Carrying on with our discussion from the other day on Bandha & Pranayama (please see here if you missed it), I'd like to expand further. Remember that bandha is often inaccurately translated as "lock". I assert that this is an inaccurate translation, as when we think of "lock" it implies that something is closed, blocked, or cut off. While this translation may be partially true, it is not the whole picture; it is incomplete and can lead one to see only part of what is happen

Today's discussion will be an elaboration on the topic of bandha and its activity in pranayama. A saying from the Hatha Yoga tradition goes: "There can be no pranayama without kumbhaka, and there can be no kumbhaka without bandha." This statement is enough to have the serious yogi wondering -- what is the importance of kumbhaka and bandha? We'll start here and see where this goes. As usual, I appreciate writing for the fact that it allows me to "think out loud" on these topic

Today I wanted to share a bit about the unveiling and discovery of the "path". Many are turning to spiritual practice, enticed by a variety of promises and benefits that are often associated with spirituality. However these benefits are the "side-show" -- valid & legitimate yes, by not the true intent or purpose of spiritual practice. For someone starting out, this may be an interesting discovery to make, but sure enough, with enough time and practice, this may be realized al

Hi all, Grant here. Today I'm writing from my porch, watching soft rain blanket the mountainous terrain of central Costa Rica. We returned yesterday morning, April 6th, from our annual retreat, the Five Element Immersion . 12 souls plus myself deepening into our practice together for 11 days. As usual, I find myself in the reflective and contemplative mood which often follows a deep retreat experience. I'm hoping to capture some of those ideas in writing, hence the inspiratio

Overview The spiritual science known as Hatha Yoga began to make its way into prominence in the 12th or 13th centuries AD, when texts started to emerge which made reference to a ‘new’ type of Yoga or spiritual method. This method was known as hatha yoga: the yoga of the Ha (sun) and Tha (moon), also known as the the yoga of force (another translation of hatha is “force”). Many of these techniques and teachings which came to be known under the umbrella term hatha yoga were gr

Every year, around this time of seasonal change, when summer becomes autumn — the leaves fall and things retreat inward before winter —...

Good day friends, Thanks for joining me for another Episode of “Sādhana Lab” where we explore themes, ideas and concepts related to the...

Good morning (or good afternoon) to you, yogi Have you ever been frustrated at a lack of movement internally, on an emotional level?...

Hi all, Grant here. Today I feel inspired to share with you a video that I made recently to add to our collection of educational content...

Greetings friends, In today’s publication I’d like to visit themes centered around the Element of the Earth. This essay is part of a...

This essay is part of a series of writings on the topic of the pancha maha bhutas . Read our contemplations on Earth , Water , Fire ,...

Today we will continue our exploration and discussion on the subject of the pancha maha bhutas , and in specific we will cover the Air...

The Pancha Maha Bhutas series is a short arrangement of essays where we dive into each of the 5 Great Elements based on the traditional...

Our orientation to WATER and how we view the characteristics and qualities of this elemental "personality" is based on how it is seen to manifest in our body, where its essence is located in the subtle body (according to yogic/Tantrik physiology), and conclusions from the experimental model & methodology of bhuta shuddhi that is used in our yoga sadhana.

We must remember that the ideas of Yoga are all related to the objectives or aims of this spiritual path. At the same time, we must also remember that these ideas were and are presented as methods and ways of experimentation rather than as rules or dogmas. his is important, as our own individual attainment is dependent on our ability to think for ourselves and apply any of the means suggested to arrive at our own conclusions and understanding...

I'd love to introduce to you today the metaphysical concept of the pancha maha bhutas, emerging to us out of Samkhya philosophy. Pancha = five; maha = great; bhutas = elements -- thus, the "Five Great Elements" . Samkhya is the cosmogonical view underlying the wisdom sciences of Yoga and Tantra; this framework deals with the origin of the Universe and in specific, with how Infinite Consciousness (i.e. Supreme Reality) "descends" or manifests by stages to become the appa

The Earth element corresponds to the muladhara chakra, the psychic center at the base of the spine (tailbone & coccyx area). The bija mantra, or seed sound, associated with this center is LAM. Ganesha, or Ganapati, is said to the be the gatekeeper and deity presiding over this region. The yogis suggest that it is this chakra which is responsible for the embodied feelings of security, survival, and stability. I believe that the first step in our analysis of what all this means