“I need a vacation from my vacation.” We’ve all said it; we’ve all felt it: the blanket of exhaustion that unfurls upon our return from what was supposed to be a relaxing vacation, the disorientation tinged with melancholy that always seems to take us by surprise. Imagining and fantasizing about a trip is energizing. [...]
Dr. Frederick “Rick” Hecht on the Value of Research in Finding a Place for Yoga and Meditation in Conventional Medicine The International Association of Yoga Therapists will hold its annual Symposium on Yoga Research September 24-26 at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health. Frederick Hecht, M.D. will be one of the keynote speakers at [...]
The opening bass line of "Take a Walk on the Wild Side" brings about a certain nostalgia, and most of us break into a chorus of "doo do-doo doo doo do-doo..." when we hear it. American icon and iconoclast, musician, songwriter, and cultural alchemist Lou Reed was known for walking on the wild side on [...]
Satya Narayan Goenka (January 30, 1924 – September 29, 2013) Vipassana is a method of meditation in which the mind and body is understood by turning awareness to the senses. Holding that sensation is the gateway to our understanding of the world, the systematic exploration of physical sensation leads to equanimity and the cessation of [...]
Life is Full of Surprises Unless you live in a cave, life is full of surprises. Even meditation is full of surprises. In the relaxation of meditation, we are often presented with mini-movies of whatever we are stressed about, including traumatic events from the past and whatever we are gearing up to deal with in [...]
In Ayurveda, vata is one of the three doshas, or organizational constituents that maintain homeostasis in the body. Vata dosha embodies the energy represented by the element of air and space (think wind). If you’ve experienced inspiration and the feeling of being swept away by the creative process, you’ve felt vata dosha at its best. [...]
At some point in our lives, mostly at the least opportune time, we come to a sudden recognition of ill health. Be it fatigue, lack of mental clarity, weight gain, lethargy, a sloppy inefficient liver, cholesterol and blood sugar levels creeping up or indigestion and other annoying reminders that all is not well. Ayurveda, a [...]
Placing your mat in class, the teacher gives you a spiteful look. You don’t know it, but her ex-husband, to whom she is paying alimony, was walking out the door as you walked in, and she saw you smile at him. Driving to work, you slow down and give lots of space to a woman [...]
While the positive aspects of travel include seeing new places, meeting new people, and many other joyful experiences, we have to find ways to cope with the mind/body stress and anxiety associated with changes in our usual daily routines and rhythms. According to the science of Ayurveda, the psycho-physiological, elemental or chemical balance of an [...]
What happens when I meditate? I have two totally conflicting desires: I love to travel, and I love to be at home. Fortunately, meditation satisfies both. Minds don’t wander, they journey, and the purpose of all this travel is to return home enriched. Human beings have a hunger for fresh experience. We are always exploring, [...]