Articles & Essays & Poems
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The articles, essays and poems here are a piece of me. They are my intimate thoughts and feelings, the ramblings that spiral through my head, the joy and sorrow that I feel every day. They are also a compilation of wisdom from many sources outside of myself. Teachings, information, and insights that have been generously shared by humble teachers and guides.
I write, with pencil on paper most days, to help me breathe easier. I share with you here, to inspire you and myself. I want all of us to know that our voices are important. That what we have to say matters. Sharing with you, is how I remind myself of this.
What you will read here comes from my lived experience. My experience living the practice of yoga philosophy and āyurveda, along with my experience living the practice of being human in this world of beauty and tragedy. Yes, I have studied and received certifications. I have learned and forgotten facts. But actually having a living practice is what gives value to anything I share.
Much of the wisdom I have gained in this lifetime comes from living and working within the context of the militarized desert that exists within the borderlands of southern Arizona, USA and northern Sonora, MX. The desert borderlands have shaped me in a way no classroom or temple ever could.
Transitions Great & Small
I so enjoyed being in Arivaca this winter, the place I consider to be my home community. As I transition into what we in the desert would consider a second winter, I am able to see that this is spring in Vermont. Snow is melting one day, falling the next, and then melting again. The maple sap is running, and here on the homestead where I live, it becomes syrup. We use the transformative power of the fire element to turn this lightly sweet, watery substance into something more intensely sweet, heavy, and sticky.
Home Cleansing: Clearing Excess From The Body-Mind-Spirit
Cleansing, or clearing excess from your life, is an important and valuable ritual. Whether it is accumulated toxins, excessive thoughts, undigested emotions, too much activity, or excess belongings in the home, “clearing the clutter” helps to cleanse the body, mind, and spirit. Cleansing can look like many things, and in Āyurveda we always consider the individuals’ unique and present needs.
Everything As Spiritual Practice
What does it mean to have a spiritual practice? The answer to this question will be different for everyone. You get to figure out what it means for you, and it can be different on a given day or period of your life.
Your Kitchen Is Your Pharmacy
I began to understand the concept of food as medicine, food as poison, in my later teenage years. This early understanding was more of an indescribable knowing, with only my own personal experience as evidence. As I matured into my early 20’s, and began to seek medical advice for issues I was having, I found myself not knowing where to turn.
Living Yoga & Āyurveda
Many of us have heard the word yoga, especially in the past 10-15 years as the practice has grown popular in the west. Yoga is often thought of as an exercise class, which it is, but not just for the physical body.
