yoga’s (the meditation yoga) main source of inspiration. It consists of 196 aphorisms. It describes human psychology in a very concise, succinct, and even scientific way, and it offers a practical system of spiritual development. Raja Yoga as presented by Patanjali has 8 components, some of which are more practically examined in a yoga class: the first and the second ones are called the Yamas & Niyamas, and they refer to behavioral guidelines

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The 5 Niyamas

The Niyamas are not a list of obligations, but a reminder that real freedom comes through discipline. It is an invitation and at the same time, a list of tools, so that we can experience a calm, harmonious and blissful inner state. They reflect a more connected, conscious and pure expression of our personality, and they create a fertile environment in which we can mature and evolve.

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Thoughts

Thoughts and words from the heart for the practice of Yoga and our existence.. Questions and ideas we explore on the yoga mat and Life

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More Thoughts

Thoughts and words from the heart for the practice of Yoga and our existence.. Questions and ideas we explore on the yoga mat and Life

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Τhe Βreath

There are a million things that can be said about the wonderful process of breath… On the physical level, every time we inhale, oxygen is being taken into the body from the atmosphere towards the lungs, and through the blood it is diffused to the cells where the “internal respiration” takes place. In parallel, carbon dioxide is being released from the cells with each exhale, and is being carried through the blood back to the lungs from where it is expelled by “external respiration”. The basic breathing muscle is the diaphragm which separates the organs of the thorax (lungs and heart) from the digestion organs in the belly (stomach, liver etc.).

Navaratri: The great Goddess Festival!

According to the Hindu tradition, the world was created from the union of Shiva and Shakti. Shiva, is the Spirit, the Supreme Consciousness, the stable, indestructible and eternal observer, who is immaterial, and as a result, cannot create anything material. Shakti, Shiva’s wife is the symbol of the creative energy behind the Supreme Consciousness. Through their union, Shakti provides energy, life, and allows the immaterial Spirit to be manifested, resulting in the creation of nature and the world.

Autumn & New Beginnings

Life often goes by so fast that we forget where we are going. Autumn, a time when everything moves slowly and nature gradually transforms, is the perfect season to set goals for new beginnings, before stepping back into our past-paced everyday lives. Set goals that serve as guides, providing a sense of direction and a steady point of reference for the rest of the year.

The wonderful benefits of Kids Yoga

Yoga, a word rooted in the notion of union, is a method that enlists all the aspects of our nature – body, mind and spirit – in the search of inner harmony. Yoga for Happy Kids, a method I created after years of experience in teaching children and closely watching their needs, is the adaptation of all the valuable teachings of yoga into lessons that are aimed at children. Yoga for Happy Kids classes present a rare opportunity for kids to experience the play and discipline of yoga, without worrying that they are doing something wrong.

Meditation

The mind is a tool... We can learn to manage it better so that we are calmer, clearer, happier and free from its oscillations. This, after all, is one of the main purposes in yoga. Dharana, the early stage of Meditation, is defined as prolonged concentration on an object. This object can be the breath, a symbol, a mantra...