by swatiyoga | Jan 11, 2012 | Meditation, Tibetan Buddhism
I’ve been going to a Tibetan Buddhist temple on and off for about four years (in Florence and now in Bournemouth). The normal ‘drop-in’ sessions that I attend usually involve meditation, usually of the mindfulness type — i.e. focussing on the...
by swatiyoga | Jan 8, 2012 | Meditation, Tibetan Buddhism
I spent Christmas and New Year at Kagyu Samye Ling, a Tibetan Buddhist monastery on the west coast of Scotland near Lockerbie. It was very laid-back for a monastery. No six o’clock roll calls, compulsory meditation or lights out at 10. There weren’t even...
by swatiyoga | Dec 19, 2011 | Meditation
I have two malas: one clear quartz, the other green jade. The crystal one I bought at the Sivananda ashram in Austria. I chose crystal because this is traditionally used for devi (goddess) worship, and I was initiated into a goddess mantra (saraswati). An Indian...
by swatiyoga | Dec 13, 2011 | Yoga
I live a couple of miles from the Jurassic coast, which features some of the most spectacular beaches in the UK, and from about the beginning of June to the end of September I go wild swimming. I really love doing this — it’s peaceful, invigorating and spiritual...
by swatiyoga | Dec 9, 2011 | Ayurveda, Sivananda
Pancha karma means ‘five works’. It’s basically an ayurvedic detoxification treatment. The five works or cleansing treatments are as follows: 1. Vamana. Therapeutic vomiting. 2. Virechana. Therapeutic purgation. 3. Basti. Medicated enemas. 4. Nasya....
