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Health, Happiness, Rejuvenation through Yoga
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 Guru
Gu = darkness Ru = light
What do you think of when you hear the word guru? Perhaps you visualize a guru as a spiritual teacher from an ashram in India or some remote cave in the Himalayas. One definition of guru is a spiritual teacher, especially in the Hindu culture. But guru can mean so much more.
Gu can mean: dark, gooey, heavy, shadow, ignorance. Ru can mean: illuminate, light, lift, dispel, knowledge.
So a guru could be a teacher who dispels darkness and ignorance, and illuminates the way along a deeper spiritual path. In some teachings, the student must be led by a guru in order to successfully navigate through a spiritual journey... there is no other way. But here in the United States, most of us do not have a relationship with a guru in this sense... and even if you wanted a guru - just where would you go to find one?
Well, a great place to start is by looking inside yourself for your inner guru. It, too, has many interpretations: "that little voice", your inner knowingness, conscience, intuition, personal divinity, following your heart, the "now" moment, your soul. Even if you are not a particularly spiritual person, you most likely remember your Mom's very guru-like advice to, "do the right thing"; or, if you are as old as I am, you will remember the guru-like advice from Jiminy Cricket to, "always let your conscience be your guide."
Today at 2:08 pm MST the New Moon passes directly in front of the Sun, blocking its light, causing a Total Solar Eclipse. If you're at the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, you will see the sun go completely dark for a few moments. Our sun's rays will be blocked, darkened, shadowed for a few moments before becoming luminous once again. Coincidentally, perhaps, today also begins the Hindu Festival of Lights, Diwali.
So, as the external lights begin to dim, maybe it is a perfect time to find the brilliance and infinite wisdom of your inner light, your guru.... then share it and let it shine with eternal radiance!
Wishing you the lightest and brightest illuminations in this time of unlimited possibilities.
Thanks for being here!
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Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket - Always Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide!
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ScienceCasts: Total Eclipse of the Sun
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Yoga and Pranayama
Sundays Come in for yoga, pranayama or both
Check out the details below...
I'm looking forward to seeing you!
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Month of Sundays at the Garden Studio
Fall Deep Cleansing Practice + Pranayama Intensive
Please join me in the comfort of the Garden Studio during these transformative and evolutionary weeks ahead for a very special practice designed to
Stabilize, Magnetize, Release, Renew
Sundays
November 18 ~ November 25 ~ December 2 ~ December 9
10:00 - 12:00 Asana 12:30 - 2:00 Pranayama
Each Sunday asana practice begins with a Kundalini yoga set to strengthen and magnetize the solar plexus followed by a detoxifying vinyasa flow sequence. The practice winds down with purifying the nadi- vital energy channels and a deeply relaxing savasana.
After a break and light refreshment, we continue with pranayama. Each week we will explore profoundly beneficial and easy to learn yogic breathing techniques.
$40 Asana $20 Pranayama ($50 both)
This practice is appropriate for all levels.
Continuing education units for National Yoga Alliance are available.
"I recommend pranayama to almost all the patients I see," ~Dr. Andrew Weil
"Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure. " ~Oprah Winfrey
"Pranayama should be done daily with a sattwic state of mind, so that the impurities are driven out of sushumna nadi and purification occurs." (2:7) ~Hatha Yoga Pradipika - Swatmarama
"Raising apana upward, and bringing prana down from the throat, the yogi becomes free from old age and appears as if sixteen years of age."(2:47) ~Hatha Yoga Pradipika - Swatmarama
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To Register or for more information contact Deborah:
deb@eternalradianceyoga.com
602.332.4584
the Garden Studio is located at 5846 E. Cochise, Paradise Valley, AZ
I look forward to breathing and sharing with you.
Thanks for being here!
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 Ramana Maharshi
As far as space extends, so far is this space within the heart. Placed in it are both Heaven and Earth, in it are both Fire and Wind (Agni and Vayu), both Sun and Moon (Surya and Chandra), both Lightning and the stars, whatever is here and whatever is not here, all of that is placed within the heart.
---Chandogya Upanishad VIII.3
...Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi
Abide as the Self
Whatever the means adopted
you must at lastly turn to the self,
so why not abide as the self here and now.
What is not permanent is not worth striving for.
You are the self, you are already that.
Return to your original source.
Q: What is the Heart?
Call it by any name; God, Self, the Heart or the seat of consciousness, it is all the same. The point to be grasped is this: Heart means the very core of one's being, the center without which there is nothing whatever.
The Heart is not physical; it is spiritual. 'Hridayam' equals 'hrit' plus 'ayam'; it means 'this is the center'. It is that from which thoughts arise, on which they subsist and where they are resolved. The thoughts are the content of the mind and they shape the universe. The Heart is the center of all.
Q: How is the mind to dive into the heart?
The mind now sees itself diversified as the universe.
If the diversity is not manifest, it remains in its own essence, that is the heart. Entering the heart means remaining without distractions.
The heart is the only realty. The mind is only a transient phase. To remain as one's Self is to enter the Heart.
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Featured Headline
Know your target audience. Who are your most important customers, clients or prospects, and why? Know what is important to them and address their needs in your newsletter each month. Include a photo to make your newsletter even more appealing. Inserting a link in your article lets you track which topics attract the most interest.
Squash and Kale
I'm loving the combination of fresh kale and squash for a nutritious autumn dish... Here's my recipe for a daily dose of both!SquashCut in half one acorn or butternut squash and remove seeds. Sprinkle over a little cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg. Drizzle with olive oil and a little pure maple syrup. Place cut side down on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 375 until tender Remove and discard the outer skin and coarsely mash the squash KaleRemove tough stems and chop one bunch of kale. Heat olive oil over medium in large saute pan. Add kale. Toss with 2 t. turmeric, 1/2 t salt, 1/4 t cayenne pepper, 1/4 t powdered ginger. Add a bit of water if needed. Cover and cook for a few minutes until kale begins to wilt. Uncover and saute until tender. PresentationEither place the squash and kale side by side on individual serving plates, or place a serving of kale over top of a generous dollop of squash. Top with a tiny squeeze of lemon and raisins, roasted pumpkin, squash seeds or pine nuts.
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Shhhhh, Listen!
Antar Mouna - inner silence
Stage 1 develops the awareness of external sensations and can be practiced in any position, anytime, anywhere. (For example while standing in line while shopping, or waiting at a stoplight in the car.)
Listen and identify as many sounds as you can. Don't try to analyze, just acknowledge the sound and move on to the next. For example, in a store you may hear: child crying, cart rolling, gum wrapper crinkling, etc.
Become aware of:
The external sound (object)
Your ear that hears the sound
Yourself observing the sound (subject)
Japa - repetition of a mantra
This practice can also be done in any position, anytime, anywhere. For deeper meditation, sit upright - first finger and thumb connected (chin mudra). Maybe also fold back your tongue so the tip touches the soft palate (khechari mudra).
- Relax, slowly inhale and exhale
- as you inhale, silently repeat the sound "So"
- as you exhale, silently repeat the sound "Hum"
- Pause after the exhale
- Repeat this cycle for as long as you like, synchronizing the mantra with the breath.
With practice, the mantra will naturally repeat continuously, without effort.
Bhramari pranayama
Bhramari means "bee". In this meditation, you will make a humming vibration as you exhale like the sound of a bee buzzing. Close your ears with your thumbs, gently place your first two fingers over your eyes, and maybe place your ring and pinkie fingers on your lips. Relax your body and keep your teeth slightly separated.
- breathe slowly and deeply
- make a soft humming sound as you exhale
- hear the sound vibrating within your head
- repeat making your exhales slow and controlled
In stage 2 of this meditation, there is no humming - only listening to the inner sound. Exclude all external sounds - focus only on the awareness of the subtle inner sound.
For more detail and advanced practices, check out:
A Systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques of Yoga and Kria, by Swami Satyananda Saraswati
and
www.bigshakti.com
and better yet.... come to my workshops on Sunday!!
"Learn to be calm and you will always be happy." Paramahansa Yogananda
Featured Headline
Know your target audience. Who are your most important customers, clients or prospects, and why? Know what is important to them and address their needs in your newsletter each month. Include a photo to make your newsletter even more appealing. Inserting a link in your article lets you track which topics attract the most interest. |
 About Deborah
I am passionately committed to help people look and feel radiantly healthy and vibrant through authentic yoga practices.
Deborah has been teaching yoga for over 13 years. She is a certified Registered Yoga Alliance RYT E-500 teacher specializing in Yoga for Rejuvenation. She teaches in a fun, fluid style based in the classic traditions of yoga. Her classes incorporate breath (pranayama), alignment, fluid sequencing (krama vinyasa), meditation and energy movement (pranic flow). She encourages students to discover their highest sense of self-awareness, peace, and radiance from profound inner-knowing. Deborah's path in yoga, ayurveda and tantra has led her to many contemporary Master Teachers. She has studied extensively with, and is eternally grateful to Shiva Rea, and to Swami Shankardev Saraswati of the Bihar School of Yoga (Satyananda Yoga). Her teaching style and methods are also influenced by Erich Schiffman, Bhavani Maki, Gurmukh Khalsa, Hari Jap, Dr. Vasant Lad, and Dr. David Frawley (Pandit Vamadeva Shastri). When she is not studying or teaching yoga and ayurveda, Deborah is enjoying her two children, creating wood fired ceramics, gardening, hiking, traveling, and simply breathing.
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"We all shine on,
Like the moon and the stars and the sun,
And we all shine on,
Come on and on and on on on..." John Lennon |
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