“Poetry is not fanciful rumination but an entryway into the heart temple where we are closest to our truth, vision and wisdom in action.”

Shiva Rea, is a yogini of transformational Vinyasa flow yoga and yoga trance dance. In last month’s LAYoga magazine she writes about her relationship with the writings of Mevlana Jelauddin Rumi.

This year marks the 800th birthday of Rumi, and the essence and honesty of his poetry has continued to inspire and illuminate a the manifestations of the heart. As Shiva Rea writes about her daily practice of reading Rumi and bringing it into her work, we are invited into her own process of understanding the heart’s desires. (more…)

Almost always, the creative dedicated minority has made the world better.

Today we honor and recognize the work of one of the world’s most inspired peace leaders – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
As a man of faith, conscious and eloquence he strove to shift the world’s view on the American civil rights movement during a time of nationwide unrest. To uplift the human spirit by speaking of freedom, peace and compassion when all around him was untethered racism and inequality. But he stood strong and unwavering throughout his life. (more…)

With the change in the season, night falling sooner and new reflections of the year closely coming to an end, I found myself in “poetic motion” and I was looking for some inspiration.

Perhaps a familiar language that also engages in this journey of taking yoga one day at a time? (more…)

While at the Global Mala Project in Los Angeles, our team had the great fortune to view the inspiring work of Jasper Johal.
Mr. Johal is a photographer of some of the most intimate, artful and beautifully nude views of yoga poses. In his series entitled The Body as Temple we are offered a spiritual and sensuous insight of the body as a sacred being. (more…)

Let the beauty of what you love be what you do. – Rumi

Another month comes upon us and perhaps you are once again, creating a list of what you need to or want to accomplish in this mere 31 days. How long is that list? Is it practical? Is it fanciful? Does it include your health and exercise goals?

How often do we assume that our exercise regime will just take care of itself? For myself, that may just be one too many days. (more…)

In the future we will be bringing you profiles on individuals or organizations that bring the arts and yoga together in the form of poetry, dance, theatre or painting.

While doing this research we came across the work of Leza Lowitz.  In a lovely collection of poems entitled Yoga Poems: Lines to Unfold By, Leza is combining her passion for poetry with her devotion to yoga. (more…)

To lift my spirits, I sing. And this month – with mercury in retrograde and the fire season in California and a summer of strange and wobbly changes that have affected my bank account, my health and my confidence – I’ve been singing a lot! (more…)

It takes me a while to get the hang of it — being on vacation — but slowly I let go of my daily routine and “let the good times roll” (yes, I am in New Orleans!).

My yoga “routine” too.

Yes, that’s what I said. I’m not doing yoga this week because, well, I’m here to sit along the River and dance till my feet hurt and sample beignets and spicy collard greens. (more…)

I’m an April baby. Coming to life with the first blasts of green windy spring days. Anyone who knows me would probably describe me as truly possessing the energy of this season: quick-sprouting, excited by the wind, forever hopeful of what’s being created! (more…)

Every yoga pose (asana) can also be a meditation. These two functions of a yoga practice are often isolated. In fact, meditation can occur naturally while in one of the hundreds of asanas when you settle into the pose for an extended hold. (more…)