Contentment

A couple of weeks ago the theme of my classes was santosha or contentment.

One can neither be happy all the time nor sad all the time. Cyndi Dale writes this in her book "The Subtle Body":

"Excessive joy consumes heart energy, leading to deficient heart energy. It also relaxes the heart so it cannot function effectively."

"Excessive worry and sadness burn up lune energy, leading to deficient lung energy & can cause abdominal pain and swelling."

 Contentment is the balanced space between happiness and sadness, i think. & it lies deep within the self. So deep that sometimes we have to journey to find it. It is that part of us that remembers that everything is going to be o.k. and everything has reason whether or not we can see it. Contentment is quiet. Discovering contentment does not mean that we will never experience our emotional swings. We will simply be less apt to attach to these swings. 

 So often we rush through our lives trying to find peace and other good feelings in the externals of life. We get really attached to our material possessions, to how other people view us, etc. Rolf Gates suggests in his book "Meditations From the Mat"  that  we start looking at ourselves and world from the inside out. & that we realize our spiritual perfection instead of wallowing in our imperfections. So often we allow ourselves to get bogged down in our judgements, sadness and we feel that we are imperfect beings who have to work to fix our imperfections. Gates suggests that we see ourselves as the earth - stable, sound, and the nonsense that we deal with is the rain. The rain comes and the rains goes, but the earth stands - stable, sound..... content. 

"Love the earth" 

Breathe.....

Breathe.

Let go.

& remember the this moment is the only moment that you know you have for sure.

                 ~Oprah Winfrey~

This is on my email signature. The thing with putting a quote on my email signature is that i see it ... frequently & i begin mulling it over & over & over..... until it begins to mess with my own mind.  & it has. 

"Breathe. Let go." - I am pretty cool with that. 

"And remember that this moment is the only moment that you know you have for sure" Uh oh.

Simple true statement about the fragility of our physical existence that can make a person stop and mull. 

The tenuousness  of life is easy for me to accept. A childhood spent in the pews of a fire and brimstone Baptist church certainly prepared me for my eventual & perhaps immediate demise.

We are a quantity oriented society. We want more. Always want more and bigger bigger bigger. But in this quest the idea of quality sometimes gets lost. And, Oprah's quote got me thinking about the quality of my moments (Darn you Oprah.) & .... the idea that each of my moments is the "only moment" i know that i have for sure. 

There are 1,440 minutes in a day. Yes, the word "minute" refers to a specific quantity of time & the word "moment" is most usually used to describe an experience. But both are defined as denoting an indeterminate short period of time. 

So, breathe. Let go. And relax into your experience. Sometimes, this is really easy. But sometimes..... not. Lately I've  had a series of moments that if they were my very last moment(s), i would feel like the butt of a big cosmic joke. "Oh .... and now i'm dead. Well, that's just a fine how do you do!"

The bottom line is that i cannot always choose my moments. I cannot choose the moods of the boss, the habits of other drivers, the weather, etc. All i can try to choose is my reactions. And sometimes - often --- o.k., frequently, i don't choose very well. It's easy to allow myself to be pulled into a riptide of emotion - anger, frustration, etc. Riding quietly above all this is the challenge.  So, how do we get into that hovercraft of calm detachment and find comfort in moments of  discomfort?

Here are some things that I try to remember:

1 - Breathe...... deeply. Yep, just like Oprah says. Sometimes uncomfortable moments causes the breath to become quick and shallow as our bodies prepare to take some kind of defensive action. Since most of our present day stressful situations do not include hand to hand combat or outrunning lava flows, chest breathing can hinder our reactions. Sending the breath down deep into all 4 corners of the body will help to keep the nervous system balanced and the mind at ease.

2 - Share your breath - We often feel that we are alone in our misery. Maybe that is why misery loves company? But rest assured that whatever you are going through, there is most likely someone else going through the exact same thing. You are not the only one with a disrespectful teenager, a cranky unrealistic boss, overly needy spouse or whatever the momentary issue is. Think of how many people are being bitched out between 9 - 10 in the morning in meetings all over the world. It's not just you. It's not just me. So, sometimes i try this - Breathing in i let myself sink into the nastiness of the moment. I fully absorb what is happening - every minute feeling and i realize that there is someone, somewhere going through pretty much the exact same thing. Breathing out i send not only myself comfort but also put good feeling out to everyone who is suffering in the same way.

3. Suffering shared is suffering halved. This follows the same thought process as number 2. The Dalai Lama was traveling through a very impoverished area. Starvation, sickness, were everywhere. During this trip he became very ill & suffered great pain. He shares that as he laid in bed suffering, it would have been easy for him to fall into self pity. Instead he meditated on the suffering he had seen. Doing this allowed him to put his suffering and the impermanence of his suffering into perspective. Instead of dropping into a negative mind set, he practiced metta meditation & sent wishes of good health & happiness out to those he has seen.
Sometimes the moments that feel most huge are really rather minute. Stopping and sending energy to those going through really intense stuff often helps us to ease back into a more balanced mind set.

4. This too shall pass. We and everything are in constant state of flux. The gridlock will ease. The job situation will change. Just hang on & know that the next moment may be be completely different than the present one - not necessarily better or worse - but different.

5. Laugh. Yeah, just laugh. There are so many health benefits to laughter including increased immune system,  & an increase in endorphins. Laughter is a wonderful aerobic workout for all of the internal organs. And it's a great stress buster. The coolest thing is that the body does not know if the mind is faking it. Of course busting out in a hardee-har-har during a meeting with the boss would probably just result in couple or more days off without pay. But sometimes i can excuse myself to the rest room for some silent giggles. Or if  in public, whip out the cell phone and imagine a friend just told  the best joke ever. This may sound like the rantings of a crazy person. But believe me - there is feeling of lightness, of being cleansed after a silly session of laughter yoga.

6. And back to the breath with a mantra. The most frustrating thing about frustration is how easily i can get thrown off balance. No matter how committed i am to keeping my yogic cool, stuff can just knock me right off my lotus. So sometimes getting through my muggle day is simply about reminding myself of my Self. Sometimes working with a mantra helps with this. With the inhale, mentally say the word "so" & with the exhale the word "hum". So ..... hum...... so ....... hum. This translates as "I am" or "I am that". This sometimes helps me to stay grounded and also lifted. Sometimes if the day is really crazy, reminding myself that i am a breathing creature helps to bring me back. So, with the in breath - "breathing in, i know i am breathing in" & with the out breath "breathing out i know i am breathing out". This is taught by the Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hahn. He suggests taking the koan into the day and remembering to repeat it as often as possible. In his Buddhist community, Plum Village, a bell is rung intermittently  throughout the day as a reminder to stop and breathe. Because no matter what is happening, no matter what the world tries to take away, no matter the frustration, we have our breath.

Always come back to the breath.

http://imperfectspirituality.com/2012/07/30/the-benefits-of-solitude/.

Our lives, our society are so...... loud & extroverted. 

& that's ....... o.k.... we need that side of the coin. 

But how badly we need time to just be Quiet. 

Just Be Quiet. 

Turn off and turn on as the old saying goes. 

It is when we are most quiet that we can make sense of the noise. 

After the gardening is done for the day......

Stretch.


Remember - practice safely & mindfully. And check with your doctor before venturing into any exercise program.


Come to lie on your back, knees bent, feet more than hip-width apart.

Let your knees fall in to touch one another. 

Rest your hands on your belly, fingertips just touching. 

Allow your shoulders to broaden and slide away from the neck. Let your shoulders blades be heavy but relaxed into the ground. 

Take a few minutes and breathe here. Allow your inhalations and exhalations to flow smoothly and evenly. 

Release your hands to the ground. Rest with your arms slightly away from your body. Bring your heels in line with your hips.

 As you inhale, feel your belly inflate in all directions like a balloon. 

As you exhale, allow your lower back to gently touch the floor. 

Notice the rocking of pelvis, the slight arch of the back with the inhalation, the compression of the belly with the exhalation. 

Allow yourself a few cycles of mindful breathing. 

Now begin to exaggerate this movement. 

As you inhale allow your back to arch a bit more.

As you exhale press the back into the floor and lift the tailbone. 

Do this for 5 - 10 cycles of breath. 

_____

Bring your fingers to your hip bones. Press down into your feet & lift your hips and lower back just a couple inches off he ground. Not too high.

Isolating the movement in the hips and abdomen, begin to slowly move the hips side to side. 

Try to keep your knees as stable as possible. See if you can feel the sensation in the deep abdominal muscles. 

Allow the movement to follow your nice natural breath. Inhaling to one side, exhaling to the other. 

Give yourself 5 - 10 cycles of breath here

________

Bring the lower back to the floor. Separate your feet  a little bit more than hip width apart. Without trying to force your knees to the ground, move your knees like windshield wipers - dropping them to one side as you exhale - inhale to center - dropping to the other side with an exhale. Slowly and mindfully. Enjoy the feeling of the hips stretching and opening. 5 - 10 cycles of breath here.

_______

Bring the heels back in line with the hips. Keep your shoulder on the floor & lift your left arm towards the sky. Bend the elbow so your forearm lines up with the chest. Bring your right forearm to rest on the left. Fingertips of the right hand rest on the crease of the left elbow. Fingertips of the left hand rest under the right elbow. The forearms are held away from the chest at chest level.
Exhale - drop the bent arms to the right. Inhale back to center & exhale the back to the right. Move slowly and mindfully for 5 - 7 breaths.
Then as you exhale the arms to the right, drop the knees to the left. Hold here. Breathing deeply and completely.

Maintain the drop of the knees.
Release the arms and spread them wide at shoulder level. Take a few breaths here in simple twist. If both shoulder blades are not connecting the floor, lower the bent knees away from the chest a bit, or shift through the upper back to get a nice grounded & connected feeling through the shoulder blades.
The palms of both hands are facing up. Lightly press the edges of the fingernails of the right hand into the floor.
With a nice deep exhalation draw the hand and arm in an arch over the top of the head. Right hand will end up on left. Allow the whole body to move so that you end up on your left side. As you inhale reverse the movement - keep your knees on the left side of the body - opening back up into simple twist.
Allow your breath to guide this movement for about 5 - 10 cycles of breath.

Draw yourself back to center and repeat everything on the opposite side.

_________________


Bring yourself back to center and take some time for yourself in savasana.

Namaste

got got got got no time?

Look - I get it.

Time is fleeting. We all want a home practice. Wouldn't it be nice if we could all hang out and float in yoga aalll day? Yeeah...... that would be cool.

Reality crash - most of us have to go muddle about in the muddy mainstream matrix for the majority of our day. And sometimes before even stepping a foot out the door there are chores to do - lunches to pack, children to motivate, animals to feed (really. the first 30 minutes of my morning is spent tending to my needy pack that consists of 2 cats and dog. No wonder real farmers get up so dang early in the morning), etc.. Or maybe this is just my morning. I have always had a dysfunctional relationship with time.  However it is - sometimes working a personal practice into the day is ....... challenging.

Personally, if I don't get to practice in the morning, it's just not going to happen. Once my day starts it goes on and on and on. By the time it's all over....... I am DONE! And, if my morning goes poorly and there is no time to practice asana &/or meditation, I feel cheated. & usually pretty cranky.

Hence, my 5 minute morning practice it this: 2 1/2 minutes of bhastrika "shakti breath" and 2 1/2 minutes of standing meditation.

Bhastrika consists of quick powerful breaths,  drawing the belly up and in with the exhalations. This particular form of exercise utilizes arm movement and vocalizations. Drawing the arms up with the inhale and pulling the arms to the ribs with the exhale while making a strong "HA" sound. (Believe it or not, I use this breath with my seniors as a warm up for laughter yoga. They love it.)

This powerful breathing exercise is taught by Psalm Isadora. The following is her demonstrating it.

& the 5 Minute morning practice for me is this.

- Start in Mountain. Really pay attention to how the body is lining up. Step the feet out the side a little bit more than hip width. Bend the knees making sure to track the second or pinky toe with the knee. Try to keep the tail bone scooped a bit and the pelvis open. 

- Proceed with 2 1/2 minutes of Breath work. 

- End with 3 lion breaths - inhale draw the arms up. Exhale drop hands to thighs lean open the mouth & eyes wide stick the tongue out & down as far as you can. Exhale from the deepest depths of your belly. Release!!!

-Re-find your horse stance. Bend the ring and pinky fingers towards their palms and hold them with their thumbs. The index and great fingers rest side by side.  Bend the elbows. Pull the arms to the side body so that the index and great fingers are pointing forward. Close or relax your eyes by allowing your gaze to fall down and in front of you a bit. As you breathe in, pull energy in through your feet and the top of your head. Let the energy meet in the middle of the belly. As you breathe out, send the energy out through your fingertips. Be here for another 2 1/2 minutes. 

- Shake your body out & go about your day. 

So I don't have to keep an eye on the clock, I sometimes use a meditation timer app. Follow the link for a review and info on other meditation apps. 

Or you choose music for the appropriate amount of time (or close to it). 

If you're interested, here is another video of Psalm explaining bhastrika shakti breath and sankalpa. 

Peace. 

Awaken to Yoga

There is a new studio in town. & this place is oh so nice.  & listen - I am not saying this because I teach there. But I requested to teach there because the space is oh so nice.

This may seem like a contradiction from my earlier post  rant about yoga studios. But,  follow the links in that post & you will find that 2 of those take you places owned by the 2 yogis who joined together to create Awaken Yoga - Jennifer Langlands & Lisa Fleming.

Lisa is the spirit behind One Tree Yoga in Euclid. One Tree is a cool little place in the Shore Cultural Center in Euclid. A sweet studio in an old classroom, The space has great windows that welcome the sun and fresh air, old wood floors and charming decorations.

Jennifer began Awaken Yoga School in the parks system. Very clever. Jenn is a teacher of teachers. Awaken Yoga was first a teacher training space & she held trainings at various metro parks around the area (again with the trees), then eventually opened a space next door to One Tree. Another sweet sunny classroom with old wood floors and a big ol' chalkboard.

Then - DaTaDa! then came this awesome space on Center St. in Mentor OH. Awaken is located in an older style house. The space was once a florist and, way back in the day, housed the Mentor Public Library - just for a little bit of history.

So, the space itself is awesome - a big red house that sits back a bit from the busy street. Pulling into the parking feels kind of like going to visit a friend. There is patio furniture in the "back yard" - a nice spot to sit beside the trees and enjoy a cup of tea before or after a class or workshop, or during a break in a yogic studies weekend or a teacher training session.

Then entering the studio, your feet hit hardwood floor. And your eyes will take in color. Yes, you heard me - color. There is a green studio, a brown studio...... the stairwell is purple. Yes, you heard me - purple - a nice stately warm purple. Why is this so cool? Because life is colorful people!!! Life is not all beige and off white. Institutions are beige and off white. But the world is beautiful in its bounty of hues. & a good yoga practice will help you to balance between the beautiful and the ugliness of the world.  So, it's o.k ..... no ... Good to allow a little color into your practice space - yes?

There is a cozy retail section with a great selection of books, music, candles, a great new product called Asana Kisser to help ease soreness in your muscles that you may experience after a vinyasa or yoga strong class.

But the appearance of a place is really just that - appearance. A dish of food can look amazing but taste like crap. What really makes this studio is its spirit. Jenn & Lisa wanted to create a comfortable space for all levels of practitioners & all personalities. Awaken offers a nice variety of classess - from restorative, chair, deep stretch, slow flow - to challenging vinyasa and core based classes. Other healing modalities are offered as well - massage, thai massage, reiki.

And all are welcome. Please come in your baggiest of t-shirts or your tightest of tank tops. Big people, small people, in betweens. Newbies, oldies .... whatever. We are all on this planet at this time to heal,  to re- balance, to stretch strengthen and quiet not only our bodies, but our minds, spirits. We are all on a journey of Awakening.

Come enjoy the ride.

P.s - Like I said, there are many wonderful classes with experienced non-judgemental teachers ....... like me. Come practice with me on Mondays - Slow Flow & Wednesdays - Deep Stretch.

looking for the lorax: The Joy of Yoga: Smokey the Bear Sutra (Gary Synde...

looking for the lorax: The Joy of Yoga: Smokey the Bear Sutra (Gary Synde...: The Joy of Yoga: Smokey the Bear Sutra (Gary Synder)

stalking fear w/Ana Forrest

kalama sutta

Kalama Sutta

The people of Kalama asked the Buddha who to believe out of all the ascetics, sages, venerables, and holy ones who, like himself, passed through their town. They complained that they were confused by the many contradictions they discovered in what they heard. The Kalama Sutta is the Buddha's reply.

–	Do not believe anything on mere hearsay.
–	Do not believe in traditions merely because they are old and have been handed down for many generations and in many places.
–	Do not believe anything on account of rumors or because people talk a a great deal about it.
–	Do not believe anything because you are shown the written testimony of some ancient sage.
–	Do not believe in what you have fancied, thinking that, because it is extraordinary, it must have been inspired by a god or other wonderful being.
–	Do not believe anything merely because presumption is in its favor, or because the custom of many years inclines you to take it as true.
–	Do not believe anything merely on the authority of your teachers and priests.
–	But, whatever, after thorough investigation and reflection, you find to agree with reason and experience, as conducive to the good and benefit of one and all and of the world at large, accept only that as true, and shape your life in accordance with it.

The same text, said the Buddha, must be applied to his own teachings.

–	Do not accept any doctrine from reverence, but first try it as gold is tried by fire.

why

Lately I have been wondering, "why yoga?"

The whole scene has become a gossipy, drama fest filled with pencil thin brand named clad "yoginis" talking about their heart chakras while admiring their yoga butts in the mirrors of cool zen minimalist bamboo floored studios.

& why do I teach? What do I think I can offer in my raggedly faded yoga pants and baggy t-shirt Dujour?
Throw a couple of Mala beads into a group of beautiful people at Whole Foods and you'll probably hit at least one yoga teacher and possibly someone who has just come back from or is preparing to go to India & studied or will study with SwamiGuru Watchyacallitji  or some such thing.  And they talk of the expansiveness of the ajna while admiring the abs of swadhistana.


It just seems like "yoga" has become everything that I am not - Flashy and expensive and ......status-y....
stylish ..... & sometimes kind of bitchy (o.k that's one thing we have in common). In fact, I am waiting to see an advertisement extolling the idea of putting yourself into "fashionistasana" or some fool thing. I mean isn't that commercial showing the girl hanging out in a deep eka pada pranamasana while talking on her bluetooth thingy enough??? I mean - really?? Talking on the phone while practicing asana? Do you know how many karma demerits that must be? 


Honestly, I tend to be more comfortable practicing in the privacy of my own home because I often feel ..... not comfortable at many studios. They feel too .... I don't know ... appearance driven & ...... clean.  


 You know, not all places are like this. Once in a blue moon I practice here at One Tree and I have taken a workshop here and felt quite cozy. I also feel welcomed here when I go for workshops/special classes.  Not that these places are dirty. They are just not so high gloss that I feel that I am tracking metaphysical mud everywhere.


And then there is all the nonsense of late - the article about the dangers of yoga in the New York Times, the whole John Friend thing, yadayadayada ........ and the yoga blogosphere's reactions. Some were defensive, some were condemning.  "Yoga never hurt anyone. John Friend sucks." 


Very sad were some of the comments on facebook in response to Yogadork's posting about John Friend. Many people came out condemning both the idea of covens and tantra. Without Tantra, there would be no yoga. And really, imo, a "coven" is simply a very exclusive "Kula" which can be quite exclusive as well. And have these Anusara folks never heard about not putting your eggs in one basket? Or your faith in one man? I mean, a guru, a mentor, is just a person. Place anyone on too high of a pedestal, & you are going to get very hurt when she/he falls off. 


And you know what? You can get hurt practicing yoga asana - very possible. Very real. Instead of getting snarky and nervous, we need to take responsibility for our practice and our teaching and move with awareness. 


But listen....  


Yoga is not a person or group of people. 
Yoga is a practice.... a deeply personal practice. 


When I am on my mat. I am on my mat. Flowing with My breath, feeling My movement, calming My mind, balancing My nervous system. I can be in a class with 50 other people and I am on My mat, enjoying My practice. The only competition at that point is in My head.


The release that I experience is my release.  My choice to awaken & move towards awareness, or to stay sleeping.  My choice to rest in the challenge of my edge or push past it towards injury. My choice to adore my teacher or to listen to my inner guru. My choice to let go or hold on.  
  
The release is an individual one. The energy is expansive. 


I think that we have a hard time knowing what to do with our energy. Often we are not quite sure of it - what it is, what it feels like, how to harness it, how to use it. & maybe that is where the nonsense comes in to play. Yoga is a whole  experience - a practice of connecting the dots of body, mind & spirit, of riding the Kundalini.  & it's sometimes a bumpy ride. It's easy to get stuck somewhere - in your head, or your physicality, or your expectations and/or judgements. I understand. I spin my wheels in these places quite frequently.... especially that judgement place. :)


So, this is one of the reasons I practice - to move onward, upward, outward. The other reasons? Too many. But to keep it simple - basically I feel better in all aspects of myself & with all areas of my life when I practice yoga. 



  

If you allow it,

the practice of yoga will open your soul 

as well as your hips.