The Three Steps of Forgiveness—Healing the Victim Inside
“For a dancer, God is Space." - Yoshito Ohno The night we practiced the Forgiveness Dance as part of our Yoga Dance Training in Kona, Hawaii, there was a frog in my throat. We practiced progressive forgiveness as a way
A New Super Food: The Healing Powers of Black Rice Bran
If you've ever balked at the price of fresh blueberries (especially when they're out of season), but knew you needed a good source of antioxidants, then head over to the rice aisle, where you might just find a taste of
Restorative Yoga for Parkinson’s Disease: Strength, Balance, and Improved Quality of Life
Most Americans have heard of Parkinson’s disease or know someone who is affected. Roughly 1.5 million Americans suffer from the effects of the disease, and approximately 60,000 individuals will be diagnosed this year. Parkinson’s disease can create a significant financial
Somatic Experiencing: Free Your Body to Free Your Mind
“Our relationship to our own body is often one great casualty of trauma.” ”Learning to tolerate and be curious about dreaded physical sensations gives people a sense of mastery. . . Somatic experiencing, with an intuitive knowledge that there is
Cross Training Your Brain: An Antidote for Aging
We don’t usually think of exercise and the brain in the same sentence, but the brain and the body are very much alike. Fit people are likely to recover more quickly from injury or illness than those who are sedentary.
The Skinny on Yoga: Large or Small, There Is a Yoga Practice for Every Body
If you’ve ever looked at the cover of a yoga magazine and felt like yoga was absolutely not for you, you’re not alone. You don’t have to have the body of a model or the flexibility of a gymnast to
Kids and Yoga: A Place to Relax, Play and Ease Stress
We usually think of childhood as a sweet and wonderful time without the stresses of adult existence, but children get stressed too! In fact, it should be no surprise that highly stressed societies breed highly stressed children. Children are asked
Response to Angelina Jolie’s Statement on her Preventive Mastectomy
When I checked Facebook this morning, my news feed was exploding with Angelina Jolie’s op-ed for the Times. I thought to myself–finally, someone with a soapbox will explain what and how cancer and its related surgeries can affect a person’s
With Help from Yoga, Disabled Veteran Walks Unaided
Even if you’ve already come across it, the story of Arthur Boorman is worth revisiting. It reminds us all how yoga can transform our bodies if we exercise patience and determination. Boorman served as a Gulf War paratrooper: an airborne
How Safe is Hot Yoga?
Hot yoga is trending upward in the American yoga scene. Typical classes are held at a room temperature of 90 degrees or more with the humidity maintained at about 40%. While this practice has had its share of controversy, the
The Science of Oneness: The Science and Nonduality Conferences (SAND)
Many people practice yoga because it helps them to feel good, stay fit, or manage minor health issues like insomnia, back pain, or stiffness. Few are aware that the practice of yoga is guided by a vast and ancient philosophy
Yoga and Pregnancy: A Winning Combination for Mothers and Babies
Pregnancy can be one of the most exhilarating and happy times in a woman’s life. With advances in pre-natal care and nutrition, mortality rates are down, and mothers and babies are generally far healthier at birth. Yoga is now rapidly
Yoga for Depression: It's Not One Size Fits All
This article is the second in a series of two articles reflecting on a workshop on yoga and depression offered by Patricia Walden based on her studies with B. K. S. Iyengar. For the first article on yoga for depression,
Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Yoga
As I am preparing for my upcoming web talks on Yoga for Healthy Digestion for YogaU Online, I am rediscovering a lot about both our digestive health and illness. Of particular interest is a very common gastro-intestinal (GI) condition called
Encinitas Ruling: Yoga Is Exercise, Not Dogma
Yoga, as taught in the Encinitas school system, is a simple exercise program rooted in American culture, not Indian culture, a judge of the San Diego Superior Court ruled on Monday. Yoga, as taught in the Encinitas school system, is