Contemplating Dualism in Yoga “Out beyond ideas of right doing and wrong doing there is a field. I’ll meet you there.” ~Rumi My interest in yoga began more than 15 years ago, when yoga was beginning to get quite popular. Bikram Chodhury had already hit the scene, but had yet to gain international acclaim. Yoga […]

“If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is, infinite.”  —William Blake Growing up in Hawai‘i is an experience that can’t be compared to growing up in many other places. The weather is mild and balmy nearly all the time, the air is clean, people smile often, and for the […]

Practicing nonviolence in a fractured world This breathtaking image of the Earth is a compilation of photographs taken by NASA satellites over several cloudless nights. Looking upon what NASA calls the “Black Marble Earth” one is awestruck by the immense beauty of the planet. We instantly see our collective wholeness and interrelatedness. In moments of […]

            A famous Zen parable tells the story of a visiting professor who comes to the home of a tea master for the tea ceremony. With great attention and care, the master prepares the tea —with a seriousness of intent, reverence of attitude, and a joyful, lightness of action. When the […]

As I have gotten older the reality of death and dying has started to show itself more and more. Many of my elders have passed, many relationships have ended, and all of my relationships have in some way changed form. As we get older the reality of death becomes constant, both literally and figuratively. In […]

Politics has been on everyone’s mind as the elections near. In such a heated climate, religion, philosophy and spirituality are often used as one of the driving forces behind political culture wars. The secular public naturally begins to get a sour taste of religion when religious groups come forward in defense or opposition of particular […]

Where we let go of what we are, we become what we might be. ~ Lao Tzu For the past several satsangs and blog posts I’ve attempted to relate yoga and the yoga sutras to daily life – our trials, tribulations, and, on occasion, relationships – however, as we progress through the contemplative discipline of yoga, we see that yoga aims to […]

Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It’s a relationship between equals. Only when we know our own darkness well can we be present with the darkness of others. Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity. -       Pema Chödrön I love facebook—it’s a good reflection of what’s in the […]

The most beautiful people are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross In discussion with many people […]

I didn’t start practicing yoga in India, nor did I begin my studies under the tutelage of any great renunciate. I initiated my practice in much the same way most modern people do—I went to my neighborhood yoga studio and began practicing with a genuine teacher who had dedicated the last several years to intense […]