sweet suhka yoga

new yoga possibilities for the new year

2012-01-10T08:25:00.001-08:00

Happy new year! After a break from teaching yoga (and blogging about it) for nearly 18 months, a new impulse is blooming into full flower. Over the last few months I have noticed that there are many people who want the benefits of yoga in their lives, but can't seem to make it happen for themselves. Either they can't find a true beginner's class that really gives them the attention and focus they need, or, perhaps they aren't interested in learning yoga from a book or DVD. There are also those who have a little bit of experience in yoga, but not enough to feel comfortable in a higher level class, and not enough knowledge or motivation to sustain a home practice on their own.

I love teaching yoga to beginners because Kripalu yoga is geared towards supporting practitioners wherever they are on the path of yoga: new or experienced, able-bodied or needing modifications and accommodations, flexible or not so much, younger and older alike. I also love to be a part of the excitement and gratification that comes from exploring what yoga has to offer to someone new to this ancient and beneficial practice.

At the same time, as a yoga teacher, I have found it challenging to teach a group of beginning students the basics of yoga, including self acceptance, breath work, postures and philosophy, while giving each person in the class the attention and help they need to really learn yoga safely, fully and with compassion and joy.

I've come to the conclusion that the best way for me to really teach yoga to someone who has never practiced before, or, has learned yoga in ways that lack fun and satisfaction, or worse, may lead to injury, is to offer individual sessions, in the comfort and ease of home.

I am happy to share that I am now offering individual yoga consultations in the Ann Arbor area to help bring yoga into the lives of those who want it, through one-on-one attention and support. Whether someone wants to build their own home practice, reach a comfort level in yoga to be able to attend classes and feel safe and comfortable, or more, I am available to help determine and meet yoga goals.

With a background as a certified Kripalu yoga teacher, a professional massage therapist, and a masters of social work with many years of clinical experience, I will help clients understand how to gain the benefits of yoga in a way that works specifically for them, while addressing physical, emotional and motivational blocks that could hinder success.

Does this sound like a good idea to you, or possibly to someone you know?

I offer a complimentary phone call to determine if my services fit you personally, a discussion of what you want to achieve, how much support you may need, scheduling logistics and fees.

Please contact me at yogalisagottlieb@gmail.com for more information and to set up a phone consultation. I look forward to hearing from you.

~Lisa

the fields lay fallow

2010-07-27T08:04:00.000-07:00

Deep into our Michigan summer, it may seem odd to use an analogy of rich earth at rest. Yet, this is where I find myself in terms of teaching yoga. I am noticing a shift in how I am relating to being a Kripalu yoga teacher. My personal sadhana is calling to me more strongly, with a clear message to bring my focus inward. As a result, I am not currently teaching any classes. Pleasecontinue to feel free to email me at any time: yogalisagottlieb@gmail.com.

Thank you for your understanding, and enjoy the wonderful bounty of this luscious season's harvest, ~Lisa

Spring Kripalu Classes

2010-04-18T08:03:00.000-07:00

SCHEDULE CHANGE:: Sunday's class is now from 3:30-4:45p

Monday, Wednesday and Sunday classes are all on for this 8 week session beginning tomorrow evening. Drop-ins welcome as room permits. Looking forward to seeing you,
Lisa

New kripalu yoga classes begin April 19

2010-03-29T06:38:00.000-07:00

With the coming of spring, I am pleased to announce a new series

of Kripalu yoga classes in my home studio.

Monday and Wednesday evenings 5:30-6:45

Sunday afternoons 3:30-4:45

Please pre-register for classes. The fee for classes is $64. for one class a week, $120 for two, and $150. for three. Because classes are scheduled in 8 week sessions, there will be more opportunity to build on previous classes and delve more deeply into posture and breathe exploration. Drop in classes are $10 each and are an option as space permits.

Please contact me to register, or if you have questions or concerns:

yogalisagottlieb@gmail.com

I'm looking forward to sharing spring time and yoga with you,

Lisa

changing my mind

2009-04-22T18:07:00.000-07:00

For the last month or so I've taken a break from teaching yoga to the teens in the substance abuse treatment program in the juvenile jail where I also work as the school social worker. I was losing interest in teaching yoga where there was resistance and disruption, and there was a lot of resistance and disruption. Pretty much every class. I was spending more time trying to maintain a level of compliance with basic facility rules and keeping the insults and name calling at bay than I was teaching yoga. Compared to my home studio classes, which are positive and energizing, the classes at work were dread filling and demoralizing. It seemed to me that only a few of the kids really liked the classes, and the kids who didn't made it miserable for everyone else. I tried lots of different approaches and plans to increase engagement, but it wasn't improving. It just got too challenging, and, worse, it started to make me feel badly about yoga.

On a deep level I felt ashamed that I couldn't figure out how to engage the uninterested kids, so I did what I usually do when I am unwilling to explore something painful. I took an all-or-nothing approach and just avoided the issue by not teaching any yoga to any of the kids. Over the last month, a few of the kids have occasionally asked about yoga class, but I didn't have the energy (likely based on my unwillingness to look more closely at what was coming up for me) to discuss it much more than saying I was taking a break from teaching.

Then, yesterday, something interesting happened. I was subbing in math class with the kids in my yoga class, and a kid who had just returned to our facility after a few months away asked me if we were still doing yoga. Half the class chimed in with a chorus of, "yeah, we want yoga back", and "why aren't we doing yoga anymore?" Suddenly the time seemed right for me to get honest, and tell the kids that I loved teaching yoga too much to associate it with dread and unhappiness. After some conversation about how they felt, and what they wanted, I asked the group if I offered class again, how many would be interested if it was an option. All but one said they would.

A few things have changed in the last month. A couple of really negative kids left, and a few new kids have come in to our program. The energy of the group feels more positive and functional than it has in the past. More importantly though, something in the discussion yesterday allowed me to delve into my feelings, share them with the group, and make a new plan. I gave myself permission to change my mind, and trust that it could be ok.

This morning I taught yoga class to the group for the first time in over a month. It was a good class. Nothing spectacular--no amazing transformations, blissed out prana energy, or deep meditation. But it was good enough! Plenty good enough for me.

remembering audrey simon

2009-04-15T07:57:00.000-07:00

Following is a letter I sent out to some friends and loved ones who all had their lives touched by the power and love of my beloved friend Audrey Simon, who passed away two years ago today:

I woke up this morning thinking of Audrey, seeing her face in front of me. It's hard for me to believe it has been two years since her death. I think about her nearly everyday, as I know many of you do. I still miss her tons, but what used to feel like a raw wound has healed to become a bittersweet longing for her company.

I missed Audrey's birthday celebration this year-- my daughter Zoe had emergency appendectomy surgery a few days before, and the timing didn't work out. So, today, I'm aiming some love in her direction.

There are many things I like to remember about Audrey. Her fierce loyalty and support, her strong and sometimes wacky ideas, her generousity in all things, her mindblowingly delicious meatloaf that I still make on a regular basis (her generousity included sharing her recipe with me), her healing words and touch, her empathy, her inclusiveness, and her deep care for others are just the beginning of my list.

There were a number of times over the few years before Audrey died when we talked about her, Zoe and I going to Paris together. She knew Zoe and I were saving frequent flyer miles for a trip, and we thought it would be great fun to all go together. I regret that we didn't make it happen.

About 8 months ago, Zoe and I booked our tickets, rented a little apartment in the heart of the Marais district, and last week we went to Paris. On nearly our last night there, Zoe and I decided we would dedicate our evening to the memory of Audrey, with our only firm plan a boat ride on the Siene, some red wine and a rich, gooey pastry. We walked out into the still warm evening, and as we crossed over the river on the Pont Sully towards the Ile St. Louis, we looked out to the east and saw a massive, deep orange, luciously full moon rising over the bumpy silhouette of the Paris skyline; the sky a rich blue hue behind it. We turned and looked to the west and saw the twinkling lights of the Tour Eiffel off in the distance, the sky still pink and lavender behind it. I felt a little shiver down my spine, and laughed with Zoe over the magic of the Parisian moment that was all about Aud.

On this anniversary of Audrey's passing, I'm sending out prayers of loving kindness to all, with the spirit, love and energy of Audrey shining through. It would be a real pleasure to hear from you sharing a memory, a thought, or an appreciation of Audrey on this day. I know I don't have everyone on my email list who might want to share this message, mostly out of a lack of organization than anything else, so please forward it if you like to anyone I haven't included that you feel would like it. Love and happiness, and a big smooch to Audrey, Lisa

Sometimes when I'm really missing Audrey's voice, I go to this little video from Carisa Walker:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdy4kLQw1LE

Enjoy this wet spring day, L

paris & home

2009-04-15T07:11:00.000-07:00

Still catching my breath and finding my feet after our week in Paris. Lots of photos and commentary soon. In the mean time, be well, be happy, be peaceful.
~Lisa

ok to go

2009-04-03T09:51:00.000-07:00

Nearly a year ago my daughter and I began to make plans for a trip to Paris. We turned in our hundred thousand frequent flyer miles, booked an apartment from Craigslist Paris, and then moved into wait-for-April-in-Paris mode.

A lot can happen in a year.

In addition to the economy tanking, and my job suddenly vulnerable to County budget cuts, my daughter had an emergency appendectomy last week (previous post), and my mom has been struggling with health issues. I've been struggling daily with the yes or no of our trip.

Today, it looks like our Paris trip is on. We leave tomorrow night, and return Saturday next. For now, it's ok to go.

Suddenly, now that the adventure seems possible, I'm very excited! A week in Paris in April. Coffee and croissant in the morning, chocolate pastries twice a day, cafes and parks and museums and afternoons wandering around the Marais with no other plans but to enjoy each moment. Evenings watching the street lights come on around the neighborhood, boat rides on the Seine, red wine in a cozy bistro. And some daily sadhana to balance out the lovely richness of Parisian meals.

Have a wonderful, spring-y week, where ever you are. Hugs and Jai!

a week later; an organ lighter

2009-03-30T07:44:00.000-07:00

Off the blog grid this last week due to a medical emergency. My daughter had her appendix removed early Wednesday morning. She is recovering beautifully, and we're both hopeful she will be well enough by Saturday to leave for Paris-- a trip we planned 8 months ago. Lots to be grateful for, whether we make it to Paris, or not.

selma cafe

2009-03-13T09:11:00.000-07:00

We had our 3rd Selma Cafe this morning, with Jeremy Lopatin cooking up delicious omelettes with michigan mushrooms, cheese and baby spinach, along with Jeff's just smoked diced ham. Waffles with fruit and bacon and my homemade granola rounded out the menu. Over 50 people showed up to eat, chat and build community around local food, farm and garden initiatives. Myra Klarman captured the morning in her usual style of enthusiasm and fun. Catherine Thursby of the very sweet and cool Red Shoes Home Goods came with some lovely friends, and also documented Selma Cafe with some great photos, including some of our backyard chickens. If you are in the neighborhood next Friday between 6:30 and 10am please come by and join us! Have a wonderful weekend, where ever you are.

balance: an ancient wisdom tradition in contemporary living

2009-03-07T16:30:00.000-08:00

One of the things I appreciate the most about Kripalu yoga is the philosophic clarity that it is possible to bring the ancient wisdom tradition of yoga into our contemporary, and sometimes chaotic lives with balance and grace. What a relief!

I can call asanas by their Sanskrit names or by their English names, or, when I am teaching my classes in the juvenile jail, by whatever name the kids want to call them. (My favorite these days is Utkatasana--in English we call it Standing Squat--my juvie class calls it Thunder Thighs).

I didn't have enough yoga ties in my home studio, so I got some used men's suit ties at the last clothing exchange I attended, and we use those too. I'm big on avoiding fancy yoga clothes, special props, or dedicated spaces. If there is room to throw down a mat, great! No mat handy, no worries, I can do without. My yogini friend Lauren and I have discussed this on numerous occasions, and we both agree that daily sadhana can be an any-time-any-place practice for a minute, or for an hour. No rules frees me up to experience yoga whenever the urge strikes in whatever setting I find myself.

When people ask me about Kripalu yoga, they often want to know how it is different from other, more popular forms of yoga that they may already know. After talking about the importance in Kripalu yoga of warming up the body, connecting with the breath, and supporting a compassionate heart, I like to mention that Kripalu yoga allows each person to find their own way into a yoga practice, honoring where they are in body, mind and spirit, with lots of room to show up however they happen to be that day.

As I have deepened my experience of Kripalu yoga, both in teaching classes and in my practice, I have allowed myself more and more room to find balance in my life across many settings--family, home, workplace and community, and have become happier and more content as a result. What a gift to give ourselves--an ancient wisdom tradition finds its way into our modern lives at a time when we need it most.

audrey simon's meatloaf

2009-02-28T17:30:00.000-08:00

When my women friends are in need of support, and prepared food is on the list of "most helpful", I make Audrey Simon's meatloaf to take over to them.

I've posted about Audrey previously. My oldest and most loyal friend, Audrey passed away nearly 2 years ago, in mid-April. She has been on my mind and in my heart lately, as the year pushes towards the 2nd anniversary.

Over the last year, I've made Audrey's meatloaf, with mashers and peas at least a dozen times. My women friends have complicated lives. For some families, who tend to have more opportunities for support from friends and community than other families, I've made Audrey's meatloaf more than once. Sometimes it is requested specifically.

Let me just clear up one important fact: Audrey Simon's meatloaf recipe makes the best meatloaf in all the land. It's magically delicious. If a sample of Earth's best food was sent to distant solar systems in order to impress and seduce other living creatures, Audrey's meatloaf would be an imperative. Very close in the favorite's running to homemade vanilla cake with caramel frosting (another post, soon), or my husband Jeff's home-cured pancetta (could be a post I suppose), and lobster tails with melted butter (no post necessary).

Earlier today I dropped off a meal of Audrey's meatloaf, mashed potatoes loaded with butter and raw cream, and little green peas that had been frozen in the fall to a dear friend who is recoverying beautifully from a recent surgery. She called a little while ago and left me a message about how much she enjoyed the food. I'll be sure to remind her when I call her back that it's Audrey's meatloaf recipe. And then I'll think again of Audrey, who in addition to giving me full hearted love, appreciation, and acceptance, was generous enough to also give me her meatloaf recipe.

spring is coming

2009-02-24T08:00:00.001-08:00

I was browsing through my favorite local photographer, Myra Klarman's blog and found a photo of my husband Jeff and me that I just love, love, love to pieces. The photo represents to me something essential and deeply valuable about our marriage. We are standing near enough to each other to be held in the same photo, but enough apart from each other for us each to have our very own experience of that moment.

It is, to me, a lovely photographic capture of how we move through our life together-- close enough to nourish and sustain us together as a couple, yet separate enough to have our own opportunities to experience life in our own individual ways. I'm feeling especially lucky these days to be married to a man who supports my endeavors, reassures me when I am feeling lost, gives me space to be fully who I am, and believes in my abilities and creativity.

Seeing Myra's photo this morning took me instantly back to a sun warmed, early April day last year at the annual Festifools extravaganza in downtown Ann Arbor where locals make fabulous, inventive, irreverent and sometimes political costumes to parade up and down Main Street for several hours. What a wonderful rite of spring for our community! Check out their website and join in the fun.

diner for a day

2009-02-17T07:24:00.001-08:00

Our Diner for a Day fundraiser was a huge success. We served breakfast to over 160 people! The food was amazing, the volunteers worked tirelessly, and everyone had a blast. We are already planning our next event!
Check out more photos by Amanda Edmunds of Growing Hope here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gardenmuppet

repasts, present & future

2009-01-28T07:06:00.000-08:00

I'm pleased and excited to share that Jeff and I are presenting our second major fundraiser through our organization Repasts, Present and Future . Our first event was a little over a year ago and focused support on the local organization Growing Hope, the Ypsilanti based community garden group. This breakfast fundraiser will support local food activities and Michigan filmaker Chris Bedford.

Check out the website for more information and make a reservation to join us for great eats, wonderful company, and a delicious way to support local food and film.

the smallness of gossip

2009-01-27T11:04:00.000-08:00

I wish that folks would build affiliation, friendship and connection without gossiping mean or private things about others. Hmmm...I wish I would do that! In principle I dislike gossip. It isn't very yogini-like, and it can really hurt a person's feelings.

Someone I know gossiped about something private and personal to other people who didn't need to know the information. This was after that same someone assured me they weren't going to tell anyone about it, too! Sharing the gossip surprised and hurt some people very close to me, which got me pretty worked up. Man, I had to do some deep yoga breathing, and then telephone several people to gossip about it. Hmmm....

Yes, of course, there are plenty of times when the urge for me to gossip with my girlfriends is very appealing, but then after I do it I don't always feel so good. Kind of like eating a bag of potato chips. I wonder if I could stop gossiping. I think it is only fair if I don't like it in others, I might try stopping it myself. OK. here is my new commitment to avoid gossip. I'll let you know my progress. I guess this post fits into the random musings category of my blog.

Hello Selma-ites!

2009-01-24T07:33:00.001-08:00

Just a quick post with a shout out to our neighborhood group called SELMA. We're a west side neighborhood organization of adults and kids that shares tools, resources, food, activites, support, ideas and action to build affiliation and local connections.

Check out our website: http://www.selmaannarbor.org/ for more information and to see what we've got going. If you live in the area, join up!

Shiva the transformer & Death the narrator

2009-01-15T10:16:00.000-08:00

Growing up in a household at the close of the 1950s, where The Three Stooges was considered way too violent for us kids to watch, I've never developed much of a thick skin against things that are even a little bit scary, gruesome or anxiety provoking. The books I read back then, the tv shows I watched, and the films we occasionally saw at the movie theater were all bland and comfortable. The scariest it got was when Nancy Drew would get into a jam and Ned would have to come help her.

It was different then than it is now-- our exposure to media, and to real life events elsewhere in the world were limited. We lived in a protective bubble where even difficult feelings were pushed aside and ignored. Consequently, I didn't have any practice at feeling even a little fear, horror or revulsion enough to get used to those feelings. I was easily overwhelmed, and made anxious by even little worries.

Eventually, as I grew up, I avoided things that raised my anxiety for the purpose of entertainment. Some people love the rush of being frightened by a scary movie or book. I'm not one of them! I know I've missed some really amazing films and books because of my tendency to be overly affected by their power, but it wasn't enough to convince me. After I saw Sophie's Choice I was so upset I ended up with a bladder infection. After seeing The Sixth Sense I was too freaked out to get up in the middle of the night to pee for at least 2 weeks. I have often disappointed my husband who wants me to see a movie with him that I know is above my capacity to watch.

Joni Mitchell writes beautifully about this in one of her songs, saying that she is "too porous". I can relate-- it's as if, at times, I don't have an ample enough covering to protect me from feeling the pain and suffering of the world.

When I was at the Kripalu Center for my yoga teacher training we studied some Hindu philosophy, and I began to learn more about the Hindu triad of Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Maintainer, and Shiva, the Destroyer. Before I studied at Kripalu, I saw Shiva as only representing destruction and death. The end. Nothing after. And, as was my habit, Shiva frightened me and I wanted to avoid thinking or looking at Shiva, or what Shiva might represent. I couldn't see the possibility of something continuing after destruction or death until my reading and studying allowed me to understand that in order to begin again anew, there had to be some ending or destruction.

It happens in cell growth, it happens in the garden as the seasons come and go, it happens in friendships and love affairs and in the birth and death of theories and ideas. By accepting the concept that life and death is a cycle that is universal and all encompassing, I was able to glimpse the beginning understanding of what it means to live in the moment, cherishing every possible beautiful thing, enjoying all that is good, grieving for all that is painful, and knowing those feelings are part of what makes up the world. By practicing staying with the feelings, I am more able to experience the world more fully, and I feel stronger in my ability to cope.

A friend recently gave me a book called The Book Thief to read. It's written by Markus Zusak and it is the story of a vulnerable family during the time of Nazi Germany. In the past, I would have avoided this book like crazy. I wouldn't have wanted to think about the horror of that time and that place. This book is a little different though--the book's narrator is Death. Somehow having Death telling the story and permeating every page of the book allows me to step back somewhat from the story itself, and see it as if from behind a curtain of gauze. And, having been practicing through my yoga sadhana to allow myself to feel more fully, I can breath into my feelings, whatever they may be.

stay in the day

2009-01-09T10:54:00.000-08:00

I usually start my yoga classes with some time for centering and meditation. One of my favorite things to say to my students has to do with bringing their attention to their mind's desire to pull them back into the past, ruminating over things that have already happened, or their mind's urge to yank them forward into the future, worrying over things that might yet happen. I'll mention how difficult it is for many of us to ignore the mind's nudging during yoga practice. Then I offer an alternative: Breathe, and use your breath to stay in the moment. Notice the sensations in your body. Notice what you are feeling. And, when the mind wanders, tugs and interrupts, use breath to come back into your body, into your experience.

Like most elements of yoga, what I practice on the mat, I can practice off the mat too. For the last few days my shoulder and left arm have been hurting again, along with some additional constriction and pain in my upper back. Feeling demoralized, I began to get angry at myself for the accident that led to all this pain. I started going down the path of "if only I hadn't" and "how could I be so stupid". From there it was a quick jump to worrying about what was going to happen next. "What if I tore my rotator cuff?", then "What if I need surgery to repair it?, to "How will I teach?", and then "What if I stop teaching to heal myself and my students don't come back?" Ah, my mind in all it's freaked out glory!

After talking myself down from the ledge of the neurotic window, I took some long, slow, deep breaths and decided to stay in the moment, to stay in the day. I'm doing what I can to care for myself each day, which includes asking others to care for me too. Now, when my mind starts to careen back to the upper stories and window ledges of crazy, I use my breath and my logic to bring it gently back to now.

I'll freely admit it doesn't always work. I have a lot of years behind me perfecting the art of rumination and worry. Learning new ways to deal with pain and uncertainty takes some time and practice, and having friends, family and a good doctor around to comfort and support me goes a long way towards healing. So, today it will be more ice, gentle stretching, arnica, pain medicine, breath, and prayers of loving kindness.

washtenaw county juvenile drug court & new yoga progam

2009-01-07T06:49:00.000-08:00

I am happy to share that the Michigan Association of Drug Court Professionals included an article about my school based yoga program in their recent newsletter. Here is the article:

...A newer component of the program is a weekly yoga class.
Since the beginning of this school year, drug court youth in
Washtenaw County have added this new treatment modality
to their bag of tricks to support their sobriety, reduce their anger, improve their impulse control, and give them a sense of control over their own bodies.

Lisa Gottlieb, the program’s full time school social worker and registered yoga teacher says, “We’re not reinventing the wheel here. There are numerous studies showing the value of yoga in substance abuse treatment with both youth and adults, and juvenile drug courts in Colorado have included yoga as a treatment modality for the last 4 years. The organization Y.O.G.A for Youth in Los Angeles has been bringing yoga classes to underprivileged and incarcerated youth in juvenile jails, schools and placement centers around LA for years now. It is very exciting that Washtenaw County is supporting the yoga program for our students.”

Gottlieb also offers a lunch hour yoga class for staff at the center to support their own health. “In this line of work, self care for stress reduction and well-being benefits everyone. The staff who take part in yoga report feeling more calm and physically stronger, and their participation in yoga class models healthy life style choices for the youth,” Gottlieb shares. Yoga, which translates as ‘yoke’, or ‘union’ in English, works to join together specific physical movements, conscious, intentional breathing and a calm state of mind to improve overall health and emotional stability. The combination of yoga postures, breath control, and meditation practice has been proven to lower high blood pressure, reduce stress and frustration, and support calm and serenity. Gottlieb adds, “The beauty of yoga is it can be simply a physical practice to build strength, balance and poise, or it can be a more emotional and spiritual practice, encouraging honesty, compassion, tolerance, and hope, similar to the 12-step programs currently used by most treatment facilities.”

Embracing the philosophy of yoga supports students in practicing what they are learning, both on the yoga mat, and off the mat as well. Students carry the lessons of yoga into their daily lives at school, in their homes and in the community. Each person can decide for themselves what they want to take away from their yoga practice. A person doesn’t have to be slim, fit, or flexible to start a yoga practice. The yoga postures are all modified in each class so that everyone can take part and benefit, however they ‘show up.’

For more information about the style of yoga taught at the center, follow the link to the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health: http://www.kripalu.org/ or contact Lisa Gottlieb directly at lgott@wash.k12.mi.us.

my left shoulder

2009-01-04T16:10:00.000-08:00

It's been a bit o' time since my last post, and in my last few musings I made no mention of the accident I had nearly two months ago that injured my left shoulder. Thinking back, I realized that I was in some serious denial about my injury. I didn't want to think about what I did (fell off a tall chair I was standing on in our basement, landing on the cement floor in a way that jerked my shoulder back), how I could be so dumb (idiotic, reckless, boneheaded) to stand on a chair to reach something too tall for me (I'm still fighting the harsh self talk, can you tell?), really embarrassed that I would be so out of my body that I would lose my balance and fall (I'm a yogini after all! I'm supposed to have a high level of body awareness!) and that I didn't want to talk about it (except when I couldn't help but compulsively talk about it to anyone who would listen), write about it, or, hardest of all, admit that I had hurt myself. I couldn't lift my left arm above my shoulder, to the front or to the side, and I couldn't reach my left arm across my body to unhook my seat belt or wash my hair. AND it hurt. Pretty consistently when I tried to lift or turn my arm. Never the less, I continued to practice my daily sadhana (one armed) and teach my yoga classes (one armed).

Incidentally, one thing I learned was that in general, my students watch me more than they listen to me -- I would say, "inhale your arms up to the sky." I would only raise my right arm, and then, looking at my students, they would all raise their left arm! (They were mirroring me.) Then I would say, "Raise BOTH your arms up to the sky". They would continue to raise one arm, until I reminded them that I couldn't raise both my arms, but they could and they should. Good to know that my language skills may be less important than I thought.

Back to my shoulder saga, if you are still awake (yawn. Isn't it boring to hear about someone elses injury?) I eventually went to see a doc with a syringe, and he gave me a big ol' shot full of cortisone, and within 24 hours I was mostly better. That was nearly two weeks ago, and though I still have some twinges after too much practice, I am profoundly relieved and appreciative that I am healing without the necessity of more invasive intervention.

One thing that I realized while I was in pain and restricted in my ability to use my arm was that I could practice yoga one armed and still find plenty to practice. Was I worried, angry at myself, resentful and freaked out that I might have really done it this time? Yes, sometimes. But there were plenty of other times when I simply accepted that this was how I was showing up on my mat, and I found I was able to be gentle and accepting with myself, both physically and emotionally.

Another thing I realized was that learning to practice yoga with restrictions and limitations gives me more insight into how others with restrictions and limitations can also practice yoga. I think this will help me be a more inclusive and supportive teacher, and though I may have liked to learn this lesson without falling off a chair, I'm not one to reject a gift, however it makes its way to me. In the words of Bill Murray in Caddyshack, as he discusses his reaction to the Dali Lama wishing him, on his deathbed, total consciousness: "So I got that goin' for me, which is nice!"

***************************************************
On that note, happy happy new year to you. I wish you health, happiness, peace, and many opportunities in 2009 to be of service to others, and to devote a little time each and every day to notice the beauty around you.
Namaste

the heart in the head

2008-11-26T07:25:00.000-08:00

I am fascinated with traditional concepts, philosophies and practices that have informed lives and cultures for thousands of years, but continue to remain outside the measurable realm of modern western science. It is one of the reasons I love the ancient wisdom tradition of yoga. In western science there is a tendency to ignore or disparage any modality or path to healing that doesn't fit into the narrowly defined parameters of modern knowledge. In the same way that electricity existed before there were tools to measure it, there are also powerful energetic and etheric aspects to the body, mind and psyche that exist, whether they can be accurately measured by western science, or not.

Chakras, the seven wheels of spinning energy believed to be found in the subtle human body are worth examining as an example of my blog musings today. Can chakras be proven to exist using modern tools of discovery? Umm..no. Can chakras be discovered in an MRI, x-ray or CT scan? Again...unh-unh. Can chakras be biopsied, or examined in an autopsy? That would be a big N-O. Some might suggest that because Chakras can't be explored using any of our typical, standard scientific methods, it follows that they do not actually exist. Seems a bit closed minded to me, especially when I think about all the cultures and people who believe they exist, and utilize the knowledge of Chakras to support and sustain health and well being. Is it perhaps a bit like faith? For many, a belief in God or a higher power gives comfort and relief, regardless of whether there is any proof of existence.

There was a long period of time in my life where if a concept, system or mode of healing didn't fit into western science's protocol, I believed it was of less value, even if I experienced it as helpful and successful with myself or my massage therapy clients! I somehow dismissed it as less valuable than something that could fit neatly into our limited understanding of the world around us. Or, I found myself wishing there was an appropriate tool available to measure and catagorize it's power to prove that it was valuable--as if seeing, feeling and experiencing it's value just wasn't enough.

Over the last several years I've noticed a softening and acceptance around my need to comprehend everything through the lens of western understanding. The very questions I ask myself about something's value are intrinsically different than they were before. Instead of asking myself how something fits into the accepted format of science as I used to do, now some of my questions are, "Is this helpful?", "Does this support tolerance, acceptance and compassion?" , and, "Does this bring me from the darkness to the light?".

Perhaps one day western science will discover methods to measure etheric and subtle energy, including chakras, or perhaps it won't. In the meantime, I will focus my attention on my brow chakra--the third eye--and remember that the third eye is sometimes called the heart in the head, because it brings the sweetness and understanding of the heart upward to the thinking center of the mind-- combining the two to support open minded thought with love and compassion.

thanksgiving & the grateful heart

2008-11-25T06:29:00.000-08:00

Of all the things that the Thanksgiving holiday evokes in me, including my bliss over pecan pie with whipped cream and mashed potatoes loaded with butter, the idea of gratefulness and appreciation is high up there on my list. My interest in 12 step recovery philosophy and the yogic path merge beautifully around the concept of being grateful. It's easy in our lives to take for granted all we have, and instead complain and whine about things that really are just not that important. I know I fall into that mode, and at times struggle to come out.

Here is a lovely exercise to practice if you are feeling resentful, jealous, grasping, or victimized. Ready? Connect with your breath. Sit up tall, elongating your spine. Feel your sitting bones reaching down to the earth. Lift gently out of the waist, roll your shoulders back and down, float the crown of your head towards the sky. Close your eyes and bring your hands into Anjali mudra-- palms together, fingers extended towards the sky, and place the front of your thumbs against your heart space. In the western world, this mudra is often refered to as prayer position. With your eyes still closed, bring your attention to the things in your life for which you feel grateful.

Start basic-- you have a roof over your head, warm clothes to wear, food several times a day, and hot running water. You are likely minutes away from nature. Trees, birds, animals, and clean water are part of your daily life. You go to bed at night and wake the next morning fairly confident that you are safe and protected from bombs dropping, or war beginning in your neighborhood. Most people in the world don't have these things to take for granted.

Move into your appreciations more deeply. Notice all the systems and parts of your body that function. Notice your keen mind and vibrant breath. Now, bring to your attention to those you love and hold dear, and those who love and hold you dear. Beginning to feel that you are unbelievably lucky and blessed? Let these feelings fill your heart, and your emotional body. Breathe the essence of appreciation into your very core. Gently open your eyes and proceed to notice the rest of your day informed by the beauty of thankfulness.

This Thanksgiving, as my family gathers around the dining room table, tucking into a delicious and nurturing meal, we will each take a turn and name a few things for which we are grateful this year. I couldn't feel more lucky.

yoga for the intensive outpatient substance abuse treatment program

2008-11-20T10:41:00.000-08:00

In addition to the residential substance abuse treatment component of our program, I also teach yoga to the intensive outpatient treatment youth. Our program director came in yesterday to take some pictures for an upcoming article in the Michigan Association of Drug Court Professionals newsletter about yoga as a treatment modality in our facility. Here are the youth in various stages of Tree pose. This class tends to be a little chaotic, but yesterday they all made a real effort to participate. I'm feeling pretty lucky to have this opportunity to share yoga in this way.

yoga laugh

2008-11-17T06:53:00.000-08:00

Laughter was the theme of yesterday afternoon's yoga class in my home studio. Giggles, gawfaws and bubbling up from the gut laughs informed our whole practice.

For a very brief moment at the first outbreak of giggles I had an urge to contain the class and "get back on track". I'm happy to report that I was able to let go of my need to control our practice, and instead I simply relaxed into the spontaneous expression of the simple pleasure of a good belly shake.

After that, we moved from vinyasa to laughter, back to vinyasa, then more laughter right up into shavasana. The giggle fest started again when one of the students fell into a deep sleep and began to snore, but not enough to wake him.

Dr. Lee Berk and fellow researcher Dr. Stanley Tan of Loma Linda University in California have been studying the effects of laughter on the immune system. To date their published studies have shown that laughing lowers blood pressure, reduces stress hormones, increases muscle flexion, and boosts immune function by raising levels of infection-fighting T-cells, disease-fighting proteins called Gamma-interferon and B-cells, which produce disease-destroying antibodies. Laughter also triggers the release of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers, and produces a general sense of well-being. Want more information about the practice of yoga and laughter? Check out this website: http://www.laughteryoga.org/

kripalu yoga class at Sun Moon Yoga

2008-11-15T12:31:00.001-08:00

These roses are one of hundreds of flowers at the Brentwood Saturday farmer's market that I visited during my trip to L.A. I love the color, and there is nothing like the memory of sweet smelling roses on a day when it is raining, snowing and sleeting within the span of 20 minutes.

Tomorrow is the first of my kripalu yoga classes at Sun Moon Yoga studio in downtown Ann Arbor. The class isn't up on the studio website yet, but there is information about location and fees. The class starts at noon. Check out the website:

http://sun-moon-yoga.com/

prayers of loving kindness

2008-11-14T17:10:00.000-08:00

I just returned from a week in L.A. I flew out with my younger sister to spend the weekend with my parents, my brother, his wife and their two kids. The weekend turned into a week after my mom had a medical crisis and was hospitalized. I was relieved to be in a position where extending my stay was both easy and the right thing for me to do.

I had many opportunities to practice devotion and service. I also had many opportunities to receive care from those around me. There were times during the week when I felt worried, stressed, impatient and tired. There were other times when I felt trusting, calm, relaxed and content. There were many times when I turned to my "off the mat" practice of yoga to sustain me so that I could support others. And there were times when I breathed into letting others support me.

In my previous post, I wrote about feeling less than my best yoga self as time moved me away from my Kripalu YTT experience. This week brought me right back--grateful for the opportunity to be in L.A. when I was needed. My mom came home from the hospital yesterday, and I came back to Michigan. This post is a prayer of loving kindness: May you all be happy, may you all be healthy, may you all be free from suffering.

yoga on & off the mat

2008-11-06T08:17:00.000-08:00

Swami Kripalu said, "Seekers who believe they must practice yoga only in the meditation room are under a great illusion. They must practice yoga in society as well. Practicing yoga in the meditation room is easy because there are no external disturbances. The true yogi is one who can successfully protect his mental steadiness while in society."

These words of Bapaji have been on my mind a lot these last few weeks as I struggle to heed his advice. It has only been 3 months since I left the Kripalu center, but it feels much longer, and my ability to hold close to me Kripalu yoga philosophy and the way of life that I embraced so fully in yoga teacher training has begun to dissipate. Although I am continuing my daily sadhana, going to yoga class, and regularly teaching Kripalu yoga, I notice that my patience and willingness to really practice bhakti (devotional) yoga off the mat and out in the world has been lax.

I haven't exactly been the model of mental steadiness when confronted with the daily chores and petty burdens of what at times feels like a chaotic life. And, of course I see the ridiculousness of somehow experiencing my life as chaotic compared to how most of the rest of the world lives. And yet I struggle.

It's easy to be generous, compassionate, understanding and accepting when I am in the protected world of yoga, whether it's in class, or on my mat. I can meditate, calm myself and feel totally at peace when I am in my own little yoga studio, listening to Krishna Das chant on my ipod. It's a whole lot more challenging to open my heart with love and tolerance when I'm deep in the everyday tensions and stress of life with peace and calm in my heart and belly.

Lately I find myself wishing to be back in the protected cocoon of the Kripalu Center, with nothing to concern me but getting to the next yoga class. At the same time, I understand that finding a balance between living the yogic life while living in the modern world is the real goal. I think this is why we call it yoga practice! I just need to keep practicing living yoga off the mat as well as on it, and do it while keeping my self-talk gentle and forgiving when I am showing up less than my best self.

hope & progress

2008-11-05T06:17:00.000-08:00

Late last night, looking at the faces of people waiting at Grant Park in Chicago for Obama to arrive, I felt, for the first time in many years, excited and happy for our united states. The diversity of the crowd was striking and gratifying. Our new president elect represents a powerful future for our nation and for our planet. It's been a long and painful 8 years, and I am deeply satisfied to celebrate the change we have created by believing in the power of hope and progress. During Obama's acceptance speech, he said, "While we breathe, we have hope". I wholeheartedly agree. Inhale into a deep, cleansing breath, and exhale into hope and joy.

green halloween

2008-11-02T10:51:00.000-08:00

Halloween evening was fast approaching, and my husband wanted a costume. Our front yard garden is nearly done, so Jeff decided to combine his love of local food with dressing up to create a mostly edible costume. With a tarragon 'fro, chili pepper arms, arugala legs, and castor bean leaves covering everything else, he made the scene as locavore man.

restorative yoga class at the juvenile jail

2008-10-30T10:24:00.000-07:00

I teach yoga at the county juvenile jail to kids in the substance abuse treatment program. Some of the kids like it, and some dread it. They all participate, though, because it's a treatment program and yoga is one of the treatment modalities we offer.

For the last few weeks one of the kids in my Thursday morning class kept asking me if we could just have a class of Corpse pose. No warm ups, no special breathing, no asanas. Just flat on the floor, spread out arms and legs, eyes closed, Corpse pose. For an hour. He's one of the kids who isn't exactly in love with yoga. Since there were only 2 kid in the class today, and he was one of them, I decided to get as close to an hour of Corpse pose as I could, and I taught a restorative yoga class. The kid who loves Corpse pose is angry a lot of the time. He is also unhappy a lot of the time. I don't think I've ever seen him smile, and he tends toward sullen, one syllable answers when I talk to him. About half way through today's class, as he settled into a supported reclining gentle backbend, with blankets under his back and arms, blocks supporting his open knees, and his upper chest and heart opening to the sky, he looked me directly in the eyes and grinned a full on, joy inducing, toothy smile. Then he said, "This feels great". He stayed in the posture for the next 20 minutes, with his eyes closed and his body relaxed until it was time to wrap up class. This is the kind of thing that makes me love teaching yoga, and that will sustain me for days on end.

the yoga of knitting

2008-10-30T08:51:00.000-07:00

I love to knit! I love to cozy up on the couch and start making something cool and wearable by simply taking an endless strand of string and mixing it up on some sticks. I love the string too!! Yarn is an amazing thing. Start with some funky, straw covered sheep's coat, a comb, some vegetable dye, and ohh lala, magically it becomes the essence of coiled fabulousness. I love the colors of yarn, the smells, the texture--I love the very yarniness of yarn. It's beautiful AND functional which is truly my favorite combo in the world. I especially like multi-colored sock yarn because it's like unwrapping a surprise gift as the yarn knits up.

I was in Chicago over the weekend visiting my Kripalu Y.T.T. roommate Jodi. Jodi and I lived together during our training for a month in a dorm room the size of a large broom closet. Needless to say, we started out physically close, and we developed a lovely friendship that brought us to an emotional closeness as the month progressed. Jodi and I visited Loopy Yarns on Polk St. in the old Dearborn train station building. Loopy yarns is one of the sweetest, friendliest, way cool yarn shops around.

http://www.loopyyarns.com/

I like to think about the relationship between knitting and yoga. When I am in my knitting groove, I feel much as I feel in yoga practice: I am deeply in the moment, my mind not ruminating on the past, nor yanking me into the future, but instead here in the NOW. Simply breathing, deeply focused, hands and fingers moving, moving, moving in their own little mudra dance.

yoga & time slows down

2008-10-27T06:15:00.000-07:00

Listening to NPR this morning on my way to work, I heard a story about a new children's book about physics, gravity, and gravity's effect on how we experience time. Since the story is geared towards children, even I could understand the concept that the stronger the gravitational pull, the more time slows down. The book is called "Icarus and the Edge of Time", by Brian Greene. Listen for yourself if you like: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=96095009

In the book, Icarus is a young boy who secretly leaves the safety of his father's space ship with his own little explorer space ship to check out the edges of a giant black hole. Icarus, thinking he has managed the calculations perfectly to keep himself safe, believes he is gone for about 2 hours. Unfortunately for him, he negected to factor in the gravity and time equation. Due to the powerful pull of gravity near his ship, he loses not 2 hours, but 10,000 years of time. Bummer!

Immediately, my mind turned to the same odd (but lovely!) sensation I sometimes experience while practicing yoga-- It feels like I've been practicing for just a brief moment, but when I look at the clock an hour or more has passed. Frankly, I love the sensation of misinterpreting time, as it usually means I am deep into something that is powerful and pleasurable. Some call it "being in the zone", and it happens when I am practicing yoga, but it also happens when I am doing other things I love too---when I knit, when I'm lost in a good read, or when I am making art.

Here is the funny thing though. It doesn't feel like gravity is stronger during these times. In fact, for me, it is the opposite sensation. I feel that gravity has lost hold of me for the moment. Instead, I feel as light as light can be.

everyday life yoga

2008-10-24T12:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a big yoga day for me. Along with my morning sadhana which was a nice long hour, I taught a class at work (residential substance abuse treatment youth) and later, a private evening class at home for two.

This morning, I woke up at 5:30, but instead of staggering into my yoga studio per usual, I found my attention moving in other directions. This isn't particularly unusual--there are plenty of mornings when I'm up, but my brain finds all kinds of ways to try and distract me from my practice. Nothing very interesting. The typical low level vibration of "I don't feel like it". I ignore that vibration, knowing that how I feel about starting my sadhana has little to do with what happens after I land on the mat.

No, this morning was different. My brain wasn't resisting yoga, and my body wasn't complaining either. I made a cup of hot chocolate, mixed up some muffin batter and got it baking, but instead of heading up to my mat, I sat down in the kitchen and began to breath, relax, feel and watch my experience. I wasn't being harsh with myself over not doing my practice-- I was doing it! It was kitchen yoga! It felt just fine. After a while, I got up and started a load of laundry, then went into my closet and put away two baskets of clean clothes that had been collecting for the last week. I was still relaxed, breathing and meditative. Laundry yoga! It felt fine. Eventually, I started getting ready for work, and my "regular" yoga practice never unfolded. Instead, it was life-yoga unfolding. What a great reminder that whether I am on the mat every single day, or not, the beauty of yoga is the ability to practice it anytime, anywhere. Yoga on and off the mat.

"The Prudent Mariner", by Leslie Walker Williams

2008-10-21T11:24:00.000-07:00

"The Prudent Mariner", by Leslie Walker Williams is a quietly powerful story that begins in coastal Georgia in 1913 and moves forward to the 1970s, and it has gripped my brain, heart and gut with a tenacious hold since I started to read it a week ago.

Ridley Cross, a nine year old girl who sometimes sees ghosts and is compelled by the salty river water near her home, her senile grandmother Adele, who told a lie as a little girl that inadvertently caused a black man's horrific lynching, and Carver Varnell, a woman painter and reluctant southerner, are drawn together over, among other things, a postcard souvenir of the terrible event that Ridley discovers while looking through her recently dead grandfather's possessions.

The story unfolds through the experiences and understanding of nine year old Ridley, which gives the story a gentle, sometimes bewildered sense of the world around her. Leslie's ability to capture the voice of Ridley, while exploring the deeply complicated relationships between both Ridley's family members, and blacks and whites in 1970's Georgia, while bathing everything in the oppressive heat and deep seated shame of the southern past is extraordinary.

Please consider purchasing this book, AND call your local library and ask them to order it for their collection!

Check out Leslie's website for more information:
http://www.lesliewalkerwilliams.com/

heart opening yoga

2008-10-21T07:49:00.000-07:00

One of the things I love about Kripalu yoga is the focus on opening my heart through intention, movement and breath. For me, it's easy to be open-hearted when I am in a situation where everything is going well, where I am getting what I want, where my experience is pleasing, orderly and fair. It's a whole lot more of a challenge to be open-hearted when things aren't going my way, or when I am being treated unfairly or misunderstood. During those times, my breath is tighter, my diaphragm constricts, and my heart feels like being open isn't safe or welcome.

Practicing opening my heart in daily sadhana prepares me for just those difficult times, by allowing me to remember, in a deep body memory, that returning to intention, to breath and to stretching and opening my thoracic spine will support and sustain me through anxiety, disappoint and anger. Learning to be open-hearted means being emotionally generous--even when it feels like it may make me vulnerable and open to criticism or judgement, or that it won't be accepted or appreciated.

Some may wonder, why is it even important? I can't answer for anyone else, but since I started to intentionally connect the loosening of my thoracic spine, the release of the muscles around my chest, shoulders and middle back, and the subtle opening of my own heart space, I have deepened my experience of the utter happiness found in the simplest of things--a steaming cup of sweetened black tea, the deep red of sliced beets as they drop into the steamer basket, the smell of the fall leaves, wet and glossy in the backyard, the enormous cawing of birds as they settle into the trees of Eberwhite Woods, the sensation of ease and well being after a yoga practice, and the comfort of love from family and friends.

lucinda williams & audrey simon

2008-10-16T06:57:00.001-07:00

On April 15, 2007, Lucinda Williams rocked the Michigan Theater in downtown Ann Arbor. The show was powerfully spiritual, emotionally rich and full of the feminine aspect in all it's complexity. Walking home after the show, deeply moved by the intensity of Lucinda's performance and the power of a woman who can sing soul, blues, country, rock and roll and songs that go right for the heart, I got a phone call that changed my life. My dearest friend Audrey Simon had died suddenly of a ruptured aorta. Through the next several weeks of becoming accustomed to the loss of Audrey, my thoughts turned again and again to Lucinda Williams. A few days before Audrey passed, we had dinner together to celebrate Audrey's recent birthday, and as Audrey shared with me all the things in her life that were giving her pleasure and contentment, I said to her, "You've found your joy". Audrey agreed, and we laughed over how much we both loved the song that line came from--Lucinda William's "Joy". Check it out here: http://www.last.fm/music/Lucinda+Williams/_/Joy Lucinda had played the song only a few days later, that night at the Michigan Theater, while, without me knowing, Audrey was leaving this earth.

A few nights ago, Lucinda Williams returned to the Michigan Theater, and I was right there-- celebrating Audrey, and honoring the power of a woman musican who more than holds her own with an electric guitar and a kick ass back-up band, singing her life from her heart and soul.

expansions & contractions part 3

2008-10-12T15:06:00.000-07:00

A final thought regarding expansions & contractions, and making it through the long cold Ann Arbor winter. As the quality of light thins, and sunset comes earlier each evening, create and nurture the light within you. Bow to the divine light in yourself, bow to the divine light in others. Light a candle, open your heart, send a prayer of loving kindness to those in need.

expansions & contractions part 2

2008-10-12T14:59:00.000-07:00

The season has reached close to it's full expansion here in Michigan, with the harvest waning and leaves beginning to shift into deep hues of orange, red and yellow. Like the fullness of a brief pause at the end of a slow inhalation, the garden gives it's last burst, with brussel sprouts, squash, pumpkins, beets, turnips, potatoes and onions. And, like the long slow exhalation following the pause, we begin to settle in to the season's contraction of winter. How do we prepare? On a practical level for yoga, it means more pratapana (warm ups) before asanas. Let the body warm gradually, with breath, patience and acceptance of the muscle's need to move slowly at first. On a practical level for life, around our house it's putting the garden to bed, splitting firewood and stacking it in neat rows in the garage and along the driveway, pots of soup on the stove, and hunkering down with good books, warming food and drink and the company of loved ones.

expansions & contractions

2008-10-12T10:51:00.000-07:00

After morning sadhana I wandered out to our chicken coop, opened the door to the laying box and nestled inside a circled dimple of straw was this little beauty. Our hens are still young, so daily delivery is still a new wonder. The egg was warm in my hand; a perfect orb.

This time of year, as we turn towards the shortening days with dark coming earlier and earlier, I am sharply aware of the expasions and contractions that inform our lives from the smallest to the grandest scale. I love exploring the idea of repetition and similarity in the natural world, and the concept of expansion and contraction is one of my favorites. I tend to think more about it when we are in the midst of a seasonal change, especially winter to spring, and summer to fall.

Of course, there is the obvious expansions and contractions in our bodies. The cranial sacral fluid's gentle push, the filling and emptying of the lungs, the muscles moving in and out of asanas. Thinking bigger? How about birth? That hen was certainly expanding and contracting when she laid her latest gift. Thinking biggest? The universe. Darkness, compression, pressure, contraction, then, the Big Bang, and we've been expanding ever since.

stillness & wobble

2008-10-10T05:59:00.001-07:00

In morning sadhana today I found my mind turning to the concept of stillness. I often start the meditative part of yoga practice by "coming into stillness" in order to connect with my inner landscape. My body, mind, emotions and breath quietly explored, witnessed and accepted. I was happily aware on a conscious level today that even in "stillness", there is movement. On an obvious level, the expansion and contraction of my lungs, the beating of my heart, and the blood pulsing through my veins are all measurable expressions of movement. Then, on a more subtle level, the cranial sacral fluid's gentle ebb and flow informs a deeper experience in my body. Continuing towards deeper, less measurable sensations, there is the slight vibration in and around my body created in my nervous system as the 100 billion neurons in my brain fire messages through out my body. Sometimes when I look at photographs of fabulous yogis and yoginis in magazines and catalogues my ego gets sucked in, and a little undermining voice in my head starts in..."oooh, so pretty! So perfect! So flexible! So young!" Well, I'm not any of those things, but the voice comes up, and why does it? There is so much pressure on women in our culture to perfect the outer version of ourselves, often at the direct expense and hardship of our beautiful and complex inner lives. Just as our earth wobbles on it's axis, some days I wobble through my practice. When I remember that the "still" image of a photograph is as far from real as it can be, I am able to come back to my own body, my own self, my own internal experience of yoga. This inner experience of yoga, and the sometimes wobble-y outer expression in asana feeds and informs my inner light, opens and softens my heart, and gives me the strength to accept who I am everyday, on and off the mat.

Now, the inquiry of yoga

2008-10-06T14:14:00.000-07:00

In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali writes:

Atha yoga nushasanam
Now, the inquiry of yoga

Yogas citta vritti nirodah
Yoga is an opportunity to quiet the chatter of the mind

Tada drastuh svarupe vasthanam
Then consciousness finds it's authentic nature

Sthira sukham asanam
May the posture be sweet and full of ease.

Sweet sukha yoga.

sweet sukha yoga

2008-10-05T18:48:00.001-07:00

'Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya'

My heart opens to receive the blessings of the universe