As my friend so wisely pointed out, who was I to judge what was excellence in my yoga practice? My ego, the judge, was arrogant enough to think it knew better than my body what was right and good for me.
Though we in the competition-squeamish yoga community have been repeatedly assured that yoga competitions are historically common in India, your first time can be shocking. That was my experience at least, at the Hudson Theater in Midtown Manhattan, watching the 2012 United States Yoga Asana Championship, New York Regional edition.
San Francisco has become the hot spot for the rapidly-growing think tank movement. Recent interdisciplinary conferences, including Wisdom 2.0 and the Yoga Journal Conference, have begun integrating a range of topics geared toward maintaining balance and humanity in our business and technology-oriented culture.
An iconic memoir would be legacy enough for any spiritual leader, but Yogananda's contribution far exceeded that book. He was rightly called by the Los Angeles Times "the 20th century's first superstar guru."
While Anusara is not an ordinary business, it is also not a traditional guru-led organization; and John Friend is not an ordinary teacher or boss, but he's not a swami or a guru either. This illustrates the ambiguous position of modern yoga in general.
I'm aware that some traditions teach that gurus are unblemished, and that admiring the perfection in them is a way to glimpse God. But I personally go farther on my own spiritual path when I remember it's okay that I'm fallible, that wherever I am or whatever I've done is fine.
It's hard to read any yoga blog these days without coming across the lengthy, messy break-up currently unfolding in the Anusara yoga community following the disclosure of Anusara founder John Friend's, well, rather philandering ways.
This video is about shifting our focus from the frame to the content. When we focus on the truthful content of our life, miracles occur naturally.
OMG you guys, have you heard? Yoga is all about ... kinky superstar "gurus," sexual healing and drug-crazed orgies where everyone gets naked, sleeps with married people and prays to weird Hindu gods with ten arms, flaming red tongues and giant stone phalluses.
Yoga sells well. Sex sells even better. And sex scandals sell the best. The man in the eye of the storm this time is John Friend, the founder of the Anusara style of yoga.
This Sunday -- day of rest for the restless - I'm signed up to take a yoga class for writers. I love the idea of unleashing my imagination while aligning my spine.
The sensationalistic reports are excessively promoting isolated instances of yoga-related back injuries. Chronic back problems affect millions of Americans and is a top reason people seek out medical care. To balance the ongoing debate, here are four yoga back benefits.
Anyone can be a teacher as long as we chose that person to guide us, which doesn't mean that person has practiced all of the teachings or is living a yogic life.
Ayurveda is the study of life. Ayur is life and Ved means to know. According to Ayurveda, life or existence is not a rigid compartment, but a harmonious flow. Even the five elements of which the whole universe is made of are not tight compartments of defined objects. They flow into one another.
We do need external teachers for a while to guide, teach and hone our understanding and skills. But, at some point, all a teacher can do is lead us inward. Like a big cosmic U-turn, the guru is ultimately only trying to lead us home.
Do these leaders misuse their power because they have risen to such great heights that they have lost touch with reality, or have they risen to power because their egos knew no bounds in the first place?
