Zhena Muzyka shares her story rising from a single mother to entrepreneur, author, and publisher. When I first met Zhena, I have to be honest, I was intimidated and a bit jealous. Here was a woman who had everything I wanted and everything “my lizard brain” (as she calls it) was programmed to resent. But [...]
Musicians Benjy and Heather Wertheimer, also known as Shantala, partners in life, love, and music, recently released their latest album Living Waters. Finished in the wake of their maiden voyage to India, it’s a mantra-infused, meditative plunge for the spirit. The instrumentation and vocals are masterfully performed, captured, and mixed to create a sonic [...]
A Compassionate Journey toward Healing Yoga and Grief, by Gloria Drayer and Kathleen Doherty, provides a healing process filled with compassion and conscious awareness. In the words of Ram Dass, “In a culture that emphasizes stoicism and forward movement, in which time is deemed of the essence and there is little tolerance for slowness, inwardness [...]
Trauma-Sensitive Yoga in Therapy by David Emerson — Bringing the Body into Treatment A systematic process for addressing trauma in a clinical setting has been outlined in the book, Trauma-Sensitive Yoga in Therapy. Author David Emerson is director of The Trauma Center Yoga Program. Trauma-Sensitive Yoga has been shown to be a useful adjunct to traditional psychotherapy. [...]
Grammy Award-winner R. Carlos Nakai releases his latest instrumental CD, Canyon Trilogy: Deluxe Platinum Edition (Canyon Records) Some artists are instrumental in creating the soundtrack of our lives. For me, Grammy Award-winner R. Carlos Nakai is one of those. The first time I heard a piece of his music, I was transfixed by the [...]
Chapter of the Forest, a tranquil musical exploration of respite for the soul. (Vanguard Records) There comes a time in every musician’s life when retreating is not only crucial for one’s creativity, but essential for survival. Some of the things that can arise from this much-needed respite for the soul include: a sincerity that can’t be [...]
His Holiness The Dalai Lama When he first became a student, Tenzin Gyatso, most commonly known as His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, admits that he was a reluctant one. This admission may be surprising to most of us—to hear that a person with a sincere interest in the depths of not only Buddhist teachings, [...]
Dean Sluyter offers a skilled meditation guide in Natural Meditation Dean Sluyter is in the grand tradition of authors who interpret traditional enlightenment teachings and apply them to modern Western life. In his latest book, Natural Meditation, he certainly accomplishes that task with a rare combination of insight, clarity, wit, and pragmatic common sense. Can [...]
Element Presents: Daily Yoga With Mia Togo - A daily practice for morning and night (Dragonfly Productions, Inc.) A dedicated daily yoga practice has profound energetic effects on both the physical and subtle or energetic bodies. In the DVD, Element Presents: Daily Yoga, taught by beloved LA-based YogaWorks teacher Mia Togo, two 40-minute practices are expertly [...]
Helen Hunt’s character in the film Ride, (a movie she not only starred in, but also wrote and directed) is abrasive, crude yet dauntless and compassionate. The nuances found in this textured yet sympathetic performance shouldn’t surprise anyone after her bold performances in As Good as It Gets, The Sessions, Mad About You, and her many varied roles in film and TV. [...]