The Lunacy of Trying to Be Better
What if trying to be better keeps you from being present?When I first heard my teacher Ingelise talk about “the lunacy of trying to be better,” I was not convinced. Of course we try to be better, don’t we? If we weren’t trying to be better, then we wouldn’t come to class, and we wouldn’t […]
Lessons in letting go from B.K.S. Iyengar
In the week and a bit since B.K.S. Iyengar died, this has become my new favorite quote. And as each day passes, I am more grateful to him for setting such a good example of a happy life and a majestic death. Yes, he could glower. Yes, he yelled in class. But he was not […]
A relaxing way to think about yoga and belly fat
Belly fat has been more than usually on my mind for the past few weeks. First Style Craze, an Indian style and beauty blog, asked me for my “Three Best Yoga Tips to Lose Belly Fat” for a yoga expert roundup. My purist side wanted to say: “don’t practice yoga for anything, especially not for […]
Rare birds and yoga poses: what I learned from Jawahar Bangera and the disappointed birder from South Carolina
Alan and I met the bird watcher in the parking lot of the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve a few miles north of Palm Springs. He was sitting on the tailgate of his car, a thin gray man in full birding gear: Tilley hat, multi-pocket vest, high-powered binoculars. He looked tired, and not very friendly. We […]
Taking off and landing: how poses are like airplanes
Taking flight? Here’s to an unhurried takeoff and a safe landing. I spent two years of my 20s working as a flight attendant. Time long ago erased any memory of where to find the first aid kit on a Boeing 737 and which planes need the girt bar stowed so the emergency slide won’t deploy […]
What would happen if? A new look at New Year’s resolutions
No, it’s usually not this bad, but sometimes it is. For as long as I can remember I’ve been a sucker for New Year’s resolutions. I always want to improve myself, to trade this very imperfect human being for a new and improved model. This year, not so much. I’m happy with my good habits […]