Join Amy and Whitney to discuss all things modern yoga - plus life off the mat for this first ever episode.
This episode contains:
Part I:
Hello!
8 Limbs of Yoga
Bikram Yoga, yea or nay?
Part II:
Veronica
Citta vṛtti nirodhaḥ
Lotus Temple
Yoga Ethics
Part III:
Sobriety
Social Media
Almond Milk
Sadhana Check-in
Shared exclusively with Four Paths Yoga members one week prior to public release, on a monthly basis.
Read MoreWhile it’s hard to say anyone is an expert, I think I know something about being alone.
As a child, I would retreat to my room and sit in the same place on my bedroom floor and find silence.
It wasn’t until many years later that I realized I was meditating, and can recall a number of profound experiences that came so naturally, despite never having named them.
No one knew, but me. This was my special space to be present to all my complex feelings, and observe them as they moved through me.
My favorite book in middle school was “Walden” by Henry Thoreau (if not a close second, after Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Self-Reliance”).
I dreamed about what it would be like to be so isolated, to slow the pace of life down to the point where I would notice early morning dew drops on the leaves of a flower, and wonder at the mirage of colors blending together as the sun set below the horizon.
I thought, “This is how life is supposed to be.”
The examples I saw of this type of true, childlike mindful awareness seemed only available by being alone.
Read MoreI hear the word “resistance” used over and over again in different contexts.
I recently exclaimed assuredly to my partner that the “resistance” was still coming, just resting for now.
Not realizing until later that our definitions of the word were distinct and misaligned.
Is “resistance” a dirty word? A threatening one?
To me, resistance equals the softness of saying No.
Resistance comes with a clarity and grounding, a moral backbone from which to stand up tall against forces outside ourselves.
As part of my day job, I engage with the news around the world. I read the Guardian, the New York Times, the New Yorker, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal and listen to podcasts and talk shows from other countries.
I repeatedly hear the word: resistance.
Where is the American resistance? Where are the folks that stood up eight years ago? What does resistance look like today? Where has it gone?
Like many of you, I move from work to partner to family to friends to side hustle to self-care time, and I have wondered who was going to answer this narrative. Rhetorical questions itching beneath my skin. Thankfully, others (editorial writers) took up the charge.
“Where is the resistance?,” the public asks hopefully.
“The resistance is resting,” says a faint whisper in reply.
To read the full article, become a member of Four Paths Yoga here and receive monthly writings, video and podcast updates.
As we maneuver a collective reconciliation with difference today and in the weeks and months ahead, we can rest in the Reality of our sameness. And lean into the peace, safety and love of local community, friends and family that surround us - which we are also responsible for actively upholding and cultivating.
Read MoreAll are correct. None are correct. Knowing this, how do we choose to live? For me, by building self-trust.
Read MoreJoshua Tree, Stock Images 2023.
Read MoreStock Images 2023
Read MoreNobody told me I would stay stuck so long. If I hadn’t known about nervous system regulation through trauma informed mindfulness, I would probably still be stuck there. The mud and the muck.
Cheetah Art by: Megan Coyle
https://megancoyle.com/product/the-serious-cheetah-5x7/
I have been practicing yoga, on and off since I was 18 years old. I fell in love with it! and ever since then, I was always interested in taking a 200-hour teacher training. I always knew I wanted to be a teacher but never had the guts to do it. When 2020 arrived, I knew this was the year I was going to make it happen. And I did. I graduated August 15, 2020. I am now a certified teacher! Just saying that brings happiness all over my body.
Read MoreThe changes over the past year, personally and collectively, leave me with more questions than answers. I have even more awareness of my “not knowingness” (avidya).
The pause is the epiphany.
You can’t grow through the process of change without patience.
An applied understanding of nervous system regulation and mindfulness meditation has allowed me to survive - even thrive - during difficult times.
I am ready to share this with you.
I am a Yogi, I Speak for the Trees! is a blog post written by Grace Ludwig, a recent Masters in Yoga Studies graduate who has a passion for Yoga philosophy and Yoga’s role in the environmental crisis. In this blog, Grace discusses the concept of interconnectedness and how the Western world has a hard time embracing it. She also explains the relationship between interconnectedness, or the lack thereof, and the environmental crisis. To end the blog, Grace emphasizes the potential role Yoga could play and the responsibility Yoga has in promoting interconnectedness, along with action steps based on Yogic principles that Yogis can take to support the environment.
Looking Back is a blog post written by Avery Lasky, a recent 200-hour yoga teacher training graduate. Avery goes into detail about the impact yoga teacher training has had on her self-discovery journey and how it has further propelled her towards her life goal of serving others. She also discusses how excited she is about being a part of the In Yoga Collective community and the important trauma-conscious work that In Yoga Collective is doing.
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