For the past two years, I made a quiet vow to devote my daily living and yoga teaching to the vayus which are the five sacred movements of life force energy. What started as curiosity became a full-bodied devotion, completely by accident. Each class, I explored one vayu more deeply. Noticing how it showed up in my breath, my teaching, my relationships, even my rest. I began weaving the vayus into everything I offered on the mat with my students, and off the mat in my daily rituals, family...
25 days ago • 2 min read
Reader, what's the sweet treat you keep reaching for even when it's keeping you stuck? A few weeks I taught a yin yoga class at our new studio. The theme was non-attachment/aparigraha, one of yoga's most quietly radical teachings. I told the story of Hanuman and the coconut trap: a hollowed-out coconut filled with treats, with a hole just big enough to fit a hand inside. The monkey reaches in, grabs the treat, and then can't pull his fist back out. He's not trapped by the coconut. He's...
4 months ago • 1 min read
As we transition from Spring to Summer schedules change, routines shift and time seems to fly especially if you live in a cold weather state, Reader. Well the summer can feel so fleeting, Ayurveda has a few practices to help you stay grounded and cool all season long. Self-care is a key tool for the pitta dosha. Here are 3 self-care ideas for the summer if one jumps out to you, start there. If none take a breath, close your eyes and ask yourself what does my body crave this summer for...
5 months ago • 1 min read
I attended a yin class last week with the studio owner of where I like to practice and had such a great theme during the class. Someone mentioned feeling burnt out and Lucia (our teacher) reminded us all that here in Minnesota especially the metro area, we've all been on edge the majority of winter. We didn't get the inward, rest and cozy focus many of us are accustomed to in the Midwest when it's cold outside. I told her after class that really struck a chord with me. Others in class also...
5 months ago • 1 min read
I might be a little late to this party, but I wanted to share a documentary I watched this weekend that truly stayed with me. My Octopus Teacher on Netflix came out in 2020 and has won several awards and I can absolutely see why. It’s beautifully filmed, deeply tender, and quietly powerful. Fair warning: you may want tissues nearby. One moment that really resonated with me was when someone asked the man in the film why he kept returning to the same kelp forest every single day. His response...
6 months ago • 1 min read