A Mindful Approach to Shame
The most challenging thing my clients face is how to deal with their emotions. Emotions can be such an inconvenience, especially the ones we're always trying to fix or overcome; the ones we…
Writing
Creating the Space to See What We Do
I've just returned from my first yoga practice back at the yoga studio I co-ran for six years and recently handed over to my partner. It felt great to be back to see my friends and to be…
Ashtanga Mind, Beginner's Mind
Some of the clearest and most open people I come across within the practice of Ashtanga tend to be new students. They're filled with the excitement and possibility that the practice…
Paradox: Discipline v. Freedom
Ramakrishna, the nineteenth-century Indian mystic, taught with a picture I think about often. When you plant a sapling, you put a fence around it so the cattle don't eat it and nobody…
The "GET OUT OF JAIL, FREE" Card
In my previous blog post, I described the fact that last Wednesday, I'd completed a project I'd co-run for the last six years, an Ashtanga Yoga program called Mission Ashtanga. I did so in…
Living with Doubt
There's an inner process to change. In the outer sense, all that's required is that we leave a job; start a new relationship; tidy up our resumes; or enroll in a class. But what gets us to…
How do we get to belief: Is it through faith or practice?
How to Make Profound, Lasting Change
When we lose a job, get a bad review, experience burn out, or our heart is broken, we often can’t help but experience a sense of groundlessness and paralysis. We struggle with meaning and…
What Are We Really Afraid Of?
Franklin Roosevelt said, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." If I'm really honest with myself, the only thing that holds me back is my fear. When I think of somewhat risky…
SF Street Coaches Featured in Leiweb an Italian Periodical
Ashtang-ulous!
Earlier this week, I noticed that a bunch of my yoga friends on Facebook were commenting on some notes from a conference led by Sharath Jois . Sharath was giving a talk partly on sirsana…
The Power of 1%
Most of us come to Yoga looking for something. Initially we come to get in shape or to calm down. With time, however, we start to experience something blossoming within us that is powerful…