Yoga Nuggets

Teaching yoga. Two words preceded and followed by a tidal wave of thoughts, feelings, and relentless effort to be the best you can be. You can choose to stop surfing the waves of teaching/learning anytime; yet, I suspect deserting the desire to ride that gnarly rush of elevation would forever linger. It is a lot like surfing. You practice. You fall. You practice more. You fall again. Your need to stand and ride the wave transcends your fear of falling and being pulled down underwater. The odds of floating to the surface override the risks of staying under. You have nothing to lose, right? Yes. No. Either way, it's an awesome ride when you hit a strong, rising wave. And, you learn the process of coming to shore until the next one. Been practicing yoga ten years...teaching seven. Doubted my worth of being on the mat on front stage for awhile. Practiced...practiced more...gleaned a sliver of confidence each time...still practicing. Thousands of slivers make for a pretty strong fo

Yoga 2014. Start date a guess buried in time's antiquity treasure chest. It is difficult to proclaim when legends of beginnings end and factual history begins. Ceaseless fusion of tradition and unfolding future. Discovered new styles to learn or trademarked to declare ownership. Change is an intriguing energy. Some fight it. Some roll with it. Some float to their own current. Yoga's once mysterious benefits revealed by medical, scientific, and psychological discoveries have engraved its ever deepening etch on mankind's historical cave of evolution. It's here to stay...that's for sure. Debate: To speak Sanskrit or not to speak it...that is the question. First, a sliver of language history. Sanskrit is one of the first languages of Indo-European descent. It is a classical language of Indian, Hindu, Buddhism and Jainism. It's history of influence on language runs deep and demands years of studying. Patanjali, the designated father of yoga, promulgated one

Work the core. Get "six-pack" abs in 4-6 weeks. Create a washboard stomach. Daily core strengtheners...yada, yada, yada. So much focus is fixated on the frontal and most visible part of the body from a unisex perspective...the abs. In reality, the key component of overall fitness, strength and well-being hides behind the place where it literally is...in the back. So much substance for the surface has been entrained in the collective mindset; most have unwittingly become oblivious to the most stalwart part of their body...the spine and muscles that keep it stable. Stephen King wrote a sentence in his mesmerizing novel, 11-22-63,"the surface has always passed for substance." The rhetorical truism is applicable to all physical mirages we view with sophomoric perspectives. Health, strength and fitness delves beyond superficial muscles. Engaging and fortifying back muscles nourishes the spine, the spinal cord, and ripples around to the anterior (front) of t