Hiatus

January 14th, 2012Service, Travel0 comments

I’ll be gone for awhile, not sure how long. Am taking a break from all else, returning to Chicago, and doing my best to help nurse this man back to health.

All healing vibes and positive energy gratefully accepted. Much love.

“Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.” ~Buddha

January 12th, 2012Wisdom0 comments

(photo by dejahthoris)

Same goes for prosperity, 1%ers. There’s plenty to go around.

The Basics: Vajrasana (Rock Pose)

January 8th, 2012Yoga0 comments

(photo by Anil Sharma)

Get into a kneeling posture, with the tops of the feet on the ground. Sit back on the heels so that they are pressed squarely against the sitting bones. Rest your hands comfortably on the thighs. Center your weight on the sitting bones through the heels and into the ground. Completely releasing your weight to gravity through the sitting bones and the heels can be challenging to the tops of the feet, but the legs will feel better and the spine will be in alignment. Some people find this seated posture to be easier than others. Rock Pose is a great pose to practice after eating or when experiencing stomach discomfort because it facilitates digestion.

Though one of the intro frames of this video says “women’s exercise”, rest assured it’s a pose for everyone!

(video courtesy of Harjiwan Yoga)

Turban Chic: Advanced Style Edition

January 7th, 2012Fashion, Inspiration0 comments

First off, I must publicly declare my love for Ari Seth Cohen‘s blog Advanced Style. He’s got a great eye, and takes lovely photos. What’s most impressive to me though is his devotion to the depiction of beauty with a sense of depth, the kind that only comes from a life well-lived. So many aspects of modern American mass culture relentlessly encourage the ridiculously impossible pursuit of eternal youth, which is not only exhausting and offensive, but downright poisonous. Along with aging comes the accumulation of knowledge, the cultivation of satisfying relationships. and an experientially-derived stockpile of wisdom. Doesn’t that sound better than an inescapable inferiority complex and a mountain of cosmetic surgery bills? Ay!

Anyway, I digress. I also love turbans because they look fantastic on people of all ages. These elegant ladies are absolutely owning their looks.

I had to include 2 photos of Lynn Dell, because she’s so comprehensively amazing:

All photos are from a turban-centric post on Advanced Style from this past October. The full image gallery and original post can be viewed here. Enjoy!

Why Complicate Life?

January 6th, 2012Inspiration, Wisdom0 comments

My first reaction to this was “Easier said than done”, but upon further reflection, it’s pretty easily done too.

(thanks to Sat Inder for sharing)

Gorgeous Yoga Sand Sculpture and Time-Lapse Video

January 3rd, 2012Art, Yoga0 comments

From Colossal Art and Design:

“Similar to a camera capturing multiple exposures in a single image, artist Katie Grinnan created this sculptural time-lapse of her body moving through a daily yoga routine using sand, plastic, and enamel. The end result is representative of both time and form as each split second is layered onto the last creating what is both a singular figure and many. Ginnan describes this as an exploration of “peripersonal” space. “Mirage focuses on the concept of peripersonal space, the space that your body encompasses at its most extended point in every direction, which describes the body’s potential boundary.”

More photos of her work can be seen here.

And this is a lovely time-lapse video of fellow yogini, artist, and intrepid traveler Meghan Currie doing yoga. Everything that’s beautiful becomes exponentially more poignant when set to the music of Philip Glass, no?

(more props to the All-Seeing Eye for the heads-up)

The Basics: Spinal Flex

January 2nd, 2012Anatomy, Yoga0 comments

Spinal flex (also called Camel Ride) is one of the quintessential Kundalini Yoga exercises. It is most often done while in Easy (cross-legged, seated) Pose, or Rock Pose (sitting on the heels). Inhale as you rock the pelvis forward, and push the chest forward and up. Then exhale as you round the lower back, rocking your pelvis back. This motion is repeated continuously for a few minutes. The duration will vary according to the yoga set, and to its teacher.

Here’s a video that provides a very thorough tutorial:

(courtesy of Anne Novak)

Happy New Year!

January 1st, 2012Inspiration, Wisdom0 comments

(photo courtesy of the inimitable RTP)

Even though times are often hard, I am still SO EXCITED for every day of life. Here’s to the best year yet!