This weekend in New York marks the Sacred Sites Open House Weekend. It is an opportunity for visitors and residents to learn more about the architecture and art embodied in some of the cities religious institutions. (more…)
Recovering Nomad – Welcoming Friends to My Town
One of the unexpected benefits of living here is the number of friends who come through. One hundred million air passengers pass through New York City’s airports each year, and following the law of large numbers, I happen to know a few.
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Happy Birthday Dharma Mittra!
Dharma Mittra, legendary yoga teacher and the creator of the master Yoga Chart of 908 asanas, celebrates his seventy-seventh (!) birthday on Saturday.
A living legend, Dharma Mittra has dedicated his life to yoga and been influential on my own practice ever since our first meeting five years ago. I still recall our first class when he breezed in, barefoot, dressed simply in yoga clothes, meticulously groomed as he casually moved to the stage. (more…)
My Top Timeless Travel Tomes
Books have been an incredibly valuable source of knowledge for me throughout the years. At various junctures of my life, certain books have crossed my path that have helped shape and influence my thoughts on a number of themes ranging from travel to spirituality.
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Recovering Nomad – 9 Realities Nomads Appreciate When Stopping
I’ve done my fair share of traveling over the years. Now that I’m in New York, backpack stowed away, I can reflect on some of the culture shocks as I settle into the reality of western society again. (more…)
Recovering Nomad – The Role of Routine
Anchored again to one location, Chelsea for now, I am starting to settle into the community and with it, develop a switch in mindset.
Top of mind while traveling might have been scrambling to find a place to bunk down for the night, hunting down a restaurant that didn’t serve up a side dish of salmonella, or deciphering the local language in an effort to navigate from A to B. (more…)
Remembering Nepal
Today marks the one-year anniversary of the earthquake that devastated Nepal, resulting in the deaths of over 8,000 people. (more…)
Celebrating Earth Day
Over the past five years, I’ve come to appreciate the beauty of nature and how it is sacred to cultures all around the world. Speaking with many people of many cultures, when asked “What brings you closer to god?” the overwhelming answer was nature and mother Earth. (more…)
Recovering Nomad – The Importance of Community
After years of being a spiritual nomad and deciding to settle in New York, I am enjoying getting to know my new neighborhood. From the last blog post, readers might be aware that I am flirting with the different hoods in NYC, and currently enjoying getting to know Chelsea.
A strong sense of lasting community is something I missed on the road. I was part of powerful groups along the way: With other pilgrims on the camino to Santiago in Spain, in a group of international volunteers at the clinic in Ladakh, among the yogis in the rainforest of Trindade, with the Rainbow Family in Israel’s Negev desert. (more…)
Recovering Nomad – The Art of Cleanliness
After so much time traveling, I was ready for a home, and for a variety of reasons, New York called my name. I have many good and not as good friends here, and for the first time in forever I feel at home.
I knew New York from visits over the years, but wanted to see nuances of the different neighborhoods before settling in for the duration. I read an article in the New York Times which chronicled the idea of temporary stints in neighborhoods. This fit with my mindset, so I began to “date” a few neighborhoods to see if we were compatible. I first landed in the East Village, which while diverse, made me feel really old among the college kids. My sublease ended and after a brief trip to Arizona, I found a place in Chelsea, at least until the end of May. (more…)
