It seems the idea of ritual isn’t just on my mind, it’s a topic of discussion in the New York yoga scene this week. But just what is ritual?
Mirriam-Webster defines ritual as “a formal ceremony or series of acts that is always performed in the same way.” And Yoga City NYC calls it “thoughtful repetition.” READ MORE
I haven’t eaten a vegetable in a week. Yes, you read that right. Or, more accurately I tried. I ate a salad on Saturday. It did not go well. But if you can learn from my mistakes it will be worth the pain. READ MORE
It took me way too long, but I finally embraced my perfectly quirky/pretty, wear a leotard for yoga style. We all want to look and feel our best, whatever that is. And when we find what makes each one of us feel most comfortable, it’s more likely to happen, with less pushing and pulling and sucking in of stomachs and discomfort and spackle… READ MORE
I have a taste for some of the finer things in life. Especially when it comes to food. Though I don’t care what my car represents as a status symbol, I do care what my plate looks like! You won’t catch me throwing together rice and beans and calling it a night. And even when I just serve salad I top it with something interesting and arrange the colors “just so”.
What in the world does this have to do with wine?
Well, for me it’s all about being present.
There was a time when I didn’t drink at all. I felt sure this was the way to be fully awake, fully present, fully yogi. But in the end, I’m not sure that hard and fast “rule” was actually working the way I’d intended. READ MORE
Someone once asked me why I put so much effort into making my meals look and taste so fancy. I believe Mouth Watering Recipes fuel our resolve. They turn on the senses and help us tune in. READ MORE
In these over-processed, over stimulated, disconnected times, I think a little bit of old-school home-grown kitsch can go a long way. But that doesn’t mean it has to be low-brow or boring. I say, infuse your home-grown efforts with a touch of yuppie fanciness. READ MORE
When I was younger, my family was deeply steeped in Jewish ritual and family tradition. We were kosher. We went to temple on Fridays. We celebrated holidays with candles and Challah and Matzoh and prayer. And we went to my Grandmother’s house for a meal every Sunday. Sometimes these rituals felt like a pain. We were tired. There was too much to do. We had to get up early the next morning…There always seemed to be a reason to skip the ritual. But we didn’t.
As I got older and moved away from home and into my career, these rituals faded a little, leaving me feeling disconnected and forlorn. Recently, I began structuring my time around these gatherings again. READ MORE
Photo: Tom Rosenthal
I am very traditional about my yoga. I’m an ashtangi after all. We do the poses in a specific order, on specific days, in specific ways, staying true to the lineage that has gone before us. I often liken ashtanga yoga to Bach, or scales in music. It’s classical, steeped in tradition. Orderly. But even though I deeply believe in the system, even though I honor all the little details of the ashtanga yoga, I find there needs to be a little wiggle room, just like with my diet, just a tiny bit of rebellion to keep me going. READ MORE
In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not a big fan of rigid rules and restrictive protocols. Diets are never really sustainable. They’re endured…for a time. Cleanses can be useful resets or jumpstarts, tools that can help you tune in and find your hull speed, but they aren’t meant to be a lifestyle. Rules and formulas can’t hold up forever because they’re not organic. You may have resolved to be healthier but you can’t fuel that resolve with will power and nothing else. At least, I’ve found I can’t. READ MORE
From as early as I can remember, I’ve always loved boating. It was my parents’ main passion, and every sunny day off in the summer, we’d find ourselves motoring off somewhere. Often, my mother wanted to go faster than my dad. She’d get a little bored with the puttering and ask him to “let it out a little.” And often he’d indulge her, taking us on a short but fun, super speedy ride.
Dad, on the other hand, wanted to go even slower than he usually did. He had always wanted a trawler, a boat that’s meant to go that slow (but my Mom wouldn’t give in on that point). When I asked him why not just go slower if that’s what he wanted, he explained about ‘hull speed’. READ MORE
TO FIND OUT MORE, CONTACT LAURA OLSON >