Sometimes amidst big changes, do you ever feel like you don't belong, even in your own life? What IS it that helps us feel actually.... connected? Content amidst the waning and waxing of all that is unfolding? In yoga, there's a concept called santosha. Like all of the niyamas, santosha is an inner practice. Sometimes described as contentment, santosha is a state of deep acceptance, appreciation even, for what is. It's not … Continue reading Content and Connected, Even Amidst Change
When Familiar Self Care Stuff Isn’t Working, and What To Do About It.
We now have a fresh reset, a new door opening to discover what brings us inside, to the experiential peace, clarity, resilience that is rooted within our own being.
IYNAUS Student Spotlight Interview
Dear friends, I recently had the honor and privilege of being interviewed by Anne Marie Schultz for the IYNAUS (Iyengar Yoga National Association of the US) Newsletter 'Student Spotlight' section. I enjoyed working on these questions during my annual week of study with Patricia Walden this summer. The interview eventually went through an editing process, … Continue reading IYNAUS Student Spotlight Interview
Riding the Wave: Adidas, Assessment, Mexico, the Iyengar Centenary Intensive, and Geetaji.
"Yoga should not be taken lightly, as if it were a hobby. It should be approached with faith, enthusiasm, determination, keenness, courage, will, and dedication." -Geeta S. Iyengar Nothing but Divine hands could have sculpted the incredible unfolding of my life the last few months. Leaps of faith, clarity, fear and the going beyond fear … Continue reading Riding the Wave: Adidas, Assessment, Mexico, the Iyengar Centenary Intensive, and Geetaji.
Sequence from Yoga for Neck and Shoulders Workshop
I was amazed -shocked even- to see one of my students, who has come to class regularly with me for years, after Sunday's Neck and Shoulder workshop. She has a very bright and loving spirit, and also like many elders, has a deep thoracic kyphosis, meaning her upper back and shoulders round forward, so she … Continue reading Sequence from Yoga for Neck and Shoulders Workshop
Queerness, Identity Politics, and Patanjali’s Four Fold Remedy
June 2018. Pride Month, which as usual delivered deeply nutritious community connection, witnessing, and remembrance of the roots of gay liberation and vitalization for the work ahead, as well as reminded me of the uncomfortable edges where capitalist commodification of Pride has stolen meaning and purpose and replaced it with beer ads, and consumable plastic … Continue reading Queerness, Identity Politics, and Patanjali’s Four Fold Remedy
Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga, Decolonizing Yoga
The following is a piece is inspired by the work I'm exploring in both the Albuquerque Waking up to Whiteness course and Denver Iyengar Yoga Teacher Training. In contemplating my embodied experience of the definitions BKS Iyengar lays out in the introduction to Light on Yoga, I am inequal measures reflecting about the marga, or … Continue reading Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga, Decolonizing Yoga
Femur Grounding: Understanding More About This Key to Stability.
Organizing the femur in the hip socket is foundational to nearly every other action we explore in our yoga practice. Similar to “quieting the mind,” femur grounding is not an action we do, and then it is done, rather it is like a search for a holy grail in that it is a moment to … Continue reading Femur Grounding: Understanding More About This Key to Stability.
Benefits of Prenatal Partner Yoga and a Special Opportunity to Explore It!
Prenatal Yoga is one of the most effective, safe, and enjoyable ways to increase comfort during pregnancy and prepare for an empowered birth. Partner Yoga offers a uniquely nurturing way to experience deeper awareness, strength, stability, and release. These two practices combine gracefully and can help to ease discomfort during pregnancy and prepare both mom and … Continue reading Benefits of Prenatal Partner Yoga and a Special Opportunity to Explore It!
Koshas, Pratyahara, and Restorative Yoga for Detoxicification
In preparation for my upcoming workshop, "Body-Mind Detox with Restorative Yoga," I am having a fun time exploring how to make some of the more traditional cleansing poses, such as marichayasana II, (pictured below) accessible to folks who don't have the hip organization that would allow these deep forward bends and twists, which utilize tonifying pressure to release the … Continue reading Koshas, Pratyahara, and Restorative Yoga for Detoxicification