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Welcome a New Year

January 1, 2015 in Blog

Welcome a New Year

by Jill Sockman

And now we welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been. ~Rainer Maria Rilke

May we welcome the new year with anticipation instead of expectation.
May we fully open our hearts to what is next, by letting go of what came before.
May we broaden our minds as we step into unknown territory and uncharted lands inside and outside of ourselves.
May we expand our lives, taking risks fearlessly, courageously, and without hesitation.
May we embrace the light of Spirit we find inside and recognize that light in every person we meet as a reminder that we are all connected.… Read the rest

Awake Your Soul

December 31, 2014 in Blog

Awake Your Soul

by Carrington Jackson

There is a line in the Mumford and Sons song,  Awake My Soul, that says:

“Where you invest your love, you invest your life.”

I came across a picture recently of someone who had this line tattooed on his arm. It struck me still and quiet for moments after I saw it. Not because it was a new idea or concept. It was so impactful because the meaning of the song was already inside me. And the reading of it on that person’s arm was the remembrance of it for my own life.

How much of your day is invested in what you truly love?… Read the rest

‘Tis the Season to Slow Down

December 17, 2014 in Blog

‘Tis the Season to Slow Down

by Sandy Scherer

The language of our lives can oftentimes resemble that of a racetrack — especially this time of year. How many times a day do you find yourself uttering something that sounds like: I’ve got to run to the grocery store. I’m just going to jump in the shower. I’m going to grab something to eat. Do you have time for a quick call? I’ve got to squeeze in a workout. I’m running late. Hurry up!

Overcommitted schedules and distracted lives driven by checklists can stress us out like nobody’s business. We rush through our days, from one task to the next, and feel like, no matter how good we are at multitasking, there’s just never enough time.… Read the rest

Why yoga?

December 2, 2014 in Blog

Why yoga?

by Suzanne Weiner

“Suzanne, why do you do yoga?”

If I had a nickel for every time I was asked this I would be really rich. REALLY rich. I have come to believe that the people who ask are the ones who are looking for one of two things. They genuinely hope I will say something so profound they will immediately see the light and understand what brings me to the practice. Otherwise, they hope I might say something that sounds so outrageous they will laugh and be able to place me in the category of “that strange yoga person.”… Read the rest

Hardening against the uncomfortable

December 2, 2014 in Blog

Hardening against the uncomfortable

by Jill Sockman

This morning I suited up to take Padma for a walk just as I have for the past week or so: sevevteen layers, complete with ski socks and a hat. By the time I got back to the house, I was sweating (profusely) and cursing my inability to gauge the outdoor temperature with more — or any — skill. It made me realize just how much I’ve been bracing against the cold.

I grew up on the north shore of Ohio. (I know, you didn’t realize Ohio had a shore, right?) For all of the things you might or might not know about that part of the country, perhaps you’ve heard of something called Lake Effect Snow.… Read the rest

Practice Gratitude Every Day

November 26, 2014 in Blog

Practice Gratitude Every Day

by Jill Furgurson

Gratitude-is-the-hearts-memory-a-French-proverb1-2Gratitude connects us to presence. Even the simplest expression of gratitude connects us to others. Today, choose something that you are grateful for and then consider who it is around you that makes it possible. Maybe it’s the barista who makes your latte, or the sister who cares for your parents. Or maybe it’s the friend who makes you smile, or the coworker who hears you out. Whomever it is, find a way to let them know you are grateful they exist.

 

As we lift up those around us, we too, rise up.… Read the rest

Fear or Faith?

November 21, 2014 in Blog

Fear or Faith?

by Jill Sockman

As you start each new part of your ongoing journey, (om gum ganapatayei namaha!) consider the road before you. Ultimately, I’d say there are only two options: The Path of Fear and The Path of Faith.two paths

The Path of Fear is haunted by our regrets and worries. It is laden with the obstacles of indecision and doubt. Its winding way distracts us, and leaves us with feelings of unworthiness and discontent. The Path of Faith is no less haunted. There are no fewer obstacles. It is every bit as windy and steep. The paths, I believe, look exactly the same.… Read the rest

Unplug to Connect

October 31, 2014 in Blog

Unplug to Connect

by Jill Sockman

As I’m writing this, I’m in the process of getting ready to leave for Pinehurst for a weekend of teaching some of my favorite material. I love Pinehurst, our host, the deep-diving nature of the work I’ll share there, getting away, great food, intimate community… But one of the things I am looking forward to the most is getting unplugged.

We live in a world where we can “stay connected” not only in bustling urban centers, but in tiny villages, beaches and jungles in most distant places. Our “staying connected” to news, to home, to work and to all the many distractions of a smartphone or computer often gets very much in the way of being connected to what is in the here and now, of every moment, wherever we are.… Read the rest

Ahimsa on the Inside

October 2, 2014 in Blog

Ahimsa on the Inside

by Jill Sockman

If you’ve hung around a yoga studio with any regularity, you’ve probably heard the word ahimsa before — usually translated as non-violence or non-harming. Seems pretty simple, as the “thou shalt not kill” of the yoga world. And that’s not incorrect, of course. Killing is pretty much off the menu for any spiritual tradition that I know of, and the notion of doing the least amount of harm seems to fall right in line with a kindly “love thy neighbor” approach to life.

Unlike the Niyamas (observances), which are more personal and address how you treat yourself and till the inner soil, ahimsa is one of the Yamas (social restraints) in the Yoga Sutras. … Read the rest

Create your reality

September 2, 2014 in Blog

Create your reality

by Jill Sockman

I change my mind about as much as the next person. At least as far as I know. Sometimes my opinion or viewpoint shifts from experience or new information, but other times it is a random change of perspective that feels as unmanaged as the weather.

A number of years ago, I wrote about this idea in regard to a student in class. She was a long-time student of mine, and one evening I watched her struggling with her body (mind) in a pose, and I offered the question, “What would happen if you decided that you liked it?”Read the rest