Your own ‘Dear John’ letter to that asshole Fear

There’s a member of my family –I’ll call him Jack – who, for as long as I remember, has been paralyzed with indecision… fearing making any decision lest it turn out to be the wrong one. For example, Jack has over-analyzed the options of three different roofing materials (metal, cedar shakes and asphalt, if it matters) since 1996, … Read More »

It scared me so badly, I almost sh*t myself*

Yesterday, I pulled up to a busy four-way stop where my view was obscured by a parked delivery truck.  Pulling forward into the crosswalk to assess whether or not it was safe to turn right, I neglected to see a pedestrian getting ready to cross the road, who subsequently slammed his fist down, hard, on … Read More »

A New York State of Mind

Last month, my daughter Claire and I took our first Girls’ Trip to New York City. We shopped, practiced at Jivamukti Yoga School, took in the sights, dined shoulder to shoulder with strangers (who soon became friends) in sidewalk cafes. And, of course, we took in a show. Admittedly, I cringed at the thought of … Read More »

Hilaria Baldwin Balancing It All vs. Me Balancing it All

A while back I was thumbing through an old issue of Yoga Journal, where I happened upon a spread entitled: “Hilaria Baldwin Balances it all with Yoga.” The article features Hilaria – the smart and talented sage yogini, who documents family life with her kids and famous husband, Alec Baldwin, in daily Instagram snaps. In … Read More »

Caring is Cool.

My mother used to tell a story of my childhood stubbornness. As an only child used to calling the shots, visiting family –including a dozen or so cousins – in South Carolina every holiday season was mostly a positive experience, save a few experiences, like this one. Or the time where I caught the wrath … Read More »

This one’s all over the place.

I’m sitting here at my kitchen table the eve before May, the month of Mother’s Day, officially begins. Regardless of whether or not either party is currently present, is there any more complex relationship than that of mother and child? It can be loving and supportive, or swing the other way into anxiety and sadness.  … Read More »

Finding Santosha in the Mundane.

Namaste en route to Hong Kong, a stopover en route to India, where 18 of us Twist Yogis will meet up on the other side of the world for yoga, contemplation and prayer.  And probably some shopping. This retreat comes literally on the heels of last week’s Maui retreat, which was one of the loveliest … Read More »

THIS is Genius.

Every so often, I discover something so enlightening that makes me want to forgo the usual niceties of a blog –  the hello, the introduction, the how-are-you-doin? – and get straight to the good stuff: I have found the key to equanimity on YouTube.  You know, the wise website dedicated to spiritual growth? I should back up … Read More »

Attempts at Meditation with a serene (annoying) teacher

When it comes to the objective of a yoga practice, many yogis cite Patanjali’s Sutra 1.2: “Yogash citta vritti nirodhah.”   Sanskrit scholars offer varying translations of this sutra, but the gist of it is:  “Yoga is the cessation (nirodhah) of the fluctuations (citta vritti) of the mind.” Personally, Bernadette Birney’s (a smart and thoughtful yogi … Read More »