Being in the present

Thumbnail image for Being in the present

Yoga means union with the authentic, with the real… Our experience of life as thinking beings is from a past and towards a future, ignoring the present. We live from the yesterday and towards the tomorrow, from what no longer exists, towards what does not yet exist. But we lose the now. We live from that stale world of the known, towards a world of hopes, expectations, fantasies, dreams and illusions, which draws us into an interminable search for aims and results.

An article by Swami Ramakrishnananda
Published in Yoga Philosophy section | Continue reading →

The Astral Body, Nadis and the three Koshas

The Astral Body, Nadis, Koshas: Pranic, mental & intellectual sheaths.

The human being is a multidimensional structure and there are various sheaths that envelop his soul: the physical body, called in Sanskrit the annamayakosha, the astral body, called the linga sharira or sukshma sharira, and which includes three layers, and the causal body, or karana sharira, with its sheath of bliss called the anandamayakosha. Without an understanding of these layers it will be very difficult to understand the true influence of hatha yoga..

An article by Swami Ramakrishnananda
Published in Hatha Yoga section | Continue reading →

The Ancient Masters of Hatha Yoga

Masters of Hatha Yoga | Article by Swami Ramakrishnananda

Although the source and origin of the Vedic wisdom is the holy Veda, the different yogic paths originally stem from the Vedic rishis. According to tradition, Hatha yoga — also known as hatha vidya — was originally taught in secret by Lord Shiva Himself to his wife, the Goddess Parvati, on a bank of a river. While Parvati was listening, she noticed that a fish was paying attention to the teachings. So happy to see the interest the fish had in the wisdom of yoga, she begged…

An article by Swami Ramakrishnananda
Published in Yoga History section | Continue reading →

Yoga Asana Chart/Poster

Poster-Yoga-Asanas-Chart

The Ramakrishnananda yoga asana chart and yoga series poster include 19 basic hatha yoga postures (matsyasana etc…) and 4 series (sun salutation etc…). The images are also available for a free download. Enjoy!!!
The 19 basic hatha yoga postures include: Matsyasana – Fish pose, Padmasana, Sirsasana, Sarvangasana, Salabhasan…The Yoga Series Poster includes: Sun Salutation series and…

Published in Photo Galleries section | View the images: →

Headstand (Sirsasana / Viparita-Karani)

Sirsasana - Headstand

Headstand/Sirsasana: Rest the head on the ground, and point the feet upwards, the first day only for a second, and increase the duration daily.” –Hatha-yoga-Pradipika (3.80)
Step 1: Kneel, resting the buttocks on the heels (photo number 1). Rest your hands on the elbows, in such a way that the fingertips of each hand are placed on top of the opposite elbow. Hold your elbows with your hands without moving them from this position (Photo number 2)…

An asana instructed by Swami Ramakrishnananda
Published in Guide to Asanas section | Learn the posture →

Hatha Yoga – Being In The Body

Ustrasana in nature | Hatha Yoga article - Ramakrishnananda Swami

Many are those who try to start their journey on the search for the truth with questions about God, paradise, enlightenment… However, if you pay attention, you will notice that all these inquiries point to distant places… After all, these riddles refer to concepts that you can hardly understand… There is immense distance between your actual situation, or at least what we presently see, from our perspective, as our situation, and heaven… the sarvikalpa or nirvikalpa samadhi…

An article by Swami Ramakrishnananda
Published in Yoga Philosophy section | Continue reading →