As a yoga practitioner, ten precepts guide my practice and thus my teaching: 

• “Energize/Ease” in which we explore doing several things at once, while also letting go and/or releasing. 

• “Root to rise” in which we press down through the feet and hands in order to rise or lengthen. 

• “Activate hands and feet” in which we extend “energy” to our extremities in order to move more energy through the body and by doing so inviting more energy into the body. The ancient (and modern) Hindus referred to this energy as Shakti—the divine feminine energy that underlies and sustains all existence; the Chinese know it as Chi or Qi; to the Japanese it is Ki; to the Greeks, it is Eros. No matter what it’s called, lift and flex the toes! 

• “Deepen the inhale/Lengthen the exhale” in which we practice controlling the breath even in difficult situations and while holding difficult poses. We do this because, if we can control the breath, we can control the mind.  

• “Experience the experience” in which we train ourselves to feel what we feel and familiarize ourselves with the sensations that populate our bodies and the thoughts that dance and distract our minds. 

• “And… let go” in which we practice releasing what we are holding onto. Practically speaking, this is usually gripping or clenching in the head, neck and shoulders, the jaw and elsewhere in the body. Metaphorically speaking, this is releasing what we may be holding onto (mentally, emotionally) that which no longer serves us…perhaps an old story, an old regret or a negative experience that we may be clinging to. We work to train ourselves to release and let go. To be clear, emotions are a naturally occurring phenomena and they never lie. We do not want to deny the honesty of our emotions. Rather, we practice releasing that which is no longer serving us. 

• “Be here now" in which we practice presence.  

• “Accept what is” in which we practice surrender and succumb to the vast immensity of it all. 

• “Enjoy the difficulty” in which we practice fearlessness and I dare say JOY in the face of challenge, strain and struggle.  

• “Smile” in which we embrace the crazy, totally insane notion that “All you need is love,” and “Love is all there is.” The universe, the stars, the moon, the sun, our experience, consciousness, all of this exists merely to experience itself. Ergo. Be. Love.