Welcome to the full library of Yoga Church Sunday Sermons
May these teachings be useful and nourishing for you!
Yoga Sutra 1.38
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons JOIN US for the online Yoga Church Sunday Gathering. Click here for the details. In the first chapter ... (Continue Reading)
Yoga Sutra 1.37
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons JOIN US for the online Yoga Church Sunday Gathering. Click here for the details. In the first chapter of the Yoga Sutra, we’re ... (Continue Reading)
Yoga Sutra 1.36
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons JOIN US for the online Yoga Church Sunday Gathering. Click here for the details. We've been studying the inner obstacles that keep us ... (Continue Reading)
Yoga Sutra 1.35
In the first chapter of the Yoga Sutra, we’re given a list of nine obstacles that get in our way. These obstacles are the inner blocks that keep us from moving in the ... (Continue Reading)
Yoga Sutra 1.34
In the first chapter of the Yoga Sutra, we’re given a list of nine obstacles that get in our way. These obstacles are the inner blocks that keep us from moving in the ... (Continue Reading)
Yoga Sutra 1.33
In the first chapter of the Yoga Sutra, we’re given a list of nine obstacles that get in our way. These obstacles are the inner blocks that keep us from moving in the ... (Continue Reading)
Yoga Sutra 1.30
In the first chapter of the Yoga Sutra, we’re given a list of nine obstacles that get in our way. These obstacles are the inner blocks that keep us from moving in the ... (Continue Reading)
What’s the thread you don’t ever let go of?
This meditative sermon is rooted in the poem "The Way It Is" by William Stafford. It takes us into the realms of mystery, memory, practice, and the silence that resides in the heart. ... (Continue Reading)
Bhagavad Gita 3.30
This sermon is rooted in a teaching from the Bhagavad Gita. A teaching that helps keep the knots of my heart untangled. I hope it will serve your heart as well. Action ... (Continue Reading)
Opening the Heart
One of our constant questions these past few months has been: How can we move through the world from the energy of love? This week's sermon is a deeply personal reflection on the ... (Continue Reading)
Spaciousness
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons After a beautiful conversation about the source of love at last week's Yoga Church Gathering, I set out to write a sermon on the topic. But, as ... (Continue Reading)
The Daily Practice of Love
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons The Daily Practice of Love REFLECTION QUESTIONS Have you ever paid attention to how much energy you spend ... (Continue Reading)
Yoga Sutra 2.1 Kriya Yoga
A Three Legged Stool: the Practice of Kriya Yoga REFLECTION QUESTIONS Where does the energy and strength to do hard things come from? What helps you see things ... (Continue Reading)
bhavana: to cultivate, bring about, and dwell upon
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons A few weeks ago, as we celebrated the arrival of spring, I asked you to contemplate your sense of intention. To craft a simple phrase that ... (Continue Reading)
Coming to Practice as a Refuge
The practice of yoga asks us to find the Center point deep within. It asks us to find a posture of steadiness and ease, a place from which we can relax into the ... (Continue Reading)
Niyama Recap
We’re coming to the end of our study of the niyamas (for now…) and I’m excited to share a guest sermon written by my friend and colleague Marci Becker. She offers deep reflection ... (Continue Reading)
Yoga Sutra 2.45 Ishvara Pranidhana
Today's sermon dives into the final niyama, which asks us to explore our relationship with the Mystery we most often call God. I know this topic can be tricky. It can be difficult ... (Continue Reading)
Yoga Sutra 2.44 Svadhyaya
In this week's sermon we turn our attention toward the 4th niyama (remember, the 5 niyamas form the foundation of our personal practice). The 4th niyama is svadhyaya, which means "to move toward ... (Continue Reading)
Yoga Sutra 2.43 Tapas
Tapas is such an integral part of practice that my teacher says: “There can be no Yoga without tapas.” This sermon is about inner fire. It's about what it takes to build, contain, ... (Continue Reading)
Yoga Sutra 2.42 Santosha
Yoga Sutra 2.42 Santosha (& Gratitude) REFLECTION QUESTIONS How often does your thinking take the shape of an if/then statement? If this happens, then I’ll be happy... When ... (Continue Reading)
Yoga Sutra 2.40-41 Sauca
Yoga Sutra 2.40-41 Śauca (& clarity) REFLECTION QUESTIONS What are the habits that hinder your ability to think clearly, choose happiness, maintain focus, and remember your True Self? ... (Continue Reading)
Niyama: Foundations of Personal Practice
Yoga is a state of being AND the practices that help us reach that state of being. The practices of yoga are laid out in an 8-limbed path that includes everything you would suspect: ... (Continue Reading)
What Grounds and Guides You?
I wrote this sermon at the end of 2020. But its message continues to feel relevant. As we make our way into the heart of winter, I offer you this meditative, practical sermon. ... (Continue Reading)
Gratitude as a Quality of Being
The 2nd limb of yoga practice is called the niyama, which is a 5-part teaching about how to live in right relationship with yourself. It's a potent set of teachings that includes the ... (Continue Reading)
Svadhyaya: Exploring The Stories That Shape Us
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons Late Fall 2020 Svadhyaya: Exploring the stories that shape us. REFLECTION QUESTIONS These are big questions and I ... (Continue Reading)
Finding Refuge
HERE I AM. Take a breath and say it to yourself: Here I am. What's happening in your life right now? Take another breath and let's say it together: Here we are. HERE ... (Continue Reading)
The Beauty of Feeling
Sometimes strong emotions—like anger or despair—make us feel uncomfortable or guilty. Sometimes we're tempted to push strong emotions away. But our emotions keep us rooted in our humanity. And our world needs our ... (Continue Reading)
Here We Are (an invitation to grieve together)
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons Early Fall 2020 There’s so much happening in the world right now and we need to meet it as our best selves. (Please know when I ... (Continue Reading)
Lady Gaga, Jesus, and an angel walk into a bar. A recap of the Yama-s.
We're coming to the end of our study of the yama-s (for now...) and I'm excited to share a guest sermon written by my friend and colleague Marci Becker. She offers deep personal ... (Continue Reading)
Yoga Sutra 2.39 Aparigraha
This sermon dives deep into the final yama, which is non-grasping or non-attachment. How does our need to acquire and possess keep us from living in right relationship with the world? This question ... (Continue Reading)
Yoga Sutra 2.38 Brahmacarya
This week we're exploring brahmacarya—which is quite possibly the most confusing yama. This sermon explores the many facets of brahmacarya and asks good questions about how we build, contain, and harness our energy ... (Continue Reading)
Yoga Sutra 2.37 Asteya
In this week's sermon we're focusing on the yama of asteya, or non-stealing. It might seem really easy to say: "I don't steal. Check!" But just like everything, stealing is a much more ... (Continue Reading)
Yoga Sutra 2.36 Satya
We continue our exploration of the five yama-s (the ethical underpinning of yoga) with satya, or truthfulness. This sermon leads us back into our study of the klesha-s (the things that keep us ... (Continue Reading)
Yoga Sutra 2.35 Ahimsā
This week begins our exploration of the yama-s (the ethical underpinning of yoga). We begin with ahimsā, which is most often translated as non-violence, but is so much more than the suppression of ... (Continue Reading)
YAMA: The Ethical Underpinning of Yoga
Yoga is a state of being AND the practices that help us reach that state of being. The practices of yoga are laid out in an 8-limbed path that includes everything you would ... (Continue Reading)
Thoughts on Spiritual Bypassing vs. Spiritual Resourcing
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons Late Spring 2020 Let's begin with our simple mantra. Let's presence ourselves: Here we are. Here we are in this moment. This complex and potent moment. ... (Continue Reading)
We have to imagine the world as if it could be otherwise.
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons Late Spring 2020 First of all, let me say thank you! Last Sunday I took a break to cultivate the pause. And I really paused. I ... (Continue Reading)
The Next, Right Action
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons Late Spring 2020 Do you ever look at everything happening in the world and feel overwhelmed? Me too. But we can't get lost or frozen in ... (Continue Reading)
Spiritual Practices for Beltane
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons Spiritual Practices for Beltane The moment we're born, we inhale. And with this powerful first in-breath, we're called to exhale. And the rhythm of life begins! ... (Continue Reading)
Let’s Not Go Back To Normal – Coronavirus and Action
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons Early Spring 2020 Did you know that I love superhero movies? Superman, Captain America, Thor... I love these characters. In fact, I keep their action figures ... (Continue Reading)
The Space Between – Coronavirus and Emotion
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons Early Spring 2020 This was a tough week for me. I found myself randomly bursting into tears while listening to a doctor on a podcast or ... (Continue Reading)
Here We Are | Coronavirus and Grief
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons Early Spring 2020 As you can imagine I had a whole set of sermons planned for the spring season. But this week, I decided to set ... (Continue Reading)
Spring Equinox in the Context of Covid-19
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons the Spring Equinox in the Context of Covid-19 This past Thursday was officially the equinox, and in the northern hemisphere we've moved into brighter, lighter days! The ... (Continue Reading)
Late Winter Part 4: Love as an Inner Sanctuary
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons Late Winter 2020 | MEDITATIONS ON LOVE I have an important question for you: How do you talk to yourself in the privacy of your own ... (Continue Reading)
Late Winter Part 3: Love as the Practice of Attention
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons Late Winter 2020 | MEDITATIONS ON LOVE Can I be vulnerable and admit some embarrassing behavior? Last year—when I wrote the sermon I'm sharing with you today—I ... (Continue Reading)
Late Winter Part 2: Love & Sacrifice
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons Late Winter 2020 | MEDITATIONS ON LOVE Love is a word that means SO many different things in our culture. It can be utterly casual—almost to the point of ... (Continue Reading)
Late Winter Part 1: The Middle Ground Between Love & Contempt
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons Late Winter 2020 | MEDITATIONS ON LOVE After listening to the very first Yoga Church Sunday sermon called “Who, or what, is God?”, a Quaker friend of ... (Continue Reading)
Spiritual Practices for Imbolc
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons Spiritual Practices for Imbolc It's the beginning of February. Which, for those of us living in the northern hemisphere, means we've reached the middle of winter. And ... (Continue Reading)
Yoga Nidra
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons Early Winter 2020 | Reflections on the Practice of Sabbath Every six weeks or so, we turn our attention toward sabbath. We explore the practice of rest. ... (Continue Reading)
Early Winter Part 4: Connecting with Divine Mystery
I've got a great sermon for you this morning. It's the last one in our early winter series (I've loved this group of sermons). As you know we've been exploring Divine Mystery. We ... (Continue Reading)
Early Winter Part 3: Finding Refuge
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons Early Winter 2020 | Opening to Mystery Our sermon this week explores some common themes of the yoga church: How do we root our identity in something ... (Continue Reading)
Early Winter Part 2: Yearning
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons Early Winter 2020 | Opening to Mystery Happy New Year!! 2020. Pretty wild... There's so much talk about goals and resolutions and hopes and dreams right now. ... (Continue Reading)
Early Winter Part 1: Seeking
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons Early Winter 2019 | Opening to Mystery Can you believe we’re at the end of a decade? It feels like kind of a big deal. And as ... (Continue Reading)
Spiritual Practices for the Winter Solstice
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons Spiritual Practices for the Winter Solstice Through the practice of intentional season keeping we can let our souls rest in our intrinsic relationship with Nature. We can ... (Continue Reading)
The Sabbath Box
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons Late Autumn 2019 | Reflections on the Practice of Sabbath The Sabbath Box In last week's sermon we talked about two Sanskrit words: samyoga (joining with) and ... (Continue Reading)
Late Autumn Part 4: Turn, Turn, Turn
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons Late Autumn 2019 | Exploring Darkness My dear friend has a little sticky note on her bathroom mirror. It reads: "What you pay attention to grows." I ... (Continue Reading)
Late Autumn Part 3: The Kind of Person I Am
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons Late Autumn 2019 | Exploring Darkness You've heard me say it before... The Yoga Church has two goals. It's my hope that together we can: Connect with ... (Continue Reading)
Late Autumn Part 2: Prayerfully Awake
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons Late Autumn 2019 | Exploring Darkness What do you want? I'm not talking about Christmas list desires here. I'm talking about the call of your heart. What do ... (Continue Reading)
Late Autumn Part 1: Unraveling Truth & Fear
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons Late Autumn 2019 | Exploring Darkness Let's start with a confession. Writing is hard. OK, I know that's not a very dramatic confession and I hope you're ... (Continue Reading)
Spiritual Practices for Samhain
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons Spiritual Practices for Samhain As October turns into November we reach the peak of autumn. In the Celtic Wheel of the Year we celebrate the cross quarter ... (Continue Reading)
Why I quit drinking. And other thoughts on rest.
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons Early Autumn 2019 | Reflections on the Practice of Sabbath Why I quit drinking. And other thoughts on rest... I've got a personal reflection to share with you. ... (Continue Reading)
Early Autumn Part 4: Who Am I Becoming?
We become who we practice becoming. This idea has become a refrain that I repeat over and over and over again. Yoga teacher and author Donna Farhi says that we can only judge ... (Continue Reading)
Early Autumn Part 3: Turning Toward the Light
Last week (click here if you missed part 2) we talked about identity and explored what it means to live in connection with the Eternal in the midst of everyday life. I ended ... (Continue Reading)
Early Autumn Part 2: Something Beyond Death
Something Beyond Death REFLECTION QUESTIONS AFTERLIFE | What did your family of origin teach you about what happens to us after we die? ... (Continue Reading)
Early Autumn Part 1: Accepting Change and Death
Accepting Change and Death REFLECTION QUESTIONS What are you afraid of? What do you care about? What connections do you ... (Continue Reading)
Spiritual Practices for the Fall Equinox
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons Spiritual Practices for the Fall Equinox A few years ago I asked my students to share something about how this time of year makes them feel. Several ... (Continue Reading)
May all beings be happy and free
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons. June 30th, 2019 The Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu Mantra Watch: or Listen: or Read: Prayer offers us a way to respond when awful ... (Continue Reading)
The Purnamadah Mantra
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons. June 23rd, 2019 The Purnamadah Mantra Watch: or Listen: or Read: At the center of the Isha Upanishad, which is an ancient Hindu ... (Continue Reading)
The Gayatri Mantra
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons. June 16th, 2019 The Gayatri Mantra Watch: or Listen: or Read: I’ve spent the better part of my adult life searching for a ... (Continue Reading)
the Asatoma Sadgamaya Mantra
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons. June 9th, 2019 I don't know if you saw my instagram post earlier this week... I shared about a hard moment transformed by mantra. I was reacting to something ... (Continue Reading)
The Hrdayam Mayi Mantra
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons. June 2nd, 2019 This week we're beginning a new sermon series all about mantra and prayer (two of my very favorite things!). And we're starting with a ... (Continue Reading)
Spiritual Practice: The Art of Uncovering & Remembering
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons May 12, 2019 Life is hard. And then it isn't. And then it is. And then it isn't. Right? Sometimes it just feels like the emotional ... (Continue Reading)
A Beltane Celebration of Fertility and Union
When I was a little girl my grandmother would take me and my sister to the Peaceful Valley Community Center on May Day to make flower crowns and dance around the maypole. It's ... (Continue Reading)
Easter in two parts: Jesus and Salvation
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons Easter (originally posted in 2019) Happy Easter! Easter is a holiday that helps us welcome spring and renew our sense of hope in the world. This ... (Continue Reading)
Cultivate, Bring About, Dwell Upon
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons. April 7, 2019 Can I offer you a bit of love this morning? I know that all the love we need already exists. It's real. It's in ... (Continue Reading)
The Springtime Practice of Intention
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons. March 31st, 2019 I am feeling inspired this morning... Yesterday I spent two hours in conversation and practice with the students enrolled in my online Yoga for ... (Continue Reading)
Balancing our Multi Layered Lives (Spring Equinox 2019)
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons. March 24th, 2019 The spring equinox always feels like an ignition key to me... This is an amazing time of year to ponder big dreams and articulate ... (Continue Reading)
Intentional Experiments with Change (Lent & Kriya Yoga)
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons. March 10th, 2019 Change is constant. Everything about life is changing every moment of every day. And yet, making an intentional change is hard. How are both ... (Continue Reading)
A Ritual of Ash and Dust
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons March 3rd, 2019 How often do you pause to remember how short life is? I've been taught that yoga practice prepares us for the moment of ... (Continue Reading)
Wrestling with Mystery
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons. February 17, 2019 Have you ever fought with someone all night long?? Have you ever fought with yourself all night long? Yeah, me too. Which is why ... (Continue Reading)
What do you want to have faith in?
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons. February 10, 2019 People don't usually expect their minister to be a yoga teacher. They also don't expect their yoga teacher to be a minister. But here ... (Continue Reading)
What we say & What we do
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons. February 3rd, 2019 Does the creative process ever surprise you? It definitely surprised me this week... I'm in the process of drafting a new series for us ... (Continue Reading)
To Weaken the Causes of Suffering (Kriya Yoga)
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons. January 27, 2019 This week we're exploring the practice of Three Essential Things. So obviously, I decided to cover 3 rocks in gold leaf. Last week's sermon ... (Continue Reading)
Future Suffering is to be Avoided (Yoga Sutra 2.16)
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons. January 20, 2019 I've got a new sermon for you today! But I have to warn you... It poses some big questions. I hope you'll take some ... (Continue Reading)
Transformation Begins with an Inkling
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons. January 13, 2019 Have you noticed that we’re often in a hurry in January? I don't mean the kind of rushing-from-thing-to-thing that can happen in December. I'm talking about ... (Continue Reading)
Intention, Goals, & Identity | Free Journal Pages! (New Year 2019)
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons. January 6, 2019 Intention, Goals, & Identity - A Journal! We're officially living in 2019. How's it feeling so far? It's already been somewhat of a roller ... (Continue Reading)
Who Sets Your Goals? | The New Year (2019)
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons. December 30th, 2018 | Happy New Year! With a New Year comes new goals, new commitments, and new dreams. And I want to hear all about yours! ... (Continue Reading)
The Wild Willingness of God | Christmas 2019
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons. December 23rd, 2018 This week I've got a short sermon to help inspire your Christmas celebrations. However you're spending the holidays this year, I wish you joy ... (Continue Reading)
External Darkness Internal Light | Winter Solstice (2018)
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons. December 16th, 2018 Is the sun up for you yet? Where I live the sun rises about 8am and sets around 4pm. And in between it never ... (Continue Reading)
Waiting in the Cave of the Heart | Advent 2019
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons. December 9th, 2018 As promised this week begins our exploration of the stories we tell this time of year. And we begin with the season of Advent. ... (Continue Reading)
What’s the Story I’m Telling? (Welcome to the holidays!)
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons. December 2nd, 2018 I've experienced a heavy dose of personal transformation in my life (maybe that's why I ended up teaching transformation for a living?) And it ... (Continue Reading)
Reflections on the Practice of Love
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons. November 25th, 2018 This week—in the pause between Thanksgiving and the many December holidays—I thought we could take a look back at the recent sermon series on ... (Continue Reading)
Gratitude is a Quality of Being | Thanksgiving (2018)
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons November 18, 2018 | Happy Thanksgiving! We're officially heading into the holidays. Are you excited about this? Anxious? Both? I know it can be a complicated time ... (Continue Reading)
The Labels We Hold
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons. November 11, 2018 — Sending Gratitude & Peace to all Veterans This week I sat down to write about the spiritual quest. And I did. But the focus ended ... (Continue Reading)
Love as an Inner Sanctuary (love – part 4)
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons. November 4th, 2018 Back in September, a yoga church community member asked me how we can love people we have contempt for. If you've been following along ... (Continue Reading)
Love as the Practice of Attention (love – part 3)
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons. October 28th, 2018 This week I had to re-up my CPR certification. I was late to the class and sat down in the only available seat, quickly realizing ... (Continue Reading)
Love & Sacrifice (love – part 2)
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons. October 21st, 2018 {psst: there's downloadable art farther along in this post, so be sure you make it all the way to the bottom!} Love is a word ... (Continue Reading)
The Yoga Church Community
Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons. October 14th, 2018 Three years ago, while backpacking high up in the mountains, I turned to my husband and said: “I want to start a church.” It ... (Continue Reading)
The Middle Ground Between Love & Contempt (love – part 1)
After listening to the sermon “Who, or what, is God?” a few weeks ago, Pam wrote: “As soon as you asked what opposites I feel in my life I thought of the command to ... (Continue Reading)
Keeping Time (fall equinox part 2)
As promised, here’s part 2 of the fall equinox sermon. Last week we rooted ourselves on the ground. And this week we explore the practice of keeping time. One of the ways we ... (Continue Reading)
the Ground of all Being (fall equinox part 1)
Yesterday—in the northern hemisphere where I live—was the fall equinox and it was my full intention to offer you a sermon in celebration of the season change. But when I sat down to write, ... (Continue Reading)
Transformation Begins with Deep Noticing
This week, we turn our attention toward the idea of transformation. All sermons include something of the preacher in them, but this one asked a bit more of me than usual. In my ... (Continue Reading)
Who or What is God?
September 9th, 2018 As you know spiritual study, practice, and community are my favorite things to think about, talk about, do, and build. For many years I felt spiritually homeless and I've spent ... (Continue Reading)
The Fullness of Being
I’m about to turn forty. An occasion worthy of being marked. And because I’m a person prone to reflection, story telling, and tradition, I have distinct memories of who I was at 25, 30, and ... (Continue Reading)
Scripture as a Path
I believe in God as the ever moving Spirit propelling us toward Love. I do not believe that any one person or scripture or teaching can define God or explain perfect belief or practice. I ... (Continue Reading)
An Earthy Christmas Sermon (2016)
On Christmas morning I had the pleasure of bringing the message at Spokane Friends Church, which is a place that nourished me deeply when I had big, confused questions about God and spirituality and the ... (Continue Reading)
Our Favorite Scriptures
Hello friends, This is the first of two community queries that I'm posting. I love scripture and I have a ton of favorite sacred texts. Over the years, I've shared many of them with you. But ... (Continue Reading)
Confessions of Fear and Courage
I titled this post “Confessions of Fear and Courage,” but it could just as easily have been called “Reflections of Memory and Calling.” William Maxwell wrote that “what we refer to confidently as memory is ... (Continue Reading)
Remembering the Light Within
I had the opportunity to travel to Whittier Friends Church outside of LA this past weekend. I was invited by the dean of my seminary (Earlham School of Religion or ESR) to come and speak ... (Continue Reading)
New Year Intentions (2016)
As you've heard me say before, I love the New Year! I love turning the page to a brand new fresh year, full of possibility. I did away with hard and fast resolutions that start ... (Continue Reading)
May there be peace on earth | Free practice (2015)
During the holidays we often hear the phrase "Let there be peace on earth." This a beautiful sentiment, one that I pray for everyday. Unfortunately, it's not a reality for many people. When I think ... (Continue Reading)
Practicing Gratitude in Community (Thanksgiving 2015)
Happy Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. I love the food (dressing, green bean casserole, and pecan pie specifically!). And I love the tradition of pausing to intentionally reflect on what ... (Continue Reading)
Reflections for the Autumn Equinox (2015)
The autumn season is officially upon us. Time to start wearing scarves and drinking more hot tea. The equinox is the time when the sun crosses the plane of the earth's equator (referred to as ... (Continue Reading)
The Five Great Elements (Pancha Mahabhutas)
I've been called a tree hugger many times, which is a name I happily accept (and an action I admit to doing more than once!). I love trees. I love water. I love stars. I ... (Continue Reading)
Pancha Maya Koshas
July, 2015 The study of yoga takes a lifetime (or lifetimes). I have spent several years in full-time study of this ancient art and science and yet I'm constantly struck by how much more there ... (Continue Reading)
Internal Spring Cleaning – Prana, Apana, and Agni
A Practice for Internal Spring Cleaning: You've probably heard the term prana before. But have you heard of apana? Or udana? There are actually 5 pranas. They're called the vayus or the "forces of the ... (Continue Reading)
Inhale or Exhale?
“I think I’m more of the exhale type. I’m just going to stick with exhaling.” I can’t remember the context (or exact phrasing) of this statement, but the sentiment has stuck with me. I heard ... (Continue Reading)
Choosing What We Cultivate
I recently co-led a workshop called "Cultivating Gratitude" where I offered teachings on the yogic concept of pratipaksa bhavanam, which means cultivating the opposite. If you're unfamiliar with the concept, you might want to take ... (Continue Reading)