2016 Kiss My Asana #22:Working with an Awakening Heart February 24, 2016
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Bhakti, Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Confessions, Depression, Dharma, Donate, Faith, Fitness, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Karma, Karma Yoga, Life, Loss, Love, Mantra, Meditation, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Movies, Music, Mysticism, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Science, Suffering, Tragedy, TV, Twin Cities, Vipassana, Volunteer, Wisdom, Women, Writing, Yoga.Tags: community, donation-based events, finding hope, Karma Yoga, KISS MY ASANA, loving-kindness, Mind Body Solutions, Mindfulness
add a comment
“This is what should be done
By one who is skilled in goodness,
And who seeks the path of peace:
Let them be able and upright,
Straightforward and gentle in speech.
Humble and not conceited,”
– Excerpt from “Karaniya Metta Sutta: The Buddha’s Words on Loving-Kindness” (Sn 1.8), translated from the Pali by The Amaravati Sangha. Access to Insight (Legacy Edition), 2 November 2013
“The Buddha said that we are never separated from enlightenment. Even at the times we feel most stuck, we are never alienated from the awakened state. This is a revolutionary assertion. Even ordinary people like us with hang-ups and confusion have this mind of enlightenment called bodhichitta. The openness and warmth of bodhichitta is in fact our true nature and condition. Even when our neurosis feels far more basic than our wisdom, even when we’re feeling most confused and hopeless, bodhichitta—like the open sky—is always here, undiminished by the clouds that temporarily cover it.”
– Excerpt from“Bodhichitta: The Excellence of Awakened Heart” from The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Time by Pema Chödrön*
Yoga, and its sister science Ayurveda, can be great healing tools – especially if you’ve identified what’s going on in the body and in the mind. Since I’m not a medical doctor, a psychotherapist, or an Ayurvedic practitioner, I avoid diagnosing people who come to my classes. However, if I were to offer a simple assessment of Yogi #22 (Mary C.), I would say she exhibits the characteristics outlined in the Karaniya, has a tendency to breath into the soft spot of her own heart, and “hear the cries of the world.”* On and off the mat, she practices ways to awaken the heart.
Chitta means “mind” and also “heart” or “attitude.” Bodhi means “awake,” “enlightened,” or “completely open.” Sometimes the completely open heart and mind of bodhichitta is called the soft spot, a place as vulnerable and tender as an open wound. It is equated, in part, with our ability to love. Even the cruelest people have this soft spot. Even the most vicious animals love their offspring. As Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche put it, “Everybody loves something, even if it’s only tortillas.”
– “Bodhichitta: The Excellence of Awakened Heart” from The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Time by Pema Chödrön
When you’re talking to Mary C. there is no question that she is present, engaged, and listening. Her focus is deliberate; mindful; skillful – and results in a hum that sounds a lot like someone whispering the question, “Do you realize you are loved?” If one can hear such a hum, and not be unsettled by it, it becomes one of the most comforting experiences in the world.
But, everyone isn’t comfortable being loved. And, being the one who always loves is not always easy or comfortable. In fact, there could be a downside to being the person that instigates that hum. After all, everybody isn’t humming along. And, if you are aware of the hum – and aware of the harmony – you are also aware of the dissonance, the lack of harmony. Being aware is a beautiful blessing, but not getting swamped by the darkness in the world requires effort. Mary C. not only makes the effort, she works it!
“An analogy for bodhichitta is the rawness of a broken heart. Sometimes this broken heart gives birth to anxiety and panic; sometimes to anger, resentment and blame. But under the hardness of that armor there is the tenderness of genuine sadness. This is our link with all those who have ever loved. This genuine heart of sadness can teach us great compassion. It can humble us when we’re arrogant and soften us when we are unkind. It awakens us when we prefer to sleep and pierces through our indifference. This continual ache of the heart is a blessing that when accepted fully can be shared with all.”
– “Bodhichitta: The Excellence of Awakened Heart” from The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Time by Pema Chödrön
I don’t mean to imply that Mary C. is a saint. Just like everybody else, she has her off days. However, while some of us check out on our off days, I’ve seen Mary C. own hers. In fact, I think her off days make her more curious. She is curious about the techniques and skills that will improve her life physically, mentally, and emotionally. And, underlying her personal curiosity is the awareness that if she improves her life, lives around her will improve.
If you are curious about ways to improve your life – physically, mentally, and emotionally – check out a yoga class at Mind Body Solutions (or at your local Y or neighborhood studio). If you’re not sure where to begin, check out a donation-based class anywhere or contact Mind Body Solutions to find out if they’ve trained a teacher near you. Even people across the pond are KISS(ing) MY ASANA! Have you?
Want to KISS MY ASANA while you practice? Contact Myra at a joyfulpractice.com to reserve a spot (or two) at a donation-based class on Saturday, February 27th (3:30 - 5:30 PM) or Saturday, March 5th (6:30 - 8:00 PM). Space is limited.Click here for more information about things to do in February and March.
~ LOKAH SAMASTHA SUKHINO BHAVANTU ~
2016 Kiss My Asana #18:This Is Why a Tree Bends Toward the Light February 19, 2016
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Bhakti, Books, Changing Perspectives, Confessions, Dharma, Donate, Faith, Fitness, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Health, Karma Yoga, Life, Love, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Music, One Hoop, Peace, Philosophy, Science, Tantra, Twin Cities, Uncategorized, Volunteer, Wisdom, Women, Yoga.Tags: awareness, community, donation-based events, KISS MY ASANA, Mind Body Solutions, music, peace
2 comments
“There’s a tree that grows in Brooklyn. Some people call it the Tree of Heaven. No matter where its seed falls, it makes a tree which struggles to reach the sky. It grows in boarded-up lots and out of neglected rubbish heaps. It grows up out of cellar gratings. It is the only tree that grows out of cement. It grows lushly . . . survives without sun, water, and seemingly without earth. It would be considered beautiful except that there are too many of it.”
– preface to A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by Betty Smith
Since a lot of people come to my classes, I could reiterate the passage above and claim they are too many to be considered beautiful. But it wouldn’t be true. Some people stand out. Some people are beautiful inside and out. It’s not a showy thing, and I don’t think it’s something they do on purpose. However, some people are just so naturally themselves that, no matter where they go or what they do, their energy shines through. Maybe it’s because people like Yogi #18 (Tracy) aren’t wasting a lot of energy trying to be someone other than themselves.
“Your very nature dictates that you perform the duties attuned to your disposition. Those duties are your dharma, your natural calling. It is far better to do your own dharma, even if you do it imperfectly, than to try to master the work of another. Those who perform the duties called for by their obligations, even if those duties seem of little merit, are able to do them with less effort – and this releases consciousness that can be directed Godward.”
– The Bhagavad Gita (18:47)
Tracy is a natural scientist, who spends a lot of time outdoors. I don’t imagine it was easy, getting where she is in her life and in her career, but she makes things look easy. From what I can tell, that ease comes from loving what she does, on and off the mat. Her appreciation for what’s she’s doing, in the moment, is one of the reason it’s a pleasure to work with her. She’s also got one of the best smiles. And, no matter how hard I work her, she always shares that smile and expresses gratitude for the work we’ve done together. Those are just a few of the reasons Tracy is one of my favorite co-workers.
At this point, someone who knows me and/or Tracy is thinking, “Wait, Tracy works with you?!?!?” Yep. She’s one of the people I see when I go to work each week, and we collaborate on special projects (i.e., ourselves).
Now, I realize that my perspective is a little different from everybody else in the studios – after all, most people see me when they’re on a break from their work. Still, I’m lucky to work with a really great group of people – and Tracy is one of the people I look forward to seeing when I go to work. Like that person you see once or twice a week for a status report, Tracy and I occasionally share little tidbits about our lives and celebrate random successes. She shared her “favorite musical yoga moment” with me when it happened a few years back; she got her (now) husband to practice a little yoga during the first Kiss My Asana yogathon; and over the years she’s mentioned times when she’s brought the practice off the mat. But what strikes me most when we’re in the middle of the practice is how Tracy works it, gloriously – like she’s so glad to be there.
“Look at everything always as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time: Thus is your time on earth filled with glory.”
– A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by Betty Smith
A seed settles into the soil and waits. Once it germinates, it moves stone and earth to tunnel the shoot that will become its roots. The seed projects a second shoot skyward, which will allow it to convert sunlight into the energy it will use to sustain itself for the rest of its life. Drawing upon every resource available, a seed is compelled to become the thing it was meant to be: a tree, grass, vine, bush, shrub, or flower. If unsuccessful, it will have died trying, but not before exhausting every last fiber of its being to fulfill its potential.
A honeybee, drawing nectar from a blossom, bats its wings 11,400 times per minute. Salmon swim as much as a thousand miles upstream, or more, in order to spawn. An ant will carry twenty times its weight to serve a colony. This same drive, all but invisible, pervades everything in the natural world. The world we live in is little more than an endless and vibrant expression of energy.”
– Excerpted from The Four Desires by Rod Stryker
Tracy strikes me as the kind scientist who appreciates the energy of nature with every inhale and every exhale. But it’s easy to overlook the simple and profound things happening around us and within us. It’s easy to take nature for granted – and, in the process, to take ourselves for granted. A physical yoga practice is an opportunity to tap into our natural resources, on and off the mat. It’s an opportunity to reconnect to the reason we have bodies and minds.
Sometimes, however, there’s a whole lot of mental and physical busyness (or business) keeping a person off the mat. Sometimes that mental busyness is the idea that the body already has to be a certain way in order to practice yoga. Unfortunately, a lot of us teaching yoga here in the West are so focused on the outside we can’t feel the forest or the trees. If you take a class from Matthew Sanford, you will feel the energy of your mind-body. That’s what he does: practices from the inside out (instead of the outside in). JOIN my KISS MY ASANA when you donate and you not only support more teachers learning how to teach the essence of the practice, you’ll also have the opportunity to take some free yoga classes at area studios (through the end of February).
Want to KISS MY ASANA while you practice? Contact Myra at a joyfulpractice.com to reserve a spot (or two) at a donation-based class on Saturday, February 27th (3:30 - 5:30 PM) or Saturday, March 5th (6:30 - 8:00 PM). Space is limited.
~ OM, NAMAH SHIVAYA ~
2016 Kiss My Asana #17:Practicing in Scordatura, As Intended February 18, 2016
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Bhakti, Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Confessions, Dharma, Donate, Faith, Fitness, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Karma Yoga, Life, Loss, Love, Mantra, Meditation, Men, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Movies, Music, Mysticism, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Science, Suffering, Tantra, Tragedy, Twin Cities, Volunteer, Whirling Dervish, Wisdom, Women, Writing, Yoga.Tags: answers to tragedy, awareness, community, finding hope, KISS MY ASANA, Mind Body Solutions, music
add a comment
“And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
– Romans 12:2
“It is the aim of my pilgrimage on earth to show my brethren by living demonstration how one may serve God with merriment and rejoicing. For he who is full of joy is full of love for me and for all fellow creatures.”
– Baal Shem Tov*
“‘Where are you going?’
She said, ‘To that world.’
‘And where have you come from?’
She answered, ‘From that world.’
‘And what are you doing in this world?’
And she said, ‘I am sorrowing.’
‘In what way?’ they asked her.
And Rabia replied,
‘I am eating the bread of this world,
And doing the work of that world.’”
– “Rabia Song” by Zuleikha*
Follow me for a moment, while I tell you a story: Once upon a time, a great composer created a piece of music that would inspire the world. The only problem was that none of the existing instruments in the world sounded quite right as the featured soloist. She tried everything. Finally, she decided to make a special instrument – that had to be played a special way. In her studio, the instrument sounded, mostly, divine. Honestly, it sounded OK if treated like any other instrument. And, it had the unfortunate knack of being really off-key if it wasn’t held properly or used appropriately. However, when proper care and attention were taken, there was nothing like it on Earth. It would sound heavenly and enhance the sound of all the other instruments in the orchestra. Knowing she wouldn’t be around to pass the instrument along in person, the great composer left the instrument, music, and instructions for a very competent musician.
Like all music, the figured bass should have no other end and aim than the glory of God and the recreation of the soul; where this is not kept in mind there is no true music, but only an infernal clamour and ranting.” – Johann Sebastian Bach
I have it on good authority that Yogi #17 (Greg) is a very competent musician. Like Yogi #16 (my good authority), he is also a healer whose presence is as soothing as his favorite music. If the world really were an orchestra – full of divine instruments and competent musicians (like Greg), who knew how to play their holy instruments – all would be right with the world.
Unfortunately, the musical story above doesn’t always end well.
In some versions of the story most of the composer’s instructions were lost; the music was rearranged; the special instrument may (or may not) have gotten a little dented; and the conductor didn’t know who was supposed to lead.
So, there you have it: the state of the world as we know it. We have these bodies that can touch and be touched – yet, we often feel disconnected from our bodies, and all the bodies around us. We have these minds that can draw in, process, and evaluate information in the present moment – yet, we spend quite a bit of time making up stuff about past and future moments. We have something driving us to live, to love, to play and be known – let’s call it a spirit – yet, we continuously ignore that our bodies, minds, and spirits are connected. It’s enough disharmonious ranting to make Bach pull off his powdered wig!
“Two things are guaranteed to hook you up with the God of Love: sorrowing and rejoicing. You do not need to go searching for either; they are written into the architecture of human existence.”
– (*All with asterisks) Excerpted from God of Love by Mirabai Starr
Somehow there is harmony and beauty in the world. Maybe, as Mirabai Starr indicates, that harmony and beauty (like sorrowing and rejoicing) is part of our basic make-up. Maybe we just need a practice, the right music, a healer like Greg, or a teacher like Matthew Sanford to help us connect to the very fibers of our being.
All I know for sure, is that on any given Sunday (or Monday through Saturday), someone realizes that they are more than their body, more than their mind. On any given Sunday (or Monday through Saturday), someone awakens to the fact that they are connected to something Divine/Universal. And, maybe they see the Divine/Universal something as an anthropomorphic being, or maybe they feel it as a sensation of connectedness to the people around them. Either way, this awakening comes with a responsibility and a purpose to play the notes they’ve been given.
“To be tender, loving, and caring, human beings must be tenderly loved and cared for in their earliest years, from the moment they are born.”
– Ashley Montagu
“The simple act of touching is of extreme importance to the healthy functioning of the human organism. The skin can be considered the outer layer of the nervous system. The skin is the boundary of our bodies. Through touch, that boundary is gently broken down, permeated by another, and our whole internal system enhanced and stimulated.”
– Excerpt from Wheels of Life: A User’s Guide to the Chakra System by Anodea Judith, Ph.D.
Greg, like Matthew Sanford, believes in the power of touch. It is important not only for the person who needs care, but also to the caregiver. It is critical to the person dying, as well as to those who go on living. During the KISS MY ASANA yogathon, it’s easy to reference the people who have obvious external signs that they’ve experienced trauma, loss, and disability. However, let’s not forget the caregivers and the space holders. While “best known for adapting yoga for persons living with disabilities,” Mind Body Solutions also offers workshops and trainings for caregivers, healthcare providers, and whole organizations. Remember: Everyone benefits when we integrate our mind-body, on and off the mat. So, if you want to honor a healer (or a musician), go to Sharon’s page (she’s matching donations) and KISS MY ASANA!
###
“If there is light in the soul,
there will be beauty in the person.
If there is beauty in the person,
there will be harmony in the house.
If there is harmony in the house,
there will be order in the nation.
If there is order in the nation,
there will be peace in the world.”
– Chinese Proverb
###
2016 Kiss My Asana #16: Peace Like A Gardener/Farmer February 17, 2016
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Bhakti, Books, Changing Perspectives, Confessions, Dharma, Donate, Faith, Fitness, Food, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Jane Hirshfield, Julian of Norwich, Karma, Karma Yoga, Life, Loss, Love, Men, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Movies, Music, Mysticism, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Science, Suffering, Tantra, Tragedy, Twin Cities, Volunteer, Wisdom, Women, Writing, Yoga.Tags: community, finding hope, God as Mother, KISS MY ASANA, Mind Body Solutions, peace, personal crisis, yoga therapy
add a comment
“When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to know,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.”
– “It Is Well With My Soul” by Horatio Spafford
“All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well.”
– Excerpt from A Revelation of Love – in Sixteen Shewings by Julian of Norwich
Towards the beginning of the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali emphasizes that cultivating friendliness/loving-kindness, compassion/mercy, gladness/goodwill/joy, and acceptance/equanimity creates a calm, peaceful, and undisturbed mind (1:33). A bit later, he states that a person can be so firmly grounded in non-injury (ahimsa) that other people lose their hostility just be being in the vicinity (2:35). Towards the middle, he indicates that samyama (the collective practice of focusing, concentrating, and meditating/becoming) on these qualities produces the great strength or power of these attitudes (3:23). Finally, towards the end of the sutras, he explains that in order to realize great power through the practice, a yogi has to be like a farmer or gardener (4:3, although he hints at this throughout).
Some people read about the siddhis (great powers) described in the Yoga Sutras and think them as “supernormal” or psychic powers – while others reference quantum physics or Jedi Knight tricks. And, some people just think the whole text is an extended metaphor. How ever one thinks about siddhis on paper, there’s no denying the power of being in the presence of someone grounded in love. Considering Julie (Yogi #16) is a gardener, it should come as no surprise that being around her is a little like being hugged by love.
The moment you walked inside my door
I knew that I need not look no more,
I’ve seen many other souls before – ah but,
Heaven must’ve programmed you”– “Heaven (Where True Love Goes)” by Yusuf Islam
“More and more I have come to admire resilience.
Not the simple resistance of a pillow, where foam returns over and
over to the same shape, but the sinuous
tenacity of a tree: finding the
light newly blocked on one side,
it turns in another.”
– Excerpt from “Optimism” by Jane Hirshfield
Julie is one of my favorite people and part of another one of my favorite yoga couples. I met her and her husband within my first year of teaching – and I am always thrilled to see them. Every once in a blue moon one will come without the other; but, more often than not, they come together. (And, spoiler alert! I started writing their posts in tandem because I think of them as my two anchors, or touchstones, in the corner of the room.) They come when it’s cold; they come when it’s hot; they come when they’re tired; they come when they’re busy; and sometimes they come when they’re not feeling 100%.
Julie mentions me helping her adapt her yoga practice during one of those times when she wasn’t at 100%. However, I wasn’t her only resource. She also practiced with the amazing Michelle P-W who, in addition to being a world-class yoga therapist, has practiced and taught with Matthew Sanford.
There are lots of people in the world who could benefit from a yoga practice if they had the resources to facilitate their practice. Sometimes the necessary resource is a knowledgeable teacher, sometimes it’s an accessible studio, and sometimes it’s just the awareness that there is more than one way to practice yoga. Either way, if you KISS MY ASANA, you help create more resources and opportunities for more people to discover and continue practicing yoga.
~ Forever, and ever, Amen. ~
2016 Kiss My Asana #15: The Statesman February 16, 2016
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Changing Perspectives, Confessions, Dharma, Donate, Faith, Fitness, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Karma Yoga, Life, Love, Men, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Science, Suffering, Tragedy, Twin Cities, Volunteer, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.Tags: community, donation-based events, KISS MY ASANA, Mind Body Solutions
add a comment
“Whether young, old or too old, sick or lean, one who discards laziness gets success if he practices Yoga.”
– Hatha Yoga Pradipika I:66
According to Walter Lippman, “The opposition is indispensable. A good statesman, like any other sensible human being, always learns more from his opposition than from his fervent supporters.” Ergo, this month of profiles would not be complete without Yogi #15 (Paul). For those of you who are keeping track, Paul is the third yogi I met in a bar and the third person in the line-up who doesn’t actually practice with me – which also makes him the third person to agree to this endeavor without a whole lot of information up front. He is also the fourth, but not the last, person posted in tandem with a significant other.
Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay.”
– Book of Ruth 1:16
There is something super sweet and special about people who practice yoga together. Really, there’s something super sweet and special about people who share a life together and also share any interests. Paul, however, will be the first to tell you that he and Yogi #14 (Ruth) don’t practice yoga together regularly.
Paul works out at a local gym. He has a routine he likes and, every now and again, he’ll check out a yoga class. Paul, like Yogi #14, is a straight-shooter. So, he doesn’t waste a lot of time apologizing for what he does or doesn’t do. He does what he does. And, while it is very obvious that Paul appreciates what yoga can do for the mind and body, he joins at least one other person here (out of 29) who may not actually like yoga.
Your speech doesn’t need music, it needs logic.”
– Excerpt from Simply Speaking: How to Communicate Your Ideas with Style, Substance, and Clarity by Peggy Noonan
In principle, my experience is not so different from yours, it is only more extreme. … My mind-body relationship changed in an instant — the time it took for my back to break. But the changing relationship between mind and body is a feature of everyone’s life. We are all leaving our bodies — this is the inevitable arc of living. Death cannot be avoided; neither can the inward silence that comes with the aging process.”
– Waking: A Memoir of Trauma and Transcendence by Matthew Sanford
When we first met, Paul and I spent quite a bit of time talking about Matthew Sanford and the adaptive yoga program at Mind Body Solutions. Like so many people, Paul had heard about Bruce Kramer’s experiences practicing yoga after his ALS diagnosis. And, like so many people whose interest is sparked by the work Mind Body Solutions is doing with people who have experienced trauma, loss, and disability, Paul’s interest is personal: He knows someone who could benefit from the work you support when you KISS MY ASANA!
~ OM SHANTI, SHANTI, SHANTIH OM ~
2016 Kiss My Asana #11:Spiritual Activists, Feel the Vibration! February 12, 2016
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Bhakti, Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Confessions, Dharma, Donate, Faith, Fitness, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Karma, Karma Yoga, Life, Loss, Love, Mantra, Meditation, Men, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Music, Mysticism, One Hoop, Peace, Philosophy, Religion, Science, Texas, Twin Cities, Vipassana, Volunteer, Wisdom, Women, Yoga.Tags: community, KISS MY ASANA, Mind Body Solutions, Mindfulness, peace
add a comment
Bringing this to the entire nation
Black, white, red, brown
Feel the vibration
Come on come on
Feel it feel it
Feel the vibration
– “Good Vibrations” by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, featuring Loleatta Holloway
In Light on Yoga, B. K. S. Iyengar spends approximately two (2) pages explaining the importance of studying AUM. Two pages may not seem like a lot, until you realize that many people just think of Light on Yoga as a practice manual for the physical practice. In fact, people often buy the book to “master the poses.” However, Iyengar begins the book by introducing the philosophy of yoga and stating, unequivocally, “one can master nothing” without single-pointed concentration. “Without concentration on Divinity” he writes, “one cannot unlock the divinity within oneself or become a universal man.”
Tom H (Yogi #11) has spent his life unlocking the divinity within himself. This becomes obvious if you spend any amount of time (at all) talking to him. He and I have talked in the studios; on the rooftop; in restaurants and bars; and in cars. We seem to talk about everything. Yet, it doesn’t matter where the conversation starts (or ends) there is always an underlying connection to the subject of the Divine, how the Divine is connected to us, and how we are connected to each other.
Turns out, it’s all one and the same.
“Master Patanjali describes AUM – that which is indescribable – by using the Sanskrit word pranavah. Like most words, pranavah has numerous meanings.”
– Excerpt from Sweeping the Dust by Jivamukti Yoga teacher Ruth Lauer-Manenti (“Lady Ruth”)
I am the innate nature of everything. In pure water I am the sweet taste. In the sun and moon I am the radiance. In the very center of human beings I live as virility and courage. I am (pranavah) the sacred word Om, which designates the Divine, and I am the sound of it heard throughout the universe” – Excerpt from The Bhagavad Gita (7:8)
Tom H is a spiritual activist because his practice doesn’t stay on the mat. When he’s unlocking the divinity within himself, he’s also figuring out how to help the rest of us unlock the divinity within ourselves. His commitment to individual and social change, as well as his efforts towards uplifting people of all ages and backgrounds, is the direct result of his eclectic spiritual life. He blends his physical practices, in different modalities, with his philosophical practices and beliefs. He continually questions, only to examine the questions and the answers he finds. He consistently takes his practice off the mat (and the cushion) – then brings it back again! When he practices yoga, you can practically see his heart-energy vibrating, shimmering, and shining. He literally vibrates.
And, that vibration has a ripple effect.
“Can you feel it baby? / I can too //1 2 3 now we come to the pay off” – Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, featuring Loleatta Holloway
If you practice yoga for any significant period of time, you will find the physical practice affects more than your body. It affects your life. And, the more you practice, the more you vibrate, shimmer, and shine. Mind Body Solutions adaptive yoga program is an opportunity for more people to feel the vibration. Your donation may just be a drop in the 2016 KISS MY ASANA bucket, but it will ripple!
Join me for meditation at the Walker this Saturday the 13th (5 PM & 7 PM)and you might find yourself sitting next to a yogi!
~ AUM…, Tat Twam Asi (That Thou Art) ~
2016 Kiss My Asana #10: What Happens When You’re Full of Grace? February 10, 2016
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Changing Perspectives, Confessions, Depression, Dharma, Donate, Faith, Fitness, Food, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Karma Yoga, Life, Loss, Love, Minneapolis, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Science, Suffering, TV, Twin Cities, Volunteer, Wisdom, Women, Yoga.Tags: community, donation-based events, Karma Yoga, KISS MY ASANA, Matthew Sanford, Mind Body Solutions, utut
add a comment
“You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as you love yourself….”
– Leviticus 19:34
“And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or saw you naked and gave you clothes? Truly I tell you, just s you did to one of the least of those who are members of the human family, you did it to me.”
– Matthew 25:38
“…and do good to orphans, those in need, neighbors who are near, neighbors who are strangers, the companion by your side, the wayfarer that you meet, and those who have nothing.”
– Qur’an 4:36
At least 7 yogis walk into a bar…. I know, it sounds like the beginning of a really silly joke. But seriously, if it weren’t for Yogi #9, I wouldn’t know Yogi #10 (and a few other yogis down the line).
Friday, February 5th, Yogi #9 (Elizabeth) invited me and my housemate to a fundraiser for a tutoring program at a school in St Paul. It was cold on the first Friday of Kiss My Asana, I’d just finished teaching, and I had stuff to do. But, I could hear Elizabeth in my head saying, “Come on. It’s kids; it’s for a good cause. You don’t have to stay out all night. I mean, you could, but….” (Note: She didn’t actually say this, but I could hear what it would sound like if she did.)
I acquiesced, in my own mind, and we headed over to the Urban Growler. It was not my usual scene, but it was super cool – and packed! We made our way around the pub until we found Elizabeth with a table full of her family and friends. She proceeded to introduce us to (drum roll, please) Yogi #10 (Molly S).
“Yoga changed my life!” Molly S exclaimed when she heard I teach yoga. My housemate asked how, and Molly left no doubt that yes, indeed, a single introductory course in yoga not only changed her outlook on her mind-body, it changed the way she engaged her mind-body. As a prelude to asking her, a perfect stranger, if she’d answer my 7 questions, I mentioned what I’m doing for Kiss My Asana and how the yogathon benefits Mind Body Solutions –
Before I got anymore words out of my mouth, Molly S delivered the Universe’s punch line:
“Wait, Mind Body Solutions in Minnetonka? Matthew Sanford was my first teacher!”
Yep, turns out, it wasn’t just yoga that changed Molly’s life. It was Matthew Sanford.
When grace happens, generosity happens. Unsquashable, eye-popping bigheartedness happens. “
– Max Lucado
“Let the beauty of what you love be what you do.” – Rumi
As if it wasn’t beautiful enough that she let me video tape her, on the fly (questions unseen), Molly left the fundraiser and proceeded to Kiss My Asana. (Thanks Molly!)
(NOTE: There’s still time for you to be like Molly!)
Don't forget, you can turn on and tune in with me this Saturday (5 PM & 7 PM) at the Walker! And February 27th is a Pucker Up and Kiss My Asana Saturday!
~ OM NARAYANA SHANTI OM ~
2016 Kiss My Asana #6: Serenity Now! February 6, 2016
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Art, Changing Perspectives, Confessions, Donate, Faith, Fitness, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Karma Yoga, Kirtan, Life, Love, Mantra, Meditation, Men, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Science, Suffering, TV, Twin Cities, Volunteer, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: community, KISS MY ASANA, laughter, Mind Body Solutions, music
add a comment
F: “Serenity now! Serenity now!”
G: “What is that?”
F: “The doctor gave me a relaxation cassette. When my blood pressure gets too high, the man on the tape tells me to say ‘serenity now!'”
G: “Are you supposed to yell it?”
F: “The man on the tape wasn’t specific.”
– Frank and George Costanza, Seinfeld episode 159
If you’re a Seinfeld fan, then the title of this post might send you into fits of giggles and seriously hysterical flashbacks. You might even stop reading (or pause the video) so you can find all or part of episode 159 (aka, Episode 3 of Season 9) and laugh all over again. Or, maybe you have no idea what I’m talking about and you use the link above to get looped in. Either way, if you laugh hard enough you experience the same kind of lighter than air, super relaxed sense of euphoria that Frank Costanza and the other characters desperately seek in the episode – or that real people actually find when they come to one of Andrew L’s regular yoga classes.
For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure, Yogi #6 isn’t the teacher at the front of the room – he is one of my very first yoga studio regulars. And, all these years later, he’s still keeping the joy in the practice.
While some people will say they come back to class because of me or how the yoga practice makes them feel, everyone who misses a class with Andrew L. will consistently comment on how much they miss him! Because, ultimately, part of the genius of comedies like Seinfeld, as highlighted by “The Serenity Now” episode, is a sense of community: for about 23 minutes viewers become part of a fun-loving, close-knit group of people, where everyone belongs. Classes with Andrew L. are like back-to-back episodes of Cheers – only without the beer!
Naaraayana Naaraayana Naaraayana / Om Namo Bhaagavaate Vaasudevaaya //
For your love… / I’d give the moon if it were mine to give / I’d give the stars and the sun for I live / To fill you with delight / I’d bring you diamonds bright / Don’t you think it would excite– Krishna Das singing “Naaraayana/For Your Love”
Andrew L. may not remember this, but our first encounter happened several months before our first yoga class together. He was, as it turns out, doing one of the things Andrew L. does best: Endeavor to make the things he enjoys more enjoyable for everyone. What I didn’t know at the time is that Andrew L. is also a loyal community-builder whose wit is not only obvious in his occasional one-liners, but also in the public art he creates to bring communities together. He’s a bit of a perfectionist (which means we sometimes butt heads); however, I think his family and friends will agree that our lives (and practice) are better for knowing him.
If you smile when you think of Andrew L., please consider making a donation to my 2016 KISS MY ASANA team!
~ Om Naaraayana Shanti Om! On Every Plane of Exstence, Peace To All Living Things ~
2016 Kiss My Asana #5: …Makes Me Feel Good! February 5, 2016
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Art, Books, Changing Perspectives, Confessions, Dharma, Donate, Faith, Fitness, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Karma Yoga, Kundalini, Life, Love, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Movies, Music, Mysticism, One Hoop, Peace, Philosophy, Science, Tantra, Twin Cities, Volunteer, Wisdom, Women, Yoga.Tags: community, goddess, KISS MY ASANA, laughter, Mind Body Solutions, music, visual art
add a comment
“For she is a reflection of eternal light,
a spotless mirror of the working of God,
and an image of his goodness.
Although she is but one, she can do all things,
and while remaining in herself, she renews all things;
in every generation she passes into holy souls
and makes them friends of God, and prophets;
for God loves nothing so much as the person who lives with wisdom [Sophia].
She is more beautiful than the sun,
and excels every constellation of the stars.” – Wisdom of Solomon 7:26 – 7:29*
“Although the word Melech (King) appears many times throughout Jewish liturgy, a largely unknown-fact is that Malchut-mastery is an almost entirely feminine concept.” – Excerpt from The Kabbalah Sutras by Marcus J. Freed
Saturday, February 25, 2012, I was about to begin the 6th class of a 7th week series when in walked Kris – preceded by her infectious smile and boundless spirit. It would be May before I saw her again (for two classes in a row, one of which featured her favorite musical moment), but I hadn’t forgotten what a joy it was to share the space with a yoga master! Four years later, I still can’t wait for those times when Kris comes through town and gives me a call. In fact, sometimes I look forward to them so much I will them. Watching her practice yoga is like watching wisdom at play!
The true yogi ‘has inner joy’, according to the yogic sages. In addition ‘he has inner gladness and he has found inner light…’”
– Marcus J. Freed quoting the Bhagavad Gita
Besides appreciating her untethered soul and openness to all things yoga, I adore Kris’s love of music. We are both pretty eclectic in our musical tastes, but I think the thing that seals the bond, every time, is our love of life – or, maybe it’s our love of country music. Surprisingly, her musical moment doesn’t sound very country.
Kris is one of two artists featured in “Eve and the Snake: Women’s Work”(showing at Diamond’s Coffee Shop through February and March 2016). If you’re in the NE neighborhood, you can swing by, check out the art, have a hot beverage, and consider making a donation to my 2016 KISS MY ASANA team.
*NOTE: Monette Chilson uses this scripture as an introduction to her book Sophia Rising: Awakening your sacred wisdom through yoga; however, I have used a different translation.
~ Jai Guru Dev Jai Jai ~
2016 Kiss My Asana #4: Couldn’t Be Much More From The Heart! February 4, 2016
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Changing Perspectives, Confessions, Dharma, Donate, Faith, Fitness, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Karma Yoga, Life, Love, Men, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Music, Peace, Philosophy, Tantra, Twin Cities, Volunteer, Women, Yoga.Tags: KISS MY ASANA, Mind Body Solutions, music, peace
add a comment
“Do one thing every day that scares you.”
– Eleanor Roosevelt
As some of you know, I love a great love story. What you may not realize is that sometimes what makes a love story great is the hero. The hero’s gotta be a real man – meaning, he must acknowledge his mistakes, and learn from them; he must be willing to try something new (even if it scares him); he has to be strong enough to show that he has a heart; and he has to have a really great laugh (or cry). But, most of all, he has to respect the people in his life – especially his significant other. According to this criteria, Yogi #4 ranks right up there with James Hetfield (circa Francesca), Johnny Cash (circa June), Carey Hart (circa P!nk), Elton John (circa David), and Bill Gates (circa Melinda).
I never opened myself this way
Life is ours, we live it our way”– Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters”
If you know anything about the men listed above, you know their spouses are no slouches – which is another reason their stories are so great! If you read the post for Day #3, you know John G (Yogi #4) is part of a great love story. But, ultimately, what makes a man like John G a great hero is that he is, unapologetically, nothing if not himself.
Speaking of not being a slouch, Sandra Razieli is dedicating her Kiss My Asana teaching to not slouching! Be sure to check out her donation-based class on February 28th if you are in the Oakland area! Or, you can donate directly to her 2016 Kiss My Asana page.
A Joyful Practice 