Once upon a time, there was a little girl who didn’t have the best start in life. In fact, you could say that much of her early life was very twisted, and “rooted in pain.”
She was separated from her parents at the age of 3. But, the separation wasn’t all bad; she went to live with her grandmother, who was quite prosperous – for a black woman in the South, during the Great Depression.
Life was better, for about four years, but then she was once again unexpectedly torn from her home. She was 7. At age 8 she was sexually abused and raped by a grown man, her mother’s boyfriend. When she reported the assault, the man was arrested, sentenced to 1 day in jail, and then murdered. The little girl blamed her voice for her assailant’s death and so, for about 5 years, she didn’t speak.
This little girl moved back and forth between her mother and grandmother at least twice more before, in the span of three weeks, she graduated from school and gave birth to her son – all at the age of 17.
Given her background, few would be surprised to learn that this little girl grew up to be a streetcar conductor, a fry cook, a sex worker, a singer, and a dancer. All noble endeavors; however, the real twist to the story is that this little girl rose above the expectations of herself and others.
This little, whose older brother called her Maya (as in, “Mya Sister”), grew up to become a writer, a poet, a journalist, an activist, and an inspirational teacher known around the world for and by her voice – a voice of wisdom, courage, love, and light.
My first yoga teachers use to say, “How you do yoga, is how you do life.” On the yoga mat, everything has a purpose. Bringing your awareness to the importance of the moment – even when you’re not sure of the purpose – is part of the practice.
Remember: No matter how twisted the situation, never underestimate what you can do with an inhale, a pause, an exhale, or a pause. No matter how twisted the situation, never underestimate the ability of your heart and spirit to rise above.
Still I Rise – by Maya Angelou
Move into Child’s Pose (Balasana) as if you are moving into a new house. Notice how the front of your heart is protected, but the back of your heart is exposed. Feel the breath moving through your heart as you inhale and, also, as you exhale. Let the breath create space, awareness, around your heart center.
After a few minutes in Balasana, make your way into Table Top – hands and knees to the mat with shoulders over elbows and wrists, hips over knees – or into a seated position if that is more accessible. As you exaggerate your body’s natural tendencies with Cat/Cow or the “Un-Cat” sequence, notice how the inhale opens your heart to the world and the exhale turns your heart inward. Here is the “bowed head and lowered eyes,” but here are also the gifts, the hope, and the dream of being alive.
Once you feel the physical and emotional connection between your mind-body-spirit, set up for a Sage Twist*. Move into a seated position with the left leg extended in front of you (so that the left heel is on the floor) and the right knee bent (so that the right foot is flat on the floor). You can place the right foot next to the inside or the outside of the left leg, as long as the knees are comfortable and the right foot is flat on the floor. (Feeling like you’ve got diamonds at the meeting of your thighs is all on you!)
On an inhale, lift your right arm up and, as you watch it, reach the right arm back to the floor behind your hips. As you settle into the twist, adjust your left arm to provide additional support wherever you need it. You can always sit on a block and/or place a block under your hand if you’re hips and low back are really tight. If you don’t have a block, substitute a book.
Use every inhale to press down in order to lift up – creating more space between your ribs and your hips. Use every exhale to twist and rinse – engaging that space. Remember to start the twist in your base (not in your neck). Do not allow your body to collapse or untwist until you complete 3 – 5 complete breaths. After the third or fifth exhale, inhale to center and give the lifted knee a squeeze. Switch the legs and repeat the Sage Twist instructions in this paragraph (replacing right with left).
After the third or fifth exhale on the left, inhale to center and give the lifted knee a squeeze. Bend or extend both, as needed, and lower down onto your back for Savasana. Maya Angelou wrote, “But still, like air, I’ll rise.” (In the first link above, you can hear her son recite, “But still, life LIFE, I’ll rise.”)
Notice that as long as you are breathing (i.e., as long as you are alive), your heart will always rise.
This opportunity to explore a poem on the mat is part of my offering for the 2018 Kiss My Asana yogathon. I encourage you to set aside at least 5 minutes a day during April, to practice with the poem 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 one of the donation-based classes listed (April 7th and April 28th).
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.”
*NOTE: The Sage Twist video features Dianne Bondy, another one of my favorite teachers focused on keeping/making yoga accessible.
Every time we step on the mat and move into a pose we are sitting. Asana, literally means “seat” and if we refer to the “poses” in Sanskrit, almost everything we practice ends in the word asana, seat. So, here we are – sitting and breathing on a mat, not unlike so many other meditation practitioners who sit and breathe on a cushion.
As we sit, and breath, sensation/information bombards us. We are met with physical information in the form of physical sensation. Then, just as we get comfortable, we are met with mental and emotional information in the form of thoughts and memories. The mind wanders; the breath gets shallow; the body shakes or slouches; we judge the moment and then remember, “Oh, yes, I’m sitting and breathing. Get back to the breath!”
We have a moment of peace – maybe a second, maybe a minute, maybe more, maybe less – and then the sensation/information calls to us again and again. Again and again, we do what we need to do to focus our awareness back on the breath. That is the practice.
Too often, we forget that the sensation/information is part of the practice. Too often, we forget to be grateful for the sensation/information. Too often we take for granted our ability to feel and think.
What happens if we sit, breathe, and express gratitude not only for the breath, but also for everything that pulls our awareness away from the breath?
It is a blessing to feel – anything. It is a blessing to smell, to taste, to see, to feel, to hear, to think. On the mat, it is a gift to notice where you feel strong, flexible, able, or not able, powerful, or weak; because, that information informs our practice and brings awareness to what needs to happen in order for us to find balance. It brings awareness to what needs to happen in order for us to breathe deeply in, and breathe deeply out.
This body is a guest house / This being human is a guest house – by Rumi (see 2 translations above)
After a few minutes, prepare yourself to move into Savasana, the Seat of the Corpse. Find a position on your back where you can be still and quiet. Get rid of your physical fidgets, even if that requires some shifting, micro-movements, or the addition of props. Then, get rid of your mental fidgets by fixing your eyes on something that’s not moving: your third eye (the space between your eyebrows, about an inch into your forehead, and half an inch above there), your heart center, or the tip of your nose.
Again, notice what you notice. Bring awareness to your awareness. Express gratitude for your sense organs: nose, mouth/tongue, eyes, skin, ears, and mind. Count how many different things you sense and express gratitude for your ability to experience all this sensation. Visualize your body as a guest house and greet each sensation/information warmly.
Just as the beginning of life is full of possibilities the end of life means leaving everything behind. Consider Savasana to be the death of your practice. As you relax your body and deepen your breath, visualize each part of your body (and the accompanying sensation/information) as a guest going to bed or leaving your guest house. Relax, release, breathe, bid them rest or adieu – with gratitude for their visit. Here is one possible order:
Toes, feet, ankles, shins, knees, thighs – sense of smell
Hips (back and front), genital organs – sense of taste
Belly, low back, abdominal organs – sight
Chest, upper back, organs of the torso, fingers, hands, wrists, forearms, elbows, upper arms, shoulders – sense of touch
Breathe, and remember, we are just visiting these bodies. We are just visiting these minds.
Part of my offering for the 2018 Kiss My Asana yogathon is to post a poem, which you can explore on the mat. I encourage you to set aside at least 5 minutes a day during April, to practice with the poem 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 for Mind Body Solutions, I invite you to join me at one of the donation-based classes listed (April 7th and April 28th).
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….
When Emily Dickinson wrote, “I dwell in Possibility – / A fairer House than Prose” she used capital P’s to juxtapose possibility and prose. (Yes, she capitalizes house as well, but we’ll get to that in a moment.) Her Possibility was Poetry; it allowed her to move beyond the confines of her physical house, as well as beyond the limits of her physical body and mind. Poetry allowed her to move beyond her reclusive, mundane, commonplace, and (dare I say it…), prosaic life. It took her deeper.
Every April, I ask my classes, “What if the “P” stood for Pose? What if it stood for Prana? Could you dwell in that possibility? Could you go deeper?”
Since 1996, April has been National Poetry Month. For four of the last five years April has also been the month for the Kiss My Asana yogathon. This year, I’m joining the two and offering you the possibility to experience poetry as you practice more yoga and support Mind Body Solutions and their adaptive yoga programs.
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.”
Part of my offering for the 2018 Kiss My Asana yogathon is to post a poem, which you can explore on the mat. I encourage you to set aside at least 5 minutes a day during April, to practice with the poem 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 one of the donation-based classes listed below.
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 its one dollar per practice or $25 – set aside that amount each time you practice and donate it by April 30th.
Move into Child’s Pose (Balasana) as if you are moving into a new House. Come to your hands and knees; bring your big toes to touch; spread your knees as wide as you feel comfortable. Try it with knees together, then knees as wide as your mat, then knees somewhere in between – the same way you might move furniture around until you find what works. Sink your hips to your heels and bring your forehead and nose to your mat. Hands may be overhead, stretched out wide, by your hips– or you can use them as a pillow. Shift around until you are comfortable enough to be still. If there’s a lot of pressure on your knees, put something under your hips. (Other options for this pose include lying down on your back, curling up in a fetal position, or folding over while seated in a chair.)
Now, consider the Possibilities. In my vinyasa classes I say, “Remember that Child’s Pose, Balasana, is your modification for every pose,” because there are elements of everything in Child’s Pose. Take a moment to consider the difference aspects of the pose:
Child’s Pose is a baby Downward Facing Dog, which is a standing pose, an arm balance, a forward bend, a back bend, and an inversion.
It stretches out your quadriceps, front of thighs, knees, shins, ankles and feet.
Curling the toes under (with knees and feet together or the same distance apart) addresses the fascia on the soles of your feet.
Knees-wide adds a little hip opening, while bringing the knees together creates hip adduction and gives extra support for the low back.
Knees together also creates a massage for the belly and internal organs.
You can add a twist by threading one arm under the opposite arm pit.
You can use Child’s Pose to move into almost any pose – including Splits (Hanumanasana).
They say our eyes are the Windows to the soul, but here your eyes are shielded, maybe even closed, forcing your awareness inward. Even the other senses (which may be considered Doors into the world) turn your awareness inward.
Next inhale, go deeper: Start to notice your breath or Prana. One of the most Prosaic things we do is breath and yet, as the Upanishads point out, Prana as breath is Superior to the other functions of the body – because without breath, we cease to be.
We can go days without food, water, shelter, sleep, company, and movement. It won’t be comfortable. In fact, going without those essentials will ultimately become painful and eventually lead to our demise. But, we can do it; we can go without those particular essentials. On the flip side, our bodies and mind will not allow us to be without breath/spirit/prana for more the a few minutes. Breathing is an autonomous Occupation, but consciously receiving the breath and letting go of the breath takes us deeper into ourselves and into the practice.
Go deeper still. Follow the breath as it moves from your nose into all the Chambers of your body: into your Cedar-like legs; into the Roof that is your mind, the Gambrels of your hips as they touch the back that now serves as your body’s Sky. Notice what happens when the breath moves out of these same areas.
Breathe, as if you are drawing Paradise into your body and mind – because you are!
Notice something missing from today’s practice? It’s not an April Fool’s Joke…it’s the next poem!
Please join me for a donation-based class to benefit Mind Body Solutions and their adaptive yoga programs. Inspired by the teachings of Matthew Sanford, this special donation-based practice will explore the connections between centering, grounding, expansion, rhythm, and balance. Please RSVP via myra(at)ajoyfulpractice(dot)com.
Saturday, April 7th (2:30 PM – 4:30 PM) at Nokomis Yoga (2722 E 50th Street, Minneapolis)
I am deeply grateful to everyone who participated in this year’s Kiss My Asana yogathon to benefit Mind Body Solutions. It doesn’t matter if you made a donation online, attended a donation-based class, hosted a donation-based class, or asked a question (and, maybe, are still waiting on my answer) – either way, you made a difference in how we view yoga and how we, as part of the yoga community, keep our sacred circle open to all bodies and all minds. During one class in particular, when I listed all the types of people who can benefit from adaptive yoga, I found myself referencing every person in the room. Just a reminder that it’s not about modifications, it’s about the practice.
Thank you, also, to Sandra Razieli for spending part of her birthday weekend co-teaching with me!
May the 4th is with us! While I am sad to report that I will not be leading any Star Wars yoga classes this year, I am very excited about returning to the Walker Art Center to facilitate meditation during MN Artists Presents: Marcus Young (5 – 9 PM). This free event is kid-friendly and has a lot of mindfully interactive moments. For more information, check out the event page or the Walker’s Facebook page. (Please note: road closures may create delays and detours. Breathe deeply. And may the force be with you.)
Finally, my YMCA classes will have subs on Friday night (5/5), Saturday morning (5/6), and all day Sunday (5/7). Enjoy!
It is New Year’s Eve eve. And, while I still have things to do in anticipation of the New Year, I am more than ready for the arrival of 2017. Funny thing is, all of us who are “D-O-N-E, stick-a-fork-in-it, done” with 2016, have to admit that it hasn’t all been bad. There have been some memorable and very personal highlights and there have been many changes for the better. Oh, then there’s the fact that this whole “new year” thing is completely arbitrary.
Yes, yes, there are reasons and explanations for why the Western world celebrates a beginning and an ending at this time of year. But, in some ways those reasons and explanations are beside the point. What’s important is that change is always happening – and most of it is beyond our control. Since being out of control can be psychologically uncomfortable, we take control by choosing a transition to celebrate. The celebration is a reminder that everything, including hard times, ends and that the end of one thing marks the beginning of another thing.
We can only hope the new thing is better than the old thing.
Even when, it’s the same thing over and over again.
Throughout history, different cultures have had different ways of marking transitions. One yoga tradition is to practice 108 Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar) when the seasons change on the equinoxes and solstices. Here in the West, we have also taken to practice this yoga variation of a marathon when the calendar year changes. (I am again leading the Surya Namaskar malas at Nokomis Yoga (this practice is full) and at the Downtown Minneapolis YMCA (3 PM – 6 PM).)
Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar) are a moving meditation consisting of 12 poses. The series of poses are linked with breath so that we mimic our bodies’ natural inclination to extend the spine and open the heart as we inhale, to flex the spine and engage the core as we exhale. Or, you could think of it symbolically: as reaching for the sun as you inhale, drawing its energy to the earth as you exhale. Or, you could reach to the Source of all the things as you inhale, surrender to that Source as you exhale. Or…you get the idea. Whether you come to the practice from a physical-mental, psychic-symbolic, or emotional-energetic perspective, this series of poses engages your whole being: mind, body, and spirit.
Since the practice mirrors the cycle of time – the beginning of each breath marking the end of another, the end of each pose marking the beginning of the next – we inevitably find ourselves appreciating it, enjoying it, and then wishing it were done. We can be lost in/absorbed by the effortless repetition (ajapa japa), but then find our brains want a delineated break.
We seek the break, not because we’re tired, per se, but because it’s a way for our brains to absorb the pattern. And, in that moment, we may create the break by asking the question that has been coming up a lot in my practice: Is that all you’ve got? Seriously, is that all you’ve got?
I can’t remember if it was during an interview or during a teacher training, but I very clearly remember Seane Corn describing a conversation where she said to the Universe, “Bring it; but, bring it gently.” I love that sentiment. It acknowledges that throughout our lives we are going to be faced with challenges, and it simultaneously reinforces the idea that we can be ready to meet those challenges head on. It is a statement sourced in strength, courage, and wisdom – without being braggadocios. In fact, it embodies the splendor of humility.
This secular calendar year, 2016, New Year’s Eve happens to fall on the 8th Night of Chanukah. (Therefore, New Year’s Day 2017 is the 8th Day of Chanukah 5777.) Hod (humility, splendor, surrender, or gratitude) is the eighth aspect of the Divine found on the Tree of Life (in Jewish mysticism, Kabbalah). Physically it is symbolized by the left foot and leg. Energetically it is directly connected to Gevurah (Strength, discipline), Tiferet (Balance, Compassion), Netzach (Endurance), and Yesod (Foundation or Bonding). It can also be energetically connected to the 3rd Chakra, our physical core, which is related to our personality, our sense of self, and our self esteem.
I could go on, but what I’m getting at here is that the question (Is that all you’ve got?) isn’t something I’m asking the Universe. I know the Universe has more in store for us. I know it’s going to bring it (hopefully, gently). What I’m really doing, at those moments when I want to throw in the towel, is asking myself the question: Is that all you’ve got? Seriously, is that all you’ve got?
My early teachers often said, “How you do yoga is how you do life.” Whether we are in the middle of 1 hour, 90 minutes, or 3 hours of yoga – or anything else – we all have that moment where we want to throw in the towel. But, if we pace ourselves, we inevitably get a second wind. And, while I don’t always feel this way after I other physical things I do, in yoga and in life I almost always feel like I could have handled a little bit more. Not that I want to or need to – but, that if I had to, I could dig deep and pull up a little bit more of whatever I need to face the challenge.
The first day of 2017, is just another day on the calendar; just another day in our lives. It’s a beginning and it’s an ending. So, yes, celebrate, set an intention, and move on.
But, don’t forget that this liminal or transitional moment is also a middle. And, ultimately, the most significant thing that’s changing is your awareness and your perspective. Start noticing what you’re doing when you ask a question like “Is that all you’ve got?” Start noticing what you’re doing when your answer to the question changes.
Feel free to share your experiences by commenting below!
“Even in the animal kingdom, the ability to search and reapply know-how is a key attribute that moves a species from survival to prosperity.
Just as the guru tutors the novitiate so does the goldsmith his apprentice. The same is true for officers and engineers and in all fields where the mastery of craft is a matter of certification. The greater enlightens the lesser. The maxim is “See One, Do One, Teach One” or as the sensei might say ‘SODOTO.’”
During my first year teaching, a student approached with questions about yoga teacher training. He had been practicing long before I arrived, but now he was ready to consider the possibilities. We talked about his goals, and the will/determination driving those goals. I gave him a summary of the big teacher training programs in the Twin Cities. A few months later, someone else approached me. I had the list (and the highlighted bullet points) ready. Those first two students, and many of the ones who came later, ended up completing yoga teacher training and started teaching. Sometimes I would even take classes from them. Often I would refer others to them. At least one of those early students who became the teacher began teaching other students how to teach! Eventually, I discovered trainings were changing and growing in the Twin Cities; so I started updating the list.
And the people kept asking, again, and again…and again. But they weren’t always people who regularly practiced with me. Once the person who asked was someone I just knew from a neighborhood coffee shop. Once, someone visiting from California before entering Kripalu teacher training, emailed me for additional tips as she approached her finals. Once a woman approached me after I subbed her regular class – she was already in a training program, but seriously considering dropping out over a major theological issue. By the time Yogi #26 (Annamaria) approached me it had occurred to me that maybe my presence as a teacher reminded people that they had something to offer the world. It was as if, after years of ruminating and precontemplation, something in them woke up and shouted, “If she can do that, I can so do that!”
“Wax on, right hand. Wax off, left hand. Wax on. Wax Off. Breathe – in through nose, out the mouth. {Sound of inhale, sound of ‘ha’ out} Wax on. Wax off. Don’t forget to breathe – very important. Wax on. Wax Off. Wax on…”
– Noriyuki “Pat” Morita as Mr. (Kesuke) Miyagi in The Karate Kid
Daniel: So, you’re suppose to teach and I’m suppose to learn….
Mr. Miyagi: You learned plenty.
Daniel: I learned plenty. I learned how to sand your decks, maybe. I waxed your car. Paint your house. Paint your fence. I learned plenty – right!
Mr. Miyagi: Ahh. Not everything is as seems.
– Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso and Noriyuki “Pat” Morita as Mr. (Kesuke) Miyagi in The Karate Kid
Yoga teacher training requires adjusting one’s life off the mat, in order to spend more time on the mat – even when the mat is all in one’s head. That adjustment can be extra hard for a modern day householder – who already has to balance life-at-work with life-at-home, life-at-play, life-with-family, life-with-friends, life-with-oneself, and life-with-one’s-spirit. Adding to all that, teacher training requires doing things over and over again, even when your arms no longer want to move, until whatever you’re doing becomes hardwired – hopefully without all the bad habits you’ll discover along the way. And, the more yoga you do, the more your personal yoga practice changes. Your body is different; your awareness of your body is different. Whereas before part of your mental challenge was letting go of all your regular daily life chatter, once you go through teacher training you’ll find yourself judging the poses (or the teachers) and thinking about how you’d cue the sequence you’re practicing if you were teaching your students – especially if your students are very different from the people surrounding you at a major yoga studio.
As a modern day householder, Annamaria decided pursuing teacher training was totally worth the personal investment. She wasn’t looking at teaching yoga as a stepping stone into a new career. She wanted to start with a basic 200-Hour training, which typically involves more than 200 hours worth of curriculum, and gradually add blocks which would enable her to serve in some underserved communities. Like me at the beginning of my yoga journey, she was inspired by the people around her who might find yoga beneficial – but didn’t (or couldn’t) want the benefits to come at the price of a new outfit and an $18 – $20 drop-in fee. Right now, we’re converging – still discussing what comes next as she evolves and grows as a teacher – but evidence of divergence is hard to ignore. Soon, Annamaria will do things as a yoga teacher that I will only ever dream of doing. She’s going to be one of our greats.
“What I think is very special about this is that he’s one of our great teachers, and great spiritual luminaries, and that there was anything that I did that inspired him…that inspires me. And it touches me. And it makes me feel like I’m on the path that I prayed to be on. So, I feel blessed to have had that reflected back to me – through the eyes, and through the words of the, one and only, Wayne Dyer.”
– India.Arie talking about Wayne Dyer talking about her song inspiring his teachings
“If I have seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.”
– my father paraphrasing Sir Isaac Newton
I grew up surrounded by teachers: my dad’s a professor; his mother was a school teacher; Sunday school teachers reign on both sides (starting for me with my mother’s grandmother); and one of my cousins taught people how to drive buses and trucks. All that before even mentioning all the behind-the-scenes mentoring, guiding, and teaching we take for granted because, ‘Hey, that’s what moms do, right?’ Loving school as I did, certain teachers always had a special place in my heart. Annamaria’s dedication to going deeper on behalf of her yoga students reminds me of my favorite teachers.
A few years after I started practicing yoga, I noticed myself referring to some people as “my yoga teacher” and others as “my yoga instructor” – for a moment I wondered why my subconscious mind would so consciously make that distinction. Then I wondered if it was true; was there a difference, and (if there was a difference) was it my perceptions of the teachers’ perceptions?
During my yoga teacher training, there was a lot of discussion about people who teach yoga and people who teach asana. Looking back, I realized that even though all my early classes included basic elements of the yoga philosophy, some teachers were focused on instructing us how to exercise the bodies, while others were focused on teaching us how to engage the mind-body connection on (and off) the mat. In the end, we teachers are like everybody else: We teach what we know.
A big giant thank you to the 15 yogis who held the space and shared the practice during my donation-based KISS MY ASANA class on Saturday, February 27th(details coming soon). If you’re interested, there are still spaces available for March 5th (6:30 – 8:00 PM at Flourish). Contact Myra at a joyfulpractice.com to reserve a spot (or two). Space is limited. Bay Area yogis, don’t forget: Sandra Razieli’s KISS MY ASANA class is in Oakland on Sunday, February 28th.
“A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.”
– Lao Tzu
“He who asks a question is a fool for a minute. He who does not ask remains a fool forever.”
– various sources
When I decided to ask people 7 questions as part of my 2016 Kiss My Asana commitment, I greatly underestimated how many times I would feel foolish and how much I would learn. Even if I had spent more time thinking like a research scientist, I’m not sure I could have anticipated the insights that came up when Yogi #25 (Helen) volunteered to answer the questions.
“All the insight we will ever need to live well will come from fully being who and where we are.”
Aha moments, also known as (intellectual or emotional) epiphanies, require a certain amount of awareness and knowledge. But no matter how prepared one is or how hard one works at it, no one seems to be able to mass produce “Eureka!” moments on demand.
In Your Brain at Work, and his Psychology Today blog of the same name, David Rock relates neuroscience research which indicates that “while it seems unlikely we can ‘control’ when we have an insight, it’s now very clear that we can dramatically increase the likelihood that an insight emerges.” According to the research, the elements required to help your brain produce more “aha” moments are the same elements practiced in meditation: Quiet; Inward-looking; Having a positive mood (i.e., being slightly happy/open/curious); and Non-Attachment/Beginner’s Mind.
Helen didn’t know the questions before I asked them – and I actually asked her an extra question. But, since she brought to the table a strong background in psychology and meditation, perhaps it was pretty natural, instinctual even, for her to do what I always suggest at the beginning of a practice – go deeper.
So often we can invest so much energy trying to repress the thoughts that most trouble and distress us, that we don’t spend the time needed to properly understand, heal and grow from these often insightful and potentially liberating thoughts.”– David Cunliffe
After her final answer, Helen and I spent a few minutes talking about some of the questions. In particular, we discussed Question #5: What words or sounds do you try not to utter in class?
Unbeknownst to Helen, Question #5 was partially inspired by people who have told me they don’t like to practice yoga in groups because they feel self-conscious about farting in public, and it was mirrored after James Lipton’s question about a person’s favorite curse word. If you’ve watched the other videos, you’ll notice that the answers to Question #5 vary; however, one thing the answers have in common is something Helen very insightfully pointed out. The answers to Question #5 inevitably relate to things society pressures people to suppress even though they are things naturally arising (and descending) in our minds/bodies. In other words, they are things are bodies/minds want to release.
Several meditation practices and dharma talks, as well as psychological and neurological studies, focus on what happens when we suppress emotions and natural bodily functions. These discourses often will also detail the ways our bodies and minds become polluted, and methods for cultivating more wholesome habits (i.e., habits which do not lead directly to suffering). However, one of the things that struck me as Helen and I talked is how much energy we humans spend conforming to what society has deemed “normal” – even when society’s scale is skewed, artificial, or incomplete.
We see beautiful people in magazines or posters striking a pose – without any information about what it took for them to achieve that pose. We get annoyed when someone the needs of someone other than ourselves disrupt our desires – without ever considering what’s most important or how we can compromise. We create spaces we say are inclusive, but which are – almost by definition – exclusive. Then we value that exclusivity with our time and money.
“There are times to let things happen, and times to make things happen. Now is that time. You will either make things happen, watch what happens, or wonder what happened.… The choices you make today sow the seeds for the future.”
Dianne Bondy, a Canadian yoga teacher and a leading voice of the Yoga & Body Image Coalition, leads workshops and teacher trainings which remind us that the philosophy of yoga does not describe a yogi as having a particular skin color, body type, socioeconomic or education level. Nor does it prescribe a particular ethnicity, political persuasion, gender or sexuality. Nowhere does it state that you can’t practice (or teach) yoga because you aren’t flexible, strong, and 100% fit. In fact, great teachers like B. K. S. Iyengar (who early in life suffered from malaria, typhoid, and tuberculosis) might not have practiced yoga at all if they had been born in the U. S. in the mid-20th century, because they wouldn’t have been deemed healthy enough to practice. If you feel me, don’t just say “Amen!” or “Ase, ase, ase!” Do it: Kiss My Asana – because we all create the spaces where we practice union (yoga).
My donation-based KISS MY ASANA class on Saturday, February 27th is full; however, I still have spaces available for March 5th (6:30 – 8:00 PM at Flourish). Contact Myra at a joyfulpractice.com to reserve a spot (or two). Space is limited. Bay Area yogis, don’t forget: Sandra Razieli’s KISS MY ASANA class is in Oakland on Sunday, February 28th.
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HONOR YOUR HEART AS IT’S DESIRES BECOME YOUR THOUGHTS,
Yogi #24 (Marilyn) gave me some amazingly delicious oranges once. She told me a little of their back story – they had been given to her by a friend who, if I remember correctly, has a grove in California. Eating the oranges gave me great joy (as she intended) and thinking of their back story filled me with awe and gratitude – but it also made me realize that, in reality, I knew very little of their back story.
How many people were responsible for the planting, the nurturing, the harvesting, and the transporting? How were their lives affected by the oranges? Who even had the idea to start all these endeavors? There was just no way to know. In the end, I could only be grateful.
“Gratitude is our ability to see the grace of God, morning by morning, no matter what else greets us in the course of the day. That has the effect of making us gracious as well.”
Marilyn herself is a lot like those oranges: Bright sunshine on a cold January day and present after long journeys, she is delightful, joyful, and fills me with awe and gratitude – yet I only know bits and pieces of her back story. I know she teaches; I know she heals; I know she loves animals, travel, and bicycling. Bottom line: I know just enough about Marilyn to know she has seen amazing places, people, and things in the world and encountered the very best and, possibly, the very worst that the world has to offer. Yet, she is always kind and graciously grateful, for the smallest things, even when someone has wronged her. And her smile lights up a room, even when she is frustrated.
“No other light, no other guide, Than the one burning in my heart. This light led the way More clearly than the risen sun To where he was waiting for me – The one I knew so intimately – In a place no one could find us.”
– Excerpt from Dark Night of the Soul by Saint John of the Cross (translated by Mirabai Starr)
“Every human life is made up of the light and the dark, the happy and the sad, the vital and the deadening. How you think about this rhythm of moods makes all the difference. Are you going to hide out in self-delusion and distracting entertainments? Are you going to become cynical and depressed? Or are you going to open your heart to a mystery that is as natural as the sun and the moon, day and night, summer and winter?”
Marilyn practices qigong as well as yoga, which means she’s one of the people who get’s my little energetic puns when I describe one set of arm movements as “Gathering Prana” and the complimentary set of movements as “Gathering Qi.” Both qi and prana are words used to describe the life-force energy that is within us and all around us. Like ruach, pneuma, and spiritus, these are also words which were once used to simultaneously define breath and spirit.
Our ancestors, from all their different cultures, didn’t distinguish between spirit and breath – they were both divinely given and received. Our ancestors, from all their different cultures, believed spirit/breath was the light of the world – it was in them and all around them. Now, the modern mind turns to quantum physics to confirm the Truth our ancestors already knew: We can gather it, guide and pull it; dance with it and in it. Like Marilyn. Or not.
“Of the deities presiding over light, I am the one for January, loved by all for turning the world’s course toward warmth. Of the wind gods who bring immense good in the world, I am the whirlwind. Of the daytime luminaries I am the radiant sun, and of the lights of the night I am the moon.”
“Of David: YHVH is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? YHVH is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”
– Tehillim (Psalms) 27:1
Jesus said, ‘I am the light that is over all things. I am all: from me all came forth, and to me all attained. / Split a piece of wood; I am there. / Lift up the stone, and you will find me there.’”
“I sit in my own splendor. / Wealth or pleasure, / Duty or discrimination, / Duality or nonduality, / What are they to me? / What is yesterday, / Tomorrow, / Or today? / What is space, / Or eternity? / I sit in my own radiance.”
One of my favorite sacred texts is the Ashtavakra Gita (The Song of the Man with 8-Bends in His Limbs). It presents the wisdom of a person whose outside is considered less than ideal, by the people around him. According to one of Ashtavakra’s back stories, he was 12-years old when he walked into the court of the King (who would eventually become his pupil) – and everyone laughed at him. Ashtavakra also laughed, and then he started to cry.
When the King asked why he first laughed, as everyone laughed at him, and then cried, Ashtavakra said, “I started laughing because you saw only my outside. I started crying because I crawled all this way to discuss the Truth with great scholars and all I find here are shoemakers and leather workers.” When the King took great offense and proclaimed his court a court of great scholars, Ashtavakra shook his head and said, “It is only shoemakers and leather workers who are so concerned with the quality of the outside that they can’t see the Truth within.”
I’d like to believe that, in these modern times, we’re not so one dimensional that a shoemaker and a leather worker can’t also be great scholars. Yet, too often, people in a position to teach the Truth get caught up with the quality of the outside. Too often, people in a position to receive the Truth get turned away because their outsides are considered less than ideal. Too often we all forget that we are in bodies together – and these bodies are the ideal vehicle for our spirits. The work being done by Matthew Sanford and Mind Body Solutions allows more people to experience the Truth of who we all are and how we are all connected. KISS MY ASANA if you see the Truth – or the light.
~ “If the family were a fruit, it would be an orange, a circle of sections, held together but separable – each segment distinct. – Excerpt from Family Politics: Love and Power on an Intimate Frontier Letty Cottin Pegrebin ~
– Seane Cornon “the best advice she’s been given as a teacher
“Find your struggle, learn your lesson, and then know your purpose.”
– a “Monaism” (saying by Mona Miller, as quoted by Seane Corn)
People who come to my classes always talk about how the experience (of practicing asana with philosophy) is different from their other yoga experiences. From day one, my original teachers all included some aspect of the philosophy into their classes, so that’s the only practice I knew. It’s a practice that resonated with me, because even as a child I was preoccupied with the idea that we are connected to something more than ourselves, something divine.
Early in my life, I assumed everyone was a little preoccupied with issues of theology and existentialism. But, over time, I’ve realized everyone doesn’t consciously question and struggle with philosophical and spiritual matters – even when they crave the answers to that struggling and questioning.
In listening to feedback from people, I’ve now started to realize that every teacher doesn’t teach the way I teach. So, last year when I was ready to host my first yoga practice, I wanted someone who could teach the kind of classes I teach: alignment focused classes with spirit! Two teachers immediately came to mind – and Yogi #23 (Sandra) was one of those teachers.
“Ben Zoma would say: Who is wise? One who learns from every man. As is stated (Psalms 119:99): ‘From all my teachers I have grown wise, for Your testimonials are my meditation.’”
“The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.”
– Luke 6:40
Sandra and I met almost five years ago at a Seane Corn vinyasa teacher training in Minneapolis. Unlike some of the other teachers in the training, we were already spirit-focused in our teaching. We had lunch together the first day, touched base throughout the week, and stayed in touch after she returned to California. One of the many reasons Sandra left such an impression on me is that she obviously teaches from her experiences – one of her specialties is Yoga for Scoliosis because she is a little curvy and has first-hand knowledge of how yoga benefits physical well-being. Another reason she left an impression on me is that she gave me her CD, “Morning Blessings”.
“The tent that houses you / houses your soul. / The Mischan, the hollow dwelling place / Be a vessel / for the love-song of God”
– Excerpt from “Morning Blessings” by Sandra Razieli (with reference to Hanna Tiferet)
“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; … Therefore honor God with your bodies.”
– 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
I spent the week of Thanksgiving 2011 practicing with Sandra’s “Morning Blessings” CD. Even though my annual trip to Texas is always busy, that year it felt like a retreat. Years later, when I was thinking about the takeaway experience I wanted people to have on a retreat I hosted, I thought about how I felt after practicing with Sandra’s CD.
Sandra is an Iyengar teacher, as well as a certified Yoga for Scoliosis Trainer, as well as a Yoga and Jewish Spirituality teacher, as well as an Anthropologist, a spiritual leader, and…I could keep going with her accomplishments; because, bottom line, she’s no slouch. Sandra is a person of integrity and honor, a true mentsch.
A mentsch is someone who respects the needs and wishes of others—especially the desires of those in his care.
In the care of each of us is entrusted a divine soul. She has a terrible allergy to all those messy deeds that darken her world, and desires only those beautiful deeds that will bring in more light.”
I can only imagine what a delight it would be to practice with Sandra on a weekly basis. What I know first-hand is that every time I am in her presence I learn something. Sometimes what I learn is obviously information inside me, just waiting for a way to be articulated; however, sometimes it feels like the information is just outside of myself, waiting to be invited in. Sandra has a way of inviting inspiration, grace, and spirit in – and she does it in a way that even someone who has refused the information in the past, suddenly is open to the invitation.
There are two ways to hug somebody. The first is to grab them and draw them in, but the second, perhaps a more refined approach, is to open your arms and create space for the other person. This opening is a passive energy of Hod (humility/gratitude) that makes room for others.”
I will always be grateful for the lessons I learned from collaborating with Sandra last year. We definitely enhanced what we each already bring to the table – and, in the process, we strengthened each other’s weak spots. However, Sandra once again upped my game when (at the end of our Sukkot/Gratitude retreat) she gave me a copy of The Kabbalah Sutras: 49 Steps to Enlightenment. I started the practice during my annual Thanksgiving trip, finished on my birthday, and experience a transformation I am still processing.
“Rabbi Ishmael the son of Rabbi Yossei would say: One who learns Torah in order to teach, is given the opportunity to learn and teach. One who learns in order to do, is given the opportunity to learn, teach, observe and do.”
– Excerpt from Ethics of the Fathers (Pirkei Avot) 4:5
I get a little goose-pimply when I think about all the ways my life-journey and Sandra’s life-journey have mystically, energetically, and spiritually overlapped. Take this weekend for example: We’re both leading donation-based classes which benefit Mind Body Solutions and the adaptive yoga program. My KISS MY ASANA class is in Minneapolis on Saturday, February 27th; Sandra’s KISS MY ASANA class is in Oakland on Sunday, February 28th. (Click on each of the KISS MY ASANA links above to find out more information about each class, as well as information about my second Minneapolis class on Saturday, March 5th.)
Just in case you’re not convinced Sandra is no slouch, you can also see her here in another Kiss My Asana video.
A Joyful Practice 