The culture journal
Explore Indian heritage through clear introductions to sacred places, thoughtful readings of familiar texts, and practical guides to living traditions.
10 articles in this topic
Yoga, Pranayama & Meditation · 3 min read
A block, strap, folded blanket or chair can look like an optional accessory in a yoga photograph. In a class, the more useful question is what the object is…
Read articleYoga, Pranayama & Meditation · 3 min read
“Notice your breath” and “hold your breath” are not equivalent instructions. Yet both can appear under the broad label of breathwork. For a beginner, learning the vocabulary before attempting…
Read articleYoga, Pranayama & Meditation · 3 min read
A meditation notebook can be a small record of experience rather than a scorecard. It does not need to prove that every session was peaceful or that progress rises…
Read articleYoga, Pranayama & Meditation · 3 min read
A yoga class involves more than instructions about movement. It also involves decisions about touch, privacy and how much choice a participant feels able to exercise. Discussing those decisions…
Read articleYoga, Pranayama & Meditation · 3 min read
A photograph can show the shape of a posture, the setting and the moment chosen by the photographer. It cannot show the whole practice behind the image. Remembering that…
Read articleYoga, Pranayama & Meditation · 3 min read
Japa is the repetition of a mantra or sacred name. A mala, or string of beads, can support counting in some traditions, but the object is not the whole…
Read articleYoga, Pranayama & Meditation · 3 min read
The hardest part of a first yoga class can happen before any movement begins: deciding what kind of class it is, what will be expected and whether questions are…
Read articleYoga, Pranayama & Meditation · 3 min read
The eight limbs described in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras give a wider view of yoga than a collection of poses. Sutra 2.29 names ethical restraints, observances, posture, breath regulation, withdrawal…
Read articleYoga, Pranayama & Meditation · 3 min read
Prana is often translated as breath, but its meaning in Indian philosophical and yogic traditions is broader. It can refer to vital activity or a life-sustaining principle. The five…
Read articleYoga, Pranayama & Meditation · 3 min read
Chakra diagrams are now familiar on posters and wellness products. Their apparent simplicity can be misleading. Traditions have used different arrangements of subtle centres, and a modern seven-colour chart…
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