The longer I teach and practice yoga, the gentler my teaching and practice become. I tell my yoga friends, “pretty...
Photo courtesy of Liz Gill Where can you pause? For me, it started in the fall. I had just dropped...
Normally, I’d be all about the homework. I am one of those people who’s ridiculously happy to be a lifelong student. I have 2 grad school degrees, for goodness’ sake. I miss taking classes besides yoga. But I have to admit that the MBSR homework is a struggle.
When we first begin to meditate, we might notice that there is very little space inside our minds. It might...
Only a week later, my inner yoga teacher shows up again; she too, has gone on retreat. She reminds me of the definition of the word mindful, as used by Jon Kabat-Zinn, the originator of MBSR in the West. Mindfulness is about paying attention in a non-judgmental way. I can pay attention mindfully, I like to think. I have a much harder time paying attention without judgment. So my inner yoga teacher says: What if your discomfort isn’t something for you to analyze away? What if you don’t need to do anything about your discomfort? What if you just noticed it?
Transitions may be the most important part of a yoga practice. At least if we are present to them. Consider the transitions between the poses. Often we don’t think much about them, we are more focused on the posture itself. But pay attention, and there is more happening than we...
“In an age of speed, I began to think, nothing could be more invigorating than going slow. In an age...
So…full disclosure – I got an email from Source Yoga the other day saying, “we haven’t seen you for a...
I stood at the front of the room, my breath a bit shallow, a little nervous to look at the sea of young faces in front of me. I am not used to teaching children – a room full of adults is far less intimidating to me. I took a...
My whole young life, I remember my father getting up before dawn and going for his daily run, long before...
When I taught on New Year’s Day morning, I was happy to see my regular Monday morning crowd. I am...
I’ve meditated at the pool with my kids, believe it or not. (Don’t worry—they are old enough to swim on their own, around lifeguards.) Several times this summer, I was at the wading pool and sat quietly in the water. Closing my eyes, listening to the water falling around me, the sounds of the water splashing, feeling the sunlight warm on my eyelids. Swaying gently when other kids are running in the water around me. I’ve meditated at the wave pool, and it’s a beautiful image now, the ruffled waves coming into and crashing, the pull of the water as it receded. I’ve even taken time to meditate on the ferry. Those seconds stretch into minutes, the minutes into time without measure.
