Yoga, combined with 12-Step principles, enhances the recovery process, as both systems complement one another. The additional benefits of a Yoga practice include philosophical and physical components to help guide the practitioner to lifestyle changes that ultimately...
Someone asked me the following: "Sometimes I see visions of departed souls. I don’t understand this. Can you explain it?” Yes, the mind can do anything. It creates images and can foresee things. The mental capacity for that is there. Recently, I read some articles...
The world constantly changes. Nothing stays permanent for even a second. So, find the middle path, the center—neither this way nor that way. In the midst of the changing world, you have to find the one the essential part that never changes. So, what is it that...
Some people love to travel. If you ask, “Why do you want to travel?" they may say, “To see a lot of places.” “So if you see a lot of places, what will happen?” “Well, I’ll be happy.” “If you ask the travel agent, why are you making all those arrangements for them to...
We have a lot of desires, a lot of selfishness. Yet, we also understand, that if we become selfless, we become happy. You might ask, “What can I do if I can’t get rid of my unyogic desires?” You have to analyze your motives. Over what actions are you selfish? And by...
A message from Lifeline: The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: We can all help prevent suicide. The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for...
Based on his personal experience with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic attacks and anxiety, Boris Bhagavan Pisman, MS, NCC, developed a Yoga-based approach to recovery. In this interview, he talks about his journey and how he integrates the best of Yoga...
One of Patanjali’s sutras buried in the Second Pada is: "Pain that has not yet come is avoidable" (2.16). This is very similar to, I would even say, exactly, what the Buddha taught: that suffering can end—as stated in the Third Noble Truth—though we hardly seem to get...
Fear, anger, and depression are all related. It all starts with fear. You want something and you become afraid of not getting it, or you get it, and you become afraid of losing it. There is a beautiful sequence in the Bhagavad Gita that illustrates this point. First...
Question: How can I rid myself of expectations of others and the resulting disappointments? Am I really just disappointed with myself for allowing the attachment or is it lack of self-respect which merely manifests itself in the form of impatience. I’m slow to learn...
There is a Sanskrit saying that Swami Satchidananda often quoted: “Mana eva manushyanam karanam bandha mokshayoho.” It means: “As the mind, so the individual. Bondage or liberation are in the mind.” In other words, “As you think, so you become.” If you think well, you...
Emotions are part of the mind and are one part of its functioning. According to Raja Yoga, there are several different ways the mind functions: the analytic mind, the feeling mind, the thinking mind and the desiring mind. Some people think if you are a big yogi, you...
Dr. Bessel van der Kolk is considered one of the world’s leading authorities on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). He has pioneered the use of Yoga as a therapy that is helping these individuals to work through their PTSD and regain a sense of mastery that has...
Vedanta and Psychotherapy would seem at opposite ends of the spectrum. Vedanta asserts that all is Brahman and psychotherapy has the psyche as its focus. But as Swami Tadatmananda, a senior disciple of Sri Swami Dayananda (one of the most respected Vedantis)...
Durga Leela is a clinical Ayurveda and Pancha Karma specialist who has been involved with 12-step programs for the past 13 years. She developed the Yoga of Recovery to help those struggling with addictions lead new, empowered lives. In this interview, she discusses...
Integral Yoga master teacher Swami Vidyananda’s workshops on Yoga and the emotions explore Integral Yoga techniques that bring greater harmony within oneself and to one’s relationships. These workshops use Hatha Yoga and meditation, as well as sacred imagery,...