In the 200 years that Eastern spiritual teachings have been filtering into American life, the disseminators have included great artists as well as gurus, scholars, and scientists. We have absorbed the principles of Hinduism, Buddhism and other Asian traditions through the poems of T.S. Eliot and W.B. Yeats; the novels of Herman Hesse, Somerset Maugham [...]
Every year Yoga transforms the lives of hundreds of average Americans. But in 2011 a significant number of yogi writers opened up their hearts to reveal their own intimate journey. They chronicled their experience with pen in hand, sharing their challenges, triumphs, and insights along the way through Yoga-inspired memoirs. And it seems that these [...]
Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy: Living with Tibetan Chants for World Peace Mickey Hart, known for being the drummer extraordinaire in the long-lived and well-loved Grateful Dead, is passionate about world music. He’s toured with world musicians including Zakir Hussain in the Global Drum project (recently heard at UCLA and reviewed in LA YOGA) and has [...]
Alanis and Wade Morissette Rock the House Twins find Resolution through Ritual Onstage By Felicia M. Tomasko, RN “This has long been a dream of mine,” rock star Alanis Morissette announced to a theater full of fans. Her dream? To sit side-by-side with twin brother Wade Imre Morissette, who is himself a recording artist and [...]
The two areas of my life I’m most passionate about are music and Yoga. Rare is the day that I don’t engage in both. They have literally transformed me, making it impossible to imagine where I would be today without them. Each, on its own, has helped me create a greater sense of inner peace, [...]
“The Way is personal.” This line from the film The Way, written and directed by Emilio Estevez and starring his father, Martin Sheen, says something about the individual nature of the path that any of us are on in life as we consult the guide books, follow the trail, stray along the way, encounter happy [...]
With age comes great wisdom and experience, but as we know, the stability of spirit can, at times, be accompanied by immobility in the body and a false belief that movement and exercise should be left to the young. Stretch in Time, a new Yoga DVD created by Elyse Briggs, addresses a population that may [...]
Awakened Earth Offers Stellar Kundalini Devotional Music When it comes to super easy listening from the world of kundalini devotional music, it doesn’t get much easier than Awakened Earth. Violins, flute, and harp give this newest release from Mirabai Ceiba a strong classical vibe, yet the album stays grounded in the present with a light [...]
Michael Franti embodies the connection between Yoga and music, both through the messages and melodies and his upbeat songs, his collaborations with yogis like Seane Corn, and his avid personal pursuit of the practice. His newest album is The Sound of Sunshine, and he says this about music and the album: Music is sunshine. Like [...]
Leila Connors and Frank Fitzpatrick discuss the movement toward urban farming and community building in Detroit. “Opening a Yoga studio is one of the most revolutionary acts you can engage in today,” says film producer Leila Connors. “The practice of Yoga,” she continues, “helps you develop independent thinking, even though you don’t realize the shift [...]