Some yogis are “swamis”. Beginners to yoga tend to equate the swami title with spiritual authority and an evolved state of consciousness. However, it isn’t that simple. In this article, I explain what is meant by the swami title, who can get it and how much it says about the yogi who carries it. Swami…
Swami Janakananda Saraswati is a yoga master and kriya yoga expert in the Satyananda tradition. For 50 years, he has been teaching advanced yoga practices in his ashram in Sweden. In this portrait of his life, you will learn about Janakanandas achievements as a remarkable yoga and meditation teacher and why his way of teaching…
If you are into yoga, you have certainly come across the term raja yoga. It is supposed to be the king of all yogas. But what is it exactly? Where does it come from, and what do raja yogis do? In this article, I am exploring its original meaning and the different ways yoga masters…
The chakras are among the most famous concepts of yoga. But much of the ideas people have about chakras don’t come from ancient traditions. Instead, it originates from 20th-century western spirituality. As a yoga practitioner and teacher, I am interested in knowing to what extent chakras are real and how much we have made up….
Swami Sivananda was one of the masters that shaped yoga as we know it today. Thousands of yoga teachers have been trained within his tradition, and his methods are taught worldwide. But what kind of yoga is Sivananda Yoga? In this post, I will explain his core teachings and compare them to other styles. Sivananda…
Some want yoga to be part of the Olympic games. For others, yoga is a path to enlightenment. Yet others still ask themselves whether it is a religion. How do you make sense of all these contradictions? Let’s examine the ideas people have about yoga to see how it all fits together. Is yoga a…
Futon yoga mats are excellent for yoga that focus on static yoga poses, pranayama and meditation. In contrast, the common TPE, rubber and PVC mats are suitable for dynamic body-oriented yoga styles. Unless that is what you are into, they are not necessarily the best option. This post will clarify everything you need to know…
Integral yoga is a union of several classical yoga paths. However, people often think of it as yoga poses plus pranayama and meditation. In this post, I will examine what integral yoga is precisely. I will look at where it comes from and how some yoga styles use the term to describe their teachings. Blending…
Satyananda Yoga or Bihar Yoga is the most prominent yoga school in northern India. It is a modern yoga style, yet firmly rooted in the yogic tradition. Satyananda Yoga offers a complete and coherent system of practices that makes it possible to explore yoga in depth. This article will explain everything you need to know…
Whether or not yoga can be authentic is a hot topic that stirs up emotion. Authentic yoga implies that there could also be inauthentic yoga, and no yoga practitioner or teacher is keen on belonging to that category. Therefore, many reject the idea of authentic yoga. But I think authenticity is relevant because it has…
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