Retreating to Italy: A Feast of Yoga, Hiking, and Culinary Adventures
In September, I’m heading to Italy to feast, hike, and teach yoga. Fair warning, this is no pious detox retreat. But it’s not about mindless gluttony either. The trip combines delights for the palette, the potency of skillful yoga, and beauty of the mountains for deep nourishment. We’re using a unique recipe: local chefs, bakers, and sommeliers with yoga imported from California. Alice, my close friend for over 20 years, is an award-winning chef and will lead our food adventures. Continue reading
What is Antifragle Fitness?
The human body strengthens from getting dirty, sweaty, and sore. We are what Nassim Nicholas Taleb calls “antifragile.” In his book, Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder, he coins this term for systems that become more robust rather than weakened or unaffected from unexpected stressors. Citing an array from examples from stock markets, health care, and education, he shuns overprotection and excessive intervention. Our first-world bubbles, Taleb warns us, shield us from physical vigor and thwart our adaptability. Instead of Continue reading
Dissecting a Cadaver to Examine Life
After years of studying movement, dissecting a cadaver felt like shining a flashlight around a familiar cave. A week in an anatomy lab sounded disgusting and morbid to a lot of folks in my life. Yet I knew there was a lot to learn if I got over being spooked or grossed out. Somewhere we are taught that our bodies are gross and should be shrouded so we make various attempts to conceal and contain ourselves. Yet when we die Continue reading
