Pranayama Breathing Practice This is a breathing practice we offer to guests at our retreat, drawing on both ancient yogic tradition and contemporary research. Background Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, written approximately 2,500 years ago, describe a method of Pranayama in which the practitioner simply maintains attention on the breath — observing where it is felt in
At our retreat center in Kampot, Cambodia, we offer an optional daily meditation practice at 10.00 am. This practice is unguided, but the teachers will provide support and advice as needed. This post gives the instructions for our guests or anybody else wanting a clear and simple guide to this life-changing (and world-changing) practice. Meditation
Unique to The Yoga Palace is our Techno Pranayama meditation. I created this several years ago because I enjoy electronic music and the hypnotic, euphoric states it can create. Combining this with breathwork made sense — music drives focus and rhythm in the same way it does when you’re running or lifting; the beat gives
When we meditate, all we are doing is noticing when the mind has wandered and returning it to the object of meditation. Say for example, we are meditating on the breath. We simply sit, with our awareness on the breath. As soon as we notice that our mind has gone somewhere other than on the
Flicking from one thing to another, in search of cheap thrills but finding nothing satisfactory. Occasionally stumbling on something that fires off your emotions: a pinch of lust, a dash of anger, a touch of envy, a glimmer of hope… but the feeling evaporates as soon as it arrives and you are on to something
I once had a job writing articles about meditation, yoga, and other spiritual practices. Back then, it was easy for me to write about meditation, even though I didn’t meditate much myself. I’d read books about meditation, listen to talks, and write articles based on what other people said about meditation. What I would write
At the Yoga Palace, we often draw inspiration from the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, a tiny ancient manuscript that’s inspired at least 2500 years worth of reflection and practice from Yogis, mystics, philosophers and academics alike. Patanjali defines Yoga as the “Stilling of the patterns of consciousness,” the art and science of gaining control of
At our retreat center in Cambodia, we normally start our morning practice with the Five Tibetan Rites, a practice that originated in ancient Tibet. The series of five repetitive movements, some of them reminiscent of popular Yoga postures, have a rejuvenating and energizing effect and are believed by many to reverse signs of aging. The
Based on the “Trataka” practice from the Hatha Yoga Pradipika This meditation is named after the Sanskrit word trataka (त्राटक) which means “to gaze steadily” or “to look”. WHY PRACTICE CANDLE-GAZING AND VISUALIZATION? It is a powerful meditation for anybody looking to improve their ability to focus the mind. This meditation is also believed to
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, written at least 2,500 years ago—some say much earlier—are the most profound and influential work on the subject of Yoga. The Sutras contain many concepts familiar to those who have dabbled in Yoga philosophy, such as the Eight Limbs of Yoga. In just 196 short sentences, divided into four books, Patanjali offers
