Writings: New to Ashtanga

In yoga we have an opposite notion or a contrary image about how wisdom takes form within the human mind.  Instead of thinking that attaining knowledge is about filling up our minds with learning, facts, information, viewpoints, stances, opinions and such—the yogi aspires to empty out of all thoughts and become ‘void minded’.

There was a devoted man, a self-taught yogi on a deserted island in the middle of the ocean. He had all of these devotional practices that were half based on Hindu rituals and half what he had made up.

...its important to remember that your struggles with the difficult physical actions are merely a warm up for the stances that yoga ethics demand.

There are no easy or fast solutions to many of the problems we each face personally as well as collectively.  There is often great complexity in the even the basic matters that we must deal with.  The complexity that is inherent to acting skillfully and responding fittingly to whatever circumstances we face requires us to be patient, caring, and compassionate with ourselves and with each other.

Its important to remember that yoga can be a primary source of health and a main component of preventative and curative medicine

Abhyasa is a Sanskrit word that is defined as the effort to remain steady in a state of yoga (citta vrtti nirodha) and thus be able to see beyond the visible, material world to the sacred...

Every exercise in practice provides you with a microcosmic opportunity to advance along your solitary path to the macrocosmic pinnacle of yoga.

Hi level shape making has little to do with doing advanced shapes and more to do with feeling compelled to mine the gold from nearly any shape.

Every act of prayer contains an element of emptying yourself, a relinquishment of volition, will and ego. 

Sansaya (doubt) is one of the 9 obstacles that clouds the mind and thwarts practice. Skepticism, cynicism, jadedness, lack of trust, fear of trust, worry, anxiety, anticipating the worst, finding the worst, all of these are reflective of doubt.