When I began this personal experiment I was certain that I wanted to do a project revolved around meditation and/or spirituality. Lately, I have been very drawn to Bhakti yoga, and for some reason the name and entity of Shiva has been popping up into my life. It’s been happening so often that I can’t […]
The Inner Life of Asanas is comprised of different yoga poses described by a personal story of the author (or mythological tale she’s heard regarding the pose), physical ways to practice the pose, and reflections on the pose. I found the little stories fun and sometimes beautiful. The physical how-tos on how to practice the […]
When I was thinking about writing this essay I had planned to write and say that my personal experiment was only discovering how asanas can be a direct spiritual practice for me, but something occurred to me. By not being able to find the book I wanted (and so not have the experience I was […]
Before graduating, Axis Yoga Teacher Training students submit a paper describing the experience of completing a personal experiment. In this experiment students have an opportunity to put any of the yogic principles they have been studying to the test. This student found a big lesson by making a small change.
My personal experiment consisted of exercises and explorations crossing the midline. There is a balancing pose in asana practice from the table position that extends the opposing arm and leg outward then draws the extended elbow and knee together under the chest. It sounds very simple at face value, but upon attempted practice I found […]
Eating left handed is something I’ve tried before just for fun and if you have not done this yourself, the first thing I recommend is to wear a bib or something you are not worried about spilling on. Oatmeal is a good breakfast meal to do this with because it is less likely to cause […]
The common theme in all of my experiences during this experiment was focus. I had to focus my mind on the task and be in the moment. It reminds me of a favorite quote from Charles Dickens; “ He did each single thing, as if he did nothing else.” In the future, I’ll call again […]
Each student at Axis Yoga Teacher Training completes a personal experiment on the subject of their choosing. This student examined the effects of Sadhana, daily spiritual practice. And what happens when you then take it away. The results were enlightening and point to a life-long practice ahead.
For my personal experiment, I chose to study the effects and benefits of Sadhana. I chose Heart of Sadhana, by M.P. Pandit, as my book to coincide with the experiment. Since this course began, some three months ago, I have adopted a daily sadhana practice, which includes pranayama, meditation and mantra. Over these months, I […]
A few days prior to the beginning of this course, my step-father passed away. It was not completely unexpected, as his health had been failing in the past few years. I had a very difficult and painful history with him, and held a lot of resentment and anger towards him. My mother, even knowing this, […]