My Page: Margaret Burns Vap

Aparigraha, or non-possessiveness, is one of the five moral restraints called yamas in the eight-limbed path of yoga. One definition that I particularly like states that aparigraha limits possessions to what is necessary or important. This concept can seem as far away as outer space during the holiday season, when we often feel pressured to give and receive gifts. But gift giving can also be fun, and there are many ways to do it. The holidays are my favorite time of year, in large part because I've learned the importance of embracing the season as an opportunity to give of myself: my time, my attention, my efforts to create precious memories that will outlast any material thing. I encourage you to consider ways you can connect with others - bake cookies with family and friends, volunteer in your community, indulge in fun holiday activities besides shopping (my family and I are going on a sleigh-ride this weekend and I cannot wait to see the look on my 2 year old's face!). [more]

Yoga Under the Big Sky

The holiday season rapidly approaches - and with it comes ski season. Since I moved to Montana earlier this year, I'm in a place where the arrival of winter is a much-anticipated event. Excitement builds as the temperature drops. I share the enthusiasm as I monitor the mountain snowfall and get my skis tuned up for opening day (or shortly thereafter – Big Sky opened this past Saturday). I've also changed my yoga practice, incorporating poses that will help develop the strength and flexibility needed on the slopes. The question to ask yourself as you get your skis ready: is your equipment in better shape than your body? Good news - you can get your body and mind ready for the slopes with some simple yoga moves. [more]

Yoga Under the Big Sky

This fall has offered up quite a few challenges to my yogic equilibrium. In addition to the usual juggling of 2 year old/family responsibilities/managing two businesses, I was constantly checking the often-unpredictable Montana weather ("where you can have 4 seasons in one day") in anticipation of the Athleta photo shoot. I was recently selected to be the yoga "athlete" for this amazing women's athletic apparel company, and they came to Big Sky to do part of the spring 2008 catalog photo shoot. After a shaky start with cloudy cold weather, we woke up to 4 inches of snow on the second day! Beautiful, but definitely not springlike. I tried to quell my anxiety with pranayama exercises (yogic breathing). But one thing that is always guaranteed here is a quick change in the weather - the first snowfall of the year melted that afternoon, and the next few days showcased the clear mountain air and scenery I'd been boasting about. [more]

Yoga Under the Big Sky

I’d like to kick off the theme of my second monthly column with my yoga philosophy. My hope is that this will set the stage for future columns inspired by my personal practice and yoga experiences, and introduce who I am as a yogini.

When I opened a yoga studio in Washington DC five years ago, one of my main goals was to offer yoga to as many people as possible. I believe that every body can do some form of yoga, and I’ve got years of teaching experiences to prove it – I have taught highly-trained athletes, seniors who didn’t get out of their chairs, and everyone in between. [more]

Yoga Under the Big Sky

Author's note: I will be writing two yoga columns each month; the first, “Montana musings,” will merge my new experiences here (as a recently-relocated east coaster) and my reflections on yoga. The second monthly column will focus on a yoga topic inspired my own practice.

My main teacher the last few months has been a horse named Belle. This very new experience of horses (while learning to ride and have a horse was a childhood dream, before now I've only ever been on horseback a handful of times) has been like holding a mirror up to reflect some of my not-so-positive habitual patterns; for example, I asked my instructor Annie how long it usually takes on average to catch a horse. Catching your horse is the first thing you have to do before anything else can happen, and there have been a few times where I wasn't sure I was going to accomplish this seemingly simple first step! (note that horses are not like dogs, they don't come when you call them.) Annie responded, "horses don't have a schedule." OK, I get it; but I kept coming back to what she said repeatedly and reflecting on how I could apply this simple statement about horses to my life. [more]