balance: an ancient wisdom tradition in contemporary living

One of the things I appreciate the most about Kripalu yoga is the philosophic clarity that it is possible to bring the ancient wisdom tradition of yoga into our contemporary, and sometimes chaotic lives with balance and grace. What a relief!

I can call asanas by their Sanskrit names or by their English names, or, when I am teaching my classes in the juvenile jail, by whatever name the kids want to call them. (My favorite these days is Utkatasana--in English we call it Standing Squat--my juvie class calls it Thunder Thighs).

I didn't have enough yoga ties in my home studio, so I got some used men's suit ties at the last clothing exchange I attended, and we use those too. I'm big on avoiding fancy yoga clothes, special props, or dedicated spaces. If there is room to throw down a mat, great! No mat handy, no worries, I can do without. My yogini friend Lauren and I have discussed this on numerous occasions, and we both agree that daily sadhana can be an any-time-any-place practice for a minute, or for an hour. No rules frees me up to experience yoga whenever the urge strikes in whatever setting I find myself.

When people ask me about Kripalu yoga, they often want to know how it is different from other, more popular forms of yoga that they may already know. After talking about the importance in Kripalu yoga of warming up the body, connecting with the breath, and supporting a compassionate heart, I like to mention that Kripalu yoga allows each person to find their own way into a yoga practice, honoring where they are in body, mind and spirit, with lots of room to show up however they happen to be that day.

As I have deepened my experience of Kripalu yoga, both in teaching classes and in my practice, I have allowed myself more and more room to find balance in my life across many settings--family, home, workplace and community, and have become happier and more content as a result. What a gift to give ourselves--an ancient wisdom tradition finds its way into our modern lives at a time when we need it most.