Be Like A Tree

Over the past few days I've witnessed a friend dealing with some pretty tough life lessons.  When we see our friends or loved ones struggle, it often feels like words aren't enough. Sometimes just being a silent, rooted presence is the best support we can give and a reminder that they too can find the strength and steadiness to rest like a tree in the midst of their troubles.

As I was preparing for Monday morning's class, I came across the following quote along with some words of wisdom from Mark Nepo: 

"Praise and blame, gain and loss, pleasure and sorrow come and go like the wind. To be happy, rest like a great tree in the midst of them all." 

(Buddha)

"It helps to remember this.  Of course, it's hard to remember this when feeling blame, loss, or sorrow.  But that's when we need this wisdom the most.

Like everyone, I'd rather not experience the undercurrents of life, but the challenge is not to shun them, but to accept that over a lifetime we will have our share of them.

Avoiding the difficult aspects if living only stunts our fullness.  When we do this, we are like a tree that never fully opens to the sky.  And dwelling on our difficulties only prevents them from going on their way.  When we do this, we are like a great tree that nets the storm in its leaves.

The storm by its nature wants to move on, and the tree's grace is that it has no hands.  Our blessing and curse is to learn and relearn when to reach and hold, and when to put our hands in our pockets."

When we practice asana, pranayama or meditation, we are teaching ourselves how to evoke the qualities of a tree: strength, rootedness, flexibility, grace and stillness in the face of challenge. 

Whether we're helping a friend who is weathering a storm or experiencing the fluctuations of our own lives and challenges, our practice is to rest like a tree in the midst of them all.  It's a beautiful practice and reminder that it is in our power to either hold on or let go.

Until next time...

Monday's practice:

OPEN-

SEATED SUKHA PURVAKA  PRANAYAMA (BALANCES ENERGY) 

WITH A TALL SPINE, AND CLOSED EYES, GENTLY BLOCK OFF YOUR RIGHT NOSTRIL WITH YOUR RIGHT THUMB AND BREATH SLOWLY INTO AND OUT OF YOUR LEFT NOSTRIL.  REPEAT FOR 12 BREATH CYCLES (FULL INHALES AND EXHALES).

REPEAT ON THE OTHER SIDE.

WARM UPS-

WIDE KNEE CHILDS 4 MINUTES

TOE STRETCH 1 MINUTE

CAT/COW

DOWN DOG 5 BREATHS

DOWN DOG/PLANK WAVES X3

UTTANASANA (STANDING FORWARD FOLD)

TADASANA TIPPY TOES DYNAMICALLY UP AND DOWN

SUN SALUTATAION-

IN-TADASANA 

EX-UTTANASANA

IN-FLAT BACK 

EX-HIGH LUNGE (HANDS TO BLOCKS)

IN-ARMS UP

EX-PALMS DOWN

IN-STANDING SPLITS

EX-UTTANASNA

FLOW X 3 THEN HOLD EACH 5B

REPEAT-L

STANDING

TADASANA W/LIFTING LEG SIDEWAYS FLOW X3 W/BREATH

TREE POSE-R 

UTTHITA HASTA VARIATION-R INTO 

WARRIOR III-R

FORWARD FOLD SPLITS-R (PULSING THEN HOLD_)

UTTANASANA

UTKATASANA (CHAIR POSE)

SLOW VINYASA

REPEAT-L

CHILDS/HARE

DOLPHIN TO 

FOREARM SIDE PLANK-R INTO

VISHNU’S COUCH

SEAL 2 MINUTES

CHILDS

SADDLE 3 MINUTES

CHILDS 3 MINUTES

BADDHA KONASANA 5 MINUTES

RECLINING BADDHA KONASANA 5 MINUTES

RECLINING TWISTS (BS) 3 MINUTES

SAVASANA  

Advice from a Tree
By Ilan Shamir

Dear Friend,

Stand Tall and Proud
Sink your roots deeply into the Earth
Reflect the light of a greater source
Think long term
Go out on a limb
Remember your place among all living beings
Embrace with joy the changing seasons
For each yields its own abundance
The Energy and Birth of Spring
The Growth and Contentment of Summer
The Wisdom to let go of leaves in the Fall
The Rest and Quiet Renewal of Winter

Feel the wind and the sun
And delight in their presence
Look up at the moon that shines down upon you
And the mystery of the stars at night.
Seek nourishment from the good things in life
Simple pleasures
Earth, fresh air, light

Be content with your natural beauty
Drink plenty of water
Let your limbs sway and dance in the breezes
Be flexible
Remember your roots

Enjoy the view!

Tree Of Life

 by Danna Faulds

I am the immovable root

of a tree I can't see, whose

trunk and branches extend

up and out to an infinity of 

being, whose leaves catch

light and transform it into

energy.  I feel the taproot

running deep, sustaining me.

Without it, I couldn't

bend in the wind or stand

through raging tempests.

It extends down and in,

anchor and liberator,

reaching back to the

primordial sea of love,

connecting me with the

unseen in all directions.

My fruit falls far beyond

my reach, and the seeds

are scattered far and wide.

A few are planted by wise

hands in fertile soil, and

grow-even though

I don't know where.

Expire and Inspire!

"We too should make ourselves empty, that the great soul of the universe may fill us with its breath."  

~Laurence Binyon

I took Anne Miller's All Levels yoga class Thursday morning.  It was a beautiful practice in which she spoke about gratitude and how the elegant sound we give to our breath when we practice ujjayi pranayama is not only a gift we give to our fellow yogis in the room - the gift of our presence - but also a sweet reminder of the life we have been given.

Along with the gift of the sound of our breath, the breath itself is an amazing offering both to us and to the world around us. It is the act of inspiring and expiring, both the sparking of life within and a profound letting go, all in one cycle of breath.  

Much like leaves on a tree move with the wind, in yoga it is said that the mind moves with the breath. When the breath is controlled and calmed there is a soothing effect on the mind. Many people think of pranayama as just controlling the breath but it is much, much more. As we deepen our pranayama practice we begin to use retention (kumbhaka) at both the top of our inhales and the bottom of our exhales to expand our awareness of the divine within us. 

B.K.S. Iyengar says that "when you hold your breath, you hold your soul.  By retaining the full in-breath, you hold the divine infinite within yourself."  He says that at the moment you retain your breath you have reached the full potential of your individuality, but "it is a divine individuality and not the small, selfish creature you normally take yourself for." The idea is that when you inhale you are inspiring the divine to expand and grow within and when you exhale you generously surrender your divine self to the world. 

To breathe in is an inspiration, a receiving that engulfs the whole body.  When we breathe in we allow the divine infinite to expand into the space that we're making.  To hold the breath in is to experience the fullness and richness of this divinity. The exhalation surrenders everything that we think we are to the source of life - the giver of life.  The body moves in towards the core of being, like a baby nestling against its mother, secure and trusting. What dies is the "I", "me", "mine" which clings so passionately to its own identity. When we hold the breath out after exhalation, we experience expiration - a small death or letting go. 

Today, simply practice following the length of each inhale as it leads up into the spaciousness of your divine, true self at the top of the breath. Rest in its abundance for a few moments before sliding down the length of the exhale into the still, quiet space that resides at the bottom of the breath. Rest in the emptiness without feeling the need to add anything or wanting anything to be different. Feel the in-breath inspire you to live fully and to appreciate the amazing gift of taking the divine into yourself.  Allow the out-breath to be an expiration, a small death or a releasing of the divine within us back out into the world.

Until next time...

"Inhale, and God approaches you.  Hold the inhalation, and God remains with you.  Exhale, and you approach God.  Hold the exhalation, and surrender to God."  ~Krishnamacharya

Posture Flow
by Danna Faulds

This is a sacrament,
a prayer of breath, a
symphony of soul
and motion. This is
yoga, emerging from
the inside, out-all
here in this singular
meditation of spirit.
Trust that the body
knows what it needs
if you dare to follow
where it leads.

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.

Freedom

"Inhale, and God approaches you.  Hold the inhalation, and God remains with you.  Exhale, and you approach God.  Hold the exhalation, and surrender to God." 

-Krishnamacharya

In Monday's class we explored the concept of four part breathing.  In yoga, breathing is the most central and vital practice.  The breath opens a doorway into the deeper aspects of the practice such as freedom, intuition, lovingkindness, mindfulness, meditation, movement of energy, and a deep sense of connection to all things (to name a few).


In order to cultivate an awareness and reverence for the breath, we need to start by taking a look at its structure.  The complete yogic breath has four parts: the inhalation (called puraka in sanskrit), the retention (kumbhaka), the exhalation (rechaka), and the absence of breath within the body (shunyata).  The idea is that by simply becoming aware of their existence and differences as we breathe, we strengthen and slow down our breath.  As a result we begin to find clarity, focus and freedom.


Once we become aware of our breathing and recognize that it is the way in which we can control the energy of our body and mind, we can begin to use it most effectively. Without established breathing, hatha yoga is simply a physical exercise. When we start to move with the breath (vinyasa), we experience a change in our state of mind. We become relaxed, focused, and peaceful. We also begin to enjoy and feel at home in our bodies.  With mindfulness and concentration, we can send the energy of the breath throughout the body, releasing tensions, build strength, and bringing stillness to areas where we are ill at ease. When practicing yoga, we often discover parts of our body that are tight, sore, congested, closed off, numb, or painful of which we were not even aware. This is the process of developing mindfulness.


"Yoga is all about freedom. Only a fraction of the world’s population is formally imprisoned, but the entire human race is imprisoned in the body and the earth itself. None are free from the inevitability of sickness, age, and death, however free of them they may be at the moment. The human condition is subject to innumerable limitations. Who really controls his life fully, attains all his goals, and knows no setbacks of any kind? No one.

Our real self, the spirit, is always perfect and free. But we have forgotten that. So we identify with our present experience of bondage and consequently suffer in countless ways. Our situation is like someone who is asleep and dreaming that he is being tortured and beaten. In reality he is not being touched at all; yet he is experiencing very real pain and fear. He need not placate, overpower, or escape his torturers. He needs only to wake up. Yoga is the practice of self-awakening." (Swami Nirmalananda Giri )


Ultimately, yoga is the practice of freedom. It's about clearing away whatever is in us that prevents us from living in the most full and whole way. Yoga is connecting all of the powers of the body, mind and soul to something greater and more profound.  It is the path of balance and equanimity. 
The poses and the breath are just a way in.  Once we understand how to "be" in a pose or how to breathe, it's then up to us to be brave enough to take what we observe and use it to evolve, to grow, to remove the obstacles placed in our path, and to free ourselves from suffering.

It all starts with the breath.

Until next time...

Try this:

Four-Part Breath
The point of this pranayama exercise is simply to bring your mind more clearly to your breath, so your breath can inspire your movements, rather than the other way around. It is also a lovely way to bring yourself back to the stillness we seek in yoga. I recommend establishing the four-part breath at the beginning of your practice, as you sit still. Then incorporate it as you begin to move. See if you can hold onto it through your entire practice, until you consciously let it go in Savasana.
1) Take a few rounds of breath, just observing the natural rhythm and feel of your breath. Be sure to breathe through your nose and take particular note of the feel of the air entering and exiting your nostrils, establishing your connection to something bigger.
2) Begin to observe the space between your breaths — that brief moment of stillness between the exhale and the inhale, and between the inhale and the exhale. Don’t alter it, just observe how you are perfectly still before reversing directions, like when you're on a swing!

3) When you are ready, take a long, slow inhale, counting to four to fill your lungs.
4) Pause at the top of the inhale, and count to four. Don’t struggle to hold your breath. Just be with the stillness.
5) Exhale slowly and with control for four counts.
6) Count to four at the bottom of your breath. Again, take care not to struggle. Just observe the stillness.
7) After a couple of rounds, you may wish to lengthen to counts of five for a round or two and then maybe even six. Take your time, complete each round, and if you start to struggle, back off. You are looking for peace and ease in this pranayama exercise.
8) When you are ready, stop counting and instead just feel the evenness of your four-part breath, giving equal space to the stillness between the exhales and the inhales as you give to the exhales and inhales themselves.
9) Carry this sense of balance and equanimity and peace into the rest of your practice and the rest of your day.
(From: http://www.yogamamame.com/pranayama/)


ONLY BREATH 
by Rumi
Not Christian or Jew or Muslim, not Hindu,
Buddhist, sufi, or zen. Not any religion 
or cultural system. I am not from the East
or the West, not out of the ocean or up
from the ground, not natural or ethereal, 
not composed of elements at all. I do not exist,
am not an entity in this world or the next,
did not descend from Adam or Eve or any 
origin story. My place is placeless, a trace
of the traceless. Neither body or soul.
I belong to the beloved, have seen the two
worlds as one and that one call to and know,
first, last, outer, inner, only that
breath breathing human being.

Breath Is Enough 

by Robert Service

I draw sweet air

Deeply and long,

As pure as prayer,

As sweet as song.

Where lilies glow

And roses wreath,

Heart-joy I know

Is just to breathe.

Aye, so I think

By shore or sea,

As deep I drink

Of purity.

This brave machine,

Bare to the buff,

I keep ice-clean,

Breath is enough.

From mountain stream

To covert cool

The world, I deem,

Is wonderful;

The great, the small,

The smooth, the rough,

I love it all,--

Breath is enough.

Got To Be Real!

Have you ever encountered something or someone who appeared so perfect, so beautiful, colorful, happy, spiritual, squeaky clean and well, just down right angelic?  Chances are that as a result of this encounter you've walked away feeling inadequate or even ashamed of your perceived "imperfections".  Or perhaps you were so concerned with what others would think that you went out of your way to project the appearance of perfection: the "right" clothes, job, car, relationship?  We've all experienced both scenarios in one way or another.

The reality beneath outward signs of perfection is that most often things are never as flawless as they appear on the surface.  Very often it's a fear of judgement that causes us to mask our true identity.  We tend to be so worried about what others will think that we conceal who we really are.

The practice of yoga teaches us to find the REAL person beneath the smoke and mirrors. We learn that our true nature is nothing to be ashamed of, but rather to be celebrated and embraced.

Yoga is not about perfecting the physical body nor is it hiding behind a false notion of what a spiritual person is supposed to look or act like.  Instead, through the postures (asana), breathing techniques (pranayama), meditation, and a good old fashioned honest look at the way we behave towards ourselves and others (both on the mat and in everyday life), we become more grounded and present.
In the roots of the present moment we begin to embrace the parts of ourselves that aren't so squeaky clean - warts and all.  We begin to realize that there's nothing to be ashamed of. We're all human. We all make mistakes. And from that ground of truth we set about acting and living in a way that reflects the best of what our true spirit has to offer.


Until next time peeps-be real!
k




Today's readings:

Imperfection by David Whalen

There’s something to be said
for imperfection

Something to be praised
in things cracked and crazed

For there’s something unsettled
That makes me feel nettled

And something in perfection
That leaves me dismayed

Give me a nick
on the lip of my cup

Give me bird poo
on my car

Give me a rip,
a tear or a stain

I’m perfectly happy
With imperfection by far.



Perfect Imperfection by Melissa Bachara

I am a contradiction
a perfect imperfection
On looking in from outside
I think I’d pass inspection

My nails are neat, each hair in place
My clothes the latest styles
But look a little closer,
And you can see my trials

The window to my balanced soul
Is stained from too much smoke
A birds eye view down at my heart
Will clearly show it’s broke

My best intentions lead to pain
And complicated messes
My head is filled with wishes,
My decisions second guesses

There was a time I tried to hide
each wrinkle, scar and tear
But I’m learning to appreciate
That I’m more than I appear

Each wrinkle tells a story
The path from there to here
I’ve earned a little wisdom
With every falling tear

My soul will soar in brilliant skies
But then I’ll need to rest
The embers of my passion
Still smolder in my chest

Perhaps I’ll let my hair go wild
And skip the manicure
I’ll wear my favorite color
They’ll say "Hey, look at her"

My hair, my heart, my clothes, my soul
Will walk in one direction
No longer contradicting
My perfect imperfection

Balance is ALIVE!

Happy Monday!

It's a HOT and hectic day here in these parts. The kind of day that very often makes your body, mind and spirit feel lethargic and off-balance.

In class, I often talk about how in order to find balance on our yoga mat we need to be aware of body, mind and breath all at once. As humans, this is not something that typically occurs on an intellectual level (like taking inventory). Instead it comes from an energetic experience at our center which organically organizes and creates balance (if given the freedom to do so).

When we first start practicing and exploring asana, we may feel that what we're doing is merely a series of stretching exercises. Nothing may seem to be connected or coordinated. But with time, patience and persistence we will begin to notice something much deeper: the energy that runs through us and all living things.

On the mat, we start by rooting into the moment by using our breath (pranayama practices or breathing techniques) to help us find our physical, emotional and spiritual center. From these roots, we start to pay attention to the body as a whole. What's present in your body in this moment? An itch? An ache? Heat? Coolness? Where are you connected to the earth? What parts are buoyant or heavy? Once we become keenly aware of the whole body, we begin going deeper, moving through the center and tapping into the energy beneath the surface. By using "lines of energy", we set in motion an expanded inner awareness and begin to animate each posture from the inside out. With practice what unfolds is magical! Our physical practice begins to shift and deepen from being exclusively external into a much more fulfilling internal and spiritual experience.

By cultivating such awareness, you will slowly begin to learn that balance is not still. It's dynamic and alive! My hope is that through patience and practice, you will begin to understand clearly that at the center of this energy is a deep stillness that can be accessed while in motion. You can find balance in the midst of activity.

To learn more about "lines of energy", check out my teacher Erich Schiffmann's website for words of wisdom on the subject:

http://www.movingintostillness.com/book/asana_lines_of_energy.html



Today's class reading is a poem by an unknown author:

Balance

We always talk about stability.
Well, forget stability.
A rock is stable.
Death is stable.

Stability is stagnant.
But balance-
it changes,
it grows,
produces,
thrives even,
moves,
learns,
adapts-
it lives.
It is passionate but considerate.
It cares for those people close to it,
generous but not spoiling,
protective but not stifling.
It is humble in its flashes of brilliance
and steadfastly confident in its lapses of reason.
It is a quiet mind in a crowd and
focused determination facing a mountain of work.
It ignores the trivially depressing
and amplifies the sweetest little pleasures.

Where stability is alone, balance is in great company-
many things working together.
It recognizes the unstoppable power of time
and shows prudence in remediation and appreciation
for today’s good things.
It works hard, but plays hard too.
It is continually forgiving, but only in resolution.
It is nearly perfect, but can never be so.
It is the inspiring downpour of rain outside your window.
But, most of all, balance is the respect and love it has for the whole of itself, and no one part.

Until next time y'all!
Kimberley