January 2014
“How Yoga Alliance is Ruining Yoga” – Are They?
Recently an article has been going around the Internet, specifically the yoga community, on the trouble with Yoga Alliance. They are the organization that runs yoga teacher training certification. Some have voiced that they are not doing their job properly and are at fault for the “state” of yoga these days. First of all, let’s CELEBRATE […]
The Daily Retreat: #1 in 2014
The Daily Retreat: #1 in 2014 by Dave Lesinski (www.DavidLesinski.com) The question of the week seems to be, “What can I do to spiritually awaken in 2014?” So here you go…Over the next 10 weeks I’m going to share with you my top strategies for spiritual awakening in 2014. Surprise!!! Not all of this is […]
Seeing The Abundance When it’s Hidden
For the past few months, since winter has descended upon Southeast Michigan, I’ve had the daily pleasure of looking out my kitchen window at 3 chubby squirrels preparing for and then enjoying winter’s abundance. I love how they frolic from the high wires onto my golden delicious apple tree and perch themselves on the bare […]
Afraid Of Commitment? Do It For You
Are you afraid of a committed relationship with….. YOU? I bet you thought I was talking about an intimate partner. You’re right! It’s your soul. It doesn’t get more intimate than that. As a yoga teacher and a studio owner, I often hear from many that it’s hard to create, much less commit to a […]
Yoga And Snowshoeing? Yep!
I forgot how intense and wildly invigorating an hour of snowshoeing can be. Plowing through a foot and a half of fresh angelic snow this morning, up and down the endless undulating hills of the neighboring golf course, took every ounce of power and perseverance I could muster. Of course, my son Ben and our […]
Why I’m at the Studio Every Morning at 4 a.m.
BY NANCY MCCAOCHAN “Have you really been here since 4 a.m.?” a student asked. I’d just finished teaching the 7 a.m. Short Form Ashtanga class and was standing in the lobby, saying good-bye to the students who’d practiced with me and greeting those who were coming for the next class. “Yes,” I answered, matter-of-factly. “I […]
Dear Mrs. Obama: Keep the Yoga, Forget the Botox
The other day, I just finished my morning yoga practice and stopped by Starbucks on my way home. As I stood waiting for my drink, I glanced down at the early morning New York Times. Front and center was an article celebrating our First Lady‘s 50th birthday. I started to read the first few sentences […]
Pulling Out The Deep Emotional Crud
You can feel it trying to come on…… that telltale sign; a soreness that starts in the back of your throat. You try to ignore it and even think you can beat it. No, I can’t be sick. I don’t have the time. It’s the age-old joke: “We make plans, and God laughs.” I packed […]
It’s Curiosity, Not Determination, That Gets You There
BY BETSY COHN For most of my life, stubborn determination has gotten me from point A to point B. I spent a grade-school beach vacation using a barbecue fork to yank from a conch shell its dead inhabitant so my mom could boil the shell for me to save as a souvenir. I overcame test […]
Just In Time
By Allison Stuart Kaplan Every Sunday evening, I ask myself, what will the theme for my classes be this week? What knowledge or wisdom will I offer my students to help bring love, light, and joy to their day, and into their hearts? Will I even have a theme, or fly by the seat of […]
What Does It Really Mean “To Be In Shape?”
“Do you do anything else besides yoga?” Several times a month, someone new will walk in for information about our yoga classes and ask me this question. They don’t believe yoga can keep you in shape. Then they ask: “Will I lose weight?” I say, “You bet you will!” More than you’ll ever imagine. In […]
Intimacy 101
Two friends and I arrived in Florida on a balmy Monday, sunshine everywhere; a great relief from icy Detroit. Per our usual yoga immersions, we headed right to Whole Foods to first get the necessary energy supports: food, coconut water, and more, to help our physical vehicles maintain a strong, healthy space. We were about […]
Go With Love And Backbends This Year
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” — Albert Einstein 2014, it’s a new year and I’m so happy and grateful to be here. For me, January 1 always marks the start of another exciting journey into the unknown. Optimism for the inevitable road ahead, giving and receiving […]
Winter Solstice Sadhana: A Celebration of the One in All
BY BETSY COHN Imagine a sea of ambulatory, crisp, white figures further brightened by the Florida sunshine and their contrast against the green expanse of grass, with more white sprinkled throughout, this time stationary tents named for the five elements or tattvas: earth, fire, water, air, and ether. Imagine amidst those five constants, hundreds of […]
I Kept Christmas Simple and It Kept Me Simply Divine
It wasn’t the usual run-myself-ragged, spend-too-much, wrap-too-much, decorate-too-much kind of year. Not the usual guilt, like I’m not good enough if I don’t bake a ton of cookies, hold holiday parties or send Xmas cards. In fact, the older and more peaceful I get, the less interested I am in the outside of Christmas and […]
40 Day New Year’s Heart Shield Meditation
Tune in first with Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo 3x; chant or just speak it Sat Narayan/Music by Ajeet Kaur Set a 40 day Intention to do this meditation; 7 min a day maximum MEDITATION–HEART SHIELD MEDITATION (The Mind, by Yogi Bhajan, Ph.D. and Gurucharan Singh Khalsa, Ph.D., p. 173. Another version located in Transitions to […]
