The first limb of Raja yoga is the yamas, the ethical disciplines we practice so that we can harmoniously relate to ourselves and the world. The very first yama is ahimsa, nonviolence. What qualities come to mind when you hear that word? What qualities are displayed by a person who has mastered nonviolence? Give yourself a minute to think of an answer. I’ll wait until you are done. I took a moment pondering those questions when I set about...

Yoga is a way to harness our awareness and anchor it in this moment. The eight limbs of RajaYoga give us a framework in which we can build and practice present moment awareness in our day to day lives. We move away from the trap of thoughts like, “I would be happy if I could have (more money, a better relationship, a nicer boss, unlimited free babysitting, a bigger house, that cute pair of shoes)” and we embrace our aliveness in this moment. We...

Note: This is a repost from my former blog site. I wanted to share it with you here as a little food for thought before I launch into an exploration of the eight limbs. Enjoy! What do you think about when you hear the word yoga? I’d venture to say that most people envision somebody twisted into exotic looking postures, looking perfectly peaceful and serene as they do amazing feats of balance, strength, and flexibility. When they think of yoga...

The restraint of the modifications of the mind-stuff is yoga. (Patanjali, Yoga Sutras, Pada 1, verse 2) I am a mother of two and often find myself rushing between kids and tasks, wishing I could catch up, have more time, have more help.  When I walk into the kitchen and see dirty dishes in the sink, and have no idea what I’ll prepare for our next meal, and then I hear my kids getting fussy and needy, wanting to eat RIGHT NOW…when I know...

More than a year after I published my last post, I have a seven month old baby to show for all of the nausea and vomiting that kept me from being out in the world and doing stuff–like teaching yoga, reaching out to other people, and in general, enjoying the act of being alive.  Things have begun to really settle around my house.  We’re in a rhythm. Aforementioned seven month old has been sleeping through the night since he was seven weeks old....