Durga Das performed at the first Symposium on Yoga Therapy and Research (SYTAR) held in Los Angeles in January, 2007. Photo by Sharon Steffensen David Newman, aka Durga Das, passed quickly on April 18, leaving the world with his songs, writings, and teachings. He was surrounded in comfort and care with his beloved Mira, daughter Tulsi, and family. David had a beautiful and conscious transition. He has left many of us sad and heartbroken. David was a great Yogi, chanting sacred matras, writing uplifting and knowing songs. He was a regular in the Yoga Festival world, including Bhakti Fest, Mid ..read more

The Vijnana-bhairava, an ancient teaching of India written between 750–1014 CE, is fascinating, captivating and, at the same time, practical. It is one of the bliss-saturated texts of tantric Shaivism and is a profound esoteric text for the direct knowledge of Siva (divinity). Its essential teaching is centered on the omnipresence and all pervasiveness of the universal consciousness called Bhairava-Siva and how one may attain liberation using a series (or system) of mystical practices and meditations as forms of internal alchemy and inner transformation. The text, translated by Jaideva Singh ..read more

Yoga teacher, t’ai chi chih teacher, and polarity therapist Hannah Hedrick was back in Chicago for a few days in mid-March. She had taught at several places in Chicago and for decades was a national advocate for complementary practices, especially for self-help groups. When she retired from her job as director of the Division of Medical Education Products at the American Medical Association in 2000, Hannah moved to Hawaii, although she returns to Chicago regularly. While here in March, Hannah brought together former students and friends for an impromptu class held at Wildlight Yoga, 4041 N. Mi ..read more

“Freedom lies in being bold.”—Robert Frost Ok, but deep down in my heart I know freedom’s more than bold or just another word. Perhaps there’s some guru out there to give a fresh perspective on letting freedom ring. Found one! “We have to enter into life fully to become free.”—Ram Dass Got it. But how does this make sense in a landscape of consumerism, honking cars, and people constantly yelling to get out of the way? As the honks mount I just want to get out, not in. So I reflect more on Dass’s simple words and take it to mean that life has to be lived authentically to become free. However, v ..read more

When I received an invitation from Jennifer Kim, an instructor and leader at The Peace School, to be the guest speaker at their monthly Call to Peace on March 2, I was honored. One of her suggestions was to share memories of the years of publishing Yoga Chicago magazine. The Peace School, which is the short name for the International Association for World Peace, is a non-profit organization that helps people of all ages practice peace in everyday life. They offer classes in yoga, meditation, tae kwon do, self-defense for women, and others. They also lead programs in senior centers, nursin ..read more

Beth and Terry Kiely, directors of Om on the Range Om on the Range celebrated its 22nd anniversary in its usual way by sponsoring a benefit. This year, the beneficiary was The Night Ministry, whose mission is to provide health, housing, and human connection to Chicagoans in need. In a yoga class held on February 17 and through other contributions, Om on the Range raised $1,230 for The Night Ministry. Beth and Terry Kiely, directors of Om on the Range Since their founding in 2002 on Valentine’s Day, Om on the Range has been a part of more than 50 yoga fundraisers, raising close to six figur ..read more

Statue of Swami Vivekananda at the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago The annual conference celebrating the birthday of Swami Vivekananda was held on January 13, a cold, snowy Saturday, at the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago (HTGC) in Lemont, Illinois. It was the 161th birthday of the renowned Indian Hindu monk, philosopher, and teacher who is credited with bringing yoga to the West in September 1983 when he participated in the Parliament of Religions, the world’s first organized interfaith gathering, which was held in conjunction with the Chicago World’s Fair, or Columbian Exhibition ..read more

Accept + Welcome + Embrace = AWE I heard this expression recently while zooming into WisdomHeart.com. It clicked. An accepting welcoming embrace is a mighty nice experience. But like so many good things in life, it takes time and patience to learn this fine art of giving and receiving. Time and patience. I haven’t had much of either lately, so I’m taking a trip. We all need a trip to refresh and renew every once in a while, right? The kind of trip where we don’t fall on our faces but instead enter a special place where past failures don’t define us—where new inspirations exist. A fresh start ..read more

If you are someone who regularly remembers your dreams, then there is a good chance you have had the eye-opening experience of precognitive dreaming. My own fascination with dreaming began when I was a teenager. I was an avid dreamer and relished the process of waking up each day and ruminating over the rich landscapes I had visited during my sleep. When I was seventeen, I had a dream that was innocuous enough. I was at my high school, not in a way that was readily recognizable, but in a dream-like sense. In the dream, I was sitting on the floor, legs crossed, in a circle with others who were ..read more

Holiday shopping can be stressful for all of us: the crowds, traffic, parking, limited inventory, and making sure you get all of the things on your list. However, for Black people and many people of color, the stress can reach exponential levels because of how we are treated. I personally have had store employees call the police on me, accusing me of shoplifting though I had just made a purchase and had the receipt in hand. There are now many studies that show that Black people have higher rates of high blood pressure and heart disease as a direct result of discrimination, microaggressions, an ..read more