Bittersweet Symphony

It seems like everything I’ve been talking about in class for the last few weeks has led up to today's theme.  The universe is indeed a wonderful provider if we open up to receive what it has to offer.  It provided a sweet slice of serendipity this morning.

Let me explain...

Yesterday (Friday), I talked about the idea of training ourselves to live in the spaciousness of this moment without the need to make it into anything else, and about how by becoming spacious we experience what is already within us and intrinsically part of us. As we do so, we learn to open to the mystery in front of us.  

Of course, this requires that we pull back our perspective and start to expand our worldview from our tiny, closed off attitude to a larger, more inclusive way of looking at the world.  To do this, we start by blazing a trail through the sometimes rough and tangled underbrush of our inner landscape.  Once we hack our way through the jungle of our psyche, we begin to experience freedom from imbalance, struggle, judgement, ego and suffering. Once we begin the lifelong practice to free ourselves, it becomes easier and easier to trust the mystery that is life.

When I got up this morning and logged into my email, I found a beautiful article in Elephant Journal Magazine waiting in my inbox (I’ve shared it below). The article reminded me of a profound awakening that I experienced in February of 2003.  My otherwise healthy mother died after an eight month battle with cancer.  In the months after her diagnosis and prior to her passing, a friend introduced me to yoga through a book called Total Yoga by Nita Patel. It was a spiralbound book that I would spread out on the living room floor and go through page by page and practice the breathing techniques and postures that it recommended. I even started to change my diet based on what I had read. 

I truly beleive that as a result of finding yoga I was able to be fully present with my mom during her illness and when she passed away.  Being awake and aware helped me to look upon death as a sad but very beautiful transition... the ultimate mystery.  The experience taught me to LIVE as fully as I can and to celebrate life in all of its beauty and complexity.  It allowed me to open to mystery instead of being afraid of it (or closing myself off from life because of it).

As a society we are conditioned to fritter away our precious time by multi-tasking and keeping ourselves so busy and pre-occupied that we don’t have to think about what may be around the next bend.  We bury our heads in the sands of distraction hoping it will all stay as it is.  We avoid  mystery at all cost.

The truth is, we can’t know what is coming or when it will arrive or how it will change us. We simply can’t know. Nor can we ignore the inevitability of change. Life IS change.  WE are change.  We are a part of this amazingly bittersweet symphony of moments.

The practice of yoga teaches us to embrace the mystery by living right NOW with no regrets.  To open up to the richness of each moment whether or not we deem it “good” or “bad”.

But how do we get there?  How do we embrace the challenge of change?

First, we arrive.  We come home to our bodies - the container of our consciousness.  We feel our way into our sitting bones as we sit, we stretch into stiffness in postures, we press the breath deeper into our lungs as we inhale and let it go as we exhale.  We pay attention to what’s present. From the strong foundation of being present, we then connect with our breath - our anchor and a constant reminder of the fragile and beautiful balance we are a part of.  The breath reminds us to “be” right here, right now in balance. Once nestled in the embrace of the now, we then feel safe enough to let go and trust what lay before us shrouded in mystery.  

We can look at life as an epic adventure.  

What are you waiting for?  Open your arms, your heart, your soul to the adventure that lies ahead...

Until next time :)


The Mystery of Life 

by Yésica Pineda-Moreno from Elephant Journal Magazine

"First what’s first! -said the monk – clear your mind.”

For how are you to know that the answers I will give you to these questions you are asking are true to you if your mind is confused?

Without your clarity, you will only be a victim of your own ignorance, and you might mistake my words with the noisy turmoil, which due to the conditions of your environment – your senses world – is constantly played in your head, making you miss your reality entirely.

First what’s first. Quiet down. Take a breath. Stop doing. Silently listen. Take a walk in a green forest.  Smell a flower. Walk the Earth. Find some clear water. Sit. Be still. Observe. Breathe. Spend time with yourself.

Don’t react when your mind resists your attempt to be still. Many people, many stories, many many judgments of yourself will go trough your mind as you’re making room for your happiness. Don’t react by quitting the moment, don’t escape what you don’t want to see, don’t crave what is bringing you pleasure, it is all a moment and will pass. Quite down. Take a breath. Stop doing. Silently listen. Breathe. Relax. Release. Let go. Forgive. Take a break. Pray. Breath again.

The mystery of life is just that, a mystery. It is beautiful, it is infinite, it is you, it is I. It is a baby in the womb, growing still, without questions, it just is…it is life. It is a Universe.

Stop your effort to become, and just be. Stop your quest to find out, and just know. Stop your anxious race to be unique, you already are.

How to know if you are right or wrong, if you are good or bad? you ask me. Is your thought, word or action harming others? I ask you.

How to know if you’ll be judged and punished by divinity? you ask me. Isn’t it us who judge ourselves ultimately? I ask you.

How to know if the world is going to end? you ask me. Isn’t the world always ending and beginning? I ask you.

How to achieve real happiness, real peace, real harmony? you ask me. What is keeping you from doing so? I ask you. Stop trying to achieve it. Be happy, live with peace, practice harmony. It’s your choice, you are free. Moment by moment, breath by breath.

Do not make the non essential essential, loosen up your chains to the world you live in, a world you create. Quiet down. Be yourself. Love. Help others be happy.

Listen.

First what’s first! -said the monk – clear your mind.”

Jump!

"I got a jump rope today, but man, that thing’s just a rope.  Turns out you gotta make the jumping thing happen yourself!" 

-Mitch Hedberg

The practice of yoga provides us with an abundance of theory, texts and intellectual instruction. However, without practical application they are nothing more than words on a page - a jump rope without the power and will of the jumper.

If you’re looking for a quick fix, a magic bullet, a fast forward button to harmony, inner peace and freedom, it doesn’t exist. The only force with the power to help you find peace or to deeply absorb and live the benefits of yoga is YOU.

The truth is that no amount of reading ancient texts, intellectual discussions about yogic theory, or “mastering” postures will help you to actually achieve yoga (being in a state of complete awareness and tranquillity).  You have to want it badly enough for yourself, to take what you've learned, and have the presence of mind to figure out if you’re on the right path…or you won’t.  Dedicated, daily, honest exploration over a long period of time (your whole life!) is what helps us to achieve a lasting state of yoga.

In his “Zen Fables for Today”, Richards McLean retells the following story:

“Why must I meditate in order to achieve enlightenment?” demanded the student of the teacher. “I can study, I can pray. I can think on issues clearly. Why this silly emptying of mind?”

“I will show you,” said the teacher, taking a bucket of water into the garden under the full moon. “Now I stir the surface and what do you see?” “Ribbons of light,” answered the prince. “Now wait,” said the teacher setting the bucket down.

Both teacher and boy watched the calming surface of the water in the bamboo bucket for many minutes. “Now what do you see?” asked the teacher. “The moon,” replied the prince.

“So, too, young master, the only way to grasp enlightenment is through a calm and settled mind.”

The simplicity of this story illustrates the purpose of practice very clearly. To practice yoga and/or meditation is to see into one’s “own nature”, which is pure and calm and has been from the very beginning. Every being in the world has this.  We can turn to teachers for guidance and instruction but ultimately WE are the ones that have to do the work.

One of the most beautiful things about yoga is that it is very much an internal practice.  Although we have ancient texts, mantras, meditation, group classes, and teachers to help guide the way, we get a chance daily to turn inward and journey through the most breathtaking and awe-inspiring landscape we can ever imagine.  It's all there waiting to be discovered and enjoyed.  It's just up to us to work that jump rope.

Until next time... get jumping! :)

"In oneself lies the whole world and if you know how to look and learn, the door is there and the key is in your hand.  Nobody on earth can give you either the key or the door to open, except yourself." 

-J Krishnamurti

Home practice: Finding and accessing the power of Mula Bandha in Tadasana (Mountain Pose) and Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward facing Dog)

Tadasana (Mountain Pose)

I like to refer to the pelvis as a “bowl”. In Latin, "pelvis" means basin or bowl, so in Tadasana we want this bowl to be in a neutral position so that if it were filled with liquid (think: liquid sunshine!) it wouldn’t spill out of ether the front or the back of the bowl.  To find your body's version of neutral, stand with your feet together and your arms by your sides (called samasthiti in sanskrit).  Take a deep breath in and as you do, draw your hips and buttocks slightly backward, increasing the curve in your lower back (lumbar spine).  One of my teachers, Erich Schiffmann calls this “dog tilt”, so that's what we'll call it.


Then, exhale and bring your hips and buttocks forward, flattening the lumbar spine and pulling the pelvis into a posterior tilt.  Erich calls this “cat tilt”. 


Do this several times, and begin to notice that when the pelvis is in the dog tilt, the muscles in the lower back tighten and the inner groins shorten. When it is in cat tilt, the buttocks clench and, again, the groins shorten.


To find neutral, stand with your pelvis in dog tilt, then lightly lift the pubic bone and then the pelvic floor as you lengthen the groins—this is Mula Bandha. To find it from cat tilt, draw your hips slightly back until the buttocks relax and the lumbar spine regains its natural curve. As you do this, lift the pelvic floor and lengthen the waist and groins—again, this is Mula Bandha.


When your pelvis is neutral and you find Mula Bandha in Tadasana, you'll feel a sense of stability without gripping...yay!

Adho Mukha Svanasana variations (Prana Dog and Apana Dog)
(A practice by one of my wise teachers: Tim Miller)


Downward-Facing Dog is an excellent pose in which to practice Mula Bandha, especially if you explore two different expressions of the pose: Prana Dog, which is linked to the inhalation, and Apana Dog, which is linked to the exhalation.

From Downward Dog, inhale and extend your spine by taking your head and shoulders toward the floor, drawing your hips away from your hands, and lifting and spreading your sitting bones. This is the Prana Dog.

Then exhale and flex your spine by tucking your pelvis, slightly rounding your shoulders, drawing your ribs up, and looking toward your navel. Now you're in Apana Dog. Notice that at the end of the exhalation, the pelvic floor naturally draws upward—this is Mula Bandha.

With the next inhalation, create Prana Dog by extending your spine from your tailbone, but don't allow your ribs to sink too far toward your thighs. Keep lengthening and lightly lifting the area between the coccyx and the pubic bone, between the pubic bone and the navel, and between the navel and the lower ribs. As you exhale, return to the Apana Dog flexion position of the spine, and again focus on how the pelvic floor lifts.

Here's why: In Prana Dog it is more difficult to access the lift of the pelvic floor, because that lift happens naturally at the end of the exhalation in Apana Dog. With the subsequent inhalation, there is a natural tendency to release the pelvic floor and allow the rib cage to drop toward the thighs.

Blazing A Trail

John and I took an impromptu trip to Sesquicentennial State Park on Tuesday afternoon.  It had been a stressful morning full of running errands and dealing with some business issues, so we decided spur-of-the-moment that we needed to be outside in the soothing arms of Mother Nature.  As always, she delivered and fed our souls in a way that few other things can. 

It was already HOT outside when we arrived.  We weren't as prepared to hike as we normally would be... no backpack full of trail maps, water and snacks.  We simply parked the car and walked to the lake.

Gazing out at the water, geese, canoes, lily pads and trees, we almost immediately began to feel the stress of the past few hours slowly start to dissolve.  We walked slowly around the edge of the lake and found ourselves on a trail marked by white blazes.

We walked and talked and followed the white blazes in a carefree way not really knowing how long the trail would go for or even what our destination would be.  I remarked to John that it was nice not knowing where we were going or how long it would take to get there. "It's kind of like Yin Yoga," he replied.  We walked along in silence for a bit and I thought about how true his statement was.

In a nutshell, Yin Yoga (originally called "Taoist Yoga) is an extremely beneficial and balancing practice. It targets the connective tissues, such as the ligaments, bones, and even the joints of the body that normally are not exercised very much in our more active asana practices. Most styles of yoga emphasize internal heat and the lengthening and contraction of our muscles. Yin Yoga is a perfect complement to these styles, as it generally targets the connective tissues of the hips, pelvis, and lower spine. 

A Yin Yoga practice can at times be quite challenging. We are asked to remain in the postures anywhere from one to five minutes (or more) to give the deeper connective tissue time to untangle, which is not always comfortable.  Sitting with such discomfort can be intense - kind of like hiking a trail without a map. We don't know how many miles we'll walk, how long it will take us to get there, or where we will end up. We're exploring the trail (pose) breath-by-breath, creating our own map and letting it all unfold moment by moment.  It can be very liberating and powerful!

In his amazing book The Yoga of Breath, Richard Rosen talks about "mapping the body".  Like Richard, I like to think that every time we get on our yoga mats or sit in meditation we are akin to intrepid explorers setting out on expedition to blaze a new trail through our inner landscape.  Using our breath, awareness and the sensations we encounter, we gather information, make measurements, and create the outlines and details of our own personal map. 

Richard says:

"I can't really say what your map will look like, but it's unlikely you'll ever really finish drawing it.  It's better to think of it as a perpetual work in progress, changing in both its general outlines and in its specific details as you yourself venture more deeply into the country of the Self.  Don't be surprised either - or discouraged - if one day you realize that your map is outdated and that you need to start it all over again.  Drawing and then discarding maps is just part of the business of answering the question: Who am I?"

Each time we commit to looking inward, whether it's through asana (postures), pranayama (breathing techniques) or meditation, we have an opportunity to be explorers and blaze new trails!  Each posture, breath or moment of silence is a powerful and liberating opportunity to open to the mystery in front of us.

Where will your trail take you? How long will it take? Where will you end up? Try to live the questions themselves and love the mystery.

Want more information on Yin Yoga?  Visit this website: http://www.yinyoga.com/ 

Join me on Wednesday afternoons at 4:45 and Sunday afternoons at 4:00 for a delicious Yin Yoga experience!  Visit www.amsayogasc@yahoo.com for more info.

Until next time...

"Each of us had the right to speak of his coastline, his mountains, his deserts, none of which conforms to those of another.  Individually we are obligated to make a map of our own homeland, our own meadow.  We carry engraved in our hearts the map of the world as we know it.  Gazing at the map, I begin to see a portrait of myself.  All the diversity of the world is intimated on the parchment, even as this diversity is intimated within me.    An aura of remoteness hovers about its contours, as it does about my head, clarifying what I see.  Both map and myself cling to the invisibility of what we represent.  Nor is the tension between us that of myself and it, but of the merging of these.  The map and myself are the same." (James Cowan, A Mapmakers Dream)