This week, my yoga teacher asked an interesting question. “When you hear the word vulnerability, do you think it’s a good thing or a bad thing?”. Before I go on, let me say it was one of those times when I knew the dharma talk I’d hear that morning would align with why I started … [Read more…]
The chakras system—the energy system of the body—is complex. Experts say we need to work with each of the main chakras carefully. We begin at the base of the spine with the root chakra. Rooting in yoga creates a foundation from which we build stability and strength. From there, we can focus on increasing other … [Read more…]
If you’ve listened to the tunes from the Broadway musical “Hair,” you’ve heard of the Age of Aquarius. At the time, it probably seemed like an imaginary age and a catchy tune. Turns out, the Aquarian Age is a real thing, and it’s probably happening now. What is the Aquarian Age, you ask? Good question! … [Read more…]
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali are sacred verses that teach us why we need yoga and how to practice. First, we’re told to take a seat and listen. We will now learn about yoga. Yoga (or union) is the cessation of the modifications of the mind, specifically five types of thoughts. Patanjali then describes the … [Read more…]
What if the things you dislike most about yourself are your greatest strengths? Crazy idea, isn’t it? Yet this is an idea my yoga teacher put out to us one morning. She was reading a book about shadow work, or more specifically embracing our shadow side. The author suggests we think of our dark sides … [Read more…]
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali—196 verses of yoga wisdom—begins by asking a fundamental question: What is yoga? Well, to be precise, the sutras begin with the sage calling yogis to take their seat. It’s time, he says, for the teachings of yoga. After we (the students) are presumably settled in place, Patanjali explains what we … [Read more…]
A friend of mine recently shared his thoughts on how to make sense of suffering. “I want to believe there’s a reason for suffering,” he said. “But what if there’s not? What if people suffer for no reason?” This friend is a Christian. We are taught to bear our trials the way Jesus did, trusting … [Read more…]
This week, I’ve done my best to avoid the theme of letting go of what doesn’t serve me or making New Year’s Resolutions. But it seems every email, social media update, or blog post I’ve seen in the last several days is about charting a new course in one way or another. So I’ll stop … [Read more…]
In a yoga class one morning, I considered the power of yoga in a new way when my teacher asked what I’d like my yoga superpower to be. Not the kind of question you expect a yoga teacher to ask, though there was a context to the question. Our teacher had just told us about a … [Read more…]
I’m hoping to get a new yoga mat soon. The one is I use daily is getting worn. Also, my knees are getting more sensitive, and it seems they’d benefit from more padding when I practice. I don’t want to simply throw my old mat away, so I started wondering about re-purposing old yoga mats. … [Read more…]