Changing one’s relationship to digital devices can help bring clarity, increase happiness, and reduce feelings of stress in one’s daily life. In this series we highlight individuals and digital resources from Menla’s extended community that can help anyone mindfully navigate our interconnected, digital world. This week we look at the bookshelf and yoga book recommendations of Nadiya Nottingham.
What is your definition of Yoga?
My personal understanding of Yoga is that it gives me the freedom to allow my personal practice to evolve with my human body and my universal spirit. In other words, my practice is dictated not by some rules carved in stone but by the natural evolution of my life.
What do you love about Yoga?
No matter how out of sorts my body and mind are on any given day, my practice brings me back into my personal source of light. On a practical level Yoga simply helps me move well and stand tall!
Why do you teach Yoga?
There was no other choice for me. Were it not for Yoga, I would have to go live in the forest. Yoga gives me the tools for living in this world and understanding that everything is temporary except the spirit. Sharing the gift of transformation, which I receive with my students, is an outstanding privilege.
Do you have a favorite book on Yoga?
My favorite books are Yoga for Wellness, by Gary Kraftsow, Yoga Anatomy, by Leslie Kaminoff, and Awakening the Spine, by Vanda Scaravelli. The latter has a very complex asana practice, which I do not necessarily advocate; her life views, however, are well rounded, personal, and independent.
This article is excepted from an Integral Institute of Yoga interview from 2018: www.iyiny.org.
“I spent the week in a yoga and meditation retreat. What a beautiful place! High in the Catskills mountains, where you can see the stars at night, and the trees are as high as the sky. The accommodations aren’t luxury, but they were perfect. Everybody is so kind and nice. We got to practice different kinds of yoga, and went to a couple of hikes. I felt happy and relaxed. They also have an amazing spa. How have I never heard of this place before? Now I can not wait to go again!”
Diana R.
“It’s such an amazing and spiritual location–I came back feeling rejuvenated and recharged… It was so very special knowing the place belongs to the Dalai Lama! I loved our room. My favorite things were that there was no TV in the room, the beds were so comfortable, and it was so quiet and relaxing there with the windows opened. The grounds were amazing…”
Magda
“It was a lovely weekend as it always is at Menla! Thank you. It truly is a special place in many ways. The people who work there and run the place really do make the difference, as they are all very nice and kind. I’ve been to other like places where that typically isn’t the case. I realized this past weekend that just being at Menla is simply awesome!”
Sasha Laumeister
MENLA
