Practicing Yoga

Happy Sunday, Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T23:35:00.001-06:00

Happy New Year! Each new year always feels like a new abundance of potential... as though only NOW can I start this, that, or the other thing. I think it's a common thing for people to wait until the new year to start new projects. Every year I make out lists of goals for my upcoming year, and contemplate how to make them happen.

12 Goals for 2012:

1. Headstand + Kapalabhati Pranayama practice daily.
2. Visit my family in South Dakota, to, among other things, learn to drive a stick shift car.
3. Travel to Tuscany in the summer as the massage therapist/driver (skill acquired in #2) for Global Yoga Journeys.
4. Get happy about chaturanga and friends.
5. Organize "Room B" - my yoga room that has a layer of clutter around the periphery.
6. Call my sister at least once a month.
7. Ditto for my brother, mom, and dad.
8. Reduce and/or eliminate dairy in my diet. I seem to break out more when I consume dairy on a daily basis.
9. Travel to KC to take classes with the lovely Prana Flow ladies at Kansas Siddhi yoga at least once a month. It has dwindled a bit since YTT two years ago.
10. Continue to take risks in my teaching that teach me too.
11. Take time each day to savor being alive. Finding that sweetness helps me be a more effective teacher and human being.
12. Be authentic in the massage work that I do. Don't overstep my scope of practice.

So, there they are. The 12 goals that resonate with me the most on this first day of January. I'm sure I could make the list WAY longer if I tried! :)

I'm in a group on Facebook called WoYoPracMo, or World Yoga Practice Month. It's the tradition of having at least 15 minutes for practice each day in January. The thought being that if you have a 30 day habit of taking a small amount of time to practice, you will be more likely to continue after January. My practice seems to be cyclical with periods of intense practice and periods of not wanting to do much other than plan my classes. Practice can be asana, pranayama, meditation, or whatever movement speaks to you. So, here's my practice report for the day:

Practice this morning and evening was great. I had two abbreviated practices. This morning I did 5 Surya Namaskar A and 5 Surya Namaskar B, plus 10 mins meditation. This evening was KP (this is how I will be abbreviating Kapalabhati Pranayama each day, FYI) , headstand x 4 for varying lengths and leg variations, 10 min savasana.

I taught class this afternoon to 28 lovely yogis for the Community Class at alleyCat yoga here in Columbia. I think that might have been the largest class I've taught. We did some kapalabhati in that class as well and layered in with various standing poses to tap into our inner strength for setting intention for the new year. I love the energy in a large group. It's like we're this huge organism, breathing one breath. Watch out world! :)

Yoga Practice Vid #4 and 100th Blog Post!

2011-09-24T07:38:00.000-05:00

Practice video #4 is a hip opening yoga flow working toward Eka Pada Rajakapotasana and Hanumanasana. It's sped up to double speed in part because I couldn't figure out how to cut my video into two pieces for YouTube's 15 minute max length, but also I thought it would be interesting to see how smooth the flow would be at 2x speed. Then I made it sepia because it reminded me of an old timey movie.. So, Happy Hips here we go!Incidentally this is also my 100th blog post on this blog! Seems like only yesterday I set this blog up. So many more topics to cover!

Practice Video #3

2011-09-20T17:53:00.000-05:00

I filmed a few practice videos last night. Here is the fun flow to DJ Drez' Sitar Lights.

Transitions

2011-09-05T18:10:00.004-05:00

Well! The other half of my big news is now public to our students, so I can share here! October 1st AlleyCat Yoga is moving to a much larger location, about four blocks west of it's current location in the Tiger Hotel. AAAAAnd.. I'm moving my business inside the new location! Wow, I'm so excited. Two weekends ago the old walls and carpet were demolished, making way for newness. We picked out paint colors and discussed the upcoming semester's schedule. I'm sure carpet and walls and all that shit are being laid down and put up as I type this!!! I'm doing a Zumba Instructor training on Sunday the 11th in St. Louis and will be teaching Zumba at MU on Mondays in October as well.

It truly feels epic to be making this transition at this point in my life. I recently turned 32 and had the realization that I have been an employee for exactly half that time. Most of it unhappy and stuck. Or so I thought.

I was planning to be in Massachusetts (Kripalu, to be exact) for a yoga/massage training last week, but due to the huge hurricane Irene, my flight was cancelled. So, I still took three of the five days off as a mini-staycation, but those two days I did work were really hard! I was surprised at how hard! The closer I get to being free, the harder tolerating the cage becomes, I guess! I feel the urge to mention though, my coworkers are super sweet people. But, I want to fly. And I can't do it at MU. It's soooo abundantly clear that status quo is Status Quo. Anys..

So Friday I gave a massage to a fairly famous blogger. It's so weird for me to type that. I can't ethically reveal the identity of the person of course, but I mention it because the concept of celebrity is so interesting for me personally. In this day and age of personal branding and making one's business more and more location independent, I often think about attachments to concepts we have about other people and ourselves. Basically, who is this person I'm creating online? Is it me? Or an idealized version? How attached am I to the likeability of my online self? Can I be unattached to the fruits of the labor of my online persona and still get shit done? I have quite a few ideas for online projects I want to work on, and expect my time online to increase as I transition to my new way of working.

Float on.

Sunrise Yoga Days 20 - 21 and Big News!

2011-08-23T12:32:00.000-05:00

Day 20: Saturday morning! It's hard to believe the 21 days have flown by so fast. We took a group photo today after class. There were 63 people who signed up, and even by the end of the 21 days we still had around 50 for the group photo. I went to the wedding reception of one of the yoga teachers at alleyCat tonight and ironically it was held in the Tiger Hotel ballroom - the same room in which we hold the sunrise yoga class! It was a drastic contrast in vibe. The reception had a very loud, but good, rock band.

Day 21: Sunday morning! After class was complete we did the honoring ceremony and breakfast at Bleu. I hadn't been to that super swank restaurant before.. normally we have our celebration breakfast at the Main Squeeze, but with such a large group we needed a larger location. By the by, practice was a little strange for me this morning. I had too much wine at the reception last night, so the walls were moving a bit during practice, particularly in any of the backbends. Oy!

Two other pics of our sunrise space:

So, big news... I sent my notice to my bosses on Saturday night. Three more weeks until I'm no longer full-time employed! I'm going to focus on building my massage business and increasing my yoga teaching load to seven classes a week. There are more details, but as of yet, they are still top secret, only because they are not exactly mine to share! So cryptic, I know, but it's awesomeity news! You'll see!

Sunrise Yoga Day 19

2011-08-19T12:04:00.000-05:00

Home stretch time! Two classes to go in the sunrise adventure!

I snoozed majorly this morning. My cat started waking me up at 4 AM and kept my snoozing choppy and uneven. I got to class on time though!

I skipped the first round of seated twists to stay longer in baddha konasana. I always feel rebellious or something whenever I change the sequence from what the teacher is teaching. It makes me wonder what students think when I'm teaching and they feel like they want to stay longer in a pose, probably the same thing. On one hand I want people to listen to their inner teacher, but also, I do plan the class sequences in a particular order for a particular purpose. So that's a "connundrum" - the boyfriend's favorite word - what to do? In general, I prefer not to be a drill sargeant, but at the same time, new students can be confused or distracted by a more seasoned practitioner doing something different from everyone else. The result is that I usually just let people do whatever they want, and recognize that trying to control the situation is probably missing the point. Buuuuuuuuuuut... then what is my role as the teacher? To provide a space and some direction? Or is there a necessary "power differential" that is lacking when people do their own thing? To some extent, you have to be open to what someone is teaching you to actually learn from them, right? Otherwise why go to a public class?

My mind could spin on this for hours!

Instead..

I'll focus on this.

Sunrise Yoga Day 18

2011-08-18T11:13:00.000-05:00

Wow, it felt like an eternity since I'd been to sunrise yoga, but in reality I only missed two days! Time is certainly spreading out for me lately. We had the lights a little brighter today and that subtle shift helped me feel more energized for sure.

I've been planning what I'll teach for the sunrise classes I start next week. I'm definitely keeping the kapalabhati pranayama with 14 hand mudras portion, but will be doing a different asana sequence. I'm thinking I'll introduce hand mudras into the postures as well.. I'm thinking about doing the same sequence for both Tuesday and Thursday each week too.. So many ideas!

I'm so excited about the next six weeks. So many developments with my teaching schedule and massage business expansion, but it's all liquid for the moment. So many details have yet to gel up! Stay tuned for the deets. Hopefully within the next month things will be more settled.

Sunrise Yoga Days 14 - 17

2011-08-17T10:11:00.000-05:00

Practice Report!

Sunday, Day 14 we had a Yoga Nidra practice led by Jan Wheeler. That was really great for me today! Normally, if I'm horizontal at 6 AM, I'm sleeping, but I managed to stay awake for the entire session! I've practiced yoga nidra before, but it was always in the evening. Jan teaches a 7:30 PM class on Tuesday nights that I've attended. Yoga nidra is essentially a deeply restorative guided meditation, this variation developed by Richard Miller of iRest Yoga Nidra. A few of the other teachers at AlleyCat also teach yoga nidra, and it's something I've also been interested in. Perhaps the next time there is a week-long retreat in St. Louis, I'll finally go!

Monday, Day 15 we were back to the asana and pranayama practice. It felt good to practice, as the only asana practice I'd done over the weekend was teach my classes, and that is so not the same!

Tuesday, Day 16 - totally tired and set my alarm for 7 am the night before, not even trying to get up. This was a planned skip (/blush). I taught my Deep Stretch Restorative class until 9 pm Monday night and felt rebellious so I stayed up late hanging out with the boyfriend. Too little of that lately.

Wednesday, Day 17 - Egads! Slept in, this time accidentally. iPod beeped at 5 AM, hit snooze and thought only 10 mins had passed, but really 55 had. I woke at 5:55 AM. Blergh! I don't like going to class late, so I just slept in til 7. Oy! Ok, that's five misses this time! Oh well, that's life! I have four more sessions in the 21 day adventure, and will make every one of them! That's my intention!

!!

It's so great how much the "!" can say!

Sunrise Yoga Days 10-13

2011-08-13T18:57:00.000-05:00

Well, for some reason, I didn't have much of anything to report on day 10 or 11. Then yesterday (day 12) was a great practice! I love the early morning air and the sense of so much more of the day yet to go after practice. I pretty much decided yesterday that I would quit the day job. And soon. I'm planning to open up more hours for massage and I'll be upping my yoga offerings at AlleyCat to seven classes a week (from three) this fall. August 23rd, ma b'day!, I start teaching 6:30 AM - 7:30 AM Sunrise Yoga on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The sunrise adventure ends on August 21st, so we're thinking it would be great to add a regular sunrise class or two for those interested in continuing their commitment to early practice. The studio has tried it before, but at 6 AM, and didn't have much success. It seems people can really commit for 21 days, but for many, the train ends there, or at least takes a very long pit stop!

Then today (day 13) I slept in. It felt so late to sleep in until 7:30! I taught a good class this morning at 9 AM. One student from a Tuesday class I subbed, and two of the others were brand new students, one of whom is a massage client of mine. I just love when I get massage clients interested in yoga and vice versa!

Sunrise Yoga Days 8 and 9

2011-08-09T10:18:00.000-05:00

Wow, Day 8 already. Last week flew by. The sequence is coming together. Ken added the dancer pose today. I love balancing poses, although I can really tell when I've had wine the previous day. That's the other thing - I was going to try to be sans wine for the 21 days as well, but I had a little on Friday and Saturday. Oh well! The goal restarts today.

Day 9 - Tues AM. Did not go today. Head cold extraordinaire! Meh. Theraflu Warming Relief to the rescue. Although this stuff does make me feel like a space cadet.

Sunrise Yoga Days 6 and 7

2011-08-08T09:26:00.001-05:00

Le week-end.

I attended class Saturday morning and had some sleepiness, but overall a good practice. I decided to start working on splits (Hanumanasana) as well. My left hamstring is looser than the right, so it's crazy the difference from side to side. Having practiced before I taught my 9 AM class really helped too. Sometimes I don't get up early enough to have my own practice before I teach on Saturdays, but today I really noticed it helped tremendously for me to be in the right frame of mind to teach. I've never really been a morning person, and seem to do better if I'm up before 6 AM. Yet another reason I'm grateful for this 21 day practice, so maybe I can stick to early rising beyond the 21 days!

Sunday morning I didn't go to class. I knew I'd be up late Sunday night and wanted to bank a few hours of sleep since Monday nights I teach until 9 PM, so it's a late day itself. I taught the 11:15 AM class Sunday instead of the 4 PM because I wanted to go to Jeff City for a juicing workshop from 3-6 PM and Level 3 Dharma Yoga class from 6:30-8 PM. I love getting to spend the entire day focusing on my practice! The juicing workshop was very informative and was delivered by Dharma Yogini extraordinaire, Oliva Foss, of Pranava Yoga. The workshop was about more than just juicing though - we also discussed the ways in which diet is a yogic practice in itself. I'm inspired to explore the raw vegan diet even more now. Perhaps I'll even buy a juicer! I'm also happy to learn that Oliva is doing workshops here in Columbia the last weekend in September! Woot!

Sunrise Yoga Day 5

2011-08-05T12:22:00.002-05:00

Well... today's class started with a short lecture on "doing your version of the pose" and "being an underachiever." More and more I get a clear picture of what the Kripalu style is all about. It's odd... I've been practicing at AlleyCat for years, and have only had vague generalizations to help me differentiate this style from other styles of yoga. I had even decided that I wouldn't really harp on differences when students asked because oftentimes the way different teachers teach is more where the real difference lies, moreso than any clear divisions between the specific styles they teach. And, creating divisions is really pointless anyway, as all styles seem to have a lot of similarities; it is all yoga, you know. However, this morning as Ken used the example of relaxing the wrists and elbows in Warrior 2 (i.e. NOT holding the arms straight out), and explaining that, for him, he could go deeper in the pose when NOT concentrating on alignment, I began to think that maybe this is more different than I thought. He explained that his Kripalu teacher had to help him "unlearn" all of his Iyengar training. To be clear, he generally teaches the alignment principles, but today he was indicating that they are not the point.. that you can be doing Warrior 2 without straight arms, or with straight arms, whatevs, but just notice WHAT you are choosing to do, and be present for that choice.

So. I love asana. I love alignment. Maybe too much. Or maybe not. I didn't react with resistance to this class this morning, just with new interest. I've been attending Ken's classes for a good six years now and have heard "do your version of the pose" probably every class, but have always interpreted it to mean "your level of the pose," as in how far your body can go toward what the pose "eventually looks like." Ken also talked this morning about how, in the Kripalu style, they don't really have levels, unless you mean level of intention. So.. this makes "your version of the pose" take on new meaning, specifically, your version might relate more to how much you are in the mood to exert yourself, but that the real depth of the pose would come more from your intention to be totally present than from the relative openness of your body. Whoa.

So, it's almost like "do whatever the hell you want with your body," because the depth of your practice comes from your intention, almost like the body is irrelevant, or something. Well, sorta, sorta not. Ken does talk about the safe ways to twist, for example. Safety concerns regarding the spine and pelvis, mostly.

So even after eleven years of practice, I still feel like enough of a yoga newbie that I'm not ready to give up on what my body can "progress to" or teach me. I still feel that going deeper into the body will be useful in teaching me something. I mean, the immediate example my mind (or is it ego?) generates is a wall-less handstand. Surely I'll have some greater understanding of myself in relation to my fear of falling if I can do that! Yes? I wouldn't say that I always measure my depth as a yogini by what I can do, however. At least not usually. "Shoulds" pop up now and then, of course. Like "I should be able to do a headstand in the middle of the room," but I think my "shoulds" relate more to the fact that I'm teaching people, more than they indicate where I expect myself to be in my personal practice. I don't set timelines for progression in asanas, for example; I know I can't control that. But I still think "progression" (or whatever word you want to use) can be a physical experience as well as a non-physical "sensed" experience.

Also, it seems that some poses are not physically within your range of possibility until you can perform others. So, you have to safely develop strength and flexibility in your body using proper alignment to avoid injury as you "train your body." For example, chaturanga dandasana develops some of the strength necessary for a great many arm balances. I suspect Ken is perfectly ok with never needing to do arm balances though! Me though, I want to have that physical experience in my body... to see what the hell THAT is like. And I think there is value in it. Not for it's external appearance, but for how it shakes me up inside.

Chaturanga Dandasana (from Yoga Journal)

Eka Pada Koundinyasana (from Yoga Journal)

Sunrise Yoga Day 4

2011-08-04T09:17:00.000-05:00

Practice was good today. I went to bed at 10 PM last night so I was a little sleepy this morning. I don't know what it is about set bed times that makes me feel so rebellious! In any case I felt really awake during practice. The ride to and from the studio was sweaty, already pretty humid out. I chose to put my mat on a totally different side of the room today, just to play with randomness. We keep adding poses to the sequence, and I'm guessing we'll have the whole sequence by day 7. Everyone is all smiles after class.

And as a side note: dear sweet Now and Zen alarm clock is dead. To be honest, it's dead little self has been sitting lifeless on my end table for seven months, so yes, it only lived for three months! I can return it, thankfully. Gaiam is great that way.

Asana Pics

2011-08-03T21:59:00.000-05:00

Just took a few quick pose shots tonight. I practiced around 15 hours ago, so I'm definitely "cold," but here they are!

Baddha Konasana is one of my faves. Just love to hold it for ten minutes, easily. So, yes, an "easy" pose, so I know I've got other things to work on.

And here's pigeon. It's really amazing the difference being warmed up makes! In a particularly sweaty class in December, I could reach my back foot with my teacher's assistance, but when I'm cold, it's like a foot away! Good to practice non-attachment here!

Sunrise Yoga Day 3

2011-08-03T12:10:00.000-05:00

So it's like I have this secret thing I do, although it's not really a secret. The sunrise yoga class is in it's own little bubble in my day. I leave when it's dark out and get back to my apartment by 7:25 AM, the approximate time I would start getting ready in the past. So far, I have not gotten any wellness business work done in the extra hour before class, as was my tentative goal. I'm just relishing the slow pace of getting ready and having time to sit on the couch to pet my cat. Somehow over the last many months I've gotten out of the habit of morning dinacharya, and have been loathing the rush to get to work ever since. That probably contributes to my attitude problem. Oh yeah, baby, it does! Also, I stood up for myself and asked for what I wanted in my annual eval - for 20% of my hours to be flexible, that only amounts to 8 of my hours...only 8! I wanted to work 8-5 MWF and 8-12 TR with the other eight hours to be fit in wherever I could fit them. For sake of ease, I suggested 7-9p four evenings a week. However, denied. "We're an 8-5 office." Boo. Further reason to get the hell out of here. OOps! Attitude again! So now, I have to decide if I'm ready and/or willing to ask for a reduction in my FTE (full time equivalency, for those not blessed with excess HR know how). What I'm considering is going part-time (20 hrs/wk) which, of course, means no more benefits, but it means more free time in the afternoons. Honestly, yoga is my health insurance, so I'm not overly concerned about that. I saw on Facebook yesterday someone posted that in addition to heat advisory warnings, we also need high snarkiness warnings. Ahem! Here you go, I've announced my excessive snarkiness tendency today! Which reminds me of the fact that yoga amplifies who we are. But... it also burns away the crap. So we'll see what's left!

Note: I type all of this snarkathon knowing that I am quite lucky because most people have much bigger problems. Nonetheless this seems to be the one I obsess over the most.

Sunrise Yoga Day 2

2011-08-02T22:55:00.001-05:00

I could feel a slight sore throat developing yesterday, but this morning it was full on. My practice was a bit hazy, almost like I was half asleep the whole time, with that half awareness and half dreaming fuzziness. I kept fading in and out. It's strange to practice with a cold, assuming that's what it is. My body was achey and stiff during practice. I took the day off work to recuperate and slept an extra five hours this afternoon. So that's why I'm wide awake now at 10:50 at night! Oy, 4 AM here I come!

Today and yesterday both I rode my bike to class. I love that there is not much traffic and the town is so quiet. When else am I going to see the stop lights blinking?

Also worth mentioning is that we broke a record today in heat 108 degrees F!

Sunrise Yoga Day One: And So It Begins.

2011-08-01T18:49:00.000-05:00

I got up at 4 AM! Despite the caffeinated tea drink I had last night at 7 pm... Mwaha!

I left the house by 5:38 AM and was not anywhere near the first person to arrive! I did get a spot on the second row, however. I'm going to try to have a different spot every day! The class was good, pretty similar in sequence to much of last year's sequence. I've got to memorize it in case the teacher is ill - I'm the stand-in if that happens! I've never taught 60 people before - I'm trying to keep the jitters about THAT concept at bay.

I felt really open in my hips today, but a little quakey in my left quad at times. I think I'll start working with a strap in pigeon to bind my back leg. I practice it that way occasionally, but not really with any consistency. I'll take before and after photos, to see my progress. If I "advance" awesome - if not, that's ok too!

Quick, Quick! OH The future is speeding toward me - I can feel it in my guts!

2011-07-27T20:18:00.001-05:00

I watched a 50 minute video today about dreaming big and pursuing dreams to help others that really brought me to tears a few times.

It was so inspiring to see someone exude so much passion for her work.

I keep feeling like I'm inching closer and closer to making the leap to my dream business. My attitude is better at the day job... for the most part. I do occasionally find myself resentful for being there, but my perspective is better now. I know where I'm headed!

Next Monday, 6 AM Sunrise Yoga starts at the yoga studio I teach at. We are temporarily located in a different space within the Tiger Hotel so we can admit over 50 people to the sunrise event! It's going to be an epic amount of yogi energy, I tell you! Even with the 32-ish people we've had each year, it's been amazing, but wow... more than 50 have registered this year and it will be amazing. I've already got my wake up time plan between now and then to ease into the crazy 4 AM call!

Here it is:

Wed: 11 PM Bed

Thu: 7 AM Wake up, 10:15 PM Bed

Fri: 6:15 AM Wake up, 9:30 PM Bed

Sat: 5:30 AM Wake up, 8:45 PM Bed

Sun: 4:45 AM Wake up, 8 PM Bed

Mon: 4 AM Wake up, 8 PM Bed

So... I'm a planner. The plan organizes the chaos... I think. My plan is to wake at 4 AM and go to bed at 8 PM during the 21-day Sunrise Yoga course. And, of course, actually attend all 21 days! The plan is to spend an hour each morning working on my business before heading to the 6 AM yoga class. That's a good 21 hours of effort accomplishing those things I need to get done already, dammit! My procrastination is rooted in fear of failure, but also fear of success. Slash it away now!

I'm now devoting my attention this evening to this Trailblazer webinar with Jonathan Mead of Illuminated Mind: http://trail-blazer.net/free-event/.

Off I go!

Love Your Day Job

2011-06-28T12:01:00.002-05:00

I have a strong awareness of the line between sharing too much about my life and actually providing valuable content to readers. However, it's a very important part of yoga to study oneself, to reflect on motives, thought pattern grooves, etc... There are times my blog posts veer toward what might seem like the ego chat hour, but ultimately my goal is to explore my patterns to understand them in order to better serve my students.

So! Today when I got my regular email newsletter from Marie Forleo entitled "How to Transition from Your Day Job to Your Dream Business," I clicked on that super fast! Um, yes, please tell me how NOW!

The most potent part of the video for me was the idea of loving my day job while I'm at it... Essentially, if I spend eight plus hours a day stewing in resentment for my "predicament," there's no way I'll have the energy for my dream business when I leave at the end of the day! This almost seems too obvious, but I hadn't made that connection! Of course! What I do the most often becomes who I am. Blech. I don't want to spend a third or more of my life in resentment!

So here we go. Day one of not resenting my job. Attitude adjustment starts now. No more hating my day job. It's serving a purpose... a little security as I pay off credit cards... I'm going to let my life unfold at the speed it has to.

Here's Marie's full video that I found so insightful.

#Trust30 - Day 2: Describe Today in One Sentence

2011-06-01T18:43:00.000-05:00

Today's prompt comes from Liz Danzico:

Day 2: Your genuine action will explain itself, and will explain your other genuine actions. Your conformity explains nothing. The force of character is cumulative.
– Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance

If ‘the voyage of the best ship is a zigzag line of a hundred tacks,’ then it is more genuine to be present today than to recount yesterdays. How would you describe today using only one sentence? Tell today’s sentence to one other person. Repeat each day.

Today's sentence....

Remembering choices, building bridges, let's saunter toward the edge to leap.

So, what choices can I make to make my dreams a reality in light of not yet letting go of the day job? Blogging. Marketing my massage business. Studying yoga books. Not watching Jersey Shore... (ok, I did not just admit to that! Ok, maybe I did.)

One step at a time. This new path is revealing itself to me.

#Trust30 - 15 Minutes to Live

2011-06-01T18:08:00.000-05:00

I don't know why I'm so drawn to these writing exercises where you get a prompt every day for X days... Must be the orderly simplicity of it, you know, here is the topic... now write about it! I don't have to come up with the topic; they're handed to me via email daily! The latest project I've found on these here internets is in honor of Ralph Waldo Emerson's 208th birthday. All of the prompts are about looking within and trusting yourself.. Something that's very timely for me right now! The 30 prompts run May 31st - June 29th. (My mind thinks "Why not June 1-30?" - but that's beside the point!) If you're interested, you can sign up here: ralphwaldoemerson.me

Day 1: 15 Minutes to Live (Prompt by @gwenbell)

We are afraid of truth, afraid of fortune, afraid of death, and afraid of each other. Our age yields no great and perfect persons. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

You just discovered you have fifteen minutes to live.
1. Set a timer for fifteen minutes.
2. Write the story that has to be written.

I am most definitely afraid of quitting my day job, but I know it has to be done. It takes up so much of my time that I'd prefer to spend doing massage, reading yoga books, practicing yoga, and teaching yoga. My 8-5 is in some ways the ultimate cushy job, and even though it isn't really a swanky title, I have health benefits and the seeming stability of a job at a large university. It's funny, last Friday my boss brought donuts (ewww..) to work "just because" he was so happy to be working with the rest of us and how lucky he felt to get to come to work with people he actually likes, and I was distracted by the second interview that I was going to have that afternoon for another job. I like my coworkers too... but that can't be the only reason to keep a job, can it?

As it turns out, I didn't get the job (an independent contractor position by the way), but I'm still attached to the idea of giving notice here and taking the big leap to self-employment. It's not just that I have never in 10+ years gotten used to being an employee, but that I feel like my time is squandered here as I push paper instead of spending more time doing my presently part-time work teaching yoga and doing massage therapy. There's so much potential energy in the planning stages of leaving one's job, I think. A huge ball of energy is swirling! Or is it my head?

So is this just a grass is always greener situation?

Is this the story that has to be written? Who knows. All I know is that it's what I'm currently obsessing about. My limited viewpoint from my perspective. And for sure where my fear is keeping me. I think if I had fifteen minutes to live I wouldn't rush out to do anything in particular. Maybe just head outside and listen to those cicadas.

Swelling, receding
Cicada song I'm feeling
Awakening now.

#365 Yoga - Gentle Relaxation Sequence after Driving Long Distance

2011-03-16T16:48:00.001-05:00

A yoga student recently asked for a short sequence to practice after she has just finished a long drive. Here is my response to her:

1. Find a comfy seated position and pause, close your eyes and mentally transition to the place you have landed. Begin to focus on your breath. Rotate through your shoulders, bend elbows, rotate wrists, and squeeze and release fingers. Draw arms behind back, interlace fingers and broaden through the chest. Take several deep breaths here and bring gentle movement into the head and neck.

2. Child’s Pose – Sit back on your heels with your chest resting on your thighs; relax your arms by your sides and your head resting on the floor or a pillow in front of you. Take several breaths here feeling your inhales expand your back and allowing your exhales to drop you further into the floor.

3. Cat/Cow – Begin on your hands and knees with hands under shoulders and knees under hips; drop your belly toward the floor and lift head and tailbone as you inhale (cow); tuck tailbone under, round spine toward ceiling (cat) as you exhale; continue for several rounds of breath. See if you can slow your breath more and more with each one.

4. Spinal Twist – From hands and knees, bring your right arm to the center of the mat and reach toward the ceiling with your left arm. Feel your hands reaching away from each other as your spine lengthens and twists. Switch sides.

5. Downward Facing Dog – From hands and knees, tuck your toes, lift your hips into the air while pressing down with your hands and feet. As you come into down dog, feel free to bend and straighten one leg then the other as you stretch out your legs.

6. Low lunge – From down dog, lower to your knees and bring your right foot forward between your hands. Keep your left leg back, you might need to scoot the left knee back a few inches as you look for sensation in the front of the left hip. Let your hips sink toward the floor as you breathe deeply. You can keep your hands on the floor, or if you feel steady, you can bring them to the front thigh, or even above your head for a backbend. Switch sides slowly.

7. Legs up the wall – Head over to the wall and spend a few minutes with your body in an “L” shape with your legs up the wall and your back flat on the floor. Let all the tension drain out of your legs.

8. Reclining Twist - From legs up the wall, slowly bend your knees, walking feet down the wall, drawing thighs into the chest and letting legs fall to the left; arms reach out at shoulder height with palms up, shoulders rolling under the back, head turns to the right. Take several breaths here and switch sides.

9. Savasana – final relaxation pose; rest flat on your back or use any cushions to support your body; close your eyes and begin to soften throughout your body. Always a good idea to take a few minutes to “just be” without any agenda, just a happy, breathing being!

Snowmaggeddon, CoMO Style!

2011-02-02T19:30:00.000-06:00

Two pics of snow outside our apartment!

Day 3-7 #365Yoga

2011-02-02T19:26:00.000-06:00

Day 3 - Jan 29th: Resistance. Hmm. I've already been feeling a little resistance to daily posting! I've been reflecting on my practice each day, but just haven't hopped on the computer to post. OMG. Well, daily posting is new for me. Also I've been a little distracted by the "Snowmaggeddon" as people are calling it. We just got a lot of snow, A LOT for this town anyway. I think the official count was 18 inches, and the University of Missouri is actually closed for three days! I've been taking photos and getting swept up in the newness of it! I chatted with my sister on the phone, as she's got a lot of snow too in South Dakota. They are a bit more prepared for (dare I say bored of?) it there though!

Day 4 - Jan 30th: Opening. Sunday night I went to a class at the studio I teach at. It was a lovely class; lots of new ways of experiencing my physical body for sure. For example, something as simple as being prone on the floor with my arms outstretched in a "T" position made me feel like I was hugging the world! We held several prone heart opener poses longer than I am used to, but when I engage my deep breath, I find I have so much more stamina and energy.

Day 5 - Jan 31st: Avoidance of Difficulty. Today's prompt is about doing something challenging that I would otherwise avoid - but doing it with love. I have an ongoing challenge with keeping my house clean. How does this relate to yoga, you ask? Well, the discipline of regular cleanliness is one of the niyamas, or internal observances in yoga - Saucha - I've talked about it previously on my blog here. Today I cleaned for two hours and really practiced doing so with love. Perhaps there is hope for me enjoying the task after all?!

Day 6 - Feb 1st: Seek adaptability over flexibility. We had enough snow today to postpone the final class in the Yoga 101 series I am teaching. Many people I talked to were resistant to believing we were going to get any snow at all, and others were frantically buying groceries and batteries in case it was the end of the world. Not many people were in between. It's true many students come to yoga to gain physical flexibility, but I've noticed in my own practice and in the classes I've taught, that people really keep coming back for the useful tool that is emotional/psychological adaptability. I really feel like I've taught a good class when I can teach a useful skill to students.

Day 7 - Feb 2nd: Finding wholeness in the mundane. This is something I am experiencing more and more in my life. I love that I can joyfully re-watch a movie I've seen a zillion times - Groundhog Day, hello! - or gaze at the sparkly snow, or enjoy the sweetness of sitting and breathing. NO WAY could I have done that before yoga became a big part of my life. So, time to pet the cat and drink some tea!

Day 2 #365Yoga - Ease

2011-01-28T20:24:00.000-06:00

What does it mean to feel at ease? Tonight, for me, it means to flow without concern for appearance. I picked up my hoop tonight and enjoyed the sweaty mess out of it. I love getting so in tune with my body that I don't even care what I look like. I swirl my hoop; my heart rate increases; I drop my hoop; I pick it up again; I hoop some more; the ends of my hair curl under from the humidity of me. It's magic! Feeling at ease does not mean feeling nothing - moreso, it means feeling everything! The ease of flow is acceptance and surrender to whatever comes... back to the flow I go...

I'm Starting Again, Today #365Yoga

2011-01-27T17:58:00.000-06:00

When I first started teaching yoga, I would often shape a class around one of the daily prompts in Judith Hanson Lasater's book "A Year of Living Your Yoga." Eventually I started teaching from other books I was reading, so the end result was that I never got through the entire year. In fact, I would choose prompts at random, so I don't really even know how many I explored! I'm starting over today, with January 27th, and will attempt to write something on these prompts each day until January 26th, 2012. I'll be writing about my own personal journey with these prompts, not so much with teaching them, although I can't really rule that out.

Today's prompt is about discipline, and how it arises from commitment and clarity of intention. I'm a planner. I love to chart out my ideas and plans and go crazy with highlighters, but sometimes the follow through is the hard part. I second guess my ability; I prioritize other things; I seem to rebel against the rigidity of a plan (!); blah, blah, blah. The end result is that I often give in to fear of failure with inaction. I often get so busy with other things I have to do that I feel like I don't have time for my yoga practice. It's truly a practice in itself to clear away all the (self-created) noise to make time and space for practice. Sometimes. Other times I'm on a roll practicing every day.

So what to do?

Start small. That's the only way, I think. Small habits grow into bigger ones, surely. Even if I feel like I only have five minutes to practice, I've got to do it. Because, honestly, once I get going, I don't want to stop. Whatever else I was going to do just has to wait. Usually. So, small amounts of discipline will eventually grow.

So what is my intention, both today and in my life in general? My life is shifting right now. I'm growing as a massage therapist and yogini/yoga teacher and am progressing toward a full-time wellness centered worklife. My intention globally is to help others on our collective roads to discovering ourselves. The more energy I put into this part of my life, the more energy I seem to have! For tonight, the intention for my asana practice is to remember why I practice. Why it's not just about me on the mat, why I have to rise above my excuses, and begin again.

Lovely Quote @astridalauda

2011-01-21T14:41:00.000-06:00

~ I've spent most of my life walking under that hovering cloud, jealousy, whose acid raindrops blurred my vision and burned holes in my heart. ~ Astrid Alauda.

Sharing Practice Video 2

2011-01-17T15:32:00.000-06:00

From time to time I like to share a practice video. Here is one I did last night after teaching at alleyCat Yoga here in Columbia.

Teaching Teaching Teaching

2011-01-03T09:29:00.000-06:00

Wow, I taught yoga eight days in a row! That was amazing. It was so enjoyable to share yoga with students every day. The studio I teach at is normally closed for the week between Christmas and New Years, but I wanted to offer a few classes anyway. For the Monday, Wednesday, and Friday classes, I offered a Flow & Meditation 90-min class from 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM. I essentially taught the same class all three days, with minor changes to accommodate who came. I spoke about how our asana (posture) practice is meditation in movement as I lead into the 12-min seated meditation practice at the end. In that way, the entire 90 minutes was a meditation practice. Then Tuesday night I taught Candlelight Yoga 7:30 PM - 9 PM. To me, that meant lighting little votives all around the room and teaching an introspective heart-opening and hip-opening class. No standing poses, just slow moving flows close to the ground; it was very chill for maximum relaxation. Then Thursday night 7:30 PM - 9 PM, I taught Restorative Yoga. I'm very interested in the challenges of quieting the mind when physically still, and I suspect a few of my students had some challenges too, as I saw a few people fidgeting. My class was based on several of the poses in Judith Lasater's book Relax and Renew, but I incorporated seated breath awareness between each pose. I also taught Community Yoga on 12/26 and 1/2, and my regular vinyasa class on 1/1. Now it looks like I will sub tomorrow!

Lunar Eclipse

2010-12-21T13:08:00.003-06:00

How beautiful!

Days 10-14 #Reverb10

2010-12-17T12:40:00.005-06:00

Day 10
"What was the wisest decision you made this year, and how did it play out?"
~posed by @photobird

The wisest decision I made this year was to loosen my grip on my yoga teaching schedule. I kept adding classes to my schedule wherever I could find them and surely held on tight to them. My precious! :)

Day 11
"What are 11 things your life doesn’t need in 2011? How will you go about eliminating them? How will getting rid of these 11 things change your life?"
~posed by @samdavidson

More than 11 things will get freecycled or donated in 2011! I'm going to start with excess clothing and shoes. Then move to books I haven't touched in a few years. That will be the harder part! I do believe that less clutter will do wonders for my mental clarity as well! I read or heard once that our outer world (home) reflects our inner world (mind/self).

Day 12
"This year, when did you feel the most integrated with your body? Did you have a moment where there wasn’t mind and body, but simply a cohesive YOU, alive and present?"
~posed by @patrickcantype

This is what I'm working toward; I get pretty close in my home yoga practice. It is a challenge with so many things going on though. I did have one experience of drinking a glass of water feeling extreme gratitude for it's existence. Not happy because I was thirsty, but literally an intangible gratitude for the flow of water in my body.

Day 13
"When it comes to aspirations, its not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen. What’s your next step?"
~posed by @scottbelsky

My next step is organizing my finances. I'm in this haze of half-organization, but the reality is that it keeps me from accurately projecting a date when I can make my big leap.

Day 14
"What’s the one thing you have come to appreciate most in the past year? How do you express gratitude for it?"
~posed by @victoriaklein

This last year I have really come to appreciate my yoga practice. Yes, I am a yoga nerd, but I really don't see how I would have been able to keep up the pace without it! I express my gratitude for it by practicing daily, remembering that I practice for others too, not just for myself.

Days 5-9 #Reverb10

2010-12-17T12:10:00.001-06:00

Day 5:
"What (or whom) did you let go of this year? Why?"
~posed by @finslippy

I've let go of my fear about expressing my truth. I'm working on being less blunt with people, and finding the spoonful of sugar to convey my opinions without alienating people.

Day 6:
"What was the last thing you made? What materials did you use? Is there something you want to make, but you need to clear some time for it?"
~posed by @gretchenrubin

The last thing I made was Thanksgiving dinner. I always love making new recipes for TG (sans turkey, of course). In fact, I need to clear more time for regular cooking, not just the big holidays, as I tend to be a food by convenient packages lazy butt. I know that it is much healthier to cook my meals, but I tend to fall into buying boxed meals.. the "healthy" ones like Amy's brand, but still, more cooking would be good.

Day 7:
"Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2010? What community would you like to join, create or more deeply connect with in 2011?"
~posed by @caligater

Since I began teaching yoga, I have found a community of yoga teachers and students here, and that has been wonderful. Actually prior to doing my yoga teacher training, I had no push to form a community with other students. It just didn't occur to me! In any case, the studio I teach at is wonderful about creating community, and it's been great.

Day 8:
"Think about what makes you different and what you do that lights people up. Reflect on all the things that make you different – you’ll find they’re what make you beautiful."
~posed by @chookooloonks

I was told the other day by one of the administrators in this building that one of my yoga students was affectionately describing me as a "yoga freak." Ha!

Day 9:
"What social gathering rocked your socks off in 2010? Describe the people, music, food, drink, clothes, shenanigans."
~posed by @shauna

I would say the Iowa City Yoga Festival was the funnest time I've had in a long time. It was in Iowa City, November 5-7. There were yoga classes, a concert, great food at a nearby cafe, and bonding with some yoga pals.

Days 1-4 #Reverb10

2010-12-13T21:03:00.001-06:00

Day One:
"Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing that word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2011 for you?"
-question posed by @Gwenbell

For me 2010 was a year of "Becoming." This year I've focused more on the becoming process. That is to say I've been more aware of the tiny steps toward my goals as they are happening, and that's really exciting for me! As I move toward my goals, I feel a burst of confidence and a grounded sense of doing what I'm "meant" to do. For 2011, I'd like to grab on to "Freedom." I'd love to take the leap I know I need to take and trust the process.

Day Two:
"What do you do each day that doesn’t contribute to your writing — and can you eliminate it?"
-question posed by @Zen_habits

For me, I have a tendency to multitask! I know that splitting my attention in so many directions, browser tabs, applications is not productive, but it does distract me from what I'm trying to really put some effort into. I saw this TED talk yesterday about why work doesn't get done at work, and one of the take-aways was that there is a difference between voluntary and involuntary distractions. Things like multitasking are definitely choices I make to distance myself from the awesomeness that is the creative process, but I'm guessing that's just because of fear. So, down with multitasking! And I seriously have ten tabs open in my Chrome browser right now...

Day Three:
"Pick one moment during which you felt most alive this year. Describe it in vivid detail (texture, smells, voices, noises, colors)."
-question posed by @aliedwards

While pondering this question, I keep trying to think of some dramatic, fear-laden or adrenaline-pumping event, or something "out of the ordinary." But when I really think about it, my most life affirming moments are everyday moments of stillness... 5AM standing outside after a heavy snow with chilly breath noticing the sparkle; the moment after all of the students have left the yoga studio and I write about the class I just taught; or sitting on the couch petting my cat Otto.

Day Four:
"How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year?"
-question posed by @JeffreyDavis108

I cultivate a sense of wonder in my life by pausing. I might feel the momentum to go go go, but I deliberately pause and reflect. This goes for actions and thoughts. Without the pause, suddenly months can go by and I feel a sense of missing out on my life. I get swept up in the flow, but make sure I pay attention. It creates a pocket of space-time to feel and reflect.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And, just because I can't contain my happiness about it: while typing this post I'm listening to the Robert Randolph and the Family Band YouTube channel! I just heard of them yesterday, and can't stop listening!

Reverb10

2010-12-13T15:08:00.000-06:00

So I just found about about this wonderful site called Reverb10: Reflect on this Year and Manifest What's Next!

Essentially this site is a place where bloggers and writers can connect, each person writing on a prescribed topic for each day of the month. Each topic relates to reflecting on the year that has passed and projecting for the coming year.

I'm a little late getting started, but we'll see how it goes!

Life Is Truly Short

2010-12-01T13:19:00.000-06:00

I recently got an email from my yoga teacher in Kansas City saying that she is taking a three month sabbatical from teaching and managing her studio and moving to Costa Rica with her husband! For three months!!

Say that again?!?!?

Wow!

Essentially, they have been owning businesses for a long time now without any extended vacations, and it's just time for one, damn it!

So, I'll be driving out to KC to take classes at Kansas Siddhi Yoga for the next three Wednesdays (starting today). I haven't been out to KC to study there since August, and that's unfortunate. I keep getting busy with other things, and really it will always be that way if I let it. Kansas City is only two hours away, and my intention is to go out there once a month.

I feel a stronger pull all the time to teach and practice more yoga. It's such a kick-ass feeling to know what I'm meant to be doing here. And by the way, I've described this feeling as kick-ass before, and it's really not becoming any less kick-ass as time goes on either!

This news makes me consider all of my priorities in my life and re-evaluate what's most important.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In other news, I'm excited to say that I get to teach a Yoga 101 course for four weeks beginning in January! It will be at alleyCat Yoga here in Columbia, Tuesdays Jan 11 - Feb 1. $44 for the four weeks. 7:30 pm - 8:45 pm.

Really Great Class Last Night

2010-11-22T13:00:00.000-06:00

I felt so great about the class I taught last night! Toward the end we did headstand at the wall using two folding chairs with blankets draped over them for support. This version of the pose makes it accessible for students who have neck issues that might keep them from practicing the arm-supported version.

I loved how fearless the students were!

Reflections on Iowa City aka Where Do We Go From Here?

2010-11-12T21:43:00.000-06:00

Wow! What a wonderful conference!

Friday night (a week ago already!) was the welcome party and festival showcase. Sadie Nardini gave a talk about the meaning of hOMe, as she is originally from Iowa City, and this conference was a bit of a homecoming of sorts for her. Hemalaya Behl also gave a short interactive dance demo. That was nice to jump around after the four hour drive! MC Yogi and DJ Drez performed a song while the University of Iowa breakdancers danced. Nice kickoff to the weekend; I knew then it would be great!

Saturday morning, so early, we arrived at Pranayama with Jim Bennitt at 7 am. Oh, it felt early for some reason! But I had the nervous energy alertness coffee can't beat. We did a few stretches to prepare our bodies for 20 mins of pranayama. Ahh. So nice. My first class was "Learn to Love Your Hips" with Marcie Evans. I felt like a phony since I already love my hips! Ha! But, I wanted to learn new ways to teach hip openers to people with tighter hips. She also taught the warrior 1 and 2 poses with heel to heel alignment.... Which is interesting. I learned heel to heel for warrior 1 but heel to arch for warrior 2. I would say if your joints are talking to you doing heel to arch, there is a problem, and you should re-evaluate your stance. A fellow blogger and fellow Columbian, Sarah Kohl has recently done a blog post on her take on the warrior footwork that is definitely worth a read.

The classes were held in two adjoining hotels, the Sheraton, and the Hotel Vetro (which we kept calling Hotel In Vetro). My second class on Saturday was called Ganesh is Fresh taught by MC Yogi and his talented wife Amanda Giacomini with DJ Drez on the turntable. This class was epic! At one point MC Yogi sang the story of Ganesh, and at another point we were chanting Om Gum Ganapatayei Namaha 108 times! MC Yogi cracked us up by saying "when you become a conduit, (then in an Indian accent) you can do it!" OY! They encouraged us to practice that mantra meditation for 40 days in a row. The workshop concluded with a short "flash dance" sequence that Amanda G. is intent on teaching as many people as possible so we can take on the world!

After lunch, I went to a 45 minute presentation on Yoga in the Park, a program that is currently being held in Des Moines, IA with great success. We want to bring it to Columbia as well. A group of us are planning! Essentially, Yoga in the Park is a collaboration between all the yoga studios in your town; the teachers donate their time and provide a free yoga class to the community once a week for the summer months.

After that I went to "The Science Behind Yoga Postures" lecture by Eric Shaw. It was very informative and interesting. After that, we were all pretty ready for dinner, so we skipped the restorative class and even the MC Yogi concert! Alicia's brother took us to dinner. It's always fun to see people interact with their family members! It was an early night.

Sunday morning we again went to 7 am Pranayama with Jim Bennitt, but as we changed the clocks for daylight savings, it was easier to get up. My first class was supposed to be a Led Primary Series, but I decided to hear more about the "Birth of Modern Yoga" with Eric Shaw instead. After that, I was originally going to be in a Buoyancy Class, but I decided to go to the other offering by MC Yogi and Amanda G: Rock on Hanuman! WOot!

In the afternoon, I took a Gentle Kundalini class with and extended Gong Bath, and although the gong bath lasted 30 mins, time really flew by! I did learn a few new yoga poses to try out in my classes. I don't believe I'd ever taken a full Kundalini class before.

The keynote speaker was Max Strom and he gave a wonderful 45 minute talk on the future of yoga and our role in it. He really emphasized how much we can do in our classes to inspire people, even if it's just on the level of planting seeds of ideas.

The drive home was time-warp-like, we cut around an hour off the time!

So now what? The four of us that went to Iowa City will be starting a group practice time at alleyCat Yoga each day at 5 am. I plan to stay until around 7 am. Starts tomorrow! Yippee! The idea is that just us teachers/teacher-trainees will share practice space, no one leading, just shared energy! I'm excited.

Iowa City Yoga Festival This Weekend!

2010-11-04T13:28:00.000-05:00

I'm headed to Iowa City this weekend for the Iowa City Yoga Festival. I'm so excited! Three other yoginis will be coming with me. The lovely class lineup is as follows:

Friday, November 5th:
6p-8p: Welcome Party
8p-10p: Festival Showcase

Saturday, November 6th:
7-7:45a: Morning Pranayama with Jim Bennitt
8a-10a: Session 1: Learn to Love Your Hips with Marcie Evans
10:30a-12:30p: Session 2: Ganesh is Fresh (Vinyasa) with MC Yogi and Amanda G
12:30p-1:30p: LUNCH!!
1:30p-2:15p: Digesting and Dance with Hemalayaa Behl
2:30p-4:30p: Session 3: The Science Behind Yoga Postures and Practices with Eric Shaw
4:45p-5:45p: Slow Down & Be Inspired (Restorative asana) with Kyra Anastasia
6p-8p: DINNER!!
8p-10p: Project Green Benefit Concert with MC Yogi!

Sunday, November 7th:
7-7:45a: Morning Pranayama with Jim Bennitt
8a-10a: Session 4: Sunday Led Primary Series with Evan and Kelly Harris
10:30a-12:30p: Session 5: Buoyancy Control - Bandhas and Arm Balancing with Brock & Krista Cahill
12:30p-1:30p: LUNCH!!
1:30p-3:30p: Session 6: Gentle Kundalini Yoga and Meditation with Extended Gong Bath with Jai Hari Kaur
4-4:45p: Keynote - The Global Impact of Yoga by Max Strom
4:45p-5p: Closing Ceremony

November Begins

2010-11-01T17:55:00.000-05:00

I've been inspired to reflect upon my goals for the month by other blogs that I've read lately. Here is my short list for November:

1. Complete the first level of Erik Dalton's Myoskeletal certification for my massage therapy continuing education (22 CEs).

2. Work on headstand sans wall.

3. Finish Harry Potter 7!

4. Go to YogaSol, Element Yoga, and Katydid Yoga here in CoMo.

5. Develop a regular Yin yoga practice.

6. Cook one new recipe each week.

7. Clean the house!

8. Organize the business filing.

9. Practice my piano.

10. Develop a regular meditation practice.

Oh, it'll be a busy month! I'd better get started. I'm subbing a class tomorrow night and thinking a theme around choice is in order!

Sharing Practice Video 1

2010-10-25T09:20:00.000-05:00

I recently purchased a Flip Cam and have been making silly videos with it, mostly of my cat, but just last night made a short yoga practice video after I finished teaching class at alleyCat Yoga. It is nearly 14 minutes in length. Apparently you are limited to 15 mins on YouTube! Good to know! I had just taught a hip opening class and felt the need to flow a bit longer after the students left.

Now and Zen Alarm Clock

2010-10-23T16:17:00.000-05:00

I've wanted one of these alarm clocks for the longest time! For YEARS I'll bet. I'd been using the ringtones on my cell phone with varying degrees of shock value, cycling through "Unbelievable" by EMF, "Woke Up this Morning" (Soprano's Theme), and the theme song to The Office. I have week- or month-long phases where getting up early is easy peasy, then some weeks, it's killer. SO!

Time to get rid of these crazy wake up tunes and just buy the lovely Now and Zen Alarm clock!

This alarm clock is wonderful! It chimes once at the time you set it for, then after 3 mins 48 seconds, it chimes again, then after 2 mins 21 seconds, then after 1 min 28 seconds, then 54 sec, then 34 sec, then 21 sec, then 13 sec, then 8 sec, then every 5 sec to the end of the ten minute chiming cycle. The idea is that a progressive awakening is much better for you than an abrupt one, and that it actually promotes dream retention and understanding. I certainly like the idea of remembering my dreams more frequently!

It also has a setting to be used as a countdown timer, so I can use it when meditating. It runs on AA batteries and also has a wall plug, so I can easily transport it room to room. I used it for the first time last night, and woke up easily at 6 AM today!

The Grass is Greener Where You Water It

2010-10-23T15:46:00.001-05:00

I saw this lovely video last night from Kris Ward of Trikaya and AbundantYogi.com. Essentially she speaks about how we have the tendency to see what wonderful lives others have and put our energy into becoming different that we are, rather than putting our energy into what we do have. I found this video to be very inspiring! The complete video can be found here. It gets me thinking about ways to find a sense of contentment in my life, rather than whining about what others have that I don't. My biggest peeves tend to circle my mind more and more when I give them the energy to do so, but when I stop and remember to be grateful for what I have, that annoyance and frustration train slows down.

Google Translate!

2010-10-23T15:37:00.000-05:00

I've just added a translate function to my blog! This is so fun! Google explains how to do it here.

I'm going to have so much fun reading my blogs in French and German!

Gina's Coming to Columbia! Woot!

2010-10-19T11:29:00.000-05:00

My teacher Gina Caputo of Kansas Siddhi Yoga will be coming to Element Yoga in Columbia the first weekend in November (5th-7th)! Yay!

(Click the photo to view larger)

This is truly a treat not to be missed! Gina's teaching is inspiring and will leave you feeling energized and powerful! Teachers and students alike will rediscover their potential as beings on this path to self re-discovery! Don't miss it!

More info can be found on Element Yoga's website.

How it Feels to Have a Stroke

2010-09-26T23:25:00.000-05:00

Wow! I must say this video from TED tv is absolutely amazing! It is around twenty minutes in length and describes what one woman experienced when having a stroke one day. You will soon see the relevance to yoga!

Google Alerts are Quite Useful!

2010-09-25T15:53:00.000-05:00

So I've learned several things by adding a Google alert for my name:

1. There is a very anti-gun "extremist" named Rebecca Peters who travels all over speaking about the horrors of guns. I am not a fan of guns, but I do not have the time or energy to travel around for that purpose! Apparently she strikes fear in the heart of people who love their guns, which, I'll admit, is a bit amusing. But, still not me.

2. There is a photographer in Kansas City named Rebecca Peters who has gorgeous photos! If I ever have need of a professional photog, perhaps I'll consider her. Or is that too weird? :) Haha!

3. Apparently I forgot to check back with YogaDork's giveaway in July, and apparently I'm one of the two winners of Stephanie Syman's "The Subtle Body: The Story of Yoga!" Woot! I'll post a review of the book as soon as I read it. Yay for more yoga books!

Music in Classes

2010-09-25T10:56:00.000-05:00

I love to use music when I teach classes! I'll sometimes use ambient-sounding music, or kirtan music, or occasionally music with English lyrics (although not that often). However, the few times I have not used it at all during a class (not by choice), I've realized how much more hyper-aware I am of my own voice; it's like a totally different experience of teaching! It's almost like music is "holding part of the space" for me, or something. It was a realization I had this morning that I really need to investigate the power of silence in my classes... Music can help students relax and get into their bodies, and I certainly vary the volume of the music, but up until now, I've never deliberately incorporated complete silence into a class. Of course there are periods of time when I'm not speaking about the experience, but instead allow students to feel without overthinking, but typically even that space contains a little bit of music. Very intriguing! This first year of teaching is surprising me every day! I just passed the one year mark of teaching yoga and I'm still learning so much about it and about myself in the process of teaching. I know that I will continue to learn about yoga throughout my life, and that is such a wonderful feeling!

In other news, my Yak Bob trailer has arrived! Let the toting begin! It's supposed to carry 70 lbs., but I doubt I'll need that many groceries at once!

Time to Slow Down, for today at least!

2010-09-16T15:38:00.000-05:00

I woke up with a wicked sore throat this morning. I called in sick to work and slept in until noon. I had been shorting my sleep the last few weeks and busy-ness caught up with me! So, I'm on my third cup of tea realizing that I don't remember the last time I had a "me day." You know, nothing but things I want to do all day long! I ate loads of pineapple, downloaded the Marina and the Diamonds album on iTunes, and have been contemplating security and change. As soon as I post this blog, I'm finally diving into the last Harry Potter book, for the third? time! The movie is coming out soon and there's no way I'll be able to avoid spoilers beyond that point!

Dave expressed again how much he wants us to move to Louisville to live closer to his family. I'm excited about the prospect of a new town since I've lived here for eight years now, the longest I've ever lived anywhere. But, my massage practice is picking up and I'm really enjoying teaching yoga here. Oh, and the day job helps financially, of course. I still feel the pull of potential here, and it seems like Dave is ready to move to the next town. A good part of that is the rockiness of his business here. We saw pretty good business early on, but it's been so up and down the last few years, he's losing his passion for it. And really, I think that's the most important part of owning a business - you've got to believe in it. He also longs to be near his family, since they all moved here about ten years ago and have slowly been moving elsewhere as their families grew. I totally get that... So perhaps we'll be moving in the near future - no sooner than a year I'd guess though.

The other option we are considering is Minneapolis. Several of his siblings live there and my family is a few hours away. Both towns have several lovely yoga centers (as far as I can tell from their various websites), and Kentucky offers reciprocity for my massage license. Minnesota has city and county licensing, rather than state-wide.

In other news, I just got a call that my Yak Bob trailer for my bike is in! I'm heading to go pick it up! Yay for eco transportation!

Sunrise Yoga Days 20-21

2010-08-24T18:02:00.000-05:00

Good practices both days. For the final day, we had a ceremony afterwards where everyone stood in two lines, holding candles, and each person took turns walking down the center of the lines and made eye contact with each person, acknowledging the shared journey. At the end of the line the teacher stood to put cooling sandalwood paste on each student's forehead and then I used a flower to splash them with water containing a few drops of water from India. I really drenched people though! I broke the stem of the flower while splashing the first person! The teacher asked me to be the "drencher" since I have participated in this Sunrise Adventure for all five years, and because I teach at that studio. It took about 45 minutes for everyone to go through the line, and then afterwards we all went to breakfast at the Main Squeeze. It's always nice to get to chat with new people. I talked to one bubbly lady who might be 50s/60s who somehow brought up that she was a trophy wife and another girl who just finished her PhD, but did not want to talk about it, and another lady who lived in India for some time studying Sivananda yoga, all three of them it seems are without day jobs, mostly by choice. My day is coming. Soon.

Sunrise Yoga Days 16-19

2010-08-20T21:04:00.000-05:00

Tuesday through Friday. Is there really nothing to say? I did miss day 18 but made up the class by attending the 5:30 pm class that evening. The teacher said if it feels the same you aren't paying attention. Hmm. Well, there are times when I drift off - the thought thieves take me away. Although, it is usually yoga-related thoughts. No matter, it is still distraction. We are focusing on drishti points lately and that helps considerably. I love to practice with my eyes closed but eyes open focusing is much harder, but as the teacher says, you live your life with your eyes open!

The song I've been listening to quite a bit lately is Magnificence by Daphne Tse:

It works so well for savasana.

Otto Loves to Lap Water from the Tub

2010-08-16T22:09:00.000-05:00

He is not alone. Apparently there are many cats that love this crazy behavior! Just check YouTube for evidence.

Sunrise Yoga Days 13-15

2010-08-16T21:43:00.000-05:00

Saturday morning my dad, cousin, and boyfriend came to my 9 AM class. I taught a slower, deep stretch flow. I really appreciated how open they were to the experience. My dad is interested in a video of the class. I would like to make a video of the class I taught.

Sunday we did the first part of the practice up to the kapalabhati pranayama practice and then were led in Ram chants for the rest of the class. I enjoy chanting, although I often have the experience of forgetting how to speak during the chant. It's like I forget how to make the words with my mouth and I'm just making sounds.

Today's class was good. It cooled off about ten degrees yesterday and so today's practice was far less moist. That's ok. I was running a bit late and walked in around 6:01. I always try to set an example for the other students by arriving early.

I've been thinking lately about growth as a teacher as it relates to teaching at one or multiple studios. I mean, I "get" the idea of being loyal to a studio for it's financial security, but what about my growth as a teacher? It seems like a delicate balance to cultivate students' interest in my classes while trying to determine how much and where I should teach. Should I try to build one class, then the next, then the next, or try to build three at a time? Ultimately, expecting students to all go to one class is more "work" for them - they must first know of the location, of me, and have that time of day work for them. However if I have multiple locations and times, I have a better chance of reaching more people. And of course, the more I teach, the better of a teacher I become, further quickening (possibly) the likelihood of building the class(es).

Ultimately it would be marvelous if students were not so attached to the teachers themselves, but instead were attached to the experiences of their own yoga practice. It would be wonderful for students to "go with the flow" and accept whichever teacher is teaching on a given day. But, ultimately that's not where most students are at. Even myself, I sometimes have preferences for teachers. There is a sense of knowing what kind of experience to expect.

So all of that being said, do I cultivate an attachment in my students to "my" class? Or not? I am working toward building yoga classes to help me transition away from my day job and into a wellness-centered work life. Is that so bad? I fully accept that my life is what it is right now, but I also fully believe that I could be spending my time in a more fulfilling way - in a way that is doing more good in the world.

Sunrise Yoga Days 9-12

2010-08-13T13:05:00.003-05:00

Well, confession time. I DID go to yoga all four classes for days 9-12 this week, however, my sleep schedule was crap! I stayed up late and have really felt it! Zombie Becky!

Today's practice was great. Windows open again. I do enjoy the humidity! Another great baddha konasana whoosh. After class as I pulled into the driveway at home, a song I haven't heard in about ten years popped on the radio - Jimmy Eat World's "The Middle" - and I just started crying happy tears because my life is so much fuller now than it was then. The song is all about how "everything is gonna be alright." I warn you, if you YouTube it, the video is absolutely stupid, but the song is great.

I had two mini photoshoots this week too! On Tuesday, the director of alleyCat Yoga wanted to take a few shots of yoga poses in identifiable places in Columbia for some marketing materials, then last night, a Facebook friend wanted to take some shots of my massage office. That was very fun! I'll have new photos up on my massage website in the next few weeks: www.BelleluneMassage.com.

Well, about one hour from now my family will be here to visit. My dad and cousin (and sister, if she knows what's good for her) will be here and will be taking my yoga class tomorrow morning. I'm very excited about that! It should be a good weekend indeed!

Sunrise Yoga Day 8

2010-08-09T07:55:00.002-05:00

So, I missed sunrise yoga days 6, 7 since I was in KC in case anyone is keeping track of the posts! :)

Today's practice was good. I got very warm today; with the windows open it was a bit moist in the studio. I'm still really digging baddha konasana. We are given the choice of forward folding postures just before savasana, and I almost always pick BK.

My right psoas is still very sore from Friday night's Prana Flow class. Gina taught instead of Simon, as his flight was delayed, pushing the weekend workshops back a bit. I do feel grateful that I can drive out to KC to take classes with Gina and others at Kansas Siddhi Yoga every 6-8 weeks. I really feel the most at home in the flow style of yoga.

A funny result of my traveling on occasional weekends is that my boyfriend has the opportunity to watch all the zombie movies he wants! I really can't stand horror movies and even the zombie movies that are trying to be funny really gross me out. So, we always watch movies that we both like whenever we're together. I have done some compromising too - I do watch the superhero movies he likes! Dave watched Zombieland and Kick-Ass this weekend.

All of the driving this weekend did give me the opportunity to listen to a good chunk of Eat, Pray, Love on CD. I am hoping to finish it by this weekend when the movie comes out.

Ah, Sunday.

2010-08-08T17:48:00.001-05:00

Well, I'm back from KC, for the second time this weekend. I had a little drama on Saturday requiring me to drive back to Columbia, then back to KC today for the final workshop. Ok, so "requiring" might be a stretch. I got an email that sent my mind spinning. So, this turn of events sent my mind spinning into all of the other things that have been bothering me lately that I have just buried down deep because they have gotten in the way of my productivity... or something. THAT was the major surprise of the weekend - I really thought I was pretty in touch with my emotions, but my revelation was that I am in touch with them... when it's convenient!

So, although it meant missing out on a few workshops this weekend, I went home to Columbia to really sit with my emotions, marinate in them, and get through it. Several hours later, I decided "dammit, I'm getting back on the river!" and made my way back to KC this morning for the final workshop. I felt guilty at first for being so withdrawn, but you know, it was exactly what I needed to do. No matter how inconvenient it was.

I am so grateful for this style of yoga that I practice - flow - because it really helps to navigate the terrain of life! Shit happens, then you just get back on the boat and row.

Sunrise Yoga Day 5

2010-08-06T09:12:00.000-05:00

Ah. I will be missing two days of the sunrise adventure, tomorrow and Sunday. I'm really enjoying the morning practice! Tomorrow's practice will be at 9 am as part of the workshops in KC, so I am going to treat myself by sleeping in. Hopefully that is a good idea... I've done surprisingly well with my 4:30 AM and 8:30 PM wake and sleep times, but man, would I love to not rely on an alarm clock!

Sunrise Yoga Day 4

2010-08-05T11:06:00.000-05:00

Wow. Baddha Konasana rocks. Our sunrise class begins with BK and today I decided to end with it before savasana. I felt this great waving sensation as I came out of the pose that I can only describe as a whooshing.

There's a humidity in the air that makes everything moist this time of year, even though it was only in the 80's after class at 7:30 this morning. When I'm well-hydrated it doesn't bother me, yet another reason to keep drinking water! The teacher keeps the windows open during class. I prefer that to fans.

I'm looking forward to the beginning of the Simon Park workshops tomorrow. Gotta go shopping tonight for food to bring along for the weekend. I'm staying at a friend's home, someone who did the teacher training with me last year, but her husband decided to take them camping so she won't be attending the workshop after all, but she said I could still stay at her house. So I will be there with her Siamese cat, George. They have a back yard though! Hooping extravaganza will commence! Or, just hooping practice, to be more accurate. I haven't gotten much practice in since May's workshop.

Sunrise Yoga Day 3

2010-08-04T07:39:00.018-05:00

For some reason almost all day yesterday, I was dealing with some anger that I couldn't quite place. I'm sure it had to do with a frustrated reaction to something in my life, rather than just choosing to react with contentment and let events unfold as they will... but I was NOT hearing that yesterday! Whew!

So in lovely contrast, I'm just peachy today. Practice was good this morning. Occasionally people will compliment me on my poses. So, in the past I would come back with some self deprecating comment to "level the playing field" so to speak, but I don't really do that any more. I always feel like I have my "teacher hat" on now and want to talk about how for me, balancing my flexibility with strength is the most challenging part of yoga. I may have pretty good flexibility, but ask me to do full chaturanga dandasana, and whoa nellie, I'm shakin! Basically, we all have our strengths, just as we all have our challenges. But, for some reason, THOSE words never come to me at the moment someone is complimenting me. Guh!

The ride to the studio was pretty quiet, but I did meet a few more cars. It really amazes me that people speed up to pass me, only to stop at the stop light in front of us (that was red when they started to pass, by the way)! Such as it is.

I just heard about a band called the Dharma Gypsys, thanks to Sarah. I will definitely be incorporating some of their album "Volume One: Music for Yoga, Meditation, and General House Cleaning" into my classes tout de suite! Also, I recently came upon an artist named Girish who I love and have been teaching to. iTunes is so helpful!

Sunrise Yoga Day 2

2010-08-03T08:47:00.000-05:00

Class incorporated more standing poses today. I 'm really noticing my QL tightness in side bends as well. I need to do more of them. I enjoyed pranayama again today; I remember so many times in previous years nodding off during kapalabhati, if you can believe that! I think getting up at 4:30 is really helping!

Sunrise Yoga Day 1

2010-08-02T07:35:00.001-05:00

Well I made it to bed on time last night, but I could have sworn I didn't fall asleep until Dave came to bed, probably a few hours later. But, I woke up at 4:25 AM just before my alarm, so I must have been well rested, or excited, or both. I wasn't very hungry yet, so I just had some pineapple and tea. I think I confused my habitual cat, Otto, since I was up so early. He'll get used to it.

As I rode my bike to the studio, the traffic lights were blinking and I don't think I met another car, until I got closer to the studio. I was completely loaded down with my purse, my heavy manduka, a bag containing my lunch and work clothes, and my bike lock. I think I will stop by the bike shop tonight and check out bike trailers!

We started, as we do each year, with a general explanation of what we will be doing over the 21 days - working up to about a 30 pose sequence with time for up to 48 kapalabhati expulsions for each of 15 hand mudras (720 forceful exhales). Yay pranayama! I so need to incorporate more of it in my classes and my own practice. I forget so easily how powerful it is.

Random side note, typing is really impossible immediately after yoga practice. I can not tell you how many times I'm typing random letters that don't belong in these words, only to backspace until my pinky is sore! Perhaps it is due to the 90 second savasana today. Somehow the teacher ran out of time for savasana today and I'm really feeling it! I think I'll take ten minutes for savasana at lunch today.

21 Day Sunrise Yoga Starts tomorrow!

2010-08-01T18:25:00.000-05:00

Ahh. New beginnings. They are so addictive and seemingly full of promise! Tomorrow I begin the 5th annual 21-day Sunrise Yoga series at alleyCat yoga. The asana sequencing is based in Kripalu sequencing, and is often approximately the same sequence each year. I can't help but be excited, even though absolutely NOTHING is stopping me from getting up to have a full practice that early now! I do a basic gentle practice in the mornings as part of my "wake up" routine, but not a full 75-90 minute practice. I will admit that the idea of it is appealing to me, but so is snoozing! In order to make it to the studio for a 6 am practice, I will begin rising at 4:30 instead of 5:30/6 ish, and will be keeping a 8:30 pm bed time. That will be the most challenging for me - going to bed so early. My boyfriend and I do so love watching movies at that hour.

I welcome the change in my life, because it's important. I teach my students to accept change in their lives as a natural part of the flow of life, but at some point, unless I'm doing the same, the words become empty. It makes me think of santosha, or contentment. Santosha is one of the ethical precepts in yoga where we actively practice contentment in our lives, regardless of circumstances. We accept that life is happening, whether to our benefit or not. We actively choose contentment. Our reaction is a choice rather than an instantaneous thing we can't control. There is a temporal "space" between event and reaction where we observe and choose how to react. Time slows, and doesn't exist.

I can't help but wonder how I will feel after 21 days of rising at 4:30 and going to bed at 8:30. My boyfriend is not interested in that schedule! Boo. To each, his/her own, I guess! I also wonder how I will feel after 21 days of a consistent asana practice. I would say that I have an asana practice (beyond a few morning stretches) probably only 4-5 times a week now. The sunrise yoga program will also include learning 15 hand mudras to use during the kapalabhati pranayam.

So, I will try to be content to let each day unfold without clinging to any expectations for particular results. We'll see how this goes! :)

Taught Deep Stretch Tonight

2010-07-08T21:50:00.015-05:00

I taught my Thursday Deep Stretch for Dancers class at the belly dance studio tonight. We typically focus on hip flexibility in preparation for splits. This class is much more "goal oriented" than any of my other classes. It's interesting to teach in a dance studio. I have a tentative non-"om"-ing policy. But I'm not sure I want to stick to that. It just feels so natural for me to chant om at the end of a class, and sometimes at the beginning. So... what to do? Because ultimately, I'm a conduit of the wondrousness of yoga... it's not about what I want. But, am I being authentic? That's what resonates with me here... Maybe they'd be cool with it?

Ah Rain! Lunar Practice it is!

2010-07-07T20:38:00.000-05:00

Tonight it poured rain just like a few days ago. So much rain that we have to take new routes home whenever we drive, carefully avoiding the lowest intersections. I felt like a slow, lunar, deep stretch practice tonight. The rain puts me in the mood for pigeon and the like. I practiced the 40 minute hip opening flow on Shiva's Fluid Power disc and another 25 minutes of headstand, handstand, various twists, and supported baddha konasana before a 10 min savasana.

Ahh! Worlds Colliding! Or, I'm going to teach my co-workers yoga!

2010-07-06T22:54:00.000-05:00

Well, next week I begin teaching my co-workers yoga! Whee! I'm teaching two six-week sessions, both on Tuesdays; the first is 4:15-5 pm, and the second is immediately following: 5:15-6 pm. Different offices in our building are on "summer hours" so some people are done working at 4 pm, others at 5 pm. Anyway! I've got about ten people in each section. I'm really excited to share something I love so much with people I spend oodles of time with. Therein lies the challenge, I think... For some, it will be their first exposure to practicing yoga, for others, I teach them at AlleyCat semi-regularly. I'm hopeful (but trying not to be too attached to the idea that) they will love yoga too! I am planning classes that focus on opening the front body and strengthening the back, as the students will almost all be office workers. Hip openers will be frequent too!

My practice tonight was an hour practice on Shiva Rea's Fluid Power DVD called "creative flow." There were certainly some creative namaskars and Kalari practicies that I really enjoyed. I really love the spontaneity in Shiva's classes. I hope to study with her some day! The general plan is to get my RYT-500 through her Samudra Global School of Living Yoga, sometime in the next 5-10 years. We'll see!

YOGATHON!

2010-06-29T12:41:00.000-05:00

I got a call from a yoga studio in Jeff City the other day asking me to teach at their annual yogathon. Each year they hold a one-day yoga festival of sorts for a particular charity. Last year it was to fund at-risk teens in Uganda, and this year it is in support of the American Heart Association.

With so many classes to choose from, there's something for everyone!

Suggested donation is $30 for the whole day. Location is Wilson's Fitness Downtown Studio in Jefferson City, MO. Date: July 24th! Hope to see you there!

Here is the schedule and contact info directly from Facebook:

Join teachers from mid-Missouri at Wilson's Fitness Downtown Studio for a day of FUN, and HEART HEALTHY EXERCISE, RELAXATION, AND FOOD! All money raised goes directly to The American Heart Association.

8am - 8:30am Registration (We welcome early registration prior to July 24th. Please call Wilson's Fitness Downtown at 634-3036)

8:30am - 8:55am Welcome and Group Sun-Salutes (Don't know what Sun-Salutes are? No worries. We will teach you this very simple series of stretches to warm up the body and prepare your heart for bliss!)

9am - 9:50am PILATES! ( exercises for the core taught safely and with mindfullness to the lower back)taught by Tracie Matthews, and POISE, POSTURE, AND PERFECTION! (Stand Tall with grace, learn to align your body with muscular action) taught by Curtis Sudduth

10am - 10:50am KUNDALINI!(Yoga, with a twist! Open up your Chakras and your soul!) taught by Megan Sappington

11am - 11:50am *OH MY ACHING BACK!* (yoga for those of us with lower back issues) taught by Alberta Mobley, and VINYASA FLOW YOGA (Meditation through movement) taught by Rebecca Peters

12pm - 12:50pm HULA HOOPING! (Try something new with an amazing teacher that's all over the news!!)taught by Lois Bennett, and BELLY DANCING! (these women will get your belly moving in ways you never imagined!)taught by Gaylen Rich-Carver and Cassie Lentz

1pm-1:45pm Restorative Deep Relaxation Yoga (Indulge in a deep relaxative state, similar to a trance...) taught by Jennifer Heintz

1:45pm - 3pm LUNCH! A vegetarian and Heart-Healthy lunch provided by Hy-Vee.

ALSO: HENNA TATTOOS provided by artists Katherine Van Zandt and Meghan Woolbright! ORGANIC SNACKS provided by Margo Jakobi of Happy Heart Snacks! FREE SKIN CANCER SCREENINGS provided by Dr. Angel Allen, AND MORE!!!
Tickets include all classes, extras, plus lunch: Minimum Donation of $30 per person.

SUPPORT AN AMAZING ORGANIZATION, STUDY WITH INCREDIBLE TEACHERS, LEARN SOMETHING NEW, AND HAVE FUN!!!

For More Info, contact Rene' Harden at 634-3036 or Megan Sappington at 353-2417.

Would you like to be a nomad? Yes, please.

2010-06-18T19:14:00.000-05:00

Last week my brother visited me randomly. He drives a semi truck between stints overseas in the Middle East, and was driving through Columbia on his way back home to South Dakota. He called me just as I was getting out of a yoga class I was teaching, so I had some time to go meet him. He had to park in a wal-mart parking lot, as there was no way his truck was going to fit in our tiny driveway. A normal-sized truck can barely fit! It was pouring rain, so I drove my boyfriend's car up to wal-mart instead of biking. Mostly we just talked about what it's like to drive for a profession, and how he hopes to own his own truck some day. We didn't talk about politics, of course, as we seem to be polar opposites. It's not usually productive to go there! He could only stay for 30 minutes, then back on the road again!

Each time I see my brother (since it happens so infrequently), I'm very aware of the passage of time. I notice how his voice has much more of a northern accent. I remember my family members as having a certain appearance, sound, etc... and then when reality is different, I'm reminded of how easy it is to compartmentalize information I don't use on a daily basis. I don't see my family members very often, so information about them often gets "stored" and doesn't get "updated" very often, unfortunately. So, soon, I need to go visit! It will likely be September before I can get up there.

As much as I try to be anchored in the present, I still dream of a day when I can have a more mobile job. A job that is less specific to one location. I like the idea of having a "home base" but having the freedom to travel to far-off lands. Of course this fantasy includes a non-planet-harming version of air travel which, may not yet exist. In this fantasy, I have loads of time for teaching yoga, doing massage, and exploring the world. World explorer, that's my title. My boyfriend is WAY into video games, and it seems the only ones I can get in to are those that allow me to travel to imaginary places with blue and purple landscapes and exotic animals like hydras and murlocs.

I frequently look at tinyhouseblog.com and dream of tiny living arrangements without loads of crap that I have now. My 37 wal-mart bags of books would need to be pared down a tad. I would love to visit this beautiful country and many others before they are buried in plastic.

Facing Fears, aka going to the Simon Park weekend in KC!

2010-06-03T11:20:00.001-05:00

Well, I love yoga. That much is obvious. I'm not going to say that arm balances are my nemesi, but... I fear most of them. So, what is a yogini to do? Go to a workshop, of course!

My teacher training studio is hosting Simon Park August 6th - 8th.

This is the agenda, taken directly from Kansas Siddhi Yoga's webpage:

FRIDAY AUGUST 6 | 6:00-8:00pm |
Prana Flow: Energetic Vinyasa - Experience the latest evolution of Prana Flow: Dynamic asana, creative flows, and integrated pranayama as a moving meditation that will tune and tone you from the inside out while giving you the tools for navigating life's changes with grace, power, and confidence. We will explore several vinyasa waves of multi-dimensional sequences-intelligently unfolding an evolution of movement meditation, fluid namaskars, backbends, arm balances and hip opening to understand the underlying flow of prana.

SATURDAY AUGUST 7 | 9:00-11:30am |
Jai Hanuman! Inversions and Arm-Balances - Handstands and inversions are empowering mudras that embody the best qualities of Hanuman, the archetypal heroic monkey: courage, fearless flying, pranic body of power, agility and light. Learn a pathway of flows within a powerful Vinyasa Flow workshop that guides you into the movement patterns that connect you to the core cultivation of prana so that you can evolve to enjoying handstand in the center of the room with creative energy and empowered vitality.

SATURDAY AUGUST 7 | 2:00-5:00pm |
Artful Assists for Vinyasa Teachers - Designed for teachers and students, we will practice assists practical for teaching Vinyasa Yoga. A skillful touch has the power to transport your students to a whole new level of awareness. What could take you years to understand in your body could just take one precise, effective, supportive enhancement from a well-trained teacher. We will also explore how Thai Massage can be a great complement to Yoga assisting.

SUNDAY AUGUST 8 | 10:00-12:30pm |
Liquid Flow (Slow Vinyasa and Restoratives) - Yoga To Restore Your Prana! Enjoy a slowly developing, flowing sequence of postures that are restorative in nature, yet heart-opening as well. Practice in a way that creates space in the joints and spine, and calms the nervous system. The movements are similar to the way tai-chi is practiced; slow, methodical and meditative. We will fluidly work toward deep hip-openers, liberating backbends, and quiet forward bends. Restorative, supported inversions complete this thoroughly re-energizing experience.

This is going to be so fun!

Idealizing the practice

2010-06-02T13:06:00.000-05:00

The other day a student was remarking how he doesn't want to "waste" his class pass on days when he doesn't feel up to an asana practice by coming to class anyway. This got me thinking about idealization of our practice and the need to evaluate everything as "good" or "bad."

I didn't press the "why" of his remark, so the following are strictly my ponderings. What if the idea of practicing when we aren't in the mood is somehow rejecting reality? Rejecting where we are at today, physically, emotionally, etc... If we idealize what a yoga practice "should" be, we miss out on the juiciness! It becomes a challenge to practice despite a feeling of resistance or tiredness, or just not being in the mood. It makes the practice more real and alive to find freedom in the discipline of daily practice. And I don't necessarily mean daily asana practice... although it could be... moreso I mean daily awareness practice, whether that is asana, meditation, other movement practices, or deep breathing especially when stress arises. The yoga (in it's fullest sense of the word) practice becomes so much bigger than the sum of the individual practices when it becomes a way of life, something regular enough to grow from being something we pepper our lives with to a habit to something as necessary as food and water.

Hooping!

2010-05-21T12:56:00.002-05:00

I took a two hour hooping class on Saturday and loved every minute of it! I even have my very own pink and black hoop. Holy crap is this fun! And, a perfect partner practice to yoga. Hooping is very much about finding flow, not over-thinking, and adaptability. I found this wonderful video on www.HoopCity.ca about this very connection. I had no idea hooping could be so fun and inform my yoga practice so much! And, I've only been hooping for six days! HoopCity is also a social networking site for hoopers and has so many resources for online classes. The second video is another hooping video that makes me tear up each time I watch it! The hooper in the video is the moderator for HoopCity and she leads many of the online classes.

Projects, Projects, Projects!

2010-04-30T17:57:00.000-05:00

First of all, I am very excited about the online Bhagavad Gita discussion led by Bob Weisenberg of Yoga Demystified! This is a link to the Facebook group. I think I read the Gita in college.... maybe ten years ago? But, I never got around to reading it during my yoga teacher training last year, and have been wanting to! My short term memory is so much better than long term for many things, so it will be like reading it for the first time! So, yay! I love group book discussions! And I love the exclamation point! (I often say explanation point...which, in some ways, is almost accurate!)

And, the bike helmet project is underway. I never got to the bike shop a few weeks ago, but it is on the list for tomorrow. I'm imagining something in purple...

Tomorrow I start my five-week (9-10 AM Saturdays in May) Into to Vinyasa Flow workshop at AlleyCat Yoga here in Columbia, Missouri. I'm super pumped about that! On the agenda for tomorrow's class is a short history of vinyasa flow, a review of ujjayi pranayama, a short flow sequence ~30 mins, and a lovely 10 min savasana.

It's rainy here and my cat Otto von Gottotron knows what to do!

Blimey, Time to Buy a Bike Helmet

2010-04-09T07:15:00.006-05:00

Ok, so I'll admit that my ego is a little unchecked when it comes to riding my bike. I mean, how can you not feel immortal when you experience the freedom of zooming on your bike? Seriously? I always feel like I pay tons of attention to cars and pedestrians when I'm riding, and don't ride on super-busy streets. So, so far, I have not prioritized getting a bike helmet. That's really what it's about, prioritization. I'm not against helmets. Or safety. I guess I just haven't perceived riding without a helmet as unsafe.

Well, three days ago I was stopped at a stop light (on my bike) and another biker rolled up next to me and asked me if I had a helmet. I said something non-committal like "no, but I've been meaning to get one." To which he says "well, if you break this one (pointing to his helmet), you've still got another skull." And he rides off! I was hit and run guilt-tripped! I thought about this brief encounter for hours after.

I'm amazed by people who can get straight to their point without apology. I really mean that. There were equal parts guilt and concern in his voice. I think you have to get the right mix when delivering a message; too much of that or not enough of this; then you've got inaction on the part of your recipient. So even though I admired the potency of his words, my ego was a little bruised at being told what to do... or something. Checking my ego is one of my biggest off-the-mat challenges!

So I'm off to the bike shop to check out helmets. I'll post a pic when I get one.

Dinacharya and the Doshas

2010-04-02T13:27:00.000-05:00

While in my teacher training, I learned a little about ayurveda, and specifically about the concept of dinacharya, or daily ritual/routine. We were given a list of around eleven tasks to complete each morning. These tasks comprised an "average" dinacharya practice. Immediately I thought how the hell am I going to get all this done in the morning?!? I slowly added a few at a time, now my basic practice is as follows:

1. Awaken by 6 AM and immediately connect with a sense of gratitude for my good health and good fortune (disconnect from Uh... it's MORNING)

2. Drink a glass of warm water or tea

3. Use the loo (yes, I say loo and I'm not English... my boss laughs at this.)

4. Do a full-body dry-brushing. Dry brushing is seriously invigorating!

5. Brush my teeth.

6. Abhyanga (warm oil massage); marinate in the oil around 15 mins. You will seriously feel pampered if you massage yourself every day, I tell you what!

7. Shower

8. 15-30 mins gentle yoga to lubricate my joints

That's really about it, folks. Including the yoga, it takes up to an hour.

Probably the most well-known aspect of ayurveda is the doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. You see quizes all over the internet... what dosha are you?!? This is the super distilled version, but vatas tend to be airy, thin, neurotic; pittas tend to have medium builds, fiery tempers and warm bodies; kaphas tend to have oilier skin, more mellow in temperment, and have large eyes and body frames. From what I've learned, most people have a dominance in two of the three. If you are interested in learning more about the doshas, you can take the quiz here. I only gave a few characteristics, but the quiz is more detailed. And there are more quizes than just that one.

Another aspect of daily ritual in ayurveda is that the three doshas dominate certain times of the day. Vata rules 2AM-6AM and 2PM-6PM; Pitta rules 10AM-2PM and 10PM-2AM; and Kapha rules 6AM-10AM and 6PM-10PM. This is why it is best to rise during Vata time and go to bed before Pitta time begins.

I should note that I am not an ayurvedic scholar by any sense of the term, so none of the info here should be deemed ayurvedic advice. It's merely an explanation of things I've learned from teachers and books.

Fear

2010-03-03T13:23:00.000-06:00

Well, I've had the flu for a few days. I don't get sick that often, but whenever I do, I try to find ways to slow down in my life. Usually the mad pace has much more to do with procrastination than actual busy-ness. I think... I work in various capacities probably 60 hours a week, and while this is much more than I'd like, it's not the insane hours many doctors and others keep. Comparisons aside, it feels like too many hours for me, so perhaps that's the point.

So, this particular cold/flu/whatever entailed a bit of DayQuil/NyQuil and the occasional decongestant. I always take less than I think I need, in some attempt to strengthen my immune system. Oh, and loads of vitC-heavy cough drops! As much as I detest the taste of liquid medicine, I fear pills. One morning in February of 2005, I needed a decongestant (maybe even for a cold?) and so I took one (not a tiny one), but it got stuck in my throat. I could still manage thin wheezing for breath. I lived alone at the time, so I tried to calm myself down by playing my piano as the pill dissolved in my throat. I reasoned that if my stress level was high, I was probably clenching the very muscles I needed to release anyway. It ended up taking 45 minutes for the pill to dissolve enough for me to drink some water. Ever since that day, I haven't taken any pills larger than a tiny red decongestant without first crushing them in my pill crusher.

So now, I have a (probably) irrational fear of taking pills. What to do about it? Thus far, I've done nothing. But as I study yoga more and more, I want to face my fears. For example, I did a cannonball in a pool in August (I also can't swim - with the exception of floating on my back). I heard once that fear is False Evidence of Apparent Reality. That's an interesting way to look at it. It's all a matter of perspective.

So what, dear reader, are you afraid of? Or, what fears have you overcome by virtue of this glorious yoga practice?

Short and Sweet Monday Practice

2010-01-25T12:55:00.018-06:00

I just did a short and sweet vinyasa practice over my lunch hour: 30 mins from Yogaglo.com. I love how a short practice over lunch usually means I can forgo coffee in the afternoon! Sure, I can often do that anyway, but often I don't get enough sleep and I rely on coffee to perk me up. Neti neti, I know...

I love hearing how other teachers teach poses and flows; it informs my own practice and teaching, especially when I find that I explain certain movements with the same words too often.

I am much busier than can be sustained. That much I can see all too clearly. I want to spend more time on my own practice and writing classes, but I have to go to my day job to pay the bills. So, my business (massage and yoga) will have to grow at a gradual pace, and I've got to be less insistent for it to "get here already!"

I've spent far too much energy being angry at my day job for existing, when the reality is that I got myself in to a decent amount of debt in my 20s, so I've got to get myself out of it by working hard. I'm so ready to let go of the resistance and frustration! The more energy I spend on fruitless frustration, the less I have for practice, writing classes, and enjoying life!

So, good riddance to frustration over "unfairness" at work. Since when was life going to be fair? (I know darn well when that ideology started for me - high school! - straight A student and first chair in band, hello!). It certainly isn't for most people on this planet... It's been such a hangup for me for most of my life that I expect life to be fair. But finally I want to let that go. Let go of the attachment to an ideal that results in so much suffering.

Yogaglo.com

2010-01-19T19:27:00.000-06:00

I have been practicing with yogaglo.com lately because I haven't made as much time to get to the studio to practice. I really enjoy YogaGlo, even though I believe it is much better to practice with a teacher who can enhance your poses or teach you things you can't learn in a podcast.

I really encourage people to get yoga where they can, and not insist on studio or bust. In our modern lives we have so many things going on that we need to fit yoga in where we can and not chastise ourselves for not attending a studio class every day.

Do what you can. All is coming.

No Teaching Tonight

2010-01-06T20:00:00.022-06:00

I cancelled class tonight - mucho snow! For this area anyway. My family lives in South Dakota, so they laugh at our 5-6 inches. Ha! It was nice to sit on the couch and watch the snow fall with my cat.

Tonight I practiced the 60 min class I taught on Sunday, with a peak pose of agnistambhasana. Vinyasa Flow is still new for many students at AlleyCat, so I do wonder what they think. AlleyCat is a Kripalu studio, and even though I believe the various styles are more overlapping than mutually-exclusive, I personally had a "wow, this is different" experience whenever I first took a vinyasa flow class.

Tuesday: WoYo day 5

2010-01-05T22:20:00.000-06:00

I practiced the primary series of Ashtanga tonight. I got loads of sleep last night and really felt like I got rested. I'm still pretty new to the primary series, but I do enjoy it. I don't bind in most of the maris, but that's ok. It's so fun to carve out substantial time each day for practice.

Monday Monday

2010-01-04T19:40:00.001-06:00

I got up and did a few rounds of Dancing Warrior 2 before work. That was all the yoga I could squeeze in today. I really love to flow in my practice.

WoYo Day 3

2010-01-03T19:35:00.001-06:00

Well, I did a short sun salute practice this morning. I just didn't have much time! Eeks! I've got to make time!

This evening I taught at 4 PM. We have community classes on Sundays at AlleyCat where we charge $5/class. That usually means the classes are larger! There were 19 people! I felt like there was a good mix of ages and levels. It's really important to me to make it fun for everyone, so I tend to make it somewhat challenging but encourage people to take breaks whenever necessary. I think it's challenging to teach the idea that as long as they are present and breathing that they are participating fully. That is my challenge: to convey that truth!

Saturday

2010-01-02T21:57:00.000-06:00

Today is day two of WoYoPracMo. Getting up this morning at 5:30 was tough. I'd gone to bed late last night, zooming everywhere errand-running until 12:30 AM. My boyfriend worked the late shift at his business, and so he was ready to go home at 7:30 AM, so after picking him up and dropping him off at home to sleep, I zoomed over to the yoga studio to crank up the heat. We keep the studio at 64 degrees Fahrenheit overnight, and so I only had an hour to heat it up to 77 before my 9 AM class. I generally don't do well with cold temperatures; it was -2 this morning, so I was glad to finally arrive at the studio and start to practice my sequence. It was a smaller class and I decided to speed up portions of the dancing warriors and add in chaturangas so that we could build more heat.

My practice tonight was mellow and lunar. I did a few rounds of chandra namaskar and a short improvised hip opening sequence with a long held pigeon. My body is feeling sore today, probably from too little rest and zooming around this weekend. I needed a gentler, nurturing practice tonight.

New Year's Day

2010-01-01T21:00:00.001-06:00

I taught this morning at 10 AM, seven students, four of them new to my classes. I love having new people! I am still very new at teaching (about four months), so I find that my comfort level at really taking my seat as the teacher is growing. Whenever I can "get out of my own way" I teach a much better class. Getting out of my mental chatter about what I'm teaching and saying allows me to tap into the subtleties that are the real juice of what yoga is for me. And THAT is what I want to teach. Not put your arm here, leg there.

I practiced at AlleyCat this evening at 7 PM (90 min class). This particular teacher had spoken about the possibility of shaving her head for the new year, and yes, she did! I was amazed! I've always had long hair myself so I asked her if her head felt lighter. She replied no, not lighter, just more aerodynamic! I think if I were to consider that, it would be like cutting off a limb. I'm super attached to my hair. I don't know if that's a good thing or not. I do recognize the ego attachment aspect. I think this aspect of attachment comes from an internalized desire to be found attractive, as if not having hair would be unattractive. It's very interesting to consider the social cues we internalize about what is good/attractive/worthy.

By the way, she was rockin the shaved head! It's very empowering to see a woman shave her head.

WoYoPracMo

2009-12-30T22:18:00.001-06:00

Well, I just learned about WoYoPracMo, or World Yoga Practice Month. The idea is that you practice yoga every day in January (and beyond, of course). There is a ning site for people seeking fellow yogis: http://woyopracmo.ning.com. I have already signed up and hope to learn lots from my fellow yogis!

Niyamas :: Ishvara Pranidhana

2009-12-27T01:36:00.000-06:00

The final niyama is ishvara pranidhana, or surrender to a higher force, or the idea that we are but a part of something larger, rather than alone. It means to let go of the idea that we are completely in control of everything that happens in our lives and trust in the higher force guiding our lives.

This is a challenging one for me, as I strive to take as much responsibility for my life as possible. I think the two concepts can co-exist. Whether I have control of my life or not, what is important is that I act with responsibility. It is important to behave in ways that support sustainability of the planet's resources and my own resources (time/money/etc).

Niyamas :: Svadhyaya

2009-12-24T08:00:00.001-06:00

Svadhyaya is self-study and study of the yoga texts. I learn about myself in order to understand others and gain a sense my connection with other beings. It's so easy to get wrapped up in the story of my life, so if I don't take time for reflection and study, I feel more isolated from others. When my asana practice is consistent and I am meditating regularly, I feel so much more part of something larger. I have also lately noticed a general calm feeling that increases the more "yogic" my life is. My tendency when life gets crazy is to load up on coffee and stop practicing yoga. The result is of course jitteriness, but beyond that I have an anxiety that incapacitates. I'm only recently becoming more aware of this subtle feeling. It's really amazing what a little time on my mat can do for any anxiety I might have.

Niyamas :: Tapas

2009-12-22T01:14:00.000-06:00

Tapas refers to disciplining the body and keeping it in good condition. I practice asana most days, but it is frequently just thrown into small openings in my schedule, rather than something for which I carve out time. I would like to change that in the coming year (and in the last week of this year too!). I seek to set a time for my yoga practice each day. I'm thinking 6 AM will work. Now to get up that early every day! I have periods in my life when early rising is easy. Not so much when I'm super busy and stressed out..

Niyamas :: Santosha

2009-12-19T11:55:00.009-06:00

Santosha refers to contentment, finding peace with the situations we find ourselves in. Whether we can do the most "pretzel-y" asanas or find our own versions of poses, we can remember santosha on the mat by finding contentment with the exact place we come to in our poses.

Niyamas :: Saucha

2009-12-17T11:54:00.011-06:00

The niyamas are the second limb of the eight limbs of yoga. They refer to personal observances, or ways we relate to ourselves.

The first niyama is saucha, or cleanliness. I've talked previously about my cluttered home. That's a work in progress! Saucha also means cleanliness of mind and body. This can be challenging! I love to eat healthy, fresh foods, but sometimes the convenience of prepackaged food thwarts my efforts! But, I love my neti pot! As I am prone to sinus infections, I've found that daily use of my neti pot keeps the congestion at bay.

Keeping the mind "clean" is another task entirely. It's so easy to slip into negative self-speak whenever things go wrong, or less than perfectly. I keep in mind that it's always a process!

Primary Series of Ashtanga

2009-12-15T22:00:00.002-06:00

I hadn't practiced my Beryl Birch Power Yoga video in nearly a year, but I did the sequence tonight. It was almost like getting re-acquainted with an old friend. Since my time studying Ashtanga, I practice in a different way, but it was interesting to practice this flow just to see what it might be like. It was a 90 minute class, and although I didn't feel overwhelmed at all by the physical challenge, I did enjoy the frequent adho mukha svanasanas (down dogs).

P.S. The afternoon after (12/16) I did have super sore hamstrings and pecs.

Yamas :: Brahmacharya

2009-12-12T19:00:00.015-06:00

The final yama is brahmacharya, or denial of pleasure, or celibacy. These are some of the definitions, but I have also heard it referred to as the dedication to the divinity of life. Essentially the objective is to avoid being addicted to pleasure because that addiction will eventually cause suffering. Being discerning in our sexual activities and other pleasure-inducing actions allows us to keep focus on the simple joys in life and our higher purpose.

I am an advocate of being radically responsible for one's actions, whether that's not overeating or not being reckless with sexuality. I really enjoy tasting my food and wine rather than inhaling them. So too, I think really being mindful in our activities is an act of brahmacharya as we selectively expend our energy in ways that recognize and highlight the divinity of life.

Yamas :: Aparigraha

2009-12-10T23:59:00.000-06:00

Aparigraha is another yama, referring to non-greediness, or non-possessiveness. This can mean not having more than we need, and also not being so attached to the things we do have.

I have far too many books. Oh how I love them! One of these times I move, I'll have to sell or give away some of my books. I had 37 wal-mart bags full this last time I moved! Mostly paperbacks, some textbooks from college I hope to read again some day, lots of massage therapy texts, yoga books. More than any "thing" in my apartment, I would say I'm the most clingy about my books. I hope to read them all some day, although if there was some way to quantify the amount of time it will take to read them all, I'd probably live several lifetimes before finishing them all!

Yet, even as clingy as I feel about my books, there is a certain lightness toward them. When I imagine letting them go, I think I can do it...

Yamas :: Asteya

2009-12-07T19:00:00.000-06:00

Asteya is one of the yogic yamas, or self-restraints, defined as non-stealing. Not stealing from others seems simple enough, right? What about stealing ideas? Stealing sequences? In teacher training we also learned another way we steal from others - time. If we come late to yoga class and interrupt the beginning of a class, we are stealing from the experience the other students are having. It's almost as if we need to carve time out early enough to make it to class on time. Imagine that! I know, sarcasm is not necessary! I really like the respect aspect of getting to class with ample time. We only have time for that which we MAKE time for!

Yamas :: Satya

2009-12-06T18:30:00.003-06:00

Satya is another ethical precept in yoga, a yama, or self-discipline. Satya refers to truth. Truth in thought and word. What is your truth? What do you conceal with lies or deception? I seek to tell the truth and act from my truth whenever possible. I think for me the biggest barrier to truth is my ego's need for pleasantness, or approval. I seek the truth, even though it is tough!

Yamas :: Ahimsa

2009-12-05T18:00:00.010-06:00

Ahimsa is one of the ethical precepts in yoga. It is one of the main five yamas, or personal disciplines. Loosely translated it refers to non-harming. There are so many ways to be kind - not harming or killing others, not harming oneself, not abusing the planet, for some that means not eating animals also. For me it's so important to not have reckless abandon for my choices. I choose to behave in ways that do not cause harm to others whenever possible. It is hard sometimes though. In particular, gossip. Gossip is one way in which we build relationships with others, while simultaneously causing harm to the one we gossip about. I don't gossip very often, but whenever I slip into it, I have much more awareness of the harm I cause another. The harm I would not want to cause the other should they be in the same room. So why do I ever gossip? Ego. It all comes down to self-preservation of the ego. The ego has many layers.

Writing Writing Writing

2009-12-04T20:05:00.000-06:00

I love writing yoga classes. I love the creative spark of it. I have a class sequencing notebook that I write all my classes in. I start with a peak pose and think of all the key actions of the pose, developing sequences that support those actions. Blending music with the class is wonderful too. Sometimes music can take students out of their over-thinking minds but sometimes it can also be a distraction. I have taught classes without music, but my preference is to use music. Just essentially supporting my teaching, rather than overpowering it or taking focus from the students' experience of the asanas.

Ego Dissolve!

2009-12-03T19:25:00.000-06:00

Well work was particularly stressful today including a mental whirlwind of how life is so not fair with other people getting raises when we're supposed to be in a hiring/raise-giving freeze but somehow that doesn't apply to everyone. Ego controlled day!

THEN!

I got home and my ego was squashed and my heart expanded as I saw the roses my boyfriend had bought for me. Today is our four year anniversary and that's what's important in my life.

This Time of Year

2009-12-02T19:45:00.002-06:00

Technically I have six jobs. That sounds pretty dramatic, but when you consider three of them are yoga classes at three separate locations, it's not so many. Or is it? I certainly don't want to maintain this mad pace forever, but for now as I'm building my bridge to a wellness-centered work life, I feel it's necessary. Building the new bridge before burning the old, so to speak. Although that sounds pretty dramatic in itself!

I'm told attendance at yoga classes this time of year is often spotty. I sure have noticed that! However for me, sometimes having a break is nice. I went to teach tonight and the studio was dark, so even the class before mine was cancelled due to low attendance. Although I would never wish for students to not show up, it is a gift to have a night off.

Moments of Clarity

2009-12-01T19:25:00.002-06:00

Work (my desk job) is super stressful at the moment. We are rolling out a new payroll system and people are freaking out about not having the right accesses. No one wants to wait a few days. They want their access and they want it now!

Several times during the day I feel my body tensing and I feel a surge of stress. I am so glad I can step back and breathe, stretch, and relax. (Shameless use of my massage business tagline, I know...) But in any case, I can't imagine my life right now without all that yoga has taught me. I am so thankful for this wonderful gift!

Kripalu at AlleyCat Monday Evening 5:30 PM - 7 PM

2009-11-30T20:18:00.000-06:00

I practiced tonight at AlleyCat. I wanted to go tonight because the director of the studio, Ken, was teaching. Although I don't teach the Kripalu style, I still believe he has a lot to teach me. Most obvious to me tonight was the use of nuanced detail in describing poses. I need to describe more in my teaching I think. Sometimes it feels as though he takes almost too long to describe moving into a pose, but that could also be that I'm less sensitive to the beginner's mind. Some days I forget what it means to not know how to do certain asanas. I recognize that I need to work on that! It's a delicate balance, knowing when to teach every detail and when to keep the class moving because the class knows how to do the poses. It could also be more characteristic of the Kripalu style to be so descriptive...

Saucha and Dvesha

2009-11-29T23:45:00.000-06:00

My nemesis is clutter. I come home and wish I didn't have piles of un-filed receipts and books laying all about, and, yes, a few boxes yet to be unpacked from my move this summer. Tonight I said "enough is enough!"

Saucha is one of ethical precepts in yoga. To be even more specific, it is one of the niyamas, or personal disciplines. It refers to cleanliness or purity in our environment and in our bodies. I struggle to keep my apartment free of clutter, most often blaming it on "busy-ness." With so many obligations, jobs, things to remember, is it any wonder that my apartment is a mess? My apartment mirrors my mind apparently!

Dvesha is one of the kleshas, or causes of suffering. Dvesha means avoidance, and I sure do avoid cleaning up this clutter. Logic doesn't even help. Sure, I know picking up a small pile every day will eventually clean up the whole mess, but what do I do instead?!? I hop on the internet and read blogs!

Lest this sound like a "down on myself" blog, it isn't, I assure you. It's just being radically honest with myself. And THAT, is the only way. Really being aware of my habits is the only way to change them.

I recently read a cool article from Experience Life Magazine about clutter. It spoke about clutter as something that not only takes up physical space but mental space as well, almost like limiting the volume of mental space we can devote to our present.

So, tonight I decided I would begin the massive task of cleaning up! And like this blog, as long as I do a little each day, soon it will be my new habit!

Contraction!

2009-11-28T13:49:00.000-06:00

When I was in teacher training, my teacher Gina spoke about "contractions" as the times when life is throwing something at us and we react. Very often this involves a physical bodily contraction inward, almost trying to retract into a protective shell. I noticed this most recently (yesterday, in fact) when there was a theft at my boyfriend's store.

After we noticed the item was missing, confirmed it on the surveillance, and called the cops, there was a sense of indignation rising in me. How could this dumb-ass kid not know how hard it is to run a business in this economy? What a punk! I began a mental tug of war between my anger and my desire to find a "yogic response." Obviously he could have no idea how we are doing fiscally, nor should he, but my thought was that either he had a sense of entitlement or thought we just wouldn't notice. Regardless of what he thought, my reaction to mentally spew my energy (prana) in a negative way certainly wasn't helping.

On a very basic level, I was reacting to a threat to my financial stability. The root, or muladhara, chakra governs our sense of stability, groundedness, and self-preservation. In a yoga class many of the strong standing poses help to ground us; I opted not to bust out into warrior 2 in the store (not saying I won't ever do that though!), but I did focus on my breathing, another wonderful way to bring the attention back to center. I was not in any immediate physical danger, but my body was reacting to this threat as though I was. My contraction was released through breath. Using the body to train the mind. Deep, slow breathing slows the heart beat, reducing the stress response effects on the body. It's really amazing how the mind takes the body places, but with training, the body can rein that mind back in.