By Tammy Kaleel My healing journey began on January 31 when I fell, face planted on concrete, and hit my forehead twice. I also re-injured my right wrist. What felt like a single moment of impact became the doorway into a much longer, more complex process—one that would challenge not
I’m not sure about you, but I sometimes find myself completely spent by the end of the day. And by “spent”, I mean my energy reserves have been utterly depleted. And that could be physical energy, mental energy, emotional energy or some combination. The cupboard is bare, and sometimes I didn’t notice that I was down to the last can of beans.
By Terry Tresco
December is month when so much around us is saying to be merry and bright. Often times, however, we or someone we know is anything but that. The cold wakes some of us up and causes others to seek their caves and hibernate for the winter. Seasonal changes for many of us in the northeast can cause seasonal depression. Studies have shown that exercise of all types helps us combat depression, but it goes beyond that; connection with community is an unexpected bonus that comes with many forms of exercise.
In July 2017, I had the honor of assisting my teacher, mentor and friend, Rudy Peirce, for a 5-day Dynamic Gentle Yoga program at Kripalu. Because I am a longtime student of Kripalu Yoga and a past participant in Rudy’s yoga teacher training, workshops and programs I was so excited to be a working part of the magic that happens when we immerse ourselves in Rudy’s unique approach to breath and mindful movements.
By M. Patricia Diaz, Dynamic Gentle Yoga Teacher and Memoir Author The first class I took with Rudy was like a walk on the moon. Slow, very slow motion. I didn’t know at the time that his class would at some point rise to the level of “out of this
I took my first yoga class in an outdoor garden with friends after work in 2000. Those evenings were the best part of a stressful time: I was recently engaged to be married, planning a wedding, and looking for somewhere to live.
Looking back over the past 20 years, I see that yoga has helped me to feel steady as difficult situations keep coming, as Rudy says: “life is relentless”. A yoga class is one of my favorite places to be (in addition to college campuses and airports). I always feel better at the end of a yoga class.
Yoga has been a saving grace in my life. This ancient practice has served as an anchor through many challenges over the years. It has enabled me to develop a deep relationship with my body, mind and spirit. It is from this place that I teach.
I first began exploring yoga when I was 17. It touched me at a tender time through a small book on yoga my mother gave me shortly before she passed away at that time. I followed the guidelines given and started to feel soft shifts within. I practiced mostly on my own through college, then started with a few teachers.
We all agree: It’s been a crazy year and a quarter. Ever since the World Health Organization declared Covid to be a global health emergency in March 2020 and communities around the world went on lockdown, we’ve been living in “a fascinating laboratory,” says Rudy.
When I think about how Yoga has profoundly influenced every aspect of my life, I am grateful for it – and for kind teachers like Rudy and Joyce. I have dedicated my life’s work to sharing this transformative practice with others. Before I found yoga, I did not feel fully alive due to years of numbing any real emotion. I was scared to allow myself to feel and to truly connect to others.
The disconnectedness astronauts can feel from loved ones, from regular life . . . from the Earth itself, is not so dissimilar to the disconnectedness so many have felt over this last year. Here’s a fascinating take on re-entry into life, whether from space capsule . . . or pandemic:
