The Feathered Pipe has been blessed to host many of the foremost teachers, guides and wisdom holders within the realm of yoga, meditation, spirituality, health and wellness during our four-plus decades of existence. The Feathered Pipe Blog offers you the opportunity to explore more deeply their thoughts and insights for opening to experience a more healthful and fulfilling life.
My colleague, Nina, from Yoga For Healthy Aging said it was time I shared my story of coming to yoga, so here it is. But first, I should start by telling you what my life was like before I discovered yoga in 1994. Wow, where to start?! Let me encapsulate my schooling and work history in this way: I was always a studious kid and did well in my grade school, junior high and high school studies. Read More
Yoga teaches us that we will find fulfillment when we align clearly with our own true Self, and the path through the pancha koshas toward the innermost sheath of bliss is as unique as we are. We can access our innate blissfulness via experiencing expansive shapes and fluid movements, being open and present, as well as practicing gratitude, loving-kindness, and self-less service. Read More
Your power is the creative power of Life flowing through you. When you feel it, you will intuitively understand that not only can you use this power to shape your experience and external circumstances, but that you have been doing so all along. We are constantly pulling things and events into materialization. Read More
Considering there are over 8 billion people in the world, each with a distinctive personality, likes and dislikes, and ways of relating to the world, it behooves us to remember that each of us plays an integral part in life on Earth, and that judgment causes turmoil, suffering and disruption. Read More
When it comes to alignment, I find it curious to notice teachers who are are usually quite rigid in their instruction are now bending over backwards to explain how they respond to the needs of students. Specifically, I was reading an excerpt from a new book, written by a senior teacher in a classical tradition, who was considering the instruction to "straighten your leg." Read More
Asanas or poses, like reality, like life, are in constant flux. How does one "hold" a pose dynamically without it becoming rigid? Nothing is set in stone -- so why do we try and take snapshots to preserve or repeat the same experience in the same exact way? Why try to hold on to moments that are ever-evolving or devolving? Read More
It’s easier than ever these days to surrender to unbounded time shackled to screens that capture our attention and put our senses to sleep. But there’s another sort of surrender — the one that invites us to reclaim our power over where we put our attention. Read More
Spring is approaching. As I look out of the window, I imagine spring. I imagine how in April or May, I’ll ask my yoga students if they want to practice outside. Like I’ve experienced at a Feathered Pipe Ranch Retreat, practicing yoga outside changes the essence of yoga. I want to share this with my students -- show them the impact of yoga practiced in an outdoor environment. Read More
Giving is wonderful. Extending ourselves in service to others, sharing our gifts, wisdom, and time is very important. The world is in need of what we have to give. But, if we keep giving and giving, doing and doing, without plugging into our true source and replenishing ourselves, we will run dry. Our souls can become depleted. Read More
When I first met India Supera there was an immediate connection, as though we had always known each other. It was like finding my long-lost older sister who would not let me forget the work I was put in this body to do. When she took her first MIMSY - Meditation in Movement Soft Yoga class with me, she was in deep back pain. Read More
Too tired. For many it’s the default response to every request—even the fun ones. Some of the walking weary are simply too overworked or overstressed to get adequate rest, while others may feel drained by a physical ailment, a psychological condition, or the side effects of medication. Read More
Thankfully, shifting towards daily routine and monthly ritual can provide peace of mind, more time in life to feel settled and offer some of the best tools available for managing stress. Having a yoga practice and a deeper understanding of Āyurveda can allow us to enable these shifts with ease. Read More