Black Lotus Yoga is a hymn to the wisdom of the Hatha tradition—a song hummed in praise, a prayer spoken through the body, a garland of blossoms, strung on a thread of breath, offered in reverence to the sublime source from which all yoga springs.

What is black lotus yoga?

Black Lotus Yoga is the latest blossom of the modern vinyasa tradition, the latest wonder to emerge from the waters of the breathing body. The Black Lotus system arose to inspire bold new explorations of the mystery of embodiment, to awaken dormant creative forces, and to foster deeper and more soulful experiences of yoga.

Using old Hatha principles, the Black Lotus practice works with opposing movements of breath, and invites these to align. When breath aligns, the body opens up, revealing endless patterns of sensation. The practice is to hold space for sensation, allowing it to move, while making room for consciousness to breathe.

There are six sequences in Black Lotus Yoga, and each leaves its own unique imprint on the body. The foundational sequence grounds you, the second sequence tones your nerves, the third sequence balances you, and the higher sequences open you up, elevating your vital force from the earth to the moon. Though rigorously designed, the system invites improvisation within its structure, to put the power of seeking back into the hands of the yogi, so she can use the yoga to uncover her hidden riches, and to feel herself awaken to a new life.

This adaptive system is meant to be practiced in the Mysore style, where each follows the thread of her own breath, while enacting the ritual with others. Black Lotus Yoga loves to share space with Ashtanga, its older cousin, who turns on the same energetic principles.

Here is the revival of experimentalism of yoga, the return of the playful but loving spirit out of which yoga ever arises, the spirit that honors the wisdom of the past but seeks a higher through communion with the creative power that moves us from within.

practice online

There are six sequences in Black Lotus Yoga, and each leaves its own unique imprint on the body. To each level, there are three variants or shades—white, gray and black.

explore the catalog

the online studio

I created this space to share my passion for yoga with you. This is our space to practice, learn, converse and explore. Here you will find over 400 hours of guided asana practices, workshops, talks, meditations, reference materials as well as the full curriculum of Black Lotus Yoga.

Membership gives you access to all but the special courses (and you can add those as you wish), for $30/month. There is no fine print, and you can cancel at any time.

join

Symbolism of the black lotus

In mythological terms, the black lotus is a sign of deep creative power, articulating itself into the realm of form, rising from the primordial waters, and showing us the beauty of the darkness that lies beneath. Like any lotus flower, the black lotus emerges from the mud to unfold its petals like a dream. But whereas other lotus flowers announce their distinction with a vibrant display of color, the black lotus retains the muted hues of the deep. This unique flower draws its darkness up from the muck and spreads it out upon its petals, which it raises gloriously to the sun. The black lotus thus reminds us that darkness is part of our beauty, part of our mystery, part of the unfathomable depth of our being. It reminds us, more importantly, that darkness is not something to evade. Only when we embrace all sides of ourselves, including our thorny and tangled sides, the sides most difficult to engage, can we come into full bloom.

The black lotus thus represents an earthy and embodied form of spirituality, one that does not seek distance from the natural movement of life but rather embraces it with a wide open heart, and joins its mesmerizing dance of darkness and light. It represents a spirituality that regards embodied existence, with all of its sharp edges and sudden ends, as an exquisite opportunity—to explore the sensuous side of the mystery through the whole participation of the senses, and to relate to it openly, intimately, as an object of love.

As a symbol of our own psychological potential, the black lotus assures us that we belong here, as children of the earth, that we are informed by something divine, implicit in every moment of our past, and that we all must blossom out of the mud, with all of its darkness and confusion, in our own singular way.

ghost in the machine

A journal of philosophical rants—delivered to your inbox at sporadic intervals

Expect rogue reflections about the meaning of yoga, the confusions of spiritual seeking, the nausea of insight, and other related themes.

I will keep writing to you—damn near every month—like an old friend whose contact you can’t shake. You will sigh when you see my messages, because you know that you have to read. I will be the friend whose rants make your eyes roll, but whose words stay with you, and haunt you, even as you sleep. The ghost in your machine. That’s me.