Rise Up and Light the World

I’ve been in a funk. My husband’s health issues continue to cause him pain and keep him isolated and then last week, I got bad news about my spine after I went in for a MRI after some numbness in my hand and pain in my lower back. I’ve been down and depressed and feeling

You Aren’t Supposed to Be Perfect

If you’re anything like me, you’re pretty hard on yourself. I see this often reflected in my daughter, who also is so tough on herself whenever she makes a mistake and watching her struggle with her perfectionism is like a mirror reflecting back a place where I have a lot of work to do. Every

Why I Do NOT Call Myself a Yogi or Yogini…and Why I Won’t Call You One, Either

Words often have their meaning watered down in translation. I can remember when I lived in France realizing that somethings I really could only fully express in French and others only in English. Every time I lived abroad and came home, I always came home speaking a mix of English and whatever language I’d been

Planning for Passover (or insert your diet-busting holiday here)!

I refuse to even consider that Passover is coming until after we get past Purim. I prefer to live in sweet denial up to that point, basking in the quiet period between holidays. Eventually, though, it comes time to start planning. I’m pretty sure every culture has holidays like this that are anticipated both with

Why Yoga *Probably* Isn’t What You Think It Is…or Yoga the Physical Practice vs. Yoga the Religious/Spiritual Practice

If you ask the average American to describe what Yoga is, they’ll probably talk about people bending themselves into contortions, thin white women in yoga pants, chanting, and breathing. Until recently, most Yoga studios had a very particular aesthetic, with lotus blossoms, mood lighting, and even elements of Buddhism or Hinduism mixed in with art

Living with One Bag Packed

Due to some interesting quirks when it comes to insurance and our son’s treatment, I’ve been living with a bag packed, ready to drive across states and not knowing when the next trip will come. I log in to work each day and plan my projects not knowing if I’ll be here for them or

You Are Absolutely and Utterly Unique

I was talking with a friend this past Sabbath about what I’m learning in my yoga teacher training. The biggest things are things you might not expect. Sure, I’m more flexible and my shoulderstands are better, but I’ve also been learning a ton about anatomy and physiology, the science of how our bodies move and

A New Perspective for “This Too Shall Pass”

I’ve always leaned on certain phrases whenever I’ve gone through challenging times. One of my favorites was “This Too Shall Pass,” which is attributed to King Solomon. I always took it to mean that no matter how the present moment is, it won’t last. This phrase would come to mind when I was doing a

This week’s parsha has the dramatic story of Noah and the Flood. It’s fitting that today is one of those days where it seems like the rain will never end. In the story, though, Noah toiled for a long time building the arc with no sign of the flood to come. Having done a little

Let There Be Light: Focusing on the Positive In a Rough Week

This week has been a doozy. Yesterday, my husband learned that he has to undergo yet another surgical procedure related to the surgery he had back in late August. Since that surgery, he’s been in and out of the hospital with fluid collecting in his pelvis and in constant, unrelenting pain. Our lives have been