Yesterday Kristin Shepherd (author of the Beginner's Mind blog on the Yoga Journal website) posted about comparing teachers:
http://blogs.yogajournal.com/beginnersmind/2011/02/oh-yeah.html
I loved the post. And I agree. It always seems par for the course when one is gleefully describing their yoga studio or favorite teacher or last class ... the listener suddenly interrupts to share their experience? Are they sharing in excitement or comparing their relative exposure or yoga prowess?
I cannot count on my hand the number of times I've been at a fair passing out free passes to a local yoga studio when a passerby noted that the studio advertised does not offer education in the "true yoga" or the "only yoga that has a proven medical benefit".
This "mine is better than yours" mentality can be a little irritating from time to time, don't you think? Whether the motivation is to simply share in the joy of the yogi/yogini experience or to establish one's yoga chops ... the outcome always seems to be the same. That is, the listener feels that their experience is diminished.
I love how Dr. Shepherd wrapped up her post. Instead of preaching that we should stop the motions of making ourselves feel better than the other on our respective yoga journeys, she changes the conversation. She elects to thank all teachers instead.
I agree with Shepherd. I am so grateful to all the yoga teachers that have encouraged us to grow into ourselves. There are so many! Some of them don't even call themselves yoga instructors ...
There comes a point where one may grow in a different direction than a favored instructor. Gratitude is still appropriate. Roots are roots are roots.
I wonder whether the yoga journey for most looks like a tree. We have exposure to multiple schools and styles (roots), seek mastery and/or total immersion on a single path (trunk), to reach out and affect others, which in turn, would influence one's own practice (branches). And we grow, grow, grow.
09 February 2011
07 February 2011
Involuntary Vipassana
Yesterday I asked what sort of practice I should pursue given my current limitations (e.g., shortness of breath, persistent hacking cough, pink eye in both eyes, constant sniffling and sneezing and so on) to continue on the #365yoga journey.
After my last post, I started brainstorming practices to accommodate my current condition. Any practice that caused me to change positions or modify natural breath cycles was immediately disqualified. I figured that jumping into The Life Divine (Sri Aurobindo) was out, given that sitting under bright lights was mildly irritating with conjunctivitis. After some consideration, I settled on spending Monday evening listening and responding to the CD that accompanied one of my recent yoga book purchases on Amazon: The Language of Yoga: Company A to Y Guide of Asana Names, Sanskrit Terms, and Chants (hey, I've gotta work on my Sankrit pronunciation skills!).
But today I woke up with ZERO voice! Again, #365yoga fail!
It dawned on me in the middle of the day that I was participating in an involuntary "vipassana" practice. Funny, because like running a marathon, attending a 10-day Vipassana retreat has always been on my bucket list. I always wondered whether I had the nerves to be stuck in my own head with no ability to focus on external notions.
In fact, when I have attended yoga retreats in the past, when an option to practice the art of silence for a portion of the retreat was offered, I was generally the first in line (and the first to request to extend the commitment to silence for the remainder of the retreat!).
I feel like the ability to take ACTION, to "do", over the past week has been stolen from me. As someone who generally prides herself on the number of items she can cross off a "to-do" list in a given day, I have felt like a fish out of water. Not to mention, my hacking sounds like a cross between a honking goose and a man sobbing uncontrollably. I've been asked to work from home, but now I can't even take phone calls. Life has literally come to a halt.
Guess this is another opportunity to learn. Learning to let go to tendencies is quite a bit harder than I anticipated.
After my last post, I started brainstorming practices to accommodate my current condition. Any practice that caused me to change positions or modify natural breath cycles was immediately disqualified. I figured that jumping into The Life Divine (Sri Aurobindo) was out, given that sitting under bright lights was mildly irritating with conjunctivitis. After some consideration, I settled on spending Monday evening listening and responding to the CD that accompanied one of my recent yoga book purchases on Amazon: The Language of Yoga: Company A to Y Guide of Asana Names, Sanskrit Terms, and Chants (hey, I've gotta work on my Sankrit pronunciation skills!).
But today I woke up with ZERO voice! Again, #365yoga fail!
It dawned on me in the middle of the day that I was participating in an involuntary "vipassana" practice. Funny, because like running a marathon, attending a 10-day Vipassana retreat has always been on my bucket list. I always wondered whether I had the nerves to be stuck in my own head with no ability to focus on external notions.
In fact, when I have attended yoga retreats in the past, when an option to practice the art of silence for a portion of the retreat was offered, I was generally the first in line (and the first to request to extend the commitment to silence for the remainder of the retreat!).
I feel like the ability to take ACTION, to "do", over the past week has been stolen from me. As someone who generally prides herself on the number of items she can cross off a "to-do" list in a given day, I have felt like a fish out of water. Not to mention, my hacking sounds like a cross between a honking goose and a man sobbing uncontrollably. I've been asked to work from home, but now I can't even take phone calls. Life has literally come to a halt.
Guess this is another opportunity to learn. Learning to let go to tendencies is quite a bit harder than I anticipated.
06 February 2011
#365yoga Fail!
I've neglected the blog this week. Since the blog is more or less a reflection of my yoga lifestyle, it's not a stretch to note that I feel like I've hit (and succumbed) to a #365yoga obstacle.
Lately I've been seeing other blogs here and there asking, "how do you keep your yoga fresh?" I would love for someone to step up and pass on some suggestions regarding how to keep going with #365yoga when the body starts to fail you?
Side note: you can win a MeSheeky outfit from YogaDork if you comment on how you're keeping your #practice fresh here ... the contest ends tomorrow, so don't delay!
After my long, slow, deep vinyasa session on Tuesday evening, my mindset turned cranky (at lightning speed). Throat sore, I cuddled into a warm bed for a good night of sleep and potentially, recovery. This wasn't the case.
I struggling my way into work on Wednesday morning, only to stick it out until noon. Influenza. Full-blown. Unable to keep myself warm and think clearly ... and nearly unable to ambulate, given the sudden lack of balance and severe pains running up and down my spine, I hunkered back down into bed. Still committed to #365yoga and not hindered by fluid in my lungs or congestion (yet), I settled for a supine ujjayi practice.
Thursday came and went without any improvement in my health condition. Although I was spiking a fever, I climbed up into the Ethereal Room for a Lasater-esque restore session. I found some inspiration in the practice, mostly driven by the discovery of the Do As One website (I found this through a Yoga Journal blog posting).
Friday rolled around. Still committed to #365yoga and repeating to myself one of Patanjali's sutras:
The hacking and drainage increased in severity on Saturday. Another Yoga Nidra session was out of the question. I still needed to find a practice that was still for periods of time but where a cough or a sniffle wouldn't completely tear me from my point of focus. I looked to Bernie Clark's YinSights: A Journey into the Philosophy and Practice of Yin Yoga and selected a recommended passive sequence for the Liver. My reasoning was, that since the Liver is seen as a critical point for the vitality for the body as a whole, it might be a good approach. In the rearview mirror, I must say, I really like this sequence and will be revisiting it to assess its effect on a healthier body.
Today, however, I woke up with conjunctivitis in both eyes. Come on, universe! I guess my body is really trying to tell me something.
This post was going to have an air of indignation ... but my blurry vision just passed over some of my notes from last night's yoga session. In short, the gist of the note was to remind me that I could meet (i.e., welcome/surrender) the experience that arises after entering a posture or I could meet (i.e., challenge/resist) the experience that arises after entering a posture. Even as my body is continuing to throw me a curve ball or two (which, let's be real here, the curve balls are only going to be here for a very short period of time), I still have a choice re how to respond.
Maybe I'll stay out of the Ethereal Room today, but I'll practice yoga some other way.
Lately I've been seeing other blogs here and there asking, "how do you keep your yoga fresh?" I would love for someone to step up and pass on some suggestions regarding how to keep going with #365yoga when the body starts to fail you?
Side note: you can win a MeSheeky outfit from YogaDork if you comment on how you're keeping your #practice fresh here ... the contest ends tomorrow, so don't delay!
After my long, slow, deep vinyasa session on Tuesday evening, my mindset turned cranky (at lightning speed). Throat sore, I cuddled into a warm bed for a good night of sleep and potentially, recovery. This wasn't the case.
I struggling my way into work on Wednesday morning, only to stick it out until noon. Influenza. Full-blown. Unable to keep myself warm and think clearly ... and nearly unable to ambulate, given the sudden lack of balance and severe pains running up and down my spine, I hunkered back down into bed. Still committed to #365yoga and not hindered by fluid in my lungs or congestion (yet), I settled for a supine ujjayi practice.
Thursday came and went without any improvement in my health condition. Although I was spiking a fever, I climbed up into the Ethereal Room for a Lasater-esque restore session. I found some inspiration in the practice, mostly driven by the discovery of the Do As One website (I found this through a Yoga Journal blog posting).
Friday rolled around. Still committed to #365yoga and repeating to myself one of Patanjali's sutras:
1.13 The practice of yoga is the commitment to become established in the state of freedom;I ascended the ladder and plopped down on my mat for a Yoga Nidra session, using a recording from Richard Miller's book Yoga Nidra: A Meditative Practice for Deep Relaxation and Healing. By this time, a whooping cough and intolerable sinus congestion accompanied the aches and pains. It didn't make for the most productive Yoga Nidra session (hard to relax amongst all that hacking) - but still working the name of #365yoga and the commitment to liberation. :)
The hacking and drainage increased in severity on Saturday. Another Yoga Nidra session was out of the question. I still needed to find a practice that was still for periods of time but where a cough or a sniffle wouldn't completely tear me from my point of focus. I looked to Bernie Clark's YinSights: A Journey into the Philosophy and Practice of Yin Yoga and selected a recommended passive sequence for the Liver. My reasoning was, that since the Liver is seen as a critical point for the vitality for the body as a whole, it might be a good approach. In the rearview mirror, I must say, I really like this sequence and will be revisiting it to assess its effect on a healthier body.
Today, however, I woke up with conjunctivitis in both eyes. Come on, universe! I guess my body is really trying to tell me something.
This post was going to have an air of indignation ... but my blurry vision just passed over some of my notes from last night's yoga session. In short, the gist of the note was to remind me that I could meet (i.e., welcome/surrender) the experience that arises after entering a posture or I could meet (i.e., challenge/resist) the experience that arises after entering a posture. Even as my body is continuing to throw me a curve ball or two (which, let's be real here, the curve balls are only going to be here for a very short period of time), I still have a choice re how to respond.
Maybe I'll stay out of the Ethereal Room today, but I'll practice yoga some other way.
01 February 2011
Blocked? Try a Yoga Block
It was a long, frustrating day. Once in the safety of my home, I was able to scan and assess my body, state of mind and energy. One word: blocked.
For my half marathon training regimen, I ran four miles before leaving work for the day. The last thing I wanted to do was a vinyasa flow, but I'm been erring on the side of restorative yoga over the past couple of months. Depending on long holds in any given asana supported by bolsters, blankets and cushions to maintain flexibility, I have completely ignored building strength with standing postures, concentration with balancing postures and moving stagnant energy with a fluid vinyasa sequence.
It's the end of the day and I was still pining for a yin-like practice. I ascended the ladder into the studio and looked at my two cork blocks placed in the corner. Suddenly, inspiration hit: blocks? Use blocks!
Oftentimes I have observed in many studios that blocks get a negative wrap. I think many perceive blocks as a sign of a Level 1 or Beginning student, where the friendly bolster is a symbol of a restorative session. I decided to allow, in fact, force myself to use the blocks in nearly every asana (aside from seated) during my vinyasa flow.
Downward Dog: My hamstrings are flexible. In fact, they may compensate for less length in my calves and lower back muscles. In the past, down dog has been more of an arm strengthening forward bend/inversion for me. When I bring a little more cat tilt to my pelvis, I do experience a little more space between the vertebrae in my lumbar spine. Likewise, when I press firmly into my hands, I create a feeling of more opening between the discs of my thoracic spine. However, in just the standard posture (no tinkering), I don't regularly feel much sensation. Enter the placement of blocks under each hand. Space ... ahhh! In class, I might be a little hesitant to fuddle around with block placement for down dog, an asana that one would enter more times than they can count on their fingers and toes during a flow - but just simply rolling the blocks toward the edges of the mat seem to be less of a distraction than I had expected.
In addition, the posture can be held for a longer duration, as more weight is shifted to the stronger limbs.
Transition from Downward Dog to Standard Forward Fold: I have long legs. Seriously. I wear pants with a 35" inseam. I live in a world where no one else can do my laundry -- or I will have to buy a new wardrobe the next week. Although I have done the deed and jumped in transition from down dog to uttanasana, I never felt particularly graceful. In fact, I thought that one day I was going to succeed in kneeing myself in the face! More space = cleaner, smoother transition. Yum.
Transition from Three-Legged Downward Dog to High Lunge: Like the previous note, so much easier. With the space, I'm more likely to maintain integrity and equal weighting on both hands while I'm migrating to the high lunge position. This results in activating more abdominal muscles during the action than usual.
Vkrasana: I placed a block under my standing leg in vkrasana. It requires more concentration than expected.
Blocks can be used to lift the floor up to the hands in so many postures, such as trikonasana, standing side angle bend (parsvakonasana), ardha chandrasana, etc. Since these are fairly standard adjustments, I won't explore them in this post.
Allowing myself to rely on the props during the vinyasa flow made something that might have required "muscling" through a little more "supportive" without the feeling of passively yielding to the posture. Mission accomplished.
For my half marathon training regimen, I ran four miles before leaving work for the day. The last thing I wanted to do was a vinyasa flow, but I'm been erring on the side of restorative yoga over the past couple of months. Depending on long holds in any given asana supported by bolsters, blankets and cushions to maintain flexibility, I have completely ignored building strength with standing postures, concentration with balancing postures and moving stagnant energy with a fluid vinyasa sequence.
It's the end of the day and I was still pining for a yin-like practice. I ascended the ladder into the studio and looked at my two cork blocks placed in the corner. Suddenly, inspiration hit: blocks? Use blocks!
Oftentimes I have observed in many studios that blocks get a negative wrap. I think many perceive blocks as a sign of a Level 1 or Beginning student, where the friendly bolster is a symbol of a restorative session. I decided to allow, in fact, force myself to use the blocks in nearly every asana (aside from seated) during my vinyasa flow.
Downward Dog: My hamstrings are flexible. In fact, they may compensate for less length in my calves and lower back muscles. In the past, down dog has been more of an arm strengthening forward bend/inversion for me. When I bring a little more cat tilt to my pelvis, I do experience a little more space between the vertebrae in my lumbar spine. Likewise, when I press firmly into my hands, I create a feeling of more opening between the discs of my thoracic spine. However, in just the standard posture (no tinkering), I don't regularly feel much sensation. Enter the placement of blocks under each hand. Space ... ahhh! In class, I might be a little hesitant to fuddle around with block placement for down dog, an asana that one would enter more times than they can count on their fingers and toes during a flow - but just simply rolling the blocks toward the edges of the mat seem to be less of a distraction than I had expected.
In addition, the posture can be held for a longer duration, as more weight is shifted to the stronger limbs.
Transition from Downward Dog to Standard Forward Fold: I have long legs. Seriously. I wear pants with a 35" inseam. I live in a world where no one else can do my laundry -- or I will have to buy a new wardrobe the next week. Although I have done the deed and jumped in transition from down dog to uttanasana, I never felt particularly graceful. In fact, I thought that one day I was going to succeed in kneeing myself in the face! More space = cleaner, smoother transition. Yum.
Transition from Three-Legged Downward Dog to High Lunge: Like the previous note, so much easier. With the space, I'm more likely to maintain integrity and equal weighting on both hands while I'm migrating to the high lunge position. This results in activating more abdominal muscles during the action than usual.
Vkrasana: I placed a block under my standing leg in vkrasana. It requires more concentration than expected.
Blocks can be used to lift the floor up to the hands in so many postures, such as trikonasana, standing side angle bend (parsvakonasana), ardha chandrasana, etc. Since these are fairly standard adjustments, I won't explore them in this post.
Allowing myself to rely on the props during the vinyasa flow made something that might have required "muscling" through a little more "supportive" without the feeling of passively yielding to the posture. Mission accomplished.
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