The Purpose of Hatha Yoga

We are not our bodies. But unfortunately without the body we cannot do anything. Whatever good or bad you want to do, you need a body. You want to taste something, you need the tongue. You need to hear something, you need the ear. You want to touch something, you need...

An Ayurvedic Approach to Asana Practice

Ayurveda and Yoga are sister sciences. In this interview, David Frawley, PhD (Pandit Vamadeva Shastri) addresses their complementarity and where asana fits into both of these ancient systems from a holistic perspective. He also clarifies the intent of asana and the...

Taking the Witness Stand: Cultivating Neutral Observer Mind

Witnessing, a key spiritual practice in Jnana Yoga, involves taking the position of a neutral observer to the whole range of our experience: physical sensations, perceptions, thoughts and emotions. It can be practiced as a meditation technique in which one...

Hatha Yoga: Caring for the Human Temple

The human body is a temple. Keep it strong and supple. Treat it gently. Never ignore the body, because it’s the most important instrument. Whatever you do, you need a body. That’s why the ancient Yoga teachings always emphasized taking good care of the...

The Art and Heart of Asana

According to Erich Schiffmann, a much beloved Yoga master, Yoga is a way of moving into stillness in order to experience the truth of who you are. In this interview he talks about the practice of asana as the practice of meditation or inner listening. And, as he...

Understanding Hatha Yoga within the Yoga System

Both a renowned Sanskrit scholar and yogi, Swami Venkatesananda—like his spiritual master, Swami Sivananda—can be regarded as a sage of practical wisdom. In this talk at Yasodhara Ashram (British Columbia) in the 1970s, he speaks about the underlying philosophy behind...