By Tom Hess You talk to one person, and he says he just did a really great “kick-ass” yoga class that he was sweating the whole time. Another person does her yoga in a seated position attempting to quiet her mind. Someone else has experienced a blissful state of consciousness by repeating names of God.… Read more »
By Rex Stromness I think that we are all relieved to be into a new year — 2020 was a challenging one in many ways, for some more than others. As a small business we at Yoga Center of Chico were very much at the effect of the Covid pandemic. We were forced to close… Read more »
By Tom Hess Yes, what makes yoga practice spiritual is the deepening of the experience for the practitioner. This inner experience is the means to see the true Self within. Most modern yoga today teach a series of postures that relate to the body with stretching and strengthening positions that increase the health of the… Read more »
By Jeanette Conery The International Association of Yoga Therapists (the accrediting body for all yoga therapists) says that “Yoga Therapy is the process of empowering individuals to progress toward improved health and well-being through the application of the philosophy and practice of Yoga.” It’s important to know that yoga therapists aren’t setting out to “cure”… Read more »
By Tom Hess Many consider the second chapter of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali to be the most important chapter of the text for the practitioner of yoga because it describes the actual practices that one should do to follow the path of yoga. Patanjali starts out in this chapter by defining Kriya Yoga,… Read more »
By Tom Hess The fourth chapter of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is in some ways a culmination of the body of work that has come before and, more important, it is a description of how a realized being exists on the earth. Realized beings are those who have gone through the practice of yoga… Read more »
The Third Chapter of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali By Tom Hess The third chapter of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali starts with the last three of the eight limbs of yoga. The sixth limb of yoga is dharana, the art of concentration, fixing the mind on something and keeping it there. The seventh… Read more »
The First of Four Chapters of the Yoga Sutras of Pantanjali By Tom Hess The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is one of the most important texts about yoga. A lot of mystery surrounds the text—mainly who wrote it and when was it written? But the truths of the sutras are eternal. The main principal… Read more »
By Tom Hess According to the Taittiriya Upanishad, there are five layers, or kosas, to traverse on our yoga paths. These layers, or sheaths, provide us a path to follow and certain signposts along the way. They also describe the depth and potential of the practice of yoga. The beginning of the journey for… Read more »
Reclaim Your Inner Peace: Tips and Suggestions About Taking a Spiritual Retreat By Expanding Light Retreat Staff Everyone occasionally needs some inner rejuvenation. Whether you want to break new ground, spiritually speaking, or you simply want to reclaim your peace in the midst of a hectic life, going on retreat can be a… Read more »
