"This book presents a ground-breaking model for scholars to understand the contemporary teaching and practice of yoga"--

From a review in BuddhaDharma magazine: The Heart of the Path is a lengthy teaching on guru yoga by a contemporary exemplar of the practice, Lama Thubten Zopa. A close disciple of Lama Thubten Yeshe for more than three decades, Lama Zopa has taught by word and example the importance and power of properly following a guru. The book is based on several decades of dharma talks organized by editor Ailsa Cameron into twenty-four chapters, beginning with the question of why one needs a teacher to progress along the path. The remaining chapters discuss in considerable detail how to cultivate and practice devotion, and generate the view of one’s own teacher as the Buddha. It concludes with several short guru yoga visualization practices. Throughout the book Lama Zopa offers personal reflections and stories to illustrate his message that guru yoga truly is the heart of the path to liberation. From a review in Tricycle magazine: For those interested in stepping beyond the realm of ideas into the world of practice, the latest book from Tibetan master Lama Zopa Rinpoche is a helpful guide to one important aspect of the spiritual path. The Heart of the Path explains the importance of guru devotion and Zopa's view of the proper way to develop a student-teacher bond. Lama Zopa has had many teachers, but his unwavering devotion to Lama Thubten Yeshe shines through on every page. Drawing on this experience and the Buddha's teachings, Zopa effectively conveys the value of relationships based on Buddhist ideals. From a review in Mandala magazine: Although guru devotion is a foundational concept within Tibetan Buddhist thought, for many it remains a bewildering and impenetrable topic. Fortunately for contemporary practitioners, Lama Zopa Rinpoche has spoken extensively on guru devotion, giving teachings and advice about what it really means to have devotion to one’s spiritual friend. Drawing from nearly fifty teachings, this treasure is the result of seven years of painstaking editing by Ven. Ailsa Cameron. Not only does it include teachings on the traditional sub-topics that fall under guru devotion found in Tsongkhapa’s lam-rim, but also a useful outline to guide your reading, several supplementary prayers and teachings from other renowned Tibetan masters, and inspiring images of Lama Zopa, Lama Yeshe and other amazing teachers peppered throughout. A perusal of this masterful work by Lama Zopa Rinpoche will assuage any doubts about the utility or possibility of “seeing the guru as Buddha.” This book is made possible by kind supporters of the Archive who, like you, appreciate how we make these teachings available in so many ways, including in our website for instant reading, listening or downloading, and as printed and electronic books. Our website offers immediate access to thousands of pages of teachings and hundreds of audio recordings by some of the greatest lamas of our time. Our photo gallery and our ever-popular books are also freely accessible there. Please help us increase our efforts to spread the Dharma for the happiness and benefit of all beings. You can find out more about becoming a supporter of the Archive and see all we have to offer by visiting our website. Thank you so much, and please enjoy this e-book.

Discover the hidden tradition of Tibetan yoga, a practice of magical movement for wellness of body, breath, and mind. In Tibetan Yoga, discover ancient Tibetan yogic practices that integrate body, breath, and mind on the journey to personal cultivation and enlightenment. Tibetan Yoga offers accessible instructions for performing the ancient yogic techniques of Tibet’s Bön religion. This is Tibetan yoga, or trul khor, a deeply authentic yogic practice. Drawing on thirty years of training with Bön’s most senior masters as well as advanced academic study, Dr. Alejandro Chaoul offers expert guidance on practices that were first developed by Bön masters over a millennium ago, framing them according to the needs of contemporary yoga practitioners and meditators. No matter their level of experience, dedicated practitioners of Tibetan yoga will discover its ability to clear away obstacles and give rise to meditative states of mind. In this book you’ll learn what it means to practice for the benefit of all beings, and to experience your body as a mandala, from center to periphery. These movements help you live in a more interconnected mind-breath-body experience, with benefits including: - better focus, - stress reduction, - the elimination of intrusive thoughts, - better sleep, - and general well-being.

Why is the practice guru yoga (union with the nature of the guru) so important? Because with the help of the outer teacher, the inner teacher (the true nature of our own mind) is discovered. This particular guru yoga is called "The Wish-fulfilling Jewel," and it is the outer practice of the guru from the Longchen Nyingtik revelation of Rigdzin Jigme Lingpa. It was during a summer retreat in France in 1984 that Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche gave teachings on this text. This is a new commentary and not a re-edit of teachings in the book The Wish-fulfilling Jewel.

Bikram, the "hot yoga" program, has been heating up the yoga world lately, and its founder probably has something to do with it: The outspoken, dramatic, and always controversial Bikram Choudhury has garnered a lot of attention with his version of hatha yoga that some yogis think unorthodox: In his classes, students are stuck in a room heated to at least 105 degrees doing a structured program of 26 asanas with a sergeant–like instructor––and they love it. Bikram Yoga will emulate that same energy. With his take–no–prisoners philosophy, Bikram describes how the program can reap great medical, physical, and spiritual benefits––the poses work out every part of the body, all of which can help alleviate many common ailments, from asthma to back pain. (Photographs will accompany each pose.) In addition, the book offers the best ways to incorporate eastern philosophy into a western lifestyle and tips on how yoga can cultivate "a union between body and spirit." Simply put, you don't have to meditate passively to reap the benefits of yoga.

The Tibetan Buddhist meditation practice known as Dzogchen is a pragmatic method for getting in touch with the pure, clear awareness that is hidden under our constant flow of anxious thoughts. Dzogchen Essentials makes available the methods to meet and utilize this rich spiritual path. Marcia Binder Schmidt, a long time, close attendant to one of the foremost Dzogchen Masters of the last century, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, has put together the most comprehensive and accessible collection of the essential instructions vital to this subject. She has organized them into a handbook for the genuine trainee of this tradition. The book includes a useful preface an introductory teaching by a leading Dzogchen Master as well as classical and original pieces that impart crucial explanations. This is a book for the layperson as well as the scholar. For centuries, Dzogchen has been a secretly held and privately transmitted teaching, which was unknown beyond the confines of Tibetan culture. But that changed in the final decades of the last century, as many Tibetans saw the long-awaited unfolding of a famous ninth-century prophecy: "When the Dark Age is rampant, the Dzogchen teachings will blaze like wildfire."

From acclaimed yoga teacher Guru Jagat comes a wildly cool, practical, and beautifully illustrated guide to applying the simple and super-effective technology of Kundalini Yoga and Meditation to everyday life, upgrading your "operating system" inside and out. With Invincible Living, Guru Jagat shares a radical way of understanding yoga—not just as something to do in practice, but as a broader principle for living. Candid, encouraging, and irreverent, Guru Jagat shows how Kundalini Yoga—which forgoes complex poses for energy-boosting, breath-driven exercises, quick meditations, and simple poses most of which you can do at your desk—can reset your life and well-being, regardless of your age or background. Designed explicitly for everyday people, not ashram-going or gym-bodied yogis, fast, effective Kundalini techniques can be done anywhere, from the car to the conference room. There’s no need to have a bendy back or toned arms. You don’t even need a mat: just a quiet space to clear your head, and as little as a minute out of your day. From beauty and self-care to work and relationships, Invincible Living tackles both the mind—from mood elevation and stress reduction to renewed mental clarity—and the body—from anti-aging, and increased metabolism to amped up energy. Packed with tips, exercises, and step-by-step instructions and fully photographed and illustrated in Guru Jagat’s fresh, handmade-meets-hipster style, Invincible Living is fresh take on ancient wisdom: a must-have guide for anyone who wants simple, effective, tools for a supercharged life as taught by a uniquely compelling teacher who upends all preconceptions about yoga. Invincible Living includes 100 color photographs and illustrations.

Have you ever thought why every workout you have ever done stopped at the neck? Or wondered why traditional yoga calms the mind, tones the body but forgets the face? Are you looking for a natural way to look and feel younger and healthier? Danielle Collins, TV's Face Yoga Expert, believes we should all have the opportunity to look and feel the very best we can for our age and to care for our face, body and mind using natural and holistic techniques. Her method requires just 5 minutes a day and could not be easier to get started. Integrating practical facial exercises with inspirational lifestyle tips, including diet and skincare, Danielle Collins' Face Yoga is a revolutionary new programme to help you achieve healthier, firmer, glowing skin..

Your ultimate yoga instructor! My Yoga Guru is a revolutionary new approach in health tuition. It offers the expert advice and step-by-step instruction of a fully illustrated book along with a free App that allows you to monitor your progress and access handy visual guides. Each pose is explained with simple-to-follow, step-by-step instructions, which include common mistakes and related activities that will help you hone perfect technique and develop advanced skills. The FREE APP* is a key part of the My Guru experience. With it you can access a visual guide to all the My Guru instruction--wherever and whenever you need to. You can also build, adapt and save sessions as well as monitor your progress. Wherever you are, your Yoga Guru is there for you! *The My Yoga Guru App is for iPad and iPhone.