Samvritta ~ Cleansing Your Senses

Do you ever feel overstimulated? Have you shut down because you can't take in any more information? Have you ever wanted to scream for everyone to just shut up? If so, allow me to introduce you to the Ayurvedic practice of samvritta, or, cleansing the senses. Think about how much sensory informat... Read More

Vasanta Ritucharya

Spring has sprung! Just this morning I noticed new growth on all my plants, tiny sprouts popping out of the soil in the garden, and butterflies flitting about in the yard. Within myself, I've noticed the urge to tidy and purge, the motivation to tackle a long delayed project, and a bit of a stuff... Read More

The Invitation of Early Spring

The days are growing longer as the Spring equinox approaches. You may find yourself growing restless, desiring change, or feeling emotionally sensitive. Maybe you have the "Spring fever" urge to purge! This is all quite normal for this time of year. In Ayurveda, we say this is the result of the s... Read More

Daya Yoga Shala

Over a decade ago, while studying yoga therapy at an ashram in Santa Rosa, California, I was given a spiritual name by one of my teachers. Ananda Devika Ma encouraged me to teach under this name, but I never did because it felt pretentious to do so. Most of my teachers taught under a name bestowe... Read More

Blue Heart Is Closing, But, It's Okay

Blue Heart is closing, but, It's okay. In order to explain the momentum behind the decision to let Blue Heart Yoga close rather than move to a new location, I need to take you back to where I was when I opened Blue Heart. However, in order for you to understand where I was when I opened Blue Hear... Read More

Presence

In the late 90’s, I began yoga in earnest. I had been a dancer in my youth and while I came to the practice after a period of being sedentary, I took to the postures with ease and made rapid progress. One day in class, I sustained a difficult arm balance. Afterwards, I shared my exhilaration with... Read More

The Symbolism of the Blue Heart

It all goes back to House of Blues New Orleans in the mid to late 90’s. I was a senior in college, studying World Religion and getting deep into Eastern philosophy. I took a job waiting tables at House of Blues and quickly learned the meaning of community. The company mottos, “Love All Serve All”... Read More

Getting Back into Routine after a Crisis

What do you do when a crisis interrupts your daily rhythm? It can be hard to maintain good habits under normal circumstances, but when you are out of your routine, your home, your work environment, healthy habits can go right out the window. It’s ok. Judgement about what you did or didn't stick t... Read More

Staying Steady in Stressful Times

“We are always in one of two states. We are either in a disaster, or in between disasters.” - Lama MarutLama Marut goes on to explain that what we do during the in-between time, will determine how well we handle the next crisis when it comes, because, it will inevitably come. This week it came fo... Read More

Working with Space Element

“A master of space element experiences unencumbered personal freedom and creativity.”` Cate Stillman After 6 years of doing yoga in front of the same tapestry, I finally upgraded my studio and office space. Before I took that tapestry down, I was feeling stagnant and stuck. Since the outer enviro... Read More