Sutra Monthly: Single-Tasking

Sutra Monthly with Sherry Cassedy A monthly sampling from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra Single-Tasking: Cultivating Mindfulness in a Multi-Tasking World Tat pratishadartham eka tatva ‘bhyasah: practice on one principle. Our attention is increasingly pulled in many directions. Multi-tasking is a survival skill. Beeps and buzzes. Alerts and alarms. Our world is filled with constant reminders meant to grab our attention, to distract us from what we are doing, to refocus our awareness on some urgent message. I must admit that one […]

Embracing Chores

Embracing Chores By: Aimee Joy Nitzberg The way I remember the Zen teaching, it goes like this: Before Enlightenment, chop wood and carry water After Enlightenment, chop wood and carry water I’ve shortened this down to one of my (sort of) slang mantras: chopping wood and carrying water. It reminds me to be present. My yoga practice relies on many different tools to practice increased presence and awareness. Asana is what started it all for me. Coming from an athletic […]

What is Yoga…Really?

What is Yoga…Really? by Ashlea Hartz, N.C., RYT When your friend asks you to join them for a yoga class you might jump with joy searching for your mat, or cringe at the mere thought of contorting your body into odd shapes with a room full of strangers. The practice of yoga can take on many forms here in the US, most of which would be unrecognizable to the ancient gurus of India where the science was first born. So […]

Holistic Nutrition Seminar

As we move deeper into the core of summer, we often reflect on the past and are asked to shed light on the dormant spaces within. This is a crucial time for transition, a natural occurrence in life, and we might find ourselves feeling the need to enlighten these spaces within us with change. Change is a scary word, but transitions in life are vital and will happen especially if they are needed dramatically. It is easy to get comfortable […]

Everyday Extraordinary: To Keep or Not to Keep?

Everyday Extraordinary: To Keep or Not to Keep? By Jessie Hess In the last couple of years there has been a lot of buzz around minimalist living and it is no surprise as we humans are masters of accumulation: Clothes, books, papers, knick-knacks, stuff and more stuff. While many on the planet do not have enough, often our challenge is to practice not having too much. Accumulation is a process that happens right under our noses without realizing, then one […]

3 Reasons Yoga Heals Lower Back Pain

By Arthur Coulston If you haven’t had lower back pain before, consider yourself very lucky. Most adults in the U.S. will suffer from lower back pain at some time in their life, many for years at a time. My suffering began at age 17 when I injured my back surfing. The doctor diagnosed it as a compressed L5 vertebral disc, prescribed me pain medication, and sent me off with the inspiring words “everybody’s back hurts”. Unsurprisingly this treatment failed to […]