As a teenager and young adult, I associated discipline — both the word and the concept — with constraints, limitations, and punishment. Intellectually, I believed in the value of training and practicing, so I still dedicated myself to daily running, to training my horse, to schoolwork, etc., but I often approached these things with a [...]

The other night I watched the simulcast global premiere of the new film, The Age of Stupid. The film’s narrator, Peter Postelthwaite, looks back from 2055 when human civilization as we know it has ceased to exist and the earth has been virtually destroyed. From his post-apocalyptic vantage point, he reviews the evidence of climate [...]

Since I started practicing Anusara yoga five years ago, I have been exploring and fostering my relationship with trust — learning to believe in my body, my heart, others, and the universe. I spent a significant portion of my earlier years gripping my muscles tightly, afraid that everything would fall apart if I let go. [...]

On Friday night, my car was stolen. As yoga has taught me to do in so many other situations, I have been asking, What can I make of this situation? How can I use it to know myself better? I don’t believe that everything happens for a reason, and as such, I don’t think that the universe schemed to have my car stolen to teach me a lesson. I do believe (as the Tantra teaches) that when things happen to us, we can choose how to respond. So I am choosing to use this experience to learn more about my relationship to material possessions as well as to the concept of stealing itself. . .

In December, I attended the winter performance of my friend Lisa’s dance troupe. Her performances are always a delightful celebration of embodiment and life, but what I remember best from this particular performance was a simple statement and a profound feeling. “Never underestimate the power of beauty,” Lisa said in her introduction. I felt her words land in my body as I enjoyed the graceful and playful movements of the dancers throughout the evening.

My personal relationship to beauty has been evolving for a long time. . .

Today is the Summer Solstice, a celestial event that results in the longest day and shortest night of the year. I am endlessly interested in the relationships between patterns in nature and patterns in human consciousness. We are, after all, natural beings ourselves, and our bodies desire to live in alignment with natural cycles. The Summer Solstice in New England this year offers a curious paradox, as the light is obscured by a thick cloud layer and a brewing storm. It is, as are all things in nature, a perfect metaphor.