Life is Yoga: December 2010: A Note On OM
How I started teaching Let me just say that I love to OM. This was not always the case; in fact I never closed yoga practice with an OM as a new teacher. When I first started teaching, I honestly didn’t know a lot about the tradition of the practice. I started teaching because my […]
Life is Yoga: November 2010: Gratitude
I have been thinking a lot about the concept of gratitude. I think that many of us believe that the state of gratitude involves feeling happy all the time. Nothing could be further from the truth. I believe it is possible to practice gratitude while still slipping into frustration, sadness, and overstimulation. Gratitude is really […]
Life is Yoga: September 2010: The Unofficial Learning Month
Do we ever stop learning new things? Or maybe the question should be: should we stop learning? September seems to be the unofficial learning month. Most of us went back to school in September when we were kids and young adults. As some of you know, my kids are home-schooled, but it still feels like […]
Life is Yoga: July 2010: Finding Center
I have just completed another teacher training program. It is truly a humbling and gratifying experience to watch people transform into teachers seemingly before my eyes. Participating in teacher training is like one long yoga practice. There is stumbling, loss of breath, then steadiness returns. There are moments of such intensity that the will is […]
Life is Yoga: June 2010: Inspiration
When was the last time you were inspired? How many people do you know that inspire you on a regular basis? What is inspiration anyway? These are questions I ask myself regularly. Why? Because in my mind, inspiration is what makes us better. Here are some definitions of inspiration: The drawing of air into the […]
Life is Yoga: May 2010: Language
I have been thinking a lot about language lately. During teacher training, we talk not just about cuing asana but about the way that we communicate with the world in general. In my mind, intention comes first and the words come second. The eight-limb path of Patanjali gives eight precepts or ethical guidelines for living […]
Life is Yoga: April 2010
Spring is a good time to be thinking about clearing out old stuff. This can be literal like your closet, or more figurative like the baggage you carry around in your body and mind. In yogic philosophy, there is a concept called avidya. Avidya loosely translates as “incorrect perception” or “misunderstanding.” One result of avidya is samskara, […]
Life is Yoga: March 2010: Do More Good than Harm
I am reading a wonderful book by Zoe Weil called Most Good Least Harm. The premise is obvious but the content is not. What I have taken away from it so far is that there are so many ways to do good in this world. We all have a composite image of a “do gooder” in […]
Life is Yoga: January 2010: Yoga Citta Vrtti Nirodha
When considering the pose of the month, hanumanasana (please see thePose of the Month column), I couldn’t help but see the metaphors, the comparisons, and examples for everyday life. So much of yoga is lost when it is isolated to the mat. So much is gained when the experiences and lessons we learn on the […]
Life is Yoga: December 2009: Citta Vrtti Nirodha
Many yogis consider Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras to be the heart of yogic philosophy. The sutras are like a guide to the practice of yoga through short sentences called sutras. The second sutra is the definition of yoga—Yoga is the effort towards steadiness of mind: notice the word ‘effort.’ Another of my favorite quotes about ‘effort’ is […]
