We are so busy being stressed and cooped up in ourselves and our lives, that we sometimes forget the importance of simply breathing, and not just out of our mouths but using the root of our bodies. If you feel tense, unable to relax you might need to open the root chakra inside you. If you are obsessed with claiming your space, or feel stiff, anxious and nervous opening your root will help.

The body system is based on 7 centers called chakras of energy (see image), going vertically through the body, and these consists of sensory, breathing, circulation, digestion, reproduction and secretion and the brain. (more…)

We’ve all had those days - you oversleep, your day is full of meetings so you aren’t as productive as you know you should have been, you work late, you don’t have time to go to the gym, when you get home there is nothing in the fridge to cook and the kids are screaming. You know - THOSE days. Amongst the hustle and bustle of today’s fast paced society, downtime is a luxury - a luxury that when absent from daily life leads to conditions such as stress, anxiety and depression. (more…)

I know there are so many strains of yoga - and for the yoga purists it might seem overwhelming, daunting and just plain hokey. Well not to thousands of practitioners and students who take some of these more untraditional practices and call it there own.

Enter Laughter Yoga. Laughter Yoga (LY) is a relatively new style of yoga (more…)

Dan Buettner’s,The Blue Zones: Tips for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest is a great read — informative and inspirational. Having a 75 year old mother that defied the odds after a major stroke and lives every day to the fullest, I found this book so on the mark regarding the combination of mental activities, family involvement, spiritual involvement and food choices that have kept the subjects showcased in this book reaching 100 years of age and beyond! Mr. Buettner’s street creds are impressive.

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Every morning upon waking, I make coffee and sit in silence for a few moments, gather my mala and begin saying, aloud or silently, a mantra. I say different mantras throughout the day, as well, and my yoga practice has made me more aware and conscious of using mantras. But I think that the average person thinks that mantras are either just for monks or devotees. Not at all!

Mantra is simply a group of words that have a phonetic significance repeated over a over. Mantra, first and foremost, is sound. And the use of sound and repeating words, with spiritual significance or not, help to relieve stress, lower blood pressure and bring calm and focus to the body. (more…)

As I get older, this day has more and more meaning to me. My family has always been involved in civil and human rights and geared our childhood and adolescence to service and peaceful co-existence.

Even though my sister and I had our occasional rows, Mom and Dad would always say, “If we can’t get along in these four walls, how are you going to get along in the world?” So as I watched an amazing special on CNN last night, I was constantly struck by the acts of peaceful non-violence in the face of unfathomable violence and fear – especially amongst the young people that were mobilized as foot soldiers against the war on segregation.

So in his honor, and all those who fought side-by-side with Dr. King, take a moment to be thankful for our own freedoms; practice kindness, patience, non-violence and compassion. And as my favorite quote by Mahatma Gandi states, “Be the change you want to see in the world….” Dr. King surely embodied that in his short but profoundly powerful life.

If you’re interested in a wonderful book that highlights 20 peacemakers that is truly inspiring, read: Great Peacemakers: True Stories from Around the World. And if you want to download some of his greatest speeches, iTunes has that covered.

Namaste,
Michelle

Several days ago, I just expounded on the virtues of Nau, the super pc, high-performance clothing retailer, but every time I wear my FAVORITE be present Agility yoga pants, people comment. Not only do they look good, they fit well, are long enough in the leg — always a problem — and the shape supports a myriad of body types. Also, they have great yoga pants for guys. I feel for the male students who’ve yet to find the virtues of be present pants; guys usually resort to baggy shorts or sweat pants — be present raises the yoga pant bar immensely. And to close with my constant shout-out to buying with a conscious, be present clothing is made from organic fabrics and produced using environmentally friendly practices.

Namaste,

Michelle

Aum meditation is increasing in popularity, and once again, one of those things if you hear enough about it you want to try. Luckily enough I’m in a wellness community where I can find more of these esoteric arts. Well, I tried it and it’s amazingly cool, deep, silly, freeing, frightening and ultimately healing. Aum meditation is based on 12 stages of human emotion and "visiting" each stage takes about 15 minutes, so you do the math — this is definitely a 2+ hour commitment. But it’s actually a form of psychotherapy or what the founder Veeresh calls "interpersonal therapy." Veeresh founded Humaniversity whose curriculum is based on the Human Arts — the art of being a human being. Sort of like being a humanities major as we push towards the Aquarian Age. So if you’re looking for a new way to tap in deeply to ultimately break down barriers that keep us down, aum meditation might just be for you.

Namaste,

Michelle

Man, part of my morning routine is scanning the papers, reading and meditating to source interesting things to bring to you. Well, lo and behold, Bhagavan Das, the great spiritual leader and counter culture revolutionary yogi has an interview on YogaMates! I was beyond stoked. After seeing Dharma Mittra with videos and great press, I love IT! that these icons of truth and true living are out there. Bhagavan Das is a guy who grew up in Southern Cal, checked out, hung out with Ram Dass and Allen Ginsberg, traveled through India penniless, and is a great Kirtan, devotional singer and yogi. His book, It’s Here Now (Are You?) (you can find book, his music and MP3 downloads on his site) is trippy, real, chock full of life lessons and a page turner. I was fortunate enough to have New Year’s Eve last year at a yoga retreat with Bhagavan Das. All I can say is is was definitely life transforming. Check out the interview.

Namaste,
Michelle

As a yoga teacher, sometimes it’s hard getting my own practice in. After teaching 3 or 4 vigorous classes in one day, the last thing I want to do is drag myself to my 2 hour practice. But when I do, and I need ALL that yoga provides: pranayama, meditation, asana practice and deep relaxation, I gravitate to my yogic home, Jivamukti. Russell Simmons, a long-time Jivamukti practitioner, gets it right in this short, but sweet, interview on lime.com with Dr. Oz Garcia. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Namaste,

Michelle