What is Meditation? To meditate means to pay full attention to something. It doesn’t mean running away from life or wanting to activate your kundalini. Instead, it’s an opportunity to look deeply into ourselves and into the situation we’re in. So often in our daily lives we just get caught up in the spiral of negative emotions such as hating, disliking, and non-satisfaction and end up blaming others and ourselves for the whole misery. What we need more in our life is love, care, and kindness for ourselves and everyone around us. However, it is never easy to do this activity in every given situation because it is difficult to respond with love and kindness when it is not reciprocated from the other end. Hence, actively practicing love and kindness…

We all know that a Yoga Alliance USA-certified yoga center is the first requirement and that is something that almost every yoga teacher training school in Rishikesh can provide as all of them are usually Registered Yoga Schools. Yoga teacher certification in India is spread out in different parts of the country, but it is predominantly existing in Rishikesh, India due to its spiritual importance. If you haven’t been to Rishikesh, then let us help you paint an honest picture in your mind. The city is known as the capital of yoga and you are about to find out why? Every next street you walk into hosts a minimum of four to five yoga schools and each holding a certification from Yoga Alliance USA. It’s no wonder yoga students or yoga…

Correct posture is what alignment offers your body! but is it this simple to find alignment in your postures? We all think that we are the only ones who cannot do a particular pose. And when we can’t, we believe that there is “something wrong” with our posture. Well, understanding the reality of human variation and your uniqueness will help you sweep away these delusions. Feel a little relaxed in knowing that you are not the only one who cannot do a particular posture! You are unique, and that uniqueness is what makes the difference between what “everyone” seems to be able to do and what you can do.All the yoga students and yoga teachers in Rishikesh have the same desire: It would sure be great if every person’s body was the…

What is Mudra in Yoga? According to the Vedic culture of ancient India, our entire world is made of ‘the five elements’ called The Panch-Maha-Bhuta. The five elements are Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, and Space/Vacuum. They are also called the earth element, water element, fire element, wind element, and space element. These five elements constitute the human body – the nutrients from the soil (earth) are absorbed by the plants which we consume (thus we survive on the earth element), the blood flowing through our own veins represents the water element, the body heat represents the fire element, the oxygen we inhale and the carbon dioxide we exhale represents the wind element and the sinuses we have in our nose and skull represent the space element. As long as these…

Today Vinyasa Yoga Ashram's blog explores the multitudes of yoga philosophy and how it is useful in the modern world. Philosophies are the heart of any topic you want to understand, so isn’t it important to bring your heart to the right place before you aim for the unitive state of mind, body, and spirit? What is Philosophy? The English word philosophy originates from the Greek word- philosophia which means the love of wisdom. However, for many, philosophy is that guiding light that employs the intellect to answer the most controversial questions. It also refers to the study of the fundamental nature of any topic and provides a firm base for discoveries and learning. Why Yoga Philosophy? Yoga Philosophy is one of the six systems of Hindu Philosophy which exist…

“I HATED THE FIRST yoga class I attended”, This is what one of the students at our yoga school said. The problem wasn’t her flexibility; she didn’t have any problem twisting her body into different yoga asanas. She felt yoga was hard for her because it demanded strength.Hatha Yoga is all about reaching a yoga asana and holding it for minutes on end until the yoga teacher has walked the whole yoga hall and done adjustments. Perhaps for some of you, the experience might be the opposite. You may find the strength poses doable while the flexibility poses flummox you.While each of us has our strengths and weaknesses. Often, we have a scantiness of either strength or flexibility. Even for a lot of yoga practitioners, it is difficult to maintain…

Namaste Yogis, we want to start this write-up by quoting what buddha said. “All pain or suffering arises through desire or craving and that to be free of pain we need to cut the bonds of desire.” Is it possible to end all desires in today’s era? Isn’t the thought of removing all desires a desire in itself? So is it possible to find a balance between having desires and still being free from them? How does a yogi find balance in life? Keep reading, as we reveal the key factors on how to stay balanced while advancing towards the goal of yoga—the ultimate liberation. Understand The Spiral of Desire While we may not fully understand where this innate desire to be free comes from, we surely know for a fact…

How does Sattvic Food Help in Yoga? Yoga is a devotion. So, there are certain rules to follow while worshipping yoga. When you are observing an Upvas (or Fast), then what type of food do you eat? There are different types of fast observed in India. Similarly, that type of food is needed when you are doing yoga. It is known as Sattvic Food. So, now, let's understand what is Sattvic Food? In our Vedic texts and Ayurveda, food is divided into three parts: Sattvic, Rajasic and Tamasic. Rajasic food was prepared in the house of kings and maharajas, that is, ghee, oil and spices are used more. Tamasic food includes meat-fish, garlic-onion etc., while the simple food of sages and saints is called sattvic food. It is considered the…

What is Yoga Nidra?Yoga Nidra is a miraculous technique of conscious relaxation. The meaning of these two Sanskrit words-Yoga and Nidra explains a lot, yoga means union or one-pointed awareness, and Nidra means sleep. It is the practice of being completely aware while exploring the states of wakefulness and sleep. Yog Nidra is the systematic method of putting anyone into a psychological zone where physical, mental and emotional relaxation is at its peak. Hence, Yog Nidra is also called psychic sleep or inner awareness sleep.What Happens In Yoga Nidra?If you have ever wondered what happens by lying on the floor like a corpse for hours, then get ready to experience unbridled realizations. If you are guided by an experienced practitioner of Yoga Nidra, you can easily reach a state of…