The Power of A Story April 17, 2020
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Uncategorized.1 comment so far
“The discrepancy between faith and the facts is greater than is generally assumed. The art of biography is more difficult than is generally supposed.”
– Brother Juniper in The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder (b. 4/17/1897)
A funny thing happened on the way to the studio as I was getting ready for a virtual class the other day. A Psychology Today article about “Meditative Story” popped up in my news queue and I couldn’t click on the link fast enough. Created by WaitWhat co-founders Deron Triff and June Cohen, in partnership with Ariana Huffington’s behavior change tech company Thrive Global, “Meditative Story” is hosted by “meditation guide” Rohan Gunatillake and features “an original musical score that rivals the best in filmmaking.” Intrigued? So was I. And, it turns out it is exactly what it sounds like:
“Meditative Story was created to help people find an alternative way into mindfulness through story that has nothing to do with the traditional world of meditation. By taking what typically occurs on a cushion and introducing that same wisdom and that same state of mind, through mesmerizing narratives—interspersed with meditation “prompts” and breathtaking music—we’re seeing the kind of response from our listeners that speaks to a breakthrough in the world of mindfulness practice. Something very special is happening.”
Sound familiar?
It did to me – and I had a lot of mixed feelings about it.
For over a decade, I’ve combined storytelling, music, and meditation in classes around Minneapolis. For over a decade, people have said they haven’t experienced a class like the classes I teach. And, during that same period of time, I’ve told people I’m not the only one who teaches like this. What I don’t always explain is that storytelling, wisdom, and mindfulness have a reach history that goes back millennia. You just have to go deeper.
Take a moment to consider the source of what you consider to be deep wisdom. Depending on your personal history and culture, any number of names might come up for you, including (but not limited to): Patanjali, Buddha, Lao Tzu, Confucius, the authors of the Torah and Talmud, Jesus, Mohammad, Saint Paul, the Desert Fathers and Mothers, Julian of Norwich, Saint Teresa of Avila, Guru Nanak, Saint Ignatious of Loyala, Joseph Smith, and Bahá’u’lláh (just to name a few).
All storytellers; and those names cover quite a few sacred texts. One text whose title is particular telling is Upanishad. The Upanishads are actually a collection of texts full of stories, in the Hindu tradition, that explain and explore the Vedas (more sacred texts). They are classic existential texts on mindfulness, God, and everything in between. The Sanskrit word “Upanishad” literally means “sit down by,” but is often translated as “sitting near devotedly.”
Think back to those names of ancient storytellers, even the ones I neglected to mention, and you will start to realize that every story you’ve ever heard or read is just a written down account of what a teacher told their students/disciples when said students/disciples were sitting near their teacher devotedly. In fact, many Buddhists texts start with the words, “I have heard….”
What stands the test of time, what gets passed down through the ages, is the story.
Meditative Story is backed by a lot of heavy hitters, a lot of money, and a significant amount of research. But, after “seven months, 28 episodes, and more than three million downloads” they have “proven” what we already know: stories make a difference.
Kiss My Asana is all about making a difference.
So, for Kiss My Asana 2020, I am planning to tell you seven stories. I’ve got years (and years) worth of stories. What I would like to do, however, is tell your favorite story.
You can submit a story by emailing me or sending me a comment below. It can be a favorite story you’ve heard me tell. It can be your favorite story to read or hear. It can even be a personal story – over the years many of you have shared bits of your personal history with me and it has left an impression. Pretty please, could I tell one of those stories? You know…the one about your mom, or the friend you met at the Y, or that time you realized you had a calling, or the spouse you met at the Y. You can include a pose or a song that you think would represents some part of the story and off we will go.
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. This year’s yogathon is only a week long. Seven days, at the end of the month, to do yoga, share yoga, and help others. By participating in the Kiss My Asana yogathon you join a global movement, but in a personal way. In other words, you practice yoga… for 7 days
What’s your Kiss My Asana story?
You don’t need to wait until the end of the month, however, to consider how you might participate. Start thinking now about how you can add 5 minutes of yoga (or meditation) to your day, how you can learn something new about your practice, or even how you would teach a pose to someone close to you – or even to one of your Master Teachers/Precious Jewels.
To give you some ideas, consider that in past years my KMA offerings have included donation-based classes and (sometimes) daily postings. Check out one of my previous offerings dated April 17th (or thereabouts):
30 Poses in 30 Days (scroll down to see April 17th)
A Musical Preview (scroll down to see March 17th)
A Preview of the April 17th Practice
“The test of an adventure is that when you’re in the middle of it, you say to yourself, ‘Oh, now I’ve got myself into an awful mess; I wish I were sitting quietly at home.’ And the sign that something’s wrong with you is when you sit quietly at home wishing you were out have lots of adventure.”
– Thornton Wilder, author of one of my favorite books and one of my favorite plays
### LOVE ALWAYS WINS ###
The Cost of Freedom April 16, 2020
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Uncategorized.add a comment
“Find the cost of freedom
Buried in the ground
Mother Earth will swallow you
Lay your body down.”
– “Find the Cost of Freedom” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Most people, I think, would agree that freedom is priceless. I mean, at least, I think we can all agree about that when we are talking about our own freedom. Things get a little twisted when we are talking about someone else’s freedom. How much do we value the freedom – or even the life – of someone we perceive as different from us? How much do we value the freedom – or even the life – of someone with whom we disagree about even the meaning of freedom?
What happens if you have to put a price freedom? What happens if you actually have to quantify the value of life, liberty, freedom (which is, ultimately, the pursuit of happiness)?
Did that last question take you back to the Constitution and the founders of the United States? Let’s really go back, get the full context, shall we?
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
– excerpt from the Declaration of Independence as presented by the Committee of Five and approved and signed by the Second Continental Congress, 1776
Yes, yes; it’s inspiring and lovely – and I do love the sentiment: those are words to live and lead by. And yet…. And yet…. Here’s one of the interesting and twisted things about all that: The founders of the United States, who created a country based on those highly virtuous concepts outlined in the Declaration of Independence, did so while simultaneously creating a country (that same country) that systematically declared women and certain people of color to not only not be equal, but to also not be entitled to the very rights which they said were “endowed by their Creator.” These men, for the Committee of Five and the signers of the Constitution were all men (so far as I know), were willing to fight in order to secure their freedom from Great Britain. Furthermore, they believed, as Caesar Rodney (the Gentleman from Delaware) famously put it when he cast his vote for independence, “As I believe the voice of my constituents and of all sensible and honest men is in favor of independence, my judgment concurs with them; I vote for independence.” In other words, they believed they represented the voice of the People (i.e., other men) who were willing to lay down their lives for freedom: that was the cost of freedom.
“The one who brought his offering on the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab of the tribe of Judah. And his offering was one silver bowl weighing one hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver sprinkling basin [weighing] seventy shekels according to the holy shekel, both filled with fine flour mixed with olive oil for a meal offering. One spoon [weighing] ten [shekels] of gold filled with incense. One young bull, one ram and one lamb in its first year for a burnt offering. One young he goat for a sin offering. And for the peace offering: two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs in their first year; this was the offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab.”
– Bamidbar / Numbers 7:12 – 7:17
In the Hebrew Bible / the Christian Old Testament, G-d not only gave Moses instructions for how to deal with Pharaoh, but also instructions on how the Jewish people were to deal with the last days of the plague (in particular during the final plague); how to travel and camp; how to take a census (or accounting of the men); how to establish leadership; and how to build and dedicate a temple. G-d also instructed Moses that each Tribe of Israel was required to make a sacrifice, or offering, as a way to give thanks and offer devotion. In other words, according to what they were able and how many were in their tribe, each leader paid the cost of freedom.
Today in 1862, nearly nine months before the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect, President Abraham Lincoln signed the District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act. The act essentially ended slavery in the capital city (although it did not apply to fugitive slaves who had escaped from Maryland) and set aside over $100,100,000 as compensation for the 3,185 people who were freed.
That was the cost of freedom: over $1 million, plus an additional $100,000, for approximately 3,185 people.
But, let’s not get the facts twisted. The compensation was primarily for the slave owners who were “losing their property.” President Lincoln appointed a 3-person Emancipation Commission, which met 5 days a week, for months on end, in order to review 966 petitions and dole out compensation accordingly. Petitions included the name, age, sex, and “particular description” of the slave in question and were made on behalf of black, as well as white, “slave owners.” Yes, that is correct. At the time, certain places within the Union – like the District of Columbia – were home to freedmen who had purchased their family members so that they too could be free. (I started to put purchased in quotes, but the reality is people paid to be free.) This act did not apply to any Confederate slaver owners or anyone who had aided the Confederacy’s (lost) cause. Furthermore, it made it a felony to “kidnap” or in any way re-enslave a freed person or former slave.
The Compensated Emancipation Act paid Union slave-owners $300 per freed slave and paid former slaves a resettlement or “emigrant” fee – not to exceed $100 each – if they chose to relocate to places like Haiti and Liberia. It established payment for the commissioners ($200,000 each); a clerk ($200 per month plus an occasional 25 cent processing fee); and paid a marshal “such fees as are allowed by law for similar services performed by him in the Circuit Court of the District of Columbia.” It also stated, “that the Secretary of the Treasury shall cause all other reasonable expenses of said commission to be audited and allowed, and that said compensation, fees, and expenses shall be paid from the Treasury of the United States.” In July of 1862, an amendment was added which allowed former slaves to petition for compensation (on their own behalf) if their former masters had not already done so. The amendment did something even the Declaration of Independence and the original Act didn’t do: it gave equal weight and consideration to petitioners – regardless of their color or the color of the person who might challenge their petition.
Similar compensation was proposed, but never implanted in the rest of the United States. Today (Thursday, April 16th), is Emancipation Day in the District of Columbia. It is a public holiday in the country’s capital city and yet, outside of D. C., most people don’t think twice about Emancipation Day – unless it falls on a Saturday or Sunday and thereby delays the official federal tax day.
So, there are three examples of the cost of freedom. What’s the cost of your freedom? What, for that matter, does it mean to you to be free? And, what are you doing with your freedom – even when your movement/freedom has been restricted by the quarantine and social distancing?
While you’re considering that… please consider Kissing My Asana (starting April 25th).
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. This year’s yogathon is only a week long. Seven days, at the end of the month, to do yoga, share yoga, and help others. By participating in the Kiss My Asana yogathon you join a global movement, but in a personal way. In other words, you practice yoga… for 7 days
Are you considering it?
You don’t need to wait until the end of the month, however, to consider how you might participate. Start thinking now about how you can add 5 minutes of yoga (or meditation) to your day, how you can learn something new about your practice, or even how you would teach a pose to someone close to you – or even to one of your Master Teachers/Precious Jewels.
To give you some ideas, consider that in past years my KMA offerings have included donation-based classes and (sometimes) daily postings. Check out one of my previous offerings dated April 16th (or thereabouts):
30 Poses in 30 Days (scroll down to see April 16th)
A Musical Preview (scroll down to see March 16th)
A Preview of the April 16th Practice
### FEEL FREE, BE FREE ###
Ah, Freedom! (Passover and 42) April 15, 2020
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Uncategorized.Tags: 42, Jackie Robinson, Nahshon
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Don’t forget, A Little Yin… & A Lotta Yang presents “Lung Health and How We Cope Right Now (viewing COVID-19 through Traditional Chinese Medicine and YIN Yoga).” This is a special live event on YouTube (not my channel) starting at 3 PM CST. Details and link below.
“Thank you, God,
Look how misery has ended for us.
The rain has fallen,
The corn has grown,
All the children that were hungry are going to eat.
Let’s dance the Congo,
Let’s dance the Petro,
God said in Heaven
That misery has ended for us.”
– “Merci Bon Dieu” by Frantz Casseus, sung by Harry Belafonte
Can you imagine being the first to taste freedom?
I mean, it’s easy to think that there would be such overwhelming relief, gratitude, and joy. And maybe there was. But, there would also be trepidation. There might also be hesitation. There might be a little doubt that you know what to do or how to act. There might be some concern about the others who would follow you.
Can you imagine the first who knows the fear of having that freedom taken away? Can you imagine the attitude of the person who is first?
During last night’s class, I mentioned that Nahshon was the first to step into the turbulent waves of the Red Sea as the Jewish people were fleeing Egypt (and slavery) during the events commemorated in Passover. Nahshon is like Aaron in that, if your knowledge of Passover comes from a Hollywood movie or only from a random Christian sermon on the events, you may not have ever heard of him. You might even think that I made him up – or, given my background in theatre, that he is a compilation of people. But, if you go a little deeper into the story, there is quite a bit of information about this young man, who is often overlooked.
“The Lord spoke to Moses in the Sinai Desert, in the Tent of Meeting on the first day of the second month, in the second year after the exodus from the land of Egypt, saying. Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by families following their fathers’ houses; a head count of every male according to the number of their names. From twenty years old and upwards, all who are fit to go out to the army in Israel, you shall count them by their legions you and Aaron. With you there shall be a man from each tribe, one who is head of his father’s house. These are the names of the men who shall stand with you; for Reuben, Elitzur the son of Shedeur. For Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. For Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab.”
– Bamidbar / Numbers 1:1 – 1:7
Nahshon (or Naashon, in the King James version) appears by name in a number of places in the Bible, including The Book of Ruth and First Chronicles (specifically 2:11). If you go to the beginning of First Chronicles and follow the names, you will see he was a descendent of Adam, by way of Judah. He was also Aaron’s brother-in-law; was designated by Moses, at the behest of G-d, as a prince and military commander of the Tribe of Judah; and ultimately was the ancestor of King David, King Solomon, and all the kings of the Kingdom of Judah in the 10th and 9th century BCE. (He is also mentioned in the Christian New Testament, Matthew 1:4 and Luke 3:33, as an ancestor of Jesus.) According to the census instructions G-d gives Moses in “The Book of Numbers,” Nahshon was at least 20 years old during exodus. He not only “travels” first, he is also the first to make an offering to G-d once they are delivered and the tabernacle is established (N 7:12-17).
“Of the tribe of Judah, their descendants according to their families, according to their fathers’ houses; the number of individual names of every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were fit to go out to the army. Those counted from the tribe of Judah: 74,600.”
– Bamidbar / Numbers 1:26 – 1:27
In the Christian context, we think of the story of Passover starting in “The Book of Exodus” – and this makes sense if you think of it purely in the sense of this one story, the story of exodus, of a mass of people leaving. If you spend a year studying Torah, the Jewish Bible, than the story of exodus comes to you in the weekly portion called “Shemot,” which means “names” – as the book actually starts with a list of names of people, and their descendants, who came into Egypt. The story actually starts with a little background about the people and how they became slaves in Egypt.
The writers of the Bible are fond of names. There are plenty of books that begin with this person begetting that person and that person begetting this person. It’s easy to skim over these sections; it’s easy to overlook their importance. Consider, however, that it is important to know one’s context. One could argue that there is nothing more important than knowing who you are and where you come from. It’s important to remember that our actions are a reflection of from whence we come. Yet identity is something that is often lost in mass tragedy like slavery. If you don’t know who you are, it is easy to get lost and forget your purpose.
Sometimes, when people are lost, they need a new beginning, a touchstone, someone to lead the way and inspire. April 15th is a day when the baseball community, as well as the African-American community, celebrates a young man who led the way – a man who was first to taste the bitter and the sweet that comes with a new experience of freedom. Today, (Tuesday, April 15th) is Jackie Robinson Day. So, let’s play ball – or do a little yoga that’s good for people who play unilateral sports like baseball.
Please join me for class today (Wednesday, April 15th) at 4:30 PM or at 7:15 PM on Zoom. Some of the new Zoom security protocols are definitely kicking in; so, please use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems. If you have not done so, you will need to register for the 7:15 practice. Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify.
If you are following the Orthodox Christian calendar and would like a recording of last week’s classes, please comment or email me.
If you are interested in combining a physical practice (yoga or weightlifting) with the Counting of the Omer, you can purchase a copy of Marcus J. Freed’s The Kabbalh Sutras: 49 Steps to Enlightenment.
A LITTLE YIN… & A LOTTA YANG
Please join me and a special guest for “Lung Health and How We Cope Right Now (viewing COVID-19 through Traditional Chinese Medicine and YIN Yoga),” a discussion on the importance of the lungs in our overall wellbeing as well as how to just friggin’ cope right now. The conversation will include a brief overview of Traditional Chinese Medicine and YIN Yoga, as well as a brief Q&A followed by a little YIN Yoga.
If you are struggling with your physical or mental health, if you’ve always been curious about “alternative” medicine, and/or if you are missing your yoga practice, this special one hour event is for you. Please join us on YouTube, TODAY, Wednesday, April 15th, 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
Also, mark your calendar for April 25th – the beginning of Kiss My Asana!
Speaking of Kiss My Asana…
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. This year’s yogathon is only a week long. Seven days, at the end of the month, to do yoga, share yoga, and help others. By participating in the Kiss My Asana yogathon you join a global movement, but in a personal way. In other words, you practice yoga… for 7 days.
Are you going to be the first one Kissing My Asana?
You don’t need to wait until the end of the month, however, to consider how you might participate. Start thinking now about how you can add 5 minutes of yoga (or meditation) to your day, how you can learn something new about your practice, or even how you would teach a pose to someone close to you – or even to one of your Master Teachers/Precious Jewels.
To give you some ideas, consider that in past years my KMA offerings have included donation-based classes and (sometimes) daily postings. Check out one of my previous offerings dated April 15th (or thereabouts):
30 Poses in 30 Days (scroll down to see April 15th)
A Musical Preview (scroll down to see March 15th)
A Preview of the April 15th Practice
### AMEN, AŞĘ, SELAH ###
My apologies for any confusion. Today’s class is at Noon. April 4, 2020
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Uncategorized.add a comment
Mea culpa, folks. I was so distracted by the new security features that I missed a typo. Class today, Saturday the 4th is still at Noon.
### Stay well ###
Let’s Do That 90-Second Thing! March 16, 2020
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Depression, Faith, Hope, Loss, Meditation, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Pain, Peace, Pema Chodron, Philosophy, Suffering, Uncategorized, Vairagya, Vipassana, Yoga.Tags: COVID-19, Flourish Pilates, insight, inspiration. 90 seconds, Jill Bolte Taylor, meditation, Nokomis Yoga, Pema Chodron, Sully Sullenberger, Vipassana, YMCA
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“From everything I saw, knew, and felt, my decision had been made: LaGuardia was out. Wishing or hoping otherwise wasn’t going to help.”
– from Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters by Chelsey B.”Sully” Sullenberger
We all experience moments where things don’t go as planned or as we want them to go. As Chelsey “Sully” Sullenberger said, “Not every situation can be foreseen or anticipated. There isn’t a checklist for everything.” In these moments, we can second guess ourselves, recriminate ourselves, or we can trust what we feel, and then move forward.
Sometimes it is really easy to follow our intuition. At other times we have to practice listening to that still, silent voice inside of our own heart. At other times, we just have a sense of knowing that we must trust our gut and or the funny feeling in the pit of our belly or low back. My whispers of intuition usually happen around books, or discussions about books – and occasionally with music. It happened on September 10, 2001 (when I felt a strong urge to buy a small copy of the The Art of War). It happened at the end of last year during a conversation about the work and life of Ram Das (when I kept insisting he had died, on the day he was actually dying). And, in a similar, roundabout serendipitous and easily chalked up as a coincidence fashion, it happened when I was trying to figure out the appropriate tone and content for my first COVID-19 blog post.
I had an idea – one we will undoubtedly visit later – but I was worried it would come off as a little to flippant and cavalier. I also wanted to make sure there was space within the frame for good information. And, in my musings, I remembered that my new housemate had given me a copy of Pema Chödrön’s Living Beautifully with Uncertainty and Change. Note: This was not the only gift in the form of a book that I received last year – or in previous years. And, honestly, I didn’t really remember the title or the titular subject. However, something whispered for me to get the book.
The second featured quote, at the beginning of Chapter One, was Shunryu Suzuki Roshi’s simile comparing life to stepping into a sinking boat. And from that river flowed the rest of the blog post.
Sunday night, when faced with the news that my classes at the Douglas Dayton YMCA and Flourish have been cancelled, I felt the desire to go deeper. {On your next inhale, go deeper.}
Pema Chödrön writes, “In My Stroke of Insight, the brain scientist Jill Bolte Taylor’s book about her recovery from a massive stroke, she explains the physiological mechanism behind emotion: an emotion like anger that’s an automatic response lasts just 90 seconds from the moment it’s triggered until it runs its course. One and a half minutes, that’s all. When it lasts any longer, which it usually does, it’s because we’ve chosen to rekindle it.
The fact of the shifting, changing nature of our emotions is something we could take advantage of. But do we? No. Instead, when an emotion comes up, we fuel it with our thoughts, and what should last one and a half minutes may be drawn out for 10 or 20 years. We just keep recycling the story line. We keep strengthening our old habits.”
Essentially, we throw more fuel on the fire and (literally) light it up again.
What happens if, instead of adding fuel to the flame, we just spend 90 seconds watching the light flare up… and then go out? What happens if, as we do in meditation and as we do our physical practice of yoga, we just breathe into the moment? What happens if the only story we tell is the non-story, that “doing the 90 seconds thing” story that is no story, only experience. (Someone in Chödrön’s circle refers to it as the “one-and-a-half minute thing,” so think of it however it works for you.)
You can settle into a comfortable position, set a timer, and do this on your own. Or, you can click below (or here if the video doesn’t show on your phone) and do it with me. Either way, the idea is to breathe and feel what you feel, for 90 seconds, without adding any story: no value judgments, no interpretations, and no explanations.
Its 90 seconds. If you practice on the mat with me, you know you can do just about anything for 90 seconds.
### BE WELL ###
MAY THE FOURTH KISS MY ASANA: 2019 Offering #19 May 3, 2019
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Uncategorized.Tags: Adho Mukha Svanasana, Andy Tudyk, Chewbacca, Downward Facing Dog, George Lucas, inspiration, KISS MY ASANA, Matthew Latkiewicz, Matthew Sanford, May the Fourth, Mind Body Solutions, Peter Mayhew, space, Star Wars, Wookie, yoga
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The “practice preview” below is part of my offering for the 2019 Kiss My Asana yogathon AND (since the Kiss My Asana yogathon raises resources as well as awareness) it is an invitation to join me for a donation-based class on May 4th.
You can still donate (until May 15th).
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.
***
“Do. Or do not. There is no try.”
– Yoda* in The Empire Strikes Back
“It moves through and surrounds every living thing. Close your eyes…. Feel it….it’s always been there. It will guide you.”
– Maz Kanata* in The Force Awakens
“This level of energetic sensation is what guides my teaching of yoga all these years later. I can teach a walking person the subtleties of a standing pose, for example, because of my energetic experience. I can ‘feel’ the poses, feel how the physical instructions are intended to amplify, guide, and direct the flow of energy. When I teach, I give instructions and then observe not just whether the physical actions are occurring, but also whether the intended energetic release is happening through the student’s mind-body relationship. If the energy of the pose is not flowing correctly, I can often adjust the student and enhance his or her experience.”
– Matthew Sanford writing in Waking: A Memoir of Trauma and Transcendence about teaching yoga (2006)
What struck me the first time I took a class with Matthew Sanford, and continues to strike me whenever I have the good fortune to take a class from him, is that he teaches from the inside-out – instead of from the outside-in. What I mean by that, is that while a good number of us get on our mats and focus on the outside in order to go inward, Matthew starts inside and works his way to the outside. He was not my first teacher to teach like that. When I started practicing yoga, I was fortunate enough to have a couple of teachers, including my first teacher (Robert Boustany) who taught in a similar fashion. But, when I first started practicing yoga, I didn’t know there were teachers who practiced and taught in a different way.
Also, let’s be honest, when I started practicing yoga, I didn’t really get what my teachers were doing or how they were doing it. I just assumed that if you practiced (the physical practice) eventually you would start to understand the energetic practice. Years later I would discover that that’s just not so: Some people can practice for decades and never realize what it is that’s actually happening inside themselves. And, perhaps, some people don’t believe or care.
“The act of living generates a force field, an energy. That energy surrounds us; when we die, that energy joins with all the other energy. There is a giant mass of energy in the universe that has a good side and a bad side. We are part of the Force because we generate the power that makes the Force live. When we die, we become part of that Force, so we never really die; we continue as part of the Force.”
– George Lucas explaining “The Force” in a production meeting for the Empire Strikes Back (quoted in Star Wars: The Anointed Screenplays by Laurent Bouzereau (1997)
“That I could feel such things so quickly – the loud rush produced by simply taking my legs wide, the upward energetic release produced when hands-in-prayer was done with yogic precision – meant that those phantom feelings had not left me. Instead, they had been waiting in silence, waiting for me to let them back into my conscious experience. Consciousness does not abandon us. It is only denied.”
– Matthew Sanford writing in Waking: A Memoir of Trauma and Transcendence about his first yoga experience with Jo Z (2006)
When I first started practicing yoga, I was surrounded by professional dancers and musicians – people/athletes who used their bodies for work. I was the odd duck, not because I was the least flexible person in the room, but because I had the least body awareness. Part of what made those first practices so dynamic and compelling, was the focus on what we could do.
Think about that for a moment. For 60 – 75 minutes, everybody’s mind-body was focused on what each of us could do in that moment. Nothing else mattered. The practice was intentionally personal and accessible. It never occurred to me that yoga could be, or would be, anything else. However, after I went through my first yoga teacher training and started teaching, I realized something that astounded me and broke my heart: not everybody knew yoga could be accessible. Not everybody knew there were different ways of practicing. And, as a result, people would not practice (or would stop practicing) because of something they couldn’t do.
“Yes, everybody can do it…. It’s just the Jedi who take the time to do it…. Like yoga. If you want to take the time to do it, you can do it; but the ones that really want to do it are the ones who are into that kind of thing. Also like karate. Also another misconception is that Yoda teaches Jedi, but he is like a guru; he doesn’t go out and fight anybody…. Well, he is a teacher, not a real Jedi. Understand that?”
– George Lucas answering questions in a Return of the Jedi story conference, July 13 – 17, 1981 (quoted in The Making of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi by J. W. Rinzler (2013)
“Jo and I discovered that alignment and precision increase mind-body integration regardless of paralysis. The mind is not strictly confined to a neurophysiological connection with the body. If I listen inwardly to my whole experience (both my mind’s and my body’s), my mind can feel my legs.
This is one of those truths that is easy to pass by, like the existence of dinosaurs. But in fact, it should dumbfound us – that, on some level, something as simple as the more precise distribution of gravity can transcend the limits set by a dysfunctional spinal cord. When I move from a slumped position to a more aligned one, my mind becomes more present in my thighs and feet. This happens despite my paralysis. It is simply a matter of learning to listen to a different level of presence, to realizing that the silence within my paralysis is not loss. In fact, it is both awake and alive.”
– Matthew Sanford writing in Waking: A Memoir of Trauma and Transcendence about his yoga practice (2006)
May the 4th is a special day for Star Wars fans and a day when I love to teach “Star Wars Yoga” inspired by Matthew Latkiewicz. When I realized one of the days I was considering teaching a Kiss My Asana donation-based class was May the 4th, I almost rescheduled. At first I thought, ‘How can I make the class fun, informative, and accessible?’ Then I thought, ‘How can I not?’
MAY THE FOURTH KISS MY ASANA
May final 2019 Kiss My Asana donation-based class will be Saturday, May 4th ((4:00 PM – 6:00 PM) at Flourish pilates+yoga+bodywork, 3347 42nd Ave S, Minneapolis) Please join me on this very special day when will explore the power of the Force that surrounds, penetrates, and binds everyone – regardless of size, shape or physical and mental abilities. This practice will include partner work and is open to all abilities. Space is limited.
NOTE: This space contains an accessible bathroom.
Please RSVP to myra(at)ajoyfulpractice(dot)com if you would like to join this practice.
(*NOTE: Ever notice how some of the most memorable “wise teachers” in Star Wars are short, funny looking and have enormous eyes (or glasses)? No? Okay. Maybe it’s just me.)
FEATURED POSE for May the 4th: Downward Facing Wookie
Downward Facing Wookie is a pose with several variations, many of which can be practiced without warming up. Most variations are also prenatal approved.
If you are coming into the classical version (what most people will think of as Adho Mukha Svanasana or Downward Facing Dog), start in Table Top with hands and knees on the mat. Stack shoulders over elbows, elbows over wrists and hips over knees with the feet the same distance apart as the knees. Inhale and lengthen the spine, maybe even moving into Cow Pose (to exaggerate the spinal extension) and then exhale to use the arms and legs to push the hips up into the air. You want your body in the shape of an upside down “V” or a capital “A” without the bar across the center. Check to make sure fingers and toes are spread wide with the middle fingers pointed forward, most of the weight in the hands concentrated on the thumb and first fingers, and the big toes behind the thumbs or behind the middle fingers. To stretch out the spine, bend the knees slightly and find what feels like Cow Pose. (Don’t make it about looking up; make it about extending the spine.) Once the spine is long, ribs reaching away from the hips, see if you can straighten the legs. Even if the legs stay slightly bent, push the spine towards the things, the shoulders towards the hips, the hips towards the ceiling, the thighs towards the space behind you, and let the heels release towards the earth. Balance the effort between the arms and legs. This is a full body stretch. Gaze at your nose, your belly button, or the space between your toes – but make sure your neck is still long and ears are between the straight arms.
If you have wrist issues, you can use a wrist guard (which looks like the floorboard for a door) or a towel / blanket to lift the wrists up higher than the fingers. Another option for wrist and shoulder issues is to practice with the elbows and forearms on the ground, with elbows shoulder width apart. All other alignment is the same for this variation that is sometimes referred to as Dolphin Dog.
Downward Facing Wookie is a standing pose, an arm balance, a forward fold, a back bend, and an inversion. If you want to skip the inversion, one option is to stand arms length from a wall (with finger tips barely touching the wall) and then hinge from the hips until the palms are flat on the wall and the ears are between the arms. The same alignment principles apply as with the earlier variations; push through the heels of the hands and the heels of the feet to get the spine as long as possible. This variation can also be practiced with forearms on the wall.
Another option is to practice in a seated position. One seated variation, whether you are in a chair or in Staff Pose (Dandasana) is to stretch the arms over your head and then flex the wrists so that the palms are pushed up towards the ceiling (fingers will point behind you). In this variation, push through the heels, thighs, and hips in order to extend the spine and push the palms up. All the same alignment principles apply.
There is also a variation of Downward Facing Wookie that can be done with the feet on the wall, but that’s a variation will save for another time.
Doesn’t matter which variation you practice, on May the 4th let’s see if we can prove Alan Tudyk (aka K2S0) wrong about that vocal cry. Everyone, lift up one arm or leg, take the deepest breath you’ve taken all day, and ROAR it out.
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RIP Peter Mayhew
May 19, 1944 – April 30, 2019
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A Joyful Practice 