One of the basic guiding principles of yoga is Saucha. A Sanskrit word, it can be roughly translated as cleanliness. But not just cleanliness of our environment or physical cleanliness, but also cleanliness or purity of the body and mind. “What has that got to do with my life?” you may ask. Well, I … Read more
Years ago, when I was taking a yoga teacher training, I remember something my mentor, Christy, said that has stayed with me ever since. We were talking about how hard it is to be consistent – whether we’re talking about yoga, or any other practice. For some of us, it might be writing music. For … Read more
Art and I have had the same CPA for as long as we have been together. I like Herb. He’s a straight shooter. He doesn’t try to sugarcoat our tax returns. He just tells it like it is. So one day when I was looking over his work for the year, I was appalled to … Read more
I am increasingly sad about the state of the world in general. The planet is gasping. Human beings are rated in a hierarchy based on race, ethnicity, religion, and in this country, at least, political parties. Our most cherished traditions are fraying at the edges. Human relations are becoming more transactional and less spiritual. And … Read more
To borch (Yiddish origins) is to bitch. To bitch is to moan. To moan is to complain. But to complain is not the same as to borch. Borching is usually relentless, always vocal, and never intellectual. It has a visceral connotation. Its value is cathartic. A sure-fire guilt-inducer. Usually a source of irritation to the … Read more
Laura stared across the trestle table at Eli. Unaware, Eli was reading the newspaper as he slowly brought the spoonful of corn flakes and bananas to his mouth. It was their morning ritual, and it was the same as it had been for over fifty years. There was something sacred about their mornings. Talk was … Read more
I will preface all of this with a disclaimer so that I can stop saying, “I think. . .”. This is based only on my own experience, so it may or may not hold true for you. In fact, please refer to this disclaimer from now on whatever I write. Nothing I say holds any … Read more
A boy and a girl, Henry and Rose, were so much in love, that they couldn’t wait to get married. Although she was only sixteen and he was only seventeen, it didn’t matter to them. They asked for their parents’ blessing, but their parents could only shake their heads and say they were too young. … Read more
It happened so quickly, I didn’t have time to be scared. I remember that I was pulling into the next lane. I had my left turn signal on, and I glanced back over my shoulder to make sure the coast was clear. I must have been going about 65, which was actually a little slow … Read more
Somewhere in my middle sixties, I began to realize that I might be nearing “late middle age”. (Call me a late bloomer!) Instead of lamenting the passage of time, I began to realize that with age come certain advantages, more freedom, less worry about what others think – and the time-honored perks of more leisure … Read more