“The ecstasy of yoga can’t be contained by a mat,” said Dana Flynn, a director of Laughing Lotus, a yoga studio in New York and San Francisco.Others talk about how the mat is just another symbol of what a commodity yoga has become.
A second revelation occurred in class when he was struggling to keep his body in a difficult position. “I was sweating, my muscles shaking, in triangle pose, and Bikram was talking about how fast he was as a boy in Calcutta. How he could catch this dog.” The situation was almost more than Mr. Gumucio could bear. “In my mind,” he recalled, “I was thinking ‘What is wrong with you. Stop this stupid story!’ ”Laughing! "Stop this stupid story!"
Will Hoffman's short film stitches together random, mundane moments from the lives of different people. But watching this film, you feel like they are moments from your own life! The move from one moment to the next is non-linear, non-sequential, joyous, terrible and unexpected, all at the same time -- and yet it evokes a feeling of deep connection and beauty.I just loved the way it captures mundane instances and weaves them back in a way that evokes a whole and wondrous existence.
Snehana is the Sanskrit term for massaging herbal oils into the skin. The root of this word highlights a vital aspect of this practice. Sneha means love, and the literal translation of snehana is to love your own body. So as you do this, you really need to feel affection for your own skin and what's underneath.
Abhyanga is any massage treatment that uses oil, and here I describe how to administer a self oil massage.
Abhyanga is also a Sanskrit word and with ang meaning "movement" and the prefix abhi meaning "into" or "toward", Abhyanga literally translates as moving into the body. Moving what into the body? Energy, love, prana.
I used to heat up the oil on the stove. But my own yoga teacher showed me an easier way, with some tools easily available from from Bed Bath & Beyond. First I looked for a hot plate for a mug. Turns out an electric candle warmer does the trick. I'd never heard of a candle warmer before, but it's just the right size. You can check them out here. I got the Valmour brand. Electric power heats the plate and on top I place a Faberware "melting pot. You can check that out here. It's just the right size and has a pouring spout.This is the spot for well-heeled yogis whose idea of Zen minimalism doesn't extend to thread counts and evening meals...Turks + Caicos has snow-white sand and turquoise coves, and the rooms are unfussy but gorgeous, all teak and white cotton....Dive or snorkel in the most pristine waters and healthiest reefs of the Caribbean region.The reefs may be the healthiest. I can't say for sure but I do know they are clear and pure and beautiful. I came away healthier than I'd been in a very long time.
