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The Flow State - March 2026 III


Dear Community,


I am a yoga teacher, a meditation teacher, a researcher of happiness, an academic dean, a professor of English, and a respected member of my communities.


I am also a human being with anxieties, worries, doubts, and insecurities. But because of all of the above, people become rather uncomfortable if I display any of these emotions in a noticeable way. When confronted with difficult situations, I need to remain the calmest in the room for the people who work for me or who look up to me, no matter what emotions other than calm I may feel. By doing so, I instill in them the confidence that everything is going to be okay. And indeed everything will be okay: there is no lie in my calm demeanor.


But some days, when I am tired or overwhelmed or just not running on full steam, having to be the calmest in the room can feel like a very tall order. That's when I turn to music to process whatever it is feels like it needs my anxiety and insecurity.


Throughout my life, music has served as a safe way for me to feel emotions deeply and understand them better. Nowadays, if I find a song that resonates with where I am during a moment, I write a yoga flow to it and try to match movement to the way the song feels. Honestly, though, it's not really about the movement: what I am truly trying to do is feel an emotion deeply and then show people what that emotion taught me in a way that (hopefully) helps all of us.


Nothing is an exact science (not even science), but if you need a playlist to help process your own emotions, I've started one here for you to visit. I welcome any of your suggestions for additional songs for me and others to dive into. After all, we're all just fumbling humans trying to figure out how to live, no matter our titles.

This Week's Classes


  • Sunday, March 22 @10:30am EDT: Power Yoga at Waverley Oaks Athletic Club (Waltham, MA)


  • Tuesday, March 24 @7:30pm EDT: Online Sound Bath Yoga Nidra (new video release)


  • Wednesday, March 25 @6:30pm CDT: Hot Music Yoga at Forca (Russellville, AR)


  • Thursday, March 26 @5:30-7:30pm CDT: How to Do (& Teach) Yoga to Music at Forca (Russellville, AR)


  • Saturday, March 28 @4:00pm EDT: Fascia Release Yoga at The Inferno (Fitchburg, MA)


New Podcast Episode


Earlene Avalon: The Importance of Teatime. Dr. Earlene Avalon joins me for this episode to discuss the self-care practices she’s developed over time that incorporate beloved aspects of her family’s background. We also reflect on how self-compassion has looked differently for both of us during different eras of our lives, which is a testament to the human ability to adapt.




With Gratitude,



 
 
 

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