Heart of Yoga

Many people like to go on long trips to holy sites to try to “find God” but according to yoga this is not necessary. You don’t have to travel anywhere, at least in an outward direction. You have to travel inside and you will find what you are looking for.
This is how my spiritual teacher, [...] yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

Virabhadrasana 1 (Warrior 1 pose) is a wonderful warming yoga posture that can be enjoyed in most hatha yoga practices when aligned mindfully. Yielding numerous benefits Warrior 1 pose strengthens the shoulders, arms, thighs, ankles and the muscles of the back; expands the chest, lungs and shoulders; stretches the hip flexors, abdomen, and ankles; develops [...] yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

The Center for Yoga (aka Yoga Works Larchmont) has a rich a storied history with respect to the LA yoga community. I won’t review the details of this history here. If you want to read more about the studio’s past, this LA Weekly article covers it pretty well. Today, I just want to review the [...] yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

1. Clean up after them
Cat owners should avoid clumping clay litter at all costs. Not only is clay strip-mined, but the clay sediment is also permeated with carcinogenic silica dust that can coat your cat’s lungs. In addition, the sodium bentonite that acts as the clumping agent can poison your cat through chronic ingestion through [...] yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

I watch the news in the morning after my practice and nap. There was footage of protests at the UN in New York City. At the Millennium Summit in 2000, 192 countries agreed to 8 "Millennium Goals" to achieve by 2015. One of these was to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. Unsurprisingly, they haven't made much of a dent as a protester noted, "every three seconds someone dies of hunger". Of HUNGER. Of not having enough to eat. Of not having enough nutrients from what they are eating.

At breakfast I had 3 whole meal rotis, sauteed vegetables, a banana soy milk smoothie, a spirulina drink, half a fruit salad, and a cup of hot water. I prayed over my meal.

The things that we see and the things that we don't.

In the book I am currently reading, Shantaram, the main character is amazed as he watches men taking barrels of water up the stairs of his hotel. He stands to the side as they take one barrel after another. His tour guide explains that the water from the shower comes from a tank on the roof and that these men are filling the tank. Upon hearing this, he felt incredibly guilty because he was taking three showers a day. So when he told the guide that he was vowing to not shower for the rest of his stay, he was surprised when the guide told him that he didn't understand and that it was a "people-job". It is because of the tourists that these men had a job. "You should have three showers, four showers, even five showers every day..." And as he watched the men go about their work, he began to notice how much strength they had, how proud they were of the work they did, and how favorably the ladies reacted to their presence.

As I tugged at the latch on our front gate, the moon caught my eye. I can't always see it here as it is usually quite low. But at 4:45 am, it was right in front of me, nestled between a house and a tree. It was full and bright and almost creamy like a piece of cheese. The outline faded into the sky so that a haze surrounded the bright, glowing moon. I nodded my chin so as to say my respective "hello", and turned to walk down the street to the shala.

When Sharath was here, the Shala was full of people, a sea of mats organized along huge floor rugs. Now the shala is a huge room full of floor rugs with mats scattered throughout. There are trains on the middle rug. Trains like "choo choo". Ever notice that?

I was amazed today when I received a supta kurmasana adjustment from Saraswati today. That is practically unheard of if you can bind on your own. (Binding means crossing your legs over your head AND reaching your arms underneath your thighs, wrapping them around your back, AND clasping the opposite fingers/hand/wrist). See pic of supta k on right...

On the back of Petra's bike, my gaze slowly drifted up to the sky (staring up at the sky is just about the best thing to do when you are sitting on the back of a bike). It was so blue. "It is such a beautiful day!" I yelled to Petra. I don't know if she heard me.

Today I'm off to the center with Krista for laughs, smiles, and overall good times...

Tomorrow its led class with Saraswati...

yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

New grass is finally growing in the bald patches...

From a few tiny pumpkin seeds, a tiny pumpkin patch grows...(pumpkins will arrive next month, hopefully in time for Halloween, if not then in time for Thanksgiving and pumpkin pie)

But for now, I have harvested my first EVER cucumber. Here is my little pride and joy....

When this little plot is good and spent, I'll be turning it over and planting perennial shrubbery and moving my vegetable and herb gardening to a different venue on the property. But hopefully the roots will have added some nice conditioning to the soil for my boxwoods and barberries.

And that's all she wrote about gardening.

YC yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

Is there any benefit to doing two yoga classes in a day? I “double dip” on occasion — probably done it a total of 15 or 20 times in my yoga career — and the one thing I can say for certain is that it is exhausting. Two vigorous vinyasa flow classes can probably burn [...] yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

And I think I like this blog thing. I am a scholar, after all. To answer Carl, yes, young man, I do use the word "retard", as in:

“If you have created the fifth generation of atomic bombs and are testing them already, who are you to question other people who just want nuclear power. I think the politicians who are after atomic bombs, politically, they’re backwards. Retarded.”

[empahsis added]

I have as much right to be here as YC (who is bound and gagged and in a cage, er, I mean being kept under security with the other three Jews who are currently, um, living, yes, living, that's the word I was looking for, living in Iran. As I said in my speech, "We love all nations. We love the Jewish people. There are many Jews living in Iran, with peace and security.”), and I believe that I will stay here. I like it. It is a holy blog. And I will not be made to leave it just because of something that theoretically might have happened somewhere else to other people by other people.

Besides, YC should be doing better things with her time. In Iran, she can live out her time in the way that the holiest one intended. "Women in Iran enjoy the highest levels of freedom,” I said yesterday in my speech, without offering specifics. But I will now add that one of those freedoms is to marry at age nine, a freedom that you Americans do not bestow upon your women.

Now, who is this Britney Spears of which YC sometimes writes? And who is Lakmsi? Her name puts fear into my scholarly heart, although it is true that I love all people. Especially those living in my country with peace and security.

As YC would say, that is all.

MA yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

Yesterday, we loaded up a van (thanks for organizing that guys!) and went on a road trip. The first stop was 30 Km South of Mysore at a small town named Somnathpur (see

picture on left from travelblog.org). I had no idea where we were going, and neither did one of my friends, who ended up taking a road trip to temples she had already visited a month ago. On our way, she mentioned how road trips are very different here in India because you never get on an open road. Its true. In the states, you drive through town and then suddenly its only open road in front of you and you think, "Wow, here we go!" In India, you are driving slowly down roads, through ride fields, through back allies in obscure towns. I couldn't help but wonder how anyone could find there way to the same places we were going because there were so many unmarked ally ways that seemed to make up a substantial number of roads we travelled. The roads aren't always paved, are often muddy, and include many passersby and obstructions with a heart beat or many heart beats if you get caught in a heard of goats. I noticed on the windshield that there was a sticker that declared that this vehicle was adjusted to not go faster than 60. Really, it could not go faster than 60. Not that there was much of an opportunity with the cows and the muddy holes.

Somnathpur is the name of the very small town that people travel to in order to see the Keshava Temple. When we saw a sign that marked the entrance, my temple-veteran companion said, "we took a rickshaw here and back." The rest of us stared at her in horror. When she added that there were three of them crammed in the back, she had to scrape us off the floor from the impact of her words. Immediately after we got out of the bus, our bodies stretching into mangled standing positions from sitting for so long, we were surrounded by children asking for money and selling souvenirs. I didn't buy anything and felt terrible about it.

Entrance to the temples was 2 rupees for Indians, and the equivalent of $2 US dollars for everyone else. In their conversion, this equalled 100 rupees. (I read that the rupee has fallen again to 40:1 US, when I got here it was 38:1). Inside the gates was a large manicured lawn and a very large stone wall that looked like the outside of a fortress. I could see people going inside, so I followed. Shoes off at the steps. Give ticket to man holding out hand. Walk inside.

Temples are like volcanoes. They can be active, dormant, or extinct. An extinct temple is a temple you see that is completely abandoned. You have to look closely, however, because even if a building has gone to pieces, if there is still someone performing pujas, the temple is still active. An active temple is one in full use. People are coming and going, incense burning, music, etc. Dormant. That's a tricky one. I'll have to think about it. The temples we saw yesterday were extinct because for whatever reason, no one performs pujas there. People visit purely to see the architecture as it is in very good condition. Maybe a dormant temple is one that looks like it could still be used, but isn't at the moment.

A friend commented that the place did feel a bit empty and didn't hold the same sense of the spiritual for her that other active temples had. For me, monuments whether natural or man made almost always have a sense of the spiritual, if not because of the immense size of the undertaking, then for the intention behind it. Although, when we were sitting on a ledge surrounding the main temple, basking in its beauty, someone commented that the smell that everyone was complaining of was indeed urine coming from the puja rooms lining the ledge.

The next stop (not counting snack and pee stops) were the waterfalls. Yeah, I have no idea what they are called. We stood on a ledge, dodging monkeys, taking photos, eating strange side-of-the-road snacks, laughing at the signs, and staring at the waterfalls. They were beautiful but so far away. It seemed odd to have driven so far only to visit something that we couldn't actually interact with, only look at. If I couldn't touch it, was it even really there? Some journeys are like that.

I'm browsing the Rough Guide to South India, and in the Highlights section for Karnataka, it says that Mysore is the "sandalwood city". Guidebooks always talk about the sandalwood. I remember that once at an ashram in New York, I met someone who wouldn't stop about the sandalwood incense and that it was the best there and its all she uses and you can only get it there... I imagined Mysore overflowing with sandalwood. I imagined from day to night I'd be covered with the stuff and that after returning from New York, I'd carry the scent with me for at least 2 months, at least. I've seen some sandalwood, yes. I've seen some.

I had a new spot in led practice today with Saraswati, in the back by the women's dressing room. I realize this doesn't matter at all to the average reader, but to a veteran or current "Mysorian" you know what a big deal it is to try a new spot in the room. You see, every spot has its own energy. By the doors, there are people walking in and out which is quite distracting. OR maybe you're by a window and get a draft. Maybe you're where the carpets overlap and that is not funny. I try to avoid places with too much movement around them like breezes, or people, or doorways because I find they have too much "vata" which can be really distracting.

Since Sharath's last day, despite the few prophecies that he may return, he hasn't made any appearances in class. Nor has Guruji.

yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

Earlier this week I was standing on a balcony with two other people waiting for a table at a certain recommended punjabi restaurant when we turned to hear a real racket coming up the road. We all three leaned over the railing to get a better look. My companions scrambled for their cameras, hoping to capture a piece of the action. As the sound grew closer, we could see that it was a parade with many men in front pounding on instruments. We saw

that some men toward the middle were carrying a large altar. My friends were very excited, craning to get a good picture of what they thought was Ganesh (the elephant-god who removes obstacles). (The photo on the left is from a Ganesh Festival in Mumbai that I found on google). Men from the crowd were pointing up at us and shouting something, I couldn't make out what. But something did seem strange, and I realized my feeling was right when I saw that it was not Ganesha at all that they were carrying, it was a dead man.

"Its a fucking dead man!" I said.

"what?"

"huh?"

"Its a fucking dead man!" I said again. Their cameras lowered. One of them really began to freak out.

"I've never seen a dead body before!" He shouted as I tried to shrug off his chin that was now resting on my shoulder as he tried to hide from the grey, sinking figure and the condemnation of an angry crowd.

"Its okay," the other girl said. I think she just kept repeating this.

As we watched, the old man sat under a canopy of flowers. He was covered from head to toe with garlands with only his sunken face peaking out from beneath.

Today we had the day off (its Saturday). We decided (slowly and unreliably until the last second) to pile into a van and drive to some waterfalls somewhere. From behind the window, at this safe distance, I feel like I'm watching life go by like a viewer in a cinema.

I thought about how there are so many things I can't tell you about what its like to be here. Its not just that I don't have the words to describe it; its that there aren't enough words. Sometimes you have to paint a picture, even if it means not everyone will understand the work. So much of being here is more than seeing and trying new things or interacting with new people. So much of it is an indescribable journey through what it means to be alive and in this world. My teacher used to say that in our yoga practice it is good to get right to the edge, right to your edge, and to keep pushing until you get there. This place is like that. Always confronting you with edges.

There are moments that freeze in time, moments when for just a second, you can see your body and realize that there is so much more. A man squatted on a small dirt hill in the middle of a bright green rice field overlooking more rice fields. He just sat there watching the sun and wind dance and flicker over the tips of green green blades of grass. Things can be so simple, so obvious, but we fail to see them.

In the Yoga Sutras translation by Satchidananda, he tells a simple story that I hope I get mostly right. I think that there is this guy who is trying to achieve enlightenment but he's having a hard time. So the God that is helping him suggests that he chant "Mara Mara" because he is standing in front of a tree (mara means tree). So he does. And before he knows it, "mara" transfoms in to "rama".

yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

The product of zero numbers is one.

I've got 17 more days left here in Mysore, that's roughly two weeks. I think that maybe, just maybe I've figured out what I'm doing out here. Without asking it, this is THE question on most days.

What am I doing here?

Starting easy, I'm sitting in front of a laptop (my house mate's) (she's sleeping and didn't go to practice...) at the living room coffee table. I can hear animals outside. It is exactly 7am and practice has been over for a half hour. I didn't have a coconut. I can't be bothered by it really. Its cold outside and I'd rather be sitting in the comfort of my house.

We can now leave the present moment and move to the practice. Led with Saraswati this morning. She gives the longest leds out of the bunch. My shoulders, neck, upper back, and belly are quite sore. Very grumpy in the morning before class. Tried not to be too obvious that I was annoyed that people were taking up two spots where normally one would go. Little things can be annoyingly BIG things that early in the morning.

On to the future. I had this fleeting feeling that I was ready to go home this morning. Right when its all coming to a head and I feel like I'm finally getting to the root of all this.

So back to the question. What is all this? I told some people I was coming out here to study yoga, to practice yoga, to go to India. I told my boyfriend and others it was to learn how to be alone ( this was after my bf said he wouldn't be joining). I told myself I had to go and that's it.

What am I doing here?

Learning that I'm on the right path and that its okay to question and think about where we are on it. Learning how to be with myself in this world with no distractions. (I feel like I've got a crush on a girl that hardly looks at me and I keep driving by her house hoping one day she will run out.) Saying goodbye to all the things I've collected in life that do not really bring me happiness but that I gathered anyway because I felt that I had ought to.

Can that really be all? Is it as simple as that?

Or how about just, "I'm here to practice."

The distractions are less and less everyday. There are no trips to palaces, classes, courses, amazing exotic new dinners, crazy new mishaps, ridiculous misunderstandings, or out of the ordinary undertakings. I've slowly been emptying out my toy chest, and now there is nothing left. My hand digs deep, gliding along the sides, skimming the floor. Wait there is something! No, its just lint. I guess it is just me in here. (Sits down, back to trunk, arms crossed over knees, looks around. Realizes how incredibly large the space she is sitting in is and how small she is compared to it.)

Zero is nothing, null, nil, nada, naught.

Zero is a number.

Zero is a placeholder.

In sanskrit, zero comes from "sunya"( शून्य ), meaning void or empty. "Sunyata" can be translated as "emptiness" or "voidness. According to Wikipedia:

"Śūnyatā signifies that everything one encounters in life is empty of absolute identity, permanence, or 'self'. This is because everything is inter-related and mutually - never wholly self-sufficient or independent. All things are in a state of constant flux where energy and information are forever flowing throughout the natural world giving rise to and themselves undergoing major transformations with the passage of time. This teaching never connotes nihilism - nihilism is, in fact, a belief or point of view that the Buddha explicitly taught was incorrect - a delusion, just as the view of is a delusion. In the English language the word emptiness suggests the absence of spiritual meaning or a personal feeling of alienation, but in Buddhism the emptiness of phenomena enables liberation from the limitations of form in the cycle of uncontrolled rebirth."

In tarot cards, zero is represented as the fool. According to Wikipedia, some of the frequent interpretations are:

Beginning, Inconsequence, Innocence, Freedom
Spontaneity, Originality, Happiness, Non-criticism
No attachme

nt, Initiative, Adventure, Irresponsibility
Inexperience, Immaturity, Optimism, Boldness
Carpe Diem, Creative Chaos, New Beginnings, Foolhardiness

"The Fool is the spirit in search of experience. Many symbols of the Instituted Mysteries are summarized in this card, which reverses, under high warrants, all the confusions that have preceded it.

The Fool represents the mystical cleverness bereft of reason within us.

The number 0 is a perfect significator for the Fool, which can become anything when he reaches his destination. Zero plus anything equals the same thing. Zero times anything equals zero."

Tarot cards aren't just used for "divining the future" or getting a quick $5 from a tourist, there is also a game of Tarot, which is often referred to as, "french tarot". From my understanding, it is a card game that you can bet on like poker or blackjack. In this game, the fool has a very interesting role, as "Playing the Fool momentarily exempts the player from the rules of the game".

"Another issue surrounding The Fool is his definition. Who is calling him The Fool?

The archetypal potency of the Fool as zero embodies the enhanced potential and summation of all Major and Minor Arcana: as is denoted by 'fool', the near English homonym of 'full'. The Fool is the period, the pregnant pause."

yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

Some might say dedication, commitment, etc, but I think in reality it usually comes down to two things: (1) a strong interest in your chosen topic, and (2) a very boring desk job where you can get away with updating your personal blog and passing it off as work.
Hm. I certainly have a strong [...] yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

This article was my next post but got stuck in my inbox for weeks due to work at the office. Below is an excerpt from that article: Age is a result of who you are By Cory Quirino
Inquirer
Last updated 10:16pm (Mla time) 09/03/2007People who survive longest are those who have found balance in [...] yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

I took a break from the world the last few days. A friend here calls it "caving", back home, I used to call it "going into the bunny hole", because a friend of mine that reminded me of a bunny used to scurry away to hibernate.

The first month in Mysore is all about getting frustrated, feeling uncomfortable, being excited, seeing the sites, spending rupees, eating food, meeting people, getting sick, and learning the head wobble.

The second month in Mysore is all about feeling settled, getting poses, slowing down, relaxing more, becoming a "regular" at local establishments, and settling into a routine.

The third month in Mysore is all about getting tired of saying "goodbye" and "hello" to people coming and going to or from Mysore, getting bored by the same restaurants that you frequent, being sad when that same restaurant is closed because of a holiday, being surprised to end up somewhere new, feeling rooted where you are, officially having a spot for your mat at the shala, not wanting to admit that you know how many days until you go home, not wanting to go home, and feeling reluctant to spend rupees on things hiked up to what you know and have seen is an inflated tourist price.

The buzz in my ears from my senses being overloaded by all that is India has slowly decreased over the last few months. I hadn't noticed this change until recently when I looked back with enough distance to notice that it was buzzing in the first place. But now that the noise has diminished to a quiet rumble, I've crawled out from beneath my pillow to see what the world looks like.

A useful tool when we are learning to meditate is instead of trying to focus on clearing the mind of all thoughts, you focus on one thing. For example, as a Catholic, when you are praying, you can use a rosary to keep your attention steady.

So what do we do when there is no longer something to focus on. How do you play soccer when the purpose is not to score a goal or win a point?

In practice, when you're not trying to show your practice to anyone (including yourself?), what do you focus on? Take into mind that when showing your practice, you are paying careful attention to technique. What then do you focus on? You've been running toward the beach, and then the water touches your toes and you stare across the vast stretch of sky and ocean. Your eyes jump from ship to swimmer, to bird. But when the waves have slowed and in that slow moment, there is nothing to focus on, how long can you stay in that state before the next distraction comes?

Here in Mysore, the social fire has cooled, the culture is now the norm, the weather has dulled, what then? Eat food. Watch TV and badly copied movies. Read books.

Yoga Sutra Satchidananda translation, of course:

Yoga Sutra 1.30:Vyadhi, styana, samsaya, pramada, alasya, avirati, bhrantidarsana, alabdhabhumikatva, anavasthitatvani, chittavikshepah, te antarayah.

Disease, dullness, doubt, carelessness, laziness, sensuality, false perception, failure to reach firm ground, and slipping from the ground gained--these distractions of the mind-stuff are the obstacles.

Yoga Sutra 1.31:Duhkha,daurmanasya, angamejayatva, svasa, prasvasa, vikshepa, sahabhuvah.

Accompaniments to the mental distractions include distress, despair, trembling of the body, and disturbed breathing.

Yoga Sutra 1.32: Tat pratisedha artham eka tattva abhyasah

The practice of concentration on a single subject [or the use of one technique] is the best way to prevent the obstacles and their accompaniments.

Its back to practice at the shala tomorrow from my 3 day holiday, although in many ways, the practice is never on holiday...

Sometimes I read the sutras or hear something of the sort and think, "the next time that happens, that will be how I react." Or, "Next time will be different." I remember this line in a Pema Chodron book about how a student told her how much she meant to call her, or to see her, but didn't feel it was the right time because she was falling to pieces. Pema Chodron just replied, "Who cares! Come as you are...everything will always be in pieces, so come now!" In this way, its like she's saying to stop worrying so much about the details or about stressing out about being the perfect practitioner. A person could go crazy obsessing about doing right by everything is out there. (I really was a vegan, organic, macrobiotic. It sucked.)

After being here is Mysore, I feel more and more that being here and studying at the shala and really giving my all to practice is the best thing for me. I dabbled in this or that activity just like many of the other shala students here in Mysore, but I admit that I can't be bothered to go to chanting, sanskrit, or music lessons. I'm not interested in a road trip, a transcendental meditation, or a massage course. I don't want to learn how to cook a sambar or to sing. I'm here to practice ashtanga at the shala and that's it. Its funnyny how simplicity can be so overwhelming.

In that same Satchidananda translation of the sutras he says, "Yoga practice is like an obstacle race; many obstructions are purposely put on the way for us to pass through. They are there to make us understand and express our own capacities. We all have that strength but we don't seem to know it...Once you put an obstacle to the flow by constructing a dam, then you can see its strength in the form of tremendous electrical power."

yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

So spoketh Yoga Chickie.

And so it was done.

Five years ago tomorrow, I was wheeled into surgery with all of my parts intact and then wheeled out of surgery some six hours later with little bags of salt water where my boobies used to be.

Don't feel all bad about it. Don't feel sorry for me. Don't excuse my sometimes bad behavior because of it, not that you do. It just is something I had to do, something I always knew I would be willing to do if the circumstances arose that gave rise to the choice.

Such circumstances arose on August 3, 2002, when la dee da, I was showering in the luxurious master bathroom of the charming Victorian house not far from the beach in Westport, which the husband and I had rented for the second half of that summer, and my soapy left hand stopped cold on a thickened area deep under the skin of my right breast. At that moment, it was as if a door in my mind had opened, and I was peering in at a dream I had had the night before, a dream which I had completely forgotten until that very moment. In the dream, I found a lump in my breast. And then another. And then another. That day in the shower, I found only the one lump. But every doctor whom I met with after that felt the second one. The third lump was detected only upon a full dissection of the breast by a pathologist in a cold, brightly lit lab. It was two and a half centimeters. And yet it somehow managed to hide from view and from palpability. They called it "occult".

I have never been one to wait on any health worry. Found a freckle I had never seen befoe? Call the dermatologist and get seen that day. A little breakthrough bleeding? Go to the gyno and get a pap. But this time was different. I knew. I just knew. I knew that a trip to the doctor would not alleviate my worries. This time, I knew that a visit to the doctor would be the beginning of a long and terrible journey, one with which I just could not get myself on board just yet. I still had a couple of weeks left of my wonderful summer. I had friends to entertain. I had towns along the shoreline to explore on my bike. For the first time in my adult life, I decided to put the health worry on the back burner, if just for a couple of weeks.

The day I got back to the city, I was on my doctor's doorstep. She laughed at me. I wasn't sure why then, but now I think it is because she knew too. And it upset her. And so she laughed. I don't forgive her for it. But I understand it. I took her referall to a radiologist, and then I never saw her again. The first radiologist I met with was stern. She found two lumps and had no comment to make as to what they looked like to her. Looking back, and knowing what I know about the way cancer appears on scans, versus the way benign masses look, I guess this meant that she knew that they looked bad and she did not have the people skills to talk candidly with me. Instead, she called me in to meet with a different radiologist a day or two later for another ultrasound and a fine needle aspiration.

The second radiologist was kind. He knew what he was dealing with, but he hoped it would turn out otherwise. When he came in with the results of the FNA (the results are almost instantaneous - a smear of tissue on a piece of glass, a quick look at it under the microscope, done), he looked stricken. The word he used was "suspicious".

"Does that mean it's cancer?" I asked, not knowing where the words were coming from.

"Yes," he answered.

I cried. My mother was with me, and she cried. We were told that a lot more tests had to be run on my tissue before we would know how to proceed, but in the meantime, here was a list of breast surgeons that they recommended. Mom and I went to a nearby diner on the Upper West Side, ate pancakes that tasted like sawdust and went down the list of surgeons.

The fact that all of their offices treated me like a celebrity in front of a velvet rope did nothing to ease my anxiety. I would rather have been given the cold shoulder. Instead, I was told that special spots were reserved on the schedule for patients like me, and when did I think I could get the biopsy results to their office?

I saw a breast surgeon that very afternoon, but only because my sister had a connection. He was her colleague (she is a hospital administrator), and he did not want to believe that I had cancer. He insisted on having his favorite pathologist read the results of my biopsy, and until then, he instructed me not to assume the worst.

Nevertheless, when he called me a day later, catching me in the croissant shop around the corner from my apartment, his first words after, "Lauren, are you somewhere where we can talk?" were, "Well, it's what I was afraid of." None of it is the kind of stuff you want to hear from any doctor calling you from Fire Island on the Friday before Labor Day. This doctor had compassion and a wonderful reputation, but for my surgery, I chose a doctor at a hospital with which I was most comfortable: Columbia Presbyterian.

All of the cancers in my family have been decimated at good ole Columbia. Of course, at the time, there was only my dad's first cancer (prostate) and now, mine. The husband's testicular cancer and my dad's second cancer (non-smoker's lung cancer) came later. I have the rather dubious distinction of being the first member of my family to have chemo. But I was the second to have radiation. The husband beat me to that punch by a few months.

So, where was I?

Oh yeah. So, yada yada yada, I had a double mastectomy five years ago tomorrow. Compared to the chemo, the chemo-induced and surgery-enhanced menopause, the Herceptin (life saving drug, but man, those side effects really suck), the surgery was a walk in the park, or more aptly, a stay at a spa. I had a room for a week in the VIP wing of Columbia, down the hall from Sunny von Bulow, or where she used to be. There was afternoon tea each day, and carpeted walkways on which to stroll for exercise and to see the panoramic views of the Hudson River. Yeah, it cost a pretty penny. But for all we knew, well, let's not go there, alright? I was lucky to be able to afford to heal in style; let's just leave it at that.

I was visited by friends, given candy and trophies (for bravery, of course!) and books and Diet Peach Snapple. I was visited by Rabbi Lincoln from Park Avenue Synagogue, a high honor, that. I played on my computer, and I stretched my arms, which I had been doing since I woke up from the anesthesia, much to the chagrin on my plastic surgeon. He wanted me to have range of motion, but he didn't mean for me to get it back that day.

Anyway, I don't think I ever allowed myself to think about what might happen if the surgery was not a success. I just kept on. As I slogged through the months of chemo, I don't think I ever allowed myself to think about all of the awful possibilities, such as the disease reappearing DURING chemo, or right after chemo, or a year after chemo, and so on, until one year turned into two, which turned into three, etc. There were moments, when I heard something terrible about someone else, a woman whose surgery was never really successful because the cancer was too close to her chest wall, and the surgeon could never get adequate margins (she passed away within a year of diagnosis), or a woman whose cancer spread to her lung and bones while she was still on chemo (she also passed away within a year of diagnosis). These stories took my beath away. I felt the fear course through my body until it felt as if my teeth were trembling. But I tended to push the thoughts away as soon as the initial shock wore off. And so time went on, and that's how I got here, to this day, without ever really internalizing that I might not have made it to here, to this day, and likewise, without ever really internalizing that there was no other option EXCEPT to make it to here, to this day.

And so it is that I am here and full of gratitude and awe because the truth is, I don't know why it is. I am just really really happy that it is as it is.

YC yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

It is hard being a yoga teacher. A fellow yoga teacher back in New York (you know who you are) said "being a professional is doing something even when you don't feel like doing it". Post-practice, walking up the road toward my front gate, my body pulsating, feeling each bone and muscle in my legs working together to place each foot, avoiding the mud, sensing the effort of my core muscles to keep myself standing, the dull ache in my shoulders, I thought about what it means to practice.

In many ways, we feel like we had a "good" practice when we felt good. The poses came easily, we accomplished something we have been working on, or the practice looked good. On days when we are distracted, bored, forget poses, stiff, tight, tired, etc., we say our practice was "hard" or "bad". In most of the activities in life that we use the word "practice", there is an insinuation that we will be doing this to prepare for something. For instance, in dance, we practice for a recital or performance. In sports, we practice in order to play well at a game. On a foreign language exam, we have to practice and study in order to retain the information.

In most of these activities, there is a difference between the preparation for an act and the act itself. For instance, if you saw a ballerina doing warm ups, she probably wouldn't tell you she was dancing (even if it looked like it), instead she was doing warm-ups to prepare for the dance. In this way, the act, performance, or fruition of the practice appears to demand a certain amount of mastery or perfection of a technique. In ashtanga yoga, one moves sequentially from one pose to the next. It is necessary to "master" one pose before the instructor teaches the student the next posture. However, the "mastered" poses are still being "practiced" by the student.

According to the Oxford Dictionary, "practice" is defined as "the actual application of a plan or method, as opposed to the theories relating to it. 2 the customary way of doing something. 5 the action or process of practising something so as to become proficient in it.

Sometimes when you play an instrument, you are just playing. It isn't practice or performance, is it?

In A Long Way to the Floor (which I finished and recommend to everyone, it is very sweet), David talks about how he went to a workshop where the instructor commented on how the students were "showing" him their practice instead of "doing" their practice.

Sometimes when I put my mat down to practice, if I am completely honest with myself, I am showing my practice to my teacher, another student, someone watching, or to myself. When Sharath was in the room, many times I had this feeling. He is watching. Everyone had this feeling. We don't always get obsessed with it, but sometimes we do. Like when we notice he is watching us in our last pose and think, "maybe he will give me another one today." Conversely, we might be wondering, "Is my teacher watching me? Because I am not advancing, and they don't seem to know that I usually can grab my ankles in back bending..." Since, Saraswati has been the main teacher, the vibe has changed. First of all, the students who are here right now are different than those who came while Sharath was teaching. They are a bit more laid back. There are less students, so there is no longer the 4:30 queue for the 5 am class. Sharath isn't here to give us poses, so we know where we are now, is where we are going to be until he returns. And for some reason, everyone seems to feel very relaxed with Saraswati, like they can undo their top button.

Example: During the first class that she led, on the third back bend, she said, "walk inside your hands!" Which means, "walk your hands closer to your feet." We all know what that means. We all walk when Sharath or Guruji says it. But she said it a few times and then, "No one is walking their hands!" The entire room burst into laughter.

When you have absolutely no reason to go to practice except to practice, it is very very hard to practice. Strange right? I would have thought that the absence of thoughts, of pressure, would make my practice soft, beautiful, easy, I don't know. But that isn't really what it is about. It is about getting everything very quiet, and then looking around inside to see what you find. It is not easy at all, and actually, no one said it would be. In practice today, I thought about how ridiculous it was that I was awake at this hour, I thought about how my shoulders ached from Saraswati's slow chaturangas, I thought about how I was thinking and how I wished it would stop. Was it a "bad" practice? No. You can be doing all the technical aspects of the physical side of ashtanga yoga and still feel unsettled. Perhaps what we are really doing is exploring and investigating our selves physically, mentally, and spiritually.

*I'd love to get in on the labeling of things as "good" and "bad" and the mind and all that. Let's save that for another post. But for now, let's say that my practice this morning was "good" because I did practice. At the same time, I shouldn't be attached to this label and really the fact is that I practice. End of story. No judgements, right John?

This morning I had a very interesting "expedition". We began by practicing this sequence of asanas or postures called the primary series of ashtanga yoga. These acted as a catalyst that propelled my "self' into an internal journey. I explored the outskirts of an enormous cave. There were many jokesters and clowns and sad little demons blocking the entrance. They held out their hands and begged me for attention. "My shoulder hurts!" Cried one. "I am tired!" called another. I was distracted for a while by the jesters. I felt obligated to help them. How could I not? They were so pitiful looking and I have a lot of compassion, perhaps sometimes a little to much. For a moment, I looked up and saw that the jesters were busy fighting over the attention I gave them. The path to the cave was clear. The jesters sensed my distraction and followed my gaze to the entrance of the cave. We looked back at each other, we knew each other's thoughts. And we ran. I ran for the cave, dodging the leaping clowns as they tried desperately to grab at my clothes and my feet. The entrance got closer and closer, just a few more steps to go, I was almost there...

"Nava, inhale head up. Samastitih!"

"Yoga is 99% practice and 1% theory" --Pattabhi Jois (Guruji)

yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

From the AYS website:

Starting September 17th, Guy's 8:45 am Mysore class will move to:

Centerpoint Studios, 324 Lafayette
(7th Floor) at Houston St.

In addition to the 8:45 class, there will now be a new 9:30 am class at this location. Practice finishes at 11 am.

-------------------

A new 10:30 am class taught by Lori and Tanja will start at our existing East Village location (8th Street and Avenue B). These classes will run Monday - Friday

-------------------

Christina will teach an 8:45 am Mysore class on Sunday, but these will not start until Sept 30.

Until then, there will be open practice on Sundays at 8:45 am.

--------------------
Evening Mysore classes will remain the same

YAY!

YC yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

Nap Quesada of ProFit Consultants sent me an email announcing this new fitness conference in no other than Boracay!
Register early! Only 50 camp participants can be accommodated. yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

Chamundi Hill

One of the things to do in Mysore is to climb Chamundi Hill in the countryside. 1000 steps to the top of a mountain and at the 1062 m summit- a temple. There is a 7 story gateway tower at the bottom of the steps and a lady in a candy stand with a baby monkey on her shoulder, sucking its thumb.

I arrive after taking a rickshaw by myself. I ask the driver if it is safe to climb alone...he assures me it is. I ask him to wait 10 minutes for me to scope out the action. There are no white people, only local men sitting and hanging on the steps. I am hesitant to go alone. I see a white, German tourist with a backpack descend and I ask her if she speaks English...yes...and how it is on the trail. She says a little lonely as no one is up there. Even scarier for me! I start climbing and feel breathless and panicky, as I see the bushes of the mountside wrapping around the rock stairs. More Indian men loiter and stare. I think of the motto "Do one thing a day that scares you" but I am still unnerved. I keep climbing. Its hot and noon. I decide today is not the day and turn around back to catch my waiting rickshaw. Monkeys crawl over the house and fence at base. Get in rickshaw and go to Mysore Temple.

Later that night Yashoda gives me crap for going to Chamundi alone. Apparently there were cheetah sightings...

ONLNE:
"Cheetah warning in Mysore (Chamundi Hill)

The locals in Mysore are strongly advising that people do not walk from Mysore to Chamundi Hill as suggested in the latest edition of the Lonely Planet. In the last few years the cheetah population on the hill has gone from 0 to about 20 and there have been over a dozen attacks on people in the last year alone. Check the newspapers as the attacks have been reported there. No one has died but several people have been seriously injured, including a few foreigners (no details, sorry - I tried to find and talk with someone who was attacked but I ran out of time). Take the bus (3 -/ Rs) or an autorickshaw or whatever, just don't walk.
The government has started actively capturing the cheetahs and relocating them to Bandipur National Park but it will take up to a year before the last cheetah is gone.
I noticed how unusually quiet the roads were going up the hill (I was on a motorbike); many locals used to walk up the road but no longer due to the attacks.
Apparently the cheetahs had easy prey with the farmer's livestock at the base of the hill, that is until the farmers started protecting their animals and the cheetahs (now over-populated and quite hungry) have turned to people. Be warned.
(Incidentally, I found this out by accident, I had been planning to walk to Chamundi Hill the following day.) Happy travels otherwise.

I invite Elise from NY , my roomie, to join me another day to climb so it is safer. We take a rickshaw there and lo and behold...apparently, Friday is holy day and the hill is mobbed with locals celebrating their religion. They bend over and dot each step with a dot of red powder and a dot of saffron.

They carry them in little baggies and climb each stair bent over. We ascend the stairs together and are harassed by brown teenage boys laughing and chiding us. Indian women want to take their picture with us. People stare at Elise wondering if she is Indian or a Bollywood star. We stopped at the man who lives in the cave halfway up and he handed out sugar. 2/3rds of the way up a solid rock statue of Nandi- Shiva's giant bull, carved in 1659.

people offer food and flowers to the priest. People drape it with flowers. We each got a red dot on our forehead. At the top, there is a massive line of people, thousands long to get into the temple. Policemen are on horses controlling the crowd. We overlook the city and sit on the edge of a stone ledge.

We descend the hill and my legs are shaky. At the bottom, I see a woman spinning with her hands in prayer. So I make a wish, pray my hands and spin 3 times, not knowing what it means. An Indian man laughs and says: "Good prayer!"

To make your life count, do the things that count.

My girlfriend Carrie died of breast cancer 2 years ago. At her funnyeral they played "Live like you were dying" by Tim McGraw. She has been my inspiration in life. Knowing not to waste time and to seize the moment. Carpe Diem.

"In 1902, as he lay dying at the age of 48, Cecil Rhodes could look back on a not undistinguished career. He had made a vast fortune in gold and diamonds. He had built railroads through the wilderness and become one of the century's great rulers. He had created an empire, which is more than your average 48-year-old has on his rsum. But Rhodes was not going gentle into any good night. On his deathbed he was heard muttering, "So little done, so much to do."
~(Forbes magazine 10 things to do before you die)

The following is taken from the list of:
John Tierney, 09.18.00 (I erased meaningless ones to me and added 'done' to those I've done!) Feel free to copy or add your own!!!! Damian and I made a list of 100 things to do a few years ago...I just can't find where I put it! So here is a new start...it may end up being a 1000!!!!

1. Go skydiving.

2. Go backpacking in Europe.

3. Go to the top of the Eiffel Tower.

4. Eat cheese in Paris.

5. Tour the Louvre.

6. See the Mona Lisa.

7. See Africa.

8. Visit China

9. Make a pilgrimage. The destination might be a traditional one such as Jerusalem or Rome or Mecca. It might be a site of prehistoric rituals, like Stonehenge or Machu Picchu. For nature-worshippers it could be an African savanna or Amazonian rain forest; for music-lovers it could be La Scala or Bayreuth. The goal is a cathedral you hold sacred, a place where you can feel part of something larger. The reward is a moment, whether it's hearing the "Gloria" at St. Peter's or watching a gazelle take its first step, that you won't need a video camera to capture. (Forbes)

10. Climb the Himalayas

11. See the remains of the Berlin Wall.

12. Learn to surf well enough to surf. (Half done)

13. Memorize a poem and pass it on.

14. Read a poem at a poetry reading.

15. Self-publish a book of poetry.

16. Let someone else have the chance you missed. Maybe it will be one of the things on this list, like a trip you always meant to take but which eventually becomes impossible. With age come limitations. But with age also come wisdom and money. When it's too late for you, give someone younger what you always wanted. (Forbes)

17. Go to Tibet.

18. Plant a tree.

19. Learn to ballroom dance properly.

20. Learn how to salsa.

22. Live and work in LA

23. Teach someone to read.

24. Learn Chinese

25. Do 3 series of Ashtanga yoga

26. Go bungee jumping.

27. Learn to play the stock market.

28. Get a black belt in Kung fu

29. Learn jujitsu.

30. Go on a Vision Quest.

31. Send an inspiring message in a bottle.

32.

33. Start a Pay It Forward movement.

34. Create passive income.

35. Get a scuba diving license.

36. Publish a novel.

37. Save a life.

38. Write a personal mission statement, follow it, and revise it from time to time.

39.

40. Run a marathon. (Done)

41.

42. Participate in a protest.

43. See a lunar eclipse.

44. Give a large anonymous donation to the charity of your choice.

45. Rent out a penthouse suite and throw a party.

46. Fly first class. (Done)

47. Save a life.

48. Take a trip in a hot air balloon.

49. Learn to fly a plane.

50. Learn to hang-glide.

51.

52. Give $1000 to a stranger in need.

53. Start a real estate investment business.

54. Experience weightlessness.

55. Learn to ride a horse (done)

56. Go see Stonehenge.

57. Bungee jump from a helicopter. (Yes, you can really do this, but you have to do your homework to find a company that offers it. If you have about $10,000 to spend and think you have what it takes, these guys will let you heli-jump into the mouth of a volcano!)

58.

59. Watch the launch of a space shuttle.

60. Spend three months to a year living in Hawaii.

61. Travel around the world for six months to a year.

62. Ride a camel. (Done)

63. See gorillas in the wild.

64. Look for sunken treasure ships.

65.

66.

67. Ride the Trans-Siberian Express across Asia.

68. Go on a cruise.

69.

70. Spend St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland.

71. Spend New Year’s Eve at New York Times Square.

72.

73.

74. Go wild in Rio during Carnival.

75. Drive the Autobahn.

76. Spend Christmas on the beach drinking mai-tais. (Done)

77. Raft through the Grand Canyon

78. Scuba dive off Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.

79. See the aurora borealis. (Done)

80. Kiss the Blarney Stone.

81. Go deep sea fishing in the middle of the ocean.

82. Visit a concentration camp.

83. Run to the top of the Statue of Liberty.

84. Go to Mardis Gras.

85.

86.

87. Do volunteer work in a third world country. (Done)

88. Walk the Great Wall of China.

89. See all 7 Wonders of the World.

90. See Niagara Falls.

100. Spend a night north of the Arctic Circle during summer solstice in a hot tub, watching the sun circle above the horizon, proving once and for all to myself that the world is round.

101. Para-glide off the Baba Dag in Southern Turkey.

102. Climb a palm tree and pick a coconut.

103. See the Tour de France in person.

104. Sleep in an igloo.

105. See a polar bear in the wild before they go extinct.

106. Go to Burning man.

107.

108. Visit a Buddhist monastery. (Done)

109.

110. Build/design a house. (Done)

111. Swim with dolphins. (Done)

112. Become fluent in another language and use it. (D0ne)

113. Tour the Galapagos Islands.

114. Write your life story.

yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

Yesterday, I looked at my day planner (imagine), and realized that I have just 25 days left here in Mysore (including today). It is hard for me to imagine coming here for just a month. When I think back at my time here and where I am at now, I feel like it is just not enough time to soak up all of this. Even now I feel like it could all still just be beginning.

I made a list of all things I wanted to do and see before I left. Without this, it could be fairly easy for me to wake up tomorrow and realize its time to go to the airport. I'd like to float somewhere in between.

Despite the happy send-off of a particularly sound night's sleep, practice was completely ridiculous. I was all over the place. It was great. I kept thinking and telling myself not to think, fidgeting, farting (I'm so sorry Petra). It was such a mess. I wore a new pair of pants that kept slipping down my backside. I tried to put my hair in pigtails. It was okay in front of the mirror, but in class, it was a whole other game. (You're probably thinking "who could mess up pigtails?" but that is another story). My rug was sliding around and crumpling up. And it was taking forEVER. I kept thinking "how long is this going to take? Am I going slower than usual?" I was getting antsy. Then, i realized that I was waiting for something--back bends.

No breakthroughs, funnyny stories, or insights.

"Right side good. You do left side wrong." Saraswati really felt it today and so did I. She let me go for it a second time, but it was the same story. Hovering in the half back bend, my right hand catches really high TECK (that's the sound of grabbing). Then my left hand pathetically writhes in the air. Saraswati grabs it and pulls. I move both hands down to my ankles and readjust my feet so they are parallel. Then she moves my right hand into that n

otch behind my knee. The left hand next-- "UNNNGGHHHH". Breathe breathe breathe breathe don't panic, relax breathe and inhale stand hello Saraswati smile smile sit fold and squish "aaaaahhhhh"...

Then off to the dressing room to get eaten by mosquitoes and do finishing postures.

You might remember my first class in July. My struggle with headstand and uthplutih? (Picture on right of students in uthplutih at Guruji's 2002 San Francisco tour. You might not be able to tell, but they are balancing on their hands with their knees and seats are off the floor.) Well, I am amazed at the "progress". Headstand has actually become a calming place to look forward to. My arms are still burning, of course, but I can do it for much longer than before. And then there is uthplutih. always a challenge, but I am facing it. 22 breaths every day. Like my teacher once said, "I look up to my third eye, think about God, and the kundalini is like woooosh." She stays there fo

r 40 very slow breaths. I think about a meat hook pulling up my pelvis. I think about breathing from my pelvic floor. I think about how there is no reason to come down and that the sensations I feel aren't really negative. I look up to my third eye and to the ceiling and imagine shooting up, up. Today was really hard, but when I came down, my head was swarming with heat and I was felt amazing.

I picked up this book at Tina's today called It's a long way to the floor by David Byck. I don't remember where I heard about it, but recently it was recommended to me. I thought with all this attention I'm paying to the experience of being here, it would be a really interesting to see what he experienced and maybe compare notes.

Other updates:

I've got 25 items on my "to do before I die list". This has been incredibly therapeutic. With it, I feel encouraged to be honest with myself about what I really want in life and the things that I am afraid to try for. I feel now that my path is very clear, and that in many ways, I've always been on it.

Last week, Petra and I pulled out the "Angel Cards", which are similar to tarot cards, but much more soft, sweet, and feminine. (Petra says I need to embrace my feminine side, so this is a step on that direction. So is talking about my feelings and practicing with Saraswati and with the influx of female students at the shala. Shakti power!)

I was very skeptical about the cards, but they were dead on and very comforting. I asked what my life purpose was. The cards told me that it was time to heal worry and fear, to relax and feel safe. They said I was currently learning how to be peaceful and have tranquility in life. Right now is the time to gather information and concentrate on being a student, and that by staying on this path, my life's purpose will be revealed. Wow.

It is not really the same as having someone read your cards in front of you, but, you can get your cards read online for free by clicking here.

Tomorrow there is no practice because there is a festival, I don't remember who it is for. We also have Saturday off, and its back to led on Sunday. I'm off to pay Shala fees today, and there is talk of some craziness tonight, but it could be a good night for more L Word and Grey's Anatomy. Yes, I have succumbed.

yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

Practice was so sweet today. My intention was to practice as if I were making sweet yoga love to myself, and it was great. In every pose, in every movement, in every breath and drishti I asked myself, "am I being a good lover? What else can I do to make myself really enjoy this?" And so, being as attentive as possible, I took my time and paid attention to all the details. There was no rush, just me, myself, and I. I had come to this breakthrough as I moved through standing postures. My drishti caught the view of some guy's sweat-covered, hairy white leg and I thought, "why am I letting that (imagine a close up of the wet hairy leg) into my experience?" So I mamde the commitment to try to not just take the practice inward (which is what I already do), but to try to make it a gift for myself. It changed everything.

Backbending was playful today. I did three half wheels, three full wheels, three 1/2 way drop backs, 3 drop backs, and then I waited for Saraawati. There were quite a few other people waiting, and so I thought, "why not do some more? this is supposed to be funny, right?" So I kept doing drop backs and halfways until she made her way to me. By the time we did drop backs together, I felt like I was able to step back from the original shock and sensation of the first back bends. I was able to quietly observe what was happening. I could feel all the tightness running up the left side of my body.

half wheel

full wheel

drop backs

ankle grabbing

Last night I had decided that I was going to Kumar to work out whatever was stuck inside me. But then, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that what I was really looking for was permission to explore whatever it is that is in there. I didn't have my own transomatic therapy session last night, but I did realize that I need to create the space and time to do it sometime soon.

I am going to have an exorcism.

I'm not sure what to do, but I was thinking low lights, candles, something to set the mmood. Then maybe force myself to start crying. I might keep a notebook to draw or write, but I think I also need to give myself permission to speak, if need be. (The poor demon has got to go somewhere). Then maybe I'll start with thinking back before I was born, when my parents first met, and just cry about it. And then think slowly about my existence from there, again cryiong about it. I'd like to think of it as an deep emotional massage.

I did something like this unintentionally a few years ago. After High School, I travelled in Europe for a while by myself. One night in a hostel I just started to cry. I was thinking about how all the people around me were the age that my parents were when they got married and had me. And I realized that they were and are just people like me. I took out my notebook and wrote a letter to my dad telling him all thhe things I was mad at him for over the years, but also that I forgave him as a person because althoughh I could never condone his actions, I could have compassion for another human being. For me, that was enough to finally have peace and be able to cultivate a relationship without anger or hate. (My parents had a nasty divorce when I was young and my relationship wioth my father was not funny.)

I can remember now how incredible it felt to lift that weight off me. I wonder what I can dig up now...I might just go to Kummar. We'll see.

Rachel and I were talking about drop backs as an eploration of our inner selves (sometimes I have moments of deep insight and clarity...cometimes.) Dropping back tends to be a little easier for people. Its about being able to go backwards, to look back and face your life's path thus far. ITs about seeing where youa re and facing how you got there. Staning up is really hard. It comes and goes. Standing up is about confidence and letting go. Its about moving forward from where you are. Its a leap. As we rab our ankles, we close the circuit, creating a circle. We hover in that state of both backwards and forwrds without clinging to either. (At first, we find it difficult to straighten our legs, so we are still a bit stuck in the going back part.) Then come the tick tocks, where we are able to play and dance with that cosmic cycle.

I'm working out the kinks on the left side of my body. Sometimes we are able to hide things inside, but eventually we hit a pose that exposes them, and this is it. Today I saw the little demon, and I said, "you're coming out!"

And really, there is an uncanny resemblence between all those backbends you saw above and the lady in this video. (You have to watch this! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uibyXiMhU8

"The power of christ compels you!"

*Disclaimer: there is something wrong with my blogger program right now, so I know there are a bunch of typos and formatting issues, sorry! yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

This is a fun transition that essentially combines the techniques and skills developed in the Gorilla Jump and Lolasana.
In this video, I start in a basic Downward-Facing Dog Position. Then, I bend the knees, making sure to take the hips low and almost touching the knees to the mat. I do this to get a [...] yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

Every year, parents spend millions of dollars on back-to-school supplies. This year, be sure to shop green. Remember that many thrift stores carry school supplies that will cost you a fraction of retail prices.
Avoid excess packaging. A large percentage of solid waste stream is the result of unnecessary packaging. When given a choice, choose the [...] yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

Two-inch thick ugly, plasticky 1×1 1/2 foot foam pads. I have no idea what they’re normally supposed to be used for, but they’re amazing. Take a stack of them (I like to start with 4) and stack them on the floor up next to a wall. Stand facing away from the wall [...] yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

A good friend, a good mother and wife, staunchly protective of her family especially her sons, active in school, always willing to lend a helping hand…..
But the other day, I was enroute to work when a text message came in. Lucy had passed away in her sleep. Just like that. No forewarning, no illness. [...] yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

In Janu Sirsasana and many other Yoga Forward Bend Poses, we explore the expansion of the hamstring muscles. The resistance of the hamstrings against the sit bones (ischial tuberosities) limits the motion of the pelvis structure in relation to the thigh bone, thus reducing the amount of forward bending motion we can generate at yoga, Yoga Poses, Health and Wellness...

Pardon me if I insert these 2 plugs related to parenting but they are TIMELY and FREE.
INVITATION TO A
PARENT DEVELOPMENT SEMINAR :
What is God’s purpose for my family?
How do we create a Family Mission Statement?
How do we experience family unity?
How do I create a pastoral plan so we can achieve our goals as [...] yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

The Yoga Studio is Toronto's leading yoga studio and has been in operation since 1995 and has two locations as well as six yoga studios that are staffed with well trained and experienced teachers who impart teaching in programs of drop-in as well as workshops and private sessions. The Yoga Studio has a mission to provide instruction, information as well products that support the wellness of the student and teaches the many modern forms of yoga.

The student is encouraged to try out yoga exercises in group classes, semi-private classes, privates as well as corporate session in the studio or at home or in the office or even in a gym. This yoga studio has innovated and has led in personal growth centers that offer a diverse range of programs that are taught in safe and welcoming environment where competition is not the main focal point of teaching.

Hatha Yoga

At The Yoga Studio, Toronto one may discover the finest traditions of Hatha Yoga which is the foundation of all yoga. It would help improve the flexibility, strength as well as peace of mind of the student and is a six week course that provides a safe introduction to the practice and is a complete introduction to the classic postures as well as techniques for breathing properly. The Yoga Studio has small classes that help the student to expand their knowledge every week and also provides more personalized attention to help as well as answer any questions.

Ashtanga Yoga

Another yoga practice taught here at The Yoga Studio is ashtanga yoga which a flowing series of postures, synchronized movement that is complemented with proper breathing and generates heat all the way through the body as well as strengthens and makes the student more flexible as well as improves stamina. For pregnant women there is the pre natal yoga which is a good way of helping to stay focused on the pregnancy and giving the woman as well as her baby the time and attention that is necessary. This form of yoga requires that there is gentle stretching and strengthening and also breathing techniques that help to eliminate many of the usual discomforts of pregnancy, such as backaches and ankle swellings.

Yin Yoga

Another form of yoga taught at The Yoga Studio is yin yoga that focuses on stretching in a slow manner in the joints and the focus is on the hips, shoulders, pelvis and lower spine and the posture is held for two to five minutes which is the amount of time required to safely stretch the connective tissue.

yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

My daughter C1 posted this meme on her blog and curious me, I decided to take a peek to see what was HER type of guy. Well, as I scrolled down the page, it got me thinking of who was MY type of guy. I mean, hubby should be it, right? But just out of [...] yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

Sunday, September 30, 2007

Saturday, September 29, 2007

Friday, September 28, 2007

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Saturday, September 22, 2007

Friday, September 21, 2007

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Monday, September 17, 2007

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Friday, September 14, 2007

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Monday, September 10, 2007

Saturday, September 8, 2007

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Sunday, September 2, 2007

Saturday, September 1, 2007

Subscribe

Blog Archive

Labels

About Me

yoga counter

links