One of the Yamas of the first of the 8 Limbs of Yoga, Ahimsa is the practice of non-harming--refraining from words, thoughts, and actions that would harm the self, others, or the world around us.

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AKASHA: The Sanskrit word refers to the most subtle of the 5 elements. In Ayurveda, Akasha is where all other elements originate; without it, there would be no earth, fire, water or air. It is intriguing in its seeming contradiction: Akasha is still, but promotes movement; akasha is nothing and yet everything all at once.

More recently in western history and occultism, Akashic Records have come to be known as a gigantic library of all thoughts, ideas and emotions ever experienced by all sentient creatures since the beginning of time. Some even believe that this universal database is accessible, but only by a handful of psychics or Akashic Readers.

You might be familiar with a little story that goes like this: One day an old fish was swimming in the ocean and came across two younger fish. The old fish said to them as he swam by, “hello gentlemen, how’s the water today?" One of the younger fish eventually turned to the other one and said, “That crazy old fish! What the heck is water?!" and continued swimming. It's so easy to go through the cacophony of life completely unaware of the complete stillness that underlies all that we see and feel. It's a great meditation tool to help quiet the mind.

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A yoga pose

'the desire of knowing', 'curiosity', 'inquisitiveness' or 'deliberation (on the nature of)', 'search', 'investigation', 'test' or 'examination'.[2] The word, jijñāsā, is a grammatical form called nominal desiderative; it is derived from the verbal stem "to know" to mean "the desire to know" rather than "inquiry".[3]

Lila can mean different things, but for our studio, we will borrow from the concept that the cosmos came about from the effortless and creative play of Brahman, the divine absolute.

So, what does this mean for us?

Letting go of fear, and allowing our playful nature to emerge from our authentic selves. For some, this can mean taking ourselves and our life circumstances a little less seriously. For others, this can mean dedicating a little more time to activities -- big or small -- that make our souls happy and/or help us come to life. It could also mean going off the script and being OK with spontaneity, whatever that may mean to you.

There are countless studies that show the significance of play in the development of young children. We know their important benefits in adults, including stress reduction. Research also shows the role play and playfulness have in the evolution of culture, human values and search for meaning; in other words, human evolution. So, apparently, the more we evolve, the stronger our service and contribution to the greater good of humanity!

Here’s a reminder to bring a playful attitude to your practice next time you unfurl your yoga mat (or in whatever you choose to do), if for no other reason than to inject an element of spontaneity into your life wherever you can. Life is fleeting, after all -- why not transform our simple moments into a celebration?

An expression of appreciation and respect towards another person, entity or deity. It can be used as a hello greeting and even as a goodbye, so you might say Namaste upon meeting someone, or before parting ways. It is derived from two key Sanskrit words: Namah: bow, adoration, salutation. Te: to you.

Another common interpretation is: “The divine within me acknowledges the divine within you”.

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Breath practice

According to Ekhart Yoga’s website: “The Sanskrit word Pranayama comes from Prana (life energy) and Ayama (to extend, draw out). The practice of Pranayama dates back to ancient India and the origins of yoga, said to be around sixth and fifth centuries BCE. Pranayama is mentioned in early yoga texts such as the Bhagavad Gita, The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and Hatha Yoga Pradipika.”

Self Study

As explained on the Ekhart Yoga website: “The word itself is made up of Sva, meaning own, self, or the human soul, and Adhyaya, meaning lesson, lecture, or reading, and can imply the practice of studying scriptures, as well as a practice of studying the Self. “

Fire, Discipline, Resolve, Asceticism (and not an array of small, delicious dishes). For yoga, Tapas signifies a certain rigor that practitioners bring to their spiritual practice, whether it's meditating in the winter near freezing temperatures underneath a waterfall (yikes) or eating a severely restricted diet (double yikes); the variations are manifold, but the goal of liberation from/burning up of past karma is a universal one. In our modern life, Tapas can translate into trimming the waste, narrowing down priorities and sharpening our focus so that we may begin to take right action toward our goals.