Yoga is like a gateway drug. At least it was for me. One day I was opening my hips and the next thing I knew I was opening my mind. Downward-facing dog led to chakra meditations, led to psychic flashes, led to pendulums, remote energy healing, DNA activation and now I find myself a full-blown [...]
Don’t Think of it as Pain Don’t think of it as pain,” my first yoga teacher used to say. “Think of it as sensation.” Yes, painful sensation. But I did start to think of it as sensation. And it helped. So I shifted my attitude off the mat too. For instance, I didn’t [...]
A yogi commits to political activism. Sometimes we feel moved by experience: a song, a poem that lifts the heart, words that stir the soul, or the speech of a political leader might send one on an arduous journey for a cause. I was recently moved to participate in the Great American Walk for Freedom, [...]
Diving Beneath the Surface for the Internal Arts of Qigong “That ’s the milion dollar question,” Sifu Tom Rizzo grinned at me when I asked him to give me his definition of qi (sometimes written as chi) energy, our prana, our life force. “A definition of something is much easier when you’ve understood it or [...]
October 2008: Volume 7 / No. 8 Salt Water, Surf and Cystic Fibrosis Detoxification, cleansing, rejuvenation and healing can happen on the mat and for some people, particularly surfers, in the sea. Hitting the water refreshes the body and calms the mind. As a surfer rides a wave, magic unfolds. Time stops, washing [...]
The Ancient Ayurvedic Practice of Shirodhara Daily life is becoming more and more a plague of constant stress. In any given moment, there is a barrage of information competing for our attention. It is no wonder that we are increasingly feeling the effects of stress-related diseases and an increase in diseases exacerbated by constant stress. [...]
When we think of Thanksgiving, we may wish to create menus with traditional dishes, yet some of these may not be the first choice for diners seeking a vegetarian, vegan or cruelty-free diet. No matter what we decide to cook and serve as a main dish, from an Ayurvedic perspective, the fall season and holiday [...]
Hurdling To Yoga There have been a lot of hurdles in Amy Wheeler’s life. For fourteen years, she was a heptathlete, training for and competing in division one track and field; heptathletes participate in high jump, shot put, javelin, 200 meter, 800 meter and hurdles. “You look like a hurdler,” T.K.V. Desikachar told [...]
According to leading environmental thinkers at the SOS Climate Change International Conference (produced by the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association), a huge element in our daily lives has flown under the radar in revolutionizing behavior to reduce our environmental impact. The SOS presentations focused on the tremendous potential of a vegetarian – better yet [...]
Larisa Stow & Shakti Tribe will be playing, making peace and inspiring the crowd to groove and dance at Urban Yoga in Palm Springs on Saturday, October 11, 7:30 P.M. Urban Yoga Center, 458 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, CA. urbanyoga.org Following Sound into Silence By Kailash Following Sound into Silence By Kailash (Kurt [...]