As I was watching the constantly changing shape of waves and weather at the central Oregon coast this past weekend, the word "form" popped into my head. As in: taking form, the form of things. The obvious: forms in yogaWe play with form a lot when...
“The Somatic Exercises…enable us to remember what it feels like not to be anxious, and to breathe once again like healthy human beings are meant to breathe.”-Thomas Hanna What is Somatics?How do you know when you’re cold, hungry, nervous, calm, aroused, or satisfied? Your body tells...
Open Awareness YogaI'm starting up a new in-person class here in Portland in December so lately I've been thinking about the process of Open Awareness Yoga, which has evolved quite a bit since we started practicing online together. Yoga is such a vast discipline. Which are the...
This week I want to give you a little technique that's been working for me when I get overwhelmed or feel like I'm chasing my tail. Here's how it works:First, notice that you're going into the crazy zone, whether it's rushrushrush mode or that you're...
What is permission anyway?What do you think when I say the word "permission"? Do you think of a certain person giving permission to you, or permission you would give to other people? Maybe it's an age-based thing: older people give permission to younger people; or a...
In touch with your feelings?Do you feel more "in touch with" feelings that are challenging in nature or those that are easier? If there was a spectrum from sorrow to joy, do you feel more aware of one end or the other? Personally I've always felt...
Sharing your experienceDo you talk about your yoga practice to anyone else? Do you journal about it? Do you think on it? There are a few of you that I talk with regularly about your practices, and at the end of Zoom classes we've started to share...
First, a series of questionsDo you have a morning routine? Don't be so quick to say no if you don't have an elaborate ritual you move through each and every day. Chances are you brush your teeth and feed your dog, or look at the...
Yoga Prop ExcitementThis past week brought all kinds of excitement in yoga prop land. I had conversations with some friends/students/practitioners about how useful the wall is in asana practice and other friends/students/practitioners have acquired new props or inquired about which ones to buy.All these happenings have made...
Prakrti & The GunasYoga philosophy holds that all things in nature (nature: prakrti) are in a constant state of change. Specifically, this system says that everything is a mix of the three gunas with the proportions arranging and rearranging forever.The three gunas are rajas, tamas, and sattva. To put it simply, rajas is activity...