Yoga Inspiration

It is through your body that you realize you are a spark of divinity. 

-B.K.S. Iyengar

Wishing you peace and happiness today, readers. May you be willing and courageous enough to explore what your body is capable of and what it can teach you. Namaste.

What Yoga Is

Yoga is the stilling of the changing states of the mind.

- The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

Contrary to popular practice in Westernized yoga classes, yoga is not a popularity contest. Yoga is not solely a means for looking or feeling sexy.

It is not simply a workout, but also a meditation. Yoga is the sanskrit word for union -- the union of body, mind and spirit.

There are eight limbs of yoga. The practice extends beyond the physical asana (postures) we perform.

As Dharma Mittra says of the practice: Without the ethical rules there is no yoga. Are you keeping the ethical rules?

In the interest of exploring the eight limbs and deepening my personal practice, I am going to be starting a series of posts on how yoga extends beyond physical asana.

I'll start with the yamas: ahimsa (nonviolence), satya (truthfulness), asteya (nonstealing), brahmacharya (continence), and aparigraha (noncovetousness).

Then I'll be exploring the niyamas: saucha (cleanliness), samtosa (contentment), tapas (heat; spiritual austerities), svadhyaya (study of the sacred scriptures and of one's self, and isvara pranidhana (surrender to God).

Stay tuned for more on these topics in the weeks and months to come!

Namaste.

What Yoga Has Taught Me

Photos by Cara Brostrom,

Four years ago, I met yoga. I came to my mat weary, afraid, exhausted. I showed up hoping that what I knew as yoga -- the asana practice -- could heal me.

I began trying the postures, learning the breathing, quieting the mind.

Soon, the practice deepened. I began to find myself calmer, more focused, more open and accepting of life's circumstances. My anxiety decreased, but more than just that was happening. Eventually I became receptive to the spiritual depth behind yoga, the way it transforms a life both on and off the mat.

Yoga has helped me learn to accept myself the way I am. To embrace that I'm not perfect, I never was, and I don't have to convince myself that I should be.

Yoga has shown me the beauty of living fully present instead of obsessing over the past or the future. 

Yoga has taught me strength, patience, endurance, courage. The practice has taught me to live without attachment to outcome. To give more openly, to write more freely, to love more fully.

Yoga humbles me before great teachers and mentors. Yoga reminds me that health is wealth. That the goodness and light in me also shines in those around me.

Thank you, yoga, for all that you give.

Practice and all is coming...

Practicing Yoga in Nature

Photos by my friend Yoel Eisenstadt.

There is something beautiful about taking your yoga outside. When you move beyond the mat, you learn to rely less on the sound of a teacher's voice, or the feeling of even floor under your feet, or all those little habits you've developed by coming to the studio and setting up in the same spot for every class.

Spontaneous, in-the-moment yoga is an inspiring breath of fresh air. It happens when you step outside of the car to stop for gas in the middle of a road trip, or when you spot a grassy field where it's just too beautiful not to try a handstand.

When you practice yoga in nature, you find your flow, your living meditation. You connect to the breath and your own personal practice; nothing else remains.

Try embracing the notion that you can take your yoga anywhere. See where it takes you :)

PS You may have noticed I'm a fan of spontaneous yoga. Check out when I practiced in the middle of busy Chicago streets, on the edge of a fountain, in the heart of Boston, and near Lake Michigan. These guerilla yoga pictures are also hilarious.

A California Adventure

Friends, yogis, beautiful ones: I'm back from my camping adventure! My friend Yoel and I had an amazing time in Stanislaus National Forest and Yosemite.

We spent the days relaxing, hiking, eating picnic lunches, building campfires, making smores, telling stories, and just generally enjoying the beautiful California landscape. We also spent a few days in San Francisco exploring and riding bikes.

I did a little yoga out in nature, too :) I will definitely post some of those photos soon!

I feel refreshed and grateful to be back home.

How have you guys been? XO!

Gone Campin'

Photos via Pinterest.

Hey yogis! I am headed to Stanislaus National Forest for a few days of camping, hiking and relaxation.

I'll be taking a little blogging break while I'm off the grid.

No cell phones, no traffic, no computer screens. Only the smell of the trees, the quiet of the wind, the beauty of the landscape, the twinkling of stars overhead.

And of course: late night card games, beer drinking and smores in the campfire!

See you soon, and have a beautiful week.

The Path Before You Is Clear

Photo via Pinterest.

Today I vibrate the mantra om namah shivaya. Some have translated the words to mean I acknowledge my highest self and all the ways I may become.

To me, the mantra means this path is clear; I am free to walk it.

Photo via Hindu Wallpaper.

Om namah shivaya is an incantation to Shiva, a clearer of obstacles, the Hindu lord of meditation and the conqueror of death and destruction. 

By bringing this mantra into meditation, we acknowledge the guru within, the part of ourselves that is wise and powerful.

Photo via FYeahYoga.

May the path before you be open, and may you navigate it with grace and purpose. Namaste.