the yoga of the hands
February 12th, 2009 by chris Posted in the glass seed, timeless
Not all that long ago, everything we ate, wore or lived in was formed by human hands. The rise of the industrial age transformed our lives from hand-crafted to machine-made. Have we lost anything in the balance? I’ve noticed in the past decade a rise of artisan bread or pastries, artisan cheeses, small-batch coffee roasters….hand-crafted culture is making a come-back. Could it be that the bread I buy from a local artisanal bakery tastes of more than just flour, salt and water? Does the hand-woven hot pink scarf my son gave me for Christmas keep my neck warmer than one made by machines? When I was writing The Glass Seed I worked with my hands a lot, sewing a quilt, trimming a skirt with heritage buttons and making jewelry. Something drew me to these projects as I sorted out how I felt about my mother, her illness and my role as a woman in the culture. I found them meaningful and satisfying, an antidote and (yes, maybe even) a redemption for the struggle and suffering that can arise when any of us face loss. There’s a fair bit of talk in the yoga world about the three main bandhas, energy locks that exist in the body’s core. Less often discussed is the hasta bandha in the hands. This bandha draws up and makes use of the Earth’s energy. Am I making full use of my hands, both as I practice the asana and as I find my way through this life? If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
timeless classics: the yoga of healing
February 11th, 2009 by chris Posted in ascent, timeless
Swami Radhakrishnananda reflects on Swami Sivananda Radha’s The Yoga of Healing… There are many beautiful, healing practices in this little book by Swami Radha, who worked with each of them as she dealt with the physical restrictions of rheumatoid arthritis. These days I am drawn to the section called Thoughts on Gratitude. When I am open to feeling and expressing gratitude for my life as it is, for the many things that happen, there is a transformation that occurs. I can feel the devotion behind the gratitude. I know from this that the feeling of gratitude is an interaction between the body and the mind and both will benefit from it. Swami Radha goes on to make clear that expressing gratitude will balance the criticism we voice because of powerful emotions. And the part that is so good to remember is that “in the course of life there are many little miracles,” but we don’t pay attention and then take things for granted. This book is highly recommended because Swami Radha’s understanding of what will make us well, whole, healthy and happy is a rare insight in the field of health and healing. Any one of the practices described will bring a high degree of quality into your life. I know this from my own experience with these practices in dealing with Parkinson’s disease. I live with the disease very well as a result of the Yoga of Healing. If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
swami lalitananda: live on the internet!
January 26th, 2009 by roseanne Posted in ascent, community, timeless
All listeners are encouraged to participate by calling in to the show toll free at 1-800-230-3062. Swami Lalitananda will be available for questions and comments regarding all aspects of yoga practice during her interview with host Dr. Melissa West.
The first three participants will receive a FREE copy of The Inner Life of Asanas and each additional caller will have the chance to purchase the book at a 25% discount.
Contact Talk Radio is an online radio station devoted to spiritual, psychic, holistic, and personal development. Returning to the Body Mind, hosted by Dr. Melissa West, is a show that ‘revisits the wisdom of the body as the seat of the soul.’
And just in case you can’t listen to this live internet radio appearance, you’ll have several opportunities to connect with Swami Lalitananda in Real Life this spring! She’ll be offering Hidden Language Hatha Yoga workshops in Toronto and New York. Stay tuned for details…
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workshop with swami lalitananda
January 8th, 2009 by roseanne Posted in ascent, community, timeless
To promote ascent columnist and senior teacher, Swami Lalitananda’s upcoming workshop at the Omega Institute in upstate New York, the renowned centre for holistic studies has just published an inspiring article. Writing on the intersection of selfless service and hatha yoga, Swami Lalitananda says: “Practicing yoga means using whatever circumstances we are given and accepting that they are exactly what we need for our development. Keeping our purpose clear, we can step up to the challenge, recognizing that even in the most adverse situations there is the opportunity to develop character. We become stronger as we affirm our connection with our own inner light, and also when we admit where we are not strong, where we need help.” Read the rest of the featured article in the Omega e-newsletter. Buy Swami Lalitananda’s book here: The Inner Life of Asanas. Register for a special workshop with Swami Lalitananda, May 1 -3, 2009 If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
2 timeless titles among “quintessential” yoga books!
October 22nd, 2008 by roseanne Posted in ascent, timeless, yoga in the media
You can take a look at the whole list here. Is there anything missing (besides the rest of the timeless books catalogue)? What are some of your favourite, most inspiring books about yoga?
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people like swami lalitananda’s “the inner life of asanas”!
July 29th, 2008 by Vienna Posted in ascent, timeless, yoga in the media
As ascent magazine is in our final stages of bringing our work and service issue to through production, we received the happy news that ascent magazine’s Hatha Yoga Hidden Language columnist, Swami Lalitananda, has been featured in Yoga Journal. The positive review commended her newly published book, The Inner Life of Asanas. Visit timeless books for the full review. For your own copy of the The Inner Life of Asanas, click here. Try a hidden language practice today and let us know what you think… Swami Lalitananda is a resident teacher and part of the collective at radha yoga & eatery - a yoga centre, cafe, arts and events venue at 728 Main Street in Vancouver, BC. Contact her at swamila@ascentmagazine.com. If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
light summer soup!
July 10th, 2008 by ian Posted in ascent, timeless
Watercress and Green Pea Soup This soup reminds me of summer – fresh and green. The watercress is vibrant with its peppery taste, and the peas’ sweetness helps to balance its pungency. I prefer this style of soup done so that the watercress is barely wilted. You can even make it completely raw, served chilled, but how much you cook it, or not, is ultimately a matter of taste. Serves 4 1 large bunch of watercress 3 cups water or vegetable stock 1-2 cups green peas, or chopped snap peas 2 Tbsp mint leaves, chopped Zest of 1 lemon 1/4 cup parsley, chopped 2 Tbsp miso 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, soaked for 6 hours, drained and rinsed Wash the watercress well, then trim the bases of the large stems. Finely chop the remaining stems, and coarsely chop the leaves. In a medium pot, bring the water or vegetable stock to a simmer. Add the green peas and return to a simmer, then remove from heat. Add the watercress, mint, parsley and lemon zest. Place the miso and sunflower seeds in a blender with some of the soup. Puree until smooth. Puree the rest of the soup in batches. Return the blended soup to the pot, and adjust seasoning. Add extra water to thin to desired consistency. If desired, gently warm the soup while stirring over medium heat. Do not let it boil. Ladle into bowls, garnish, enjoy. Note: If you are using fresh peas in the shell, add the shells to the vegetable stock and let it simmer for 5 to10 minutes to extract the flavour. Strain this liquid into another pot, and proceed with the recipe. If you are avoiding soy products, use salt, to taste, in place of the miso. If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
billy mavreas’ montreal book launch
May 26th, 2008 by roseanne Posted in ascent, community, timeless
Friends of ascent magazine and timeless books celebrated the release of Inside Outside Overlap, the long-awaited graphic novel by Billy Mavreas. Featuring Boy Priest and Lifeform, the characters in Billy’s “tales from the vase” strip in ascent, the book has been getting attention in the Montreal alternative press. Billy will be taking the book across the country, with upcoming launches in Toronto and Vancouver. Billy answers questions from the crowd on the Casa del Popolo stage. For further pics from the Montreal launch read more… If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
paper 101
December 12th, 2007 by kendra Posted in timeless
Yoga and spiritual practices point towards simplifying, and Hatha Yoga aptly describes humanity’s innate connection with the earth’s resources. The tree pose, for example, can take on more than the obvious form. On Tuesday, November 27, I attended BookNet Canada’s speakers series, “Is it Easy Being Green? The Changing Climate of the Book Industry” with presenters Nicole Rycroft from Markets Initiatives and Michael Healy from the Book Industry Study Group, Inc. The discussion focused on the book industry’s paper use, and answered its own question in the affirmative—it can be easy being green. The choice is there. Early in Nicole’s presentation, she projected a diagram of the earth’s original forest coverage, followed by a slide depicting the 20% of original forest that remains on the earth’s land surfaces. A large percentage of the trees being harvested are used in paper production, and the publishing industry is a major consumer of this paper. Though perhaps this fact ought to have been obvious, I found the information startling. Until relatively recently, options for recycled content in paper were quite limited, but with the groundswell of consumer demand for more environmentally sustainable products, high-quality, and affordable recycled paper—and 100% Post Consumer Waste Recycled (PCW) paper—has become a viable option for publishers. Canadian publishers have been leaders in switching to forest friendly practices, which makes me hopeful that more publishers will choose to print on PCW paper more often. In Hatha, the tree pose teaches balance. As the popular momentum calls businesses to come into balance with the needs of our planet, it’s critical that businesses respond. Timeless Books made the decision to print the interior of its books on 100% Post Consumer Waste paper in 2004. PCW means that no new trees are used in the production process (unlike recycled paper, which contains the scraps and off-cuts of virgin paper, made from newly harvested trees). If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
the inner life of asanas
November 28th, 2007 by kendra Posted in timeless
The book, a “best-of” collection of Swami Lalitananda’s ascent articles from the last eight years, is officially being launched tonight in Vancouver at radha yoga & eatery, the vegan cafe and yoga centre that Swami Lalitananda directs. She will be joined by Eileen Pearkes and other local writers and musicians to celebrate the timeless fall season. Swami Lalitananda will tour with the book in spring 2008, including teaching stops in Toronto for the Yoga Show and Conference, April 24 - 27 and at the Omega Institute, May 2 -4.
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