Tarpana is a Sanskrit word which refers to making an offering and relates specifically to making an offering or acknowledgement of our ancestors. 

“Honouring your ancestors is the first step in reclaiming your spiritual heritage. As you begin to recover your ancestral memories, you will also uncover unconscious, troubled memories that prevent you from knowing the truth of who you are. According to the Vedic sages, we humans are the only species which has the power of intuition. Yet too easily we forfeit our sacred birthright and with it the ability to change and grow, create, and strive for inner freedom. We have largely forgotten the joy, love, and wellness that are intrinsic to human nature, and we can rediscover them through honouring our intuitive knowing of our ancestors and their wisdom.” Maya Tiwari (Wise Earth School of Ayurveda)

The beginning of the year is a wonderful time to remember our ancestors and the lineages we come from. None of us exist in a...

Cultural Awareness for Yoga Teachers

5 Ways for Yoga Teachers to be Respectful to Aboriginal Culture by Eve White (Wiradjuri woman)

I am proud of my Aboriginal heritage I am a Wiradjuri woman from country NSW a little town called Parkes. Our Aboriginality was not embraced in the past, which is why I’m so passionate about keeping this beautiful culture alive and this is why I have created a Cultural Awareness course for yoga teachers.

As a yoga teacher for the last 8 years whilst discovering more about my Aboriginal heritage, I was finding so many synchronicities in these ancient cultures. Every-time we open a yoga class we are holding ceremony connecting with breath and mother earth, to connect with the long lineage of culture and ceremony beneath our feet makes each class more meaningful and potent.

From a modern-day perspective we look at the world as if it is simplistic but through a complex lens, from an Aboriginal perspective we look at the world as if it is complex but...

Haribol friends,

I recently gave up coffee for two weeks and I put a post on Facebook about my process.  I was astounded by how much interest and commentary that post generated.  It seems coffee is a hot topic!

So I thought I would also share with you here some of my thoughts on the subject.  First let me say I’m not a huge coffee drinker – I have one a day.  But I do love it.  I do find it hard to give up when I take a break and, yes, I do get a headache. 

Some elements of giving up any addiction are:

• Letting the habit / ritual go (this is easier if you replace it with an alternative)
• Change in identity or social perception when you change your behaviour
• Physical withdrawal (when I give up coffee I get a headache!)

One friend said to me it was harder to give up smoking when she only had one cigarette a day than giving up when she smoked 10 or 20 a day.  She said it’s something about giving up completely that’s really...

You've figured out your Ayurvedic constitutional type (and if you haven't you can take our quiz here), but how does this impact your working life? Once you know your type (dosha) you can use it to support your productivity and avoid the potential pitfalls you're most likely to be distracted by.  

If you are a pitta (fire) type: Your strength is in your ability to cut through confusion or overwhelm and get stuff done.  You are focused and linear, approaching tasks with a laser like attention to outcome.  This means you are the most productive of the dosha types.  However when out of balance you can rush and not pay enough attention to detail.  You may also struggle to collaborate with others because pitta's like to be in charge!  Impatience and frustration (leading to sloppiness) are your shadow sides.  Your mantra for productivity is 'I am diligent and consistent and I pay attention to details.'

If you are a vata (air) type: Vatas are the...