An Approach to Ashtanga that Supports Aging & Fatigue
Below, is an email exchange I had with a friend in the Ashtanga community, someone who is struggling to find a way into her practice such that it supports her fatigue and depression. I…
ashtanga yoga
Five Element Series Part 6: Fire Element
In the five-element tradition, fire offers a language for warmth, passion, anger and expression. This essay explores how we work with those experiences, including the limits we find…
A Living, Breathing Practice
A group of friends and I have started to gather at my house monthly to take a deeper dive into Yoga than the kind we get when we go to the yoga studio or even when we do a teacher training.…
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…
Five Element Series Part 5: Air Element
The air element is the source of all mobility. It feels light and clear. It is the place of spirit and of spirituality, the place where the yogis and saints reach for. It is also the place…
Five Elements Series Part 4: The Ether Element and Curiosity
In the five-element tradition explored in this series, ether represents space: the openness in which the other elements arise and pass away. Here, I use it as a way to explore curiosity and…
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…
Asking "Why?"... is the Wrong Question
I stopped to talk with a student in Mysore class today. I wanted to check in to see how she was doing, if she had any questions or needed a little support or encouragement. I thought the…