Chants and Invocations

Resources for learning the invocations & their meanings

Invocation to Patanjali

Geeta Iyengar explanation

BKS Iyengar chanting the invocation (audio)

Invocation to the Guru

Audio

Words and translation of both invocations

Video file with space for you to practice repeating the chant

Comments

Be In Your Body!

As one of my contributions to our collective effort to survive this time, I am periodically offering a free 10 minute guided meditation on my blog. 10 minutes because everyone can find 10 minutes in their day to do something that sustains you and increases your positive impact on the people around you. And because research shows that even 10 minutes of meditation can improve your brain functioning - and make you feel better. There are dozens of meditation apps and sources out there. I don't claim mine is anything better than what you find could elsewhere. But two things might make your experience of these guided meditations unique. First, if you have attended any of the leadership retreats where I offer a mindfulness practice, you may find that listening to these guided meditations connects you to the retreat experience and allows you to renew the feelings of connectedness and power you had there. Second, many of my guided meditations will have a social justice element that connec...

Now Is The Time To Learn About Reparations and What a Reparations Framework Might Mean For Yoga

Trigger warning : slavery, economic exploitation of Black communities Resources The Case for Reparations by Ta-Nehisi Coates Movement for Black Lives Reparations Platform Reparations resources & reading list Brookings Institution on Reparations Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee overview of HR 40 Coverage of the fight for reparations at Georgetown University Vocabulary Sometimes I use African-American, sometimes BIPOC, sometimes Black. These terms are both descriptive and political. I try to be specific about why I use one instead of the other in any particular context - if you have questions about that, ask me. Caveat I am one person. I am not THE expert and I am not even AN expert. I am writing these blogs as an introduction to provide a way into your own learning. I can't cover all the relevant topics - this is just meant as an orientation that can help you decide how you will further your own understanding. Send me questions or comments and I'll do...

Yoga and White Privilege

Earlier this year, I decided my theme and intention for the year would be to create/dwell in a feeling of lightness. I wanted to do that, in part, because I knew I would taking on some heavy stuff as I continue to explore white privilege and white supremacy in my work and life. As soon as you try to locate your place in these systems as a white person, it can feel paralyzing and overwhelming. I thought that it would be good to take them on, while simultaneously maintaining some sense of lightness in how to move forward. And already it turns out, I need that! I’m diving deeper into how my practices of yoga and meditation connect to white supremacy. With a group of friends, I’m working through the Me and White Supremacy Workbook . It’s a set of reflection prompts, some videos and background reading that are especially targeted to white women who think they are allies in the fight for racial justice (but who too often prove disappointing or unreliable to our...

Practicing Yoga and Social Justice

Search This Blog