Years ago, before I started practicing yoga or learning about energy, I went to a chakra-balancing circle with a friend of mine that was aptly held in a hippie commune. I knew the word “chakra” and had a vague understanding of meditation. But no matter how far I stretched my thinking, I couldn’t understand how singing a certain musical note or saying a particular affirmation was going to do something nice for my pancreas, or for my lung, or for…
“Which style of yoga do you do?” It’s one of the most common questions asked when someone says they practice or teach yoga. Unless you’re dedicated to a specific lineage or style, chances are your practice fluctuates as much as our Irish weather. To break it down, we can say that mostly all movement and asana-based practices fall under the umbrella of “hatha”. Other practices, like kundalini, fall a bit outside of this umbrella because of the predominant focus on…
We’ve been asked by a few students about our teachers’ favourite music to mediate to. While everyone has their own preference, such as silent meditation, sounds of nature, a specific mantra, or a singing bowl, it can be helpful to focus and get in the meditation mood with a song, album, or one of our teacher recommendations. Check the tunes out on our Spotify playlist! Aisling F – Uno by Deuter Aisling VR – A Feeling Of Being Closer by…
A few years ago, I went to one of my first yoga classes in Dublin. I walked into the studio, out of breath from trying to find the location, and found myself in an oasis of calm and smokey Nag Champa. I was happy to have stepped into this magical space, but I didn’t quite feel like I fit in. I wasn’t as calm as I felt I should be and I was wearing plaid pyjama pants. I shyly borrowed…
Firstly, Thank You ALL for your questions and comments about topics you’d like to see covered on the YogaHub blog. There are some really great ones and we’ll aim to answer all that we can. One that really resonated with me was how to bring more compassion and love into our lives on and off the mat. This is a topic that could be explored infinitely. But, to me, yoga is love. Life is love. The breath (prana) is love….
What a Month in India Taught me About Yoga * Before I begin I want to make clear that the views expressed here are purely objective and that I’m only going on what I experienced, not an in-depth study or survey. ‘What are the differences between practicing yoga in the West and practicing in India?’ This is a question I’ve been asked quite regularly in recent weeks, having embarked on a solo trip with no definitive end on the basis…
The Elephant in the Room – Symbolism of Ganesha * We’ve all seen the figurines and intricately detailed tapestries, paintings, and models colorfully depicting this four-armed elephantine deity, but what does Ganesha really symbolise? Considered in the Hindu religion to be remover of obstacles, patron of the arts and sciences, and the master of intellect and wisdom, there are many more attributes associated with this deity than may initially meet the eye. As is the case with many externally or…
It’s currently raining in Dharamkot, Himachal Pradesh, one of the Northernmost populated towns in the Indian Himalayas. Meanwhile, I hear that it’s been 26 degrees in Ireland. Typical! Monsoon season here is in full swing, and as irritating as a downpour can be in the midst of exploring new towns and places, the people that you meet when huddled together with a street of strangers under a bright blue tarpaulin to shelter from the rain often make it seem…
How Yoga Can Enhance Creativity and Productivity, in Business or Otherwise “I am burdened with what the Buddhists call the ‘monkey mind’ – the thoughts that swing from limb to limb, stopping only to scratch themselves, spit and howl’ – Elizabeth Gilbert *It’s often been observed that a regular yoga practice can help promote creativity and a more productive and efficient work ethic, allowing practitioners to excel in their various specialized fields and carry out work with a clearer, more…
5 Questions That Will Bring You Back to This Moment ‘The time will come when, With elation, You will greet yourself arriving At your own door, in your own mirror, And each will smile at the other’s welcome, And say, sit here. Eat. You will love again the stranger who was yourself. Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart To itself, to the stranger who has loved you all your life, whom you ignored For another, who knows you…
