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“Unified Consciousness results when the gunas return back inward because the Ascendant’s purpose is fulfilled, or when the Absolute Self is permanently stabilized in the Divine Power of Pure Consciousness.” The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Sutra IV.34 Of all the...
As we approach the busy season here in Punta Gorda, I can’t help but be obsessed by this idea we call time. We all have a million expressions for it: “Don’t waste your time,” “It’s about time!” “In the interest of saving time,” and so on. I, myself can’t help but feel...
This month, we are honoring Jane Eckles, who recently passed away, as our yogi of the month. Jane has been a part of The Yoga Sanctuary for quite some time. She was kind and compassionate, and always interested in others. She loved her family and really enjoyed her...
I was born and raised in Wheaton, IL as a fifth generation Irish Catholic. My mother still lives there. I have two brothers and a wonderful husband of 36 years, Paul. I unexpectedly retired from the telecommunication industry after 32 years of service due to multiple...
I began yoga in 2002 as I was finishing my master's degree and found myself very much stressed and increasingly gaining weight. A friend recommended yoga and gave me some VHS tapes to get me started. I spent over a year with Brian Kest Power Yoga tapes and Yoga...
An important lesson that I have learned since beginning my yoga practice in 2005 is that it’s best to not overdo, overthink, or over plan, but instead to go back to the roots of existence, to the rules of nature, and to feel one with what really matters. It’s what we...
Before taking yoga teacher training, I had never used the words surrender or non-attachment. These particular words peaked my interest, however, when I came to realize that they could change my life. I would never have labeled myself as controlling, but I would...
In this day and age it’s easy to become jaded or disassociated with ourselves, with each other, and with the world around us. At first glance, it can sometimes feel as though each of us is alone and left to fend for ourselves as we fight our way through this...
"The yogi is entitled to action only, not to the fruits of his actions." —Bhagavad Gita The first time I read this passage I cried. Jumping to the negative interpretation, which was my habit, I understood this to mean that no matter what I did, no matter how many...
Before she passed away, I had planned for Marilyn Bunte to be our yogi of the month. So in honor of her, I’d like to share some of my memories of Marilyn as well as some memories from others at The Yoga Sanctuary. Marilyn was of my very first students when I began...
“You think too much.” I’ve been told that more than once. And you know what? The people who said it were right. I’ve always been a worrier—I worried about everything! I also have a great imagination, which, as a writer, is an asset. But I used to believe that I had to...
Many of us are familiar with the phrase “yin and yang.” We recognize at once the black and white symbol, which seemingly represents polar opposites. As I look at my yoga practice, I see the yin and the yang. I love Ashtanga and our Monday Level 2 class for the...
By Jennifer French In the Yoga Sutras, one of yoga’s most sacred and oft referenced texts, Patanjali tells us that our “practice becomes firmly grounded when well attended to for a long time, without break, and in all earnestness.*” When I think on firmly grounded, I...
I took my first yoga class 10 years ago. After teaching fitness classes at the YMCA for several years, I enjoyed the calm, quiet, peaceful feeling I experienced after practicing yoga. Growing up in a...
Yoga has been a continuous journey for me. Early on, I enjoyed the asana practice and how good it made me feel every time I met the mat. Then later, I took the plunge into teacher training and finally realized I am a student of life...
We are so proud of Melissa Goodwin, an instructor at The Yoga Sanctuary and accomplished children’s book author. In fact, Melissa has been published extensively in children’s and national magazines and won...
I often tell my yoga students that the hardest part of class is getting there—getting on your mat to practice. But no matter how difficult it might have been (aligning those stars to get there), you’re always...
Imagine a juggling act that involves a person running down a row of spinning plates balanced on sticks, trying to keep them all spinning? That is an apt description of my life! Most days, I am keeping my home...
"If you really want to understand something, teach it," often quotes my husband (many of you know I was recently married and still smile when I say "my husband"). It's one of the reasons he became a...
For me, yoga is as important off the mat as it is on it. While I may have come to my first yoga class wanting an exercise program, I quickly learned that simply doing yoga poses does not a yogini...