Over the past week, a discussion on “coming from the heart” versus “coming from intuition” led me to a new direct experience about awareness and integration. Before I go any further, I need to briefly explain what I mean by…
This past weekend, I had a thoughtful conversation with several yoga students on a subject near and dear to my heart—divinity. This is often a confusing word, particularly in yoga, which is classified as a spiritual practice and philosophy and…
Autumn is looming on the horizon. In Northern climates like mine this means a whole host of activities emerge necessary to prepare us for the eventual snowfall. Whether we northerners like winter or not, it is surely on its way…
Backbends that Counteract Strain and Fatigue With gardening season approaching its end, one sure cure for a gardener’s tired back is to bend it the opposite way. Of course in yoga vernacular, we call that back bending. The Ustrasana (Camel…
Use gardening to connect with Mother Earth Right up there with yoga asana, gardening is a profound healing and meditative practice. In creating an indoor or outdoor green oasis, we enable the emotional and mental healing so necessary for when we…
Strong joints equal perfect poses Not everyone can do yoga poses, but everyone can do yoga actions. The purpose of each yoga action, presented in the many articles published here, is to awaken the intelligence of the body. The required shift…
There are ways to slow it down Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts. Whenever your mind becomes scattered, use your breath as the means to take hold of your mind again. — Thich Nhat Hanh For most people, a surprising…
As our bodies age and physical habits become even more deeply ingrained, the once-perky heart-shaped buttocks of our youth tend to move in one of two directions — toward flat and flabby or tight and tense. Neither too flabby nor…
Alignment plus Strength are the Wellness Keys Do you currently suffer from chronic knee pain? Do your knees hyperextend? Or, do you hear “snap, crackle, pop” when you bend your knee joints? If so, these are the primary indicators of…
What happens to the mind also happens to the body and spirit. Donna Raskin As yoga teachers and writers, we all came to the practice of yoga for its holistic approach of uniting mind, body and spirit. For us,…
Although we may not consciously think so, everyone intuitively understands why it is important to stand evenly on our two feet—when we balance our weight distribution equitably, we do not overwork one side of our body while underworking the other.…
As yogis and yoginis, we are often told to “live in our spine” whether in asana and meditation or off the mat in everyday living. But what does it mean to live in our spine? Simply put, yoga intends us…
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