I’ve had a bit of writer and teacher... not block, per se, but fraud.

Just recently, in the middle of teaching yoga classes I started to question myself. Questions like who am I to teach this practice? What do I know? Why should these people listen to anything I have to say?

 

I’ve heard other yoga teachers report the longer they teach and the more knowledge they accrue, the more reluctant they are to hold the position of teacher. They simply want to go back to being a student. I feel a... Read more...

Do you have “comfort food” yoga postures?

I mean poses you return to over and over again because they provide emotional comfort. I do. They include downward facing dog and child’s pose.

Child’s pose is fairly predictable, many people find a sense of relief and comfort in the forward fold. Down dog might be a bit more surprising, as it involves some work. I find simply moving into the inverted V shape is a bit of a Pavlovian dog to me. The instant I press my palms to the ground and walk my... Read more...

I have found the answer to my question: Do our pets have doshas and can they be treated ayurvedically? - Jennifer Mulson

 

From Dogs Naturally Magazine's website:

 

India’s Ayurveda, meaning “science of life,” (from the Sanskrit veda for “science” and ayur for “life”) is perhaps the oldest system of holistic medicine, originating in 6,000 BC.  Though human westerners have increasingly looked to the healthy wisdom that Ayurveda offers, few are aware that their animals and pets can benefit... Read more...

I’m giving myself low grades in the self-discipline department lately.

Last week, I turned down what I thought was an offer for ice cream cake. (Turns out it was an offer for a dog! Don’t ask.) I responded to the offer by saying, “Please, not right now. I don’t have the self-discipline to not sit and eat half of it at one time.”

And then I started to think about what I had carelessly written in that text. Are there times in life when we have better self-discipline than others? And why,... Read more...

 

Bakasana (crow pose)I distinctly remember the night I was pose shamed.

 

Several years ago, around the time I started teaching yoga, I stood in a studio with a couple of other teachers. We were talking about postures, and I admitted I still couldn't do bakasana, crow pose. One teacher looked at me with a look of incredulity, and said, "Really? You can't do crow?"

 

Oh, the shame, readers, the shame. I'm sure my poor little pale cheeks turned a crimson shade of rose. My heart fluttered... Read more...

Over the weekend my head and my heart had a battle of wills. All over a yoga pose. Of course, they've had many a conversation about other contentious issues, but I'll stick with yoga for now.

 

For the past few practices, I've decided doing a supported shoulderstand was a brilliant idea. That involves sticking a block right under my sacrum and lifting my legs straight into the air. It's not as rigorous as a shoulderstand, and I still get the benefits of the pose.

 

When I taught a class on... Read more...