Author: Sonia Allen-Wall
The Universalist
Recently, I had to fill in a census, and at the end of it, it asked for my religion. I could not say ‘no religion’ and I could not say ‘all religions’ so I put down ‘universalist’. The first time I heard this term was when my my first teacher Sri Paul was explaining his… Read more »
Where have all the dinosaurs gone?
Q. Where have all the dinosaurs gone?A .They’re still here! Albert Einstein said that energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be changed from one form into another. Swamiji Gitananda said, just having a human body does not make you human; there are many walking around in human bodies that aren’t really human… Read more »
When the student becomes the teacher…
‘I’m not very happy in my job and want to do something else. I’m very flexible – maybe I’ll try to be a yoga teacher’. Back in the day, it was the teacher who suggested to the appropriate student that they should study to become a yoga teacher; it was a process of recommendation,… Read more »
Eye-engar! Eye Yoga
A recent article in British Vogue stated: “The latest wellness trend is eye yoga and is quick, effective, and you don’t have to leave the sofa!” It then goes on to describe our ancient eye practices; part of our classical yoga system. They mention how this practice can strengthen eye muscles, improving instances of eye… Read more »
A tribute to my father
Recently at the end of a Satsang, Swamiji said “meditate on anything that comes up”. Swamiji had mentioned that his Guru, Baba, was ‘big’ on contentment and that word reminded me of my dearest daddy who passed away at the end of last year, at the grand old age of 90. He always used to… Read more »
Touch
I wrote this rambling before the pandemic but for some reason just kept it back! TOUCH, to me, is to feel, to connect, to make contact… and in the subtle sense… it is YOGA, after all Yoga means UNION! It was late afternoon, she took her seat on the crowded train, and nodded a greeting… Read more »
An Alien Perspective…
Humans land upon the moon They look around and start to swoon Wow! There are strange looking rocks wherever they roam Let’s dig some of them up and take them home. They returned to earth, and in a special box Display to all the barren rocks Everyone came to stand and stare All desiring what… Read more »
The source is the same whatever the name
When I was young I always had an interest in different religions and ideas; Philosophy surrounding the ideas of life and death in the universe. My mother used to ask, ‘what is it that you’re looking for?’ and I couldn’t really grasp it well enough to say! I was often slated for not sticking to… Read more »
Pumpkin
The veggie box arrived and myself and two-year-old granddaughter opened it excitedly. Oh, her eyes brightened up as she pulled out a beautiful red shiny small pumpkin .”Isn’t that beautiful”, I said, she nodded and hugged the vegetable! Throughout the day the pumpkin and my granddaughter were inseparable! It even had a place at the… Read more »
Pratyhara
Pratyhara means withdrawal of the senses and is the 5th limb of Patanjali’s Yoga sutras, the 8-fold path to Yoga. To quote from Salvatore Zambita’s book The unadorned thread of yoga: Yoga sutras of Patanjali in English (in my opinion …the best!) “The yoga sutras of Patanjali is the central text, the core of practical… Read more »
Recent Comments