Urdhva Dhanurasana, aka Upward Bow – don’t call it Wheel, that’s a different pose ;). One of the ultimate yoga stretches for the front of the body, Urdhva Dhanurasana challenges us to maintain our strength though the core as we radiate through our upper chest and heart and stretch our hip flexors and shoulders. Any […]
Live from New York with Chrissy Carter: Gayatri Mantra
On my latest trip to New York City, I had the privilege of assisting Chrissy Carter in the Yoga Works Teacher Training. In addition to being a superb instructor, Chrissy has a gorgeous voice. On the last day of the training, we recorded a few of her favorite chants, which I later converted into a […]
The devil is in the details
So for that past few years I’ve been practicing ashtanga. Flow, flow, breath, breath. There is a cycle and rhythm to the practice. You move. You keep going. You jump around. You breath some more. But here I am visiting my old Yoga Works crew. And they study Iyengar. See, in the yoga world, there […]
Levitating, inverting, abs. By request.
I arrived early to my Tuesday class, so asked some of the students if they had any inspirations for the practice. “Levitation,” replied one particularly cheeky monkey. “Inversions!” another cried. “I may get in trouble for this,” said a third, “but I’d like to do abs.” Alright, I thought. Levitating, inverted abs it is. Challenge […]
Ajna Chakra: Light
Ajna Chakra, located at the third eye center, opens us to element of light. In addition to literally seeing, this chakra draws us into the power of visualization, imagination, and abstraction. We literally connect to a higher frequency (Vishuddha was the frequency of sound, Ajna of light) and our experience moves further beyond the tangible […]
Om Guru
Guru – the dispeller of darkness. It’s a wonderful song for the wintery time of year! I originally sang this song with the musical group, Circle of Soul in New York City. I learned both the melody and harmony line with these fantastic ladies. Om Guru
Vishuddha Chakra: Space
The link from the heart chakra to the more etheric upper chakras, Vishuddha (the throat chakra) is the center of conscious communication. Like the second chakra, Vishuddha is a creative nexus. However, unlike the unconscious, earthy, and sensuous energy of Svadisthana, Vishuddha’s creativity is connected to our higher consciousness. Through its power, we literally express […]
Anahata Chakra: Air
What more appropriate chakra to explore on Valentine’s Week than the heart chakra? We are all familiar with the sensations of the heart. Almost everyone can relate when someone says that they feel ”light-hearted” or that they have a “heavy heart.” In this way, the sensations of the heart chakra are some of the most […]
Manipura Chakra: Fire
Manipura Chakra is the seat of the ego and self-definition. Its element is fire and it the seat of the ego. Too much fire breeds anger, aggression, over-assertion; too little fire and we are not able to create boundaries, self-determine, or speak our minds. A healthy third chakra is marked by empowerment. When we are […]
Svadisthana Chakra: Water
As we move into the second chakra, life starts getting juicy. Now that our primal survival needs have been addressed, we move into the realm of feelings, pleasure, creativity, and sexuality. To paraphrase Anodea Judith, we are creating a container in the first chakra…and in the second chakra we fill this container with fluid and […]
Muladhara Chakra: Earth
Can we be strong without being rigid? Can we own our own space without being overbearing? Is our relationship with our body healthy? These are just a few of the issues encompassed by our first chakra. Located at the base of the spine, muladhara chakra is the “root” of the chakra system. Like the foundation […]
Your Practice Serves Your Life
I first started practicing yoga so that I didn’t get fat. I was a fairly neurotic, athletic, 20-something, looking for a way to stay flexible, “healthy” (skinny), and (sure, why not?) centered. Living in NYC with a healthy competitive streak and a does of obsession, I was determined to get “good” at yoga. Handstand, shoulderstand, […]
Moving Into Light
Ah, New Year’s Resolutions! As we turn the corner into the New Year and the days begin to become longer (even if we don’t quite notice yet!), NOW is the fertile time to initiate profound change. Before we dive in, though, it is important for us to take the time to distinguish between reflexive and […]
Moving Into Darkness
To move into the unknown, we have to step out of our comfort zone. To paraphrase Andre Gide, we must consent to lose sight of the shore if we are to venture to new lands. As we let go of the attic junk that no longer serves us – be it a habit, relationship, attachment, […]
Fanning the Inner Fire
The increasing darkness of winter is an invitation to move more deeply into our shadow selves. We can hunker down, get internal, and examine what pieces of ourselves no longer serve. It is time to clear out space and let go of old habits and limiting patterns, so that when the sun begins to come […]
Balancing Act
Perfectionism is unforgiving. The moment we waver or fall, we are besieged with judgments of “not being good enough,” “not trying hard enough,” or really, just sucking. When we practice balancing postures in yoga, we are immediately confronted by our unsteadiness. We waver, we shift. And if we’re trying something particularly new or challenging, we […]
The Present Moment: Gateway to Change
America has elected Barak Obama as president. Yesterday, record numbers of voters seized the opportunity to let their voices be heard. Today we have the first African-American president in our country’s history; a man whose voice rings out for change, sacrifice, and whose presence is a testimony to the potential of the American dream. Most […]
Anahata: The Center of Integration
Anahata, the heart chakra, lies at the centre of the chakra system and unites the three base chakras with the three upper chakras. It is the first chakra to take us into interaction with the rest of the world, our energy moving out and impacting our environment rather than being directed into our identity. The […]
Community Matters: Lessons from John Friend
On the first night of the Estes Park Yoga Jounral Conference, John Friend read aloud from the mission statement that he wrote eleven years ago when he first articulated the intention of Anusara Yoga. The most striking piece of the statement was its emphasis on the community. As he introduced each Anusara teacher who would […]
Breath, Breath, Everwhere
A recent workshop with John Scott (www.stillpointyoga.com) has revolutionized my ashtanga practice. Ashtanga is a vinyasa system, but I must admit that I have spent more time “polishing my asanas” than I have exploring how the breath supports the poses. During the workshop, I was reminded keenly of Mark Whitwell’s viniyoga (breath-based) style (though Mark […]