I hope you find these ideas useful to keep returning to presence without strain, struggle or self-judgment.

Peace and health,

rubén

A simple way to establish a connection between our body, our breath and our body.

I hope that you enjoy it.

Peace and health,

rubén

In SIMPLE YOGA, we understand range of motion as the potential range of healthy movement available, including the minimum as well as the maximum amount of movement. Moreover, because this particular perspective on yoga emphasizes the importance of acting with awareness, the notion of Range of Motion is expanded to mean the totality of potential range of healthy movement that we can consciously do.

Furthermore, to ensure that our yoga practice incorporates all aspects of our being, it seems most useful to replace Range of Motion with Range of Action. Range of Action encompasses the full range of natural possibilities available to you. We can define Range of Action as the complete set of possible variations along the many variables involved in healthy activity.

In this practice we will explore the basics of a technique called Brahmari - the humming sound of a bee - to explore options for the range of action in our breathing by listening to the sound of our humming and feeling its vibrations as we change its duration, volume, and pitch.

What happens when you try this?

Peace,

rubén

An invitation to cultivate the ability to relax. An important practice to become really good at. Relaxation, beyond stress reduction, is important for our health. It is also the basis for meditation.

In our busy lives, there never seems to be enough time to pause because there is always something demanding our attention. In addition, our technology seems to invite us to engage with an endless stream of notifications, messages, and updates. It seems that we are training, consciously or unconsciously, to keep our attention jumping from one idea to another, from one task to another. For example, there is more information available today than at any time in human history. But just as it would not be effective or healthy to eat food continuously throughout the day without giving our bodies a chance to digest and assimilate the nutrients we are consuming, it is not effective or healthy to keep feeding ourselves information without taking a moment to rest, digest and assimilate the information so that we can apply it intelligently. We emphasize this skill of pausing and noticing because it is the foundation of all the practices, and of Presence itself. The better we are at pausing and noticing, the easier it will be to notice our awareness and tendencies and their usefulness or lack thereof for being present and participating in our lives.

Y.O.G.A.

As we embark on this journey, it is useful to define what we are doing. There are innumerable definitions of yoga. And there are so many expressions of yoga that it can be confusing to know what a person means when they say they are practicing yoga. One way to interpret Patañjali's definition of yoga in The Yoga Sutra is that yoga is our ability to modulate our ways of being, which include all of our physical, mental, emotional activities, habits, and inclinations, so that we can feel at peace, integrated, and present. I simplify this definition with the acronym Y.O.G.A.: You Organically Growing Aware.

You. Because this is a personal process of exploration of our whole being and no one can do it for you because no one can have the experience of being you.

Organically. Because you are a living organism, and like all living organisms, you are a process that gradually moves from one stage to another. How do you do that? By taking the steps that are within your reach at each point. No need to force or strain.

Grow. Because you are a work in progress, you are constantly learning and expanding your perspective.

Aware. The most fundamental aspect of our being is that we are aware, we are conscious. Although our bodies, emotions, beliefs, thoughts, and memories are constantly changing, there is something within us that feels timeless, our awareness.

Our YOGA practice is a personal process of expanding awareness at the rhythm that feels right for us at the moment. For now, I invite you to reflect on this idea, especially to make sure it makes sense to you. Please share your impressions and opinions about this definition as a starting point for our practice.

Today's practice, what am I aware of?

Take a moment to notice the effects of this short practice. Next time we will explore a general guideline to guide us in the practice.

I’m curious to know: what was this experience like for you?Please share your experience, as well as your discoveries and challenges….

Thank you for practicing with me.

PRESENT

There are countless approaches to living our lives. It is safe to say that most people are in a constant process of refining their approach. They try different things to feel more alive and engaged in their lives. There are many systems and methods; on this podcast, we have been exploring a non-dogmatic, contemporary approach to the teachings in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali for several years. The goal is always the same: to improve the quality of our participation in the moment we are in, right here and now. One motivation that can be useful is to recognize some simple facts.  First, there is only one chance to be in this moment. This moment will not be repeated, and it will not happen again. If that is not motivation enough, would it help to remember the second fact? That this moment is the most important moment of our lives. Everything in our lives (including successes, boring moments, challenges, and failures) has brought us to this moment. Moreover, the actions we take in this moment will influence how the rest of our lives will unfold. The third fact is that this moment is the result of the elegant synchronicity of thousands of events that make this moment to be exactly as it is. The fourth fact is that each moment is a gift, new, unique, offering us many choices. Each one of us decides how we want to participate.

In today's practice is I invite you to ask yourself, "Is this the most important moment of my life?"

Practice whenever you can. Become familiar with each technique and its effects. Remember, don’t strain, don’t struggle and don’t judge yourself, I know that you are trying your best!

What happens when you try to ask yourself this question during your day? I am curious to know what you find. Please share with me your questions, your discoveries, as well as your disagreements...

May you be present in what you do…

rubén

I have been studying, practicing and teaching yoga for over 20 years because it works. For me, yoga is the most complete and effective system for cultivating presence and living a meaningful life. (I am aware that there are other systems out there, but yoga is the one that has worked best for me). Experiencing the benefits of yoga personally is what inspires, motivates and energizes me to dedicate my life to making yoga available for the benefit of others.

I started the podcast as a way to share simple and useful ways to understand and, more importantly, apply the wisdom of yoga to everyday life. I was humbled to know that many people have found the podcast useful in their lives. When I finished exploring all of the Yoga Sutras in 201 episodes of the podcast, I thought I might stop creating the podcast. However, in listening to my students and other people in my life, I realized that many of us could use some guidance, encouragement, and support on our journey to feeling healthier, happier, and more balanced. I tried to take a more practical approach in the following 50 episodes of the podcast. As I mentioned before, I look to my students and all the people around me as my teachers to help me decide how to focus my energy to be of service. Again, I have heard people express the challenge of maintaining a consistent practice.

Last year, I learned about this newer platform, Substack, as a robust platform where I can share articles, audio and video in one place in a way that is easier for people to navigate, and after subscribing to some of the writers on the platform, I am inspired to offer more ways for people to practice a simple, effective and enjoyable form of yoga more regularly.

On this new platform, I will continue to provide free resources for you to practice with. My intention is also to create more videos, as they may be easier to follow for some practices. Substack also provides an opportunity for you to support my work through paid subscriptions.

Paid subscriptions

Simple Yoga and Unravel the Thread are a labor of love. I create all of the content, including the writing, photography, chanting and videos. I record, edit, and post the podcast. I also record, edit, and do all the post-production on my videos. I create all of these resources in two languages, English and Spanish. This is in addition to practicing yoga daily, teaching yoga classes, meeting with students privately, and continuing my own study of yoga. Yes, it is a lot of work. And I do it with joy and enthusiasm. As you can imagine, it all takes energy, time, resources and money.

If you find these resources useful and valuable, you can contribute to keep the website, blog, podcast and videos up and running. Your support to Simple Yoga and Unravel the Thread contributes at three levels: First, you help me continue learning, growing and sharing. Second, you help keep these resources available for you and others (in both English and Spanish). And third, you cultivate your generosity which is the gift that keeps on giving because generosity enhances your health, increases your happiness, reduces your stress, helps you feel connected to others and may be linked to a longer life as documented by a couple of interesting articles; Why giving is good for your health and Seven Science Backed Reasons Why Generosity is Good For Your Health).

I invite you to subscribe to this new email list to receive simple, easy, effective and enjoyable 5 to 8 minute yoga practices for your body, mind and emotions. When you subscribe, you will receive regular public posts with practices you can do at home. If you decide to become a paying subscriber, in addition to the free posts, you will receive subscriber-only episodes and posts, and you will be able to post comments and join the community. You can also be a Super Subscriber, willing to give more generously, for that you will receive my undying gratitude for your generosity and support.

You can subscribe by going to https://simpleyoga.substack.com/

I look forward to traveling on this journey with you as we continue growing in presence and awareness together.

Thank you.

Namaste

Weaving the Yoga Sutra: Health, Summary and application (part 6)

How to apply the integral definition of yoga

What stimulates your appetites?
How do you satisfy your appetites? How do you feel as a result?
Is there a balance between your appetites and your elimination? 
What are some effective ways to quiet your mind?
Are your movements deliberate or are they mechanical? 
How do you regulate the intensity of effort in your activities?
What happens if you follow Patanjali’s suggestions for calming your mind?
How do you interact with yourself?
How do my interactions influence my health?

https://simple-yoga.org 

This content is inspired by the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali according to the  book Unravel the Thread by Ruben Vasquez available at: 
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/1737648202/ 
Alibris https://www.alibris.com/Unravel-the-Thread-Applying-the-ancient-wisdom-of-yoga-to-live-a-happy-life-Rub-n-V%C3%9Fsquez/book/50532904 
Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unravel-the-thread-rub-n-v-squez/1139928755 
Indiebound https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781737648208 
Thriftbooks https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/unravel-the-thread-applying-the-ancient-wisdom-of-yoga-to-live-a-happy-life_rubn-vsquez/29003752/ 
 
#yoga #simpleyoga #yogasimple #unravelthethread #yogasutra #patanjali #patanjaliyogasutra #presence

yoga, yoga sutra,yoga philosophy, patanjali, awareness, consciousness, meditation, presence, memory, applied philosophy, yoga practice, pranayama, pratyahara, concentration, presence

Weaving the Yoga Sutra: Health, compassionate interaction (part 5)

Can the way I interact with others reflect or influence my health?

How do I interact? …With myself? …With the people around me? …With family and friends? …With acquaintances and strangers? …With other sentient beings? …With my surroundings? …With the world at large? Is it possible that offering a disinterested helping hand to others can have beneficial effects on both the recipient and the giver?

https://simple-yoga.org 

This content is inspired by the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali according to the  book Unravel the Thread by Ruben Vasquez available at: 
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/1737648202/ 
Alibris https://www.alibris.com/Unravel-the-Thread-Applying-the-ancient-wisdom-of-yoga-to-live-a-happy-life-Rub-n-V%C3%9Fsquez/book/50532904 
Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unravel-the-thread-rub-n-v-squez/1139928755 
Indiebound https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781737648208 
Thriftbooks https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/unravel-the-thread-applying-the-ancient-wisdom-of-yoga-to-live-a-happy-life_rubn-vsquez/29003752/ 
 
#yoga #simpleyoga #yogasimple #unravelthethread #yogasutra #patanjali #patanjaliyogasutra #presence

yoga, yoga sutra,yoga philosophy, patanjali, awareness, consciousness, meditation, presence, memory, applied philosophy, yoga practice, pranayama, pratyahara, concentration, presence