His parents’ divorce set the stage for a downward spiral of self-destruction. The pressure he felt to keep his family together coupled with a deep desire to “fit in” fueled his experimentation with drugs and alcohol. His descent from upper-middle class teen with a promising future to the depths of heroin addiction left him bankrupt in every imaginable sense of the word. Soon, he was fully immersed in the dark underbelly of society and on the brink of death. Finding his way out of the abyss after ten years was neither quick nor easy. A twelve-step program of recovery and the practice of yoga provided the guiding lights toward a new path. Taylor does much more than share his story in A Way from Darkness; he invites the reader to find healing through community, Ashtanga yoga, and ultimately, acceptance.

    Sri K. Pattabhi Jois was such a soul, and through his teaching of yoga, he transformed the lives of countless people. The school in Mysore that he founded and ran for more than sixty years trained students who, through the knowledge they received and their devotion, have helped to spread the daily practice of traditional Ashtanga yoga to tens of thousands around the world.Guruji paints a unique portrait of a unique man, revealed through the accounts of his students. Among the thirty men and women interviewed here are Indian students from Jois's early teaching days; intrepid Americans and Europeans who traveled to Mysore to learn yoga in the 1970s; and important family members who studied as well as lived with Jois and continue to practice and teach abroad or run the Ashtanga Yoga Institute today. Many of the contributors (as well as the authors) are influential teachers who convey their experience of Jois every day to students in many different parts of the globe.Anyone interested in the living tradition of yoga will find Guruji richly rewarding.

    Drawn from the personal experiences of a therapist and practitioner of Vipassana meditation, this work explores meditation’s similarities and differences with psychotherapeutic and scientific endeavors. In the title essay, parallels are drawn between the atomic synthesis of free choice and lawful consequence in Chaos Theory and karma, offering contemporary insights into one of Buddhism’s core concepts. The empirical roots of meditation, its relevance to daily life, and the challenges and benefits of daily practice of Vipassana meditation are also addressed. Practical examples for continued observation outside of formal meditation retreats guide readers in incorporating Buddhist practice into daily life.

    Yoga practice lies at the heart of the book, and it is illustrated with over 60 new step-by-step sequences of yoga postures specially shot in India and accompanied by Iyengar's illuminating observations on technique, their significance, and their benefits. This book not only presents Iyengar's practical advice on how to perform key yoga postures, but also draws on a wide range of other material taken from interviews and world lecture tours, to the many texts Iyengar has written about yoga and about his own life's journey.

    I am very grateful. When I first started practicing I wished I had a handbook that answered basic questions, encouraged me on how to go about those first classes, guided me on whether to travel to Mysore or not. Recently someone who has been attracted to this style of yoga asked me if I could provide such a guide because he said: "it all felt very intimidating from the perspective of a beginner". I completely related. That is how this book was born.

    In Perennial Psychology of the Bhagavad Gita, Swami Rama makes this classic scripture accessible to all students by vividly drawing out the psychological concepts found within. The teachings in this book are based on the understanding that the outside world can be mastered only when one's inner potentials are systematically explored and realized.With the guidance and commentary of Himalayan Master Swami Rama, you can explore the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita, which allows one to be vibrant and creative in the external world while maintaining a state of inner tranquility. This commentary on the Bhagavad Gita is a unique opportunity to see the Gita through the perspective of a master yogi, and is an excellent version for practitioners of yoga meditation. Spiritual seekers, psychotherapists, and students of Eastern studies will all find a storehouse of wisdom in this volume.

    But no modern translation has yet captured the essential thrust of Lao Tzu's work as a practical guide to living an awakened life. Now William Martin, whose acclaimed previous reinterpretations of the Tao (for parents, couples, and elders) have introduced or reacquainted this classic text to thousands of readers, strikingly translates the Tao's eighty-one chapters to uniquely address someone on a Tao—or path—with a practice. Martin frames his new translation with two illuminating, groundbreaking sections: "A Path," which introduces the Tao's nonlinear construction and explains how it works its themes; and "A Practice," which provides practical guidance for readers exploring each of the Tao's themes in depth. Martin's genius in this new translation uncovers how directly the Tao speaks to readers on or about to embark on a spiritual journey.

    Ram Dass’s words about Maharajji’s life-affirming wisdom resonated with a youth culture that had grown disillusioned with the violence, civil discord, and crude materialism of modern civilization. Hundreds of Westerners traveled to India and experienced Maharajji’s extraordinary presence directly until his death in 1973. His simple directives—love everyone, feed everyone, and remember God—opened their hearts and awakened their souls.What these followers brought back to the West has since changed the landscape of everyday life. Meditation is now mainstream; yoga studios are in every town; and mindfulness is practiced in elementary schools and board-rooms everywhere, from Silicon Valley to Capitol Hill. A stirring piece of history, Love Everyone brings these stories to life, sharing for the first time the inspiring tales of the men and women who followed the siren call of the East to the foothills of the Himalayas, then returned to forever reshape the world.A compelling and inspiring tribute to Maharajji from the Western men and women who knew him best, Love Everyone is a profound teaching on the power of love, as lasting and transformative as the truth, wisdom, and bliss of Maharajji.

    And practiced regularly, it can strengthen the nervous system, balance the glandular system, and harness the energy of the mind and emotion as well as the body. While general yoga technique focuses on exercise postures and breathing, Kundalini takes yoga concepts a step further by integrating them into everyday life activities.This definitive guide, fully illustrated with photographs, is an accessible introduction to this ancient practice, with information on poses and positions, diet and lifestyle, breathing and stretching techniques, chanting and meditation exercises, and general guidelines that can help anyone--beginner or advanced--gain the greatest benefit from yogic practice.

    Color photos.

    However, as is perhaps not very politically correct to point out, Islam as a religion calls Muslims to be a part of Ummah, which is to say, that all Muslims belong to the same theological ‘country’ regardless of political borders.That coupled with the intrinsic need of the Left to forever consider the Muslims as the victims, even under imaginary circumstances led to massive riots and violence in India. The perceived wrong here was that CAA left Muslims out, however, the truth was the CAA had nothing to do with Indians at all, let alone Indian Muslims.Another excuse for the rampant violence was that the proposed NRC would snatch away the citizenship of Muslims. That too, was a shameless canard. The NRC, when implemented and drafted, would be aimed to identify and deport Illegal Immigrants, and not Indian Citizens. No country in the world wantonly accepts indiscriminate influx of illegals, but the Left and Islamist nexus burnt the country because that is exactly what it expected of India.While many people wish to look at the Delhi Riots 2020 in isolation, the events that started right from the 1st December 2019 proves otherwise. It proves that the violence was a concerted effort to push Anarchy and Chaos in India. It proves that the Delhi Riots was no anti-Muslim pogrom, it was indeed, a well-oiled plan to tame ‘kafirs’.

    This helpful guide to the practice of chanting is useful for both the beginner and the experienced yogi.Mantras: Words of Power, now in its beautiful third edition, teaches how Mantra practice can be used to focus the mind and increase awareness. Each chapter of the book builds on learning from the previous chapter, beginning with an explanation about what Mantra is, how to practice, and then giving specific instruction for twelve mantras. It also includes chapters on Mantra and Healing, and Mantra and Initiation.

    For millennia, Tantric adepts have harnessed this force as a means of attaining the summits of the mystical life. The energies fueled by passion are used to nourish the inner flame that burns away the egotistical perception of the mind. Desire explores the subtle techniques of Tantra that enable the seeker to attain the triple mastery of the breath, thought, and the natural processes of the body. Tantrics believe that the body is the temple and divinity lies at its heart. In order to arrive at profound awareness, the body needs to be perfectly tuned and working toward a state of perfect fluidity. Desire reveals many of the secret practices intended for this purpose that have been passed down in the major Tantric treatises such as the Vijnanabhariva Tantra and Ch'an master Chinul's treatise on the Secrets of Cultivating the Mind, including the important techniques of the ritual sexual observances known as Maithuna.

    Though condensed the book carries all the important aspects. The author has done away with the ornamentation and decorations and has kept the hard core of the Mahapurana. She has brought out the essentials of Srimad Bhagavatam in a simple and appealing language. This book is a confluence of Bhakti yoga, karma yoga and Jnana yoga.Bhagavatam is the essence of all Vedic wisdom. This book-Bhagavat Purana is made up of ten sections. Various stories of Purana are told in this book. Krishna's story with the Mahabharat story in it is told in more detail than the others. The story of Pururavas and the celestial maid Urvashi, the story of King Trishanku who wanted to enter heaven with his earthly body, Yayati and Devyani's story, Dushyanta Shakuntala, and many others are told here.About The Author : Kamala Subramaniam :Kamala Subramaniam's trilogy- Mahabharata, Srimad Bhagvatam and Ramayan, is a stupendous literary achievement. She was a literary person who left a legacy of good reading for the future generations. She established herself as a narrator in Mahabharata, while Srimad Bhagavatam soared to ecstatic devotional heights and she excelled herself in Ramayan, completing the trilogy of epics.

    Kris Loomis offers a collection of down-to-earth personal essays that demonstrates the many ways yoga has transformed her life off the mat and why she keeps showing up every day for more. Not only has yoga improved her health and mental well-being, the study of this ancient practice has taught her to take personal responsibility for her actions and to focus on the bright side no matter what life hurls her direction.Whether you’re at the beginning of your yoga journey or if you’re already a ways down the path, you will find this book full of inspiring, encouraging, and often humorous lessons learned from someone who has walked the yoga walk, both as a teacher and dedicated practitioner, for two decades and counting.