This tree is massive! The trunk is about 8 feet wide.
Yoga is a practice of recognizing the interconnectedness of all things, and skillfully living in harmony. So, naturally, that extends beyond the human family and into the rest of the earth…
I found a new friend today in Audubon Park, behind the zoo in New Orleans’ Garden District. It’s a tree, and a magnificent one at that.
Yes, I consider trees my friends. For one, they breathe us humans and create an environment where we can live. So that’s a practical reason for a grateful relationship.
But beyond that, I admire their beauty and meditative existence. They basically breathe, grow, and drink of water, sunlight and the nutrients in the soil. They are steadfast. Any time I need grounding or need to let go of heaviness, all I have to do is spend a little time with a tree… Meditating under a tree is one of my favorite ways to get centered.
What about you? What aspect of nature do you feel most drawn to?
It’s amazing what is possible when we work with nature, listen to her rhythm, and add symbiotic innovations of human design to more harmoniously co-exist.
Check this out: It is perhaps the most inspiring video I’ve seen in a while! Read more…
“It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new life… For me… And I’m Feeling Good!”
These words, sung by the great Nina Simone, are super relevant, especially today.
As the daylight wanes and night grows longer in the Northern Hemisphere, the veils between what we generally think of as ‘reality’ and the ‘mystical’ fade. This gives us a chance to connect in a new way with the energy that pulsates as life, and the current of manifestation.
Right now, the new moon halfway between Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice, is the Indian New Year, also called Diwali. This time of year is a transition between the fullness of summer and the inward gaze of winter.
This is the time to plant seeds for the next cycle. It is time to look back at what has come before; to be grateful for blessings and identify what no longer serves. In India they do the equivalent to our spring cleaning at this time. This is a chance to get rid of things, ideas and habits that don’t support your vision for yourself.
We all seek magic. That something special that sparks and dances in our eyes, minds, and hearts.
Yoga can help us find it…
Meditation, asana practice on the mat, mantra (chanting) and other traditional forms of yoga are deeply potent with magic.
Yet there is more – much more – that we often miss in every day life. This is where the practice steps off the mat. This is where our yoga is played out on every level.
Magic awaits…
We look for it in the eyes of others, in the color of the sky, in the soft petals of flowers, in the play of light on water.
We seek it in the whispering of the wind, in the words of teachers and the laughter of children.
You know the thrill of a good story? This is another way we engage magic. The imagination (i-magi-ation – notice the ‘magi’ in there) is such a wonderful tool of creation. Read more…
Each morning the first thing I do is to go sit out under the Catalpa tree.
I arrange myself on my red, heart shaped plush pillow, wrap myself up in blankets, and close my eyes.
Now you might be imagining this beautifully landscaped, clean, picturesque scene. You can go with that if you’d like, but the reality is that there’s a half falling over wood pile behind the tree, garbage and recycling bins next to it, and a wooden bench that really needs refinishing on the other side.
I don’t mind any of it. It’s the tree I want to be with. Read more…
This guided mediation helps you visualize a peaceful world of light. It is beautifully powerful, and I hope you will enjoy it enough to incorporate it into your meditation practice more than once.
Have you felt profoundly deep gratitude in your heart while working with a truly inspired teacher?
We are all blessed with guides on this journey of life. Every so often we are invited to study with a master, and it doesn’t matter if they are well known or nameless; it is such an honor to learn from them.
I just completed a Yoga Therapy Training with my teacher, John Friend. His ability to heal, uplift, and impart his enormous skill is internationally celebrated. The waves of what he is giving the world are universally felt by every heart in the yoga community.
What is the ultimate expression of freedom for you? To me (and I know I’m not alone) freedom conjures up images of standing with my arms out, heart lifted and open, head back, smiling at the beauty of the world.
This gesture echos the open winged flight of birds. Flying seems to be the ultimate expression of freedom. Don’t you feel like you’re flying sometimes, when you’re riding the high points of the waves of life? Read more…
You have planted seeds of intention. You have nourished them with your practice, living your yoga. You have worked with the secret ingredients of Gratitude and Trust in the wisdom of the universe. You have cultivated your awareness.
Now is the time of change. Now is the experience of fullness. Now is the time of manifestation. Read more…
It’s amazing how many layers there are to life. Yoga helps us become more attuned to the subtle levels, even as we work with the physical.
In asana, if you move from the subtle – from the breath, your ability to create harmony in your practice is so much clearer. In contrast, if you forget about the fullness of who you are and just focus on the physical, the practice tends to harden and freedom is more elusive.
Your body is one of your greatest teachers. Read more…
“It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new life… For me… And I’m Feeling Good!”
We all seek magic. That something special that sparks and dances in our eyes, minds, and hearts.
Each morning the first thing I do is to go sit out under the Catalpa tree.
