Obstacles to practice

ByAaron Fleming March 13, 2015

All practitioners, either seasoned or just starting out, are well aware of the many things that get in the way of a regular and consistent practice. Patanjali outlines 9 obstacles to practicing. They are:

Vyadhi: disease
styana: lack of interest / mental laziness
samsaya: doubt
pramada: carelessness
alasya: idleness
avirati: sense gratification / over indulgence
bhrantidarsana: living under mistaken notions
alabdhabhumikatva: missing the point
anavasthitatvani: backsliding

His end is our beginning
ByAaron Fleming November 12, 2014November 12, 2014

As I write this it has been almost three months since B.K.S. Iyengar died. He passed away on August 20, 2014. Since his death there have been many great articles written in tribute to his life’s work. Teachers from all over writing testimonials about how his work has changed their lives and in turn the…

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Turn your world upside down!
ByAaron Fleming May 10, 2018

Inversions are a big part of the Iyengar Yoga method. There’s headstand, shoulderstand, handstand, forearm balance — just to name a few. But how do you get started learning these poses? And are they safe to practice? If you want your inversion questions answered come to the Inversions Basics target class! This class is good…

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You Change Your Schedule
ByAaron Fleming May 18, 2015

Over the past month or so I have noticed a trend in potential students asking me to teach classes at a different time of day, on a different day or even in a different neighborhood. They are siting these three variables as a reason why they can’t come to one of the classes being currently…

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Practice survey results
ByAaron Fleming May 21, 2019May 21, 2019

Last week I published the Beginners and practitioners post. In that article I stated that in order to help beginner students become practitioners I need to first understand why people are not practicing on their own. What is standing in the way. I heard back from many of you. People sent emails or Facebook messages,…

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Yoga is not what you think it is
ByAaron Fleming August 20, 2019August 20, 2019

Misconceptions about yoga abound. But I am here to tell you that it is not what you think it is. Yoga is not what you think it is. And Iyengar Yoga is not what you think it is. If you have never taken a yoga class I bet you already have an idea of what…

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The Five Yamas
ByAaron Fleming February 13, 2015

This week in class we went over the five Yamas which are the moral injunctions that a yoga practitioner should follow. They lead to right living. The five Yamas are: Ahimsa: non-violence / non-harming Satya: truthfulness Asteya: non-stealing Brahmacarya: chastity Aparigraha: non-hoarding, without posessions The Yamas are often thought of guide posts to help the…

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I have been writing a bit in other articles (and this one too) about how the pandemic has impacted my practice. Specifically, the stress of the pandemic has impacted my...
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Back in December of last year I wrote that I thought the stress of the pandemic had shown that my mindset needed improving. I am writing now to give an...

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