Yoga, Health, and Wellness Articles + Recipes

Paying bills, taking care of kids, going to work… life can be very stressful at times to the point you feel like you just want to scream. With the various events that happen throughout the course of the day the mind can begin to race constantly wondering what to do. If you’ve been feeling bogged down lately, or have perhaps been over thinking every scenario happening in your life, then it may be time for you to come to terms with reality and find true peace of mind.

Are we working out? Or are we working in? When I was asked what I’d like to see in a yoga magazine, I said without hesitation: Reality.

The other day, I’m in the car with my youngest daughter and she asks me, “Mom, is there an end to the sky?” And I said … “Um no honey. It’s infinite.” And she says … “Infinite… like energy?” And I say, “Yup, just like that.” And she sat there for quite awhile looking up and out of the sunroof. As if she was trying to figure it all out.

What is Vedic Astrology? Jyotisha, or Vedic astrology, is the ancient astrology of India. It has an unbroken lineage going back over five thousand years. Jyotisha is derived from the Sanskrit word Jyoti meaning “light”. Thus, Jyotisha is often referred to as the science of light, for it helps us to see the past, present and future clearly as well as giving us insight into who we are and how to best actualize our potential.

There are plenty of funny articles online about the weird things you hear yoga teachers say, and I’ll admit I’m an offender on some of them.

“You don’t have to see the entire staircase, just take the first step” – said a very wise man named Martin Luther King Jr. So very, very true.

I know you’ve heard it before. I’ve said it before. But what does it really mean to tuck your tailbone? When you should you tuck and when shouldn’t you? And can you tuck your tailbone too much? Yes, yes you can.

There was a moment in my life when I realized that I couldn’t blame anyone else for what I was experiencing, feeling, or doing. Every action was mine alone and until I owned that, I would remain out of control.

Yoga teachers don't really make a living off teaching yoga classes anymore. Many rely upon conducting yoga teacher training. But contrary to popular belief, this trend may have less to do with the business or marketing inclinations of yoga teachers and more to do with the purchasing and study habits of the yoga-going public.

It seems like ever since The Secret hit shelves, everyone from housewives to college students to investment bankers are evangelists of the positive thinking movement.

I continually ask myself and reconsider what I’m actually doing and teaching others to do in asana. I often refer back to the great teachers on what they have to say. Beyond the mechanics of making shapes, there is, for me, a profound process under way.

Every living thing has energy...plants, animals, humans, etc. In the yogic tradition we have energy centers that house particular qualities that affect our overall physical and psychological well being.

While women are still the majority in yoga classes, there's a strong movement of men not only trying yoga, but striving both on and off the mat.

OK, I admit that happy hip stretches is a bit of an oxymoron as almost no one I know genuinely loves the feeling of stretching out tight hips. That s$!t hurts!

A few years ago I visited a girlfriend in Southern California. I was preparing for my Yogic Lore Flow workshop on the Hindu goddesses and spent the week in her lush backyard garden meditating on Lakshmi, the goddess of abundance, beauty, and grace. I came to understand Lakshmi’s power of bestowing beauty, abundance, and grace is directly attributed to her ability to recognize the exquisiteness of every moment, every flower, every day, and every smile.

I love this word, power. Powerful, powerless, powering through, empowered … it’s so versatile and strong and well, powerful.

Statistics show that Americans are working harder, for longer hours, and are more productive than ever. Yet, few are getting ahead and most are grateful if they can just make ends meet. As stress-related illnesses account for an increasing number of doctor visits, the call to slow down and unplug has gotten louder. But juggling the demands of worldly life can often end up at odds with being attentive to our individual needs. Sometimes, knowing where to best make the trade-off is all we can do.

You know, my life has always followed this crazy rhythm. And it hasn’t always been in time with everyone else’s. However, what I’m learning is that it’s been in Divine time and very often, in time with the Moon.

When we think of prana and pranayama practice, we typically think of our breath and the many yogic breathing practices found in the pantheon of yoga. However, prana is so much more than just the breath. It’s our life force, our subtle energy field, which distributes itself throughout our physical, mental, emotional, and pranic bodies.

Wow … wanna know the truth? This Mercury Retrograde and Full Moon in Sagittarius is kicking my ass! I’ve been tossed into amazing opportunities and yanked back into the past all in one week. I had to face my immobilizing fear of technology and fix every i-apparatus in my home, by myself. I have to buy a new computer, and I lost all my photos of my children from 2002. (yes, I heard that gasp)

In part two of this shoulder series, we will cover a craze which appears to be sweeping the nation, labrum issues. It seems like everyone has a piece of this particular action, just ask Kevin Love. I cannot count the number of times someone has sidled up to me after a class and said “what have you got for a bad shoulder.” After a little bit of q & a, I usually find out the person has some sort of labrum damage.

For most of us, the fundamental supposition of modern posture practice is that what we’re doing is more than just exercise or physical therapy, that it is something deeply meaningful and perhaps spiritual. I know when I practice, I’m a better person because of it. But what exactly is going on? To help organize my thoughts, I’ve turned again to the books on my shelf to discover what other teachers and scholars have to say about it. This is an admittedly limited and biased towards the modern survey, but a beginning into insight.

These things are out of this world -- and the recipe leaves room for your personal creativity.

We are offered countless opportunities to up level our vibration on any given day. And this doesn’t mean:

The absolute pressing question to me right now is “What am I willing to sacrifice?” This isn’t about some self righteous asceticism but rather about prioritising my yoga practice. I’ve been at it long enough to know that yoga, which for me means postures, flow, study, and meditation, makes me feel sane and happy. But I also work a lot, try to have an active social life, and need some sleep somewhere between all that. My schedule is often irregular. I say all this not because I think I’m exceptional, but rather because I think I’m just like everyone else.