In the classic '80s jock-nerd dichotomy, I always landed firmly on the nerd side. Did the use of the word "dichotomy" perhaps give that...

Within you there is a stillness and sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself. -Hermann Hesse So much of our lives...

I have now held two daytime retreats at Gaia Wellness Retreat and they were wonderful. Such lovely, peaceful days in the midst of...

Saturday, September 25, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Gaia Wellness Retreat This retreat was so lovely last year-a rare day of peace and relaxation in...

In the three years that Here and Now Studio has been open, I have planned a lot of classes. As I was organizing my class plans, I thought...

I have something to admit: I have always been a bit afraid of poetry. This may not seem like a hugely shameful secret, but, as a former...

The last of the niyamas in yoga is ishvara pranidhana, which means surrender to the divine. If you follow a religious practice, you may...

The last of the yamas and niyamas, ishvara pranidhana, translates to surrender to the divine. This one often creates resistance in modern...

In yoga, the goal is to act in line with your dharma. While the word “dharma” is used in different ways, I like the way yogi and author...

The second last niyama is svadhyaya: self study. Self-study can be done in any number of ways. Some use meditation to observe their...

Tapas is associated with heat and fire. While we often think of fire as destructive, it can also be a creative, strengthening force....

Tapas, the third of the yogic niyamas is associated with heat and fire. The idea is to commit yourself to your practice with burning...

Santosha means contentment. It is about having a sense of equanimity, a sense of being OK. Probably a lot of us have experienced a lot of...

Santosha means contentment. Many of us think of contentment as being synonymous with happiness. While they are certainly linked, but...

Saucha, the first of the yogic niyamas, refers to the cleanliness of our bodies and our surroundings. It also refers to what we put into...

The first of the niyamas, the “dos” of yoga, is saucha, which means purity. It has also been interpreted as orderliness. Ironically, as I...

In addition to letting go of judgments about others, which I discussed in my last blog post, another way to approach at the yama of...

The last of the yamas is aprigraha: non-grasping or letting go. One way to approach this yama is to think of letting go of our judgments...

Brahmacharya means engaging in behaviour that leads to god. In other words, behaving in ways that are in line with a higher purpose...

This week’s yama is brahmacharya, which translates to behaviour that leads to god. In other words, behaviour that aligns with a higher,...