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.
Why We Sit
Can you believe it's May ?!As I sat down to write you the newsletter this morning, I plugged in all of my upcoming announcements and events… the easy stuff, and then my fingers fell still on my keyboard… I wasn't sure what to share in the opening article. I usually like to give you a little slice of my practice… a teaching I'm working with, or what I'm inspired by lately. But today I found myself with… not a whole lot to say. So I decided to take a break and sit instead.
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).
Embody the Mind - A Tool for Orlando
As I sit to write this month’s newsletter, all I can hear is my heart crying “Orlando”.How can I write about anything else? This colossal tragedy, loaded with misunderstanding, hate, violence, and murder, creates ripples that unsettle and affect all of us. When I first read the news my body was flooded with hot anger, then frozen with fear, followed by a core-deep feeling of grief. Each emotion occupied and saturated different parts of my body.
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.
Lessons from Mala
I walked into my dark, quiet studio ... the morning light had yet to creep through the windows. While my eyes were adjusting, I squatted-down to place my blanket and cushion in front of my altar. Then, I stood up and walked across the cool floor to retrieve my practice shawl, a lime green, airy shawl that Swamiji gave me four Christmases ago, when I was visiting India and studying at his ashram. I also grabbed my wooden mala.
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.