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The Antarayas are nine mental obstacles outlined in the Yoga Sutras (Pada 1, Sutra 30) that are hindrances to yoga practice. Patanjali wasn't talking about vinyasa flow class, but I think these obstacles will be familiar whether in relation to a physical asana practice or to meditation, or to capital-Y Yoga. Let's explore them, with a few notes on how not to let them win.
1. Illness (Vyādhi)
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You’ve probably heard some version of the following rule: you should drink half your body weight in ounces of water every day. As in, a 150-lb person should be drinking 75 oz daily. But this rule isn’t based on any kind of scientific
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If you practice yoga but haven’t yet tried incorporating aspects of Ayurveda into your daily rhythm, I’d like to make it easy for you! Ayurveda is not an all-or-nothing science. You can start small, choosing one or two things that have the potential to make a huge impact on the way you feel. I started practicing yoga 20 years ago, and along the way these are some of the Ayurvedic habits that have been most impactful on my practice (and my life).
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If you have ever gone down the health and fitness rabbit hole, you’ve probably heard of intermittent fasting. It’s frequently touted as a solution for weight loss, heart health, physical performance and even mental clarity. But ask seven different intermittent fasting enthusiasts what their eating schedule is like, and you’ll have seven different answers. So what exactly is intermittent fasting, and what does Ayurveda say about it?
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Summer is upon us! When the weather is warm, we can get dehydrated more easily, so it’s important to be mindful. Luckily, Ayurveda offers numerous tips for aligning with the natural seasonal rhythm and ensuring that we stay well-hydrated, cool and comfortable.
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First of all, to get us all on the same page: there is a tradition in the Ashtanga Yoga method of taking rest on moon days (full moon or new moon, which each occur once a month) instead of practicing asana.
This is based on the schedule of practicing six days a week, and having a consistent day of rest (typically Saturday, though you could structure a six-day-a-week practice with any consistent day off). So, a “daily practice” with these guidelines might mean you practice five days one week (when there’s a moon day in addition to your usual rest day) and six days the next week (no moon day), and so on.
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Here are a few reasons I am jazzed to share Ayurveda with you. It’s an intuitive, non-dogmatic approach to health and well-being that is all about increasing your awareness in everyday life, and allows you to connect to joy.
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Today is the first day of summer, and here in Minneapolis we've already had record-breaking steaks of 90- and 100-degree temperatures. When summer hits in the Midwest, it can feel relentless. Luckily, Ayurveda provides us with a plethora of ways to manage the heat and suffer less. Here are seven easy ways to incorporate Ayurveda into your summer routine.
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A once-a-week Mysore class? That’s a bit non-traditional! With growing interest I thought it would be helpful to outline my intentions for it so that folks who are new can get a good idea of what the process is like.
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Here in Minnesota, there is a subtle change that takes place in mid to late January, give or take. The dry, mobile, light qualities of late fall and early winter (in Ayurvedic terms this is known as Vata, the energy of movement, inspiration, change) give way to the heavier, stagnant, cold qualities of late winter-- these qualities describe Kapha, the energy of inertia, stability, and solidity. In other words, it's not just the cold temperatures that make you feel like your get-up-and-go got up and went…
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