I chose the words in that order purposely. Read teacher of yoga, rather than yoga teacher. The emphasis of that sentence is meant to highlight the teaching and not the yoga. It’s too easy to tune in to all the accoutrements of yoga and equate that with depth. The kind of materialism that pervades Western…
Read MoreWhen you are interested in starting yoga it can feel really intimidating. There are so many beautiful pictures and so many classes to choose from that it can feel overwhelming. Well, this is the perfect place for you to start. These five poses are accessible for everyone. You can get started with a short little…
Read MoreYouth is often full of boundless optimism and unbridled idealism. Innocence is trusting and jubilant and full of life. Experience often breaks hearts and shatters dreams, bursting bubbles of positivity with cold hard reality. Age can bring disillusionment and a feeling of learned helplessness can take over. It can feel like the machinery of existence…
Read MoreIt has taken me nearly two years (way too long by many standards) to write this blog. I have needed all this time to come to the staggering conclusion that K. Pattabhi Jois, who was one of my yoga teachers, sexually assaulted women under the guise of adjustments. This realization has shaken me to the…
Read MoreSo much of the contemporary yoga world is tied to ableism. Young students born with natural physical talent or those with years of dance, gymnastic or other training excel to soaring heights and are lauded as champion teachers. Students of yoga give these yogis talk time and elevate them to a high status based on…
Read More“Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service, not status. Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking…
Read MoreWe need look no further than ourselves to recognize that we live in a fallen world. There is not one human being who is perfect, living in absolute Divine harmony. We all stumble and fall. Our mistakes and our failures have the potential to teach us or to destroy us. If devolve into self-denigration you…
Read MoreFor the last two weeks I’ve been in the Fiji islands. To say it has been a paradise merely scratches the surface of how magical these islands truly are. The weather is sublimely tropical, the water crystal clear and the nature pristine. We traveled by boat, sea plane, helicopter, car and foot. We swam with…
Read MoreEvery day I get at least a few messages from students at all levels of their practice who want to learn how to be more flexible. It’s frustrating to feel like your body is stuck. Whether you’re a long term practitioner who meets a difficult pose or a beginner who doesn’t understand how the body…
Read MoreHave you ever felt caught in the midst of paralyzing fear or panic? I have and it’s not fun. Sometimes the world suddenly starts closing in on me and I lose the ability to breathe, think clearly or even move. I have been trapped on my kitchen floor for minutes (if not hours) in the…
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