Resources

Avidya

Avidyā is the first of the kleshas, or mental afflictions, found in Pātañjali’s yoga sūtras (P.2.3 & P.2.5) that occur from the ripples of the mind (the citta vrtti – P.1.5).

Often translated as ignorance or nescience, in yoga it has a much deeper meaning directed to one’s perception and conditioning of identity and reality. In fact, without it there would be no need for yoga! Download the handout from Robert Worrall’s Satsang here: Centenary-Yoga-Avidya

Santosha

The great sage Patanjali provides the following description of Santosha: ‘By contentment, supreme joy is obtained’ (Yoga Sutra 2.42). This might seem like a large leap – from contentment to supreme joy, but there is much depth to this concept. Read more here: Santosha Handout

Relaxation Techniques to improve he...

Find peace and calm. Overcome the stress of day-to-day life. Learn why relaxation techniques that work for one person won’t work for another. Discover which techniques work best for you. Download the guide: Relaxation techniques

The Ancient and Classic Texts of Yoga

Here we explore how yoga has evolved through an examination of some of yoga’s most important ancient and classic texts: the Bhagavad Gita, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, HathaYoga Pradipika, Gheranda Samhita, Light On Yoga and Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha. Download the document here: Classic Texts Summary

Alternate Nostril Breathing

A great summary and instructional of one of yoga’s favourite breathing exercises (Pranayama) from Dono and Sarah. Click here: alternate nostril breathing

The Science of Yoga

Yoga abounds with claims of amazing feats and wonderful health benefits. With its increasing popularity in the west, there has also been increasing scientific scrutiny of its claims. This paper examines a few tall tales and true, the scientific evidence for yoga’s benefits, how has modern yoga changed in response to scientific investigations of problems, and how can scientific understanding improve your yoga. Download the handout from the Science of Yoga Satsang here: Science Handout

Happiness

Live a happier and longer life. Download the Happiness handout

Prana – Yoga’s Essential Life-Force

Prana is “life force” or “breath energy”. It is the energy that flows through your body. But it is also more than this. It is the energy of the universe. Prana Handout

The Ethics of Yoga – Yamas and Niyamas

The Yamas and Niyamas are the first two limbs of classical yoga, coming before Asana and Pranayama. Download the handout from the Yamas and Niyamas Satsang here: Yamas and Niyamas Summary

Prenatal Yoga

Yoga can be helpful during pregnancy, as long as you take certain precautions. Yoga can help mums-to-be:

• Improve sleep.
• Reduce stress and anxiety.
• Increase the strength, flexibility and endurance of muscles needed for childbirth.
• Decrease lower back pain, nausea, carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms, headaches and shortness of breath.

We encourage you to attend dedicated prenatal yoga classes at one of the yoga studios listed at the end of this guide. Please talk to your regular yoga teacher if you wish to continue your yoga practice at Centenary Yoga during your first and second trimesters. During your third trimester your yoga practice should be supervised by a qualified prenatal yoga teacher. Download our guidelines for prenatal yoga here: Prenatal_Yoga

How are your Chakras?

The following questions will help you assess energy flows through your chakras. Where
you answer yes to most or all questions, feel comfortable with a healthy energy flow
through that chakra. Where you answer no to all or most of the questions, look to the
companion handout providing guidance on improving energy flows through your chakras. Access the Chakra Questions here: Chakra Quiz

What is Yoga?

The word “yoga” means “union”. But what does this really mean?

Download the attached short PDF that draws upon three classic yoga texts to explain the meaning of “yoga”: What is Yoga

Names of Yoga Asanas

In yoga classes we tend to use a combination of English and Sanskrit for the names of the asanas (poses) we practice. Below is a list of commonly practiced asanas. This list is far from comprehensive, as there are many more asanas not on the list. You will also find instances where the same pose might have different names from one school to another.

English and Sanskrit names provided for a number of commonly used yoga asanas. Click here to open the PDF document: Names