Blogs

You come in to teach your regular weekly class.  You see the usual lineup: familiar students, new students and some teachers on staff laying their mats down for another beautiful time together as a "yoga family."  You can't wait to be together again. You've planned out in your mind what you hope to share. music and yoga.  You begin to "tune in" your class with your favorite mantra, allow the sound current from your iPad to start its transformational magic and finally, the sacred teachings of yoga begin to flow through you, out into the classroom. Maybe you're a quarter of the way way into...

After teaching yoga, I often go next-door and shop at a local grocery that carries many of the healthier foods I like to eat. I've been going to this store for probably 6 years, since it opened.  I guess you could say I'm a regular now. And since I own the yoga studio next-door, I've gotten to know many of the employees. Some have come and some have gone but I always love chatting up yoga, conscious living or sharing something to "lighten" their day. However lately, the most enlightened young man disguised as a cashier has been "studying" with me in the checkout lane. Check-Out Yoga! We met...

**Warning!! The following discussion is not for everyone :)  If you're willing to keep your mind open, then keep calm and read on! There I was one summer up in northern Michigan, lying on an air mattress in a tent about 5 or 6 years ago, and I heard this voice: "You've done all that you can.  It's time to let go." "Who said that? Who's there?" I was a little startled when the voice came through so loud and clear. I needed to get up and look around to see who was talking! At first you think you're hearing things or making it up or need more sleep. You think you might be losing it. What's actually...

Doug Cale BY DOUG CALE While in Chicago recently, I had the opportunity to do something that I used to do often – spend time browsing a brick and mortar bookstore instead of going to Amazon on my browser. It's intrinsic in me to want to understand what is ultimately real about our Universe, so I always start in the science section. The book I had in mind wasn't there so I changed it up. Rather than seeking out the newest on what the world is all about, I looked for the oldest record that I could find. I purchased The Upanishads.  I first learned of The Upanishads at Karma Yoga while...

Sounds so trivial and silly huh? Somedays I have to literally make that decision.  Sometimes I may only have enough time to meditate or wash my hair before I have to get to the next item on my agenda. And I have a lot of hair so hairasana is not quick for me! I would rather put on a hat than skip my meditation any day.  No matter how nice my hair may look, if I skip my morning meditation to wash and style it, my mind (thoughts, words and actions as well) could still be so "dirty" that glowing hair couldn't hide a thing. Cleansing my mind each morning from yesterday's old vibrations, fears,...

Oh, happy day!  Even though January 2014 has come to a close, there is still plenty of time to set your intention to be powerful and free.  Everyday, (new year or not) is a clear opportunity to begin your body and soul work-in/workout and start shining your brightest light ever.There is no time like now.The sooner you begin to unload, by saying "see ya, bye" to the ancient stories about yourself (the ones that have held you hostage for decades) and those nasty, destructive habits that seem to march right along with them, the sooner lightness and liberation will come. Sounds amazing, right? It...

Recently an article has been going around the Internet, specifically the yoga community, on the trouble with Yoga Alliance.  They are the organization that runs yoga teacher training certification. Some have voiced that they are not doing their job properly and are at fault for the "state" of yoga these days. First of all, let's CELEBRATE that so many ARE practicing yoga! Thank God! More souls walking this earth with fewer internal wounds is great for our society. Now let's hope that more move into BEING yoga so there are fewer external wounds. The poses are not the yoga but the technology...

For the past few months, since winter has descended upon Southeast Michigan, I've had the daily pleasure of looking out my kitchen window at 3 chubby squirrels preparing for and then enjoying winter's abundance. I love how they frolic from the high wires onto my golden delicious apple tree and perch themselves on the bare branches to methodically chow on leftover apples.  They are so happy, playful and content even when it was -14 degrees - while we humans were complaining. In the past, I used to knock myself out, picking up all the apples on the ground that the tree decided to release as if...

Are you afraid of a committed relationship with….. YOU?  I bet you thought I was talking about an intimate partner.  You're right! It's your soul. It doesn't get more intimate than that. As a yoga teacher and a studio owner, I often hear from many that it's hard to create, much less commit to a daily yoga, sadhana or spiritual practice.  That makes sense to me. We have so many demands on the path of the "householder." If we choose to be in society, have jobs and relationships, then that's the path we're on. The path of the householder is one of fulfillment.  We are here to fulfill...

I forgot how intense and wildly invigorating an hour of snowshoeing can be. Plowing through a foot and a half of fresh angelic snow this morning, up and down the endless undulating hills of the neighboring golf course, took every ounce of power and perseverance I could muster. Of course, my son Ben and our dog Franky glided through the trenches and snow traps with no trouble. Born with an unrelenting desire to challenge myself, I just had to try a snow-stand; that's a handstand in the snow. Lifting myself up with my boots and snowshoes on proved to be the most physically demanding thing I have...