Tag Archives: yoga

Abandoning Hope and Beginning Again

Posted on February 6, 2012 by

Last Wednesday, while preparing to step into the bath, I took a quick glance in the mirror. Then I took a second glance. A vein that I had never noticed before had sprung up dark blue on the left side … Continue reading →

Posted in Death and Dying, Letting Go | Tagged , , , | 12 Comments

Chakras – the Chocolate of Yoga

Posted on January 11, 2012 by

Chakras have always seemed to me the candy of yoga. In a practice that sometimes seems in danger of becoming chronically virtuous, turning my attention to the chakras always feels like it’s time for dessert. Not to say that the … Continue reading →

Posted in Chakras, Teaching | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Yoga for Holiday Stress

Posted on November 17, 2011 by

I’m not sure when I fell out of love with the holidays, but if I had to pin it down, I’d say it was the year of the collage magnets. I was in my mid-twenties, living with friends in Seattle, … Continue reading →

Posted in Letting Go, Teaching | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

A Stress Free Manifesto

Posted on October 13, 2011 by

Manifestos like the ones pictured here make me so tired. I feel like they’re yelling at me.  “Hey you!” they cry. “Stop whatever it is you’re doing right now and start LIVING YOUR LIFE, for goodness sake! Carpe Diem! Seize … Continue reading →

Posted in Kindness, Letting Go, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 19 Comments

The Other Closet

Posted on September 16, 2011 by

Having a mental health diagnosis and not talking about it is a lot like being gay and not coming out of the closet. It’s lonely and frightening. You also hear all the conversations and slurs that, otherwise, people would have … Continue reading →

Posted in Kindness, Self Study | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments

Save the Date – Yoga and Watercolor

Posted on July 29, 2011 by

This week’s writing time was dedicated to a piece for teachasana.com – a great resource for yoga teachers to connect with one another and consider the unique joys and challenges of our work. I’ll let you know when it’s published! … Continue reading →

Posted in Teaching | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

The Paradox of Pretty

Posted on July 22, 2011 by

I feel guilty about wearing makeup to teach yoga. I am trying to convince people to focus on their inner landscape for an hour, but there I am before class carefully pruning my outer one. If you were to ask … Continue reading →

Posted in Self Study, Teaching | Tagged , , , , | 14 Comments

The Fine Art of Being Boring

Posted on July 8, 2011 by

I spent three years worrying I was boring my therapist to tears. Lord help me, I wanted to be a little nuttier. Instead, I felt I was dysfunctional enough to need therapy, but not enough to be a remotely interesting … Continue reading →

Posted in Self Study, Teaching | Tagged , , , | 15 Comments

When is a Yoga Teacher Like a Party Planner?

Posted on June 10, 2011 by

If I weren’t a yoga teacher, I would be a party planner. Throwing a party is a lot like teaching a yoga class – you pick a time, you create a theme, you hold the space – only with more … Continue reading →

Posted in Kindness | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Code Names and Living a Double Life

Posted on May 13, 2011 by

I once worked with a woman who had two names. One was for work and one was for home. While her given name was very floral and feminine, her chosen professional name was positively…feral. I completely understood this compartmentalization, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Self Study, Teaching | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments