Remembering Your Roots

"To be rooted is perhaps the most important and least recognized need of the human soul."  -Simone Weil

Our bodies are made up of energy. When any part of that energetic make up is disrupted, that disruption is manifested in various ways, including the way in which we live our lives and respond to our life's circumstances.  Addressing the chakras are but one way to return the free flow of energy back into our subtle body. The chakras are energy centers within the body. There are seven all together, each one corresponding to a specific position in the body and governing certain aspects of how we live our lives.  The chakras begin at the base of the spine, at the pelvic floor, and move up the spine ending with the crown of the head. 

It makes sense, of course, to begin at the beginning, with the base or earth chakra, the Muladhara chakra. The Muladhara chakra represents, as its nick name implies, the earth. Our Mother Earth, from which we came and to where we will eventually return. Usually, when I teach a yoga class, I begin in Child's pose, close to the earth, signifying our roots and our beginnings.  Muladhara represents our origins, our heritage. It is here where the seeds are planted that grow into the person we become. Because it is our roots, the Muladhara chakra relates to our stability, our balance, our feeling of grounded-ness and security. It affects how we deal with our relationships, friends, and family. 

When the Muladhara chakra is balanced and the energy is flowing freely through it, we have a sense of centeredness and stability. We recognize our lives as having a solid foundation and we find ourselves more content and at peace with what we have. Attachment to material belongings and expectations for how we think our lives should be going fade away. Grounded-ness brings us peace. 

Just as a tree needs strong roots to weather a storm, so too do we need a solid foundation to withstand any storms that come into our own lives. 

Life Happens Now

"If you want to conquer the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in the breath." ~Amit Ray

This time of year, although joyous and exciting, is for many, also very stressful. There are decorations to hang, gifts to be bought, friends and family to entertain, and for those with minimal resources, these holiday expectations become even more burdensome. Its easy to get wrapped up in all that we have to do and to forget to enjoy these moments for what they really stand for - celebration, peace, giving, and spending time with loved ones. To help bring us back down from the flurry of activity, to regain our grounding and our balance, it helps to bring our awareness to a single point or a fixed moment, this moment, and to focus fully and completely on it alone.

In yoga, this practice is referred to as Dharana.  Dharana is translated as "concentration" and is the 6th limb of the Eight Limbed Path in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras.  The previous 5 limbs such as Pranayama (4th limb), or breath, and Asana (3rd limb), or the poses, all work together to prepare us for Dharana. In Dharana, we bring our attention to a single point, a drishti, or a task, such as breathing, or a mantra. We focus on this and nothing else. In practicing Dharana, we continually bring the mind back to a single point again, and again, and as often as it takes. The mind loves to wander. Our yoga practice teaches us to reign in those unceasing thoughts, to acknowledge them, and then to let them go. 

In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali says “Dharana is the binding of the mind to one place, object or idea.” It is a practice intended to bring peace, steadiness, and inner stillness. As you train your mind to be steady and calm, you begin to find deeper states of meditation, of balance, and of tranquility.  We draw ourselves closer to our true nature. Dharana steadies our wandering mind and brings us into the present moment. On our yoga mat, this focused concentration helps us to find our foundation, our grounding, and our balance. As we move into and out of poses, we focus our gaze on a fixed point. It allows us to move fluidly and with grace.  In meditation, we may bring our full attention to a mantra. Away from our mat, this practice keeps us grounded in our lives.  Its a reminder to focus on this moment and to move with and be at peace with the tasks and lists of things to do that come our way.  Dharana teaches us to weather the storms that may occur on the outside while finding the stillness and the serenity within. 

As we move through this holiday season remember that this moment is where life happens. Right now. Not yesterday, not tomorrow, but now.  The only thing is this world that we have is this moment. Live it well. 

~Namaste.

Living Freely

I've been thinking a lot about inversions lately. One reason for this is that I've taken them out of my practice until after the baby arrives (May 26th!).  At first, I saw this as a set back.  But it's not, it's just a change, and like everything, it's temporary.  Letting go of my inversion practice wasn't easy. For one thing, they are my favorite poses to practice. I love being upside down. It makes you strong and balanced, it makes you happy because blood flow to your brain is both calming and energizing which is helpful when you feel stressed. It keeps your bones strong and increases blood flow to your lungs which helps you breathe better. We also see things from a different perspective since we're literally upside down. When we can breathe, find balance and strength, and see things from a different point of view, life becomes much easier, and much more joyful. We learn that nothing holds us back except our own thoughts or our expectations about our situation.

On our mat, when we let go of our expectations of what our practice should look like or feel like and instead simply accept what ever happens, acknowledging that each day is different, and no matter what happens on any given day, we can either resist or be open and accepting, then we free ourselves. We give ourselves permission to walk the path of peace and happiness.

We all hold ourselves to certain expectations, and that's not a bad thing. But as with everything (on and off the yoga mat), we must find balance. It's an ever unfolding dance of setting high expectations and working to meet them while being able to accept and forgive ourselves if we don't.  About 2 years ago I saw someone doing Scorpion pose and I made it my goal to learn that pose. A year later I still hadn't mastered it and I was discouraged and annoyed because surely by now with all my practice I should be able to do it! Two years later I still haven't mastered it and I won't be attempting it again for some time. Only this time, I'm not discouraged or annoyed. Instead I'm grateful to have found other things: my off-the-wall headstand and my on-the-wall handstand and forearm balance. I'm grateful to have found acceptance for what I can do each day instead of resistance towards what I cannot.

There is great strength in letting go of the expectations we set for ourselves. This doesn't mean we are lazy or unmotivated, it means we are accepting of our path. We move forward, without resistance, with whatever might come our way. It means we are present. We are honoring this moment. Eckhart Tolle says, "The greater part of human pain is unnecessary. It is self-created as long as the unobserved mind runs your life. The pain that you create now is always some form of non-acceptance, some form of unconscious resistance to what is." Each day, we must face whatever comes our way. Some days are easy. Other days there is resistance. But each day we must breathe, let go, and live fully and freely. 

"Most of us have two lives. The life we live and the unlived life within. Between the two stands resistance." Steven Pressfield

A Courageous Heart

"A brave person is a yogi who will withdraw all the senses inwardly and try to realize the inner purity. By watching others, we have lost ourselves and lost our inner purity. With yoga practice, you slowly get detached from everything and look inside and try to realize the purest form within." ~ R. Sharath Jois 

The act of simply stepping onto our yoga mat takes courage. It is here where we often come face to face with our greatest fears, our past hurts, and our most deeply stored emotions.  To address these things takes a courageous heart. Yoga teaches us to bring our awareness deep within ourselves, to cultivate compassion and love for ourselves, and to maintain a steady, calm, and serene mind in the face of our greatest challenges. 

Each time you practice, you come closer to yourself. And when we get to know ourselves, then we truly begin to cultivate compassion for ourselves. The practice of ahimsa (non-harming) applies to social ethics and how we treat the world around us, but it also addresses how we use and treat our own body. Fighting through pain (true pain, as opposed to discomfort) or forcing our way into poses our bodies haven't opened up to yet only do damage. They create bad habits, samskaras, or marks, essentially, that get etched into our being and hold us back. Yoga helps us to erase those old marks by focusing on what lies deep within. 

I love balance poses for the single-pointedness that it insists we find. In a balance pose we address the practice of Dharana, in which we focus on a single point (a drishti) or a task, such as breathing.  With calm, focused concentration, we rid our minds of distractions, in other words, our thoughts. When our thoughts interrupt the steadiness of our mind, they also interrupt our physical balance.  Our physical body needs things for balance such as core strength, but it is our inner state that has the biggest impact. It is within, without thoughts from the external world, radiating from the very center of our heart, that we find our true courage and our strength.

Finding balance on the mat requires us to come to our center. It requires a steady mind, steady breath, and a steady gaze. When our world feels out of balance we tend to forget to breath. Yoga reminds us to find and mindfully use our prana, our life giving energy, and to direct it to the parts of our body that need it. Outside of our practice, it's easy to become overwhelmed by challenges and tasks. We forget to look within and remember what is truly important. Yoga teaches us to direct our energies mindfully and purposefully, sending it to things that need it and letting go of those things that do not.

In doing so, we begin to clear the clutter - in our mind and in our lives. We begin to build a strong, steady, and clear, mind.  With a clear, pure mind, we can accomplish anything. We will not falter when we come up against challenges. Instead, we will face them with serenity and calm.  Yoga invites us to focus our attention inward and to direct energy into those places of the body that need it. It shows us that our job is not to waste energy on things that are not ready to receive it but to send our energy to all that is open to it. We remember what is important when we draw inward and connect with our courageous heart. 

As we draw deeper into our practice, stripping away the veils of the external world that have covered our eyes, we may want to bring our new-found understanding to the rest of the world. When we are faced with resistance, especially from those we love or who are close to us, we may feel angry or disappointed that they won't see things our way...but this is where we must stop and remember all that yoga has already shown us. Our energy is wasted on those not ready to receive. "Your work is not to drag the world, kicking and screaming into a new awareness. Your job is simply to do your work...Sacredly, secretly, silently...and those with 'eyes to see and ears to hear' will respond." (The Arcturians)

~Namaste

Strength in Stillness

"When you lose touch with your inner stillness, you lose touch with yourself. When you lose touch with yourself, you lose yourself in the world." ~Eckhart Tolle

Deep down, we are all always still, all the time.  Each one of us is like a mountain, standing tall and strong, weathering the elements on the exterior without changing on the inside.  We all have this stillness within. Amidst the constant activity, the unceasing movement of the world around us, there is always stillness, however, most people are not aware of it. We tend to identify with what our mind tells us, what our thoughts or our ego describe.  The Yoga Sutras state that "a mind free from all disturbances is Yoga." When we practice yoga, we practice letting to of our thoughts and our distractions.  Our yoga practice is our time to find and connect with stillness. The stillness is release from the activity of our mind. When we are in stillness, we are at peace, we are present, we are our true selves. 

"Yoga is a way of moving into stillness in order to experience the truth of who you are. The practice of yoga is the practice of meditation - or inner listening - in the poses and meditations, as well as all day long. It's a matter of listening inwardly for guidance all the time, and then daring enough and trusting enough to do as you are prompted to do."

To listen truthfully and honestly to ourselves requires courage and strength. True strength comes from within. It comes when we can be still and serene in the face of calamity. When we can breathe and respond when we become angry or upset. Strength is about more than our physical strength, although that too is important to keep our bodies young and healthy. When we come to our mat, we build physical strength while at the same time building our inner strength. We learn to breathe through challenging poses, we learn to listen to our body and honor it when it tells us to stop or rest. As we tune in to our body we tune in to our inner selves, to our breath, and to our inner strength.

"Calmness is the rarest quality in human life. It is the poise of a great nature, in harmony with life and it's ideals."

Contagious Energy

"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."
-Jiddu Krishnamurti

The entire universe consists of energy. And that energy is connected. From our inner selves to the exterior world, from the breath that leaves our lungs to the wind that blows through the air. From the words we speak to the actions we perform, to the state of the Universe. Thus, when one piece of this interwoven bond is imbalanced, that imbalance is manifested in other parts as well. In our physical body, for example, if one part of the body is not functioning or moving properly, it causes an imbalance, and often injury, in another part. Internally, if we are emotionally distressed, anxious, or depressed, that imbalance of negative over positive mental states causes physical illness. And externally, this connection is integrated into the type of energy we put into our actions, words, and interactions with others and with our surroundings. In other words, what you put out into the universe is felt, noticed, and experienced by others whether you realize it or not.

So when we practice yoga, we begin to understand that we have the key to change our lives and the lives of others. Through our practice, we learn to harness positive and meaningful energy. We learn that simply by practicing yoga, something in us changes. That change is a shift in energy. It is noticed, felt, and seen, if only subtly, by all those we encounter.

One way that we generate that shift is through the breath. Our breath is our live giving energy source. It is part of our connection to the universe. Breath is our reminder to respond, not react. The energy we harness with our breath has the power to transform a situation, our outlook, and even our life. Negative energy begets negativity. When we bring it into a situation, we receive negativity back. But when we bring positive energy, we receive positive energy, or we at least deflect the negative energy. The next time you face a challenging situation or person, come back to your breath and put all of your awareness on it. The sound it makes as it filters in through your nose and fills up your lungs, the way your chest and rib cage expand and relax. Notice the way your reactive thoughts begin to fade. Take that negative energy and transform it into a positive, peaceful response.

In the same way, the energy that you bring to your mat has the power to shape your practice. Before you come into even your first asana, you can determine what kind of practice you will have. A positive outlook, appreciation for your body and what it can do, gratitude for the uniqueness of your practice, and even a sense of humor when you slip out of a pose or loose your balance, are attitudes that bring positive energy to your space and the space around you. Energy is contagious, so spread the good instead of the bad. 

"Everything changes when you start to emit your own frequency rather than absorbing the frequencies around you, when you start imprinting your intent on the universe rather than receiving an imprint from existence."
-Unknown

The Study of Balance

“Yoga is a practice of walking into your fear everyday and facing it head on, until there is no more fear.” - Blue Osa Yoga

As humans, we have developed a habit of walking on our feet rather than our hands. This habit is so ingrained into our way of life that the very idea of inverting ourselves (going upside down) makes many people fearful or uncertain. In fact, hearing a yoga instructor tell you you're going to be balancing on your hands (or your head) may strike fear and uncertainty into your heart or it may bring out excitement and playfulness. Going upside down allows us to focus on letting go of fear and testing our limits. We focus on inviting in a new perspective and discovering of what we are truly capable. Inviting inversions into your practice literally gives you a new perspective. It allows you to accept change and work through challenges and fear, finding centered-ness and balance. Finding our centered-ness in our practice opens the door to centered-ness in our lives. 

"Yoga is the study of balance, and balance is the aim of all living creatures: it is our home." ~Rolf Gates

In the balancing act of our lives, we are faced with things which we must either hold onto and cherish, or let go and release. We make decisions every day that either bring balance into our lives, or throw us out of balance. Everything from what we eat, to how we treat ourselves and those around us, to the way in which we view our life situation determines our state of balance or imbalance. Our inner energy state determines the outer energy that we project to others and the energy that we bring into the world. When our energy is out of balance, focusing too much on the negative, our world becomes a place of negativity. Negative energy, fear based emotions, and living too much inside our minds throws us out of balance. Negativity breeds illness and depression, positivity breeds happiness and health. Finding balance, in our lives and on our mat, is about making ourselves whole, about finding inner peace. Opposites must exist in this world, but they must come together to be whole. Without darkness, there could be no light. Without silence there could be no sound. When we practice handstand, or any inversion, we progress first to letting go of the fear of being upside down, of using our bodies and seeing things in a different way. Once that fear has passed, we work to build the physical strength to go upside down. Once the strength is built, we look for space. The space where we become whole - where we turn our world around and where we find our balance.

"It is a cosmic principle that we either live in imbalance or act to create balance. Though we may be comfortable in imbalance (which we often perceive as balance), we cannot grow in such a state. It is through shining light on that which we are not that we illuminate the road to progress." ~Aadil Palkhivala

When we give up on fear and negative energy, we free ourselves. We are free to explore new possibilities, to discover our limits and to be in awe at what we can accomplish. The act of purposely turning our world upside down, of standing on our hands instead of our feet, is a lesson in cultivating a new outlook. It changes the directional flow of our energy. It boosts immunity, builds confidence while at the same time humbling us. It teaches us patience and faith - faith to take the leap into an upside down perspective and patience to practice .

"Change is not something that we should fear. Rather, it is something that we should welcome. For without change, nothing in this world would ever grow or blossom, and no one in this world would ever move forward to become the person they're meant to be. " ~Anon.

Freedom to Fly_Letting Go of Fear

"By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try, the world is beyond the winning."
~Lao Tzu

We can probably all agree that all of us want nothing more than peace and happiness. What many disagree on is what it is that makes us happy. In our lives we might strive for belongings, a certain job, or a relationship of some sort. On our mat, we might be happy if we can achieve a certain pose or look perfect in our vinyasa practice. But true happiness comes from letting go of desire, letting go of resisting what is Now, and embracing what we can do, what we already have, instead of forever looking for the next thing. Eka Pada Galavasana, or flying pigeon, is a pose that requires us to become aware of and face our fears. It is a lesson in addressing what holds us back and where the fear comes from. In our lives we sometimes stay in our comfort zone because we are afraid of what might happen if we venture from it. But when we let go of the past, of what we know, of what we think about ourselves, and embrace the opportunity to open our wings and fly, we open up doors to limitless possibilities.

Fear is an emotion that can stop us in our tracks. When we have a goal, whether a pose or something in our lives, failure to reach that goal can send us into darkness, feeling shame, embarrassment, depression, or thinking we're not good enough. It can prevent us from moving forward and experiencing some of our greatest successes and, in the end, true happiness. Each failure is a lesson. We had to fail in order to learn that lesson. That failure was our only way. It was our path. You are here for a purpose and your failures lead you to your purpose. They are often the door toward success. You've heard the phrase "when one door closes, another opens." And its true. Our failures, our disappointments, lead us to our truth, to our happiness. But this will only be true when we are open to receive and accept failure. When we are ready to allow our path to unfold. When you face a challenging pose on your mat, accept it and find your edge. Falling out of a pose is a great achievement because it means you've let go of fear and invited the risk of failure into your practice. Yoga is exactly that, after all, a practice. 

"Each person comes into this world with a specific destiny - he or she has something to fulfill, some message that has to be delivered, some work that has to be completed. You are not here accidentally - you are here meaningfully. There is a purpose behind you. The whole intends to do something through you." ~Osho

Transitions

Your life is a sacred journey. It is about change, growth, discovery, movement, transformation, continuously expanding your vision of what is possible, stretching your soul, learning to see clearly and deeply, listening to your intuition, taking courageous challenges at every step along the way. You are on the path… exactly where you are meant to be right now… And from here, you can only go forward, shaping your life story into a magnificent tale of triumph, of healing, of courage, of beauty, of wisdom, of power, of dignity, and of love.” ~ by Caroline Adams  

Last week, my asana practices focused on core strength and on energizing and mindfully using our core. The core is not only a physical space but an energetic one as well. It "is what supports us spiritually in our lives, and physically in our yoga practice. If our core is weak, the ups and downs of life are much harder to take. A strong core makes us more resilient." (Rachel Brahinsky, Yoga Journal). Physically, a strong core increases our digestive fire, holds us upright, and protects our low back. In our practice, it allows us to float into and out of poses, to keep our balance steady, and to conquer advanced poses like headstand, jump backs, jump throughs, handstands, and so on.

Meanwhile, our inner, spiritual connection emphasized change - both internal and external. As we move into fall, change is upon us; the leaves change colors, the weather begins to cool, and days become shorter. While this time of year is one that reminds us of change, change is not reserved for autumn. Change is constant. Nothing in this world is permanent.  Each day is a new day, each practice a new practice. We know that everything in this world is constantly changing, shifting, evolving, and transforming. Our yoga practice changes each time we step to the mat, our life situation changes day by day, if only subtly. Our challenge is to invite change - to accept it and to honor it, without labeling it as good or bad. In reality, there is no such thing as good and bad. We make things good or bad by labeling them as such. Change is just change. So if everything in this world is temporary, constantly changing, how we handle change and transition is important. Consider how you handle transitions in your practice. Do you move gracefully? Are you focusing on Now or what the pose of the person next to you looks like? Do your feet land with a thud or with no sound at all?  Are you breathing with the poses? That space between the poses is important. Sacred, even. Just as the space between the hustle and bustle of our daily lives is sacred. As we become more grounded and strong through the transitions in our practice, we can carry that strength to the transitions and changes we face in our daily lives.

When we practice, we are often seeking an end result. We want our poses to look a certain way and so we develop the habit, often, of putting our bodies into a pose with the intention of achieving some specific result or look. Your practice is not about appearance, achievement, touching your toes, or coming into a perfect headstand from Prasarita Padottanasana (Wide Leg Forward Fold). Its not about the external result but rather an internal shift in awareness of your body, your alignment, and the habits you've developed over time. Pay special attention to each pose, to how you use your core, and to your alignment, and find YOUR perfect pose as it is that day. Each practice is your best practice, because it was the one you were intended to have that day. Remember, "its not about touching your toes. Its about what you learn on the way down."

Be content with your practice, and with your life, as it is, while also allowing for change. Change, after all, is the only consistent thing in this world. You are here to grow, to heal, to evolve, to practice, and to BE. Embrace whatever it is that you bring to your mat each day and whatever comes into your life at each moment.

"It is always the simple things that change our lives. And these things never happen when you are looking for them to happen. Life will reveal answers at the pace life wishes to do so. You feel like running, but life is on a stroll."
~Donald Miller

  

Peace of Mind

“As the mind, so the person; bondage or liberation are in your own mind. If you feel bound, you are bound. If you feel liberated, you are liberated. Things outside neither bind nor liberate you; only your attitude toward them does that.”
― Swami Satchidananda

The Yoga Sutras state that: "The only reality is the universal self, which is veiled by Maya (the illusory power). As the veils are lifted, the mind becomes clearer. Unhappiness and fear – even the fear of death – vanishes. This state of freedom, or Moksha, is the goal of Yoga. It can be reached by constant enquiry into the nature of things." Dhyana, the 7th limb of the 8 Limbed Path of the Yoga Sutras, means meditation or perfect contemplation.  Meditation allows us to meet heightened levels of awareness, to calm our mind, and to let go of our thoughts. The practice of Dharana, the 6th limb, in which we focus on a single point or task, like breathing, prepares us for Dhyana. Our thoughts cause distraction in our lives.  They disrupt our inner state of being. The fewer thoughts we have the fewer worries we have. Spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle says that when we worry or have anxiety, it is the result of our mind creating stories. We are either recreating events from the past, or making up stories about the future. But when our mind becomes still and we let go of our thoughts, we experience peace of mind, balance and simplicity in our lives, and of course, happiness.

"Do not encumber your mind with useless thoughts. What good does it do to brood on the past or anticipate the future? Remain in the simplicity of the present moment." – Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

When you come to your mat, bring your attention to your breath. Do this without thinking. Simply hear the oceanic-like sound of your breathing, and feel the rhythmic flow of each breath cycle.  In this space of stillness, when our thoughts cease, even momentarily, we begin to train our mind to achieve Dhyana, allowing us to connect with ourselves, and in doing so, connecting with a higher power, a higher consciousness.

In the practice of Dhyana, we focus directly on something with the intent of knowing the truth about it. "We learn to differentiate between the mind of the perceiver, the means of perception, and the objects perceived, between words, their meanings, and ideas, and between all the levels of evolution of nature." (Yoga Sutras, xvi) In other words, the layers of perception, the labels we attach to things, our feelings towards those things, begin to fade away. A flower is more than the word. It is more than its color, its scent, its shape, and the thoughts or emotions it evokes in us. Our consciousness awakens as we peel back the veils of perception and see into the object's true nature. This practice, focused inward, on ourselves, unites us with our own true nature.
The practice of yoga is about seeking out the truth. The truth about the true nature of all things, beginning with ourselves. Dhyana is described as a path to Nirvana, a practice of "stopping and realizing" (abuddhistlivrary.com). Of stopping our thoughts and realizing that we are so much more than that. We are, at our core, energetic light; energy connected to each and every object and creature in the universe. Not only are we not our thoughts, but we are also not our body. Our body is a vehicle for housing that energy. Thus, when we connect the vehicle (the body) with the mind, we begin to find that path toward Nirvana, or enlightenment.
Each day we face a challenge: to love, enjoy, and accept our life exactly as it is. We spend a great deal of time trying to change the past or control the future. Our asana practice teaches us to let go and stay in the Present. It prepares us for meditation or Dhyana, the state where only the present exists without intrusion from our thoughts. Where we are content with things as they are, for better or worse. When things don't work out the way we want, we get upset, depressed, angry, all sorts of negative emotions that affect our well being and that of those around us.  Everything works out exactly as it is supposed to, exactly as you need it to. When you stop thinking about it, you will find peace in this.

"When you surrender to what is and become so fully present, the past ceases to have any power. The realm of Being, which had been obscured by the mind, then opens up. Suddenly, a great stillness arises within you, an unfathomable sense of peace. And within that peace there is great joy. And within that joy there is love. And at the innermost core there is the sacred, the immeasurable, That which cannot be named." – Eckhart Tolle

The Awakened Heart

May you be happy.

May you be healthy.

May you be at peace.

This is the mantra that ends most of my yoga practices.  When we are truly at peace, we have truly come to know ourselves. When we know ourselves, our true selves, without the labels or the expectations or the past, but simply as our shared inner Being, then we have found Enlightenment.

Enlightenment comes from truly knowing oneself. It is the understanding that you are not your thoughts, your perceptions, your emotions, or your past. Each of these things are like clouds. They pass through but they are not permanent. What is permanent and eternal is your inner self. Yoga teaches us to let go of our exterior self, to let it fade away and to connect with our inner selves through our breath and our movements. The asanas, or poses, are about so much more than making us flexible and strong.  They are about preparing the mind and body for meditation. And it is in meditation where we find the stillness needed to draw inward, to awaken our heart and to recognize our Divine self as well as the Divine in others. 

This is where we come to know that we are the same. We are not separate. You are not your job, your hobbies, your past, or your thoughts.  You are an energetic life force. You can feel this energy within you at any time. In savasana, I've told my classes to find the "aliveness" in their hands.  Not with their thoughts but by simply becoming aware of their hands. When you focus completely on the feeling of your hands, you can feel a sensation. It may feel tingly, pulsing, or perhaps warm.  Whatever you feel, it is a form of energy. Eckhart Tolle refers to this feeling as "inner body awareness."  When you cease to think and you draw your attention to your inner energy you begin to awaken your heart. 

The awakened heart is a heart connected to the Divine. The awakened heart recognizes that the only thing that really matters is what can be found within, not in the material, exterior world in which we live. In order for us to survive in this world, however, we must attain certain things such as food clothing and shelter. To do this, we probably need a job or career. Yet, the awakened heart understands that these things do not define who we are.  Who we are is the energetic life force that connects each one of us. Our thoughts, words, and actions have the power to bring us together or tear us apart.

Returning to the mantra I offer at the end of my classes, I had the following heart awakening experience recently:  I heard a story on the Today Show about a woman whose health, after the age of 50, deteriorated rapidly. She eventually found out that she had emphysema. It seemed her life had taken a downward spiral. Her daughter, a yoga instructor and massage therapist, convinced her to try yoga. After her first class, she took money from her life's savings and signed up for yoga teacher training and is now a yoga instructor. At the end of her interview, she said "My mantra is 'I AM happy, I AM healthy, I AM at peace.'" Those words emphasized, to me, our connectedness. It made me realize that the words spoken within the yoga studio go beyond those walls and truly reach those in need. Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu - May all beings everywhere be happy and free, and may our own thoughts, words and actions bring happiness to all beings.

"I offer you peace. I offer you love. I offer you friendship. I see your beauty. I hear your need. I feel your feelings. My wisdom flows from the Highest Source. I salute that Source in you. Let us work together for unity and love.”
~ Gandhi

Breathe...

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

Your breath is your pranayama. Your life-giving energy force. Pranayama is the 4th limb of Patanjali's 8 Limbed Path described in the Yoga Sutras.  We cannot live without our breath, yet we take breathing for granted. The breath frees our mind of distractions, rids our bodies of toxins, and is the link to our higher self. When we use our breath mindfully and purposefully, listening to the sound and feeling and flow of our breath, we open up the channels of energy and harmony in our bodies.  Each time you step onto your mat, each day you awaken, give yourself permission to flow into and out of each pose or into and out of each situation in which you find yourself.  Take time to bring your awareness back to your breath, and simply be.

We all lose our path, lose concentration, fall out of poses, forget to breathe.  When these things happen, you can allow it to be OK, or allow it to distract and cause you worry.  The only person who can take away your happiness is you.  By returning to our breath, focusing on the very act of breathing, we can clear our minds of distractions. When you find yourself feeling stressed, anxious, or challenged, on your mat or in your daily life, begin to listen to your breath. The oceanic-like sound and rhythm of the breath naturally calms and quiets our thoughts. Make it your intention to be fully aware and engaged with your breath in each and every moment.

"The practice is simply this: keep coming back to your breath during the day. Just take a moment. This will give your mind a steadiness and your breath a gracefulness.... There’s so much to let go of, isn’t there? Your nostalgia and your regrets. Your fantasies and your fears. What you think you want instead of what is happening right now. Breathe." ~Rodney Yee, Yoga: The Poetry of the Body

A steady, conscious breath is all you need to bring yourself into the present moment. What is happening now is all that matters. Whatever happened yesterday, an hour ago, a second ago, is over and done. What is going to happen has not yet happened and will happen, no matter what. All that we know for sure is Now. When you return to your breath, you connect with joy, freedom, serenity, and peace. Your breath is your path to contentment. When we empty ourselves of our thoughts, our worries, our fears, our desires, we make space within to fill ourselves with all that truly exists - light, love, peace, and happiness.

"Yoga is about clearing away whatever is in us that prevents our living in the most full and whole way. With yoga, we become aware of how and where we are restricted -- in body, mind, and heart -- and how gradually to open and release these blockages. As these blockages are cleared, our energy is freed. We start to feel more harmonious, more at one with ourselves. Our lives begin to flow -- or we begin to flow more in our lives."
~Cybele Tomlinson

Uniting Body and Breath

"Yoga is about clearing away whatever is in us that prevents our living in the most full and whole way. With yoga, we become aware of how and where we are restricted -- in body, mind, and heart -- and how gradually to open and release these blockages. As these blockages are cleared, our energy is freed. We start to feel more harmonious, more at one with ourselves. Our lives begin to flow -- or we begin to flow more in our lives."

~Cybele Tomlinson

Yoga is more than the physical practice with which most of us are familiar. In Patanjali's 8 Limbed Path, in the Yoga Sutras, the Asanas, or physical postures, are the 3rd limb, following the Yamas and Niyamas. The intention of the asanas is to prepare the body for meditation. In Western culture, we tend to associate the asanas with physical fitness. Yet it is through the asanas that we develop the discipline, concentration, and inner awareness to transform ourselves and our practice. The unnecessary parts of this world fade away and we are left with breath, body, movement, and spirit.

When we come to our mat, we are often told to connect with our breath. To breathe and move. We can use our breath to calm our mind, body, and spirit. When you come into a pose, allow the posture, with help from your breath, to release tension. Be aware of where you're holding and exhale it away. "The posture of yoga is steady and easy." This is how Patanjali describes the asanas. To free our minds of distractions, and thus be totally at peace, we must also free our bodies of distractions. Tension held in our muscles, or pain in some part of our body, distracts our mind. As we move through our physical practice, the union of breath, body, and movement, calms the mind. Patanjali said, "Posture is mastered by freeing the body and mind from tension and restlessness and meditating on the infinite." The infinite and united light that connects us all to one another and the entire universe. Through our breath we connect to each pose and we connect with our practice. Yoga is about this connection of breath, body, and spirit. Yoga means union - the union of our individual self with our highest self. Through the practice of yoga we can make that connection.

You are yoga. You are the union with each object, each living creature, with each person you see, and with the entire universe.

"You cannot do yoga. Yoga is your natural state. What you can do are yoga exercises, which may reveal to you where you are resisting your natural state." (Sharon Gannon)

The Journey Inward

"Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakes." 

~Carl Jung

Aristotle said "Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom." Each time you come to your yoga mat, you reunite with a little bit more of your true self.  When you come to your practice, take the time to notice how your body, your mind, and your spirit feel. Observe what is going on inside - how each pose feels, what changes you notice when your settle into your savasana. This inward observation of oneself is the fourth of the Niyamas, or active observances of the Yoga Sutras, and is known as Svadhyaya, meaning "study of one's self." The self-awareness that you cultivate during your yoga practice is the foundation of Svadhyaya. Through this practice, we open the door to self-acceptance and self-compassion. We open the door to acceptance and compassion for all that exists around us, and we open the door to true wisdom - enlightenment.

To fully draw inward, you must remember that your yoga practice is internal. Think of yourself as alone in your practice. Whether you are packed in elbow to elbow, or by yourself in the room, you are there with nothing more than your body and your breath. There is no judgement, no comparison, no perfect or imperfect pose. Let the rest of the space fade away, look within and reunite with, honor, and love yourself. It is only when we truly come to know ourselves, when everything on the exterior drops away that we are truly happy and at peace.

"As you peel it back, in the heart of nothing, that is love. You are what you are seeking. Life is a set up so that each of us can actually see in ourselves the truth for ourselves. What gets taken away are all the exterior means we thought we wanted love to come to us. You have the choice to notice the perfect set up to see love is exactly what you are."

~Adyashanti 

The fifth of the Niyamas, Ishvara Pranidhana, is the devotion, and surrender of your practice to a higher power. This is where we give ourselves over to something greater than ourselves.  Where we dissolve our ego and disengage with our self-determined identification. When we let go and surrender our thoughts, our desires, our egoic nature and give ourselves over to a higher power, we can reach past our attachments; attachments to belongings, attachments to a perfect practice or pose, attachments to what we think our lives should be like, and surrender to something greater. Our yoga practice thus becomes sacred and full of grace.

“Learning to let go should be learned before learning to get. Life should be touched, not strangled. You’ve got to relax, let it happen at times, and at others move forward with it.” 

~Ray Bradbury.

You, the Universe

“You are not IN the universe, you ARE the universe, an intrinsic part of it. Ultimately you are not a person, but a focal point where the universe is becoming conscious of itself. What an amazing miracle.”  ~Eckhart Tolle 

Each time we come to our yoga mat, we enter a sacred space.  Your mat is your space to remember and reunite with your breath, body, mind, and spirit.  In doing so, you reunite with the entire universe. Through our breath, we find energy, balance, purity, contentment, and discipline. All of which make up, in part, the five Niyamas of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras.  The Niyamas, or active observances, are the second limb of Patanjali's "Eight Limbed Path," extending off of the first limb, the Yamas, or universal vows. The Eight Limbed Path teaches us how to live a moral, ethical, and purposeful life.   

When we step onto our mat, we use our breath to integrate ourselves into our practice. With each breath in, we bring our energy into our practice, and with each breath out, we release the world outside of that space. This distinction of energy between our mat and the rest of the world is related to the practice of Saucha, the first of the five Niyamas. Saucha is translated as purity, or cleanliness, but also relates to keeping different energies distinct. When we have clutter or negativity, we bring that into our atmosphere and restrict our path to peace, freedom, and happiness. By quieting the chaos, and cleaning up the clutter, both inside and out, we pave the way towards finding peace and contentment throughout each day.  Saucha also focuses on purifying and cleansing our mind, body, and spirit. It is thus both an external and internal practice. We can keep our physical selves, the spaces in which we live and work, and our inner selves clean and free from clutter. When we let go of things we don't need - belongings, past hurts, or old grudges - we make space for the things that truly matter. Each time we practice yoga, especially in a heated practice, we are physically, emotionally, and spiritually, releasing toxins from our bodies. Twisting poses, for example, literally wring out and cleanse our inner organs. The heat allows us to sweat out toxins, and the meditative breathing practiced on our mat allows us to clear out the clutter from within.

"The more you have, the more you are occupied.
The less you have, the more free you are."
~Mother Teresa

The second of the Niyamas, Samtosha, means contentment in all things. Happiness is not found by wanting to attain things but by wanting what we already have. Each day you awaken, your life is as it is. Each time you step to your mat, your practice that day is as it is. Finding contentment, samtosha, in each pose, and in turn in your life as it is, is your path to peace. We make up our minds to be as content as we are. Our happiness is our own choice. Even Abraham Lincoln agreed, "Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be."  The moment we free ourselves from desires and embrace what we already have, what we are, and what is, peace finds us.  In our yoga practice, we always return to our breath as our guide.  We use it to quiet the constant chatter of our mind, or the chitta vritti - the mind chatter that is often the source of our unhappiness, our worries, our concerns. When the chatter ceases, peace and contentment are achieved. There will always be distractions, annoyances, even disasters that come into our lives but we have a choice in how we react. Samtosha is about learning to weather those storms with calm and grounding. We may not always be happy, especially in the face of tragedy, but it is how we respond that brings us peace. In our practice, we encounter poses that challenge us or cause some discomfort. We practice Samtosha when we find serenity in those poses. We learn to be ok with how things are, on and off our mat.

"There is no end of craving. Hence contentment alone is the best way to happiness. Therefore, acquire contentment."
~Swami Sivananda

The practice of Tapas, the third Niyama, is another tool for quieting the chitta vritti, or internal chatter, as it teaches us to disengage with our egoic mind and rediscover our internal discipline.  Tapas, in Sanskrit, literally means heat or glow, but it is translated as discipline or austerity, or "the fiercely focused, constant, intense commitment necessary to burn off the impediments that keep us from being in the true state of yoga (union with the universe)" (Yoga Journal).  Tapas is your motivating, inner flame. By simply coming to your mat, you have already practiced tapas, as it takes self-discipline to come to your practice. Tapas is an intention; intention to overcome or accept whatever obstacles cross your path, and to do so with calm, strength, and serenity.  Your yoga practice provides you the opportunity to burn away the thought process and to welcome and embrace challenges as they come, knowing that each has been placed before you for your benefit.

“Living life with zeal and sincerity, the purifying flame is ignited (Tapas), revealing the inner light.” Sutra 2.43 

All You Need is..

“Be happy in the moment, that's enough. Each moment is all we need, not more.” ― Mother Teresa

We spend a great deal of time sending our energy in a hundred different directions and towards things that are not truly important. Yoga teaches us to slow down and listen, to recognize what is important, and to let go of that which does not serve us. We become attuned to the intricacies of our bodies and then we extend that awareness to our lives. The practices of Brahmacharya and Aparigraha, the last two of the five Yamas, or universal vows described in the Yoga Sutra, guide us toward this understanding. 

Brahmacharya, the 4th of the 5  is translated as the merging of energy with the divine, or engaging with your connection to your spiritual self. It is a practice in which we experience our interconnectedness with all of life by using our energy purposefully and mindfully.  When we use our energy in this way, we become fully present, anchored in the moment, putting our energy into those things that are happening now.  The practice of Brahmacharya teaches us to keep our energy in balance.  In our practice we frequently see imbalances in our bodies. We are stronger on one side or more flexible on another. We can balance steadily on one leg but wobble on the other.  Brahmacharya teaches us to channel our energy to the parts of our bodies that need it most. Sending it to our core to provide strength in a balance pose for example, or to our low back and hamstrings during a forward fold.  Off of the mat, it is a practice of directing our energy to the parts of our life and the people in our life who need it most.  We learn to be aware of our energy; of what we put it towards, of how we use it, and to whom we offer it.  

Aparigraha, the 5th of the 5 Yamas, means non-possessiveness, non-attachment, or non-grasping. Aparigraha is a practice of releasing and letting go. Letting go of that which does not serve us. Letting go of envy, jealousy, possessiveness, and judgement.  Our  ego grasps at things and insists on making them its own. Poses in our physical practice are no different.  Its easy to desire the flexibility or strength of another in the room, and to then force our bodies into poses that we are not ready for, bringing us full-circle and back to the practice of Ahimsa, or non-harming.  We harm ourselves, and in turn others, when we allow greed and envy into our practice or into our lives. Whether on our mat or in our life, each of us is enough.  Aparigraha is a practice of gratefulness. Gratefulness for all that we have without attachment to desires for that which we do not have. 

Be grateful for what can you do, rather than mourn what you cannot.  Wherever you are in each pose, whatever event befalls you in your life, remember that it is enough and it is perfect. Harmony is found as soon as we let go of those things which are not useful to us. We find that we lack nothing because we are attached to nothing. And with non-attachment, comes the whole world.

"By the observance of aparigraha, the yogi makes his life as simple as possible and trains his mind not to feel the loss or the lack of anything. Then everything he really needs will come to him by itself at the proper time." ~BKS Iyengar

Contentment

“When we feel connected to the vastness of life and are confident of life’s abundance, we are naturally generous and able to practice the third yama, non-stealing (asteya).” - Donna Farhi, Teaching Yoga

This week's classes revolved around the practice of Asteya, non-stealing. Asteya is the third of the five Yamas, the universal vows of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. The Yamas also make up the first limb of Patanjali's Eight Limbed Path, a guide toward leading a moral, purposeful, and meaningful life.

Chapter two, verse 37 of The Yoga Sutra teaches us that “to one established in Asteya, all wealth comes.” If we learn not to steal in any form, we will realize that all we need comes to us naturally. Think of a time when something good found you, without your having to try.  This is how I found myself where I am today.  Each progression in this direction came to me without effort.  This morning I woke up and realized I had arrived.  I'm not looking for the next chapter, the next big idea, the next event.  I'm content. Coming to that realization meant also realizing that until this day, I had never been truly content.  When we are open to receive, receive we will.  When we are confident in the abundance of good things, we come to realize those things. People steal for fear of lack of abundance.  We don't realize that we already have everything we could ever need right within us. 

When we come to our yoga practice, we learn to be confident that our body has the abundance of energy it needs for each pose, for each practice.  We find that it will tell us when it has met its limits, and then, with practice, we celebrate our limitations. When we force our bodies into a variation of a pose it is not ready for, we rob our body of its opportunity to naturally and honestly open to into that pose. Eka Pada Galavasana, or Flying Pigeon, has been the peak pose of many of my classes this week. It is a pose that must be treated with respect and honesty. A pose that requires courage, strength, and confidence but that teaches us, at the same time, to honor our boundaries.  If our hips are too tight or upper body strength too weak, we must respect those limitations, knowing that as we continue to practice, we will someday be ready to fly.  When we connect mindfully to our body and breath, and release our ego, the practice of Asteya can be fully realized. 

Asteya reminds us also that when we partake it such behaviors as stealing, jealousy, envy, or discontentment, we are contributing to our own suffering. We are denying our minds peace by believing that we are not whole.  Our perception that we are lacking in some form - on our yoga mat, at home, in our job, in our relationships - leads to discontentment, to struggle with our desires for things that others have or poses that our bodies won't allow.  To recognize and celebrate our own unique gifts and qualities is to find peace of mind.  When we are content with ourselves, our lives, our practice, we feel no lack of abundance.  When we let go of striving to be like those around us and recognize ourselves as truly whole, we begin to appreciate and receive what we already have. 

“Be content with what you have;rejoice in the way things are.When you realize there is nothing lacking,the whole world belongs to you.” ― Lao Tzu

Your True Self

 “Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.” – Buddha

Wheel pose is a lesson in self acceptance and facing our boundaries. Its a pose that asks us to lift our hearts, stretch our spine, and open our entire front body. Here is where we realize that Yoga is more than a physical practice. It is the unity of mind, body, and spirit. In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali describes the Eight Limbed Path. Eight steps, essentially, that act as a guide to leading a meaningful and purposeful life. This past week, in my yoga classes, we explored Ahimsa and Satya, the first 2 (of 5) yamas of the Eight Limbed Path. The Yamas are considered universal vows that should be practiced in thoughts, words, and actions.

Ahimsa, the first of the five yamas, means non-harming, or non-violence. It can be translated to maintaining compassion for yourself and others. In our practice it is easy to compare ourself with those around us; to think that we are not good enough because we can't touch our toes in this pose, or our hips just don't open in that pose. We fight with our bodies, insisting that they do things they are not ready for. We can go so far as to exhibit violence toward ourselves - physically and emotionally. Violence is created not only through physical harm but by our reactions to others, or to events, or to ourselves as well.  Judgement, anger, criticism, are all forms of violence. On our yoga mat, we observe the ways in which we judge ourselves - forcing ourselves into a pose or telling ourselves we're not good enough because we can't do something.

Within your yoga practice, there is no judgement. There is no criticism. There is only you, your breath, and your body. Foster compassion for yourself in your practice. Carry that compassion for yourself with you when you leave your mat. See how compassion for yourself spreads to all those you encounter. Compassion allows us to let go of negativity and to respond instead, with positive, kind, and loving responses.

Satya, the second of the Yamas, means truthfulness, or honesty.

2.36 As truthfulness (satya) is achieved, the fruits of actions naturally result according to the will of the Yogi. 
~Yoga Sutras

In other words, when we practice honesty and truthfulness in thoughts, words, and actions, we find that our will is naturally fulfilled. On our yoga mat, practicing satya is related to the practice of ahimsa because we learn to face the truth of our boundaries and we honor them without forcing our bodies into poses they are not ready for. Not all poses are for all people. Because we are all beautifully individual, we cannot all look the same or go as deep in every pose. Yoga teaches us to cultivate feeling and awareness in our body. To be honest and true to our limitations. To truly come to love our boundaries and face them truthfully. Practicing satya in a yoga class means honoring and respecting our gifts as well as our weaknesses. Everything in this world is temporary. Because we change moment to moment, practice to practice, we must release our past practices and try only to achieve that which each new practice presents us. Think not about where you are going but about where you are. When we learn to recognize whatever resistance we are currently facing we can begin to let go and move forward on our journey.

Ahimsa, compassion and non-harming. A direct link to Satya, truthfulness.  Our reminders to meet ourselves where we are, as we are. To connect with our true selves, and thus with all beings, we must treat ourselves with kindness, respect, and honesty. The light in you is the light in each of us. When we truly honor our own light, only then do we truly honor the light in each of us. Once compassion for ourselves is cultivated, compassion to all beings is naturally expressed.