In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, in the expert's mind there are few. —Zen master Shunryu Suzuki Do you ever feel like your practice has become routine? Are you convinced you have figured out exactly how you like to practice (fast/slow, alignment instructions/no instructions, music/no music)? Are you now taking poses for granted that you couldn't do a [...]
The highest form of human intelligence is to observe yourself without judging yourself. –J. Krishnamurti We are constantly engaged in the act of observing. Typically, observing is followed immediately by judgement. The lack of separation between observing and judging causes each observation to lead directly to aversion or attachment. Aversion and attachment in turn are the root causes of suffering, [...]
What does it mean to be "good at yoga"? Let me throw out something potentially controversial. "Excelling at the physical practice of asana actually is a detriment in the quest to deepen your yoga practice. Being good at yoga means not distracting yourself from becoming more present in the moment with serenity." That is not to say that you shouldn't [...]
I don't usually get this personal here, but since I recently mentioned my ordeal, I thought I'd give you the full story, if you want to read it. Note: I wrote this mostly for others trying to return to Thailand, so there is a lot of technical detail. I am a German national living and working in Chiang Mai, Thailand [...]
What makes yoga such a powerfully positive practice for both body and mind? The focus on the breath, which has the power to transform mind and body, and to strengthen the connections between both. One of the simplest ways to do this is to begin moving from the breath. The breath is the most direct link between the body, the [...]
There really isn’t much more to say than the title: Do less, feel more. It’s not about the difficulty or impressiveness of the poses you do, nor about how long you can hold them without hating them or collapsing into a heap of muscle spasms. It’s about how deeply you can get your whole being involved in each moment [...]
You have probably heard a yoga teacher say something like "come to your edge, but don't overstep it". The place that is usually called "the edge" is the point along the stretch continuum beyond which you are in danger of injuring yourself, and beyond which your awareness deteriorates into an obsessive focus on whatever body part is experiencing the greatest [...]
Research has shown that happy emotions contribute to long-term wellbeing. But none of us wake up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed everyday. So how do you generate joy when you don't already feel joyful? One answer of course is yoga. One secret to increase your joy is to realize that happiness is not some external quality that can be acquired. Instead, [...]
