Touch-Me-Not

September 23rd, 2010 by Sam | Permalink

The giant yellow bus swallowed my children one morning.

“They are the most precious little people I could ever hope to know”, I thought.

I chugged off up the street after them on my walk, swinging my arms, sputtering and puffing through clouds of exhaust and fading grade-school war cries.

I had been suffering a self-imposed, stress-induced madness and really wanted to find a way to clear it. I thought walking and breathing would help.

It didn’t.

Instead, it went a little something like this:

“Oh Shit! . . .

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Tags: asheville, buddhism, charlotte, cornelius, davidson, Denver, huntersville, mantra, meditation, north carolina, pranayama, touch-me-not, witness consciousness, yoga, yoga cancer, yoga for stress relief, yoga therapy
Posted in Personal, Yoga Essays | No Comments »

Meditation: Making Friends With The Minotaur

May 27th, 2010 by Sam | Permalink

Beginning a meditation practice can, for starters, provide you with calm and quiet. That’s something we don’t make enough time for in this world of constant distraction. But sometimes, not long into a meditation practice, that quiet can become disquieting as issues we’ve ignored or buried can begin to surface. It’s easy to start questioning everything in your life; to feel alone, depressed, even frightened by issues bubbling up from under your lid. The good news is that you don’t have to look very far for some guidance. People since the invention of people have walked this hero’s path and have left a trail of breadcrumbs for you to follow in the form of myths and folktales from around the globe. Even the bedtime stories of your youth contain evidence that you are supported as you grapple with these demons. The particular story I’d like to focus on in this essay is that of a hero, a terrifying monster and their epic battle at the center of a great, inescapable maze.

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Tags: archetype, ariadne, asana, brain, chakras, charlotte, Community Yoga, cornelius, davidson, Denver, hero journey in yoga, huntersville, meditation hero, minotaur, negative emotions in meditation, north carolina, pranayama, Seva, Subtle Yoga, Tantra, theseus, yoga, yoga and mythology, yoga teacher
Posted in Yoga Essays | 7 Comments »

A valuable lesson

April 20th, 2010 by Sam | Permalink

Dear Reader:

I have just come back from an intensive training with a very special yogi. I don’t want to name the yogi, as I do not wish for my words to color anyone’s perception or assume that I am speaking negatively about him/her. The training was definitely intense, expansive and well worth my yoga-dollars. The yogi was unbelievably intelligent, charismatic, well spoken, and embodied the wisdom of the teachings. However, the biggest lesson I took from this training was not a part of the curriculum, but a reaction to it. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: asana, bhagavad dharma, charlotte, Community Yoga, cornelius, dhyana, huntersville, metta meditation, patanjali, prana, pranayama, Seva, Subtle Yoga, svadharma, vichara, vyasa, yoga, yoga sutras
Posted in Yoga Essays | 6 Comments »

Allergies, Asthma and the Yoga Rx

March 25th, 2010 by Sam | Permalink

Do you suffer from allergies or allergy-induced asthma? Allergies can be triggered by pollen in the air, exercise, dust in your sheets or animal hair on your furniture. Allergens are EVERYWHERE. And if you have multiple indoor and outdoor allergies, you may suffer with symptoms the whole year! That’s 365 days and nights of itchy eyes, runny nose, pounding sinuses, hives, dry-cracked skin, shallow breathing and chronic cough! Moreover, if you choose to seek relief from OTC (over the counter) remedies, you might suffer from such additional side effects as grogginess, constipation, irritability, cloudy thinking and more! Not to mention the expense. . .

It’s good to know there is an alternative treatment such as the science of yoga, which can alleviate and sometimes (over time and with dedicated application) actually eliminate the symptoms.

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So Ham: a Guided Meditation

March 24th, 2010 by Sam | Permalink

When it feels like the world needs to stop spinning in order for you to catch up with life, give yourself a short, guided meditation vacation.

* * * * * Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: asana, brain, chakras, charlotte, Community Yoga, cornelius, davidson, Denver, guided meditation, healing, huntersville, mantra, meditation, muladhara, nada yoga, north carolina, Para Yoga, Power Yoga, prana, pranayama, Pre-Natal Yoga, Relaxation, reverse the effects of stress, Samantha Leonard, Samantha Noto, Seva, So Ham, spirituality and health, Subtle Yoga, Tantra, tattva, teacher training, vini yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, yin yoga, yoga, yoga and breath, Yoga for Kids, yoga therapy, yoga work break
Posted in Yoga Essays | 1 Comment »

Get Happy in just 3 short steps! And other empty promises of pop-culture yoga.

March 21st, 2010 by Sam | Permalink

This article has been a long time coming. I’ve been grappling with my distaste for yoga and spirituality magazines for some time. Being a bit of a glass house and not wanting to throw stones, I’ve kept quiet. But you know that I could only stay quiet for so long. You’ve been expecting this and have probably buried a bus in your backyard to hide in at the moment of my venomous blast – -but I’m going to surprise you. This superficial pop culture of yoga is good for one thing – It can (if you’re willing to do the work) lead you away from itself and toward a space that is big enough to hold all of your suffering and your happiness.

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Tags: asana, charlotte, chaturanga, Children's Yoga, Community Yoga, cornelius, davidson, Denver, guru, headstand, healing, huntersville, Kirtan, kundalini, Kundalini Yoga, mantra, meditation, new age, north carolina, Power Yoga, pranayama, Samantha Leonard, Samantha Noto, Sat Nam, Seva, spirituality and health, Subtle Yoga, teacher training, Vinyasa Yoga, witness consciousness, yoga, Yoga for Kids, yoga journal, yoga lies, Yoga Teacher Training, yoga therapy
Posted in Yoga Essays | 13 Comments »

Kleshas, Suffering and the Yoga Rx

March 10th, 2010 by Sam | Permalink

If you have ever taken a yoga class then you know that yoga makes you feel better. It eases some of your suffering! And chances are, if you’re reading this, you decided to go back for more. And if you’re a regular, like me, you’ve noticed that your life outside the yoga class has also changed for the better. So what gives?

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Tags: abhinivesha, asana, asmita, avidya, brain, bramacharya, chakras, charlotte, Children's Yoga, cornelius, davidson, Denver, dwesha, huntersville, Kirtan, kleshas, kundalini, Kundalini Yoga, manipura chakra, meditation, muladhara, nada yoga, new age, niyamas, north carolina, Para Yoga, Power Yoga, pranayama, Pre-Natal Yoga, raga, Relaxation, Samantha Leonard, Samantha Noto, Sat Nam, Seva, Shaivism, Subtle Yoga, Tantra, tattva, tattwa, teacher training, vini yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, yamas, yin yoga, yoga, yoga and chiropractic, yoga for add, yoga for adhd, yoga for emotional well being, Yoga for Kids, yoga for sensory integration disorder, yoga sutras, yoga teacher, yoga therapy
Posted in History, Yoga Essays | 1 Comment »

Visshudha Chakra

March 9th, 2010 by Sam | Permalink

A brief and practical summary of this Chakra and how to work toward balancing it on your own.

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Tags: anahata chakra, asana, brain, chakras, charlotte, Children's Yoga, cornelius, davidson, Denver, huntersville, Kirtan, kleshas, Koshas, kundalini, Kundalini Yoga, manipura chakra, meditation, muladhara, nada yoga, north carolina, om, Para Yoga, Power Yoga, pranayama, Pre-Natal Yoga, Relaxation, Samantha Leonard, Samantha Noto, Sat Nam, Seva, Shaivism, Subtle Yoga, swara yoga, Tantra, tattva, tattwa, teacher training, vini yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, visshudha chakra, yantra, yin yoga, yoga, yoga for emotional well being, Yoga for Kids, yoga teacher, yoga therapy
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Why are we here? And what are we going to do about it?

February 20th, 2010 by Sam | Permalink

Tags: 5 elements, ahamkara, bhutas, buddhi indriyas, chakras, charlotte yoga, cornelius, cornelius yoga, davidson yoga, gunas, huntersville yoga, karma indriyas, kundalini, Kundalini Yoga, mahat, manas, meditation, nada yoga, north carolina yoga, Para Yoga, patanjali, Power Yoga, prakriti, prana, pranayama, purusha, rajas, Samkhya, sattva, satwa, self actualization, Seva, shakti, shiva, Subtle Yoga, swara yoga, tamas, tanmatras, tattvas, vini yoga, yoga, yoga cosmology, yoga for children, yoga for children with sensory integration disorder, yoga sutras, yoga therapy
Posted in History, Yoga Essays | 1 Comment »

Swara Yoga

February 17th, 2010 by Sam | Permalink

Can the boulders inside your nose be the roadblocks to living the life you were meant to live? Swara yoga says yes . . . among other factors.

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Tags: ajna chakra, anahata chakra, brahma nadi, brain, chakras, ida, kundalini, Kundalini Yoga, manipura chakra, mulhadara, nadi shodhana, nadis, om, Para Yoga, patanjali, pingala, power, prana, pranava, sahasrara chakra, Samkhya, Subtle Yoga, sushumna, svadisthana chakra, swara yoga, vini yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, visshudha chakra, yoga for children, yoga sutras, yoga therapy
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Anahata Chakra

February 15th, 2010 by Sam | Permalink

A brief and practical summary of this Chakra and how to work toward balancing it on your own.

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Tags: asana, brain, chakras, charlotte, Community Yoga, cornelius, davidson, Denver, healing, huntersville, kundalini, Kundalini Yoga, manipura chakra, meditation, muladhara, nada yoga, nidra, north carolina, Para Yoga, pranayama, Relaxation, Samantha Leonard, Samantha Noto, Sat Nam, Seva, Subtle Yoga, Tantra, tattva, tattwa, vini yoga, yoga for emotional well being, yoga therapy
Posted in Yoga Essays | 2 Comments »

Breathe like a yogi, be peaceful as a baby

February 11th, 2010 by Sam | Permalink

If you are suffering from any form of physical, mental or emotional dis-ease, there is one thing that you can do right now to set your feet firmly on the road toward healing. Breathe like a yogi. Read more to find out why and how.

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Tags: asana, brain, BREATH AWARENESS, chakras, charlotte, charlotte yoga, COMMUNITY, Community Yoga, davidson, Denver, gentle yoga, huntersville, kundalini, Kundalini Yoga, manipura chakra, MBSR, meditation, MINDFUL YOGA, MINDFULNESS BASED STRESS REDUCTION, MULHADARA CHAKRA, nada yoga, new age, north carolina, pranayama, Relaxation, Seva, Subtle Anatomy, Subtle Yoga, Tantra, tattva, tattwa, THREE PART BREATH, vini yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, yin yoga, YOGA FOR DEPRESSION, yoga for emotional well being, Yoga Teacher Training, YOGI BREATH
Posted in Medical, Yoga Essays | 1 Comment »

Manipura Chakra

February 8th, 2010 by Sam | Permalink

A brief and practical summary of this Chakra and how to work toward balancing it on your own.

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Tags: asana, brain, chakras, charlotte, Community Yoga, davidson, Denver, huntersville, kundalini, Kundalini Yoga, manipura chakra, meditation, muladhara, nada yoga, new age, north carolina, pranayama, Relaxation, Seva, Subtle Yoga, Tantra, tattva, tattwa, vini yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, yin yoga, yoga, yoga for emotional well being, yoga teacher
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Svadisthana Chakra

February 8th, 2010 by Sam | Permalink

A brief and practical summary of this Chakra and how to work toward balancing it on your own.

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Tags: asana, chakras, charlotte, Community Yoga, cornelius, davidson, Denver, healing, huntersville, Jung, kundalini, Kundalini Yoga, manipura chakra, meditation, muladhara, nada yoga, new age, north carolina, pranayama, Relaxation, Subtle Yoga, svadisthana chakra, tattva, vini yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, yoga therapy
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

The “Sa Ta Na Ma” Meditation

January 31st, 2010 by Sam | Permalink

Here is the meditation mentioned in the Meditation Rx article. Performing this meditation for 15 minutes 2x per day is a well researched and extremely effective way to exercise your brain, improve your health, and foster mental, emotional and spiritual well being.