Lucid Practice

A Blog Featuring Enriching Content on Travel, Wellness, Art, and Yoga

14 Mar
2024

10 Ways to Experience Mass

One of the challenges the church faces in this century is that of appealing to Gen Y, Gen X, and Millennials. Another challenge is that people simply are not congregating at church anymore. A recent study showed that the top three reasons these people don’t go to Church: I feel judged Don’t want to be […]

7 Feb
2024

Amazing Health Benefits of Turmeric, the Magical Spice

There are so many amazing health benefits of Turmeric. In it’s most basic form, turmeric is a plant. It is grown in warmer climates, it’s root is the plant of the plant that is consumed. Turmeric is widely consumed in India, it is a component of almost every meal! This post will discuss the positive benefits […]

29 Jan
2024

5 Ways to Improve Circulation Naturally

1. Turmeric 2. Practice 3. Avoid Sedementary Lifestyle while working this started only X years ago. 4. Steam/Sauna Raise your body’s temperature, which increases blood flow and gets your blood swooshing around in there as it should. Read more at http://livinggreenmag.com/2013/07/10/food-health/eight-ways-to-improve-your-blood-circulation/#hxXshAKg4LdOifS7.99 5. Exercise Aside from yoga, jogging, lifting weights, even walking regularly will help increase […]

6 Mar
2021

5 Ways to Do Your Yoga Practice by Building Willpower

5 Ways to Do Your Yoga Practice by Building Willpower Many people understand that a daily yoga practice leads to a more enriching life. When we practice, we feel better. We are more in tuned with our senses, with our friends and family, and with the world at large. The problem many of us have is […]

28 Nov
2020

The Dalai Lama’s Views on Marriage in the West

The Dalai Lama’s Views on Marriage in the West Fifty percent of marriages end in divorce — that’s the statistic that’s frequently pointed to when discussing marriage in the US. However, this is a misleading statistic. For those living above the poverty line, the divorce rate is much lower. For those who are college educated, […]

25 Apr
2020

Reasons to Compost

Forty percent of household waste comes from material that could have been composted. Overflowing landfills are a big problem. We are running out of room to put our waste. Landfills are negatively impacting the earth and taking up space that could have been otherwise used productively. It’s amazing to think that four tenths of our […]

22 Mar
2020

Sharath’s Wisdom

Posting this here as a resource to study Sharath’s wisdom. All credit goes to R. Sharath Jois and Sonima.com. This is an article to simply curate the posts in one place.     The Power of Seva This practice of selfless service can be done anywhere, anytime, and its effect can transform not only others’ […]

22 Jan
2020

Benefits of Astragalus

Astragalus is a little known herb in the West but it is used widely in Asia. Astragalus (its technical name is Astragalus Membranaceous) is a staple in Traditional Chinese Medicine. One of the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine is in taking preventative measures to prevent illness and disease. Astragalus Root Tea can be consumed daily […]

29 Jan
2018

5 Things We Love About Bali

Bali, Indonesia is one of the most incredible places on Earth! Danners and I recently spent a couple weeks on this incredible island. More posts to come in the future but for now, here are a few things that we loved about the special island. 1. The People ►Pure positive energy. For the most part, […]

8 Jul
2017

Yoga and Meditation Music for a Spiritual Practice

Yoga and Meditation Music for a Spiritual Practice Yoga and Meditation music can greatly enhance your practice. In my personal practice, I aim to increase my awareness and to decrease the internal chatter within my mind. Yoga and meditation music helps me. Once I can quiet my “monkey mind,” I feel more connected to God […]

29 Jan
2017

Traveling Ratanakiri Cambodia

Traveling Ratankiri Cambodia was amazing! As many of you know, I was recently in Cambodia teaching English, studying the Khmer language, working with NGOs, and traveling around the beautiful country. We made a trip to Ratankiri, a small province (even for Cambodian standards) of less than 100,000 inhabitants, felt so different from Siem Reap. The population and commerce […]

8 Dec
2016

Move Your DNA Book Review: 10 Key Takeaways

Move Your DNA Book Review In this Move Your DNA book review, I will summarize Katy Bowman’s profound book. My hope is that this Move Your DNA book review serves as a cogent introduction to the unorthodox, highly valuable work of Katy Bowman. Move Your DNA was recommended to me by Danielle after she listened to a […]

20 Nov
2016

Backpacking in Burma: Yangon

Backpacking in Burma: Yangon Really enjoyed my time in Myanmar (Burma) which is an extremely interesting country. Ravaged by decades of dictatorship and war, the country is finally opening up to the outside world. The richest nation in Asia in the 1960s, Myanmar is now among the region’s poorest. With its immense natural resources, sizable population […]

6 Nov
2016

Essential Oils for Autumn — 5 Benefits

Essential Oils for Autumn Essential oils for Autumn are indeed essential as the days become shorter and temperatures become cooler.  The dog days of summer are long gone, but there is no need to feel blue when essential oils have your back! Here are 5 Benefits of Essential Oils for Autumn: 1. Start the day […]

27 Feb
2016

Fat Freddy’s Drop – Del Fuego

Shout out to Rory for the recommendation.  Longing, makes the day seem twice as long, like an endless summer haze, we were wandering, hearts without home, searching for a place. Longing, going on without a plan, yeah, never looking back, Aimlessly, aimlessly, devoted, devoted to the moment, devoted, devoted to the moment.

24 Feb
2016

Urban Monk in Rural Cambodia

Urban Monk in Rural Cambodia For some of us, Yoga is a private communication of who we are and what we are. Meditation is an integral part of this communication. I mostly meditate from home remembering the natural forces of death and destruction. Remembering the force of destruction enables me to note how destruction prevails […]

13 Nov
2015

7 Natural Ways to Get Better Sleep Without Medication

Finding natural ways to get better sleep without medication is important because almost everyone has trouble sleeping at some point in their life. There’s a lot of focus on the amount of sleep (# of hours per night) we get but what about the constitution of that sleep? In terms of sleep, it is not […]

9 Nov
2015

Seven Benefits of Vegan Lifestyle

There are so many benefits of vegan lifestyle. People often focus on what vegans do not eat but it’s also important to consider what vegans do eat! A healthy vegan means consuming vast amounts of fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes and grains. Be careful with vegan desserts as they can contain high fats and sugars. Sticking […]

6 Nov
2015

La, Paz Bolivia – spending $25 per day in this Andes covered city is cake!

If you are looking for a destination that is full of diverse attractions and activities, Bolivia is a perfect choice for your next adventure. In Bolivia, you can easily spend less than $25 USD per day, eat extremely well and enjoy landscapes that photographs can’t do justice. The Bolivian destination cities that we suggest are: […]

12 Oct
2015

Meeting the Challenge of Exercise Successfully

How do you view exercise? You surely know that physical exercise is a key activity to keeping your body in great shape. However, just the thought of having to sweat yourself out over countless bench presses and weight lifting may not seem so appealing. Nor does the idea of having to grit your teeth and […]

17 Feb
2015

Shenzhen China Travel

Shenzhen China Travel Shenzhen is a vibrant major Chinese southern city neighboring Hong Kong. With a population of 15 million people, the city contains a diverse group of people with a large expat community. There are tons of places to eat, shop, and meet interesting people (including those who speak English)! Chinese transportation is so […]

26 Jan
2015

Backpacking Chongqing China

Traveling Chongqing China Backpacking Chongqing China is the experience of a lifetime. Chongqing has a population of twenty nine million people. Think about that for a moment. That’s over 50% more than the population of the metropolitan New York City area. Yet, nine out of ten Americans (including us before Hesh encouraged us to visit) have not heard […]

19 Dec
2014

Best Gifts for World Travelers

Best Gifts for World Travelers A couple years ago, I received an awesome surprise gift from my cousin and this prompted me to think of the best gifts for world travelers. My cousin Anna had me in our family’s “Secret Santa” or “Chris Kringle” gift exchange. Although I didn’t ask for anything, she knew what […]

6 Dec
2014

AWAKE: The Life of Yogananda TRAILER

I was first introduced to Paramahansa Yoganada in 2010 by a friend. He loaned me the Essence of Self Realization which I eventually read and enjoyed. When Steve Jobs died, I read in Walter Issacon’s autobiography of Steve, that Jobs had re-read one book every year; Autobiography of a Yogi. Being inspired by Jobs’s life and being, Autobiography of a […]

3 Dec
2014

Reaching the 2nd half of life – Dying before you die

I’m not always one to share my opinion…because I feel I don’t really know anything. I do spend a lot of time thinking about this life. Why not? Today we were talking about the concept of being at peace and “dying before you die.” I tend to think a lot about practicing death. If I were to die today, […]

26 Nov
2014

Gluten Free Muffins: Orange Almond Coconut

Delicious Gluten Free Orange Almond Coconut Muffins These delicious gluten free muffins are an amazing dessert/snack that won’t leave you feeling bloated or tired afterwards. It’s entirely possible to make good tasting, healthy sweets! Instead of regular white flour which is highly processed and generally unhealthy, in this recipe, we turn to a combination of […]

14 Nov
2014

3 Ayurvedic Cleansing Techniques You Can Start Using Today

3 Ayurvedic Cleansing Techniques to Implement Today Ayurveda is the ancient Indian science of life that has been used for over 4000 years. Here are three simple Ayurvedic cleansing techniques that you can begin today. These techniques may seem odd or complex, but once learned, they are easy to understand and execute. These three Ayurvedic […]

12 Nov
2014

Long Weekend at the Beach: Bocas Del Toro Travel Blog – Panama

Bocas Del Toro Travel: Our Third Stop Bocas Del Toro is a province of Northern Panama that is made up of lots of small islands located on the Caribbean Sea. This was our third stop in our four month journey. We arrived here after spending time in the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica and Boquete in Northern Panama. While […]

6 Nov
2014

11 Surprising Facts About Bob Marley

Interesting Facts About Bob Marley I decided to read the critically acclaimed Timothy White biography, Catch a Fire: The Life of Bob Marley because I was hoping to learn more about the man behind the music that has been so deeply moving to me. I became interested after listening to Bob for a few months straight. Bob’s music has […]

3 Nov
2014

Koh Ker Village Cambodia Travel Week 3

I was recently in Cambodia studying the Khmer language, teaching English, working with NGOs, and traveling around the beautiful country. This is a reflection from my time in Koh Ker Village Cambodia. Koh Ker Village is located deep in the Cambodian Northwest Countryside near the Thai and Laotian borders. Koh Ker Village Cambodia Upon reflecting this week, […]

31 Oct
2014

The Beginning: San Jose, Costa Rica Travel Recap

San Jose, Costa Rica Travel Recap Kate and I decided on San Jose, Costa Rica as our jump off point for our 2014 backpacking trip. We had heard from some friends that Costa Rica was an amazing country and a place ‘we had to see.’ New York to San Jose, Costa Rica Travel Leaving from […]

17 Oct
2014

Our backpacking trip to South America in 5 minutes

This video means a lot to me. The best way, for me, to explain some of the feelings associated with the video is by sharing a message I wrote the day we were coming home from our 4.5 month adventure: Sitting on the plane right now coming home and the word I use to describe the feeling is […]

5 Oct
2014

Photo of a Gibbon at Angkor Centre for Conservation and Biodiversity

I saw this interesting lookin’ fella at the Angkor Centre for Conservation and Biodiversity. ACCB is the first nature conservation centre in Cambodia. The centre features a variety of birds, monkeys, and more. It was established to preserve and breed rare wildlife in Cambodia. It’s a 1.5 hour tuk tuk ride from Siem Reap town and you can enjoy beautiful scenery […]

2 Oct
2014

Lessons from Dananjaya Hettiarachchi’s Story

This is a powerful performance by Dananjaya Hettiarachchi of Sri Lanka. Dananjaya shares a story about his path in life explaining his early troubles including failing out of high school at age 17. He says, “Mothers cry tears of joy, tears of sorrow, and tears of shame. After I was arrested, I saw my mother cry […]

23 Sep
2014

Pop-Up House

Pop-Up House: the affordable passive house from Multipod-Studio on Vimeo.

19 Sep
2014

Finding Your Flow: 6 Steps for a New Morning Routine

Find Your Flow: Suggestions for a new morning routine People talk a lot about “flow.” Psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi proposed the concept decades ago—a state of mind achieved when you’re fully immersed in a project or task—but the basic tenants of flow date back to the teachings of Taoism and Buddhism.  As the Buddha tells us, “Do not dwell […]