Daily, I try to practice as many branches of yoga as possible. Many of us need to push ourselves to go beyond the most common yoga practices of breath and bodywork. Now, in my second month of quarantine, I strive to incorporate pratyahara, the fifth branch of yoga. But, it’s not as easy as the […]
It’s now more than 40 days of quarantine for many. I’ve been trying to follow the words from a song on one of my yoga playlists: So Much Magnificence. And herein, I’m expounding on that refrain. I am offering this advice to you. So Many Treasures in Our World Open your eyes to appreciate the […]
Life is a dance. Freestyle. Non-choreographed. Going with the flow. Modern vs. ballet. Freedom in movement. Expansive or binding. Freedom to paint your world. Your community. Friends and family. Your lifestyle — and your life view. A black box theatre, an orchestral pit, or an open-air amphitheater. Silence vs. symphony. Whereas even white noise is […]
My Prayer for the Planet I speak for the planet. Mother Earth. Nature. All sentient beings. Everything that grows, and yes, dies. That is what I visualize with my prayer for the planet. I speak for the planet when I extol the silver lining in what may seem like an infringement on our freedom. As […]
Yoga is not just about 60 minutes on a mat. For me, anyway. It’s a lifestyle that follows ancient tenets. Among them, loving-kindness. Act selflessly and be in harmony with the universe. In his book, “Krishnamacharya: His Life and Teachings,” A.C. Mohan says, “if the yamas and the niyamas are practiced, one will have universal […]
Today is Thanksgiving. I don’t celebrate traditional Thanksgiving. Rather, I try to abide by the age-old Yoga Sutras. The lessons of the Yamas and the Niyamas. No stuffing myself on holiday fare. Not interested in Black Friday or CyberMonday. I don’t need anything. Rather than amassing more, I give. Seva (selfless service) is a part […]
One of the newfangled yoga trends is goat yoga. It’s not about a new style of yoga where you imitate goat poses. Rather, you practice your cat/cow or downward dog as baby goats walk around—or on top of— you. If you’re lucky, maybe a goat will cuddle next to you in your savasana. However, on […]
In the Western world, too often, yoga means physical fitness practice. People focus on mastering a pose or hope to work up a sweat in a yoga class. But, that’s not what yoga really is. Patanjali, in the Yoga Sutras wrote Sthira Sukham Asanam. To me, that means stillness in your seat or space. Sounds […]
In keeping with the theme of Ahimsa for the planet, people should be mindful of their yoga gear. The vast majority of yoga mats in the U.S. are made out of a toxic, non-biodegradable ingredient that may be a carcinogen. PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride). As a result, knowingly, or unknowingly, yogis are harming our environment by […]
Ahimsa (non-violence) is at the core of a yogic lifestyle. It may include a vegetarian diet, seva (selfless service or karma yoga) as well as ahimsa for our planet. According to an Earth Day article in the Hindustan Times, half the world’s wetlands have been lost since 1900. Global warming is on steroids, with the […]
It’s not every day that you see beautiful yogasanas in a museum. That’s why I did a double-take at the Albert Hall museum in Jaipur. There is a great collection of sculpted clay yogasanas (postures). Albert Hall is named for a former Prince of Wales. It is the oldest state-run museum in Jaipur, and one […]
Recipe for feeling blissful in India. Start with a small town. Next, be sure it’s sacred. Far from an airport. No railroad station. Temples and ghats (ceremonial bathing spots) are everywhere. Finally, for the icing on the cake: no alcohol or meat anywhere in town. I knew Pushkar would be a special, place. But I […]