When we hear the word strength, we ordinarily first think of physical strength. Strength also conveys some level of stability (Sthira) in being able to withstand varying degrees of pressure, including mental and emotional. Whereas physical strength is …
The mind is good at being divisive and looks for differences whereas the heart enjoys and finds comfort in common ground and unity. Of course there are countless things that are the same for everybody but one that is often taken for granted is that eve …
These words I am writing bubble up the surface in conclusion of a meditation retreat and as a product of a few days of silence. Two main ideas circle around me. First, what an arduous job it is to restrain the senses and concentrate one’s mind, how dif …
Karma: (noun) Action. Effect. Consequence. In its most basic form karma is the universal moral law of cause and effect – every action has a consequence. Reference to this is found in many different faiths: Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Christia …
As we bid farewell to 2020, we have gained the opportunity to see with clear eyes, the superficial and fragile construct of our systems and how the tiniest atom can shift the trajectory of the world. We have experienced one of the most transformative e …
Now and then over many years I have written the occasional FOTM. I realize now, that in one way or another I always write about awareness. As it is such a huge subject, I have approached this in different ways; the present moment, consciousness, the wi …
The meaning of life is to drop all the meanness. When meanness drops away—what remains is kindness. To choose kindness over meanness is to live a meaningful life. The purpose of our lives is to remember who we really are—to remember our eternal connect …
On a very hot day, after a long and rather hazardous walk in the tiny streets of an unknown city, I stumble upon a jewel, an Ali Baba’s cave of sorts. The owner of the shop welcomes me in with a “bonjour”, and it’s a festival of colors, sounds, and te …
Most of us have had the gift of a yoga teacher in our lives. This teacher is someone who has mastered yoga and can teach us the tools and techniques of yoga practice while also embodying the ideals of yoga in their life and inspiring us to strive to ac …
In the beginning of the Bhagavad Gita, we see a very distressed Arjuna whose mind is confused and full of anxiety. He tells his chariot driver, Krishna, that he doesn’t think he can go into battle and gives many reasons why. He wants to quit his job an …
Everything in this material world changes. It doesn’t always change according to how we would like it to, but as a yogi we learn how to be steady and even joyful in the midst of upheaval. Happiness is our true nature, to be unhappy is to deny our true …
The Yellow Crane Tower “The yellow crane has long since gone away, All that here remains is yellow crane tower. The yellow crane once gone does not return, White clouds drift slowly for a thousand years. The river is clear in Hanyang by the trees, And …