Signs of summer – a souvenir from travel in England
One of the most accurate road signs you will ever see.I’m back from three weeks in the U.K., much of it spent in rural Wales. Puffins! Badgers! Foxes! English breakfasts! And, of course, exotic signs. My favorite is this one, which, as far as I know is announcing a change from one-way to two-way traffic […]
Bones for Life: there is something you can do about osteoporosis
Early in 2006, I was diagnosed with osteoporosis. Not osteopenia, which is a weakening of the bones, but full-fledged osteoporosis. At first I felt betrayed. I had been practicing yoga for almost 20 years. Yoga is supposed to be protective, to build bones through weight bearing. Downward dog, headstands, shoulder stands, handstands – I had […]
Summer Sadhana: the breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you
Summer Sadhana starts on Monday, June 21, and just like last year, I’m wondering if I’m ready. “Sadhana,” apart from being the name of a 60’s and 70’s Bollywood star with an iconic hairstyle, is a Sanskrit word which translates as, “a means to get something done.” (Which presumably explains why it’s also the name […]
Can yoga prevent dementia?
B.K.S. Iyengar performing the final stage of Ganda Bherandasana I certainly hope so, since genetics suggest that I’m going to be staring dementia straight in the eye. Except, of course, it doesn’t stare back. Instead it frets, repeatedly asking, “what day is it?” “what time is it?” and “where are we?” One place we are […]
5 reasons to love your imbalances
We are all out of balance to some degree. Triangle pose to the right may be a luxurious journey over smoothly oiled joints and long muscles. Turn to the left, and it feels like there’s sand in your joints and your hamstrings have, inexplicably, snapped an inch shorter. There’s the one wobbly standing leg in […]
Four ways yogis can benefit from the Pomodoro Technique
When I write these blog posts, most of the time I do it to the sound of a small red kitchen timer, shaped like a chicken. Cranking the timer is a signal that the work is going to begin, and the ticking creates a reassuring sound barrier – it tells me that I can put […]