Interview with Michelle Sarchiapone, owner of The People’s Yoga 6/9/10 RS: Something I’ve been thinking about a lot is the accessibility of yoga. It’s become an industry and pastime that has an image attached to it that tends to appeal mostly to certain demographics, yet at its heart it’s a practice that could be beneficial [...]

Community yoga is booming! Free, by-donation and cheap classes are making the way into the schedules of most yoga studios, if not making up the entire schedule of many studios. There’s a lot of bad news these days that we are collectively trying to come to terms with and figure out how to live with [...]

Yoga happening started happening in Toronto, and is now happening in Vancouver, New York City and Portland, OR. Yogahappening creates yoga events in public spaces: in the park, at a gallery, in the mountains, by the sea, the forest, the lake. Yogahappening asks you to pause in your yoga routine and consider the spontaneity of [...]

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the passing of Pattahbi Jois, (Guruji), the founder of the school of Ashtanga Yoga. With love, respect and deep gratitude we offer thanks and remembrance to a great teacher, student, scholar, and leader. AUM PURNAMADAH PURNAMIDAM PURNAT PURNAMUDACHYATE PURNASYA PURNAMADAYA PURNAMEVA VASHISHYATE. AUM THAT IS THE WHOLE. THIS IS [...]

My godmother Clarissa is a fantastic chef. She is also one my best friends and mentors. Clarissa is an acupuncturist and herbalist (Chinese herbs) here in Portland and the owner of Jade Acupuncture in NW Portland (the best place in PDX for acupuncture and massage… Not that I’m biased). It’s Clarissa that I double-check all [...]

The following is taken from NPR’s story “The Great Oom: Yoga’s Wild Ride to Respectability” You can listen to the complete story here on NPR’s ‘All Things Considered’ “Yoga, that mystical art that’s become a regimen for 15 million Americans, came to this country from the East. Eastern Nebraska, to be precise. That’s where, back [...]

Tao Porchon-Lynch has been a student of yoga for over 60 years and has studied with Indra Devi and B.K.S. Iyengar. At 91 years old she’s been teaching yoga for 4 decades and is still going strong as a living inspiration. Thanks Tao for setting a wonderful example! “The creator of life is inside of [...]

I’m not sure I agree with all the rules, or the generalization of what ‘Yoga Goddesses’ want,  but the Guide to Dating a Yoga Goddess is a good start for potential suitors, or at least a good read. All the yoga goddesses and their would-be lovers will have to let me know what you think, [...]

Well… I did say that I would update this blog while I was traveling, and I did alright for the first week, but then I seriously fell off the wagon. Oh well, I enjoyed the computer-free time!And now I’m back in sometimes sunny/ mostly rainy Portland and getting back to work. One of the places [...]

Michael Stone is a psychotherapist in private practice, lecturer, yoga teacher and author. He co-leads the Centre of Gravity Sangha, a community of Yoga & Buddhist practitioners in Toronto and travels internationally, teaching in academic, yoga studio and conference settings. Michael offers courses and retreats that focus on integrating yoga postures, breathing practices, meditation and [...]

(Raji Thron is pictured here demonstrating Ashtangasana. Please don’t try this one at home, unprepared or unsupervised.) Ever wonder what pose is which one, where and how? Good thing there’s this kick-asana (ooh…) web index of asana variations complete with notes, references, instructions and bibliography. And if you’re wondering what to do with all these [...]

Oooh! Goldmine!! I love it when I find amazing web resources like iHanuman. Hanuman the monkey-faced god of the Hindu tradition is considered to be a symbol of Bhakti (devotion) and love. As one incarnation of Lord Shiva, Hanuman represents good fortune and benevolence. iHanuman pays tribute to the namesake as an online community of [...]

Yoga Hope is a non-profit yoga outreach program based in western Massachusetts bringing the practice of yoga and meditation to underserved women; women who have been incarcerated, are undergoing addiction treatment and rehabilitation,  living on the streets, battered women and women transitioning from hospital treatment for disordered eating. Founded by Sue Jones, the program consists [...]

Shanti Uganda is a project that I am seriously excited about! The women that started this project are deeply committed to the vision of yoga as a healing tool and are doing wonderful work to spread the love and peace (shanti) of the practice. If you happen to be here in the Portland area I [...]

Pangea Organics founder Joshua Onysko is not only a groundbreaking entrepreneur who’s organic, sustainable body products line is changing the way many companies are thinking about the future of business, he’s also a chef who knows how to cook on a budget. After starting a Facebook challenge to cook meals for one week that were [...]

Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American clergyman, activist and prominent leader in the American civil rights movement. His main legacy was to secure progress on civil rights in the United States, and he has become a human rights icon: King is recognized as a martyr by two [...]

The World Food Program is sending out all available resources to bring nourishment to the people of Haiti after the devastation of a massive 7.0 earthquake on January 12th. Haiti is a place that is described as “hell on earth on a good day”. In the last decade this island has endured a political coup, [...]

While I was back I had the good fortune to discover yet another in my growing list of excellent yoga-photographers. I love it when a photograph can actually recontextualize my understanding of a posture and shift my perspective in a new way. Boulder photographer Jim Campbell works with a gorgeous aesthetic that evokes a movement’s sensuality and explores playful and quirky approaches to his subjects.

Interview with Sally Erickson who is the manager of Portland, Oregon’s Ending Homelessness Initiative

Interview with Ryan Patterson from Away Inward Retreats.

In the last year and a half California-based massage therapist Ryan Patterson and his Partner Jason Frahm have taken four groups to Peru for a once-in-a-lifetime cultural experience including hikes to sacred Inca ruins, fire dances, earth offerings and plant ceremonies guided by Andean Shamans, massage, journaling, yoga (of course), Machu Picchu (of course) and a deep commitment to serving 2 local orphanages. I interviewed Ryan about the vision of Away Inward and his mission of charitable outreach.