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Purna Yoga teaches the mind, the body and the emotions how to be at home with the spirit.
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Dear students and friends on the path of yoga, 
As you read this, we are actually in India. Eighteen certified Purna Yoga teachers, Mirra, and myself, are spending time in Pondicherry and Auroville, cultivating our connection with the divinity within. Pondicherry is the home of Sir Aurobindo and The Mother, whose work is the cornerstone of Purna Yoga. We look forward to coming back and sharing our experiences with you.
With the Light of the Spirit,
Mirra and Aadil
Founders of Purna Yoga |
| Asana and Pranayama |
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Twins
 Asana and Pranayama are not as separate as they may appear. There can be considerable overlap between the two practices. We often sit in asanas while practicing Pranayama and, while practicing asana, we often do a form of Pranayama called Ujjiya breathing. Ujjiya breathing allows the breath to flow more fully into the body and makes the body more able to do the asanas. There can also be overlap in terms of the effects these two practices have on us. If we hold asanas for a long time while doing Pranayama, we get a positive effect in the nervous system. In turn, a Pranayama practice affects not only the nerves but the organic system as well because the nerves reach all the organs.
-Mirra |
| Meditation |
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 The Third Eye
It's now popular to "become intuitive" by "opening your third eye." That is probably the stupidest thing a person can do - a very dangerous act - if he or she does not first open the heart chakra. I had an open third eye before my heart chakra was open enough, and I know: you see the "boogie man"! Distorted fantasies become reality to the mind and the body. I saw people's shadows but I didn't see their light. Since my heart chakra was not open enough, I didn't have enough wisdom to comprehend what I was seeing, and so it all became frightening. I then tried to shut down the third eye because I was afraid.
The third eye's job is to gather data. That's all. The third eye, to serve us, has to be educated by the wisdom within the heart. In meditation, we are not opening up the third eye as an end in itself; we are only opening it so that we can draw more of it back into the heart center.
-Mirra |
| Applied Philosophy |
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 Not Being Offended
When we know who we are, when we are clear and strong inside, we are not offended by what anybody else says or does. We may clearly understand that something is correct or incorrect, or that we agree or disagree, but we are not offended by other people's remarks or actions. We are only offended when we are insecure within ourselves. So, our challenge when we are offended is to take this as an opportunity to see where we have work to do!
-Aadil |
| Nutrition and Lifestyle |
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 Dehydration and Mental Acuity
Research is showing that when you feel your brain is not functioning properly, more than 90 percent of the time it is due to simple dehydration. Dehydration also causes spinal discs to become brittle, and the lens in the eye to become less elastic. I suggest drinking at least two liters (70 fluid ounces) of Sunrider's* Fortune Delight per day. Water is more of a cleanser than a hydrator, and will help pull toxins out of the body. However, since we, unlike four-legged animals, cannot lap water from pools, we are not designed to get hydration from water. If you don't have Fortune Delight, at least add a little lemon juice to the water. Our bodies hydrate better when there is something added to water. However, sodas have enough carbon dioxide and other chemicals added to them to actually cause dehydration. They also leach minerals from the body and should be avoided.
-Aadil
* For more information about Sunrider, email Sara |
| News from Yoga Centers |
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| Jehangir Palkhivala, April 11 - 13
Jehangir Palkhivala, Aadil's brother and one of the most sought-after teachers in Bombay, is coming to Yoga Centers April 11-13, 2008! During this weekend workshop he will explore and inspire students with the Padmasana Sequence. He will also offer a special lecture on the Rodana Makara Kriya, during a hands-on application of a remarkable technique to release emotional and physical stress from "the back of the heart". Look for more details coming soon. | |
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