Yoga is ideal for calming the mind and harmonizing with nature. Plus, since this meditation consists of listening to what's taking place in the instant, it brings the mind into the present, where the body resides, producing unification of mind and body.
I had one actress who trained with me and took six Spin classes a week. And all she ate was lettuce and Swedish Fish. When the press asked her how she'd transformed' her body, she said, Oh, I do yoga and hike with my puppy.' That made me laugh. Don't lie about how much you work out, because other women are going to think, I walk my dog, why don't I look like that?
I have a spiritual practice which helps to keep me grounded and centered. Yoga is vital because it keeps me in full awareness and connection with my breath. I keep a gratitude log, which helps to remind me of all the blessings I experience daily.
Yoga has allowed me to bring my complete spirit together, which allows me to do less, which is more.
Even before I knew Yoga in this life, I was into that kind of thing.
Our job with our digestion is to absorb nutrients and eliminate waste, and to not dwell on the waste - which is my issue with some of the pop American psychology masquerading as Yoga, by the way.
I just think that the reality of life is impermanence. That's the foundation of understanding what Yoga is, and we're here for however long we're here, and then it's over. And I've known this since I was a kid.
My degree was in Depth Psychology and Religion, so I can really speak directly about pop American psychology masquerading as Yoga.
Yoga teaching is that you're not your dark side or your woo-woo, you're pure awareness. Our job is to begin to gain that discrimination and insight so we can separate from our identification.
Those who pursue a worldy life - who try to get others to do what they want, to peform for them, who use and abuse in the name of their own happiness - are miserable.
We hide in relationships. We hide in material possessions. We hide in ambitions, secret desires, hates, frustrations, jealousy, self-ptiy, in our insecurity - and more than anything our vanity and our egotism.
The ego is not harmonious with happiness and spiritual development. In the process of spiritual transformation we refine it. In the fire of love we melt the ego down.
Love is the easiest and most effective way to begin our search for self-realization.
As you pass through bhakti yoga, as you pass through love, you're elated. You're fulfilled and you're joyous.
Everybody is in the waiting room of life. Yoga is not a waiting. It is a doing, today.
Be kind, be loving, be generous. Give of yourself, give of your time and you'll be free. It's the oldest secret, the one thats most often forgotten - and that is to have fun through giving.
What motivates someone who's become wealthy to go out and work in the ghetto with those who are poor? What motivates one who has perfect health to go and work with the sick? If you understand - then you understand the root and cause of all existence.
When you do something for someone else, it's for you. When you do something for yourself, it's for someone else.
Love leads us to ourselves - this is the mystery of love.
The message of love is self-acceptance in the smaller sense and self-acceptance in the large sense - the Self as eternity.
The real test on the path of love is are you willing to give up everything for your love?
Have the courage to be selfless in a world were such qualities are not admired. Dare to be differnt. Be crazy!
Self-giving means that we have to understand the nature of giving. When most people give, they give expecting a return on their investment.
It's very good for you, riding. You know how every model is like, 'I do yoga.' Well, I find horses to have the same effect, in that you have to put your ego aside and concentrate on making the horse do the things you want it to do, and move in the way you want it to move - particularly if you're doing dressage.
All forms of yoga involve occult assumptions, even hatha yoga, which is often presented as a merely physical discipline.
