Virabhadrasana III is a balance pose. It quickly increases your heart rate, demands strength in your core, ankles and legs, and requires flexibility in your back thigh muscles. That said, this is one of the best and most invigorating asanas available. It is simple, yet graceful, making it rewarding for all levels.   Read More

Like Warrior I, warrior II is a strong, grounding pose. It calls to mind Athena, the Greek goddess with her bow and arrow, or, in Hindu Mythology, the strength and fierceness of the avenging demon Virabhadra. In truth, this stance is neither masculine nor feminine; neither war-like and vengeful, nor passive and non-assuming. It embodies the balance of these energies, and, as we take this pose and draw its strength into our roots and cores, we begin to see its relevance: life requires both an active seeking and a quiet discovering.   Read More

While yoga benefits our bodies and minds in a number of ways, the best it offers each of us is a chance to feel grounded and present. Few poses do this better than warrior poses. Warrior I boasts beauty, strength and simplicity; the primary conditions of perfect art.   Read More

Everyday yoga means doing yoga every day, but it means more than that. It is showing up to shake yourself free of ego and to feed your spirit. Only if you do the work can your practice shine through you, always. Then, you see yoga everywhere you turn and in everything you do.    Read More

In yoga, your breath is considered to be very powerful. It is prana, the life force, and when you connect with it and send it to certain parts of your body, you can experience renewal, relief and relaxation. This is true for healing injuries, just as it is for difficult emotions or challenging asanas. It works when you breath into an injury or a sensation instead of avoiding it.   Read More

The true meaning of ahimsa, according to Osho, is not merely a vow to be non-violent. It can be seen another way. It can be seen as a pure acknowledgement of what it means to be alive. The real vow of non-violence is not, “I will never kill.” It is, “Whatsoever I must take I am going to give back.”    Read More

Our lack of movement reaches into every area of our lives. It affects our physical and emotional health, our work, our sleep, our ability to focus and generate ideas, and, eventually, even our desire to change our exercise habits. That is why I decided, writer or not, it is absolutely essential to move everyday.   Read More

In yoga and in life, very few of us are without limitations. Even day to day, our flexibility, focus and balance can waver. Part of the experience, however, is understanding and choosing to live within our own limits. Those things we cannot do or must struggle to do are our greatest teachers.   Read More

Whether done by a man or a woman, goddess pose emanates power, strength, and healing. Like a warrior pose, it commands our entire bodies and our minds, insisting that we use our intuitive powers to connect with the ground beneath our feet.   Read More

I stand with those occupying all over the world against corporatism, because, as a yogi, as a human, as an American, I realize that I cannot in good conscience support a way of life which silences the majority for the benefit of a few.   Read More

These two yogas, Kriya and Karma, go together as breath and silence, since, while the yogi is practicing the removal of the klesas, she is practicing, also, unselfish action; while he is surrendering material wealth and creature comforts, he is also surrendering attachment to himself.   Read More

Karma Yoga and Kriya Yoga can be seen as two separate, but ultimately interwoven, paths by which one can reach liberation and clarity. The first, outlined in the Bhagavad Gita, shows us the way of altruism and surrender. The second, from the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, provides a procedure for cleaning and clearing the mind.    Read More

Thinking local, fresh, and whole, means thinking complexly. It means making food decisions, when you can, that are based on your idea of how food should be grown, and, maybe, what constitutes food in the first place. For instance, how far from it's natural state can something be and still be considered "natural", or "food."   Read More

Our feet not only connect us to the earth, they support our entire bodies, bearing the weight of so many daily activities, and, somehow, keeping us balanced and upright whenever we need them. Yet, after all they do for us, we mostly neglect them. We stuff them in shoes and forget about them.   Read More

In part I of this article we talked about steps one through four of the eight fold path. In this article, we get to the more meditative, mental side of the yogic path and a suggestion of how we can use this path in our daily lives.   Read More

The eight-fold path of Yoga consists of Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi. There is no particular hierarchy or order to it. The path is a unified thing, in which all parts are interconnected and necessary. We need each facet of the path, the whole way through. This is true even for Samadhi (oneness with the divine), the final goal of yoga.   Read More

In yoga, as in life, self-doubt can come creeping in any time. Sometimes we recognize it, others we don't. Often, it is a result of ego, and a way ego protects itself from a shattered self-image. It may seem like the opposite of ego, at first. Once we look closely, however, we see that self-doubt is all about holding onto a self and keeping that self separate. If we can create drama around ourselves, our successes, or our failures, we never have to let go of that big "I" which keeps us isolated from our inner deity and the love of others.   Read More

Recently, many studies have come forward showing how Yoga can speed recovery and fight fatigue in everyone, from cancer patients to MS sufferers, to those who report chronic or regular fatigue in their daily lives. The Society for Integrative Oncology and Science Daily have published studies showing just how beneficial Yoga can be for those recovering from or fighting disease, and, within the past two years, Yoga Journal has cited a study showing how Yoga can help relieve chronic fatigue.   Read More

In a full class of fellow yogis, balance suddenly becomes extraordinarily important, and that pressure and importance becomes compounded by the fact that so many of us are feeling it. Even one wobble can send the whole class toppling. So, how do we let go of this? What does it take to hold Tree Pose, for instance, as long as one wishes?   Read More

While so much emphasis is placed on self-discovery and overcoming our own barriers, what we may tend to forget is, ultimately, it is the letting go of self, and the finding of something larger than ourselves, which is the true goal and pinnacle of yoga.   Read More

As we tap into our breath we get closer to the still, softness at the core of our lives, and we begin to let it teach us. Each contact with the simple, yet profound, inhale and exhale which sustains us, is an encounter with the divine truth that we are alive, and from this comes gratitude and perfection. This is the principal at the heart of pranayama and at the heart of all deep, spiritual works.   Read More

Too often, in yoga class, we think of an asana as something we need to do just right, or we think of it as just a temporary portion of our hour or two hour long Yoga class; however, while the literal translation of asana is simply “pose” or “Posture,” asana means much more.    Read More

This blog post is a direct result of something that occurred today. I wasn't on my mat, but that is the thing with Yoga: Sometimes it just happens. When we practice often and listen well, Yoga comes along to move us forward.   Read More

Yoga clothes are synonymous with freedom of movement, flow, and comfort. We want something that lets our skin breath, our bodies bend, and our limbs stretch. We need to know that where we go in our practice, our clothes will go also, rather than hinder us.   Read More