Gold’s album is a pleasure to listen to and a fresh new sound in the yoga music scene. Steve’s music blends the spirit of kirtan with the soul of blues. With lots of earthy acoustic guitar and resonant vocals, the album has a unique warmth and depth. “Stoned on Shiva”, my favorite track, carries a devotional Shiva chant on the waves of blues guitar. In tracks like this, you hear Gold bring his full heart and soul into the creation of his music. When a musician brings so much of himself to his art, you can’t help but open your heart to the sound.

If you haven’t had a chance to listen to the album, visit Steve Gold’s website and savor the tunes.

These past few weeks, I’ve been in a slump. I’ve been grumpy, dreary, and just generally ho-hum. Eventually, I realized just what I needed to pick myself back up again.

I realized that what I needed was a healthy dose of ego. 

Yep, you heard me. Ego: one of the most criticized concepts in the yoga world.

In yoga, ego gets a pretty bad wrap. In fact, some practitioners believe that destroying the ego is one of the central goals of practice and the key to a lasting connecting with the divine. Sri Sathya Sai Baba once said, “Banish the ego and develop the spirit of surrender. You will then experience Bliss.”

It’s true: the ego has a dark side. It has the power to kindle narcissism, greed, selfishness, and a whole host of other gnarly characteristics. But, it’s also has its benefits. Ego grounds us; it nourishes self-esteem; it drives us to achieve our goals. In many ways, ego is crucial to our daily lives and to our connection with something higher.

These past few weeks, I’ve struggled to nourish my sense of self. This struggle stems largely from the physical and emotional shifts inherent in pregnancy and approaching motherhood. More than ever before, my personal desires seem unimportant and my focus centers around the life inside me. My body is literally not my own anymore. It’s also someone else’s home! When I feel the baby kick, I’m immediately reminded that my body encompasses two souls. Personal identity and ego are bound to go into a tailspin under the weight of that realization! With my ego challenged, I felt a bit muddled and ambivalent.

I realized that the key to re-kindling my inner spark was to reconnect with my ego, my “me”-ness. So, I took time to care for me: I took a walk; I got a massage; I took a bath. I made a conscious effort to nourish myself. And, you know what? It worked.

Ironically, the ego – often thought to pull us away from the divine – was the exact thing I needed to re-connect to a higher sense of Self. A little self-care left me feeling brighter, more alive and more attuned to the beauty of the world around me. Having tended to my own needs, I feel more ready to serve others – as a friend, a yoga teacher, a partner and an expecting mother.

So, take some time to ask yourself: What have I done to nurture my self today?

Do something that nourishes you. Ultimately, when you serve yourself a healthy dose of ego, you’ll be all the more prepared to step out into the world with eyes wide open and make a difference.

How do you give yourself a healthy dose of ego? Leave a comment below!

Today I took Janet Casson’s Flow and Restore yoga class at Root Yoga.

Janet is a born teacher. The authenticity of her teaching reflects this truth. Some teachers struggle to find their voices, or try on the voices of teachers they admire. Not Janet. Janet sits comfortably in the power of her own voice and offers her unique expression as a teacher with clarity and poise.

Janet’s clarity and authenticity imbue her class with an atmosphere of ease. Bolstered by her confident, genuine instruction, Janet’s students unfurl. They let down their guard and practice from a place of self-awareness and honoring. Guided by Janet’s example, each student discovers the in-the-moment needs of her body and responds accordingly.

Leaving Janet’s class, I felt settled in the present of my body and my breath. I felt easeful, unguarded, and true. What more could I possibly want?

I recently had the opportunity to test out some shoes from Nada Sports and wanted to share my thoughts after walking in their shoes!

Nada’s shoes are incredibly lightweight. With soles only 6mm thick, they keep you close to the earth beneath your feet. In fact, you almost forget that you’re wearing shoes at all! The lightweight, breathable material in the shoes makes you feel completely unencumbered.

If you’re looking for a super-lightweight, ultra thin shoe to connect you closer to the earth beneath you, definitely check out what Nada has to offer.

Without further ado, the winner is… Julie! Huge congrats!

And, for those who didn’t win, I’ve got a special, limited-time offer…

You can still get a custom yoga practice video, made just for you! You’ll get:

• A 15-minute Skype consultation with me to discuss your practice challenges and goals
• A 15-minute custom practice video specifically addressing your requests, sent straight to your inbox!
• A follow up email to address any outstanding questions you have with regards to your practice video

But, here’s the deal: this offer ends on Dec. 21st! So, make the commitment to your practice right now. Or, gift this to your best yogi pal, right in time for Christmas!

Again, thank you sooo much for participating. I can’t wait to connect with you again soon!

Recently, I decided to step up my meditation practice: I committed to meditating an hour and a half to two hours every day for three weeks straight.

For the first week, I was all over it. My meditation practice was consistent, dedicated and inspired. Week two rolled around and I kept it up – even if it meant fitting in a seated practcie late at night, at the sacrifice of a good night’s sleep. Well, maybe not completely at the sacrifice of sleep… I dozed off on my cushion numerous times.

Now, I’m halfway through week three and I’m spent. Last night, I came home late, without having had a single chance to sit on my cushion. The last thing I felt like doing was sitting down to meditate. The only thing I felt like doing was cuddling up on my couch with my husband, some pizza and an old movie.

What to do? I was at a crossroads. Do I uphold my practice and drag myself to my cushion? Or do I order the pizza?

I ordered the pizza.

Typically, choosing the pizza over the practice would send me into a spiral of self criticism. I’d berate myself for not being able to stick to the commitment. But, this time I’m doing something revolutionary…

I’m giving myself a break.

The more I practice, the more I realize the importance of softening my expectations. I may not always fully meet the goals I set. And now I realize that’s okay. Priorities shift. Sometimes sitting on the couch, spending time with your loved one is much more important than clocking in your full practice regimen that day. Goals evolve. The goal we begin with is not always the goal we meet.

Practice is a process. Practice means waking up each day, facing your expectations and commitments, and adjusting course if needed. Then, at the end of the day, sometimes practice is about giving yourself a break. And that is one of the most challenging practices of all.

This one’s for you!

I am STOKED to announce a sweet new giveaway. This one is particularly special, so read on and be sure to submit your entry.

WIN: A free, customized yoga practice video based specifically on your personal challenges or goals for your yoga practice. The winner will get a one-on-one consultation with me to assess which area of your yoga practice you’d like to focus on, the challenges you face on your mat, and your practice goals. Then, I’ll create a personalized 15-minute yoga practice video designed just for you to help address the issues that matter most to you on your mat. I can’t wait to hear how your practice unfurls!

HOW TO ENTER: 

- Leave a comment below: Tell me about your biggest challenge in your practice!

- Follow me on Facebook and on Twitter.

Entries accepted until Dec. 11th at midnight Pacific Time. A winner will be chosen at random and announced soon after.

Know someone who could benefit from this giveaway? Pass it along!

Good luck!

Today I took Lauren Turnage’s 9 – 10:30 Forrest Yoga class at Root Yoga.

What I love about Lauren’s teaching is her complete poise and attentiveness. Every sentence, every instruction she gives, she offers with a confidence that earns her students’ trust. Lauren teaches with an assurance that speaks to the depth of her knowledge. Lauren has fully dedicated herself to her studies in Forrest Yoga and it shows: her teaching reflects both her studentship and her wisdom. Her poise is the kind that can only be gained from years of focused study and a grounded sense of self.

Lauren’s poise is complemented by her attentiveness. From the way she guides us through the yoga poses, to the adjustments she gives each student, Lauren invests herself completely in her students. She watches each student with a careful eye and offers the exact instruction or adjustment each person needs to experience the poses fully. Lauren holds each student in her focus and, as a result, they unfurl. They practice with a strength and assurance that comes from trusting in their teacher. That trust has the power to unlock incredible expansion in a student’s practice.

At the end of this week, Lauren will be taking some time off to spend with her newborn son! But, when she’s back, unroll your mat with her as soon as you can. No doubt, her poise, her attentiveness and her grace will be more powerful than ever.

Yesterday, I took Tina Porter’s 9:30am emPOWERment yoga class at Kindness Yoga S. Broadway.

In a word, Tina’s great gift as a teacher is her honesty. Every aspect of her presence and her teaching conveys total authenticity and in-the-moment awareness.

Tina constantly draws her students back to their breath. What aspect of our selves could be more honest than the quality of our inhale and our exhale? Tina invites her students to discover this truth within their bodies. In every pose, she focuses on instructing the breath with each movement. Not a single inhale or exhale goes unobserved. The moment the breath of the class falters, Tina is there, reminding us, “Where is your breath?” By attending to our breath, Tina highlights what is real and true within each of us.

Beyond her focus on the breath, Tina herself conveys a refreshingly raw honesty in her words and actions. She never holds back what lives in the center of her heart. She speaks her truth. That kind of authenticity takes tremendous courage. But, the benefits are apparent: in the strength of her character, in the power of her teaching, and in the mindfulness and strength she kindles in each and every one of her students.

The honesty of Tina’s teaching is a gift. Treasure it the next time you unroll your mat with her.

It’s time to step it up a notch.

As of today, I’ve meditated for 58 days in a row. I’ve committed to my practice, despite my own struggles with forming the habit. Now, it’s time to take it further.

I am committing to meditating for one and half to two hours a day for three weeks straight.

In Sally Kempton’s book, Meditation for the Love of It, she describes this as the 3-Week Breakthrough Program. Each day, you commit to meditating for a minimum of one and a half hours a day, journaling about your meditation experiences, and living a lifestyle that supports your practice (read: no late night parties, folks). For the next three weeks, I’m making this commitment.

I’m stepping it up. I’m investing in something that matters to me and I’m investing at a whole new level. Through my actions and the dedication of my time, I’m showing myself and the universe that this matters to me and that I’m ready to take my practice to greater depths.

So what? Why should this matter to you?

Because we are all ready to step up. We all have some passion or practice in our lives that’s calling us to a greater level of investment. How many times have you caught yourself saying, “I really love [insert personal practice or passion here]. I just wish I could find more time to make it a priority. Someday, I’ll make some time to really focus on that.”?

Well, here’s the amazing news: you can shift your priorities. You can make a choice to put your passions and your practices in the spotlight. You can do it. Better yet, you can do it right now.

That’s not to say that we can all just drop everything to fulfill our passions. Someone still has to do the dishes (and it might be you)! But, we can make a choice to shift our focus and rearrange our time. We can choose to shift our time away from relationships, interactions and activities that no longer serve us and start sculpting time into our days for the things that matter most. Unfulfilling friendships and surfing the internet might have to take a backseat, but it’s worth it.

So, take a moment to ask yourself:

What’s my passion? What do I long to do more of in my life?

Am I ready to step it up a notch? (Answer: heck, yes, you are!)

How can I shift right now to make it happen?

Take some time to dig into what you want from your life. Then, go out and get it. Right. Now.