Greetings Reader, When the world feels like it’s falling apart, joy can feel out of reach—or even inappropriate. And yet, we hear that allowing ourselves to be joyful—insisting on joyfulness in spite of oppression—is an act of resistance. If joy is to be a meaningful act of resistance, it has to be rooted in something deeper than our circumstances. Yoga offers that depth. How? By showing us a path to the highest love. Yoga wisdom describes a complete Absolute Truth that’s both a what and a...
2 days ago • 3 min read
Greetings Reader, I admit it: I've been an asana slacker lately. So I've made a commitment to dedicate more time to my physical practice this summer. Aside from all of its other benefits, a regular asana practice is a great way to wring the stress out of your body. And these are stressful times. Pranayama is also a great stress reliever; conscious breathing is how I get my mind and body in sync before I start my meditation practice. which is a little ironic because meditation is how I do the...
9 days ago • 3 min read
Greetings Reader, Pop quiz: Is yoga . . . A: neutral territory that welcomes every perspective? or B: based on a philosophy with a perspective of its own? You may think that yoga is inclusive, so the answer must be “A: neutral territory – everyone is welcome.” I think that’s true. But is everyone’s perspective welcome? If you think that everyone’s opinion is a personal truth that's just as valid as anyone else’s, then you might once again choose “A: neutral territory – all perspectives...
12 days ago • 2 min read
Greetings Reader, Many of my friends, students, and colleagues are telling me how overwhelmed they feel by everything that's going on right now: the horror and hostility, the parade and the protests, confrontations, assassinations, and a wannabe king’s unprecedented disdain for the rule of law. If you're feeling overwhelmed, too, you're in good company. Yoga wisdom tells us that moments like these—when the stakes are high and the path forward seems uncertain—are not new: they’re part of an...
16 days ago • 3 min read
Greetings Reader, A shift is happening in modern yoga and spiritual spaces. Teachings from sacred traditions are being reinterpreted—this time to support authoritarian narratives of social hierarchy, racial purity, and selective justice. Has ancient wisdom been hijacked to serve authoritarian ideals? Or has the yoga tradition always supported social hierarchies and inequality? Does yoga philosophy align with liberal values like inclusivity, environmentalism, and social justice? Or have...
19 days ago • 2 min read
Greetings Reader, Have you ever asked yourself, “Where the hell am I?” I’m betting you have. I have. Just last week. I was in New York City — home sweet home. Not a place I can easily get lost in. And yet, . . . I popped out of the subway in a part of town that had changed so much since the last time I was there that I had a, “Wait — where am I?” moment. It only took me a second to get oriented thanks to the fact that Manhattan’s grid turns the flow of traffic into a reliable compass. But...
23 days ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, If you’ve graduated from a YTT but you don’t really feel prepared to teach, my small group mentorship program can help you make the transition from going through the motions to teaching real classes with confidence . If you’ve been teaching for a while but want help developing truly transformative classes, my mentorship program is where you’ll learn how make a meaningful impact on the lives of your students If you’re an experienced teacher who’s feeling uninspired or stuck in a...
26 days ago • 2 min read
Greetings Reader - Our free monthly series, Community Conversations, continues next week. This month, we’re going to talk about where the current wave of right wing influence on the yoga community came from: is it a relatively new phenomenon or have the roots of the "Cosmic Right" always been here? Conventional wisdom sets modern yoga in the context of liberal values and progressive agendas, such as pushing back against cultural appropriation and colonial oppression by honoring the original...
27 days ago • 1 min read
Greetings Reader, If you want to prove that a yoga teaching should be considered “right knowledge,” there are three kinds of evidence you have to present: Direct perception—does the teaching correspond to your lived experience? Logic—does the teaching make sense when you think it all the way through? Testimony—is the teaching corroborated by authoritative sources of knowledge? According to the Yoga-sutras, if a teaching meets all three criteria, we can consider it “right knowledge.” Which...
30 days ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, The best way for a yoga teacher to get a return on the investment they make in training is to enroll in a program that offers practical, actionable skills for building a sustainable career. Skills like brand development, strategic marketing, and how to design classes and workshops that reflect your unique voice as a teacher. Unfortunately, these skills are often missing from YTT curriculums—making it harder for yoga teachers to recoup the time and money they’ve already invested. Of...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read