53) A new approach to this blog 

 When I started this blog in 2007 I started with the aim of  writing only about the Sivananda System of Classical Hatha Yoga and it did have many entries explaining the basics of the Sivananda System of yoga , its asana sequence etc etc but in due course I started other blogs also as explained in my last post i.e Post No: 52 ) My Various blogs and they very much resonate the varied interests that I started to develop and I did not want all of those to be bundled in a single blog and hence opened separate blogs each reflecting one specific interest of mine .In the meanwhile I also started maintaining my own personal journal offline and used to write about many insights that I derived through my reading of various books , through my interaction with my students , through observing the behavior of people , through incidents happening in Society and all were directly or indirectly shaping me and I understood the importance of the spirit of Bhagavad Gita- " All life is a Yoga " i.e do not equate yoga to just want happens on the mat but extend it to what all happens beyond the mat also .I have highlighted this aspect also in my blog post No:51 ) Yoga beyond the mat  . So keeping that in mind I have decided that from now onwards I will write in this blog all issues related to Yoga on the Mat as well as Yoga beyond the mat .Since I cannot divorce myself from life and I am in relationship with society in one form or the other and everything directly or indirectly affects me ( as well as everyone ) ,it is high time I start writing about those issues .So from now on you can expect on this blog topics related to Cricket , Sports ,Politics ( India , Global ) , Economy , Technology , Religion , Spirituality etc etc apart from Yoga . Kindly note that I am not writing about these issues as an expert commenting on Politics , Sports  , Economy, Religion  etc but as an individual who is observing these issues and its impact on people .

 Even though I have mentioned about the various blogs in my previous post , I choose to have only  this blog 's address on my visiting Card so that this blog will  be  the first reference point for people to know more about me , my ideas and my approach to life .

As I said earlier I am not writing on these issues as an expert or as a person who has mastered life and understand all its mysteries but rather as observations from a normal individual who is on the path of yoga and trying to live a yogic life both on and off the mat .
Before Concluding I wish to point out  in that last few months ,I was immersed in re-reading the works of  J.Krishnamurti  which had a terrific impact on me and gave me strength and clarity to develop a big shift in my approach not only to my own yoga practice an teaching but also to life in general and apart from J.Krishnamurti two books that has heavily shaped me in the last one year ( and they still continue to do so ) are :
 1) Bringing Yoga to Life - The everyday practice of enlightened living by Donna Farhi
( in fact that is the title I have given to this blog also )
 2) Living Your Yoga - Finding the spiritual in everyday life by Judith Lasater .
 I have mentioned both these books in my post No:51) Yoga Beyond the Mat

 52) My Various Blogs

Here is a list of the various blogs that I have created right from 2006 up till now . They reflect the various interests that I have and how those interests kept evolving over the last few years  .I am not active on all the blogs and right now focused more on My Ashtanga Blog ( http://myashtangajournal.blogspot.com/) as right now that is what keeping me occupied more and it will be like this for the next few more years . However I do keep updating other blogs as and when I have some interesting information to be shared in those blogs .

This post is basically to let people know my varied interests and how it kept evolved over a period of time and what prompted me to start new blogs and also to know what my current interest is .

http://dailyspiritualmessage.blogspot.com/
1)Spiritual Messages related to Nonduality
This site deals with spiritual quotes and messages from various Spiritual Masters like Swami Sivananda , Swami Vishnu devananda , Osho , Eckhart Tolle , Ramana Maharishi , J .Krishnamurthy ,Papaji , Vernon Howard , Atmananda Krishna Menon , Jean Klein etc .Most of the quotes and teachings here reflect non dual teachings

This was my first ever blog that I started in 2006 when I took to blogging and it had a mixture of yoga and Vedanta related messages ( non dual messages ) but since I felt  the messages of yoga and vedanta conflict with each other ( as yoga involves effort and practice and considers mind to be real and  vedanta involves no practices and considers mind itself to be a non entity ) I decided to start a separate yoga blog ( eyogateacher.blogspot.com ) for my yoga related messages and kept this blog only to deal with pure non dual teachings .

http://eyogateacher.blogspot.com/
2)My Yoga Blog
This blog presents a collection of my thoughts ,views related to Classical Hatha  Yoga and related topics like Diet ,Meditation,Fitness ,Health ,Relaxation ,Breathing and anything to do with improving physical and mental health .

This was my first yoga blog that I started as a Sivananda Yoga Teacher and was started mainly to distinguish my yoga messages from the non dual messages given by me in the other blog ( dailyspiritualmessage.blogspot.com ) . As I am now practicing ashtanga I did not want to confuse my Ashtanga experience in this  normal yoga blog and  started a separate blog for my ashtanga experience ( myashtangajournal.blogspot.com ) and this blog will continue to have articles / matter related to the Sivananda Style of Classical Hatha Yoga and  other health related topics like diet , relaxation , meditation ,  etc .Though I am currently  learning Ashtanga , I continue to be involved in the teaching of Sivananda System of Classical Hatha Yoga and hence this will contain articles related to Classical Hatha Yoga from time to time .
Note : up to Post 50. this blog had a sort of structured and one dimensional approach of just sharing about Classical Yoga ( Sivananda Style ) but from post 51 onwards this blog is taking an unstructured and multi dimensional approach and deals with issues related to not only yoga but other things happening in my life as well in society .So keep this in mind when you go through the blog .I have explained the intentions behind this new approach in my blog post No.53) A New Approach to this blog .http://movementtherapies.blogspot.com/
3)Movement Therapies
This blog is to share information about the various Movement therapies like Alexander Technique , Feldenkrais Method , Pilates ,Tai Chi , Continuum movement,Ideokinesis, Hellerwork etc .
This blog I started in year 2010  when I was deeply in quest of addressing some issues of injury related to my lower back ( in 2009 ) and ankle ( in 2010 ) and  while I started it with Pilates , it went to Tai Chi and then I came across various movement therapies and felt that it is high time I start a blog  exclusively for the same and while I am not active in this as I am right now buys with my Ashtanga Vinayasa Yoga but definitely this is a blog I will get active in due course as I believe that each movement therapy has some excellent way to address  our injuries and provide healing .

http://livingaconsciouslife.blogspot.com/
4)Living a Conscious Life
The aim of this blog is to help those seeking to live a Conscious life ( a life in present )point out the best available resources(teachers, sayings , book /cd /DVD review , retreats , courses etc) with regard to Conscious Living from sources world over .
This is again a sort of extension of my Non Dual blog and right now not very active as I still continue to share messages related to non duality in my first blog ( i.e dailyspiritualmessage.blogspot.com ) but will keep this blog updated as and when I get some interesting inputs .

http://myashtangajournal.blogspot.com/
5)My Ashtanga Journal
This blog describes my Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga Journey .

This is my most recent and currently active blog . As I am new to Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga  and wanted to document my  Ashtanga experiences exclusively I created this separate blog and this blog will be active as Ashtanga Vinaysa Yoga  is my current activity and will remain so for the next few years .

 51) Yoga Beyond The Mat

While most of us are aware of the type of yoga to be done on the mat but when it comes to practicing Yoga beyond the mat many of us are confused as to how it should be done . Some consider Yoga to be just what is being done on the Mat and nothing more than that . So when someone says that they are practicing Yoga they mean that they are practicing Yoga on the Mat and nothing more than that and they evaluate themselves as to how far they have progressed in Yoga by how many postures they have learnt , how long they can hold the postures , how many rounds of Surya Namaskar they can do , whether they can stand upside down in Headstand or  do advanced balancing postures like Peacock ( Mayur Asan)  , Scorpion , Crow etc . Some measure their yogic life by how many time a week they practice Yoga , how many times a week they take sattvic food , how many times they meditate , how many yoga sutras or Bhagavad Gita verses they have mastered  etc etc .First of all we must understand that Yoga means joining or integrating and hence when we say that we are practicing yoga we need to include in it all aspects of our life and not just confine it to yoga on the mat .While Yoga on the Mat is the very visible part of this journey ,there is a larger invisible yogic journey that is happening beyond the mat but since it does not have a structure like Ashtanga , Iyengar , Sivananda ,Anusara etc it is never discussed much and many do not know what it means to practice yoga beyond the mat . Yoga beyond the mat varies from person to person and situation to situation and there can be no standard yardstick for the same .Take for example the topic on Being Honest or Truthful . While we need to be honest and truthful in our speech most of the time but there are circumstances where we need to lie ,say for example your friend/family member  is seriously ill and admitted in the hospital and while the Doctor says to you personally that he/she will not be alive for long but request you not to reveal the same to the patient , you must not say No No I practice honesty in my speech and if the patient asks me what they Doctor is saying ,I will reveal to him the truth that he will not live for long . This is the most cruel way of practicing Honesty or truth in speech .So in each and every situation in life we need to weight the pros and cons and act accordingly and there is no standard rule for everyone /every situation .While scriptures like Bhagavad Gita , Yoga Sutras talk about Good /Bad , right /wrong ,standard set of universal values  like Yamas ,Niyamas etc etc but kindly note that  life is no black and white where all things are either all  black or  all white and there are hundreds of shades of grey between them and it is these  grey situations that are tricky and need to be handled and no scripture can come to your Guidance under these grey circumstances .So what is to be done under these circumstances ? There is no easy answer but Sages of the past have given 2 tools to be used when we are confronted with a difficult situation :

1) Put yourself in the shoes of the other person and see what you would do in a similar situation 

2) Introspect yourself as to your  motive behind doing anything i.e are u doing it for some seeking some rewards ( monetary or otherwise ) , are u doing it to seek love , approval or appreciation from the other .

 Putting urself in to the  shoes of the other person and verifying whether you are doing anything for selfish reasons will help you un condition your mind and give your more mental space and this extra mental space will help you get the necessary clarity to take proper decisions appropriate to the situation . But this is easily said than done as the mind has been conditioned  for centuries to think in terms of what benefit it will get directly or indirectly and suddenly asking it to revert to an unselfish situation will not work so easily .But all said and done this is the only way we can see things for clear as they are and not what we want it to be .

While the entire yoga market is flooded with Books and DVDs related to yoga postures only few are related to practicing yoga beyond the mat and I found the following 2 books very good ( links given above ):

1) Bringing Yoga to Life : The Everyday practice of Enlightened Living by Donna Farhi 

 2) Living your Yoga : Finding the Spiritual in Everyday Life by Judith Lasater

Both Donna Farhi and Judith Lasater are seasoned yoga practitioners and teachers and have a rich experience of  not only yoga in general but life itself in particular and the wisdom accumulated by them in their many years of teaching yoga to people from various walks of life in various countries world over  are very much reflected in both these books and  I suggest every serious Yoga practitioner / teacher  to have these books as a guiding tool in their yoga journey as many of the tricky situations we encounter in our yogic life either as a practitioner / teacher have been already encountered by them before and they have given their own insights as to how they have handled them .

50) For Doing Yoga Podcast . 

These days audio and video podcasts are very common especially in the yoga community and it is easier for teachers to make available on the web audio / video podcasts to their students world wide and I too intend to do the same and have the following excellent book called Podcast Solutions by Michael Geoghegan and Dan Klass  as a good starting point for people to start their podcasting journey .

Podcast Solutions: The Complete Guide to Audio and Video Podcasting, Second Edition , by
Michael Geoghegan , Dan Klass
Product Description

Written by two of the best and brightest podcasting pioneers, Podcast Solutions: The Complete Guide to Audio and Video Podcasting, Second Edition is a comprehensive and perceptive guide to all things podcasting. From downloading podcasts to producing your own for fun or profit, Podcast Solutions covers the entire world of podcasting with insight, humor, and the unmatched wisdom of experience.

Big-name companies and podcasters throughout the United States and thousands of faithful listeners around the world will tell you that Michael W. Geoghegan ("Reel Reviews-Films Worth Watching" and GigaVox Media) and Dan Klass ("The Bitterest Pill" and JacketMedia.com) know how to put together compelling and engaging shows that people come back to week after week. These two pros will guide you through everything including developing your raw podcast ideas to selecting equipment, creating your podcast (including incorporating music, professional production techniques, and audio- and video-editing secrets), and mobilizing and growing an audience.

Plenty has changed since the best-selling first edition of this book, and Michael and Dan bring you all the latest and greatest information on production, distribution, and marketing from the world of audio and video podcasting. Nearly 50 pages of new material and hundreds of updates make this the most complete and up-to-date book on podcasting imaginable.

Between Michael's uncanny business and marketing sense and Dan's nearly two decades in the entertainment industry, these authors have the experience to back up their advice on what it takes to elevate your podcast to a professional level. Podcast Solutions gives you not only what youll need to know about podcasting but also the insiders view on the business of new-media production and marketing.

Whether you want to use podcasting to inform, educate, entertain, or inspire, whether you are a complete novice or an experienced professional, Podcast Solutions is the guide you need.

In this book you'll learn:

    * How to find and download audio and video podcasts to your computer or portable media player
    * How to develop, format, produce, edit, encode, and upload your audio or video podcast, including in-depth information on using music legally
    * How to set up an effective audio studio, including the complete and updated "The podcast studio buyers guide"
    * How to create great video, including tricks of the trade such as the law of thirds, the line, and the three-point light technique, as well as tips on casting, locations, scheduling, and more
    * How people are marketing and making money through podcasting in the era of Web 2.0

About the Author

Michael is a well know figure among podcasters and has been involved in podcasting since it earliest days. Because he started early, he has developed personal friendships with most of the key figures in podcasting. Michael is scheduled to speak and lead sessions at the upcoming Podcast and Portable Media Expo. He was also the first person to lead introductory podcasting classes entitled "Podcasting 101". Michael is frequently sought for comment on podcasting by media sources such as CNN, Wired magazine, The New York Times and USA Today among many others.

Michael currently produces his own show Reel Reviews &emdash; Film Worth Watching which has consistently scored in the top ten among podcast listeners. He recently syndicated Reel Reviews content to DVDtalk.com, the Internet's largest DVD movie review and discussion site. Reel Reviews also currently has paid sponsors. Michael's sponsorship deals represent some of the first for mainstream companies outside the podcasting industry.

In addition to Reel Reviews, Michael is executive producer of Grape Radio, a show about wine that in less than 8 weeks time places in the top ten out of over 4000 available podcast shows. Grape Radio has experienced phenomenal growth and features interviews with leading experts in the wine industry. Michael continues to develop and produce shows aimed at the lifestyle and technology markets. He also offers his services as a consultant to business developing podcasting and portable media strategies.

Michael is widely regarded as a leader in producing quality podcast audio. Many of his online articles on how-to podcast remain some of the most popular and widely linked to.

Michael lives in Newport Beach, CA with his wife and two young sons.

Klass has worked professionally as an actor and comedian for more than fifteen years, appearing in sitcoms, TV dramas and feature films while performing in venues throughout Los Angeles, including appearing regularly at the world famous The Comedy Store. Recently was the creator/writer/producer/star of NewsPop, an animated series for a joint internet venture between Steven Speilberg's DreamWorks SKG and Ron Howard's Imagine Entertainment.

Throughout his career, Dan Klass has worked as an advertising copywriter, written magazine articles, and worked with developers of interactive video systems for the toy industry.

Klass is currently devoting most of his time to his podcasts, the weekly Old Wave Radio, a retro-80's music show, and the much acclaimed twice-weekly The Bitterest Pill, a comedy/talk show that revolves around his musings as a stay-at-home dad on the outskirts of the entertainment industry. The Bitterest Pill has been featured on NBC, NPR and in USAToday.com and the Christian Science Monitor.

Klass lives in Los Angeles with his wife, two kids and two Macs.