Have you ever left a yoga class feeling like you’re floating on a cloud? Even if the feeling isn’t so dramatic, I’m sure you’ve experienced a shift after a yoga class that makes you wonder how yoga and the nervous system are connected. Maybe you go into class feeling anxious and you leave feeling calm. … [Read more…]
I was flipping through channels on TV and came across a psychologist doing an audience Q & A. Someone asked him for tips on better communication with loved ones. The psychologist’s answer was simple (but not easy). “Listen longer than you want to,” he said. Start with Listening I’m often told I’m a good listener. But … [Read more…]
You won’t escape people asking about New Year’s resolutions or intentions for the new year. If you’re like me (I haven’t made New Year’s resolutions in nearly a decade) you may cringe when everyone starts talking about all the ways their lives will be different after January first. You’ve probably noticed most resolutions or intentions … [Read more…]
It would seem at first that being authentic, while a valuable concept, isn’t really a yoga topic. But it’s come up in my yoga classes more than once recently—and I think I know why. I wrote a while ago about one of my teacher’s dharma talks about vulnerability, and how being authentic isn’t possible unless we … [Read more…]
A while back, a member of a social media community I’m part of posted about an interesting dilemma. As an Indian native versed in classical yoga, he was wondering how to expose Westerners to a more authentic experience of yoga. It made me think (again) about whether we are truly practicing yoga, and what we’re … [Read more…]
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, where we can root to rise. Rooting in yoga creates a foundation from which we build stability and strength. From there, … [Read more…]
If you’ve listened to the songs from the Broadway musical “Hair,” you’ve heard of the Age of Aquarius. At the time, it may have sounded 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 … [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…]
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…]