Blog
Practicing A Perspective Of Abundance
The perspective in which we view the world shapes how we deal with the ups and downs of life. One specific perspective that is necessary for living from a more loving place is abundance. Its opposite, lack, tends to be the default setting most of our brains are wired...
Shit Happens – Use Yoga To Deal
Shit happens in life. You know, things not going your way, loss, stress, pain. There’s really no way around it, my friends. There is a Yoga principle that guides us in how to deal with challenges. It is Tapas. No, I don’t mean eating small Mediterranean dishes. Tapas...
Create Your Community
I just participated in my first SJA Partners meet up. (SJA is the school my husband is working at here in South Korea). I was looking forward to meeting other non-teaching partners who I will most likely be spending time with. In our first few weeks on Jeju Island,...
Discovering Traditional Yoga
My first visit to India was in the winter of 2002. It had been a dream of mine to go there since 1997 and I finally made it happen. (I finally had the courage to make it happen). I went by myself, much to my mother’s chagrin, and had an amazing experience that whet my...
A Calm Mind Doesn’t Happen Overnight
One comment that makes me cringe is when someone tells me, “I’ve tried but I just can’t sit still and relax.” The modern world is such that if something doesn’t change quickly, we’ve been taught there’s something wrong with us. When it comes to relaxing, we’ve been...
The Problem With The Fix-It Mindset
Self-judgment comes from a focus of lack. This lack is about wanting to be something you’re not or don’t have. From this attitude of lack, inevitable thoughts go to ‘not enough.’ And then you find yourself in a spiral of misery. For many of us, our minds combat this...
BEWARE OF THE CAREGIVER MINDSET
A big red flag goes up when I teach someone a tool or technique and they immediately say, “My _____ would really like this. I can’t wait to show them.” This is part of the Caregiver Mindset. You’re probably thinking, “Twyla, caregiving is a positive thing. What’s...
Your Life, Your Choice
I’ve been repacking my bags for my move to South Korea to reduce weight. It’s provided me the opportunity to practice discernment (viveka) and letting go (vairagya). My Yoga practice has strengthened my ability to be able to watch my reactions, question them, and...
True Freedom
The Fourth of July celebrates the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Freedom and independence are strong values in the United States. This day represents the start of a country working on developing its own values independent from Britain. Freedom of choice...
Why Do We Struggle to Relax And Be Still?
Why do we feel the need to keep ‘doing’? Why do we struggle to rest, to be still, and to be quiet? What causes us to feel we need more and more…even though we might already have everything we need? From the point of view of a Traditional Yoga text, Patanjali Yoga...