I was in my 2nd year of teaching when the L.A. Riots occurred. I was teaching a Learning Disabled class at Lindbergh Middle School in Long Beach Unified School District; although this was the class title, there was nothing disabling about what our class learned that year - for what the world threw at us that year, we could do nothing but consume.

Why do Yoga and Art go together … NATURALLY

There is not much difference between art and yoga. Art is transforming a plain white paper or canvas or cloth into an amazingly beautiful portrait while yoga is a transformation of a human who functions to someone who can move beyond their habitual way in the form they think, breath, move, and talk.

Start by looking at what you are planning to eat. What do you notice visually?

Now, smell the food carefully. What do you notice?

If applicable, do you notice any sounds? If you’re eating something like a raisin, try holding it close to your ear as you squeeze it gently. Or if you’re unwrapping a chocolate, listen to the crinkles of the wrapper as you unfold it …

I am a fortunate being to witness both scenarios … of love and that love permeates both the wonder of innocence and the grief of losing our loved ones. Love is a force, is the connective tissue and what we source from in being held in community.

The Life Force speaks constantly—­not in words, but through events. You can feel it as an undeniable presence guiding you. More commonly, you’ll feel its presence for brief moments, usually in reaction to a deeply moving event: the birth of a child, the act of falling in love, or a trip to a faraway place that awakens something deep within you.