The Teacher’s Journal

….try to watch the whole thing if you can………..i’ll post it over there on the right with my others asap. …..”14 months in the making, 42 countries, and a cast of thousands”!!

For More Information on the creator of this wonderful clip: Go here.

Click on a picture.

Find Me

Could you feel it?

The dissemintating moon phase slides in softly, easily.

Mercury is completing it’s retrograde period and we are moving easier to Center now….just a few ripples in the pond…….no tsunami here. We are grateful, yes?

Imagine a world where

“………..everything is music”. (rumi)

I even love the word…..festival. There’s so much potential for fun, laughter, hugs, smiles & generally good vibrations. It’s gonna be a great day!

Lately I have become fascinated, once again, with Mudras. Mudra’s are the hand postitions often used in Indian dance, Yoga asana’s, and during meditation practices. If you look at the pictures of Buddah and the pantheon of other Eastern gods & goddesses you will always see them holding their hands in a particular way.

Swami Kripalu, the guru of Kripalu Yoga, was often photographed with his hands in a particular position. Many of those that had the opportunity to be with him when he was alive reported that his personal sadhana (spiritual practice) was sprinkled thruout with beautiful hand gestures and movements. It was clear to those that watched that he seemed fascinated by his hands.  It seemed quite mysterious and entrancing to me when I watched a video of his practice.

As time marched on these mudras or hand positions took on a life of their own and are believed to be a ‘yoga of the hands’ with specialized healing properties. When used during asana, pranayama, or meditation it is believed that a particular circuitry of neural pathways becomes established and something happens. (ie. heart rate slows, digestion eases, etc.) If you consider the meridian system as established by the Chinese Acupuncturist, this all makes sense.) After all, we too have all kinds of ‘meanings’ that are attached to various hand gestures in our culture as well.

Palmistry, divination thru the hands, can also trace it’s origins back to the earliest of spiritual seekers. They understood that our lives are reflected by our hands and it reads just like a book if you have the eyes to see.

Most recently I began to study mudras with one of my teachers, Joseph LaPage. We are using them in conjunction with yoga therapy. Many people are unable to perform the yoga asana’s due to physical limitations. However, just about everyone can do things with their hands. When used along with the breathing practices, affirmations, and meditation, mudras can be a powerful way to create focus, concentration, stillness and a deep sense of peace. Try it for yourself.

They’d have a lot more fun if they’d take their shoes off and lighten up!

………24 days until danskinetics!

Find Center……………….stay there…………keep moving……..

Over the years I have worked & studied with a variety of musicians, dancers, movement therapists and yoga teachers including Gabrielle Roth, Emily Conrad, Anodea Judith, Selene Vega, Shiva Rae, Dan Levin, Connie Miller, Jeffrey Hoffman and many of the Danskinetics teachers at Kripalu Center. My experiences with these teachers brought positive changes to my life and continue to inspire me every day.

Getting my yoga ‘off the mat’ was intimidating, exciting, and pleasantly stressful when I first tried it. Ugh. All those thoughts & feelings about what I was doing, and what “others” would think of me, and how come I feel so ’stiff’??????? However, as far as a tool for ’shifting energies’ around in the body, nothing beats this type of practice. And once we shift energy inside of us, wonderful things begin to happen in our lives.

Did you know that dancing was banned in certain cultures and civilizations?
It’s an interesting piece of history to check out.

Banish Dance Reluctance!
Go find a yoga/dance class in your area and try it!

Dance, when you’re broken open.

Dance, if you’ve torn the bandage off.

Dance in the middle of fighting.

Dance in your blood.

Dance, when you’re perfectly free.

rumi