Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2025 i YOGA Magazine

Dear YOGA Magazine Readers, Greetings and Blessings! As we approach the height of the summer solstice, the longest and brightest day of the year, we are reminded of light—not only as a celestial event, but as an inner radiance waiting to be honoured and expressed. This month’s issue embraces that theme of illumination, exploring how yoga continues to be a guiding force in both personal and collective transformation. Across our features, a clear thread emerges: yoga is far more than movement—it is connection. Whether it’s an Austrian village where Bollywood films spark unexpected bonds between refugees and locals, or a group of women on sacred pilgrimage in Egypt reclaiming their divine feminine lineage, yoga’s real magic lies in its ability to dissolve boundaries and ignite the spirit. We shine a…

Before I begin this article, I asked an AI to provide a brief definition of chakras. It described them as energetic centres within the human body, often depicted as wheels of energy. This definition, of course, mirrors what you'll find on Wikipedia and in most yoga books. However, I believe it's time to refine, or rather, upgrade this definition. I hope to present sufficient evidence and insights in this article to warrant adding the Five Elements to the "official" definition, which should state that chakras are the energetic centres of the natural Elements within the human body. It's widely known that the first five chakras are connected or related to the Five Elements of nature: Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Space. I've also frequently heard that each chakra is associated…

The ongoing effects of Long COVID have challenged individuals and healthcare systems, leaving many feeling stuck in cycles of fatigue, breathlessness, and discomfort. Yet, yoga, when approached with care and an understanding of its therapeutic potential, can provide a gentle, transformative, and profound way to support recovery. A Case Study: When Traditional Yoga Doesn’t Fit Sophie, a 42-year-old teacher, had always found solace in yoga and practiced regularly, enjoying the physical and mental benefits. However, after developing Long COVID, she found herself trapped in a frustrating cycle. Desperate to regain strength, she returned to her usual practice, only to experience severe relapses. The effort left her utterly drained, exacerbating her symptoms instead of alleviating them. Feeling disheartened, Sophie almost gave up on yoga entirely, but through our work together, we…

Yogi Maharaj Dr. Malik our Editor (since 2003) is a recognised international expert and an authority on the subject of Yoga. He started his training under the guidance of Yogis from the Himalayan region at the age of six and also received instructions from Sufis, Lamas and Sadhus. He is an accredited Yoga teacher specialising in Kundalini, Hatha and Laya Yoga. Founder and pioneer of Yogology, a spiritual technology which combines ancient traditions and principles of Laya, Hatha, Kundalini and meditative practices, Yogi Malik began teaching this over 20 years ago. He has spent a lifetime dedicated to researching, teaching and sharing his knowledge on yoga. He is also a practitioner of related alternative therapies, including Shamanism. Q: I’ve been practicing yoga for a year now. How can I deepen…

Potentially one answer to our modern burnout epidemic and urgency culture, Master Oh is believed to have helped thousands of people heal physically and emotionally through powerful treatments. He has helped many people to regain their happiness and health from pain, chronic fatigue, stress, anxiety and depression, digestive issues, low energy levels, insomnia, infertility, auto-immune problems, poor blood circulation and more. ‘About Light and Shadows’ is an excellent conversational springboard, also revealing how we carry negative karmic patterns, inherited from our ancestors. 1.WHAT FIRST LED YOU TO DISCOVER SUN KYEONG? I believe I was guided to find this method. I was born with a very weak constitution and from a young age, I suffered with severe health and emotional issues. I used to struggle with high levels of anxiety and…

It's mind over matterI tell myself as I try tostop the chatterin my headand breathe into cat-cow.I'm late to a new yoga classand it's a bitter cold morning but I'm herenowand committed.The class is small and a placewas made for me the new girlAND the late girlso I wait for the pearlwhich always comes to meduring Yoga.What will it be today?Be patient with delay?Our teacher says "mind and body gotogether""Like birds of a feather" I think"Tell that to my hips"someone quips.But as time passesand the flow beginsI release what I came in with...tension, worry, and fault findingfadeand once againI wouldn't tradethis for anything.Mind and bodytogether nowI bundle up to bravethe worldno longer wondering how. Julie started writing poetry during the pandemic and has since had her work published in books…

Ignite Your Yoga How to Live, Practice, and Teach as an Authentic Yoga Steward By Susanna Barkataki Barkataki offers a powerful call to action for yoga practitioners and teachers to honour and embody the roots of yoga. Through stories, step-by-step reflections, and practical advice, she explores essential topics like equity in yoga, ethical leadership, and the respectful use of Sanskrit. This book challenges the watered-down versions of yoga often found in the West, urging us to move beyond surface-level practice into deeper alignment with yogic values such as non-harm, service, and truthfulness. Barkataki equips readers with the knowledge and language to become authentic stewards of this ancient tradition. Whether you’re a teacher or student, Ignite Your Yoga is a thoughtful, relevant and timely guide for practising and teaching yoga with…

“It’s not about how deep you go into a pose—it’s about how deeply you feel safe in it.” In the peaceful quiet of a yoga studio, breath moves like ocean waves, bodies settle into shapes, and silence becomes sacred. But beneath that surface calm, some practitioners are navigating more than tight hamstrings—they’re working through trauma, held in breath, bones, and the nervous system. Trauma-informed Yoga doesn’t look dramatically different on the outside. But on the inside, it’s an entirely different ecosystem—one grounded in choice, safety, and presence. It’s not about perfect alignment; it’s about fostering healing through agency. WHY TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA MATTERS Trauma isn’t just a memory—it’s a lived, somatic experience. It can manifest as hypervigilance, dissociation, shutdown, or discomfort with one’s body. While traditional Yoga aims to deepen flexibility…

Continued from the previous issue of YOGA Magazine… For the first time since the temple, I felt whole again. And in the silence, with only the soft rhythm of my breath, I realised that the beauty I had seen in Ruhi was not lost, it was now a part of me, guiding me forward. Chapter 30 The rhythmic drumming of the monsoon rain on the stone ledges of our cave was a melody I had come to love. In our Himalayan sanctuary, Yoga Bhavan, nestled deep within the folds of towering peaks, life followed the pulse of nature. Clouds hung low, veiling the valleys in shifting mists. The torrents of rain nourished the earth, coaxing life out of every crack and crevice. A fresh scent of a melody of herbs,…

The summer solstice is a time to honour the earth and give thanks for the sun’s blessings of warmth, light and life. As the sun reaches its highest point in the sky, it reminds us of the abundance and energy that sustains us. In Pantanjali’s Yoga Sutras (3.26), it is written: “One learns from the perfect discipline of the sun and solar system.” The sun becomes a symbol of vitality and a teacher, inviting us to observe the harmony and rhythm of the natural world and reflect that balance within ourselves. Recognised worldwide and rooted in traditional pagan customs, midsummer, which falls on or around 21 June in the northern hemisphere, marks a celebration of the sun’s power and its life-giving force. On a spiritual level, it’s a time of…

A few months ago, I began volunteering with a refugee agency that helps those from Afghanistan, Syria, Turkey, and elsewhere. I was paired up with a young man from Afghanistan, Khalil, because I teach yoga and he experienced in meditation. After a couple of hikes and a few cups of tea, we decided to teach yoga and meditation at the refugee center where he lives. The class was so successful that the agency asked us to teach in Kufstein, where they have a larger refugee center to hold events. Khalil and I opened the next class to Austrian locals, expats (from Greece and Latvia mostly) and refugees alike. Our hope was that bringing together people through yoga and meditation would help build community. Not everyone here is happy about having…

I have recently returned from an epic journey through the ancient land of Kemet (Egypt) where 17 women made a pilgrimage to remember and reclaim aspects of themselves that have been lost…perhaps for lifetimes…until now. This pilgrimage has been calling to my soul for a few years, and it was finally time to create this container as an invitation for women ready for a next level portal into truth embodiment. I’ve been guiding retreats and immersions for over a decade, each one imbued with its own potency, but this journey was different. I co-led this trip with my beloved sister, Phoenix White ~ a powerful Medicine Woman, Speaker and Author. The origin seed for this pilgrimage sprouted in the Sacred Valley of Peru last year. The idea lit something in…

Pilates has exploded in popularity recently, especially on the reformer, due to the way it can sculpt and strengthen the body, however it's so much more than that. It's also great for our spine and bones, helping us recover from injury and stay mobile for the whole of our lives. Firstly it focuses on the core and a strong core creates better posture and less pressure on the spine, resulting in less likelihood of pain or injury. All Pilates classes should start with engaging the deep stabilizing muscles of the body, starting with the breath: inhaling deep into the lower lungs, promoting diaphragmatic breathing to engage the deep abdominal muscles. It also focuses on spinal alignment, cueing pelvic positions such as imprint and neutral spine to protect the lower back…

ARIES (MESHA) MARCH 21– APRIL 20 June ushers in a wave of energy as Mars features favourably in your chart. This month, focus on activating your lower chakras to harness your dynamic spirit. Incorporate energising yoga practices like Sun Salutations to channel this momentum. As you take bold steps toward your goals, remember to set intentions that resonate with your innermost desires. Cultivate a practice of mindfulness to remain grounded amidst the excitement, allowing your ambitions to manifest into tangible outcomes. TAURUS (VRISHABHA) APRIL 21 – MAY 20 Venus, your ruling planet, moves through a nurturing position this month, bringing warmth and abundance into your life. Concentrate on your heart chakra and invite love and beauty into your surroundings. Use this time to engage in practices that soothe the senses,…

The wise one beholds all beings in the Self and the Self in all beings; for that reason he uplifts all. —Isha Upanishad Yoga isn’t yoga until it’s personal, until you take the teachings into your heart and make them your own. Yoga becomes a spiritual practice when you allow it to move through you, when you can breathe into it, feel, hear, taste, and touch its presence. Yoga helps us to know ourselves intimately, a crucial first step in knowing how to be in relationship with others. This journey inward begins in the body and invites us to peel back the layers to discover the secrets that lie within. The challenge for many practitioners in the West is that their yoga practice stops with the physical body. Instead…

In 1967 a man named Richard Alpert traveled to India as a spiritual seeker. A year later he returned to the United States as Ram Dass and became one of the most influential teachers who introduced and popularised Eastern spiritual practices in the west through yoga, meditation, chanting and bhakti devotional practices. The person who became Ram Dass was born Richard Alpert on April 16th, 1931 in Boston. His father, George Alpert, was a prominent, prosperous executive and a founder of Brandeis University serving as its first board president. Alpert’s academic training and talent were clearly evident as he earned a PhD in psychology from Stanford University, accepted a tenure track position at Harvard and was also made a visiting professor at the University of California, Berkeley. In addition to…

In a world where the pace of life often leaves us disconnected from our true selves, this transformative practice is offering a path to profound self-awareness and self-healing. Kundalini Activation is a key to unlocking our full potential. But what does it really mean to activate this vital energy? And why are so many seekers embarking on this transformative path? What is Kundalini? Kundalini is a powerful divine feminine energy within each of us known as Shakti, the universal consciousness, or the life force. Kundalini energy lies dormant at the base of your spine, your base chakra. When activated, it rises through chakras and culminates at the crown chakra, bringing profound spiritual awakening and personal growth. This powerful experience is helping you to reach higher states of unity consciousness, enhance…

Imagine this if you will. In 2018 after a dream in which I clearly heard the message ‘yogis in the Himalayas’, I woke up with the feeling that something was waiting for me in India. Having committed myself to the idea that yoga could be the path that could help me heal, and with about a year of daily practice established, it felt like the time was right to see what might be waiting. During that time I had immersed myself in reading any yoga philosophy book I could lay my hands on, and had developed at least a vague understanding of the centrality of India to the tradition. It was time to go. Without too much research and very much on a gut feel basis I booked a yoga…

Meet Chris Nelson, a dynamic wellbeing entrepreneur, author and devoted Yogi whose journey through the realm of holistic wellness has shaped his life and the lives of countless others. In his early thirties, feeling the weight of a fast-paced world, Chris made a pivotal decision to “slow his life down” and immerse himself in the transformative practice of Yoga. In 2006, he founded the renowned Ashiyana Yoga Retreat Centre in Goa, India, a sanctuary for those seeking peace and rejuvenation. His vision didn’t stop there; by 2020, he expanded his reach to Brazil, and in 2024, Ashiyana Spain opened its doors, further solidifying his commitment to creating a global wellbeing ecosystem that thrives both online and offline. Chris is also an author, having published his first book, Wake Up and…

We are living through a global mental health crisis. No one wants to be anxious or depressed, yet if you look at the statistics, you’d be forgiven for thinking that we do. Why are so many of us struggling? How is it that our pursuit of happiness so often leads us further into misery? This paradox lies at the heart of the human condition. The problem isn’t that we aren’t trying hard enough to be happy. It is that we’re searching in the wrong place. And why? Because of a fundamental misunderstanding of who we really are. Simply put, we’ve mistaken ourselves for someone we’re not. The Trap of Self-Obsession Before you protest, let me clarify. I’m not calling you egotistical! Selfobsession isn’t arrogance. It’s a literal (and exhausting!) preoccupation…