yoga philosophy

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Finding ways to stay positive.

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Finding ways to stay positive.

We talked a lot about the mind's "negativity bias" in my recent training in the Netherlands. I wanted to write a little about it here. We did a lot of work playing with opposites as well. The yogis call this Pratipakshabhavanam. When you have a negative thought, take a moment and hold the exact opposite thought in your mind. Notice what happens. Stay present. Sit with both thoughts for a moment. How does the first thought feel in your body? How does the opposite thought feel in your body? Go back and forth. When you do this you will recalibrate and might break a pattern or get out of a rut or groove that your mind is stuck in. Try holding both thoughts at the same time. What if both thoughts were equally true?

New Article in LA YOGA Magazine!

New Article in LA YOGA Magazine!

When you study yoga philosophy you will see many comparisons between the yoga experience and death. Our practice is filled with symbols. What is the significance of death in yoga? When you experience the state of Samadhi it is as if for a moment there is no body, no mind, no thoughts, no ego

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Back to Basics!

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Back to Basics!

I just finished a wonderful week of study at the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram in Chennai, India. I had a great time exploring the Yoga Sutras, and the Bhagavad Gita with Mr. V. Srinivasan, working on Vedic chanting with SaiKripa, and learning new meditation practices with Padmini. Sri T. Krishnamacharya is such a big influence on our modern teaching and practicing of yoga. Is there a yogi practicing today who hasn’t been at least somewhat influenced by Mysore Ashtanga, Iyengar Yoga, Vinyasa Krama and the Yoga Therapy teachings of T.K.V. Desikachar? All of the founders of these yoga styles were students of this great yogi. What an incredible figure in our yoga community.

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Yoga doesn’t ask you to believe in anything.

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Yoga doesn’t ask you to believe in anything.

So many symbols in yoga to help us better understand some of the complicated philosophy. Yoga doesn’t ask you to believe in anything. You have to take your own journey. No one can take it for you. The teacher can point you in the right direction but it’s up to you to walk the path. Think of yoga as the place where science and spirituality meet. Here’s some pictures from our light ceremony on the first night of the retreat. The candle represents you and your inner light. Samkhya philosophy teaches us that we are on a journey in yoga from darkness to the light, from Tamas to Sattva. Tantra philosophy teaches us that the microcosm is the same as the macrocosm. The way you do anything is the way you do everything. Change your behavior on your yoga mat and you will change your behavior off your yoga mat. Change your relationship to that challenging pose that makes you feel uncomfortable and you will change your relationship to that challenging person or situation that makes you feel uncomfortable. You can change your relationship to the world in one second. The mind is constantly falling down, constantly complaining. Life is filled with many more lows than highs. Yoga teaches us to practice gratitude. Shift your perspective. Lift yourself up. Right now, think of how incredible it is to be right here and right now. Breathe into this moment. You don’t get this moment again. Better enjoy it before it’s gone.

Another Amazing thing about Yoga

Another Amazing thing about Yoga

The thing that always amazed me about yoga from the beginning of my practice is that we do the practice in just an empty room. The thing that always amazed me about yoga from the beginning of my practice is that we do the practice in just an empty room. There’s nothing special there. You get out of your practice what you put into it. If you choose to make that room a sacred space then it will be a sacred space. If you choose to make your practice transformational then it will be transformational. You can choose to just do yoga exercise but why would you? Ride your horse to the destination. You’ve been given this incredible technology to conquer the mind. Don’t waste even one second getting distracted. Concentrate. Go into the fire. Take a journey into stillness and experience the true nature of your self. Yoga can change your life. But you’ve got to be ready to change. Here’s some pics from our opening night dinner and opening ceremony. We set the stage that first night for the week ahead. I love these opening ceremonies. I love hearing from each of the students and getting to know each of them a little better. Thank you, everyone. Thank you for showing up for yourself. What a nice start to the retreat. To survive, science teaches us that we need food and water. But to thrive, we need to also be seen and heard, to feel connected, and to know that we belong. So much of yoga practice is about finding that connection again. Connection to our self. And connection to each other, to our community. We were off to a great start after our sharing circle at the opening ceremony. I could feel that this was going to be a really great group right from the moment everyone arrived that first night and introduced themselves. Thank you, everyone!

Stay open under challenging circumstances.

Stay open under challenging circumstances.

The practice asks us to go into the fire, to choose to attempt something challenging, to get out of our comfort zone, to experience the sensation, the pain, the suffering of change that leads to growth and transformation. Breathe into the challenge you are experiencing. Shift your perspective.

I experienced a moment of stillness...

I experienced a moment of stillness...

I fell in love with yoga when I experienced a moment of stillness. When I first started practicing yoga I fell in love with how different the practice was to everything else I was doing. I remember sitting at the end of class in stillness and my mind was quiet and I felt a deeper connection to myself than ever before. It was so cool! I wanted to learn more!

Samkhya Yoga Philosophy.

Samkhya Yoga Philosophy.

The last 2 weeks of my Shiva Yoga 200hr RYT Teacher Training Program we dive deep into yoga philosophy. The students debate the Karma Theory and reincarnation. We learn about Samkhya Yoga Philosophy and the theory of the 25 Principles. We explore the Classical Yoga practice Sam-Yoga — concentration, meditation and Samadhi. And we contemplate how we can practice the 8 limbs of Ashtanga Yoga in a deeper way, and practice more yoga off the mat!
Yoga philosophy is one of the most challenging things I’ve ever studied but it’s also one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever learned. Once you get it — once you really get it? Once you understand this practice and the incredible technology used in this practice? You feel like you have the keys to the Kingdom. It changes everything. You’ll never go back to doing yoga exercise and stretching again. What would be the point?
I’m grateful to my teachers for helping me to make sense of it all. And for giving me the incredible gift of their knowledge and wisdom. I do my best to let their teachings flow through me when I lead these training programs. And I think I’ve found a really unique approach to sharing some of the more complicated ideas in yoga philosophy. Some of the feedback I was so happy to hear after this training was how much the students enjoyed learning the deeper philosophy and how much it made sense to them because of how we broke it down. I think this is one of the unique gifts that I’ve found as a teacher. This stuff was really hard for me to understand. I think I’ve found some pretty fun ways to help my students figure it out too. I remember leaving my first training program and having no idea what the teachers had been talking about when it came to the yoga philosophy. It’s amazing how your mind opens and expands. Transformation! Are you ready? Time to get on the mat!

Tantra Philosophy.

Tantra Philosophy.

The students are working on some mandala’s in these pictures. One of the key concepts of Tantra is connecting the microcosm with the macrocosm. A mandala is a picture that represents the entire Universe. If we look at the yoga story of the wave and the ocean — Tantra says that you are both the individual wave and you are the water that is connected to everything and everyone. You are the wave and you are the ocean. Tantra philosophy primarily influences Hatha Yoga, Kundalini Yoga and Laya Yoga. Some of the tantric practices are also found and were practiced alongside all of the other orthodox and heterodox philosophy teachings of the Classical period. Tantra reexamines the role of the feminine. Darkness isn’t meant to be overcome or avoided. Tantra instead speaks of transformation. Turn your darkness into light. Reimagine your darkness as light. If you want to experience God, become like a God.

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“Copy the teacher!"

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“Copy the teacher!"

A happy belated birthday to my teacher — Dharma Mittra, who turned 80 yrs old last month. I’m so excited that I will be able to see Dharma this week while I am in New York. I’ve been lucky enough to take 3 Teacher Training programs with Dharma over the past 8 yrs and have come to New York on several additional trips for intensive study.

Separation exists in the mind.

Separation exists in the mind.


Hanging out in Bali after a photo shoot with some new friends. Yoga allows each of us to experience our true nature. Who are you at the center of your Self?
You are the experience of awareness experiencing itself. You are not the witness, but the experience of witnessing. You are not the lover, but the experience of loving. You are not compassionate, but the experience of compassion. You are not kind, but the experience of kindness.
Expansive. Beyond time and space. You are everywhere and nowhere. You are pure love. Separation exists only in your mind, and because of your ego.
Imagine, for moment, it’s as if there’s no you and no me. Just for a moment, there’s no separation.
We are travelers on a journey —home, to experience who we really are, underneath all the layers of who we thought we were.

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If you can control your breath...

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If you can control your breath...

One of the things I love about teaching with a translator is how it slows everything down.
Slowly moving with the breath is really where it’s at in a flowing practice. If you can control your breath, you can control your mind.
Let the breath lead the movement and let the breath wrap around the movement. The breath starts and then the movement starts. The movement finishes and then the breath finishes. This way there’s always going to be pauses. There’s always going to be control. Who’s driving your car? You are. Enjoy the dance between the movement and the stillness. Holding these opposites at the same time is the paradox that allows us to have a deeper, transformational experience. Concentrate but also surrender.
Practicing a slow flow that is connected to the breath will help you stay calm and keep you out of the default network of your brain - where it will be hard for you to not react and get caught up in everything that is coming up for you and just trying to process. Think of the four parts of the breath. There’s a little moment of stillness where the inhale meets the exhale, and another little moment of stillness where the exhale meets the inhale.
I love flowing with my students! I always practice a little bit with my students in every class. I find it helps me to connect with the group energy. I also think it reminds the students that I’m just walking the path with them. I’m not on a pedestal. I don’t want to be on a pedestal. We are all just walking home together.

Remember "It's just the mind."

Remember "It's just the mind."

Last night my mind was very heavy. I was working on a technical problem with my computer and the cloud and on the phone with a support specialist. It was a long day too. I was getting tired and feeling overwhelmed with the situation. We kept trouble shooting the problem and couldn’t figure out what was wrong.
I could feel myself getting frustrated. I could feel the emotions coming up. I tried not to get attached to them. It was hard. I was agitated.
One of the things that helped me shift my perspective was remembering one day a few years ago, coming up the elevator to the Dharma Yoga Center during one of my trainings with my teacher, Dharma Mittra. I asked Dharma how he was doing and he surprised me when he said that his mind was very heavy that day and very sad. There was a pause and then he shrugged and laughed and said, “but it’s just the mind” and gave me a knowing look, and I understood a little better the concept we talk a lot about in yoga of shifting our perspective.
I always remembered that morning. And it helped a lot last night. I could feel myself getting caught up in my thoughts and the anger and frustration I was feeling. I kept telling myself — it’s just the mind. Let it go. It’s not you. It’s just the mind.
I went to bed and slept well last night and woke up feeling very light and energized. I remember thinking that It was so silly that my mind was so upset and agitated last night. And even sillier that I was getting agitated and upset too.
The mind is always going to be on the roller coaster. But it doesn’t mean that you have to be too. You’re not the thoughts. You’re not the emotions. You are the space between the thoughts. You are the witness of body and mind activities.

Variety of poses and variations.

Variety of poses and variations.

The yogi’s say there are an unlimited number of poses and variations. They also teach us that there are several, original, essential, archetypal poses. And from these poses we can see different categories of poses, or families of poses. There’s only so many ways we can anatomically move the body. There’s three areas of the body which provide most of the movement and which we primarily focus on in yoga asana practice — the Thoraco-lumbar spine, the hips, and the shoulders.

Making sense of things.

Making sense of things.

You have to have context in order to make sense of things. It’s really important that we understand how Classical Yoga Philosophy compares to the other philosophies which competed with yoga, as a way to understand the world and our place in it, around 2000 yrs ago. These philosophies influenced each other and influence traditional yoga practices. Modern yoga classes are using these traditional yoga practices. It’s important to understand why. What is the goal of these practices? And, once reaching the goal, what is the experience once we are there? If you want to learn more about yoga philosophy, please join me for one of my Shiva Yoga Teacher Training programs next year. We have a 200hr program in Cabo San Lucas next year July 15-August 16 and we have a 300hr program, spread over 3 modules, in the fall, in Port Orange, Florida! Check out the upcoming trainings page! Now, is the time for yoga!

The relationship with yourself.

The relationship with yourself.


I met with my student, Andrew Oliver, last week in the Southbay. Andrew traveled to Cabo for our Shiva Yoga 200hr Program in August. I had lunch with him and his partner, Ei Ei — they own the yoga studio, ‘Yoga Remedy’s’ together. Andrew did an incredible job in the training program in Cabo and I was excited to hear that he’s now teaching 2 classes a week at Yoga Remedy’s. He told me that several people in his life came up to him when he returned from Cabo and asked him what he had started doing recently because they noticed this really positive shift in him, and one friend even said it was like he was a whole different person. This yoga technology will change your life. There is no more important relationship you will have than the relationship with yourself. When you change this relationship, it changes your relationship to everything. Proud of you, Andrew!

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When You Are In the Fire.

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When You Are In the Fire.

We really went into the fire in this workshop. And a lot of stuff bubbles to the surface when you are in that fire. Yoga is the practice of slowly dissolving the ego. And it’s a painful process. It’s not easy and it’s not about rainbows and unicorns and sunshine. It requires a lot of courage and it’s intense. But it is so worth it! Remember — it gets messy before it gets clean. We’ve gotta do the work and go through the discomfort to get to the other side. There’s no spiritual by-pass. Get on your mat! Dig in. And stand your ground. You can do this!

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The lower chakras.

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The lower chakras.

Most of us spend most of our time living in the lower chakras. Energy is constantly flowing down, through us, and out into the world. The first chakra is all about survival, the second chakra is all about pleasure, and the third chakra is all about power. I need to survive, I want to feel good, and I want to be in control. These three chakras are governed by the ego.

Yoga Terminology

Yoga Terminology

We are deep into our study of yoga philosophy in our Shiva Yoga 200hr Teacher Training program! It’s not easy to make sense of the different systems of philosophy that inform the practice. There’s even a lot of confusion with terminology and even understanding the difference between modern styles of yoga and traditional systems of practice. It helps if we break things down a little. We have ‘modern styles of yoga’ — like Iyengar Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Dharma Yoga...etc. These ‘modern styles of yoga’ are using different ‘traditional systems of yoga practice’ to take you on a journey to the center of your Self. The most common ‘traditional systems of yoga practice’ are: Raja Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga and Jnana Yoga and to a lesser extent — Mantra Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, and Laya Yoga. We also have different yoga and yoga related philosophies — like Classical Yoga, Samkhya, Vedanta, Jainism...etc. These philosophies influence the different ‘traditional systems of yoga practice’ and help to explain what the experience is when you reach the center of your Self. When you divide things up into these three categories, it makes it easier to understand and make sense of things.

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So much pressure.

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So much pressure.

There is such pressure on us these days to always be sparkly and bright. Isn’t there? I was feeling that pressure yesterday. I was feeling a little overwhelmed. Lots on my plate right now. Trying to breathe into it. My body was feeling tired and my brain was exhausted from a day of editing one of my training manuals. I didn’t feel like holding space for anyone and I was glad that I didn’t have any classes to teach after teaching one private lesson in the morning. When I get really tired like this my mind goes very negative on me. I battled through a practice last night and that helped a little. I watched some comedy on Netflix and that helped too. I did some reading. I knew I really just needed some alone time and a good night of sleep and I’d feel better today. And I did.

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