As a devoted yogi with strong Christian roots, I’ve been scolded more than once for practicing yoga. Happily, I’ve found far more support than not among Christians. That’s good, because it turns out there are many yogis in Church history! Of course, most of them aren’t identified that way and would not have thought of … [Read more…]
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…]
My yoga practice has taught me a great deal about overcoming obstacles. It used to be that every one of my emotions was tied to the events of my life. The good things that happened brought joy and happiness. The bad things left me feeling less than, depressed, and victimized. The way I saw it, … [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…]
by Doron Hanoch Before Yogic Breathing: A Young Child Struggles to Breathe It was nighttime. A two-year-old baby could not breathe. He was wheezing and also had a fever. Mom took him to the hospital where he stayed for two months, going through a variety of practices to try and release his air passages. I … [Read more…]
by Dolores Andalkar As a young dancer, I was always intrigued with stretching in class before our dance practice. But more so, the breath. I remember at a very young age enjoying the stretch with breath and feeling that with every breath, I felt at home. My thoughts and worries seemed to be pushed to the back … [Read more…]
by Marla Sacks I took my first yoga class at a groovy New Age health spa many years ago. Afterwards, I felt totally relaxed and at ease. At that point, I was barely taking care of my inner voice. I wasn’t really aware of the turmoil in my mind. I did yoga sporadically at the … [Read more…]