Writings: New to Ashtanga

Energetic Concepts of Mula Bandha

Energetic Concepts of Mula Bandha

Your work with the pelvic floor is more than a physical practice of contracting certain muscles in the lower pelvis. Whether you contract the anus, genitals, or the perineum, it is more valuable to focus on mula bandha as an energetic redirection...
Learn to Love Your Asana Posture

Learn to Love Your Asana Posture

One of the first things he taught in his book was that in order to get anywhere playing bass you have to like the sounds that you make. He emphasized that this was equally true for a beginner and a veteran.
Acknowledge Suffering

Acknowledge Suffering

What is the first waking moment you can remember in your life? I remember being 3 years old and locking myself in an unlit closet. I was trapped and crying for help.
MOVING FORWARD FROM WHERE YOU ARE NOW

MOVING FORWARD FROM WHERE YOU ARE NOW

One week you are springing out of bed to practice and the next you are dragging yourself to the mat. It is like being in an ocean where the current is deceptive, you think you are in control, in one place, and then in a snap you are downstream!
Dear David, I’ve fallen off the yoga wagon. Please help!

Dear David, I’ve fallen off the yoga wagon. Please help!

When you look within you may very well find that in one sense you are way, way too hard on yourself.  For whatever reason you are applying a standard or a rigor at the wrong time(s) and/or in the wrong way(s).  What is the effect on you and your practice w
Asana and Sadhana as Prayer

Asana and Sadhana as Prayer

I used to hear my teacher Sri Pattabhi Jois during conferences go out of his way to remind us that beginning practice with Surya Namaskara was an act of devotion and not a warm up.
An Ashtangi in a Cave and an Ashtangi in a Tribe

An Ashtangi in a Cave and an Ashtangi in a Tribe

It can be helpful to remember that the system is meant to be fluid as opposed to rigid, like a cell with a permeable membrane. A healthy cell allows traffic to flow both ways across the membrane. The ashtanga system is meant to provide rules and also to l
Your upper and low body have different jobs. Do you know what they are?

Your upper and low body have different jobs. Do you know what they are?

Imagining that you are a Patanjali, a centaur or a mermaid can help you make best use of the energetic differences that exist between your lower and upper body
Three Life Stages of your Yoga Practice

Three Life Stages of your Yoga Practice

As you go through this learning progression you aim to strike just the right balance of being content with where you are while at the same time aiming to extend the range of your perceived and actual limits. In the creation phase as you test your limits yo
No reason is the best reason to practice

No reason is the best reason to practice

Practice only because you want to practice. End of statement. Don’t do it for any reason at all, not for following a lineage, for weight loss, to get in shape, fun, health, spiritual growth, realization, prayer, or devotion. NOT FOR ANY OF THOSE REASONS.

Page 2 of 3 pages < 1 2 3 >

Writing Categories