Category Archives: The Yamas & Niyamas

Surrender

To understand surrender, we turn to the gurus, sages, and mystics of all traditions. They all radiate a joy, compassion, childlike wonder, and unfailing trust.  They seem to accomplish more for the world than seems humanly possible.  And they unabashedly … Continue reading

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Self-Study

I was in the Minneapolis airport with a short layover.  Rushing to get to my next gate to catch my flight, I made a quick stop in the women’s bathroom.  As I entered, I saw four men standing there.  Stunned … Continue reading

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Self-Discipline

We are becoming a soft culture.  When life seems a little challenging, it is easy to escape, and the escape routes are numerous.  Food, alcohol, stores, television, and internet are among the variety of ways we can pamper ourselves.  When … Continue reading

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Contentment

Contentment is the basis of happiness and peace.  Yet we live in a culture whose economy thrives on keeping us in discontent.  Think of the constant bombardment that comes at us with the sole purpose of alluring us into discontent.  … Continue reading

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Purity

Taken from a recent article I wrote for Integral Yoga Magazine, Summer 2013, on Cultivating the Niyamas. I recently saw a bumper sticker that said, “Well, at least the war on the environment is going well.”  These words captured the … Continue reading

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Losing Time

As summer days find me pondering on my porch sipping a cup of tea, my mind flows to the preciousness of time.  I mull over the countless teachers whose message is presence and mindfulness in the moment.  And as the … Continue reading

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The Ego and the Soul

I have just returned from a conference in which I heard Bill Plotkin say something profound about the ego and the soul. He reported that it was his belief that during the first half of a person’s life, the soul … Continue reading

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What is Practice For?

If you are anything like me, you keep waiting for your practice to magically make you a better person. But in truth, is this the purpose of practice? And what is a “better person” anyway? At best it is an … Continue reading

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