I love this time of year. The sunrises are amazing! Each morning I am reminded how important it is to truly be in the moment. I come in to work and open my blinds wide in anticipation of the painting that nature will create for me. It happens and disappears so quickly. The purples that turn into reds and oranges with hints of gold. If I turn away for just for a moment to pick up my tea I can miss the experience. Tomorrow there will be another painting created for me. It may be equally amazing yet it will be different than today and I will be different.
Remember to stop and pause. Be in the moment. Appreciate where you are at this very moment. It all changes so quickly.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
softening
Softening, opening to grace, it is the 1st principle of Anusara Yoga and something that is so easy to skip over in our practice and in our daily life.
Today in my practice we were working on outer spiral in parsvokansana. So many people go into the pose with a negative viewpoint and are hard. They think that it will be easier if they barely square the front leg or they go the opposite root and bend over then try to force the front leg down. One of the keys to the pose is to start by softening. To breath in, to allow the front leg to soften into the hip, to descend towards the ground. There is an immense amount of space that is created by doing this. The pose becomes a real hip opener when this is done (of course with maintaining true muscular energy in the back leg and alignment.) This space allows you to outer spiral the front leg and really open up - open up the hips, open up the torso, open the heart, expand and feel the pose. If we dont soften the experience is no where near as enjoyable, freeing or open.
As I left class I started thinking about how this truly relates to our day to day life and was reflecting on how things have changed for me at work since I began practicing yoga. If we approach what we perceive as a difficult situation with a hardened attitude the experience is usually difficult. If we step back, breath, and then approach the situation we have a very different experience.
Through my yoga I have learned this and have seen what a dramatic difference it has made on how I handle the chaos of the work day. Things that use to get me worked up and crazy now seem so much easier. The constant craze I use to feel is no longer there. When I look at the reports I see that all the numbers are still there. It isn't that I'm doing less (I'm not), its that my approach has changed. There is a softeness. When a problem arises I don't go full force like a bull in the china store, I take time and breath.
How much easier life would be if we all stepped back, took a breath and softened.
Today in my practice we were working on outer spiral in parsvokansana. So many people go into the pose with a negative viewpoint and are hard. They think that it will be easier if they barely square the front leg or they go the opposite root and bend over then try to force the front leg down. One of the keys to the pose is to start by softening. To breath in, to allow the front leg to soften into the hip, to descend towards the ground. There is an immense amount of space that is created by doing this. The pose becomes a real hip opener when this is done (of course with maintaining true muscular energy in the back leg and alignment.) This space allows you to outer spiral the front leg and really open up - open up the hips, open up the torso, open the heart, expand and feel the pose. If we dont soften the experience is no where near as enjoyable, freeing or open.
As I left class I started thinking about how this truly relates to our day to day life and was reflecting on how things have changed for me at work since I began practicing yoga. If we approach what we perceive as a difficult situation with a hardened attitude the experience is usually difficult. If we step back, breath, and then approach the situation we have a very different experience.
Through my yoga I have learned this and have seen what a dramatic difference it has made on how I handle the chaos of the work day. Things that use to get me worked up and crazy now seem so much easier. The constant craze I use to feel is no longer there. When I look at the reports I see that all the numbers are still there. It isn't that I'm doing less (I'm not), its that my approach has changed. There is a softeness. When a problem arises I don't go full force like a bull in the china store, I take time and breath.
How much easier life would be if we all stepped back, took a breath and softened.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
the itch
When I enrolled in the teacher training program I hadn't made a clear decision if teaching yoga was something I wanted to do. I knew I wanted to further my own practice, develop my knowledge of yoga and develop my teaching skills which could be applied to my "day job" and life in general.
This past weekend was our 1st real weekend of teaching. WOW! It was AWESOME! At the end of the day I had a huge grin from ear to ear and all I could think of was when can I do more - when can I start teaching.
That evening I had dinner with friends and was sharing my feelings of the day and found myself getting more and more excited about the idea of teaching. I felt like a little kid waiting for Christmas day to come so I could open the presents. I started planning in my head how I might be able to offer free classes to friends I practice with to get more experience, to start teaching... to scratch the itch.
I have been contemplating since then the idea of teaching and what about the experience creating that itch. One of the things I have come to is something one of my teachers has said on many occasions. She says that she gets as much from watching us practice while she teaches as she gets from her own practice. At the times that she has said that I thought okay, maybe, but it cant really be that good. I have been observing this teacher's classes and I now know that what she said is true. I feel that amazing energy from observing and watching the students have their experience and I am not even doing the teaching. I can't even imagine how awesome it will be when it is actually my class.
I guess that is it, that question of if I want to teach is answered.
This past weekend was our 1st real weekend of teaching. WOW! It was AWESOME! At the end of the day I had a huge grin from ear to ear and all I could think of was when can I do more - when can I start teaching.
That evening I had dinner with friends and was sharing my feelings of the day and found myself getting more and more excited about the idea of teaching. I felt like a little kid waiting for Christmas day to come so I could open the presents. I started planning in my head how I might be able to offer free classes to friends I practice with to get more experience, to start teaching... to scratch the itch.
I have been contemplating since then the idea of teaching and what about the experience creating that itch. One of the things I have come to is something one of my teachers has said on many occasions. She says that she gets as much from watching us practice while she teaches as she gets from her own practice. At the times that she has said that I thought okay, maybe, but it cant really be that good. I have been observing this teacher's classes and I now know that what she said is true. I feel that amazing energy from observing and watching the students have their experience and I am not even doing the teaching. I can't even imagine how awesome it will be when it is actually my class.
I guess that is it, that question of if I want to teach is answered.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
stepping in front of the mat
Over the past month and half, in teacher training, we have been focusing on principles, methodologies, sequencing, anatomy - the fundamentals. Today, for the 1st time, we stepped to the other side - we stepped in front of the mat and took the seat of the teacher.
At first I could feel the butterflies in my stomach - the anticipation of standing in front of my peers. Having to speak, give guidance, give direction. Would I fuddle my words? How would I know what to say? How would I know what to observe? Would I forget the name of the pose? There is so much to observe, to remember, to focus on. How would it all work?
Well, it did. Its just that simple. I have the knowledge within, its all there and it will come out when it is needed.
We all have everything we need already inside of us, we are innately good. This is one of the main principles of the tantric philosophy. When the time comes we will know how to open. We will have the words. We will have the confidence. We will open to grace. Remembering this, gives me the strength and the support to step to the other side of the mat and take this new seat, the seat of a the teacher.
Om Namah Shivaya Gurave
I honor the auspicious light and goodness in myself and all beings that is my true teacher
Namaste
At first I could feel the butterflies in my stomach - the anticipation of standing in front of my peers. Having to speak, give guidance, give direction. Would I fuddle my words? How would I know what to say? How would I know what to observe? Would I forget the name of the pose? There is so much to observe, to remember, to focus on. How would it all work?
Well, it did. Its just that simple. I have the knowledge within, its all there and it will come out when it is needed.
We all have everything we need already inside of us, we are innately good. This is one of the main principles of the tantric philosophy. When the time comes we will know how to open. We will have the words. We will have the confidence. We will open to grace. Remembering this, gives me the strength and the support to step to the other side of the mat and take this new seat, the seat of a the teacher.
Om Namah Shivaya Gurave
I honor the auspicious light and goodness in myself and all beings that is my true teacher
Namaste
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