By Jeff Martens Your cells are blind. They don’t have ears. And their sense of smell leaves much to be desired. What they do have though are inter-membrane proteins. And this is the key to putting a smile on your cell’s DNA (or a frown). In yoga, the teaching of samtosha or fulfillment is the secret of contentment and gratitude …
Be Fulfilled: Contentment
by Jeff Martens santosâd anuttamaha sukha-lâbhaha – Yoga Sutra 2.42 ”Contentment brings unsurpassed joy.” The art of contentment is the art of fulfillment. It is the experience of finding what you are seeking in the present moment and becoming rich in what you thought you were lacking, so rich that you can give what you were formally lacking. The alternative is …
Ask the Yogi: Wild Energy in Backbends
Wild Energy in Backbends Q: I have noticed that after doing a night of backbends I am filled with this sort of wild energy. Sometimes it can make it difficult to sleep. Some off my classmates also have the same experience. What’s going on?More than any other pose, backbends have the potential to open up the heart, which is the …
Ask the Yogi: Twists
Ask The Yogi Twists and Calmness Question: Why do twists, which are often challenging postures, often have such a calming effect? Answer: This question can be answered at many levels, which ultimately all flow together, linking physiological and anatomical details to amazing sensations of wholeness and integration. The muscular-skeletal system provides structural stability and controlled mobility, which allow you to …
Ask The Yogi – Bored with practice
Boredom Q: I love yoga and coming to class. At times, like with anything, my routine can get monotonous. Do any of you ever feel you need to take a break with yoga or change it around? My day wouldn’t be complete without my morning routine. It’s like my coffee to get me going for the day and puts me …
The Target
by Jeff Martens sarvahrthataikahgratayoho kshayodayau cittasya samahdhi-parinahmaha Inner wholeness dawns when the mind’s many wanderings collapse into one-pointed focus. Yoga Sutra 3.11 The Zen Master Rinzai was known far and wide throughout the land as the greatest living archer. Bowmen of all levels would come from great distances to be near him and perchance, to see him practice his art. …
Yoga and the Mirror of Perception
By Jeff Martens Tada drastuhu svarupe avastanam… Yoga Sutra 1.3 When we are in a state of yoga our form is one of pure awareness. Vritti svarupyam itaratra… Yoga Sutra 1.4 When we are not in a state of yoga, our form becomes our mental disturbances. Light is a form of energy. It reflects off of surfaces as waves which …
“The Main Event”
by Jeff Martens “Ladies and Gentlemen, Happy New Year and Welcome to the Main Event! This is the present-moment you have all been waiting for, the eternal now, the time and place where YOUR life actually IS. Welcome to the bungle in the jungle, the stage in the cage, and the fling in the ring!” As the announcer’s voice booms …
How I Spent My Summer Vacation
Karma, Freedom and the Emptiness of Time By Jeff Martens The Heart of the River I want to jump into the Colorado River’s 50 degree silt-brown water and lay my cheek against Vishnu’s skin! Visible only in certain stretches at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, this rock is blacker than black, so black that it shines blue as midnight …
Terrifying Meditation
Ask The Yogi Terrifying Meditation with guest ‘Yogi’ Maredith Q: I was meditating recently, looking into a mirror in a class when I saw what, for me was a terrifying sight. My body began to decay like a corpse right before my eyes. The only thing left on my face were my eyes, perfectly unchanged by the situation, the little …