I’ve compiled a list of resources that you may find helpful with regards to learning more about yoga and the specific influences I’ve encountered along my path of practice. As your practice grows, please feel free to contact me with any helpful resources you’ve discovered along the way!
Read
Yoga of Discipline (also called Gurumayi) – Swami Chidvilisananda
In this collection of 14 talks on yogic discipline, Gurumayi Chidvilasananda discusses discipline in seeing, hearing, eating, speaking, and thinking.
Yoga from the Inside Out: Making Peace With Your Body Through Yoga – Christina Sell
This is a lovely book/memoir about School of Yoga founder Christina Sell’s journey to yoga, and the benefits it has brought her and her students through the years. It’s a deeply personal book, matching Christina’s vital teaching style, and is a wonderful book to answer the question “Why do yoga?”
My Body is a Temple – Christina Sell
Spiritual Cannibalism – Rudi (Swami Rudrananda)
This book grabbed me from the start by a quote on the back which says essentially that life is perfect as a whole, that the pain is part of its perfection, and that in order to truly live we must consume and digest life in its entirety. Wow. It’s relatively short and each word is genuine and rich.
The Yoga of Eating – Charles Eisenstein
The Yoga of Eating is a brief treatise on applying yogic principles to diet. It emphasizes mindfulness and attention to the experience of eating as well as the emotions and philosophy surrounding what we ingest.
Tathaastu
Every time I read this magazine it enriches me. Each article is full of wisdom and authenticity. It’s kind of expensive but totally worth it.
Yoga Journal
A wonderful resource both for inspiration and information. The first time I read Yoga Journal I absorbed it from cover to cover. I still do.
Facebook: Ninja Yogis
Ninja Yogis is a place to share your yoga poses off the mat. Strike a pose, take a pic and post. Have fun!
Watch
Bhakti Fest
I’ve attended Bhakti Fest 2 years in a row. It’s an amazing experience, well worth the time and energy to go. Check out videos on the website!
Emotional Freedom Technique
EFT, also referred to as tapping, is a useful method to help process intense emotions. Tapping points along the face and body while repeating statements regarding the emotion helps the practitioner move through and beyond the crest of the intensity. EFT is considered an essential tool in energy psychology.
Dr. John Sarno
A medical doctor whose work revolves around the treatment of TMS, tension myositis syndrome. His essential premise is that intense chronic pain masks underlying emotions, is in fact a red herring used by the body to avoid having the feel uncomfortable emotions. Being willing to have the emotions allows the person to transcend the physical pain, as it no longer needs to be there to distract from the emotion.
Listen
Wah!
A contemporary kirtan artist whose softness and authenticity shine through in her music.
Krishna Das
Has been performing kirtan for many years. He lived for a number of years in India under his guru with Ram Dass. Having seen KD live several times I am always taken with his disarming humor and dedication.
Deva Premal
The first time I heard Deva Premal I was transported. Her voice is ethereal and exquisite. She is German, raised around kirtan and yoga. She and her partner Miten travel around the world performing and doing workshops.
Jai Uttal
To be honest, the first time I hear Jai Uttal I was bored. It was really late at night at Bhakti fest and I was exhausted from hours of yoga and kirtan. Then I heard his song Nataraja and found it deeply stirring. The next time I went to Bhakti I made certain to take special time to listen to him. He was warm and engaging and I was very grateful I took the time to listen. Jai Uttal is considered by many to be the reason kirtan is part of the modern music scene in its current fashion.
