How Yoga Sadhana Leads to Mental and Emotional Purification

I recently completed the 4 Months Yogic Studies Course at the Bihar School of Yoga in Munger, India. It was the most challenging and painful experience that I've ever had.

From the moment that I stepped into the ashram something strange started to happen within me. My mind and my emotions became totally out of control.

The Bihar School of Yoga Four Months Yoga Course [Review]

(Updated 2019) In October 2011, after years of waiting for it, my dream finally came true. I joined the Four-Month Yogic Studies Course at the Bihar School of Yoga in Munger, India. I had wished to visit this ashram for such a long time. I actually sent my application two years in advance! Not surprisingly they were not able to process it then. I'm sure they never received such an early application.

Yoga, Volunteer Work, and Tantric Rituals: Rikhiapeeth Ashram Life

If you are interested in yoga and volunteer work in India you might consider visiting Rikhiapeeth, an ashram in the North of India. You will have the opportunity to do Seva, the yoga of selfless service, pretty much all day long, while participating in two powerful yajnas (tantric fire rituals) that last several weeks.

How to Stay Connected with Mobile Internet Using iPhone in Nepal

Updated: Jun 2, 2013.  If you want to travel in Nepal and you want to stay connected at the same time with your family and friends then you can easily get prepaid mobile Internet access on your unlocked iPhone or any other smartphone.

However, if you are planning to stay only in Kathmandu then you might not really need mobile Internet since you can find free wifi in almost every restaurant, bar and guesthouse.

Buddhist Monks Chanting in Monastery Near Big Stupa in Boudhanath, Nepal

Have you ever wonder how a Buddhist monastery looks like? Take a look at this amazing video of some Buddhist Monks chanting sutras at the Tharlam Monastery in Boudhanath, Kathmandu, Nepal near the famous Great Stupa. The vibrations are really powerful.

How to Find Your Purpose in Life: 5 Key Questions

In my previous post "Karma Yoga Lessons from Steve Jobs" I mentioned that the way to find out what our purpose or duty in life is, is to search within and listen to our heart. But, how can we actually do this? A good start is to get to know ourselves better by answering these "5 Key Questions to Find Your Purpose in Life" that I have included below. These questions have helped me to find some direction in my life, specially after I quit my corporate job in Europe.

Karma Yoga Lessons from Steve Jobs

We all know Steve Jobs as a very successful and inspiring entrepreneur but how many of us know him as a Buddhist or a Yogi? I really admire him for everything that he has been able to achieve as an entrepreneur and CEO of Apple, but I never thought that he was involved with any eastern philosophy like Buddhism or Yoga until I read a couple of quotes published by the New York Times blog following the announcement of his resignation from Apple. While I was reading the quotes some of them reminded me of the Karma Yoga philosophy. I shared the quotes on my FB and a friend commented "he was in India before". "I knew it!" I thought right away.

The 10-day Vipassana Meditation Retreat (My Comic Experience)

Think about this. Ten days of silence: no books, no writing, no music, no talking. Ten days of doing nothing but meditation, meditation, and meditation for about TEN hours per day. Isn't that awesome? That's the Vipassana Meditation retreat, a life-changing experience (but it can also be a comic experience. lol).

How Vipassana Meditation Purifies the Mind (Based on Yoga Philosophy)

The Vipassana meditation technique taught by Goenka during the 10-day Vipassana retreat is a simple but powerful technique.  In my opinion, comparing this technique to the teachings of Yoga, and the experiences of the Indian yogis, can help us understand its benefits even better, such as the mental purification. 

My Vipassana Meditation Experience (Observing the Mind's Reactions)

One thing that I love about my experience with the 10-day Vipassana Meditation Course was the opportunity to observe the mind.  I had several different experiences. Some were pleasant, others not so pleasant, but the best was a mental clarity that I'd never experienced before.