Spirituality

Confessions of Fear and Courage

I titled this post “Confessions of Fear and Courage,” but it could just as easily have been called “Reflections of Memory and Calling.” William Maxwell wrote that “what we refer to confidently as memory is really a form of storytelling that goes on continually in the mind and often changes with the telling.” Anyone who’s practiced yoga with me has heard me say that everything is changing moment to moment. Memories are not immune to this reality. More and more, research shows us that memory is a process, not a thing. Memories aren’t files stored on the “hard drive” of ... (Continue Reading)

By Summer|2019-10-08T13:13:23-07:00March 16th, 2016|Art, Books, Creativity, Relationships, Religion, Scripture, Spirituality, Spring, Yoga|11 Comments

Remembering the Light Within

I had the opportunity to travel to Whittier Friends Church outside of LA this past weekend. I was invited by the dean of my seminary (Earlham School of Religion or ESR) to come and speak about entrepreneurial ministry, which is a name being applied to ministers working outside of traditional church settings. It's a growing reality and one that I'm happy to see ESR supporting. My own ministry work, which happens online, in yoga studios, and with one-on-one clients in my office, is definitely outside traditional structures. There is a hunger in our culture for authentic spiritual practice and a ... (Continue Reading)

By Summer|2019-10-08T14:54:08-07:00February 3rd, 2016|Books, Meditation, Practice, Quaker, Religion, Scripture, Spirituality, Yoga|4 Comments

New Year Intentions (2016)

As you've heard me say before, I love the New Year! I love turning the page to a brand new fresh year, full of possibility. I did away with hard and fast resolutions that start with "I will not..." a long time ago. These days I'm much more interested in positive intentions for the New Year. I'm interested in projects and goals. In 2015 my intention was to connect with nature in a deeper way and so my goal became to sleep outside more. So I created my "camp every month" project. And I did it! You can see pictures ... (Continue Reading)

By Summer|2019-10-08T14:56:53-07:00January 26th, 2016|Books, Creativity, Embodiment, Holidays, Nature, Practice, Relationships, Scripture, Spirituality, Workshops, Yoga|0 Comments

May there be peace on earth | Free practice (2015)

During the holidays we often hear the phrase "Let there be peace on earth." This a beautiful sentiment, one that I pray for everyday. Unfortunately, it's not a reality for many people. When I think about this, I often become overwhelmed. I'm unsure how to respond to all the needs within my family, my town, my country, my world. We are exposed to so much poverty, suffering, and terror on a daily basis. My prayers for peace feel inadequate. But prayers are powerful. I've been actively praying for the past 10-years. My personal understanding---and my theology---of prayer has changed radically ... (Continue Reading)

By Summer|2019-10-08T15:20:26-07:00December 8th, 2015|Asana, Embodiment, Holidays, Meditation, Practice, Pranayama, Religion, Scripture, Spirituality, Yoga|0 Comments

Reflections for the Autumn Equinox (2015)

The autumn season is officially upon us. Time to start wearing scarves and drinking more hot tea. The equinox is the time when the sun crosses the plane of the earth's equator (referred to as the celestial equator), making night and day approximately equal in length all over the planet. Today we will have the same amount of light and dark. From this day of balance, we will begin to slowly move toward more darkness than light. I always enjoy the changing of the seasons. The change provides us with a moment to pause and reflect every few months. Please enjoy ... (Continue Reading)

By Summer|2019-10-08T15:05:47-07:00September 22nd, 2015|Art, Autumn, Cooking, Creativity, Embodiment, Meditation, Nature, Practice, Recipes, Relationships, Spirituality|0 Comments

The Five Great Elements (Pancha Mahabhutas)

I've been called a tree hugger many times, which is a name I happily accept (and an action I admit to doing more than once!). I love trees. I love water. I love stars. I love nature. Recently I've been reflecting on the fact that I am nature. I've been studying Ayurvedic medicine (as part of my training in yoga therapy) and have been reading a lot about the Five Great Elements, which could also be called the five great states of material existence. As part of my study I've been reading about the creation story of Samkhya philosophy. Samkhya ... (Continue Reading)

By Summer|2015-08-20T14:49:02-07:00August 19th, 2015|Art, Creativity, Embodiment, Meditation, Nature, Practice, Pranayama, Religion, Spirituality, Yoga|0 Comments

Pancha Maya Koshas

July, 2015 The study of yoga takes a lifetime (or lifetimes). I have spent several years in full-time study of this ancient art and science and yet I'm constantly struck by how much more there is to study and understand. I have far to go (we always do it seems), but I'm encouraged and motivated by the very real ways that this practice has been integrated into my life. Yoga is the lens through which I look. My study and practice have slowly shifted my understanding, attitude, and actions. Life is change. And through yoga I have been able to ... (Continue Reading)

By Summer|2019-02-01T20:58:46-08:00July 14th, 2015|Art, Asana, Books, Creativity, Embodiment, Meditation, Nature, Practice, Pranayama, Relationships, Religion, Scripture, Spirituality, Training, Yoga|7 Comments

Internal Spring Cleaning – Prana, Apana, and Agni

A Practice for Internal Spring Cleaning: You've probably heard the term prana before. But have you heard of apana? Or udana? There are actually 5 pranas. They're called the vayus or the "forces of the air." They are: Prana vayu, which governs reception (eating, drinking, inhaling). Apana vayu, which governs elimination (going to the bathroom, giving birth, exhaling). Udana Vayu, which governs growth and transformation. Samana Vayu, which governs digestion (of anything... food, thoughts, etc.). Vyana Vayu, which governs circulation. Much could be said about the vayus, but for today, I want to focus on the forces of prana and ... (Continue Reading)

By Summer|2020-05-18T14:31:09-07:00May 7th, 2015|Asana, Embodiment, Meditation, Practice, Pranayama, Spirituality, Spring, Yoga|1 Comment

Inhale or Exhale?

“I think I’m more of the exhale type. I’m just going to stick with exhaling.” I can’t remember the context (or exact phrasing) of this statement, but the sentiment has stuck with me. I heard it on a recent episode of the podcast “On Being.” It was a conversation that included Parker Palmer, who is a well known author in Quaker circles. Palmer often writes about our innate wholeness, and I love that he used the breath to illustrate his point. The statement, as Palmer well knows, is absurd. Which side of the breath we will utilize isn’t something we ... (Continue Reading)

By Summer|2015-02-10T07:05:51-08:00February 9th, 2015|Nature, Practice, Scripture, Spirituality, Yoga|3 Comments