As yogis, we learn that physical sensations of tension or tightness indicate where in our bodies we hold pain and suffering. Alas, when we suppress our emotions, they don’t disappear, never to be seen again. Suppressed emotions are stored in…
The journey of enlightenment is a journey of the mind: from a focus on the body to a focus on spirit, from a limited sense of self to an unlimited sense of Self, from a sense of separateness to a…
Regular and steady blood supply is essential for good physical health. Eastern medical traditions suggest that the mind is the driver of subtle energy in the body and that blood follows that energy. If the mind is clogged (neurotic, anxious, upset), it…
Those of us with vulnerable respiratory systems need to be vigilant during flu seasons, and the past 18 months of COVID have amplified and extended this time of risk. The yoga sequence that follows is designed to cleanse the respiratory…
When the world around us, both close at hand and globally, feels as though it is shattering, it can only mean one thing. An ending of some magnitude is upon us. Endings signal loss, which can often trigger fear. However,…
I recently read The Yield by Tara Winch, in which she explored the “trauma of remembering and forgetting.” The book’s protagonist battled two challenges — what she refused to forget and what she endeavored, no matter how difficult, to remember.…
Arguably, two of the most well-known quotes are those of Albert Einstein and Mahatma Gandhi. Einstein reminded us that when we continue to repeat the same mistakes (war–Vietnam, Afghanistan, etc.) but expect different outcomes (peaceful co-existence), we are investing our…
This past weekend, good friends listened to me ranting about political parties that feel they can only succeed with “majority rule”, and using such rationale to call an election with two years of their mandate still remaining. What happened to…
Painting by Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov Given the chaotic change and heightened stress of the past 18 months, one could arguably say what’s bigger than a COVID pandemic into its fourth wave. I suspect that the drought-induced pestilence (i.e., grasshoppers, war,…
A familiar yoga adage comes to mind as I consider the loss of a relationship in my life — Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional. Truthfully, there is no sense in avoiding pain. It is a natural part of life…
photo by Blair Dunn Whether exercising our physical body, reading a novel, or practicing a spiritual teaching, we open ourselves to learning something new. Within any of these experiences, the opportunity exists for us to move our knowledge needle closer…
In my youth, critical thinking was highly valued as the primary skill of a problem solver. Of course, in the western worldview of North America, rational science was god. Hence, children were trained to analyze data, diagnose problems, and choose…
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