tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88073198488171364962024-03-13T11:22:31.627-07:00medicineYogaJanya Wongsopahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04405612725988210967noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8807319848817136496.post-18155445921873812872010-02-25T16:12:00.000-08:002010-02-25T16:15:54.214-08:00Dear ReadersI know there is a handful of you out there. Please visit my new blog at www.janyawongsopa.wordpress.com.Janya Wongsopahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04405612725988210967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8807319848817136496.post-12241507249017822952010-01-16T16:47:00.000-08:002010-01-22T10:25:14.648-08:00What is Love?One night before going to bed I asked the moon this very large question. I figured that if my inner self knows all the answers then I should not have any problem regurgitating what I know. The moon is the guardian of the night. It connects us to the energetic life which are our memories, thoughts and emotions.I came to realize that I could not put into words what love meant to me. So, I needed a Janya Wongsopahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04405612725988210967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8807319848817136496.post-51038721233740525042010-01-08T12:25:00.000-08:002010-01-08T21:33:32.359-08:00The Meaning of YogaSome teachers say Yoga is a noun. It means union or the state of being. You can't do yoga. You have to be yoga.Some say Yoga is a verb. It's an active state. You have to practice yoga in order to realize its fruit -the state of union.For me, yoga is both. It's the balance state. As Indira Ghandi puts it -"You must learn to be still in the midst of activity and to be vibrantly alive in repose."TheJanya Wongsopahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04405612725988210967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8807319848817136496.post-71288301552116046892010-01-01T10:07:00.000-08:002010-01-07T17:16:36.627-08:002010 for Feminine RevitalizationI celebrated the end of 2009 with an early sleep. On the first morning of 2010 I called my mom and sister in Thailand. 6am in California is 9pm in Bangkok so, I had prepared myself accordingly.During the Christmas I spent time with my partner's family in Canada. The news of the attempted plane bombing on the Christmas day infused our conversations. The question came up was what do the terrorists Janya Wongsopahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04405612725988210967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8807319848817136496.post-44505652684942043362009-12-03T11:43:00.000-08:002009-12-10T10:58:24.430-08:00Emotional EducationI am passionate about yoga and ayurveda. I learn from these ancient sciences what I recognize as the deep truth already existed within me. I've always love to read and when motivated was an accomplished student. But nothing I learned during my school years through countless textbooks helped me navigated through my life challenges of endless emotional turmoils and physical discomfort.Until yoga Janya Wongsopahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04405612725988210967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8807319848817136496.post-63559766946495560352009-11-26T16:00:00.000-08:002009-11-26T16:33:39.357-08:00Thank YouEarly in the morning the sun calls me to riseLate in the evening the moon calls me to restIn all of my days the earth gives me strength and steadinessAnd the air gives me ease and freedomThe water, the plants and the animals serve me and feed meAnd the people nourish and love meHow can I ever thank you enough?I am the daughter of the moon and the starsThe earth is my home and all things are my Janya Wongsopahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04405612725988210967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8807319848817136496.post-41590394892791423072009-11-23T08:28:00.000-08:002009-11-23T14:19:41.753-08:00Giving and ReceivingIt's the Thanksgiving season. As a yoga teacher I have a pleasure of using the Thanksgiving theme to express my feelings about gratitude, giving and receiving with those who show up to my classes all the time and especially at this time of year. "In giving we received." -Mother TheresaGiving and Receiving are the two sides of the same coin. We can't get one without having the other. In every Janya Wongsopahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04405612725988210967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8807319848817136496.post-31691064274698936122009-10-30T11:57:00.000-07:002009-11-13T11:36:28.180-08:00Unconditional LoveLately what has been on my mind is how we treat our body reflects how we treat each other and vice versa. The biggest illusion is that we can be healthy, safe and happy if we reject, destruct and eliminate what appear to be dangerous and life threatening. The natural cycle contains birth, life and death. Our fear of death results in a life full of suffering and the excessive need to produce more Janya Wongsopahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04405612725988210967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8807319848817136496.post-45826623789590130552009-09-08T13:42:00.000-07:002009-09-18T15:07:47.057-07:00Moving into the Fall SeasonIn my recent workshop on Ayurvedic cleanse eight out of nine participants had Vata imbalance. As we move toward the fall season you will notice increased wind, dryness and cold. These attributes are of Vata nature as it is made up of air and ether.Air & ether being two lightest of the five elements they are easily aggravated. Vata is especially heighten during the fall season as well as during Janya Wongsopahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04405612725988210967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8807319848817136496.post-7517471456120316522009-08-23T13:03:00.001-07:002009-08-23T14:47:28.384-07:00Summer UpdatesGreetings! It has been a while since I last blogged. The last two blogs were so effective. Hence, I have cut down on my time spending in the world wide web and more in the world.I am enjoying teaching yoga and giving Ayurvedic consultations more than ever. Sometime I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for having found my dharma or righteous duty. For some of us it takes a while to feel our Janya Wongsopahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04405612725988210967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8807319848817136496.post-33243570496320333632009-04-30T09:08:00.000-07:002009-05-28T21:22:45.945-07:00Calling : Purifying the Heart and Mind with 5 Sense TherapyWhat is the tune of your vibration?Your sense of hearing is the finest sense of all the five senses. It connects to the ether or space element. Your sense of seeing connects to the fire element and allow you to digest what you see culminating into your outer and inner vision or intellectual and spiritual outlook. In a similar fashion, your sense of hearing needs space or stillness in order to Janya Wongsopahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04405612725988210967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8807319848817136496.post-25029379549272617282009-04-17T10:00:00.000-07:002009-05-22T09:27:21.242-07:00Vision : Purifying the Heart and Mind with 5 Sense TherapyWhenever I mention the ayurvedic 5 sense therapy to clients I see their eyes lit up. It sounds like some feel good spa treatment nobody wants to miss. In truth, 5 sense therapy is an active practice and YOU are the practitioner. Your sense of seeing connects to the fire element and allow you to digest what you see culminating into your outer and inner vision or intellectual and spiritual Janya Wongsopahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04405612725988210967noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8807319848817136496.post-58637056964975227182009-04-10T10:13:00.000-07:002009-04-10T14:49:40.233-07:00Clinging (love) vs. LOVETo cling is to desire a different past and a certain outcome for the future.I had a conversation with a dear friend of mine a few days back. We discussed how one could let go of clinging or desires. I know I have to be present. It is missing when I dwell in the past and the future. But how? How can I experience ease and joy of the present moment when I can't pull away from my desire for the past Janya Wongsopahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04405612725988210967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8807319848817136496.post-35802101982458643482009-03-14T16:43:00.000-07:002009-03-28T15:54:12.939-07:00Work to Live or Live to Work?My teaching schedule has (extremely) expanded. I now teach yoga everyday. When I tell people this I get sympathetic comments. Most of us identify work as that which we should not invest more than 8 hours a day 5 days a week on. We need weekends and vacations to bring us back to balance because work is not play nor rest.Fortunately for me, my work is as much a play and rest as it is work. I teach Janya Wongsopahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04405612725988210967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8807319848817136496.post-48989607940628368252009-03-02T10:42:00.000-08:002009-03-02T12:41:18.448-08:00Cultivating SattvaYesterday I bought a magazine called Tathaastu meaning "so be it". It contains the subjects I am fascinating with - ayurveda, herbs, vedic astrology and health spa. In it, an article on ayurveda focuses on the Five elements. Sattva is the quality which accompanies the ether or space element. Ether is the container of all the other four elements - air, fire, water and earth. Everything which Janya Wongsopahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04405612725988210967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8807319848817136496.post-34863912936746800882009-02-20T15:28:00.000-08:002009-02-21T14:38:39.109-08:00Flowing with the Rhythm of LifePerhaps the rhythm of the rain has inspired me. For the last week while we had non-stop rain, I have included drumming as part of my morning meditation. I have a tiny djembe that fits snugly in my lap. Its tones and rhythm created by the movement of my hands and fingers sooth my ears and mesmerize my soul.The sound of rain is deeply ingrained in my consciousness. Growing up in Thailand I Janya Wongsopahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04405612725988210967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8807319848817136496.post-77682879992998561482009-02-10T16:10:00.000-08:002009-02-10T17:55:12.790-08:00Welcoming SpringI have been harvesting oranges, avocados, rosemary and lavender from my backyard. It's truly amazing how many fruits a tree can bear. So, much to my delight I have been sharing them with neighbors, friends and students. After a session of weeding therapy this afternoon I thought a blog therapy was called for. Being a city dweller most of my life I have spent little time tending to the earth. Janya Wongsopahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04405612725988210967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8807319848817136496.post-60644377458901882262009-02-03T18:44:00.000-08:002009-02-05T08:22:34.571-08:00Karma Yoga: Live Responsibly; Take Nothing PersonallyLately this title has been my mantra. As a yoga teacher I have had fear of causing catastrophic disharmony to many people who show up in my classes. People just like me who have many likes and dislikes. And God forbids that it should turn out they don't like me! So, I try to live responsibly. At the least I know I have done my best and there is no regret. Fortunately, yoga has laid out a path forJanya Wongsopahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04405612725988210967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8807319848817136496.post-51980298422875566762009-01-30T10:55:00.000-08:002009-02-06T07:49:02.084-08:00Treating AcneA few of my yoga students have asked me what to do about their troubled skin. Before I learned about ayurveda I too thought that my pimples had nothing to do with my doing - what I ate or exposed my skin to. I blamed it on external factors like bacterial infection or God's punishment! It is true that if you are not taking good care of yourself bad luck easily happens and external invaders can Janya Wongsopahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04405612725988210967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8807319848817136496.post-39961459779316044052009-01-15T16:14:00.000-08:002009-01-15T18:09:40.436-08:00Practicing PauseI feel like I have been in a pause for the last three days. My body has made a strong request for me to pause. Last Saturday I awoke with a sore throat. I knew right away the events and actions I had taken that led me into the state I was. I told myself to stay cool, made a batch of turmeric tea and took off to teach two classes that morning. Afterward I came home with a chill. I went to bed Janya Wongsopahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04405612725988210967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8807319848817136496.post-35519587742833752062009-01-01T09:29:00.000-08:002009-01-03T16:56:43.386-08:00Follow GraceIt is the first day of 2009. Despite the late night New Year celebration I managed to wake up at the regular time and followed my usual morning routine. However, this morning I felt a definite sense of urgency to organize my life. It came with certain clarity and ease. Serendipitously, I bought a beautiful lunar date book yesterday. Written in it read "Cats are the sleepiest of all mammals. They Janya Wongsopahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04405612725988210967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8807319848817136496.post-61479594678316147832008-12-14T09:24:00.001-08:002008-12-18T10:59:59.275-08:00Minding your MoonYesterday Morning I drove to teach my 8am class. For the whole ride I got to enjoy the full, radiant moon smiling brightly to me. My spiritual life began when I first took notice of the deep connection I have with the moon. One tearful night several years back I looked up and there she was sending her divine light my way. I knew then that all would be well. I came to reflect on the reason why I Janya Wongsopahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04405612725988210967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8807319848817136496.post-33600519743896709952008-12-09T16:56:00.000-08:002009-01-04T10:42:54.623-08:00The Seeker does not RestSeeking and unrest seem opposite to yoga. But is it not what we do best while we are here in this human life form? I am an optimist. It is not only OK but essential for my livelihood to participate, struggle, change, learn and evolve.Recently, I picked up a book on Buddhism. Although, raised in a Buddhist country I have found the Buddhist teaching rather dry, rough and even bitter (no gods, Janya Wongsopahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04405612725988210967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8807319848817136496.post-69217646832996643212008-12-04T10:43:00.000-08:002008-12-11T10:06:45.012-08:00Treating Dry Scalp and DandruffIf you have Vata imbalances which means having a high wind or air element in your body most likely you have had or are experiencing dry scalp and or dandruff. This embarrassing deficiency occurs more during the cold seasons and has been with me for years after I moved to the U.S. The dry and cold climate here is an extreme opposite to the hot and humid weather in Thailand where I grew up. ChangesJanya Wongsopahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04405612725988210967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8807319848817136496.post-82596884567358457712008-12-01T14:21:00.000-08:002008-12-08T13:12:51.933-08:00Listen to the TeacherI first taught a Yin yoga class a few months ago subbing for a fellow teacher. I have been regularly attending Yin classes for about two years and took a couple workshops on the subject. I was elated for the opportunity and thoroughly enjoy teaching the class. An injury has led me to experiment with different styles of yoga. At one particularly good yoga class during my teacher training I went soJanya Wongsopahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04405612725988210967noreply@blogger.com0