Spring Awakening
There is no better time to awaken your faith than now. It is not just the fearless crocus breaking through the frigid soil, nor Jesus on the back of the mule riding into the city where death awaits him, nor the decision of our 30 something friends Peter and Ruth …
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The Power of Modern Day Tapas
Amidst news of political, economic and social upheaval lately, it was astonishing to bear witness to the courage of Cory Booker on the Senate floor one week ago. Talk about standing up for what is right! His record shattering ultramarathon oration was not only a protest against ruinous policies but a call …
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There are Two Sides to Every Story
In our physical structure we live in two very different bodies. And the more time you spend on the mat, stretching, twisting and arching back, the more you realize that your left and right sides not only have different tensions– even different shapes– but have different “personalities.” Hatha Yoga charts …
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We are All Losing It
The further on we go in life, the more we encounter loss. Loss, we mistakenly believe, is a thing to be avoided. When it comes to mind, body and emotions, many of us have been taught since third grade to “hold it all together.” Impossible! How absurd! This would be like …
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Your Signature Self
The biggest hang-up for people on the spiritual path is trying to make themselves better, more fit, more true, more enlightened. On the path, people become like rabbits chasing carrots. They go in circles on the merry-go-round of samsara. After years of thinking you have to be perfect, you finally …
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Yertle the Turtle
Yertle the Turtle is one of my very favorite yoga texts and should be included, I think, alongside the Gita and Yoga Sutras in any yoga training course. Written in 1958 by the wacky and wonderful Theodore Geisel, otherwise known as Dr Seuss, it tells the tale of a machismo …
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Yoga, the King Cobra, and the Great Protector
Yoga and the figure of the cobra have been linked for thousands of years. In fact it is fair to say that yoga (and specifically kundalini yoga) is synonymous with cobra energy. And what does the cobra represent? Power, protection, essential awareness and yes, magic. Like how is it possible …
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Developing a Psychic Shield
For centuries, yoga has detailed strategic ways to practice mind/heart protection. In today’s world, safeguarding your awareness is more needed than ever. Between the perpetual spew on social media, the proliferation of AI, and upheavals taking place socially, politically and environmentally, you need to have a kind of psychic shield. Like a wuxia martial artist —think Crouching Tiger, Hidden …
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Happy Valentine’s Day
And what did the rubies say standing before the juice of pomegranates? – Pablo Neruda This week of love should not demand a lot from you. It does not require that you be good, message everyone in your address book, or march out to save or the world. Stay simple. …
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Unfetter Thyself
“Unfetter thyself” is one of my favorite things to say in class. Partly it just feels nice rolling off the tongue. Partly because it strikes right at the heart of what yoga is about. This month of study and practice we are engaging the yoga bandhas. The concept of bandha …
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