During the coronavirus crisis, Rachel's regularly-scheduled classes are held virtually over Zoom. The logins for all classes are on this password-protected page -- email Rachel for the password.
Yesterday in our Yoga Class Curator Pilgrimage & Puja Community Practice, founder and teacher Susanna Barkataki led us in an inquiry around devotion. She referenced Yoga Sutra 1:39: Meditating on that which is elevating. She gave us some inquiries for reflective journaling and the focus on meditating on what elevates is still unfolding within me. I am […]
Cancel culture cloaked in self righteousness is easy to access. It is this reactive, defensive mode that is readily available to most of us (including me for full transparency). Fortunately, yoga philosophy gives us a framework to navigate, regulate and show up grounded, resolute, open minded, open hearted and willing to learn and grow. […]
Jesus wept. This is the shortest verse in the Bible. John 11, verse 35. This is the story where Jesus is grieving due to the death of his friend Lazarus, already laid in the tomb having been prepared and wrapped for burial. Jesus wept. Jesus had bodily functions such as blood, sweat and tears. […]
6:50 AM. The morning light is slowly brightening through the orange curtains into my yoga space, formerly my home studio. Prior to this slow turning toward the sun, in the quiet of dark, a lone bird chirps on a branch. The sound opens a tender space in my heart. Is it vulnerable and courageous […]
Here we are, right before what we call, “The Holidays.” “It is a strange and wonderful fact to be here, walking around in a body, to have a whole world within you and a world at your fingertips outside you. It is an immense privilege, and it is incredible that humans manage to forget the […]
Here we are at the threshold of holiday season. Earlier this week, on the eve of Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day acknowledging the violence against and murder of Transgender individuals, a mass shooting took place in Colorado Springs at Q Club, a gay bar. On the threshold of the holiday season, we have yet […]
The rolling hills of Northern Appalachia reached saturation of green well over a month ago, and the Tulip Poplar trees now show hints of various shades of yellow on their leaves. Sweet corn stands from local farms populate parking lots. Nights and mornings are cooler in temperature. The shasta daisies, bee balm and echinacea flowers […]
Random Thoughts and Ramblings: I love that Gen Z is falling in love with Kate Bush. I could care less about Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. My early summer perennial flowers are starting to bloom and it is 96 degrees mid June. They look disgusted. And wilted before they even flowered. Stop calling human rights […]
I walk in the dark night, staying next to buildings lest I cast a shadow. Seeking to blend my footsteps into the rhythm of the subtle night sounds, traffic, other people walking on ahead of me and behind me perhaps also seeking anonymity, I walk carefully, heading towards the unknown. My clothes are filthy. I […]
“What would happen if one woman told the truth about her life? The world would split open.” ― Muriel Rukeyser The International Women’s Day (March 8) celebrates the achievements of women in social, economic, cultural, and political fields. As well as marking the day, Women’s Equality Action Day calls for accelerating the advancement […]