I recently read an article about the role of pain in the popular style of yoga, Astanga, popularized by Pattabi Jois. This style of yoga is the grandfather of the Vinyasa that I teach, but the strict Astanga style often gets a bad rap because of it’s dogmatic rigidity and the frequency of injury among its practitioners. The author of …
Where the Magic Happens
My passion as a teacher of asana and yoga in general, is the breath. This has not changed in all of the years I’ve been teaching despite the many incarnations my style has taken. Maybe it comes from my 16 years spent as a professional musician and teacher of singing. I’ve loved the mechanics of breath and the usefulness of …
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Is Yoga really for everyone?
“Yoga is for everyone!” Certainly you’ve heard this phrase uttered before; I’ve said it, and meant it. But 6 years of teaching yoga full-time, now owning a yoga studio and directing a teacher training has been informative, and a little disappointing in this regard. The fact is, this phrase which seems to be so inclusive is misleading and misguided despite …
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Living Yoga…
In a culture that is obsessed with transformation I worry that living one’s yoga has become synonymous with some sort of necessary life fix. I for one will continue to practice yoga in this New Year, and in subsequent New Years not because yoga teaches us that we need to be fixed, but because it teaches us that we are …
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The Dark Side of Yoga
This post is a response to an article published in the NY Times Magazine, Jan 5,2012, How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body. I’ve been reading an important text about yoga called “Light on Yoga” by B.K.S. Iyengar. This is one of those books that as a teacher of yoga you really feel like you “should” read. It’s called the “Bible” …
Practice Worth
My intention for this month is to own my experiences on the mat and in all parts of my life. This practice reminds you of your inherent worth. I love to take Bhumisparsha mudra when I’m feeling invincible, a fleeting thing for sure. It’s also nice when I am needing a little encouragement. Try it out, it takes less than a minute: …
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Practice
Do you ever feel unworthy? Do you ever describe yourself as a poser or a fake? Well if you have then you and I have something in common. At this point the feeling of stepping into a new situation with a “fake it till you make it” attitude is kind of like a warm cozy blanket for me. Perhaps it’s my …
What is Vinyasa?
With so many styles of yoga emerging it can be difficult to keep them all straight. It doesn’t really help either that styles can vary drastically regionally, studio to studio and teacher to teacher. I practice and teach Vinyasa style yoga and one would be hard pressed to convince me to switch my allegiance. I can see the benefits of …