One of the first lessons I learned as a songwriter was, the music is not in the notes, but in the space between them. Yoga works in a similar fashion. What we do when we're not doing the postures is an equally important element of the...
Robert Augustus Masters' book, Emotional Intimacy, makes a powerful observation about fear. One that reminded me of the world of yoga: Facing the dragon, engaging with it step by step, breath by breath, forces us to take stands that make us more alive and more conscious. Of...
If there’s one thing yoga teaches us, it’s that our body produces symptoms that demand attention. And if we don’t pay heed, we pay the price. Yoga has become my workout, my meditation, my service, my organizing principle and my social circle, to name a few. And...
One of our teachers has an inspiring mantra for beginning students: Move the muscles whether you feel ready or not. This directive is helpful when you’re struggling in postures, because it challenges you to trust your own body. Which, more often than not, tends to surprise us. For...
Yoda famously told his jedi apprentice, do or do not, there is no try. It’s a perfect mantra for yoga. Because when you get on the mat, you’re either in the posture or you’re not. You’re either doing the work or you’re not. There’s no preheat setting. Even...
Newton’s third law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Yoga is no exception to this law. Except the reaction isn’t necessarily opposite. It’s just in another area of life. For every posture in which we take a small physical step to...