I’ve had a couple interesting conversations recently about the fact that we don’t have mirrors within the practice space at my yoga studio.  To me it seems quite clear why we don’t have them. And yet, through my conversations I realize that we are a bit of an aberration for yoga studios in these parts. I’m curious, do use mirrors where you practice? I started teaching yoga over 18 years ago in health clubs in Anchorage, AK and have taught over 12,000 hours since then in other gyms and my own yoga studios.  The Alaska Club taught me a lot about teaching…

As a woman, I know how busy life can be.  What I didn’t realize fully before I became a mom is how much more life comes with children.  You are living your “normal” life and now you have a little person there who relies on you as their source of security, entertainment, and livelihood.  Life is full. I’ve been a mom now for about 10 ½ years.  I have two girls who are wonderful and they are a challenge at times -- just like all our children are.  They are a blessing and a gift to my spiritual journey. I learn…

If you are like most people you’ve heard about the benefits of meditation and have thought about trying it.  But, for some reason you haven’t been able to make a consistent practice out of it. I was there when I first started meditating.  You are not alone. There are many myths about meditation that can keep your mind from fully immersing into this healthy practice for the mind and body.  Let's look at several and learn ways of getting through those barriers. 1. That its hard. I think the largest roadblock our minds create is that meditation is HARD. That is a…

In preparation for this blog post, I chanted Oṁ 2,000 times with my breath on a recent hike. I wanted to connect to the essence that is always there even more deeply.  Today let’s look at the four parts of Om and how they relate to our lives and our spiritual practices. If you’ve been practicing yoga for a while and you “OṀ” in classes then you have probably heard that “Oṁ is the essence of all creation” ~ or something along those lines.  That sounds cool. But what does it really mean? While one indivisible mantra, we will observe the…

Yoga is an inside job.  Your experience of the world is yours and yours alone.  Every time you practice an āsana, it is up to you to go as far as is right, to notice the thoughts in your mind about the pose or to breathe fully or not.  As we progress down the inner yogic path we soon start to learn the difference we have with our goals versus our intentions. What will make you feel more like you?  Like your highest self? My answer: to be easier with life, to stop trying to make things happen and allow them to…