Big News!

Wow, I can hardly believe it. I got into the UW School of Nursing’s graduate entry program in advanced practice nursing! In 4 and a half months, I’ll be starting an accelerated RN program and after that it’s directly onto graduate studies to become a Doctor in Nursing Practice specializing in pediatrics. Whee, [...] yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

Yoga Banned in Indonesia!

Muslims in (at least) three countries now, including Indonesia, are officially banned from doing yoga. (The “fatwa”, or religious decree, applies only to the overtly Hindu aspects of yoga, such as chanting, so people pursuing yoga for health or sport are free to continue to do so.) These recent bans raise some interesting questions for [...] yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

Mini-Practice

If you’ve been reading this blog at all over the last few months, you can tell I’ve been struggling to keep my home yoga practice alive while being temporarily teacherless in addition to over-scheduled in other areas of my life. So recently, in the midst of feeling overwhelmed with life, skimping on my [...] yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

Ushering in the Year of the Ox at Home

Just a few pictures to show you the small decor at home to celebrate the Year of the Ox.
KIONG HEE HUAT CHAI! GONG XI FA CAI! KUNG HEI FAT CHOY!
       yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

Exploding Snot!

Practice was blah today, but I had a really fantastic nose-blowing experience before practice, so I’ll share that instead. Please feel free to stop reading at this point.
So this morning before yoga, I felt inspired to do jala neti to clear out my nasal passages, which I do now and then if I feel a [...] yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

Out with Blackberry; In with BarackBerry???

I guess if there is one thing that put the fear in Barack Obama, it was the very real threat of having to give up the use of his Blackberry, something he never let out of his sight. Pres. Obama is a self-confessed Blackberry lover! Time and again during his campaign, he made mention about [...] yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

President Obama did NOT flub the Oath of Office...

I am getting kind of bugged out by the number of people that seem to think that Obama messed up when it was Justice Roberts who made it SEEM that way. I can't presume to understand Roberts' motives, but believing as I do that there is really no such thing as an "accident", I have to wonder: was Roberts' rushing through the 35 words - making it difficult for Obama to know when he was supposed to jump in, for example, at his own NAME - and mangling the order of those words, really, a reflection on his distaste for the newly elected Democrat?

I'm just saying.

YC yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

It’s Tikoy Time — Kiong Hee Huat Chai!

January 26 ushers in the Chinese New Year — the year of the Earth Ox!
Here in the Philippines, we celebrate it just as, or more noisily, than the Western New Year. Binondo, most especially, will be the center of fireworks and firecrackers, lion dances, family dinners and the ever-present tikoy.
Tikoy is made of glutinous rice [...] yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

My Obama Blog Posts Make it to Worldfocus

To tell you the truth, I have not heard of Worldfocus until last night.
A backlink on my blog alerted me that people were visiting my blog from that site. And the reason for the backlinks on my blog? Well, I was delighted to find out that my two (2) posts — the first covering the [...] yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

4 Miles

In 45 minutes, ALL hills. Not just rolling hills like in Central Park. Damn, I miss Central Park at times like this. On the other hand, I HATED running TO Central Park only to have to run IN Central Park.

No yoga today - that would be insane, and I am trying to stay on the right side of that whole insanity thing. Probably won't do anything but stretch because that is not insane.

Then tomorrow, jury's out over whether it will be Hot Vinyasa at the place in Cross River or my own practice at home.

As for bygones, I did my my entire practice in full yesterday, without any stops for R&D. I didn't have a great Kapo, but damn, did I have an awesome Supta K - the husband gave me an AWESOME assist. I told him to pull my arms UP, as if he were trying to lift me up by them. I wish I could get that assist every day.

The day before, Primary. The day before, ran.

The day before, practiced up to Kapotasana.

The day before, personal moon day, also known as my body saying, "PLEASE!! GIVE ME SOME REST!"

Thinking about it, I should probably do the Hot Vinyasa tomorrow, then my full practice at Val's on Thursday. Friday, I don't know. I'm losing track of how many days a week I am getting to my various poses. I kind of care, but I kind of don't.

All I know is this, and I kept thinking it as I was sweating in my Hot Chilly's and my fleece today on the frigid back hills of Bedford between St. Mary's Church, which is only open once a month and only then in the summer, and Hopp Ground Road: this is only going to get better. And that goes for the yoga too. Whatever I am doing now, in 15 degrees, is only going to feel better come March...and the good will last all the way until at least October.

If it weren't for the antique houses with the shutters that can actually close, perched precariously close to the road (because when they were built, the road was made of dirt, and the primary mode of transportation was walking and horseback riding, so who needed a long and winding driveway? Who needed a driveway at all?) and the one-room schoolhouses and the signs that proclaim that this town was settled as early as 1673 (which is really big here in this country, not so much elsewhere, I know), and the many, many ponds and streams, and the freakish, unidentifiable gray furry beast feeding on someone's rhodedendron, the surrealistic quiet, and the amazingly dense darkness when the moon is new...I'd pack it up and move to someplace warm. This much I know.

YC yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

Mountain Pose

Skied up to a peak with an awesome view of Mt. Rainier this weekend! Yoga on the deck of High Hut: Minty fresh: What a nice mountain. Maybe one day i’ll climb it.
And finally, my ever-cheerful skiing partners (you wouldn’t guess from this pic that we’d just emerged from a rather grueling off-trail ordeal):        [...] yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

A Global Presidential Inauguration

Do you plan to watch Barack Obama get elected as the 44th President of the United States on January 20? I WILL!
There are so many firsts with Obama and so much has been said already about this charismatic President who defied race and age as his charisma touched people young and old, black and white [...] yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

Crowded Yoga Classes

My favorite yoga classes have been absolutely packed lately, probably because it’s the start of the year and people are feeling super motivated to go to yoga. Actually, crowded yoga classes are nothing unusual for January, and it’s something I’ve more or less come to expect at the beginning of every new year. Nonetheless, I [...] yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

Turn, turn, turn

If you haven't already given up on regular updates from me on my practice, or on anything else, for that matter, I think that I am stating the obvious when I say: I haven't been writing much here lately. And less and less as time goes on.

It makes sense really, when you consider the reason why I blogged in the first place, which was to record my progress in the practice of Ashtanga. When I began my Ashtanga practice, I had so much work to do. I had to get cardiovascularly fit enough to not be passing out by the time I got to Marichyasana C. I had to get my twists flexible enough to bind in Marichyasana C, and then D. I had to my hips and chest open enough to bind in Supta Kurmasana. There were hands to get to the floor in Prasarita Padotannasana C. There were reverse prayers to wiggle into in Purvatanasana. There was the still-not-quite-readily available Parivritta Parsvakonasana. There was jumping through. There was jumping back. There were backbends. There was breathing through the nose, even. It was a new lover, and there was so much to explore.

But the Primary Series, including backbends, contains the whole of yoga practice within it. Everything else is just, in my opinion at least, taking that practice and multiplying it exponentially. Pasasana is just a combination of Mari A and Mari C, or at the very least, a twist on steroids. Supta Kurmasana is the seed for all leg behind head poses. Backbends are backbends, whether on the feet or on the knees. Arm balances are just bandhas and balance.

So, I'm bored.

At least for te most part. I mean, working on my backbends still holds my interest, but frankly, over time I have discovered a truth that I wish I did not know: that I can do a backbend by warming up my backbend. There is no need for all of the stuff that comes before in the Ashtanga practice. I could lay on my bed with weights in my hand and then do a bunch of progressively more challenging backbends and work up to the same Kapotasana that I would be able to do if I went from Surya Namaskar A all the way through Primary and halfway through Second.

I didn't set out to "crack the code" and find the shortcuts. But I did anyway. I discovered the shortcuts, and now I feel jaded. I no longer feel the urgency to practice with any sort of intensity. Heat - tapas - escapes me. I find myself going to Hot Vinyasa classes in order to practice in the heat generated outside of myself. When I go to the CT Shala, I feel the love of the practice again, but I only go once a week, partly because it is just so ridiculous to travel for a half hour each way when my practice is waiting for me on my own mat, and partly because when I practice in front of a teacher, I can't use my "narrow hallway" and straps and other nifty R&D methods that I have been actually having funny discovering here in my very own house. (That must be obvious to anyone reading this blog, since the only thing I have blogged about in the past week is exactly THAT - my Kapotasana bag of tricks.)

I've been fighting this feeling for a while now, but I think I'm no longer in love with the yoga. I like it very much. I respect it. I want to be friends with it. But I can no longer see it exclusively. I'm not looking for the next great love of my life, but I think that the reality is that I will probably find it, and then there will be a period of great struggle, as I attempt to keep the yoga in my life, but I find myself helpless as I watch it drift away. I don't want that to happen. But I know myself. I've seen myself do this before. It's practically inevitable.

To wit: I used to run long distances. And by run, I mean "run". Not jogging. I once did an 18.6 mile race in 8:10 pace. I loved it. I was kind of good at it. I never thought I would stop. And then gradually, over time, I lost the love for it. And I quit. And I have since then heard myself say, "I can't even imagine running a mile now". Then there was the figure skating. And then the long distance biking. Then Bikram. Then Jivamukti. Oh, and going way back to pre-running, there was step aerobics. All of these activities were intense loves of mine. I couldn't imagine life without them, and then one day, my life existed fully without them.

I can only surmise, based on history, my history, my very very consistent history, that one day, maybe not too long from now, my Ashtanga practice will go the way of marathon running and Bikram yoga and step aerobics.

Yesterday, I ran four miles in 15 degree weather, on the hilly roads of my Bedford neighborhood. The husband thought I was crazy as I layered on the clothing that would insulate me from the ridiculous Canadian cold fron that has settled in here. But as my feet connected with the ground and bounced back up again, I felt pure joy. As I meandered past antique farm houses that usually I drive by too quickly to notice, I felt a pull. I wanted to go farther and farther. But I contained myself because I didn't want to wake up hobbled today.

Of course, I came home and did some yoga poses to stretch out my quads and hamstrings. But I want to add running (jogging) to the mix again. I've already done it twice this week. And I am looking forward to going again. I also want to keep up with the yoga.

Wouldn't it be a miracle, a real show of character evolution, if I could manage somehow to keep up BOTH, rather than having to choose one over the other?

YC yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

Kapo in the hall...now with belts!

If there were ever any doubt, I think it can now be safely said that I have no vanity (left). I'm wearing paint spattered yoga pants, my hair is looking particularly grizzled, my skin looks like I've spent all my life in Antarctica, and the light hits me just so....(just so that I look like death warmed over). Still, I wanted to post this because, wow, if you have a hallway in your house that is just wide enough to accomodate your shins, feet, hands and forearms, then you too can strap yourself into Kapotasana (or almost...because although my hands technically reach my feet in this video, my death grip on the belts interferes with my ability to actually lengthen my fingers to touch my toes).

Enjoy responsibly. (In other words, don't try this at home unless you are certain that your rotator cuffs can handle it.)

YC yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

Narrow hallway as prop:

The left side is my bad side, but this will give the general idea of how I am using a narrow hallway to encourage myself to bend smaller (although my armpits obviously need to stretch deeper, and my upper back could use some more curve as well. Still, progress is progress, even if it is slooooooooooooooow.

YC yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

Today's public service announcement...

courtesy of Obamicon.me. LOVE this new toy (the Obamicon cam, not the boobs!)

YC yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

Benjamin Button Quotes I Love

Today, two friends and I watched The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. No, it was not the fact that Brad Pitt was in the movie that got me there. It was because I knew this was another one of those movies filled with life lessons. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is about a man who is [...] yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

Beautiful Yoga Quotes - updated

This post originally came out in my yoga blog, The Yogini from Manila. But I felt that these also spoke strongly about how we deal with life so I am posting these here, with a few more additions. I hope some of these will touch you just as they touch me….. Yoga teaches us to cure what [...] yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

Strategize Your Meals for Effective Energy & Weight Management

Most people view nutrition and body weight management primarily from the point of quantity. How much am I eating? How does the caloric input balance with the caloric output? Having our focus solely on the ‘how much’ of eating grossly limits one’s capacity to effectively nourish the body without generating a positive [...] yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

Nip/Tuck Going Where No TV Show Has Gone Before....Male Breast Cancer, Mastectomy and Reconstruction

Wow. Wow. I don't know what to say other than that. I DVR'd Nip/Tuck and saw that the alpha-est of alpha males, the leadingest of leading men, the sexed-up thinly-veiled pansexual icon, Christian Troy has gotten diagnosed with breast cancer. Stage II, to boot. He had a mastectomy, and they showed it. Not sure why the nipple was spared, but alright, it's a start. He's going to have a DIEP-flap reconstruction, which means, I believe it is going to be pad of tissue taken from, most likely his belly, but possibly his buttocks or his back, and implanted where his breast tissue used to be.

Just don't let him die. Please.

YC yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

Power of Movement Yoga Event

My Yoga Online is proud to be supporting the Power of Movement Yoga Event. Be part of the worlds largest yoga challenge in support of arthritis research.
On Sunday, February 22, 2009, thousands of participants and volunteers will take part in Power of Movement - a yoga funnydraiser in locations across Canada. Register today to improve [...] yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

REMINDER.. What is Yoga. AND you can do it. Actual and Natural, Daily. Not obsessively

Hello everyOne. Have a peace full 2009. Do this for yourself and our suffering world. It will catch on. I like R.E.M. last album Accelerate… full of 2 minute songs like the early days of pop. First track is… Living Well is the best Defense.
I am so glad Michelle and Barack will be in the [...] yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

Project: 50Leaves

We are a bookworm family. My kids and I love to read — a lot! We have outgrown storage shelves in the house. Where to put the books we continue to buy is becoming a space problem in itself. So when C1 decided to launch her very own project called 50Leaves, it did not surprise [...] yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

Of Second Chances, Destiny and a Free Book on Life’s Meaning

“Nothing happens by chance” - from Kung Fu Panda
*****
Tomorrow, January 7, I celebrate a major event in my life — the anniversary of the night when I almost lost my life and gained another chance to live.
That life-changing, tumultuous event showed me a strength of character and spirit I did not think I had, transformed [...] yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

Yoga: Benefits Come with Consistency

Recognizing that yoga is a life-long practice, the benefits and changes achieved with yoga require patience, respectful observance, and consistency. Without these basic elements, one’s yoga practice often strays, losses focus, and lacks holistic results. This article discusses some of principles behind these basic elements and offers tips in creating a fulfilling yoga [...] yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

A New Year Thought on LIFE

Thanks to Nicely for sending this SMS to me.
This says all I want to do for 2009 onwards.
May you be blessed by these words as well:
What’s the meaning of LIFE?…
“Keeping cool”, said the ice.
“Driving Hard”, said the hammer.
“Being up-to-date”, said the calendar.
“Being sharp”, said the knife.
“Making light around you”, said the fire.
“Sticking to it”, said [...] yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

Are you a MANY-malist? Or a MINImalist?

The New Year is always the time to get rid of the old.
Just before the New Year, I looked around the room and saw eyesores here and there…unread books in stacks on the floor, newsclippings in envelopes that have not been sorted, Christmas gifts waiting to be put away, and basically things in places where [...] yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

Blessings in the New Year

Wishing everyone a happy new year today. Our commitment to bringing authentic yoga to the public mind continues in 2009- so that one day everyone everywhere understands yoga to be their direct intimacy with life which is a nurturing force. I pray for all of us (myself included!) that we have the courage to embrace [...] yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;