People used to think that Yoga only meant standing on the head and doing some breathing techniques. But a very important practice is meditation—working directly with the mind. After all, the body is only a concrete expression of the mind. If you change the mind, you change the body. So what is Yoga? It is keeping the mind calm and clean. Sri Patanjali, known as the Father of Yoga, defines Yoga as a mind that is free from any kind of disturbances or waves. It’s really impossible to calm the waves completely, but we can dive under the waves. You don’t have to try to make the waves calm. The Bhagavad Gita says that the mind gets tossed like a boat on the surface of the ocean. It’s very hard to keep it quiet, so leave it there; don’t fight too much. Instead, become an observer, a witness. It is in meditation that you learn to become a witness. Then you can observe your own happiness, unhappiness, frustrations and joy. That way you are putting yourself into a different level. You are not identifying yourself as the mind, but you are detaching yourself from mind and becoming a witness, an observer. Whenever the sage Ramana Maharshi was asked a question he would reply, “Who is asking that question?”  MORE

Based on his personal experience with obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic attacks, and anxiety, Boris Bhagavan Pisman, developed a Yoga-based approach to recovery. In this interview, he talks about his journey and how he integrates the best of Yoga psychology and cognitive-behavioral therapy.
Integral Yoga Magazine: Is it true that panic attacks led you to Yoga?
Boris Pisman: Yes, I was 22 years-old and I was looking for an alternative to medication. Someone suggested Yoga, and I tried different types and what appealed to me most was Integral Yoga. I liked the system, the simplicity and the relaxation part of the class. I practiced pranayama, relaxation and meditation very seriously and regularly and, after about a year, the panic attacks finally went away....I was teaching Hatha Yoga and meditation, but I still felt an underlying anxiety. I was kind of desperate because I wanted to be anxiety-free. I would follow Sri Gurudev Swami Satchidananda around as much as possible. When he would come to New York, I would have the opportunity to drive him around and I would ask him questions about my anxiety. He said, “Some people have screws too loose, and you have screws too tight. You are not your thoughts, not your emotions.”  MORE

Kosha is a Sanskrit word meaning “sheath” and it describes our layers of being. The koshas are five concentric sheaths, each housed within the next. The outermost layer is the physical body but all other kosha layers are part of the subtle body. The chakras are part of the second kosha layer, called pranamaya kosha, which is the subtle body of breath, energy, and prana. Each kosha affects others. Energy flows through and around all the koshas. In Yoga teachings, this energy is known as prana, the Universal life-force energy. In traditional Chinese medicine, this force is known as Qi (“chee”), and in Japanese traditions as Ki (“kee”). When we are impacted by trauma and grief, all our koshas are affected. Because the chakras are also part of the subtle body, they require a great deal of work with what is not visible. So does our work with grief and trauma. The event has already taken place, so we must work with the past, what is no longer visible, and also with what is currently present in our own bodies. When we go through intense pain, our container often becomes weakened on all levels, including the subtle layers.  MORE

The Integral Yoga Center of Richmond (Virginia) recently hosted a series of programs by Dr. Sandra Amrita McLanahan, which included a screening of her video “Health, Yoga and Anatomy.” I’ve watched it so many times, and I still keep on learning new things with my students and those who came to watch it. Although it’s more than 40 years old, it’s still not only relevant but is one of the best videos to learn how Yoga poses have a powerful effect on the anatomy of our bodies—not just bones and muscles, but our internal organs. Dr. Amrita also offered a workshop on the “Medical Benefits of Yoga.” After more than 40 years, she continues to be as passionate about the miracle of our bodies, how to prevent illness with lifestyle changes, and how to heal through Yoga, as she was when she graduated from medical school. As a medical doctor, she has direct experience in understanding and addressing the sources of so many illnesses her patients bring to her. Combining her long medical experience, her continuing study of the latest scientific research, as well as her knowledge of the Vedic and yogic scriptures, she’s a unique manifestation of deep wisdom on earth. Her presence is healing.  MORE