Writings
Got Anger?
Friends, we are in the midst of so much tragedy in our country and in the world. Extreme fires and hurricanes, neo-Nazis, DACA, North Korea, and so many more examples of natural and human destroyers. I don’t need to dive into the details here… you know them already, and there’s a lot of fuel to feed the fire of anger and to exacerbate anxiety. My intention in writing to you is to give you some tools to navigate these tumultuous emotional waters.
What Fuels Your Motivation?
Happy New Year!'Tis the season for new year's resolutions… yoga classes are packed, the gym is bumpin’, and people are swearing off sugar and refined flour across the nation. While all this inspiration for self-care and growth is great, if you’ve ever made a plan to change a habit, you know how hard it can be to stick with it.Before I go any further, I want to be clear about my opinion of new year's resolutions–I approach them with caution. Here's why: when I was a teenager and young adult, I would make grand resolutions way more often than once a year (sometimes every day).
Electrolyte Replacement Drink
I shared this recipe last summer, and here it is again, easy for you to find :)With all of the fun activities filling these hot, dry, summer months, it's important to relax and stay cool. Counteracting the effects of the elements we're exposed to, including the sun, is critical to our health. The following recipe is for an Ayurvedic, electrolyte replacement drink. This has SAVED MY LIFE a number of times last summer and with the Pacific NW heat wave that hit us for this last week, I'm pretty sure it's saved my life already some this year too.
Breathing and Digestion
I’ve struggled with my digestive system since I was a kid. Belly aches and pains were commonplace for much of my life. Because of this, I used to think of my digestive tract as my weak spot, but now I’ve come to see it as a useful barometer that tells me where I need to direct my attention. We can learn a lot listening to our gastrointestinal tract! I know I’m not digesting my food well if I don’t hear the process of digesting, or when my stomach and respiratory diaphragm feel tight and contracted.
Practice in Rhythm
Growing up in Wisconsin, the seasons are more distinct and fierce than in the Pacific NW. The summers are hotter and much sticker, the crispness of autumn is sharper, the winter sting is deeper, and the cabin fever which accompanies spring lasts months longer.As a young child, the rhythms of the seasons guided the rhythm of my life. I would play all day outside in the summer, then the cool breeze of fall would bring me indoors as the sun set, and remind me of coloring books and board games.
The Body Dashboard
It’s summer! If you’re like me, sometimes “summering” eats-up most of your time and leaves less for your yoga practice.Yes, even I experience this (yoga teachers aren't superhuman). This is why, in my personal practice and public classes, I’ve been focusing on a kind of self-discipline, called tapas. To clarify, I'm speaking of the Sanskrit word for nurturing, mental and/or physical practice, and not the Spanish word for snacks/appetizers, though the latter form of tapas necessitates self-discipline too!
Ayurveda - Tools to Cool
In class, we’ve been exploring how the wisdom of Ayurveda can help us to tailor our yoga practice to suit the "energy" of the summer. Ayurveda, as the sister science of yoga, offers guidance to maintain physical and emotional health. It is based on three constitutions, or doshas, namely vata, pitta and kapha. Each of us has all three doshas, but usually one or two dominate.It’s thought that our dosha make up is determined at conception. However, many lifestyle-related factors influence our dosha balance, such as our diet, schedule, and our sleep and play habits. In addition, the time of day, the time of year, and the phase of life we are experiencing all alter our dosha cocktail.
Tapas! - Raja Yoga
Not the delicious Spanish kind.....
As we near the middle of February and realize it's still winter, despite the previous weeks of amazing weather, I remind you to continue your practice. After the initial excitement of the new year, resolutions can begin to slip to the wayside as the general quiet energy of winter persists. This is a time of introspection, which is a divine gift. We need to take time to tune in, tap in and connect with our True Self. However, this naturally slow period of the year can lead to a challenge in maintaing new approaches to life and living. So how do we stoke the fire of our resolutions?