I’d just left Chinatown after reclining in a chair for hours inside a state-of-the-art dental school. Each white cubicle featured an oversized nature photo, and all the while I’d been […]
Body & Soul
Outermost ways for nurturing body, mind, and spirit.
Browse all Body & Soul stories below or dive into a topic:
SAVASANA
Wednesdays With Janis
Sometimes a student is the best teacher
It was in some ways not an unusual invitation, from one yoga teacher to another: “I have a really special client that I’d like you to meet,” my colleague wrote. […]
MOVEMENT
Finding Flow on a Paddleboard
The best exercise is the one that makes you happy
People always ask me, “What’s the best exercise?” That’s a tough one because “best” can mean many different things. Is it the one that burns the most calories? Works the […]
UP A CREEK
Occupy August
Troubleshooting the peak season, with guided meditations
August. The balmy bliss of sandy sheets. This month requires a certain je ne sais quoi when waiting to get a spot off Ocean View Drive with a pack of […]
MOVEMENT
Saying Yes to a ‘Thrilling Adventure’ on a Boogie Board
A birthday present inspires a lesson in movement that’s just for fun
I recently had a birthday. My son, Casey, wanted some ideas for a gift. And my practical suggestions, like oven mitts or kitchen knives, would not do. He insisted that […]
WRITERS
A Zen Priest Retreats to the Dunes
Percussionist Douglass Fugan Dineen’s residency combines musicology and spirituality
Douglass Dineen received a new name in 2004: Fugan. It’s his “dharma name,” given by a Buddhist teacher to a newly ordained priest. In Zen teaching, fugan means “universal vow,” […]
IMPROVISATION
Finding the Balance
To come to an agreement with death, I had to make a new agreement with life
One day in June, my wife and I left our cottage to walk straight out the mouth of the Herring River in Eastham. Low tide had exposed acres of sand […]
MOVEMENT
The Knee Bone’s Connected
Learn to treat your knees right
A lot of people complain about their knees. Some of the things that go wrong with this joint — the largest one in your body and one of the most […]
BODY/MIND
Are You ‘Life Hacking’ or Living?
How to keep the itch to be productive from co-opting your practice
With the move to remote work for so many, the already tenuous lines separating work and life have pretty well dissolved. One result is a thriving productivity industry. It seems […]
MOVEMENT
Running With Dogs
Dryland mushing along the Outer Cape’s trails
My friend Liberty Schilpp has progressed from taking short jogs to becoming a devoted runner. She started just last year, following a run/walk program I wrote about in these pages. […]
BODY/MIND
Whose Pose Is It Anyway?
Stop worrying about what your asana looks like and try to notice what it feels like
Have you ever been in a yoga class and thought to yourself, “I don’t look like the teacher or the person next to me — I must be doing this […]
MOVEMENT
To Lose Pandemic Pounds, Aim to Gain Strength
The right snacks and plenty of sleep help, too
If you gained weight last year, you’re not alone. Studies show that, in America, more than half of us put on unwanted pounds. Chalk it up to a combination of […]
BODY/MIND
Cultivating Ease With Yoga Nidra
A way to spend a while outside the mad rush
Western culture urges us to create lives that are outward facing. We measure the progress of our existence by external gains. We work, attain promotions, have families, perform chores; we […]
MOVEMENT
Buff Up Your Rotator Cuffs
Four moves to strengthen those small but essential shoulder-supporting muscles
Rotator cuff troubles. We hear about them all the time — everyone from famous pitchers, to house painters, to Aunt Myrtle seems to have them. What is the rotator cuff, […]
BODY/MIND
Good Is Better Than Perfect
All you need to do to begin a home yoga practice (or anything) again
Spring is on the way. Covid is on the way out. And many people I know are in the grip of a tense kind of anticipation that is equal parts […]
