There are lots of things to love about the practice of kirtan. It’s a chance to practice devotion, experience a meditative trance, or even explore your connection with the world and a higher power. For some people, one of the most alluring aspects of kirtan is the opportunity to connect your voice with the voices of others–to really experience being a part of a community. This is exactly what Kirtan Central founder Daniel Tucker had in mind when he asked people from the kirtan community to submit videos of themselves singing the Krishna Das Classic “Ma Durga.” “As I pored over the videos, two things became evident: first, these people LOVE this song! Whether’s it’s love of Krishna Das, love of kirtan, love of Durga, love of singing, love of God… what’s obvious is the love, joy, and tenderness captured in each video clip,” wrote Tucker in a blog post. “And second: how deeply we crave to be part of something larger than ourselves! There was so much excitement to be part of the “choir,” and I believe that’s one of the places kirtan is healing us.” He accepted submissions from 108 people from around the world and the result is this awe inspiring video. Do you practice kirtan as a way to connect with your community? What are other ways you connect?

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Kirtan Chorus

Leslie Kaminoff never expected his humble yoga book to make a splash in 2007. But that’s not what happened. The book, Yoga Anatomy , co-authored with Amy Matthews, sold out its first printing in a month and shot to Amazon’s Bestsellers list, where it’s been ever since. The book is in its eighth printing, is sold around the world, with over 200,000 copies in print. This week, the second edition of the book has been released. We talked to Kaminoff, also the founder of T he Breathing Project , about the book’s makeover: Buzz: Were you surprised that your book has become such a classic? LK: Yes, we had no idea how popular it would be. Buzz: How is the 2011 version different? LK: We’ve added some things that we didn’t add because of previous space and time constraints. Amy has always been the coauthor, and now she’s acknowledged. There are two brand new chapters, and a lot of new material based on the feedback we got. We tried to be clearer and make it easier to navigate. Buzz: Do you think it’s even more relevant today? LK: More and more people drawn to therapeutic work, whether students or teachers, so we’ve noticed quite a lot more demand for higher quality anatomical information than people get in their regular teacher training programs. Buzz: What do you make of the book’s popularity?  LK: Anatomy cuts through a lot of the secular conversations that tend to go on in all of the different schools of yoga. The one thing we all have in common in our body. The function of the body is universal. Buzz: What is your goal for the book? LK: To be a resource for students and for anybody who works with the body. My greatest hope is for it to continue what it’s been, a success far beyond what anyone imagine, Kaminoff offers an online version of his anatomy courses at www.yogaanatomy.net.

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Yoga Classic: New & Improved

Photo credit: Jasper Johal for ToeSox From the wide cultural misunderstanding of tantra yoga to controversial ads by some yoga-product companies, sex and yoga is a hot-button topic. The fire was stoked again last week in a series of news stories and blog posts. First, a post on The Daily Beast explored the topic of spontaneous orgasms during yoga class. While it’s no secret that people say their sex lives improve after a regular yoga practice, this was, well, perhaps a little too much information. Then, a group of high school girls in Loveland, Ohio stood up for their right to wear yoga pants after school administrators banned the stretchy pants as too revealing and thus a possible distraction from school work. The girls, dozens who said they were sent home or forced to change their clothes, maintained that the pants are comfortable and no more revealing than a pair of jeans. What do you think? Is it really possible to have an orgasm in yoga class? Are yoga pants too sexy for schools? Are there too many stories about sex and yoga in the media? And does any of this have anything to do with the practice of yoga?

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Sexy Yoga News

It’s a winning trifecta: Yoga. Nature. Free. This summer, it seems like everyone wants to be with the trees, wind and sky while they practice. There’s nothing like balancing in Tree Pose, humbled and inspired by the real thing all around you. And even better, many outdoor yoga classes are free, many as an offering to the community. Across the country, yogis are busting out of the studio and onto the fields, parks, and lawns. Here’s just a few examples: New York: Taking Central Park by Storm Storm Yoga, a nonprofit that runs free classes in Central Park, wants to make yoga accessible to all: The classes are free, but yogis are encouraged to make a donation to a local charity that  runs yoga programs for under served communities. San Francisco: Yoga on the Farm Five days a week, San Francisco’s Hayes Valley Farm offers free yoga, weather permitting. Just show up with your mat at this urban farm.  Los Angeles: Canyon Asanas All yogis are welcome at Fire Groove’s weekly, free yoga classes at Runyon Canyon. The evening starts with an all-level donation-based class and ends with a DJ spinning tunes for a Spin Jam.  Austin: Full Moon Yoga For the 14th consecutive year, Charles MacInerney offers a monthly free yoga class that includes a hatha practice, meditation, and socializing to the light of the full moon. 

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Free Outdoor Yoga Classes

Back in 1991, while living in New York City and working as a television journalist, Suzanne Bryant took a yoga class to help counteract the stress of her daily life. Nine years later, she had enrolled in the ISHTA teacher training program, realizing that the calm and clarity the practice gave her was something she wanted to share. But it wasn’t until she learned that her mother had terminal breast cancer, and moved back to San Francisco to be with her, that yoga became more than an adjunct to her life–it became her best friend.  After her mother’s death, and still carrying her immense grief, she set out to explore yoga, from its roots to its modern application, to better understand the transformative powers of this mystical practice. Yoga Is is Bryant’s documentary of this exploration. It led her to India where she studied Ayurveda in Kerala, practiced Ashtanga Yoga with Pattabhis Joi and his daughter Saraswati, and met with Neem Karoli Baba’s son and learned about Bhakti Yoga, and back to the U.S., where she met with prominent Western yoga teachers such as Alan Finger, Shiva Rae, Dharma Mittra, Baron Baptiste, and many more;  Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman; and celebrities like Russell Simmons, Christy Turlington Burns, and Michael Franti, who have embraced the practice. At the heart of the film is the earnest search to understand what this ancient system of asanas, meditations, chants, and more, can offer each of us as we navigate through our lives. Yoga Is has screened in New York and Boulder, this week opens in San Francisco, and is slated to play in numerous other cities throughout the U.S. and the world in the coming months.

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"Yoga Is" Documentary

“For some yoga practitioners, the body is a sacred vessel that should not be tainted. For others, the skin represents a blank, movable canvas for tattoos displaying thoughts, texts and deities that inspire and inform their practice,” Emily S. Rueb writes in the forward of  “A Moveable Canvas,” a photography portfolio in The New York Times, showcases the devotional artwork of yogic tattoos. Piotr Redlinski’s lovely black-and-white photos feature Jivamukti Yoga School co-founder David Life and other yogis who wear their passion for the practice, literally, on their skin. 

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Yogis Bare All

Wanderlust photo by Tinywater It used to be there were yoga conferences and there were music festivals. But now, yoga music festivals are road-trip destinations for yogis, activists, and music lovers to converge and celebrate their shared passions. Here are a few hot-ticket events on our radar this summer: Hanuman Festival: With teachers like Seane Corn and musicians such as Suzanne Sterling, the Hanuman festival adds yoga, music and seva to the mix in Boulder, Colorado. June 16-19 Wanderlust: The popular destination festival that started in Lake Tahoe, California, this year also rolls into Bondville, Vermont.  Krishna Das, Michael Franti, and Andrew Bird will entertain the masses, while and John Friend, Rodney Yee, and Seane Corne will get you bent into shape. Deepak Chopra will even be there. A month later, the festival returns to California with a similar lineup. And If you can’t make either festival, the show goes on the road, with Wanderlust events around the country. Bondville, Vermont: June 23-26;  North Lake Tahoe, California: July 28-31 Liberate , also in Vermont, is a 3-day outdoor camping extravaganza. Lower key than Wanderlust, Liberate is family-friendly event that has non-stop music and more than 15 yoga workshops. August 18-21 Evolve Fest , a “4-day celebration of the creative human spirit” happens in Vernon, New Jersey, with a mission of raising consciousness through yoga, music, art, and meditation. September 2-5

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Season of the Yoga Music Festival

In an amazing transformation of hardwork and will, 35-year-old opera singer Olivia Ward won Season 11 of the Biggest Loser by dropping 129 pounds. Check her rocking Vrksasana (Tree Pose) … though we wish she wasn’t resting her foot on her knee joint. Yoga is part and parcel of the of the five-month journey that contestants undertake on their path from obesity to health. Biggest Loser trainer Bob Harper, who studied with Bryan Kest, is a huge yoga advocate, and has made a couple of yoga DVDs . Outgoing trainer Jillian Michaels released her own high-octane yoga DVD this spring. Ward told Us Weekly that she plans to keep the weight off with five to six spinning workouts a week. We hope someone gives her a yoga mat!   photo credit: NBC

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Biggest Loser Busts Out a Yoga Pose

Miami Heat hoops star LeBron James recently credited yoga for his peak physical performance. In an article in the Miami Herald by Joseph Goodman called “LeBron James’s big ’secret’: yoga,” the superstar 250-pound athlete says that yoga contributes to his stamina on the court: “Does it work for everybody? I don’t know,” James said Friday. “I’m not a guru about how to be in the best condition — don’t let me sit here and tell you that. But it works for me.” We can’t say for sure, but we suspect that James’s yoga practice might also be cultivating a mental attitude of presence. When asked about his future in the NBA, he said: “I can’t live in the future, I’ve got to live right now.” Very yogic, indeed. We want to know: How has yoga changed how you perform other athletic pursuits?  

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LeBron James: Yoga Keeps Me Fit

In the age of YouTube, it’s fun to sit back and watch a video of twins talking or a cat using the potty. But KarmaTube wants videos to do more than entertain: they view video as a medium to inspire action–either in the world or in your own heart. The website features videos that both pull your heartstrings and make you want to jump out of your seat and do something: Recent ones showed how some creative kids in Thailand started their own football team; a project that provides handmade hats to orphans in South Africa; and how one woman found art to help heal after the loss of a child. After each video, KarmaTube suggests ways you can create change based on what you just saw, whether this means thinking about tackling a problem in a new way, or volunteering in your community. Visit here to watch a video, suggest a video, create a video, or spread the word. We want to know: What do you do that inspires Karma Yoga (the yoga of action) in others?

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KarmaTube: Be the Change

Hunger. Reincarnation. Yoga. Cooking. Prayer. Restraint. Family. Fasting for Ramadan: Notes from a Spiritual Practice , a new book of insights and meditations by yoga instructor and Oberlin College creative writing professor, Kazim Ali, touches on these parts of the human experience. Writing about the Islam occasion of Ramadan, Ali articulates the process of fasting from dusk to dawn: “Twenty-nine or thirty days to explore the line between the interior of the body and the surrounding world, to think about what is brought to us and what we owe,” he writes. He also compares the process to yoga. “[Yoga] is a practice, not unlike fasting, that allows us to practice linking the inside-the private experiences of the body and the mind-with the outside, the pulsing, breathing, actual world.” Even if you’ve never fasted in your life, Ali addresses the other way we deny our appetites–something most human beings can relate to. We want to know: Have you ever denied your appetite? What was the result?

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Mediations on Fasting

D oes yoga steady your heartrate? A new study out of The University of Kansas shows that yoga decreases episodes of cardiac arrhythmia, an irregular heartbeat whose symptoms can include chest pains, dizziness, heart palpitations, and shortness of breath. The research was conducted by Jeannie Drisko, MD and Dhanunjaya Lakkireddy, MD. (The latter grew up in India with a yoga-teacher father.) Here’s what they did: Participants with arrhythmia spent three months doing their normal exercise routines. Over the next three months, they attended three yoga classes a week, which included pranayama, asanas, meditation, and relaxation. At the end of the study, not only did the frequency of irregular heartbeat episodes decrease, but the participants also reported less anxiety and depression. Lakkireddy says: “These findings are important because many of the current conventional treatment strategies for atrial fibrillation include invasive procedures or medications with undesirable side effects.  Success with these therapies varies widely, and they are often only modestly effective in controlling heart rhythm. It appears yoga has a significant impact on helping to regulate patients’ heart beat and improves their overall quality of life. Any intervention that helps in reducing or controlling the arrhythmia burden in atrial fibrillation can have a huge impact on public health.” We want to know: What health issue has yoga helped you with?

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Yoga May Help with Irregular Heartbeat

“You go into any yoga class in the West, and it’s filled with women. And it’s so ironic, women were never part of the yoga tradition at all,” says author Linda Sparrowe in YogaWoman , a new documentary film by sisters Kate and Saraswati Clere. Yoga traditionally was indeed a male practice. But that has dramatically changed, and YogaWoman documents these stunning changes. With interviews from an all-star cast of female yoga teachers from around the world, such as Shiva Rea, Angela Farmer, Sharon Gannon, Seane Corn, and Cyndi Lee, the film shows how these pioneering women are leading the way to empower a new generation of yoginis. It seems that yoga and women is a topic that is close to many a yogini’s heart: “The trailer is going viral with 9,000 views in the last two weeks!” says Kate Clere. The film isn’t out in wide release yet, but you can visit the site to watch the trailer, pre-order a DVD, get resources about yoga, or join the YogaWoman forums. You can also sign up to host a viewing at your studio or elsewhere in your community.  We want to know:   How are women taking yoga and making it their own?

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YogaWoman, Hear Me Roar

Every night, I give my five-year old son a blessing based on the Buddhist loving kindness prayer. May you be safe and protected from harm. May you be happy with peace in your heart. May you be healthy, able, and strong. May you go easy through sunshine or storm. He usually rolls over, and goes to sleep. But last night, he looked at me and seemed to have decided that I, too, needed a little love. He put my chin in his hand, and brought his mouth to my ear. Then he proceeded to say the blessing back to me. It was a profound moment. Incredibly, had never thought of actually saying this nightly blessing to myself! I put so much effort into taking care of my kids, the house, my husband, my work, and my home. Sometimes I forget that I need, I deserve, the same kind of love right to come flowing back to myself. Today, I’m going to try to show myself the same love that I show everyone around me. I think it just might pay off. We want to know: How can you show yourself love in everyday moments?

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A Nightly Blessing: Love Thyself

In a bit of political news, the topic of yoga recently reached our country’s capital. California Republican Darell Issa, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, is proposing amendments that would ban government-funded studies on health issues, including whether video games improve the health of older people, the impacts of a soda tax–and the effects of Integral Yoga in treating hot flashes for menopausal women. At this point, no one knows if they will be passed. According to an article in Politico : Typically, the lawmaker argues that the study is a waste of taxpayer money and the administration–or the researcher who won the grant in question–counters that the research is important for disease prevention or treatment. We want to know: Do you think it’s important to have government-funded yoga studies such as these?

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Giving the Ax to Yoga Studies?

Sometimes we humans make things harder than they have to be.  I truly understand this while putting my kids to bed. If they are having trouble, the evening can go downhill, rapidly. I struggle to find a solution: Cry it out? Pacifier? A new blanket? I get irritated, and start to feel sorry for myself.  That’s when I remember Om. Slowly and in a soft voice, I start to chant OM.  It doesn’t matter if my kids are cranky, teething, pissed off, or overtired. Whatever their state, they automatically calm down when I chant OM.  Sweet simplicity. Sweet surrender. I sometimes think remembering is the only thing that matters. So I try to keep things simple, sweet. In my daily life–especially during the holiday season–I come back to OM. When I’m being pushed around in the supermarket, fighting for a parking spot, or just plain frazzled, I search for simplicity.  OM.  I don’t need a complex mantra. I don’t need  a 10-day vipassana retreat.  Om.  Simplify.  Only two letters.  We want to know : What happens when you remember Om?

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The Sweet Simplicity of OM

We don’t always have two hours to go to a yoga class. Especially now, when the holidays are gearing up, along with our nervous systems. When you need to decompress but only have a little time, Wisdom FIlms has an answer: 3-5 minute films that calm your senses. With award-winning cinematographers and composers, these small films are narrated by inspiring teachers Deepak Chopra, success coach Bob Proctor, Thich Nath Hanh, and Mahatma Gandhi’s grandchildren, Arun & Sunanda Gandhi. So if you can’t get to a rushing river, have it come to you. Learn more, watch a sample, or purchase for $39.96 at Wisdom Films. We want to know: What is your antidote to holiday stress?

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An Antidote to Holiday Stress

Joy is our natural state. When I say this out loud, it makes perfect sense. So what happens along the way? Feeling bogged down by responsibility, unexamined emotions, and a whole list of “shouldas,” it’s so easy to veer from this natural state. Writer Karen Talavera tackles the topic of joy in the second of her a two-part series in her blog, The Accidental Seeker. Talavera’s impassioned plea about following our bliss is nothing brand new, but it’s a gentle reminder to remember what is so easy to forget from day to day. She talks about what prevents us from joy–and how to recognize joy when it’s right in front of our noses. The next time you’re faced with a decision as mundane as whether to go to the grocery store or take a walk in the woods, or as serious as whether to move up a rung on the corporate ladder or start your own business, give it the “internal alignment” test.  Forget for a minute your external circumstances like money, image and obligation, and ask yourself one elemental question, which choice leads to joy? Your heart will tell you loud and clear. A yoga practice helps us tune into our inner voice, and connect with our hearts so that we can feel the joy that already exists in and around us. Ultimately, we can make the choices that support joy, even when life seems overwhelmed with sadness, grief, or pressure. For today, choose joy. We want to know: How does your yoga practice connect you with joy? What are the small choices you make that bring you joy?  

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Follow Your Bliss

Remember that proverb about all work and no play? Finding that balance between work and play, rest and activity, is one of the great challenges of modern life. But those limber acroyogis want to inject some play into your life with their AcroYoga Festival, which is coming to the Bay Area from October 8-11 at Historic Sweet’s Ballroom in Oakland, CA. Billed as the first-ever AcroYoga Festival and the biggest in the world, the four-day festival will draw over 250 students, 40 AcroYoga teachers, and 10 master teachers from yoga, acrobatics and Thai massage. There’s something for everyone, including different styles of acrobatics, yoga, and Thai massage for all levels. The first day is all-day intensives, and the rest of the weekend is dedicated to short workshops and events like Bollywood Carnival Jam, Ecstatic Dance, and a kirtan with Jai Uttal, MC Yogi, and the Mayapuris. If you don’t catch the festival, you can head to its next destinations, including Spain, New York, Boston, Mexico and Costa Rica. For more information, visit acroyogafestival.com . We want to know: How do you bring more playfulness into your life? Nora Isaacs is a Bay Area-based health writer and editor.

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Get Playful at the First-Ever Acroyoga Festival!

Bhakti, the Sanskrit word for devotion or connection to God, can be an intimidating concept even for experienced yoga practitioners–if not for its religious associations, for its scriptural context within the ancient mythology of the Bhagavad Gita. If its namesake event, Bhakti Fest, a four-day celebration of around-the-clock kirtan, yoga, and the healing arts in Joshua Tree, California last weekend was any indicator, Bhakti is experiencing a modern-day renaissance. Krishna Das, Jai Uttal, Sean Johnson, and Dave Stringer were among the musical headliners while Saul David Raye, Seane Corn, Krishna Kaur, and Dana Flynn led back-to-back yoga classes in tents and halls across festival grounds. Ram Dass made a video appearance and workshop content ranged from Ayurveda to yoga psychology and the symbolism of Hindu and Tibetan deities. The festival is certainly visionary in its mission to create a sacred space and vibrant community. The desert setting, a sort of surrealistic playground reminiscent of Burning Man, fostered a palpable air of magic as attendees of all ages from as far as Australia and Ukraine sang, danced, and constructed impromptu altars in celebration of the present moment. Bhakti Fest also featured an impressive array of raw and vegan culinary offerings and a healing sanctuary that appealed to my newest of new age desires. I felt my former analytical constructions of Bhakti dissolve to the sound of a drumbeat after a transformative session of subtle-body healing, lecture on the Mayan calendar and an hour or so of ecstatic trance dance with the festival’s Ombassador Shiva Rea. As Radhanath Swami explained in a Sunday address, “Bhakti makes no sense to the intellect, but perfect sense to the heart.”  Photo Credit: Julianne Reynolds Shannon Skillern is a yoga teacher, designer, macrobiotic cook and student of ayurveda.

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Divine Celebration

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Kristin Shepherd

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about

The other day, my sister’s friend invited her to a different yoga studio for a class.  “I can’t do it”, said my sister. “I’d love to, but I’m not good enough. I suck.”   Fear shows up in funny ways. Tory pictures an entire class pointing at her and sneering.   This made me laugh for about four seconds. Then I realized that whenever a new challenge comes my way – going back to class after weeks away, trying a new kind of yoga, going to a different studio – my immediate, insane response is, “I can’t, I’m too fat.” This is obviously absurd. There is no sign posted anywhere in yoga that says Stay Out If You Think You Are Pudgy .  Nor have I met a yoga mat that hasn’t welcomed my solid thighs. (Oh my god, the mats are too small for my lardy bum! I’ll have to put four of them together!)  Nor, come to think of it, have I ever encountered a yoga teacher who raises one eyebrow and says, “Oh, you think so, do you? If you were enlightened enough to be in my class, you’d be thin.  Now stop crying. You can come to my Class For The Fat and Unenlightened .”    Absurd, excessive, twisted, completely un-constructive, I know. But these are the trolls that leap up from under my bridge when I’m facing something new and scary. Or old and scary for that matter. I like stating my fear out loud. It looks more ridiculous than ever that way. Gives it a loving kick in the head. I suck. I’m too this, too that. Do you have a fear that yoga brings to light? Would you like to kick it in the head? Thanks to yoga for showing me where and how I’d like to be more fearless, and thanks to you for the conversation. Kristin Shepherd is a chiropractor, actor, and speaker (about All Things Wonderful) from North Bay, Ontario.  Join her on Facebook at Dr. Kristin Shepherd or on Twitter at kristinwonders.

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Yoga Trolls

We’ve all had days like Alexander’s in the children’s book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst. In case you haven’t read it (you should) one thing after another happens from the moment he wakes up: from finding gum in his hair, missing out on the cereal box prize to fighting with his big brother, a trip to the dentist, and having a broken nightlight, Alexander wishes he could forget this mess and simply run off to Australia (me too!)–they don’t have bad days there. As adults, and as yogis, we hopefully have outgrown some of these limited belief systems–but somehow it seems like this “bad day” allowance issue still comes up. We wake up and know this day is going to be off, so it is written off as such. What does science, and yoga have to say about that? Steve Schwartz of LifeHacker checks it out: The brain’s facility to simplify, in most contexts, is very useful and beneficial. Our brains develop symbols, or abstract representations of complex ideas, that allow us to connect the represented ideas with other ideas, and to build upon them, without having to keep the full details of every complex idea at the forefront of our minds. In other words, simplification clears our minds, freeing our brains to draw additional connections and conclusions from complex ideas, data, and experiences. But what happens when we simplify experiences with the wrong symbolic conclusion? This is precisely what happens when we conclude that we are having a bad day. We blame our misfortune on factors outside of our own control, in order to avoid analyzing the real reasons things happened as they did (or perhaps even to eschew our own responsibility). Hence, it is easy for us to believe we’re having a bad day. The obvious downside is that once you accept the convenient conclusion that the entire day is for naught, it will actually cause the rest of your day to go horribly awry. Experiencing the world with negative expectations is like viewing reality through a muddy water glass. Your view will be distorted and you won’t like what you see. Schwartz offers a four-step program on how to not have a bad day any day, most of which sound pretty much like yoga to us. In summary: 1.Reflect on the negative feeling you have right now. (Presence) 2.Re-evaluate the situation or events that lead to this stress. (Perspective) 3. Remember that the outcome of the previous minute is not indicative of the outcome of the next minute. (Avoid Samskaras) 4. There is no number four…get on with your life already! (Yoga is now!) Next time you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, try being present and changing your expectation–just like we do in yoga–and see if you have a wonderful, awesome, not bad, very fantastic day. Because some days are still going to seem like that, even in Australia.

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Got a Bad Case of the Mondays?

As yogis, we all struggle to keep our practice consistent. We get distracted by life and make excuses to skip one day, then the next, and pretty soon we find ourselves making a lasting indent into the couch–we are too defeated for that one down-ward dog that could turn it all around. It seems like perfectionists catch the worst of this cycle. We like to feel like we are “being good,” “making progress,” and “on track.” Self-proclaimed perfectionist and yogi blogger Daniela Velázquez at TBO.com says “Yoga helps me cope with much of that fretting – until I stop practicing. Then all of the anxiety creeps back and makes me want to crawl in bed instead of working it out on my mat.” And she’s not the only one who struggles with this all-or-nothing mantra in her yoga practice and exercise routine. “‘It makes it hard for people to stay motivated – they have to be perfect in their diet plan and/or exercise plan,’ behavioral psychologist Dean Anderson says. ‘When they inevitably aren’t, they start getting down on themselves. They figure they’re never going to do it,’ says Anderson, who writes for the weight-loss website SparkPeople.com under the pen name Coach Dean. ” Velázquez  says ” Lately, I have learned to let the problem remain what it is and nothing more. Eating a cookie or skipping class is simply that – not an excuse to send myself over the edge. That’s what I have always loved about yoga. Sure, I geek out when I do something I couldn’t before, like my first on-the-wall handstand a few weeks ago. But the emphasis for me has always been on the journey of the practice and the progress I have made to become a happier, more whole person. Once you’re able to do something new (like a handstand), there’s always a slightly more complicated pose to work on (a one-handed handstand). And with more than 1,000 poses in yoga’s repertoire, you won’t ever be able to master them all. And that’s OK. Because each time you practice, you gain a little more wisdom about yourself and the world. It’s about the process of changing, not about each individual event. Perfectionists focus on the outcome, and if they don’t get a perfect outcome their motivation collapses. ” Next time, start with reminding yourself that you are inherently full or whole–lacking in no way. Then press on to practice with willful intention and non-concern for results and see if it feels different. Erin Chalfant is a writer, yoga teacher and the Web Editor at Yoga Journal.

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Yoga for Perfectionists

Last week I took Lucien to swim camp. Now, “swim camp” when you’re two involves getting into the water with your parent or caregiver and practicing the most basic skills like kicking and blowing bubbles into the water. I wasn’t exactly dropping him off for sleep away camp. But, on the first day, my guy was terrified of getting in the water, even though we swim together in one of the public outdoor pools in Vancouver. He refused to go in. Lucien’s fear and resistance reminded me of how I feel when I’m in yoga class and it’s time for backbends, specifically Urdhva Danurasana. Give me a chair backbend or an Ustrasana and I’m happy, but when it comes time for wheel, I have a hard time not heading for a bathroom break. But when, despite my urge to flee, I force myself to stay and work through the tightness in my upper back and shoulders and the voice in my head saying “No! I’m scared. I don’t want to do that pose!” I end up feeling a sense of freedom and elation that only come from breaking through a mental or physical block. Back at the swimming pool, it was seriously touch-and-go for a few minutes (major crying and “No, I am NOT a fish!” on Lucien’s part, and some serious cajoling–um, make that supportive encouragement–on mine).  Eventually we made it into the water. As you can imagine, Lucien loved it once he was in. The water felt great on a hot day, and the songs and games his teacher used to encourage comfort and familiarity with the water worked like a charm.  By Friday morning, the fifth and last class of the “camp” session, Lucien refused to get out of the water! All in all a huge success.   Sometimes, you have to force yourself to stretch. Which pose makes you say “No, I’m scared!”?     Jessica Berger Gross is the author of enLIGHTened: How I Lost 40 Pounds with a Yoga Mat, Fresh Pineapples, and a Beagle Pointer (Skyhorse), she lives in Vancouver, British Columbia with her husband and two-year-old son.

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Swim Camp

Feeling a little burnt out on your yoga practice? How about a little inspiration for your practice from a few of the greats? Check out Krisnamacharya’s totally zen moving Sarvangasana (Shoulderstand)! And from Mr. Iyengar himself: Who, or what, inspires your practice?

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Old School Yoga

testing top five tuesday

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Testing Top Five Tuesday

testing entry for Challenge Mondays

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Monday test

I left New York City on Monday with everything I own packed into a trailer, and set out for Austin, Texas, where I will be living for the foreseeable future. Though this was my decision, and I think a good one for my yoga career, my health, and my sanity, today it hit me: Everything I knew about my life in the city is now technically gone from me. My home, my neighborhood, my social scene, my yoga classes, even my local cafe have dissolved away as if in a dream, since I can no longer rely on them to help me feel grounded and secure. I spent a decade getting to know friends, eating at my favorite places, living in an apartment I loved, and settling into a routine that comforted me.  The fact that I know that moving to Austin will be more productive for me doesn’t change how floaty and surreal the world feels right now. Even the ground itself is moving, the highway spooling out and spinning away beneath my wheels. When most everything external literally proves to be as impermanent as the Buddhists and yogis tell us it is, whether it’s a big move we’re going through, the loss of a relationship, a job or smaller transitions, like a well-worn pair of jeans finally kicking the bucket, there’s always a sensation of shift.  These moments of ebb and flow can be unbalancing and scary.   Yoga teaches us about ideas that come from the things other people have lived. We turn to our teachers as guideposts, as those who have navigated similar situations, and emerged victorious using the tools of conscious awareness they then pass onto us. When our studies meet our personal life, and we are asked to walk the walk along this path, it’s a whole new yoga practice, perhaps the hardest one of all. I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather endure Warrior 3 until my leg gave out than go through a breakup or a radical move.   When we as seekers of center experience times where all that we thought was real turns to smoke and slips through our fingers, and we’re dealing with the grieving process of moving from the past into the present, there’s a powerful question I can think of that we might ask ourselves: This is happening. Now, what am I gonna do about it? Believe me, when I was in the space of first realizing how much I’d just given up in order to follow my goals, one thing I could have done was totally, completely freak out. I felt the panic rising, as if I was that little bubble that’s supposed to be in the middle of a carpenter’s level, but someone tipped it, and my poor bubble was squished way up in the corner. In that moment could have turned back, canceled the whole crazy Austin idea, and settled back into what I knew.   Then again, my heart is calling me towards something different, and if yoga has taught me anything, it’s to be able to endure uncomfortable sensations in the body, mind, and heart, long enough to get to that atman, the soul, or center of myself. Once there, I can more easily bring myself back to a leveling off place, and find that calm bubble of my core returning to center. In fact, it’s not our inner peace that wavers as life does, but our moveable parts: thoughts, emotions, expectations, perspectives, and even the physical body. When we remember that just because our outer world changes doesn’t mean our innermost one has to, we dissolve the illusion that we are the constructs, and not the constant. So, we can answer our own question by choosing to draw not from our first reactions, but from the stillness inside. Then we can act from equilibrium to move towards the next, though as yet unformed, part of our journey, with the integrity it takes to create the future experience we want to live most of all.   Here’s the pose I did at the Virginia rest stop that helped me remember that … Core Pose: Natarajasana   If you see a statue of Nataraj, you’ll notice he’s standing on what appears to be a baby. Don’t be alarmed–it’s actually a demon. Nataraj is the cosmic dancer, and he exemplifies the power of riding the wave of universal energy rather than being consumed by the dark forces of doubt, insecurity, lack, and fear. Whenever I want to find my ground, and from there, let the joyful dance of life take me where I’m supposed to go next, I make sure to include Natarajasana in my practice.   Stand with feet hip-distance, about two-fists-width wide. Ground into your right foot, and bend your left knee so you can take hold of the outside of the left foot or ankle in your left hand. As you draw your low belly up and lengthen the tailbone down to maintain space in the front and back of your lumbar curve, begin to kick your foot behind you as you reach the chest and right arm forward, or up to the sky as your balance and flexibility allows. The amount of backbend here is up to you, but if you stay rooted into your standing leg and foot you’ll gain the stability and gravity this pose requires in order to inspire its freedom dance.

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Finding Center

Sting just started out for a summer tour, and, unfortunately, the only buzz we keep hearing is about this mysterious scandalous tantra stuff. Allow Sting and his wife, Trudie Styler, to explain themselves in Yoga Journal ’s exclusive interview . Stephanie Syman, author of The Subtle Body: The Story of Yoga in America , also plans to set the tantric-yoga record straight once and for all in her Wall Street Journal blog: “Traditionally, Tantra refers to a loose and varied collection of practices detailed in the Tantras (Indic texts). Some of its most salient features are secrecy and worship of the female principle. The feature that has most intrigued and shocked observers–both Indian and Western–is that Tantra enjoins the aspirant to either visualize sex or engage in acts of ritual intercourse. The purpose of this conjugation, often depicted as the union of Siva and Shakti, is to reach Samadhi, a blissful state of consciousness devoid of any sense of personal identity. Succeed, and not only do you turn your mind into a “point of awareness,” as Ram Dass once put it, you obtain special powers (siddhis). You could say that we’re all Tantrics now since the most popular form of yoga today, Hatha Yoga, has been a central feature of Tantric practice, and its creators were affiliated with Tantric sects. But as with most cultural imports, our assimilation of Tantra has involved equal parts interpretation and invention. No wonder. Tantric practice is no quick route to sexual gratification. It’s traditionally demanding, complicated, highly formalized, and at times, tedious. And only some types of Tantrics (known as “left-handed”) engage in ritual sex at all. Tantra then presents a paradox: it can involve sex and yet its prerequisites mitigate the pleasure. And while you may enhance sexual performance via Tantric practices, the goal is not to get good at sex, the goal is to alter your consciousness so radically that embodied existence is no longer relevant.” Still curious? Read Todd Jones’ The Truth About Tantra. Erin Chalfant is a writer, yoga teacher and the Web Editor at Yoga Journal.

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Truly Tantric

I’m in Austin, Texas, and last night took a lovely yoga class at Black Swan Yoga. Hillary, the instructor, said something so simple, it was profound. After a difficult Eka Pada Koundinyasana (Pose Dedicated to the Sage Koundinya) variation, which we were attempting during heat and humidity that created a slip-n-slide situation, we returned to a democratic Downward-Facing Dog. As we recovered, Hillary said, “If you were struggling in that last pose, then it’s good it’s over. You don’t have to think about it anymore, because it’s not happening now.” I know that I’ve said and heard countless variations on that theme in yoga classes I’ve taught and attended. Yet something about the straightforwardness with which Hillary spoke made it seem so simple to just let go of the past and along with it, all the weighty entanglements of suffering, guilt, and instant replays. Trying to change the past by keeping it running on a constant mental and emotional loop can end up frittering away your prana , or life force. Likewise, when you jet off into any scenario–imaginary or already played-out– than what is really happening in the here and now, I call it time-traveling.  We time-travel on the mat too, like when you mentally tell off an ex-boyfriend while in Crow Pose or go over your grocery list in Savasana. The danger in always traveling into what has been or what might never be, is that you lose the sensitivity it takes to stay in communication with your core wisdom. That root awareness can only reveal itself when you drop the baggage you’re carrying and turn all your attention toward accessing the tools you have right where you stand. At first when Hillary made that statement, I thought, “Yeah, easy to say, Sister, but try doing it.” Then I remembered one day a few years back. I was standing in the subway, having recently gone through a major breakup, and my heart was hurting. The world seemed colorless and tasteless, and still, everything stung. For no reason at all, I wondered why I was feeling so bad. Was it inevitable? Or was it a choice I was making?  I decided to see if I could put my broken heart on hold, enjoy a day out in the big city, and come back to the processing part later on. In literally one instant, my pain disappeared. Gone, nada , zip. I felt free, light, and happy to be alive and experiencing all that was in front of me. I had a wonderful time before, a little while later, I decided to re-enter the growth process, a sensation that would never again be as cutting or make me feel as helpless as when I thought I had no control over it. I didn’t know that it was possible to allow myself to step into the present so fully as to be immune from the poison of confusion and regret. I’ve employed this skill many times since, and you can, too. It’s as close as a decision, as gentle as an allowing, and as natural as relaxing into being who you want to be, right this minute. Yogis call this process dharana , or concentration. It requires pratyahara , sense withdrawal, another yogic skill of reigning yourself in from obsessively poring over the past or future, and from leaking your chi, or energy. I also call it core power, and when you practice using it to become victorious over the time-traveling mind and tidal heart, you will see more clearly, and without judgment, how you wish to proceed in the only time period that you can do anything about–the one you’re in. Sometimes even teachers need teachers to remind us of this. Here’s a pose variation that can quickly return you to the present; one that gets you grounded plus gives you a taste of all the strength and vitality you hold at center. From there, no matter how life comes at you, you can choose to come right back out at it with compassion, wisdom, and grace. Core Pose: “Core” Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose) Stand with your feet about two fists-width apart. Bend your knees and reach your right fingertips diagonally out away from your right foot, wider than the right shoulder, and press them into the mat. At the same time, press your right foot into the ground strongly. On an exhalation, draw your left knee into your chest using your low belly to draw in and up toward your sternum. Begin to stack your left hip on top of the right and unfurl your left arm to the sky. Inhale as you maintain the tone in your abdominal muscles, and begin to lengthen your bent, left leg out behind you until it is parallel to the floor. Your bottom leg can remain bent or, if your flexibility allows, straighten it. Keep your standing leg firm and foot rooted even as you draw into and express from your center in the pose. Do 3-5 repetitions on this side then bring both feet back down into the starting position. Take a gentle forward fold, clasping opposite elbows. Find your Earth-to-core connection and repeat the pose on the left side.  

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Stop Time-Traveling

Two fantastic things occurred over the last 24 hours. 1. We experienced an earthquake yesterday. Very exciting. It lasted 26 seconds. The dog growled for a few seconds, and the antennae on the TV shook for a full minute. In fact, the quake shook much of the province, which was wonderful, because it led to phone calls with my mother in Ottawa and my sister in Toronto. It’s the kind of thing everyone wants to talk about.  2. I tried naked yoga this morning. My goal was to last longer than 26 seconds. There is no doubt I was shaken more by the naked yoga than the quake. If you haven’t tried it, if your dad is British, say, and you’re uneasy in short sleeves, if you wear flannel clown pants to bed every night and peel your socks off during the middle of the night as you become unbearably hot–if you do all of that–well, we can talk. (If this isn’t you and you’re the type who goes naked to the movies, you have no idea what I’m talking about. In my next life I’ll be just like you.) The first 26 seconds are spent dismayed by the complex surface of my thighs, which look as though they have undergone several earthquakes of their own. Then I forget about them, perhaps because it is hotter this morning than it’s been all summer, and as humid as cottage cheese. My first forward bend makes me sweat. I make it to 40 minutes, naked. I put my clown pants back on for seated postures, to avoid rug burn, I say to myself. I conclude that this naked thing is no big deal. And then something unexpected happens. I move off the rug and onto the wood floor for Savasana. And, oh, oh, oh, the floor is as cool as ice cream on my poached back, so cool that I take my clown pants off again for the last couple of minutes. I press my low back into the floor and when I relax it makes a deep, suction-y, rumbling, farting sound that is the best thing I have EVER heard during my practice.  A soft, funny earthquake of my very own. I am CERTAIN you have things to teach me about your naked (or not) home practice. My ears are quaking. Thanks to earthquakes, to cool floors, and to you for the conversation. Join Kristin at kristinshepherd.ca or on Facebook at http://kristinshepherd.ca

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An Earth Moving Experience

The sigh with the first sip of coffee. The click of my mug when I set it on the coffee table. The grunt when I realize my left hamstrings are still half the length of my right hamstrings. Ujjayi breathing, when I remember to do it. Seagulls squawking outside. The yeah! yeah! yeah! I say under my breath with my handstand and anything resembling a back bend. Heaving groans that ease their way into regular breaths during side twists. The big, fat sighs that settle me into Savasana. Shanti, shanti, shanti, which I whisper to the lake (don’t know why I whisper at home). The tickety-tickety-tickety of Rosie, my dog, who hears me whisper and comes to join me after her own upward dog, downward dog series. It’s worth it just for the sounds, isn’t it? What are your favorites?   Thanks to yoga for the sounds and thanks to you for the conversation. Kristin Shepherd is a chiropractor, actor, writer, and workshop wonderwoman in North Bay, Ontario.  Please join me at kristinshepherd.ca or on Facebook at Dr. KristinShepherd.

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The Sounds of Yoga

I’m about to do something radical. Something I’ve never done  before. I’m about to pack my yoga mat, board a plane, and leave Lucien for five whole days while I go on a yoga retreat.  He’s two-and-a-half and we’ve never spent a night apart. Until a few months ago when we finished breastfeeding, going away without him wasn’t even an option. (I never managed to get the hang of pumping.) I can count on both hands the days we’ve been away from each other for more than seven or eight hours.  My husband Neil has been out of town a dozen times or more.  Not jetting off to a man spa or anything. But every month or two or three he gives a talk or has an academic conference or meeting to attend in Ann Arbor or Sweden or Atlanta.  Lucien and I hold down the fort here. Now it’s my turn. Thanks to my husband (and morning day-care plus a  babysitter) I’ll be studying for five days with one of my favorite  teachers, Marla Apt, at the Feathered Pipe Ranch in Montana. I’m elated–and scared, too.  Sure, Lucien and his dad are as close as can be, but will my baby be okay without his momma? As much as I want to go on the retreat, as eager as I am to study with Marla, I wonder if I’m doing the right thing. The day I signed up for the trip I practically had a panic attack and needed Neil and  two of my best friends to convince me to buy my ticket. The truth is, while I’m worried about leaving Lucien and how much we’ll miss one another, I know he’ll be fine, more than fine with his dad. They’ll have a great time. And I’m longing for the chance to rediscover my yoga practice-and myself-while on the retreat. I love being a mom and I love the pace of life with a young child, but  I need a break. What I’m most looking forward to is the stillness, the alone time, not having to run to catch a bus after Savasana. But I’m going to miss my boy like crazy. I’ll let you know how it goes… What was it like the first time you spent a night or two away from  your child or children? Jessica Berger Gross is the author of enLIGHTened: How I Lost 40 Pounds with a Yoga Mat, Fresh Pineapples, and a Beagle Pointer (Skyhorse), she lives in Vancouver, British Columbia with her husband and two-year-old son.  

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Feathered Pipe Retreat

All this World-Cup-inspired team spirit reignites the debate about yoga as a sport. Bikram has been lobbying for a Yoga Olympics for ages. One need only watch the New York Regional Yoga Championship video from New York Times to conclude that yoga is VERY challenging and amazingly beautiful and fun to watch. There are of course pros and cons to having all this attention in the yoga world. Those opposed say yoga cannot be judged and that doing so misses the point entirely. Supporters say exposure inspires children to get involved at a young age.   What do you think about yoga as a sport?  And what about some of these crazy poses…is that even good for you? More advanced poses here: Extreme Yoga Poses Join the debate: Can that be Good for You?!

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World Cup Yoga?

You’ve probably heard at least something about the record breaking three-day tennis math between the United States’ John Isner and France’s Nicolas Mahut, but you may not have heard about the interview with Isner where he clearly qualifies himself as a yogi–immersed in willful intention without concern for results. “Especially once the match got past, you know, 25-all, I wasn’t really thinking,” said Isner. “Hitting a serve and trying to hit a forehand winner is the only thing I was doing.” When it did conclude, Isner dropped down to the court, rolled on his back and kicked his legs in the air–sounds like Ananda Balasana (Happy Baby Pose) to us. And we aren’t the only ones feeling inspired by Isner’s presence; Matt Harvey has put out all call for people to tweet tennis inspired haikus to his account @wimbledonpoet. To watch highlights: ESPN Sports And to write a haiku about it: @wimbledonpoet

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John Isner: Yoga Champion

Years ago, a friend named Tracy offered me an acting tip that has become part of every on-and-off-stage day of my life. It also affects my yoga. We were in a play called Good Night Desdemona. I had to travel through time each night by disappearing through an absurdly small garbage can into, well, into the past to meet both Desdemona and Juliet. I climbed towers, faught with swords, was nearly strangled by Desdemona, and iambic pentameter-ed my way through seven enormous monologues that would have humbled Hamlet. It was a monster of a challenge. On more than one night, I cursed myself for getting something wrong–missing lines, breaking my sword (tough to fight convincingly with a sword stump), not projecting my lines from under the pillow Desdemona used to suffocate me, etc. One night, Tracy (Desdemona) heard me whacking myself to smithereens at intermission. “No way,” she said. Gotta stop that. She said we can’t afford to criticize ourselves. It takes us out of our story, out of our best skills, and it ruins our relationship with other actors and our audience. It ruins our relationship with everything to come. Practice instant forgiveness, she says. It’s the best tool there is for an actor. Everything starts again now. This morning, in a seated forward bend, I thought, holy Toledo, my hamstrings are tight. Not enough yoga and too many butter tarts yesterday. (I don’t see the relationship between the two, now, but they felt completely connected this morning.) And right behind it, like a great actor on cue, I thought; instant forgiveness, honey. Everything starts again now. Which saved the show. Thanks to Tracy for the acting lesson, and thanks to you for the conversation. Kristin practices yoga, theatre, public speaking, writing, and chiropractic in North Bay, Ontario, at kristinshepherd.ca and at Dr. Kristin Shepherd on Facebook.

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Everything Starts Again Now

One of the world’s largest yoga classes proved also to be one of the shortest. An estimated 10,000 people showed up for yoga in Central Park on Tuesday only to find–mid Surya Namaskar–that lightning and rain would cut the solstice celebration short. Legendary yoga teacher Elena Bower lead the mass of yogis. Participants on the scene say even the rain and thunder could not dampen their moods or destroy their inner peace. One of the greatest things about yoga–and New York City–is its ability to unite young and old, and people from all parts of the city proudly waited in long lines for a chance at this great coming together of community in the park. As they waited, they did what yogis often do: yoga. In the end, the day will be remembered as yet another lesson in willful intention with non-concern for results. Aerial image by Geoffrey Goodridge / Michael O’Neill Photos by J oe Schildhorn/Patrick McMullan

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The Faces of Yoga in Central Park

I used to think asana practice required a yoga mat, sweats-or maybe even “yoga clothes”-a quiet indoor space, and time. (Lots of it.) Lately, Lucien has been teaching me that none of these are necessary. Thanks to my two year old, I’m starting to realize-after more than ten years of consistent practice-that yoga can be practiced in spurts, a pose here and a pose there.  Yesterday we were in the backyard gathering vegetables from our garden for dinner. I noticed that both Lucien and I were in Malasana pose as we clipped and gathered the kale and spinach. Later that evening during Lucien’s bath, my husband Neil and I were amazed to see Lucien sitting in Virasana for twenty minutes straight while he played with his rubber duck and wooden boat.  This morning, when Neil and Lucien came to wake me up, Lucien put one hand on a laundry hamper temporarily stashed in the bedroom, and stretched the opposite side leg onto the bed, inadvertently coming into a beautiful Utthita Hasta Padangustasana. (He’s a natural.)  I’ve decided to take a lesson from Lucien and add a pose here or there into my daily activities-a shoulder stretch while I’m at my desk working, a triangle pose while hanging out with Lucien in the kitchen. The other day Lucien skipped his nap-a bummer for me since I’d been going all day. He wasn’t sleepy, but I needed a break. While Lucien played on the floor in the living room with his trains, I laid down next to him in a bare-bones Savasana.  It was just a minute or two or three, and I was in my jeans, but you know what? It was bliss. What poses do you mix into your day?  What has your child taught you about yoga lately? Jessica Berger Gross is the author of enLIGHTened: How I Lost 40 Pounds with a Yoga Mat, Fresh Pineapples, and a Beagle Pointer (Skyhorse), she lives in Vancouver, British Columbia with her husband and two-year-old son.

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Malasana in the Garden

My Tuesday noon class follows a morning of work for me, work which involves reasonably serious conversations with reasonably serious adults. Then I whip into my office at 11:30, change into my yoga duds, and drive over to the studio, arriving ridiculously early for my 12:15 class. In fact, when I arrive, they’re still sweeping up Cheerios from the floor.  Moms carry babies on their hips, all of them completely relaxed after a moms-and-tots class. I love this. I put my mat down in the back corner, and dream about being a yoga baby. In this dream, my body has no resistance. I flop forward and sweep my hands across the floor. My head turns like an owl. I do somersaults for the fun of it.   In this dream class, I laugh whenever I feel like it. I also sing: This Little Light of Mine, or Baby Beluga, or You Are My Sunshine. I dance while I sing. We all do, in this class. I eat the odd raisin or Cheerio off the floor.  I drink hot chocolate out of one of those sippy cups.I hang out in Child’s Pose when I get tired.  I have a nap if I feel like it. And someone carries me out at the end. I like that part the best. I am so into this dream that by the time my real class starts, I am about 4 years old. Do you have a dream class? I’d love to hear about it. Thanks to all of you yoga moms and yoga babies for the inspiration,and thanks to you for the conversation.

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Yoga Babies

Hi guys, I hope you haven’t been feeling left out of my outfit picks, because this week is all about the men! I know many of us, ladies included, often fall back on the standard black and white palette, but don’t be afraid of a little color. It radiates such great energy. I also know you certainly don’t need a hat in yoga class, but this one by Prana was so cool I couldn’t resist. Overall I was impressed with Prana’s men’s collection. Nice basic pieces with a few suprises thrown in. I also adore Toms shoes for men and the ladies, great style and a great cause. the details: Impact Sleeveless shirt by Prana $32.00 Ultra Shorts by Patagonia $55.00 Straw Fedora by Prana $32.00 Paper Tote Bag by Peasants and Travelers $88.00 Grey Heezen/Burlap Men’s Stitchouts shoes by Toms $58.00 Revolution Natural Sticky Mat $90.00

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Wish I was Wearing: Dude Duds

My lovely man is in the shower. He’s got yoga class in an hour. He’s pretty excited. Me too.   I do Vinyasa and Ashtanga classes at the moment. He takes Yin Yoga. You probably know more about that than I do.  What I do know is that ten years ago I might have spent time and energy trying to convince him that my form of yoga is so fantastic that he’d be better off in my class. With my teacher.  My chanting. At my favorite hour of the day. On my kind of yoga mat. In my corner in the back row.  And on and on into ridiculousness. I was a little bit inflexible, which defeats the purpose, don’t you think? I was also chronically bored, which is what happens when I only listen to what I’ve already said 47 times before. I’m happy to say that at the age of 48 I’m just now learning to let the hostages go.  To let others choose for themselves and to be happy with what that brings me. What does it bring me? Hours of discussion about Yin Yoga, for one. It sounds fantastic. I’ll try it in the fall. The second thing it brings me is the idea that although yoga is about union, it is also an enormous and varied collection of beautiful ways to explore and take care of ourselves. I can hardly wait to hear what yoga you love and why. Thanks to yoga for helping me release the hostages, and thanks to you for the conversation.

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Release the Hostages

I’ve had a really busy week. It involved cramming four days of work into one day–today. I ran around this morning not very like a Buddhist monk with her head cut off. By the time I got to yoga class at noon, I was disappointed with myself and my roller coaster relationship with the world. This is no time for me to be social. But. But it is my only chance to get to class this week, unless I can find one while traveling over the next few days. And it’s a drag chanting om by myself. So I climb the stairs, get changed, and put a mat down. I don’t look at anyone. Class starts, I hang over my feet, and I breathe.  I can’t tell you how this saves me on a day like this. Before too long I look at my teacher, I begin to smile at the way his count of 5 is far more like 39, and I hear the breathing all around me. Toward the end of class, we’re in a sitting spinal twist. I’m enjoying it. It’s easier than it was last week. I glance up and meet the eyes of the woman on the next mat. “Turn the other way,” she says. “What?” “You’re turned the wrong way,” she whispers. She has no idea how right she is. I turn the other way and find the twist exactly as difficult as it was last week. Then I take a second to glance around the room at these people who are kind enough to share a room with strangers in the pursuit of something kinder, stronger, and more flexible than the rest of the day. And I belt out om like my life depends on it when class ends. Thanks to my neighbor for turning me around and thanks to you for the conversation.

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Turning me Around

That’s the question I’m asking myself this week, in the quiet space between traveling to California last week and heading to the Midwest this week where I’m teaching Core Strength workshops. I’m blessed to have so many invitations, but it’s easy for me, in my exuberance about what I do, to over commit and give out too much. Then I end up depleted, with emails piling up and other projects lagging behind. Not to mention neglecting my own practice and nourishment. I must have had two hot chocolates a day in Los Angeles as I ran between meetings. It’s great for the soul, but not so much for the body. I’m realizing that there is a fine line between doing something you love, and doing too much of it. On Facebook, there’s an interesting conversation about how challenging it can be when you’re in love to hold your center and not lose yourself. It’s simple to slip into the habit of giving to and receiving from your partner, but not to and from yourself, which is a necessary component of core strength. When I teach yoga, I see students who strive for the next, best pose, but sometimes cross the line from strengthening into aggression, or from a healthy stretch into destabilization. Yoga only became mainstream a few years back, and now that we’ve transformed and become long, lean, and strong, how do we proceed? By doing and stretching more? All of this is the same lesson, actually. There has to be a time in yoga, in love, and in life when enough is enough. When our bodies are strong and our flexibility is in balance. When our hearts are full of love for someone else. And when we’ve broken through our resistance to live from our passion. But then what? Eastern philosophies like Buddhism teach us about the Middle Way, the road of balance. In yoga, we might call this alignment, the place between giving too much and keeping too much. Where we’re relaxed enough, powerful enough, and therefore, ultimately free. In my own practice, which on a good day lasts the other 22.5 hours that I’m not on a mat, I turn to the yogic principle of asteya , which means “nonstealing.” At first glance, it might seem to have little to do with what I’ve shared here, but its alternate meaning is “integrity.” Think of someone who embodies integrity to you. I bet they’re generous with their time and love, and they probably love what they do. In addition, they are uniquely themselves, treat themselves as they would their closest loved one, and don’t allow that inner attention to be drained outwards. Next time you’re in a yoga pose, notice the state of your energy. Are you stealing what you need from yourself by going too far? In relationships, can you maintain your own life, and also not drain too much attention from another person because it feels so good to have them love you? Are you so focused on creating your life’s work that you move out of integrity and stop nourishing your relationships with friends and family? By bringing awareness to the places where steya , or stealing, occurs, we can take actions that move us away from suffering, fatigue. and resentment, and re-tip the scales in favor of the integrity of true center. CORE POSE : Ardha Matsyendrasana  (Half Lord of the Fishes Pose) When I approach this pose, I think of the proverb: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Practice this asana any time you need a reminder to turn inside to empower yourself or to hold center even as you engage in all your many offerings of the heart. Come to sitting and cross your right foot to the outside of your left thigh. To begin the twist, ground your left elbow into the top of your right knee (not your thigh) to create length in your spine. From this place of spinal integrity, begin to revolve your heart center to your right. Let your gaze follow. Make sure that your hips and navel continue to face forward, and only express the pose as much as needed to stay centered in the foundation. Take 5-10 breaths here then release and repeat on the other side.      

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When is Enough Enough?

Though I sometimes wish I could splurge on the many outfits I put together for my blog and here at Yoga Journal , the reality is that it is not always possible. In these tough economic times I like to be a serious bargain hunter. I challenged myself this week to see what I could come up with on a budget. This entire outfit, shoes, bag, and yoga mat are just a little over $100.00 combined. the details: Funnel-neck Active Zip Jacket   oldnavy.com $15.00 Sports Bra   forever21.com $11.80 Fold-Over Yoga Capris  oldnavy.com   $16.50 Washed Small Cross Body Bag  topshop.com $36.00 Damask Gaiam Yoga Mat   target.com   $19.99 Silver Metallic Gladiator Sandals   oldnavy.com $17.99

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Wish I was Wearing: Bargain Hunters

“Hold that for 5 breaths.” If you’re new to yoga, I’d like to give you some great advice: never believe this. It’s not going to be 5 breaths. It’s going to be about 27 breaths. It’ll go like this: The teacher starts out well enough: that’s one breath (then an adjustment to someone’s left hip and some encouraging advice), that’s two (if you just hold your shoulder back a little…ahhhh, that’s good), and that’s three already (I’m at twelve!), that’s four (and if you’d like a challenge, now, if you’d like to go a little deeper, try this) that’s four and a half–and now with a slight smile the teacher somehow manages to count: that’s five. It’s twenty-seven breaths for me. At first, I laughed at this. Then I resented it. Once I said out loud, “That isn’t three, it’s seventeen!” Today I see it a bit differently. Today I understand that it’ll take years, maybe five years for my shoulders to open. Maybe it’ll take seventeen years for my hips to open enough to do a full lotus. It’s more than that. Maybe it’ll take 27,000 breaths for me to relax into a pose without pushing and straining and achieving the whole time. Maybe it’ll take 270,000 breaths to enjoy the time I’ve been given in each pose and beyond: in each relationship, in each mouthful of food, in each hour at work, in whatever I’m learning today. You get the picture. It’s the new math. I wonder what you’re learning in your 27 breaths. I’d love to hear. Thanks to Rob and Cristina for yoga math (Bring it on!), and thanks to you for the conversation.

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New Math

This week I’m in Los Angeles for meetings with two TV networks to discuss a show idea. We’ll see what comes out of it–could be something or nothing. This is my week of practicing no expectations, and it’s hard not to “what-if” the situation to death, let me tell you! In the midst of preparing my show proposal, I got an email from a Facebook friend, Scott. He asked if I could reach out to someone he knew who had been following my videos online and might need a word of support. I told him it would be my pleasure, and started a sweet and rewarding correspondence with his friend. In gratitude for my help, Scott asked if I needed any graphic design work done–a logo, something for my website, whatever. I realized that my dowdy Word document proposal could use a little makeover to get ready for these meetings. So I asked Scott if he could take a look and add some flair. He not only designed an amazing logo, he added touches all over the proposal, including a front and back cover. Basically, he took my pumpkin and turned it into a chariot, something I never could have done on my own. The amazing thing is, he asked for nothing in return. When I asked what I could do to repay him, he said, “No way. I just know how it is, to want to chase a dream–a destiny–and to be able to get assistance makes the experience even more transforming.” Then he said one of the most noble things I’ve ever heard: “It would go against my beliefs if I was able to help you and did not.” Wow. Double wow.  Of course, this selflessness made me want to give back to him even more strongly. We each have something to give: a skill, assistance, a door that only we can open for another. When we do this without thought of reward, it becomes seva , or selfless service, according to the yogic path. Now, some people believe that if they help one person, they’ll have to help everyone. That’s only true if you’re not willing to set boundaries or are not sensitive to when your help is truly moving someone forward. It’s responsible to say no when doing so would be a drain to you or not a healthy support mechanism for the person. But none of us can do it all alone–and there are times when to refuse help is just plain energetically greedy. This ends up manifesting more lack for everyone involved, and the karmic wheel continues to turn.  The yogi learns to know the difference. If we consciously and freely offer seva at pivotal moments, we not only gain the energy of awareness and freedom in our own lives, we do one better. We help to change the world by letting in more goodness and more light. If we would all remove roadblocks for one other, while still focusing on our own life’s work, think of how much farther and faster we could go. Core Action: What could you do to make a clear road ahead for someone you know?  Core Pose: Malasana Twist This is a fantastic posture that gives you the benefits of a twist, low-back releaser, and hip opener all in one. It will free more energy for you to give–out, or in, as you wish!  Enjoy. Come into Malasana (Garland Pose) with feet wide and toes turned out the same direction as your knees.  Place your right elbow inside the right knee, and revolve your chest to the left as you stretch your left arm into the air. Lengthen through your spine as you breathe to release out your side and back body.  Hold for 5-10 breaths then switch to the other side. End with a forward fold in Malasana. Reach your arms in front of you, resting palms on the floor, and relax for a few breaths in this neutral posture.  

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Paying it Forward

I mentioned I was visiting Toronto on the weekend, going to a new yoga studio for the first time, and doing a class with my sister (and my nephew, it turns out). I was nervous about venturing away from my home studio, and I wanted to share a few things I learned from toeing my comfort line: 1. Sun Salutations are not so different from place to place. This makes me very happy. No matter where I travel–now–I can find a home. Makes me feel warm all over, thinking that. 2. Speaking of warm all over, the studio I visited was a few degrees warmer than my home base. It only mattered when I stood up from one of those hanging my head poses (just a second, I’ll look it up – aha!) when I stood up from Prasarita Padottanasana (Wide-Legged Forward Bend), and came the closest I’ve ever come to fainting. Maybe that’s peri-menopause. Maybe it’s a surge of some fantastic yogi energy. I don’t know; it’s a new yoga mystery. 3. The chanting was completely different in this class. And it was fast. It was like trying to sing the Italian national anthem. 4. Bandas. What are they? I think I understand the idea of Bandas, but I do not have any control over them yet. Foolishly, I asked our teacher Oliver to pick a pose for our photograph (see above). This pose (I’m not looking this one up. I’ll look it up when I’m 76, when I might be able to do it!) requires some Banda control. It’s his favorite pose. It’s my least favorite pose. I just sit on the floor and make faces. 5. Speaking of faces, my head was recently shaved for a theatre production. I look like a 13-year-old boy at the moment. It’s not my favorite look. It occurs to me that I may never end up on the cover of Yoga Journal. 6. I love my sister Tory and my nephew Stefano. There’s nothing like doing a yoga class with people you love.  7. I learned again that I adore yoga. Thanks to everyone and everything that brought me here, including Tory, Stef, and Oliver. I’d like to know who would you love to do yoga with, if you could do it with anyone? Thanks to yoga for helping me grow, and thanks to you for the conversation. –Kristin Shepherd

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Cover Girl

I know what you’re thinking… harem pants, really? Really! I love them and I know you can pull them off.  I also adore this yoga mat bag-finally a bag large enough to fit my yoga mat, towel, and whatever else I need to pack in there. the details: Carry All Yoga Bag, Prana Seamless Carefree Cami, Be Present Harem Pant, Athleta Inspire Bracelet, Fossil Harmony Yoga Mat, Jade Yoga   eQua Yoga Towel, Manduka   Tree Garden Curtain, Urban Outfitters   –Ali Zeigler

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Wish I was Wearing: Tangerine Threads

I go to two yoga classes a week, but I do my own practice at home every single day. I adore it, and I wouldn’t miss it for much. It’s still dark when I get out of bed, I shuffle to the kitchen and make a coffee (perhaps when I am a real yogi I’ll drink something healthier), drink half of it, set the timer on the microwave, and begin. The first three Sun Salutations feel a bit tight, a bit creaky. Even my mind is tight and creaky. I’m thinking about getting my hands positioned correctly, thinking about rotating my thighs inward and pulling that lower belly in (something I have no idea how to do, still). Heels closer to the floor, shoulder blades down, etc. You know all of this. Then something or someone–some larger part of me, perhaps–begins to well up. The rabid thinking slows down. Something warm and delicious takes its place. I begin to feel more generous with my positioning. I feel happy all of a sudden, and light. Some days, about ten Sun Salutations in, this thing takes over and I go crazy, like a whirling dervish. My breath pours in and squeezes out, I’m warm from the inside out, I am strong, I am beautiful, and I am huge, somehow. Unconstrained. You should see my Warrior II pose. I fill the living room. I fill the house. I love those days. This morning was one of those days. I’d set the timer for 70 minutes and was so enormous by the end of it that I didn’t hear it go off. Best Savasana ever. Does this ever happen to you?  Thanks to yoga for making us huge, and thanks to you for the conversation. –Kristin Shepherd

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Some Days We Are Enormous

I stare at my feet at the beginning of each class. We hang for a bit before we chant ohmm and get peaceful. It’s while we’re hanging that I look at them. I love my body. After ohmm, we spend a few minutes contemplating how we’re standing on our feet. Our teacher tells us to put our first toe down, then our fifth toe, and then try to lift the middle toes. I can’t do this. My middle toes head off toward the big toe–gripping the floor like drowning swimmers hanging to the side of a lifeboat for their lives.  So far, I am unable to convince them that we’re on dry land. Relax, I say to them. Ohmm, for God’s sake. I love my body. My right foot is in a brace. It’s a long story, but I’ll be in that brace for a while longer. It means I don’t hop anywhere on my mat. I shuffle. Underneath the brace my right lateral malleolus (the outside ankle bump) looks like Mr. Potato Head. I’ll paint eyes on it for Halloween. I love my body. The truth is that there are perhaps ten things about my feet that aren’t gorgeous and that don’t behave in the manner in which I’d prefer. And here’s the thing. I could easily say the same about my hips (What do you mean, open? Open my hips?), my arms (My elbows won’t turn that way unless I break them.), my hamstrings, which are shorter than short, even my face, which has completely relaxed about four times in my life. And on and on. Today, hanging over my feet, it occurred to me that love is a decision. Things are beautiful or not, loose or not, strong or not, potato-heady or not. So what. Love is a decision. I love my body. Thanks to yoga for helping me love me, and thanks to you for the conversation. –Kristin Shepherd

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I am a Beauty

Hey, it’s already May! That means Memorial Day weekend is coming up, and it’s time to get out your Birks and start looking around for some hippy-dippy fun. One good option: the Lightening in a Bottle Festival at Oak Canyon Ranch in Irvine, California (just south of L.A., y’all). It’s a full-on music festival–featuring more than 50 acts over the course of four groove-infused days. But there’s also plenty of yoga–workshops on AcroYoga, Rasa Yoga, Five Elements Buddhist Yoga, and more (including a workshop called “Yoga in a Bottle: Living Your Creative Destiny”). Factor in movable art installations and a good-karma emphasis on Earth-friendliness, and there are plenty of good reasons to be here now (or get there then, as the case may be).

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Get Your Groove On

Yesterday one of my students told me that another teacher called her out in class, saying, “You’re trying too hard.” This puzzled her. She didn’t think she was overdoing it, but then again, maybe the teacher saw something she didn’t. Perhaps she was running over herself and maybe she wasn’t, but it’s an interesting concept. When does striving toward a goal become stressful and when does it create transformation? This is why we say that to practice yoga is to walk the razor’s edge. There’s a fine line between too much sthira (effort) and too much suhka (ease), and the more we come to the mat, the more intimately we get to know it. The balance inherent within these two polarities, the “field,” as Rumi would say, where growth meets freedom, is known as santosha , or contentment, one of the niyamas of the yogic path. Niyama means observance, or something that you do that helps you line up with your inherent equilibrium. But this can mean saying No to something (straining to do a handstand when you’re not ready) as often as it asks you to say Yes. As yogis, we learn the art of knowing when to take action, and, importantly, when not to, in order to achieve a consistent state that is without aggravation or inertia; not moving too fast or lagging behind. So, how can we tell when we’re trying just hard enough in yoga, and in life? After all, neither our dreams nor our handstands are gonna just create themselves. As a teacher, the first thing I look at is your breath. It’s a pretty good gauge to let me know when you go off the rails.  If you can’t breathe slowly and deeply, or you sound more like Darth Vader than a smooth ocean wave, it’s time for Child’s Pose. I’m also checking out your alignment, specifically the foundation and core connection. If you’re in that same handstand, but your back is arching and your elbows are bent and wavering, then you’re not really in a handstand at all. You’re in a misaligned and compressive backbend that the wall is preventing from going into full (and injury-prone) expression. It’s not getting you where you want to go, which is to balance without the wall someday, with firm support from your arms and abdominals. What actually happens when we try too hard is that we simultaneously fall into the mire of inertia. We shoot ourselves in the proverbial foot because by overworking, we actually lock ourselves out of the possibility to access deeper muscles, deeper wisdom, and inner strength. We give ourselves over to ego, the anxious mind, the hyperactive body–anything external that we think can get us “there” faster. And instead of moving forward, we collapse. The first step in dissolving these non-santosha states is to be here–to pay full attention to how you feel. If you’re anxious, or numbed out, you might be trying too hard or not enough.   Once you notice the places in your life where you want control or that cause you to stress out, you can practice releasing a bit to allow the inner you to shine. This is why in class I often say you must back off in order to go farther. Then, when you’ve taken it down a notch, you can take it back up again, only this time, using the strength that serves you, in alignment, to express your most powerful center. This is when santosha arises organically. In the end, my student decided she wasn’t working too hard, but she did promise herself that she’d keep an eye out for when she was.  I’ve seen her take Child’s Pose more often, and I smile when she does, because I know she’s focused on playing the razor’s edge. And that’s the practice. CORE POSE: Core Handstand, what else? This asana is a microcosm for your practice of remaining in santosha. Remember, all the benefits–strong arms, open shoulders, core strength, courage, balance and detoxification–are available to you in every moment when you remain in alignment. Getting up to the wall is an added bonus–not something to rush into. Step 1: Stand a few feet from and facing a wall, and place your hands on the ground in front of you, fingers wide and shoulder-distance apart. Then bend one leg while the foot grounds firmly and directly under the sitting bone. Lift your other leg, maintaining level hips. Press out actively through the lifted heel. Step 2: Take small hops to help push the standing leg off the ground. At the same time, press down through your hands, lift your navel toward the sky, and begin to lengthen your top leg. You don’t want your low back to overarch here and tip the seat and legs behind you, as this will cause you to lose core strength and power.   To reconnect to the lower abdominals, bend the standing leg as it leaves the earth and draw your knee into your chest. Also, exhaling as you hop will firm your core muscles and prevent your spine from compressing or wavering as you lift. Step 3: Once you can hover in the knee-to-chest variation, keep all the stability you’ve created in the arms, torso and pelvis, and lengthen the bent bottom leg to meet the top one! Note: If at any time, your breath gets ragged, or your arms or spine begin to move out of alignment, you’ve crossed the razor’s edge, and it’s time to back off to re-find your balance.      

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Playing the Razor’s Edge

Kristin Shepherd is one of our newest bloggers. Join her as she takes on the challenges of yoga from the perspective of a newcomer in her new blog Beginner’s Mind : — I don’t know a hootkatassana from a pranayama. Yet. Although I have done bits of yoga over my lifetime, I only jumped in the deep end seven months ago, with regular classes and then my daily practice at home. What I do know is the deliciousness of yoga for a beginner (I can breathe! I can turn my neck in the car!), its frustrations (the clothes! the inflexibility!), and the way yoga becomes a part of everything else that happens during a day.  The way you drive your friends and family mad with yoga talk, the way half of them join yoga because of your ecstatic ranting. It feels as though i have come home after 48 years. I’ll bet some of you can identify.  I hope you’ll join me. — Kristin Shepherd is a chiropractor, a self-proclaimed theater freak and a yogi.  She’s a relative newcomer, and says she really, really knows how it feels to be 48, a bit tight, and a little wobbly. Kristin finds herself happiest, so far, in the back row of every yoga class.

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Introducing Kristin Shepherd

Forget yoga class, this is the perfect outfit for the entire weekend. I love that these pants are called the “Tool Around Pant” because I need to do a little more tooling around. It definitely sounds better than rushing around, which is what I do most of the time. I also need a new yoga mat, and the tree graphic on this one makes me happy. the details:  Rivera Bra Top, Athleta   Organic Cotton Tool Around Pant, Athleta  Sonata Sweater Cover-up, Athleta Tree of Life Yoga Mat, Gaiam  Om Yoga Bag, Asraistyle  Brass Stone and Leaf Bracelet, Asos Life is but a Dream photograph, Alicia Bock 

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Fabulous Fern

Whenever yoga makes it into the mainstream media, it tends to look like one of the following: 1. A daffy trend story, the main thrust of which is, “Gee, this yoga thing is really catching on!” 2. Overt mockery. Or 3. A prescription for an awesome workout! So we were surprised last week to see–on CNN Headline News–a beautiful little story about Sue Jones and the YogaHOPE foundation. Part of the channel’s “Breakthrough Women” series, the focus was on how Jones used yoga to overcome her own severe depression and suicidal thoughts–then founded a nonprofit organization aimed at extending a lifeline to other women grappling with mental health issue. Boston-based YogaHOPE brings yoga into drug and alcohol treatment centers, halfway houses, homeless shelters, and other places where “at risk” women tend to congregate. As Jones told CNN’s Robin Meade, “It was a desire of mine to teach yoga to women who I felt might be at a crisis point in their lives, and might be on the verge of making a very self-destructive or dangerous decision.” We know, of course, that practicing yoga leads to self transformation–but that’s news to women lost in the woods of addiction. Good news, a Jones says. Learn more about the program–including how to participate or donate–at YogaHOPE.org .

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There’s Always Hope

Time to do your home practice but not feeling it today? Pop in Yoga Revolution Volume One –a compilation CD that features songs from “yoga music” superstars like Donna DeLory, Krishna Das, Deva Premal and Miten, and Snatam Kaur as well as from genre benders like Sheryl Crow, Angelique Kidjo, Sarah McLachlan, and Peter Gabriel. The collection is uplifting and energizing–perfect for vinyasa flow. And since proceeds from the sale help provide access to yoga for underserved kids around the country, you can feel good about making an investment in this aural upgrade. BONUS : Fun to listen to off the mat, too, Yoga Revolution Volume One is the perfect tunage to see you through even the nastiest traffic snarl. Ponder the message behind Ziggy Marley’s “Love is My Religion” (it’s track 11), and you just might find yourself hitting the repeat button instead of the horn. (Buy it at amazon.com , for $14.99.) What’s your favorite yoga music?

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Lend an Ear

Actress Chloe Sevigny must really love yoga because she is talking it up all over the place! We aren’t sure what style she practices or where she places her mat. But this winner of a Golden Globe award for best supporting actress in a TV series graces the April cover of Elle UK and talks about her new three-times-a-week yoga practice, which makes her feel “strong” and “limber.” (She also credits yoga with boosting her libido.) In a recent interview with NPR , Sevigny talks about how yoga helps her with her scoliosis so she feels straightened out. Check it out: Our friends at YogaDork found some morsels of the interview here . Which celebrities have you noticed taking up the practice of yoga?

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Chloe Sevigny Loves Yoga

A few weeks ago, the YJ staff got a special treat when MC Yogi and Amanda Giacomini stopped by our offices to teach our daily staff yoga class. We don’t usually practice with music here in the offices–mostly because our yoga room is also our conference room and isn’t really set up with a sound system–so I’m always grateful when we have a teacher come in with her own iPod docking station. Of course, we would expect no less from the infamous, self procraimed yoga “unrapper” . . . who came with a big, shiny boom box in tow. Sure, I was skeptical of the whole yoga hip-hop thing at first, but now, I’ll admit it. I’m a fan. So I was thrilled to see his newest video posted to Huffington Post today. “It’s about being generous with ourselves with our hearts, with our time and with our energy,” he writes. “It affirms the universal principle of attraction. What we give is what we get.” Where do I sign up? MC Yogi – Give Love (Giving4Living Mix) from MC Yogi on Vimeo . So, that’s my yoga video pick of the day. I’d love to see some of your favorites in the comments section below!

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Give Love!

February 11th is a very special day for me. Twelve years ago on February 11th, I gave birth to my son, Charlie, and became a mom. My world was forever changed. This year I was in a tiny African village on February 11th, trying to find a way to honor the rite of passage I hold most dear in my life. When I was given the opportunity to work in a local birth Clinic, I decided this was the perfect way to celebrate Charlie’s birth, as well as my own birth into motherhood. Nothing could have prepared me for what I experienced. We entered the birthing room, a small cement square with two birthing beds separated by a fabric curtain. My senses were immediately assaulted by the smells of shit, sweat, blood, and tears. It smelled strongly of both life and death. A young 17 year old girl named Miriam lay on one of the beds. It was covered in a plastic garbage bag that the birthing women are required to bring themselves. There are no clean sheets, pillows, ice chips, or even bottled water. If you need it, you bring it—otherwise you go without. They go without a lot. I noticed that the metal stirrups were covered in rust and the floor was splattered with blood.  Miriam was in labor, she was alone, and she was terrified. She spoke English and asked us to pray for her. She was certain God was not with her, that she had done something wrong, that she was going to die.  I held her hand and assured her that God was there, that she was strong, and that she and her baby were going to be fine. A little voice whispered in my ear that this was Africa where things often go wrong. I spent the next 4 hours determined to prove that voice wrong. The doctor told Miriam she would have to have a cesarean if she couldn’t get the baby down further. In Kasana, a cesarean is often a death sentence. We convinced Miriam to climb off the birthing bed and start walking, squatting, swaying, breathing, singing—performing that primitive birth dance. Four hours later, I held her hand as she delivered a healthy baby girl and cried happy tears as another mother was born. Later, she looked at me and said, “sister this is our baby.” She even asked me to name her. I told her I had already named my babies and it was her turn. She giggled like the 17 year child that she is and said , ” I want to name her baby Miriam after me.” Then she asked for a coke. Seane raced to a roadside stand and brought back two cokes. Miriam beamed. I have no idea what happens next in the story of Miriam and Baby Miriam. I wish I could write them a happy ending, but this is Africa where things often go wrong. Then again, we could prove that voice wrong if we all really tried.

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Birthday by Amanda Stuermer

I made a brick this morning!  There is a contraption (I hesitate to call it a machine because it requires so much manual labor) that you put dirt into and then put all of your weight into pulling down a lever to compact the dirt into a brick.  Totally awesome.  I also helped with interior design of the birth center.  We molded extra mud into the walls to create the shape of branches, flowers and leaves.  This was a challenging project but a lot fun.  After two days of work I love the fact that I have very dirty fingers and toes! As we were leaving the birth center for the last time, we rounded the corner in our enormous bus and out from behind the bushes came all of the men that were working at the site with us over the past 2 days.  They completely surprised us– rushing out into the open, screaming wildly, waving and smiling as a farewell to us all.  It is difficult for me to describe why this was so emotional for the entire group  We worked with these men intensely for two days, sharing stories and information about our cultures.  They are the exception to the stereotypical, male Ugandan– these men were thoughtful, kind, understanding, generous and supportive.  Natalie is so fortunate to have them on board for her dream project, and it was so moving to see their appreciation for our presence in those last moments.   Before we left Kasana, we went to Natalie’s home for lunch and enjoyed, yet again, the traditional Ugandan meal.  That’s our fifth time eating Thanksgiving in 3 days.  I’m all starched out, but am very grateful for the local hospitality.  They don’t eat like this every day, but insist that we do as their guests.  After lunch, we opened several of the bags full of donations for Natalie to see.  We finally got to see the magnitude of what we collected.  Natalie says the birth center will be up and running even sooner now that she has nearly all of the supplies they need to operate. Sarah, Heather, Amanda and Davian (plus Seane and Suzanne) stayed behind to help deliver another baby at the current birth center as we road back to the Sheraton Kampala.  We were blessed to hear about this healthy birth later in the evening during group processing.  We found out that today is Amanda’s son’s birthday.  She gave birth to her first child twelve years ago today.  She said, “12 years ago I became a mama and I helped someone else become a mama today.”  That really struck me.  I feel special to be one of the 24 women in the room to hear that lovely realization. I have mixed feelings about returning to Kampala.  I am very aware of how lucky I am to now have amenities like bottled water, air conditioning, regular toilets, and a comfortable queen sized bed.  I am also constantly thinking of our new friends that don’t have these things.  I lived for a few days in the Kasana volunteer house, and even there we had fair showers and working toilets.  Most people in the village are walking miles for water and going to the bathroom in small cement holes.  As a guest in their village, I was in no way roughing it, but now I just feel positively spoiled.  I can understand a little more clearly now why people have incredible difficulty transitioning back into their normal lives after visiting a third world country.  There’s no turning back from what we’ve witnessed and experienced here, and in many ways I’m compelled to live among these people despite the constant struggle of their lives.  The love I feel is so intoxicating it’s easy to forget the daily hardships they endure. Each night we take about an hour to check in as a group to make sure everyone is feeling fine and supported.  It’s also been a nice opportunity for me to remember some of the things I’ve forgotten.  So much happens in a day, it’s difficult to remember all of it.  There’s just one last thing I’d like to share… Yesterday, when a group of us were taking a break from work, an old woman slowly walked towards us to sit in the shade.  The woman did not speak English, but Natalie told us that the woman is ninety years old and walks to the birth site every Wednesday to help.  She had hurt her leg.  The woman sat and spoke softly to Jen, one of the participants, for several minutes in a language that none of us understood.  Minutes later, she slowly stood to make her trek back home.  We said goodbye. Ninety years old.  How will we show up when we reach her age?  What will we be willing to do for our community and our children?  She is way past the ability to conceive, so she is clearly coming to this site each week to see a project thrive that will support her granddaughters and great-granddaughters.  She is an example of love at it’s finest.  I am in awe.  May the Universe forever bless the great women of Uganda in all their strength and magnificent beauty.

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Shanti Uganda Day Three by Megan Ridge

Birth: raw, rich, emotional, sensual, intense, calm, powerful, and hopefully supported . As a doula (birth assistant), in Minneapolis, my main goal is to make sure that the mothers I am working with are fully supported in every aspect of birth. And that was my motivation for joining the 2009 SEVA challenge; to support the woman of Uganda in birth. 30 women die every day in Uganda due to childbirth complications . . . I knew this country was in need, but what struck me most was the loneliness the woman here face during birth. Expectant mothers come to this local birthing clinic, typically solo and bring with them their own birth supplies: a plastic sheet to birth on, 2 pairs of gloves for the midwives, and a baby blanket. Where as a typical birth in the U.S. uses a dozen pairs of gloves, half a dozen sheets, handfuls of washcloths and most importantly their partner, possibly a doula, friend or family member. I was blessed to be at the clinic for two days and support 4 women through their births (1 cesarean) . . . without the help of Off the Mat Into the World, and the team of us that where there that day, these women would have been unsupported. There was an incredible transformation for all of us in the bare room. New life was given and women on both sides were empowered. We ALL were supported and full of spirit . . . but to know that there will be unsupported births, at this clinic and hundreds of other places around the world today, is hard one for me wrap my head around. It is our birthright to be loved and held up, especially in times of transformation.

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Birthing by Sarah Longacre

It’s day 2 of the experience and I am exhausted. I actually left the group in the middle of the day today because I was completely wiped out, emotionally and physically. Day 2. We started the day with our yoga practice. The practice felt good in my body. I felt strong and grounded and enjoyed the movement after days of travel and all of that stagnancy on the plane. By the time we got to Savasana, however, something had shifted. Normally, savasana takes me to a deeply calm state. However, today all I felt was anxiety. It just popped up out of what seemed like nowhere. What the hell was going on? I assumed that my jet lag and sleep deprivation was catching up with me although that was my rational brain saying that. My emotional brain was freaking out because I just couldn’t have anxiety then! I had so much energy yesterday for our first day and our visit to the slums. I was surprisingly inspired and joyful after that experience. So, here I was this morning at 9 am feeling anxious and not ready for anything today and judging myself for it. Not helpful, of course. Last night in our group processing Seane spoke of how we could expect all sorts of emotional things to come us for us during the 2 weeks and how we should talk about them, be present for them and express them however we needed to, even if it’s some ugly stuff coming up. We have to take care of ourselves so we don’t hold onto it and let it shut us down or close us off. It’s a lot to take in here and we need to acknowledge it and own it for ourselves. So, that was last night, it all made sense. And here I am at 9 am pissed off at myself for getting anxious. So, I decided, after I got off the mat, to just be open to how I was feeling, breathe through it and move on with the day. We started the day at Pace, learning about this incredible organization that serves the Ugandan community. Pace’s mission is to use their programs to improve the health of vulnerable Ugandans and promote sustained behavior changes. Part of what they do is create and distribute HIV prevention and care packages that include a safe drinking water system, condoms, mosquito nets and antibiotics. A lot of what kills people with HIV are the opportunistic disease that take hold of their vulnerable bodies and destroy their immune systems. So protecting from malaria, TB, and other diseases in important for those with HIV to remain healthy. They are saving thousands of lives a year through this program. We took a tour of the warehouse and saw their operation. They are no machines doing the packing and processing. It is a dedicated group of workers who care about what they are doing and put their hearts and hands into creating these products for people. I thought about the woman whose family I met and spent time with yesterday, Abalo Betty. She and her entire family have AIDS. The people in the slums don’t have access to many of these preventive AIDS programs and don’t have the means go out and seek it for themselves. There is just so much help needed in this country. It was great to see that Pace is making a positive difference in people’s lives although they are aware that there is much more work to be done as well. After my experience at Pace, my emotional and physical state were not much better than this morning, actually a bit worse. I was exhasuted, sad and starting to feel physically ill. So, although there was more on our schedule for today, I have learned through the guidance of Seane and Suzanne that if I don’t take care of myself, I’m not of much good and sustainable use to anyone else. So, I listened to my inner guidance and decided to take the rest of the day off to rest, rejuvenate, and ground myself so that I can go out and be of service tomorrow in the best shape I can be in. There was a reason I was anxious this morning even if I’m not exactly sure what it was yet. But I trust that my body was trying to tell me something. Maybe it was trying to tell me to take care of myself, listen closely to my body, and just accept, not judge, what is going on with me. Well, that’s what I learned anyway. If I’m not taking care of myself, how can I do any good here for anyone else? And onto a new day…

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Self Care by Heather Snyder

Some people thought it was a stretch that yogis have started including their dogs in some classes. But now animal lovers have even found a way to share the practice with their barn-dwelling four legged friends. That’s right! Yoga for horses! Tucson yogi Gloria Hester uses her expertise in yoga, horses, and Hanna Somatics to help heal injured horses, reports the Tucson Citizen . While the yoga Hester teaches to horses is not the same kind of asana-focused yoga you’d see in a yoga studio, it has helped at least a few horses deal with pain. “If yoga is a practice of consciousness, (and I believe it is), then in that sense, the horse is definitely practicing ‘yoga’ in the truest sense of the word,” Hester told The Citizen . The article doesn’t really explain the method and how it works, but it does sound like a neat idea. Do you think horses are really capable of practicing consciousness? Have you ever tried yoga or alternative healing methods with any of your pets?

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Horse Stance?

If you’ve ever flipped through an issue of Yoga Journal , and thought, “I wish someone would read this to me so I could get on my mat and practice along,” you’re going to be really excited about our newest feature. LiveMag will be your destination for multimedia versions of your favorite magazine columns and features. In the first edition (which corresponds to the March 2010 issue of the magazine), you can practice along with the video versions of the popular Home Practice and Master Class columns and watch a demo of a few of the Sun Salutation variations highlighted in the feature story “Shine on Me.” Give it a try, and make sure to comment below and let us know what you think! By the way, the new issue of Yoga Journal will be out on newsstands February 16.

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Yoga Journal: It’s Alive!

Submitted by Sofi Dillof Today was my first day in Uganda and we went to visit the Acholi slums located outside the Kampala, the capital of Uganda. We had brought with us lots of clothing and supplies from home to give out to the families living there. Like so many other times in my life that I have faced the new and unknown, the experience I had there was much different than I had imagined it would be. The first thing that struck me was the strong sense of community that I felt there. It was truly inspiring. We gathered with many of the women in a meeting house of sorts which was no more than a large dark cement structure with some make shift wooden benches. There they welcomed us with a song that was filled with so much joy and gratitude that I felt my heart open up and soak it in like a sponge or like a thirsty dessert animal who had stumbled upon a cool stream and was drinking in the life affirming water. This was not the vibration of sadness and despair that I had imagined would be so palpable in the slums that I wouldn’t be able to breath. We answered their song with our own rendition of Amazing Grace. I had never offered a song as a gift before but it felt like such an honest exchange of loving vibration. It was powerful to say the least. The second part of the day involved splitting up on our own and going to visit the homes of two families and delivering to them what we had brought. This part was challenging for me. For starters, where as most of the other members of my group were paired with two women (one from each house hold), I ended up two men. At the first house, and I use the term ‘house’ lightly as it was no more than a two room shack which housed 6 family member, no english was spoken. Luckily, the four children with who lived there were of the ages 2-6 and I was equipped with a bottle of bubble’s … need I say more? The second house, however was a very different scene. Nine boys (who were a mix of brothers and cousin) lived there along with 1 baby girl and a Mom and Dad. The house was, again, only two rooms and I can’t fathom where they all slept. I didn’t ask because I was afraid it would be somehow embarrassing for them. The father spoke only a little english but explained how his brother was gone and that he had taken in his 3 nephews. He was working to support all 10 kids and when he couldn’t think of the english words to express his situation I offered some help. “Hard”, I said to him. He looked me in the eyes and said, in a deeply burden ridden voice, “Hard”. Then there was a silence that lasted for so long that I felt my whole body contract with uncomfortableness. No one was speaking. The teen age boys (ages 13 – 18) had the same vibe as my teenage step son and his friends – totally great kids but probably were being forced to be home and hang out with their parents and me when all they really wanted to do was to go out and hang with their friends. At least this is what I imagined. The scene felt tense. I felt stupid just sitting there but couldn’t think on anything to say. We all just sat there. Time seemed to drag on forever. When the father explained that the boys new english very well but were just to shy to say anything I looked at them and told them that I was feeling shy do. They smiled and though I could have imagined it, I can almost swear that we all shared a big group exhalation. I felt my muscles loosen, my breath began to flow again. We had found our common ground. They were nervous and I was nervous and it was okay. At first I felt disappointed in myself that I had frozen up in their home but now I feel okay about it. It’s where I was at the time and I am just so happy that my heart allowed me to be vulnerable enough to express what I was feeling to them. They say a smile is a language that we all share but so are songs, tears, hardships and even moments of shyness. Whatever it may be that allows us to connect is Sacred and today, in a place where I had imagined that I would feel so different and separate from those whom I would be meeting, I had a taste of that first hand.

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That which allows us to connect is Sacred: My day spent at the Acholi slums

Long time yoga blogger, YogaDawg, announced yesterday that he is calling it quits to pursue his passion for painting. For years his blog, My Itchy Third Eye , and website, YogaDawg.com , have provided us with hilarious yoga satire that  reminded us not to take our yoga too seriously. We’ll miss you, YogaDawg! You are a true ARTIST in every way.

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So Long, YogaDawg!

Today, The New York Times City Room blog posted that Bryn Chrisman, a vinyasa flow yoga teacher in New York City, will be responding to readers’ questions “about her path to yoga, her current job, her practice, kirtan and other matters of interest.” I think anything like this that gives yoga teachers exposure and lets them explain their story is great. But when I scrolled down to look at the questions that were asked I was a little surprised to see questions seeking answers to serious medical questions (how to lower high blood pressure?), spiritual guidance, and how much meditation practice is required to be “be a good yoga practitioner.” (Check the City Room blog again on Wednesday to see her answers to some of these questions.) I’m sure Ms. Chrisman is very knowledgeable–but surely she doesn’t have the answers to all of those questions! Who does!? It just makes me wonder, why is there such a big misconception out there out there that all yoga teachers are experts in all things medical and spiritual? Do you trust your teacher enough to ask him for medical advice? Where do you draw the line?

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Ask a Yoga Teacher

There was a great panel discussion today on tantra moderated by Yoga Journal editor-in-chief Kaitlin Quistgaard, and featuring scholar Sally Kempton, Parayoga founder Rod Stryker, and Anusara teacher Sianna Sherman. In the discussion, Rod identified Tantra as literally translating to mean the word “weave”, and he spoke of it as “weaving spiritual awareness into every day life”. (Sianna followed that up by saying that shortly after she discovered tantra, she signed up for a weaving class to learn to understand the tradition better!) The three teachers talked about their yogic paths, the importance of shaktipat (or spiritual transmission), and how asana relates to tantra. Rod spoke, in particular, about the body being “the altar” of your worldly experience, and asana being a good tool to clean that altar up. Erin blogged more below about the talk, so check out what she had to say. I thought it was lovely and informative.

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The Tantric Web We Weave

This was my first class with Seane Corn, and it is easy to see why she is such a yoga superstar.  Her sequencing is scientific and her personality is magnetic.  Seane, with her distinctive east-coast accent, has a way of conveying large amounts of information in digestible segments:  at the end of two hours I knew she grew up in and idyllic town in Jersey, why she was passionate about the environment (dumping in a local stream and high cancer rates in her town), all the causes she supports (Haiti, Aids, Africa and urban areas in the U.S.), that a whiff of styrofoam makes her homesick(her family owns a styrofoam plant), emotional eating patterns (sugar addiction and lonely cravings for perogies), religious background (Jewish mother and catholic father) and even a little about her digestion (lets just say traveling screws it up). I also know how to sequence a strong detox flow class (open, compress and twist), why I need to detox in the first place (chemicals, pollution, processed food), and I have a new diet plan to improve every realm of my life (more energy, less headaches, emotional stability). Also, after she explained some of the places she visits, I am curious to learn more about the Seva Challenge and Off the Mat, Into the World . I was breathless after this one.  Her passion and efficiency was inspiring. 

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Detox Flow with Seane Corn

“It takes a long time to play like yourself.”–Miles Davis Dana Flynn’s super fun flow sequence was loosely based around this quote.  She expertly weaved in philosophy and the symbolism of Shiva dancing on the dwarf, encouraging students to remember to embrace their bigger selves and flow with the play of the universe.  Dana taught a flow with warrior variations and Kali posed linked fluidly with Shakti and Shiva expressions and also gave students a chance to freestyle to her upbeat playlist.  This class definitely got every one of us out of our minds and woke us up first thing on a Sunday morning. Great class!

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Shiva’s Dance

Today did not go quite as planned for me. I slept late, missed my train, forgot my notebook. Heck, I didn’t even have time to wash my hair. By the time I got to the Hyatt, I was beyond flustered. Let’s just say, I wasn’t exactly in a peace, love, and yoga kind of mood. When David Life came in to lead the class, I didn’t know what the topic was. (I had been so rushed this morning, I didn’t have time to review the schedule.) You know how people say the universe gives you exactly what you need when you need it? The class was appropriately called Time Warp. When you really think about it.. time doesn’t matter so much. It’s all relative, David said. You know how some classes yoga that aren’t going so well seem to drag on forever? And others that you’re enjoying seem to finish up really quickly? Well, this one flew by for me and really brought me out of my funk. I had so much fun practicing a playful sequence that felt more like a dance (I just loved clapping along to the music in Warrior 1 and snapping in Warrior 2!)  Peace, love, and music are as relevant today as they were in the 60s; yoga is thousands of years old but it’s wisdom lives on; and it doesn’t really matter if I get to the conference at 8 or 10 am. Amazing.

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What is Time, Anyway?

Master teacher Aadil Palkhivala opened his class on twists and backbends by saying “they have nothing to do with yoga.” What he means is that asana, which he says is “not important but utterly necessary,” is the first step in the path towards greater freedom. Because the body is the vehicle for the spirit, we must take good care of it. This is why we do asana. What can I say about Aadil? I love him as a teacher and human being. He is meticulous, hilarious, kind, and precise. He is a big, burly laughing redwood tree of a Buddha, so grounded in his practice that his spirit can fly big and free. We did some intense twisting, including variations of matsyangasana (hello quads!), and explored how to keep the vertebrae between S1 and T5 safe in backbends. Here are some tidbits from the Master himself, in no particular order: “Our practice must serve our individual dharma.” “Through the consequences of my past actions, I can make decisions about my present.” “There is great comfort in mediocrity. I urge you to rise above that to find your potential.” “You are creating your body of tomorrow now.”

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Twists & Backbends with Aadil Palkhivala

If you’re anything like me, you might find traipsing around the Hyatt all day to be a bit draining–even if you’re riding the prana wave from all of the great yoga classes being offered at the conference. That’s why I was happy to see that Yoga Tree, one of the premier yoga studios in San Francisco, has a new addition to the conference this year: They’ve created a lovely little meditation room on the top floor of the hotel. It’s filled with spiritual art, meditation cushions, rugs, and a quiet, contemplative energy. Today, there were two events held there–an afternoon meditation by Chris Tompkins (who also provided the art on view) and an evening chanting with Elizabeth Rosser. I think there is more stuff going on tomorrow, so check the schedule outside of the room. Or just pop in to see the paintings and sculptures,and sit in some quietude before jetting back out into the happy busy yoga frenzy.

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Take a Breather in the Meditation Room

While bopping around the marketplace today at the conference, I noticed the usual assortment of goodies: yoga mats, essential oils, cool new yoga garb, Luna Bar samples (I admit to scarfing down a few in between classes), and handmade jewelry. (Though I realize this has nothing to do with yoga, I did buy a pair of earrings by a lovely Californian designer named Baroni Designs). It was all good stuff, but one cool thing I noticed was this sign, which says “yoga gives back to Haiti” on a number of the vendors’ tables. The sign indicates that the vendor will make a donation of his or her own discretion,  depending on how well he or she does with business at the conference. Great way to bring money–and awareness–to the devastation in Haiti, and what better place for it than a yoga conference.

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YJ Marketplace: Food, Jewelry, and Donations for Haiti

I dutifully read every article Sally Kempton writes for Yoga Journal because I love her clear logic and practical application for problems of the mind, so I was very excited to find that her succinct class was just as accessible and useful.  Sally focused on defining emotions that create deep grooves in our consciousness (dubbed samskaras by yogis and neural grooves by scientists) or the “mind dragons”:  Anger, grief, desire and fear.  They are called dragons because of the historical symbolism this flying reptile ignites: dragons are powerful, misunderstood creatures that some traditions want to slay in order to win the treasure and other traditions want to befriend as a protector and spiritual boon.  Taking either interpretation into account, dragons are powerful as they can drag us into mental entanglement.  This power can be dangerous and incite fear, but if handled correctly, as Sally explains through Tantric tradition, they can be used for growth.  First, we were told to pick an event that ignited the emotion in question.  I chose anger, but others chose grief.  Then, we were to write a brief story recalling the events leading to that emotion. Next, we circled the emotional words: angry, afraid, frustrated, rejected, etc. and wrote them on a separate page.  We then wrote the opposite of each word next to the troublesome emotion so we could start to feel the difference even in thinking these words.  Finally, Sally instructed us through a meditation where we felt the emotion, brought it back up and noticed were it physically lodged.  Mine was in the throat, but others mentioned the heart or solar plexus.  After sitting with it, we dissolved that feeling; physically imagining it breaking apart with hands or as a galaxy–whatever worked.  We then repeated this step, and I was surprised to find that it was already much easier to dissolve the second time.  Pretty neat. The class flew by, but we also had a chance to do a meditation on desire; the main idea of Tantra being that desires are natural and not to be suppressed.  Rather, we focused on the feeling of fulfillment and came to many different, though all profound realizations.  Oftentimes we seek that feeling of fulfillment, and we then have a chance to realize we already have everything we could ever desire;  I left this class with a new sense of peace.

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Dissolving Dragons

Manoj Chalam is a rarely brilliant and balanced person.  A researcher and scientist, he also fluidly navigates spirituality and ancient texts, backing up tradition with evidence.  The hour-long talk was a brief introduction to the gods and goddesses of the vedantic tradition with a focus on their important role as archetypes and spiritual guides. Manoj also outlined the four basic paths of yoga and explained the need for all of them in a balance unique to each individual’s karmic weight.  The stories and symbolism of different deities encourage different openings along one’s unique path.  This is definitely something I want to spend some time with: discovering an archetype that resonates with me and then learning its lessons through sitting in meditation with the symbols. If you haven’t gotten much into the metaphor of ganasha–a giant elephant headed god–riding on a mouse–a symbol for the racing mind–to squash it into clarity or the story of Patanjali (author of the foundational Yoga Sutra ) falling from heaven as a snake to experience life’s lessons, then it is time to pick up Manoj’s book and enjoy the history of enlightenment.

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Getting into the Gita

I had high expectations for Desiree Rumbaugh’s handstand class this morning, and I am delighted to report that they were effortlessly exceeded.  I dared not hope two hours could undo years of fear and lack of trust, but by the end of the class I was confident in every kick and aware of my body’s stability and strength. Not only handstand, my pichamyarasana has been demolished and rebuilt from the foundation up…and the icing on the cake is that scorpion–is for the first time–an imaginable pose for the future. In typical anusara fashion, Desiree cut to the chase.  No fluff–meaning no sun salutations or savasana.  Every pose taught our bodies and action essential for alignment and success in handstand.  Anusara specializes in foundations, and the idea mentioned at the beginning of class, that we are a system of opposites needing to balance boundaries and freedom not only on the physical level, but right down to our chakras, provided psychological evidence my previous difficulty in the pose that now seem easier to release.  It makes sense that Desiree says the opposite of love is not hate, but the opposite of love is fear.  Ah ha! Accessing this sense of space and openness in the heart is an all natural, organic confidence boost.   In asana, we worked with the principles of lengthening the waist, which meant lifting my shoulders closer to my ears, usually a big yoga no-no; inner spiraling my thighs and activating my center through tucking my tailbone.  The latter two are cues I’ve heard before, but paired with this new shoulder stability and a deeper understanding of my mental blocks the class was truly transformational.  

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Love conquers fear

I believe there are angels among us at the Yoga Journal Conference in San Francisco. No, I’m not talking about celestial beings. Although they are walking amongst us in human bodies are certainly messengers of God (or whatever you believe in). I’m talking about the yoga assistants–those kind, virtuous, beautiful people who walk around the classroom laying their hands on you to give you greater awareness or, if you’re lucky, a little massage when you need it most. In my class today, Sianna Sherman said if you’re lucky enough to get help from one of the assistants it’s like winning the lottery. I couldn’t agree more.   Aside from help with alignment, there have been many yoga classes that I felt like giving up. I surrendered into Child’s Pose when an angel of mercy swept down, put his or her hands on my sacrum to give my back a gentle release, and made everything better. Immediately. It’s like magic. So thank you, Yoga Angels. We’re all rejoicing because you’re here. Hallelujah!

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Angels Among Us

Last week, I posted a great video of local news anchors doing yoga . This week, I thought I’d follow up with an adorable video of a CBS news anchor practicing desk yoga with Kristin McGee. If you’re sitting at your desk while you watch, give these stretches a try! Watch CBS News Videos Online

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Desk Yoga

This weekend, there is no reason not to get your asana to a yoga class! Saturday, January 23rd is Yoga Day USA , which means there will be lots of opportunities to practice yoga for free or at reduced prices.Yoga Day gives people new to the practice an incentive to give it a try, but we can all take advantage of a free class. Find a participating studio or teacher near you . Try a new studio or a new teacher. Bring a friend who wouldn’t join you for a class otherwise. Then, please remember to come back here and share your experience with the rest of us. 

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It’s (Almost) Yoga Day! How Will You Celebrate?