Spring Wisdom for Vibrant Health and Wellness

According to the science of Ayurveda each season is ruled by two of the five elements of Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Space. The spring season is characterized by an excess of Earth and Water (Kapha Dosha) and has the qualities of coldness, heaviness, and dampness. So even though the cherry blossoms are out and the days are longer there is still a winter chill in the air on most days, the spring rains are heavy, and the ground is wet and cold....

Kitchen Sadhana: Nourishing Your Soul Through Food Preparation

One of my favorite ways to ground and nourish myself is by spending time in my kitchen preparing food for my family. My first Ayurvedic teach Kimberly Loeb introduced me to the concept of Kitchen Sadhana, or conscious food preparation, as a genuine path of practice, and since then my time in the kitchen has become even more purposeful....

Living a Life of Practice

Most of us crave cycles of growth and renewal in our lives, as we all want to feel the newness of discovery and expansion in our relationships, in our careers, and in our spiritual practice. But we often forget that before growth there must be a period of birth, and before birthing there is a period of change, death or release. It is in these aspects of the pulsation that we often become stuck, because death or letting go is painful, and birth requires effort and a willingness to push into the unknown....

Cleansing Comfortably in January

To support you in making lifestyle shifts that will support your overall health and wellness in 2012 I’d like to offer the following tips on how to cleanse safely and comfortably in January. Keep in mind that seasonal cleansing is ideally done in Spring and Fall when nature supports us in eating lighter so January can be a challenging time to lighten up, especially if you live in a cold climate. These guidelines offer some very simple tools that can support you in releasing excess and up leveling your overall wellness though the next month...

Holy Nights

In the Christian traditions the period of time between Dec 24th and January 6th is known as the Holy Nights or the 12 Days of Christmas and is honored as a sacred time. For myself I feel that my own Holy Nights begin on the Winter Solstice and run right through to the Feast of Epiphany on January 6th....

Solstice Musings On Ritual And The Meaning of 108

Every year for the last seven years I have celebrated the Winter Solstice by doing 108 rounds of Surya Namaskar with my local community here in Tofino. In eastern philosophy the number 108 is considered a number that represents a complete cycle and is the ultimate end of an event or phenomenon and so for this reason it is common to do 108 rounds of prayers on auspicious occasions....

Winter Wisdom Restorative Practice

Here is a very simple restorative practice from the handouts for my Seasonal Wisdom Workshop that is coming up this Sunday the 18th. This practice would be an ideal way to start a gentle winter day off or for ending a busy day when you get home from work....

Meditations on Subtlety & Spaciousness

This time of the year is characterized by the qualities of subtlety, lightness, dryness, and mobility and this morning I could feel each of these qualities so clearly. The dry frosty ground beneath my feet, the cold wind on my skin, the lightness of the tree branches looking so fragile without their leaves, and the subtlety of light and morning mist that lends mystery to this season. It is beautiful for sure and lends itself to the more subtle practices such as reflection, inquiry and deep meditation. You may find that you are more naturally drawn to these practices or that those of you who have established meditation practices can go deeper more readily....

Community Fun and December News

The weather has been gorgeous here in Tofino as we switch into December and already the festive season has begun...

October Reflections & Halloween Recipes

Happy Hallow's Eve! Halloween has always thrilled me and though…