November 2014: When I am struggling, friends sometimes say: “Go read your own blog!” Well, this past week has been a doozy of curve balls and losses. I recalled the blog below, from December 2010. I’m a bit embarrassed to share it, because it feels like I’ve been mostly depressed since then! Truth be told, the…
Category: Recovery
The Happy Heart Project: 100 Days!
“Whoever is happy will make others happy too. He who has courage and faith will never perish in misery.” – Anne Frank My whole body is vibrating. Just now, I lit my 100th stick of “Happy Heart” incense and repeated the words I’ve said each morning since August 28th – “My intention today is to…
Gratitude, Pt. 2: Shiva and the Darkness
I recently found myself apologizing to god. It was the umpteenth time that I’d broken out in sobs while singing along with Jai Uttal’s “Om Namah Shivaya.” To be exact, it was Monday, October 24th. I was driving to rehearse with The Shaktis, an all-female Kirtan group with whom I play percussion. Two days before,…
My Mother is My Guru
Mom’s been on my mind a lot lately. And y’know, it makes sense. I’ve been singing a lot (my mother taught me to sing). It’s Autumn (October 2nd would have been her 81st birthday). Thanksgiving is approaching (my family celebrated our last holiday season with Mom 10 years ago). And I recently celebrated my 9th…
The Happy Heart Project: Days 1-31
I’ve read that we replace 1% of our cells daily. Every 100 days we have a new body. What that new body consists of is the food we eat, air we breathe, water we drink, exercise we take and thoughts we think. – A friend Three-plus boxes of incense and 31 days ago, I launched…
The Happy Heart Project: 100 Days Toward Joy
“The Happy Heart Project: 100 Days Toward Joy” launches this Sun., 8/28. Curious? See below, then “Like” Urban Yoga Den on Facebook or subscribe to UrbanYogaDen.wordpress.com to stay informed, join in, and/or, share your efforts! Under the new moon of Sunday, August 28, 2011 I will launch “The Happy Heart Project: 100 Days Toward Joy,”…
Clearing the Obstacles
I am sorry to hear your pain. You are a wonderful human being and deserve tranquility, peace, and love. I would suggest that you stay focused on what is good for YOU, rest will follow. – letter from a friend This quote sounds like something I would say to a student or friend. Instead, it…
The Yoga of Being Mugged
Last weekend I was mugged. Sorry to alarm you. Rest assured, I am fine – with the exception of some anxiety around the ‘hood, a maxed-out adrenal system from the stress, a sore shoulder from wrestling with the mugger, a cut and bruised finger (see photo of fingers) from my purse being yanked out of my…
Focus: Abundance – Growth
Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, start all over again. – Dorothy Field, 1930s Musical Lyricist When I was around 6 years old, my mom would drive my sisters and I to a farm outside of DC for horseback riding lessons. A few weeks into our series, a horse threw me to the dirt! I…
Monthly Focus: November – Gratitude
Today I feel really, really lucky. The amount of joy that I get to experience throughout the days is beyond what I might have imagined years ago, when I was stuck in shadows and pain. I dare say, life IS a bowl of cherries – sweet fruit, crunchy pits and all! And because of this…
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