the art of noticing

a thought to unfold…

“When the mind is loud, intuition feels distant.
When the mind is quiet, everything becomes clear.”

— @yoga

Yoga doesn’t give us the answers.
It quiets the noise so we can hear them.

Synchronicities and coincidences start to appear. Inner and outer worlds align. These little whispers, these winks, these are reminders that we’re exactly where we’re meant to be. 

The universe doesn’t want you to try harder. It wants you to breathe. To soften your grip. To slow down enough to notice what’s already here.

The practice of yoga is an invitation to tune in. To drop in. To be present enough to notice the subtle ways life is always guiding you.

inspiration is everywhere…

Back in 2018, my parents and I went to see Max Wienberg (Bruce Springsteen’s longtime drummer) at Big Chill Beach Club down here in southern Delaware where we live. He was doing his show, Max Wienberg’s Jukebox, where he’d play a bunch of covers, along with the band, The Weeklings. It was a great time and there were a ton of people there, couple of hundred if not thousands, they were packed in. At the end of the show, Max invites people to come up on stage, mostly women who ran up there to play tambourines and dance. My Dad looked at me and said, “let’s go.”

We go up on stage, the first beat drops, and it’s Glory Days—my Dad’s all-time favorite song. As they started to play, my Dad looks at the band, grabs the mic and says, “I’ve got this.” He sang the entire song, and when I say he brought the house down, I’m talking high-fives in the parking lot, people asking him if it was a set up, I mean, he brought it DOWN. It was amazing.

The next year, Max Wienberg was coming back to Big Chill, so of course we got tickets and went again. On the drive down there, my Mom and I gave my Dad the talk, telling him that he’s not going to get back up on stage again and that last year was amazing, but just let it be a one-and-done kind of thing—let it be what it was. No need for a repeat.

So we get there and find our spot in the crowd to watch the show, and all of a sudden, this couple behind us was like, “wait, you’re the guy who sang Glory Days last year, you were incredible! Are you going to do it again?” Dad kind of brushed it off while also guilting us with, “my wife and daughter said I’m not allowed to.” We laughed and shook it off. Show starts, show was amazing. End of the show is near, and Max invites people up on stage once again. The woman behind us urged him to go up, “come on, you’ve got to get up there,” she said. Then he looks at us, and almost simultaneously, my Mom and I shrug our shoulders in a we-knew-this-would-happen sort of way, and said, “go ahead, get up there!”

And guess what? He crushed it. Just as good, if not better than the first time. My Dad was something else.

Fast forward seven years to 2026, just a few weeks ago. It’s been a little over a year now since my Dad died. If you’re new here, he died in October 2024, about 8 months after receiving a cancer diagnosis. He gave it all he had (which should come as no surprise after hearing that story I just shared about him on stage—that’s how he did everything in life) and I’m so proud of him. I cherish those eight months of loving every last minute of his life together.

So here we are, January 2026. My Mom told me she got tickets to The Weeklings at the Milton Theater. I was subbing yoga class that Thursday night, and to be honest, it just felt like a lot to go to the show after. I could have easily said no. But I also didn’t want my Mom to go alone to the show, and I knew going would mean a lot to her. So I taught class, got changed at the studio and drove to the theater to meet her. She was already in her seat, the second row (my mom doesn’t play when it comes to seats haha), I take off my jacket and settle in. And…guess who is behind us? Like the two seats DIRECTLY behind us. You guessed it. The same exact couple—the same exact couple that was there in 2018 when my Dad got on stage and the same exact couple that urged him to get back up on stage in 2019. And now here we are, 7 years later, and they’re right behind us once again. I mean WTF, if that’s not a holy sh*t moment, I don’t know what is.

Yes, this an extreme example (and longwinded, I know), but it got me thinking about synchronicities and these seemingly small “coincidences”—these little whispers and winks from the universe. Sure, you can shrug them off as a weird coincidence. And maybe you think it’s all a bit woo-woo to think there is meaning behind it. But sometimes, there really is no other explanation other than this simple truth: these are reminders that we’re exactly where we’re meant to be. 

Now hear me out—this isn’t a “everything happens for a reason” kinda thing, I’m not saying that. Because believe me, I do not believe that my Dad should have died, I believe he should have been there at that show with my mom instead of me. But he’s not here. And in that moment, I was. And there it was. The reminder, the wink, the whisper, the big ol “hey, I’m right here with you, you’ve got this. Keep going.”

Thank you, Dad.

thoughts for practice…

Journal Prompts

Pick one or two that speak to you—or move through them all.

• Where in my life am I being invited to slow down and listen more closely?

• What am I rushing past that might be asking for my attention?

• When was the last time I experienced a “what are the odds?” moment?

• What does my body feel like when my inner and outer worlds align?

• If I trusted that I’m exactly where I need to be, what would soften?

Before you write, practice listening.

Close your eyes.
Take a big breath in through your nose.
Open mouth exhale, let it all go.
Notice what’s here without trying to change it.
Let this be your starting point.

Reflections for your practice

The next time you step onto your mat, consider it not as a place to do more, but as a place to listen more closely. Ask yourself:

Where can I soften my grip and deepen my awareness?

What changes when I stay with the moment instead of rushing toward the next pose?

Can I notice the pause between each breath, each movement? Can I be where I am?

Every time we come to our mat is an opportunity to fine-tune the art of presence. We’re using our breath and body as a way back here.

And in doing this, the noise of our inner world gets quieter, and in turn, we’re more deeply tuned in. Our outer world feels more vivid and moments that once slipped by start to stand out.

Yoga isn’t giving us the answers, that’s not what this practice is about. It’s about creating the kind of presence where meaning can find you—quieting the noise, and seeing what’s already here.

take this with you…

Yoga teaches us how to be here.
To slow down enough to notice the moment we’re in.
To listen, not just with our ears, but with the whole body, the mind, the heart, the soul.

And when we live this way, our awareness deepens.
Our presence expands.
Life begins to feel more connected, more meaningful.

Then, when those moments arrive—coincidences, synchronicities, signs from the universe, whatever you want to call them—we don’t rush past them.

We notice.
We feel them.
We allow them to remind us that we’re aligned.

We’re on the right path.
We can trust the unfolding of our lives.

—this reflection comes from a classes taught 1.14-19.2026—

Ps. Every volume has its own vibe—press play and let this one unfold.

Choosing Joy

a thought to unfold…

We often talk about happiness and joy as if they’re one in the same, but they’re actually quite different.

Happiness is a reaction triggered by positive events, success, or material gain. But it comes and goes with changing situations, it’s a fleeting feeling.

Joy though, joy isn’t something that happens to us.

It’s something we choose.

It’s rooted in purpose, gratitude, connection.

And the thing about joy is that it can coexist with other emotions, even sadness and fear.

Choosing joy isn’t pretending everything is easy.

It’s believing there is always room for light.

inspiration is everywhere…

I came across this video interview with Abby Wambach the other day where she was talking about anxiety and joy.  She shared that when she’s fully experiencing joy and play, she doesn’t feel anxiety in her body at the same time—like not physically possible.

BUT she acknowledges the anxiety may still exist. She can see it. She knows it’s there. But she lets joy take the lead.

That isn’t avoidance. That’s presence.

Because when we’re truly here—in our breath, our strength, our rhythm, our movement, our play— joy has a way of sweeping us up.

That’s the practice. That’s the choice.

Happiness is often tied to what’s happening around us—
the circumstance, the outcome, the thing.

But joy is something deeper. Joy lives inside.

It’s the feeling of being connected. Of moving with purpose. Of being aligned with what matters.

And that means joy doesn’t disappear when other feelings exist.

It can live right alongside effort, alongside challenge, alongside heartbreak, alongside sorrow, alongside life.

When we’re here fully, joy can take over.

Not because everything else is gone, but because joy sweeps us up when we let it.

Joy isn’t something we wait for. It’s something we choose.

Again and again and again.

thoughts for practice…

Journal Prompts

Pick one or two that speak to you—or move through them all.

• Where in my life have I been waiting for joy instead of choosing it?

• What does joy feel like in my body when I allow it?

• What helps me feel playful, present, and free? How can I create more space for that?

• What would it look like to let joy take the lead today, without needing everything else to disappear?

Need a moment before you begin?

Close your eyes.
Notice your breath.
Notice your body.

Where does ease already exist?
Write from there.

Reflections for your practice

The next time you step onto your mat, ask:

Where can I invite more play into my practice today?

If we’re here to feel more, how can I let joy take the lead?

Am I willing to let ease exist alongside the effort?

What would happen if I stopped waiting and started choosing?

Every time we come to our mat is an invitation to feel more—an opportunity to use breath and body to fully drop in, so we can experience this life more fully.

Whatever shows up, belongs here, and that includes joy, too. Maybe this life—this practice—doesn’t have to feel so serious.

Because the thing about joy is this when we choose to let it in, it has the ability to sweep us up while still living alongside everything else we’re carrying.

take this with you…

Joy doesn’t just happen to us. It’s something we choose.

Through presence. Through play. Through allowing ourselves to be fully here.

Even on the shortest day of the year—the winter solstice—light still exists. And so, even in moments of darkness, joy can be found, too.

Every time you choose connection.
Every time you choose presence.
Every time you choose play —

You’re choosing joy.

And you get to choose it again.

And again.

And again.

—this reflection comes from a christmas week flow taught 12.21.2025—

Ps. Every volume has its own vibe—get the playlist here and let this one unfold.