We support your Ashtanga yoga as a lifestyle with the Keen on Yoga blog. Adam and our network of colleagues, peers and friends provide content to help with challenges and struggles you may encounter along the way. All branches of practice are covered, including asana, yoga philosophy and healthy eating.
Our aim is that by sharing this journey of practice from many angles and perspectives and combined years of experience, we can lend a hand in not only guiding but inspiring, enriching and supporting your process.
If there is any subject you would like to ask us to write about or have a contributor suggest, contact us at info@keenonyoga.com
ROLF NAUJOKAT AND HIS TEACHING
Rolf Naujokat and His Teaching It is very hard to put your finger on exactly why Rolf Naujokat was such a great teacher. His teaching...
Hatha Yoga Pradipika
Hatha Yoga Pradipika (Using the translation of the original text with the Jyotsna commentary of Brahmananda from Sanskrit in English by Srinivasa Iyangar/Tookaram Tatya (1893)....
The Heart of Yoga, by TKV Desikachar
A Summary of The Heart of Yoga, by TKV Desikachar The first section of The Heart of Yoga details a short biography of TKV Desikachar's...
SHIVA SAMHITA
Shiva Samhita A Short Commentary On Some Of The Most Important Quotes *As always, this is my own choice of what stuck out to me...
Remembering Nancy Gilgoff
Reflections on Nancy Gilgoff's Teaching "As a teacher give freely, don't hold back." From her website: Nancy Gilgoff began practicing Ashtanga Yoga in 1973 with...
Krishnamacharya’s Yoga Makaranda
The Yoga Makaranda - Key Quotes From Krishnamacharya's Seminal Book On Yoga Asana First published in 1934 in the Kannada language, The Yoga Makaranda is...
Short Ashtanga Practices
Short Ashtanga Practices Firstly, we have to pay homage here to the orginator of this idea David Swenson. His Ashtanga short forms have been invaluable...
An Outline Of Jason Birch And Mark Singleton’s Article On The Hathabhyasapaddhati
An Outline Of Jason Birch And Mark Singleton's Article On The Hathabhyasapaddhati A Background And Comparison Of The Text (see full article in PDF here)...
Yoga as Physical Therapy
Yoga as Physical Therapy The roots of yoga have always been physical. With the upsurge of yoga as physical therapy, many say this is not...
The Kleshas – A Story
The Kleshas - A Story Obstacles to Yoga - The 5 Essential Causes of Suffering Let me tell you a story: Once upon a time,...
Graduation From The Original Jois Academy And Amping It Up
Ashtanga Certified Teacher David Williams was the first Western student to be an Ashtanga certified teacher from Jois yoga academy. He recalls a great ceremony...
Ashtanga oil bath
The Ashtanga Oil Bath - by Marika Ohtani After Adam's last led class discussion there was a question about oil baths at the end of...
Pattabhi Jois – The Last Man Standing
Pattabhi Jois, The Last Man Standing Indra Devi was probably the first foreigner as well as the first woman to be taught by Krishnamacharya, at...
Introduction to The History of Ashtanga Yoga
Introduction to the History of Ashtanga Yoga in The West This is a preliminary sketch of the history of Ashtanga Yoga as it evolved over...
Ashtanga Teachers in Mysore by Date
Ashtanga Teachers in Mysore by Arrival Date We created the chronology below after interviewing so many Ashtanga teachers and hearing about their early experiences in...
The Original Ashtanga Yoga Sequence
The original Ashtanga yoga sequence of Ashtanga yoga differs from how students learn the 'traditional sequence' today. When the first western students arrived in Mysore...
Nancy Gilgoff Ashtanga Yoga As It Was
Nancy Gilgoff Ashtanga Yoga As It Was This is a direct repost of Nancy's article. I have already covered a lot of this in blog...
Yoga and Ayurveda
Yoga and Ayurveda There's always been an intermingling of ideas between yoga and Ayurveda. So much so that Ayurveda has often been called the 'sister...
The Meaning of Tristana
The Meaning of Tristana Tristana translates to three places. The term was first coined by Pattabhi Jois to describe the techniques involved in his method...
The 5 Kleshas – Obstacles to Yoga
The 5 Kleshas It's good to know well our enemy. Or, put another way, along the spiritual path it's extremely helpful to have some understanding...
David Williams – The Export of Ashtanga From India
David Williams and the export of Ashtanga out of India The first Western student to learn from Pattabhi Jois was a Belgian named Andre Van...
The Purusharthas
The purusharthas are Artha, Dharma, Karma, and Moksa. These are the four pillars of Vedic life. In other words, the useful objects of our aims...
Recommended yoga books
Adam is often asked for his recommended yoga books. The list below will help to give you a broader perspective of yoga, including the Ashtanga...
Glossary of yoga terms
This is a list of yoga terms that come up in yoga philosophy texts and discussions that you may not be familiar with. If you...
timeline of important yoga texts
Below is a timeline of important yoga texts having an emphasis on hatha yoga. 1800-1000 BCE RG Veda There are four Vedas; Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda,...
What is Samsara?
What is Samsara? The term samsara, literally turning, refers to a never-ending chain of cause and effect that we are subject to. One circumstance exerting...
What is Dharma?
What is Dharma? Dharma is at the very centre of yoga philosophy. When thinking about the very foundation, what brings all the diverse viewpoints and...
When Should I Start Ashtanga Intermediate Series?
When should I start the Ashtanga intermediate series? This is a question that often comes up pretty early in Ashtanga practice. The second series was...
Yoga Philosophy for Beginners
This is a short introduction to yoga philosophy for beginners. Where should we start, what should we read? What is the essence of the method...
Trying to Keep Yoga Simple – by Ross Stambaugh
This post was written by Ross Stambaugh aka Ashtanga Yoga Ross. I’ve written below three little sayings that have helped me keep my yoga practice...
