The butterfly metamorphosis is truly one of nature’s most miraculous events. As a caterpillar voraciously nourishes its body in order to grow and change, it molts and lets go of old layers. Sound familiar? We too nourish our bodies in our yoga practice. By inhaling oxygen, we nourish cells. And then we let go of the parts of the air…
In yoga, the final resting pose in every class is one where you are guided to just be. To be still and allow your body a chance to integrate the blessings of the practice, to find stillness inside your head. The original intention of the asana practice was to wear out the body and quiet the mind enough to be…
A student recently asked if yoga was good for vision and continued to share with me that each time she attends class after work and changes clothes in her company’s ladies locker room (yes, Hunter Engineering is incredibly wise), she needs her glasses to read the lock. Then after the hour of breathing, strengthening and stretching together, she consistently sees…
Ogayay in Pig Latin, the word yoga has Indo-European roots. Many yogis learn that the word yoga is translated from the Sanskrit word yuj or yug, which means “to yoke.” But did you know it has its root word in common with other words like: jugular, conjugal and zygote? These are all derived from yug as well. So yug means…
The mountain ranges surrounding the Valley of the Sun called to him in the early 80s. Those hills held possibility. A lifelong hobbiest, Dad spent my tweenish years prospecting for gold in the foothills of Arizona. Trekking to n’er before trampled soils to dig in, exploit, strike it rich. Perhaps this is where my inner explorer got nourished. Building campfires…
I mean, platonic intimacy is a thing. Here we are, rolling along in 2019. A few more exhales and it will be Valentine’s Day. Sweet treats, cheesy cards, the chance to dote on our loved ones. But Valentine’s Day doesn’t need to be an exclusive party to which only lovey-dovey couples RSVP. Everyone is welcome to jump on the Valentine’s Day bandwagon,…
“Kripalu” is one of the Hindu words for “compassion.” My weekend at North America’s largest and oldest yoga and retreat center – Kripalu – was filled with just that. Compassion. And of course rules… always with the rules. It was pointed out to me by my dear ol’ dad (numerous times in my teens in fact) that I am either…
From a Plant-Based Yogi Let’s sprout roots, grow and salute the sun together. St. Louis VegFest Yoga Daughter of a gold prospector / gardener / construction worker / minister, I found my love of plants at a young age. Plants & Tantra Yoga My dad granted me a lifelong awareness of our interwoven co-existence with all life on this planet,…
(originally appeared in the Terrain Magazine‘s Life Outside Festival guidebook.) By Debby Siegel, MSA, RYT You know you want to, but you have yet to begin practicing yoga. You’re breathing, right? Great. Then, you’ve got everything you need! You don’t have to be flexible or able to stand on your head. Nor do you need to chant or know Sanskrit.…
Yoga is the answer Facebook memories are time warp reality checks Eating close to the earth makes most sense to me Kids are the supreme teachers of life lessons The book is always better than the movie You’re never too old for airplane Today is a gift Cycling always makes my day better Loving fiercely is worth it Life humbles you,…
