Once you understand symbolism, the secrets of different cultures and religions also can start to open up

Swami Sivananda Radha

I studied the symbolism of Hinduism and Buddhism in India, Thailand and other cultures, and finally came full circle back to the Christian scriptures of my own culture. Suddenly everything fell into place. Reading, for example, the Book of Revelation literally, I could not make sense of it at all. But when I took time to study and understand the symbolic meaning, I found this text very closely linked to the Kundalini Yoga system.

In India, there are carvings and wall paintings on the temples and in the famous caves of Ajanta. The Divine images are not meant to be decorative, but rather to communicate knowledge in the most accessible way because written language had developed slowly and was available only to a few. And writing itself is symbolic. Each letter is an abstract symbol that combines with others to form a word. And behind each word is a myriad of ideas, open to interpretation by every reader. I think as long as we use words, the best we can do is to use symbol and metaphor.

Read the rest of this article at ElephantJournal.com

Skeptical at first, residents of Nazareth House now wait eagerly for instructor Anne Marie Delaney

MONTREAL–When yoga instructor Anne Marie Delaney entered the basement of an old greystone in Shaughnessy Village a few weeks ago, her eager students were waiting patiently beside their mats.

But the small group of students are not your traditional yoga disciples. They are mostly elderly men who live at Nazareth House, a shelter and residence for men who have struggled with homelessness, addictions or mental illness.

Most Wednesdays, Delaney takes time out of her busy schedule to take the men through a 30-minute yoga class that she hopes will empower them physically and emotionally. With soothing music playing in the background, she uses breathing techniques, stretching and relaxation exercises to help them strengthen their mind, body and spirit.  Read the rest of this story at The Gazette…

Image by Pierre Obendrauf, The Gazette

Friends of Compassion is meeting at various locations such as the Spokane Islamic Center and Radha Yoga

The Fig Tree, Spokane Washington, November 2011

Even after the Dalai Lama turned down an invitation last year to come to Spokane, John Hancock and several others have continued to engage in conversations to promote the Buddhist leader’s call for compassion. Hancock’s interest in Buddhism began when Venerable Thubten Chodron from the Svarasti Abbey near Newport, Wash., spoke to his Rotary group in 2009.    Read the rest of this story at The Fig Tree.org.

Why the Art Gallery of Ontario and others like it want you to stretch, and even sleep, among the sculptures

The Art Gallery of Ontario is 583,000 square feet of beautiful, downtown real estate, room after room of high ceilings, nice lighting, pale hardwood, comfy chairs. But if the art is mostly on the walls, there is, to borrow an art term, a lot of negative space in the place, and a lot of time in which all that square footage and gorgeous art is left alone.

This month, however, a yoga class, convened as part of artist Paul Butler’s residency at the AGO, gave an inkling as to what an all-hours museum could be – a place where you might find yourself stretching at 8 a.m. in the Henry Moore Sculpture Gallery, or sleeping over for a night.   Read the rest of this story at The National Post…

Image by Darren Calabrese, The National Post

Underemployed gurus redemocratize downward dog

Alyssa Giacobbe, New York Magazine, October 02, 2011

Obscured though it may be by $100 Lululemon pants, celebrity instructors, and Eat Pray Love, there’s always been a current of altruism in the yoga subculture. Teachers are schooled in “karma yoga,” or the yoga of service to others. And an increase in trained instructors (there were around 70,000 nationwide the last time one trade group counted) means there are ever more of those teachers competing for paying gigs. The result is a lot of enlightened, and underworked, people looking for a way to put their $3,500 certifications to use, and a boomlet in what might be called welfare yoga.   Read the rest of this article at New York Magazine.

Illustration by Martin Ansin

Life has definitely had its shares of up’s and down’s as of late.  There have been so many new and exciting opportunies and breakthroughs that at times it has been hard to remain grounded.  While I struggle at times to have a consistent meditation practice I have spent the past month with intent and dedication to spend a few minutes in the divine light meditation each day.  It the few moments that it takes I can feel a shift of energies within myself and a calming light surround me.  While I have yet to get to the 40-day mark I am interested to see what exists on the other side.  I fully intend to continue with the meditation after that point, as the more the energies are summoned, the stronger they become.  Read the rest of this post at Balancing on Two Feet.

Language of yoga consistent with what is heard during a service

A Calgary Christian church and community is embracing the tradition and practice of yoga. “I went to yoga and I thought I was going for a workout but what I realized, it was a workout for your body, yes, your mind and your spirit for sure,” says Rev. John Pentland of Hillhurst United Church.  Read the rest of this article at The Calgary Herald.

Image: Rev. John Pentland, minister of the Hillhurst United Church in Calgary, and yoga instructor Beth Workman. Dean Bicknell, Calgary Herald

Life Transitions: Facing Change, Exploring Options

Victoria, B.C.

This weekend workshop will give the space you need for reflecting on life transitions, what changes you are facing and would like to make. You will be supported by spiritual practices and exercises of self-inquiry, leading to effective strategies for personal change. Bring a journal.

November 18-20 (Friday evening 7-9 pm,  Saturday & Sunday mornings 9:30 – 12:30) at 2530 Fernwood, 2nd Floor (between Bay & Haultain). Fee is $45.

For more information or to register, please contact Patricia at (250) 298-8478 or yoga@radhavictoria.ca

The Inner Life of Asanas with Swami Lalitananda

Saturday, October 22, 10 am – 4 pm

Tap into the symbolic power of the yoga poses to find out for yourself how they can stretch and open your mind. Listen to the intuitive messages and allow healing energy to be released. Open to all levels, the workshop includes relaxation, movement and writing.

Swami Lalitananda is the author of The Inner Life of Asanas and founder of Radha Vancouver. She currently lives and teaches at Yasodhara Ashram.

Light Up Your Life with Swami Radhananda

Sunday, October 23, 10 am – 4 pm

Engage in  powerful practices to connect to the Light within. The more you visualize, invoke and meditate on Divine Light, the more it reveals and deepens your self-understanding. Visualizing Light creates a feeling of oneness and helps you make changes physically, mentally and spiritually.  Expand your understanding of what yoga is all about and develop the courage to live life fully.

Swami Radhananda is the spiritual director of Yasodhara Ashram and teaches internationally. She encourages practitioners to realize their potential through self- inquiry, service and devotion. Author of a new memoir, Carried by a Promise, she will be releasing her next book, Living the Practice, in spring 2012.

$125/day or $200 for both days

Visit the radha vancouver website.

Image: Swami Radhananda reads from her recent book at Radha Vancouver.

In honour of the 100th anniversary of Swami Radha’s birth, timeless books is preparing three special offerings, all celebrating her remarkable life story: