BarefootAndUpsideDown

Yoga as life, love, laughter.
Yoga as play, challenge, insight.
Yoga as art, music, poetry. Yoga as coming home.

Bhakti Yoga, Heart Opening to the Beloved

carolyn aka LaughingYogini | February 19, 2010

Death reminds me that there is really only one way to live. From the heart of love.
Returned last night from burying Mom in North Carolina. A devoted Catholic, Priscilla Lasecki Kieber embodied the heart of bhakti yoga.
Whether she was sitting on the beach, enjoying the beauty of the rolling oceanic waves, preparing cake for a [...]

The Mother of All Intentions

carolyn aka LaughingYogini | January 8, 2010

During this season of intention-setting, it might be helpful to contemplate the mother-of-all-intentions: COMPASSION.

And all compassion, from the grandest benevolent foundation to the tiniest gesture of human kindness, begins with oneself.
During 2010, how can I treat myself with greater friendship, honor, and love? Can I develop kinder thoughts as well as healthier [...]

Thanksgiving

carolyn aka LaughingYogini | December 11, 2009

I know that this is a bit lame: posting a Thanksgiving post two weeks late, (if you’re experiencing any post-feast hunger,try the sweet & spicy pecans because they are very tasty AND easy to make) but hey, though I wasn’t able to post then, I really DO have a LOT to be grateful for.
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ripeness

carolyn aka LaughingYogini | October 22, 2009

What is it that I am waiting for? Why do I think I am not good enough or strong enough or smart enough or beautiful enough or kind enough? Why is the ripeness, the fullness of my existence so difficult to accept?
Why do I think someone is more ~ or less ~ then my self? [...]

Hugasana!

carolyn aka LaughingYogini | September 24, 2009

I’ve never had so many hugs as I enjoyed during the past two weeks. My -very large- family gathered to support dad’s last days and then more folks arrived to honor his passing. Through it all, we hugged!
Sometimes two of us caught each other’s eye and clasped our arms around each other and held [...]

The Final Goal

carolyn aka LaughingYogini | July 18, 2009

If you have been practicing for any amount of time, you’ve probably asked yourself, what is the goal of all this mat-work? Is it to become a bit more “bendy?”
My answer is that BENDY is an offshoot of a good practice. You should begin to see real changes in your everyday life after a [...]

Video Thursday, Hang Loose Mudra

carolyn aka LaughingYogini | July 10, 2009

Ahh, back home from the 13.5 hour drive from North Carolina. Feels sweet. The air smells delicious thanks to clover blooming in our overgrown yard. With the windows open, all is cool and lovely. I’m back on my ‘puter – yippee – and catching up on emails (I’ve lost count), phone messages (13!), snail mail [...]

July Fourth Sacred Pause

carolyn aka LaughingYogini | July 4, 2009

Happy Fourth of July to American yogins everywhere.
Beyond the flashy fireworks and barbecue festivities, this is a day to reflect upon the meaning of freedom and to celebrate the birthday of our country. Revolutionary War soldiers certainly felt as if Colonial powers were impeding their lives and their freedom. For many of us however, the [...]

Living a Meaningless Life?

carolyn aka LaughingYogini | June 25, 2009

Think your life is too small? Think you need to do something significant, something with impact, something for your children to remember you by? When we start spinning our thoughts in this direction, it’s usually a sign that we need to to chill, breathe for a bit, and as Jen Louden, virtual life coach diva, [...]

studying the life of the buddha as an aid to meditation

carolyn aka LaughingYogini | June 18, 2009

You don’t need to espouse Buddhism or Hinduism or any religion at all to practice yoga and meditation.
However, we can learn much from the Buddha’s life and the practices he developed and incorporate them as a means of deepening our own spiritual journey.
Here is the fascinating story of Siddhartha’s life from the BBC and Discovery [...]