I learned more at Ignite Your Power teacher training with Baron Baptiste and Elizabeth Corley than I have probably ever learned at any other training; however, the context of my learning was not in yoga asana, it was about becoming the witness of myself.

It was actually my idea to jump out of a plane. I can’t pretend I was coerced into it in any way, shape, or form.

The following is a letter from our dear friend and talented massage therapist, Luzmaria Lopez, who was diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer. Her story is an eloquent and potent testament to the power of yoga.

Just be. That’s a lot easier said than done. But as I sat with those words, I saw that “trying” rather than “being” came up a lot in my life. I was always trying to accomplish something, trying to meet what I thought were other’s expectations of me, trying to practice my yoga better. Why couldn’t I just be?

There is nothing like looking at someone you love and knowing they do not have much time, to bring you ever so present with them.

I had the pleasure of spending five days in the Hudson Valley last month at the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies. I attended a five day workshop called Off the Mat, Into the World with Seane Corn, Hala Khouri, and Suzanne Sterling.