Good Sanskrit Pronunciation vs Chanting from Your Heart Questioner: Dear Manorama, We met in January 2015, for a Sanskrit workshop. I am teaching an “introduction to yoga” class in which…

In the Luminous Soul Method, we begin by asking the student to get curious about What is prana? Simply put prana means breath, life force and energy. But understanding prana…

You are beautiful. You are powerful. You are free. You are a Luminous Soul. ~ Manorama Once when I was working with a private student in NYC I noticed that she…

The Conversation is a quaterly blog series devoted to the dialog between Yogis & Artists By Manorama An interview with my brother, Artist, Carl D’Alvia, acclaimed sculptor, & Rome prize winner on Art…

Many students ask me, “How can I work with Mantra Yoga and Nadam in my practice?” Mantra Yoga and Nadam is such a vast, huge, rich subject. It is the…

When I first heard about meditation, I liked the idea of it. “Feel at peace through all of your experiences” was the promise echoed on almost every flier in every…

According to Lord Patanjali the obstacles to experiencing yoga are: Confusion, egoism, depression, physical pain, lethargy, exhaustion, skepticism, a lack of interest, over attachment to sensuality, delusional perception, failure to…

Do I Derive the Benefit of a Mantra Even if I don’t Pronounce it Properly? I’ve been asked this question many times over the past 25 years: “Do I derive…

Sanskrit and the Jivanmuktas: Is there a language where spiritual light reflects through sound, grammar and communication? Yes, it’s called Sanskrit. How cool is that? Mantras are realized sounds of…

Honesty First: The best-kept secret in Yoga is that no one likes meditation. I know it sounds shocking, but it’s the truth. If as you read this you are saying…

“You’re getting very good with those movements, your lines are fluid, you should start performing soon,” she said.” “Nah…I just like the way dancing makes me feel,” I replied, “I…

I recently taught a very special 1-day teleclass on the Gayatri Mantra. The Gayatri mantra is a powerful tool for helping us come into greater contact with our Soul, with…

Hi Everyone, This month in the Luminous Soul teleclasses we’ve been speaking a lot about fear in meditation, what this means, how to practice with this and much more. Last…

We are all energy moving through form, we just don’t know it yet. ~ Manorama What is the gift of your life? … The people I admire the most always…

Agni literally means fire and is the first word laid down in the Rg Veda, the oldest extant of Sanskrit writings. There is a sacred fire practice that yogis engage…

Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson Patience is an awesome thing to have. ~ Manorama I was reflecting today about how in my…

Rishis of old, speak of the mystical sound that lies within every manifest being. In Sanskrit, this sound is called OM or Nadam. It is the sound of silence and…

Pause and consider the principle of Nadam. Read from the book ‘Nada Yoga’, by Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati** 3 x’s each week Meditate for 8 minutes. Watch your body and mind….

Interview with Manorama by Lisa Dawn Angerame For Yoga City NYC, March 2013 It is said that the trinity of the Goddess, devi, is represented by Saraswati, Lakshmi and Durga….