Accepting What Is

Photo via Leigh Ferrara Yoga.

When we make a change, it's so easy to interpret our unsettlednes as unhappiness. Our mental and emotional states fluctuate madly when we make big changes in our lives, and some days we could tight-rope across Manhattan, and other days we are too weary to clean our teeth. This is normal. This is natural. This is change. 

-Jeanette Winterson

Yoga Champions

Photos via the New York Times by the talented Piotr Redlinski.

The New York Times provided some beautiful coverage of Sunday's 9th annual New York Regional and National Yoga Asana Championship. If you haven't yet seen the article or the slideshow, I recommend taking a quick look.

I am always so inspired by the stories of these yoga champions. They display such courage taking the stage and moving through the postures they've rehearsed over and over.

Not many sports require you to be judged on ease, patience, concentration, and grace.

There has been some controversy in the past over making yoga competitive. And while I can see where the argument is coming from (people say yoga is a personal practice, and shouldn't encourage the ego)... I have to say I side with Joseph's opinion here (quoted from the NYT article):

Will promoting asana as competitive sport distort its essence, the intent to provide healing and body-mind unification? How could an increasingly popular asana avoid being consumed and altered by a world hungry for sport as spectacle?

Joseph Encinia, 26, the current world asana champion, said the opposite would happen. “Yoga will change our view of sport itself,” he said.

What do you think? Do you support competitive yoga? 

Have you ever competed?! I'd love to hear how it went! (And hey, you should be proud. It's not easy to share your yoga in the spotlight like that.)

If you've never considered it, I encourage you to check out this blog post about the thrill of competing, or this argument from a yoga teacher who says performing yoga allows its true meaning to shine through. Or, read this: practice, not perfect execution.

Yoga for the Weary

Photos via Pinterest.

Tonight I came to my mat feeling weary. Worn down. Heavy. 

Winter has a way of telling my body it's older and more tired than it really is, I think.

I am grateful that I can bring my worn-down self to yoga and come out of class feeling lighter, clearer, and more alive.

Even when my mind feels feeble during sun salutations, and my arms shake in chaturanga, I find peace by allowing myself this time. During my practice, it is OK if I am exhausted and feeling low.

Even if I am broken, I am somehow whole.

Weeks like these I've been finding calm and strength in poses like malasana (squatting pose) and balasana (child's pose). 

It's important to have realized I'm going through a time where I need and crave feeling grounded in my yoga practice and in my life. While I also love balancing and strength postures, I have found that those poses which root my energy downward are best right now (forward folds, warrior poses, and hip openers). 

By connecting with the ground, I tune in to my emotions, stabilizing them, calming myself, finding the peace I so desperately need.

Quiet Time

 Photos via Tyler Branch and Oh Darling Photo.

If you have a few minutes to yourself today, cherish them. Be authentically happy, or sad, or whatever emotion comes from your heart. 


Sit in a patch of sun and just be; don't worry about the things you have to get done. Read a book. Take a nap. Give a hug to someone you love. Love yourself, too.


You deserve it. XO

Karma Yoga Series: Ryan Garcia of 366 Random Acts

Photo illustration by me. All other photos in this post via 366 Random Acts.

The Karma Yoga series are a collection of posts on Alive in the Fire about individuals and organizations who believe in giving back to those in need. I hope this post inspires you to consider how you can share your yoga beyond the mat.

Today I bring you the story of Ryan Garcia, a blogger who is on a journey to give back by completing a random act of kindness every day this year.

Ryan's list has included quite an interesting mix of selfless actions... everything from taking a soldier and his family to a a Northwestern basketball game (pictured above) to donating diapers to a Chicago nonprofit, cleaning the house for his wife, and smiling at strangers or giving them hugs to brighten their day.

It's awesome to read about how Ryan's daily actions range from extraordinary (like registering to become an organ/tissue donor, or mentoring a child in need) to simple, everyday activities which really make a difference (like writing a poem for his mom, or shoveling all of the snow on his block for neighbors).

It's no wonder Ryan's story has been picked up by local news and written about on the web. He's one guy with a lot to give. Keep up the wonderful work, Ryan, and thanks for inspiring others to do the same. Support Ryan by liking his Facebook page and following him on Twitter; every "like" and "follow" earns 10 cents for charity!

Can you imagine what your life would be like if you approached each day as an opportunity to give freely to those around you? Talk about an inspiring way to look at the world!

Do you have a story to share in the Karma Yoga series? Write to me at aliveinthefire at gmail dot com to share your cause with this community of compassionate yogis.

Frame of Mind: Water vs. Rock

Photos via Pinterest.

Life moves quickly, changes often, is not always peaceful. Life is fluid. Life is like water.


And yet so often I approach life with my western mindset and my analytical mind, as though life were a rock. I am in the habit of thinking of life as something solid and approachable, definable, able to be categorized and controlled. I set my expectations firmly and in a way that is bound to be shattered by the reality of life's ever-shifting nature.


Lao Tzu, a Chinese philosopher, once said, "Nothing in the world is more flexible and yielding than water. Yet when it attacks the firm and the strong, none can withstand it, because they have no way to change it. So the flexible overcome the adamant, the yielding overcome the forceful. Everyone knows this, but no one can do it."



Water, as it turns out, is stronger than rock. Enduring, calm, peaceful, and ready for anything. I want to shift my thinking so that it is more like water than like rock. So I see the world as it is, and don't cling to the way I wish it would be.

How does yoga help you shift your thinking so that you approach the world with flexibility instead of resistance?

Yoga & Anxiety: My Guest Post on The Greatist

Photos by me.

Hey all, happy Tuesday! I hope you're having a beautiful day. I wanted to share some exciting news: I have a guest post up on The Greatist! (I am so honored to share my thoughts on their site; if you haven't checked them out before, you definitely should. They post on a variety of health, wellness and fitness topics.)

For a long time now, I've been thinking about the relationship between yoga and anxiety. Not too long ago, I discovered that yoga was actually causing me some anxiety instead of helping me feel more calm and at peace.

Has this ever happened to you? Will you please visit my guest post and share your comments? I would love to hear from you. XO