Articles Archives - Page 3 of 4

What is Core Strength Vinyasa Yoga? By Sadie Nardini

May 11, 2016August 2, 2023 by Devinder KaurNo Comments

What is Core Strength Vinyasa Yoga? I prefer to call Core Strength Vinyasa Yoga a “perspective” on all yoga, rather than just its own style. I created it after years of training and study where I was seeing a lack of either understanding or focus on the core of our yoga poses on all levels: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and energetic. Along the way, I was fortunate to meet one of my formative teachers, Leslie Kaminoff of The Breathing Project in NYC, and author of the bestselling Yoga Anatomy. Under his expertise in yoga, philosophy, anatomy and pranayama, I continue to evolve my understanding of the multi-faceted core. Out of my journey into deep Center came my Core Principles, ways to clarify what the core is, exactly how to instruct it and activate the core within the yoga practice. To help students experience their Center, I created my Core Poses, specific movements, postures and sequences that bring the student into more core-generated alignment, improving...

Max Strom: There’s No App for Happiness

January 13, 2016January 14, 2016 by Devinder KaurNo Comments

Start the new year by furthering your self-development and yoga education with Max Strom. If you love proven methods for living a happier, calmer life, and enjoy an accessible, intelligent yoga practice, this weekend is exactly what you need to start your year off right. On January 15-17, we’re hosting Max for a four part series of seminars that will explore a transformational breath practice and gentle yoga, self-healing through strong vinyasa practice, and lectures and writing workshops inspired by his book: There is No App for Happiness – How to Avoid a Near-Life Experience. Read on for praise for There is No App for Happiness, and learn more about Max’s weekend in Ottawa here. In There Is No App For Happiness Max focuses on the many methods we are employing daily to isolate ourselves further from each other, and compares the effects of these trends to a kind of mass autism. Note he is not a Luddite: he offers examples of the...

What is Conscious Communication?

November 12, 2015November 3, 2015 by Devinder KaurNo Comments

- Yogi Bhajan, Excerpts from KRI Level 2 Conscious Communication Manual Do you know what real communication is? Real communication is when after uttering, saying, or communicating, you stand fully one hundred percent by whatever you said. Real communication does not give you any right to change it afterwards, no matter what. Anything which is not real is a lie. It is not whether it is right or wrong, good or bad, or moral or ethical. Person A talks to person B and between A and B, the talk is real. Then A and B are bound down to put their totality in it until infinity. You should not say anything that you cannot put your totality behind. The total value of you is that whatever you say, you stick with it. When you don't stick with what you say, you have no value, and your decoration and your jewelry and your sex and your person have no value. Real communication is the faculty...

5 Things PranaShanti Does to Stay in Harmony with the Environment

August 19, 2015August 20, 2015 by Devinder KaurNo Comments

5 Things we do to Stay in Harmony with the Environment ...

Healing Sciatica through Ashaya Yoga®, by Todd Norian

July 22, 2015October 31, 2017 by Devinder Kaur2 Comments

I've helped many students heal their sciatica (inflammation of the sciatic nerve, which originates in the low back and runs down the back of your upper leg bones, the femur) using the Four Essentials of Ashaya Yoga®: Open, Engage, Align, and Expand. Most sciatic pain arises from standing, sitting, or walking with poor alignment; the feet are turned out and the thighbones are forward and externally rotated. When the femurs are forward of their optimal placement, the muscles of the lower back contract and can pull the lumbar spine into a flattened position. Tight hamstrings further exacerbate the flat back condition. When the natural curve of the lower back is lost, the spinal discs squeeze posteriorly (the back of your body) and can press on nerve roots. The First Essential, Open, is the act of softening and remembering your connection to the healing power of the universe. You open to a bigger energy and let go of self-limiting beliefs. In so doing,...

Novel Inspired by the teachings of Yogi Bhajan

June 2, 2015July 18, 2020 by Devinder KaurNo Comments

Fuming. That’s how Cam, the main character in The Merit Birds, feels about being dragged to Laos, Southeast Asia, by his mother. His absent father, his lifetime of anger issues, and his recent basketball fight only serve to compound his strong emotions. Gradually, Cam’s change comes when he learns about the power of the breath and of serving others. Written by Kundalini Yoga instructor, Kelley Powell, the novel ends with KRI-approved instructions for the One Minute Breath. Inspired by the teachings of Yogi Bhajan, The Merit Birds is unique in that readers are introduced to Kundalini Yoga through fiction. It is about the friendships that Cam eventually and often reluctantly makes and how a lifetime of anger can be transformed from the inside out. It’s about how daily attention to the breath and bringing focus within can melt away years of anger and hurt. And it’s about how this realization of inner peace leads to a bursting open of the heart...

Annual Unlimited Holiday Savings begins December 1st!

November 12, 2014April 20, 2021 by Devinder KaurNo Comments

Make a commitment to yourself! This package is truly UNLIMITED! With the PranaShanti Annual Unlimited Package Holiday Special you will enjoy: No limit to the number of classes you practice in a day, week, month or the year! 10% off special events, workshops and trainings 10% off all boutique purchases and Infrared Sauna sessions 5 Complimentary yoga class passes to bring friends & family to class with you A PranaShanti tote bag and water bottle This special is available from December 1, 2014 to January 31, 2015, with the holiday special price of $1,275.00 (HST included) which includes all the goodies listed above for 365 days! A $300 savings just on the package price with more savings all year long! Sign Up!...

Get the Glow in 2014. Start with Hot Yoga 101 on Sunday, January 26.

January 12, 2014January 12, 2014 by Devinder KaurNo Comments

Those who love hot yoga know there are many benefits, including muscle toning; stress reduction and increased vitality; weight loss; reduction of muscle and joint pain; flexibility and mobility, and strength. In particular, hot yoga helps you to detox by sweating out toxins from your skin. Thus the amazing inner and outer glow of the students coming out after a hot yoga class. If you’ve never tried hot yoga. If you’re not sure how to start. If you’ve tried it but were not prepared and intimidated. The Hot Yoga 101 workshop on Sunday, January 26 at PranaShanti is for you! Or, if you love hot yoga and want to share your passion, here’s a safe and fun way for your friends and family members to start. To encourage you to try the hot side, the Hot 101 workshop includes a mat rental, 2 free class passes with 2 mat rentals, a PranaShanti tote bag, plus a handout on Hot Yoga for you...

Why do Yoga Teacher Training?

December 27, 2013December 27, 2013 by Devinder KaurNo Comments

Sometimes I'm asked by students, "why should someone do Yoga Teacher Training?" Here are some ideas to consider: 1. Yoga is about angles and triangles: If you want to understand the how's and why's of doing yoga postures well and safely, a teacher training is a great way to learn. 2. Test your physical limits: No matter your physical ability, you’ll explore your physical capabilities and try things you never thought you could do before. How empowering! 3. Yoga is more than just postures: While postures are a key component to the study of yoga, there is so much more. There is the history and lineage of yoga, yogic philosophy, western and yogic anatomy, sound/mantra, yogic diet and lifestyle, to name just a few. 4. Look inside yourself: Regardless of which style of training you choose, there is something to be said for focusing on your practice for a period of time. Through this focused attention, you may find feelings and emotions bubble up...

Winter Solstice Food Bank Fundraiser – Bringing Love and Light to our Community.

December 16, 2013November 29, 2016 by Devinder KaurNo Comments

For the past five years, PranaShanti has celebrated the Winter Solstice with a special fundraising event to help those in need in our community. This year, the event takes place on Friday December 20 from 7 pm to 9:30 pm and all the proceeds from the event will be donated to the Ottawa Food Bank. The Food Bank serves monthly 40,000 Ottawa residents, 40% of which are children, who are struggling with hunger. The Winter Solstice is the longest night of the year and one that is honoured by many as a sacred and rich time. Often it is thought as the dying of one year and the promise of a new beginning. Since ancient times, to counteract the season’s reminder of mortality, communities have come together at Winter Solstice to celebrate, have fun, and call back the Sun by gathering around a fire or setting out candles. Along this theme, I have hired a professional cast of actors from Eddie May...