Category Archives: Quotes

Reading from Class: “I got the Power!” by Goethe

This is another favourite of mine to share that elicits a lot of response from students.  Thanks to Willa for the reminder. “I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. I possessContinue reading “Reading from Class: “I got the Power!” by Goethe”

Reading from Class end of May 2013: Pema Chödron on being fully present

This is a real favorite of mine, that I love sharing: “It takes bravery to train in unconditional friendliness, it takes bravery to train in “suffering with,” it takes bravery to stay with pain when it arises, and not run or erect barriers… As we become intimate with these tendencies, they gradually become more transparentContinue reading “Reading from Class end of May 2013: Pema Chödron on being fully present”

Reading from Class weeks of 5/6 and 5/13 (Happy Mother’s Day!): Vyasa on Faith in Practice

I was inspired by these words on faith in practice also taken from the Letter “Faith and the Power of Practice” from Patricia Walden and her team — also found the nod to Mother’s timely.  Here they reference Vyasa’s commentary on Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra: “Faith sustains the yogi like a benevolent mother. At its simplest and mostContinue reading “Reading from Class weeks of 5/6 and 5/13 (Happy Mother’s Day!): Vyasa on Faith in Practice”

Reading from Class week of 4/29/2013: Philippe Vernier

I read this quote in a letter titled “Faith and the Power of Practice” from Patricia Walden and her team.   This was a great piece written on the power of maintaining faith and practice through the recent Marathon tragedy and trauma in Boston. “Do not wait for strength before setting out, for immobility will weakenContinue reading “Reading from Class week of 4/29/2013: Philippe Vernier”

Reading from Class week of 4/16/2013: Yoga and Life = An Obstacle Race

From Georg Feuerstein’s Yoga Gems:  “Remember, Yoga practice is like an obstacle race: many obstructions are purposely put on the way for us to pass through. They are there to make us understand and express our own capacities. We all have that strength, but we don’t seem to know it. We seem to need toContinue reading “Reading from Class week of 4/16/2013: Yoga and Life = An Obstacle Race”

Reading from Class week of 4/9/2013: Georg Feuerstein on “Mindfulness”

From Yoga Gems: “So long as we are on automatic, we are propelled by our own habit patterns, and this merely reproduces our state of unenlightenment. The moment we introduce mindfulness, however, we can control undesirable thoughts, motivations, emotions, and actions and activate their positive counterparts.” – Georg Feuerstein With renewal of spring, I was inspired by the illuminationContinue reading “Reading from Class week of 4/9/2013: Georg Feuerstein on “Mindfulness””

Readings from Class: Transitioning to Spring with Charles Dickens and Sarah Ban Breathnach

Week of 3/25: “It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.” – Charles Dickens, Great Expectations The experience of teaching in the Back Bay and walking between classes this time of year always inspiresContinue reading “Readings from Class: Transitioning to Spring with Charles Dickens and Sarah Ban Breathnach”

Readings from Class: More of Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtra 1.33

Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali 1.33: I.33 maitrî-karuñâ-muditopekæâñâä sukha-duïkha-puñyâpuñya-viæayâñâä bhâvanâtaå citta-prasâdanam I have focused my study and practice on Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra 1.33 (Chapter 1, verse 33) more fully over the last month. During this process, I have continued to share different translations and commentary on this sutra in classes. From The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali:Continue reading “Readings from Class: More of Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtra 1.33”

Reading from class: Patañjali’s Yoga-Sūtra 1.33

In the first book of the Yoga-Sūtra, Patañjali offers 7 practices to minimize distractions of the mind. Pada 1.33 describes how we should relate/respond to all beings/others. I.33 maitrî-karuñâ-muditopekæâñâä sukha-duïkha-puñyâpuñya-viæayâñâä bhâvanâtaå citta-prasâdanam This week I am sharing Chip Hartranft’s translation from his book The Yoga-Sūtra of Patañjali, which adds a Buddhist perspective to the scienceContinue reading “Reading from class: Patañjali’s Yoga-Sūtra 1.33”