Yoga – Page 5 – Summer Cushman

The Five Great Elements (Pancha Mahabhutas)

I've been called a tree hugger many times, which is a name I happily accept (and an action I admit to doing more than once!). I love trees. I love water. I love stars. I love nature. Recently I've been reflecting on the fact that I am nature. I've been studying Ayurvedic medicine (as part of my training in yoga therapy) and have been reading a lot about the Five Great Elements, which could also be called the five great states of material existence. As part of my study I've been reading about the creation story of Samkhya philosophy. Samkhya ... (Continue Reading)

By Summer|2015-08-20T14:49:02-07:00August 19th, 2015|Art, Creativity, Embodiment, Meditation, Nature, Practice, Pranayama, Religion, Spirituality, Yoga|0 Comments

Pancha Maya Koshas

July, 2015 The study of yoga takes a lifetime (or lifetimes). I have spent several years in full-time study of this ancient art and science and yet I'm constantly struck by how much more there is to study and understand. I have far to go (we always do it seems), but I'm encouraged and motivated by the very real ways that this practice has been integrated into my life. Yoga is the lens through which I look. My study and practice have slowly shifted my understanding, attitude, and actions. Life is change. And through yoga I have been able to ... (Continue Reading)

By Summer|2019-02-01T20:58:46-08:00July 14th, 2015|Art, Asana, Books, Creativity, Embodiment, Meditation, Nature, Practice, Pranayama, Relationships, Religion, Scripture, Spirituality, Training, Yoga|7 Comments

Internal Spring Cleaning – Prana, Apana, and Agni

A Practice for Internal Spring Cleaning: You've probably heard the term prana before. But have you heard of apana? Or udana? There are actually 5 pranas. They're called the vayus or the "forces of the air." They are: Prana vayu, which governs reception (eating, drinking, inhaling). Apana vayu, which governs elimination (going to the bathroom, giving birth, exhaling). Udana Vayu, which governs growth and transformation. Samana Vayu, which governs digestion (of anything... food, thoughts, etc.). Vyana Vayu, which governs circulation. Much could be said about the vayus, but for today, I want to focus on the forces of prana and ... (Continue Reading)

By Summer|2020-05-18T14:31:09-07:00May 7th, 2015|Asana, Embodiment, Meditation, Practice, Pranayama, Spirituality, Spring, Yoga|1 Comment

Inhale or Exhale?

“I think I’m more of the exhale type. I’m just going to stick with exhaling.” I can’t remember the context (or exact phrasing) of this statement, but the sentiment has stuck with me. I heard it on a recent episode of the podcast “On Being.” It was a conversation that included Parker Palmer, who is a well known author in Quaker circles. Palmer often writes about our innate wholeness, and I love that he used the breath to illustrate his point. The statement, as Palmer well knows, is absurd. Which side of the breath we will utilize isn’t something we ... (Continue Reading)

By Summer|2015-02-10T07:05:51-08:00February 9th, 2015|Nature, Practice, Scripture, Spirituality, Yoga|3 Comments

Choosing What We Cultivate

I recently co-led a workshop called "Cultivating Gratitude" where I offered teachings on the yogic concept of pratipaksa bhavanam, which means cultivating the opposite. If you're unfamiliar with the concept, you might want to take a quick moment to read this first, it's a post where I offer more general information, textual analysis, and practice ideas (good stuff!). While designing the "Cultivating Gratitude" workshop, I was really struck by the idea of cultivation, which is a farming word that has gained wider use. When you do a quick search for the word, you discover that its synonyms are words like ... (Continue Reading)

By Summer|2014-11-25T12:40:00-08:00November 25th, 2014|Nature, Practice, Relationships, Yoga|8 Comments