The Katonah Magic Square is a map with 9 rooms (see glyph). I use this image bank to orient and situate myself in time and space. Each room is assigned a coded number. All polarities add up to 10 and all trinities add up to 15. BOTTOM – stability, primal 6: Right Foot – risk […]
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Thoughts and teachings from teachers and traditions worldwide.
Widening The Path
Rather than focusing on the need to get from point A to point B, I have been exploring the concept of widening my perspective of the path to allow for more guidance to flow into my life experiences. One of my favorite practices is that of manifesting our dreams and dreaming our world into being. […]
Mirrors of Refinement
Nature has been refining our human form for hundreds of thousands of years, which has led to this exact moment in time. With greater connectivity and availability we have access to see the proportion of our form, to perceive the bigger picture. We are a metaphor of Nature’s processes and inside of us lies the […]
Journey through Katonah Yoga, Third in a Series: The Katonah Yoga Chakras
Using a musical scale: DO – reproductive/endocrine glands RE – adrenal glands MI – spleen/ pancreas Primal Realm: Sex, Money, Food; relates to Fire, Earth, Water FA – thyroid SO – thymus LA – pituitary Communal Realm: Ventilating/articulating system, steering and mirrors; my mirrors have 3 angles of perception: acute, right angle, obtuse TI – […]
Journey through Katonah Yoga, Second in a Series: My Body as My Vehicle
My body is my vehicle, my breath is my fuel, and my vision gives me the ability to read maps to have a transcendental experience. Starting my vehicle with my key in the ignition is a metaphor for lighting my pilot light, my reproductive glands. Hearing an alarm when I get on my seat is […]
Overcoming The Fear Of Meditation
Breathe deeply and exhale slowly is not as easy at it sounds. There was a tingling sensation along the length of my spine and it extended down my arms. My body fidgeted and my lips trembled as I tried to appear calm. My fingers went numb, my heart ached and my mind raced. In the […]
Learning to Breathe Again
Every year around this time, without fail, I feel it. After my annual spring cold, which feels like my body’s way of expelling winter, the first warm days reignite something in my soul. I want to throw on my running sneakers and take off; I want to start working on the vegetable garden, feel the […]
Part Two, Connect with your intuition: Choose your Yantra.
Would you like to connect with your intuition? A great way to access the intuitive faculty is by working with archetypes: myths, dreams, symbols and colors. Here I would like to introduce you to the practice of working with symbols and colors from the tantric tradition of North India, known as Yantra Sadhana (practice). Archetypes […]
Body Current Basics: Embodied Self-Realization
During a time when many are feeling a lack of inner peace and an increase in outer turbulence due to world events, stress-induced illnesses or even chronic pain, it’s more important than ever for each of us to take responsibility in navigating our emotions and reactions from a place of self-compassion and calming clarity. Taking […]
The Journey
Strike up the band, pour the bubbly (Synergy Divine Grape kombucha for me, please), and fire up Twitter … it’s official. I am now a Crone. Nope, I’m not being sarcastic. I’ve sort of been looking forward to entering this final stage of my life ever since I went through chemotherapy and learned that I […]
Meditation 101
I recently spent an entire afternoon watching my grandmother go in on these guandules! I realized she was on a mission when I noticed the bucket next to her rocking chair. We sat for hours as she worked through plant after plant. She must’ve de-seeded like 20 pounds worth. Not once did she complain or […]
Journey through Katonah Yoga, First in a Series: Introduction
Nevine Michaan developed her yoga through 40 years of practice and teaching. When I joined her class for the first time, I quickly felt as if she knew me. She set me up in Bound Angle Pose and assessed my body, reading where I was oriented and what I needed to do to get what […]
Embracing The Darkness
Every conversation starts the same way. ”Hi, how are you doing today?” and without even thinking, the majority of us respond with a generic response “Great, how are you?” and the cycle continues. “Great.” Wait a minute, are we really doing “great?” It’s not in my nature to be anything but positive and supportive, but […]
Receive, Keep, Release
Have you ever noticed how, when a message needs to be delivered to you, the Universe is infinitely clever at finding a way? From overhearing a conversation in line at the grocery store, to a theme that plays on repeat in every yoga class you attend that week, when we are open to receiving, the […]
What would happen?
~Poem~ What would happen..if you just listened Not just listened to what others have to say.. But listened to that voice that speaks from deep inside Not the voice that chatters in your mind’s eye But the voice that calls out from the center of your heart What would happen if you just let go […]
Finding Reassurance Through Art
I use linocut printmaking to find a sense of self-assurance and serenity. What this means to me is ever-changing, but there are a few aspects that remain consistent. There is the pleasure of creating an image that I find beautiful, the gratification of using traditional carving tools to reveal an image in a lino block, […]
Energy Follows Thought, Thought Follows Energy
When our energy is low, we can often feel completely defeated, tired and not really inspired to do much. The majority of our time is spent doing things mindlessly, and we are constantly reminded how there’s not enough time, too much to do, and have little to no energy. It could be a job, a […]
Savasana
In the times when the world seems halted, holding back bated breath on the edge of a darkened dawn, I wish you could preside over a room of resting humans, gentle in form, soft and pristine in their sameness, illuminated by their tender unfolding. When heartmatter has spilled and been strewn about by the invocation […]
Nothing Lasts Forever
“Nothing lasts forever” I overheard my son say to his little sister today. I watched them, noticing the trust in her eyes and the certainty in his. I am grateful for these conversations and have discovered this wisdom in children that might surpass knowledge gained. The little seekers wanted to know more about this phrase […]
Small Moments of Stillness to Carry Me Through the Day…
When I was a single yoga teacher living in a small loft in glorious Golden, Colorado, my daily sitting practice was natural. Then life changed, I became a wife, a mama and suddenly, life did not center around me anymore. It has taken a few years of trial, error, and creativity to discover a stillness […]
Minimal Viable Commitment
We have grand plans. We have dreams. We are ambitious. There are so many things we want to do. At times it has a momentum all of its own, other times we feel more like a deflated balloon than a rocket ship. Reaching our goals, we know, is about sustaining momentum and building good habits. […]
Answers
The Answer waits patiently Covered by doubt, draped in uncertainty, layered with fear It does not push, does not force Simply waits in the knowing that it will be unearthed, discovered It will shine in pure, easeful clarity. An offering A gift that was there all along To search is unnecessary Simply getting quiet enough […]
Looking for Coyotes
One of my favorite places is a piece of land that borders my family’s home in northern Utah. We call it “The Cedars”. To many, it might look like a tangled mass of dead wood, scrubby bushes, and animal bones. To me, it’s a haven of fragrant cedar trees and sagebrush; a sanctuary of desert […]
Art & Yoga: the Quest.
As I have painted and taught others to paint, as I have practiced yoga and taught yoga to others, I have grown to understand the deeper significance of what is in the dark and what is in the light. Through yoga and art, I keep unearthing heartbreak and loss but also heartbeats and life. Through […]
5 Tips to Happiness
1. Get plenty of rest and sleep. 7 hours. And remember that naps are never an indulgence; they are invitations to your immune system. 2. Meditate. Even 5 minutes a day will help you cultivate and sustain the attitudes of your choosing. 3. Surround yourself with people who inspire and uplift you. Stay close and […]
Yawning Yoga: Bedtime Yoga for a Good Night’s Sleep.
Yawning Yoga: Bedtime Yoga for a Good Night’s Sleep Sleep problems are very common among children. In fact, most kids aren’t getting enough sleep at night. With their busy schedules and increased social demands, kids are under more pressure than ever before. When a kid becomes sleep deprived, they are likely to have a hard […]
In The Flow Of The Infinite
The colours of the sky look magnificent this morning Nature’s beauty had been gone from my eyes for too long this time, leaving me doubting if I would see her again Why do the tools of my wellbeing, fall away in desperate times? I feel myself becoming unconscious, old patterns visit me unwantingly I cry […]
Pleasure Over Pressure
When I recently moved to Zürich, I put a lot of pressure on myself to make stuff happen fast. I put pressure on myself to be successful in every aspect of my life right now. I was trying to be superwoman. Simultaneously I was waking up with a headache most days. I tried to work […]
On Breathing Life Into Your Dreams
It’s a consistent statement in Yoga: where you focus grows. In the realization of this truth, may you be set free: the being that you were to get here, has been perfect in every regard. In this very moment no thing is an issue. Every challenge has been a gift. You have created obstacles to […]
Always Stay Curious as a Yoga Teacher….
Authenticity as a yoga teacher can be very challenging, especially when you are first finding your voice. Perhaps you’ve found your voice, yet your teaching style doesn’t resonate with your community. It’s easy to shift into a space where we become almost robot-like, absorbing what we’ve just learned from a popular teacher, repackaging it and […]
Leading With Love
For today, in this moment, I choose love. I choose to feel all four corners of my two feet on the earth, taking purposeful steps along the path of alignment. I choose to walk this path with an open heart and a mind that is infinitely curious. I choose warmth and kindness within myself and […]
Finding Center
Much negativity has arisen this election year and I find the call of practice even more. As I practice, my breath eases, my body warms and slowly, I find THAT calm place, my center. Much like being in the eye of a storm. It is a moving, but still, center. There are many paths to […]
The Knowing
The Knowing So may we, in this life, trust to those elements we have yet to see. May we lean into the wings that surround us, May we know in our deepest knowing that we are not alone that if we fall we will be caught by the invisible web of magnificence we weave every […]
Evolution
Our existence is ever changing. Things that we thought were impossible coming true. People caring more and more for material things rather than each other. Better car, better house, better spouse, then I’ll be happy…. Consuming more, caring less. Our planet heaving, warning us with every passing day that we will be our own demise. […]
Tech Neck
How often do you look down at your beloved phone? Perhaps you are right now! A study showed that on average people look at their phone every six and a half minutes, that’s around 150 times a day. YIKES! And then, how LONG do you get caught looking down in the scrolling game? On average […]
Divine Sisterhood
Now, more than ever, we are being called to stand up, speak our truths and live with compassion, authenticity and fearless hearts. Many of us are feeling a call to live more sustainably and protect the earth, to learn/share integrated practices which help us to live from a place of love and not fear. Our […]
My Heart is Waiting
So often, the doorway to the heart is kept firmly shut. When it becomes stuffy in there, your posture and body language show it; rounded shoulders and a kyphosis in the upper back develops as you try to protect your chest area from vulnerability. Years of repressed raw emotional data and wounded childhood memories, even […]
Stop Feeding Your Fears
Did you know that fear is one of the strongest mapping emotions in the brain. We have approximately 100 billion neurons in the brain mapping to thoughts, behaviors, patterns, and physiology. About five times more of those neurons are allocated to threat detection, or fear, than to seeing things on the bright side. The more […]
On growing where you’re planted
A few months ago, I was meandering over a rugged lava field in Iceland. As I wobbled across the expanse of crumbled grey and black rock, I noticed this tiny fragile flower emerging. Its seed had really landed in a tough place, I thought. But it had light and it had water, and it found […]
Marching Into Disappointment
Gripped by the hands of desire, we often clench onto wishful outcomes. We envision, manifest, and cultivate a microcosm spun out of and around what we want. We have come to believe that if our desires are cultured in the phenomena that positive thinking and manifestation have become, that they must be realised. We consequently […]
A Brief History of My Yoga Practice (Why I Don’t Do Dogma)
My Iyengar teacher told me I was being lazy. My restorative teacher told me I needed to relax. My Yin teacher told me I needed to stretch more. My Forrest yoga teacher told me I needed more strength. My Yoga Works teacher told me anatomical based sequencing was essential. My Vini yoga teacher said anatomy […]
Whispers
what would you do if you knew that it would all be ok? what does that feel like when you close your eyes, sending awareness into the body? can you listen to the simple beat of your heart the in and out of your breath rising and falling continuous ruly repetition guiding you back towards […]
From Movement to Stillness
This morning in meditation, as I tried to tame what the Tibetans refer to as the ‘monkey mind’ what kept popping into my head was these lyrics from a Jack Johnson song: In times like these And times like those What will be will be And so it goes And it always goes On and […]
Nothing Surprising About Our Lower Selves
Had a dream last night with my father in it. I was listening to a lecture of his on a cassette tape and remembered how surprising his conclusions always were. I thought to myself ‘wow’ this is what an awakened person sounds like… When I woke up I remembered that when the Gods speak through […]
Just Be
Be love. Be the Ground. Be the waves in between the shore and the eternal ocean. Trust that the movement , flow, and abyss are the meat of a full life. If not for the down slides, the darkness, the work, you’d never have distance to see the light, the upside, the opening. Be Trust. […]
What is left to learn?
One day the thread holding taut doubt thins and you proliferate freedom like the seed head of the dandelion, scattering and sharing. Photo Credit(s): Jon Sullivan
Can’t is a lie
Can’t is, more often than not, an excuse. There are a multitude of reasons why we don’t simply say, “No” or “I don’t want to.” Fear is a substantial reason. Fear of failing succeeding rejection losing raising the expectations judgment repeating past hurts. Fear is paralyzing because it makes us vulnerable, what often we equate […]
God Delivered with Buttered Watermelon
After my mom died, a neighbor convinced my dad to send me to a Bible camp. We’re not religious. At Bible camp, I spent the first few days eating lunch in the bathroom, sulking, and texting my friends SOS messages. During quiet hour, most girls stayed near the cabin, while I slid my phone, the […]
Blissful Balance
As yoga teachers and practitioners, we sometimes walk a fine line when balancing in our roles as teachers, students, and in our personal lives. My favorite definition of Yoga, shared with us by the late T.K.V Desikachar, is “to attain what was previously unattainable.” I’d like to offer this as a starting point in terms […]
Miraculous You
You are a child of the universe. of stardust + planets. of moonshine + rain. You are AMAZING! Beautiful. Miraculous. Light-filled. Loving + Lovable. You are wise. creative. generous. luminous. compassionate + kind. Do you remember? This is who you are. You came with a purpose for your life. an incredible PLAN. You are meant […]
I Choose This
I once wrote these words to my teacher: “I’m addicted to love.” “No,” she responded, “you’re addicted to pain.” And now, so clearly, I see it. I keep making the same choices. I have a type: the “unavailable jerk.” He’s not interested in a relationship. He doesn’t ever text me to say, “How was your […]
How Nature Summons The Void
Meditation begins as a micro experience of self-awareness before expanding toward a higher state of cosmic consciousness. When we are disconnected from nature, however, the expansion of our practice can become stagnant—it is often a struggle just to sit and breathe. The opportunity to marinate in fresh air and pristine surroundings creates a direct line […]
Willing To Risk
We have to be willing to give it all up What we think it is supposed to look like What we think we are supposed to do Shifting back to how it is that we really want to feel What if You trusted yourself completely What if You knew you could not fail What if […]
5 Tips to Design your Personal Meditation Practice
We often discuss different ways to meditate as well as the numerous and varied benefits, but how do we take all of that useful information and apply it to our daily lives? The answer is going to be different for everyone, but here are 5 tips to get you moving in the right direction towards […]
Our Lineage
I look into the mirror and trace lines of my ancestry; my jaw holds words unspoken from the mouth of my mother and her mother and her mother before, words that are wild and reckless and mighty. I open my jaw as if to unearth, to shake and dust the dirt off used to bury […]
Two Voices
As I sit down to write I hear two voices. They are both mine but decidedly different. The first knows I have something to share. She is truth teller, the one with third-eye intuition who speaks so elegantly from her heart when she teaches, so precise and honest with what she says. She moves mountains, […]
Simple Spirituality
You may not know or you may have forgotten, but YOU get to design your life. Every aspect. No need to live on autopilot or in la-la land. So let’s go there. Let’s talk about spirituality. Not religion, not woo-woo magic, but about simple rituals that connect you to yourself. Remembering yourself. Bringing presence. Being […]
Your Brain // Neuroplasticity
Did you know that when you are awake you have enough energy buzzing in your brain to power a light bulb? That’s around 10 to 33 watts. Our body is an electrical miracle! It’s a delicate and complicated machine. Our brain is the intricate operating center for the nervous system, which is continually collecting data […]
On the Beauty of Time
As a child I followed my father around his land, memorizing the scientific names of the plants he catalogued like notes from a flute. He cultivated the earth to observe the tendencies of living things. He patiently waited for trees to develop into shade-giving giants, and experimented with leaves and a palette of flowers; fruit, […]
A Prayer for Guidance
Trust your heart, dear friend It will not lead you astray Open to the gentle guidance of your spirit and breathe into the courage that will allow you to follow the path it so gracefully offers With practice, your choices will fill with the ease and softness of deep, inner knowing and your actions will […]
Neurosculpting Brain Training 5 Simple Steps
We have all heard of the many benefits yoga provides our brain and body. Research is now available on the benefits of the meditation portion of yoga. Neurosculpting® brain training is a cutting-edge meditation modality integrating mindfulness and neuroscience into a simple five-step whole brain approach to transform limiting beliefs into unlimited potential. I have […]
I Can See Clearly Now
As I reflect on my experience as a mother for almost a decade now (gasp!), I look back on one of my most pivotal parenting moments that set me on the path to greater clarity in my life. This moment I speak of occurred when Eli was around 2 or 3 years old. I decided […]
The Grace of Spiritual Leadership
Precious revelation of spiritual leadership came to me on the yoga mat. Running a small yoga studio and teaching many classes each week while moving through the ending of my marriage had been both profoundly challenging and deeply healing. One evening after class a student quietly approached me to say, “I know this has been […]
The Road Back Home
There is so much freedom in letting go, in cultivating the garden of our own inner truth, honoring the wisdom of the seeds planted, the journey we’ve been on for quite some time but then challenges arise necessary challenges that test our resolve, that bring up fundamental fear; fear that highlights the tender wounds places […]
Deepening Joy
I grew up a very motivated, driven person; achieving work success relatively early from humble beginnings. But I felt empty. I was going so fast that I was never present in my interactions. My mind was always somewhere else. Does this sound familiar to you? Through yoga, I learned to slow down, reconnect with myself […]
The Necessity of Self-Care
5 years ago I was depleted and nearing the end of my wits. I was recovering from a health issue, sleeping poorly, teaching too much, and not in the habit of prioritizing myself. To be a yoga teacher and make a living in NYC, one has to give much time, heart, and energy. I gave […]
The Labyrinth of the Heart
We spend our lives traveling the labyrinth of the heart. Sometimes, we feel achingly close to the center of everything. We whirl like planets around something holy. Arrival is close. Our tongue tastes it. Our breath quickens. The corner turns. Sometimes, we feel outcast, walking roads where we cannot even find that one constant star […]
Time is Soil.
Time Is Soil time is my friend. this thought unfurls my forehead, unbuckles my belly, and rights me to see patterns. Nepo says, “dark soil that is not the root holds the root and feeds the flower.” he says humans can access unseeable soil, supportive, magical and strong. i feel unseeable soil when the pencil […]
Consistency: The Key to Meditation
People ask me questions about meditation. Often. This one is the most popular one, though. No matter what country, age, socio-economic background. “Elena, How can I get calm?” Me: Meditate daily. “Is that how you got more calm?” Me: Yes. And I’m far less calm when I don’t sit. Ask my son. “Can it work […]
The Importance of Spending Time Alone
I am here. I am here in a new neighborhood. I am here in a new apartment. I am here without you. Ending a relationship in my mid-late 20’s is hard. We found love – but what happens when two hearts no longer align? What happens when you grow apart? And there’s the pressure of […]
Good Medicine
Lately, I’ve been guided to ask myself this question: what’s your medicine? What little rituals do you have? Where and what do you eat? What do you read? What conversations are you in? Do any of these contain good medicine? What “life vitamins” are you taking to keep you well, supported, right-side up, happy, shining, […]
Why I sit
The other day, the stars aligned. I arrived at the studio, tongue pressed to the roof of my mouth, willing myself not to give into the tears because if I started, I didn’t trust that I could stop. And I couldn’t explain why I was crying. It wouldn’t make sense if spoken out loud. I […]
Refine the Design
A month ago I began designing my days, following the framework outlined by Elena. Here is my poetic offering in attempt at revealing the powerful impact this practice is making in my everyday life. Three words, design your day so simple, so profound five short minutes in the morning a new source of energy and […]
Lungs & Mind
Without any effort, I exhale & inhale, on repeat, all day. I have & I will for the rest of my life. But through my yoga, I’ve learned to play with my breath. Join me. Let’s pause. Right here, right now. Slowly, deeply, consciously, let’s fill up our lungs with breath. Pause, retain. And then […]
Gratitude to Gaia
Gaia is the Greek personification of Mother Earth, one of the primordial deities and the great mother who created and gave life to the Universe. She encourages the planet, provides purpose and makes life possible. Gaia possesses the powers of maternity: creation, abundance, support, nourishment, wisdom & eternal love. While ‘Gaia’ may be her form […]
The Wild Ways
I want to know about the wild ways, the ancient and archaic wise ways. I yearn to grow older, not in cellular decay, but in intellect and intuition, in my affinity with the hum of the infinite. I want to slacken my domestication, to know the primitive self. Unchained, unbound, undefined I want to taste […]
Census of the Heart
While the national census asks who we are, Census of the Heart wants to know how we are. We want to get straight to the heart of things and explore what really matters to people living in Ireland today. Census of the Heart is one of those big ideas that drops into your world from […]
At risk of oversharing
At the close of my classes, I share a quotation that resonates with me and aligns with the energy of the practice. A favourite is from Bohemian poet Rainer Maria Rilke who wrote in 1903, “Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms […]
12 Suggestions to Train your Brain + Jnana Mudra
Would you knowingly damage your home, your car, your surfboard, or any of your precious belongings? Probably not, nor would we knowingly harm our body through the decisions we make, right? We make choices to protect and nurture our body and our brain as best we can within our control. We take care of our […]
The Way In
The voice is relentless, the pain is deep, the anxiety real. The wound open and raw. My heart exposed and open for all to see, beating out of my chest. I can feel my throat tighten with each passing thought. Tormenting myself, inflicting more pain, I create my own prison in my head. My anxiety […]
The benefits of a Flow & Restore practice
My first teacher training was in a hot sequence with Anusara influences. The series provided a space for me to release much of the trauma and emotions held within my body but the rigid structure of the series created radical boundaries and bizarre boundaries off of my mat. Layering a restorative yoga practice into my […]
Ebb and Flow
My life lately seems to be a constant dance of coming into and out of balance. There have been times when I feel empowered and in-tune, and then other moments when routine gets away from me and I feel like I’ve been knocked off my game. This natural ebb and flow can feel like a […]
Loving the time that is gone
How time makes us evolve. I used to feel too old too soon. I used to think that youth was a perception of others rather than a deep feeling that comes from within. Perception, it is all about perceptions. I used to believe that mirrors were more powerful than my inner light, and I used […]
The POWER of Visualization
The eyes are the windows to our soul. And when we close our eyes and omit our external surroundings, what appears? We switch to seeing the internal landscapes within our being. There’s a whole world in there! We access our soul, imagination, and dreams. This is like a sacred gateway to design our reality by […]
How are you?
HOW ARE YOU? Really, how are YOU? I love this simple yet deeply caring question. It shows when someone really wants to know and understand how you are feeling. It’s a common greeting, often habitual with a habitual response. Sometimes we get stuck in autopilot and forget to ask ourselves how WE are doing. Truly […]
EVERY DAY IS A GIFT
Early morning on the Fourth of July, I was jolted awake with extreme abdominal pain and rushed to the hospital in an ambulance. The proverbial fireworks I experienced within my stomach came as a shock—I had no prior indication that my otherwise good health was in any danger. Once it was determined I suffered a […]
at risk of oversharing
At the close of my classes, I share a quotation that resonates with me and aligns with the energy of the practice. A favourite is from Bohemian poet Rainer Maria Rilke who wrote in 1903, “Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms […]
The yoga teacher who rarely ate
“It’s important to note that the great masters would often say that practicing yoga asana without meditation is like taking an hour to prepare a delicious healthy meal and then as you’re about to sit down and eat it, get up and walk away.” – Jonni Pollard, 1 Giant Mind I’ve prepared thousands of “delicious […]
Beauty Through the Eyes of the Wise
How do we define wellness? Culturally, we think of youth and virility; the symmetry of a face; the layout of parterres in a French garden. Wellness is beautiful and orderly. Let’s extend the meaning of beautiful to encompass that which is fragile, marred, unique, aged. By expanding that definition, we can embrace the beauty in […]
Authentic Theming | The Life Of The River
Clinging to life is human nature. It’s something we can all relate to, particularly poignant for me on a day when it was very clear that my most recent relationship couldn’t live in its current stagnant pool. I felt a tightness, a clutching, and a clinging, as I lay down to sleep by myself for […]
process
i realized last night the girl i was attempting to create myself to be. and there were parts i didn’t like all that much. i especially didn’t like all the parts put together. the pieces fit too tight, too forced, and too compact. it made me uncomfortable to witness. so i slept. i put it […]
Turning Poison into Nectar
As yoga teachers, our work is to use our practices to learn from our own life experiences and then share that with our students. We take the grief and injuries and broken hearts of our lives and throw them in the crucible of our practices, transforming those experiences into an offering our students can use. […]
Keep Believing
People might think you are weird; keep believing what you believe in anyway. You might lose friends, get judged, be criticized, disregarded, talked about; keep believing what you believe in anyway. Many people won’t understand you. Many people will say one thing and do another. You may find yourself swimming alone in a sea of […]
Teaching as an Offering
These summer months are filled to overflowing with yoga retreats and teacher trainings. In June, I guided my first retreat to Hawaii and joined the courageous ones, for as I found, teaching a retreat is an act of courage that transforms the teacher, student and community in profound ways. Truly, teaching anything takes heart and […]
How I Went From Not Getting The Teaching Position To Getting It
Recently I had a teaching audition and I didn’t get the job. Instead I got another opportunity: a month to work towards it. We always grow from setbacks, but often only in hindsight. What if we draw from challenges while we’re in them? Is there more to learn? I vowed to try. I’d failed my […]
Finding Your Voice
Finding your voice as a yoga teacher takes some time and patience. Finding out who you are as a teacher after studying with many beloved teachers takes some experimentation and fine tuning. First, keep practicing – always. You have to keep the practice fresh and consistent within your body in order to effectively convey the […]
What TRUST Looks Like
This moment captured in time tells a tale of trust. This kind of foundation is built through a dedicated practice of what we call “radical communication.” Everything is on the table, every fear, and every feeling. It allows us to play BIG in the world because we are not wasting energy trying to determine what […]
RETOX Your Path to FREEDOM
Detox (verb): Abstaining from unhealthy substances. Living confined. Retox (verb): Adding in healthy substances. Living free. Detox detox detox. How many times do you hear this word, re read it, maybe even use it… jumping on board out of some societal or self imposed guilt? We all have at least once, because for some reason […]
Falling is not Failure. Life lessons from a 4 year old.
My 4 year old son has been obsessed with the monkey bars for the past year. He has his favorite ones at “the school park” that are low to the ground and he can easily reach from the platforms. At first he’d just grab a hold of one rung and then drop down. But eventually […]
Essential
Essentialism. The idea that less is more. I have been exploring this concept through many realms: in my design work, in what I bring into my environment, and lately in my yoga practice. Embracing essentialism in my yoga practice has allowed me to go inwards, to filter through the noise and find out what is […]