China’s authorities have cracked down on Tibetans after protests this spring raged across the Tibetan plateau. The Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy estimates that 6,500 Tibetans have been arrested since March. Hundreds of others have reportedly been removed from their homes and taken to undisclosed locations. In July, police and security personnel conducted [...]
“Soldiers, above other people, must suffer and bear the deepest wounds of war,” sadly states Brigadier General James T. Cook, who has served in the U.S. Army Reserves for 30 years. Brigadier General Cook is one of a growing number of people nationwide, both inside and outside the Armed Services, who are turning their attention [...]
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 [...]
Shakti Box in Los Feliz Shakti Box Yoga Being a seasoned writer, Edie Cortese was always in her head – through Yoga, she found a way back into her body. She opened a donation-based studio located in Los Feliz last December, and now welcomes an exciting and new fall schedule. SHAKTI BOX is [...]
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 [...]