Yoga

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The Yogi’s Bookshelf: My Top 5 Picks

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The Yogi’s Bookshelf: My Top 5 Picks

Those who know me well know that I LOVE a good book. I also don’t like to waste time reading things that aren’t helpful or don’t connect with me. But when I find a book I love, one that really juices up my soul, that’s when I want to spread the word far and wide!

On Sunday, May 6 I’m going to present a yoga philosophy workshop at Mudra Yoga in Eugene. I’m excited about this not only because I LOVE working with yogis, but because I get to talk about some of my favorite texts on this topic.

The workshop is going to be amazing—not because I’m amazing, but because what we’re talking about is truly life enhancing, soul edifying, and fun.

I know my readers are far and wide, so if you can’t make it to the workshop in Eugene (register here if you can!), you can at least know my top picks for your yogi bookshelf.


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Three Reasons to Study Yoga Philosophy TODAY

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Three Reasons to Study Yoga Philosophy TODAY
"When the wisdom of well-considered experience is joined coherently to well-grounded factual knowledge, you have a strong foundation from which to successfully navigate both the path of yoga and the world in general." -Christopher Wallis in his book Tantra Illuminated

I first began a daily yoga practice in 2004. Like most beginners, I had no idea what I was getting myself into, and that was a good thing. I knew that yoga would meet my goals of staying fit and relaxed, and those physical benefits were enough for me. 

Perhaps my introductory years of yoga sound familiar to you. In my experience, physical yoga is what most often attracts people to yoga. Perhaps you came to yoga seeking some degree of fitness (cross training, stretching, strengthening, or physical upkeep) mixed with some degree of relaxation.

There's no denying that the physical benefits of yoga come without needing to study old texts.

Yet, as you deepen your practice and move from the beginning levels of yoga, studying yoga philosophy helps.

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April and the Fool

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April and the Fool

Happy April; happy Easter; happy April Fool’s.

There are few holidays that invite as much mischief and as much glee as April Fool’s Day.

In my mind, I have an ongoing list of my favorite pranks I’ve heard of, seen, or participated in. These pranks come from a long standing tradition. While scholars don't agree on the origin of this holiday (some say it comes from the switch from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar, wherein those still celebrating the new year on April 1 were thought to be fools; and some say it is the modern iteration of a Greco-Roman holiday called Hilaria), they all agree that the holiday has taken place for thousands of years.

This holiday has its beginnings in the West, and as such, draws up the western esoteric imagery of the Fool.

The Fool has links to astrology and yoga, and the Fool is a key concept to understand as we travel on our yogic paths.

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CLAIM YOUR PERSONAL POWER with Yoga and Astrology

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CLAIM YOUR PERSONAL POWER with Yoga and Astrology

 In the past 15 months, we’ve seen the climate in our country reach higher and higher levels of uncertainty. I’ve had conversation after conversation where I hear the same sentiment brought up—that feeling of being powerless in a world where power seems to be something that people take by violence and force. In a world driven by binaries, we see powerful vs powerless, domineering vs helpless. 

But there has to be a better way to see things than binaries that divide and disempower. I’m a yogi-astrologer, so I looked into yoga and its sister discipline, astrology, for answers.

A lot of the time when we use the word ‘power’ with yoga, we’re referring to a type of vinyasa-heavy flow that activates cardio and really BURNS SOME CALORIES.  But there is a type of power far more central within yoga and astrology that leads us down the path of empowerment.

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The Call of Yoga in Troubling Times

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The Call of Yoga in Troubling Times

Astro-yogis, I have a confession: sometimes I see the news updates flashing across my phone, and I feel numb.

As a member of the yoga community, I’m acutely aware that this numbness is precisely why yogis are often criticized in troubling times.

To some, it seems like we live in a delusional space, talking about peace and bliss when our nation is torn apart by gun violence. And perhaps you yourself are wondering: how can I be thinking about creating calm—perhaps just sitting there in a meditation or just standing there in a tadasana (mountain pose) while it’s clear that SOMEONE NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING.

And of course, you’re not wrong to wonder that.

In the sort of yoga I practice (and likely you do too, if you’re in the United States and a yogi), the yoga practitioner is called to acknowledge reality as it is.

This means acknowldging the flaws and gifts within us, as well as the flaws and gifts outside ourselves. And this can seem fine (if still challenging) when the flaws we face are palatable: overcoming issues with perfectionism, finding balance, giving ourselves permission to fail. And of course, these palatable flaws are important for us to address.

But, in my experience, the task of acknowledging things as they are grows more challenging when we have to acknowledge the completely unpalatable, choking-hazard flaws in our reality.

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The Astro-Practice: 4 Things to Know

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The Astro-Practice: 4 Things to Know

The new year marks the time when we examine our goals, set new ones, and let go of the ones that no longer fit our values.

I LOVE New Year's intention setting (perhaps due to my Capricorn sun). One of my goals this year as a yogi-astrologer is to share one of my favorite yoga-astrology skills in a way that is simple and effective.

What if I told you that one of the most effective yoga-astrology tools can be learned in moments and applied to your everyday yoga practice?

This tool can help you access your sun energy and shine out in the world with more confidence, authenticity, and delight. This tool can help you connect to your body to bring your energy back to yourself during those times when you're depleted. 

An Astro-Practice is AMAZING, but it can get COMPLICATED. That's why in this post, I'm going to share the only 4 things you need to know to start your very own Astro-Practice.

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The Winter Solstice: Yoga, Tarot, Astrology

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The Winter Solstice: Yoga, Tarot, Astrology

Thanksgiving has passed, and winter is in full swing in Eugene, Oregon. The rains have returned to the Pacific Northwest, and we’re experiencing less and less daylight with each passing day. You've probably noticed shorter and shorter evenings (and for those of you who work traditional hours--darker and darker commutes).

Of course, this means the winter solstice is upon us.

Many of us know what the winter solstice is technically (shortest day of the year for the northern hemisphere), but what is its connection to yoga, tarot, and astrology?

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Yoga for Grief: 7 Practical Techniques

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Yoga for Grief: 7 Practical Techniques

Fall is in full swing, and the trees are shedding their leaves in blustery Eugene, Oregon. This changing weather reminds me that November marks the middle of the season to both let go and give thanks.

Letting go in the fall can be difficult. We let go of the sunny, warm weather; the trees let go of their leaves; and sometimes we're called to let go of something or someone we weren't ready to lose. 

It seems like so many people tend to pass on in the fall. I lost my dear, wonderful grandma recently, and a number of my friends are also in the midst of grieving friends and family who have gone too soon.

The pain that is left when we lose a loved one can be confusing and sad, but grief can also offer us a roadmap toward healing. 

In times of grief, I turn to those things that bring me comfort, those things that bring people together, those things that inspire me to see beyond the pain.

For me, that thing is yoga. But yoga for grief can go beyond your regular studio class and enter into the more intimate spaces in your life. Here are my suggestions for grief-soothing, heart-healing yoga...

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The "Be Kind" Sign

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The "Be Kind" Sign

Labor day is over and the first hints of fall are already starting to show in beautiful Eugene, Oregon. The maples are beginning to drop leaves, and the temps are just a bit cooler at night--finally blowing the smoke from the forest fires outside the town.

I was walking home this morning from my usual Sunday class at Mudra Yoga in Eugene, when I saw a man tear down an art sign that someone in the city had hung that said "be kind." This man tore it up, threw it on the ground, looked right at me, grinned, and rode away on his bike. 

I suddenly became very aware of myself and of others--what each of us puts out in the world. I realized that though I think of myself as "normal," I was, in fact, wearing yoga clothes, holding a potted plant, and wearing a hiking lumbar pack instead of a purse--in short, I looked 'crunchy.'

I realized that just as I was gaping at the man who in anger pulled down the sign, perhaps he was grinning at me because he thought I would be upset.

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5 Reasons Why I Love Restorative Yoga (And You Will Too!)

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5 Reasons Why I Love Restorative Yoga (And You Will Too!)

“True yoga is not about the shape of your body, but the shape of your life. Yoga is not to be performed; yoga is to be lived. Yoga doesn’t care about what you have been; yoga cares about the person you are becoming. Yoga is designed for a vast and profound purpose, and for it to be truly called yoga, its essence must be embodied.” — Aadil Palkhivala

Each week, I teach three public classes at Mudra Yoga in Eugene. One is a fast-paced vinyasa, one is a medium-paced hatha-style (steady flow), and on is a restorative yoga class. I’ve noticed that yogis have a general trend toward faster-paced more active yoga. This is hardly surprising. In our fast-paced world, it can sometimes take real physical challenge to move us from our head space to our heart space.

However, there is something incredibly uplifting, revitalizing, and (I would argue) essential to practicing restorative yoga as a regular part of your practice.

So here are 5 reasons why I love restorative yoga...