Yoga Training & Lifestyle Blog

Looking for something healthy, hearty, and warming for dinner tonight? This simple Potato and Pea Curry, served with fluffy basmati rice and warm chapatis, brings comfort and nourishment in every bite. With warming spices, tender vegetables, and wholes …

In this inspiring interview, we sit down with Jeff Warren, celebrated meditation teacher and author, to explore his accessible approach to mindfulness. Known for his lively style and humor, Jeff—co-author of Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics and founder …

Gratitude is more than just a polite “thank you” or an expression of appreciation when things are going well—it’s a transformative way of viewing life that has the power to uplift, heal, and bring deeper meaning to our existence. It’s a practice that t …

In this insightful interview, we sit down with Tama Kieves, bestselling author and visionary career coach, to explore the journey of finding purpose, embracing passion, and navigating life’s transitions. Tama, a former attorney who courageously left th …

In today’s fast-paced world, the mind is constantly bombarded by stress, distractions and endless streams of information. This mental overload often leads to feelings of fatigue, anxiety and emotional turmoil, much like how a buildup of toxins in the b …

Ingredients (Serves 3-4) 2 ¼ cups sugar pumpkins (or pumpkin puree) 2 cups vegetable broth 1 cup light coconut milk 2 Tbsp maple syrup or agave nectar 1/4 tsp each of: sea salt, black pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees …

In recent years, scientific research has increasingly validated what ancient wisdom has long taught—that spirituality is not just a personal journey, but also a powerful tool for improving overall health. Spirituality, when integrated into daily life, …

With the upcoming celebration of Navaratri, we invite you to take this opportunity to celebrate the Divine Feminine. What is Navaratri? Celebrated in October/November, Navaratri is a nine-day long festival honoring the Shakti (power) of the Divine Femi …

Ingredients: 2 cups of unsweetened almond milk (or your preferred milk) 1 tsp of ground turmeric 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp of ground ginger 1/4 tsp of ground cardamom (for a fragrant, warming touch) 1 tbsp of coconut oil (optional, for extra c …

In our fast-paced world, where distractions abound and stress seems inevitable, the practice of mindfulness offers a pathway to serenity, clarity, and deeper spiritual connection. But mindfulness is more than just a method to calm the mind; it’s a sacr …

Creativity is a fundamental part of our humanity. Our creativity is a river that flows within us, and our only task is to move out of our own way, past preconceived ideas and judgments to let our creativity flow out into the world. There are many ways …

How did you first discover your passion for writing? I have always been called to express what is inside me through writing and music. The real issue was moving through cultural and familial blocks so I could more freely express what was within. Growin …

Cool down this summer with a refreshing Cucumber Mint Cooler. This simple, delicious, and hydrating drink is perfect for balancing pitta and keeping you cool all season long. Ingredients: 1 large cucumber, peeled and chopped 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves 2 …

With the hot months of summer upon us, it’s important to balance the fire element in your body. In Ayurveda, our body is composed of five elements: water, fire, earth, wind, and space. Each person has a unique mix of these elements, and when fire is pr …

These tender, little Italian dumplings are best when homemade, and make a delightful alternative to pasta dishes. You can use fresh or canned tomatoes. Serves 6. Ingredients: 2 1/4 pounds potatoes, chopped Salt 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil 1 1/2 cu …

In the hustle and bustle of modern life, sleep often takes a backseat. Yet, it’s one of the most crucial factors for maintaining optimal health and well-being. Both Yoga and Ayurveda emphasize the significance of sleep, known as “Nidra”, as essential f …

Will you tell us about your work and your journey?  My passion lies in using music to promote sound healing. As a pianist and vocalist, my repertoire draws inspiration from the classics, weaving themes of love, self-discovery, and compassion. These son …

Nobody likes to waste food. So when you have bananas about to go bad, make banana bread! Here is one of our favourite recipes for when we have extra bananas.   Wet ingredients: 3 medium to large very ripe bananas ⅓ cup coconut oil or vegetable oil …

Yoga is the bridge from unwanted dependency to  healthy and happy attachment in moderation. In reality, we are the masters of our minds and our bodies. Yoga shows us the way to regaining control of our thoughts and actions.

The Family Yoga Holiday Program at Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat gives families a chance to take a break from their busy lives and come back to themselves. Children get to experience kid-friendly yogic activities during the times when parents participa …

“Let medicine be thy food and food be thy medicine.” – Hippocrates of Cos, Greece, 460-377 B.C.   With so many fad diets flooding your mind with ideas like “all carbs are bad for you” or “you need more protein,” it can be confusing to know what to …

It’s no secret that the physical body is connected to the mind and spirit. When we overtax our muscles and bones, we start to wear down much more than our prospects for long term health and overall life span. The body is a vessel for experience and the …

The long use of Sanskrit mantras continues into the modern day; this ancient practice can bring incredible benefit to your own life and is easy to incorporate into the busiest of schedules. Read more to discover how to uplift yourself with mantra and how to use and incorporate mantra practices (such as kirtan, meditation with a japa mala, etc.) in your daily life so that you too can experience profound benefits for energy, concentration, and mental health. 

Hatha yoga involves gentle body postures and breathing techniques. Putting one’s body in these gentle postures helps to release tension and pain that could be holding you back from good sleep; breathing techniques center and calm the mind, helping to reduce the chatter that keeps you awake in bed.

Some people limit their fruit intake to just mornings or desserts. Yogis say, eat more fruit! This refreshing snack is filled with vitamins, antioxidants, and all the health-promoting properties of fruit.

Bhakti is unconditional love. People ask how can we love unconditionally? The answer is, we first need to love conditionally. We begin with selfish egoistic human love and gradually this love extinguishes our ego and matures into unconditional love.

Salads, among other raw, light, foods are especially well- received by the body during the warm, summer months. In Ayurveda, yoga’s sister science, you can use food to balance your own body. So when the temperature is hot outside, eating cooling meals brings balance.

This exercise is a combined process of Yoga asanas and breathing. It reduces abdominal fat, brings flexibility to the spine and limbs, and increases the breathing capacity; it is easier to practice asanas after doing Surya Namaskar.

In the practice of Bhakti Yoga, the aspirant becomes the lover and Iswara becomes the beloved. Eventually, through this process of love, the lover and the beloved become one. Bhakti is this process of union through love.

If you’re looking to make digestion easier and simpler for your system, zucchini noodles are the perfect pasta substitution. You can use a handheld spiralizer to curl your zucchini into noodles. Beets and carrots are also great vegetables to spiralize!

When the gods and the demons churned the milky ocean in days of yore, nectar came out of it. Lord Vishnu assumed the form of Mohini, a charming lady, deluded the demons and distributed the nectar only among the gods. But Rahu had disguised himself as a …

“Devi is the Mother of all. The pious and the wicked, the rich and the poor, the saint and the sinner—all are Her children. Devi or Sakti is the Mother of Nature. She is Nature itself. The whole world is Her body. Mountains are her bones. Rivers are He …

There are many reasons why Master Sivananda is considered a veritable sage by those in India and abroad. Beyond his exemplary behavior, cheery attitude, and the uplifting impression he left on everyone that met him, there is the sheer volume of writing …

How do we honor planet Earth? By honoring ourselves, each other, every living creature and Mother Nature. What does honoring look like? Honoring entails understanding that we are all connected to each other, that unity is the reality and that separation is the illusion.

The 5 Yamas (social ethics) and the 5 Niyamas (personal observances) are thought of as the 10 commandments of the yogic way of life.  The Yamas and the Niyamas build character and ensure a sturdy foundation, without which the house of yogic practice (postures, breathwork) and benefits (peace of mind, joy, good health) would fall.

Ayurveda is a natural system of medicine that originated in India more than 3,000 years ago! Derived from the Sanskrit words ayur (life) and veda (science or knowledge), Ayurveda translates to the knowledge or science of life. Knowledge of Ayurveda helps one to maintain general health and wellbeing long-term by allowing one to treat imbalances as they occur and before they manifest as greater problems to worry about (such as serious illnesses).

Manifestation has been the buzzword in the spiritual community for the last decade. Described at length in the Law of Attraction and by Deepak Chopra, Oprah, and various other prominent figures, manifestation tells us that we can will the lives we truly want into existence. But how? By setting the right intention. Intention is the starting point of every dream you wish to come to fruition, every reality you are capable of manifesting.

Chanting mantra, whether done through kirtan (joyous chanting), japamala (repetition of mantra using prayer beads), or silent meditation is a practice. A practice has its ups and downs. Maintaining your own mantra practice requires discipline, determination, and concentration. When discipline, determination, and concentration wane, it helps to have a community that will uplift you.

And then the doctors say: Mona, if we go through with the surgery, you might have to wear a pacemaker for the rest of your life. That was when I decided: no more; that’s it. This is not my life. This is not my health, I know there’s a better way. And I knew that I had to get back home, home to my inner self, I had to return to the ashram.

A healer is essentially anyone who facilitates healing in another person. And honestly, it doesn’t necessarily just mean energy or spiritual healing. It is someone that believes in what they’re offering, that puts the patient first, that has a positive attitude. The healer isn’t actually doing any healing, it’s the person who is sick that is doing the healing, all the healer does is open up the pathways in the person’s body to facilitate that healing.

The workshop began with a dance of surrender to Durga. Shamini cleverly avoided inducing the anxiety of performance in our minds by bringing our awareness slowly into the interior: first, she asked us to move. The silence felt deafening, the eyes begged to remain open and the body felt awkward… finally, the music came.

Homemade almond milk is easy, and so delicious! Plus, it entails only a few simple, natural ingredients without added processed sugar and thickeners found in store-bought almond milk. Ingredients 1 cup raw almonds (soaked overnight in cool water, or so …

May 7, 2020 The past few months of 2020 have been a trying time for the entire world. There isn’t one person who hasn’t been affected by this global pandemic, whether it’s physically, economically, mentally, or emotionally. The most important thing we …

“Chia is probably my favourite ingredient,” says Padmavati, dessert-maker in the ashram Boutique in February 2019. “It’s densely packed with nutrition, and it feels like comfort food. It fills you up so much it can even be substituted for a meal.” In h …

Service have been the mainstay of the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat since it was founded in the 1960s by Swami Vishnu Devananda. Staying from one to three months — or longer — in a residential study program, Karma Yogis are assigned to service in the k …

“Unity in Diversity” is a hallmark of the Sivananda tradition, the phrase used by Swami Vishudevananda as he set out on his missions for world peace. But even before his historic flights to trouble spots around the world, Swami Vishnu launched his effo …

On graduation day for students of the Sivananda Teacher Training Course, the entire ashram is hopping with excitement as dinnertime approaches. This is the night that Ganesha, a longtime staff member, makes pizza for dinner. These are no ordinary pizza …

Karma Yoga (work-service) Positions Available   Add this unique experience to your C.V. whether you just graduated from culinary school or are an experienced cook. By expanding your expertise and expressing your creativity in healthy, nutritious m …

from Karma Yogi Dinija Birne Since she was 15 years old, Dinija Birne has loved baking. Her enjoyment in the kitchen led her to cooking school, although she left before graduating, and her home in Gulbene, Latvia, to travel. This is her way, she says, …

Please share what you do in 10-15 words: I teach self-care, as well as help compulsive overeaters heal their relationship with food. Why do you do what you do? For much of my life I was repeatedly falling into self-destructive habits of self-sabotage. …