We make sense of our environment through the process of perception. It typically happens through our senses: visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory and tactile sense. We respond to stimuli from the environment and interpret them. In the…
Understanding Vairagya through Mudagala Maharishi’s story
The Yogasutra of Patanjali talks about a two-fold approach to achieve chitta vritti: Abhayasa and Vairagya अभ्यासवैराग्याभ्यां तन्निरोधः॥१२॥ Abhyāsavairāgyābhyāṁ tannirodhaḥ||1.12|| Bhagavan Sri Krishna too talks about this in the Bhagavad Gita. For Arjuna's remark that…
Yoga Sutras: Insights on Memory
During the past century, research in psychology and neuroscience has lead to an understanding of several cognitive and neurobiological processes underlie the three stages of memory processing: encoding, consolidation and retrieval. Encoding refers to the…
Yoga and Epigenetics
Numerous research works over the past few decades have shown how Yoga and meditation positively impact well-being and reduce stress. Recently, the molecular mechanisms underlying the benefits of Yogic practices have begun to be investigated.…
Decoding Stress
The nature of life and work is changing in this world and if there is one that seems to connect everyone, it is stress! Ask a school goer and she would say she is stressed…
Yoga and Attention
One of the things that differentiate Yogis from those who are not introduced to the Yogic path is the level of attention. Yogis not just pay deep attention but also can sustain it for quite…
How to remove obstacles on the Yogic Path
In the previous post we discussed the various obstacles to the Yogic path. If there is a problem, there must be a solution. The best solutions come from within and not from outside. Patanjali Maharishi, elucidates these…
Yoga Bites: Prayer
By Smt Smrithi Adinarayanan Once Mulla Nasruddin went to a shop. He asked the shopkeeper, "Do you have nails?" The shop keeper said, "Yes". The Mulla asked, "Do you have needles?" The shopkeeper said "Yes".…
Yoga and Mental Health
by Varalakshmi Lakshminarayanan With growing complexities of the real and virtual world, mental health has become a significant area of interest and concern. Observing World Mental Health Day on the 10th of October every year…