This week I am spending a week with my family. Spending time with the family of origin does sometimes feel like a good litmus test for how well I can retain my equanimity when poked. In Yoga the act of self-study, called Svadhyaya, is important. I find that the simple act of turning the lens on myself can cause me to detach from my emotional baggage. When I’m busy watching my reactions, I’m not lost in them.

Yoga aims to cultivate individuals who contribute positively to the world, living in harmony with themselves, the earth, and others—striving not only to do no harm but also to actively improve our shared existence.

In both Yoga and Buddhism, the principle of Bodhicitta, loosely translated as "practice for the benefit of all beings," underscores this intention. Sometimes in our classes, we include a dedication or prayer to embody this principle. This simple act encapsulates the essence of Yoga: each time you allow your inner light to shine, the universe becomes more loving, peaceful, and joyful.

Breathing techniques are most commonly used to cultivate and maintain calmness. Many effective methods relax our nervous systems and interrupt the reactivity that can disrupt our lives. Achieving a state of calm amidst life’s peaks and valleys is essential for living comfortably and effectively, especially when we need to recover during challenging times.

We are all students, and we are all teachers. In this continuous dance of our soul’s journey, we are co-creators of our collective experiences and wisdom.

Look around you. The people you spend the most time with are the ones you've chosen to walk this path alongside. They are the ones you teach and learn from, forming an intricate web of shared knowledge and growth. As my favorite quote from Ram Dass goes, "We’re all just walking each other home."

While many think of the yogi as someone who sits cross-legged, peaceful and calm, watching the world go by, there is plenty of room for the driven or “type A” personality in yoga. In fact Yoga philosophy tells us that taking skillful action rather than sitting passively by is desirable in most situations. One teacher of mine describes it as a mandate to “act according to the need of the hour.” Then the big trick is to be unattached to the outcome of your actions. Accept whatever happens.

We're seven! The number seven is associated with luck and magic in a lot of different traditions. I've never really marked our anniversary before but this year, I'm full of nostalgia and gratitude for the many, many people who have built our sweet community. At Yoga Garden our secret sauce is love. And maybe some luck and magic, too.

I had spent years of hard work to get to this point - schooling, certifications, a successful business, money, a comfortable life. My situation represented the American Dream - what I had been working for my whole life. In a few minutes, it was gone.

At Yoga Garden we don't view instructors as replaceable cogs in a machine. We see them as individuals, each bringing their unique styles and perspectives to the practice of yoga. While I totally grasp the allure of predictability, a hallmark of many corporate chains peddling everything from burgers to clothing to homes, our approach celebrates the diversity and authenticity of our teachers and the many wonderful ways that Yoga can look and feel.

I want to encourage everyone, everywhere to meditate. It seems like such a big commitment AND it truly can change your life.

What a thrill to be rolling out a fresh new logo and website! After nearly seven years, I felt it was time to update our look to better communicate who we are and what we stand for.

I’m trying to reframe my relationship with aging in general, and with my body as it undergoes this process. The water in a river is constantly changing, but the river itself stays recognizable as the river.

I started my yoga journey with the intention of integrating the poses into my psychotherapy work, helping clients connect with themselves and helping my couples reconnect with each other in a new way. Little did I know, that intention would shift inward and I would meet a new version of myself.

This is a post for folks newly entering the world of “Yoga.” Yoga classes can be confusing for newbies since it’s not clear if one is at boot camp, gymnastics, a church, a spa, or a photo shoot.

Seek out your yoga - your truth, your way of being - rather than clinging to someone else’s ideals or attaching to one particular way of thought.

On the yoga mat we train a lens on our bodies and this can be uncomfortable. In my years as a yoga studio owner and teacher, and simply a person in the world, I have come to understand how fraught our relationships with our bodies can be.

Here are 3 common asanas (poses) that encourage both strength and flexibility, depending on how they are approached.

Yoga is an integral component of my life. It helps me to connect to unconditional contentment. I hope that I can share my love and knowledge of yoga.

Stories help weave a society together by providing a moral compass through teachings that reach a wide audience. They are magical in their ability to not be restrained in dogma, rules, and laws. Instead, they are creative, entertaining, relatable, and are a reminder to avoid polarity of thinking.

How we can elevate diversity and inclusion in yoga? What does that look like for you? Does that mean venturing out and exploring new class styles or teachers? Does that mean holding spaces that elevate Black yogis, such as this one? How can we make room for everyone on the mat to be their most authentic self?

Mindfulness is a practice, a way of living your life through awareness. The act of noticing and letting that noticing thoughts, emotion, images or sensation taking place in your mindbody complex. It’s the act of tuning into each moment with openness; without judgement.