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The Inner Journey of Meditation – A Meditation Retreat
by Jeff Carreira Join us for BPY’s First in-studio Retreat, December 16th + December 17th Somewhere between 2000 and 2500 years ago, 195 [or 196, depending on the version you are reading] short phrases (sutras) were gathered together into a book by the great Indian sage known as Patanjali. The book is called The Yoga Sutras and describes the philosophy and practices of what is commonly known as yoga today. As I said, the yoga sutras are short phrases, not even complete sentences. They were written in this form to contain as much wisdom as possible in the smallest number of words. This was typical in oral traditions, where information…
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Discovering Your Dharma
A Journey of Purpose and Fulfillment In the vast tapestry of life, each individual possesses a unique purpose and calling, known as their dharma. Derived from the ancient wisdom of Hindu philosophy, the concept of dharma offers guidance to seekers in understanding their inherent duties and roles in the world. The Bhagavad Gita, a sacred scripture revered by millions, provides profound insights into the nature of dharma and its significance in leading a fulfilling and meaningful life. This essay briefly explores the essence of dharma and its relevance in our modern existence, supported by poignant quotes from the Bhagavad Gita. Discovering and living in alignment with our dharma is an…
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Digging Deeper – What is Kundalini?
Kundalini is an ancient Sanskrit word that literally means “coiled snake.” In early Eastern religion (long before Buddhism and Hinduism) it was believed that each individual possessed a divine energy at the base of the spine. This is offen depicted as a serpent coiled up at the base of the spine. This serpent guards the entrance of sushumna nadi, the central energy channel of our bodies, keeping prana energy (our basic life force energy) from entering and ascending up through the center of the spine through the seven chakras. The exact origin of Kundalini Yoga is unknown, but the earliest known mention dates to the sacred Vedic collection of writings known…
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Have you heard about Earthing?
Did you know that the earth emits a natural energy that promotes vibrant health amongst us humans when direct skin-to-soil contact {Earthing} is made? Yup, and there is extensive research on it too. Because of our modern way of living, we don’t get this direct raw earthly connection like we used to. We wear shoes (or at least most of us do) and we don’t sleep on the ground for the most part. Scientists are now figuring out that this person-to-planet disconnect is directly correlated to a handful of common health issues, including insomnia, fatigue, depression, chronic pain, and problematic blood pressure. [Check out this YouTube video on Earthing] We…
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BPY’s 5 Minute Meditation Challenge
What if we spent our days in isolation from one another finding a way to connect more? We’ve heard a lot of reasons why people avoid a meditation practice. One of them being the lack of time. Well, one of the bright sides of this quarantine for a lot of us is – a whole heck of a lot of time we never have been able to tap into before. And if you are finding yourself saying you are even busier than before, right now is probably a very good time for you to find a way to take a timeout and get out of fight or flight mode. Listen,…
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Pancha Maya Kosha: Five Layers to Wholeness
Written by JENNIFER REIS – Jennifer is an E-RYT 500, Certified Yoga Therapist IAYT, Kripalu School of Yoga and Integrative Yoga Therapy faculty, LMT, Ayurveda and Shiatsu therapist, Bachelor of Fine Arts. Jennifer will host a 50 hour Divine Sleep® Yoga Nidra Teacher Training this November. Looking to find out more or register for training? Email the studio at getbliss@balancedplanetyoga.com or click here to register. The Five Koshas are one of the basic models from yoga philosophy that I have found incredibly helpful for understanding both myself and others. With practice, its helped me to get to know myself better, reduced my suffering, and helped me to live my life…
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Register For BPY Fall/Winter 2018-19 Teacher Training Today!
Balanced Planet Yoga will host a 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training in the Fall/Winter 2018-19. We are so excited to announce the dates for our Fall Yoga Teacher Training (YTT)!! The process of yoga teacher training is a life-changing experience for everyone involved. We cry, we laugh, we grow and we learn in community. Yoga teacher training is not just about becoming a teacher – you will explore new ways to think, cope, and relate to the human experience. Our training is full of AMAZING guest teachers and experiences! Pranayama & Meditation – Heather Bahniuk Martin Chakras & Energetic Healing – Kelly Elizabeth Nutrition – Chrissy Oakley Frascella Anatomy –…
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Taking 5 with Cheryl – Getting to Know your BPY Teachers
Cheryl Van Sciver is the co-owner of Balanced Planet Yoga. She teaches all-levels at the studio but has a special place in her heart for beginner classes. We asked her to answer the following 5 questions about her yoga practice: What are some of the challenges you have experienced in your yoga practice and how did you work through them? I have definitely had my share of issues with the physical practice of yoga. Allowing my ego to get the best of me or pushing myself way too hard in my pursuit of a pose. This resulted in some seemingly unnecessary injuries. I say seemingly because it was at times…
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Poses in the BPY Flow – Triangle Pose and the Gunas
The three angles that make up the shape of a triangle make it one of the most stable shapes in nature. In yoga, this posture is comprised of three triangles. The body makes a triangle with the legs and the floor, a second is revealed looking at the top hand and two feet, and the third one is demonstrated under the side of the body with the arm and the front leg. The triangle is also a visual symbol of many trinities seen in human culture. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit in Catholicism, the trinity of birth, life, and death, and so on. In yoga, trikonasana (triangle pose) is…
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Poses in the BPY Flow – Bringing Backbends into your Practice
Chakrasana, Wheel pose, Upward Facing Bow, or Urdhva Mukha Dhanurasana are all names for the family of asanas (poses) that are backbends. Typically, in the BPY flow, we work on moving towards Upward Facing Bow in our backbends, but in today’s blog we will look at the difference between this pose and Chakrasana as well as what we are trying to tap into by undertaking these postures. In Upward Facing Bow, we keep our hands and feet apart, but in Chakrasana the yogi works towards walking the ands close enough to grasp the ankles. When the hands and feet connect, the body represents a circle. Achieving this posture allows the…
