Stay in the know with our newslettersWill Donnelly
Will Donnelly is a nationally recognized, certified yoga teacher and writer, and is the author of “Practical Yoga’s Wisdom for Everyday People: Essays & Inspiration for Life" (2017), a compilation of his most popular online essays now available at amazon.com. Will has been a pioneer in the field of yoga, developing Practical Yoga, and co-creating a yoga–reality series for fitTV (Discovery Communications, 2004). As a writer and teacher, Will encourages all students to trust their impulses and find their true voice. Will currently lives in Hawaii, where he leads weekly yoga and writing classes at Kalani retreat center. He also leads several popular Practical Yoga adventure and healing retreats throughout the year. Information on retreats, his book, DVDs and other inspiration to be found at WillsPracticalYoga.com
GET A COPY of Will's New Book, now at Amazon.com:
Practical Yoga's Wisdom for Everyday People: Essays & Inspiration for Life
JOIN ME for one of my popular Healing Retreats! At Kalani on Big Island of Hawai'i!:
Holiday Yoga Retreat (7th Year!) December 21 - 27, 2017
Gandhi Was Right: Your Heart is a Buried Treasure
You know, Gandhi was right when he suggested we become the change we wish to see…
Stop (Your Mind) in the Name of Love
The best two pieces of advice I have ever heard after over thirty years of doing…
Destroy Your Enemies (by Making Them Your Friends)
Hating another person and being rage-filled is like drinking poison and assuming…
Let Depression Be Your Guide: 4 Tips On How To Use It Wisely
Now that the sparkle of holiday lights has faded, winter’s darkness and chill ha…
Waking Up is Hard to Do: The Dark Side of Enlightenment
What does it mean to wake up, to be a fully realized human being? For those of u…
How to Activate Your Inner Fire During Winter
Do you have a simple plan to help you through the dark, sluggish days of winter?…
Cultivate Intuition With This Simple Trick
I’m stuck in the middle of a long, very dull managers meeting around an oval exe…
Finding Paradise Within
Can any of us read the news anymore without a sense of overwhelm and even, can I…
Why Making Small Steps Matter
There’s wonderful story shared in one of writer Dan Millman’s Peaceful Warrior s…
How to Nurture Your Most Important Relationship
If you were asked How do you nurture your relationships?, would you be able to g…
Letter of Support: Yoga is Meant to Break You
Dear Will, I am writing to you because I am in day four of a five-week yoga tea…
Don’t Move the Way Fear Makes You Move
I wonder: are there really only two ways to deal with life—either through fear o…
3 Tips to Get You Meditating Today
Meditation. It’s just a glorious thing for those who have experienced it. But ma…
Don’t Make These Two Beginner Meditation Mistakes
The two biggest mistakes we make when trying to start a meditation practice: Say…
What Kind of Strong Do You Choose?
What is your “go-to” tactic for dealing with the icky stuff in life, for becomin…
What Do You Know for Sure?
"Fear is a natural reaction to moving closer to the truth." —Pema ChodronHave yo…
Is Enough Enough for You?
Have you ever stopped to ask yourself what is “enough”? Enough can be a very rel…
Mental Smog? Grab a Journal and Write
“Know thyself”—PlatoGreat words of wisdom, applicable to practicing yogis and no…
Unwrap Yourself Up in Yoga
I’ve been reading more and more essays lately on teachers who are almost begging…
Just Choose. And Do.
“What one does is what counts. Not what one had the intention of doing.” Pablo P…
Why Do We Withhold (Our Love)?
Several months ago, a student of my summertime yoga and writing workshop gave me…
Mind Over Muddle
There’s a funny tale about how God created the world. Upon completion of His bea…
How to Cure a Broken Heart: A Recipe
“What is the cure for a broken heart?” someone asked.“You want a cure for a brok…
Adventure or Comfort?
“Which do you prefer, adventure or comfort?” I was asked recently, matter-of-fac…
Do You Wonder as You Wander?
We all know the drill with New Year’s resolutions. Make a fancy wish. Look to th…
How to Give Wisely This Holiday Season
I carefully pulled back the strings on the shiny bow of the hand-wrapped Christm…
Mindfulness: A Gentle Approach to Healing
There’s an interesting story about a woman being chased by a tiger. She is runni…
God is Not a Magician. (Now What?)
It was 1969. The world, unbeknownst to most people, had just entered the Age of …
Who Are You Becoming Through Your Yoga Practice?
You know that experience when someone near to you is stuck in an emotional puddl…
The Negligence of Living a Normal Life
It was the summer of 1922, and a small paper in Paris known for it’s investigati…
Going With the (Lava) Flow
It had been a long, hot day and I was ready for the heat to subside. Now, the su…
Your Soul is an Experience, Not a Thing
I stumbled upon a book recently. It was a hot and muggy Saturday afternoon and I…
Where Does Gratitude Belong in Grief?
It’s pretty easy to feel grateful when good things happen. Win the lottery or fa…
The Latest Rage: #PopeCrush
There is a pink elephant in the room. It’s name is the religious right, and I am…
Longing for Love
As individuals, we long for it. As human beings, we crave it and in fact we cann…
Stop the Violence Within
Never speak badly about yourself.It’s a simple statement, one many of us would a…
The Radical Notion of Touch for Men
Touch. It’s a delicate subject. I just read an article that discussed the idea o…
Swimming in God
Have you been searching for God? I guess I always have, too. Today, I have somet…
To Those Who Listen, All Are Teachers
“I would sit,” she offered unapologetically, “uncomfortable in my own skin, and …
Table for One: Why Pleasure Matters
Spring has arrived in Paris, and I find myself standing alone at a tremendously …
Letting Go and Falling Up
I remember this one time, when I was telling myself to really, truly let it go, …
Are You the 100th Monkey?
Oh, mankind, you are such a remarkable species. So, bear with me. I have to get …
Stop and Listen to Your Gut
Did you know it’s the year of the Yang Wood Horse, according to the Chinese Cale…
Hocus Focus: 3 Steps to a Magical Life
In Western civilization, we are gifted with the freedom to consciously participa…
The Trouble with the New York Minute
Oh, impatience, you teach us so much.Our western, capitalist society is highly c…
Is it Safe to Get In?
The waves crash steadily along the jagged, obsidian-colored lava coastline, and …
The Benefit of Doubt
Why do we choose New Year’s day to be the first day of our resolution to live be…
Using Courage to Navigate Our LIves
The year is 325 AD. On one of a small cluster of islands in the south pacific se…
Let it Flow: The Hawaii Yoga Festival
The Yoga Coast on the Big Island of Hawai'i boasts some of the newest land on ea…
The Politics of Loving Kindness
I remember the day I awakened to the idea that yoga was inherently political. I …
The Grass Is Greener Where You Water It
“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” —Theodore Roosevelt Here’s…
Your Struggles Don't Define You
For better or worse, challenge is an ingrained part of growth and awakening. Al…
The Blessing of Transformation
Most of us know of the successful movie franchise “The Transformers.” You’ll be…
The Definition of Marriage has Changed—Again
Why all the fuss from conservatives about the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOM…
Revealing Our True Natures
Years ago I heard an anecdotal story about the famous Italian artist, Michelang…
Accepting Irritations—or What Can Become of a Single Grain of Sand
Admit it: at times, we all can be a bit like the Princess and the Pea. Life can…
The Slow Burn of Personal Growth
Oh, fire, what would we do without you?On farms, crops do better after a fire ha…
Is it "Spiritual" to be Rich?
Though it seems a familiar formula for those on a spiritual path to rebuke money…
Go With the Flow and Encounter an Ocean of Possibilities
I bent over, lifted my left leg, and tried to quickly slide my foot into the thi…
You Are the Alchemist
When we think about the specifics of what we would like to manifest in our lives…
Feeling Stuck? Try Diving Into Your Fears
This feeling of being stuck seems to reside deep in our gut, and it is surrounde…
Avoiding Spiritual Bypass Syndrome
When I first started “coming out” as a spiritual guy, so to speak, I was living …
The Art of Falling Down
The rains have returned to my home on the Big Island of Hawaii, and with them, a…
Dawning of a New Age: How to Be a 21st-century Peacemaker
The New Year is fast approaching, and with it the opportunity to reflect on how …
What is Your Super Power?
About a year ago, I was leading a creative writing class and I gave the students…
Right to Die: Does Facing Death Set Us Free from Suffering?
The teachings found in yoga are unafraid to address the notion of death. In fact…
To Serve Or To Save? Why Higher Ground is More Helpful Than a Soapbox
“You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink” - ProverbRecently…
A 3-Minute Practice to Make Inspiration Soar
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." —Theodore Roosevelt I jus…
Think You Can't Meditate? Think Again.
If I had a nickel for every person who said to me “I can’t meditate,” I’d be ric…
The Guru is You
What is a guru, and does this concept have anything to do with your yoga practic…
Why You Don't Need to Be Fit to Be Good at Yoga
Does having a physically fit, flexible body mean that a yoga student is better a…
The Secret to Radically Transforming Your Practice & Life
I grew up in the suburbs of Detroit, celebrating my 7th birthday and coming into…
Feeling Stuck? Try a Beginner’s Mind
“In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities. In the expert's mind there…
Is Yoga Practical?
The process of yoga is a living and breathing thing—always “open at the top.” Bu…
Practical Yoga: Catch Your Breath
Editors' note: We are honored to welcome Will Donnelly to our team of bloggers a…
