A beginner came up to me after a class with a familiar lament. "I never knew I was so stiff!" I eyed him and said, "But you feel good, right?" Surprised, he admitted, "Yeah, I never knew I could be so stiff and feel so good!" Something about the way he said "good" made the word sigh with relief and enthusiasm and understanding. Perhaps yoga has little if anything to do with flexibility, but instead something far more accessible and fulfilling; perhaps he could benefit from and even like yoga despite making a snail's progress in doing the poses.

There was a time when I thought of yoga in terms of progress in my practice, but lately I've come to see that yoga is more about not getting stuck than about moving ahead. That's precisely what makes yoga so relevant to anyone who has a life beyond the yoga mat -- namely all of us. "Getting stuck" is a broad term with no particular Sanskrit equivalent, but it is a yogic concept through and through. 

I'm usually stuck when I limit myself to narrow concepts of how things are or ought to be in my life, and to concepts of what constitutes progress. Getting stuck doesn't just mean being brought to a standstill, or reaching a plateau and not being able to climb higher. Limited ideas of progress get me stuck in the wheel ruts of repetitive patterns, going forward but nowhere new. Ask a yogi about his greatest teacher, and you're likely to hear a tale of an injury that stopped him in his tracks. Setbacks move us forward. Why? Because they bring to our attention back to ourselves to see what we have been neglecting in our quest for progress. Yoga is such an organic process of growth and expansion that whatever we neglect within ourselves will ultimately hold us back, acting as a tether that keeps us galloping in circles. The shock of a setback brings us to realize that, while we may have been doing our routine, we have strayed from doing our yoga.

In my case the wake-up call came literally with a knock on the head. In a group practice session we had been working on backbends, and the leader of the session announced that we would do drop-backs. (A drop-back is to start from a standing position and bend over backwards, dropping into a full backbend by reaching back and landing on your hands.) This is not something I have any pleasure doing, and does not look elegant by any means. And on this day, my heart just wasn't in it. I went ahead anyway, mostly because everyone else was doing it and after all, this was a group practice and it was meant to challenge and move us forward. I resigned myself to it, and proceeded. On the first try I didn't open enough with my heart, I was late with my hands, and landed pretty much on my head. This didn't cause any great injury since I did manage to catch well enough with my hands to muffle the impact, but it did give me an opportunity to sit back, watch the stars, and consider what had just happened.

Why had I attempted it when my heart wasn't in it? What had been the point? This is yoga, and a yogic challenge takes us forward when it's met with the heart, not just the head. You have to want the challenge because it nourishes you, because your focused effort gives you a taste of the goodness of life. Yet I had left my heart behind in the rush to keep up, so it wasn't there when I needed it and my head got its just reward.

These days, when I feel some resistance to doing a pose, I pause to ask what I really want from this practice. When I focus on the inner experience rather than the ambition to achieve a particular pose, the resistance is easily overcome and the challenge met with greater wisdom, energy and patience than if I had simply forged ahead for the sake of the discipline. Other times I just know it is better to set the effort aside for another day.

Moreover, when a teacher cajoles me to go deeper or stay longer in a pose, my (silent) reply is, "but this is my yoga" and I ask myself what I want to feel from the pose. If my heart is there, the pose is too. If the heart is not, or the body is not ready to go that extra inch, there is no point in forcing it. There is of course nothing wrong with accepting encouragement or asking for help to experience a pose more deeply; but the desire has to come first from within, for the pose is ultimately an expression of your own self. There is no yoga in being cranked into a pose. I always tell my students that my voice is simply here to guide you. Your ultimate teacher is your body and your breath, listen to it.

Yoga wants to show us what is lasting about ourselves, what is eternal and indestructibly good. The body and the mind provide the tools we can work with to recognize and live this truth, but the accomplishments of the body and mind are not the point. They are anecdotes illuminating a greater truth, the goodness, resilience and strength of the human heart.

It's irresistible to focus on accomplishments. Accomplishments give us a tangible foothold for our sense of progress. But while we are directed by our goals to make greater and greater advances, our goals also limit us, because they represent what we think we lack; they often mirror our sense of imperfection. The moment we define our world by what we lack and indeed we do this every day, that is when we become stuck. The progress in achieving our goals is no real progress at all, as long as the idea of this lack remains. 

We all get stuck: paralyzed about a decision, unsure what choice to make. Stuck in resentment or disappointment we can’t quite recover from. Stuck in a plan that’s not working as anticipated. Stuck in a destructive, unhealthy relationship with our family members or friends. When we’re stuck, things feel immovable, entrenched, even hopeless. The good news is, they aren’t. We human beings are actually extremely adept at getting unstuck, at seeing the same thing in new ways, discovering new insights and changing our attitudes. It's called practice.

Namasté,

I haven't written in the past ten days. Writers block, stuck in a rut, loss of inspiration.... you name it. I've come to terms that my writing usually happens when I write from a place of inspiration and peace, instead of fear and must.

In the past year, something has shifted within me. It is both confusing and wonderful. I cannot put my finger on exactly what is going on, but it seems to be happening in just the right way. One of my favorite quotes is by Arthur Rubinstein, "there are no formulas for living the life you secretly dream about, because if you simply accept and welcome life, it’ll reveal itself to you."

It is not through effort that you mold the universe to your liking, but from allowing the universe to mold you, and show you the way. When I began doing what I love, which is guiding people how to move their body safely and with intention, I had so much fear. I remember going into my first official yoga class to teach, I felt like I was going to pass out from my nerves. When I look back now, after teaching over 100 classes, I can see clearly that I entered that studio from a place of fear, certainly not a place of love. 

And for a second, I almost stopped myself even before I began, because I didn’t believe in myself. I saw so many other teachers doing what I wanted to do, and they were more accomplished, had more knowledge, and were more successful.

Or, so it seemed.

One of the biggest mistakes I made was trying to find the answers outside of myself. I followed this teacher here and that teacher there, I kept reaching for goals, I kept making lists, I began to over think everything, and soon I realized that creating shapes was just the topping on the cake, the real ingredients involved self-compassion, contentment, love and patience. There was no magic pose that made all my challenges go away. If I couldn't understand the meaning and purpose of my life, and moreover, if I wasn't working on fulfilling that meaning and purpose, It really didn't matter how long I could stand on my head, that wasn't going to make me a happy person. 

When I came to a point where I had to listen to my heart, and feel where I should go, I stopped trying to figure things out. I realized that I don’t know it all, and when I listened to my heart, things seemed to be led to more happiness, peace, and freedom in my life.

Problems come and go. Patterns come and go. Sometimes I’m more in tune with my inner wisdom, and sometimes I’m not. On the days that I’m not, I do my best to relax and do something else.

I do my best creative work when I’m connected to that inner wisdom, and it is that inner wisdom that guides me toward the life I'm creating. When I don't write for ten days, I'm not hard on myself. When I don't step on my mat for a week, I drop my inner critic, drop my expectations of myself and tell my mind to bugger off.

There will also be days where you feel like nothing is going wrong. Those are the most exciting days to stay present; because they help you grow your awareness muscle. When I stay present, not only am I more connected to that inner wisdom and stillness, but I feel calmer and more at peace with myself. I also realize that I don’t have to identify with my thoughts and feelings. Thoughts and feelings arise, sure, but I don’t have to feed the fire.

The problems begin when I create thoughts about the initial thoughts or feelings. This is also what stops me from simply allowing my dreams to unfold. If I get a thought that’s scared, doubtful, or uncertain, and if I believe that thought, I’m trapped until I see through it. When you stay present, as best you can, you let life unfold. Sometimes it’ll feel like chaos inside of your body, but that’s okay, that too shall pass. It’s the human experience.

Learn to trust that inner voice and when your heart speaks, take good notes.

There is no rush. There is only now.

Namasté,

If you were to look up “patience” in a good thesaurus or dictionary, you will find that the most common definition of this word talks about forbearance, long-suffering, and bearing pains or trials without complaint.  Patience or KSANTI in Sanskrit – is in fact much more than this, especially to us yogis. The patience of yoga is patience through wisdom and clarity. We learn when and where we need to exercise forbearance because we see the situation or environment we are in at the time from a more ‘global’ point of view. True patience has an intelligent quality that combines clarity and understanding with virya, or energy. 

To see the situations we are part of in everyday life, it is necessary to maintain awareness of them, and awareness of what our own objectives are. As a yogi, I bring my yoga into my daily life by not fixating on what wishes to obtain, but instead, I focus on creating the right environment for those objectives to come to fruition naturally and in their own time. This intelligent patience of yoga employs positive energy towards those things of which patience is worthy to us. So that in this way, we do not suffer trials or pain without reason, which drains us of energy. 

Here is a great lesson on patience:

A NYC Taxi driver wrote:

I arrived at the address and honked the horn. After waiting a few minutes I honked again. Since this was going to be my last ride of my shift I thought about just driving away, but instead I put the car in park and walked up to the door and knocked.. 'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.

After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940's movie.

By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.

There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard
box filled with photos and glassware.

'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.

She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.

She kept thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I told her.. 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother to be treated.'

'Oh, you're such a good boy,' she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address and then asked, 'Could you drive
through downtown?'

'It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly..

'Oh, I don't mind,' she said. 'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice.

I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have any family left,' she continued in a soft voice..'The doctor says I don't have very long.' I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.

'What route would you like me to take?' I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.

We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.

Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm tired.Let's go now'.
We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.

Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move.
They must have been expecting her.

I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

'How much do I owe you?' She asked, reaching into her purse.

'Nothing,' I said

'You have to make a living,' she answered.

'There are other passengers,' I responded.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug.She held onto me tightly.

'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said. 'Thank you.'

I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light.. Behind me, a door shut.It was the sound of the closing of a life..

I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day,I could hardly talk.What if that woman had gotten an angry driver,or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?

On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life. We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.

Namasté,

Everyday, people make assumptions of other things based solely on appearance. From simple things such as grocery items in a supermarket, to more complex decisions, such as choosing a person we want to spend our lives with, people make these decisions on the appearance of these things. We choose these things because, on the outside, they appear flawless. And some seem to think, if the outside is flawless, then the rest must be perfect as well. 

But as with anything in life, what is on the outside isn’t always what is most important. A perfect can of vegetables in the supermarket may taste bad, a book with an exciting picture may be boring, and a woman with a cover on a big yoga magazine may have struggled with that pose for ages. In short, looks always have a story.

Since becoming a yoga teacher, I have began really tapping into my Manipura chakra, which is the energy chakra, located right in the solar plexus. This is the seat of your power in the world. When this centre is open and flowing, you are capable of translating your intentions and desires into manifestation, When this centre is blocked, you tend to feel frustration, envious and ineffectual.

The seeds of intentions and desires that you plant reside in your personal soul. Nourishing the seeds you wish to germinate with your attention will lead to their full expression. The process of manifesting your desires/wishes/hopes/dreams is first to bring them into consciousness, then expand your awareness through meditation, and finally releasing attachment to the outcome.

Being on the cover of a yoga magazine doesn't make me a fantastic yoga teacher/practitioner, just like getting my leg over my head doesn't make me reach enlightenment. What it does is this, it creates a sense of accomplishment, a sense of "if I keep trusting myself with my intentions and planting my seeds, I will simply watch it grow."

Of course you have to water your seeds with kindness, self-compassion and love. Dreams/hopes/desires doesn't happen by itself. As my fellow yogi Jen Pastilloff likes to say, manifesting simply means making shit happen. 

I am truly honored to be on the cover of OM Yoga Magazine, which hits newsstands everywhere in the UK today. Grab your copy and then have a peak on page 63... more stuff on kindness and self-compassion there. 

Not in the UK? Get a glimpse of the mag HERE.

Namasté,

Yesterday was beaming with sunshine. I started my morning, or afternoon shall I say, by being in bed reading. A luxury that happens very rarely. I sat there with my windows open, inhaling the fresh smell of the wind, getting inspired by potent words. Shortly after, I met my lovely student who has become a very dear friend for tea in a British tea house. We were both jolly with excitement since we're both from London, and saw remembrances from home. We sat by the lake, sipped our tea and indulged in great conversation for hours and hours. Time seemed to slow down, we had nowhere to be, nowhere to go and we were exactly where we were supposed to be.

Jist of the story: when things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day is not enough; when you feel like you are running from studio to studio teaching your yoga classes, remember the story of the mayonnaise jar and three cups of tea.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and started to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous "yes."

The professor then poured three cups of tea from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively
filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed. 

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things – God, family, children, health, friends, and favorite passions. Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the things that matter like your job, house, and car. The sand is everything else – the small stuff. If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you."

He continued....

"So, pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to practice yoga. Take your lover out to dinner. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the dripping tap. Take care of the golf balls first – the things that really matter. Set your intentions and your priorities... the rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and asked "what does the tea represent?"
The professor smiled and said "I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem,
there’s always room for three cups of tea with a friend."

Namasté,

Based in NYC, 3 ashtanga practitioners came together to create this brand. Yogamat Boutique is a line of ecologically conscious fair-trade activewear made from Hydrilux, a soft stretch fabric produced in France that's earned eco-tex environmentally friendly certification in Europe. The line of leggings, shorts and tops, are crafted in a sustainable, sweatshop-free facility offering UV protection and won't pil or collect lint or pet hair.

Co founder, Ananda Adams' biggest intention is to find a way to reduce their carbon footprint. She believes in staying away from foreign production and making clothes that don't last. In her recent interview she says "This whole trend towards poorly made clothing that is tossed aside for the next cheap garment has to stop." 

Yogamat is truly developed for the modern woman. Their responsible production techniques along with stylish, non-disposable clothing truly makes this company stand out from the rest. This brand is definitely comfortable, flexible and super attractive clothing, not only for the mat but for every day living. 

Their latest collection is vivacious and energetic. They feature bold, distinctive color palettes and innovatively constructed garments, high quality fabrics mixed with stunning cuts. Below, I'm wearing the purple pardi's and the red and purple top

For more information on this lovely and unique brand, follow them on TWITTER.

Namasté,

I am so proud and honored to be the face of Blooming Lotus Jewelry, a brand I truly believe in.

Blooming Lotus Jewelry's mission is to create beautiful and meaningful jewlery to inspire positivity and awareness in all of us. The woman behind the brand, Jennifer Ciraulo, is a self-taught jewelry designer and launched BLJ in early 2010. Jennifer is not only a jewelry designer and an avid yogi, but also a pediatric occupational therapist, who works with children with special needs. 

Jenn uses her jewelry making skills to raise awareness and money for foundations such as Autism Speaks, and Yoga Bear, a project that we've both involved in through our bracelet "Bee Inspired." Yoga has brought endless things to Jennifer's life, but most of all an understanding that it's not just breathing through difficult postures on a sticky mat, but rather it's breathing through the difficult times off the mat. BLJ's creations are inspired through practice, traveling and immersing herself in different cultures. The jewels are made with love in Hoboken, NJ.

Above, I am wearing BLJ's signature recycled sari mala and a armful of colouful bracelets.

Get inspired here: Blooming Lotus Jewelry


Namasté,

Except for weekends, breakfast is often the meal that either gets ignored or rushed through. Perhaps grabbing a banana as you head out the door sounds familiar?! With such busy schedules nowadays, breakfast often becomes an afterthought, when it really should be a top priority in our morning routines.

We always hear that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but why is this true? In a way, breakfast is "breaking the fast" because after sleeping for eight hours and being without food during the night, our brain and muscles need energy and fuel to function. And the glucose in food (as well as the vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and protein) is how we get this energy. With this rush of nutrients and glucose to our brains, we are better able to concentrate, focus, be productive, and be in better spirits. No more waking up on the wrong side of the bed! 

Here are some tips to help you get the most out of breakfast time.

• Eat breakfast early. Aim to enjoy breakfast shortly after you wake up. If you're not into eating early, have your first meal within an hour of waking up. If you're practicing yoga first thing, make sure to eat something small like a piece of bagel with salmon or a hard-boiled egg. Then eat something a little more substantial after your practice.
• Eat a breakfast consisting of healthy carbs, protein, and fiber. Better yet, start the morning with green juice! It tastes better than it looks.
• Sit down and eat breakfast. Try to take at least half an hour each morning to sit down and eat. This way you can step back, savor your meal, and focus on your upcoming day.

This delicious easy and simple breakfast I made this morning is high in fiber and protein. 

Recipe:

FRUITS:
apples, bananas, kiwis, mangoes and pineapple. 

BOOSTS:
spirulina, chlorella, broccoli, spinach, blue green algae, garlic barley grass, wheat grass, ginger, parsley and kale.

The organic whole wheat everything bagel has 12g's of protein and the salmon consists of 18g's of protein. Add some onions, capers, salt and pepper to taste and perhaps a handful of berries on the side and you've got yourself a solid food to break your fast.

Remember: high protein / low carb / high fiber = heart healthy.

Namasté,

I turned 27 on Tuesday, and my blog turned 1. To celebrate, my darling other half surprised me with a getaway to the Columbia River, to a resort called Bonneville Hot Springs, which was surrounded amongst cascading waterfalls in the gorge. The property rests above natural, healing, mineral springs, with a picturesque landscape. The resort is all about health, wellness and rejuvenation. Exactly the type of getaway we both needed.

When I'm not on my yoga mat either practicing or teaching, I'm usually on my phone taking pictures. I love photography and currently obsessed with Hipstamatic, which is a digital application on the iPhone that allows you to create artsy photos. When it comes to keeping onto memories, I truly believe that a picture tells a thousand words.

After balloons, handstands, champagne and a belly full of laughter, I was overwhelmed with so much joy and happiness that surrounded my heart. I am one lucky girl!

Some of the gifts I was spoilt with: a cupcake bouquet from my dear friends from LA. A wonderful handmade soy candle from the babes - if love could smell like anything, it would definitely smell like this. And gorgeous bangles all the way from India from one of my very special students. 

I have realized that I am at my best when I am around water, music and my yoga mat. I am grateful for another day, another year and another opportunity to turn my dreams into reality. What a year!

Namasté,