February, 2021

February, 2021

Ah, February, 2021. February is tough and Vermont...but we have yoga. Right on!

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February, 2021
  • Changing Your Held Perceptions

    Feb. 1, 2021 - In my continuing quest to enjoy (tolerate) Winter I have been inspired to go swimming in the lake! A student of mine has been doing it, which peaked my interest, and then I have been reading “Wintering,” which also talks about the thrill of swimming in cold water. So, in a fit of...

  • The Power of Natural Breathing

    Feb. 2, 2021 - Yesterday I started teaching my yoga classes at UVM for the new semester. Because of some positive COVID cases in the building I’m teaching in, they decided to delay in-person classes, so my classes yesterday were all on Zoom. In the first class I taught at 8am, I loved seeing all...

  • Gratitude for the Support of Others

    Feb. 3, 2021 - Whenever I have heard teachers talking about their teaching, almost always they thank their students. I totally get that. For me, I enjoy the philosophy of yoga, the movement of yoga, how it makes me feel. But, without students, I know that I wouldn’t spend as much time explorin...

  • Just Because It’s Yoga (or Meditation, or Mindfulness) Doesn’t Mean It’s Good for You

    Feb. 4, 2021 - When I first started doing yoga I really thought that if you are doing true yoga, you couldn’t get hurt…you know, because it’s yoga. Then, I started having friends of mine tell me they did things that hurt them in yoga, and my students would say we did something in class that hurt...

  • Holding Your Breath is Losing Your Breath

    Feb. 5, 2021 - I’m thinking about winter, of course. For my time in Vermont, which is nearly half my life, I’ve been trying to figure out how to deal with the experience of Vermont’s dark, cold winters. The big winner has been leaving…but I’m sticking around this year because of COVID.

    I have ...

  • Grounding When Things Great Crazy

    Feb. 9, 2021 - Teaching has started back up at the University. The whole thing with being a teacher, or a student, is a whirlwind. You go back and forth from students and classes and energy to none of that. It’s quite the rollercoaster.

    When school starts back in for me it normally take a few ...

  • Using Your Breath As Your Mental Target

    Feb. 10, 2021 - I like the concept of setting a target where you want to focus the mind. Somewhere to turn your attention. I think of it as if life is a bar. There noice, there is distraction, there is lots going on.

    And, with all of that, you are trying to be present. So, there is a dart boa...

  • Love Is Already Inside

    2.12.21 - Well, it’s almost Valentine’s Day so it seems appropriate to think about love a bit. One thing I “love” about yoga philosophy is it generally based on the idea that all the goodness and light, and love, available is already inside of you. So, if you are searching for love, look inside...

  • Connecting the Senses as Meditation

    Feb. 11, 2021 - Today we use the senses as a way to connect to the world around us and find our place.

  • The Power of Gratitude

    2.16.2021 - Everyday is a good day to practice gratitude...so, enjoy. :-)

  • Practicing Gratitude

    2.8.21 - Gratitude is always an option to feel good about life, even when things might be out of wack.

  • The Benefits of Deep Breathing

    2.17.2021 - In the New York Times I read an article about breathing. The English National Opera has started a program to help people who are suffering from the after effects of COVID-19 to regain the ability to breath deeply again. They teach basic singing methods, but more importantly they prac...

  • Appreciating Special Moments

    Feb. 18, 2021

    There has been lots of times in my life where I’ve thought, “This is special. I need to really be present for this experience.” You know, times like traveling to new places you know you won’t return, seeing something really beautiful, getting married.

    I’ve really recognizing that...

  • The Essence of All Teachings is Right Here

    Feb. 19, 2021 - Part of a sutra I really like from the Radiance Sutras is, “the essence of all teachings is right here, open your eyes.” Isn’t that great! The part I really like is “essence.” The concept of essence is present often in yoga texts. The essence of something means that there are ...

  • Communal Dinners

    2.23.2021 - I woke up this morning, at 3:11am, thinking of past dinners I’ve had with people, and how I’ve missed that so much. A year ago this week I was in the Dominican Republic leading a yoga retreat with a group of friends. We shared every meal together, of course. Sitting close together, la...

  • Enjoying Embodiment

    2.25.2021 - Yesterday I went swimming at Perkins Pier. There was too much ice floating near the beach to get in there so I had to go down the shore a bit and worked my way in over some big rocks. I could see the bottom under the water so I stepped in. Then when I took my next step there was n...

  • Feeling What Others Are Feeling

    Feb 26, 2021

    There was a story on BBC the other day about the importance of getting the COVID vaccine to people in all countries, not just the wealthy ones, because if there is virus anywhere it can travel. So, it’s in everyone’s best interest to get all people vaccinated, not just those that a...