Asatoma Ma Sadgamaya

source: www.amritapuri.org

asato ma sadgamaya
tamaso ma jyotirgamaya
mrtyorma amrtam gamaya

Lead me from the asat to the sat.
Lead me from darkness to light.
Lead me from death to immortality.

(Brhadaranyaka Upanishad — I.iii.28)

This is true prayer—the seeker’s admission of his sense of limitedness and his heartfelt cry for assistance in transcendence. It is not a prayer for the things of the world. It is not a prayer for food, shelter, health, partnership, riches, success, fame, glory or even for heaven. One who recites these three mantras has realized that such things are full of holes, soaked in pain and, even in abundance, will forever leave him wanting. It is in this full understanding that one turns to this prayer. The essence of each of these three mantras is the same: "O, Guru, help me free myself from my sundry misunderstandings regarding myself, the universe and God and bless me with true knowledge."

Sound and Silence

An article by Robert Gray.

Take rest in Savasana (Corpse Pose)

We can approach the making of our postures as a creative act, bringing them to life with our breath and our intent, just like a musician brings music to life. A musician sits in a silence that holds only the intent to play before she brings the music up out of that silence with her muscles and breath. The sounds of the music unfold through time until at some point the musician lets the silence return. But the silence is different, deeper. It holds more. 

Finding the Best Time to Practice

An article by Cyndi Lee. She is the founder of OM yoga center in New York City, a longtime practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism and has been teaching yoga for over 20 years. Cyndi is the author of OM Yoga: A Guide to Daily Practice(Chronicle Books) and the upcoming Yoga Body, Buddha Mind (Riverhead Books). For more information, visit www.omyoga.com.

Your personal rhythm within a 24-hour period, as well as your relationship to the sun and moon, heat and cold, and the crispness or thickness of the changing seasons, can indeed factor into which asanas you practice when. Some people are raring to go first thing in the morning, while other people won't even speak for at least an hour after the alarm goes off. Some love winter and outdoor activities such as skiing and snowboarding. Others put on a few pounds and hibernate in the winter and come alive with the fire energy of July and August. Since an important part of yoga practice is getting to know yourself and how you change from moment to moment, it makes sense to let your energy inform you about how to practice according to the season or time of day. 

Maha Mrtyunjaya Mantra

The Maha Mrtyunjaya is a mantra that is said to rejuvenate, bestow health, wealth, long life, peace, prosperity, satisfaction, immortality and contentment. It is a mantra to conquer death and to connect us to our own inner divinity.

"Om Tryambhakam Yajamahe

Sugandhim Pushtivardhanam

Urvarukamiva Bandhanan

Mrityor Mukshiya Maamritat"

Eat Like a Yogi

How do lessons learned from the mat translate to pleasures of the table?
 
An article by Dayna Macy, Yoga Journal's communications director. She can be found at daynamacy.com.

Go on. No one's looking.

Just take a quick peek inside the kitchen of Ayurvedic educator and yoga teacher Scott Blossom's Berkeley, California, home. In the pantry you'll find ghee and sunflower-seed butter, plus dozens of herbs, spices, and teas. In the fridge, bundles of kale, carrots, and beets. On the counters, jars of homemade jams, organic raw honey, and a warm loaf of sprouted spelt bread. On the stovetop a pot of dahl (Indian lentil soup) simmers. 

Masters School for Models

Lalah is a faculty member of the Masters School for Models. She gives lectures about fitness and wellness, and guides models and aspiring models in their fitness and wellness regimen.

A model needs more than just a pretty face and a stunning physique to make it in the industry.

This was the premise around which the Masters School for Models was built. Originally inspired by its first branch Genesis The New York Masters School for Models in the Upper East Side of New York City, its “continuous education” curriculum includes basic and advanced education for both aspiring and experienced models, providing the tools for personality development and proper training needed in this industry.

What Color is Your Parachute?

I'm sharing a good article about DHARMA by Sally Kempton. She is also known as Durgananda, is an author, a meditation teacher, and the founder of the Dharana Institute. For more information, visit www.sallykempton.com.

Dharma Wheel

Your personal dharma is the path you follow toward the highest expression of your own nature—and toward the fulfillment of your responsibilities to yourself, to others, to your society, and to the planet. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna often speaks of dharma as something inborn, a life calling that each of us has been given and from which we depart at our peril. But he also uses the word to mean right action, and for most of us, personal dharma comes down to that most basic question: What is the right thing for me to do now? Or, given my nature, my skills, and my personal preferences, what actions should I take to support the greater good?

Teyata by Deva Premal and Miten

Teyata om bekanze
Bekanze maha bekanze
Radza samudgate soha

(It is like this. Medicine Buddha, you are the king, the supreme healer. Please remove illness, illness and the Great Illness.)

Illness can be understood on all the three levels: physical, psychological and mental.  The Great Illness manifests as the illusion of duality, which is the root cause of our suffering.  The Medicine Buddha is called by chanting this mantra, and is present immediately, even though he lives light years away.  

A Chant For Healing The Oceans

One of my favorite mantra singers, Deva Premal, has recorded a mantra for healing Mother Earth and the oceans during this time of terrible disaster, and invites you to join her in chanting it daily.

Most of the time, we humans take and use what we want from the earth without considering the long-term consequences. This mantra act as a counterbalance. It helps the earth in her evolution and brings balance to the effects our presence here has on her. It is a salutation to the goddess Lakshmi (in this case, as a representation of Mother Earth) and invoke shakti (feminine energy) to support her. We summon the divine energy that aids the earth’s evolution and helps balance the impact of human life.

Om Dharayei Namaha

(Om and salutations to the Divine Mother, who is the earth.)

Certified Calm

You might want to checkout Certified Calm at the 3rd level of Shangri-La Plaza Mall in Mandaluyong. They are a one-stop shop that caters to your yoga and fitness needs with very good service.

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Barre3 New Branches

 Barre3 opens in EASTWOOD on Thursday, August 5!
Rockwell branch opening really really soon!
See you there!