When I started practicing yoga, in 1999, I was young and wanted to jump around on my mat. I loved the way the poses made me feel. When one of my teachers suggested that it was time for me to explore Pranayama (meditative breathing) I was underwhelmed because it didn’t seem as exciting as complicated…
Are you experiencing an obstacle that is keeping you from practicing? Is your obstacle physical, mental intellectual or spiritual? And how can you know which one it is? Over the years I have experienced a huge list of obstacles to practicing. Most of the time I wasn’t able to name the obstacle until it had…
A vast majority of people, even those of us who are not that stiff, are stiff to some extent. We ALL have tight spots but some of us have to stretch a little further to find them. Occasionally, there will be someone coming to class who seems to have very few tight spots at all….
I have been writing a bit in other articles (and this one too) about how the pandemic has impacted my practice. Specifically, the stress of the pandemic has impacted my practice. The stress was caused by so many unknowns. Will my kids be able to go back to school? Will I be able to have…
Back in December of last year I wrote that I thought the stress of the pandemic had shown that my mindset needed improving. I am writing now to give an update. We can all probably agree that most everyone–even evolved souls–can benefit from improving their mindset, their thought patterns. It’s part of the human condition…
Note: To become certified as an Iyengar Yoga teacher you must pass a test, often referred to as an ‘assessment’. This assessment is rigorous and takes years of working with a mentor to prepare. I went up for Intro 1 & 2 assessment, for the first time, in 2017. I passed 3 of the 4…
I say this in all sincerity: I do not know how other people function without yoga. I mean, there is so much that is going on here in the United States that is very stressful. I do not know how I would be coping if I didn’t have my yoga practice. I suppose I would…
My hope for my students is that they learn more quickly than me! It has taken me a long time to internalize the purpose of yoga: to integrate the body-mind-breath connection for the purpose of stilling the consciousness. When I started doing yoga I was 24 years old. I was immediately taken by the poses…
At least in the United States, it appears the humans have really been struggling this year. The pandemic has shined a light on the worst problems in our societies. From systemic racism, to health disparities, financial inequities–we can see it all with better clarity now. Seeing that the problem exists is certainly a step in…
At the beginning of April I wrote I missed seeing the students in person. Today I write and I am still missing them. The classes are still online and I don’t know when we will be back together at College Hill Yoga. Believe me when I say: I would rather we all be together, in…
