I fall over in handstand. I try, I miss, I get afraid, I fall. I am not one of those effortless inversion mamas, deftly floating from pose to pose. I admire those practitioners, marvel at their grace. I’ve been afraid of handstand since I fell out of it over four years ago. I have other sins. […]
The invitation
One of the most powerful gifts that yoga provides to us is a safe space to feel richly and authentically. How many of us get caught in days of politeness, with work or with friends, “Why yes, Amanda, while I agree your projections are viable, I respectfully disagree and hope that we can find a mutually […]
Bittersweet human. The beauty of our no-win situation.
Two armies are poised for battle. Our hero falls to his knees at the impossibility of the choice: should he uphold his righteous claim to the throne and slay his enemy – who also happen to be his kin? Or shall he be killed and forsake his duty? Frozen by terrible consequences on all sides, he collapses and […]
How to cue Ardha Chandrasana
“Stack your hips.” Oh, friends, how many times have I heard this oh-so-convenient (and oh-so-terrible) cue? The problem with cuing stack your hips in Ardha Chandrasana is that most students can’t actually do it. It’s like asking students to “square the hips” in Virabhadrasana II. You simply can’t square the hips (or stack the hips) in […]
The Seven Steps to Meaningful Theming
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Why the world needs big box yoga
Big Box Yoga. Mainstream yoga. Franchise yoga. “It’s so…corporate,” the yogi whispers. “Sure, I occasionally go there, but the real yoga is happening at (insert name of small, financially unstable, ma and pop studio name here).” The multi-location heavyweights – be it YYoga, Yoga Works, Core Power, or Bikram Yoga – are often criticized […]
What zombie hands have to do with yoga
I have a bad habit of reading my phone while walking into heavy traffic. Yesterday, walking to lunch, I had to deliberately return my phone to my bag on three separate occasions after, zombie like, my hand decided to reach in and pull it out. “No, Rachel, No!” I muttered out loud, as if my […]
Feeling the whole elephant
Once upon a time, there lived six blind men in a village. One day the villagers told them, “Hey, there is an elephant in the village today.” They had no idea what an elephant is. They decided, “Even though we would not be able to see it, let us go and feel it anyway.” All […]
What Tinder has to do with Gandhi
Tinder. The new art of dating. Tinder is a strangely compelling (and slightly disturbing) app that allows you to connect with potential dating (or friends?) in your vicinity. It’s like Angry Birds meets Plenty of Fish. How it works: you set some parameters, view the profile pic of potential candidates, then swipe right if you’re […]
The Bodhisattva’s Smile
When I first starting practicing yoga, I knew that it would change my life. After my first sweet Savasana, I suddenly realized that if I practiced diligently and consistently, I would become calm, kind to stranger, sweet to horrible children, magnanimous with ex-boyfriends and generous with catty women. As I looked upon the serene and clear […]
Why I stopped practicing. And why I started again.
The beginnings When I first started practicing yoga, it was one of the most challenging and rewarding physical disciplines I had experienced. I got stronger, I felt great, and my practice improved. I felt like I had come home. After several years of yoga-euphoria, something changed. First my practice plateaued. And then it started to […]
Pregnancy and Practice
Congratulations! You’ve got a bun in the oven and rapid changes are on the way. Not only is your body undergoing marvelous and radical transformation, but most likely other areas of your life (career, relationships, home) are shifting to make room for this new being. Whether you’re a novice or veteran yogi, practicing yoga during […]
What yoga has to do with time management (answer: everything)
We’ve all said it, “There are not enough hours in the day.” I berate myself: why can’t I fit in a yoga practice, a jog, personal study, long walks with my boyfriend, getting a pedicure, making a home cooked meal, and blog writing all into one day? Oh, oh, wait, while working my full-time job? […]
When to say “no” to a yoga job
Still from “Office Space,” very funny movie involving spectacularly bad management. I recently received an email from a former student. As a newer teacher, we are obviously excited about teaching and eager to take advantage of opportunities when they arrive. However, they may not always be the right opportunities! Here’s what she wrote: “I do […]
How to choose your perfect mentor
In my role as the Director of the YYoga Teachers’ College, I have frequently been asked by recent training graduates, “Now, how do I choose my mentor?” For yoga students, this is akin to asking the question, “How do I choose my teacher?” First, it’s important define exactly a mentor is. From Greek mythology, “Mentor” […]
Cirque de Soleil. And your yoga teacher.
In the furor to “get noticed” and have street cred, yoga instructors are often expected to display Cirque de Soleil like physical prowess. Can you do a crazy pose? Do you have mad, unusual flexibility? Then I am impressed and you are suitable to be my teacher! While I have great respect for dedicated yogis who […]
Sauca: transcending body image
A little context About two thousand years ago, a guy named Patanjali compiled a series of pithy aphorisms called the yoga sutras. These cryptic sayings contain clues on how to escape suffering and ultimately reach samadhi (meditation/ bliss). In his compilation, he describes a series of steps called ashtanga yoga, where he offers some helpful […]
How to Audition for a Yoga Studio. Includes: the worst piece of advice you’ll get.
The yoga industry has finally made it. Auditioning has arrived. The very word “audition” conjures up the image of nervous and leotard-clad showgirls warming for A Chorus Line while singing, “Got I hope I get it/ I hope I get it/ Please God I need this job.” But whether we call it a “practical interview” […]
Squeeze your Ass-ana
Okay, okay, we’ve all heard it in yoga class: “Don’t squeeze your glutes,” or “Relax your buttocks,” or something poetic like, “Allow the tissue of your ahem, buttocks flesh, to melt and soften…” However you’ve heard it, the message is the same: don’t squeeze your ass. Where “don’t squeeze your butt” started Now […]
How to: Wheel – strapping for shoulder stability
A good – if slightly claustrophobic way – of keeping the arms from splaying out in the ascent to Wheel (Urdhva Dhanurasana). Tips: I’d be less likely to use this on a really tight guy (who may need a little extra room to find full flexion of the arms) than on a flexible but instable […]