When was the last time you set your alarm for 5am—and actually got up, full of hope that a new morning routine would change your life? In a recent piece for Woman’s Health UK, Ian Taylor investigates what really happens when we try to join the so-called 5am club, and what our bodies, minds, and science have to say about it. It turns out, biology might be more powerful than ambition. Early rising isn’t a superpower available to all—your chronotype, genetics, and circadian rhythm have a say. For some, 5am feels natural; for others, it’s a daily struggle against the grain that can backfire, especially if it cuts into precious sleep. 🌞 Nature, Not Willpower Yoga philosophy often asks us to practice svadhyaya—self-study—before we leap…

In a recent piece for WIRED, Lily Hay Newman and Matt Burgess unspool a week of unsettling headlines: phone surveillance tools now let ICE agents monitor entire neighborhoods, Iran imposes a total internet blackout on its people, a chatbot generates disturbing synthetic images, and cross-border hacking exposes deep vulnerabilities in government. Each story heightens the sense that the boundaries of our private, ethical, and collective lives are under siege from technologies meant to surveil, divide, and exploit. How do we keep our center in a world of constant scrutiny, deception, and shifting power? The yamas—ahimsa (non-harm) and satya (truthfulness)—offer not just philosophical refuge, but practices for living ethically in the midst of collective unease. 👁️ Surveillance and the Erosion of Trust When the digital dragnet…

In a recent piece for Maclean’s, Colleen Derkatch explores the rise of biohacking as the latest business in men’s wellness, reshaping how masculinity and health are sold—and bought—in our culture. On the surface, it’s a story about gadgets, supplements, and Silicon Valley eccentricity. But underneath, the story wonders: what happens when wellness is measured not by presence or ease, but by productivity and virility? 🔍 The Competitive Edge Biohacking’s rise in the “manosphere” reveals how vulnerable we are to the pressure of proving ourselves. As tech tools and testosterone stacks fill the shelves, the pursuit of self-optimization starts to look less like self-care and more like a never-ending competition with others—and with ourselves. This echoes the yogic concept of Satya, or truthfulness: seeing things as…

Democracy rarely crumbles in a blaze—it unravels quietly, as our sense of connection to each other and our communities begins to wear thin. In a recent piece for Bucks County Beacon, Stu Faigen explores why defending local journalism is vital for anyone who cares about democracy, and how its slow decline quietly undermines our shared civic life. The writer asks: Where do we see ourselves inside public life anymore? The answer, again and again, points to local journalism—an unassuming force that keeps our communities visible and accountable, offering orientation amid the noise. 🪞 Satya: Seeing Clearly, Speaking Honestly Yoga teaches us the value of satya—truthfulness—not as a blunt instrument, but as a practice of seeing and naming things as they are. Local journalism embodies satya…

Flames swept through Altadena, California, leaving behind more than charred homes—they erased a lifetime’s collection of rare tonewoods, the soul of Mario Miralles’s world-class string instruments. For decades, Miralles, a renowned luthier, gathered spruce from the Dolomites and centuries-old maple from Bosnia, hand-picking each piece for its resonance and character. His instruments carried his DNA, echoing through the hands of artists like Yo-Yo Ma and Gustavo Dudamel. But the Eaton fire reduced his precious wood and home to ash, sparing only a nearly finished violin and a single guitar—symbols of both loss and survival. Yet from the rubble emerges a story of resilience: the instruments saved, the community that rose in support, the memory of music that continues despite destruction. As Miralles’s violin now sings…

In a recent piece for OutFront Magazine, a new documentary by DeAngelo Jackson explores what it means to be Black in the adult film industry—revealing not just the overt biases and stereotypes, but also the deep vulnerability and resilience required to navigate such a space. This candid look at Black identity within an industry defined by fantasy and projection isn’t just about porn. It’s about the unvarnished truths we’re asked to carry and reveal, both to the world and to ourselves. In yoga, this is the practice of satya—truthfulness—an ongoing, sometimes uncomfortable inquiry into who we are beneath the masks. 🔍 Satya: The Courage to Tell the Truth Satya asks us to speak and live our truths, but what does that really require when the…

Media theorist Neil Postman warned that a “technopoly” arises when societies surrender judgment to technological imperatives—when efficiency and innovation become moral goods in themselves. Once metrics like speed and optimization replace reflection and dialogue, education mutates into logistics: grading automated, essays generated in seconds. Knowledge becomes data; teaching becomes delivery. What disappears are precious human capacities—curiosity, discernment, presence. The result isn’t augmented intelligence but simulated learning: a paint-by-numbers approach to thought. 🤖 Do Artifacts Have Politics? Political theorist Langdon Winner once asked whether artifacts can have politics. They can—and AI systems are no exception. They encode assumptions about what counts as intelligence and whose labor counts as valuable. The more we rely on algorithms, the more we normalize their values: automation, prediction, standardization, and corporate…