In the Ayruvedic Tradition, it is recommended to start one's day with a morning ritual. These rituals can aid in firing up digestion, bringing about a feeling of groundedness and are overall balancing. After attending a mini workshop on Ayurvedic Morning Rituals, I made a commitment to myself to begin more of a routine … Continue reading Morning Rituals
Recently in our final days of onsite training for Urban Zen at Wexner Heritage Village, the Rabbi Cary Kozberg joined us to deliver a most inspiring maybe even, life changing speech. He commented that Urban Zen offers people "Sabbath moments" in their daily busy, stressful lives. He spoke about the Sabbath as a time to … Continue reading Sabbath Moments
Ahhhh! Doesn't that feel better? This is a time of year when our 'to do list' gets longer and longer and we run around practically holding our breath. Sometimes in Urban Zen we advise a patient/client to notice their exhale. This can often slow their breath rate and relieve feelings of anxiety. … Continue reading Exhale
Shitali means cooling. I thought it fitting to share this breath practice as the humidity of summer arrives. This pranayama practice is great for my MS students to help deal with the heat and, great for my prenatal students to lessen their nausea. My daughter and I routinely practice Shitali Pranayama when we are feeling … Continue reading Shitali Pranayama
Ardha Chandrasana has become one of my favorite yoga poses. By engaging the core and finding the strength of the standing leg, I can open into freedom, into a feeling of bliss. I often tell my students that by practicing balance poses we can find balance in our life off the mat. Hmmm.... With my … Continue reading Balance On and Off the Mat
Bhramari (pronounced brah mah REE), which means the "buzzing of the bees" according to Dr. Timothy McCall. Bhramari is a breath practice that activates the parasympathetic nervous system, the calming nervous system by lengthening the exhalation. Bhramari can help reduce anxiety and bring one's focus into the present moment. I recently taught Bhramari in … Continue reading Bhramari
Lately I've been seeing so many photos of beautiful yogis in amazing poses that I can only dream of doing. I know it is my ego causing me to feel insecure and less than. I also know that yoga is so much more than a perfect body in a perfect pose. After all I teach … Continue reading Yoga
“We believe that it takes a strong back and a soft front to face the world.” Roshi Joan Halifax Are you being called to serve? Do you have a passion to help your loved ones who may be living with terminal illness? Do you want to work with persons undergoing cancer treatment and be able … Continue reading Urban Zen
I hope you've enjoyed this 4 week Meditation/Mindfulness Journey with me. I hope you have found more ways to be present for your life and those around you. Maybe you've found that sitting everyday is a challenge but have found mindfulness in your day to day activities. As a result, you are living with less … Continue reading You’re just getting started
This week I would like to invite you to try a meditation/visualization practice. After the birth of my daughter, 14 years ago, ( wow, really), I went through a period of my life with high anxiety. This anxiety was keeping me from doing fun things around others and hurting my marriage. I started seeing a … Continue reading Week 4 Meditation/Mindfulness Journey
Yoga and Inspiration 