Yoga Training & Lifestyle Blog

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. …

Audience Question: Does the yogic tradition refer or teach about a life within society, amidst relationships, etc. If so, what does it teach about it? Swami Swaroopananda’s Answer: To be honest with you, the yogic tradition does not teach about life wi …

For more than a dozen years, senior staff member Pranava Chaitanya has been cooking in the ashram kitchen as well as offering cooking courses. One of his signature dishes, the recipe melds the creaminess of chickpeas with the medium crunch of cauliflow …

In February each year, Sivananda Bahamas welcomes legendary kirtan singer Krishna Das for a Yoga of Chant Retreat. A disciple of Indian sage Neem Karoli Baba, Krishna Das has become a worldwide icon and the best-selling Western chant artist of all time …

We are always honored to welcome Marilyn Schlitz as a guest presenter to the ashram. Marilyn is President Emeritus and a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS), a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting individual and collectiv …

When Padmavati returned to the ashram from Salt Lake City, Utah, for her three-month karma yoga stay — she had previously done her teacher training and advanced teacher training here — she was assigned the very job she had been afraid to do. An enthusi …

As we enter into our 51st year, we share these words of inspiration and guidance by Swami Sivananda, from the book Sivananda Upanishads, a collection of his handwritten letters complied by his disciple, our founder Swami Vishnudevananda. 1st January 19 …

The holiday season often encourages us to indulge our sweet tooth. Here’s a delicious recipe to experience some sweetness without sacrificing your health. Sweet potatoes are high in many important nutrients. They contain a good amount of fiber as well …

By Katie Papo (Ambika) Every morning after my yoga practice, I indulge in a healthy oatmeal power bowl. This is one of my favorite fiber and protein-filled breakfasts, because not only will it keep me full until lunchtime, but it’s easily adaptable for …

By Nora Benian (Sundari) Why is it so hard to fall asleep — and stay asleep? I’ve experienced several phases of my life when falling asleep and staying asleep was a challenge. These difficulties usually came along with growth spurts (physical, emotiona …

It’s apple-picking season around North America and they are in abundance. Need something to do with all those apples? Here’s the perfect fall-inspired sweet treat that’s simpler than a pie, and just as delicious! Serves 8-12 Filling 7-9 medium-large ap …

Please share what you do: I am a self-care specialist. My life’s work is to hold a loving and safe container for transformation, awakening, and healing. I use methods including gentle yoga, soul coaching, and self-nurturing workshops and retreats. 2. W …

1. Please share what you do in 10-15 words: I am a writer, speaker, activist, and coach. 2. Why do you do what you do? I love this world — the interconnected living system that is our home. I know that we humans have it within us to work for the greate …

1. Please share what you do in 10-15 words: I help people expand their impact with integrity and with doses of wonder. 2. Why do you do what you do? It’s profoundly rewarding to witness people respond to their current life’s purpose with agency and hum …

Kathy Chappell graduated the July Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Course 2018 with her daughter Samantha. This is her first-hand experience. The moment my daughter Samantha and I stepped on the dock of the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat on Paradise Isla …

1. Please share what you do in 10-15 words: I share practices of Transformational Breath®, Holistic Nutrition, ChakraDance, and Classical Yoga, including Yoga Nidra. 2. Why do you do what you do? These modalities have personally given me so much health …

“Swadhyaya inspires and elevates the mind to high spiritual altitude.” -Swami Sivananda on Swadhyaya Swadhyaya, also known as “self-study” or daily study of the scriptures, is one of the five niyamas. An important tool the yogi uses to overcome the “mo …

1. Please share what you do in 10-15 words: I teach the philosophy and practice of Buddhadharma from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition’s Kagyu lineage. 2. Why do you do what you do? I teach the philosophies of the Buddha because they include many skillful …

1. Please share what you do: I’m honored to be the rabbi of a wonderful community, the Temple Israel of Catskill. As a chaplain with the Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York, I visit residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Musi …