Come Celebrate Summer Solstice 2014! June 18, 2014
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 108 Sun Salutations, Books, Changing Perspectives, Donate, Faith, Fitness, Health, Japa, Japa-Ajapa, Karma, Karma Yoga, Mala, Mantra, Meditation, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Music, Peace, Philosophy, Surya Namaskar, Twin Cities, Yoga.4 comments
When the sun is shining I can do anything; no mountain is too high, no trouble too difficult to overcome.”
– Wilma Rudolph
This Saturday, June 21st, is Summer Solstice – the longest day of the year here in the northern hemisphere. It is the day when our part of the world tilts closest to the sun – and, it seemed to the old world, a day when the world pauses. The Middle English word solstice is derived from the Latin words for “sun” (sol) and “to stand still” (sistere). People all over the world mark this notable shift with holidays, festivals, and a variety of rituals. One way to mark the occasion is by practicing 108 Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar).
As the sun stands still, let’s move and celebrate the light.
A Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskar) is a full mind-body-spirit workout. The full range of motions within the practice, as well as the seamless connection to breath, establishes a meditative state and an awareness of each present moment. Practicing 108 Sun Salutations is a traditional way to celebrate seasonal changes, while promoting peace, healing, and personal transformation.
Anyone can do it! Everyone is welcome!
This Saturday. at 9:35 AM, a team of Downtown-Minneapolis YMCA yoga instructors will lead a 108 Sun Salutations as part of the YMCA’s Annual Campaign. Weather permitting, we will be on the Downtown-Minneapolis YMCA rooftop!
• TRANSFORM • RENEW • HEAL • ENERGIZE •
Embrace change, new beginnings, and new opportunities. Close the door on old habits and stagnate energy. Harness the power of a sacred cycle honoring and celebrating the connection between endings and beginnings.
WHO:
Everyone is welcome! Myra, Jared, and Mike K will keep count and offer suggestions, modifications, and encouragement so that even someone who has never practiced yoga can experience the power and benefits of this invigorating practice.
WHAT:
A Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskar) is a full mind-body-spirit workout. The full range of motions within the practice, as well as the seamless connection to breath, establishes a meditative state and an awareness of each present moment. Practicing 108 Sun Salutations is a traditional way to celebrate seasonal changes, while promoting peace, healing, and personal transformation.
WHEN & WHERE: Saturday, June 21, 2014
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Downtown-Minneapolis YMCA9:35 AM - 12:35 PM
Why is it so long?
We will breathe and flow as a community, at a pace appropriate for everyone within our sacred circle. Each round will begin with a dedication and end with a “restorative moment.” The traditional practice, including Savasana (a final resting pose) will take approximately 3 hours.
Since the physical practice prepares the body for a deep-seated meditation, everyone is invited to stay for a guided meditation.
How much?
The Downtown-Minneapolis mala is for YMCA members and their guests. It is also a donation-based class benefiting the YMCA Annual Campaign. Please contact the Downtown-Minneapolis YMCA about parking on Saturday.
~ NAMASTE ~
Calling All Karma Yogis April 17, 2014
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 31-Day Challenge, Books, Changing Perspectives, Donate, Faith, Fitness, Health, Hope, Karma, Karma Yoga, Love, Meditation, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Music, Peace, Philosophy, Science, Surya Namaskar, Twin Cities, Volunteer, Writing, Yoga.add a comment
“a karma yogi devoted to service to spread truth & peace” – from Be The Change by MC Yogi
We’ve reached Day 17 of the Kiss My Asana Yogathon! And, while you may think you’ve missed the boat, it’s not even close. You still have multiple ways to give and to practice, including these three (3).
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If you haven’t started the 30 Poses in 30 Days, follow this 30 days link, and either start with today – no matter what day it is – or start from the beginning. This is your chance to practice more yoga – even if you haven’t ever practiced.
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You can still join my Joyful team by making a donation here.
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For the ultimate Kiss My Asana experience, join Kari Anderson and me this Saturday (April 19th, at 3:30 PM) for a donation based yoga experience at Nokomis Yoga. This 90-minute Kiss My Asana event will be inspired by Matthew Sanford’s teachings and the spirits of everyone practicing yoga together – regardless of their size, shape, or physical and mental abilities. We’re going to have some energetic fun and donate all the proceeds to Mind Body Solutions. The class is open to all abilities, but we have very limited space. Please RSVP at ajoyfulpractice at gmail.com if you would like to join us.
XOXOXO
LOOKING FOR ANSWERS WITHIN THE QUESTIONS December 16, 2012
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Fitness, Health, Hope, Karma, Karma Yoga, Mantra, Meditation, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Music, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Science, Suffering, Tragedy, Twin Cities, Uncategorized, Writing, Yoga.Tags: answers to tragedy, finding hope, personal crisis, questioning faith
2 comments
Q & A
Anyone who comes to my class knows I love stories. And, they can also tell you: I am an equal opportunity storyteller. This time of year is full of some of my favorite stories. Take Chanukah, for instance: within this celebration of light is the story of “Not Much,” the story of “Give It All You’ve Got,” and an opportunity to explore the original meaning of the word “miracle.” On Wednesday people all over the world were looking for and/or celebrating miracles. It wasn’t just that some people saw 12/12/12 as an auspicious date; it was also the middle of Chanukah, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and the beginning of the Baha’i month of Masa’il (“Questions”).
Personally, I was excited, all fired up, inspired and ready for an “intensely fun, intensely intense” practice on Saturday.
Then, on Friday night, when I heard about yet another mass shooting and a death in my family, I was having a hard time focusing on fun.
It doesn’t matter if it’s today; yesterday; almost 2, 311 years ago (around 300 BCE); or nearly 100 years before that, when bad things happen we question. However, our questions don’t just stop with, “Why?” or “How could this happen?”
The closer we are to the tragedy; the bigger the scale of the tragedy; or the more innocent the people involved, the more we question. Sometimes, we question everything we believe to be true. We may question our faith, the very foundation of our existence, the things (literally and figuratively) that support us when we struggle. And, more often than not, we seek answers from that same foundation or truth – be it God, science, our leaders, or our community.
In every culture and in every heart, there is a word for that ultimate truth; for that something universal within us, and all around us. (Even science has subatomic particles that are in everything.) And in every heart, there is a question we can direct to that source, a question, which can also be an answer.
מכבים गायत्री
In Exodus 15, “Moses and the sons of Israel,” sing the praises of God to God and in doing so they cite a number of marvels (also known as miracles). When a band of brothers/a father and his sons/a clan of priests chose Maccabee as their moniker and battle cry, they not only used a variation of a word meaning “hammer,” they used an acronym for a Torah verse (Shemot/Exodus 15:11): “Who is like You…among the mighty? Glorious in holiness fearful in praises, performing wonders (miracles)?”
The Maccabees took their question to the source and within the question they found their answer: the source. They also found inspiration.
I think what they did is similar to what Rainer Maria Rilke means in Letters to a Young Poet, when he writes, “Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you will not be able to live them…. Live your questions now, and perhaps even without knowing it, you will live along some distant day into your answers.”
My plan for today’s practice: Embody a question (addressed to the source) that simultaneously inspires and answers. Everyone would have their own personal question(s) and their own way of articulating “the source.” The tricky part would be getting everyone on the same wavelength.
In yoga, we talk about the light (or energy) within us, and all around us. When we move through our physical practice, our physical focus may change from moment to moment, but we have the opportunity to maintain a single-pointed mental focus, a meditation point. Adding mantra to our movement can strength our focus, and get us all on the same wavelength.
Today, I used the Gayatri Mantra to get us on the same wavelength.
People using a mantra for seated meditation often use a mala (“garland” or “ring”) to maintain japa (“repetition” or “remembering”) without excess effort (ajapa-japa or “constant awareness”). In the physical practice, using kirtan (mantra with music) is a great way to achieve a similar meditative state. More often than not, when I use kirtan in a class, the sequencing is progressive in the sense that each time we complete a cycle we begin it again and then add an additional pose or two. Occasionally, I will even get “asana-happy” (or maybe it’s “prana-happy”) and sequence in a mandala (“circle”).
Today, I wanted to go even deeper. Inspired by this idea of living the question, addressed to the source, I took another look at the Gayatri Mantra itself.
When I’ve used the Gayatri Mantra in the past, I’ve emphasized various translations and focused on the story of Visvamitra, the sage responsible for the mantra, and the peak pose named after him. But, this time I looked at the structure of the mantra.
One of the unique aspects of the Gayatri Mantra is its most common name comes from its meter. When in Sanskrit, a “great utterance” is followed by three (3) eight-syllable lines (padas or “feet”). What happens, I wondered, if an extended inclined sequence was followed by three (3) sequences, which each contained eight poses or pose variations? And what would happen if all the sequences put together made up a mandala? And what would happen if the repetition of the mandala prepared us for Visvamitrasana? And can I even get a room full of completely different bodies and practices to the point where their hips, hamstrings, shoulders, triceps/biceps, back, and core (not to mention their wrists) can even safely consider the possibility?
So many questions…that today become so many answers.
When we are moved to move, and we move to seek answers within ourselves, do we become the answer? When we live the question, as Rilke suggests, and our question is, “What can we do to make things better, brighter, to change this great wrong or keep it from happening again?” do we become the change?
OFF THE MAT
Right now, lots of people are asking questions and calling for change, personally and globally. Lots of people are also insisting they know all the answers – sometimes insisting so fervently, in fact, that they can’t even hear themselves let alone the people around them.
I’m not claiming to have any answers…just more questions. I also have a desire to be still and quiet enough to hear all the answers when they come.
And, just like I do when I am seeking guidance, answers, and inspiration from the source of all things, I think some of our questioning and listening needs to be focused on the people who are the source of these tragedies, people who are in so much pain they want to hurt themselves and the people around them.
Finally, I hope that when the right answers come, we are strong enough, wise enough, and courageous enough to recognize and live those answers.
Vinyasa Class Notes
Key Asana Sequence: Anjaneyasana (“Crescent Lunge”) with Inverted Namaskar to Anjaneyasana to Modified Virabhadrasana III (“Warrior III”) to 3 variations of Virabhadrasana III to Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana (“Standing Splits”) with Squats, Seated Sage Twist, and Gomukhasana (“Cow Face”)
Song(s) That Had To Make The Cut: multiple versions “Gayatri Mantra”
Song(s) Played Loud For Motivation: multiple versions of “Gayatri Mantra”
Song(s) Related To Theme (if you think about it): “Princes of the Universe” by Bear McCreary
~ NAMASTE ~
Day Twenty-What?!?! February 1, 2011
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 21-Day Challenge, 40-Day Challenge, Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Fitness, Health, Mantra, Meditation, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Movies, Music, Peace, Philosophy, Super Heroes, Texas, Twin Cities, Yoga.1 comment so far
Day 22
My housemate has a way of saying, “What?!?” that embodies more astonishment, amazement, and awe than an adult male should be capable of mustering. It is incredulous. It is not, however, a childlike exclamation. It is one that can only be expressed by a person with a certain amount of knowledge, experience, and – yes – delight. It is the sound I hear when I think of Day 22.
During the 3rd week of the Yoga Journal 21-Day Challenge, I made several allusions to continuing the practice. After all, I had done 40-day challenges before and, as my housemate recently reminded me, 42 is “the answer to life, the universe, and everything.” So, on that level, it makes sense to do another 21 days.
Today was suppose to be a day off, but I had planned to sub a 50-minute class at the Y. It was a departure from the classes I normally teach, a super SPY class: Silent Power Yoga. In some ways it felt liberating to forgo music and my usual preparatory practice. I knew it was going to be a refining and aligning sequence; a tuning, if you will. After completing my 5-minute morning meditation and the Morning Sequence with Kate Holcombe, I knew today’s theme was going to be more super hero than super spy.
Able To, edited by Neil Ellis Orts, is an anthology of stories about people with super powers. These people, however, are not your typical superheroes. They’re more Zen then that. Like the girl whose words become flowers, some of these people have really cool powers for which we can all strive: being able to extend loving-kindness, compassion, to any one and everyone – in any situation. All of these stories make me think: what else could we do, if we tried?
In his book Power Yoga, Beryl Bender Birch refers to a zen koan that sounds like it was written especially for modern day yogis: Only when you can be extremely soft and pliable, can you be extremely hard and strong. Think Plastic Man, without the acid and the history of crime.
In today’s world, we sometimes think of being soft and pliable as being a bad thing. We imagine that bending will lead to breaking. In fact, the opposite holds true. Think of the way a palm tree and a pine tree react to strong wind. Both have strong roots, but the palm tree can hold up the longest, because it bends with the wind. The same thing is true in life: sometimes the only way to withstand the pressures around us is to give a little, bend a little. Being flexible, literally and figuratively, can be a super power for which we can all strive.
There are plenty of times in a yoga class when I see people struggling to hold or get into a pose. I encourage them to slow down their breath, and to relax…something. Sometimes I’ll even remind them that finding a deeper expression is, quite literally, finding a way to smile in the pose: inhale the corners of your mouth up to your ears, exhale and relax your jaw. See, instantly, you have a “deeper expression.”
Take a moment to consider a difficult situation in your life. Take a moment to consider how you react to even the thought of this difficult situation. Does your jaw clench? Do your shoulders move closer to your ears? What’s going on with the space between your eyebrows? What about the space between your fingers and toes? What about your breath and your heartbeat?
OK, now, consider how all these expressions of power serve you.
Take a moment, in the moment, to see what happens if you find a deeper expression, whatever that means to you. Maybe you relax your shoulders. Maybe you take a deep breath in, a deeper breath out. Maybe, just maybe, you soften your brow and smile.
Today, and the next 20 days, for me will be about finding ways to be more flexible. The funny thing is, on New Year’s Eve, when I was told (essentially) that I needed to be more flexible this year, I thought it was the most ludicrous suggestion in the world.
Little did I know.
Which is one of the great things about doing challenges like this. Not only do you give yourself the opportunity to embrace change and create space for change in your life, you also discover things you never knew you could know.
~ BE WELL AND BE GREAT ~
Day 21, The Perfect Time For A Tune Up February 1, 2011
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 21-Day Challenge, 40-Day Challenge, Books, Changing Perspectives, Fitness, Health, Mantra, Meditation, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Music, Philosophy, Texas, Twin Cities, Yoga.add a comment
Day 21
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things
I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.
– Serenity Prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr
Life happens. As long as you’re breathing, there’s no getting around it – life. As I said on Thursday, “Life is unexpected, surprising, and miraculous – it is full of the unexpected” The unexpected came in waves this past week and weekend and so, by Sunday, I felt lucky to get out of bed. Albeit, a little later than usual and with much more to do than normal. Playing catch-up meant I barely had time for my 5-minute meditation and a 20-minute asana practice. I was struggling; and, when I struggle I feel the need for a tune up.
When something mechanical – a car, for instance – needs a tune up, we take it to a professional. It’s a job that happens without us. But, when I think of tuning up as it relates to yoga, I think of a more personally interactive process. I think back to my years working for the ballet. Professional dancers take class every day; orchestra musicians start every performance by tuning up together. So, to me, tuning up means a bunch of people breathing together and running through the scales or the basics. Tuning up, is tuning in. Of course, sometimes other people are not available. So, you tune/turn to something elemental.
There is nothing more elemental than breath, and the sound of your breath. So, the first step is always to focus on the breathing. Then, to deepen the breath. Finally, when tuning, I find it’s nice to combine the breath with a mantra. Then, more often than not, I add a little movement. Asana, Pranayama, Dharana, Dhyana – half of the 8-limbs of yoga – are a great way to tune in and tune up.
Because it sounds like breathing and because I have some really great recordings of it, “So Hum/Hum Sa” is my default class mantra. My students may even say I over use it, but I’m not sure that’s possible. Still, when it came to Sunday’s practice and classes I ended up going with a mantra more in keeping with my current mindset: Om Namah Shivaya.
Om Namah Shivaya can be translated or interpreted in a lot of different ways. On a very basic level, it is considered a bhakti mantra, a devotional hymn. “Om” is the sound of the universe; the vibration under everything. “Namah” is honor or respect. “Shivaya” is a name for the divine. Of course, that last part can be the sticking part, because those of us in the West tend to view the divine in very different and conflicting ways – which is why I like to go deeper, look at it from a yoga perspective.
Yoga, on a basic level, is all about connecting the mind, the body, and the spirit. In the physical practice of yoga, we usually consider mind-body-spirit connection successful if we can be fully present and fully aware of what we’re doing at any given moment. But the ultimate connection is union with the divine. Samadhi, the 8th limb outlined in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, is considered enlightenment: the fundamental and conscious awareness that we are connected to all things, all people – and yes, to a divine spirit.
Breaking it down, “Om” represents an individual’s conscious, unconscious, and subconscious mind – it is the sound of our full awareness. “Namah Shivaya” represents the 5 elements that are inside of us and all around us: earth, water, fire, air, and ether (spirit). When we repeat this mantra on a personal level, we bring our full awareness to all we are, all that is around us, and all we are capable of creating or enduring. I usually correlate this mantra to the middle of the Serenity Prayer: the courage to change the things I can….However, the more I think about it – meditate on it – the more I realize it’s the whole enchilada. This mantra tunes you in to what is inside you and all around you; it wakes you up to what you can accept and what you can change.
On a physical level, Sunday’s practices became about being upside down. My students would probably say we did Standing Splits (Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana) 50 billion times. In reality (and 60 minutes), however, we could only do 3 on each side. Each time we came at it in a slightly different way and each time, theoretically, was an opportunity to take it deeper. On a subliminal level, each one was also an opportunity to accept, to change, and to distinguish the differences between what we could change and what we could accept.
In between my second and third class, I completed my 18-Minute So Hum Meditation. I was sitting in a chair, on top of a block, and at some point the motion detectors turned out the lights. It was peaceful, but more than anything it reinforced how tired I was. I planned to do one of the video practices when I first got home. However, after my third class, all I wanted was a nap.
My nap almost became a good night’s sleep. At 5 AM Monday morning, I woke up fully clothed and tried to do the Evening Sequence with Kate Holcombe. I lasted about 10 minutes. Normally, I would beat myself up about this, consider it a failure. But after the last 21 days, all I could do was accept it. And go back to bed.
The challenge that came in like a lion, went out like a lamb.
Or, so it would seem.
~ Om Namah Shivaya Om ~
A Day (18) of Surprises January 28, 2011
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 21-Day Challenge, Books, Changing Perspectives, Fitness, Food, Health, Mantra, Meditation, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Philosophy, Texas, Twin Cities, Yoga.add a comment
Day 18
“Be prepared.” – Motto for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America
“To expect the unexpected shows a thoroughly modern intellect.” – Oscar Wilde
Ask almost any red-blooded American and they can tell you the motto for the Boy Scouts of America: Be Prepared – or, always be prepared. Ask for the Girl Scouts motto and even former Girl Scouts like me draw a blank. We have to look it up. Turns out the scouting organizations share the same motto. And, while I may not have remembered the motto as being part of my scouting days, it is something I take to heart. Scouts have their trusty pocket knives and can make a tourniquet out of a belt or sash. I have a backpack I refer to as my portable office. People say even the “small” one is bigger than me. I try to carry everything I might need during the course of a day; but, even I’m not prepared for everything (not even close). There are things (and times) for which you can only prepare for by being open to whatever comes: expect the unexpected.
Today was one of those days when I could have probably (undoubtedly) left the pack at home. I was planning to sub a class that is usually taught without music, and I planned to open it up for requests – which I rarely ever do. After lunch with a fellow Texan, I planned to meet with Cynthia Rae Levine, another yoga instructor, and then take her prenatal class so that I could sub for her in the future. Somewhere along the way, I planned to practice the sequence featured for Day 18 of Yoga Journal’s 21-Day Challenge and practice one or both of my meditations.
This should have been a big purse or a pocket-full-of-stuff day, but I wasn’t prepared to go out without my full arsenal, so I swung on my “small” pack. Just in case.
Rewinding just a bit, I should mention that the unexpected happened before I ever left the house. My alarm was acting funny and I ended up getting out of bed a little later than I planned. Normally I plan to arrive where ever I’m teaching at least 30 minutes early; that way, if there’s a delay, I’m usually covered. Sometimes when I’m subbing I give myself even more grace time, but sometimes I give myself less. Even though I woke up later than usual, the class was later than when I usually teach and I figured I had time to fit in some aspects of my daily routine.
I sat for 5 minutes, which became 10 before I realized I had incorrectly set the alarm. I still had time to do the Day 18 video, a 30-Minute Aligning and Refining Forward Bends Practice with Elise Lorimer. But it was going to be tight. I almost skipped the video, just so I wouldn’t have to rush and (to be honest) I wasn’t sure I’d had enough sleep to keep up with one of Lorimer’s sequences. I ultimately decided to do the video, but I set the alarm to keep myself on schedule. (And yes, I double checked the alarm.)
I liked this sequence a lot more than the “Fun Flow.” It was still intense on the hips and I can see some people saying parts are cued a little fast, but it felt really good. I didn’t feel like I was opening up for forward bending – or that I was refining my forward bends – but I get where she was going. I also felt like it was fun and could be challenging for a variety of different fitness and experience levels. I especially liked the IT band stretch based on Ardha Hanumanasana. I haven’t been doing a lot of Eka Pada Rajakopatasana I (One Legged King Pigeon I) in my classes, because I feel like a lot of attention needs to be given to the proper alignment. So, I was a little surprised to find it in this mix. However, going into it, and Cow Face pose (legs only), gave me an opportunity to notice how my hips have changed over the last few months. Also, because I felt like the sequence lacked forward bending, I paid particular attention to the King Pigeon feels and works as a forward bend. I was a little disappointed in the way the block and blanket were used. A fully supported Standing Forward Fold or a fully supported Pascimottanasana would have been appreciated during this sequence. I’m pretty sure Lorimer was going for the latter at the end of the sequence, but I felt like it would have been more effective with the blanket on top of the legs and the block on top of that. The video seemed to go over 30-minutes, so I didn’t get the extended Savasana for which my body was begging. It would have been really nice after this sequence. Overall, I felt really good – good enough to meditate – but I didn’t have time.
I missed my bus and had to take the train, which was delayed a little bit. Honestly, I was gratefully for the slight delay because it enabled me to catch the “earlier” train. Then I discovered that the slight delay was probably a direct result of a power line falling on the train tracks and disrupting service to downtown.
Hmm, nothing in my backpack was going to help with this situation. All I could do was take a deep breath; get on the bus acting as the train; reassure a business man he wouldn’t be far from his hotel; and call my supervisor to say I would probably be a minute or two late.
I was 2 minutes late. After running through Macy’s and the skyway, I climbed up the stairs to the 6th floor studio – only to discover another teacher was teaching the class. I quietly, and as unobtrusively as possible, closed the door and headed back down the stairs. I was relieved that the class had started on time, but I was unprepared to discover there had been some scheduling confusion and the other teacher had showed up expecting to teach all along. Again, I was relieved and – again – there was nothing in my pack to help with the fact that we might encounter the same confusion on Monday. I took a deep breath and left the other teacher a message, hoping we could clear up in confusion in the morning.
My Texas friend and I met for lunch a little earlier than we had planned. Then we explored a cafe/bakery/deli/baltic import shop across the street from where we had lunch. We had a great time, as we always do, and our little retail adventure was an unexpected pleasure. (My backpack finally came in handy, because my friend brought me a package from home, which I handily slipped into my pack, but this was neither unexpected or absolutely necessary.)
Eventually, I made it over to the coffee shop near the studio to meet with Cynthia. Both of us were running late – nothing major, and nothing in my pack that would have made a big difference. We had tea and then moved over to the studio for class. I pulled some of my yoga goodies out of my pack; but, seriously folks, I could have foregone the goodies or carried them in a large purse.
At the beginning of class, Cynthia has everyone introduce themselves and give some information about their pregnancy. She also has a question for each of the “mamas” to answer. Tonight’s question was “What word are you currently associating with your pregnancy?”
Well, since I’m not pregnant, I went with an obvious one: Miraculous. One of the women said, “Surprising.” Either of those words could apply to my feelings during and after the class. Plainly put, Cynthia led an amazing class that was three parts inspiration, one part exertion, and two parts relaxation. Plus, it was a super fun combination of hip openers, core engagement, breathing, balance, and forward bending. When we moved into Savasana I felt, in a nutshell, so phenomenal and so utterly relaxed, I wished I was pregnant just so I would have an excuse to come back next week.
Nothing in my back pack prepared me for that.
At the end of the day, as I sat down to do my 18-Minute So Hum Meditation, I couldn’t help but think about how the day started and all the little things that happened along the way. Then I thought of something Cynthia repeated throughout our conversations during tea, and during the introduction to her class: “Life is life.” To me, that summed up my day, my week, and this whole 21-day yoga challenge, Life is unexpected, surprising, and miraculous – it is full of the unexpected. And, it doesn’t matter how many gadgets are on your Swiss Army knife or in your backpack, the only way you can really be prepared for everything is if you are prepared to breath through anything.
Cynthia Rae Levine teaches prenatal classes at Nokomis Yoga and at Blooma. If you're looking for a prenatal class or a doula in the Twin Cities, check her out!
~ NAMASTE ~
Day 16’s Two For One Special January 26, 2011
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 21-Day Challenge, Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Daoism, Fitness, Health, Mantra, Meditation, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Movies, Music, Philosophy, Science, Taoism, Texas, Twin Cities, Yoga.add a comment
Day 16
“Who knows whether it is bad luck or good luck,” says the Taoist farmer.
“Is that so?” asks the Zen monk.
“Everything…is the best,” says the Zen shopkeeper.
“Gam zu l’tovah,” says Nachum Ish Gamzu.
In the modern world, especially here in the West, we tend to view things as they come. We are quick to assume that what we have, here and now, is the whole story. And, we are quick to judge accordingly. We define a situation – or another person – as good, bad, or irrelevant depending on how it measures up to our current goals and desires. We suffer, because we react to what’s happening in a moment that is nothing more, nothing less, than the middle of a chapter. Even if (you think) this chapter is the end of your life, it is hardly ever where your story ends.
In fact, even if you’re right, and this is the last chapter of your living life, there’s still another chapter in your story – it just involves other people. If you’re wrong, and this is not the last chapter in your living life, then the next chapter is all about how your attitude about a current situation affected your future situations.
I’ve seen people recover from tragedy because they had a positive attitude. I’ve also seen people who seem to age dramatically because they can’t get past a calamity. Personally, I believe we have an infinity capacity for joy and love, but that we are only given the grief we can handle. Call me a romantic optimist. I still recognize the problem with this philosophy is that sometimes things happen which make us doubt our ability to handle the situation. We fall into the trap of believing it is the end of the story. We become disappointed, irritated, angry – and those emotions begin to supersede the joy, the hope, the love.
My Day 16 story is mostly about molehills that could have turned into mountains. Although, there is a funny celebrity moment and a really dramatic moment (which isn’t mine). The stories behind the teachings quoted above, are a little deeper. Take a moment to consider one or both of the sections below. Consider your answers to the questions which appear after the teachings. Then, see where those answers lead you.
Be open to the possibility that you don’t have the whole story. See if you can Be receptive to the inevitable joy that comes from recognizing everything is for the good.
My Day 16 Molehills
The Stories Behind The Teachings
~ Be open, be receptive. ~
27 Days Away From The Answer To Everything (Day 15 of Yoga Journal’s 21-Day Challenge) January 25, 2011
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Day 15
“Neti, neti!”
– Ajatsatru describing the nature of the divine and telling Gargya how not to meditate. Often translated as, “Not this, not this.” (The Brihadaranyaka Upanishads)
My housemate and I have discussed the wisdom and reasoning behind which videos have been repeated during Yoga Journal’s 21-Day Challenge. I think I understand the reasoning, and I even appreciate the wisdom. Neither one of us, however, has been very interested in repeating the “Fun Flow” which appears on the first day of each week. Last night I went to bed thinking I would get up early and combine the Elise Lorimer video with another video. Or two. I even thought, since I was off, I would catch up on the audio streaming meditations featured during the challenge. Monday, however, turned out to be a good day to pay the piper.
As I mentioned yesterday, all the late nights and running around comes at a cost. Today was cold (yes, I know, that’s Minnesota in the winter) and since I had a day off I decided to catch up on some much needed sleep. I know plenty of people who wake up like clock work, even on their day off, and view a midday nap as a mortal sin. These people also tend to think of waking up at 9:30 AM as sleeping in. I am not one of these people. So, when I woke up this morning I thought nothing of putting off my very ambitious plans for the day and staying in bed to finish reading a book. I have no shame; I’ll even admit to taking a nap. In fact, I barely got out of bed to eat. I probably would have switched from pajamas to yoga gear and back again if a friend hadn’t asked me to go out for dinner. Like I said, today was the day to pay the piper – and the piper was very well paid.
Once I finally came out of hibernation mode, I sat for 5 minutes and then decided I wanted to complete a video practice and the 18-Minute So Hum Meditation before I left the house. I didn’t have the time or the inclination to do the 45-minute video sequence, which I also skipped last week. I used the 15-Minute Morning Sequence as my substitution. Granted, it was no longer morning – not by a long shot – but Kate Holcombe says this sequence could be done in the afternoon if you need a little energy. All in all, it’s a very light practice and it does a good job of clearing the cobwebs that linger in the brain after sleeping. Or napping. You could also do all or part of this sequence in your office instead of grabbing that fourth cup of coffee. Or that second doughnut. Think of it as continuing the momentum of a good habit.
Today was a day when I could have easily skipped a physical practice all together. There are a variety of reasons why someone might take a day away from asana. “Ashtang-is” may not practice during certain phases of the moon. Some traditions recommend not practicing at all during menstruation or at least not on a woman’s heavy flow days. Then there’s days, like today, when you’re tired. I firmly believe in listening to the mind-body-spirit. Yes, we have an odd way of communicating with ourselves. The mind-body has a tendency to send messages like, “I’m hungry” when it’s thirsty. Or, it doesn’t commit to doing an inversion because you might fall. In both cases, however, the mind-body is doing it’s job: it’s protecting and nurturing the case that holds the spirit. Sometimes, taking a complete break is a great way to protect and nurture. It creates balance. Sometimes, however, what we need is a little cross training. My overall practice is very active (yang), so occasionally doing a restorative practice (yin) – like the ones presented by Kate Holcombe – can be a nice alternative to not practicing.
Not practicing is not an option when you’re in the middle of a challenge like the Yoga Journal 21-Day Challenge, which creates a new habit or routine through momentum. Having made a commitment to the process, as opposed to a goal, you find a way to make it work, one day at a time.
During January, we see a lot of new faces at the gyms and studios, because people have made New Year’s resolutions. Some of those faces become familiar. Some, however, disappear after a few weeks. Most of the latter group tries committing to a goal, which rarely works. I’m not saying that visualizing the goal can’t be helpful. It can, in fact, be super motivating. You still, however, have to take the first step. And then, you have to take the second step. And so on. It’s easy, after all, to give up on some lofty idea that may never happen. Fitting into a different dress size; not smoking after 20 years; keeping in touch with friends who’ve moved; and spending quality time with our family are all things we’d like to do, but if doing it were so easy, we wouldn’t need the resolution. We’d just do it.
And that’s the key, the answer to everything: just do it. Then keep doing it. Instead of making a resolution, make a sankalpa (determination promise): a commitment to the process that brings you closer to your goal.
One of the goals of doing Yoga Journal’s 21-Day Challenge is to help people develop a home practice. Unfortunately, some people – even people with a regular practice – have to get passed the idea that having a home practice is a lofty goal. This becomes a little like the Upanishads conversation between Gargya and Ajatsatru. A home practice doesn’t have to be a super complicated sequence or even a simple 2-hour one. It doesn’t have to be a series requiring a lot of space and props. It doesn’t even have to be something you do at home, per se. It could be one pose; done every morning before you go to work, every afternoon before lunch, or every evening before bed. It could be a peak pose you do after every class you take at a studio or gym. The important thing is to find something that works, and to keep doing it – to keep practicing.
My housemate and I are not the only people who have expressed preferences about a particular sequence or teacher. We’re human, it happens. But, like so many people, we’ve both made a commitment to the process. So we’re finding ways to make it work. We’re finding what works for us, as individuals – which is a great reminder that, traditionally speaking, a personal practice should be as unique as the individual who practices it. The beauty of this challenge, the sequences, and these teachers is that people have the opportunity to try different styles, at different times, and to really see what’s going to work long term. By focusing on the process, we focus on the practice. Ultimately, the process becomes the goal. That’s the practice.
A Joyful Practice 