Yoga, Health, and Wellness Articles + Recipes

As a yoga teacher, I’d always known of the incredible benefits of yoga for the body, mind, and spirit. Until I was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer, however, I had no idea how much yoga would help me weather the toughest time of my life. I credit teaching and practicing yoga as vital components in my journey back to radiant health.

Imagine, if you will, waking up late, the monday after Thanksgiving, a holiday traditionally dedicated to gluttony. The pants you laid out the night before- you know, the favorite ones?- are suddenly too snug, but being your lucky pants, you have to wear them. They constrict your movement and just don’t feel all that comfortable.

Moving up the leg, this second installment of the Fast & Flexible series focuses on the quads, hamstrings and IT band. These are the muscles of the legs that provide strength and stability. The power plants of the leg, if you will.

We all have dreams. The more I chase my own, the more I find myself listening attentively to others talk about theirs. I often hear: “one day”. “I wish I could”. “My family wouldn’t understand”. “I can’t afford it”. I have been there myself. It seems we feel more secure when we put limitations on ourselves. Yet we are not realizing our full potential. How do you know until you try?

Showing up fully and living your Truth take courage. I renamed Virabadrasna (Warrior) I the Courage Warrior because its physiology is so brilliantly appropriate.

It always amazes me that as soon as the snow starts to melt, runners hit the road. Despite the fact it is 32 degrees with a brisk head wind, I see runners in shirts, no jacket and shorts, dodging remnant snow piles, pot holes and all forms of traffic to get their runs in. You runners are a very motivated bunch and apparently impervious to cold.

Just three simple words, that’s all it takes to seed your life and set it into motion. But what happens is we are bombarded by so much, much more than three little words each day.

Our theme for this week has been “who are you”. Beneath the labels, the job titles, the busyiness, the ambitious attitude, the resolutions, the sweat on your mat … who the hell are you and what do you stand for?

Whew … courage, what a word. I was told by one of my amazing teachers once that the word courage actually radiates the highest vibration when it comes to connecting with the Divine. That blew me away. It is one of the most powerful virtues, she said. Because it creates. It creates the next thing based on your decision to make a decision that best suits your development, if you are present that is.

In our physical body we experience the world. In our body we make love, hug a friend, fidget, get mad, anxious or stressed. In our body we feel a breeze, swim in the ocean, sing, laugh, dance and cry. In our body we repress emotions, hold tension, hate ourselves and love others. Although our body is the vehicle in which our spirit experiences the world, there continues to be ongoing discussion regarding Western yoga as a purely physical practice, or posture (asana) focused. I feel we need the physical practice to build the strength and flexibility to be able to withstand the nuances and complexities that are life.

When you practice yoga online you don't get the feel of a public class...we get it. Now get over it. That's the only reasonable objection to practicing yoga online.

Some people bash yoga festivals as being a bit pretentious, inaccessible, and elitist...and they're right. But so is yoga as a practice, so let's all get over it and, instead, celebrate why yoga festivals ROCK!

Resonance as defined by Webster is: the reinforcement or prolongation of sound by reflection from a surface or by the synchronous vibration of a neighboring object.

Are you burnt out, grumpy, or in a funk? Can I be honest with you? I often am!

"Happiness cannot be pursued. You do not find happiness; happiness finds you. It is not an end in itself, but a by-product of other activities, often arriving when it is least expected." ~ Mick Brown

I created a practice called OUTLAW Yoga, and wrote a book called OUTLAW Protocol – how to live as an outlaw without becoming a criminal.

I’m sitting here writing my schedule for the next three to six months and I realize again, how fortunate I am. The last four years have been a whirlwind while I gather myself up and “re-align and re-design” my life. It’s such a wonderful place to be, in this life… contributing, dancing, working, laughing and BEing.

I’m not sure how alchemy landed in my lap this week as the theme, but it landed and it landed hard!

Devotion is defined as “love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for a person, activity, or cause."

My alarm went off this morning, and it was cold and dark out. This is nothing new in Boulder in the mornings, even if it gets up to 70 midday, but the sun is coming up later and later, and all I wanted to do was hide under my blankets. It was everything I could do to get out of bed. The thought of winter coming was just too depressing. Laying there, thoughts peeped into my head about how to stay motivated with my exercise routine and just in general stay positive and in a good mood. There are actually a lot of things to look forward to over the next few months, as it gets colder, and colder… and colder.

We all know that if we don’t close down apps and recharge our i-Pads and other devices, they run slow, sluggish or the battery dies. When I explain to kiddos that their minds and bodies are no different, they ‘get it’ right away. Besides, Reboot & Recharge is a lot of fun and very relaxing… for BIG kids too!

Do you know where your keys are at this moment? Could you, with reasonable accuracy, tell someone how to find important documents like your passport? Do you know what the bottom of your closet looks like? How long does it take you to find the clothes you want to wear in the morning? If trying to answer these questions gives you a headache, you may need a space makeover.

When I was 16 years old I always wished that I was somewhere else. It felt like I was misplaced. Mismatched. Misunderstood. I've been on a journey inward ever since, searching for the magic spell that would bring me back home again, to myself. Truly aligned with my Authentic Self.

We all thrive to be balanced and calm because we live in a world that is filled with appointments, stress, work, well, essentially life crammed into a 16-20 hour day – depending on the amount you sleep. The less you sleep, the more you are stressed.

One thing I really enjoy in life is EATING. I also like cooking, but my big problem is that I often wait to think about what to eat until I am famished and then I don’t have the focus or energy to cook. That’s why I keep my fridge loaded with fresh veggies and plant based proteins (nuts and seeds).