Thoughts on Karma

Funny thing about Karma, it always comes around.
Karma is always expensive because you and only you pay and you are the only one who can dissolve all your karma.

So, based on the law of karma, when we perform an act/action that is intentional, we reap the results or reaction, either good or bad. Therefore if we perform an act of kindness, the result or reaction will be some kind of kindness.

It seems so simple…

“I pray to be treated today the way I treated others yesterday”

What is Sadhana

"What is sadhana? It’s a committed prayer. It is something which you want to do, have to do, and which is being done by you. … Sadhana is self-enrichment. It is not something which is done to please somebody or to gain something. Sadhana is a personal process in which you bring out your best." ~ Yogi Bhajan

Sadhana or daily spiritual practice is the foundation of all spiritual endeavor. Sadhana is your personal, individual spiritual effort. It is the main tool you use to work on yourself to achieve the purpose of life. It can be done alone or in a group. Sadhana is whatever you do consistently to clear your own consciousness so you can relate to the infinity within you. Before you face the world each day, do yourself a favor and tune up your nervous system and attune yourself to your highest inner self. To cover all your bases, it will include exercise, meditation, and prayer.

Develop a regular sadhana and you take control of your life. Develop a deep sadhana and you open the doors of experience. Commit to meet your higher Self each morning and your decisions and your life become original; your life will bear the signature of your soul; your radiance will express the meaningful intimacy of the Infinite in each moment. Immerse yourself in the joy of victory that comes from starting each day with a powerful sadhana and every challenge becomes opportunity.

Pitta Recipe

Just found a new recipe from Ayurvedic Talk, simple yet delicious!

Kale with Chick Peas

Ingredients: 2 cups of fresh kale, ribbed and cut into thin pieces, ½ a cup of chick peas cooked, ¼ tsp each of lime juice and cumin seeds, 1/8 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp of chopped parsley, One tbsp ghee and salt to taste.

Preparation:
1) Steam Kale for about 12 minutes.
2) Heat ghee in a pan, Add cumin seeds and wait till the aroma is released
3) Add Kale, salt and turmeric and sauté for two minutes
4) Now add chick peas and lime juice and mix
5) Garnish with Parsley and serve with cooked rice.

Yoga Teacher Training

Register now for the 200 Yoga Teacher Training program offered in beautiful, sunny Arizona. Our diversified programs offer schedules to meet all needs.

Hatha Yoga

The purpose of Hatha Yoga is to prepare the body for meditation and deep relaxation. People often make the mistake of becoming overly concerned about perfecting their yoga postures. They get so obsessed with perfect yoga poses and flexibility the mind never finds peace. Even in the physical practice of Hatha Yoga the goal is to perfect one’s state of mind than it is to perfect one’s physical movements. Hatha yoga should be approached with a non-competitive, non-judge mental attitude and a smile in the heart.

Yoga therapy for lower back pain

Yoga Therapy for lower back pain. One of Yoga's many benefits is the lengthening and stretching of the muscles. Here is a sequence to practice to alleviate the pain of the lower back as well as sciatic and periformis pain.

free yoga for beginners

5th Element Yoga is offering donation based classes.

Become a certified Yoga Instructor: Sign Up For The Next Class in Sunny Arizona

Enjoy a private, holistic training program from 5th Element Yoga and jumpstart your career in one of the hottest fields ever. Yoga is extremely popular and continues to gain a foothold in everyday lives as people crave the many benefits of this wholesome practice. Become educated in Hatha yoga, vinyasa flow, gentle yoga, prenatal yoga, restorative yoga, and yoga therapy techniques.

The 5th Element Yoga training program is taught over a 30-day period. The program includes a 10-day intensive followed by three consecutive weekend intensives. Flexible schedules and one-on-one sessions are also offered to accommodate your personal needs. The intensive program provides beautiful housing accommodations and includes vegetarian and tridoshic meals prepared by an ayurvedic chef.

Whether you are looking for a career change or want to learn the entire spectrum of living a yoga-centric lifestyle, this program has much to offer the yoga enthusiast. Along with the many physical benefits, yoga enhances mental clarity, holistically relieves stress, inspires spiritual growth and allows one to be fully present in the moment.

300 Hour Yoga Therapist Certification

Travel to the United States or vacation in sunny Phoenix, Arizona while becoming a certified yoga teacher or Yoga Therapist. Programs are registered with the Yoga Alliance and are available in 200 hour and 300 hour formats.

All training programs are private and holistic trainings that are based in the tradition of the Bihar School of Yoga in India. All programs include education in Hatha yoga, vinyasa flow, gentle yoga, prenatal yoga, restorative yoga, and yoga therapy techniques, and program tuitions include weekly hiking, a trip to Sedona, mindful meditation at a Buddhist Stupa, hiking at Lake Pleasant, two 350 page resource manuals with copies of all lectures, textbooks, supplies, and meals and accommodations if necessary. Programs have limited space in order to provide students with a private and very personal education in a distraction free environment.

300 Hour Yoga Therapist Certification: Intensive Format


This program is comprised of three nine day yoga therapy intensives, which are taught consecutively over a 30 day training period. The training schedule runs from 6:30am-6:30pm every day. Students will need to arrive one day prior to the beginning of training, in order to get settled in. Local students are also welcome to participate. For more information, please visit our website at http://www.5thelementyoga.com .

200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Certification Program with Emphasis in Yoga Therapy

Travel to the United States or vacation in sunny Phoenix, Arizona while becoming a certified yoga teacher or Yoga Therapist. Programs are registered with the Yoga Alliance and are available in 200 hour and 300 hour formats.

All training programs are private and holistic trainings that are based in the tradition of the Bihar School of Yoga in India. All programs include education in Hatha yoga, vinyasa flow, gentle yoga, prenatal yoga, restorative yoga, and yoga therapy techniques, and program tuitions include weekly hiking, a 300 page resource manual with all lectures, textbooks, supplies, and meals and accommodations if necessary. Programs have limited space in order to provide students with a private and very personal education in a distraction free environment.

200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training: Full Intensive Format

200 hour full intensive programs are taught over an 18 day period through two nine day intensives. These programs include all of the information listed above, but also include additional instruction in basic and advanced yoga therapy techniques. Graduating students receive a 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Certification with emphasis in yoga therapy. For more information, please visit our website at http://www.5thelementyoga.com .

30 Day 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training

Travel to the United States or vacation in sunny Arizona while becoming a certified yoga teacher! We offer 30 day and 18 day intensive programs, as well as expanded programs that are registered with the Yoga Alliance. All programs also offer instruction in various styles of yoga practice, so that each graduate is equipped to teach for a variety of student needs.
Upcoming Training Dates: August 26th, 2010
For more info, visit http://5thelementyoga.com/200-hr-level-yoga-teacher-training-program

Vinyasa Flow

Here is a great article from Om Shanti: A Yoga Blog, that describes Vinyasa Flow. I thought I would share. At the bottom is a link for the full article. --Josette--


So what is it? Well, one way to describe vinyasa flow is in terms of the physical workout. In a vinyasa flow class, you can usually expect to sweat your butt off. Sometimes teachers even heat the room, which almost guarantees that you’ll be literally dripping with sweat by the end of class. Is it a hard workout? Well, that depends on your teacher. A really hard, advanced vinyasa flow class will, I promise you, be the hardest workout you’ve ever had. It’ll involve intense cardio and strength-building exercises, as well as some core work, a handful of asanas to increase flexibility, and some wildly fun acrobatic stuff that is reminiscent of Cirque du Soleil. There is quite possibly no better overall workout than a really strong vinyasa flow class. In fact, NFL and NHL teams are now incorporating vinyasa flow yoga into their training programs, not just because of the flexibility you gain from yoga (it is, by the way, a HUGE misconception that yoga just about flexibility), but because of all of its physical benefits. As one yoga website describes it, “vinyasa flow is a workout that will change your life, if you can survive it.” Now, to be perfectly honest, not all vinyasa flow classes are super difficult physical workouts. I’ve been to vinyasa flow classes where I didn’t even break a sweat. Needless to say, I never went back. But it is true that you need some considerable degree of flexibility and strength in order to do the harder asanas, so if you are new to yoga, you may have to spend a year or two in easier, less rigorous classes in order to build up the foundation of flexibility/strength necessary for the more difficult asanas.
Another way to describe vinyasa flow yoga is in terms of the mental workout, so to speak. Many vinyasa flow classes incorporate some kind of meditation before and/or after the class. Moreover, the practice itself is often considered a “moving meditation”. So, it’s not usually considered appropriate to talk during class, just as it would not be considered appropriate to talk during, say, a church sermon. And, indeed, many yogis, including myself, take the yoga practice as a kind of quasi-religious experience, and don’t appreciate it when people are disrespectful of the practice by talking unnecessarily during a yoga class. So what are we meditating on when we do vinyasa flow yoga? Initially, when you first start yoga, all you can think about is how much pain you are in and how much your muscles burn. But, in time, you may learn to simply observe the sensations and thoughts that pass through your body and mind. This neutral observation process is meditation. In observing the movements and fluctuations of the body and mind throughout the asana practice, we learn to see that our bodies, physical sensations, and even our mental activity are not things that are integral to our true selves. Our true selves stand outside of these temporary things, and, as we come to learn and experience this firsthand, we learn how to be calm and peaceful in the midst of great challenge. A pretty useful life lesson, I think. Even if we don’t buy into this stuff about inner peace and our “true selves”, at the very least, it’s fairly well established that vinyasa flow yoga does effectively promote overall mental health, lower stress, increased focus and concentration, and better sleep.

http://yogaisforlovers.wordpress.com/2007/01/10/what-is-vinyasa-flow-yoga/

UPDATE

First off, what a beautiful April we are having here in Arizona!!

I wanted to give an update on the 200 Hr Yoga Teacher Training Intensive. There are only two more spots available in the May teacher training. So please contact 5th Element to reserve one of these last spots.

Go to http://5thelementyoga.com/200-hr-level-yoga-teacher-training-program or call 001-480-784-7944.

See also the September training dates.

Wishing you all a blessed and peaceful day.

Josette



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Tensegrity

The Wikipedia definition: Tensegrity is a portmanteau of tensional integrity. It refers to the integrity of structures as being based in a synergy between balanced tension and compression components.

So how does that apply to our body? Well, it is the synergy between compressional strength, or pushing strength and tensional strength, or pulling strength. Just like the connective tissue and bones of our body. Bones give us our compressional strength. They are strong and solid, like beams in a building. While our connective tissue uses tensional strength, like the connecting cables of that same building.

Tensegrity is a great principle for describing the relationship between the skeleton, muscles and connective tissue in our bodies. There isn’t a horizontal surface in the skeleton that provides a stable base for anything to be stacked upon it. Weight applied to any bone would cause it to slide off its joint if it wasn’t for the tensional pull of connective tissue (i.e. ligaments) to hold it in place and control movement.

Any dysfunction in this model causes the other components to be affected and this will take away from the structures stability. For example, tight pectoral muscles will cause medial rotation of the shoulders.

So proper adjustment of length and tension in connective tissue is important to the distribution of gravitational forces throughout the body.

Think about this concept and how yoga helps us keep our balance through strengthening the muscles and lengthening both muscle and connective tissue. Keeping that tensional strength healthy and balanced.

For a visiual aid, there are plenty of tensegrity models available on the web and in stores.

Meditation for Beginners

Throughout each stage of our lives, we all experience habitual mental patterns, as well as our own versions of trauma. Notice I used the word ‘own’ (we will come back to this in a moment). After each experience, our miniature super computers store them as memories to be used and compared, at a later time, to new experiences. In the practice of yoga, we refer to these memories as samskaras, or imprints upon either the conscious or subconscious. While some experiences are extremely useful and even necessary, others may be harmful and even prevent us from recognizing a truly new experience or opportunity. If we are constantly comparing a situation to a past experience, are we in the present?

One of the most effective ways to address habitual mental patterns and break free of them involves the mindful meditation of witnessing the thoughts. Taking just a few minutes out of each day to simply watch or ‘witness’ the thoughts as they enter the mind (without passing judgment) allows us to recognize habitual mental patterns and slowly dissolve them. We no longer have a need to ‘own’ them when they can no longer serve us. It is ‘owning’ them that sets them deeper into the subconscious.

This method is also the quickest way to quiet the mind when we cannot sleep, are stressed, or are trying to quiet the mind for meditation. The trick is not to follow the thoughts you are ‘witnessing’ and let the mind wander. In your mind’s eye, just sit back and watch them as if you were sitting on your lawn, watching the traffic go by. Eventually, your self awareness of unnecessary patterns will begin to creep up on you outside of your practice. With recognition of these patterns, they will gently fall away.