Seeking the teacher within

When you sleep be sure to dream

Sun, 20 Dec 2020 00:00:00 -0500

How I wish everyday sunshine

Sun, 06 Dec 2020 00:00:00 -0500

Remember to find the things that sustain you.

You might get what you're after

Sun, 22 Nov 2020 00:00:00 -0500

We should think remember why we strive.

I could be happy the rest of my life

Sun, 01 Nov 2020 00:00:00 -0400

We need to understand what makes us happy, so it doesn't have to be just a possibility.

The First Day

Sun, 18 Oct 2020 00:00:00 -0400

You don't have to wait for a special occasion: you can change any time you want to.

Hold me now while my old life dies tonight

Sun, 04 Oct 2020 00:00:00 -0400

We don't have to navigate change alone.

Is it the key to your freedom, or is it the bars on your prison?

Sun, 20 Sep 2020 00:00:00 -0400

What are the patterns we embody really doing for us?

I felt unfettered and alive

Sun, 14 Apr 2019 00:00:00 -0400

Effort and Ease. Stability and Freedom. Contraction and Expansion. These lead us deeper.

Strong Enough

Sun, 07 Apr 2019 00:00:00 -0400

II.46 sthira sukham āsanaṁ

Relying on Maximum Effort isn't sustainable—we have to find the places to do less.

Radical Action To Unseat The Hold of Monkey Mind

Tue, 07 Aug 2018 00:00:00 -0400

Do we really have to pay attention to our inner 4-year-old?

+5	Regular, Parivrtta, Eka Pada Rajakapotasana II (Thigh Stretch) > Sphinx, Virabhadrasana II > Prone Shoulder Opener
+20	Utthan Pristhana > Forearm Palankasana > Dolphin (> Dolphin Pushups?), Parsvakonasana > Trikonasana > Ardha Chandrasana (> Ardha Chandra Chapasana?)
+35	Chili Pepper Jump Switches, Pincha Mayurasana (Hands at wall), Adho Mukha Vrksasana
+50	Navasana > Shalabhasana, Dolphin (Shoulder Opener), Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana (> Urdhva Dhanurasana?)
+65	Hanumanasana (Jump Switch), Eka Pada Rajakapotasana > Agnistambhasana, Gomukhasana, Upavistha Konasana
+80	Jathara Parivartanasana, Shivasana

Every day down here's a rainy day…

Sat, 07 Apr 2018 00:00:00 -0400

…we don't save up.

Soften into your breath
Release into your foundation
Don't hold back

Don't Box Me In

Sat, 07 Oct 2017 00:00:00 -0400

Our limitations and our choices are two different things—don't mistake one for the other.

Thought I'd loose my balance, with the grounds bounce and sway

Sat, 19 Aug 2017 00:00:00 -0400

We can try to be rigid and hope we never get knocked over, or we can try and flow.

I want a new mistake

Tue, 15 Aug 2017 00:00:00 -0400

We don't have to just wait for the changes…

One vision

Thu, 29 Jun 2017 00:00:00 -0400

We keep our eye on the prize.

Wheel's turnin' 'round and 'round

Sun, 25 Jun 2017 00:00:00 -0400

Make a choice, look around, do it again.

In life there is no end to getting well

Thu, 22 Jun 2017 00:00:00 -0400

Everything's a process.

Starting in July

Stretch and Strengthen with Riki - Pilates / Yoga mix, Sundays @ 10:00
Yin Meditation Yoga with RJ, Sundays @ 4:00
All Levels Yoga Flow with RJ, Mondays @ 6:45 p.m.
Introduction to Guided Meditation: Workshop, Wednesday, July 5 - 26 @ 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Power Flow Class with Heather, Thursdays @ 6:30 p.m.

It seemed the taste was not so sweet

Sun, 18 Jun 2017 00:00:00 -0400

What we expect shapes our experience.

If the wind is right you can find the joy of innocence again

Sat, 17 Jun 2017 00:00:00 -0400

We participate in where we're taken.

I can't let go

Thu, 15 Jun 2017 00:00:00 -0400

There's so much we might cling to.

Friends seen and unseen

Tue, 13 Jun 2017 00:00:00 -0400

Can we get a handle on the things we can't see?

These old hopes and fears still at my side

Sun, 11 Jun 2017 00:00:00 -0400

Things change only slowly.

Some have fled from themselves

Thu, 08 Jun 2017 00:00:00 -0400

Are you prepared to be yourself?

Born at the right time

Sun, 04 Jun 2017 00:00:00 -0400

How can we concern ourselves with anything other than what happened?

Somebody get me a doctor

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 00:00:00 -0400

We know what we really need to heal

In disguises no one knows

Sun, 28 May 2017 00:00:00 -0400

What others see isn't who we are, but who we think we are also isn't what others see.

Sad Clown

Thu, 25 May 2017 00:00:00 -0400

What is the contrast between our exterior and interior?

They say it's your birthday!

Sun, 07 May 2017 00:00:00 -0400

…it's not my birthday too.

Practical Magic

Thu, 04 May 2017 00:00:00 -0400

It's not a wave of your wand, it's what you do.

We can change today

Sun, 30 Apr 2017 00:00:00 -0400

Bill Potts: "Every choice I make in this moment, here and now, could change the whole future."

The Doctor: "Exactly like every other day of your life. The only thing to do is to stop worrying about it."

The road that leads to life's answers

Thu, 27 Apr 2017 00:00:00 -0400

One step at a time.

It's really just a matter of semantics

Sun, 23 Apr 2017 00:00:00 -0400

Our actions have meaning.

I will not cease from mental fight

Thu, 20 Apr 2017 00:00:00 -0400

We keep at it.

Every ending a beginning

Sun, 16 Apr 2017 00:00:00 -0400

There's always more going on.

Sometimes it's hard to care

Thu, 13 Apr 2017 00:00:00 -0400

We work to anyway.

Don't let yourself go

Sun, 09 Apr 2017 00:00:00 -0400

We may want to be egoless, but that's not the same as giving up our individuality.

I go crazy, 'cause here isn't where I want to be

Thu, 06 Apr 2017 00:00:00 -0400

Be in the place you are.

Bury me with it

Sun, 02 Apr 2017 00:00:00 -0400

How long are we going to carry around the things that weigh us down?

Wake me up with laughter

Thu, 30 Mar 2017 00:00:00 -0400

We want to be awake to our experience.

I stand too close to see the sleight of hand

Sun, 26 Mar 2017 00:00:00 -0400

Can we stand back and not be fooled?

Like a drop in the ocean

Thu, 23 Mar 2017 00:00:00 -0400

This moment is just one of many.

Days pass and this emptiness fills my heart

Sun, 19 Mar 2017 00:00:00 -0400

And yet we keep moving.

In my mind, in my head

Thu, 16 Mar 2017 00:00:00 -0400

It's not all in our mind.

I've gone past the point of caring

Sun, 12 Mar 2017 00:00:00 -0500

How do you let go of the things that distract you from your true desires?

Whatever gets you through your life

Sun, 05 Mar 2017 00:00:00 -0500

We seek out the sustenance we need.

Sometimes there's a part of me

Thu, 02 Mar 2017 00:00:00 -0500

…has to turn from here and go.

Give yourself what you need

Sun, 26 Feb 2017 00:00:00 -0500

Bring your heart to believing

Half of the time we're gone

Thu, 23 Feb 2017 00:00:00 -0500

I know your part'll go fine.

This is not really happening

Sun, 19 Feb 2017 00:00:00 -0500

You bet your life it is.

I don't care what they may say

Thu, 16 Feb 2017 00:00:00 -0500

Where's this going to?

Sun, 12 Feb 2017 00:00:00 -0500

Can I follow through?

and I think of things that might have been.

Thu, 09 Feb 2017 00:00:00 -0500

But we're concerned with the here and now.

Feathers on my breath

Sun, 05 Feb 2017 00:00:00 -0500

We're all carried along by events, can we find stillness and center even so?

We live for just these twenty years

Sun, 29 Jan 2017 00:00:00 -0500

Do we have to die for the fifty more?

Survivors of the wreck of time

Thu, 26 Jan 2017 00:00:00 -0500

Things change—gradually it all falls away.

Runnin' down a dream

Sun, 22 Jan 2017 00:00:00 -0500

We can help shape the world into what we want it to be.

Alive after all

Thu, 19 Jan 2017 00:00:00 -0500

We're here, we should embrace it.

What I feel, I can't say

Sun, 15 Jan 2017 00:00:00 -0500

Narration is important in understanding our experience, but the most important thing is the experience itself.

Move Somethin'

Thu, 12 Jan 2017 00:00:00 -0500

Sometimes we just need to get out and move.

All that I am, all that I was is history

Thu, 05 Jan 2017 00:00:00 -0500

History may highlight an obvious route, but it can't dictate that you take it.

The first thing I remember…

Sun, 01 Jan 2017 00:00:00 -0500

Always remember what actually matters to you.

The Long Now

Thu, 29 Dec 2016 00:00:00 -0500

We don't have to wait for some special moment to make a change.

If we all pull together as a team!

Sun, 18 Dec 2016 00:00:00 -0500

Our goals aren't that different.

She was just shaking off futility

Sun, 11 Dec 2016 00:00:00 -0500

…we don't have to stay in a game that doesn't benefit us.

Got all I need

Thu, 08 Dec 2016 00:00:00 -0500

We are actually sufficient unto ourselves, we just forget.

Time doesn't wait for me, it keeps on rollin'

Sun, 04 Dec 2016 00:00:00 -0500

The practice of yoga is to fully inhabit the time we have.

Do you know who you really are?

Thu, 01 Dec 2016 00:00:00 -0500

Are you sure it's really you?

I've got nothing to say

Sun, 27 Nov 2016 00:00:00 -0500

…but it's OK.

Listen to the Music

Sat, 26 Nov 2016 00:00:00 -0500

The practice of yoga is the practice of listening.

Shine on you crazy diamond

Sun, 13 Nov 2016 00:00:00 -0500

Don't be sad, be good.

We will make it through somehow

Thu, 10 Nov 2016 00:00:00 -0500

The world hasn't actually ended.

For this love I go above, beyond the limit

Sun, 06 Nov 2016 00:00:00 -0400

I'm tired of fighting the good fight

Thu, 03 Nov 2016 00:00:00 -0400

Sometimes we just get in the habit.

I'm ready for a long vacation

Sun, 30 Oct 2016 00:00:00 -0400

Be good to yourself.

No trace of indecision

Thu, 20 Oct 2016 00:00:00 -0400

We often know what we should do…it's just not what we want to do.

When softer words are spoken, action speaks out loud

Sun, 16 Oct 2016 00:00:00 -0400

What we say is part of what we do.

Jive Talkin'

Thu, 13 Oct 2016 00:00:00 -0400

We all have a narrative. Is it real?

I'm going through some changes

Sun, 09 Oct 2016 00:00:00 -0400

The skill is in seeing the changes that will support us.

It speaks of profound inner peace

Thu, 06 Oct 2016 00:00:00 -0400

It's all already in our hearts.

Or am I walking alone?

Sun, 02 Oct 2016 00:00:00 -0400

And when she shines she really shows you all she can

Thu, 29 Sep 2016 00:00:00 -0400

Give yourself a chance to shine

And I feel it

Sun, 25 Sep 2016 00:00:00 -0400

Understanding the source of our feelings doesn't mean we shouldn't feel them.

A momentary lapse of reason

Thu, 22 Sep 2016 00:00:00 -0400

We don't have to be in control all the time.

By now I know just when to stand clear

Sun, 18 Sep 2016 00:00:00 -0400

We move with exquisite attention.

And if I say to you tomorrow

Thu, 15 Sep 2016 00:00:00 -0400

There's always another day.

Rock out with your Dharma out

Sun, 11 Sep 2016 00:00:00 -0400

What are you drawn to?

As I've done from the start

Thu, 08 Sep 2016 00:00:00 -0400

We pay attention to everything.

The days roll on

Sun, 04 Sep 2016 00:00:00 -0400

and finally Sunday.

I don't want to listen but it's all too clear

Thu, 01 Sep 2016 00:00:00 -0400

Some things are undeniable.

I am becoming

Sun, 28 Aug 2016 00:00:00 -0400

Awareness is a flat circle.

I'll lay right down in my favorite place

Thu, 25 Aug 2016 00:00:00 -0400

We always need somewhere to go.

Burned and buried all I carried

Sun, 21 Aug 2016 00:00:00 -0400

Maybe we can just let go?

Always Ready, Always Steady

Thu, 18 Aug 2016 00:00:00 -0400

We test ourselves in yoga, to be ready for whatever life throws at us.

Maybe the answer's looking for you

Sun, 14 Aug 2016 00:00:00 -0400

It's not always quests and searching.

Help him find the funk

Sat, 13 Aug 2016 00:00:00 -0400

Free your ass and your mind will follow

You got to remain to being yourself

Thu, 11 Aug 2016 00:00:00 -0400

You cannot be nobody else.

The deeper in the water…

Sun, 07 Aug 2016 00:00:00 -0400

…the more I long for you.

No time at all

Thu, 04 Aug 2016 00:00:00 -0400

Let's begin again

Sun, 31 Jul 2016 00:00:00 -0400

"And so we return and begin again"

No alarms and no surprises

Thu, 28 Jul 2016 00:00:00 -0400

How can we respond easily to challenges.

Shape of Things

Sun, 24 Jul 2016 00:00:00 -0400

Nothing is guaranteed, but if we don't act, we can know we'll be acted upon.

Bend me, shape me

Sat, 23 Jul 2016 00:00:00 -0400

We get to choose how the practice reshapes us.

Everybody play the game

Thu, 21 Jul 2016 00:00:00 -0400

We're in it whether we want to be, might as well try to enjoy it.

Cover me with flowers

Sun, 17 Jul 2016 00:00:00 -0400

There is power in what we surround ourselves with.

Praxis

Sun, 10 Jul 2016 00:00:00 -0400

It only helps you if you do it.

Come on, get happy

Thu, 07 Jul 2016 00:00:00 -0400

It doesn't benefit anyone for us to be dissatisfied.

Feeling somewhat deserving of what will be someday

Sun, 03 Jul 2016 00:00:00 -0400

Don't wait for tomorrow.

Do I Wanna Know?

Thu, 30 Jun 2016 00:00:00 -0400

Looking inside ourselves is hard; but worthwhile.

Live as if each step was the end

Sun, 26 Jun 2016 00:00:00 -0400

These are the moments you have, don't let them pass by.

Our shadows taller than our soul

Thu, 23 Jun 2016 00:00:00 -0400

It's easy to be distracted by the externalities

Everywhere the sun is shining

Sun, 19 Jun 2016 00:00:00 -0400

Even when things seem dark, there is still light in the world.

Rust Never Sleeps

Sat, 18 Jun 2016 00:00:00 -0400

There is always something wearing away at our external circumstances. That's why we need to connect to our real center.

Destruction leads to a very rough road

Thu, 16 Jun 2016 00:00:00 -0400

But it also breeds creation.

Keep on working

Sun, 12 Jun 2016 00:00:00 -0400

We're never actually done.

Ace in the Hole

Thu, 09 Jun 2016 00:00:00 -0400

In the end, we're always ourselves, no matter what facade we might present.

Where do we go from here?

Sun, 05 Jun 2016 00:00:00 -0400

Getting un-stuck means what?

The heart of the matter

Thu, 02 Jun 2016 00:00:00 -0400

Forgiveness isn't about what people deserve.

Unexpected delight

Sun, 29 May 2016 00:00:00 -0400

A good meal, you see, is all about unexpected delight: it's one thing for food to simply “taste good,” but a real master can make it taste good in a way that surprises you. And for that to work, you have to start from a place where you can permit yourself to be surprised. And, interestingly enough, the person eating has to cooperate for that to really be successful.

I'm a decent cook. I'm an outstanding eater. – Steven Brust

The world can't erase his fantasies

Sun, 22 May 2016 00:00:00 -0400

Hold onto your ideas of what could be.

There are no strings on me

Thu, 19 May 2016 00:00:00 -0400

Puppet strings are also support—but we're capable of supporting ourselves.

Oh, I have a flame; feel it touch my heart.

Sun, 15 May 2016 00:00:00 -0400

And down at my core is the hottest part.

What else could I be?

Thu, 05 May 2016 00:00:00 -0400

It's never too late to change.

Being pushed and shoved by people trying to beat the clock

Sun, 01 May 2016 00:00:00 -0400

We can take the time we need to care for ourselves.

There's too much confusion, I can't get no relief

Thu, 28 Apr 2016 00:00:00 -0400

Often what we need to reduce confusion is repose.

Forgive me if it goes astray

Sun, 24 Apr 2016 00:00:00 -0400

There is something that connects who we were, who we are, and who we will be.

But I'm good at being uncomfortable

Thu, 21 Apr 2016 00:00:00 -0400

To engage with the world is to be at least a little uncomfortable all the time—yoga gives us the opportunity to practice it, to become good at it.

There's a crack in the pavement

Sun, 17 Apr 2016 00:00:00 -0400

Sometimes we stare at something so long it comes to seem more significant than it is.

I will shine a blinding light

Thu, 14 Apr 2016 00:00:00 -0400

We try to be as bright as we can.

I was a lost man in a lost world

Sun, 10 Apr 2016 00:00:00 -0400

You're right there to be found.

I've had enough, I'm getting out

Thu, 07 Apr 2016 00:00:00 -0400

We don't have to stay.

I've got something to say you know, but nothing comes

Sun, 03 Apr 2016 00:00:00 -0400

We don't have to be able to articulate our experience, just have it.

And though you want them to last forever

Thu, 31 Mar 2016 00:00:00 -0400

Everything is transient.

I'd give it all for peace of mind

Sun, 27 Mar 2016 00:00:00 -0400

What stands between you and ease?

Sample and Hold

Thu, 24 Mar 2016 00:00:00 -0400

It's OK to try new things, but we have to remember to hold onto those things that serve us best.

No trace of indecision

Sun, 20 Mar 2016 00:00:00 -0400

Walk through the fire.

A little ain't enough

Thu, 17 Mar 2016 00:00:00 -0400

…or a little can be everything we need.

I could escape this feeling

Sun, 13 Mar 2016 00:00:00 -0500

…but escaping isn't the right path.

I'm moving through some changes

Thu, 10 Mar 2016 00:00:00 -0500

I'll never be the same.

Still learning how to crawl

Sun, 06 Mar 2016 00:00:00 -0500

If we can't fail, how can we grow?

Mindless questions find no answers

Thu, 03 Mar 2016 00:00:00 -0500

The only question that matters is what is the right thing to do at this moment.

Oh, careful you

Tue, 01 Mar 2016 00:00:00 -0500

Won't you tell me right now?

No one said it would be easy

Sun, 28 Feb 2016 00:00:00 -0500

Being open to the possibility of change and growth requires being open to the possibility of failure.

I'm happy, hope you're happy too

Thu, 25 Feb 2016 00:00:00 -0500

Sordid details following

Run Run Run

Sun, 21 Feb 2016 00:00:00 -0500

Or make yourself at home where you are.

Just a brilliant disguise

Thu, 18 Feb 2016 00:00:00 -0500

Strip away the veneer, what do we find.

Imperfect in a word

Sun, 14 Feb 2016 00:00:00 -0500

It's not whether we are perfect, it's whether we know the shape of our imperfections.

Here but now they're gone

Thu, 11 Feb 2016 00:00:00 -0500

We aren't our thoughts—we just have to remember that.

The Weight of Water

Sun, 07 Feb 2016 00:00:00 -0500

Let it flow through and around you.

Appetites and impulses confuse me

Sun, 31 Jan 2016 00:00:00 -0500

Shift your known position to the light.

Express yourself

Thu, 28 Jan 2016 00:00:00 -0500

You deserve the best in life.

I get by

Sun, 24 Jan 2016 00:00:00 -0500

We don't have anything to prove—it's always OK to accept a little help.

Inside out and round and round

Thu, 21 Jan 2016 00:00:00 -0500

Living inside our heads is like the hamster in the wheel.

The stream of warm impermanence

Sun, 17 Jan 2016 00:00:00 -0500

Nothing stands still. We have to support ourselves.

You get up and sleep

Thu, 14 Jan 2016 00:00:00 -0500

Don't go through your day unconscious.

Standing at tension

Sun, 10 Jan 2016 00:00:00 -0500

How do we balance between engagement and tension.

Sing a simple song

Thu, 07 Jan 2016 00:00:00 -0500

Simplicity leads us to ease.

Standing on the Verge

Sun, 03 Jan 2016 00:00:00 -0500

With just a little bit of effort.

Whatever makes you happy, whatever you want

Sun, 13 Dec 2015 00:00:00 -0500

We have the freedom to do the things that support us.

Old friends

Thu, 10 Dec 2015 00:00:00 -0500

We're going to have our body for a long time; the important thing is to care for it.

<!– more –>

+5	Reclining breath, Reclining Garudasana Arms, Windshield Wipers, Cat & Cow, Regular (Indudulasana), Anjaneyasana
+20	Virabhadrasana II, Ardha Hanumanasana > Parighasana, Parivrtta Adho Mukha Svanasana > Vasisthasana
+35	Parsvakonasana > Trikonasana, Eka Pada Rajakapotasana, Anjaneyasana (Thigh Stretch)
+50	Purvottanasana, Ab work on blanket, Ustrasana, Agnistambhasana
+65	Omega, Supta Padangusthasana (I, II), Jathara Parivartanasana

Dharma Bums

Sun, 06 Dec 2015 00:00:00 -0500

No, no. Now, you listen to me. When you first came to us, we thought people would come and take you away because, when they found out, you know, the things you could do… and that worried us a lot. But then a man gets older, and he starts thinking differently and things get very clear. And one thing I do know, son, and that is you are here for a reason. I don't know whose reason, or whatever the reason is… Maybe it's because… uh… I don't know. But I do know one thing. It's not to score touchdowns. Huh?

Let go

Thu, 03 Dec 2015 00:00:00 -0500

Whatever you're holding onto that's keeping you down.

It's Something To Do

Sun, 29 Nov 2015 00:00:00 -0500

Why do we practice?

Walking on air

Sat, 28 Nov 2015 00:00:00 -0500

You don't have to worry You don't have to try

Trip away

Tue, 24 Nov 2015 00:00:00 -0500

The practice of yoga is one of working through the layers, so our gratitude can be uncoditional.

Then There Ain't No One Who's Gonna Put You Down

Sun, 15 Nov 2015 00:00:00 -0500

When we take care of ourselves, it's always appropriate.

Thanksliving

Thu, 12 Nov 2015 00:00:00 -0500

Everyone has something to be thankful for.

You burn me up

Sun, 08 Nov 2015 00:00:00 -0500

It must be real bad karma For this to be my dharma With you

Here I am

Thu, 05 Nov 2015 00:00:00 -0500

Let yourself be where you are.

The trick is to keep breathing

Sun, 01 Nov 2015 00:00:00 -0400

Now everything's about to fall apart

What you lack does not distract

Thu, 29 Oct 2015 00:00:00 -0400

See the things you have.

Can you live on a knife's edge

Wed, 28 Oct 2015 00:00:00 -0400

The pursuit of precise balance and pressure.

What a fool believes

Sun, 25 Oct 2015 00:00:00 -0400

is that we alone determine end results.

You're the worst

Thu, 22 Oct 2015 00:00:00 -0400

We can rise above the stories we tell ourselves

Gotta leave that nine to five up on the shelf

Sun, 18 Oct 2015 00:00:00 -0400

We all need time free from our regular concerns.

Fix me now

Thu, 15 Oct 2015 00:00:00 -0400

…or maybe you're not broken?

Careful You

Sun, 11 Oct 2015 00:00:00 -0400

We move with care and precision to protect ourselves.

Putting hearts in the balance

Sat, 10 Oct 2015 00:00:00 -0400

Everything should be in service of balance.

It took hours and hours

Sun, 20 Sep 2015 00:00:00 -0400

The discipline of the breath provides order for everything else.

Some folks' lives roll easy

Thu, 17 Sep 2015 00:00:00 -0400

Loosen up, let it flow.

Every day a little sadder

Sun, 13 Sep 2015 00:00:00 -0400

What really moves us? Don't let the peripheral be a distraction, move from your core.

For fear tonight is all

Thu, 10 Sep 2015 00:00:00 -0400

Let's dance

My friends and I we've cracked the code

Sun, 06 Sep 2015 00:00:00 -0400

"To thine own self be true."

It's really true how nothin' matters

Thu, 03 Sep 2015 00:00:00 -0400

…except our rection to it.

You've got all that's really needed

Sun, 30 Aug 2015 00:00:00 -0400

…to save a dying world from its funklessness.

It remains consistent

Thu, 27 Aug 2015 00:00:00 -0400

The only thing that can truly be consistent is our attitude.

Tie me up, tie me down

Sun, 23 Aug 2015 00:00:00 -0400

The things that can feel restricting can actually be supporting us.

I want to suffer for my sins

Thu, 20 Aug 2015 00:00:00 -0400

Maybe suffering isn't the answer?

There's method in the key of C

Sun, 16 Aug 2015 00:00:00 -0400

What is your method for freeing yourself from what you don't need?

Don't stop me now

Thu, 13 Aug 2015 00:00:00 -0400

Go a little further. Try something you haven't tried. Explore your capacity.

With just a little bit of effort

Sun, 09 Aug 2015 00:00:00 -0400

We devote ourselves, to bring things to fruition.

What you don't do

Thu, 06 Aug 2015 00:00:00 -0400

It's not the challenges, it's how we handle theme

Love's Light is Laughter

Sun, 02 Aug 2015 00:00:00 -0400

Can we be lighthearted even in the worst circumstance?

If I had my way

Thu, 30 Jul 2015 00:00:00 -0400

What is it that really calls out to your heart?

We just come from such different sets of circumstance

Sun, 26 Jul 2015 00:00:00 -0400

Empathy doesn't demand that we be the same. And our empathy for ourselves doesn't demand that we be perfect.

And still feel so alone

Thu, 23 Jul 2015 00:00:00 -0400

And still feel so related

You oughta know

Sun, 19 Jul 2015 00:00:00 -0400

Intimacy means we don't have to play it safe.

Sometimes I Sit and Think and Sometimes I Just Sit

Thu, 16 Jul 2015 00:00:00 -0400

We don't always have to be doing.

Running to stand still

Sun, 12 Jul 2015 00:00:00 -0400

I gotta do something about where we're going

Every thought is a dream

Thu, 09 Jul 2015 00:00:00 -0400

But we're concerned with the here and now.

The light of good works shine

Sun, 05 Jul 2015 00:00:00 -0400

It's not what we say, it's what we do.

Freedom!

Thu, 02 Jul 2015 00:00:00 -0400

Our fears, our habits, they all deny us real choice, they all strip us of our independence, our freedom.

But it's the rhetoric of failure

Sun, 28 Jun 2015 00:00:00 -0400

Failure is where we can grow

We won't know the actual if we never take the chance

Thu, 25 Jun 2015 00:00:00 -0400

We have to commit ourselves to the attempt.

It keeps you running

Sun, 21 Jun 2015 00:00:00 -0400

Maybe we should try satisfaction sometime?

Many things is on my mind, words in the way

Thu, 18 Jun 2015 00:00:00 -0400

Sometimes you don't have to be articulate, you just have to pay attention

So, who are you?

Sun, 14 Jun 2015 00:00:00 -0400

What defines you? What refines you?

In a thousand different ways

Thu, 11 Jun 2015 00:00:00 -0400

Our experience affects us in a multitude of ways. Can we be present for all of them?

Into the Woods

Sun, 31 May 2015 00:00:00 -0400

Perhaps we can find ourselves more easily in the tumult and stirring of everyday life?

This is a chance

Thu, 28 May 2015 00:00:00 -0400

To dance your way Out of your constrictions

Here's a time to shout

Sun, 24 May 2015 00:00:00 -0400

 Give yourself what you need
 Sing a song, it'll make your day

+10	Partner Stretch, Indudulasana > Regular, Ardha Hasta Padangusthasana > Twist, Ardha Eka Pada Galvasana > Anjaneyasana
+25	Vrksasana > Parivrtta Parsvakonasana, Ardha Chandrasana > Trikonasana, Parsvakonasana > Ardha Chandrasana > Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana
+40	Hanumanasana (Wall), Prasarita Paddotonasana (Twist, Jumping), Adho Mukha Vrksasana
+55	Eka Pada Rajakapotasana II (Thigh Stretch), Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (Regular, Thigh Stretch), Agnistambhasana (Regular, Twist)
+70	Janu Sirsasana (Regular, Parivrtta), Omega, Jathara Parivartanasana

And I moved…

Thu, 21 May 2015 00:00:00 -0400

What moves you? What motivates you? What are you looking for?

Can you still do the twist?

Sun, 17 May 2015 00:00:00 -0400

Teaser and the Firecat

Sat, 16 May 2015 00:00:00 -0400

Foundation and connection. These are the things we find, these are the things that make our practice.

You'll never know unless we go, so let me show you

Sun, 10 May 2015 00:00:00 -0400

Let the similarities highlight the differences. Let the familiar bolster the unfamiliar.

Time will crawl

Thu, 07 May 2015 00:00:00 -0400

It's all about our perception of how things are moving.

All you had you wasted

Thu, 30 Apr 2015 00:00:00 -0400

Every moment can be full and edifying. Don't squander them.

Free to wander past his conscious mind

Sun, 26 Apr 2015 00:00:00 -0400

Sometimes we just need to do it.

Again and again the same situation

Thu, 23 Apr 2015 00:00:00 -0400

We come back to the same poses, we come back to the same situations. Can we still see them as new again?

Breathe in the air

Sun, 19 Apr 2015 00:00:00 -0400

Don't be afraid to care

May the circle remain unbroken

Thu, 16 Apr 2015 00:00:00 -0400

Things keep going around.

Life in the fast lane

Sun, 12 Apr 2015 00:00:00 -0400

We need to find the right gear in which to move.

So much to say

Thu, 09 Apr 2015 00:00:00 -0400

but no way to say it.

David Bowie

Sun, 05 Apr 2015 00:00:00 -0400

Sometimes we need to change to come unstuck—to let something new arise.

It's my party

Thu, 02 Apr 2015 00:00:00 -0400

Everyone wants you to give up your autonomy. Don't.

…but you're upside down

Sun, 29 Mar 2015 00:00:00 -0400

What is the most important thing in your life? Is that were you spend your time?

Your wheels are turning

Thu, 26 Mar 2015 00:00:00 -0400

The mind, the mind, the mind, always running, always dragging us along.

Clap your hands if you think your soul is free

Sun, 22 Mar 2015 00:00:00 -0400

How do you move on? How do you let go?

One on One

Thu, 19 Mar 2015 00:00:00 -0400

Being withourselves is often the hardest thing to do.

I was a superman but looks are deceiving

Sun, 15 Mar 2015 00:00:00 -0400

Even failing is part of the practice.

I was crazy when I met you

Thu, 12 Mar 2015 00:00:00 -0400

Origin story

Sun, 08 Mar 2015 00:00:00 -0500

The lies we tell ourselves are not the answers.

Yours, mine and ours

Thu, 05 Mar 2015 00:00:00 -0500

We have so much in common.

Time after time

Sun, 01 Mar 2015 00:00:00 -0500

The practice is the practice because we always come back to it.

Get up. Get on up.

Sun, 22 Feb 2015 00:00:00 -0500

If we know the proper action to take, take it! And if you don't yet know the proper action to take, listen!

Dancing Choose

Sat, 21 Feb 2015 00:00:00 -0500

The essence of life is choice. The essence of yoga is learning to choose well.

Get on the one

Sun, 15 Feb 2015 00:00:00 -0500

What does it take to redeem you in your own eyes?

It's the dose you've been thinking of…

Thu, 12 Feb 2015 00:00:00 -0500

What do we need to feel comfort with ourselves.

Move Something

Sun, 08 Feb 2015 00:00:00 -0500

Allow yourself to be moved

Self indulgence to self denial

Thu, 05 Feb 2015 00:00:00 -0500

We'll release you from the bind

Thu, 29 Jan 2015 00:00:00 -0500

Don't let yourself be constrained by what others think.

<!– more –>

+5	Reclining breath, Reclining Garudasana Arms, Windshield Wipers, Cat & Cow, Regular (Indudulasana), Anjaneyasana
+20	Virabhadrasana II, Ardha Hanumanasana > Parighasana, Parivrtta Adho Mukha Svanasana > Vasisthasana
+35	Parsvakonasana > Trikonasana, Eka Pada Rajakapotasana, Anjaneyasana (Thigh Stretch)
+50	Purvottanasana, Ab work on blanket, Ustrasana, Agnistambhasana
+65	Omega, Supta Padangusthasana (I, II), Jathara Parivartanasana

And we are all together

Sun, 25 Jan 2015 00:00:00 -0500

To let yourself be heard, say something nice.

Silence

Thu, 22 Jan 2015 00:00:00 -0500

Silence is the hardest part for me.

Taking it nice and slow

Sun, 18 Jan 2015 00:00:00 -0500

Haste is the enemy of awareness.

I reach out from the inside

Thu, 15 Jan 2015 00:00:00 -0500

The practice of yoga is to help you see your true nature, of strength and beauty.

A shoulder and neck practice

Mon, 12 Jan 2015 00:00:00 -0500

Intended for Wednesday, but you can really do it any day you need some backbends.

Centering

Reclining breathing

Reclining, knees up, take 10 breaths.

Warm-up

Reclining neck twists

Gently turn your head from side to side. Try to keep your chin from deflecting to your shoulder.

Recling Eagle arms

Cross one arm over the other, bend both elbows, work to bring the palms of the hands to press into one another.

All About That Bass

Sun, 11 Jan 2015 00:00:00 -0500

The foundation of our pose is undoubtedly the most important part. We have to give it our focus and attention.

Take care not to hurt yourself

Thu, 08 Jan 2015 00:00:00 -0500

Remember the things that some things are meant to serve you.

A backbend practice

Wed, 07 Jan 2015 00:00:00 -0500

Intended for Wednesday, but you can really do it any day you need some backbends.

Centering

Reclining breathing

Reclining, knees up, take 10 breaths.

Warm-up

Bridge pose (Setubandasana)

Remeber to extend the tailbone toward the knees as you lift the hips.

Windshield wipers

Knees bent, feet on the floor, take the knees first to one side then the other.

Cat & Dog flow

Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar)

Mountain Pose (Tadasana)
Forward Fold (Utthanasana)
Half forward fold (Ardha Utthanasana)
Lunge
Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
Plank (Palankasana)
Lower down (Chaturanga)
Cobra (Bhujangasana)
Downward Dog
Lunge (Second Side)
Forward Fold (Utthanasana)
Mountain Pose (Tadasana)

Regular

Lunge with Twist

Lunge with Twist and backbend BONUS

Lift the heart up and out of the twist to take it into a small backbend

Enough legs

Sun, 04 Jan 2015 00:00:00 -0500

We are in charge of our own narrative.

A core practice

Sat, 03 Jan 2015 00:00:00 -0500

Intended for Saturday, but you can really do it any day you feel like you need to do some core work.

Centering

Reclining breathing

Reclining, knees up, take 10 breaths.

Warm-up

Cat & Dog flow

Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar)

Hold Plank for 10 breaths each time MEGABONUS

Mountain Pose (Tadasana)
Forward Fold (Utthanasana)
Half forward fold (Ardha Utthanasana)
Lunge
Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
Plank (Palankasana)
Lower down (Chaturanga)
Cobra (Bhujangasana)
Downward Dog
Lunge (Second Side)
Forward Fold (Utthanasana)
Mountain Pose (Tadasana)

Regular x 2

Lunge with Runner's Stretch (Ardha Hanumanasana)

Porch Swing BONUS

From Downward Dog, lift one leg (keeing the hips level), then shift forward to plank pose, each time taking the raised leg to:

A hip-opening practice

Fri, 02 Jan 2015 00:00:00 -0500

Intended for Friday, but you can really do it any day you need some hip-opening.

Centering

Reclining breathing

Reclining, knees up, take 10 breaths.

Warm-up

Cat & Dog flow

Table Extensions and Contractions

From table, stretch pleasing combinations of limbs out while keeping the shoulders and hips level. Round back and draw knees in, perhaps using the opposite hand to assist.

A twisting practice

Thu, 01 Jan 2015 00:00:00 -0500

Intended for Thursday, but you can really do it any day you need some twists.

Centering

Reclining breathing

Reclining, knees up, take 10 breaths.

Warm-up

Cat & Dog flow

Thread the needle (Parsva Balasana)

From table, take one arm under the other, and the shoulder toward the floor.

Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar)

Mountain Pose (Tadasana)
Forward Fold (Utthanasana)
Half forward fold (Ardha Utthanasana)
Lunge
Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
Plank (Palankasana)
Lower down (Chaturanga)
Cobra (Bhujangasana)
Downward Dog
Lunge (Second Side)
Forward Fold (Utthanasana)
Mountain Pose (Tadasana)

Regular

Lunge with Twist

Lunge with Twist (knee down for Parivrtta Parsvakonasana)

Hands together in front of the heart. Life the back knee if you wish!

Got to get you into my life

Sun, 28 Dec 2014 00:00:00 -0500

What can we cultivate, what can enrich our coming year?

Today is gonna be the day

Sun, 14 Dec 2014 00:00:00 -0500

Let every day be the day where you support and nurture yourself.

Let the good times roll

Thu, 11 Dec 2014 00:00:00 -0500

Being for the benefit of Mr. Kite

Sun, 07 Dec 2014 00:00:00 -0500

Really, the yoga practice is for the benefit of ourselves.

Good Times, Bad Times

Thu, 04 Dec 2014 00:00:00 -0500

It's all there,

Spinning Plates

Sun, 30 Nov 2014 00:00:00 -0500

The small things, done well.

+10	Regular, Cat & Dog, Anjaneyasana, Table (Contractions, Extensions), Parivrtta Parsvakonasana
+25	Balasana > Frog, Virabhadrasana II > Trikonasana > Parsvakonasana, Vasisthasana > Wild Thing
+40	Adho Mukha Vrksasana, Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (Regular, Thigh Stretch)
+55	Fingertip Bhujangasana, Purvottanasana, Urdhva Dhanurasana
+70	Janu Sirsasana (Regular, Parivrtta), Utthanasana, Omega

Out on the vast and subtle plains of mystery

Sun, 23 Nov 2014 00:00:00 -0500

The challenge is always to return to what affirms us.

Bargain

Thu, 20 Nov 2014 00:00:00 -0500

The best I ever had.

Try things you've never had in places you've never been

Sun, 16 Nov 2014 00:00:00 -0500

Don't constrain your experience. In fact, try to approach every experience as if it's brand new.

Plus Profond

Thu, 13 Nov 2014 00:00:00 -0500

Be happy, be relaxed, so you can be engaged.

So sing it with me like it's your own

Sun, 09 Nov 2014 00:00:00 -0500

It's our own experience. Cultivate it.

Be good to yourself

Thu, 06 Nov 2014 00:00:00 -0500

You have to nurture yourself. Yoga helps us become more sensitive to what is nurturing and what is not.

You were only waiting for this moment to arrive

Sun, 02 Nov 2014 00:00:00 -0400

What if this was exactly where you wanted to be; the right time, the right place?

Breathe out so I can breathe you in

Thu, 23 Oct 2014 00:00:00 -0400

It's all in the breath.

Not cheap display

Sun, 19 Oct 2014 00:00:00 -0400

It's about out internal experience, not the external trappings.

When I say stop, continue

Sun, 12 Oct 2014 00:00:00 -0400

“It's a three-wheeled bus careening towards a blown-out bridge.”

Consistency is not monotony. In a consistent environment, we can move beyond the more purely analytical to a more purely immersive experience.

If I had my way…

Thu, 09 Oct 2014 00:00:00 -0400

One to learn, one to teach

Sun, 05 Oct 2014 00:00:00 -0400

The practice of yoga is that of becoming open enough to learn.

That's not the shape of my heart

Thu, 02 Oct 2014 00:00:00 -0400

Everyone sees something different. Only you can know your own truth.

Something so right

Sun, 28 Sep 2014 00:00:00 -0400

We can become suspicious of what feels natural, what makes us happy. There's a difference between that and the easy way out.

Breathe in the air

Thu, 25 Sep 2014 00:00:00 -0400

It's the primal connnection.

Don't interrupt the sorrow

Sun, 21 Sep 2014 00:00:00 -0400

When an activity causes me pain, I try to find the thing I can add that will relieve the pain, rather than sutracting the activity from my life.

Mmmm, tasty

Thu, 18 Sep 2014 00:00:00 -0400

It's the product, not the recipe

Hejira

Sun, 14 Sep 2014 00:00:00 -0400

Where does your journey take you?

Whatsamatta with your world?

Thu, 11 Sep 2014 00:00:00 -0400

We can see so many things wrong around us. Can we also see beyond that?

But anyway…

Sun, 07 Sep 2014 00:00:00 -0400

We can't always get too wrapped up in our narrative.

Everything put together

Thu, 04 Sep 2014 00:00:00 -0400

It's not about achieving perfection, because that will always fade. It's about cultivating the process of refining.

Hopelessly devoted

Sun, 31 Aug 2014 00:00:00 -0400

Making the choice to devote ourselves to something specific can profoundly change how we view it.

Make it real

Thu, 28 Aug 2014 00:00:00 -0400

If we appear to be something, how can we tell that we're not actually that?

Who do you love?

Sun, 24 Aug 2014 00:00:00 -0400

What things are so close to you that you carry them with you all the time.

Try (just a little bit harder)

Thu, 21 Aug 2014 00:00:00 -0400

"Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is never try." – Homer Simpson

Listed in The Oxford Dictionary of Modern Quotations.

You could have been anything you wanted to

Sun, 17 Aug 2014 00:00:00 -0400

Things done simply for the joy of self-expression and sharing are beyond value.

One heart

Thu, 14 Aug 2014 00:00:00 -0400

Support yourself with your choices.

The Sophisticates

Sun, 10 Aug 2014 00:00:00 -0400

Sophistication is not extraordinary or outside normal behavior, it is simply the clearest expression of yourself in the moment. "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication"

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication"

Thu, 31 Jul 2014 00:00:00 -0400

Sophistication is about doing everyday things well.

Help me

Sun, 27 Jul 2014 00:00:00 -0400

We always need something to bring us back to ourselves.

Kick it out

Thu, 24 Jul 2014 00:00:00 -0400

Sometimes we just have to go where it takes us.

We all come and go unknown

Sun, 20 Jul 2014 00:00:00 -0400

Sometimes we have to step back from the world to find ourselves.

It's just as natural as the weather

Thu, 17 Jul 2014 00:00:00 -0400

You don't fight the weather.

I pay a high price for my open talking

Sun, 13 Jul 2014 00:00:00 -0400

Limitations can guide us into more creative paths.

Coming down is the hardest thing

Sat, 12 Jul 2014 00:00:00 -0400

All you need to do is let yourself be held.

Standing on the verge of getting it on

Thu, 10 Jul 2014 00:00:00 -0400

Free yourself.

Which way do I go

Sun, 06 Jul 2014 00:00:00 -0400

Everyone has a destination in life, but the road you choose to get there is your own.

I was just tangled up in my own head

Thu, 03 Jul 2014 00:00:00 -0400

We don't need to think our way out.

Please forgive me, I didn' t mean a word I said

Sun, 29 Jun 2014 00:00:00 -0400

How we move is as much a statement as anything we say. What is the message you're sending?

Not now, but right now

Thu, 26 Jun 2014 00:00:00 -0400

Our moment to moment experience is inevitable, cultivate it.

Sail away

Thu, 19 Jun 2014 00:00:00 -0400

Sometimes we just have to leave our troubles behind.

Reach out

Sun, 15 Jun 2014 00:00:00 -0400

Engaging with the world doesn't mean just facing it—it means digging deep and choosing to connect.

Fastidious, to be precise

Thu, 12 Jun 2014 00:00:00 -0400

Every detail mattes.

You're grounded!

Tue, 10 Jun 2014 00:00:00 -0400

It's our connection to our foundation that lets us get anything done.

Ch, Ch, Ch, Ch, Changes

Sun, 08 Jun 2014 00:00:00 -0400

Transformation doesn't happen spontaneously. We much choose it, over and over again.

Flex-able

Thu, 05 Jun 2014 00:00:00 -0400

To be flexible is simply to be able to shape yourself to your needs.

Time moves slowly

Sun, 01 Jun 2014 00:00:00 -0400

Don't check out—let the slow passage of time deepen your experience.

Always crashing in the same car

Thu, 29 May 2014 00:00:00 -0400

Sometimes we have to work on our credibility with ourselves.

He certainly sustained the illusion with a marvelous grace

Sun, 25 May 2014 00:00:00 -0400

Can the world be what we want it to be? Can we make it that gracefully?

Where were you?

Thu, 22 May 2014 00:00:00 -0400

It behooves us to be in this place, this time.

Don't forget your Ventolin

Sun, 18 May 2014 00:00:00 -0400

Inspiration is quite literally the act of breathing.

More than rain

Thu, 15 May 2014 00:00:00 -0400

The sun always shines somewhere.

Working my way back to me

Sun, 11 May 2014 00:00:00 -0400

Things throw us off balance, distract us, challenge us—but we can always make the choice to reengage with ourselves.

F the Ineffable

Thu, 08 May 2014 00:00:00 -0400

Yoga is the study of the moment.

What's my reaction?

Sun, 04 May 2014 00:00:00 -0400

You don't have to be constrained by others expectations.

How can you say that you're not responsible?

Thu, 01 May 2014 00:00:00 -0400

We have the power to do the things that serve us.

How do I become myself?

Sun, 27 Apr 2014 00:00:00 -0400

This is the time

Thu, 24 Apr 2014 00:00:00 -0400

This moment is the only one that's real. Give it the attention it deserves.

You can't deal with my infinite nature

Sun, 20 Apr 2014 00:00:00 -0400

The challenge is to remember, even when the weight of limitation is on us.

Relax and float downstream

Thu, 17 Apr 2014 00:00:00 -0400

Peace like a river

Sun, 13 Apr 2014 00:00:00 -0400

Choose to do what you do.

Long Time

Thu, 10 Apr 2014 00:00:00 -0400

History doesn't rule us. We can always change.

We should shine a light on

Sun, 06 Apr 2014 00:00:00 -0400

'If you need something to worship, then worship life - all life, every last crawling bit of it! We're all in this beauty together!'

Turn, Turn, Turn

Thu, 03 Apr 2014 00:00:00 -0400

Every pose will demand different things of you, every moment will require different responses from you. Be fluid.

Come as you are

Sun, 30 Mar 2014 00:00:00 -0400

…as you were.

I've got my own theme music

Thu, 27 Mar 2014 00:00:00 -0400

…it plays wherever I are.

Infinite Monkeys

Sun, 23 Mar 2014 00:00:00 -0400

There was only one monkey that brought us to this particular place.

Get Happy!

Thu, 20 Mar 2014 00:00:00 -0400

It's International Happiness Day. What makes you happy?

It don't mean a thing

Sun, 16 Mar 2014 00:00:00 -0400

Meaning isn't something imposed on us. We can, we should, choose to act in a way that means something.

The Core

Thu, 13 Mar 2014 00:00:00 -0400

What is the heart of your matter?

Now or Never

Thu, 06 Mar 2014 00:00:00 -0500

Set aside yourself.

Showing up

Sun, 02 Mar 2014 00:00:00 -0500

Be there, 100%, whatever that means.

Rolling on the river

Thu, 27 Feb 2014 00:00:00 -0500

Let the currents take you where they will.

…but don't give yourself away

Sun, 23 Feb 2014 00:00:00 -0500

Walk away from the conflict you need not experience.

I am what I am

Thu, 20 Feb 2014 00:00:00 -0500

Just be the best you you can be.

You

Sun, 16 Feb 2014 00:00:00 -0500

"You're rehearsing your whole life to be yourself." – Josh Homme

A Most Excellent Joyful Self

Sun, 09 Feb 2014 00:00:00 -0500

Arete is nothing more than striving to be our best self. Shouldn't this be a joyous thing?

Let it go, leave it be, just walk away

Thu, 06 Feb 2014 00:00:00 -0500

Bad things happen to us…but how many thing that have made you unhappy have really been bad?

The Fault in our Stars

Sun, 02 Feb 2014 00:00:00 -0500

'The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.'

You're everything you need to be

Thu, 30 Jan 2014 00:00:00 -0500

There's nothing you're lacking.

Manifestly Awesome

Sun, 26 Jan 2014 00:00:00 -0500

Being awesome isn't about big things, it's just about being awesome.

I hope you will consider me

Thu, 23 Jan 2014 00:00:00 -0500

Just keeping it real.

To thine own self be true

Sun, 19 Jan 2014 00:00:00 -0500

"To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man."

A Sentimental Journey

Thu, 16 Jan 2014 00:00:00 -0500

Can we be more aware, more clear?

Will Do

Tue, 14 Jan 2014 00:00:00 -0500

The only wrong way to practice yoga is to ignore your experience.

Cries and Whispers

Sun, 12 Jan 2014 00:00:00 -0500

If the purpose of yoga is to make us more centered, more able to listen, then the only way to do it wrong is to ignore yourself.

And so we return and begin again

Thu, 09 Jan 2014 00:00:00 -0500

We can always choose to begin something, but it's easier if we're not already moving in some other direction.

Back to the beginning

Sun, 05 Jan 2014 00:00:00 -0500

We should always be willing to call back to our aims, reconsider our direction.

It'll be just like starting over

Thu, 02 Jan 2014 00:00:00 -0500

Every day a new beginning

Wed, 01 Jan 2014 00:00:00 -0500

+0	Introduction to Sankalpa
+10	Supine Dirga Pranayama, Partner Pull, Side Bends, Shoulder Opener (Partner)
+25	Regular, Parivrtta Adho Mukha Svanasana > Anjaneyasana, Parsva Adho Mukha Svanasana > Parivrtta Parsvakonasana, Utthan Pristhana > Airplane (Bound?)
+40	Vrksasana > Virabhadrasana II > Vasisthasana (Tree > Wild Thing), Garudasana > Parsvakonasana > Trikonasana > Ardha Chandrasana, Utthan Pristhana > Ananatasana
+55	Choose a Sankalpa (Also, move to wall)
+60	Sucirandrasana, Eka Pada Rajakapotasana I (Wall), Shalabhasana (One-leg, Regular), Fingertip Cobra
+75	Shower Pose, Setubandhasana > Urdhva Dhanurasana (x3), Hanumanasana (Wall), Balasana
+90	Ardha Matseyandrasana, Agnistambhasana, Ardha Gomukhasana, Upavistha Konasana, Omega
+105	Weil 4:7:8 Pranayama, Supta Baddha Konasana

Life's Rich Pageant

Sun, 22 Dec 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Give yourself the opportunity to enjoy, to embrace what life provides you with.

Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)

Thu, 19 Dec 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Our yoga practice encourages us to put aside pretense and just be ourselves.

Put the needle on the record

Sun, 15 Dec 2013 00:00:00 -0500

We can get into the groove, or we can step out of it.

Old time angels

Thu, 12 Dec 2013 00:00:00 -0500

We can take the old, and recast it to shine a way forward.

Enjoy the silence

Sun, 08 Dec 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Sometimes the way is not clear, the options are too confusing—just do something.

You can try the best you can

Thu, 05 Dec 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Is it going to work or is it not? The only thing you can do is give it everything you have.

Where life is possible…

Sun, 24 Nov 2013 00:00:00 -0500

then it is possible to live the right life.

The way we live, the way we die

Thu, 21 Nov 2013 00:00:00 -0500

We dedicate ourselves not to isolating ourselves from the world, but to discovering the richness the world presents to us. This takes practice and dedication. It takes our whole lives.

You are what you are

Sun, 17 Nov 2013 00:00:00 -0500

You make it hard

Be prepared

Thu, 14 Nov 2013 00:00:00 -0500

It's not a bad motto, but it's not about having a plan, it's about responding to the situation appropriately.

Come get your kool on

Sun, 10 Nov 2013 00:00:00 -0500

We don't have to know what's coming, we don't have to have an idea of what's next, as long as we're willing to listen.

How I got over

Thu, 07 Nov 2013 00:00:00 -0500

We can wallow in it, or we can move on.

Stars are made to shine

Sun, 03 Nov 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Let your light be seen.

It's in the way that you use it

Sun, 27 Oct 2013 00:00:00 -0400

We achieve skillfulness by using everything available to us as well as we can.

Don't Stop Believin'

Thu, 24 Oct 2013 00:00:00 -0400

The process goes on and on. Even when we thing we're done with it, it's not done with us.

Nor am I out of it

Sun, 20 Oct 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Yoga is never done with you, because the world is never done with you.

I know me

Thu, 17 Oct 2013 00:00:00 -0400

It's not just what you feel—it's what you do that matters.

Into the Mirror

Sun, 13 Oct 2013 00:00:00 -0400

What do you see when you look into the mirror? The past or the future?

No one like you

Thu, 10 Oct 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Now how do we work to embody our individuality most effectively?

King of Nothing

Sun, 06 Oct 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Choosing to understand yourself is the real first step to change.

How soon is now?

Thu, 03 Oct 2013 00:00:00 -0400

It's all about desire.

Growing

Sun, 29 Sep 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Once we become adults, why do we stop acknowledging that we continue to grow? What are you hoping to grow out of, or grow into? What are you going to be when you grow up?

Jive Talkin'

Thu, 26 Sep 2013 00:00:00 -0400

We have our narrative, but is it what's really real?

Weighing the beauty and the imperfection

Mon, 23 Sep 2013 00:00:00 -0400

We must have contrast to see clearly.

Let it roll

Sun, 22 Sep 2013 00:00:00 -0400

How do we find the strength when we don't have the strength? We do as much as we can, and no more.

And I Moved

Thu, 19 Sep 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Sometimes what you reall need to do is…something.

Push it real good

Sun, 15 Sep 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Not pushing is not the same as giving up. It's about taking the long view, about giving yourself space.

Don't give up

Thu, 12 Sep 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Past performance isn't an indication of future failure.

Choose again

Sun, 08 Sep 2013 00:00:00 -0400

We always have the opportunity to change our mind, to make the right choice even after a long string of wrong choices.

I have only come here seeking knowledge

Thu, 05 Sep 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Finding the place where we balance effort and ease is the most potent part of the practice

It's all in the way that she moves

Sun, 01 Sep 2013 00:00:00 -0400

How to judge when you're in the right place? When effort and ease are not just both present, but in balance.

Radical

Thu, 29 Aug 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Move back to the root of the thing—why are you here?

It's just a little rain

Sun, 25 Aug 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Sometimes we have to accept that things move a little slower, that we have to spend more time inside.

Back to the beginning

Thu, 22 Aug 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Slowing down, moving more clearly, this is what takes us further.

We can face what's coming with lightness

Thu, 08 Aug 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Don't let the weight of the world get you down; we can choose to be light and free.

The choice is yours and don't be late

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 00:00:00 -0400

We co-create our experience; it doesn't have to be imposed upon us.

You're much stronger than you think you are

Sun, 04 Aug 2013 00:00:00 -0400

It's not about simply enduring, it's about flourishing even when challenged—being the blade of grass that grows up through the sidewalk.

I can have it all

Thu, 01 Aug 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Limitations, discomfort, challenges, these are as important as the joy, the ease, the reward.

Be whole

Sun, 28 Jul 2013 00:00:00 -0400

I have dreamed of that song, of the strange words to that simple rhyme-song, and on several occasions I have understood what she was saying, in my dreams. In those dreams I spoke that language too, the first language, and I had dominion over the nature of all that was real. In my dream, it was the tongue of what is, and anything spoken in it becomes real, because nothing said in that language can be a lie. It is the most basic building brick of everything. In my dreams I have used that language to heal the sick and to fly; once I dreamed I kept a perfect little bed-and-breakfast by the seaside, and to everyone who came to stay with me I would say, in that tongue, “Be whole,” and they would become whole, not be broken people, not any longer, because I had spoken the language of shaping.

This is water

Sun, 21 Jul 2013 00:00:00 -0400

We are immersed; the task is to recognize that in which we are immersed.

Go gently

Thu, 18 Jul 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Recognize that what is coming is coming.

Innervision

Sun, 14 Jul 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Surrender to the voice inside of yourself that says you can be happy, healthy and at peace.

Song of Myself

Sun, 07 Jul 2013 00:00:00 -0400

To study oneself isn't narcissism. It's like finishing a dovetail joint—if we leave the edges rough, the angles askew, things will fit only badly. Where we clean it up, make it a little neater, things can bond, joints can become strong.

Remember though, that nothing adheres to a surface that is perfectly smooth, that has no pores, no ways in.

Man-size

Wed, 03 Jul 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Recognize the scale at which you should live your life.

If I had a tail

Sun, 30 Jun 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Making the choice to transform is to shed your skin when it becomes too restrictive.

Free your mind

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 00:00:00 -0400

…and the rest will follow.

Time keeps on slipping

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Contentment isn't treading water. Contentment is observing that you are moving forward, however slowly that might be

I'm going to Graceland

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 00:00:00 -0400

We recognize each step forward as progress. Sometimes we lead, sometimes we follow, but we keep walking.

My intentions are pure

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 00:00:00 -0400

It's not just what we do, but the place from which the action arises.

Building a Mystery

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 00:00:00 -0400

It's not just what you do, it's the place from which it springs.

The way you do the things you do

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Taking opiates after you've had surgery is not impure. Getting dirty when you're working in the garden isn't impure. Impurity isn't about what we do, so much as the intention behind it.

Set yourself free

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Choosing to transform is challenging because it requires us to let go of our old identity, our old notions of ourself.

I want to break free

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Change is not an ending, it's just change. Don't hold too tightly to the past.

First chill, then stupor, then the letting go

Sun, 02 Jun 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Letting go is the first step in any transformation.

I can see clearly now

Thu, 30 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Don't just be content with seeing the superficial—try to see the depths, try to see in, around and through the world around you.

<!– more –>

+10	Anjaneyasana, Virabhadrasana I Lunge (with block under knee almost twist), Parivrtta Parsvakonasana
+25	Parsvakonasana > Trikonasana, Ardha Vasisthasana (as psoas stretch), Navasana > Ardha Navasana, Eka Pada Bhujasana
+40	Lunge (at wall), Adho Mukha Vrksasana, Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (Block under knee, Turn toward knee)
+55	Shalabhasana (Hands on hips individual legs), Setubandhasana (Asymmetrical block), Gomukhasana > Ardha Matseyandrasana
+70	Janu Sirsasana, Omega, Dwi Pada Yogidandasana, Shavasana

Everything all the time

Mon, 27 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400

To cultivate a godlike interaction with the world is to see everything around you, not in a limited way, but all aspects, all sides.

Gazing at you, I get the heat

Mon, 27 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Can we hold others in such regard that we see the beauty in each?

I See You

Sun, 26 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400

We want to be seen for what we really are. We should, in turn, see others as they really are, with compassion and understanding.

+10	Regular, Utthan Pristhana, Parsvakonasana > Prasarita Paddotonasana
+25	Akarna Dhanurasana, Dwi Pada Yogidandasana, Supta Padangusthasana (I, II, III), Akarna Dhanurasana, Goddess Pose
+40	Malasana, Titibhasana > Bakasana, Astavakrasana > Eka Pada Koundinyasana II
+55	Ustrasana > Laguvadrasana, Hanumanasana, Upavistha Konasana
+70	Agnistambhasana, Janu Sirsasana (Regular, Parivrtta), Bharadvajasana, Dwi Pada Yogidandasana

Mine all mine

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Don't let anyone steal your experience from you.

Owning your experience

Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Don't let anyone or anything appropriate your experience.

Fulfillingness' First Finale

Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Asteya isn't just about not reachin into another person's wallet—sometimes we deprive others, or even ourselves, of our true experiences.

True colors

Thu, 09 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400

We should never assume we've got it figured out. The universe rarely reveals itself all in one go; give the truth time to reveal itself.

Gimmie some truth

Mon, 06 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Yoga is a tool to remind us that inquiry is never finished—we never know everything. We seek truth from moment to moment, observing as it unfolds.

True to this

Sun, 05 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Truth is an inquiry. The search for truth must always admit doubt. It must always refine its focus to understand its source.

A principle proportion

Thu, 02 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Remember your relationship with yourself is your model for all others. Don't hurt yourself.

Respect yourself

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Yoga is a tool to help us see more clearly. This starts with ourselves, and recognizing our capacity for harming ourselves.

50 Ways to Leave Your Lover

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400

How do you distinguish change from harm? Can we look upon the thing we are stepping away from with love, or not?

Silent all these years

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400

A defector from the petty wars

Enjoy the silence

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Life shouldn't always be about effort, schedules, accomplishment. Reflection provides us with an opportunity to appreciate where we are.

Silence is golden

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400

It's alright if we have moments that are a rest between activities, a pause between conversations.

Now I'm returning to myself

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400

+10	Cat & Cow, Ardha Surya Namaskar, Regular, Anjaneyasana > Parivrtta Parsvakonasana
+25	Virabhadrasana II, Parsvakonasana > Trikonasana, Utthan Pristhana
+40	Ardha Adho Mukha Svanasana, Eka Pada Galavasana, Eka Pada Rajakapotasana
+55	Bakasana, Shalabhasana, Fingertip Bhujangasana
+65	Agnistambhasana, Ardha Matseyandrasana, Omega, Jathara Parivartanasana

Tipping on a tightrope

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400

+5	Cat & Dog, Ardha Surya Namaskar, Regular
+20	Anjaneyasana > Parivrtta Parsvakonasana, Virabhadrasana II > Trikonasana > Parsvakonasana
+35	Ardha Galavasana, Eka Pada Rajakapotasana, Bakasana, Shalabhasana > Fingertip Bhujangasana
+50	Ardha Matseyandrasana, Janu Sirsasaana, Omega, Jathara Parivartanasana

The Kick Inside

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400

+10	Cat & Cow, Thread the Needle, Regular, Utthan Pristhana
+25	Utthanasana (Partner), Virabhadrasana II, Prasarita Paddotanasana > Parsvakonasana > Ardha Chandrasana (> Chapasana?)
+40	Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Hanumanasana > Helicopter), Eka Pada Rajakapotasana Prep (Regular, Thigh Stretch), Agnistambhasana, Kali's Pose
+55	Fingertip Bhujangasana, Ustrasana, Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (Partner), Balasana (Partner)
+70	Omega, Upavistha Konasana, Jathara Parivartanasana

All this herky-jerky motion

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400

+5	Cat & Cow, Ardha Surya Namaskar, Regular, Anjaneyasana > Virabhadrasana I
+20	Trikonasana > Parsvakonasana, Parivrtta Adho Mukha Svanasana > Vasisthasana, Virabhadrasana II
+35	Ardha Adho Mukha Svanasana, Eka Pada Rajakapotasana, Anjaneyasana (Thigh Stretch)
+50	Ustrasana, Fingertip Bhujangasana, Setubandhasana
+65	Agnistambhasana, Ardha Matseyandrasana, Omega, Jathara Parivartanasana

Thought I'd lose my balance

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400

</colgroup>

<tbody>

<tr>

</td>

Ardha Surya Namaskar, Regular, Virabhadrasana I Lunge

</td>

</tr>

<tr>

+20

</td>

Vrksasana > Anjaneyasana, Ardha Vasisthasana, Trikonasana > Parsvakonasana

</td>

</tr>

<tr>

+35

</td>

Eka Pada Rajakapotasana, Shalabhasana, Dhanurasana, Ustrasana

</td>

</tr>

<tr>

+50

</td>

With the grounds bounce and sway

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400

+10	Regular (Parivrtta Adho Mukha Svanasana), Anjaneyasana, Airplane
+25	Virabhadrasana II, Vrksasana > Virabhadrasana I, Parsvakonasana > Ardha Chandrasana (Regular > Parivrtta) > Vasisthasana
+40	Adho Muka Vrksasana > Chaturanga, Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (Regular, Thigh Stretch), Goddess Pose > Vakratundasana > Svarga Dvijasana
+55	Supta Virasana, Ustrasana (> Kapotasana), Fingertip Bhujasana (> Rajakapotasana), Balasana (Partner)
+70	Omega, Agnistambhasana, Gomukhasana, Jathara Parivartanasana

Waiting for the truth

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400

+5	Cat & Cow, Ardha Surya Namaskar, Regular, Virabhdrasana I
+20	Pez dispenser, Anjaneyasana > Parivrtta Parsvakonasana, Trikonasana > Parsvakonasana
+35	Virabhadrasana II, Ardha Chandrasana (at wal), Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (at wall)
+50	Eka Pada Bhekasana, Dhanurasana, Setubandhasana, Ardha Matseyandrasana, Omega
+65	Sarvangasana, Viparita Karani

Looking

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400

+5	Ardha Surya Namaskar, Regular, Pez dispenser, Virabhdrasana I
+20	Anjaneyasana > Parivrtta Parsvakonasana, Trikonasana > Parsvakonasana
+35	Eka Pada Rajakapotasana, Eka Pada Bhekasana, Dhanurasana
+50	Ardha Matseyandrasana, Ardha Gomukhasana, Omega, Viparita Karani

Hi There!

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0400

+10	Partner Stretch, Ardha Surya Namaskar (Parsva Utthanasana), Regular
+25	Anjaneyasana, Virabhadrasana II, Utthanasana (Arms w/Partner), Parsvakonasana > Trikonasana > Ardha Chandrasana
+40	Pincha Mayurasana, Navasana > Parsva Ardha Navasana, Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (Regular, Thigh Stretch)
+55	Shalabhasana, Dhanurasana (x2), Setubandhasana (> Urdhva Dhanurasana?)
+70	Omega, Agnistambhasana, Gomukhasana, Jathara Parivartanasana

Everything, all the time

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0400

We are challenged to let our consciousness permeate our whole body.

Walk this way

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0400

As we protect ourselves, we set our environment up to allow us to open up to our fullest experience.

Everlong

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0400

The bliss we seek is always present within us. We don't have to think about it, we don't have to reason about it, we just have to experience it.

It's all right here

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0400

We have the resources to be sufficient unto ourselves, if only we cultivate it.

Protection

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0400

After we set aside our unconscious restrictions, we make the choice to engage.

It's everywhere

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Feel the pulse move, but also the moments when it is still.

Ganesh stands in the doorway

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0400

There is a place within each transition—though still part of the pulse—where we can find stillness.

+5	Cat & Cow, Ardha Surya Namaskar (Regular, Parsva Adho Mukha Svanasana, Virabhdrasana I)
+20	Anjaneyasana, Virabhadrasana II, Parsvakonasana
+35	Sucirandrasana, Shalabhasana, Bhujangasana, Dhanurasana
+50	Ardha Matseyandrasana, Ardha Gomukhasana, Omega, Jathara Parivartanasana

Never going back again

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0500

When we discover that our true nature is independent and non-contingent, we can never really go back to being ignorant. We can pretend, but never truly forget.

Respect my experience

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0500

We should acknowledge and cultivate our personal experience—it is the truest path we can take advantage of.

Let you be you

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Being yourself is a task everyone needs help with. Yoga presents us with tools, and opportunities to practice with them, that let us be ourselves in the most challenging of circumstances.

Dancing about architecture

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0500

We don't have to think and consider every reaction. Sometimes we can just feel.

The mind is a horse…

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0500

…it can take you to the gate, but no further

The mind is a horse…

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0500

…it can take you to the gate, but no further

Free your mind and your ass will follow

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0500

To be able to see ourselves as more than our mind, we must step outside.

Unstruck

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0500

We can be taken by surprise in the smallest of instants.

To love another person is to see the face of God

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0500

To allow ourselves to be struck so powerfully that we do not require rational thought

How will I know?

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0500

There is something we can apprehend that is beyond our rational discernment—when we stop trying to put a name to it, and just experience it, we are most fully in our heart.

Refinements: Intermediate Handstand

Sat, 16 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Our yoga practice becomes more sophisticated as it lets us notice and experience the connection between things more acutely—to see the patterns and actions held in common.

Shivering in my shoes

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0500

We are shaken, we fall, we get back up.

If you've got a warrant, I guess you're gonna come in

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Our lives can impinge on our peace of mind, our feeling of centeredness. The Sutras acknowledge this; it's not a failure, it's just life. Pick yourself up and continue.

How does it feel to be back

Sun, 10 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0500

We are still human, still mortal. We are still drawn back to our experience time and time again. We still practice, though.

Between the forceps and the stone

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0500

To see all the parts and the whole at once.

I've seen it all

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0500

The challenge of the practice is that we need to see so many small things in order to apprehend the full picture.

+10	Ardha Surya Namaskar (Regular, Utthan Pristhana, Anjaneyasana > Parivrtta Parsvakonasana), Pez Dispenser
+25	Virabhadrasana II, Parsvakonasana, Trikonasana, Eka Pada Rajakapotasana II Prep (This stretch at wall)
+40	Eka Pada Rajakapotasana Prep, Eka Pada Bhekasana, Heart opener + Core, Ustrasana, Setubandhasana
+55	Marichiyasana III, Omega, Viparita Karani

I've seen it all

Sun, 03 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Our challenge is to refine our consciousness until we can see everything as one.

It's the little things that keep us up at night

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0500

We learn to perceive more clearly the more we focus on our perception.

I'll see the light tonight

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0500

We learn to perceive more clearly the more we focus on our perception.

Things seen and unseen

Sun, 27 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0500

We can even meditate upon those things that have no manifestation.

A Map of the Territory

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0500

When we can see beyond the image, when we can see the ground, not the map, we can know our true self.

Everybody's so different, I haven't changed

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0500

If we accept that we can like something that we hated when we were young, or vice versa, then we can know for certain that there is something to us beyond our likes and dislikes, our circumstance—otherwise, we would, quite literally be a different person. This is what we want to hug into.

Preserve your memories, they're all that's left you

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0500

To be able to see the past without our biases, our desires and expectations, this, too is a path to Samadhi.

Shining star

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Lightness is the outcome of moving energy easily and efficiently through the body. The balance of Muscular Energy and Organic Extension plays a large part in allowing us to find this.

+5	Chili-pepper Jump Switches, Utthan Pristhana, Virabhadrasana I > Parsvottonasana
+20	Parsvakonasana > Trikonasana > Ardha Chandrasana, Baddha Parsvakonasana > Baddha Trikonasana > Baddha Ardha Chandrasana, Adho Mukha Vrksasana (> Chaturanga)
+35	Bakasana (Jumping), Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (Regular, Thigh stretch), Hanumanasana
+50	Astavakrasana > Eka Pada Koundinyasana II (> Viparita Shalbahasana), Setubandhasana, Urdhva Dhanurasana
+65	Balasana, Ardha Matseyandrasana, Ardha Gomukhasana, Omega, Jathara Parivartanasana

Moving from our center

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0500

When we have a clear sense of our true nature, we can respond to the world in a way that is easier and more natural.

+10	Cat & Cow (Twist, Extensions), Ardha Surya Namaskar (Anjaneyasana, Regular)
+25	Prasarita Paddotanasana, Parivrtta Parsvakonasana, Virabhadrasana II, Parsvakonasana
+40	Ardha Hanumanasana > Parighasana, Supta Virasana, Sucirandrasana
+55	Heart Opener (blanket roll), Sphinx, Ardha Bhekasana, Setubandhansana
+70	Sukhasana (Twist), Child's Pose, Supta Padangusthasana

Opening to Grace

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0500

I never thought I could remember people's names. In order to avoid embarassment, I avoided people. One day I found myself in a position where I discovered that it was possible for me to do it.

Possibility begins when we open up to it. It doesn't mean it will be easy, or we will always be successful, but until we allow it an opportunity to manifest, nothing will never happen.

I see what I did there

Sun, 13 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0500

When we become more sophisticated in our yoga practice, we can start to observe not just what we perceive, but how we perceive it.

+5	Regular, Utthan Pristhana, Anjaneyasana > Ardha Hanumanasana, Goddess Pose
+20	Parsvakonasana, Utkatasana > Parivrtta Utkatasana > Parivrtta Parsvakonasana, Virabhadrasana I > Parsvottanasana > Parivrtta Trikonasana
+35	Trikonasana > Ardha Chandrasana > Ardha Chandra Chapasana, Prasarita Paddotanasana, Eka Hasta Padangusthasana (I, II)
+50	Garudasana > Ardha Galavasana, Vakratundasana > Svarge Dvijasana, Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana (Wall), Eka Pada Rajakapotasana Prep (Block)
+65	Agnistambhasana, Ardha Matseyandrasana, Omega, Bharadvajasana II, Ardha Gomukhasana

Refinements: Urdhva Dhanurasana

Sat, 12 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Opening is not quick business. We have to explore how we want to open, where we want to allow ourselves to expand.

+10	Regular > Utthan Pristhana, Shoulder Opener (Partner), Anjaneyasana > Parivrtta Parsvakonasana
+25	Adho Mukha Svanasana (Partner), Parsvakonasana, Heart Opener (blanket roll perpendicular), Trikonasana > Ardha Chandrasana
+40	Vasisthasana > Wild Thing, Ardha Adho Mukha Vrksasana, Hanumanasana (Foot on wall), Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (Block for back knee, Foot on wall)
+55	Heart Opener (blanket roll parallel), Supta Virasana (Partner?), Dolphin Stretch, Bhujangasana (Fingertip), Shalabhasana (Fig-leaf)
+70	Urdhva Dhanurasana Variations
+85	Balasana (Partner), Adho Mukha Svanasana, Agnistambhasana, Ardha Matseyandrasana
+100	Ardha Gomukhasana, Janu Sirsasana (Regular, Parivrtta), Sarvangasana, Viparita Karani

Hot air for a cool breeze

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0500

We achieve lightness through a profound sense of the things we can't see.

+10	Regular, Anjaneyasana > Twist, Parivrtta Adho Mukha Svanasana > Brigit's Cross
+25	Surya Namaskar B (Virabhadrasana II, Parsvakonasana, Trikonasana > Ardha Chandrasana, Parivrtta Parsvakonasana)
+40	Chili-pepper Jump Switches, Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Regular, Lower to Pike, Chaturanga), Sirsasana I (Press up)
+55	Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (Regular, Thigh stretch), Shalabhasana (Partner), Setubandhasana, Urdhva Dhanurasana
+70	Balasana, Ardha Matseyandrasana, Ardha Gomukhasana, Omega, Jathara Parivartanasana

Where are we now?

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0500

We are in the place we made for ourselves. The things we choose to bring into our lives are what our lives are going to be made of. Choose well.

+10	Cat & Cow, Table Extensions, Thread the Needle, Ardha Surya Namaskar (Indudulasana, Shoulder Opener)
+25	Regular, Anjaneyasana, Parivrtta Adho Mukha Svanasana > Brigit's Cross, Parsvakonasana
+40	Parivrtta Parsvakonasana, Trikonasana (Regular, Parsvakonasana Arm), Eka Pada Rajakapotasana
+55	Shins up the Wall, Ardha Bhekasana, Shalabhasana, Setubandhasana (Block)
+70	Sukhasana (Twist), Bharadvajasana I, Ardha Matseyandrasana, Omega, Jathara Parivartanasana

I've journeyed through the desert of the mind

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Yoga is a tool for creating connections. It invites us to cultivate them, engage with them, refine them, and enjoy them without being defined by them.

On the mat, we become more connected to our body, to it's triumphs and failures, to our expectations and our reality, and we work to observe and enjoy, but not see ourselves as limited to them.

+5	Supine Dirga Pranayama, Cat & Cow, Ardha Surya Namaskar (Regular, Indudulasana)
+20	Anjaneyasana > Ardha Hanumanasana, Vrksasana, Virabhadrasana II > Parsvakonasana
+35	Navasana, Toy Soldier, Sucirandrasana, Setubandhansana
+50	Sukhasana (Twist), Ardha Gomukhasana, Omega, Jathara Parivartanasana

True Colors

Sun, 06 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0500

The things upon which you focus, the places you bring your attention, this is the shape of the world you make for yourself. If you choose sadness and bondage, you will have it. If you choose happiness and freedom, you will have that, too.

+10	Regular, Anjaneyasana > Utthan Pristhana, Vrksasana > Parsvakonasana
+25	Chili-pepper Jump Switches, Bakasana, Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Regular, Fingers push away, Mule Kick)
+40	Parivrtta Parsvakonasana, Virabhadrasana II > Baddha Parsvakonasana, Trikonasana > Vasisthasana
+55	Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (Regular, Thigh stretch), Shalabhasana (Partner), Setubandhasana (>Urdhva Dhanurasana)
+70	Balasana, Ardha Matseyandrasana, Ardha Gomukhasana, Omega, Jathara Parivartanasana

Digging in the dirt

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Every pose needs to grow out of a place of stability—if we feel insecure or unsupported, we can't be free in the pose.

This goes double for inversions.

Approaching silence

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0500

From a place of stillness, we can see more clearly how to work most skillfully with the world.

Let the right one in

Tue, 01 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Humans are good with patterns. We see what we are attuned to see. We use the power of sankalpa, of articulating what we desire for ourselves, of making it manifest, to help us see what we already had.

A note regarding the Anusara School of Hatha Yoga

Mon, 31 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0500

To my Anusara (and post-Anusara) friends,

When the Anusara School of Hatha Yoga announced itself a couple of months ago, I was startled—the last I had heard (though, really, I hadn't been listening too closely), efforts to recast Anusara Yoga as an independent, teacher-run school had failed due to disagreements with John Friend regarding transfer of the Anusara Trademark. The teachers in question had decided to recast themselves as Kula Evolution, and fell entirely off my radar.

Repeat until Death

Sun, 30 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0500

What do you love so much you would take as your only instruction, "Repeat until Death"?

Hush

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0500

As we are more still, we can be more aware

Finding center

Sun, 16 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0500

When we are at rest with resepct to the world around us, we can begin to see it more clearly.

Fill 'er up

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0500

We can choose how we look at the universe. Choose something that lifts you up, that lightens your burden.

Elevate your game

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Our aspirations can give us something to work toward.

Elevation

Sun, 09 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Choose for yourself, but make sure the focus of your practice is something that is going to lift you up.

Seeing isn't believing

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The things we can't see, the things that aren't concrete, the visions and dreams we have can still be a powerful catalyst for change.

If I'm Dreaming My LIfe

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0500

We can't always rely on our conscious, rational ability to choose. Sometimes we have to work with things that are less concrete.

Dream a little dream of me

Sun, 02 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Even our dreams can be a place of focus.

What can I say or do?

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0500

I would make the choices that those I admire would make.

WWD?

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0500

When we don't feel the ability to be our own role model, we can use others examples to guide us in the direction we want to go.

Be Inspired

Sun, 25 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0500

When we can't feel the light within, we can always let ourselves bask in the light of others.

In a world of pure imagination

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0500

If you want to view paradise
Simply look around and view it
Anything you want to, do it
Wanta change the world?
There's nothing
To it

Of Course

Sun, 18 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Know your destination in order to find it. Imagine what you seek.

As if

Sat, 17 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0500

To see the world as if it were different—this is the power that allows us to effect transformation. We must cultivate it, nurture it, use it.

Imagine

Sat, 17 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0500

To the extent we can visualize where we want to be, we can begin to seek it.

Fake it til you make it

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Can you imagine your heart, as luminous and full? Then you can make it so.

Freedom!

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0500

As we bring our attention to the body, our chance for freedom increases. As we bring our attention to our self, our chance for freedom increases.

To thine own self be true

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Inhabit your body fully, that you might more easily inhabit your self fully.

Keep your eye on the prize

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0500

We experiment with our focus to understand how best to find it, so we may apply it where needed.

The point of focus

Sun, 11 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0500

To cultivate an ability to concentrate on one thing provides us with the experience of letting go of the peripheral.

Remembrance of the breath

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0500

All day, every day, we breathe in, we breathe out. How often do we notice the breath?

Stay on target

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Anything that brings us to a place of concentration is an aid to the practice.

Breathless

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0500

We trust our constant companion to buoy us up. But friendship is a two way street—we must cultivate it.

You take my breath away

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0500

We cultivate the deepest knowledge in the simplest things.

Breathe out, Breathe in

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The most mundane of activities, with the potential for the most profound changes.

The true meaning of vinyasa

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The map of our consciousness is measured in breaths.

Don't forget your ventolin

Sun, 04 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0400

The breath is so fundamental, it can calm us or disturb us or deplete us or energize us. We want to learn to use it skillfully.

Stand your ground

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0400

We can be more friendly, more compassionate, more joyful and more spacious when we are grounded.

The trick is to keep breathing

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0400

The steadiness of the breath reflects the steadiness of the mind. As above, so below.

I need some space

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Make space to accept things in your life, and make space around the things you don't need to hold onto.

The final frontier

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0400

We make space to accommodate life.

Can you see the real me?

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Seek out happiness, have compassion for sadness, delight in virtue, and let the wicked pass.

You're my best friend

Sun, 28 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Befriend the happy, have compassion for the sad, rejoice in the virtuous, and shun the wicked.

Winter is coming

Sat, 27 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0400

It's easy to get overextended, overcommitted. The yoga practice reminds us to pay attention to our resources, to choose skillfully and appropriately, to cultivate the things that will support and serve us, and let go of the rest.

Follow the yellow brick road

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Beware the Lions and Tigers and Bears!

We are all of us

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Befriend the happy, have compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous, and disregard the wicked.

A big batch of substitute teaching

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0400

I'm going to be doing quite a bit of substitute teaching at Durham Yoga Company during the next month.

Discipline

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0400

We stick with the path, we follow where it leads, we make progress.

People get ready

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0400

We stay with the program, we continue even when things are challenging because that moment of challenge is also the moment of transformation.

Go your own way

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0400

If we focus on our own progress, on our own path, we will do better than if we're focussing on others progress down their own path.

I'm fixing a hole

Sun, 21 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Concentrate your energies. Focus your efforts.

Refinements: Intermediate Handstand

Sun, 21 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Handstand is a visceral expression of one-pointed focus—a place where we are only engaged with the experience of that one moment.

Hold the line

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Keep to the path. Don't get nervous about whether someone else is making more progress doing something else.

Serve the Servants

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0400

We support ourselves so we can support others

Ready and Able

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0400

We prepare ourselves by being well.

As Below, So Above

Sun, 14 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0400

It is easier to be well when we're well, so we need to treat ourselves as if this is important.

Strength and Service

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0400

We can't be available to others when we're not strong enough to serve ourselves.

We Can Work It Out

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Trials, tribulations, challenges of all sorts will never disappear from our lives. Our practice is to use them to see ourselves as the powerful, luminous beings we are.

It's just a question of eliminating obstacles

Sun, 07 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0400

To understand our own truth, we must be challenged.

Peace like a river

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0400

The mighty Mississippi starts as a trickle that you can walk across, but becomes powerful and unstoppable as it flows.

We have to keep ourselves from being diverted and misdirected to find our own power.

How do you get to Carnegie Hall?

Wed, 03 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Practice!

The Path of Action

Wed, 03 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Sometimes our feelings of negativity stem from feeling powerless. But there is always something that we can do, even if it's just to get on our mat.

Out of what do we choose to make our practice?

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Let the practice be consistent, and life-affirming.

My repetition is this

Sun, 30 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Consider the power of the idea that you choose to do something good for yourself.

"It's not that it gets easier, you get stronger"

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0400

The practice shifts us. There's no magic, just the choice to change.

How do we dig deeper?

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0400

The yoga practice isn't a contest with our body, it's a dialog with our body. We can adopt a confrontational style of discourse, or we can adopt an intimate, loving one.

What are we repeating?

Sun, 23 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0400

If repetition is the thing that takes us further into the practice, the attitude we take into our repetition is going to constrain how the practice serves us.

And so we return and begin again

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0400

The nature of practice is that it shows its effects over time. We must take the time to let it mold us.

Counting to None

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Omnia Mutantur, Nihil Enterit.

Living in a Glass Onion

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Peel back the layers. Endure the tears to cook it down to the sweetness.

It's changing the shape of my face

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Change is nothing to fear. We practice to become acquainted with the deeper part of us. The unchanging part.

Omnia Mutantur Nihil Interit

Sun, 16 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Everything changes, but nothing is truly lost.

But Change Is

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Everything that begins, ends. The sound of OM reminds us of this, asks us to embrace the possibility of transformation.

Here I Go Again

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0400

The breath accompanies us, gives us space within which to work, and allows us to let go of that which isn't serving us.

Saving Grace

Sun, 09 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Grace isn't something to hoard, it's fuel, it's what gives us the strength to go on when we feel spent. It is our acceptance of the gifts of the universe.

Flying Yoga Demonstration

Sat, 08 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Demonstration

Climb to seated shoulders
Bird on Hands
Throne > Foot to Hand
Great Wall I
Tree Hugger

Teaching

Warm-up

Surya Namaskar (3x)
Partner stretches (w/ Twist)
Seated spinal twist
Sukhasana with Backbend
Mini Back Pack
Shoulder opener

Spotting

Spotting is essential
Listo, Si, Hep

Flying

Bird
High-flying Whale

Stacking

Double Plank
Triple Plank
Double Table
Downdog traction/levitatin

Cool-down

Spinal traction
Driving the bus
Gentle twist
Hip Hop
Brushes

Love, don't you falter

Sat, 08 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0400

We cultivate love for this existence, this opportunity, this life.

Free Yoga in the Park

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0400

I'm going to be leading the Free Yoga in the Park practice in Durham tomorrow morning.

Their website has details about location and such, though they don't actually have me on the schedule or anything.

Anyway, come on out and have a nice free class in our beautiful end of summer weather.

I've got no deeds to do, no promises to keep.

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0400

This is our moment to be.

Don't forget your Ventolin

Mon, 03 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0400

We all have layers, shells, challenges—it is our choice to step out of them.

Make me one with everything

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0400

We are connected. We are bound. We are entangled. We should embrace this.

Shed your skin

Sun, 26 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0400

We need to remember the difference between the things we do, even the things we love, and what we really are.

How am I not myself?

Thu, 23 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Who sits behind our eyes?

Surf's Up!

Thu, 16 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0400

You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.

You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf

Sun, 12 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0400

The physics of the yoga practice

Thu, 09 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0400

To have a more dedicated yoga practice, we have two choices: we can do the practice in isolated spaces for short periods of time and try to amp those moments up, or we can let the practice start to permeate everything. Which do we think will be more effective?

I wish you were here to see it

Sun, 05 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0400

The intensity of our practice isn't about the poses we do; it's about well we discern what will really serve us, and how diligently we pursue it.

Too hot in the hot tub

Sat, 04 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0400

I used to think, when the sutras said the practice came in three gradations, mild, medium and spicy, that spicy must mean lots of backbends.

But the real measure of the practice, the real spicyness, is the extent to which we can assert our right to what we need.

Subbing, 8/4

Fri, 03 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0400

I'll be subbing for Paul and Sommer's Anusara 1/2 class at 9:00am at Carrboro Yoga Company, 200 N. Greensboro St., Suite C1, Carroboro, NC 27510.

Don't stop 'till you get enough

Thu, 02 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0400

The practice of yoga doesn't give us overnight transformation. We apply ourselves consistently over time to see change.

It was so easy then

Sun, 29 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0400

What if you are the person for whom finding enlightenment is easy?

A minute to learn...a lifetime to master

Thu, 26 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Faith, strength, memory, contemplation, discernment

The Pretender

Sun, 22 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Faith, strength, memory, contemplation, discernment

If you wish upon a star...

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0400

We can be certain that if we don't make the effort, the outcome we desire is unlikely to happen.

"It would help if you would buy a ticket."

Sun, 15 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0400

We may never come unstuck. But if we don't try, we can be certain.

No surprises

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0400

The world washes in and through us, but we are left behind.

On the turning away

Sun, 08 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0400

How do we rise above our involvement in the world?

The Four Rs

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0400

We reason, we consider, we delight, we are.

I am

Sun, 01 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0400

We reason about the world.

We reflect on the wonder around us.

We rejoice in our opportunity.

We are.

Golden Age

Sat, 30 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0400

We reason, we consider, we delight, we are.

Will Do

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0400

If you love something enough, the outcome doesn't matter.

Minute by Minute

Wed, 27 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Yoga asks us to stay in the picture, to keep our focus on the moment. We know that the past is done, and the future will unfold itself. We learn to be still and present and responsive.

The End

Wed, 27 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Don't mourn the things that have passed. Celebrate them.

Born Under Punches

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Life is always moving on. Our challenge is to roll with it gracefully.

Remember: Next week is last week of session. No classes on Wednesday. Classes at CyCo will start on July 10.

People taking pictures

Sun, 24 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0400

I'm not much of a picture taker. I get far too involved in the moment to remember I have a camera. When we are in a state of vairagya, we are so present that there is no desire, we simply are. Yoga is the process of creating and refining this capacity for stillness.

Just keep me moving

Thu, 21 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0400

The yoga practice is always one of becoming. No pose lasts forever, for which we are thankful.

The Letting Go

Sun, 17 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0400

We don't mourn each pose as we move out of it. We don't mourn each breath that passes. Why should we mourn the less important things.

Your mission, if you choose to accept it...

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0400

The first step is making a choice. The second step is making a choice. Choosing is the process.

Stand

Sun, 10 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0400

We have chosen to be here. Let us devote ourselves to this moment.

Indiscipline

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Discipline is the memory of what you truly desire.

10,000 Maniacs

Sun, 03 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0400

They say it takes 10,000 hours to master something. What have you chosen to spend 10,000 hours on?

<!– more –>

+10	Regular, Ardha Hanumanasana > Parighasana, Porch Swing > Brigit's Cross
+25	Vishnu's Couch > Ardha Dhanurasana, Parsvakonasana > Trikonasana > Vasisthasana (Tree), Parivrtta Parsvakonasana
+40	Sirsasana I, Goddess Pose, Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (Regular, Thigh Stretch with shoulder opener)
+55	Setubandhasana (Eka Pada Partner), Urdhva Dhanurasana (Eka Pada Partner), Malasana (Regular, Leg extended)
+70	Ardha Gomukhasana, Janu Sirsasana (Regular, Parivrtta), Omega

The loneliness of the long-distance runner

Thu, 31 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

We dedicate ourselves not to isolating ourselves from the world, but to discovering the richness the world presents to us. This takes practice and dedication. It takes our whole lives.

Dedicated

Sun, 27 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

It's easy to mistake desire for dedication, enthusiasm for action, knowledge for capability. What defines our yoga practice is the practice. Consistent practice over a long time is more effective than inconsistent bursts–cramming is not the practice.

Rambling through the avenues of time

Thu, 24 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

My shadow played a bass clarinet

In Memory of Elizabeth Reed

Sun, 20 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

What stirs our memory? What shape does it take? How does it bind us deeper in our web of connection?

abhāva pratyayā 'laṁbanā vṛttir nidrā

Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Sleep is necessary. Sleep is good.

Sleep should only happen when we're sleeping, though.

The state we can attain during our humdrum ordinary day, that sense of disconnection and withdrawal from the world around us–this is what we want to avoid. This is insulating us from our truest experience.

The cultivation of attention, the sense that we have of our intention and engagement with the world, this is what we want from our yoga practice.

The sleep of the just after

Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

That we can know we were sleeping suggests that there's something in us that is beyond sleep.

Golden Slumbers

Sun, 13 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

We can sleepwalk through our time, or we can resolve to be present, no matter the challenge. It doesn't mean it's going to be easy, and we may need to find the particular tools that help us do so, but it's possible–it's our birthright.

How to try out yoga

Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

A friend of mine from college recently sent me a message, asking if I could make some recommendations about how to try out yoga. I tried hard to keep my response short and to the point, but it's a subject I have some opinions on, and I don't think they're without value, so I decided to expand my initial response to him into something more general and post it here.

śabda jñānā 'nupātī vastu-śūnyo vikalpaḥ

Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

I think we all have a friend, perhaps more than one, who has a story, or two, or three.

Especially if the story is a good one, often repeated, and we've known the teller for a long enough time, we get to see how it has increased in the telling. We can observe how small details shift, and the significance of the story becomes even greater, and the teller's part in it more central.

Telling stories

Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Narrative can be a useful tool; it can help us see patterns, help us explore experience, help us forge connections. But it also has the power to overwhelm reality.

Your lucky day

Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

This is how we should all feel. Fortunate that there are always more things to explore, more things to share.

Using your illusion

Sun, 06 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

We are constantly imagining the the world as other than it is. The question is whether we will use this imagination as a tool for growth, or an excuse to stay the same.

<!– more –>

+10	Regular, Virabhadrasana II, Virabhadrasana 1 > Parsvottanasana, Parivrtta Parsvakonasana
+25	Arhda Hanumanasana, Baddha Parsvakonasana > Baddha Trikonasana > Ganapati's Trunk > Svarga Dvijasana, Navasana > Ardha Navasana
+40	Adho Mukha Vrksasana, Eka Pada Rajakapotasana, Agnistambhasana
+55	Setubandhasana, Urdhva Dhanurasana (Partners, Regular), Utthanasana (Partner)
+70	Janu Sirsasana (Regular, Parivrtta), Omega, Dwi Pada Yogidandasana, Shavasana

There's nothing you sing that hasn't been sung

Thu, 03 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

We each have our unique quality, but our human experience will always hold much in common.

<!– more –>

+10	Anjaneyasana, Virabhadrasana I Lunge (with block under knee almost twist), Parivrtta Parsvakonasana
+25	Parsvakonasana > Trikonasana, Ardha Vasisthasana (as psoas stretch), Navasana > Ardha Navasana, Eka Pada Bhujasana
+40	Lunge (at wall), Adho Mukha Vrksasana, Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (Block under knee, Turn toward knee)
+55	Shalabhasana (Hands on hips individual legs), Setubandhasana (Asymmetrical block), Gomukhasana > Ardha Matseyandrasana
+70	Janu Sirsasana, Omega, Dwi Pada Yogidandasana, Shavasana

Thinks like me

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

There's no experience we've had that is so unique that it can't be shared.

viparyayo mithyā-jñānam atad rūpa pratiṣṭhaṁ

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Wrong thinking stems from mis-perception.

It would bore and depress me to try and enumerate or meditate upon all the ways we as humans get things wrong–we show an amazing mastery at it, and the consequences are often dire.

Instead, I will direct you to ZeFrank, who has a wonderful story of people united by the realization that their feelings, so deep and personal, were shared by others–because it seems to me that the mis-perception that lies at the heart of so much suffering is that we are alone, that our pain cannot be understood, that no one can sympathize.

The courage to be right

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Being courageous in our convictions means keeping them even when we cannot reshape the world to reflect them.

How to be wrong with conviction

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

There's no virtue in being right, only in being free.

Offering #2

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

A practice (something on the order of 30 minutes)

Tadasana (Mountain Pose) > Side Bends
Tadasana > Utthanasana (Simple Forward Fold) > Ardha Utthanasana (Half-Fold) > Tadasana (Repeat Several times)
Surya Namaskar A (Tadasana > Utthanasana > Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog) > Palankasana (Plank pose) > Bhujangasana (Cobra pose) > Adho Mukha Svanasana > Utthanasana > Tadasana) (Repeat twice)
Surya Namaskar A w/ Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II)
Surya Namaskar A w/ Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I) > Parsvottanasana (Intense side stretch)
Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Downward Facing Tree - AKA Handstand)
Eka Pada Rajakapotasana Prep (Pigeon, w/ thigh stretch)
Agnistambhasana (Fire Logs)
Eka Pada Rajakapotasana II Prep (Lunge thigh stretch)
Shalabhasana (Locust Pose)
Dhanurasana (Bow Pose)
Ardha Dhanurasana (Opposite hand/foot from table)
Balasana (Child's pose)
Ardha Matseyandrasana (Half Lord of the Fishes)
Gomukhasana (Cow-face pose)
Janu Sirsasana (Knee to head)
Omega (Open Cobbler's pose)
Jathara Parivartanasana (Supine Twist)
Savasana

Some contemplations (consider one a day, in order, repeating as time permits):

pratyakṣā 'numānā ' 'gamāḥ pramāṇāni

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

What is right thought? Right thought is direct perception, deduction, and scriptural testimony–that is, the things you have experienced, the things that you can reason about and the ideas that have endured the test of time.

These all sound like good things–they are ways to try and see the world as it is, which is part of the fundamentals of yoga–so how could these be manifestations of the vrtti? This xkcd cartoon would seem to sum it up:

It's a thin line

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Working at home presents you with the maximum amount of distraction. And yet it also provides you with the maximum opportunity for focus.

The yoga practice is like treading that balance all day, every day.

Roll up, see the show

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Setting aside distractions is a path to engaging with our experience.

1.5 vṛttayaḥ pañcatayyaḥ kliṣṭā ‘kliṣṭāḥ

1.6 pramāṇa viparyaya vikalpa nidrā smṛtayaḥ

No distractions

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

We are an ocean of experience–only our awareness feels like a tiny drop.

pramāṇa viparyaya vikalpa nidrā smṛtayaḥ

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Right thinking, wrong thinking, vision, sleep and memory.

These are the things we mistake for what is.

We often seek mediation between our experience and…our experience. A path to "understand" rather than simply being in the experience. We seek reasons and justifications for what is happening, we cultivate a vision of why it's happening, we try to escape in in sleep and memory.

But in the end, the experience is what is.

Clear as the nose on your face

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Letting ourselves be grounded in what is helps us avoid unhappiness: the artificial unhappiness when we imagine things are worse than they are, and the unhappiness when we imagine things are better than they are, and are disappointed.

Learning to Crawl

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

We can choose how we view the world–at every moment, we must practice choosing over and over again. The good news is that this means we have a lot of opportunity to shift our habits.

<!– more –>

+10	Three-part breath, Regular, Vrksasana > Virabhadrasana I, Parsvottanasana > Utthan Pristhana
+30	Uttkatasana, Parivrtta Uttkatasana > Parivrtta Parsvakonasana, Hasta Padangusthasana I > Ardha Chandrasana > Parsvakonasana > Trikonasana
+50	Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Backbend), Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (Regular, Thigh Stretch), Setubandhasana (Urdhva Dhanurasana), Hanumanasana
+70	Agnistambhasana, Ardha Gomukhasana, Supta Padangusthasana, Jathara Parivartanasana, Shavasana

Offering #1

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

A practice (should take 20–40 minutes depending on how fast you move):

Cat & Dog tilts > Thread the Needle > Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog) > Utthanasana (Simple Forward Fold w/ hands clasped behind back, arms extended) > Tadasana (Mountain Pose w/ Garudasana (Eagle-pose) arms)
Surya Namaskar A (Tadasana > Utthanasana > Adho Mukha Svanasana > Palankasana (Plank pose) > Bhujangasana (Cobra pose) > Adho Mukha Svanasana > Utthanasana > Tadasana)
Surya Namaskar A w/ Parsvakonasana (Side-Angle)
Surya Namaskar A w/ Trikonasana (Triangle) > Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon)
Prasarita Padatonasana (Wide-leg forward fold) > Sirsasana I (Headstand)
Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (Pigeon)
Agnistambhasana (Fire Logs)
Eka Pada Bhekasana (Prone thigh stretch)
Setubanda Sarvangasana (Bridge)
Ustrasana (Camel)
Ardha Hanumanasana (Runner's Stretch) > Hanumanasana (The splits)
Janu Sirsasana (Knee to head)
Omega (Open Cobbler's pose)
Jathara Parivartanasana (Supine Twist)
Dwi Pada Yogidandasana (Happy Baby)
Savasana

Some contemplations (only work with one during a particular practice):

vṛttayaḥ pañcatayyaḥ kliṣṭā 'kliṣṭāḥ

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Our illusions come in five varieties, some of which are painful, others painless.

The important thing to remember in all cases, though, is that they are, ultimately, illusions. Our imagining winning the lottery may make us happy in the short term, but in the long term we will likely be hurt when we do not win. Remembering a departed loved one may seem painful initially, but if they passed after a long illness, perhaps we will come to see that it was a blessing that they were released from suffering.

Mad World

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

We are most effective when we are grounded in the real world.

How am I not myself?

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

We're not the mistakes we make, we're not the successes we have, we are something infinitely more special.

vṛtti sārūpyam itaratra

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

When we're not resident in the Self, we reside in our fantasies.

This is really stating the antithesis of the prior sutra–if we're not able to rein in our imagination, to distinguish it from reality, we cannot reside in our Self. It could literally be no other way–either we reside in truth, and can connect to our Self, or we reside in fantasy, and must necessarily be disconnected from our Self.

People take pictures of each other

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

When we reside in the present moment, when we can be still, everything can come into focus.

I can see clearly now

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

It's not the world around us, or the world inside us, but ourselves and our place that we can see clearly.

atha yogā 'nuśāsanaṃ

Sat, 24 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

"Now begins the study of Yoga"

I've been told (though I don't know to what extent it may be true) that in all the ancient texts, the yogis would start with the single most potent word that, if you truly understood it, would render all the rest of the text superfluous. Certainly in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, that first word, now, seems to hold the key to everything else.

Some people approach the yoga practice as one that is subtle, mystical and esoteric. While I respect their interpretation, for me, the practice of yoga–the complete practice, not just the asana practice–is an endless attempt to inhabit the present moment. What yoga has shown me is that this moment is the only real thing. What matters to me is my actual experience, which is mundane and concrete. Projecting our consciousness backward and forward through time, with memory and fantasy, may help inform our experience in this moment, but it is ultimately this moment that matters.

tadā draṣṭuḥ svarūpe 'vasthānaṃ

Sat, 24 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

"Then the Self abides in its own true nature"

Why still the fluctuations of the mind? How is this going to help us? The fluctuations of the mind warp and distort our view of the world. When we find a place of stillness and immediacy, we can see the world clearly. Even more importantly, we can see ourselves clearly.

It reminds me of an old joke:

bq.. An engineer, a physicist, and a mathematician were on a train heading north, and had just crossed the border into Scotland.

yogaś citta vṛtti nirodhaḥ

Sat, 24 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

"Yoga is the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind"

Why inhabit the present moment? To begin to let go of our fantasies and see the world as it truly is.

For me, this isn't the stopping of thought. Certainly some schools of yoga encourage this–an attempt to step away from the world entirely, to transcend and escape it. But few of us have the luxury or the calling to step out of the world. Instead, we have to find our practice alongside the everyday aspects of our life.

(Don't) Use Your Illusion

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Can we embrace what is really happening, instead of rejecting it for the seduction of fantasy?

Fixing a hole

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

What would your experience be if you could let go of all distractions?

Floating in the eternal moment

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Anything other than now is imagination or memory. Can you hold onto this one thing that is real and concrete?

Attha Yoga Nushasanam

Sun, 11 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The study of the moment is the practice of Yoga. What is the thing we need at this moment?

The Final Frontier

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Find the space in your body and in your life—the places where you can breathe easily.

Independent and Luminous

Sun, 04 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Our greater selves depend on nothing¹, and shine with an inner light

Being there is 99%

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Can we cultivate consistent presence?

Niralambaya Shantaya

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

We don't need anything else to find this place of peace.

Our truest nature

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Meet yourself on the field of truth. Have a picnic. Watch the clouds roll by.

I have decided not to renew my license with Anusara, Inc.

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Dear friends,

In the wake of the allegations of ethical misconduct against John Friend–which I believe he has largely confirmed–I have decided to not renew my license with Anusara, Inc. at this time.

As a consequence, I will have to change the name of one of my classes–the content (for better or worse :) will stay the same.

To be clear: I remain dedicated to the powerful principles of this system of yoga, and I continue to think of myself as part of the community that grew up around it. However, at this moment, the structure of Anusara, Inc.–which seems inextricably bound up with John Friend, and which he has ruled in an autocratic style, using his position of power to manipulate, threaten and punish teachers–is not one I feel I can support.

Satchitananda Murtaye

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The thing we seek is in front of us. The task is to see it.

Gurave

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Why fight who you really are?

Om Namah Shivaya Gurave

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

We may be helped along the path by those without, but the truest guide is the one within.

Groundhog Day

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

We cultivate our awareness of the world around us, day by day, finding the glorious diversity in the seeming sameness.

Back down to earth again

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The experience of yoga is about inhabiting here and now so completely that you can see the magnificence of the experience.

Straight to my heart

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Can we listen, really listen?

Being There

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

What we bring to our lives defines them.

Living in the past

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Can we cultivate love even as we set aside the things that no longer serve us? Can we be so grounded in the here-and-now that we can simply let the past be the past?

Be of service to yourself

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Let your life be in service of becoming expansive.

This is your life, don't play hard to get

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Sometimes we hold back from our lives out of fear of showing our true selves.

What is and what should never be

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

We can determine our experience. We can choose openness and happiness.

Happy New Year

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Make a change. Invite something into your life you've felt you've been lacking.

I am what I am

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

We cultivate ourselves in order to be able to be of service to those around us. The ones we love, the ones who challenge us, and especially those who are both.

Shine a Light

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

In all the hurry and fuss, it's easy to lose track of yourself. Always remember that you can shine.

Taking the wide view

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Shiva Drishti is the cultivation of the ability to see the auspicious in any moment, however challenging.

So Good to See you

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

We cultivate the ability to see the beautiful and the auspicious in each moment.

Stuck inside of Memphis with the Mobile blues again

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

It's not the outcome, it's the attempt.

Make it real

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Our words, our actions, they all have repercussions. What is the energy we want to send out into the world?

The three As are a guide in considering the quality of our actions, and the quality of the energy we send out.

The Same Thrill

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Our yoga practice is never the same if we're focussed on the process, not the outcome.

Falling in love

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Injury can be a powerful teacher because it forces us to fall in love with the process, rather than the results.

Ripple

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Our words, our actions, they all have repercussions. What is the energy we want to send out into the world?

The three As are a guide in considering the quality of our actions, and the quality of the energy we send out.

How the heart approaches what it yearns

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

It's not what we do, it's how we do it.

Cancellation, 12/25

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

I will not be teaching my normal Anusara-Inspired Level 2 practice class at InsideOut Body Therapies, Durham, NC, 10am, 12/25.

Subbing 12/14

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

I'll be subbing for Paul's Anusara Practice class at 5:45pm and his Anusara 1-2 class at 7:30pm at Triangle Yoga, Chapel Hill, NC, 12/14.

Here comes the sun

Sun, 04 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The sun is always shining somewhere. Most importantly, it's shining within us, always.

Hearts and Bones

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Some things give you an experience of your deepest inner truth–the knowledge of what you really are. Not just a limited being, but an inextricable part of the fabric of the universe

It is our ability to open to this experience that is ananda. It is beyond joy and sorrow.

Stranger in a Strange Land

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

I once read that in Japanese, all the words for 'thank you' translate more literally as 'resentment'. This appealed to my cynical, 20-year-old self–it's a way to acknowledge a debt we didn't ask for, like someone holding the door for us.

More powerful is to recognize that our gratitude is the payment, whether for someone holding the door for us, or each sunrise we get to see, for each moment we get to spend with our loved ones.

Brighten Black Friday

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

It's funny, though perhaps appropriate, that this day—a day so focussed on commerce—is juxtaposed with Thanksgiving, a day focussed on gratitude.

Gratitude is the payment we give for those things that can't be purchased with money; the things we didn't ask for and can never repay. Those things that are intangible and yet so important.

“If you think you are enlightened, go spend a week with your parents.” -- Ram Dass

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

We want Thanksgiving to be a time of gratitude, but first we have to let go of all the things that obscure it.

What is bliss?

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Ignorance or marriage, apparently. If we eliminate ignorance, as being incompatible with sat and chit, that leaves marriage.

Marriage isn't about always being chipper and happy. Marriage is about being in a relationship that is so strong it allows you to see yourself reflected in it, clearly.

I Won't Hold You Back

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

More than anything else, our ideas are our limitations. If you never try something, you can never do it. Let your time on the yoga mat encourage you to try something.

Rescheduled Meditation Workshop date, 11/18 to 12/2

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Due to unexpected commitments, Sommer and I have had to reschedule the last meeting of the Friday Meditation Series, to be 12/2, at Sfeer Studio, Chapel Hill, NC. Hope to see you then.

Subbing 11/22

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

I'll be subbing for Sommer's Anusara Level 1 class at Triangle Yoga, Chapel Hill, NC, 5:45pm 11/22.

Subbing 12/13

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

I'll be subbing for Paul's Mixed Levels yoga class at Carolina Friends School, Durham, NC, 12/13, 6pm

Subbing 12/19

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

I'll be subbing for Sommer's Mixed Levels practice class at Sfeer Studio, Chapel Hill, NC, 12/19, 6pm.

Surrender

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Back in the day, Public Enemy released an album, It Takes A Nation of Millions to Told Us Back.

For most of us, all it takes is ourselves.

Let go of the ways that you are holding yourself down.

It's just a question of eliminating obstacles

Sun, 13 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The things that hold us back are the parts of us that are not conscious. To bring consciousness to them is not a battle to be fought, a war to be won. To bring consciousness to them is a gift we can give ourselves, to let go of those things we no longer need.

The choice is yours and don't be late

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Endorphins are only part of the story. Each time we make a choice we draw our consciousness in a particular direction. When we make a dedicated practice of getting on the yoga mat, of choosing something positive, our outlook changes. We are using the power of consciousness to reshape ourselves.

Special "Black Friday" class

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Please join me from 2-4 pm on Friday, 11/25, for "Brighten Black Friday." at InsideOut Body Therapies, Durham, NC.

This two-hour class will combine a nice warming flow–to burn off any feasting one might have done the day before–with some deep work to find respite from the tension that holidays sometimes bring.

Appropriate for anyone with some yoga experience.

Thanksgiving cancellation

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

My 7:30pm class at InsideOut Body Therapies, Durham, NC, will not be meeting on Thanksgiving, 11/24.

The power to choose

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Most of us feel better, calmer, happier after we get off the yoga mat. The traditional explanation is that the body has gotten a workout and the mind has gotten quieter, etc.

I think there's also a lot of power in the recognition that we chose to do something that feels good. To recognize that we can make that choice in one circumstance reminds us that we can make it in others as well.

Letting go of the voice over

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0400

In the last 10 days, I've had three Certified teachers show up to my classes–only one of whom was expected. Each time I've had an immediate moment of tension and dismay, wondering if I'm going to be able to teach "well enough". And yet everything has turned out fine.

Recognizing the narrative that arises as nothing more than narrative is essential to moving beyond it. Instead, we need to focus on what is.

Surya Namaskar for Two

Sat, 05 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0400

I think it's fair to say that this is beautiful and amazing and inspiring.

[youtube_sc url=RcqvlJIjh9g]

This is the story of my life

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0400

We all have stories. Some of them are amusing, some of them are tragic, some of them are ecstatic.

But the stories are not what we are. What we are is deeper and more subtle than any story. Yoga is our path to find that deeper experience.

Starting the journey

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0400

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" – Lao-Tze

"Watch that first step, it's a lulu!" – Bugs Bunny

The place where they meet is where we need abhaya–fearlesness. The willingness to take that first step, even though we know the implications are going to be huge.

Three of a Perfect Pair

Sun, 30 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Everything must end–this is what gives urgency to life. And yet we still want to respond to this awareness of limited time, rather than react.

Ocean Size

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

We have our limited bodies, our limited minds, the limits we experience on peace, joy and connection.

What if we could set aside those constraints? What if we could feel limitless? What if we could be as deep and wide as the ocean?

Be the beauty you want to see

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The thing that is most beautiful in the eyes of others is love. When we love what we do, our every action can be beautiful.

Upcoming Meditation bookclub and workshop

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

If you're in the Triangle area, please join Sommer Sobin and Iat Sfeer Studio, Chapel Hill, NC, for the next four Friday evenings as we lead a workshop centered around Sally Kempton's Meditation for the Love of It.

See the flyer for details

Where's Dharma

Sun, 23 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

"Better to live your own dharma badly than someone else's perfectly." But how do you tell what your dharma is?

We come back to the union of feeling and intellect. We recognize and acknowledge our feelings, then we examine them, and over time we discern where they lead us.