“We are all powerless without the grace of sleep.” Tracey Stanley Do you wake up tired, spend all day waiting to go to bed, only to find yourself unable to fall asleep? Do you wake up in the middle of the night, and stay awake due to a chattering mind? Does deep, restorative sleep elude you? If s... Read More »

Many yoga studios are reopening, but online yoga is here to stay. If you haven’t tried an online class, or you have and it missed the mark for you, I’d like to offer you these tips for making the most of your virtual yoga experience: Arrive early, and stay after. Treat it like an in studio class.... Read More »

"Treat every person as if they are God in drag." Baba Ram Dass Enoch Dasa Giri would say, "Everyone you meet is the guru in disguise." "Even the difficult ones?" "Especially the difficult ones. " Over time, Dasa helped me see that the people in our lives, whether short encounters or long term rel... Read More »

I did not intend to become a yoga teacher. I simply wanted to learn about the different aspects of yoga in a more structured way. I chose the Temple of Kriya Yoga’s Home Study program because I could study at home and travel periodically to be with my teachers. As I had a young child, it was a pe... Read More »

It’s been 23 years since I walked into Alvina’s studio for the first time. I will never forget walking through the door and seeing her sitting cross legged on the floor, eyes shining up at me. She said, “Well, hello! Who are you? What brings you here?”. That was the beginning of one of the most i... Read More »

I’ve been practicing yoga for 23 years, and teaching for 16. Here are a few things I know for certain about the practice. Yoga is medicine. People come to yoga for different reasons. Back pain, hip pain, chronic tension, chronic pain, stress, anxiety, and depression are a few. I’ve come to realiz... Read More »

Y’all, it’s getting hot. In Ayurveda-speak, summer is the time of Pitta dosha, which is the energy of fire and a little water. When Pitta rules the outer environment, it also rules the inner environment. This means you will feel the summer heat from the inside out as well as the outside in. Her... Read More »

"Whatever you think, think the opposite." Paul Arden Are you having the any of following experiences right now? Feeling that things are changing fast.Feeling that you need to adapt (again).Feeling awkward as you navigate new territory in parenting and work. Feeling awkward as you adjust to new so... Read More »

Since they arrived at our home on Mother’s Day, I have headed out to the pond multiple times a day to commune with the lotuses. They have become my teachers. Here are some of the things I have learned from them: Darkness does not define, it forges. The roots of the lotuses are deep in the muddy ... Read More »

Do you know the feeling of equanimity? Have you found yourself blissfully content after spending time in nature, or sitting quietly for a few minutes after a yoga class? This feeling state is known as sattva. Sattva arises within us when energy is balanced and the mind is free of distraction and ... Read More »

"When you've lost your way, colors start to fadeTake a look within, find your offeringHold it to the sun, let your Spirit runRemember. Remember. Find your center." ~ Trevor Hall ~Shri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram Shri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram~ Last week I laid out for you the first cause of disease acc... Read More »

In Ayurveda, the number one cause of disease is prajnaparadha, or, misuse of the intellect. Humans are highly evolved creatures. We move through our days collecting information about what is agreeable to us, and what is not. When we don’t apply what we have learned to make better future choices, ... Read More »

“The more important an activity is to your soul’s evolution, the more resistance you will feel.”~Steven Pressfield Most mornings, I arise before my family, and slip through the inky darkness to my meditation cushion. I receive the dawn in silence and gratitude. This practice has become the glue t... Read More »

Exhale the past. Inhale the future. ~ Author Unknown Merriam Webster defines inspiration as: Something that makes a person want to do, act, or createA feeling of enthusiasm that brings about new and creative ideasThe source of ideas and creativity Do you know what else inspiration is? Breathing i... Read More »

“Spring requires letting go. Allow the blossoming of your true nature, and thrive.”~ Acharya ShunyaAhhhh, Spring! How welcome are the warmer days and blossoming flowers? I have been delighted to see the Amaryllis breaking through the soil, and all the dandelions popping up along the route I walk.... Read More »

“If the whole Universe has co-conspired to give you a difficult situation, then this difficult situation is where you are going to find your diamond.” ~~Acharya Shunya Last Friday, I was home alone for the first time in a year. It was eerie at first. I didn't quite know what to do with myself. I ... Read More »

My beloved first yoga teacher, Alvina (above), kept an empty box outside the entrance to her studio. It was for our “stuff”. Not our physical stuff, but all our worries, demands, stresses and anxieties. “Don’t worry,” she would say with a sly smile, “You can always pick it up again on your way ou... Read More »

Seasonal cleansing is part of an Ayurvedic lifestyle. This practice, known as ritucharya, keeps the body from accumulating ama, or excess. In the Spring we release the Winter energy of heaviness and stagnation. If you want to enter the summer months feeling clean and clear, this cleanse is for yo... Read More »

“Everything that comes in through the senses must be digested. ~ Cate Stillman According to Ayurveda, anything that does not get digested completely leaves a residue. That residue builds up over time and creates ama. This toxic sludge can build up in the physical body when we don’t allow time for... Read More »

“Everything is moving from subtle to gross.” ~ Enoch Dasa Giri In the early 2000’s, I attended a yoga retreat in Woodlands, Illinois. I was just beginning to study yoga more in depth. I was new to a lot of the non-pose parts of the practice. One night in lecture, Enoch Dasa Giri was explaining th... Read More »

“Sthiram sukham asanam” ~~ Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras 2.48 Let’s break this sutra down a little bit, shall we? Sthira (sh-teer-uh) ~ steadiness, strength, steadfast, enduring Sukha (soo- khuh) ~ ease, comfort, softness, a good feeling Asanam (ah-sah-nam) ~ pose, seat, a good place Here, Patanjali is... Read More »

“Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the Self” ~ Bhagavad Gita Jai Ma! My friends, I want to welcome you into an ongoing conversation we are having in Yoga for LIFE about the yogic art of self study, a practice known as svadyaya. I love the quote above because it describes the p... Read More »

Jai Ma friends! How’s your new year going? Did you create a sankalpa? Do you know where to go with it? Often, making the resolution or the sankalpa is the easy part. Getting started and getting momentum is the not so easy part. This is the point where we have to dig in and hold ourselves accounta... Read More »

Happy New Year my friends! DId you make a resolution? I used to make one every year. Then I would get frustrated with myself when I couldn’t stick to it. It wasn’t until I adopted the yogic practice of sankalpa (intention setting) that I began to find the motivation and discipline to follow throu... Read More »

Happy New Year my friends! DId you make a resolution? I used to make one every year. Then I would get frustrated with myself when I couldn’t stick to it. It wasn’t until I adopted the yogic practice of sankalpa (intention setting) that I began to find the motivation and discipline to follow throu... Read More »

“We practice when we don’t need to, so when we need to, we can.” ~ Krishna Das What happens to your habits and practices when things get challenging? I was recently reminded of a story about yoga master Pathabi Jois from 2001. Guruji, as he was called, was teaching in New York City for an extend... Read More »

“If you don’t make time for your wellness, you will be forced to make time for your illness.” ~Joyce Sunada If I have anything to offer you today, it is this: Make your health a priority. Make daily choices that are health promoting for your body, mind, spirit, and relationships. It is not selfis... Read More »

Welcome to the holidays! This is the week when the season gets into full swing. Though many of us are doing things a little differently this year, it is still an entry point into festivities and indulgences that may carry on into the new year. My hope is with a few tips and tricks, you can have ... Read More »

“The best thing about the future is it comes one day at a time.” Abraham Lincoln Where you are today is a result of all the choices you have made until now, and your current habits. Your future will be the result of what you do next, and whether or not you change your habits. Your future body, yo... Read More »

Greetings friends, I’d like to invite you to take a deep breath in. Let the breath fill your belly, expand your ribs, and lift your chest. Now, let all that breath out. Notice if the next breath feels a little deeper and more expansive. Can you feel yourself starting to relax? Relaxation is expa... Read More »

Hello friends! In yogic language, raga and dvesha, are preferences and aversions, respectively. According to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, raga causes longing for fleeting pleasures, and dvesa causes disdain. This can apply to the entire realm of experience, including emotions. When we open the d... Read More »

I am sitting in a seat of lightness and clarity after participating in over 14 days of a conscious seasonal cleanse. In this time, I decluttered my personal spaces, and purged many items. I cleared my mental field by abstaining from media and sitting in silence. I allowed for emotional release th... Read More »

Hello friends! I'd like to take this opportunity to remind you that you are the creative hub of your existence. Your thoughts, words, and actions create your experience of the world. While this is a tremendous responsibility, accepting it is the pathway to freedom and liberation, what the yogis c... Read More »

Greetings! Seasonal cleansing hasn’t always been my practice, but since I started living the habits and surrendering to dinacharya (daily rhythm) and ritucharya (seasonal rhythm), my subtle awareness has increased. I can now sense when I need to lighten up on foods and other means of consumption.... Read More »

Greetings friends! Welcome to fall! Have you noticed any shifts in the foods you crave, a need for more sleep, or a sense of feeling more dry or cool? That’s your body easing out of summer mode. The fall equinox, the official transition, was observed on September 22. In our bodies, this transit... Read More »

Greetings friends! It has been raining here for days. I notice when the rains linger, I don’t have much of an appetite. It’s as if the outer dampness creates an inner dampness as well. If this is the case for you too, try sticking to lighter meals of warm, cooked foods, and spacing them out a few... Read More »

Hello friends! Does it seem to you that everywhere you turn your attention, there is some level of chaos? The world we are living in is at once volatile, unpredictable, chaotic, and ambiguous (VUCA). It is taxing on our nervous systems, and keeps us in a state of low grade stress. This low grade ... Read More »

I’m writing to this on a rainy Sunday. I love Sundays. I treat them as a rest and reset day. I rest in and read in bed in the morning. I spend the afternoon in my kitchen getting food organized for the week. In the evenings, I give myself a massage, which is by far my favorite activity of the day... Read More »

Hello friends! Today, I want to talk about exhaling. I invite you to pause, and take notice of your breath. How is it moving in your body? Is it shallow or deep? Is it mostly in your chest? Breathe more consciously. Invite the breath to deepen and widen by making sure you exhale completely. You ... Read More »

Hello friends! I hope this blog post finds you well and happy, rested, and nourished. If not, never fear, we can always turn the dial in that direction. Remember last week when I was sharing with you about prana, the intelligent life giving energy that permeates all living things, and I said tha... Read More »

Today I would like to share with you about prana. “Pra” means “always”, “na” means “moving”. Prana is the always moving life giving intelligence that makes the grass grow, the flowers bloom, and humans evolve. It is a source energy that permeates all living things. Prana is distilled from the el... Read More »

Hello friends! I hope you are reading this and feeling well and rested. I also hope you are not poking around in your inbox first thing in the morning. You see, this post is all about starting the day right, and opening your emails first thing in the morning is not how you do it. Did you know t... Read More »

Greetings friends! Thank you so much to those of you who responded to last week’s Wednesday Wisdom. It is a joy to hear from you and know that the wisdom is being received. This week’s wisdom pertains to sleep and sleep habits. The message is simple. If you want to be healthy and well: PRIORITIZ... Read More »

Hello friends! Welcome to Wednesday Wisdom! I’m going to be popping into your inbox each week with a pro- tip to support you in your efforts to make wise choices that support your ability to thrive. When I look around at modern culture, I see an absence of consideration for the needs of the body.... Read More »

When I look around at modern culture, I see an absence of consideration for the needs of the body. This lack of consideration isn't wise, and can foster illness and disease. What I wish to help you create is a daily habit routine that fosters joy, connectivity, and personal growth. This dynamic s... Read More »

Greetings! I am writing to you from the 3rd floor of University Medical Center, where I have spent the last few days supporting my husband through a total hip replacement. We are hoping this is the last stage of a medical odyssey that began innocently enough a year and a half ago. On the first n... Read More »

Recently, I had a conversation about Yoga for LIFE with a good friend who is deeply tired due to caregiving. At some point, she leaned in and asked, “Isn’t it selfish to do these practices?”. My answer to this question is an emphatic “NO”. I believe it is quite the opposite, actually. Like my fri... Read More »

“ If you don’t change directions, you will end up where you are heading.” Lao Tzu I love this quote from the ancient Chinese philosopher and writer, Lao Tzu. I find it encouraging when I have direction and am working towards my goals. I can sense that I will indeed get where I am going if I press... Read More »

In order for me to share with you how well these habits have served me, I’m going to need to give you a little backstory. If I turned the clock back one year, I would find myself preparing to go on an 8 day trip to DisneyWorld. I would tell you then that I was in pretty decent shape from practici... Read More »

The ancient yogis looked to nature to understand their nature, then aligned their activities to be in harmony with nature’s rhythm. Ayurveda calls this “dinacharya”, or daily routine. These daily habits are potent medicine that taps us into our own healing potential by bringing our bodies into in... Read More »

Yoga for LIFE The ancient yogis knew that we are not apart from nature, but rather, a part of nature. They spent their days observing and attuning to the rhythm of the earth and sky, observing where the elements they saw outside of themselves could be found inside of themselves. They lived in har... Read More »

Greetings, and welcome to PBP Yoga! I want to thank you for your support as I transition from a studio employed yoga teacher, to an entrepreneur and yoga health coach. You can still find me offering classes each week at Yoga Krewe, but if you look closely you'll see that the way I work looks a li... Read More »

Listen for the Silence Many years ago, when my children were small, I often found myself overwhelmed. The mess was overwhelming, as was the responsibility of keeping the three of them alive, clean, and fed. What got to me the most though, was the noise. It seemed there was always a baby crying,... Read More »

THE THOUGHT PARADEBy Paige Bradley-Pecoul I live in New Orleans, a town known for many things, including delicious food and Mardi Gras. When you live here, you forget that the rest of the world doesn’t share in many of the same traditions and experiences that make up life here. Not everyone mak... Read More »

Introducing Me by Paige Bradley-Pecoul Greetings, reader. I hope this moment finds you well and happy, finding a respite from the world at large. Maybe you are having a cup of tea, or perhaps you stumbled in here by accident. Either way, thank you for giving this bit of writing your precious ti... Read More »