We all feel pain. Last weekend, my new Hatha teacher training started and as we went around the circle introducing ourselves for the first time, students bravely and candidly shared some of the struggles they've faced: grief, depression, discrimination, abuse, assault, anxiety, disordered eating, miscarriages, divorce and cancer. The pain takes on different external forms but suffering is universal. The same students also shared how their pain led them to yoga as a way to cop

1) Think of someone you admire. How would you describe them? Do they have one or two qualities that stand out to you above the rest? Maybe it's your mother's compassion, Buddha's wisdom, Picasso's creativity or Batman's courage. I admire Oprah for judiciously standing by her convictions and for the unwaivering faith she has in God and in herself as a child of God. The qualities that stand out to you are the qualities that want to grow in you. They are qualities you already po

It's probable that when you hear the word Guru, one of the following stereotypes comes to mind: 1) A wise old bearded Indian man 2) A smarmy, money-grubbing, power-hungry false-Guru Mike Myers portrays a Guru stereotype in The Love Guru 3) A revered expert in a particular industry, such as fitness or finance Fitness Guru, Billy Blanks Financial Guru, Suze Orman Found in the earliest Hindu scriptures, the Sanskrit word refers to a religious teacher, master or spiritual guide.

The Sanskrit symbol for OM There are few more intimidating things for a first-time yoga student than having to chant OM at the end of class. Some people fear it will go against their religion, others snicker at the ultra Yogi stereotype it embodies and others still are terrified of hearing the sound of their own voice. To set the religious record straight, Om isn't the name of some obscure Yoga God. In fact, it isn't even a word at all - it's a sound. Through cymatics, the st

Every yoga class I teach ends with us all pressing our hands together at the heart in prayer and saying, "Namaste" as we bow our heads to the ground in a sign of honour and respect. When I have new students in the class, I often take a few moments to explain the word so they don't feel like they've ended up in some religious sect, forced to speak in tongues. These muppets make an entertaining attempt at interpreting the word Namaste. Namaste is a sanskrit greeting that says,

1) Ask yourself why you're doing it Examine the intentions behind your resolutions. Are you doing it for yourself or for someone else? Are you doing it to gain approval and out of fear of rejection? Or is it for your own personal fulfillment, evolution and wellbeing? The moment you try to prove yourself to someone else, you lose your value and relinquish your power. You're saying someone else's opinion has the ability to control the way you feel about yourself and determine y