Happy First Friday of Spring! March 20, 2020
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Depression, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, James Baldwin, Life, Loss, Meditation, Men, Minneapolis, Minnesota, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Poetry, Religion, Suffering, Tragedy, Uncategorized, Vairagya, Yoga.Tags: Alison McGhee, Franz Wright, hatha yoga, inspiration, silence, somatic, somayoga, vinyasa, yoga
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“The long silences need to be loved, perhaps more than the words which arrive to describe them in time.”
– from God’s Silence by Franz Wright
Yes, it is hard to believe: Yesterday was gray, rainy, cold – even snow for some – and it was the first day of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere. I know, hard to believe. Some folks had forgotten all about Spring, it seems. Still others were expecting it to bring some great change… And maybe it did. But, like the old saying (April showers bring May flowers) implies, we have to wait for the beauty.
In waiting for the beauty of being able to offer a video practice inspired by Franz Wright, I was reminded that Wright’s collection after winning the 2004 Pulitzer Prize was entitled God’s Silence. I haven’t read it (yet), but I am suddenly fascinated by the idea of 144 pages worth of Franz Wright poetry curated around the idea of “God’s Silence.” Notice, that’s 144 pages – not 144 poems. (Poets everywhere are now doing the math.) This is the kind of the thing that gets me oddly excited, especially right now, because there is so much I want to know!
I want to know if he is referring to silence that is the response to a prayer or a request (or even a curse); the silence that precedes an answer; the silence that follows the answer (when the questioner is dumbfounded or in awe of the response); the silence when one is pondering the best way to phrase something and therefore measuring their words; the silence of shock (can we shock God?); the silence of disappointment; the silence of wonder; the silence when no one is around; the silence of sleeping children; the silence between one breath and the next; the silence of meditation; the silence of peace; the silence honoring the dead; the silence just before a newborn declares itself alive; or….The list goes on. He could be talking about all of the above. Or none of the above. There are so many possibilities!
What I know is that he starts off with “The telephone ringing / in the deserted city ––– ” and and that one of the poems is called “Solitary Play: Minnesota, 1961.” I feel like this is where we are at, and I’m here for it.
“You survive this and in some terrible way, which I suppose no one can ever describe, you are compelled, you are corralled, you are bullwhipped into dealing with whatever it is that hurt you. And what is crucial here is that if it hurt you, that is not what’s important. Everybody’s hurt. What is important, what corrals you, what bullwhips you, what drives you, torments you, is that you must find some way of using this to connect you with everyone else alive. This is all you have to do it with. You must understand that your pain is trivial except insofar as you can use it to connect with other people’s pain; and insofar as you can do that with your pain, you can be released from it, and then hopefully it works the other way around too; insofar as I can tell you what it is to suffer, perhaps I can help you to suffer less.”
– James Baldwin speaking at Community Church in NYC on Nov. 29, 1962
Besides an ultimate love for poetry that gets you through hard times (because you realize someone has been through harder – or, as hard of a time), maybe one of the reasons I’m here for it is because part of my practice involves silence. The kind of silence and stillness that can make people uncomfortable, because it is so powerful. But, simultaneously, the kind of silence and stillness that is the epitome of peace. When Patanjali codified the philosophy of yoga in the Yoga Sutras, he wrote, “yogash citta vritti nirodah.” Yoga ceases the fluctuations of the mind.
Silence.
Perhaps, God’s silence.
It’s 2 days late and $2 dollars short, but I offer you a video of Wednesday’s practice (inspired by Franz Wright). It’s nowhere near perfect, but I hope it brings you a moment of peace, a moment of ease. I hope it brings you stillness and yes, silence.
###
A Prize-Winning Solution March 18, 2020
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Depression, Faith, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Hope, Life, Loss, Love, Meditation, Men, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Poetry, Religion, Suffering, Tragedy, Uncategorized, Vipassana, Yoga.Tags: Alison McGhee, discernment, Franz Wright, heart, Hope, kindness, loneliness, Poetry, yoga
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“I am in no way different from anyone else, that my predicament, my sense of aloneness or isolation may be precisely what unites me with everyone.”
– Franz Wright
It seems very fitting to me, somehow, that what we sometimes think of as one of the hardest days of the week – Hump Day – during this first week of major league social distancing coincides with the anniversary of the birth of a man who wrote about isolation, loneliness, longing, and death intersecting with kindness, love, faith, and hope. If you are not familiar with Franz Wright, born today (3/18) in 1953, then you might be interested to know that he is the son-half of (I believe) the only father and son to win Pulitzer Prizes in the same category and that Chicago Tribune critic Julia Keller once described one of his collections as being “ultimately about joy and grace and the possibility of redemption, about coming out whole on the other side of emotional catastrophe,” while Denis Johnson supposedly compared his poems to “tiny jewels shaped by blunt, ruined fingers – miraculous gifts.” I know, that’s a lot to take in (and you might need to read that Va. Woolf-like sentence again). The thing is; I think we are in the middle of a Franz Wright poem. So, brace yourself.
I first came across Wright’s poem “Solution” in a 2015 blog post written by Alison McGhee, a New York Times bestselling author who writes and teaches up the street from me. In the post (which I strongly recommend), McGhee wrote about an encounter she had with someone best described as her exterior opposite. Yet the interior movements of the heart, all of our hearts, are ultimately the same – something both McGhee’s short post and Wright’s poem illustrate bluntly, beautifully, and miraculously.
Franz Wright’s “Solution” is something we could all use right now.
“What is the meaning of kindness?
Speak and listen to others, from now on,
as if they had recently died.
At the core the seen and unseen worlds are one.”
Wright’s poems are full of natural spirituality and that oftentimes “heartbreaking human conflict between religion and spirit. The final line of the poem reminds me of 2 Corinthians 4:18 where Saint Paul wrote, “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” NOTE: The New Living Translation translates this passage as “So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”
PRACTICE NOTES:
Start seated or lying on your back. As your move through your practice today, focus on what is unseen. What are you feeling in your heart, in your mind, in your body? How does what you feel move, shift, and change as you inhale – and, especially, as you exhale? Is what distracts you from this present moment seen or unseen, temporary or eternal? At one point in your body (or mind) does everything – including your breath – overlap and become one?
Prior to this week, Wednesdays were one of my busy days, because I would teach three (3) classes in three (3) different locations: a 60-minute YIN Yoga practice, a 60-minute open-level vinyasa practice, and a 60-minute “slow flow” vinyasa practice. My “Franz Wright inspired” sequences would be heart, lung (as Wright died of lung cancer), and core focused, with some emphasis on arm movements and position since arms are an extension of the heart chakra and also contain the heart and lung meridians.
As I am not currently able to post three (3) different practices, the YIN Yoga link above directs you to a Bernie Clark playlist on YouTube. I have posted a 60-minute vinyasa playlist (see here or below) for anyone who wants it and will email a Soma Yoga/Vinyasa practice to people who normally attend the studio classes.
(This is freely given and freely received. I do not own the rights to these songs, but highly encourage you to buy them!)
“Soon, soon, between one instant and the next, you will be well.”
– from “Nude with Handgun and Rosary by Franz Wright
### OM SHANTI SHANTI SHANTIHI OM ###
CH-CH-CHANGES, LIKE A RIVER: 2019 Kiss My Asana Offering #8 April 8, 2019
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 31-Day Challenge, Abhyasa, Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Confessions, Daoism, Depression, Dharma, Donate, Faith, Food, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Karma, Karma Yoga, Life, Loss, Love, Meditation, Men, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Music, Mysticism, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Religion, Suffering, Uncategorized, Vairagya, Vipassana, Yoga.Tags: Buddha, Buddha's Birthday, cherry blossoms, Heraclitus of Ephesos, inspiration, Japan, KISS MY ASANA, Life, Mind Body Solutions, sakura, space, truth
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The “practice preview” below is part of my offering for the 2019 Kiss My Asana yogathon. I encourage you to set aside at least 5 minutes a day during April, to practice with today’s theme or concept as inspiration. You can practice in a class or on your own, but since the Kiss My Asana yogathon raises resources as well as awareness, I invite you to join me at a donation-based class on April 27th or May 4th.
I also challenge you to set aside a certain amount every day that you practice with this concept/theme in mind. It doesn’t matter if you set aside one dollar per practice or $25 – set aside that amount each time you practice and donate it by April 30th.
Founded by Matthew Sanford, Mind Body Solutions helps those who have experienced trauma, loss, and disability find new ways to live by integrating both mind and body. They provide classes, workshops, and outreach programs. They also train yoga teachers and offer highly specialized training for health care professionals. By participating in the Kiss My Asana yogathon you join a global movement, but in a personal way. In other words, you practice yoga. Or, as this year’s tag line states….
do yoga. share yoga. help others.
***
“πάντα ρεῖ “ (“panta rhei “ everything flows or everything to the stream)
– Greek philosopher Heraclitus of Ephesos (c. 535 BCE – c.475 BCE)
“Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust”
– excerpt from funeral service in The Book of Common Prayer
Shift happens…all the time. Or, as the Greek philosopher Heraclitus once put it, “Everything changes and nothing remains still…you cannot step twice into the same stream.” Recognizing the temporal nature of everything, including ourselves and our experiences, can be very helpful. However, it seems to be human nature to resist change and, in doing so, deny that change is happening – which, as the Buddha pointed out, creates suffering.
(Thus) have I heard that Prince Siddhartha Guatama of India was born into a family of great wealth and great privilege. As pointed out at the beginning of this series, Siddartha means “one who has accomplished his goal” or “one who has achieved his aim” and – as far as his family was concerned his dharma (or goal) was to one day take over as ruler of his father’s lands. (The title “Buddha,” which means “Awakened One,” would come later in his life.)
Siddhartha knew nothing of pain and nothing of suffering, having been shielded from the existence of sickness and death, until the age of 29. Upon seeing the suffering of others, his life trajectory changed and he renounced the life he knew in order to find a path that would alleviate suffering. At the age of 35, tradition tells us, he articulated The Four Noble Truths:
- Suffering exists
- Suffering is caused by attachment, clinging, craving
- There is an end to suffering
- The Noble Eightfold Path is the way to end suffering
In some traditions of Buddhism, understanding and accepting these four noble truths is the key to waking up and there are a number of practices specifically designed to bring awareness to change happening every time you inhale, every time you exhale. In fact, the very act of sitting and watching the breath can illuminate the Four Noble Truths and the temporal nature of our existence.
The history of Japan and Japanese culture is full of change. Depending on where you look you may find an acute juxtaposition between accepting change, keeping a tradition (without change), and actually celebrating change. For example, most of the Buddhist world celebrates the Buddha’s birthday on May 8th or a day determined by a lunar calendar. Many temples in Japan, however, started celebrating on April 8th every year, when the country switched over to the Gregorian calendar in 1873. During the Flower Festival, which is the birthday celebration, people will pour a sweet tea made from fermented hydrangea leaves over where small statues of the Buddha.
For an example of people celebrating change, look no further than the sakura (cherry blossom) season that is beginning. The Cherry Blossom Festivals that are currently kicking off (or ending, depending on the region) is completely separate from the Flower Festival associated with the Buddha’s birthday.
Sakura usually begin blossoming in the southern part of Japan and, over a matter of weeks, eventually blossom across the whole island. However, by the time the blossoms peak in the North they are already out of season in the South. The delicate flowers literally blow away like dust in the wind. For the heart and mind to hold the beauty of the moment when the flowers peak, with the awareness (and sadness) that the moment is already passing, is known as mono no aware (literally, “the pathos of things”). Mono no aware may be translated as “empathy towards things,” but there’s really no set words in English to express the feeling of wonder (“the ahhness”) inextricably tied to the longing and deep sadness that accompanies loss. This is what is – and yet, without some kind of mindfulness practice it is easy to separate the two sensations or to be so overwhelmed by the twin emotions that we focus on one to the complete exclusion of the other. Focusing on what feels good and appealing, while avoiding what doesn’t feel good results in more suffering. It also creates suffering when our longing for what has passed causes us to miss what is. (Not to mention, it causes us to continuously confront the illusion that we can go back to a moment in time, in the same way we think we can cross the same river twice.)
If you look at the history of sitting in Japan, you will also find lots of change – and sometimes a resistance to change. What is now commonly considered the proper way to sit in Zen Buddhism, as well as in day-to-day life, is seiza (which literally means “proper sitting”). Seiza is kneeling so that the big toes overlap (right over left) and then sitting on the heels. Women are taught to sit with the knees together, while men may be taught to spread the knees a little. In the modern times, this type of sitting is ubiquitous and considered respectful; however, prior to the mid 14th century and up to the late 16th century it was consider proper and respectful to either sit with legs to the side or cross-legged. Cross-legged was, in fact, the preference for many warriors as it was believed that a cross-legged position would not hinder a samurai if they needed to draw their sword.
“The way up and the way down are one and the same. Living and dead, waking and sleeping, young and old, are the same.”
– Greek philosopher Heraclitus of Ephesos (DK22A1)
In the physical practice of yoga, the “proper way to sit” is in way that is stable and comfortable enough for you to focus on your breath. Notice that in Yoga Sutra II.46 (broken down in yesterday’s post) Patanjali uses the words sukham asanam which can be translated as “dwelling in a good space.” The flip side of a good space is dukha “a bad space” – or, more acutely, “a space of suffering.” As you move into this next pose, make sure you are not dwelling in a space of suffering.
FEATURED POSE for April 8th: Auspicious or Gracious Pose (Bhadrasana)
Auspicious Pose or Gracious Pose (Bhadrasana) appears in classical texts like Gheranda Samhita (c. 17th century) as a pose similar to seiza. In more modern texts it is depicted as a Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana). Either variation can be in the beginning, middle, and/or the end of a practice. In fact, if you are doing a variety of poses today, you can return to your Auspicious pose the way your return to Downward Facing Dog, or Equal Standing, and notice was changed or shifted.
For the classical variation, be mindful of the knees and hips as you come to your hands and knees and bring the tips of the big toes to touch. Spread the knees as wide as you are able and then sit back on your heels. If there is a lot of pressure on the knees, sit on a block or blanket. You may also need a blanket or towel under the feet for this variation.
For the second variation, bring your feet together, like a prayer, in front of your hips (rather than behind). This variation is easier on the knees and feet. You may still need to sit up on a blanket or block. Especially if the hips are tight, you slump into the low back, and/or the knees are up higher than the hips. In this variation you can also adjust the feet (bring them closer in or further out) to bring more ease to the knees.
You can sit up tall with the hands resting on the thighs. Another option, which is very nice for the shoulders, is to lift your heart up (into the beginning of a backbend) and cross the hands behind the back so that you can grab the toes, the heels, or (if your feet are in front) the opposite hip. Make sure you are not leaning back, but instead are arching your chest up. Be mindful that you are not straining or compressing the low back.
If you have unregulated blood pressure issues, let your breath flow naturally in and ebb naturally out. If you find you are holding your breath or panting, ease out of the pose. If you are in overall good health, and they are in your practice, you can add your bandhas.
Dwell in this good space (sukha asama) until you have to move out of it (because it has become the “bad space” ( dukkha asanam). Be mindful that you ease out of the pose with the same awareness you used to get into it. Find some gentle, micro-movements to release the joints.
(Click here if you do not see the video.)
### NAMASTE ###
WHAT MAKES A WARRIOR HAPPY: 2019 Kiss My Asana Offering #7 April 7, 2019
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 31-Day Challenge, Abhyasa, Black Elk, Books, Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Donate, Faith, Fitness, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Hope, Karma Yoga, Life, Loss, Meditation, Men, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Poetry, Suffering, Twin Cities, Uncategorized, Vairagya, William Wordsworth, Wisdom, Women, Writing, Yoga.Tags: Elias Lopez Garcia, eulogy, inspiration, KISS MY ASANA, Lord Nelson, Poetry, poetry month, The Happy Warrior, William Wordsworth
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The “practice preview” below is part of my offering for the 2019 Kiss My Asana yogathon. I encourage you to set aside at least 5 minutes a day during April, to practice with today’s theme or concept as inspiration. You can practice in a class or on your own, but since the Kiss My Asana yogathon raises resources as well as awareness, I invite you to join me at a donation-based class on April 27th or May 4th.
I also challenge you to set aside a certain amount every day that you practice with this concept/theme in mind. It doesn’t matter if you set aside one dollar per practice or $25 – set aside that amount each time you practice and donate it by April 30th.
Founded by Matthew Sanford, Mind Body Solutions helps those who have experienced trauma, loss, and disability find new ways to live by integrating both mind and body. They provide classes, workshops, and outreach programs. They also train yoga teachers and offer highly specialized training for health care professionals. By participating in the Kiss My Asana yogathon you join a global movement, but in a personal way. In other words, you practice yoga. Or, as this year’s tag line states….
do yoga. share yoga. help others.
***
“Who is the happy Warrior? Who is he
That every man in arms should wish to be?
– from “Character of the Happy Warrior” by William Wordsworth
“sthira sukham asanam” (YS II.46)
sthira steady, stable
sukham easy, comfortable, joyful
asanam seat (meditation posture or pose)
Patanjali, who outlines the 8-limbed philosophy of yoga in the Yoga Sutras, does not spend a lot of time talking about the physical practice of yoga (hatha yoga, regardless of the style or tradition), which is a combination of asana and pranayama. About asana, the third limb, he indicates that one should cultivate – or continuously maintain – steadiness and ease. He goes on to explain that this cultivation, or “perfecting,” requires relaxing the effort and “allowing the attention to merge with the infinite,” which, in turn, brings a sense of “freedom from suffering.” Furthermore, he states that pranayama, the fourth limb of yoga, begins to occur as a result of the perfected and balanced pose.
At first glance this all sounds really odd. How do you relax the effort without falling over? And, if you’re worried about falling over, how can you possibly pay attention to anything other than not falling over?
“Simple causal reasoning about the feedback system is difficult because the first system influences the second and the second system influences the first, leading to a circular argument. This makes reasoning based upon cause and effect tricky, and it is necessary to analyze the system as a whole.”
– Karl Johan Aström and Richard Murray, Feedback Systems: An Introduction for Scientists and Engineers
It turns out that the two limbs create a feedback loop: if you can find balance between effort and relaxation (steadiness and ease), you will start to notice the breath, the parts of the breath and (as Patanjali points out in II.50-51) the breath becomes long, fine, and seamlessly continuous (or infinite). Simultaneously, if you observe the breath and adjust your body in order to find the position where the breath is long, fine, and seamlessly continuous, you will have found the physical balance between effort and relaxation. Finally, finding that physical balance will result in mental balance and clarity which, Patanjali explains, reveals inner light. (II.52)
“Whose high endeavors are an inward light
That makes the path before him always bright;”
– from “Character of the Happy Warrior” by William Wordsworth
While Virabhadrasana literally means “Hero Friend or Brave Person Seat,” in English we almost always translate it to “Warrior Pose.” Yoga practices which utilize standing poses (even if you’re seated in a chair) will inevitably include at least one of three Virabhadrasanas. However, there is also a seated pose (Virasana, accurately translated as “Hero Pose,”), a “Humble Warrior,” a “Shackled Warrior, and there are several poses associated with Hanuman, the monkey king, which all may also be referred to as “Warrior” poses. We may think of any number of warrior-like attributes we want to embody when practicing these poses. The question is, how often do those attributes include balance, generosity of Spirit, self-knowledge, happiness – or any of the other qualities William Wordsworth (born today in 1770) uses to describe the character of Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson?
Wordsworth’s poem “Character of the Happy Warrior” (circa 1806) is similar in context to W. H. Auden’s poem “The Unknown Citizen” (circa 1939). They are both intended to eulogize and memorialize. The biggest difference in the two poems, however, is that Auden’s poem is pure satire and reveals a person who cannot actually exist. Nothing negative can be or is said about Auden’s “citizen.” On the flip side, Wordsworth was honoring the recently deceased Lord Nelson, who was praised for his leadership skills and persistence, and was known as a British hero of the Napoleonic Wars – despite being a strong proponent of slavery. Still, the flattering depiction in the poem is a legacy that lives beyond the man himself. The term “the happy warrior” enjoys a place in the English lexicon as a great way to summarize the character of a person (usually a man) who exhibits “our human nature’s highest dower” (or gift).
“We can perhaps change the whole world but it will not help us. On the contrary, if we change ourselves, then the world is automatically changed. Change in the world will come naturally, inevitably, spontaneously, as we bring about this change to ourselves.”
– Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati *
FEATURED POSE for April 7th: “Happy Warrior,” II variation (Ananda Virabhadrasana)
{*A quick shout out and thank you to Elias Lopez Garcia of Happy Warrior Yoga, for (unknowingly) helping me narrow down which warrior pose to feature today. If you appreciate this experience, please “like” his video, linked here and embedded below.}
This “Happy Warrior” variation can be done with or without warming up the body. Keep in mind, however, that this pose is asymmetrical and requires externally rotated hips. If you have hip and/or balance issues, use cat/cow or some sun or moon salutations as a warm up. You can also move into a wide-legged seated pose like Bound Angle (Baddha Konasana) or a squat – either Yogi Prayer Squat or Horse/Goddess Pose – with all four corners of your feet grounded, plus toes and knees turned out for external rotation and abduction.
When you are ready to practice “Happy Warrior,” spread your legs so that the ankles are underneath the wrists or between each elbow and wrist. Make sure the toes are all pointed in the same direction and that the feet are parallel to each other. With the arms spread wide, breathe deeply in and out, making sure that you feel open and grounded. Notice your breath. Adjust your position if you are not feeling stable and comfortable, or if the breath is not naturally deepening.
After a few moments, lift your arms up and out, making a “V” shape for “5-Pointed Star” (also known as “Big Asana” and “Hallelujah Asana”). Crown of your head is the fifth point of the star so press down to lift the body up. Inhale the corners of your mouth up towards your ears and exhale, relax your jaw, for “5-Pointed Smile.” Breathe here and notice how you feel as the sensation of the smile spreads out through your fingers and toes, as well as the corners of your mouth and the crown of your head.
Maintaining the internal sensation of the smile, even as the expression on your face softens, exhale to turn the right toes out so that the right heel lines up with the middle (or center) of the left foot. You may need to bring your hands down to your hips for balance. Once you establish this heel-to-arch alignment, bend your right knee as close to 90 degrees as you are able to reach. Make sure that the knee is over the ankle, tracking the pinky toe. Check to make sure that you are balancing your weight between both feet, both legs, and both hips. Double check the hips to make sure the back (left) hip isn’t getting cocky and sitting higher than the right.
Inhale and lift your arms straight up in the air over your head. Check to make sure that your hips are open wide (away from each other) and that the shoulders are directly over your hips so that when your arms are raised the upper body looks like it’s in Mountain Pose (Tadasana)/Arms Over Head Pose (Urdhva Hastasana). On an exhale, lower the arms just enough to go back to the “V” position. Gaze up, straight over your heart, and press down in order to lift your head up.
Embody the internalized sensation of the smile. Simultaneously, think of your favorite warrior, agape or otherwise, and embody what you see as their best characteristics. Now, embody your best characteristics – all simply in the way your hold your body. After 5 – 7 breaths, release the pose and move back into the starting position. Repeat the pose on the other side.
### Jai Jai Gurudev Jai Jai ###
PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE; SOMETHING’S COMING: 2019 Kiss My Asana Offering #6 April 6, 2019
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 31-Day Challenge, Abhyasa, Bhakti, Books, Buddhism, Dharma, Donate, Faith, Fitness, Food, Gandhi, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Karma, Karma Yoga, Life, Loss, Love, Mantra, Maya Angelou, Meditation, Men, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Suffering, Tragedy, Uncategorized, Vairagya, Yoga.add a comment
The “practice preview” below is part of my offering for the 2019 Kiss My Asana yogathon. I encourage you to set aside at least 5 minutes a day during April, to practice with today’s theme or concept as inspiration. You can practice in a class or on your own, but since the Kiss My Asana yogathon raises resources as well as awareness, I invite you to join me at a donation-based class on April 27th or May 4th.
I also challenge you to set aside a certain amount every day that you practice with this concept/theme in mind. It doesn’t matter if you set aside one dollar per practice or $25 – set aside that amount each time you practice and donate it by April 30th.
Founded by Matthew Sanford, Mind Body Solutions helps those who have experienced trauma, loss, and disability find new ways to live by integrating both mind and body. They provide classes, workshops, and outreach programs. They also train yoga teachers and offer highly specialized training for health care professionals. By participating in the Kiss My Asana yogathon you join a global movement, but in a personal way. In other words, you practice yoga. Or, as this year’s tag line states….
do yoga. share yoga. help others.
***
“Practice, practice, practice; all is coming.”
– Sri Pattabhi Jois
“sa tu dīrgha kala nairantairya satkārā asevito dŗdha bhūmih ” (YS 1.14)
sa that (practice)
tu and, but, definitely
dīrgha kala long time
nairantairya continuously, without interruption
satkārā with devotion, sincerity, respect, reverence,positivity
asevito cultivated, attended to
dŗdha-bhūmih with stable , solid foundation, rooted, firmly-grounded
One of the most succinct and brilliant commentaries on Yoga Sutra 1.14 came from Sri Pattabhi Jois, who introduced one of the first vinyasa practices to the West. The Primary, Intermediate, and Advanced forms of the Ashtanga practice are an established set of sequences intended to be practiced consistently and in a way that allows the practitioner to build a practice from the ground up.
Since the beginning of the year, we have been building a practice from the ground up (On Saturdays) using Course I of B. K. S. Iyengar’s Light on Yoga as physical inspiration. During the last part of the summer, I usually spend a few Saturdays breaking down and exploring the Ashtanga Primary Series. Anyone familiar with the two forms will notice, as I hope people will this summer, that what Iyengar refers to as “Important Poses in Course I” looks a lot like the Primary Series. This is no coincidence. Even though they were coming to the practice from different perspectives – Iyengar was a sickly child when he started; Jois was a robust teenager – they practiced with the same teacher and at the same time. Given that biographical context, it makes sense that certain poses consistently practiced result in a mastery of those poses.
However, in the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali barely mentions the physical practice of yoga. Additionally, he doesn’t just suggest consistent practice. He explicitly states that results come from practicing consistently, without interruption, and with devotion /respect/reverence for the practice. But, if he’s not talking about (or not only talking about) being able to do challenging poses on the mat, what is coming?
“[The world] is a wonderful place only when we have a positive mind. For someone with a confused, negative mind, the world is chaotic and ugly….
What is more important than understanding the dynamics of this powerful mind and keeping it healthy, organized, and sharp? What is more urgent than protecting it from inner unrest and stupor? What should take precedence over preventing our mind from being consumed by fear, anger, jealousy, greed, and endless cravings?”
– from The Secret of the Yoga Sutra: Samadhi Pada by Pandit Rajmani Tugunait, PhD
In the mid-1880s, the British East India Company (and then the British government) enacted a series of salt taxes, which made it illegal to produce or possess salt without paying a tax. By 1930, that tax represented 8.2% of the British Raj tax revenue – and it meant that even if you lived in a coastal town like Dandi, you had to pay the tax, or suffer the consequences. Mohandas Karamchanda Gandhi decided salt would be the focus of one of a direct action, non-violent mass protest. When questioned about using salt as the focal point of his satyagraha, Gandhi said, “Next to air and water, salt is perhaps the greatest necessity of life. It is the only condiment of the poor. Through this injustice, the British exploit the starving millions, the sick, the maimed, and the utterly helpless. The salt tax constitutes the most inhuman poll tax that the ingenuity of man can devise.”
From Wednesday, March 12th until Saturday, April 5th, 1930, Gandhi walked over 240 miles so that he could reach the sea shore in Dandi in order to break an unjust law. He woke up in Dandi, on Sunday, April 6th, prayed and illegal made salt at 6:30 AM. The satyagraha against the salt tax would continue for almost a year. It would, ultimately, be one of the inspirations for Civil Rights Movement in the United States and would be one of the first times that women were actively involved in a protest in India.
Over 60,000 Indians (including Gandhi) would be jailed before it was all said and done. But, when Gandhi began the march he was only accompanied by 78 men devoted to truth (satya).
“Truth (satya) implies love, and firmness (agraha) engenders and therefore serves as a synonym for force. I thus began to call the Indian Movement satyagraha, that is to say, the Force which is born of Truth and Love or non-violence, and gave up the use of the phrase “passive resistance” in connection with it, so much so that even in English writing we often avoided it and used instead the word “satyagraha.”
Even though thousands would join them, the 78 men who started the march with Gandhi (and many who would join in along the way) were people who practiced a dedication to ahimsa (non-violence/non-harming) and satya (truth). Since Gandhi once said, “God is Truth” and another time said “Truth is God,” there was also a commitment to recognizing a day-to-day awareness of a higher purpose, meaning in life, and supreme consciousness. This is one way to look at bramacharya. Finally, along with the business and logistics of the campaign, people participating in the march had to sleep outside, often wore a single white garment, and were dependent on villagers along the way to provide food and water for them to wash up. This means they practiced aparagraha (non-attachment), saucha (cleanliness), santosha (contentment), and tapas (discipline/austerity). They chanted and sang devotionals to keep their spirits up, which can also be a way of practicing isvarapranidhana (releasing one’s efforts back to the source). All told, the satyagrahis actively practiced all five (5) of the yamas (external restraints/universal commandments) and four (4) of the five (5) niyamas (internal observations) which make up the ethical component of the philosophy of yoga.
One could argue that, since people had to consider their feelings on the subject and make the decision to join the movement, they were also practicing svadyaya (self-study), which is the niyama I did not include above. Either way, the practice of Gandhi and the first 78 men set the tone for the movement. They were steeped in a way of life and a way of thinking that enabled them to respond rather than to react and to work towards change without being attached to the results. More than anything, the legacy of the salt satyagraha was, according to Jawaharalal Nehru (who would go on to become India’s first Prime Minister) how it changed the mindset of the Indian populace.
“But the real importance, to my mind, lay in the effect they had on our own people, and especially the village masses…Non-cooperation dragged them out of the mire and gave them self-respect and self-reliance…They acted courageously and did not submit so easily to unjust oppression; their outlook widened and they began to think a little in terms of India as a whole.”
– Jawaharal Nehru
Fast forward to the United States in the 1960’s and you, again, see the agency given to the people through a faith-driven, grassroots movement. Fast forward to today and we see lots of grassroots efforts and lots of agency being given to the people. But, very little of it is firmly-grounded in a practice.
“How you do yoga is how you do life.” – my first yoga teachers
I sometimes parrot my first yoga teachers because I see the value of what they taught – forward and back; because, how we do life is also how we do yoga. If we show up without reverence and discipline we become careless and we may hurt ourselves or we hurt others. If we practice from a point of being selfish, we become more selfish. If we are attached to a certain outcome, we may miss opportunities to learn and grow – and we are more likely to give up on the practice (and ourselves) at the first setback or struggle.
On the flip side, if we practice with an understanding of how we are connected to the universe (and all beings in the universe), if we understand that there is a purpose to every inhale and every exhale, and if we are focused, then we see the practice building up. If we are honest with ourselves about where we are physically and mentally, on any given day, we can be mindful and honor our limitations with grace. If always do our best and always let go our efforts, we find that we are also letting go of the struggle. Peace is coming.
FEATURED POSE for April 6th: Corpse Pose, (Savasana)
Savasana is, quite possibly, the most important part of a physical practice. Literally “Seat of the Corpse,” it marks the end, or the death, of the practice. It is more than an opportunity to relax, release, and rest. It is also an opportunity to integrate the efforts of the mind-body-spirit and, in doing so, maintain integration of the mind-body-spirit. It is an opportunity to let go of our efforts and let our bodies and minds absorb the work we’ve done. It is an opportunity to trust that – having planted, watered, fertilized, and otherwise nourished our seeds – something bountiful and pleasant will come to fruition. Both the Hebrew Bible and the Christian New Testament indicate that [we] shall reap what [we] sow; however, what is often overlooked is that in this context, “sow” is what we will be given or what we have earned. There is, absolutely, benefit to resting when you need to rest and if the body is so relaxed that you fall asleep well then…your body and mind are telling you that you need more sleep. The thing to keep in mind is that savasana, like all the other poses, is a seat and gives you an opportunity to focus, concentrate, and even mediate on a single point of focus.
To reach the point where you can turn inward and withdraw your senses from the external is a large part of the practice. A large part of that sense withdrawal (pratyahara), which is the fifth limb of yoga, is the ability to keep bring your mind back to your point of focus whenever it drifts away (or, whenever you start drifting off). This is the practice.
Set a timer for 5 – 15 minutes, depending on what else you’ve done as part of this practice.
Lie down on your back with arms by your sides and legs stretch out. If the low back (or anything else) is not comfortable with the legs extended flat on the floor, place something under the thighs so that the back relaxes. Place the arms by the hips, palms up. If this is not comfortable you can, again, place something under the arms or place the hands palm down on your hips. Make whatever micro-movements you need to make in order to be still and find balance on either side of your spine. Close your eyes, if that is comfortable for you, and gaze at something that’s not moving (e.g., your third eye, your heart center, or the tips of your nose).
Allow the back of the head and the shoulders to be heavy. Allow the elbows and the hands to be heavy. Allow the hips and the hills to be heavy. As the heavy parts sink down and become grounded, let your eyes and your checks soften. Relax your jaw and shoulders. Swallow so that you can relax your throat. Starting with 10, count backwards on the exhales and let every exhale be an opportunity to relax, release, rest. Once you reach 1, let the breath naturally flow in and ebb out. Mentally watch the breath as if you are a guard at a castle gate: watch the breath come in through the nose; know how it feels. Watch the breath come out of the nose; know how it feels.
When your times goes off, take your time move out of the pose and then to make your way to a seated position.
Click here if you can’t see the video.
### Dr. Maya Angelou said, “When you learn, teach. When you get, give.” If you are getting something from this practice/offering, please consider what you can give. ###
THE TRUTH IS IN THE PRACTICE: 2019 Kiss My Asana Offering #1 April 1, 2019
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 31-Day Challenge, Baseball, Changing Perspectives, Donate, Faith, Fitness, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Karma Yoga, Minneapolis, One Hoop, Pain, Philosophy, Suffering, Tragedy, Uncategorized, Yoga.Tags: April 1st, Baseball, donation-based events, KISS MY ASANA, Matthew Sanford, Mind Body Solutions, MLB, Sidd Finch
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The “practice preview” below is part of my offering for the 2019 Kiss My Asana yogathon. I encourage you to set aside at least 5 minutes a day during April, to practice with today’s theme or concept as inspiration. You can practice in a class or on your own, but since the Kiss My Asana yogathon raises resources as well as awareness, I invite you to join me at a donation-based class on April 27th or May 4th(details to follow).
I also challenge you to set aside a certain amount every day that you practice with a poem in mind. It doesn’t matter if you set aside one dollar per practice or $25 – set aside that amount each time you practice and donate it by April 30th.
Founded by Matthew Sanford, Mind Body Solutions helps those who have experienced trauma, loss, and disability find new ways to live by integrating both mind and body. They provide classes, workshops, and outreach programs. They also train yoga teachers and offer highly specialized training for health care professionals. By participating in the Kiss My Asana yogathon you join a global movement, but in a personal way. In other words, you practice yoga. Or, as this year’s tag line states….
do yoga. share yoga. help others.
***
The 8-limbed philosophy of yoga begins not with the physical practice, but with an ethical component consisting of 10 elements. Many people practicing the physical practice today have never heard of the yamas and niyamas – and yet they come to the mat with a set of core values (even commandments and precepts which are very similar – sometimes even identical – in content).
The yamas (external restraints or universal commandments) are ahimsa (non-violence), satya (truth), asteya (non-stealing), bramcharya (walking in the awareness of the highest reality or the divine), and aparagraha (non-hording or non-grasping). The niyamas (internal observations) are saucha (cleanliness), santosha (contentment), tapas (heat, discipline, and austerity), svadyaya (self study), and ishvarapranidhana (letting go of one’s efforts back to the source). Since these ethical precepts precede the elements of the physical practice (asana + pranayama = seat or pose + awareness of breath or extension of breath), it makes sense to practice these ethics on the mat. It even makes sense that the more you practice these elements on the mat, the more they start to creep into your life off the mat.
Consider the yamas and their connection to the physical practice from the view of not practicing ethically. When we engage a pose that might cause us harm, specifically because we engage it without considering the truth of our physical, mental, and emotional state, we are not actually practicing yoga. When we are watching what someone else is doing, instead of focusing all of our energy on what we are meant to do, we are coveting their practice and possibly their mind-body. When we step onto the mat without self awareness and/or with the attention of attracting attention, we’re not actually practicing yoga. In fact, when our egos and aspirations are working harder than our awareness, we’re not actually practicing yoga – unless, we bringing our awareness to that imbalance in order to create balance.
Now, just for a moment, consider the last time you practiced “yoga” off the mat – and the last time you didn’t. How did you feel in each situation? Which sensations/feelings were the most lasting? Which remembered experiences bring you a sense of peace, balance, maybe even joy? Almost anytime we accomplish something, there is a sense of power. However, sometimes the power is tainted and sometimes it’s more fleeting than other times. In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali directs us towards an experience that is pure, powerful, and lasting.
In its April 1, 1985 issue, Sports Illustrated published a profile of Hayden Siddhartha “Sidd” Finch, a rookie baseball player in training with the New York Mets. According to the article, Sidd could accurately pitch a fastball at 168 miles per hour (270 km/h) – compared to the record at that time of 103 mph (166 km/h) and today’s record of 105.1 mph (169.1 km/h) held by New York Yankees pitcher Aroldis “the Cuban Missle” Chapman. Above and beyond his extraordinary pitching ability (not to mention his French horn playing abilities), one of the things that made Sidd noteworthy and newsworthy, according to the article, was that he had learned “yogic mastery of mind-body” – and this, Sidd claimed, was the source of his pitching prowess.
Just for a moment, step onto your mat as No. 21 Sidd Finch would step onto the mound, one shoe on and one shoe off. How do you find balance within the imbalance? How do you stay true to your core values, even as you strive to go deeper? At what point in the practice do you realize: It’s not about what you could be doing; the practice is all about what you are doing.
KEY POSE for April 1st: One-Legged Mountain Pose (Eka Pada Tadasana).
Come to Samisthiti/Tadasana (Equal Standing/Mountain Pose), either standing on your feet or sitting in a chair. Bring awareness to how you balance your weight, left to right, on whatever is supporting you – feet, legs, knees, etc. Play around with shifting your weight forward and back, left and right. Rock, sway, shift, explore, play. Then find stillness within all the motion: press down into all four corners of your seat. (If you are standing or sitting with feet flat, big toes and little toes spread as wide as they are able and press down; then press into all four corners of both feet). Find engagement in the thighs so that they are firm. Sits bones drop down (and back if you are seated) so that pelvic bones tilt up. Engage the pelvic floor (perineum muscles squeeze together like you’re trying not to go to the bathroom); belly button lifts up and back (or, you can think of it as zipping a zipper up from your bottom up to your belly button). Spine is long, breath is deep. Changing as little as possible, step or shift your weight to the left as you inhale. Exhale as you left the right knee and toes up toward the chest (ankle is flexed as much as you’re able). Hold the knee and toes up, as high as possible, for at least three (3) breaths. Set the right foot down and repeat the balance on the opposite side. Play around with lifting the knee on the inhale; keeping the arms by your sides or lifting them up in the air or spreading them out like wings; and moving one-breath-one motion.
Explore what happens if you squeeze the knee with both hands or hold the big toe of the lifted leg and extend the lifted leg forward or out to the side. Explore what happens if you tip your body towards the standing leg. If you have warmed-up with sun salutations or some other activity, consider what happens if you extend your lifted leg straight back and orient yourself so that lifted-leg side is in Mountain Pose on the wall behind you. Consider what happens if you throw an imaginary pitch, or add a twist.
Add a little music as you like.
Come back to Samisthiti/Tadasana (Equal Standing/Mountain Pose) and consider what your mind-body need in order to ease into a final pose, where you can breathe and be still for 2 – 5 minutes. Do whatever poses allow you to get comfortable, and then get comfortable.
* As far as I know, everything I’ve stated above is true. *
### do yoga. share yoga. help others. ###
Looks like I missed (at least) one…. December 30, 2018
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Changing Perspectives, Healing Stories, Hope, Life, Minneapolis, Minnesota, New Year, One Hoop, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: inspiration, Iyengar, Matthew Sanford, Mind Body Solutions, New Year, yoga
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Mind Body Solutions is hosting a New Year’s Day All-Humanity Yoga class with Matthew Sanford! It’s 10 AM – 12 PM on Tuesday, January 1st. Space is limited (and there are only a few spots left. Matthew’s classes are always inspiring and if you haven’t made plans for New Year’s Day you’re hard pressed to find a better option than this one.
~ HAPPY NEW YEAR ~
Just… Look – Part II: Beginnings and Endings September 10, 2018
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Basketball, Books, Depression, Faith, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Hope, Life, Loss, Love, Minneapolis, Movies, Music, New Year, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Poetry, Rosh Hashanah, Suffering, Texas, Vairagya, Wisdom, Women.Tags: grandmother, grief, Houston Rockets, in memoriam, inspiration, Life, life celebration, Loss, Love, teddy bears, Women
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“To live in this world
you must be able
to do three things:
to love what is mortal;
to hold it
against your bones knowing
your own life depends on it;
and, when the time comes to let it go,
to let it go.”
– from In Blackwater Woods by Mary Oliver
Today (Monday) is Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and my grandmother’s birthday. Had she lived, she would have turned 90 today. Given a few more months beyond this, she would have seen me reach the half century mark. So, this is me, holding space for beginnings and endings.
As many of you know, my grandmother was one of my constants. Through her example and her work as a nurse (especially for children, veterans, women, shut-ins, and those experiencing end-of-life care), I saw the various stages of life and the importance of being treated with respect and dignity as we all move through those stages. She was the person who always reminded me to be proud of my hair, proud of my body, proud of my spirit, and proud of my life. And, maybe more than anyone, she illustrated how life is an adventure…an opportunity to fly…a dream…and a dance between the physical and the spiritual.
I’m fortunate in that I’ve had a lot of superior role models, but Miss Jean (aka Miss Jean Rockets) was the elder in whom I saw myself. We were kindred spirits. And I wanted to be her when I grew up. I still do.
At her funeral in June, I was charged with following the Neighbor/Nurse remarks with the family remarks. Even now, on her birthday, I can think of so many more rich and endearing memories that I could have shared. However, I stand by these:
“Steady yourself heart; talk to me, God; listen.” Taraji P. Henson started her 2017 SAG Awards speech with those 8 words. “Steady yourself heart; talk to me God; listen.” While her speech goes on record as an awards acceptance speech, it was really a thanks giving, an expression of gratitude for women who were trailblazers and light bringers, a celebration of women who lived lives no one expected them to live. Since today my family charged me with giving thanks and celebrating the life of a trailblazer and a light bringer, I start the same. “Steady yourself heart; talk to me, God; listen.”
Before I was born, she was Miss Jean and she remained Miss Jean after I was born because, as she said, she was too young to be a grandmother: She was 40 then. Even though I didn’t know it at the time, this was one of her first lessons to me – I say me, but really, to all of us: be yourself, define yourself, live for yourself.
That last part, “live for yourself” might seem odd given how much of her life she devoted – and lived – for all of us, and for all of her patients. Long before I knew the words from John 17 (verses 16 and 18), Miss Jean taught me – taught all of us – what it meant to be in the world, but not of the world; to recognize the Spirit in everyone and everything; and to honor mind, body, and spirit through action. She was a living, breathing instrument of God who – as she told me now and again – was stuck together with spit, glue, and chewing gum.
I don’t really remember her chewing gum, but she sure had a lot of gumption. That spirited initiative allowed her to listen to her heart and follow her heart, fiercely – even when it led her to cold places, like Kansas City, and back home again. Clearly, given how far some of us traveled this week, we learned that lesson too.
Miss Jean taught me the power of being still, being quiet, and appreciating your own company. She taught me the power of a smile; the power of getting on your knees at the end of the day and first thing in the morning; and she taught me the power of prayer even when you’re not on your knees. All the way to the end of her life, she taught me the power of the Serenity Prayer: to accept the things you cannot change; to change the things you can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
She taught me to not only tell stories and listen to stories, but to really hear other people’s stories. She taught, by example, the power of being open to other people’s ideas even while standing in your own truth. She’s the reason we cousins and siblings have the conversations we have.
Robert Frost wrote, “Home is the place where, when you have to go there, / They have to take you in.” But, throughout my life [Pleasantville] has been my home, because that’s where Miss Jean and Paw-Paw WANTED to take us in. It was the place where there were always chocolate chip cookies and a biscuit in the cookie jar; your favorite dessert on the cake tray, sweet tea in the fridge, homemade popsicles in the freezer, baked potatoes and salmon on the grill, Cornish hen in the oven, and the only friends I’ve known my whole life. Standing in her doorway first thing in the morning, stretching and greeting the day and standing in the doorway waving as we drove away, Miss Jean taught me – taught us – to savor life and savor love.
She was passionate about the things and people she loved: music, movies, books, God, her friends, her family, teddy bears, and the Houston Rockets – not necessarily in that order. I could tell you stories she probably wouldn’t appreciate me telling in church, but if she were here to hear me repeat some of our conversations she would just get that sparklingly defiant look and say, “Well, it’s the truth.”
Here’s one more truth: Despite how I started today, I don’t think of my grandmother as a hidden figure. I think of her as a beacon of life and light. I have lived my whole life in Miss Jean’s light. Make sure you heard that right – not in her shadow, IN HER LIGHT! And although her physical body is gone, her light still shines bright. If you have any doubts today, look around you; if you have any doubts tomorrow, look in the mirror: See your life, see your light, and honor it – as she did.
If this were one of my yoga classes, I’d end by saying, “Namaste,” which is a Sanskrit word that literally means, “I bow thou,” and is often translated as “The light in me honors and acknowledges the light that is also in you.” However, today, I’m finishing up one of our last conversations and sending my grandmother off with words from Joy Unspeakable by Barbara Holmes. Holmes wrote,
“For Africans in bondage
in the Americas,
joy unspeakable is that moment of
mystical encounter
when God tiptoes into the hush arbor,
testifies about Divine suffering,
and whispers in our ears,
“Don’t forget,
I taught you how to fly
on a wing and a prayer,
when you’re ready
let’s go!”
### Ecclesiastes 3:4 ###
Just… Look – Part I: Love September 10, 2018
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Abhyasa, Art, Black Elk, Faith, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Hope, Life, Love, Men, One Hoop, Peace, Poetry, Wisdom, Women.Tags: inspiration, Life, Love, Lukas Graham, music
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“‘Cause when you love someone
You open up your heart
When you love someone
You make room
If you love someone
And you’re not afraid to lose ’em
You probably never loved someone like I do
You probably never loved someone like I do”
– from “Love Someone” by Lukas Graham
Click here if you do not see the video.
### Ecclesiastes 3 ###
Quick Thank You and Announcements May 4, 2018
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 31-Day Challenge, Books, Changing Perspectives, Depression, Donate, Faith, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Karma Yoga, Life, Loss, Meditation, Men, Minneapolis, Minnesota, One Hoop, Peace, Philosophy, Poetry, Sukkot, Texas, Twin Cities, Volunteer, Wisdom, Women, Writing, Yoga.Tags: Bill and Penny George, George Foundation, George Wellbeing Center, gratitude, KISS MY ASANA, meditation, Mind Body Solutions, Poetry, poetry month, Sukkot, Walt Whitman
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“I have heard what the talkers were talking, the talk of the beginning and the end,
But I do not talk of the beginning or the end.”
– from Song of Myself (2) (1892 version) by Walt Whitman
First, the thank you:
Officially speaking, Monday (4/30) was the last day of the 5th Kiss My Asana yogathon. I am happy to say, we helped Mind Body Solutions meet their goal of $60K while also raising awareness about their work and mission! Thanks to your support Mind Body Solutions will be able to:
- Create digital content and resources for students and teachers around
- Partner with organizations supporting cancer patients, victim-survivors of sexual assault, and more
- Provide workshop scholarships to aspiring adaptive yoga teachers
- Offer free yoga classes to military veterans and their loved ones
- Launch new programs like Living ‘til the End
- …and so much more!
I am eternally grateful to everyone who donated online or via the donation-based classes. (If you wanted to donate, but missed the end of the month, this link still works!!!)
I am also super grateful to everyone who read (and sometimes commented or liked) the 22 posts featuring poetry-based practices. However, we’re not finished. I still have 8 more posts featuring 8 more poetry-based practices and, hopefully, you will join me as we finish out this journey.
Feel free to keep commenting (online and in person). Also, please keep yoga and Mind Body Solutions in mind if you or someone you know is dealing with trauma, loss, and disability. (Don’t forget: Mind Body Solutions works with everybody – included health care providers and other caregivers!)
And now, the announcements:
The George Wellbeing Center is officially open! I will be teaching the very first group class in this first-of-its-kind YMCA holistic health center tomorrow (Saturday, May 5th) beginning at 11:30 AM. (Psst, some classes – including mine – are free during the month of May!)
Located on the second floor of the Dayton Y (in Downtown Minneapolis, see link above) and developed in coordination with the George Family Foundation, the Center was made possible by a grant from Bill and Penny George. It will feature services based on three (3) core tenets:
- Be Aware: Assessments, programs, lectures and coaching that empower clients to be central agents of their own health.
- Be Centered: Exercise and movement programming, mindfulness and meditation and other mind-body approaches.
- Be Restored: Personal services such as massage and acupuncture to aid in chronic stress reduction, pain relief and exercise recovery.
Services are open to the public and, as I mentioned earlier, some classes will be free during the month of May!
Please join me 11:30 AM on Saturdays for a yoga class focused on preparing the body and mind for meditation (or contemplation). This class will include asana (seat/pose) and pranayama (awareness of breath/breath extension) in a way that transfers the practice from the mat to the cushion and into your day-to-day life.
And, one more….
Mark your calendars, because the next Sukkot/Gratitude retreat will be September 28th – 30th. Details to follow, but just wanted to give you a heads up, because we are back on the road! (So, maybe give yourself an extra day before or after!)
### THANK YOU & NAMASTE ###
A Joyful Practice 