If there were a clock hanging on the wall in our white, skillfully designed room at Cocoon, which, of course, there isn’t - it would only show three times. The clock would read 7:30, 13:00 and 17:00. The hand would cross those hours leisurely, lazily to announce to the few people and many animals in the vicinity the start of yoga at 7:30 (followed by breakfast), lunch at 13:00, and yoga at 17:00 (followed by dinner). On this farm in Portugal I entered, for the first time, into a world in which the itinerary is reliably engorged with necessary bouts of empty time. Blank space in a life that until this week has been crowded to the absolute brim with an engagement, a new job and the faithful commitments that are summer in the city. But not at here at Cocoon.
Read MoreTaking the time to sort through my personal history with yoga has opened the door to where I stand with my practice today. After years of on-and-off yoga practice, coming back to my mat when I found a need for it or (frankly) remembered I had it, I have committed to making yoga practice a tangible part of my everyday. One noticeable change this has invoked has been waking up 30 minutes earlier than usual in the mornings, rolling out my mat, making a cup of coffee, and waking up with stretches to the tune of Jessica Olie’s chill Spotify playlist.
Read MoreI would like to begin the first dedicated yoga page on this site by laying the foundation for the simple understanding between reader and writer that I have no formal yoga certification. I am not a 200-hour registered yoga teacher, at least, not yet. I certainly have not spent an extended period of time in a popular yogi destination such as Indonesia or India practicing asanas and exploring my inner self… not quite yet.
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