Silent.

It moves effortlessly. Succumbing to patrons walking below it. Or as my friend, and fellow Yoga seeker, Zach and I found out last month when we visited the modern art museum, even blowing kisses in its direction can start the dance. The sheet metal plates and wire are painted red. Calder balances the weight and shape with precision to allow the open play with space and time.

Back then, this piece really changed my life.

Dramatic– I know. Especially since I seem to have so many lightning bolt moments that redirect me. No apologies though. I really was changed by this piece - by the mid-90’s I was installing my pre-graduation senior show “Feminism” from the ceiling in Olin Hall, the art gallery at my college.

I’m no longer sculpting - at least not with tangible materials.

In Yogic philosophy, it is understood that all this ‘doing’ and ‘playing with the things of the world’ is, in the long run, designed to set us free. It’s a whole thing. It is all laid out in the Sankhya Philosophy: Purusa (pure consciousness) interacts with Prakriti (all the stuff of life and this world). The experiences one has in life (Bhogha) exist specifically to be experienced and liberate us (Apavarga) so that we can recognize Purusa that has been unchanged all the while. [More on this in a future essay.]

When I learned this, it also changed my life.

I am still deep in this art; and Yoga is the science that generously provides the transformative structure. Here’s what I mean when I say Yoga is art & science.

Sometimes I realize that the experiences of life spin me around like a centrifuge - it’s easy for me to get excited and intense. Like right now: the caterpillars in my garden are making me lovesick and I can’t think straight about if I should watch them all day, move them to my porch to protect them, let them do their caterpillar thing etc. etc.

Other times I’m locked in and see clearly and communicate with ease. In those instances, things click and I can tell I’ve gotten out of my own way to let a greater plan work through me.

When I start to veer towards spinning out of control my teacher nudges me back to my Yoga practice (Sādhanā). I frequently have to reorganize my day to make this a priority. I have an ever evolving routine that doesn’t really have anything to do with my yoga mat or downward facing dog. [More on my personal Sādhanā in another essay.] Within an hour I have a new perspective… far enough away to see both clear lines and the potential for chaos.

So, last month, when I arrived for the Miró and The United States exhibit at The Phillips Collection, you better believe that this piece stopped me in my tracks.

Calder’s wire portrait of his dear friend Joan Miró is hanging just opposite “Red Polygons” now. Of course the installation was spot on regarding the placement, the shadow, and the sharp re-entrant corner. How simple and clear. And look - those same lines are a jumbled scribble created by the interruption of light.

Isn’t that how it goes? We get too far from the truth and everything seems distorted.

Yet, the observer has the delight of both perspectives.

“If the interplay of lines and colors does not expose the inner drama of the creator, then it is nothing more than bourgeois entertainment. The forms expressed by an individual who is part of society must reveal the movement of a soul trying to escape the reality of the present… . in order to approach new realities, to offer men the possibility of rising above the present.” - Joan Miró

If you are familiar with these guys, you know that Calder and Miró had overlapped in their artistic interest and “fascination with cosmological relationships” (phillips.com). Through line, color, movement and negative space they changed the landscape of visual expression. And that, in my experience, sets in motion a change in everything

Arguably, “Constellations”, Miró’s 23 piece series painted during the early chaos of World War II is the most significant scope of his work. In a tumultuous time, this artist retreated perhaps for his own wellbeing, and as it turns out for a surrealistic breakthrough that defined the times.

“I closed myself within myself purposely. The night, music, and the stars began to play a major role in suggesting my paintings.” - Joan Miro

Morning Star is one of the most important part of the series of 23, Miró was adamant about keeping his paintings with him at all times as without them his focus was disrupted and the genius of his expression interrupted. There was one exception, this… “Morning Star ” which Miro gave to his wife. She later donated it to be reunited with the complete set.

Why I consider Miró and Calder my artistic heroes is how open they both stayed to allow their artistic expression to evolve. For goodness sake, way before his epic mobiles which now define grace and beauty, Calder’s early work “Cirque/Circus”, was a portable playset of wire forms that he would carry in a suitcase and set up at whim. Ha! A little on-demand circus. He would arrange them, animate them, create soundscapes even. Not a single thing about their art was status quo, convenient, or expected, but it was brilliant and necessary.

That’s a nod back to what it means to be an observer. At the end of the day that is what artists and scientists (and Yogis) do. Look. Jump in. Step out. Reflect. Revise. Start again.

Thank you for reading.

For a few more insights (and a photo of my caterpillars), I’ve included more photos with captions on Instagram.

If your art of choice is music, listen to light dark light by Angie McMahon and Fred again. It’s about the nature of a thing (Dharma).

Six months ago I joined a History of Yoga Course and it reframed for me the importance of coloring within the lines: how to revere the structure of Yoga, how the right teacher can measure the proper dose in just the right time, and how to receive the responsibility to continue the cycle humbly.

Yoga is a cyclical love story. Devoted teachers allow the student to experience the twists and turns necessary for transformation until they finally settle into trusting themselves with joy.

The thread of Yoga and traditional cultural values has been pulled through by people and perseverance. I’m inspired by those who sat at the feet of their elders, teachers, and Gurus for decades before they made their mark on Yoga as we know it. The faithful charge of personally passing Yogic wisdom in an uncomplicated way is not only special, it’s sacred. In this essay, I offer a mere peek into the course content and how it knocked on my heart to reconsider what I know about Yoga and how I am sharing it in my own studio.

I learned about Gorakshanath’s intense love for his Guru, Matsyendranath, in the 9th-10th century [more on these two Yogis in a future essay]; and about the progressive and multi-faceted work of the mid 19th century King of Aundh, Bhawanrao Pant Pratinidhi, his decades long sādhanā of Surya Namaskar, and the inclusion of art as an expressive storyteller [join one of my asana classes for Pant’s sun salutations]. More currently, I was moved to learn about a champion of Yoga today, Prasad Rangnekar: how he was swaddled in the sound of his mother’s Hatha lullabies as a baby, how Indian epics inspired kitchen debates with his sisters and how this led to critical thinking at a young age, the invitation to join his father in the wrestling and body building gym, and then finally his travels north to learn from his own Guru [follow Prasad on Instagram].

I do not own the rights to these photos, they are respectfully borrowed from the following websites L-R:

www.mydattatreya.com/matsyendranath/, www.aundh.info/balasaheb.php, www.prasadrangnekar.com

While it is true that many cultures are steeped in traditions that are still passed down in extraordinary ways, Yoga alone has been preyed upon, picked apart, modulated and monetized. Some may argue that the promise of India’s ancient wisdom has been snatched, labeled ‘mysterious’, and woven into a modern obsession of self-care. Ironically, in an effort to calm down, escape our inner confusion, and make it through this modern world, Yoga has been fashioned into a flashy fix rather than upheld as a patient unfolding.

Today, in most Yoga studios across America, we currently crown ourselves with certifications in 200 hours by zipping through the required content. Yoga teacher trainings are a tumbleweed of information– tailored to whatever registrants are willing to pay for. Students are promised that they will learn to teach asana, guide meditation, have a basic understanding of prana, chakras, and karma. To demonstrate the notion that modern Yoga offers more than the physical health benefits, Yoga teacher trainings dip their toe into spirituality by reading the Bhagavad Gita, familiarize their patrons with Patanjali’s 8 Limbs, and articulate that the goal of Yoga is complete mind dominance. It is not unusual to find the only Yoga history that is mentioned is that Śrī Tirumalai Krishnamacharya is the father of modern Yoga. Born in 1888 and living to be over 100 years old, western students brazenly assume that he is “one of us”. He’s not.

Krishnamacharya was immersed in Yoga throughout his life and persevered to become the master he is now remembered to be. Most teacher trainings gloss over Krishnamacharya’s upbringing, eliminating details about his studies in logic, Sanskrit, and grammar. There is no mention that: “in 1916 he went to the Himalayas where, at the foot of Mount Kailash, he met his teacher, Śrī Ramamohan Brahmachari.” Or that, “he then returned to the South to study Ayurveda, the traditional Indian healing system, and philosophy and logic that cultivates inquiry and discrimination gained by valid knowledge”.1 Rather it is taught that Krishnamacharya paired movement and breath to help people manage their health and their minds. This conveniently fits the marketing narrative in America and thus Yoga teacher trainings sell out.

As a Yoga teacher and studio owner, this truly gives me pause.

In these past several months I’ve reflected on my scribble-scrabble mode of sharing a misappropriated version of Yoga. This is where understanding the depth of Yoga’s history is important. Here is where I can hear the love in the voice of my teacher, “sit with this”. What a perfect example of where a patient teacher must meet a student.

So I have been sitting.

If you are part of the Sonder Studios community, this is why I’ve been more quiet than usual lately. I’ve been reflecting. It feels like the responsible thing to do. Yoga does not belong in the “quick fix” aisle of self-care that we have become obsessed with. I have come to recognize that the appeal of starting something transformative is not the same as being transformed. It takes time and repeating the story again and again. It takes some time coloring within the lines of discipline and devotion. It is a cycle and it is LOVE. I now see this in my students. I know this for myself.

To quote T.K.V. Desikachar, “Yoga serves the individual, and does so through inviting transformation rather than by giving information.” In order for all of us to become the kind of teachers that can meet modern seekers where they are, we must return to our own sādhanā and study first.

So here is the call to action! Yoga teachers— leave the messy scribbles of your relationship with Yoga. Allow yourself to get swept into the cycle. Represent Yoga truthfully, historically, holistically, and under the guidance of your own teacher and mentor. Practice in the lines for a while. Don’t worry when the time is right, your teaching will become art… full of grace.

Resources

Aurobindo, 2011, The Complete Works of Sri Aurobindo: Letters on Himself and the Ashram, Vol. 35, Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo, AshramPress.

Bhowmik, Sushmita, 2022, Regeneration of Values: A comparative study of the Thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi and Sri Aurobindo, New Delhi: Suryodaya Books.

Desikachar, T.K.V., 1995, The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice, Vermont: Inner Traditions International.

Gogwekar, P., 2022, August 5, Raja of Aundh: The King Who Gave Away His Power, Live History India. www.livehistoryindia.com

Kelly, Matthew, 2025, The Seven Pillars of Catholic Spirituality, Florida: Blue Sparrow.

Pant, Apa, 1970, Surya Namaskārs: An Ancient Indian Exercise by Bhawanrao Pant Pratinidhi Raja of Aundh as explained to his son, 3rd edn, Hyderabad: Orient Blackwan Pvt. Ltd.

Tigunait, Rajmani, 2014, The Secret of the Yoga Sutra: Samadhi Pada, Pennsylvania: Himalayan Institute Press.

Wow… I’m fully present, sitting on the edge of my seat to celebrate Christ’s birth. I am full of wonder that “astrologers from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem— having seen a star in the sky that led to a 2 year journey to find and worship him.” (Matthew 2:1-2)

Because I am not as tuned in as the three wise men were, it took me a decade of stumbling around life before I peeled back enough layers, and went down enough rabbit holes to reveal how close I had been to God’s miracle all along.

In my last post (see Oct. 21 & 24 entries) I promised that I would share how Yoga and my prayer practice led to my walking away from alcohol.

The Yoga? Ah… the surprise of ancient wisdom in my modern life :)

The prayer? Transforming my “yes” into “YES!”

It’s not the purpose of this essay to explore how or when we humans get caught up in the utter ridiculous confusion of this life, but you know what I mean, right? At some point(s) we have a glimpse that we have gotten swept up, or swept to the side, or stuck, or struck, or somehow completely scattered. Somewhere along the way we find ourselves so far from the lit path the we can’t see our way back to ourselves.

This is the sweet mystery. When we are out of sorts, drifted off, desperate to feel whole a clearing appears, and we have to trust it was designed for us.

God knew where he could meet me. Yoga! He showed me when I was 14 years old, pressing toward independence; that’s when I first read Siddhartha by Herman Hesse. He showed me again when I was 21 years old and I took my first meditation class after being diagnosed with a panic attack. He showed me yet again when I was a 33 year old: the mother of three kids, exhausted, isolated; that’s when I started taking Yoga at a local church (we practiced rhythmic Sun Salutations while praying the Our Father).

Did I notice the connection? Ha - of course not!

But then in my forties, since I wasn’t catching on to the subtle hints, God started amplifying the message. Literally. A microphone, a speaker, and the voice of a stranger who would then go on (years later) to be my first Yoga teacher, Krystal. The way she broke down the wisdom of Yoga resonated with me on a soul level. During one of the early days of learning the building blocks of Yoga, I had a glorious, body tingling, experience as I turned the page to read the words “Īśvara praṇidhāna”. In Sanskrit, this translates to “surrender to God”. The words lifted off the page and my body felt alive with sparks of energy.

Wait, what? What just happened?

Memories of learning about this phenomenon came flooding in. I had heard that it was possible to experience floating words when I was first introduced to the meditative practice of Lectio Divina or “divine reading”. It is a Catholic practice of reading holy scripture slowly and contemplatively, constantly listening for that word that God has prepared for you. I had been attempting it for years, and because I wasn’t good at listening, or observing, or trusting, I hadn’t had the experience of understanding what I was reading.

Yoga changed all that. And this is where, for me, the miracle occurred. Yoga has taught, and continues to teach me how to listen, how to observe, and how to trust. Yoga studies include introductions to revered scripture, sacred texts, and foundational philosophy that opened my eyes. Now I have found my current teacher, Prasad, who slowly, patiently, carefully explains how to move through these texts, relay them back to the context of time, and sit with their wisdom for clarity.

As per his assignment for me, I started to return to the New Testament and apply all my new skills in listening and contemplating. And finally, the Word of God started to jump off the pages of the book. Yes, the one that has been waiting for me on my nightstand for five decades.

"Even with 50 + years under my belt as a Catholic and a sincere devotion to the Trinity, it took my Sādhanā as a yoga student to finally learn how to pray to God.”

With new eyes and ears that could finally hear (more on that in the next post), I came to understand that the answers to prayers is always “YES” on one condition: that there is spontaneous and wholehearted faith. “Let your ‘yes’ be ‘YES,’ and your ‘no’ be ‘NO’. Your word is enough. Whatever is more than these is [just distraction] from the evil one.” (Matthew 5:37)

I had been practicing this in Yoga, and now finally understanding it in Christ. That partially committing is a sin. That aiming, even just a millimeter from the target is suffering. That wishing for what you think will help might just be a perpetuation of your patterns, and that prayer is a vulnerable laying down of all control, and contrived solutions.

The peak pose of prayer though? Want to know what that is? Complete faith that God will return a ‘YES’ to your prayer when it is rooted in a desire for Him and there is no doubt in His power and love for you.

And for you Yoga students in particular, read again Luke’s Gospel…

Practice»»»

Reread the passages again right now, then tomorrow, then next week. In the contemplative tradition of Lectio Divina, we read through the scripture four times

1. Read the whole passage slowly. Watch for key phrases that catch your attention and hold special meaning for you.

2. Read the whole passage again. Allow the special word or phrase soak your heart.

3. Read it a 3rd time prayerfully to God as if to thread those words towards Him.

4. Rest in God. Be still and listen. This is meditation. Allow God’s loving spirit in.

Now, listen, this is important for me to say. From the time I prayed way back in 2014 to the day I quit drinking in 2022, I took full advantage of FREE WILL to make a mess of some things in my life. God generously allowed me to fall on my face, multiple times, and I had to get to the point where I was as desperate and shattered as the woman in the aforementioned gospels.

I had to fall on my knees and reach for Him and say, without doubt, “YES”.

Thank you for reading. I wish you all Happy Holidays, and if you celebrate Christmas, a slow and savored one that is aligned with the miracle of the season.

If you are just starting to read my story, please go back to the original post(s) dated Oct. 21 & 24, 2025 I will be sharing the totality of this story in a continuum.

More to come…

I need your help making a decision! I have been hosting live music yoga and meditation events at my yoga studio, Sonder, since we opened in 2020. All of the events and musicians I’ve hosted have been wonderful and unique in their own way. This year, I tried something new and said yes to a guy who contacted me out of the blue asking if I’d be interested in hosting him on his sound bath tour. I don’t normally say yes to artists I don’t know, and I’m extremely persnickety when it comes to the types of sound baths Sonder presents. But for some reason I didn’t hesitate to this message; a few weeks later, Jacob ‘NTHNL’ Rudin landed in the space with his trunk full of flutes.

When I say this guy is talented, and intuitive, I am not exaggerating. He is a classically trained composer and pianist turned multi-flutist, producer and harmonic mindfulness practitioner. He’s a super cool person and, as I am finding out, a true pleasure to work with.

It wasn’t long after that first sound bath that I commissioned him to compose some original music that I could use to support my work as a yoga therapist. If you don’t know already… and in a nutshell, I help people get out of their own way. This is what the ancient wisdom of Yoga provided to me, and after several years of advanced education, I am on the brink of paying that gift forward. Anyway, I named this commissioned work “The Protocol Project” and after a series of conversations and

Read more

May I recognize the abundance that God has provided me.

May the pauses I take to pray become more frequent.

May the love that flows easily from me, flow easily beyond me.

May the connections I foster move into the subtle realm.

May I remember that the love I feel is a reflection from the privacy of my heart.

Today, Lord, lead my steps closer to acceptance.

On this day, Lord, may the beat of my heart travel great distance towards forgiveness.

Lord, may this day be one of miracles.

May the heartfelt prayers of strangers be answered.

May all who find their way into the lives of my children know clarity and ease.

May those who least expect my prayers know a sweet and joyful reunion with God.

May we all come to trust the gifts that have been provided to us by our Creator.

May the challenges of life be kind and gentle teachers.

May all beings let good loose.

Back to the Wailing Wall. Have you ever been? Intensity and inexplicable is how I categorize the Holy Land in my head. Here’s a photo of the day and the scene when I first prayed for help with my drinking habits.

All the components were right— my intention was pure. I really did want to be free from the burden of drinking. Practically every place I stepped that month had been the site of actual miracles! The pattern that I fell into was assigning myself to the leadership role in the “stop-drinking-project”.

Yep.

I mean, I’m smart and organized. I’m known for vision and persevering. I have incredible will power and follow through. And, if you know me… there is no lack of confidence (eye roll here… and I’ll pick this one back up in a sec.) What I am trying to say is that, I prayed for something I really wanted, and then I cut in line and got in my own way.

This might be starting to resonate with you.

Stay with me here because I’d like to share the nuance about prayer that was revealed to me when I started to study and practice yoga.

Q. What do you mean you got in your own way?

A. Simply… I gave myself too much power.

I made a plan.

I made lists.

I created ground rules.

I had a compassionate contingency plan.

Basically I had a foot in the door of quitting using all the means humans have devised over the years to break habits and an unmeasurable amount of tokens to drink if the occasion really required a drink.

From 2014 to 2022 there were thousands of occasions that [ahem… shrug…] really required a drink. I mean, I can list them all, but….. I think you get it.

Conclusion: My plan wasn’t working.

Please let me explain this further.

The genius methods for redirecting habits that have been proven successful for many over the years are in fact a generous way that “good gets loose” in the world. And they are popular. There is a multi-trillion dollar industry orbiting self help: tools, trackers, and tech.

My eventual freedom had me ditch margins and data though. I truly had to step out of the way.

Q. What do you mean step out of the way?

A. I had to stop being a know-it-all. I had to stop 'knowing' myself so damn well and inserting my preferences. I had to stop the pattern of saying, "I’ve tried that" or "that won’t work for me" I had to stop the constant negotiation in my mind.

Me: You know what I mean… that monkey mind, that horrible “roommate upstairs” as Michael A. Singer calls it in his book, The Untethered Soul.

Q. You mentioned prayer as the golden ticket to sobriety. Which prayer?

A. Thank you for this question. Please let me come back to this one. But, as a hint… it has a lot more to do with HOW TO PRAY.

Spoiler alert: even with 50 + years under my belt as a Catholic and a sincere devotion to the Trinity, it took my Sādhanā as a yoga student to finally learn how to pray to God.

Confession»»»

I really dislike being dismissed and misunderstood. You probably do too.

My communication skills over the years have gone from being desperate and a big-fat-mess to clear, concise, and curious because I was sick of trying to go deep with people (about all subjects, not just drinking) and being cut off with statements like:

• you are human, we all make mistakes

• don’t be so hard on yourself

• I get it

• yup, I have it hard too - that’s life

• alcohol is powerful stuff, don’t feel bad about it

Of course I am human. Of course I make mistakes and always will. Of course alcohol is powerful… Of course. Of course. Ofc.

See how dismissiveness ends a conversation?

It sucks to be shut down. It sucks to not be savvy enough of a communicator to inspire people to stay in a conversation with you.

All reasons to drink, if I’m being candid here. And… all part of the plan to become more patient, skillful, and observant.

If you are just starting to read my story, please go back to the original post dated Oct. 21, 2025 I will be sharing the totality of this story in a continuum. Yoga gets woven in next (pt. 3) Thanks for continuing to read along.

To be continued…

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This story has been a long time coming. There are dozens of drafts in journals, note apps, and this platform. I almost hit send this time last year: I didn’t. Too crafted/too careful. So… this time, I am just giving it to you straight. This is a ‘sloppy copy’ and I am promising myself that I will just press *publish* when I type the final punctuation mark.

I quit drinking three years ago.

I knew I would someday.

In 2014 I pressed a small prayer between two stones at the Wailing Wall. I was inspired to let this prayer slip out of my heart. I remember turning away from the wall with a dutiful bow and a doubtful shrug. I’m certain that hours later I was sipping white wine out of a beautiful glass talking about ideas I don’t remember.

Drinking was super fun when I was an art student in college. Later, at culinary school, I literally sat in a wine tasting auditorium every day for 8 weeks straight… learning, tasting…. pre-requisite stuff to becoming a sommelier. As a professional chef, it became a way to unwind after my long, late shifts at the restaurant. Once I turned 30 I lived in Paris and fine wine at every meal was the norm— definitely connoisseur vibes. By the time I had 3 kids I was downgrading to a oenophile (you can read this as a snob amongst the rampant mommy wine culture). At 40 I was cos-playing as an ex-pat socialite in Eastern Europe. By 45 I was opening a $15 bottle of wine, almost nightly, at 5pm and drinking until it was time to go to bed here in Maryland.

It was at this time I was also waking up at 4:15am to teach 5am fitness classes, and put a steady 30 miles a week on my running shoes.

Me: Nothing wrong here, I can drink and do all the things… family, leadership, business, coaching, running, friends…

My soul: MEGAN!

During that first trip to Jerusalem, when I was brave enough to plea with God to intervene with a habit I knew was getting out of hand, I already had a long-standing pattern of giving up drinking every Lent, and always found myself tipsy by the time brunch was over on Easter Day.

Patterns are a funny thing.

Reflection: PRAYER IS ONE HECK OF A FORCE. Once, during Mass at St. John Vianney Catholic Church the Deacon shared that God’s answer will always be YES, but that it requires patience and often a paradigm shift. That caught my attention, but I was still very much in the dark. Looking back, I think I expected prayer to be like a vending machine… I kneel, ask for what I desire, and out pops the prize.

Sounds completely unsophisticated, but sometimes we just aren’t ready to fully understand.

Fast Forward »»»

I registered for a 200hr yoga teacher training that began in September of 2021, mostly because I thought it would be a good idea for me to be able to teach yoga at the fitness studio I owned in case my yoga teachers ever needed a substitute.

My experience with yoga at that point mostly came in the form of meditation which I was introduced to when I was 21 years old. I had a full blown panic attack in my dorm room, ended up in an ambulance, and then was quickly discharged from the hospital soon after arriving.

Nurse: You have anxiety. Go to the psychiatrist for meds or try yoga.

Me: No meds.

I found a yoga class the next day at the local gym. All we did was lay on the floor and for 30 minutes the teacher led us through a body scan meditation.

I remember every single word she spoke, and the way I felt.

Calm.

Like myself.

Oddly, in love (not sure what with… it’s just how it felt)

If I’ve ever led you through a body scan meditation, please know, I am just recycling those words of my first ever teacher from 30 years ago. I don’t even know her name. That’s usually the way it goes for yoga teachers. Our work is energy sent out and lands where and when it is meant to.

I came back to meditation again and again - often opting for Eucharistic Adoration (a Catholic meditation practice where one spends time with Jesus Christ who is alive in the blessed bread on display in a monstrance - think a gold chalice topped with the shape of the sun where the Eucharist acts as the round disc).

Anyway, back to yoga teacher training… the leader of the training, Krystal, is an extremely brave and intuitive woman. She had us studying resources that really dared us to jump into the transformative aspects of yoga, and slide close to the concept of Dharma (purpose). Books like, The Great Work of Your Life by Stephen Cope

Hmmmm…

This Gnostic Gospel spoke to me because I had been feeling unfulfilled. You see, I was stuck in a false realm of ‘having it all figured out’. My internal star was in a different galaxy and I knew it. As is usually the case with dreamers (yogis might notice the Vata Dosha here) like me riddles like this seem to resonate.

Me to myself: What could it be? What is so deep within me that needs to come out? A second studio? Stand up to all the people who have wronged me? Improve my French and buy a flat in Paris?

So, I got busy. My claim to fame has always been DREAMS + ACTION.

Patterns are a funny thing.

To be continued…

Yoga generously offers each of us the inner knowing to trust the sincerity and purity of our hearts and the opportunity to become a responsible friend to ourselves.

“A man must elevate himself by his own mind, not degrade himself. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well.

For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his very mind will be the greatest enemy.”

Bhagavad Gita ch.6 v.5-6

Move through this e-course at your own pace. It is on-demand and you can return to it again and again. There are about 4 hours of video and written content for you to work through with reflection questions for you to do your own work. Feel free to upload your journaling if you’d like me to comment - it would be my honor to be in conversation with you :)

If you are a Yoga professional, you can earn a Yoga Philosophy Certificate and up to 8 continuing education credits.

I'm ready for this course. Sign me up.

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Peace begins within you. The 8 Limbs of Yoga provide sincere travelers truly reliable markers along the path. This course is offered on the heels of Megan's personal experience of taking responsibility for her healing. At age 50, having exhausted useless chasing, avoidance, and over-scheduling her life she returned to the ancient wisdom of Yoga. She prays this course will help you along the path of discovering peace within.

Take me to this course.

It centers around the 8 Limbs of Yoga. If you are a yoga lover, you are probably familiar with the ancient philosophy that informs modern yoga. If yoga is not a part of your everyday, this course is for you too. You might find it perfectly timed to consider new ways to find peace within.

We will take all the help we can get in this modern world.

As a preview to the course, I am sharing a component of the meditation module. You just need a comfortable place and the desire for peace within.

Thank you

The 8 Limbs of Yoga provide sincere travelers truly reliable markers along the path. This course is offered on the heels of Megan's personal experience of taking responsibility for her healing. At age 50, having exhausted useless chasing, avoidance, and over-scheduling her life she returned to the ancient wisdom of yoga. She prays this course will help you along the path of discovering peace within.

“Read it again and reflect for a few months before drafting a response.”

“Thus this effort in the activity of the Nature, beginning from Mahat down to the gross elements, is for the liberation of each Spirit; (and although) it is for another’s benefit (yet) it seems as if it were for itself.” Samkhya Karika LVI, 1933 translation by Har Dutt Sharma

My teacher, Prasad, always arranges a slow cadence for my studies. I contemplate in private; and then eventually I emerge with references & citations - a ‘sloppy copy’ as my three kids called it when they were in school.

Multiple drafts ago I considered publishing my Sānkhya assignment as a blog entry. However, I know without any doubt, that my understanding and how I must express this wisdom doesn’t fit on a page. It is, rather, a moving, breathing, organic improvisation kind of escape route.

I am quietly piecing it together: getting out of the way and surrendering to how Nature wants to be sensed.

This past weekend, during the Berkshire Yoga Festival, the director, Andrew Tanner, generously provided me rare proving ground, pairing me up with an incredibly talented cellist, Kyra Saltman. She played for over 90 minutes. You can listen here: the pieces we used are called Trust and The Chakras: A Deep Cello Journey from The Wong Janice plus pieces from the iconic Bach Cello Suite No.1 & 3 and it was absolutely brilliant. I called the session: Live Music Sutras - How We Move When We Are Moved.

To honor the yoga community I was in, I referenced Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra 2.18 as we started to listen to Kyra play. Movement unfolded in its own time. (pictured above)

प्रकाशक्रियास्थितिशीलं भूतेन्द्रियात्मकं भोगापवर्गार्थं दृश्यम्

prakāśa-kriyā-sthiti-śīlam bhūta-indriya-ātmakaṃ bhoga-apavarga-arthaṃ dṛśyam All of the elements and senses play for the purpose of your experience and your liberation.

Ahhh, the relief: all my experiences (and yours too) - joy, love, loss, stumbling blocks, attachments, and trauma aren’t meant to drown me (or you), rather designed uniquely for us to emerge from the water. All of Nature (bhoga) exists for the liberation (apavarga) of Spirit. Wow.

This is the kind of knowing that should stop us in our tracks. However, on today’s platforms it gets a like and a swipe. I’m not interested in that. Prasad has taught me to slow way down, trust the depth of the lesson, and lean in with reflection to what is meant to move me and then courageously share.

I can’t say I’m refining a written draft anymore. It’s more like sewing sound waves and threads of energy - all in the right time, exquisitely arranged in fact, to move more truthfully into the realm of freedom.

With a grateful heart, I humbly dedicate my work to my teachers who have generously showed up in my life at just the right time.

Sources:

1. Samkhya Karika, 1933 translation by Har Dutt Sharma https://archive.org/details/TheSamkhyaKarika1933Dr.HarDuttSharma/page/n27/mode/2up

2. https://ia801402.us.archive.org/19/items/in.ernet.dli.2015.536492/2015.536492.The-Samkhya_text.pdf

3. https://patanjaliyogasutra.in/sadhana-pada-2-18/

In savasana, Jess played this song: Nils Frahm’s, Because This Must Be. We saw him play live earlier this month, so I think my spirit was attuned in a deep way. What I experienced during the < 3 minute song was the cessation of time and my soul playing in the most beautiful garden.. a slow skipping sort of dance; peeking over the wooden fence to the world beyond each time a high note was heard.

LISTEN HERE

It seemed to me that I was out in this garden for at least 2 hours playing and soaking in the energy of bliss around me. Typing this now I faintly recall that she suggested that this release is beyond the scope of bliss in to ecstasy.

Yes, that was my experience today. Thank you Jess for teaching just so. Thank you Nils Frahm for following your north star and creating music just so. Thank you God for the precious fragile gift of life.

Have you had an experience while practicing yoga that touches you deep enough that your soul plays in the sunlight? I would love to hear about it. Comment below.

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Megan Twining is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: SUBSTACK PAID SUBSCRIBER Quarterly Meet Up

Time: Apr 1, 2025 08:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84114106827?pwd=bfGr4DW24ra4t8yZbXv5xuNX3CdmTn.1

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The ancient wisdom of yoga and Ayurveda teaches us this simple practice that easily brings the nervous system into balance. It costs nothing, and is available for all of us.

Our subtle body holds thousands of energy channels called nadis. The right side body holds the energy of the sun, masculine energy: the subtle channel is known as ‘pingala nadi’. When our nerves feel frazzled, we need the cooling energy of the moon, feminine energy: found in the subtle channel known as ‘ida nadi’ to counter what I like to call ‘solar flares’.

By lying in the right side body, through gravity and our own body weight, the fires are somewhat smothered and their reactivity is grounded. In turn this creates an opening for the left side body to take up more space and catch the coolness of the ether. This play of compression and release creates balance in the body.

You are responsible for teaching your nervous system how to regulate. Like anything you learn through study, and any skill you master through training, so too does your nervous system recognize the pattern of rhythm. Through the simple action of bringing your energies into balance by lying on your right side with intention, your body learns to trust YOUR INTUITIVE KNOWING.

I wrote a poem for everyone who wants to get in there and do something to make things better.

A poem for Karma Yogis

Lying on my right side body,

the flames settle.

That which is cool, plays—

free: like the night sky.

I travel high speeds,

past stars,

and time.

Namaste. Thank you for reading.

Hi beautiful subscribers. Here is an hour long practice for you to try :)

You will want to practice this in a quiet location clear of clutter. This practice has the potential to really calm your nervous system if you set yourself up for success. Please set aside an hour for this practice. You can expect gentle yoga-inspired movement, breath awareness, an…

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This practice accompanies my poem called Muladhara.

Please revisit this as often as you need to, and share with anyone who may benefit.

Thank you for trusting me to lead you through this yoga practice.

Rolling hills,

Red sky,

Ritual and reinforcement.

Charge me earth,

Ration my response,

I am beholden to your scent.

Climbing your branches and roots,

Resting in walls of clay,

I am still: a nest for Shen.

My heart has known flight. I have filled my head with dreams. I travel to vast edges with ease. In the face of the unfathomable, I confirm the potency of my routines.

Tonight, at Sonder, I will be teaching on the balance of the Root Chakra (Muladhara). For those of you who can make it in to the studio, let’s find solid ground together. If you are unable to attend, you can check back next week for the audio recording of this practice.

Be well.

Thank you for reading.

I look forward to sitting with you in contemplative meditation this Lent. It’s FREE to join. VIRTUAL for you to join from anywhere. And to boot, it is easy to sign up: CLICK HERE

Where: Virtual on Zoom

When: Tuesdays 11:30 - 12pm March 11 - April 15th

Why? To sit in stillness and peace together.

Who is the for? Everybody. Join from anywhere.

What to expect? The first 10 minutes will be spent gently stretching, followed by a contemplative intention to guide our shared sit. Then a 15 minute silent meditation practice. Finishing with a 5 minute chant for peace.

And… COMING SOON… as a complementary practice, I’d like to announce a FREE 6 week introduction series that I will be sharing via Substack…

I have been practicing this transformative form of heart listening, called Lectio Divina, for 2 decades.

[An] ancient practice central to Christian prayer is called lectio divina or “divine reading.” In lectio divina, we begin by reading and savoring a short passage of scripture. Our inner posture is one of a listening heart with an unhurried expectation that God has a message to convey especially suited to our circumstance. We read and ruminate with the ears of our heart open, alert to any connections the Spirit may reveal between the passage and our life situation.

I’ll be releasing the first drop in this series later this week. Stay tuned :)

Thank you for reading.

Sources:

https://www.upperroom.org/resources/lectio-divina-praying-the-scriptures

https://cac.org

“Yes of course, because it is relations [between] more than 2 presidents.

It’s a historical relations, strong relations, between our people.

That’s why I always began with to thank your people, from our people. And this is the most important.

Of course we are thankful to the President, and to Congress, but first of all to your people. Your people helped to save our people.

People. The first.

Human rights. The first. This is very very important. And we are very very thankful.”

For a link to the full 20 minute interview, where Zelensky speaks not of “territories” but real houses… not of “thousands”, but of real moms and grandfathers… ZELENSKY INTERVIEW

I stand with Ukraine 🇺🇦

Let us treat one another with goodness. The vibration that we expose ourselves matters. And so, this afternoon, I’d like to share with you a song that has been soothing my mind lately. If you click the photo it should play :)

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