Being a science student and yoga geek myself, I *really* wish that authors claiming to present a "science" based perspective adjust their language to be a bit less fundamentalist and a bit more, can I say, humble? For example, this author says (regarding e=mc^2): "This shows, that in fact, all matter is energy." Not true in all scales of perception. It is merely a mathematical approximation of a theoretical phenomenon applicable to quantum scales, where rules are different than macro states, and few scientists would boldly claim that it is a universal "fact" that matter = energy. Moreover mass cannot efficiently be converted to energy, so this "theory" appears to have very little practical application in the context of creating healing energy, i.e. reiki.

And then there are statements such as: "The myofascial system carries signals in the form of tiny electrical light impulses called biophotons (literally meaning biological light) which are said to be the smallest sparks of conscious energy, carrying the very building blocks of life and allows all cells to communicate with one another." Does the author understand the concept of biophoton in the in scientific sense, and how using it inappropriately INCREASES the skepticism against pseudoscience, rather than making an effort to frame the discussion in a more rational way so as to steer clear of such accusations? See for example: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biophoton (scroll to bottom)

And this: "To put it simply, the practitioner acts in the same way as a metal rod conducting electricity or heat energy from source to its destination and throughout." lazy analogy! By oversimplifying it like this, we do great disservice to the potentially complex mechanisms that underly actual energy exchange between human beings.

Not saying I know the answer (although I'm definitely a seeker, having studied physics and yoga), but I get annoyed when writers such as this claim to present a scientific perspective, and fall back into weak explanations with no apparent effort to counter or even level up to rigorous scientific analysis. Stop being a sheep and start owning and refining your knowledge before sharing!
finally, this: http://allpoetry.com/So-You-Want-To-Be-A-Writer

Curious as to why you didn't mention Asafoetida. It's ubiquitously used in my family's cuisine to minimize gaseous effect of beans and legumes, and is vata/kapha balancing.

Purely from a writing perspective - what is the connection between the squirrel's broccoli and the acidic harvest in the winter?

I've heard that the heat doesn't affect the muscle fibers and connective tissue closest to the core - therefore, deepening a pose / stretch with the assumption that it is more pliable (which it is, superficially) can be injurious. Any thoughts on this?

Thanks for including point 6 (regular meditation). Pranayama is also an advanced practice for those feeling limited in their asana practice, in addition to practicing and refining yamas and niyamas, and concentration/sensory exercises (pratyahara/dharana), resulting in a finely tuned nervous system that will provide far more body-mind feedback during a subsequent asana practice.

Gabriela, thanks for your comment. It was the realization that I was listening to music EVERYWHERE that sparked the idea to simply stop and see what happens.

I love these little self-experiments! Standing in line at Chipotle, I observed some deaf students place their orders using gestures and decided to do the same myself. It was going great until they added sour cream, and I literally had to clamp up to keep from stopping them...but I maintained my silence. Also, have you tried blindfolding yourself around the house? I barely lasted an hour. PS I'm the Sachin Kandhari from the above trackback!

A true Gnana Yogi

love the list with no proportions / instructions

This sentence really struck me: "If the meals are small, frequent and healthy, the body won’t store any fat from those meals and, in theory, have energy all day and never gain weight." I'm a skinny "vata" dude, and ayurveda (and others) prescribe eating more, and more often. I practice never "feeling hungry" and usually pig out on everything vegetarian and wholesome in sight. Should I be waiting longer in between meals?
(I'm also meditating a lot to eliminate nervous impulses and involuntary movement.)