Tales from the trail, and its overlaps with yoga, part three…. This is the story of two worlds.. The first world is that of the urban environment in which much of the space is regulated: traffic lights tell you when to stop and go, a hospital awaits down the street, and you can get a […]
In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna offers this timeless wisdom:“You have a right to your actions, but never to the fruits of action.” (2.47) Krishna offers a timeless distillation of karma yoga, the yoga of action; how to apply the spirit of yoga in daily life. The teaching invites us to act with care and clarity, […]
I’d recently heard that…. “Most are more interested in the cure than the cause.” Which struck me as a noteworthy bit of wisdom. This idea certainly comes up in conversations around health and medicine but also pertains to personal relationships. Ever by-pass your role in a particular dynamic and fast forward to trying to change […]
Recently, I completed another segment of the Colorado Trail. And I got a lot of positive feedback from my prior post on “Lessons from the Trail.” So, I thought to share a few lessons from the long path. Through-hiking offers a unique set of challenges, especially if you are opting to use minimal technology and […]
This last Saturday, a mere seven of us gathered, to delight in one another’s songs, poems and stories at our monthly Bhakti Jam. To tell you the truth, after a full day of teaching, I was reluctant to attend. Perhaps I should go home and catch up on a bit of World Cup action? I […]
Devotion. It can be a charged notion, particularly if one has some unpleasant religious association with it. But that’s just part of the story. In my view, it is not so much a question of “if” one has faith and devotion, but rather, faith and devotion in and towards “what?” Do we place our trust […]
This summer, at age 54, I’ve embarked on a new(er) past-time, hiking half (240 miles) of the Colorado Trail, in 2-4 day installments. Superficially, the hike may seem distinct from formal yoga practice. But, as I sometimes share with students: “you can take yoga with you anywhere you breathe, think or move.” Breath regulation synchronized […]
I write these pieces from scratch. I bring years of study and a bit of self reflection to the page and try to compose something meaningful in about 200 characters. There is no limit to knowledge and inspiration, though it seems to have its own pulse and timing, much like everything else in the creation. […]
Amidst the many uncertainties in life I often remind myself to come back to the basics. And it does not get much more basic than breathing, or so it seems. Breath is vital to our life-process, and often overlooked – essential nourishment, hidden in plain sight, and presumed to always be there for us. Holding […]
Several decades ago, when I first went to yoga classes, the practice was closely associated with “discipline.” People talked about “discipline” the same way we talk about “flow” or “trauma sensitivity” now. It was in the air of practice. Discipline is an essential aspect of what the yogis call “Tapas.” Tapas are the creative friction […]