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 […]
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 […]
Sparks of Divinity: words that could change your life
Have you ever read words that changed your life? Here are some that recently changed mine: “If doubt arises in your discipline, let it come. You do your work, and let doubt go about its work. Let’s see which one gives up first.” I still hear the same negative chatter that accompanies any move toward […]
Every breath you take
If you are a fan of heavy-metal clothing brand Affliction – admittedly not really likely if you’ve found yourself on this page – then you might believe that affliction is “the passion that drives us to reach for greatness,” or something that “makes you build when others buy.” Well no. Since at least Roman times, […]
Life, Happiness and the Pursuit of Liberty?
So what comes first – freedom or happiness?I’ve been thinking lately of something B.K.S. Iyengar wrote in Light on Life, his summary of yoga wisdom at the age of 87. A great boon of yoga, even for relative beginners, is the happiness it brings, a state of self-reliant contentment. Happiness is good in itself and […]
A red chair to wake up in
It’s red. And that’s only the first coat. Early this spring, I put an Adirondack chair in our tiny pocket front garden, so, for the first time in the 23 years we’ve lived here, I could sit outside, at plant level. The chair was white. It sat beside a big turquoise pot positioned underneath the […]