Yoga Nuggets

To start, learn, and truly experience the practice of yoga is a life changer. Being a writer of truth, I express what is true for me. Being a teacher of yoga, I have been graciously blessed to witness the changes that emerge over time for the people I share the journey with. It is so much more than getting to that "advanced" pose. It is more than being able to stay balanced longer. It is a practice that slowly integrates in your mind and heart. It expands your awareness beyond your initial capacity. Yoga ignites an inner calmness with conscious breathing. Your physical moves get those muscles lengthened and stronger. As the exterior gets stronger, strength and flexibility goes deeper. The skies become bluer, the grass greener, and the gift of life more beautiful. Passion for what speaks to your heart is ignited. Purpose of life extends beyond paying the bills. Life falls into place in a magical way full of synchronicity. As you learn to pursue physical "edges" or su...

What you're about to read was written by Patsy Hart Bailey upon the death of her life-long friend. It could not express more beautifully one of the "facts of life". I re-read it from time to time to come back to what matters. "Ready or not, someday life as you know it will come to an end. There will be no more sunrises; no minutes, hours or days left. All of the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else. Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance. It will not matter what you owned, what you owed. Your grudges, resentments, frustrations and jealousies will finally disappear. So, too, your hopes, ambitions, plans and 'to-do' lists will have expired. The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away. It won't matter from where you came, or on which side of the tracks you lived. At the end of your road, it won't matter whether you were beautiful, or brilliant; even your gender and ...

Funny how a lot of things come full circle in life. It may not be exactly the same as before, but what you used to do or know can be experienced with a new perspective. In this case, I am talking about blocks. As a kid, it was fun to play with the blocks and use your imagination in creating something. Take that memory of creativity with the blocks and bring it to your yoga practice. I used the blocks when I started practicing yoga; however,I stopped using them when I thought I did not need them anymore. Several years of practice later...I've realized, just like the blocks I played with as a kid, they're not just for building a foundation. The best use of the block is to experience a new sensation of balance, utilization of a different muscle, and the re-ignition of the creative source in the mind. I thought I was too experienced (old...in kid mindset)to use blocks. I was wrong. Here are some ways to use those blocks in your practice. Once you get started, you are destined to di...

Yoga, like religion, has been around a very long time. The two are not linked; therefore, do not assume a connection. This is a comparison of two practices with deep roots in the history of mankind. A tree is the perfect image to compare them to. Both have a beginning somewhere; however, along the way, branches have extended in numerous directions. The common invisible thread shared is that all branches reach for the Ultimate Source that nourishes them. Each branch names itself and declares what makes it different and possibly better than the branch right next to it. Thus, the emergence of conflict within a united entity appears. In the yoga "tree", a lot of different styles of practice have and continue to emerge. Each yoga branch has a slightly or significant difference from the others; however, each is still a practice. The beauty of the tree is that it gives choices for the "leaves" (individuals) to grow from. In the relatively short time that I have practiced y...

Remember the song by the Steve Miller band, Fly Like an Eagle ? If not, take a listen to get in the moment. Get that mind focused on what you're reading now...not what's next on the eternal list. I know it is not just me, but time seems to be slipping faster than ever before. A week feels like it is finished in the matter of a day. Looking forward to the weekend is somewhat a bittersweet anticipation. It comes and goes by so quickly. Technology, the mindset of getting immediate results, and multi-tasking has reached a point of an ironic setback for us. The purpose, I thought, that advanced technology would provide is more time. More time to enjoy time with family, friends, or whatever makes you happy. Instead, the list of tasks to complete has gotten longer and has to be done quicker to keep up. Something is seriously wrong with what is being ingrained in the collective mindset. What yoga does for me and many others who take a piece of precious time to practice is that it still...