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Enjoy the top 10 blogs of the week free in our e-newsletter.

Inspiring (Wow)

Student’s Doodle Wins Google’s Heart.

by on May 23, 2013

“The reason it hurts so much to separate is because our souls are connected.”  ~ Nicholas Sparks You may have seen them gracing the top of your Google search page—those curious drawings incorporating the company’s most famous logo, and some amazing bit of history for that day. In the past, Google has featured images incorporating [...]

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Following Your Dreams? Better Pack Some Courage. ~ Brittany Amell

by on May 23, 2013

The pause before the climb. My eyes fly open and I continue with my journey—but then something starts to happen. Lingering, right now in this very moment, is a feeling of doubt. At the mountaintop of this lingering stands a red flag of uncertainty—a warning to the wise. I feel the gravity. All 9.8 m/s [...]

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Made with Love: Extreme Yoga Demo in Thailand with Craig Proctor. ~ Carrie Stiles

by on May 23, 2013

Ashtanga brings out the intensity and dedication in us. The series takes practitioners deeper into the evolution of asana. Yet, the Ashtanga practice remains illusive to me. Ashtanga has always been on the periphery of my wild, spontaneous Vinyasa practice. I tend to approach my beloved, movement-obsessed asana practice like a light-hearted, joyful child rather [...]

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Your Past Need Not Become Your Future.

by on May 22, 2013

  No matter how hard we want to, there’s one thing we can never do and that’s change the past. We can weep, beat our fists against the wall, eat bags of cookies to assuage our guilt, but it won’t make the slightest bit of difference and won’t make us feel any better. The past [...]

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Sea Otter Hoop Dreams. {Video} ~ Dejah Beauchamp

by on May 22, 2013

Craving your daily dose of “cute and inspirational“?  Check out this sea otter at the Oregon Zoo. Diagnosed with arthritis at 16 years of age, Eddie the otter’s trainers taught him to shoot hoops to keep him moving. A lovely reminder to always keep it playful.   Like elephant journal on Facebook.

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How to Be an Independent Woman While Being Married with Children.

by on May 22, 2013

This has been one of the more inspiring talks with my dear friend and fellow model, Kate Dillon-Levin, in which she discusses about keeping your autonomy while being married with children. The full-length version is definitely worth the listen too. To watch the full-length version of this conversation, visit here. To view all conversations, including [...]

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It Flows Through You. ~ Kelsey Frazier

by on May 21, 2013

And yet, it occurred to me that there is one thing I can do in every moment: Be true to my self. This is a self that is ready to love, ready to shine, ready to be extraordinary and inspire other towards the extraordinary in themselves—because you are all (whether you know it or not) extraordinary.

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The Most Inspirational Kid on the Planet.

by on May 21, 2013

“You don’t have to find out you’re dying to start living.” I just spent 22 minutes sobbing in my bed watching this amazing, inspirational and heartbreaking documentary about Zach Sobiech. This young legend was diagnosed with a rare form of terminal cancer at age 14, and he passed away yesterday, May 20th, 2013. The sweet [...]

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Tornado Survivor Finds Dog During a TV Interview. {VIDEO}

by on May 21, 2013

“I never lost consciousness and I hollered for my little dog and he didn’t answer, he didn’t come, so I know he’s in here somewhere.” ~ Barbara Garcia An elderly woman whose entire home was destroyed by the Oklahoma tornado found her pet dog amongst the devastation during a live TV interview. There is always [...]

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Who’s Your Teacher? ~ Anne Samit

by on May 20, 2013

In yoga, how old we are apparently doesn’t matter. Yoga seems to be an equalizer. This might not be evident when walking by each other on the street, but once we are on the mat, it’s really so easy to see.

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Overcoming an Eating Disorder & Learning to Be Healthy.

by on May 20, 2013

In the fourth episode of SRO Conversations, model Kate Dillon-Levin opens up about how she found joy of movement in the outdoors and a center of health after overcoming an eating disorder, brought on by insecurities within the world of fashion. This was an incredibly enlightening conversation and encourage everyone to take the time to [...]

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How Do You Know It’s Time to Let Go?

by on May 20, 2013

Why do patterns hold on? The patterns of identification that limit us weren’t always limiting. They were adaptive. If you grew up in a threatening environment, learning how to fly under the radar was adaptive. Playing small and keeping quiet protected you. The pattern protected you. But your life has changed. You’ve matured. The world [...]

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Ryan Van Duzer & the Case of the Boldest Bolder Boulder Blog Ever. America!

by on May 19, 2013

All Nine of Ryan Van Duzer’s funny, inspiring Bolder Boulder videos. High Five! “I just made a playlist of all my BolderBOULDER coverage starting in 2007! Who’s ready for next Monday?” The quickest way to get psyched for the Bolder Boulder or any other run? To learn tips from champions? Watch these (fun) videos and [...]

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Morning Decaf with a Big Surly Biker.

by on May 19, 2013

“I like my coffee black, my beer from Germany, wine from Burgundy, the darker, the better. I like my heroes complicated and brooding, James Dean in oiled leather, leaning on a motorcycle. You know the color. (“Ode to Chocolate”)” ~  Barbara Crooker I had decaf with a biker this morning—an ominous and quite surly sort [...]

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Joy & Pain: Learn to Feel Again. ~ Dusty Ranft

by on May 18, 2013

If we try and circumvent or avoid the storm, if we always sail around the rising waves, we remain unskilled sailors in an ocean of troubled waters. Our journey will leave us wet, battered, and salty. Unmarked—but asleep.

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The Power of Words.

by on May 17, 2013

“Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these, ‘It might have been.” ― John Greenleaf Whittier I read through some of my older blog postings just the other day—and was amazed at what I had found. You see, some many months back I had created a ‘bucket list’ of sorts—a few [...]

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A Yoga Body. ~ Meghan McCracken

by on May 17, 2013

That week in my yoga classes, I was surrounded by the kind of lithe, truly tiny frames that excel immediately at yoga and consequently tend to show up more for class. And, all I could hear in my head was “You’re not a small girl…you’re not a small girl.”

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You’re a Plus-size Model?

by on May 17, 2013

In the fourth episode of SRO Conversations, model Kate Dillon-Levin talks with Paul and me about the definition of a plus-sized model and how the fashion industry has changed over the years as it relates to a woman’s size. Twenty years ago, models were a size 6-8 and weighed 8 percent less than the average [...]

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George Takei’s Response to “20 Young People Who Believe Marriage Should Be Between a Man & a Woman.” {Pictures}

by on May 17, 2013

“Our adversaries call their campaigns ‘in defense of marriage’ or ‘in protection of marriage.’ Why are they so defensive and protective? Are their marriages so fragile?” ~ George Takei Oh, how I love George Takei—who has become, perhaps, this Nation’s most-outspoken (and brilliantly cheeky) advocate of same-sex marriage. This was his reply to the article, [...]

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Under the Influence of the Buddha.

by on May 17, 2013

The trouble is, temptations never end, and a true pothead can always invent a good reason to smoke. Because I’ve got a headache, a stomachache, insomnia, boredom, stress. Because it’s Saturday morning. Because the sun is setting. The list goes on forever.

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A Message to Yoga Teachers, Students, Practitioners, Healers & Clients.

by on May 17, 2013

Who doesn’t love their yoga teacher? Yoga teachers are the bomb. They’re guiding their students in the classroom to feel and experience the empowering strength and unconditional love that engaging in the practice itself teaches. Who doesn’t love their healer/therapist? They’re showing their clients how to heal themselves, awaken their soul and redefine their concepts [...]

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Your Intuition Is Your Answer.

by on May 16, 2013

“When you know, you know.”  I never understood this quote, until I understood it.  Nine years ago, I stood in the doorway of the house in which I currently live, and declared, “I’m home,” without ever stepping foot inside.  One month later, I moved in. Two and a half years ago, I visited my friend [...]

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Why I Write for elephant. ~ Michelle Marchildon

by on May 16, 2013

Whenever I travel or teach in foreign places, like Canada, or Boulder, people want to know the same thing: Why do I write for elephant journal? When I published “Finding More,” I thought the public may want to know if it was true (yes). And when I published “Theme Weaver,” I thought they may want [...]

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Quote of the Day: From Molten Ball to Opera—This Earth Now Sings.

by on May 15, 2013

“Four and a half billion years ago, the Earth was a flaming molten ball of rock and now…it can sing opera.” ~ Brian Swimme We are magnificent beings, you and I—even in this, our most imperfect form…as we stand here still, yet today, rising above when all else has failed. And in our hearts, we [...]

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What if I Forget How to Write?

by on May 15, 2013

Sometimes I have the silliest of fears. It started quite innocently with a monster under the bed—but as I grew older these thoughts grew bigger as well. Today, I was worried that I might someday forget forever how to write. I mean, what if tomorrow all of this inspiration was gone? And, what if these [...]

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PTSD is a Natural, Human Response to Disordered Events: An Interview with Chris Eder.

by on May 15, 2013

I think of PTSD as a pervasive chaos, caused by your safety response, your fight or flight response, which is supposed to happen. What’s not a good thing is that safety response continues after the danger has passed. That’s when the madness starts.

Labels don’t define a person, but the labels are your ticket to treatment and services. For the purposes of treatment and services, I have PTSD. But the label means nothing to me. I can check all those boxes for PTSD, but i’m still an individual.

The problem is that yoga at the end of a deployment is too late. It needs to come before deployments. I often ask myself where I would be if I didn’t have a practice.

I don’t want yoga to be thought of as an afterthought. I want it to be part of the treatment plan. I want to see psychiatry working in tandem with these holistic modalities so that it is an overall part of treatment.

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What Buddha Might Say To Deepak Chopra.

by on May 14, 2013

“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.” ~ The Buddha Many years ago, we were teaching a meditation weekend in Plymouth, England. On the Saturday, after the program was over for the day, Carole, one of the attendees, told us she had just been with Deepak Chopra, that he had walked out of the [...]

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We Need Look No Further Than This Moment, This Breath, This Heartbeat: Be Here Now. ~ Jillian Locke

by on May 14, 2013

“Shedding our skin is one of the most vulnerable acts we’ll ever engage in. Some of us prefer to stay swaddled in stagnation while others try releasing this protective covering prematurely. The journey of life is finding the balance between hibernation and emergence; between hiding and showing our faces, our true faces.”

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Ground Control to Major Tom: Astronaut Chris Hadfield’s Final Farewell to Space. {Must Watch Video}

by on May 14, 2013

“Across the sea of space, the stars are other suns.” ~  Carl Sagan We always knew he was a rock star of sorts, but yesterday’s final farewell video proves just this. In this video, Commander Chris Hadfield sings a most wonderfully revised version of the David Bowie classic, “Space Oddity”  as recorded on board the [...]

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Seeking Self: A Domestic Violence Survival Story. ~ Cortney Harden

by on May 14, 2013

It was the perfect combination for disaster. He was a smooth talker, the most charismatic person you could ever meet. It didn’t hurt that he had a chiseled body and sexy eyes. I, on the other hand, was overweight, insecure, stressed out and smack-dab in the middle of grad school. But, most of all, I [...]

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The Gift my Mother Gave to Me. (Heartwarming Video)

by on May 13, 2013

“You can. You must. You will.” — Eunice Shriver These are the words shared by Kennedy family matriarch, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, and to her daughter, Maria Shriver. Her words were simple, but their meaning most profound—in that all things, when done with the fullness of heart, are possible. In this most beautiful video, Maria Shriver [...]

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Planet India. {Photography} ~ Elodie Saracco

by on May 13, 2013

Many times, I was the only pale face, the stranger, the curiosity, and felt out of place. But I wasn’t lonely with my camera as company. Through my lenses, I could see better and could look more carefully.

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A Little Something My Mom Once Shared with Me.

by on May 11, 2013

“A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness and cause peace [...]

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21 Questions with Chloe Park & Noelle Beaugureau.

by on May 11, 2013

21 Questions with Chloe… What, in your own definition, is yoga? Yoga is my medicine. Yoga is my way back to the Source. Yoga is my relationship with God. Yoga is the route to my own realization and understanding of who I really am. Yoga is my water! What’s your favorite thing to eat? Coconuts, [...]

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A Love Affair for Life. ~ Sarah Rosenberg

by on May 11, 2013

She came into my life completely by surprise—if, in fact, you believe there are any surprises in life—but our initial interactions were from a distance and it would take quite a bit of time for us to meet face-to-face. Little did I realize how that span of time would come to feel like a lifetime [...]

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Keep Focus on the Projects that are Most Meaningful.

by on May 11, 2013

Those of us who are passionate about a number of interrelated projects may often find ourselves struggling on which project to prioritize. In the third episode of SUMMER RAYNE OAKES Conversations, Photographer Joey L. talks about keeping one’s focus on creative projects and prioritizing your time with communication. “An email is a request for time,” [...]

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Here’s to All Our Super Moms. {Video}

by on May 11, 2013

With thanks to our partners, Vitamin Angels, for sharing such a sweet video for this Mother’s Day! To celebrate moms everywhere this Mother’s Day, we asked you “What makes your mom a Super Mom?” This is how you responded. Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers around the world. Love, Vitamin Angels Like elephant Family [...]

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Growing Up, Growing Older.

by on May 10, 2013

“The only way that we can live is if we grow. The only way that we can grow is if we change. The only way that we can change is if we learn. The only way we can learn is if we are exposed. And the only way that we can become exposed is if [...]

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A Miracle Amongst the Rubble: After 16 Days Buried Alive, a Survivor is Found. {Bangladesh}

by on May 10, 2013

“You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep Spring from coming.” ~ Pablo Neruda After 16 days, working tirelessly to break through the massive rubble of the nine-story building collapse in Bangladesh—the rescuers here believed there to be no chance for any additional survivors. That is, until they heard the soft, clanking ‘tap’ [...]

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