Five Elements Series Part 4: The Ether Element and Curiosity
Ether has no form. Its essence is emptiness. It is the space the other four elements arise in and pass away in.
Writing
Five Elements Series Part 3: The Five Elements in History
Many societies and cultures previously embraced the five elements as a mode or model of categorizing what they saw, both out in the world and within their own psyches. They named their…
Five Elements Series Part 2: Getting Unstuck
We all face discomfort on the mat, whether in the body, emotionally, or in the mind. As soon as we have the sense that something is askew, we can’t help but say, "I don't like this…
Five Elements Series Part 1: Intro
In this blog, I am offering up the five elements as a lens to explore our yoga practices. I practice and teach Ashtanga Yoga, and while I realize that the five elements is not necessarily…
The Age of the Guru is Over…Now What?- Part 3
This is the third part in a three-part series. In the first post , we explored the traditional relationship of the guru and disciple. In the second post , I made the argument that this…
The Age of the Guru is Over…Now What?- Part 2
This is second part in a three-part series. In the previous posting , we explored what the traditional relationship of guru and disciple was like. In this postings, we'll examine how this…
The Age of the Guru is Over…Now What?- Part 1
This afternoon I’ve been perusing various Youtube videos on Ashtanga Yoga looking for inspiration when all of a sudden I got what I was looking for. I came across this video in which…
SF Street Coaches
My wife, Melissa , colleague and friend, Michael Ehrenberg , and I went out on the streets of San Francisco yesterday to initiate a new project that we call SF Street Coaches. The idea was…
Yoga in India is Not the Same as Yoga in the West
It's my opinion that the method of awakening for a classical Indian seeker is not the same for a Westerner. And so as teachers in the West, it is critical that we translate the teachings of…
Isvara Pranidhana: Sticking With What We Truly Know
In my previous blogs, I have been discussing Sat-Chit-Ananda, which is really a description of the experience of yoga. If you've been following the series, you'll notice that I give…
Sat: The Sanskrit Term for "The Real Deal"
In the last two blogs I've written, I have been discussing Sat-Chit-Ananda, an ancient yogic compound that describes the experience of yoga. Each of the three Sanskrit words, sat, chit, and…
Chit: Noticing What Is
In my previous entry , I discussed Sat-Chit-Ananda, an ancient yogic compound of three Sanskrit roots: sat , chit , and ananda , that describes the qualities of the experience of yoga. I…