Yoga is more than poses we do with our bodies to stretch. It’s more than expensive studio memberships and yoga gear. It is, as described in the classical Hindu text, The Bhagavad Gita, “skill in action,” a path to recognizing our deep interconnectedness and healing our divides. Listen to insights from Michelle C. Johnson on… read more
Like every woman I know, I’m baffled by the Supreme Court nomination/confirmation process in the United States. I’ve run the gamut of emotions; I’ve traveled the peaks and valleys. I am, like far too many women I know, a survivor. It took me many years to be able to acknowledge it, let alone say anything… read more
In response to an email proposal I sent her, Leentje Visser suggested we meet at a local café that makes its own chocolate and whose menu includes tropical vegan smoothies. As a big fan of scrumptiously nutritious goodies, I was in no way going to turn away an invite like that (heck no!) So Leentje… read more
Today is the fourth International Day of Yoga—June 21 was proclaimed as such by the United Nations in 2014. As noted on the UN site about this day, the purpose is to “raise awareness about the benefits of practicing yoga.” The 2018 theme is “Yoga for Peace.” Who would argue for less peace in the… read more
This past Sunday, we wrapped with Week 3 of the 2018 Certificate in Nonviolence Studies course. Part of the week’s learning focus was observing our desires to do harm, for the purpose of eradicating these impulses. Eradicating means to pull up by the roots. Desire is pretty intangible—it’s not like an object we can see… read more
Bridging Spiritual Practice, Right Action, and Social Change Join Richard Miller (founder and chairman, Integrative Restoration Institute) and Michael Nagler (founder and president, the Metta Center for Nonviolence) for a free webinar that will address the intersection of spiritual practice with nonviolence and social action. When: March 23, 2016; 4-5:30pm PST Where: Online—register for free… read more
The Law of Human Unity “Just as the law of gravitation existed before its discovery—and would exist if all humanity forgot it—so is it with the laws that govern the spiritual relations between soul and soul and between individual spirits.” Swami Vivekananda’s yogic words are a beacon on the illusion of separation: We may at… read more
June 21: “The object of the various exercises [of Hatha Yoga] was to strengthen and purify the body in order to secure control of the mind.” –Gandhi (Harijan, October 13, 1940) Before yoga was a quasi-spiritual, multi-billion dollar global industry of pants and other products, it was a sacred practice, developed to move the body… read more
Spiritual activist, artist and yoga teacher, Narayan St. Jude joins Michael and Stephanie at the station to talk about his journey from being an Army reservist to becoming a yoga teacher and inspirational nonviolent “warrior.” This, as well as a conversation about holographic activism and more creative acts of nonviolence in our very entertaining news… read more
In this blog-series accompanying our project of updating the Peace and Conflict Studies lectures (we call it PACS 164-c), Kimberlyn David reviews some of the key material of the course from a personal lens in an effort to generate personal reflection and the application of course content. That Western yoga and spiritual practitioners often… read more
