Throughout my life I have had many identities. As a kid growing up in Texas I understood myself to be Mexican and Catholic. There were other ways of identifying myself and my family, but there wasn’t as much attention paid
“The thing you are most afraid to write. Write that.” —Nayyirah Waheed, Salt Let me start by saying, I used to judge women who said they had postpartum depression. Maybe it was because the few stories I had heard were
I’m going to eat healthier. I resolve to lose 10 pounds. I’m going to be nicer to my kids. Maybe you’ve made New Year’s resolutions before, too—and most likely had a hard time keeping them, maybe even broken them? I’m
The theme for this month’s practice series is LETTING GO. We’ve all been there before: Your mom (or dad, or partner, or child) says something that upsets you, and suddenly your defenses are up and emotion floods your body. Or someone
“When we were children, we used to think that when we were grown-up we would no longer be vulnerable. But to grow up is to accept vulnerability. … To be alive is to be vulnerable.” —Madeleine L’Engle As a practicing
The theme for this month’s practice series is LETTING GO. As leaves are turning color and falling to the ground, it’s a natural time for us to let go of what we no longer need. The earth supports us in this
“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
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
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,
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
