That's a good question isn't it? I think yoga gives us all a chance to really be with that question over and over again. Every day when confronted with the unique challenges of our practice every moment and every breath reveals a little of who we are and are not.
I for one keep on finding that I am so much more than I thought. When I practice I can give in to my limitations, or rise above them. I am always making a choice of what I am willing to give--and therefore what I am willing to receive. It's amazing to be there on the edge of that choice--especially when I decide to be more than I thought. When I say yes to life--life responds back with a jolting high five that is electrifying and deeply powerful at all levels of my being.
It's not just in practice but at all times. I can't control what is external no matter how I try, but I can decide to give to life freely and fully without reservation. This is about trusting the mystery of life--letting go of everything and being in the currents fully. This isn't about giving up and just going with the flow and letting life happen--but fully participating--even joyfully participating and opening to "good" and "bad" equally as my guide and teacher.
I am learning more and more that who I am is really about what I am willing to be. I am what I am willing to open to. I am a part of the great mystery and as it is unfolding so am I. We are co-creating this all together. Nothing is fixed, nothing. Nothing makes that more clear than how we create on the mat. Pay attention notice this idea--what are you willing to give and receive. What are you willing to create. Do you open and give or refuse and close?
Who are you? Are you ready to find out?
Peace to you and may your journey be filled with joyful discovery of your potential. May you expand and open in ways you never dreamed!
Monday, June 23, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Opening to something bigger
In the hands of a great teacher amazing things can happen. I had an amazing weekend with one of my favorite teachers Desiree Rumbaugh.
Throughout the weekend Desiree designed a practice that opened us up to our backbody, or to something bigger as she said. (If you're in my classes right now you'll be doing this all month long as our focus )
In Anusara yoga the back body is seen as the connection to the Universal (divine consciousness) and the front of the body as the individual. The idea is that the whole is present in every part leading from the back and expression through the front.
Most of the time in our practice and in life we spend most of our time focusing on what's in front of us and opening up from there. You may even have heard me or other teachers talking about opening up the heart in your poses. Opening up the heart is good, but everything if it comes first from opening to something bigger becomes so much more powerful.
As Desiree put it "You can't have too much grace". I found myself expanding into things I never thought possible. As I expanded into my body, of course it created space in my heart and mind as well.
In the moments where I thought I couldn't do anymore, I opened to something bigger and grace carried me through. I am excited to see where this can take me and as it takes me into more space, I hope to share that with you.
I am so thankful for all my teachers. I am thankful to my students who give me a chance to share this practice in meaningful ways. I thank the universal for giving us ways to celebrate life and love to create joy with this practice.
Peace and Namaste!
Throughout the weekend Desiree designed a practice that opened us up to our backbody, or to something bigger as she said. (If you're in my classes right now you'll be doing this all month long as our focus )
In Anusara yoga the back body is seen as the connection to the Universal (divine consciousness) and the front of the body as the individual. The idea is that the whole is present in every part leading from the back and expression through the front.
Most of the time in our practice and in life we spend most of our time focusing on what's in front of us and opening up from there. You may even have heard me or other teachers talking about opening up the heart in your poses. Opening up the heart is good, but everything if it comes first from opening to something bigger becomes so much more powerful.
As Desiree put it "You can't have too much grace". I found myself expanding into things I never thought possible. As I expanded into my body, of course it created space in my heart and mind as well.
In the moments where I thought I couldn't do anymore, I opened to something bigger and grace carried me through. I am excited to see where this can take me and as it takes me into more space, I hope to share that with you.
I am so thankful for all my teachers. I am thankful to my students who give me a chance to share this practice in meaningful ways. I thank the universal for giving us ways to celebrate life and love to create joy with this practice.
Peace and Namaste!
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Organically Expanding
I have been experimenting lately in classes with not saying names of poses and just allowing a few cues to take us into shapes and then to allow breath to guide us deeper. I am finding this to be extraordinary in terms of releasing expectations and boundaries in practice.
When we say the name it triggers an idea in our brain of "oh Triangle, that is done this way" and we end up pretty much exploring it the same way we did before. Every day we are different and that should be reflected on the mat as well as we work with our bodies. Once we're in it a while I'll say it just so they know a little about the foundations, but also not so much so that they lose the intention of the voyage into the pose.
It's not that knowing where we are going is bad, sometime it is helpful in terms of triggering some memories of things we know feel good always, or things that have felt bad to avoid, or special things we need to do to feel safe in poses. It's also helpful to sometimes practice being OK with exploration, curiosity, and not knowing where you are going until you get there.
The best advice though really for safety in any practice is to deeply listen to the ongoing dialogue between your body and breath. The body is always talking. It's telling you how far it can go, what it can do, what it wants to do, etc. The practice of yoga really is just deep listening and then responding the inner cues. You have to feel invited to do the things you do. Not just do to achieve something.
I like to think of this as organically expanding, or spontaneous yoga. There is a more formal name for this called Spanda.
Spanda can be defined as:
"Spanda is a Sanskrit term for the subtle creative pulse of the universe as it manifests into the dynamism of living form. Spanda can be translated to mean vibration, movement, or motion, referring to waves of activity issuing forth from an unseen Source of spontaneous expression. On a more personal level, spanda refers to consciousness as it orients through thought and intention to organize into authentic action. You may experience spanda as a desire to live according to your own innermost urging, act in line with your interest, follow your curiosity, and attend to your body's natural rhythms as they harmonize within the grander scale of natural life seasons and cycles.
Living in a way that keeps us connected to our core beliefs and desires brings health, stamina, and joy. When we lose our creative "spark" or spanda, disconnecting from our own personal expression of vitality, we lose energy, focus, and a sense of well-being and may eventually fall ill. Connecting with what drives us, feeling that presence in our bodies, is also when we are most aligned with the natural spontaneity that defines life processes.
Yoga practice encourages this conscious connection. Through yoga we learn to listen attentively to our own inner guidance as well as work creatively with the archetypal forms and timeless instructions passed down through the millennia."
---Spanda Yoga www.spondayoga.com
When we tune into spanda we check out of automatic pilot mode. When we lose the names of things and the definition of the poses and allow them to spontaneously and joyously emerge something amazing can happen--we open.
When we go into things with expectations or ideas of what it's going to be or what it should be--we cling, we hold on to, we try to force things into our mold (or the instructors mold).
I'm still sorting all this out--but that's my thoughts on things right now.
I am really inspired by the work Shiva Rea is doing along this line www.shivarea.com
I am looking forward to continuing my studies with her this October.
I am also looking forward to sharing more spanda yoga with you.
Peace!
When we say the name it triggers an idea in our brain of "oh Triangle, that is done this way" and we end up pretty much exploring it the same way we did before. Every day we are different and that should be reflected on the mat as well as we work with our bodies. Once we're in it a while I'll say it just so they know a little about the foundations, but also not so much so that they lose the intention of the voyage into the pose.
It's not that knowing where we are going is bad, sometime it is helpful in terms of triggering some memories of things we know feel good always, or things that have felt bad to avoid, or special things we need to do to feel safe in poses. It's also helpful to sometimes practice being OK with exploration, curiosity, and not knowing where you are going until you get there.
The best advice though really for safety in any practice is to deeply listen to the ongoing dialogue between your body and breath. The body is always talking. It's telling you how far it can go, what it can do, what it wants to do, etc. The practice of yoga really is just deep listening and then responding the inner cues. You have to feel invited to do the things you do. Not just do to achieve something.
I like to think of this as organically expanding, or spontaneous yoga. There is a more formal name for this called Spanda.
Spanda can be defined as:
"Spanda is a Sanskrit term for the subtle creative pulse of the universe as it manifests into the dynamism of living form. Spanda can be translated to mean vibration, movement, or motion, referring to waves of activity issuing forth from an unseen Source of spontaneous expression. On a more personal level, spanda refers to consciousness as it orients through thought and intention to organize into authentic action. You may experience spanda as a desire to live according to your own innermost urging, act in line with your interest, follow your curiosity, and attend to your body's natural rhythms as they harmonize within the grander scale of natural life seasons and cycles.
Living in a way that keeps us connected to our core beliefs and desires brings health, stamina, and joy. When we lose our creative "spark" or spanda, disconnecting from our own personal expression of vitality, we lose energy, focus, and a sense of well-being and may eventually fall ill. Connecting with what drives us, feeling that presence in our bodies, is also when we are most aligned with the natural spontaneity that defines life processes.
Yoga practice encourages this conscious connection. Through yoga we learn to listen attentively to our own inner guidance as well as work creatively with the archetypal forms and timeless instructions passed down through the millennia."
---Spanda Yoga www.spondayoga.com
When we tune into spanda we check out of automatic pilot mode. When we lose the names of things and the definition of the poses and allow them to spontaneously and joyously emerge something amazing can happen--we open.
When we go into things with expectations or ideas of what it's going to be or what it should be--we cling, we hold on to, we try to force things into our mold (or the instructors mold).
I'm still sorting all this out--but that's my thoughts on things right now.
I am really inspired by the work Shiva Rea is doing along this line www.shivarea.com
I am looking forward to continuing my studies with her this October.
I am also looking forward to sharing more spanda yoga with you.
Peace!
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
All Dried Up?
I had a fun dream last night that I wanted to share. In my dream I was walking through this old building and in the building were all these beautiful plant and flower arrangements that had not been taken care of. They were on that brink between life and death and in desperate need of water. I went around and gathered what water I could find and fed each plant as much I could. was like watching a beautiful miracle unfold as each plant sparked to life again, some even sprouting new growth before my eyes. It was like every plant in the building was born again into a more fresh vibrant existence.
I was thinking about how sometimes we get dried up, in our lives and practice. We are missing our connection to the sacred water element. Try this week refreshing yourself with fluidity in your practice and life. Ask the question how can I do this in a fluid way. How can I make this more liquid, more watery? Remember water is soft but also has the power to carve out earth. Let the boundaries of your body and your life be softened through the gentle strength of water.
Peace!
I was thinking about how sometimes we get dried up, in our lives and practice. We are missing our connection to the sacred water element. Try this week refreshing yourself with fluidity in your practice and life. Ask the question how can I do this in a fluid way. How can I make this more liquid, more watery? Remember water is soft but also has the power to carve out earth. Let the boundaries of your body and your life be softened through the gentle strength of water.
Peace!
Monday, June 2, 2008
New Classes
Come join me for my new classes:
Moksha- Thursday at 4-5:30 p.m. Intro to Yoga/ Yoga Basics www.mokshayoga.com
2nd Nature- Tuesdays 6-7:30 p.m. www.natureyoga.com
Moksha Lakeview- Saturday 8:30-10 a.m. Vinyasa 1-2 www.mokshayoga.com
Special 4th of July Moksha Lakeview 10-11:45
Moksha- Thursday at 4-5:30 p.m. Intro to Yoga/ Yoga Basics www.mokshayoga.com
2nd Nature- Tuesdays 6-7:30 p.m. www.natureyoga.com
Moksha Lakeview- Saturday 8:30-10 a.m. Vinyasa 1-2 www.mokshayoga.com
Special 4th of July Moksha Lakeview 10-11:45
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