When I wrote the February newsletter we were in the midst of a snow storm here in the Nyack area. After that it snowed a few more times, keeping it white and bright around us for most of February. But then it started to shift last week, the warmer sun has been patiently melting the snow away. There is still some on the ground, but soon, it will all be gone. The birds are definitely fully aware of the shift ...
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Over 30 years of practicing and teaching I have had several teachers guiding me on my journey. Some of them face to face, others through their writing or recordings. A few have had a major impact on me through their guidance both on and off the mat, and I am forever grateful for how they led me on a journey of curiosity and exploration, patience and humility.
In my role as a teacher they have also helped me with language. Sometimes ...
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My first teacher made it clear that Savasana, or Corpse Pose, is a very important posture to practice. It’s the pose that the majority of yoga classes end with, lying down, well supported with an open chest and heart. He explained that leaving a yoga class before Savasana, or cutting it short, was not a choice to make lightly. But to save those occasions for when it is necessary. He also pointed out how the pose is considered a very advanced ...
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My last blog, regarding the possibilities to live a full, rich life in these unusual and trying times, ended with an encouragement to reach out for help if you have a hard time finding your way. This blog picks up from where that one ended, touching on how important it can be to reach out, especially when it gets really dark inside, and we are filled with a sense of hopelessness.
Just three weeks ago, on a glorious Monday morning, I ...
Continue Reading → ShareI just saw a comment on FB where someone stated that “we are not supposed to live like this”. The statement was made in reference to the changes that we all have had to make this year, and the ones that were made for us, due to the spreading of the Coronavirus. And it ushered me to share some thoughts I had the other day.
We are living through a pandemic, a new and unknown experience. It’s understandable that many of ...
Continue Reading → ShareA myriad of spiritual teachers have talked and written about the realization that we humans are more than our bodies and thinking minds. Many names are used to describe this larger consciousness, like consciousness spelled with capital C, or larger self with capital S. Some call it universal consciousness, open awareness, the force or god. I personally don’t see that it matters what we call this felt sense of being. Something much larger then our physical bodies, through which we ...
Continue Reading → ShareJust this past weekend I was sharing my knowledge and experience of this form of meditation with the students at the yoga teacher training at Ramapo College. As I was driving back home, I thought it would be a good idea to write a blog about all the great benefits of this practice, as there are lots of them.
Yoga Nidra translates into “yogic sleep”. It doesn’t mean that you are actually asleep, although that might happen at times as you ...
Continue Reading → ShareOn some regular basis I will start class by asking everyone to simply stand on two feet. I encourage all that are comfortably capable to place their feet hip-width and parallel, but that is all the guidance I give initially. From there we start to observe. To feel where the weight falls in the soles of the feet, without trying to do anything about it. To get a sense of how we are standing at that time. Am I heavier ...
Continue Reading → ShareMost of us want to be good students, no matter what it is that we are learning. So we bring that mindset into the yoga studio, which in some ways doesn’t serve us that well. It actually can get in our way. So I will share a few tips on how you can get the most out of your teacher’s cues, be it verbal or hands-on adjustments and suggestions.
Your teacher’s job is to be your mirror. To show you what ...
Continue Reading → ShareSeveral years ago, in one of the first yoga teacher trainings I took with Rodney Yee, he said something that I never forgot. It went something like this (I can’t quote him as I don’t remember the exact way he said it), it’s when we think we know, it gets dangerous. He was talking about our physical practice, but this is true for most things in life, including relationships with family and friends. Which is what has been on my mind ...
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