Have you ever faced challenges in your life that were so overwhelming that they brought you to the edge of your coping skills? If so, you are a survivor of trauma – and, indeed, you are not alone. Nine out of ten people have experienced periods of such intense stress that it qualifies as a … Continued
We know that yoga can help us stay flexible and relieve musculoskeletal pain. Unfortunately, for those of us who are already tight, starting a standard yoga practice the way it is commonly taught in yoga studios can be a Catch-22: You want to practice yoga to become more flexible, but you can’t practice yoga effectively … Continued
The vagus nerve and contemporary Polyvagal Theory are exciting new topics in modern discourse, which have a wide range of applications for yoga practitioners. Contemporary thought about the vagus nerve and Polyvagal Theory sheds light on numerous traditional yoga concepts and practices. In particular, yoga’s deep inquiry into our mental and emotional life makes all … Continued
“It is my belief that we carry in our cells, in our tissues, in the very throb of our existence an underlying flow that urges, inspires, flares our nostrils and beats our heart. This encompassing atmosphere of love has its own destiny. Perhaps using humans as its messengers, this love has arrived on Earth.” “God … Continued
In the last decade, an increasing amount of research attention has focused on the benefits of interoception, i.e. our ability to perceive what’s going on inside our body. People with strong interoception are able to notice and connect with bodily sensations linked to emotions, signals of hunger and thirst, and even intuitive hunches. Because interoception … Continued
Who are we? What is the deepest essence of who we are? Are we our body with all its perfections and imperfections? Are we our emotions or thoughts, which seem to fluctuate and change from moment to moment? Are we what other people think of us? Or our goals, our values in life? The question … Continued
“Our body is our most proximate, intimate, and useful tool – and yet we graduate from school knowing more about the principal exports of Chile than we do about our own selves south of the neck.” ~ Tom Myers As a culture, we have become disenfranchised from our body and the subtle somatic cues that … Continued
“If we can let go of our preconceptions and dive into the level of pure, experienced sensation, we can begin to experience the world as it truly is: an unlimited expanse of vibration; a contraction of the awareness in which it lives.” ~Richard Miller We hear a lot about the mind-body connection and the close … Continued
We spend the first many years of life developing our cognitive faculties. From kindergarten thru college, almost all of the learning we are exposed to focuses on building the mental and intellectual faculties needed for modern living. But have you ever noticed that there is another level of knowing? A level of knowing tied primarily … Continued
One of the greatest challenges in life is finding ways to deal constructively with stress. Stress affects us physically, mentally, and emotionally. In the short-term, it affects our well-being and our relationships. In the long term, it can undermine our health; we now know that stress is one of the major factors that predisposes us … Continued
In traditional Hatha yoga, asanas (postures) are often practiced with the intent to reach a “full expression” of any given pose. This approach, however, often precludes developing a more intuitive relationship with the body, thus bypassing important internal messages for self-correction that lead to more nourishing and generative choices for everyday lifestyle. Gentle Somatic Yoga was … Continued
In traditional Hatha yoga, asanas (postures) are often practiced with the intent to reach a “full expression” of any given pose. This approach, however, often precludes developing a more intuitive relationship with the body, thus bypassing important internal messages for self-correction that lead to more nourishing and generative choices for everyday lifestyle. Gentle Somatic Yoga … Continued