In the Yoga sutras, Patanjali talks about the 5 steps, or 5 qualities to enlightenment.

In the sutras, Patanjali very skillfully outlines what it takes to set yourself up for a successful practice and gives us amazing tools on how to live a happier life.  “All future suffering can be avoided.”

So this is part two, in a five part series.

In the Yoga sutras, Patanjali talks about the 5 steps, or 5 qualities to enlightenment.  He basically says, "Look guys. There are only a few of us born to this world gifted and "enlightened. The rest of us need to get to work and here is how.

So this is part one, in a five part series.

Enjoy!

Aaron

Aaron Star created Hot Nude Yoga in 2001 in New York. In 2011 he is leading his final  HNY Retreat at Easton Mountain; he talks about his experiences with HNY and tells us about his new retreat center in Costa Rica: Blue Osa.

Hosted by Harry Faddis

Aaron Star the brainchild of Hot Nude Yoga now lives in Costa Rica full time at his Yoga Retreat, Blue Osa Yoga Retreat and Spa.

Aaron believes in spreading the benefits of yoga while simultaneously providing a space for men to realize the possibilities of Tantra, and discover and nourish their own sensuality and sexuality.  Aaron has shown many students how to fine tune their senses to experience that sublime erotic flow within them and its subtle energetic current while cultivating a deeper awareness of their own Inner Sanctuary. He introduces people to the principles of Alignment while teaching people how to touch and promote harmony in yourself and others.

Links:
www.blueosa.com

This is a FREE download from HNY.

Part Three of a three part documentary series titled, "Unleashing the Power of Chanting and the Voices of Hot Nude Yoga. "

In producing this series, my hope is that you can experience my own passion with chanting and song, and be able to experience the energy with the men who share their voices in song.

This is a FREE download from HNY.

Part Two of a three part documentary series titled, "Why Do We Chant? The Voices of Hot Nude Yoga.  Part 2"

In producing this series, my hope is that you can experience my own passion with chanting and song, and be able to experience the energy with the men who share their voices in song.

In this particular episode, I interview an Indian man who taught me in India.

 

This is a FREE download from HNY. Part One of a three part documentary series titled, "Why Do We Chant?" In producing this series, my hope is that you can experience my own passion with chanting and song, and be able to experience the energy with the men who share their voices in song.

In this podcast, recorded on a retreat in New Mexico, we speak about the apsects of faith, strength and prayer in yoga practice and how to cultivate your own sense of determination.

 

How deep must we go in our yoga practice?  This question is always at the forefront of every students mind when they hit the yoga mat.  So many students always come up to me and ask this question.  How deep must we go?

The real question that must be asked, "Have you arrived?"  "Have I arrived?"

And then,  what are you arriving to?

As many longtime yogis can attest, asana practice provides a gentle, natural means of supporting the immune system on a day-to-day basis—no matter how hectic your schedule might be. Yoga helps lower stress hormones that compromise the immune system, while also conditioning the lungs and respiratory tract, stimulating the lymphatic system to oust toxins from the body, and bringing oxygenated blood to the various organs to ensure their optimal function.

This two-part series with Darren Main explores the different aspects of the immune system, how it can function because of yoga, and what yoga postures will help your immune system to thrive.

As many longtime yogis can attest, asana practice provides a gentle, natural means of supporting the immune system on a day-to-day basis—no matter how hectic your schedule might be. Yoga helps lower stress hormones that compromise the immune system, while also conditioning the lungs and respiratory tract, stimulating the lymphatic system to oust toxins from the body, and bringing oxygenated blood to the various organs to ensure their optimal function.

This two-part series with Darren Main explores the different aspects of the immune system, how it can function because of yoga, and what yoga postures will help your immune system to thrive.

This podcast goes into the part of yoga that helps you to overcome your obstacles in life.   You will find out how to begin to manage your unconscious desires and how to redirect yourself towards your higher goals in life.

 

For more information, please join us on one of our retreats to study with Aaron Star.

This new podcast with Aaron Star who is interviewed by Alex, a student doing a reasearch paper on Hot Nude Yoga and the Nude Yoga phenomena.   This frank and very open discussion looks at issues of sexuality, sex and yoga, Tantra, nudity in and out of Hot Nude Yoga, and how to live a life that treads towards on the path of enlightenment.

This conversation we recorded while I was at Blue Osa Yoga Retreat and Spa.

The following podcast is a talk I gave on "How to Pray?" In these times of uncertainty, our prayers can help to guide us and give us strength, and they can also steer us away from the path we are meant to be treading, giving us no sense of peace at all.

In this Podcast, you will find out how the sages teach us to pray and how to thrive spiritually in life.

May these teachings inspire us all.

Namaste

The fast track to enlightment is clearly outlined in the Yoga Sutras, but is often misunderstood.

This podcast is from a talk I gave in Costa Rica. Includes the theory and practice.  May it help those sincere seekers along their journey.

Namaste

Aaron

The following chant is not so much of a chant as it is a prayer, and is a powerful one.  We move ourselves from being ego centered, to God centered. We move our awareness from want and desire to our highpath.

Translation
Lead me from the unreal to the Real

Lead me from the darkness to the Light

Lead me from the temporary to the Eternal

The Chant/Prayer
(Om Asatoma) Asatoma Sat Gamaya Tamasoma Jyotir Gamaya Mrityorma Anritam Gamaya

Unreal = untruth; only relatively real; that which is merely manifest out of something else, such as the pot manifesting out of the clay; the aspects of ourselves that are really false identities appearing to be who we are.
Real = truth; that unchanging reality, like the clay, out of which everything else manifests; the true Self, the core of our being.

Darkness = the darkness of ignorance, of not seeing either the world or ourselves clearly; stemming from the process of ignoring, which is inherent in ignorance.
Light = the light of knowledge, of seeing clearly the true spiritual nature of things and ourselves.

Temporary = that which is mortal, subject to death, decay, and decomposition; our surface identities.
Eternal = that which is not subject to death, decay, or decomposition; the immortal core of our being.

Click here to listen now! >>

Who are Aaron Star's parents? This is a question I often get asked a lot. So to help remedy the situation, I decided to interview them for you.  As far as interviews go, this one was probably the most interesting to date, because even though they are my parents, I did know what some of the answers were going to be. So it was as revealing to me, as it will be to you. To read more about my relationship with my mother, please visit the "Mother Star" series in the HNY ARTICLE section. (Click here to read more. You should also be logged in to read ALL of the entries.)

This is the sound only from our Hot Nude Yoga Documentary. Please go to our store to see the full box set collection of Hot Nude Yoga Coming Out In Hawaii!
What is Hot Nude Yoga all about?

While nudist colonies are nothing new, experiencing Hot Nude Yoga for the first time is. Lead by Hot Nude Yoga founder Aaron Star, the "Coming Out In Hawaii" Box Set is an exploration of the pleasure and trepidation of practicing Hot Nude Yoga. It features a complete collection of Yoga and Tantric touch sessions that can be practiced alone or with friends.

The retreat begins with Coming Out In Hawaii, a documentary which explores the who and why of Hot Nude Yoga; from taking that first bold step of exposing oneself to ultimately feeling completely secure in a room full of like-minded men. These life altering experiences, and many other intertwining aspects of Hot Nude Yoga, are explored by participants in candid moments, interviews and group discussions about Hot Nude Yoga and its deep impact upon participant's lives.

I had the pleasure of meeting Derrick in France last summer, when he came to our France Retreat, hosted by Fred and Luis in the beautiful Chateau.  Derrick offers incredible insight into the practice of yoga HNY, what it is like to be in a relationship, while being an active participant of HNY, and how Hot Nude Yoga has helped him to be more comfortable in his own skin.

When logged in at Hot Nude Yoga, Derrick's user name is derrickb

In this two part Podcast Series, I am speaking with Loren Johnson, the creator of Tantric Yoga and Sexual Kung Fu for Men.

In Part Two, we discuss the different paths of Tantra and what they offer.

To read more about and Raw Tantra, please visit  rawtantra.com for more information.

Loren's DVD's are available at TLA Video. >>

In this two part Podcast Series, I am speaking with Loren Johnson, the creator of Tantric Yoga and Sexual Kung Fu for Men.

In Part One, we discuss Loren, his past and the power of awakening sexual energy.


More About Loren

As a wellness professional, one observation that became increasingly apparent was that nearly all of Loren's male clientele has various issues with the sexual organs and or sexual energy.  Loren knew that there was a lack of male enhancement exercises available.  Thus began his ardent search for yogic methodology that addresses this reality which brought Loren to read the Healing Tao books like Multi Orgasmic Man and Sexual Reflexology. It was clear that in order to properly teach the practices laid out in the Healing Tao series, training with and becoming certified through author and Taoist Master Mantak Chia was an investment beyond measure.

Please visit rawtantra.com for more information.

Loren's DVD's are available at TLA Video. >>

Chanting is an ancient technique for focusing and uplifting the mind and soul into higher states of consciousness. This chant will help you deeply feel the nurturing, and loving aspect of the Divine.

The Divine Mother awakens our love and compassion from our hearts and souls. The mother and child relationship is the ideal that the devotee aspires to achieve with the Lord. Notwithstanding almost 2000 years of patriarchy and "Heavenly father" dogma permeating the Western/Christian world, it is easy to understand how our emotions and feelings are evoked when the divine is viewed as a mother.

Listen and chant with us now.

Please click here to listen to our Series on Why do we Chant?

Prana, in the Yogic Science, is what gives life  to all things.  Prana is the force of life. In yoga it is everything essential. Without its grace, transformation would literally be impossible.  The science of Prana (Prana Vidya) is the knowledge of awakening the fullest potential of yoga and life.

These teachings and techniques - collected since time immemorial and detailed in the Vedas, Upanishads, Tantras and many other key texts – describe with incredible detail and nuance the hidden keys to happiness, power and success. In the hands of a capable practitioner or teacher they empower us at every level.  They show us how to change the quality of the Pranic (subtle or etheric) body to affect everything from health, to state of mind, to a deepening of spiritual awareness.



The Five Vayus of Prana

Prana is the master form (also known as subtle form) of the Vata dosha. The five divisions or sub-doshas of Prana are known as the Prana Vayus which are as follows:

Prana Vayu - Pran is the vitalizing and internalizing force, located in the head and heart. It is what feeds you and gives you energy and stamina.  If you feel sluggish and exhausted, you could be low in Pran.  The yogi's describe Pran as a soaring eagle.

Nature Upward Flowing
Seat Head Marmas and Heart (to a lesser degree)
Physical Nerves
Aspect Solar, Masculine
Asana related postures: Backbends, Laterals


Apana Vayu - Responsible for the downward movements of prana, elimination of Malas-waste products from the body via the excretory systems, and the lungs. Controls menstruation. Governs Vatas site of accumulation in the large intestine.

Nature Downward Flowing
Seat Abdomen, Base of Spine, Legs and Feet
Physical Bones
Aspect Moon, Feminine
Asana related postures: Forward Bends, Twists, Extensions

Udana Vayu  - Udana is located in the throat and is the ascending force.  It is concerned with speech and the production of sound.   Udana is also responsible for growth and enthusiasm.  Growth of new cells and healing is also governed by Udana.  A more subtle aspect of this type of prana is that it represents the conscious energy required to produce sound, the intention behind the words or noise.

Nature Upward Moving
Seat Marmas on Neck and Throat
Physical Muscles
Asana related postures: Backbends, Twists, Inversion


Samana Vayu  - Responsible for inward movements of Prana such as digestion of food and cellular catabolism (break down and recycling of old cells) and thermo-regulation. A visible source of the Samana current is the Aura. By meditating on Samana Vayu yogis can produce a lively aura.

Nature Inward Movements
Seat Marmas of the Abdomen and Digestive Organs
Physical Adipose Tissue (Fat)
Asana related postures: Forward Bends, Backbends, Twists


Vyana Vayu -  Responsible for outward movements of Prana, extending the muscles and the pumping action of the blood vessels in the arteries. Governs circulation and the skin. This vayu represents the current that Reiki practitioners and hands on healers of all types use for energy medicine.
Nature Outward Moving
Seat Chest, Arm and Hand Marmas
Physical Ligaments
Asana related postures: Backbends, Laterals, Extensions, Inversions

The world of yoga is huge.  Many people often think that yoga stops at Yoga Asana (postures), or rather, they stop growing in their practice once they have perfected their Yoga Asana.  If one were to look further, they would discover that the yoga they learned in the gyms, and even most yoga studios is only a drop of water in the vast ocean of knowledge that is offered in this science.

The sages and yogis dedicated themselves to not only unraveling these ancient mysteries, but how to make these ancient mysteries more accessible to everyone. One of the mysteries that has been revealed is the Koshas.

There are many benefits to learning and understanding the Koshas. Accessing them helps you to thrive at every level of your life. Once you access them also gives you many different views and experiences of the infinite, and the universe of infinite possibilities.

This podcast gives you a glimpse into the first Kosha; the Body.

What is Karma?  How does it apply in our yoga practice?  How do refine our awareness? 

In this Podcast, Aaron answers these questions and more.

Join Aaron Star and Darren Main in this very explicit Podcast as Aaron Interviews Darren on the inner dynamics of Nude Yoga, why we practice it, and much more.

Who is Darren Main? He is a well-known yoga and meditation instructor and author. His books include Yoga and the Path of the Urban Mystic, Spiritual Journeys along the Yellow Brick Road and The Findhorn Book of Meditation. In addition to his writing, he facilitates workshops and gives talks on yoga and modern spirituality throughout the United States and abroad and is the director of the Yoga Tree Teacher Training Program. He currently lives in San Francisco. Books by Darren Main Darren John Main is an internationally known yoga and meditation instructor and author. He facilitates workshops and gives talks on yoga and modern spirituality throughout the United States and abroad. He also runs the Nude Yoga Group in Sanfransisco. He is the author of Spiritual Journeys along the Yellow Brick Road (Findhorn, 2000) and Yoga and the Path of the Urban Mystic (Findhorn, 2002). He lives in California. You can also search for his Podcasts on Itunes. Please search for "Inquire Within" and subscribe for free. With gentle humor and obvious knowledge, Darren Main shares with us his practice and understanding of yoga. He does a beautiful job of interspersing his life experiences with the classical teachings in a way that makes them clear and alive. You will enjoy this book. —Judith Hanson Lasater, Ph.D.

 

In this Podcast, I share a conversation with Adam and Steve about our visions and hopes for our community, Costa Rica and our vision for what we would like to accomplish. 

This Podcast is two years old now, and it was fascinating to listen to it and noticing that our vision is just as powerful and as focused as it was then.

Namaste
Aaron

To get a recent update and see some more pictures, please click here, or visit www.hotnudeyoga.com

JOIN AARON STAR in Costa Rica for the Hot Nude Yoga Retreat in 2010.  Please click here for more information.

While filming our Hawaiian DVD series and documentary, "What is Hot Nude Yoga?"  we had a few group discussions about Hot Nude Yoga, the community, what it means to be apart of Hot Nude Yoga, and where we could go.

While these interviews did not make it to the final cut in the documentary, we added it here to you can hear from students about their thoughts and experiences on the Hawaii retreat.  The also share many other ideas and hopes for Hot Nude Yoga.

Please join us on a future retreat!

Wade Imre Morissette was born in Ottawa, Canada, just minutes before his twin sister Alanis. The twins took to music at an early age; Wade studied piano as a child and took on guitar and djembe in his teens, but their paths diverged when Wade began to study yoga.

During one of Wade's many visits to India, he began to travel on the path of Devotional Yoga and started chanting, a process that stills the mind, dissolves worries, and opens the heart. "It's a natural way to tune into the frequency of love," says Wade.

Already making appearances at yoga conferences, retreats and studios around the world, Wade will tour North America this summer in support of the album. At each performance, he begins with bliss dance and ends with a kirtan. Wade, on guitar and harmonium, sings out a phrase; the audience responds until the musicians and audience mesh. He also performs several of his own songs for those who prefer to listen and observe.

With features in Yoga Journal and Macleans Magazine and appearances on Entertainment Tonight Canada, BCTV and Toronto's Yoga Series, CTV's E Talk Daily Canada, and CBC Radio in Canada, Wade has established himself as a sought-after yoga instructor and talented musician. He has also been covered by the Vancouver Courier, The Province, Globe and Mail, The Sun and Shared Vision in Vancouver, and his music is heard often on SacredSoundsRadio.com

A retreat can teach you much more and in fact, not only will you relax, but you will release layers of cumulated stress, and come back from a retreat with some tools on how to stay more relaxed in your life.

In this Hot Nude Yoga Podcast series, I want to share with you some of what was revealed at the France Retreat, the sense of community that was build, and what the boys of Europe had to say.

This is Part Three.

Click here to read more about our upcoming retreats!

While filming our Hawaiian DVD series and documentary, "What is Hot Nude Yoga?"  we had a few group discussions about Hot Nude Yoga, the community, what it means to be apart of Hot Nude Yoga, and where we could go.

While these interviews did not make it to the final cut in the documentary, we added it here to you can hear from students about their thoughts and experiences on the Hawaii retreat.  The also share many other ideas and hopes for Hot Nude Yoga.

What is the Goal of Yoga?   According to the teachings, we are told the on the path to enlightenment, "All future suffering can (should) be avoided."

But how?

In this three part podcast series, we will look at the goal of yoga, the causes of suffering, and the fastest way to end it.

This is PART TWO.

I had the rare pleasure of interviewing Ramiro Fernandez, a Cuban Native, who has been part of the HNY Community for the past five years.

Ramiro Fernandez was born in Havana to a family involved in the pharmaceutical industry.  He left Cuba in 1960, settling first in Palm Beach County and then in New York, where he was a photography editor at Time Inc. for 25 years.  He was involved in the launches of Entertainment Weekly and People en Español magazines, and worked at Sports Illustrated and People.  As a witness to the revolution in his youth,  Fernandez’s consuming passion has been to build a photography collection that can serve as a testament to the Cuba he remembers.  He began collecting photographs in 1981, and today the collection numbers over 3,000 works.

We discussed his life at people, his experiences in India, and more, his accomplishment in creating this incredible montage of Cuba, but together in a fabulous book titled, "I Was Cuba."  " I Was Cuba" showcases rare images from the nineteenth century through the revolutionary period, exploring the everyday and the eccentric.  Assembled over the past three decades, this never-before-seen collection spanning the 19th century to the post-revolution era is unique for its focus on the unusual and the vernacular.

This book features over 300 of the collection’s most compelling images, exploring a long hidden Cuba and examining the paradoxes of this fascinating island.

Aaron Star is like many other yoga teachers around the world with one big exception. His yoga classes are taught in the nude. His teaching began in New York, but his unique and controversial approach to yoga had landed him international recognition. He travels extensively to major cities around the world and has a whole line of DVDs for men. Please find him on the web at www.hotnudeyoga.com

What is the Goal of Yoga?   According to the teachings, we are told the on the path to enlightenment, "All future suffering can (should) be avoided."

But how?

In this three part podcast series, we will look at the goal of yoga, the causes of suffering, and the fastest way to end it.

This is PART ONE.

A retreat can teach you much more and in fact, not only will you relax, but you will release layers of accumulated stress, and come back from a retreat with some tools on how to stay more relaxed in your life.

In this Hot Nude Yoga Podcast series, I want to share with you some of what was revealed at the France Retreat, the sense of community that was build, and what the boys of Europe had to say.

This is Part Two.

Click here to see Hot Nude Yoga's upcoming retreats, or please visit us on the web at www.hotnudeyoga.com

What is Hula? Why is it taught and why is it past down. There is so little written about this tradition and art, and yet it is such an integral part of the Hawaiian People's tradition and lives.

So enjoy this wonderful podcast and come to Hawaii with HNY to learn the Art of Hula on our next retreat there.

Namaste

Aaron Star

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Over a year ago, I (Aaron Star) took a group of men to the Himalayan Mountains for a trekking Pilgrimage experience in September of 2007.  During the final decent, on the final day, a boulder that was twice the size of a bowling ball hit me in the side of my leg, thus breaking the femur.   At an altitude of 14, 500 feet and a 10 hour walking distance from where we were keeping our vehicles and drivers.

About six weeks later, I interviewed Robert and Brian from the trip, and this is that piece.

This experience not only reshaped me in ways that I still can not convey, but also reshaped the lives of those who came with me and walked with me through this experience. 

For me this experience embodies the best of what Hot Nude Yoga is, what it can be, and what it can offer.  For me, this was an example of Hot Nude Yoga at its finest.  The ability to meet life head on.

To read about this experience, please click here or visit the HNY site at www.hotnudeyoga.com.  Please go to HNY Newsletters, and read, The Eternal Fire: The story of what happened to Aaron Star in India.

To SYNC your IPOD with ITUNES, or download directly from ITUNES, please click here.


A retreat can teach you much more and in fact, not only will you relax, but you will release layers of accumulated stress, and come back from a retreat with some tools on how to stay more relaxed in your life. In this Hot Nude Yoga Podcast series, I want to share with you some of what was revealed at the France Retreat, the sense of community that was build, and what the boys of Europe had to say.

This is Part ONE.