As adults in an achievement-based society, we can learn a lot about cultivating joy and presence when we humble ourselves, step outside of our comfort zone, and become beginners again.
I thought there was something magical about an adult ballet class in which grown-up people who had chosen one thing as a career, were consciously developing themselves in another area. It was so magnificent to me because it seemed purely internally motivated unlike so many things in our lives and society. Something about it was joyful.
The past weekend was a beautiful triad of experiences in nature. Each distinct, yet harmonious together. As summer transitions to fall, the outdoors were calling to be recognized. Sun and moon shine, day and night. For whatever reason, this weekend felt important and left me with an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the place I am in and the people I am with.
Yesterday I arrived home, after a couple very long days at work, to a large brown amazon package on my doorstep. My kitten, Zéb, was thrilled about the three layers of boxes now available to him as playspace. I was overwhelmed by a very generous gift from my Aunt and Uncle for my recent graduation …
I originally wrote this article to submit to an online yoga publication, but I’ve been thinking about what the practice of savasana looks like in our lives a lot lately and decided to revive it from my Microsoft Word draft. — We often start our physical yoga practice in child’s pose, folded forward over our …
Before the sun rises in the morning, the birds and cicadas sing a symphony at the full volume of their voices. Then, slowly, the sun paints the colors into the trees, leaves, branches, and stone pathways of The Yoga Forest. By this time everyone gathers for a morning meditation. On our first morning waking up …
On the last two days of my trip to India, I visited Pune. In my undergrad years I studied here and I couldn’t imagine coming all the way to India without stopping by to visit friends and see my old favorite sights. It’s incredible to me how much of the city I remember from 5 … Continue reading
“I am not my body.” This has been one of the common mantras the past month. It is a reminder that I refer to “my body” and “my mind” because they belong to me but they are not who I am. I am more than the space I occupy or the thoughts in my head. … Continue reading
This morning I learned that a 24 year-old boy drown in the Ganga yesterday. He was just 2 years younger than I am now. When I heard the news, I was having a masala chai at one of the stalls that line the streets in Rishikesh with one of my teachers. We sat together under … Continue reading
It has been an ongoing lesson for me to be in India during monsoon. It rains nearly every day, the laundry never fully dries, and on more than one occasion I’ve been fully drenched from head to toe walking just a few feet between buildings; but I wouldn’t have it any other way. The monsoon … Continue reading
It’s been over a week now since I arrived in Rishikesh: the holy city on the banks of the Ganga and a central source of vinyasa yoga. Last Tuesday I joined a circle of strangers for a fire ceremony to mark the beginning of our 200 hour yoga teacher training journey. Together we threw pieces … Continue reading
These days it’s embarrassing to tell people I am from the U.S. During a time when my country separates children from their families at the border and locks them up in cages; when yet another police officer has killed another innocent black teenager, Antwon Rose, just a few minutes from where I live; when women’s … Continue reading
It’s official. I have one week left in Bangkok before flying out to Delhi. I admit I’m feeling a little sad to leave. It hit me last night after a long day. I had caught an early morning train north with friends to Ayutthaya. We swept through villages and rice fields on the train and … Continue reading
I fanaticize about this woman who is both empowered and safe in the world. She’s independent. When she sets her sights on something, she confidently follows through. She brings other women with her, they support each other. The woman doesn’t compromise on her principles. She’s unafraid to stand up for herself and others. She understands … Continue reading
I made a half-assed effort to be environmentally-conscious my first month in Bangkok. I brought one reusable grocery bag with me from the U.S. that I intended to use daily here, but I didn’t always remember it. I bought plastic water bottles because they were safe and convenient. Sometimes the nice people at 7 Eleven … Continue reading
I think the thing I most admire about him was his bold willingness to be himself and embrace the people and places around him. He wasn’t afraid to fail, to be proven wrong, to be pushed off track and to grow from the experience. He believed that travel should change us and that we should be open to it. He once wrote, “I’m a big believer that you’re never going to find a perfect city travel experience or the perfect meal without a constant willingness to experience a bad one.” Continue reading
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