Author: Jess

The 5 kleshas build high banks along the river bed of our lives. Avidya – ignorance, not knowing Asmita – the ego Raga – our desires, acceptances, and likes Dvesa – our rejections, avoidances and dislikes Abhinivesa – fear (the motivator of the above) Our internal disciplines can be constructed by our acceptances and avoidances.… Continue reading Last day: Menla 2023: Isvara pranidhana

Svadhyaya is self study, self reflection, contemplation. ” Patanjali asks the spiritual aspirant to begin thinking for him/herself.” (Rohit Mehta: Yoga, the Art of Integration) ” Svadhyaha or self-knowledge, is difficult. We so much associate knowledge with the acquisition of learning. In reality, svadhyaha, whether through study, or self-analysis, is the path of concentration (dharana),… Continue reading Part 2: readings from the retreat (Menla 2023)Kriya Yoga: Svadhyaha

Our habits are called samskaras. Habits are behavioural patterns that take place physically, mentally, emotionally. They accrue through living – stored in the memories of our cells. Every experience leaves a samskara. Our samskaras can be helpful – aklista, or harmful – klista. Our klista samskaras increase “exponentially” (Prashant Iyengar), and our aklista samskaras increase… Continue reading Readings from Menla Retreat, April 2023

Readings from our restorative practice 10/27/2022 REST by David Whyte is the conversation between what we love to do and how we love to be.Rest is the essence of giving and receiving; an act of remembering, imaginatively and intellectually but also physiologically and physically. To rest is to give up on the already exhausted will… Continue reading Reading from our restorative practice

A summary of my notes taken from a lecture given by Prashant Iyengar in June 2020 Our senses cannot be understood mechanically.  We cannot have a mechanical view of our senses.  How our eyes, ears, tongue, nose, skin function depend not just on the external object but on our subjective understanding. A camera will pick… Continue reading Pratyahara

To live  demands that we make decisions on how to act, and what to do. B. K. S. Iyengar asks, “How does a freeman act, and yet remain free?” (B. K. S. Iyengar, 2005, p. 238).  Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras seek to answer this question by exploring the “Klesas” (afflictions) which are the motivations that drive our… Continue reading Klesa and Karma

Prashant Iyengar writes that “life commences with karma” (P. Iyengar, 2013, p. 12). The process of re-birth stems from actions, their effects (karma), and natural causes stemming from the interplay of the three gunas.(Sargeant, 1994).  Patanjali examines this subject throughout the yoga sutras and, in the kaivalya pada, details what determines the nature of re-birth, and how it… Continue reading The theory of re-birth according to Patanjali.

In gratitude for Tiffany Hambley’s post on Prashantji’s teachings. Prashant says, “Imagine a scenario where two mirrors reflect one another. The potential for refraction and reflection is endless. This is quite a different situation, he pointed out, than a wooden yoga brick and a mirror facing one another: in that instance, it can clearly be… Continue reading on opposites…

This is from a class taught at the Summer Intensive with Jess at Clear Yoga. Who would have thought that “Who am I?” would be the theme for a weekend Yoga Intensive!! It makes sense when we realize that within each asana are tools to allow us to investigate the different parts of our body.… Continue reading The Klesas and the feet

“We all sense the presence of soul in our origin and our end.  Looking at the world around us, we are torn between feelings that “soul cannot be in this” and yet, “if the soul exists at all, it must be in this also”.   It’s existence is to be unlimited to our notions of… Continue reading Avidya – ignorance