Feb 10th Yoga Class

I am so grateful for all of the support and encouragement that I get from my family and friends as I continue to explore all the benefits that yoga has to offer. Every Sunday when I teach, I sit in meditation in the morning, and then play around with my home practice a little bit in order to develop a sequence of poses to teach at my 4:30 class. Each week I teach something a little bit different. My classes are always based on a different theme which is always pertinent to some aspect of yoga that I have been working with over the past week. I’ve decided that I want to post the sequence of poses that I do each week on my blog. As part of my teacher training program I had to create “flash cards” for every yoga pose. I created each of my cards as a new word document. On these cards I scanned in a picture of BKS Iyengar performing the full version of the pose and then I listed a description of the pose, it’s risks, benefits, and modifications. I found all of this information in the Book “Light on Yoga” by BKS Iyengar, yoga journal.com, or on other various internet blogs. I will create a hyperlink for each of the yoga poses in my sequences that will take you to a flashcard for each pose. I invite all of you that are not able to make it to my Sunday classes to visit my blog occasionally and try out a few of the sequences that I post. If you have any questions please feel free to message, call, or e-mail me. I still have a lot to learn, but I have been studying under some amazing teachers at Dragonfly yoga. If you ever have a question that I don’t have an answer for I will be happy to ask my teachers and help you research the answer. If any of my fellow teachers get a chance to visit my blog and see something that I could do differently that will be safer and/or more beneficial then please let me know. Thanks everyone! Namaste!

February 10, 2013

Ever since I started transcendental meditation (TM) with Prudence Bruns my friends have started to notice the positive changes in me. Every time someone asks me about it I tell them that my “secret” is meditation. All of my friends want to know how to meditate now. I must make a disclaimer that TM is a very special meditation technique, and you must learn it from a certified teacher. I am not a certified TM teacher, but would be happy to help you get in touch with Prudence if you’d like to learn more.

This past Sunday I opened my class by talking about the few aspects of meditation that I am starting to explore. The first time that I ever meditated it was after reading “meditation for dummies”. This book helped me to at least start to grasp the concept of what a meditation practice is like. Any time that you meditate you start by finding a comfortable, seated position, in a quiet place. The reason that meditation is so important in our culture is because we’re constantly on the move, and rarely find moments of silence because we always have the TV, radio, friends, family, or some other “background noise” in our lives. Merely taking time to slow down and turn down the volume in our lives has amazing benefits for our nervous systems and sense of well-being. After you feel like you have settled down a little bit close your eyes and gently bring your focus to whatever you choose.

At this point you will become more aware of the nature of the mind. There is the higher mind and the lower mind. The higher mind is connected to spirit; it is eternal, and all-knowing. The lower mind is connected to ego, and it knows that it will cease to exist when you die. The lower mind is anxious and short sighted. As you try to focus your lower mind will be wandering because your thoughts will never stop as long as you’re alive. Meditation turns down the volume in your life by turning down the volume of your thoughts and your wandering ego mind. Each time that you gently acknowledge these thoughts, with gratitude, and bring your focus back then you are more influenced by your higher mind. While you sit in meditation you will most likely feel more relaxed, and you may or may not get some answers to some of the questions weighing heaviest on your heart. After you come out of meditation you will begin to experience the influence of your higher mind. You will notice that your thoughts are kinder and more understanding, and that you can look at “problems” from a different angle which will offer you different solutions.

I designed my class around the concept of bringing a greater sense of focus and a more meditative state to everyone.

Here’s the sequence:

1. Opening Meditation (5 – 10 mins) (Seated Position)
2. Seated Side Stretch
3. We went back and forth between the following three poses, in the following order, 5 times:
a. Dandasana
b. Upavista Konasana
c. Baddha Konasana
4. Cat/Cow
5. Thread the Needle
6. We went back and forth between the following 2 poses 5 times:
a. Ardha Navasana
b. Donkey Kicks
7. Tadasana
8. Vrksasana with foot staying at shin height and playing with eagle arms while in the pose
The following sequence is linked together, and after pose 18, the sequence starts over again for at least 3 times. Pose 16 – Virabhadrasana 1 – can change into standing splits the second time that the sequence is repeated, and ardha chandrasana the 3rd time it is repeated, or you can repeat Virabhadrasana 1 all three times.
9. Uttanasana
10. Step or walk feet back to Adho Mukha Svanasana
11. Chaturanga Dandasana
12. Low Bhujangasana
13. Push up through table and back into balasana
14. Curl the toes under and push the sit bones up into the air for Adho Mukha Svanasana
15. Step the right foot forward into a lunge. Drop the back knee down to the floor if you’d like to.
16. Raise the arms up above the head into Virabhadrasana 1
17. Come back into Adho Mukha Svanasana then walk the hands back to the feet and roll up to tadasana
18. Take a meditative walk to the front of the matt.
Remember to repeat this sequence 3 times
19. Take Vrksasana again, and raise the foot to a higher position on the leg if you’d like to. Pay attention to any difference in your balance.
20. The following 2 linked movements are what I learned to call “the energizer”: Move back and forth between a full body stretch on the inhale, and bringing the knees into the chest on the exhale, while laying on your back.
21. Windshield wipers: while laying on the back, bend the knees and bring the feet to the floor, about matt’s distance apart. Let both knees fall to the right side, take a breath, then bring the knees back up through center and let them fall to the left side. Move the knees back and forth like windshield wipers a few times.
22. Sacrum Setting: continue to lay on the floor with knees bent and feet on the floor, then take a yoga block at it’s lowest setting and place it under the pelvis/sacrum specifically, facing longwise from hipbone to hipbone.
23. after resting in this constructive, supported bridge pose position for a few minutes, bring both feet off of the floor and raise the legs straight into the air as if you are trying to put the soles of the feet on the ceiling.
24. Bring feet back to the floor, roll to your side, sit up. Roll up a blanket into a tube, place it on your matt and lay down over the tube with the tube placed under your shoulder blades, and sticking out from under both of your armpits. After a few minutes, roll the blanket down to just below the bottom ribs, in the middle of the back.
25. After a few minutes roll to your side, sit up, and fold two or three blankets until you have a bolster, place the bolster between your knees and fold yourself over the bolster in a supported child’s pose.
26. After a few minutes, set yourself up for savasana, and stay in savasana for as long as you need to.

An Ego that Chooses Love Over Fear

I’ve been praying for more Divine Guidance lately, and I’m even reading a book called Divine Guidance by Doreen Virtue.  This book states that the ego exists as pure fear, and that we must transcend that fear and let the ego disappear in order to communicate with the Divine, or our higher mind, on a deeper level.  I’m also reading another book by Anodea Judith called Eastern Body Western Mind.  She states: “Many spiritual disciplines advise us to transcend the ego, and consider it something bad, limiting, or false.  The problem is not that it is limiting – but that we let ourselves be confined by it at all times.  We stay confined out of fear, guilt, or shame.”  Earlier in this chapter she said “A strong ego has a tough job.  It must allow guidance by core energies that are largely unconscious while considering the transpersonal, spiritual energies that are beyond normal consciousness, all while keeping the self consistent, safe, engaged, and effective in the mundane world.

Anodea has it right in my opinion.  As I was meditating Wednesday morning, my mother, father, yoga teachers, and friends all came to my mind and I was instantly filled with so much love that I became overwhelmed and my body started to shake while tears started to fall from my eyes.  I then silently repeated “breathe in love; breathe out fear” in chorus with my breath, and I focused my meditation on doing just that.  As I thought about love I let myself feel the warm, strong hug of my mother; the confidence and grace that came with my first yoga class and that returns to me everytime my yoga teacher tells me that I’m still on the right track; how warm and happy I feel every time I see my father smile because his eyes are always so full of love; the comfort and surrender I feel when my reiki teacher understands my deepest hopes and fears without me having to say a word; and the acceptance that I’ve always felt from all my other friends.  As I meditated I came to a place of pure love and everything was so bright!

After my meditation I laid down and literally started to talk to my ego.  I asked it to trust me and, when given a choice, to always choose love over fear.  I tried to see every time in the past when it’s been deceived and hurt because others were acting out of fear.  I asked my ego to keep me from hurting others and to always act out of love.  I told my ego that I’m grateful for it and I don’t want to destroy it.  I told it that I’m trying to raise my levels of love and consciousness, and I want my ego to become more integrated with  the Divine because I also want the rest of me to become more integrated.  I believe that the divine lives in the center of all of us.

Yummy Vegetarian Gravy!

There’s a really cool co-op in my area called “Off the Vine“.  I recently got a Veggie and Fruit box from them.  After I got it home and washed everything it was time to pull out my vegetarian cook books and copies of vegetarian times and play!  This month we had radishes, red potatoes and button mushrooms in the box.  I had a few pearl onions and sweet potatoes left from my last grocery store trip, and I had some almond milk, butter, veggie broth, Bragg’s liquid amino’s, rosemary, flour, cinnamon, tarragon, salt and pepper, bay leaf, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, turmeric and thyme in my refrigerator and cupboards.  I decided to make some mashed potatoes and gravy.

I mashed the sweet and red potatoes together and i mixed them with the almond milk, butter, garlic powder, and turmeric.  I’ve been adding turmeric to a lot of stuff lately because I was told that it decreases inflammation in the body.  In this case turmeric was an awesome addition to the potatoes.

I then chopped up the mushrooms and radishes and sauteed the pearl onions, mushrooms, and radishes in some butter.  When the onions were tender I added the veggie broth, Bragg’s liquid amino’s and all of the spices that I mentioned above (minus the garlic powder and turmeric).  I only added a pinch of cinnamon, and it was the perfect addition to this gravy!  Finally I added the flour to thicken the gravy, and it was time to eat my beautiful creation!

I love cooking, and it has been difficult to get used to vegetarian cooking.  It used to be easy to infuse sauces, gravies, and veggies with the juices and flavors of whichever meat I paired them with.  I have since had to learn how to use a wider array of spices, and how to include proteins from veggie sources into my meals.  I have broadened my horizons and become more creative, all while practicing ahimsa!

How Can We Truly Un-Clutter Our Minds?

I recently met Swami Jaya Devi Bhagavati from the Kashi Atlanta Ashram, and she changed my life and opened my heart! Before she left she gave me some homework: 11 minutes of anuloma viloma pranayama while silently chanting “Om Namah Shivaya” every morning. I have tried to stick to this discipline, but I am not a morning person so it has been challenging. I have discovered that when this discipline starts to wan my emotions become very strong, and I easily start to loose my ground and peace.

Recently I was going through a painful tumult of emotions and they became so strong that I had to leave work one day because it was too difficult to stop crying. I e-mailed swami to thank her for her visit, check in with her, and mostly to ask for her advice. Her wise response helped tremendously, and she left me with another recommendation: read Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati’s book “The 11 Karmic Spaces.” I have begun to read this book and it is a life changer! This book is truly inspirational. One of my favorite passages from the book is about our “karmic cubbyholes” which are different for each of us, and are the areas where each of us tend to get stuck the most often. Ma says “karmic cubbyholes have no back doors. The means, to escape, you have to go out the same was you went in, by facing your deepest fears.”

While I work on my pranayama discipline, even while saying the mantra in my head, I often find that my thoughts still wander a lot. As part of my 200 RYT program I need to create 90 different “asana” cards for each of the poses, write a research paper, get caught up on my anatomy, philosphy, and “classroom practical” homework, and read the Bhagavad Gita and Yoga Sutras before I take my exam in January. I have always been a horrible procrastinator, therefore I am currently behind, and stressful thoughts were floating through my head during pranayama the other morning. Instead of stressing out and becoming overwhelmed I was trying to visualize myself sitting down and working my way through each asana card, homework assignment, and reading while doing my pranayama.

For some reason, toward the end of the 11 minutes, Ma’s passage about the cubbyholes came to my mind. I realized that part of the reason that I often feel exhausted, and that I continue to procrastinate is because my head is so cluttered with thoughts. Many of these thoughts are “old thoughts” or they’re not very useful, and sometimes they’re downright destructive or dangerous. My imagination kicked in and I thought that if someone could paint a picture of the clutter in my head then it would probably resemble one of those houses on the TV show “Hoarders.” I realized that this is actually a useful analogy.

Every time I’ve watched Hoarders a clean up crew shows up , and the producers make a spectacle out of the people on that show. The people on the show usually fall apart or become more closed off and protective, and, rarely, have I ever seen a house be successfully cleaned out. What if, instead of making a spectacle out of it and trying to force someone to let go of everything in one day, someone showed up and patiently helped the people on this show to face their fears? What if the people on this show were given the time and encouragement to, first, stop collecting more stuff? What if these people were then encouraged to throw out one item every day, week, or month? Wouldn’t that be a true transformation? I wonder if I can transform my own mind in the same way?

Fear of My Brightness

I’ve always been “a loner”. Lately I’ve used the phrase “I enjoy my solitude” to describe this proclivity because it has a more empowering, positive connotation. The truth is that I sometimes have nights, when left alone in the dark with nothing but my own thoughts, that feel painfully lonely. Tonight was one of those nights. As I lay in my bed I could feel a somewhat familiar pain. Lately a new, just as low, vibration has been creeping into the mix. My lower mind start to run around in the same circles trying to figure out exactly what was going on. It was starting to freak out because this feeling is somewhat unfamiliar and a little bit painful. My mind was pushing me to find a distraction, namely, TV. Then I remembered everything that I’ve been learning about meditation.

I decided to sit down in front of my meditation table. My apartment was completely dark, and I left it that way, except for the one candle on my meditation table. After I closed my eyes and found a straight spine, before any thought came to my head, the light from the candle started to get brighter. Thoughts started to come, but I didn’t grasp on to them. I started to focus on my breathing and as I did the flame grew brighter, and it felt like it was getting closer to me. For a split second I thought “what if I catch on fire?” I then breathed into that fear, and it started to dissipate. I almost wanted to become part of the flame; I wanted to be pulsing with so much heat and energy that I could illuminate my whole apartment.

Shortly after this thoughts started to come. I started to ask “what am I feeling right now, and why am I feeling it?” Then I thought “you’re asking the wrong question.” The next question that came to mind was “what parts of me am I not accepting?” Shortly thereafter I thought “is it the parts of me that are the brightest?” I believe that my question was answered before it even made its way into my mind. I am afraid of my lightest, brightest, most energetic, and fiery parts. I pray that I will continue to breathe my way through this fear as I continue to search for truth, and liberation.