By mary on January 19, 2010
Balance.
This time of year, the time when we’re already reviewing and reflecting on our New Year’s Resolutions, there is a focus on balance. Balancing life and work and play. Balancing relationships in order to give more, take less. Balancing family relationships, marriage relationships, significant relationships. Balancing your checkbook so that you know that the bank [...]
Posted in relationship, yoga | Tagged balance, dharma, new year's resolutions, yoga journal
By mary on November 30, 2009
My husband refuses to speak Starbucks. While I found it frustrating at first, since I am fluent and enjoy practicing my language skills, it’s now kind of funny. My drink: a grande-soy-no water-chai. His drink: a grande-triple-nonfat-latte. When my husband orders, it’s a medium-chai-made-with-soy-milk-and-no-water and a medium-skinny-latte-with-an-extra-shot. The baristas correct him ruthlessly, every time, with [...]
Posted in stuff to ponder | Tagged amy ippoliti, anusara, ashtanga, aspen coffee, coffee, de west, iyengar, iyengar yoga center of denver, jeannie manchester, non-attachment, omtime, richard freeman, the yoga workshop
By mary on November 4, 2009
As I googled images for “joy” recently, there were myriad photos of older folks laughing, loving, and living fully. It reminded me of the hallway in the recreation center where I teach yoga, which is lined with a photograph exhibit of people in the prime of their lives.
I love walking that hallway.
It’s filled with flirtation, [...]
Posted in stuff to ponder | Tagged ananda, deepak chopra, hedonic, joy, laugh, midlife misery, old people
By mary on October 7, 2009
I am always amazed at how lessons in life happen. While they seem like subtle nudges if I look at each of them individually, I get a lot of nudges in a short period of time. Something way bigger than me is making sure that I don’t miss the signs.
This week’s nudge/shove was all about [...]
Posted in all levels yoga, stuff to ponder | Tagged elena brower, ganga white, nudge, present, time, yoga journal
By mary on September 23, 2009
This is one of my favorite quotes from the movie, “The Lion King.” As one who frequently mashes up quotes, cliches, and song lyrics, I feel a kindredness with that little warthog. Bless him.
I actually googled this quote. Hundreds of millions of hits later, I sat in awe, my fingers not knowing what link to [...]
Posted in intermediate yoga, power yoga | Tagged confidence, experience, past, radiant, stained glass, vulnerable, yoga today
By mary on September 7, 2009
Douglas Brooks, a professional scholar and teacher of the Rajanaka Yoga tradition, recently blogged that “yoga…makes roots in revelation.”
Yes!
Quite a few years back now, pretty soon after we moved to Colorado in fact, I really opened up to yoga. It was during a tremendously painful and emotional time in my life; one during which my [...]
Posted in all levels yoga, stuff to ponder | Tagged dance, douglas brooks, healing, insight, rajanaka, revelation, revolution
By mary on September 2, 2009
I’ve been going through a major observation of self over the past few months as I prepare for my 40th birthday. This svadhyaya, or self-study, has revealed a recurring presence of tightness. In my upper back…in my thinking…in my chest. In my patience.
My practice has changed without my permission. I’m very frustrated by this.
There was [...]
Posted in stuff to ponder | Tagged breath, dialogue, letting go, pause, svadhyaya, tightness, truth
By mary on August 16, 2009
One of the most eloquent, honest, soul-baring words in the English language is, in my opinion, the word “authentic:”
True to one’s own personality, spirit, or character.
Not false or imitation.
To live in authenticity, then, is why I share with you my dilemma of the powerful panties. When we are able to share our fears, our misguided [...]
Posted in all levels yoga, beginning yoga, intermediate yoga | Tagged authentic, babies, belly, body awareness, honest
By mary on August 15, 2009
Three weeks ago (yes, it’s taken me three weeks to admit this), I looked at my postpartum body just before scootering off to teach yoga. Keep in my mind, my “work” clothes are form-fitting, body-hugging, bump-showing spandex.
As my eyes went directly to the section of black tops & pants that fill my yoga-clothes-drawer, they skimmed [...]
Posted in stuff to ponder | Tagged belly, body awareness, postpartum, Spanx
