The theme for this month’s practice series is GRATITUDE. Sometimes I get annoyed by practices involving making gratitude lists. And then I feel like a bad person for getting annoyed by a gratitude practice. I think the reason is that it
“She’s mad, but she’s magic. There’s no lie in her fire.” ~Charles Bukowski In the modern day, when we hear “tantra” or “tantric,” we think of some New Age blend of mysticism and pornography. The Internet and the marketplace are rife
The theme for this month’s practice series is GRATITUDE. We all know that gratitude is good for us—even just on a physical level, it boosts serotonin and dopamine in the brain, helping us feel better and connect more easily with others. As
The theme for this month’s practice is SLOWING DOWN. Over the last three weeks we’ve tuned in to the wisdom of the body, practiced mindfulness with our eating habits, and nourished ourselves with restorative yoga. This week we’ll turn our attention to how we
Restorative yoga can be a wonderful form of self-care. It can be a perfect introduction to yoga for a beginner and very calming for the seasoned yogi. In our busy lives, we don’t often invite ourselves to fully let go
The theme for this month’s practice is SLOWING DOWN. Last week we tuned into the wisdom of the body, slowing down enough to hear the subtle messages our bodies are always sending us. This week we turn our attention toward an activity
When I was a junior in high school, I wanted to pierce my nose, and I had my parents’ support. I talked for months about the possibility, slowly convincing myself that a jeweled stud was just what I needed. When
The theme for this month’s practice is SLOWING DOWN. This week we will turn inward in the spirit of the changing seasons to attune to the wisdom of the body. Our bodies are always sending us messages, yet we are
Growing up, my body felt like my despised enemy. It was slow, overweight, and the reason I was mercilessly outcast by my peers. My body became a place I never wanted to inhabit, which is a slippery slope. After anxiety,
The theme for this month's Practice Series is NATURE. This month we’ve deepened our connection to nature by listening to and creatively invoking the elements. Last week we clarified how we are called to steward the earth, by committing to take
The theme for this month's Practice Series is NATURE. Being a steward of nature can feel immensely overwhelming. This week we’re going to make our love for the earth concrete in a simple, connected, practical way. Throughout this month, we’ve connected
The theme for this month's Practice Series is NATURE. We are made of nature—she exists within us, in our bones, muscles, heart, and lungs. She is pulsing through our movement, our breath, and our heartbeat. This week we are honoring the
The theme for this month's Practice Series is NATURE. This week we’ll deepen our relationship with nature by connecting to one specific element. It’s easy to get so absorbed into our human world that we forget to listen to the wisdom
The theme for this month's Practice Series is NATURE. This week we will connect with and bring gratitude to the elements within us, to build a strong connection to nature wherever we are. By building intimacy with the earth, we forge a
When I was 29 years old, I jumped out of an airplane for the first time. Until then, my idea of an extreme sport had been jaywalking. But my sister had been trying to get me to do it for
“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” —Plato The theme for this month's Practice Series is PLAY. Playing alone is fun, but playing with someone else can be even better—a
The theme for this month's Practice Series is PLAY. This week, you’re invited to take your practice out of the house and into the streets—to the bus station, office, grocery store, post office, any place that could use a little
I grew up in a household with a strong male (my father) who was abusive and dominated my mother. He had the power. She was powerless. This made a huge impact on me as a child, and I knew early
The theme for this month's Practice Series is PLAY. It’s easy to get into routines, which tend to become habits that over time become ruts and eventually make us downright rigid. One of the many definitions of play is “movement.” Just
The theme for this month's Practice Series is PLAY. As adults, many of us view play as a frivolous pastime and a distraction from the serious business of living. As a result we tend to split play off from daily
The theme for this month's Practice Series is VOICE. The intention of this practice is to consciously express yourself from your heart. This could be in an area where you have tended to hold back, or in an area that
The theme for this month's Practice Series is VOICE. So far, we've explored more primal ways of voicing and the emotions and fears that hold us back from fully giving voice. This week, we’re moving in a new direction:
Dear Anne, I’ve been a fan of yours for years, and your writings have helped sustain me in my own life journey. So I was confused to see your recent tweets making disparaging remarks about Caitlyn Jenner and her gender
Barbara McAfee was a quiet kid. She had a big phobia about being heard. She came from a musical family, yet she believed that was for them, not for her. But then in college a friend overheard her singing
The theme for this month's Practice Series is VOICE. Your spoken and written voice is a powerful tool, but when it becomes locked behind fear, sorrow, anger, or stress, it can feel difficult or downright impossible to express yourself. Emotions
The theme for this month's Practice Series is VOICE. The intention of this week’s 5-minute journaling exercise is to explore your relationship with your voice, so that you can uncover what (if anything) holds you back from your full feminine
Sometimes I grow tired of myself. I grow tired of the doubt and insecurity. Exhausted by pride and fear and love and desperation, I am cautious when I want to be curious, I am still when I want to be
The theme for this month's Practice Series is VOICE. Over the next five weeks, we'll explore our creative voice, cultivate self-expression, and hone the ability to mindfully speak our truth. In our everyday lives, we sometimes keep a sound barrier around
The making of love, like the dance of destruction, wields force and yields surrender. On the grounds of such hallowed paradox sits a temple in which the goddess reigns. She resides in the vibrancy of space, the intimacy of aloneness,
I grew up in a society deeply wounded by war. The USSR of my childhood was covered with monuments to war heroes. The culture was saturated with movies, books, and songs dedicated to the bravery of the Soviet soldiers defending
The theme for this month's Practice Series is LISTENING. The intention of this practice is to listen to others with heart awareness. Not only does this allow more compassion, it also allows us to hear people in sometimes surprising new
Have you ever been scrolling through your Facebook feed when you suddenly run across a violent news story, or sitting in a public place when you see on TV that people were killed in a bombing somewhere? What did you feel
The theme for this month's Practice Series is LISTENING. This three-minute practice is designed to help you cultivate a greater connection with your own aliveness. When we take the time to listen to our heart rhythm in this elemental way, we become
Our Practice Series theme for the month of May is LISTENING. The intention of this week’s practice is to cultivate the capacity to listen to our own internal wisdom. This will build a foundation for everything else we’ll be exploring
A couple of years ago I had a wake-up call. I suddenly became aware that although I thought I valued commitment, I had really been living my life as though I valued freedom more. I realized I had never truly
Our Practice Series theme for the month of May is LISTENING. The intention of this practice is to cultivate our capacity to listen deeply. When we listen deeply, we hear what life is saying to us. We become centered in
I feel like the weight of the world is on my shoulders. There’s always so much to get done. Why don’t others help? Why don’t you help? My life feels so heavy and hard. These are the words I
In 2007, Suzanne Sterling joined with Seane Corn and Hala Khouri to create Off the Mat Into the World, a nonprofit aimed at bridging yoga and conscious activism, taking the fruits of practice out into the world. I first heard Sterling
The theme for this month's Practice Series is CREATIVE SPARK. Creative flow is just moments away. All you have to do is jump in. Today, give yourself five minutes to find out what is flowing through you right now. As with
The theme for this month's Practice Series is CREATIVE SPARK. It’s finally springtime in the northern hemisphere, and life is bursting forth around us. It’s a powerful time of growth, creation, and creativity. This week’s seven-minute practice will help you
This week's easy three-minute practice will help you cultivate your connection to creative inspiration. You can do this right now, wherever you are. This practice is for subscribers only: [et_bloom_locked optin_id=”optin_7″] Begin by setting aside whatever activity you are engaged in for
Suzanne Sterling has recorded five solo albums and performed in front of thousands of people. She has a powerful, passionate voice that seems to channel some fierce goddess. She’s the kind of person you’d expect to be comfortable with her
Last summer, in the middle of a chaotic house filled with half-packed boxes, I racked my brain to come up with a life plan. I was moving out but didn’t know where to, while considering leaving my job, deciding to
There's a thin thread of truth that ignites my body into fire It dwells in my belly and roars up my spine It grabs hold at my throat rolling flames over rhymes It makes me speak out of turn and
(may occur in any place or time, such as a cafe) 1. to see the red brick come alive, to see the light of the One, with human eyes. 2. to smell Love in the coffee served. 3. to hear
