Yoga Practice Archives - Samahita Retreat

What is your state of mind? Perhaps yoga has some insight!

Dr. Paul Dallaghan — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 04:54:27 +0000

Here’s a topic …..
Is there an easy way to define yoga?
Will it be just as simple to explain yoga? This is more involved, though rewarding, read. Or skip through it by only reading the bolded parts.On one level, a good grasp of any topic can be explained in a simple manner. True. Yet at the same time it is easy for the receiver to miss the nuances and take the simple as the full and accurate explanation.

Hence, on the other level, especially from those who gave their words to yoga over 500 years ago, yoga cannot be understood if not experienced, explaining it, even defining it can only mislead. True.

So both are true. Well, we need a working meaning and explanation. And this is possible. It may start simple but must continue to be unpacked. More interesting, the process of unpacking is (part of) the process of yoga.

What we then face is not just the polyvalence (many meanings and uses) of the word yoga (in Sanskrit) but when it is used specifically in relation to the inner process yoga is then both a state (as an outcome) and a process. in fact, the first sub-commentary on the Yoga Sutras noted “one knows yoga by yoga.”

Then there is the personalized definition of yoga and the modernized (for each generation and time) explanation of yoga. This is why we will mainly hear that yoga is doing “yoga” as āsana. On one level it is not entirely inaccurate, but it is a subset of yoga, with varying degrees of importance in how it (āsana) is weighted based on the individual.

It is easy to get sidetracked and even confused trying to figure this out. Which is why getting a good grasp of the original material and interpretation from those who have studied it well (typically scholars who also practice, but not exclusively) is a path to understand yoga better. It goes beyond what “I want yoga to mean for me,” such as happiness, compassion, being nice, breathing, an open body, and more. All these are important to life but are not the (sole) property of yoga and can arise through several modes of life. So the curious mind looks deeper, reads more, reflects, unpacks this material. And it takes time.

Then you may come across: yoga is union. Union of what? Oh, the universal soul (among other terms) and the individual soul. But this definition, most often used, comes up in the religious-oriented explanations of yoga. Which is fine and makes sense to many.

The other approach is yoga as integration. We live fractured lives. Our minds are agitated, meaning the mind state is not one of real harmony. There are moments but it is not steady and can get disturbed. Here yoga and meditation are synonymous. An integration of the disparate factors that make up a life that otherwise disturb, as the original commentary on classical yoga puts it, the “river of mind”.

Integration, meditation, is often related to the Sanskrit word of samadhi. Most of the yogic literature goes into these higher states of mind, the experience of samadhi. However, very few involved in yoga and the entire world of mediation has experienced samadhi. Of course if you give it a loose definition of a “concentrated mind” capable of deep introspection, perhaps trance, then many will claim it. But these, at best, are “bhāvana”, short-lived experiences. Not indicative of transformation. Yet positive.

Samadhi, therefore, as integration, gets at how well channeled the “river of mind” has become so that no external factor disturbs it. Those who have stabilized this still encounter the same onslaught of life’s challenges. Yet channeled is a natural state, one of peace, translated as calm to some, love to others, kindness and compassion to another group, clarity and strength to yet others, really all these combined with total integrity. This state endures through all experiences, whether we label them positive or negative. It does not mean everyone who interacts with one who has channeled the “river of mind” is pleased. It may mean the opposite at times because the recipient’s state of mind is still fickle and disturbed. Which is practically all of us, some more so, some less so.

So yoga as samadhi as integration is a transformed mind state, an ability to go deep within but more importantly to maintain that powerful current while in the world. Naturally, it is personal. And for many it is a far off (but not impossible) ideal.

Some may quote the Yoga Sutra and explain this as nirodha of the activity of the mind state. But nirodha is such a final experience that if it was the case then you wouldn’t be “here”. A working approach of a more practical nature, where integration takes place, and where the initial stages of samadhi begin and mature, is “ekāgra”, another Sanskrit word.

Ekāgra means one-pointed. Or channelled. Apply this to the flow of the “river of mind”. Mind has passed beyond the state of disturbance, agitation, moments of switching between calm and distracted or worse. In fact, this fickle and disturbed state of mind is more or less the state of mind of almost everyone practicing meditation, yoga, or any similar form of inner process. It is termed in Sanskrit as vikshipta (actual transliteration is viksipta).

We now find ourselves with a meaning and short explanation, yoga as the entire inner process where the flow of the “river of mind”, your mental state, integrates and transforms from vikshipta, being fickle and unreliable, to ekāgra, as clear and undisturbed, integrated. The same temptations and insults will come to both but the latter state is not swayed, tempted, or disturbed. The offense does not have any impact.

Some would consider this similar to, if not the same as, stoicism. And in a way there is very little difference.

But there is. Because how you approach the integration that channels the flow of the “river of mind” has given yoga its more conspicuous explanation and identification. Posture. Breath. Sitting meditation. Treatment of others. Handling of oneself. Yoga in practice and in life.

Now you “know yoga by yoga.” Meaning, if you do yoga mainly as poses or a mix of poses and breath (to keep it simple), then they are considered yoga when done in terms of how they affect the flow of the “river of mind”, to a more harmonious state, to ultimately complete channeling (ekāgra) and an eventual “not here anymore” (nirodha).

As noted in my own research we can see where the process of yoga plays out: “From viksipta to ekāgra is where identifiable and tangible effects of yogic-meditative practice can hypothetically be observed and measured,” (Dr. Paul D in “Breath, Stress and Health: a biocultural study of psycho-physical (hatha-rāja) yoga”).

Such a meaning and explanation is different to “yoga” today, but still you can do yoga today and find this. If you now understand WHY anything under the name of yoga (poses, breath, etc.) is done, it can change your whole approach. So the next time you do āsana, a yoga pose or set of poses, when done internally, attentively, with awareness on the state of mind, though working the body, it is actually meditation, it is actually a process of integration. It is yoga.

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Paul Dallaghan’s expertise with breathwork, body and meditative practices comes from three sources: over 25 years of daily dedicated practice and teaching these techniques; immersion in the original culture through one-on-one direct training in practice and study of ancient texts; doctoral scientific research at a leading US university (Emory) on yoga and breath in terms of stress, health and aging. Paul occupies a unique space to impart genuine teaching and science on these practices, acknowledged by his teacher and lineage (Kuvalayananda) in India as a Teacher-of-teachers and a Master of Breath, identified to carry the tradition (Pranayama). This places him as the only master-level yoga and breath practitioner currently immersed in scientific academic research on breathwork, stress and health. His sincere and ongoing role is to teach, write and research to help put out experienced and authentic information on these areas in a world full of confusion and conflicting messages both off and online.

For more on his background see his bio.

The post What is your state of mind? Perhaps yoga has some insight! appeared first on Samahita Retreat.

Assisting Yoga Practice – Physical to Subtle

Daniel Stringer — Mon, 04 Jul 2022 06:07:08 +0000

Photo: Paul adds the finishing touch. This is a bit of a throwback as we rarely practice like this anymore. Guidance is offered subtly just as much, or more so, than any physical assist.

Over the years I’ve noticed how the style and level of assistance my teacher Paul has offered his students. The methods a teacher uses to do this can be explained in terms of gross, subtle and causal (or very subtle) in a similar way the different levels of awareness and personal practice evolve. Although all three levels are employed by experienced teachers from the outset I have noticed a marked shift over the years, of my teacher, towards a more subtle hands off approach. As with all things in yoga, we need to interact with our students on all levels wether physical, emotional or deeper states of awareness. It is also a matter of needs vs wants as we help in accordance with what is needed for development rather than what is merely desired. When teacher and student work together in this way what results is a unique, personalized path of growth and development.

Personal experience

My own story here starts from the days of developing an asana practice at Samahita that involved some really deep assists as postures were often sufficiently complex or challenging to require direct hands on help. It was also a means of working through emotional-physical states that would have proved difficult without assistance.

Of course for those of you who have practiced at Samahita over the last 15 + years may have experienced the same. Although, as a matter of general practice, we are taught to work on deeper subtle levels with the breath and mind as we also work with the body.

The journey of the student is comparable to that of the teacher, as our understanding develops so does the practice. As we explore all levels of experience and growth we find new ways to practice and express ourselves.

How the teachings unfold – From the external to the internal.

Your teacher walks over, takes a look at you, your body, its form, balance and expression. They make a judgment, maybe say few words of guidance or places their hands to make an adjustment or assist. You listen, feel it, adjust yourself or wait for the physical sensation, your awareness changes, your balance shifts and your body, your posture, assumes a new form.

Sitting, focused deeply on breath, the abdomen rises and falls, your hand occasionally lifts to touch the nose. The breath stops in a retention, you pause, wait lift the chin and continue breathing. Your teacher watches your body, the abdomen, the chest, your expression. The body still reveals strain or ease or comfort. The pattern of the breath it’s regularity, proportion and the balance of inhale, retention and exhale all reveal something about your state or comfort with the technique. In this case a simple touch or a few words will suffice.

Going deeper, contemplation, subtle, deep pranayama practice. Emptying the mind, internalizing awareness, observing prana. How do we see from the outside? In this state how is assistance given? In the case with traditional pranayama, the pulse is taken. The inner condition is read and measured subtly. Maybe a word or two, a nod, smile or just a look. And that’s it, they know, you know and the practice continues.

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The post Assisting Yoga Practice – Physical to Subtle appeared first on Samahita Retreat.

Deep Avoidance

Richard Freeman — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 04:54:27 +0000

Deep avoidance and fear of yoga is something I’ve experienced on occasion, so perhaps you have too. When I was in Mysore, India studying at Pattabhi Jois’ house, I got up very early in the morning, often at 3 or 3:30 am to prepare before practicing. It would usually take about an hour and a half of psyching myself up—doing meditation, prāṇāyāma, and prayer—in order to face his front door, which I equated with the portals of death.

My assigned time slot was one of the first, but if you were scheduled to go later as you walked up to the door, you’d hear the furnaces being stoked and the furnaces were actually the breathing of the other students. Often because they were not well practiced, they would be breathing more heavily than would be appropriate for the yoga they were practicing. However, they too were entering into their own “portals of death” and so it seemed to work out, even with rougher breathing.
What usually would get me through those practices is that I would think,” It’s just a breathing exercise.” To this day I still consider yoga āsana that—just breathing. If you concentrate on the mantra of the breath, then the body goes through transformations and miraculously an hour or two later you walk out of the śāla feeling light and clear. In those days, I’d start out filled with fear and a desire to avoid the practice, and then I’d feel so good afterward that I’d forget my resistance and feel transformed. Until about 3 in the morning the next day.

We know from the Yoga Sūtra that yoga is said to be a path toward liberation, true awakening. It says that we begin when we suspend thought and that this can lead to samādhi. Not that samādhi is the goal of yoga—it’s really more of a tool to be applied repeatedly to all things and circumstances. Suspension of thought therefore is the imperative first step if you are even to begin deeper practices. This doesn’t mean stopping thought or wiping out the mind, it means that you learn to set aside your preconceptions, expectations, attachments, and so forth so you can show up to a more accurate taste of reality. Sometimes we can just do this setting aside, and sometimes it’s not so easy. But then if we try again the next day, and then again and again—if we have the intention to show up fully—then things begin to shift. Like for me when I was in Mysore in those early days. I was able, with the rituals of my morning preparation for āsana, to put aside my fears and resistances—things that originated in my mind—and by the end of practice a sort of harmony would have settled into my whole body and mind. And even deeper than that when I think about it. And the residue would last until early the next day. All this happened when I dropped awareness into my breath—sometimes out of good practice, sometimes out of fear and sometimes because I’d learned to trust the breath when all else seemed unpredictable. I can’t say I was experiencing samādhi, but definitely I was beginning on the path of finding the wonderful taste of samādhi in the everyday experience of the practice.

“If you concentrate on the mantra of the breath, then the body goes through transformations and miraculously an hour or two later you walk out of the śāla feeling light and clear. …..”

In the first chapter of the Yoga Sūtra, called the Samādhi Pāda, Patañjali talks about samādhi. That there are different samādhis which have content in the mind and when those contents are dropped, you experience what is called asaṁprajñāta samādhi, or samādhi with no seed or no pattern of intuition through which the mind concentrates. You get to that state by gradually developing the ability to focus and concentrate the mind on a pattern—any pattern. When the mind lets go like that, there’s this sort of spontaneous insight into the true nature of things as being profoundly interconnected, at which point letting go into the unknown becomes possible, even satisfying. The moment of letting go is usually very short at first. Kind of like what you’d do if you were trying to balance on top of a tall building. You’d stand on one foot near the edge, holding onto the rail and you’d breathe. (Of course, don’t try this at home—metaphor is such a good tool until you take it literally). You’d steady your gaze and make sure the knee in your standing leg was micro bent while your foot was firmly planted and awake. You’d soften your jaw and release your palate to take a deep breath and then for a split second you’d let go of the rail. Hopefully you’d stay steady long enough not to fall and to enjoy a flash of balance before grabbing the rail again. And the letting go into samādhi that Patañjali describes is like this, but it’s letting go of ideas, habits and reflexive responses—the nirodha referred to in the second verse of the Yoga Sūtra.
Patañjali says that at that point, when you let go in this innocent manner, the unknown becomes a sustaining connection to everything. And then you experience, very briefly at first, asaṁprajñāta samādhi. As the chapter progresses, he explains in more detail this process of letting go, and he also explains the obstacles to this type of samādhi. By the end of the first chapter, there is the sense of profound understanding—like you’re hearing something you already know. While at the same time, you’re left quite mystified as to what he is talking about. So, in a sense that too is a letting go. The release of the need to know, the need to reduce something that cannot be reduced to an idea of it.

In chapter two, called the Sādhana Pāda Patañjali elaborates. Sādhana means “what to do” which is good, because the first chapter leaves you with this strange feeling like you can’t tell if you’re excited or nauseated. ”Oh, all you have to do is concentrate your mind with absolute pure attention on whatever arises. Ha!” Patañjali says that this comes naturally for those who have no bodies. For those of us with no body, just the nature of existence causes enlightenment. But for others—which is the rest of us—for us he says you must have great śraddhā or trust and y need great vīrya or courage. You must also have good memory or smṛti.

Memory means that you recognize patterns. Have you ever experienced that? Like when you’re standing there having locked yourself out of your car for the thirtieth time? “Humm, maybe there’s a pattern here.” If you have smṛti or memory, you start to go “Aha!” and that’s when you actually learn something from your experiences. Smṛti, meaning deep memory and it is when you start to see the actual nature of your experiences. After that you must practice samādhi, or concentration of the mind with such absorption that you forget yourself. When you concentrate that thoroughly you’ll find that your mind ceases creating an object and a theoretical observer or subject in what you perceive. Next you practice prajñā, intuitive wisdom or insight into the actual nature of the reality of experience.
There’s a lot more to say about all this, but that’s a starting point for understanding the process of samādhi. When you practice with consistency over a long period of time—not just asana, but all the limbs—it seems to start happening naturally. Gradually you realize you’re tasting those five things, śraddhā, vīrya, smṛti, samādhi, and prajñā. It is so sweet that you want more—and you want to share all this with others. So, you practice more intelligently, and the breath remains the guide. It’s at that point that you too—even living in a body—might spontaneously fall into asaṁprajñāta samādhi and wake up to a flash of the nature of everything. But don’t wish for any form of samādhi with too much rigor, or it won’t happen!

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The post Deep Avoidance appeared first on Samahita Retreat.

Jaya Bhagavan – Love, sound, devotion – gimme some bhakti

Dr. Paul Dallaghan — Tue, 13 Jul 2021 04:54:46 +0000

Yoga at its core means the connection with that which does not change, with pure consciousness, with everything that is beyond what you perceive or cognize, with the ‘other’, with the ‘not this’, with what is truly internal, with what some call one’s true nature, with what others call the Divine.

Yoga ultimately is that experience. But yoga is also the way, the means, the path there. In the broadest of sense, it is then anything you engage it that opens that up internal experience.

This “anything” has also tripped up many-a-person along the way, confusing sensory-bound indulgence and mindlessness abandon to be ‘that’, ‘not this’, internal, ‘other’. It is tricky. Consider the peak moment in sex that, done right, has the potential to bring you to ‘beyond this’. One moment. How? Because you totally absorb within and completely lose connection with all ‘this’. Though it only lasts a few seconds (and that’s if it’s supersonic good!).

However, it is most common to absorb in the sensual delight (sex in this example, but most aspects of life) and miss the otherness of the moment. The sensory pull is part of the process to draw you in and get started. Being with that process. As you watch the sensory power you can (potentially) go past it, into that inner absorption. Otherwise, it’s the same addictive chase of any external element, to give some stimulation without real absorption.

This is why yoga has several prefixes. I don’t mean all the brandnames of āsana that exist today, and definitely not the tacky gimmick names stuck onto yoga. Words like karma before yoga, for example, mean you forget this temporary-ordinary-self through the needed work and get absorbed within.

The main practices that constitute as yoga in a practical sense come from the classical literature, especially Patanjali and the Hatha-Rāja yoga teachings. This is the base of our contemplations, breath practices, and body refinement and regulation by āsanas, kriyas, and more. This body part has spread and mutated as different physical methods, some with people’s names, some with gimmicks, and some quite good. Few practice, or even know, the full classical with Hatha-Rāja yoga, that we know as Psycho-physical yoga.

” As bhakti yoga it is that devotion to pure absorption in ‘not this’, or for some the ‘Divine’. As a yoga it is a way to an absorbed outcome. The way of open-heart devotion. …..”

All that’s great. However, sometimes you want to just sing, dance, express yourself from your heart. Love, sound, and devotion. Yes, you keep up the routine of practice as described before. Yes, you handle your life and all its responsibilities. But your heart cries out also to fly.

This is devotion. This is bhakti. It evolved as the main religious approach amongst the people of India over the centuries. As bhakti yoga it is that devotion to pure absorption in ‘not this’, or for some the ‘Divine’. As a yoga it is a way to an absorbed outcome. The way of open-heart devotion. Completely different than Psycho-physical yet totally complimentary, possible to combine both or follow either one separately, individually. What has happened in the past and recent years is both have been diluted or the religious devotion path has merely subsumed some physical elements.

Even bhakti can be downgraded and made superficial, all about being alternative, or merely singing and dancing. So how can you have those elements and go beyond them? Can you do this and forget yourself? Yes, whether it’s bhakti as theistic religion or bhakti yoga as devotion from the heart. Non-theistically theistic. Meaning you dig all the deities, dance, sing, and love with them all.

This is Jaya Bhagavan. Praise the Lord in another culture. Or God is great. Same same.

Bhagavan is the Lord. But it’s also the Divine. Or it’s whatever non-theistic theistic Deity that gets to your heart. In that sense it’s Īśvara. But most of all, it’s “open your heart to me” and be the happiness, absorb within.

The beautiful female saint of India, Ananda MayiMa used to sing this phrase “Jaya Bhagavan” all day. Long along ago I heard a recording of her do so. Captivating. Super simple.

I then lived in a tiny studio above one of the few yoga studios in NYC back then, which was also above the restaurant I worked in with a Thai restaurant inbetween. My micro world forming before I knew it. Some time in 1995 or 96 a sign was on the door “Krishna Das tonight”. I wondered “what’s that?” I soon found out. There was less than 10 of us at these weekly gigs in these early days. Within a few years he had gained quite the success, many hundreds showing up. Large venues, Tours.

In those live events, and later on his Live on Earth album, came his singing of Jaya Bhagavan. It was one of those that captivated my mind, entered my heart, took me beyond the body, perhaps getting a sense of Ananda MayiMa, and losing it … going somewhere within.

Fast forward a decade and the incredible Irish singing voice of Jack Harrison is with me here, at the then Yoga Thailand, now Samahita. And I say “Jack, you gotta sing some of these.” Sarve sham was born and came out to the world in 2007 (Wind Across the Sea, live at Yoga Thailand). Sarve sham of Jack is the Hallelujah of Leonard Cohen or Bohemian Rhapsody of Freddy.

Another decade. Time for more. I implored Jack to add Jaya Bhagavan to the musical repertoire. He did. We made it into Samahita Live, back in 2015. I hadn’t heard the track in a while and it came on at home last week. I was immediately, unabashedly drawn to dance (wow, alone!!) and raise my hands and lose it.

It’s such a powerful version. The voice, the tune, the simple yet complete words.

There I am in bhakti. In that moment. Jaya Bhagavan.

Listen to it. Or find one of your other favorites. Other greats singing and playing at Samahita over the years have been the incredible Daphne. The spectacular Edo and Jo. The gifted Bibi. The drum rocking John. The sweet-souled Ron & Meenakshi. And many others guesting in with us.

What a joy to touch that devotion. It fills your heart. We’ve included a soundbite of Jack on Jaya Bhagavan, live, here, on Samhita’s video.

And we’re coming back to do even more. From living in my 3sqM room above Jivamukti over 25 years ago to now, this devotion and the being in yoga is still with me. And that is Samahita. It even survives the most uncertain of pandemics. On to whatever comes next.

How? I don’t know. All I can say is … it must be …. Jaya Bhagavan.

Go sing, dance, love.

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As a result, Paul occupies a unique space to impart genuine teaching and science on the breath, body, and meditative practices, seen as a Teacher-of-teachers and identified to carry on the tradition of Pranayama. His sincere and ongoing role is to teach, write and research, to help put out experienced and authentic information on these areas of how we live, breathe and be, to help people improve their mental and physical health, and live more fulfilling lives. For more on his background see his bio [/av_textblock] [/av_two_third][/av_section]

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Jaya Bhagavan – Love, sound, devotion – gimme some bhakti

Be Comfortable with Not Knowing

Can you plan, trust and let go all at once

You know it but do you mean it?

What are we doing here?

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Be Comfortable with Not Knowing

Dr. Paul Dallaghan — Wed, 30 Jun 2021 04:54:26 +0000

If you were to be able to take a walk through the grounds of Samahita today you would still see staff keeping the place clean and our teachers still in the shala keeping the vibes and energy fresh. In fact, as I walk back into the main yoga shala it still possesses that electric vibration and special feeling.

That shala was a mental image 15 years ago, put to paper, planned out, and constructed. It was built for people to be in, to engage in practices that have been done for centuries. In line with what these ancient teachings recommend such a shala is a place of peace yet vitality, supportive and serene, to allow you to go within, to aid you in the transformation of consciousness. This space, this shala, has a purpose. Not built to double-up as some event space in a hotel with yoga on its menu. The opposite of that. To offer the experience to learn, practice, and delve deeper into yourself in a unique space dedicated to change, for you, for people, to be here, with the necessary hospitality infrastructure.

Just outside this shala hangs a blackboard where weekly insightful and motivational messages would be written for all who enter or pass by. Yet this blackboard has remained with the same message in chalk since March 19, 2020, the day the global situation stopped us all in its tracks.

On that board is written …. “Be comfortable with not knowing, it is only then the answers come.”

Following the previous weeks’ theme of “trust” and “not knowing” this message adds another beautiful element to it. In fact, “be comfortable with not knowing” is sufficient. Whatever answers then come may not be what you were looking for or expecting. But that is the point of comfort in not knowing.

It is effectively letting go. Going with the flow. In terms of outcome. Not in terms of how you take care of yourself, get up, continue inner work, which is not easy, but essential for a better world. You do but let go.

In this sense answers come because you have let go of the agenda, not of the purpose. You gladly get up, commit and do. Comfortable. Who knows what is coming up today? But you have things to do and you do them, without procrastination, hesitation, excuses. This is the great anxiety reducer.

The answers that come are what is needed because you have not blocked them with ambition, insecurity, greed, jealousy, fear. You now have attuned yourself “to do the needful” (gotta love that Indian phrase), avoid guessing the future, embrace building towards it instead. While present, now. How? Because you are “comfortable with not knowing”.

Of course what I describe is a point of balance. The ability to be cheerful, smile, yet still not know. The power to get up, do, plan, without craving, personal desire, demand-driven.

What I describe here is part of this ancient teaching, how to achieve a heightened state of mind that is stable, robust, compassionate, strong, more powerful than its cravings and desires. Yet not everyone is ready to agree or embrace such an approach. Because the cravings and desires overpower the clear discernment that sees through all this.

It is that discernment that is at the heart of the yogic-meditative path. Hopefully you can apply, remind yourself, “hey, it’s ok to not know, be comfortable with it.” But it’s not ok to not do, give up, forget, dismiss, criticize, complain. The former comfort lets the “answers” flow, the latter blocks and distorts what’s coming down the line.

As you practice, tune within, attune yourself to this point of balance, remind yourself it’s ok to not know, cos I will know soon anyway, as it all unfolds. Keep exercising discernment, discriminative thought so the drama doesn’t suck you in and pull you under.

Hopefully these shala doors will open soon and you’ll be able to visit here, walk down the path, smelling that food, looking at the blue water, and you see that perennial message as you pass the yoga shala … “be comfortable with not knowing.”

Bravely on, with kindness and truth.

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1 Minute Yoga – Downward Dog

Dr. Paul Dallaghan — Wed, 24 Feb 2021 00:54:44 +0000

Learn the key points for Downward Facing Dog with Paul and Sarah in 1 minute

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1 Minute Yoga – Bakasana

Daniel Stringer — Tue, 15 Dec 2020 07:42:35 +0000

Bakasana, (crane pose or crow pose) takes a while to develop for many but here you can learn the key points in 1 minute with Daniel & GIll

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The post 1 Minute Yoga – Bakasana appeared first on Samahita Retreat.

1 Minute Yoga – Upward Facing Dog

Samahita Retreat — Mon, 16 Nov 2020 11:56:23 +0000

Learn the key points for Upward Facing Dog in 1 Minute with Paul and Gill

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The post 1 Minute Yoga – Upward Facing Dog appeared first on Samahita Retreat.

Interview with Paul Dallaghan: Yoga & Samahita Retreat

Dr. Paul Dallaghan — Mon, 02 Nov 2020 11:56:26 +0000

Paul was asked about his yoga journey and how that led to opening Samahita almost 20 years ago.

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1 Minute Yoga – How to Sit

Dr. Paul Dallaghan — Sun, 18 Oct 2020 04:54:44 +0000

1 Minute Yoga – How to sit with Paul Dallaghan. Many people find the discomfort of sitting with cross legs an obstacle before getting started with meditation or breath practices. This video demonstrates how to sit on a chair, or raised surface, for meditation and to further develop that into a cross legged sitting posture.

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