Sheila Wenzel Yoga & Somatics, LLC - SATYA

01/14/2026

12/12/2025

From my revered teachers, Tias & Surya at Prajna Yoga

Here in December, as we approach the holiday season, it is the time to amp up care and concern for others. The spirit of benevolence lies right at the heart of any humane, non-secular practice. Whether Christian, Jewish, Buddhist or Muslim, being benevolent and extending basic kindness toward others is bottom-line essential. Loving kindness is the glue that holds civic society together. But what has happened today to the foremost Christian tenet “love thy neighbor”? On Main Street America and in the corridors and chatrooms of public life, xenophobia and ill-will reign. Racism metastasizes like cancer. Far too many people—officials, clerks, senators, cops and court justices—are going along with ICE raids across the country as moms, college students and young kids—all people of color—are being snatched up and disappeared. What has happened to basic kindness and care? What has happened to the precept encouraging goodwill toward all mankind? What we need most is not bigotry and fear but to extend basic care, dignity and kindness to all.

Basic kindness toward others is foundational to yoga and for anyone walking in the footsteps of the Buddha. The embodiment of friendliness (maitri), generosity (dana) and non-harming (ahimsa) are cornerstones of a practice. In the Christian heart, it is the practice of forbearance, charity and kindness toward the poor, the oppressed, the broken. For in the book of Leviticus, God says to his people: “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” If you follow the old belief in the law of karma, you know that over many lifetimes, we have all experienced loss, hardship, suffering and oppression. Thus, now is the time to speak out with courage, resolve and resistance. Time to act on empathy not enmity. Time to give to, protect and support the Other. It is time to live, breathe and embody benevolence.

09/10/2025

The Journey by Mary Oliver
One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice—
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
"Mend my life!"
each voice cried.
But you didn't stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do—
determined to save
the only life you could save.

07/17/2025

“Whenever I leave this world, whether it’s sixty years from now, I wouldn’t want anyone to say I lost some battle. I’ll be a winner that day.” – Andrea Gibson

Andrea Gibson was a winner today. On July 14th, at 4:16AM, Andrea Gibson died in their home surrounded by their wife, Meg, four ex-girlfriends, their mother and father, dozens of friends, and their three beloved dogs.

Poet Laureate of Colorado, world-touring spoken word artist, author of seven books, Calais Maine High School State Basketball Champion, and subject of the award-winning documentary, “Come See Me in the Good Light”, and so much more — Andrea Gibson accomplished much on their 49 years on this planet. Though Andrea desperately wished to have lived a longer life, they could not have possibly lived a fuller one.

Since learning they had cancer in 2021, Andrea has been a champion of finding beauty in unlikely places and gratitude in the hardest hours. Over the last four years, they danced with their diagnosis, and continually aimed their internal compass toward joy. One of the last things Andrea said on this plane was, “I fu***ng loved my life.”

Not long ago, Andrea wrote a poem titled “Love Letter From the Afterlife.” In it, they offered this line: “I am more here than I ever was before. I am more with you than I ever could have imagined.” Today, and all days forward, we hope you feel Andrea’s enormous spirit and immense presence beside you.

Meg and Heather, the authors of this post, have absolutely no idea how to encapsulate the magnitude and magnificence of a life like Andrea Gibson’s, so they intend to keep writing, to keep telling Andrea’s story, to keep Andrea alive in every way they can.

Andrea would want you to know that they got their wish. In the end, their heart was covered in stretch marks.

Andrea Gibson 8/13/75 - 7/14/25