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The 8 Limbs of Yoga: Patanjali's Eight Limbs Explained

The 8 limbs of yoga are the eight practices Patanjali lists in the Yoga Sutras (2.29): yama (restraints), niyama (observances), asana (posture), pranayama (breath regulation), pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation) and samadhi (absorption). Together...

Posted on 18 Feb 2019

Yoga Philosophy

Trapezius and Yoga: Anatomy, Stretches and Strength for the Traps

The trapezius is the large, flat, diamond-shaped muscle that covers the back of the neck and the upper back. It has three parts: the upper fibres lift the shoulder blades, the middle fibres draw them together, and the lower fibres pull them down. Upper and lower fibres also rotate the shoulder...

Posted on 15 Feb 2019

Essential Yoga Body Parts

Sirsasana (Headstand): How to Do It Step by Step, Plus Variations

Sirsasana (Headstand) is an inverted yoga pose in which you balance upside down on your forearms and the top of your head, with the legs straight up toward the ceiling. The most taught form is Salamba Sirsasana I, the supported Headstand, where the fingers interlace behind the head and the...

Posted on 14 Feb 2019

Yoga Asanas

Sutra Meaning: What a Sutra Is, and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

A sutra (Sanskrit: सूत्र, sūtra) is a short, compressed statement of a teaching, and also the name for a whole text built from such statements. The word means "thread". In yoga the best known example is the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, 195 short lines that set out what yoga is and how to...

Posted on 12 Feb 2019

Yoga Lingo

Drishti: The Yoga Gaze, Its Meaning and the 9 Gazing Points

Drishti (Sanskrit: दृष्टि, dṛṣṭi) means "sight", "gaze" or "view". In yoga it is the point you rest your eyes on while you hold a pose or sit in meditation: the tip of the nose, the hand, the toes, a spot on the floor. A steady gaze keeps your attention in the room and helps...

Posted on 07 Feb 2019

Yoga Lingo