You won’t escape people asking about New Year’s resolutions or intentions for the new year. If you’re like me (I haven’t made New Year’s resolutions in nearly a decade) you may cringe when everyone starts talking about all the ways their lives will be different after January first. You’ve probably noticed most resolutions or intentions … [Read more…]
Last week, I went to a chakra balancing yoga workshop to explore how yoga can help open and balance the body’s energy system. It’s not the first chakra yoga workshop I’ve attended, but it was the first time I had more of physical experience than a traditional learning experience. The teacher told us she was … [Read more…]
A while back, a member of a social media community I’m part of posted about an interesting dilemma. As an Indian native versed in classical yoga, he was wondering how to expose Westerners to a more authentic experience of yoga. It made me think (again) about whether we are truly practicing yoga, and what we’re … [Read more…]
The chakras system—the energy system of the body—is complex. Experts say we need to work with each of the main chakras carefully. We begin at the base of the spine with the root chakra. Rooting in yoga creates a foundation from which we build stability and strength. From there, we can focus on increasing other … [Read more…]
If you’ve listened to the tunes from the Broadway musical “Hair,” you’ve heard of the Age of Aquarius. At the time, it probably seemed like an imaginary age and a catchy tune. Turns out, the Aquarian Age is a real thing, and it’s probably happening now. What is the Aquarian Age, you ask? Good question! … [Read more…]
In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali warns us of the pitfalls of attachment. Non-attachment is a powerful spiritual practice in yoga. Human beings tend to hold tight to what we believe is ours: possessions, identity, the attention we believe we deserve. We may even cling to honoring our yoga teachers. Patanjali tells yogis to let go … [Read more…]
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali are full of wisdom. The goal of Patanjali’s yoga is Self-realization, but we canuse the wisdom of the sutras in everyday life. While we’d love to be enlightened beings all the time, we’re human. One way the sutras help us is by teaching us how to deal with people. In … [Read more…]
What if the things you dislike most about yourself are your greatest strengths? Crazy idea, isn’t it? Yet this is an idea my yoga teacher put out to us one morning. She was reading a book about shadow work, or more specifically embracing our shadow side. The author suggests we think of our dark sides … [Read more…]
A friend of mine recently shared his thoughts about making sense of suffering. “I want to believe there’s a reason for suffering,” he said. “But what if there’s not? What if people suffer for no reason?” This friend is a Christian. Christians believe God rewards his children with eternal life. We are taught to bear … [Read more…]
Do you ever feel like you’re not good enough? Of course. We’ve all felt that way at times. But is it a transient feeling or a belief deeply ingrained in your psyche? In other words, do you need a dose of self love? Why We Need Self Love A big reason you may need self … [Read more…]