Shiva Priya Yoga Ashram

Happy Diwali🕯️🎉❤️

May your celebration be filled with love, light, peace, and joy 🙏😊

Happy Diwali to everyone 🙏

May you all have a safe celebration filled with love, peace, and joy ❤️🎉

Yoga is a complex philosophical system with roots that are thousands of years old.

In modern times, many people believe that asana, or the various yoga postures, is yoga in its entirety. But there is an entire world of yoga beneath this physical level.

The 8 limbs of yoga with a brief description of each are as follows:
Yama - external disciplines
Niyama - internal disciplines
Asana - physical postures
Pranayama - breathing practices
Pratyahara - withdrawal of senses
Dharna - concentration
Dhyana - meditative absorption
Samadhi - union and integration

True traditional yoga practice incorporates all of these 8 limbs with the ultimate goal of achieving moksha or liberation.

To learn more, visit our blog at: www.shivapriyayoga.org or join one of our yoga courses at the ashram in India beginning 2021 (coronavirus permitting).

🙏 Happy Krishna Janmashtami! 🙏

On this auspicious day of the birth of Krishna, may we all experience the birth of the light and joy of God within our hearts as well.

The beauty in ancient Hindu stories is that they were never made location-specific or time-specific. Ramayana or Mahabharata are not just events that happened a long time ago, they are happening everyday in our lives. The essence of these stories is eternal.

There is a deeper meaning to the story of Krishna’s birth too. Devaki symbolizes the body and Vasudev symbolizes the life force (prana). When prana rises in the body, joy (Krishna) is born. But the ego (Kamsa) tries to eliminate joy. Kamsa is Devaki’s brother which indicates that ego is born along with the body. A person who is happy and joyful does not create trouble for anyone. It is the one who is unhappy and emotionally wounded who ends up causing disruption. Those who feel injustice has been done to them end up being unjust to others out of their hurt ego.

The biggest adversary of ego is joy. Ego cannot survive and has to bow down where there is joy and love. A person can hold a very high position in society, but he melts in front of his own little child. When the child falls ill, however strong the person is, they feel a little helpless. Ego simply melts when confronted with love, simplicity and joy. Krishna is the epitome of joy, the quintessence of simplicity and the very source of love.

Devaki’s and Vasudev’s imprisonment by Kamsa signifies that when the ego takes over, the body feels like a prison. When Krishna was born, the prison guards fell asleep. The guards here are the senses which protect the ego because they are turned outward when awake. Inner joy sprouts in us when the senses turn inwards.

Krishna is also known as the butter thief. Milk is the essence of nourishment and curd is a cultured form of milk. When curd is churned, butter comes up and floats on top. It is nourishing and yet light, not heavy. When our intelligence is churned, it becomes like butter. When knowledge dawns in the mind, one gets established in one’s Self. Such a person remains unattached to this world and his mind does not sink in it. Krishna stealing butter is a symbolism depicting the glory of love. So attractive is Krishna’s charm and skill that he steals the minds of even the most dispassionate.

Why does Krishna have the peacock feather on his head? A king is responsible for the whole society and that responsibility can become a burden, which sits on the head as the crown. But Krishna fulfills all his responsibility effortlessly, like a game. A mother never feels taking care of her children is a burden. Similarly, Krishna wears his responsibility lightly and plays his roles colorfully, just like the peacock feather on his crown.

Krishna is the most attractive, joyful space within all of us. When there is no restlessness, worry or desire in the mind, you are able to get deep rest. And it is in deep rest that Krishna is born.

The message of Janamashtami is that it is time to bring a wave of joy in society. Become seriously joyful!

Find your cave inside of your soul. There is no need to go anywhere, you are already here 🙏

As coronavirus spreads worldwide, it has become more and more apparent how deeply connected we are. It is our ethical responsibility to respect all living beings, and following a vegetarian diet is the best way to do that. Read more below to learn about how the lessons from yoga philosophy and coronavirus has enlightened us to this need.

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Choosing a Vegetarian Diet: The Impacts of Coronavirus in an Interconnected World | Shiva Priya Yoga Ashram Coronavirus started in a wet market and has spread worldwide, exposing how we are deeply interconnected and the importance of eating a vegetarian diet.

Check out our April 2020 Newsletter for some updates on what we are doing at the ashram now, our future plans, and to get some tips and tricks for coping with coronavirus!

Coping with Coronavirus using the Wisdom from Yoga

Are you struggling emotionally or mentally with the worldwide lockdown from Coronavirus? Well you are not alone! Thankfully the wisdom from Buddhism and Hinduism can help guide us through these difficult times and bring us greater inner peace to cope with the uncertainty and fear. Read our new blog post for more information.

Stay Safe. Stay Home. Stay Healthy.

We are praying for the world 🙏❤️

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Buddhist & Hindu Wisdom For Coping with Coronavirus | Shiva Priya Yoga Ashram Using the wisdom of Buddhism and Hinduism, we can cope and heal from the trauma caused by Coronavirus worldwide. Try some of these practices today!

Be. Here. Now.