Your physical body has an entire system devoted to its wellbeing, caretaking, and overall protection. Your immune system doesn't need any attention or encouragement from you to do its thing, it just hums along organically and smoothly. As if that weren't enough, you are lucky

First, a couple definitions:

Authentic joy - actions and choices that you take freely, and that serve you now and in a few weeks, months, years; an emotion based in deep contentment and satisfaction, comfort and

In anything you practice {yoga or parenting or, y'know, life} there is a North Star. The full form of the pose; full patience and presence with your children; showing up, grounded and authentic and open. These stars are firm directions on the compass of your soul. How you navigate is up to a

She hurt my feelings.

{No she didn't...you had a thought about what she said or did that created your hurt feelings.}

He's to blame for what went wrong there.

Operating from a place where your feet are buried in the normal, expected, obligated, regular, same ol', same ol' leaves your arms flailing, your words shouted into space, your mind reeling.

This is a painful way to go about your life.

There's a lot of talk these days about self-love. I believe the idea of self-love is misrepresented and maybe {you be the judge} overrated. Here's why...

The less famous sister of self-love is self-connection. The definition of connection is to join, to

Generally speaking, we tend to hold on to the idea that: Busy is good. Busy is expected. Busy is noble.

Underneath that idea is a belief that probably goes something like: Busy means I'm worthwhile.

...and *better* is the foundation where you can start to make your unique "rules to live by". Let me explain.

We humans like labels. Preferably either/or labels where we can toss things in one pile or another

You could: stay small, think it but not say it, keep the habit, not question the belief, go along with it, let the expectations/obligations/guilt come on in, play by the rules, turn around, let your head crowd out your heart, ignore your gut, sleep in.

In our rushing around and stressing out and worrying over and panic creating, we fall into ruts. Go on auto-pilot and zone out. Lose all presence and awareness. Fall into deep belief with our thoughts.

All of us live in and among people. The truths (or lies) you tell, the cars you drive by (or cut off) on the highway, the emotions that vibrate through your body and direct your actions (or overreactions), the patience and kindness (or impatience and rudeness) you show the strangers

I've been marinating on honesty:

Being honest with others; being honest about others (as in, my experiences and relationships with others). Being honest with myself; being honest about myself (as in, for myself, and for

A treatise on making it important...

*It* being: more time for cooking, more quality time with your lover, more hours on your mat, more yes's to things you want hard (and more no's to things that smack of obligation or guilt),

I've had hundreds of conversations on stress, worry, and anxiety. As a coach and a yoga teacher, these are the commonest of the common topics. And I've noticed that people who are really mired in these emotions feel as if they have no control where stress, worry, and anxiety are