Overseas travel and yoga, part 2

Fear of flying I have a number of overwhelming fears that might keep me from things I love, if not for some amazing yogic tools that allow me to go on and do it anyway. I feel lucky to have this resource to fall back on when one of these little buggers threatens to keep me from something I want. Flying is one of them. Yes, I know all the stats; driving to the local store is more dangerous than air travel, and air accidents are rare and unlikely. But flying seems so unnatural to me;... Continue reading

Overseas travel and yoga, part 1

The Road Trip Car to plane to bus to train to plane -- and so on and so forth. Getting from the U.S. to Europe can be grueling, as spinal immobility is the body's worst enemy. I am a practitioner and sometimes teacher of yoga for a number of reasons, first and foremost being self-realization. But while traveling, yoga is my practice for restoration. It is for survival. I was accompanying my youngest daughter to France. Her first job out of college as an assistant English teaching... Continue reading

Kitchen Composting

I have the fortune of being the sister to a gifted mosaic artist and expert potter. All of the lucky members of my family have beautiful objects of art and handy pottery gracing our homes, cabinets, and gardens, all from this generous and artistic woman. For my birthday Teresa gave me a gift that I am reminded of and happy about each and every day. It's one of those kinds of gifts from which you never tire. A 'Counter Culture Pot', she calls it. My lovely Counter Culture Pot! I save... Continue reading

A morning ritual of gratitude

  It's early morning; the sun is barely peeking over the horizon, and I'm in my pajamas, still a tad groggy, padding barefoot across the kitchen floor to get the cup of coffee Jean has lovingly prepared for me. Java in hand, I step into the office and pull the iPad from my desk, and then head back through the kitchen and out onto the deck, where I pull a chair out from the table and sit back to start my morning routine. I open the iPad, but I'm not looking at... Continue reading