Scott Anderson, Ph.D.

The equinox marked the official start of autumn, and our recent spate of cool weather underscores this astronomical observation. We've had our fair share of frost-on-the-pumpkin days, and what wasn't harvested already is next season's compost-able material. After a string of cool and rainy days, a sunny day in the 50's is shorts and T-shirt weather. It's also the time to get the windows washed and the screens put away. Such are the rituals of the Midwest. Have a great fall, and for those living in Northern climates, don't forget to drain your outdoor spigots, put away the screens and make sure there's no debris around to clog the inlet of the snow-blower. From all of us here at the Blue Mounds Dharma Center, Happy autumn! ~ Scott www.alignmentyoga.com

While the majority of creatures occupy a more horizontal place in this world, we human beings occupy a uniquely vertical niche. We exist within a tiny operating window in the vertical plane, which requires both functional hardware and operable software. In practicing yoga, we often focus on the hardware - are the muscles sufficiently toned? are the muscles flexible? do the joints have full mobility within the healthy range of the musculature? While functional hardware is essential to optimal health, it’s only a portion of the equation. Without coherent software, our motions are disjointed and inefficient. The software of the human being is the interface of body and mind - clearly within the jurisdiction of a healthy yoga practice. It’s not sufficient to ask whether or not we can make any particular movement, optimal efficiency asks how we make the movement; and for each one there are generally several ways to accomplish the desired movement. There’s the most efficient way, and then ...