Chantal – Articles

Elephant Journal Article -

Life is my yoga practice

I am about to take my first yoga class and step onto my very first mat.

While reflecting on yoga, I realize that philosophically, yoga is already very much a part of my life. The basic philosophy is to unite body, mind and spirit, which in turn, moves us through life with greater wisdom, keener awareness and more understanding. This philosophy is a part of my life, everyday.

It’s what I practice

What I focus on

What I live

And sometimes, what I leave on the mat

My practice is to open to the illusion of duality by standing still in the moment and not wavering with reaction and remaining centered. While doing this “holding pose” I breathe into the discomfort, watch the illusions of mind, extend the flexibility of my entire being and reach for more possibility until stability returns. (read more…)

The Edge Magazine -

Tri Hita Karana: A Balinese philosophy of life

I was raised by my Indonesian grandmother in the San Francisco Bay Area. Growing up in an Eastern household, while living in the West, gave me a great opportunity to blend two worlds. One world offered a more internal reflection of life, and another world had an external expression of living.

What I really wanted to know, experience and see with my own eyes was a life filled with grace and ease, one that blended the East and West. I didn’t find too many models, so I found myself making up life as I went along.

Seeking truth and guidance, I traveled alone to Bali, Indonesia, in October 1998, delving completely into the unknown (read more…)