Beyond Asana Blog

My weekly blog is a forum for contemplative inquiry into the intersection of yoga practice, traditional teachings, and real life.

Essential Emptiness Nov 16, 2022


At the conclusion of last weekend’s Grounding in Gratitude workshop, one of the participants expressed her appreciation for the “long” final relaxation after the postural practice. In fact, it lasted only five minutes, though I fully appreciate how a good Savasana can wonderfully warp our sense of time. 
 
Acknowledging our need for deep rest, the group remarked on how tough it can be - even for those of us who know better - to give ourselves the time and space for it. I think there are some good reasons why we might resist giving ourselves permission to do nothing, even just for a few minutes. Yet, when we consider how life works, it seems...

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24 more hours Nov 09, 2022

 

Is not impermanence the very fragrance of our days?
- Rainer Maria Rilke
  
Congratulations! You’ve been given 24 brand-new, irreplaceable hours.
 
They’re pretty much guaranteed to be imperfect and to include moments that disappoint you and others that delight you.

How do you wish to live them?
 
There’s no shortage of ideas and inspiration for how to make the most of the time we have. It’s a question that’s been pondered by seekers, philosophers, and poets throughout the ages. Yet, it’s one that only we ourselves can answer.

 

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Softness is Your Strength Nov 02, 2022

 

I heard a wonderful anecdote recently about the revered Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, or Brother Thay as he was known by his community and students. It was told by a monk who served as his attendant for many years.

One day, as Thay was getting ready to leave the dining hall of the monastery where he lived, his attendant saw that there was a bottleneck of several hundred people gathered at the door. Because it was part of his job in such situations to make sure Thay had enough space to exit the room, he began to assert himself into the crowd, when suddenly he felt a gentle pull on his robes from behind. It was Thay, who without saying anything indicated that making space in this way...

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Thoughts on Living Spiritually Oct 26, 2022

 

In a moment of near-perfect irony, no sooner did I get settled on the couch to begin writing this post than I was interrupted by my teenage daughter, who was getting ready for school and asked me for help making breakfast.

It’s an example of the classic paradox for us householder yogis and a question I’m often asked: How do you balance your commitment to going deeper in yoga with honoring your roles and responsibilities in the world? Is it possible to do both? 

This is an especially challenging dilemma to resolve if we consider Classical Yoga - the yoga of Patanjali and the eight-limbed path - to be our only option. In fact, Classical Yoga was originally designed...

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Yoga and Collective Griefโ€‹ Oct 19, 2022

 
Did you hear the news out of Alaska last week that the annual winter snow crab season was cancelled, for the first time ever, because of a decline in the crab population that’s likely due to the warming of the Bering Sea?
 
For me, it was another sad reminder of the fragility of the world’s precious ecosystems. I know I’m not alone in feeling a sense of grief when thinking about the future of life on earth, or in the deep desire to contribute to the healing and sustaining of life on our beautiful, miraculous planet.
 
Collective grief happens when a community or a society experiences extreme change or loss. It can manifest in the wake of major events...

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To Share or Not to Share Oct 12, 2022

 

Recently, a yoga friend asked me why I don’t often speak or write about my spiritual experiences.
 
While I do share my inner experiences in yoga in specific contexts, it is also true that I’m selective about how, when, and with whom I speak about them. I am protective of my spiritual experiences because they are so meaningful and precious to me.  
 
In an era where it can feel like we’ve barely finished doing something before we feel the urge to share it, I think there are some important reasons for holding your inner experiences in yoga close.  
 
For one thing, deep spiritual experiences take time to assimilate....

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Out of Time Oct 05, 2022

 

Over the past month, I’ve been participating in the Work that Reconnects with an online practice group. This is a set of teachings and methods developed by root teacher Joanna Macy that are aimed at deepening our capacity to act for the sake of life on earth. 

As part of this process, last week we explored concept of ‘deep time.’ It offers a fascinating reframe of how we envision and relate to time. 

Usually, we think of and experience time as moving in a linear way, as a continuum of past, present, and future. Deep time posits another intriguing possibility: what if we could experience time as existing in concentric circles, with us in the present at...

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Chose Your Weapon Sep 28, 2022


It’s Navaratri, the Hindu celebration of nine nights dedicated to the Goddess. During this time, the Shakti, the creative power of consciousness, is honoured in some of her many forms.

All the deities of the Hindu pantheon represent aspects of ourselves. While their powers may lie dormant, be forgotten, or denied, it is important to remember that they are nothing outside of us. They are inherent powers that we can choose to enliven within ourselves.

Durga is one the great warrior goddesses. Her name means "the invincible." She came into being to destroy the demons of greed, pride, selfishness, and so on, to protect and preserve the harmony of the world.

In fact, this celebration of...

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Freedom and Forgiveness Sep 21, 2022

 

I recently had the good fortune to spend time with a dear friend and mentor who was nearing the end of her life. I was so inspired by the joy, courage, and intentionality with which she was living her final days. At 86 years old, she told me how immensely grateful she felt for having lived a wonderful and full life.

As we sat in her backyard drinking coconut water on a hot afternoon, she shared with me that the most important thing she felt she needed to focus on was forgiveness. This included forgiving herself for any circumstances or situations that might feel incomplete, forgiving others unreservedly, and asking for forgiveness from others whom she may have hurt or wronged,...

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Mining the Moment Sep 14, 2022

 

A few months ago, I sat on my couch at the end of a long day, pausing to rest and look out the window for a few minutes before getting started on dinner. I was feeling weary, disheartened, and troubled by current events. A few minutes later, the sun had reached the perfect angle to flood our living room - and me - with light. It was pretty magical. 
 
As the sunlight streamed through the room it made everything it touched luminous and golden. As I sat there basking in its warmth, my jaw softened, my shoulders relaxed, and my breath slowed down to a smooth, full rhythm. I felt that the sunlight wasn’t just shining on my face, it was also seeping into my being, bathing...

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