Free Yoga!

The concept of the “Jivan Mhukta” describes a state of no-otherness. The Jivan Mhukta is a liberated being who lives soulfully on earth, engaged in the realm of human realities. They are here, now. There is no need to escape from life, because life becomes an experience of presence, curiosity, and harmony.
For the Jivan Mhukta, yoga is freedom.

Haters Gonna Hate

“Our world is wounded, fractured, broken and burning. We are products of this place and it is our job to heal the world through the healing of our selves.” ~ Chani Nicholas The difficulty of maintaining peace of mind during this world’s current upsets is obvious. On the eve of the U.S. Presidential Election, I…

Yoga Class Focus: The Freedom to Heal

Make space. Clear the way. Widen the paths. And in this liberation…heal. The theme of my July classes was FREEDOM; and we kicked off our month of focused practices with a special “Declaration of Independence” workshop.  I teach this July 4th workshop annually; and each year, I’ve approached the session with a hint of motivational speaker…

Yoga Class Focus: Foundations for Freedom

During June, my class focus was “Foundations.” I told students that I felt like I was starting over as a teacher, after a 7-month absence from the Washington, DC yoga community. So together, we started from scratch. Each practice, we arrived together. With the Eight Limbs as our guide, we observed and then shaped our…

Full of Shift: 30 Days of New Energy – Week Four

One month ago, on the December 28th Full Moon, I started a 30-day practice. Daily, I lit a stick of Maroma’s “New Energy” incense; asked myself, “How will I sustain my total well-being in order to serve others and live on purpose;” sat to chant 108 repetitions of the “Asato Ma” prayer (Lead me from…

Haiku for George Zimmerman

HAIKU FOR GEORGE ZIMMERMAN And justice for all: May peace – and not resentment – Guide our hearts and minds. *  *  * In the very first pages of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras – one of the ancient texts that guides yoga practice and teaching – we learn that yoga’s primary purpose is to cultivate a…

Ahimsa Now: 100 Days of Intention

*  *  * In a recent blog entry, I mentioned “Ahimsa Now” – my idea for a non-profit organization whose mission is to use yoga and related practices to address emotional pain and increase inner peace in at-risk youth and those that serve them, consequently decreasing violence in at-risk communities. When I called my friend…

Heart Is Where The Home Is

In my last post, I wrote, “I feel at home in my heart these days.”  What do I mean by that? In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the idea of “Samtosha” (sometimes spelled “Santosha”) signifies contentment.  For me, cultivating Samtosha requires a combination of understanding, acceptance and surrender.  When I feel upset or rattled or…

The Yoga of Heartbreak

Four years ago I was dumped.  Just days before Valentine’s Day.  Right before our one-year anniversary vacation.  By phone.  And quite by surprise. By his design, we would never speak to or see each other again. Bewildered, unable to sleep and eat, and clawing for some sort of sanity, I made my way back to…

Focus: The Yoga Sutras – Love & Murder

Each morning when I rise, I try to spend about 30 minutes praying, meditating and doing some Pranayama.  When I do, my soul feels infinitely more peaceful throughout whatever the day tosses my way. For me, this is the point of yoga. From what I’ve learned, this was also the point of yoga for the…