Yoga with Esther …verbally.
philosophy
trust ain’t easy
What is trust? There is no mention of trust in the sutras, perhaps because trust is a natural result of the other yamas and niyamas and self-observations. We can look at just the three we’ve encountered so far to demonstrate this. If everyone lived with ahimsa, it would be less likely that anyone would get [...]
puzzling out competence and asteya
Asteya is non-stealing. Seems like an easy yama to adhere to, when you think only in terms of legal theft. But what about all the many ways we deplete ourselves and others through actions probably not intended to be harmful. Many of us struggle to keep a balance between work, play, time for others, and [...]
the satya of yoga
Each week at Yoga 216 (where I teach), we incorporate a Sutra into our teaching. Not just any Sutra, but in the order presented from Pada 1, Chapter 1. As the studio is young, we are only just now 22 sutras in, discussing 1.22. The Yoga Sutras is one of the classical yoga texts that [...]
The satya of many
Satya (truth) is the second yama and to me seems at first blush one of the more straightforward ones. Something is either the truth or it’s not, right? Yes, I suppose it is, even if the truth is not known to us, but of course, there is more to it. Satya is not just truth [...]
how we can be kind to others
Last post, I wrote about ahimsa in terms of starting out with oneself –and in some ways that’s an easy place for me to start (I am introspective and analytically inclined), and in other ways, it is the most difficult place to practice true ahimsa –taking care of oneself requires a discipline (or a commitment [...]
every day ahimsa
Ahimsa. Not doing harm. Do no harm. The yamas start here because when fully incorporated into one’s living, doing no harm encompasses all the others – they are simply different kinds of not harming. (That said, there is both everything and nothing simple about any of the yamas!) One of the best places to start [...]
why yamas + niyamas?
I’ve already told you how little I like the idea of being penned in or told what do or how to live my life. I also shared that I’ve come around to the idea of making use of helpful ideas and behaviors that do not limit me, but allow me to live more fully. Now [...]
what’s in a rule?
The very idea of rules makes my hair bristle –yes, in an animal-like fashion. I do not like to be told what to do, and yet I fear authority and tend to see those in positions of authority not as people just like me, but somehow bigger and bolder –impervious to struggle. So it took [...]
let’s talk yamas and niyamas
As you may know, history tells us that yoga was put together over many years of exploration by spiritual aspirants. There are various classical texts that emerged from this process, including the Yoga Sutras (‘sutra’ translates as ‘thread,’ so this text can be thought of as collected threads of yoga wisdom) accredited to the sage [...]
my own theory of relativity
Look at your hand. What size is it? Unless you’re glove shopping, your answer will be relative -relative to the proportions of your body, relative to the sizes of other people- or you might be stumped by the absurdity of the question and hem and haw around as accurate an answer as possible (that would [...]
staying unattached
Today I watched a very dear friend squeeze all of her belongings into every last corner of her new (used) car and drive off to her “new” (continuing) life in a new house in a new state, with new friends waiting to be made. It wasn’t easy in the slightest (but I’m still posting a [...]
being and believing
Last month I was reminded of the importance of and the inherent trouble with “believing.” A friend and I were chatting and it came up that he subscribes (somewhat) to the validity of astrology, a system I view as essentially made up and coincidental. I, on the other hand, take similar guidance in how we relate [...]
give your jiva atman a little room to breathe
I never imagined identifying beauty would be on the bill of an Ayurvedaworkshop I attended recently, but ever so casually, the endearing Vasant Lad, yogi and Ayurvedic teacher extraordinnaire, slipped it in there. Very simply, the moment of awareness of beauty is an experience —of yoga, of stilling clarity beyond the individual self. This makes perfect sense [...]
see as einstein did
I once shared a short film of mine with my parents, and the morning after watching it, my mother remarked that she could see the whole film replaying in her mind, over and over. “Really?!” I said, “I can only picture a handful of still images from it and it’s my film!” My father, well, [...]
a little yoga story for you
I love stories. I love well-crafted stories. I love well-told stories. But really, who doesn’t? The story is a basic, ubiquitous form for organizing information for communication. It helps us comprehend, process, and learn. Stories are a fundamental part of our collective (social) existence. My yoga story is deeply rooted in the physical body (it may [...]