As humans we alway seem to be craving the next thing or what we don’t have. We waste time in regret. We overthink what we could have done differently.  Our minds always taking us away from the moment.

Currently I am away from my family in a gorgeous, little beach town in Mexico. There are blue skies and soft sand. I am free to dip in the ocean and walk the beach at sunset. I wake to the soft colours of the sunrise and have time to drink my coffee and write.

I notice my mind drifting back home. I wonder how my children are. I am even craving the cool weather of the Pacific Northwest. I laugh to myself at what a challenge it is to be here now.

So I roll out my mat and do my practice. I feel my feet root down. I allow my breath to lift me up. I let my head rest on my spine and I settle into my body. I move through a series of postures and pay attention to what I feel and it grounds me into the here and now.

After my mindful movement I sit and watch my breath. In these quiet, conscious...

For some, the Christmas season brings joy and happiness. For others it can bring stress, pressure and even sadness.  Some people love the holiday season, and others dread it.

Wherever you land on the spectrum of loving or hating this time of year, here are some suggestions to stay more mindful and balanced as we enter the holiday season.

1- Learn to say no.

Don’t feel obligated to attend every gathering. Pick and choose what you agree to attend. It is not your responsibility to be present to every dinner or concert. You are allowed to decline an invitation. This does not equate to being rude. It means you are capable of recognizing when your plate is too full and smart enough to not add on more.

2- Let go of expectations.

Sometimes this time of year brings with it ideas of cheer and magic, but oftentimes what we experience is sadness or frustration. If we can allow things to unfold instead of creating ideas around what it has to be we can save ourselves a lot of disappointment. We can...

I had the honor of revisiting The Work of Byron Katie with my online community last week, and wow!

Every time I move my limiting beliefs through her powerful four questions I watch my mind open up in ways I never even knew existed. If you haven't heard of The Work, let me introduce you to it.

And if you already have some experience with it, maybe this is the nudge you need to have another look at it.

The Work is simple, but not necessarily easy. It is a profound process that will allow you identify and release the friction you are feeling in your life.

The first step is to come up with a short and clear statement around the issue.

 ~ Think about where are you experiencing frustration or conflict, and come up with a single sentence that encompasses what's going on.

Here are some examples: My co-worker / boss walks all over me. My husband doesn't listen to me. If I don't do everything right as a parent, my children will lose their way. My friend betrayed me. My dad does not accept ...

I have been teaching Yoga for over 20 years and I have been practicing meditation for just as long. I have always tried to include elements of what I learn through my meditation practice into what I teach on the mat.

The teachings of Yoga and meditation are not separate. The goal of Asana practice is to condition the body to be able to sit and also to bring us towards a contemplative state; to prepare us for meditation.

For many decades there has been a misconception that Yoga is about stretching, or acrobatics. I am grateful that I learned Yoga in India where it is taught more traditionally. Yoga is a vast science / art. It encompasses more than just physical movements.

Today, I wanted to write a bit more about meditation because my students are asking for it.  In the past, I would tell people to go to a 10-day Vipassina retreat. There are centers all over the world and it is by far the best way to do a deep dive into a silent practice.

I still believe if you can go to one of thes...