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Many years ago my best friend sent me a copy of the book When Things Fall Apart by the Buddhist nun Pema Chodron. At the time I was unfamiliar with her work, but my life was definitely falling apart and out of my control. So I was interested in what it might offer to...
I was born in Brazil and my parents, little sister, and I moved to Miami 28 years ago when I was only nine years old. My father always loved plants and had a plant nursery in Brazil. After trying to start our new life in America, he worked in construction, as a pizza...
Siddhasana, or Accomplished Pose, does not look like much from the outside, but the ability to hold this pose for long periods of time is known to be a marker of meditative excellence. In a sitting position, with the left heel placed against the groin, or perineum,...
This year, Friday, April 22 is Earth Day. Around the world, communities come together on this day to promote environmental awareness. Trees are planted, roadsides and shorelines are cleaned up, companies are encouraged to make environmentally conscious changes, and...
I was born into one of the original pilgrim families (Elder Brewster) and have been an artist since I first held a pencil and drew on the blank pages of my parents’ books. I won my first of over 120 awards when I was 12 years old and from there went on to study at the...
A great many of my most important teachers are people I’ve never met. That seems like an odd statement, I know, so I’ll have to explain. I’ve been an avid reader since – well, since the moment I learned to read. As a child, my first favorite book was The House at Pooh...
Balasana, or Child’s Pose, is one of the most-loved yoga postures for the simple reason that it feels so good. The fact that it’s often taken after a difficult pose may even increase its appeal. Balasana is like a refuge. A breath of fresh air. A release. It’s where...
Whether you first come to yoga during your golden years or you have been at it for decades, practicing yoga at a later age usually means making modifications that support your body in the right way. Fortunately, yoga is designed to be adapted to the individual’s body...
When I was a teenager, over forty years ago, I learned to do yoga at a neighborhood YMCA in Chicago. It was not a part of my life again until my husband Arthur, our dog Sweetie, and I moved to Punta Gorda. Before moving to Punta Gorda, I worked for a living; first,...
It is said, “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” Upon reflection of the road I’ve traveled so far, I had no idea at the time how true these words would turn out to be. As someone who grew up with emotional obstacles and low confidence, I learned at a...
Vasisthasana, or Side Plank Pose, is named after the great Indian sage Vasistha. The story begins with King Ram, who was an incarnation of Vishnu, one of three main Hindu gods responsible for the creation, maintenance, and destruction of the universe. Vishnu is...
In the Buddhist tradition, the practice of metta, or loving kindness, plays an important role. The ability to view other people and beings with benevolence is a strong value of this belief system. But in a world with so much violence, so many differing opinions, so...
We have all been students and have had many teachers. As students, we remember those teachers who have given gifts that we take with us throughout our lives. It’s the little stuff—the details we learn that inspire us to find our passions. My parents were my first...
We are honored to have been asked to be Yogis of the Month. Eddie and I are originally from New York State—Eddie is from Yonkers, and I grew up in the Bronx. We later moved to the Hudson Valley where these two city kids found themselves living in the farm country of...
Hanumanasana, or Monkey Pose, in its full expression, is the forward splits, a challenging pose that represents the pose Hanuman took as he leapt from the southern tip of India to Sri Lanka to rescue his good friend Ram’s wife, Sita, who had been kidnapped by the evil...
Silent meditation, which you can experience in our weekly meditation class, is a way to quiet the mind and open the heart to the possibilities of the moment. Silence is a powerful tool that helps us turn inward and listen to the quieter voice that comes with insight....
Bhujangasana, or Cobra Pose, represents our ability overcome fear. While the cobra is generally considered to be a creature that evokes fear, our ability to look past this initial instinct and view fear from a new perspective is key to helping us move past it. As...
I am number four of five children who grew up in Ohio with a loving family. I moved to Florida in 2003 with my husband after dreaming about moving here since our first vacation in 1979. I work in a dental office as a business assistant and have been in the dental...
The palms gracing Fifth Avenue South in Naples, Florida pull the eye to the unseen horizon where the beach meets the Gulf of Mexico. The horizon becomes visible at the pristine beach at the end of the road. From the first hint at the vastness of that place, I knew...
Natarajasana, or King Dancer Pose, is the embodiment of King Nataraja, a depiction of Shiva, the god of destruction. Shiva represents change. With birth must come death; with destruction must come rebuilding. Nataraja represents Shiva as the ever-present change in the...