For many students, practicing yoga in silence in a room full of people is an awkward experience. As a result, many teachers play music during class to help students feel comfortable. I’ve heard all sorts of music in yoga classes, from classic chants straight out of India, Classical, World, New-age Hippie, to actual Hip Hop. There are as many choices as there are teachers and student tastes. Of course students gravitate towards teachers who play music they like. Listening to music that one can’t stand would make it impossible to find an internal yoga zen. However, I have noticed that sometimes ..read more

My entire adult life, I’ve never been connected to plants, and to the soil. It’s an odd thing, perhaps, for a mostly-vegetarian. Back in Brooklyn, we didn’t have a yard, community gardens always had waiting lists for plots, and numerous plants we brought into our home didn’t make it past several months. Neither my husband nor I have green thumbs, so to speak. And yet, every once in a while, we would get a stroke of luck. For example, when the orchid someone gifted us bloomed 4 or 5 years in a row, despite being well-watered and in direct sunlight most of the time. Surrounded by Farmland Recen ..read more

“You haven’t changed.” … is what my teacher, Dharma Mittra, said to me after class. It was the first class I had taken with him in almost 7 years. True to form, I accidentally, awkwardly blurted right over his words, “I moved out of the city.” My statement was trying to ease guilt for not having been to class for so many years. Don’t get me wrong, I have most definitely been practicing my asana, pranayama and meditation, in fact, I have even been more dedicated and consistent at all the techniques than I was seven years ago. It’s just that I have been practicing mostly on my own, not at my te ..read more

Originally a religious holiday (Saint Valentine), today Valentine’s Day is recognized worldwide by many people who are not religious at all. The holiday has evolved into an informal day to celebrate romance and love. Love is a popular topic to discuss in yoga communities; many yoga teachers believe love is central to the practice of yoga. However, most often yogis refer to universal love instead of romantic love as the goal we ultimately strive for. What is the difference between romantic love and universal love? “Love: a strong feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection” (dictiona ..read more

It’s that time of year again, when we take a moment to assess our goals – where we were at a year ago, where we are at now, and where we want to head towards in the coming year. And we make New Year’s resolutions to give us clear steps to reach our goals. Many of us have lived through enough years to recognize that making a New Year’s resolution is much easier than maintaining one. Of course, any amount of time spent trying to create a new “good” habit, or dissolve one that is harmful or unhelpful to us, is time well spent. And yet, wouldn’t it be great if we could stick to those resolutions ..read more

Photo by Kira auf der Heide on Unsplash December is a month when many people observe holidays that promote giving gifts. These days, the ads I see surround me with images of smiling people handing beautifully wrapped gifts to friends and family. Being a kinetic person, my mind focuses more on the action than the object, the gesture of giving more than the packages being exchanged. As a result, this month I’m reminded of the important physical, emotional, and metaphoric role one of the most important parts of our body play for us – the hand(s). From an ancient yoga perspective, the hand, or ha ..read more

It is very difficult to write about our inner energy because it cannot be touched, clearly defined, or measured. The type of energy I refer to can only be felt. And, it’s not a fact that we will all feel it the same way. I can write about energy up to a point, and after that point, my experience will be meaningless to you because you will have your own unique and special experience. Despite this, we all do energetic work regardless of whether we know it or not. It’s like breathing: we breathe even if we don’t realize it. In this article, I will begin with my understanding of energy and energe ..read more

What Students Say About the Benefits of Aerial Yoga… Way back in 2018, I wrote a blog post about the difference between aerial yoga and aerial acrobatics. Since then, I’ve directed countless people to that blog post, whenever the question comes up about understanding the difference. As much as we can talk about what the difference should be, the real results come from the students who consistently show up for aerial yoga. Today we’re going to hear the perspective of a small group of long-time dedicated aerial yoga students, and hear what aerial yoga uniquely does for them, specifically. These ..read more

If you haven’t been to Maui, think of it as a large County in the shape of two rings — like a lopsided infinity sign. The two volcanoes in the center can’t be inhabited, so everyone lives in the outer rings of land, some areas more developed than others. There are only three full cities: Kahului/Wailuku, Kiehe (partly affected by the recent fires), and Lahaina (now gone). The rest of Maui’s populated areas feel like pop-up suburban housing, towns you’ll literally miss if you blink, farms, and mansion estates. It’s relatively unpopulated here for the size (compared to the metropolis of Honolulu ..read more

Photo by Kyle Glenn on Unsplash It’s summertime, and many Americans are returning to travel vacations. There is an allure to travel – seeing exotic places, experiencing completely different cultures from one’s own, meeting new people with openness and curiosity. Where is your favorite place to travel? I’ve been lucky enough to teach Unnata Aerial Yoga in several locations around the USA and in many different countries. As a result, I hear this question a lot. I, like everyone who frequently travels, will tell you it’s impossible to choose one favorite place. Every place I travel to, nationall ..read more