EDITOR’S NOTE
Felicia TomaskoC
omfort food. Soul food. We’re used to hearing these descriptors for macaroni
and cheese and black-eyed peas, but more and more, I’m hearing people also
talk this way about ramen. My appreciation for the sheer breadth of this
staple food has increased exponentially while working on this issue. From the
variety of recipes and restaurants to the easy-to-buy packaged artisan ramen that is not my
dorm room ramen, it’s a dish that can be prepared and enjoyed for any meal of the day.
There is great healing power to be found in the foods that comfort and nourish us daily.
After all, how we nourish ourselves is important every day in every moment. According
to the teachings of Yoga and Ayurveda, we are nourished by food and at the same time,
we are nourished by far more than just our food.
Concerns about our habitual use of mobile devices are significant, but if we are inten-
tional with the apps we download and use, we can also shift our electronics from a source
of distraction to a means of improving our focus. We can pivot our consumption from
junk apps to health apps. In this issue’s meditation story, Associate Editor Susan Currie
interviews users of popular apps to find out how meditation on demand has helped them
become more consistent with their practice. After all, consistency is a daily vitamin that
nourishes our habitual mind.
Any time we write about a yoga studio or teacher, I’m comforted by how often people
mention the importance of community. It is one of the reasons why we gravitate to studios
for practice. In this month’s teacher profile, One Down Dog owner Jessica Rosen talks
to Sarit Rogers about how her community helped her build her studios and continues to
inspire her business and her personal practice.
Many of us are inspired to share our creations with our communities. For example,
Herbalist Traci Donat founded Simples Tonics after decades of brewing nourishing
plant-based infusions for family and friends. And in her new cookbook Kitchen Ritual,
Chef Meredith Klein shares recipes and healing principles to make the entire process,
from choosing to cooking to eating, a pleasurable event as well as an important part of
self-care.
New recipes, new habits, and new gear all contribute to making self-care more enjoy-
able. View a selection of soothing, balancing and supportive tools for practice in our New
Year New Gear section.
When it comes to my own self-care and soul food, I’m continually uplifted by the ever-
growing yoga community. I’m inspired by the variety of traditions and the shared love and
commitment to practice, to discovery, to connect to ourselves, our communities, our uni-
verse. I’m grateful for my inspiring connection to Jonathan Van Ness, stylist and yogi, and
look forward to his new role as a cast member on the Netflix reboot of Queer Eye for the
Straight Guy. In the show he shares his gift of helping people love who they are. I’m also
grateful for my 25-year connection to Yoga Therapy pioneer Larry Payne (in the photo
with me on this page) and his inspired teachings that ground, support, and transform.
I’m grateful and inspired by you. May we each cultivate and cherish the soul food that
feeds and inspires love in every area of our lives,