Patient Fortitude

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Patient Fortitude

August 31, 2022 in Blog

Patient fortitude. Could this be the yogi slogan for modern times? It certainly is a good reminder. We spent some time digging into this tenet- titikśā- in last month’s Dharma & Satsang because I think this style of life navigation is an entire path unto itself. It certainly is a relevant one. While this particular translation from Sivananda is my favorite, here are some other definitions of titikśā to give you the flavor of this word which holds no equivalent in English:

  • Patient endurance of suffering
  • Tolerance of unhappiness
  • Acceptance of circumstances without resistance 

If we have learned nothing else in the course of our lifetimes, certainly in the past few years, I think we’re all pretty clear that the storms of life are unceasing.… Read the rest

mind full or mindful?

July 31, 2022 in Blog

When there’s something we need to learn, to focus on or to remember, the forces of the universe converge to make it so. While I’ve found that a daily meditation practice is a non-negotiable element for my general sanity, these days I’ve been reminded that no matter how extensive and consistent morning cushion time may be, it’s inadequate to sustain peace of mind throughout the entire day. Things seem to shift out of clear, calm and peaceful more quickly than ever before. As we continue to roll through hard times, the choices and practices that lead us to mind full or mindful are the difference between being part of the solution or part of the problems we see in our lives and in the world.… Read the rest

look in

May 27, 2022 in Blog

I can’t even begin to understand the times in which we find ourselves. With each passing day, instead of understanding more, I look into the world and I “get it” less and less. I’m baffled by power structures simultaneously restricting reproductive rights and a woman’s agency over her own body while (still) stalling on legislation for fundamental, common sense gun control measures that could save countless lives. My rising fury while listening to on-the-ground and near-term projected realities in abortion clinics, superimposed with photos of children murdered at school with a semi-automatic assault rifle, with a side bar outlining more atrocities in Ukraine, followed by images from the 1.5 million acres currently being ravaged by wildfires throughout west as freshwater lakes and reservoirs dip to all-time lows is incapacitating.… Read the rest

foundation

May 1, 2022 in Blog

The word foundation conjures buildings, yoga, relationships. As the beginning, the foundation of a building must bear the load of what is above it, as well as be able to anchor the integrity of the structure when it’s faced with changing external forces over time. In a similar way, when we offer Yoga Foundations programming, it is to provide a strong base of understanding, tools and individual awareness, upon which one can not only build more complex techniques but exists as a steady base of support when the forces of life threaten the integrity of our wellbeing. This all seems obvious.… Read the rest

resilience

March 24, 2022 in Blog

Grief and resilience live together. -Michelle Obama

Our theme for April is resilience. It’s the central topic in our Immersion program, the subject for April’s Best of Blue video collection and the theme for my Thursday Movement + Rest series. It feels appropriate to talk about, cultivate and practice resilience after a time of so much grief— as they do, indeed, live together. Sometimes when we are faced with grief, we find we are more resilient than we could have imagined. Other times, we recognize our resilience has waned and we are without the resources to cope. 

So, what is resilience?… Read the rest

who am I, really?

February 28, 2022 in Blog

A few times each year, I offer a multi-week series on foundational philosophical tenets of yoga. It’s work that I love. It feels like sharing the truth of what yoga really is, and though I’ve taught it all before many times, it bears teaching— and learning— over and over and over again. Some of these teachings I return to for the reminders that are always needed and others because they help us push through another layer of the question, “who am I, really?” A question that each of us will (hopefully) never be done with until we take our last breath.… Read the rest

BVXV

January 28, 2022 in Blog

February is not the month for ponderings, questions or notions. February is the month for celebration, reflection and gratitude. Because February is Blueversary, and this month we celebrate fifteen years of yoga and community.

It’s been quite a ride, and for every bit that I never imagined having a yoga studio, I definitely never conceived of a virtual yoga school. It’s kind of crazy. And, also, pretty amazing.

Those of you who didn’t find your way back to us on screen, we miss you, and we are always here. We send blessings to you wherever you are and hope you are doing the practice, in the way that feels meaningful to you.… Read the rest

Sustenance Over Maintenance

December 29, 2021 in Blog

We have, most all of us, been in survival mode for a long time and this way of being has exacted tolls I’m not sure we will ever fully grasp. We have learned to live in new ways and work in new ways. We’ve made changes, course corrections and sacrifices. We’ve gotten creative even when our patience has been taxed to the max. We have figured out how to endure because there’s not much of an alternative. One of many questions that’s been growing and tumbling around inside me on multiple fronts over these past two years is what is sustainable?… Read the rest

Themes, truths and lessons

December 6, 2021 in Blog

As I sit down to write this, I’ve just emerged from guiding a silent retreat. Couple that with preparing to share the teachings on right speech on Tuesday evening, and I feel the need to be especially succinct. Since I like to do a little recap at the end of each year with themes, truths, lessons and bits of wisdom gathered as a means of chronicling the territory through which I’ve traveled in the past twelve months, I thought I’d share the first draft of my 2021 summary. Perhaps you’ll start one for yourself, as well.

— I said it in the beginning of the pandemic and it’s still just as true: grit and grace.… Read the rest

Innovate

November 1, 2021 in Blog

In March 2020, we made a huge pivot after thirteen years of in-person classes to an all-virtual classroom. It was as much a choice as a necessity in the beginning, but that decision was solidified a couple of months later when it became apparent that we weren’t going to be getting out of this Covid situation as quickly and easily as we’d hoped. When we let go of our brick and mortar space we made a commitment to you to continue on, fully online, for the foreseeable future. 20 months later, it is time to innovate again.

None of this has been easy.… Read the rest