Blogs

People often ask what kind of yoga I teach.  In the midst of the explosion of yoga styles and innovative forms (yoga and swimming, flying yoga, Zumba and yoga, hip-hop yoga, hot yoga, vinyasa, etc.), this is an interesting question to try to answer. "Basic" or "fundamental hatha" yoga are somewhat bland, generic descriptions.  And, for anyone enamored with the vast array of available yoga flavors, like "chocolate" or "vanilla," neither of these names generates much interest. Nonetheless, for me, basics/fundamentals are the most exciting aspects of my yoga practice.  And they are the most profound. What...

By Betsy Cohn I first experienced yoga in 1986 as a senior at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, in a course called "Psychology and Religion." It was a course that people took because it was easy, unless it coincided with a painful transition, as it did with me. This experience shook me to my core and left me with huge existential questions – amazing considering I skipped the class day when we actually did yoga! Katherine often says that we come to yoga when we're meant to, and that's what happened with me. Ironically, my first yoga class was at Karma Yoga, about two years ago, not...

Start the New Year off right by gaining the knowledge needed to create the balance and harmony you are looking for. The easy to apply techniques discussed and experienced in these workshops will empower you to take your health and happiness levels to new and improved heights! These workshops interweave holistic health knowledge, discussion and experiential learning to leave you feeling ready to carry these new home remedies into your daily routine. Below is a preview of what you will gain from attending either of these workshops. You will... 1. learn the best practices for combating stress...

I was recently asked to write a short biography for an upcoming high school class reunion.  This got me to thinking about what I'd learned during that time in my life ,and I realized that there was one insight that's fundamental to yoga. Like most teenagers, I was socially awkward, shy and very insecure.  Parties were a torture because I never quite knew what to do.  What I discovered, however, was that if I put a huge smile on my face, immersed myself in the music and let my body move, within 20 to 30 minutes I was happy. Inadvertently and at a very young age, I had found one of the secrets...

A beautiful quote from A Course In Miracles  T-2.V.6. "It should be emphasised again that the body does not learn any more than it creates. As a learning device it merely follows the learner, but if it is falsely endowed with self-initiative, it becomes a serious obstruction to the very learning it should facilitate. Only the mind is capable of illumination. Spirit is already illuminated and the body in itself is too dense. The mind, however, can bring its illumination to the body by recognising that it is not the learner, and is therefore unamenable to learning. The body is, however, easily...

By Lisa Jesswein I returned for a yoga class after what seemed like forever (3 weeks), and although I had been meditating and tossing a few down dogs in my day, it just wasn't the same as a class. As I rolled out my mat in my favorite spot, I smiled at what creatures of habit we are.  I very rarely choose any other spot on the floor and was so happy that this space was open.  Each pose felt like a welcome home party. When I returned to my house I posted on my Facebook page: "Thank you to Katherine Austin and Karma Yoga for reminding me that you can always come home. With a grateful heart...Lisa" ...

Have you seen that birthday card of the Dalai Lama opening his birthday gift and commenting, "Wow, Nothing! Just what I always wanted!"? As we enter this new year, imagine it as a gift. Pause to consider the offering, taking your time to appreciate the experience of the moment. Unwrap it slowly, mindfully. As you peer inside the box, you, like the Dalai Lama, are thrilled that the box is empty. Why? Because you can imagine what your gift, your year, might look like; you can design and create it in your own fashion. And with that energy, and input, your year may just manifest your desires. Now,...

Here we are once again watching the familiar ads about losing weight come across the TV screen after Xmas.  Year after year, they are the same.  Because we fall into the same traps. If these systems of weight loss work, why do we need to see the same ads year after year? They make me sad as they only address pretty much nothing.  Ok, maybe food portioning, which is a good thing for Americans to learn.  We've lost perspective of how much we really need to eat during a single day, much less a meal.  Some weight loss companies will send you food to your doorstep in the right portions, and that's...