The classical tradition does not describe the mind as merely a monkey. It describes a monkey that has been given wine, stung by a scorpion, and possessed by a ghost. Four compounding conditions. Four escalating levels of disturbance. And four precise remedies yoga, understood properly, provides in exact sequence.

What Samasthiti Actually Is

The word itself is the instruction. Sama = equal, balanced, steady. Sthiti = standing, abiding, remaining. It is the instruction to stand in a state of equilibrium: of breath, of attention, of inner orientation. In the Ashtanga sequence, Samasthiti appears between every posture. It is the punctuation of the practice. And most practitioners treat it as dead space.

In my recent conversation with Harmony Slater, we went deep into what practice actually is, the Yoga Sutras, Samasthiti, pranayama as prana refinement, spiritual bypassing, and what genuine healing actually requires.

This is the conversation I wish I’d had when I started practicing yoga.

The Buddha understood the nature of duḥkha. One of the deepest causes of duḥkha is the belief that the world we experience through the senses is the whole of reality. When we believe this, we naturally search inside that same world (that built the duḥkha) for something that will finally end our suffering. So we look for refuge.

We often talk about the state of the world in terms of politics, crisis, climate, and economics. But another crisis is unfolding quietly beneath it all: the loss of human attention, compassion, and connection.

Yoga today is most commonly understood through one lens: posture. For many people, it begins and ends on the mat. This is understandable. But it reflects only a small fraction of what yoga actually is, and the conversation about decolonizing yoga is, at its heart, a conversation about restoring what was removed.

How do we act when situations become difficult, complex, and emotionally overwhelming?

There are many ways to allow the digestion to rest.

This versatile one-pot meal caters to various lifestyles and offers a plethora of health benefits.

A time of renewal and rejuvenation.

One of the keys to staying healthy is transitioning between seasons well.

The movements of yoga; asana, pratyahara practices, and self-reflection; through the breath and body.

A sea of Pattabhi Jois’ images cross my screen these days.

Yoga starts with the first Yama, ahimsa (nonviolence), and if we are all connected, if something happens to one of us, it happens to all of us. This is not about right, wrong, or blame but noble behaviour.

In Ayurveda, immunity is not something we boost. It is something the body develops; through digestion, rhythm, and the way we live each day.

On February 28,the anniversary (Sraddhanjali) of Sri Krishnamacarya, I became a yoga therapist in his lineage.

It seems that we are all searching for something… may it be inner peace, to heal, to be loved, appreciated, accepted for who we are, whatever the reason yoga comes into our lives.

Tara is a life long lover of learning. It seems no accident that her main teacher was named after the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, art, speech, wisdom, and learning: Saraswati.