In a yoga class a few years ago, my teacher read some verses about the power of gratitude. They were timely words for me, because I’d started a simple gratitude journal that same week. Several days before that yoga class, the seventh in a ten-day series of emails about stress management arrived in my inbox. … [Read more…]
Today before yoga class, the lovely yoga instructor who was subbing in the class I attend every Monday asked how my mom is doing. Since she also comes to the class as a student, we’ve chatted often, so she knew about my mom’s medical issues. We chatted briefly about caring for loved ones who are … [Read more…]
If you often feel like you’re dragging through the day, you’d probably like to know how to feel more energetic. If that’s the case, you can practice yoga for energy! Yoga creates harmony between mind, body, and spirit. When you’re tired, there is often an imbalance in at least one of these areas. Why Yoga … [Read more…]
Recently, one of my yoga teachers gave a dharma talk on fear. She described how fear shows up in the body and how spoke about how to overcome fear with yoga. First, we need to understand where fear shows up, she explained. According to my teacher, one of the places we hold fear is the … [Read more…]
Recently, a friend asked me what’s on my bucket list. He began to name some things on his, mostly travel to various places. I couldn’t think of a place I need to see in my lifetime, though there are a few places I’d like to go. Go or not, I’ll be happy. Or not. I no … [Read more…]
I’m curious. What’s your favorite yoga style? And has it changed since you started practicing? With so many yoga styles and even variations within styles, finding your groove may take some time. It’s not even clear what counts as a yoga style and what is more of a whim. At a studio where I practice, … [Read more…]
Last week, I had a dream about yoga pants that turned out to be the sign I was looking for—the sign it was time to publish Yoga Circles. In my yoga pants dream, it was early morning, and I was chatting with a client about a project. After a while, my client suggested we stop talking about … [Read more…]
One of my favorite images is of the Hindu deity Hanuman embracing Lord Rama. The story of Hanuman and his devotion is a powerful legend. As the story goes, Hanuman, son of a monkey (his mom) and Vayu, the Lord of the Winds (his dad), had an impressive skill. As a boy, he could lift the … [Read more…]
On Inauguration Day, just as the new president was about to take the oath of office, I switched off my car radio and entered a wonderful new healing center down the road from my new home. I visited the center this day because my dear yoga teacher, Marla, had invited me to experience her unique … [Read more…]
Among the many ways yoga can change your life is by teaching you how to stay grounded when life tries to topple you over. Like anything worth achieving, it takes trial and error, failure and practice to master this skill. Why is it important to get grounded? Things change all the time. The unexpected happens … [Read more…]