Like many of you, I have become increasingly horrified by the news and by the labeling of respectable media outlets as fake news. When we are lied to again and again, over time, we stop trusting what we see right before our eyes. Some people I know are knuckling under, burying their head under a pillow. Wintertime is certainly a tempting time to hide, but we must do the opposite: We must stay vigilant, powerful, and strong. How, you might wonder? We can start by walking tall. For me, it helps...

I lived a 24/ 7 spiritual life in a yoga ashram from 1984-1996. KARMA Yoga, or selfless service, took us through 8 hours of the day. Yoga and meditation practices occurred from 5-6:30 am, three meals per day eaten in meditative silence, afternoon yoga and meditation practices from 4:15-5:45 pm, followed by evening meditation, discourse, and chanting. In that era, there was no real scientific, medical research or data to show that we were on to something remarkable.

In my Let Your Yoga Dance for Special Populations class recently, I offered the theme of Gratitude. We danced our yoga with appreciation for all we have been given. I found many gratitude songs to use; one in particular lit up the group: Karen Drucker’s “I'm So Grateful." We were happily waltzing around the room (some were waltzing in a chair), singing with Karen: “I’m so grateful…I’m so grateful…..” Watching my students and loving this moment, I was overflowing with joy.