Natarajasana variation in the woods
#Yoga
The 9 Drishtis
“Dṛṣṭi means gazing point. There are nine dṛṣṭis in the āsana practice. If the dṛṣṭi indicated for the āsana is too difficult, one may always revert to nāsāgra dṛṣṭi. With time and practice, the proper dṛṣṭi for each posture will be possible. Dṛṣṭi improves concentration and brings about a realization of oneness during the practice. With the gaze focused in one place during our practice, we can be more present in the postures. This focus and awareness can carry over into our daily life.”
~ Sharath Jois:
“By practicing these drishti (dṛṣṭi) points the mind no longer looks around, observing or judging, but instead becomes focused and soft. In the vinyasa system, drishti is one of the vital components to draw prana inwards. Prana follows awareness. If our awareness is scattered then our prana will mirror those same qualities and it will be evident in our behavior and life choices on and off the mat.”
~ Magnolia Zuniga
The 9 Drishtis
1 - Tip of the nose - Nasagra Drishti
2 - Up to space - Urdva Drishti
3 - Third Eye - Brumadya Drishti
4 - Tip of the middle finger - Hastagra Drishti
5 - Tip of the thumb - Angushta Drishti
6 - Right Side - Parshva Drishti
7 - Left Side - Parshva Drishti
8 - Navel - Nabi Drishti
9 - Tip of the big toe - Padagra Drishti
Guruji: “Yoga is an internal practice, the rest is just a circus”
Credits, References, Notes:
Please consult your teacher regarding correct drishti. For ease in reading for non-Sanskrit speakers, we have chosen to spell sanskrit words phonetically rather than using diacritic marks.
R. Sharath Jois, AṢṬĀṄGA YOGA ANUṢṬHĀNA.
Magnolia Zuniga: http://on.fb.me/17EBEyF
Awesome Editor: Jessica Walden and Elise Espat(Albuquerque Ashtanga Yoga Shala
Cartoon guy: Boonchu Tanti , Ashtanga Illustrations by Boonchu
ellipsisampersand asked: Hello! I practically stalk your tumblr *grins*. Anywho, i'm really interested in getting involved in yoga but the thing is all the classes are far away so i can't attend those. So i was wondering if i could start at home or so but i haven't a clue where to begin. Any advice? Thank you in advance, as always have a productive day ^_^V
Hey! watch this video and read this post :)
Looking for help relocating to Southern California ASAP…
My current living situation has recently and quite abruptly hit a dead end and I’m choosing to see it as a sign from the Universe to take my next big leap.
I’m looking for:
- A place to stay for free for a while, while I get myself setup. I take up very little space/resources, and will contribute in the form of home cooked vegan meals, private yoga classes, quality company and thoughtful conversation.
- WORK! Primarily I’m looking for places to teach yoga or yoga/health/veganism related companies currently hiring. I’ve worked as a model and have a small portfolio, so there’s that, too… I’ve got plenty of sales, cooking and cleaning experiences as well; I’m really open too (and qualified for!) pretty much anything right now.
- Community. Friends who will show me around and help make my transition a little less stressful. Also people who enjoy commuting by bike. And vegans!
My ideal at this point is to find some kind of low cost cooperative housing situation but I don’t even know how I’d go about finding one. If anyone has any, I MEAN ANY, leads, ideas, offers or bits of wisdom to share I’ll be forever grateful. ~ ea
littletinybaby asked: I know you've definitely answered this before, but I can't for the life of me find the previous ask, so I decided to ask again for prosperity sake! I'm sorry if this is getting redundant! I've decided to start doing yoga, but have no money to join a studio and no experience. Any tips? Where do I begin? Are there videos or tutorials I can access online? Or books I can purchase? Thank you!
Hey! no worries.
gags-spits-deactivated20130421 asked: hi! how are you love? do you know of any good yoga poses for pregnancy or any websites off hand?
Depends on the trimester… bound angle is a great hip opener and will make the hips more flexible in preparation for the birthing experience. Same with a wide-footed standing squat… cat/cow variations to release a tight back. Lots of meditation! Legs up the wall pose with bolsters and blankets. Yeeee! I get all comfy and happy just thinking about it. :)
Also this is an awesome prenatal yoga post from Yoga Journal.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Natarajasana variation in the woods
Utthita Trikonasana
Baby Bakasana
Astavakrasana
My yoga idol in a 20 second clip.
Thanks for the love, Leah! ^
Astavakrasana
Astavakrasana
dead-vsian asked: Would you listen to death metal while practicing yoga if you haven't already?
Throughout the years I’ve been practicing and teaching yoga, I’ve practiced to just about every kind of music imaginable at least once. I’ve also always wanted to teach a metal, dubstep or hip hop evening vinyasa class but I can never seem to find enough people interested…
However as a general rule I’m very much a traditionalist when it comes to my daily practice and personally find music to be an unnecessary added distraction. Don’t get me wrong, I live for music! My mat is just one of those spaces where I prefer to keep noise to a minimum. :)
pinkskysandbluemoons asked: when did you start practicing yoga?
Consistently, about 6 years ago
fidelitylover asked: Hey Elizabeth I started following you here on tumblr like a year ago and from there went on to follow your other social networks because you are an inspiration. i know you have a busy schedule and all like we all do, but my question is at any time will you start to make more videos to post to youtube for yoga? That way your follower that would love to do beginner yoga with you can. Reading Light on Yoga was amazing revelation but to practice some of those things with you and other would be great
First of all, thank you so much for your support!
Secondly, posting more frequent/thorough yoga videos has been a high priority project on my list for quite some time. The past few months have been crazy and emotional for me (lost my home, moved from my hometown, lost my grandmother to cancer, etc.) so I haven’t really had much energy to put in to creative projects at all lately… The upside to all this is I’ve experienced so much growth throughout this painful period of tribulation and stress; I feel more grounded and centered in my life’s purpose which will only lead to good things for me, I believe. :)
All this is to say: Thank you. YES. I’m working on it. xx
