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
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
If you've ever flown before, you've heard this statement, "In the event of an emergency and the oxygen masks drop down, please put your mask on first before assisting children or others." This serves as a reminder that we need to care for ourselves before we can care for others. As women, it is part … Continue reading Put on Your Oxygen Mask First
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
Filling up, emptying, stillness. Taking in, letting go, bliss. This powerful breath practice has fostered me through many moments of restlessness and anxiety. This time of year can be difficult for me and when it is time to go to sleep even though, I'm sleepy, my mind starts to race. I turn to this breath … Continue reading Inhale, Exhale, Pause
I recently read a blog post commenting about the long, relaxing days of Summer, it created such a wonderful image in my mind and something I longed to create for my family for the last few weeks of Summer break. Our Summer, although gratefully, has been anything but relaxing. I have been teaching an abundance … Continue reading Lazy Days of Summer?
Years ago when I was suffering a bout of anxiety, I saw a counselor that advised me to close my eyes and think of a place that I feel most at peace, This technique was to help me feel calm. This is also a relaxation tool in yoga used to calm the mind and body. … Continue reading Favorite Peaceful Place
Yoga and Inspiration 