Cold plunge day 7. I choose this. Lost Lake Whistler - water barely above freezing. It feels so wrong and also so right. I've committed to plunge daily. I'm immersing in the outrageous to remember what it is to be human. That's a thing I like to do. By facing the very unpleasant, I recognize that it's actually quite fine. When I step into the terrifying cold, I get to experience eternal okayness. My body and soul confirm that I am alive and well. Then I feel impervious! I cel

A month ago I made a decision to stop pretending. I was in a very dark place and I needed to fish myself out. I had been pushing away the reality that my relationship was failing, and I was hiding from the pain that it obviously wasn't going where I wanted it to go. Somehow, I left. It was very sad. But it was right. I'm committed to getting back to living with honest, down-to-earth joy. And I'm willing to take care of myself first, even when it means letting go of something

Before you speak, let your words pass through three gates. At the first gate, ask yourself: 'Is it true?' At the second gate, ask yourself: 'Is it necessary?' At the third gate, ask yourself: 'Is it kind?'" – Rumi Speech is more powerful than simply getting a point across. It connects us with other humans and forges a relationship between ourselves and the outside world. So speak truth. Be kind. And share what is necessary. Keeping my foot out of my mouth today, and hopefully

I used to think my life would be easier – better – if I could touch my toes. “When I can touch my toes, man, things are going to be different.” I’d get starry-eyed just thinking about it. Unconsciously, lots of us think like this: Life will be better when I can do "x." (Have you?) But this belief is straight delusion. Totally insane. It suggests that flexible humans contain more worth than inflexible ones. It suggests that people with tight hamstrings are bad. That is plain c

(Bear with me.) You've heard that there are 8 limbs of yoga. They are serious and useful: poses, breath work, self study, focus, meditation, external observances, internal observances, and bliss. The 9th limb, I propose, is prancing. Here's why: 'yoga' means 'union.' Simply, yoga unites you with your highest self, which feels like bliss and peace. Therefore any activity which leads to self-peace is a kind of yoga. The holy grail of yoga is knowing all is well, and feeling dee

Did you know that Black Diamond Power Yoga is for you? Yes, you. Diligent yogi, at your exact physical level, Black Diamond Yoga is all yours. And it's fun. Let me explain. Black Diamond Power Yoga is an advanced class that I teach Friday evening at White Gold Yoga. It's called "Black Diamond" after the steepest and most challenging ski slopes on nearby Whistler Mountain. As the name suggests, the class is stimulating and the progression is steep. And like the slopes, it's in

I often struggle to balance Yin and Yang in my practice and teachings - that is, to locate myself between my two yoga loves: the First, a deep current of sensitivity and awareness cultivated by subtlety and stillness, and the Second, the sweat and stimulating rigor of a physically challenging practice. Reflection always leads me to the same conclusion: It's all good! 'Yoga' as I know it describes access to Union - a process of self-realization that leads to the insight to kno

Ah savasana. The dark chocolate of yoga. Your hard work is done, and it’s nap time. Right? Well, sort of. Savasana literally means “the seat of the corpse.” Diligent yogis lie down, spread out, and die for just a short while before getting up and moving on with their days. Weird; perfect. But let’s get honest. How many of us actually act the corpse during savasana? Do you sometimes find yourself alive with thought during those precious resting moments? Raise your hand if you’