Body vs. Being

In our quest for fitness, the ideal is to feel fit both in our bodies and in our emotional lives. In yoga, my mission is to bring you an experience of both your strong physical body and your clear emotional body.

The relevance of this mission:...

Yoga teaches us to live in the present moment. Yes. Certain schools of yoga posit that the present is the only reality, and all else is illusion -- yet our minds manufacture distracting "illusions" all the time. Our inner voices are constantly re-hashing situations, projecting, speculating, doubting. In yoga practice,...

My mom recently asked me about meditation. I had three minutes to communicate this practice to her, over the phone, in a way that would both serve AND inspire her to continue a practice on her own. I was nervous and had no plan, but this is what I shared,...

This is our ode to our humanity, our wellness, our intelligence.

This is our ode to our secrets.

We all think we have secrets; actually, they have us.

The number-one reason people keep secrets or lie is to "keep the peace." We hold onto secrets to keep other people...

It took me 13 years of teaching asana, and over 17 years of practicing it, to finally take a seat for meditation. Until recently, if I managed to sit down to meditate, I felt the irresistible magnetism of the dishes, the inbox, laundry and the cabinet to reorganize. Nothing could...

Allow me to preface this post: my intent here is to begin a dialogue. After receiving much-appreciated feedback on the first draft of this piece from trusted colleagues, it's clear that this is an important distinction, and that I may not please everyone with my articulation. I simply want everyone...

There were two working titles for this piece: "Authoring Your Life" and "Raising Your Vibration." I chose "authoring" because it's a bit more accessible. (And because it took me over 10 years to stop cringing when I heard the word "vibration" mentioned with regards to my energy or my practice.)...

Recently I was on an airplane watching a show in which two adult women were discussing a falling out they'd had. One of the women, upon being confronted with a description of her behavior, replied by saying "Well, that's just HOW I AM and I can't change that." Once I...

My shortest post yet -- which I hope is practical and useful for all of us. Unplugging to me is more than checking out and taking a bath (although it's my favorite pastime, especially with gallons of salt and baking soda and essential oils). Unplugging...

About 10 years ago I sat down with my teacher Hugo Cory and he changed everything with one request: no more complaining. In that moment I remember wincing, nervously smirking and then insecurely, impetuously countering, "I don't complain, I'm a yoga teacher."

Ten years later, after...

I'm honored to be traveling extensively to teach Anusara yoga to teachers worldwide. In weekend intensives, I'm hoping to communicate the crux of the method to already-experienced teachers from other traditions, in order to create an expansive and uplifting experience for their students all over the world. In...

With gratitude to Elizabeth Gilbert for making those three words, in that order, a household term. Here goes how it works, starting with a brief exposition.

Charmed childhood; diverse town on Long Island, friends who were intelligent, or athletic, or musical, or some combination of...

A few words to characterize most human brains: busy, loud, stubborn, and scared. For many of us, our overactive brains keep us from opening to our deepest, most loving, most comfortable selves. When we are not open to these aspects of ourselves, we either hide by hibernating (literally or figuratively),...

"When the smallest fragment of Truth enters a man, he can do nothing but obey."

In the recent weeks I've taken a leap - talking about our role, exploring the role that each of us plays, without exception, as portals for energy [either healing or destructive energy] and how we...

Everyone in your life, without exception, is there to show you the path to your freedom. The more vexing the situation or the person, the more clearly your path is being illuminated for you. Will you see it?

There are going to be real moments when vexation compromises any semblance...

Recently I got some news that -- in relative terms -- felt as though my world was crumbling. Everything I've said and taught for the past 12+ years was immediately called into play, and I was left with two options.

I could engage the process of draining my own...

Awakening is a process of bringing your fullest attention to the moment; nothing more complex than that. But the moment we awaken, we glimpse an evolving, comforting balance within ourselves, and with that balance we can serve - in our families, our love, our work, and our world. This week...

In the past few years I have begun practicing Pranic Healing, a very particular form of healing that has served me in a cumulative, profound way. It involves becoming aware of the field of energy that surrounds each of us, and how that field has been affected - either...

What is possible -- and what is happening -- through your yoga practice?

And for teachers, how can you best serve your students by showing them efficaciously and efficiently your own experiential understanding?

Thanks to an astute observation from a dear colleague, it's come down to two terms: FORM...

Confession: I wasn't present with my son the other day.

We had an entire morning at home, a rare event. Usually on adventures [or errands that become adventures]- we're rarely just home together. And the entire morning, instead of chilling and enjoying, I was completely distracted. He kept trying to...