I want to thank you very much for reading and responding to my writing. My motive for writing has been to communicate an “open” approach to Yoga which has developed in over 40 years of practice in an attempt to invite teachers and practitioners to......
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Hāfez is a Sufi poet who lived in the fourteenth century in the city of Shiraz in southwestern Persia. I have come to love his complicated, thought-provoking poetry. The following poem is taken from “The Angels Knocking on the Tavern Door (Thirty Poems of Hāfez)”......
He who stands on tiptoe doesn’t stand firm. He who rushes ahead doesn’t go far. He who tries to shine dims his own light. He who defines himself can’t know who he really is. He who has power over others can’t empower himself. He who......
My first introduction to a cave was when I was quite young. My father, who was very adventurous, took us to Old Man’s Cave in Southern Ohio. He had to carry me across the rushing water, which was quite scary, to get to the other......
My angry friend assaulted me with the following question and continued with these observations: “Why did you have us come to this place? It is like Disney land: there are junkie trinkets everywhere, the stalls all sell plastic objects and low quality clothes. I saw......
Early morning. The sacred Ganga, honey colored as it reflects the early light of the still to rise sun just behind the mountain, flows steadily and softly by. The unrelenting sing-song voice of a devotee, accompaning himself on a harmonium, plays his morning songs to......
This is a very relaxing position that offers a sense of well-being. It resonates in many different ways, as is true for many asanas, when investigated carefully. One day in class I asked each person to tell us how they experienced the baby pose after......
“Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine to the mind.” ― Luther Burbank There is a wonderful window of time in Tuscany when fruit trees and flowers burst forth in a range of colors that bring joy......
The following is an excerpt from “Loving and Living Yoga: Reflections of A Yoga Teacher”, a collection of my writing on yoga, gardening, and life, which is being prepared for publication. PLANT TIME – HUMAN GARDENS We are used to planning, getting, doing and......
The following is an excerpt from “Living and Loving Yoga: Reflections of A Yoga Teacher”, a collection of my writing on yoga, gardening, and life, which is being prepared for publication. I look out at the vast expanse of the ocean which lies before me......
Excluding religious significance for the moment, I like to think that these “fresh” days of spring can be an invitation for all of us. The days are lengthening and most of us respond rather spontaneously to the added minutes and hours of “new” light that......
The following is an excerpt from “Loving and Living Yoga: Reflections of A Yoga Teacher”, a a collection of my writing on yoga, gardening, and life, which is being prepared for publication. A PRICELESS RESOURCE To talk about breathing is to talk about life. This......
An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.......
I have asked Laura Hayhurst, a young woman who has spent a great deal of time in India, to write her impressions about Rishikesh. If you are interested in attending my seminar “Straight to You” from May 14 – 22, there are still places available.......
Time Magazine named Quincy Jones one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 20th century. His talents are endless and range from conductor, arranger, composer, humanitarian, etc. His career spans six decades. At eighty one, he still travels extensively and was recently in Italy,......
A nasturtium has bright orange flowers and is a favorite among many gardeners. It is an “annual” which means that it grows for only one season (from spring to autumn). I like to plant the cascading variety so as to enjoy its green leaves and......
Nothing is real other than dreams and love. Hassan Massoudy They can cut all the flowers but they will never stop spring. Pablo Neruda Gratitude, prayers and thanks in remembrance of those who were brave enough to speak, draw and live their truths. Elizabeth...
“If you don’t get lost, there’s a chance you may never be found.” – Author Unknown There comes a time in one’s life when some kind of an experience: a death, an unwanted change of home, a job loss, an unexpected health issue, come as......
“Ring out the old. Ring in the new.” “All great beginnings start in the dark, when the moon greets you to a new day at midnight.” Anonymous The birth of a new year is a “great beginning” and each person celebrates it in her or......
This is a letter that Fra Beato Angelico, a famous Italian painter, wrote to a friend on Christmas Eve in 1387. His words ring timely throughout the centuries. I have translated and abridged his letter. Dear Friend, There is nothing I can give you that......
Doors are quite fascinating. Almost any door you look at tells a story. A door that is open, is such an engaging invitation and so much easier to enter as opposed to a closed one. Here are some quotations. Each one, tells a story: “Teachers......
Food prepared with loving care and attention can communicate, at times, more than many nice words. It can even be more curative than medicine in some cases. In fact, some cultures have a traditional food that is given to sick people. Often it has the......
“Do you want to improve the world? I don’t think it can be done. The world is sacred. It can’t be improved. If you tamper with it, you’ll ruin it. If you treat it like an object, you’ll lose it. There is a time for......
What do a cow at the bakery door, La Ganga, a bright statue of Lord Shiva, and Yoga studies, have in common?Rishikesh, of course. These are only a few of the colorful photo memories of my stay in this special city this year. There is......
Yesterday I received a wonderful surprise in the mail. It was a calendar for 2015 with the most inviting photos of Yoga in action. Every month featured a person dressed in normal clothes doing a Yoga position in their work place. From where did Anna......
Five years ago when my third grandchild was born, my daughter-in-law asked me what it was like to be a grandmother. I am still thinking about the answer. Many grandparents say that they enjoy not having the responsibility of raising children but I have......
When I go to India, I do so to deepen my practice which has been evolving for over forty years. I enjoy “listening” and learning from the energy that is there and getting in touch with it. I have studied Yoga with a few brilliant......
A student of mine asked me this question: Is it right that one of the unique experiences Vanda offered was “to move from the inside to the outside”? In all the books I read about Yoga, it is always the other way around – feel......
The Zen master, Thich Nhat Hanh, so aptly rewrote this famous quotation which all of us are familiar with. This new question is striking and timely. We know that in the world of today we must do our best to stay involved. Each one of......
“Failure is an opportunity. If you blame someone else, there is no end to the blame. Therefore the Master fulfills her own obligations and corrects her own mistakes. She does what she needs to do and demands nothing of others.” from the Tao Te Ching......
Another Yoga giant, B.K.S. Iyengar, has moved into a larger territory. I would like to remember him, since he is such an important figure in the Yoga world, in a slightly different way. He and Vanda were great friends. I wish you could have......
The first photo was taken by Arturo Patten and given to me as a gift when we were taking photos for Vanda’s book in 1990. Before she started, Vanda, as always when teaching, readjusted my body so it would be able to respond more fully,......
To do Yoga outside is such an experience! We have this opportunity in summer and it is very refreshing and regenerating. In the first years when I practiced outside, I realized that it took quite a lot of concentration. It can be very distracting: the......
Often in the world of Yoga, we seek a quiet isolated place to practice Pranayama as suggested by Patanjali. What happens if you do not find yourself in these ideal conditions? Would you stop practicing? No, of course not. You would begin to practice......
Has it ever crossed your mind that what you is doing (your practice, your efforts, all of the attempts you are making to have something meaningful come forward in your Yoga), are pretty much in vain? It’s the practice and your spirit that need “allegria”......
The wonderful school and home to many children who might very easily be living on the streets or worse, if they had not had the opportunity to be sent to Ramana’s Garden in Rishikesh, India, was the subject of my post on May 24. We......
One of the first things a Yoga teacher learns is the importance of arriving well before her lesson starts. She or he should be changed into Yoga clothes and if possible, have done a few positions to get into the spirit of the lesson which......
“The stars you see at night are the unblinking eyes of sleeping elephants” The elephant of my logo leads me to share an experience I had with some astonishing, inspiring and unique photos. The occasion was The Venice Biennale of 2002. Colbert’s photographic exhibition, entitled,......
I love my Logo. It was created almost 40 years ago and embodies the symbols that I wanted to represent me: the sun with its rays, an elephant and a dolphin. I wanted an elephant because it is such a powerful and royal animal. It......
Our next destination was the Kullu Valley to experience Lalit Kamar’s welcoming place at Jibhi Adventures (the name of his small town). I met him last year in Goa when he attended my seminar. When he spoke about the mountains, which are 1,850 meters high,......
What a privilege to see children who could have had extremely hazardous lives, find a home in a community of love and commitment. Only a 15 minute walk up a beautiful mountain took us to Ramana’s Garden Children’s Home and Primary School (www.sayyesnow.org), nestled in......
Elizabeth and her special students at Jibhi, India in Lalit’s magical place almost facing the Himalayas with the rainbow waterfalls....
I have always wanted to go to Rishikesh ever since I got my start in Yoga over 40 years ago. I was in Cleveland, Ohio for only two months but Yoga grabbed me and never let me go. The Guru there was from Rishikesh. What......
Welcome to my new Facebook page. I have very recently returned from a magical trip to Rishikesh and the Kullu Valley, India. I have been scanning the area of the Kullu Valley for possible venues for teaching in 2 years! More news and pictures coming......