Yoga Chicago Podcast
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Yoga Chicago Podcast is a free resource guide for yoga activities. Our goal is to provide a forum to share information related to yoga and spirituality.
Yoga Chicago Podcast
2M ago
Statue of Swami Vivekananda at the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago
The annual conference celebrating the birthday of Swami Vivekananda was held on January 13, a cold, snowy Saturday, at the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago (HTGC) in Lemont, Illinois. It was the 161th birthday of the renowned Indian Hindu monk, philosopher, and teacher who is credited with bringing yoga to the West in September 1983 when he participated in the Parliament of Religions, the world’s first organized interfaith gathering, which was held in conjunction with the Chicago World’s Fair, or Columbian Exhibition ..read more
Yoga Chicago Podcast
3M ago
Accept + Welcome + Embrace = AWE
I heard this expression recently while zooming into WisdomHeart.com.
It clicked.
An accepting welcoming embrace is a mighty nice experience. But like so many good things in life, it takes time and patience to learn this fine art of giving and receiving.
Time and patience. I haven’t had much of either lately, so I’m taking a trip. We all need a trip to refresh and renew every once in a while, right? The kind of trip where we don’t fall on our faces but instead enter a special place where past failures don’t define us—where new inspirations exist. A fresh start ..read more
Yoga Chicago Podcast
3M ago
If you are someone who regularly remembers your dreams, then there is a good chance you have had the eye-opening experience of precognitive dreaming.
My own fascination with dreaming began when I was a teenager. I was an avid dreamer and relished the process of waking up each day and ruminating over the rich landscapes I had visited during my sleep. When I was seventeen, I had a dream that was innocuous enough. I was at my high school, not in a way that was readily recognizable, but in a dream-like sense. In the dream, I was sitting on the floor, legs crossed, in a circle with others who were ..read more
Yoga Chicago Podcast
3M ago
Holiday shopping can be stressful for all of us: the crowds, traffic, parking, limited inventory, and making sure you get all of the things on your list. However, for Black people and many people of color, the stress can reach exponential levels because of how we are treated. I personally have had store employees call the police on me, accusing me of shoplifting though I had just made a purchase and had the receipt in hand. There are now many studies that show that Black people have higher rates of high blood pressure and heart disease as a direct result of discrimination, microaggressions, an ..read more
Yoga Chicago Podcast
3M ago
This excerpt was taken with permission from Black People Breathe; A Mindfulness Guide to Racial Healing, the new book by mindfulness and breathwork expert Zee Clarke. Although written for Black people, the self-care practices are recommended for everyone.
In her book, Zee offers 33 powerful tools that Black people can use to help deal with challenges they experience because of what they look like. Doctors and psychologists have discovered that the experience of racism can result in a wide range of health impacts that kill them slowly—death by a thousand cuts: high blood pressure, hea ..read more
Yoga Chicago Podcast
4M ago
Yoga for the Rest of Us
By Bart Leszczynski
Yoga Chicago readers may remember stories by and about Bartosz Leszczynski, who started a yoga class while imprisoned at Illinois River Correctional Center. In his cell, and later out in the yard, he practiced some stretches recommended by a doctor to help alleviate back pain. Later, in the prison library, he found a book on yoga and realized those stretches he’d been doing were yoga postures. Over time, other inmates became curious and wanted to join him, and soon he was teaching 150+ inmates per week. Ultimately, he taught 1,500 students over 11 ye ..read more
Yoga Chicago Podcast
4M ago
Gratitude has been expressed through the ages within many spiritual and religious traditions. Here are some examples:
Judaism: Torah (Deuteronomy 26:11, 27:7, 28:47)
“The key to experiencing real joy in life is through gratitude and the cultivation of a good heart.”
Christianity: Bible (Thessalonians 5:16-17)
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances.”
Hinduism:
Dhanya Vad, meaning I am grateful
A Sanskrit mantra used to calm the mind and repeat throughout the day.
Islam
Qu’ran (31:12)
“Anyone who is grateful does so to the profit of his own soul ..read more
Yoga Chicago Podcast
4M ago
Teaching yoga to children has been the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. One aspect of it that’s so inspiring and nourishing to my soul is watching children light up with a new understanding of themselves and their world.
It happens all the time. It’s a natural part of child development, and I feel so honored to bear witness to it.
When I started teaching yoga to children, I didn’t know how they would respond. I was excited about it and clearly understood the profound life-long benefits. But I didn’t know if kids would like it or if I could find a way to engage them. I remember feeling very ..read more
Yoga Chicago Podcast
6M ago
Most of our problems in the world can be traced back to fear. Sylvia tells us that when we decide to let go of fear and live in harmony, we attract the power we need to control our life. “Know that you have all you need to thrive,” she says. Rather than feeding fear, we can feed joy and be part of the channel of goodness and love and light.
https://4v6d43.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Yoga-Chicago-Magazine-Podcast-Choose-Goodness-and-Joy-Over-Fear-by-Sylvia-Ewing.mp3
  ..read more
Yoga Chicago Podcast
6M ago
Marsha Wenig
Marsha Wenig, creator and founder of YogaKids International, transitioned on August 8, 2023, at the age of 69. She had been diagnosed in 2011 with early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease.
Marsha was a true pioneer and trailblazer in the field of yoga for children; her YogaKids videos starting from 1996 introduced yoga and empowered living to children in a fun and engaging way. For more than 30 years, Marsha passed on her innovative approach to yoga, mindfulness, and healthy lifestyles to generations of children, educators, and yoga instructors around the world. YogaKids is availabl ..read more