The Magic Mat
“The Original Magic Mat is the innovative, game-changing product your die cutting has been missing. Swap out one of your plastic cutting pads for this sturdy self-healing pad and you'll be amazed by the cleanest cuts you've ever achieved. Try the affordable, long-lasting Magic Mat today.” As someone who enjoys crafting, after experiencing yoga teacher training this advertisement for the Magic Mat suddenly took on an entirely new meaning. I’ve seen this advertisement before, but I’ve never thought about anything more than crafting. The words began to resonate on a cellular level as I read and re-read this advertisement. The words like, innovative, game-changing, sturdy, self-healing, amazed, and cleanest cuts you’ve ever achieved all seemed to speak to how my mat was becoming a key component to my transformation and self awareness……The Magic Mat. Early April 2022, slowly coming out of the pandemic, with frustrations of the new-new normal setting in, I thought to myself, “Now is the...
Ayurvedic Wisdom for Healthy Body and Mind
Tune into ancient Ayurvedic wisdom that offers guidance on keeping our bodies strong and our minds calm, amidst times of pandemic and stress. Ayurveda is a five-thousand-year-old natural system of healing that originated in India, rooted in longevity and preventative...
Laughter and Yoga: Being Happy on Purpose
One of the key indicators of happiness is laughter. Normally, we think we need to wait for something to happen before happiness can occur or before we hit the happiness button, but, that’s not true! We have the power to go ahead and hit that button! I call this...
More Recent Articles
Personalizing Your Meditation Practice
Most people don't have the introduction to meditation that Sumati Govinda Steinberg had. Sumati's incredible meditation journey started with her first meditation experience at 2-years-old learning from her father. Sumati answered our questions about how to make...
Traditional Yoga: More than Fitness
The following is an excerpt from Michael Rhadeya Plasha's memoir, The Amazing Adventures of a Yogi in America. In it, he attempts to find the most accurate definitions of traditional Yoga, shares his personal journey of teaching Yoga, and describes his experience of...
Knowing: A Poem by Becky Eschenroeder
Becky 'Tara' Eschenroeder offers a poetic exploration about what it means to tap into intuition and cultivate trust in the Self. Read this poem and more like it on her blog. Knowing Something deep within me knows. Knows where I have been and where I am going. It is...
Gluten-Free Bread Recipe
Nothing beats the aroma of freshly baked bread. At least, that's what we discovered when we snuck into the Yogaville Kitchen to learn the secret of making delicious, gluten-free bread! Karen's Gluten-Free French Bread 2 cups + 2 Tbsp of Gluten-Free All Purpose Baking...
Recognizing the Self in All
In 1967, Sri Gurudev Swami Satchidananda was one among the new immigrants whose exotic garb, customs, and cuisines would add color and spice to the diversity, the so-called “melting pot” of American culture. He arrived in New York City on May 24, 1967, and, according...
The Key to Unlocking the Present Moment
How many times have we been encouraged, in the name of mindfulness, to live in the present moment? With the pace of modern life steadily quickening and the distractions multiplying, being present is seemingly easier said than done. Thankfully, in the following...
How I Became a Disciple of Sri Swami Satchidananda
An Interview with Swami Asokananda Originally published in Namaste (The New York IYI Teachers Newsletter), October, 2012. Namaste: How did you first come into contact with Gurudev? Swami Asokananda: Well, the first time I saw Swami Satchidananda—though I don’t know if...
The Unspoken Tao: An Interview with Paul Olko
We sat down with Paul Olko, a certified practitioner of Naturopathy, Chinese herbal medicine, and Tui Na acupressure massage, and a teacher of Taoism, Qigong, and Tai Chi. In the following interview, Paul drew some parallels between Taoist and yogic philosophy and...
Story and Symbolism in the Yogic Tradition
Marni Sclaroff is a Yoga teacher and mentor who enjoys weaving the threads of mythology into all of her offerings. In the following interview, Marni shares her understanding of story and symbolism, her personal journey on the path, and her hopes for all students of...
Finding Your Dharma: Learning to Thrive
Katchie Ananda, Yoga instructor and Dharma teacher, explains what it means to find your dharma, align the soul with its authentic purpose, and share your gifts with the world. Finding Your Dharma—Learning to Thrive Dharma has many meanings, among them: to see things...
Charlottesville Tragedy: A Letter from Yogaville’s Executive Director
Hari Om Sangha! “Hating is worse than fighting. When you hate, you keep on hating. We are not going to stop everything in nature. But if you can do something instead of hating the fighting, do it…[I]f you hate, you lose the capacity to do something to stop the...
Yoga Nidra: A Natural Sleep Aid
Who couldn’t use some extra shut-eye? Sleep is vital to our health and sleep experts tell us we need an average of eight hours at a shot. Even if there’s time for sleep, many of us have trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep. Yoga Nidra can help in replenishing...