Letting Go and Moving On?

Although I did not plan things this way, it’s no fluke that the next New Moon and Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) coincide with my move from DC to TN.  I have been letting go of DC since the last Full Moon.  On Tuesday, September 3rd, I’ll get in my U-Haul, drive south, and let…

Namaste: A Journey From Resentment To Relief

Namaste. I honor you. All of you. The good and the bad. The light and the dark. The divine and the human. I honor every part of you. The parts that doubt. The parts that feel certain. The parts that don’t know. The parts that leave. The parts that stay. The parts that hide. I…

20 Years of Yoga. 10 Years of Recovery. 1 Day at a Time.

Over the past 20 years, yoga has changed me. This journey of cultivating a constructive way of living has guided me through many styles and teachers, many stops and starts, and many hard-learned lessons. When I first started practicing in 1993, the transformation felt quick and intense. My insides were uprooted and exposed. I started…

My Superhero Death Grip On Life

The wise one observes the world but trusts her inner vision. She allows things to come and go. Her heart is open as the sky. – Lao Tsu I can hold on too tightly, to many things. Expectations. Wishes. Ideas. People. Solutions. Fear.  Yup.  I can even hold on to fear. *  *  * Today…

Spring: Transition and Balance

This morning I rose pre-dawn to rumbling thunder and bright lightning.  Stormy downpours soon yielded to an orange-grey sunrise.  As I stepped out for my habitual dawn stroll, the smell of rich, wet earth halted me.  I inhaled deeply and realized – almost as if by surprise – it’s Spring!  My heart swelled and tears…

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…

Growing Pangs

“PANG: A sudden, sharp feeling.” Last night I shut the door on The Past.  I had a sudden, sharp feeling that it was time.  So I shut that door and I shut it hard.  The Past might have gotten a shoelace caught while trying to jam its stubborn little foot in the way.  And one…

The Happy Heart Project: The Halfway Mark

“Hey, I’m trying to hard to see the light, to see the light – to see it burn thru.”  – Abigail Washburn When it comes to maintaining and manifesting an intention over 100 days – and that intention is to overcome a nagging internal darkness and move deliberately toward joy – it is imperative to…

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…

Bi-Monthly Focus: July/August – Why Yoga?

In the Spring of 1993 I attended my first yoga class. I was living in New Orleans and hitting an emotional bottom.  Nothing in life made sense anymore.  Someone suggested yoga. I arrived at a candlelit basement and felt a little scared.  It was dark and I didn’t know anyone.  But I surrendered to the…