I was ecstatic last week when the blog post, “The Slow Yoga Revolution” went viral in the yoga community. Ecstatic because it made a point I’ve felt for a long time. Modern life has an unsustainable fast pace. Busy schedules, the constant pinging of email and social media, commuting, and other demands all put immense stress on the body. This stress provokes a fight or flight response, as if you are always running away from the tiger that is chasing you. So it has always baffled me why one would want to rush through their yoga practice. Fast-paced yoga, with the music blaring and the heat on has become the norm in Western yoga culture. And while this type of practice might have benefits, I believe yoga should be a counterbalance to the fast-paced, outwardly focused life we live. Yoga can offer you a much-needed reprieve from a hectic lifestyle and help […]
Continue ReadingYoga Musings
Be A Force Of Light
One morning last week I found myself in the in the East Bay without my reusable coffee cup. Reluctantly ordered anyway, you have to know I rarely do that. Maybe it was no accident at all because now I have this story to share with you! The girl behind the counter took a moment and wrote something on my cup with a black Sharpie marker. She explained that she tries to write or draw something inspirational on everyone’s cup to help start off their day with a smile! It wasn’t until I left the cafe that I read the words on the cup… It read, “Light the world up with your nice smile.” As you might imagine it did make me smile. And I reminded me that you don’t have to do something monumental to be a force of light in the world. It’s the small gestures everyday make that a difference. Go ahead, go out and […]
Continue ReadingGuru Purnima
Today’s full moon is the brightest of the year and has been celebrated in India for centuries as the auspicious moon in honor of the teacher. The word “guru” means “the weighty one” or “the bearer of light.” In the yoga tradition it is a principle (tattva), rather than a person, that describes the supreme intelligence of life. The Guru Tattva (Principle) is anything that brings the light into our lives, that reveals the shadow, that pushes against us for our awakening. Today I honor all of the life experiences that have crossed my path and guided me toward my truth. Those experiences and persons who have helped me, inspired me, and showed me kindness as well as the ones who have challenged me, hurt me, and pushed against me. I honor the bumps in the road, the missed turns, and the backtracking, the discomfort and dissatisfaction for it has […]
Continue ReadingMy Manifesto
Here is my declaration for the Manifesto Movement of May With my feet firmly on the ground, I root down into the earth and stand for living in integrity and aligning with my most authentic truth. With my heart wide open, I stretch up to the sky and open to and trust in the force of life that guides and supports me. I bow forward and humbly recognize the potential that lies in vulnerability, uncertainty, and change. I bend backwards and affirm the strength of my spirit and the courage of my heart to rise and soar to new heights. I turn to the right where I am met with like hearts and am comforted in the power that lies within friends and community. I turn to the left and find compassion and tolerance for those I do not yet know and whose points of view I do not agree […]
Continue ReadingStanding Together In Our Own Freedom
The letters from students continue to pour in. For most of them, John Friend has only barely touched their lives through the lineage of their local teachers. What the students care most about is that their teachers keep offering the high quality classes they are used to, the preservation of their local communities, and to continue to use the method to create a better quality of life. About a month ago it was Chinese New Year and I spoke about the water dragon in my classes. For some time now, I have also believed that one of things that would happen in 2012 is that old structures of society would begin to break down because they could not be carried forward in this “new world” we are creating. Wouldn’t you know it? The first thing on water dragon’s agenda was Anusara® Inc. Like a tsunami, the intensity of the dragon, […]
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