A man in a Hallmark store was poking through greeting cards for a long time, lingering from one card to another, when a clerk came over and asked, “Sir, is there a problem?” “Yeah,” he sighed. “I can’t find one card my wife will believe.” This bitter sweet anecdote struck me. Do you believe the… Read More Do you believe or do you know?

Every July Fourth we celebrate the day in 1776 when the thirteen colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, declaring that we as a nation would no longer accept the rule of the British monarchy. It was a rejection of tyranny and, at the same time, an affirmation of human equality. Ideally, no longer would it… Read More Freedom and Independence: Outside and Inside

If you know Svaroopa® yoga, you know that much emphasis is given to your tailbone. In every class, we teach poses that release your spinal tension, beginning with the tailbone. Why the tailbone? Consider the problem of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Construction on the tower began in 1173 A.D.  A shallow foundation and the… Read More More About Svaroopa® Yoga: What’s All the Fuss About the Tailbone? (Part 1)

Phil (Krishna) Milgrom In Part 1, the focus was on the structural significance of the tailbone. Why does Svaroopa® yoga begin with releasing the tailbone first and then follow with the rest of the spine, from bottom up? The tailbone is not just an inconsequential (“vestigial”) appendage, as it has often been considered. As noted,… Read More More About Svaroopa Yoga: What’s All the Fuss About the Tailbone? (Part 2)

By Philip L. Milgrom, CSYT In conversations with folks unfamiliar with yoga, we often hear their hesitation expressed as: “I can’t do yoga; I am not flexible enough.” They might be thinking of a magazine photo they saw, in which a petite model was contorting like a pretzel. That is not the yoga you will… Read More Svaroopa® Yoga: Yoga for Every Body

The photo below and the following quote are from Swami Nirmalananda’s recent Facebook post: “Hasta Padasana – arms up in the air – brings up joy. It’s reliable. You don’t have to wait for spring. You can do it anytime. I planted these forsythia and now they’re bigger than me. That’s what I want all… Read More You Don’t Have to Wait for the Sun to Shine for You to Shine

Why is April called April? According to www.dictionary.com, one theory is that the name is rooted in the Latin Aprilis, which is derived from the Latin aperire meaning “to open”— which could refer to the opening or blossoming of flowers and trees.   Another theory is that it derives from the Greek Apphodite, the Greek goddess of love.  … Read More You Are Blossoming

I can feel it. I can see it. The earth, once frozen and dormant, is beginning to breathe again. Trees, left barren and ghostlike under the icy grip of winter, are starting to pulse with life again. Their sap is already flowing, and an aura of energy graces their crowns like glimmering garlands.   Seedlings… Read More Springing Up

Happy belated Valentine’s Day! And here’s a happy belated February newsletter to you as well!   The good news is, to paraphrase Mark Twain, we have made it through some of the worst winter storms that never happened. That’s nature’s Valentine to all of us. And, we have passed the midpoint of winter. The sun… Read More Stay Free