As Remembrance Day nears, I am reminded to give thanks to those peace-keepers who served and are still serving Canada. Whether on this shore or internationally, these individuals are in service to their nation, their families, their friends and their…
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…
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…
The aging process is most often marked by a spine that slumps forward. When our inner core and spine are no longer strong and flexible, we further demonstrate aging by hunching the shoulders up and forward. Both these misalignments are…
As children, our curiosity tends to overtake our fear and we relish turning ourselves upside down or over backward in order to explore new experiences. As we age, if we are not watchful, our fear can overtake our curiosity and…
Poet, Czeslaw Milosz, queried What good is poetry if it cannot save nations or people? I would add, or planet, and pose the same question with regard to yoga. What good is yoga if it cannot save nations or people…
Courage is a habit. Cultivate it with Adho Mukha Vrksasana. If you just discovered this post from my blog and have not practiced its immediate predecessor, then I would suggest beginning your practice of Adho Mukha Vrksasana I (AMV) here.…
The Warrior poses in yoga tradition represent the qualities necessary for all spiritual journeyers. Every spiritual tradition understands that life’s journey requires each of us to become our own hero. In other words, we save ourselves and others when we…
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