A Commitment
When I enter into a contact improv jam, I make a commitment. I commit to paying attention with all of my being, to myself, to my partner or partners of the moment, to all the others in the room, and… (READ MORE)
Chinnamasta?
Peace and light, E — Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.
Artha, Kama, Dharma, Moksha (and Politics)
Last night, Paul Muller-Ortega, as part of the introductory talk for the meditation intensive, spoke at some length about the principles of ardha, kama, dharma, moksha. As I have written about before, in the classical yoga view, it is the… (READ MORE)
Renunciation v. Discrimination (and Celebrating the Holidays)
A fundamental precept of classical yoga is that of vairagya or renunciation. The yogin is meant to gradually renounce all of the life of mind and body until he or she transcends them and sees only spirit. I have been… (READ MORE)
Starry Nights, Tantric Yoga, and Pratyahara
On my previous visits to Sedona in the past year and a half, the moon has been full or nearly full each time. Even though there was little light from man-made sources, the bright light of the moon illuminated the… (READ MORE)
I hate [insert name of pose or class of poses] (and the kleshas)
One of the aims of yoga, according to Patanjali’s classic eight-limbed path of yoga, is to be free from being torn between the pairs of opposites — pleasure and pain. We cannot be free if we are always grasping at… (READ MORE)
Shiva-Shakti Tattvas
The shiva-shakti tattvas, the two highest tattvas, are completely subjective. The shiva tattva is, according to the philosophy, the ultimate reality, the pure “I,” undiminished and undifferentiated consciousness. As something purely subjective, it is both everywhere and nowhere, in every… (READ MORE)
Iccha, Jnana, Kriya
Above (or perhaps beyond, or maybe more elemental, or more universal — words inevitably tangle us in discussing essential philosophical constructs) the six kanchukas (cloakings or coverings) are the five universal elements. These are suddha vidya, ishvara, saddha shiva, and… (READ MORE)
Yoga for Householders
Paul Muller-Ortega, who teaches philosophy and meditation from similar roots to those that inform Anusara yoga, spoke yesterday of the differences between the path of the renunciate and the path of the householder. He strongly stated that neither path was… (READ MORE)