Yoga Challenge - Day 14

Hello Fellow Yogis,

Today was a fun day!  I did 1 hour of asana, 20 minutes of yoga nidra, and 20 minutes of meditation.  I also went to a new knitting group and met some really nice ladies.  It's always nice to meet people who like the same things you do.  I can't wait to knit with them again!

I hope you all had great days, as well, and are enjoying your practices.

Namaste,

Julie

Yoga Challenge - Day 13 - A Lucky Day!

Hello Challengers!  Today was a busy day, but a good day.  I had a nice conversation with my Feng Shui Consultant, Gail Hill of Feng Shui Element in Incline Village, where I live and have Awareness Village.  We made some changes to the studio, that feel really good.  There will be some more changes in the studio space soon, as I am able to get what I need to get.

I also did 25 minutes of asana and 20 minutes of meditation.

Rock on!

Namaste,

Julie

Yoga Challenge - Days 11 and 12 - Back on Track

Hello Challengers!  Yesterday I wasn't feeling well and actually didn't do my practice.  In the morning I felt like I could do a gentle, restorative practice, but kept putting it off and I didn't get it done.  I think I'm like most people who intend to do something first thing in the morning, then put it off and it never happens.  Obviously it is best to get things done as soon as possible.  Of course, what's even better, especially with a daily practice, is to do it at the same time every day.  That way, after it becomes a habit, your mind and body get clued in to what is going on and you get the most benefit.  At a time like this, though, you can only let the past go, concentrate on this very moment and do the best you can do, right here, right now.

Today I was feeling much better!  This morning I cranked out 65 minutes of asana and 35 minutes of meditation.  I am back on track!

Namaste,

Julie

Yoga Challenge - Days 9 and 10 - Two for the Price of One

Hello All.  I realized this morning that i didn't blog last night. Oops, sorry about that!  I did NOT however, forget to practice.  Yesterday, I did 1 1/2 hours asana, 40 minutes of yoga nidra, and 20 minutes of meditation.  Today, due to a lack of time, my practice consisted of 20 minutes asana and 10 minutes meditation.  Hope you all have had a great day.  See you tomorrow!

Yoga Challenge - Day 8 - It Was a Great Day!

Today was a great day!  I am having an equally great, and busy, evening, so today's blog post will be short.  My practice consisted of 5 minutes of pranayama, 90 minutes of asana, and 15 minutes of meditation.  It was a really nice practice.  I felt refreshed, relaxed and serene afterward.

I hope all of you had a great day, and, if you didn't, you can find at least one thing that was great.

Namaste,

Julie

Yoga Challenge - Day 7 - Constancy

Good evening!  I hope all is well with all of you and yours and that you are having fun with this Yoga Challenge. Today, I did 40 minutes of yoga nidra, 10 minutes of pranayama, 45 minutes of asana, and 20 minutes of meditation.

I was thinking this afternoon what I might want to write about today.  The idea of constancy popped into my head. To be constant is to be steadfast, stable and to act with a sense of resolve.  Only when you apply constancy to your personal yoga practice can you really reap the benefits of yoga and meditation in your body, mind, spirit, and, ultimately, in your life.  There is no other way!  Sure you may feel great after a weekly class, but that quality of "great" you feel is fleeting.  What if it were possible to absorb the benefits of yoga and feel those benefits more consistently over a greater period of time?  It is possible, if you have constancy in your personal yoga practice. Without constancy, there is no way to acquire the physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual benefits of yoga over the long term.

The best way to be constant is to practice, no surprise there.  This takes a continued commitment to you practice; it's not just a one-time event.    Before establishing your practice, it is helpful to think about the "why" of your practice.  What are you hoping to gain from your practice?  Your purpose, your "why," will help you craft or design your practice.  Reviewing your purpose, seeing that end goal, and contemplating your "why," will help you develop the constancy needed to reap the full benefits of your personal yoga practice.  Reviewing your purpose will help you challenge yourself when you get stuck in a rut or any time you become distracted away from your goals. When you apply constancy to your practice, you will be on your way to a new body, a new mind and a renewed spirit.

Namaste,

Julie

Yoga Challenge - Day 6 - Requesting a Do-Over

Good evening, fellow yogis!  I did 35 minutes of asana and 10 minutes of meditation today.  How is it going with your practice?  If you feel distracted from your goals, which you might experience right around now, just do what the ancient yogis and meditators did, begin again.  That's right, just put your expectations aside, forget about the past, and any failures you feel your might have perpetrated against yourself, and begin again.  Whatever has happened, it was in the past, it's done.  All you have is this moment right now.  This moment is all that matters, so just begin again.

One time about six or seven years ago, when I had been feeling particularly crappy about my life, I was meditating.  The words "begin again" popped into my head as if someone was yelling them at me.  That has been the most profound lesson of my life to date.  "Begin again" doesn't give you free license to be mediocre at everything you try, that would require a different lesson.  What it does give you is permission to be compassionate with yourself and the peace of mind that sometimes, even with our best intentions, we don't quite meet the marks we set for ourselves.  We can request, and take, a do-over any time we need to.

Tomorrow marks the seventh day of the Challenge, and the completion of the first of three weeks.  Take a look at your practice and see how you have been doing with the challenge and make any adjustments you need to make.  If you need to begin anything again, then begin again.

Yoga Challenge - Day 5

Hello Challengers!  Today was a busy day of bookkeeping for a friend, an appointment and teaching.  I took the opportunity for 5 minutes of pranayama, 25 minutes of asana, and 20 minutes of meditation, which really cleared my brain!

I also took time out to get some containers for the goods I plan to make while moving toward adopting a zero waste lifestyle.  (I am inspired!)  I also bought two books, and created a meetup group called Zero Waste Tahoe.  Those who are interested in coming to group meetings to support each other in this endeavor (you don't have to be perfect!) can go to the meetup group site here http://www.meetup.com/Zero-Waste-Tahoe/.  I'm excited about the chance to meet others who are interested in this idea, as well!

Well, I guess that's all for today and I'll "see" you tomorrow!

Namaste,

Julie

Yoga Challenge - Day 4 - Keepin' That Promise

I was very tired today, but still kept my promise to myself and to all of you.  I did 35 minutes of asana and 15 minutes of meditation.  It was a mellow, more gentle practice, suitable for a tired girl, and I was pleased to have much more energy afterward.  After practice I went out to do some shopping.  I had been reading about a family with a zero-waste lifestyle, and I wanted to buy a couple things to institute some of the ideas in my own life.  (I do think it sounds funny to go shopping to work toward participating in a more minimalist life.  LOL)  If you are interested in spending less money and taking better care of our planet, check out this blog http://zerowastehome.blogspot.com/p/tips.html.

In yoga, we and our planet are one.  When we take care of our planet we take care of ourselves.  What ways do you take care of the planet and yourself?

I look forward to my practice tomorrow and hearing about your practices.

Yoga Challenge - Day 3 - Promises to Keep

Hello All!  It is 11:59 p.m. right now, and I just got back from a wonderful evening out.  But like my home practice for this Challenge, I promised myself, and you, that I would blog every day about my practice.  So, here I am keeping my commitment.

I have found that once I break a promise to myself, it is easier to break it again.  Have you found that to be true, as well?  It is much easier for me to keep a commitment to someone else, in this case all of you, that it is to keep a commitment to myself.  I guess I still have lessons to learn regarding yesterday's blog about loving myself.  I have read, and discussed with others, the idea that keeping commitments to yourself gives you a sense of trust in yourself.   And, it is easier to love someone you trust, in this case yourself.  I think it is true, and I think it is important.  Why keep commitments to others and not think yourself worthy of keeping commitments to yourself?  It really doesn't make much sense, does it?

About my practice, this morning I did a few minutes of pranayama, 45 minutes of asana, and 10 minutes of meditation.  Then I had a relaxing and really fun, ordinary kind of day.  I hope your day was as great as mine was!

Yoga Challenge - Day 2 - Loving Me

This morning I did 10 minutes of pranayama, 1 hour asana, 40 minutes yoga nidra, and 20 minutes meditation.

I never know what I might want to listen to while I practice, sometimes I don't listen to anything at all.  Today I started out listening to Tim McGraw, whose music I don't think I have ever done yoga to.  Anyway, I was listening to a song called "One of These Days."  I like the song, and the last verse says, "One of these days I'm going to love me."  Isn't that what it is all about?  I think loving yourself is one of the best reasons to have a home practice, and a great way to show yourself some love.  Home practice is a great place to learn about yourself, and learn santosha, acceptance of what is, which leads to acceptance of ourselves and those in our lives, just as we are.

After Tim McGraw, I went for Fleetwood Mac, Elton John, Minnie Driver, and finished with The Beatles.

One thing I do want to mention is that today, with the Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan, we were reminded that we are all citizens of the world, we are all human beings, and we are all connected.  What started in Japan was a crisis of our planet, not just Japan, and it affected many people here at home in the U.S. and in other countries.  It is such a tragedy, the destruction, the loss, and the pain of those who were injured and those who lost their lives. In the spirit of the true meaning of Yoga (unity/oneness), please remember those who are suffering.  Put in a prayer, a loving, compassionate thought or good energy for the Japanese people, and for the victims, their friends and families, no matter what their nationality.

My hope is that you will all have fun during the Challenge and learn something about yourself in the process.  I will leave you with a song, "Here Comes the Sun," the last song of my practice this morning.  Tomorrow is a new day, with a new sunrise.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6tV11acSRk

Spring Yoga Challenge - Day 1

This morning I did my yoga and meditation practice.  It was 5 minutes of pranayama, 30 minutes of asana, 20 minutes of yoga nidra (yogic sleep), and 15 minutes of meditation.  I was very tired this morning after not sleeping long enough last night, so I honestly didn't want to do anything at all.  Of course, once I got started I was happy to be doing my practice, and 100% mindful and engaged.  I think one of the most important thoughts in creating a personal practice is to "just do it."  Once you get started, momentum is created.  When you create that momentum every day, you can maintain the momentum over the long haul.  "See" you tomorrow!

Spring Yoga Challenge 2011

Beginning March 10, and continuing through March 31, will be the first annual Spring Yoga Challenge! For 21 days in March, commit to yourself that you will practice yoga and meditation every day, whether at home or by attending a class.  (It is a well-established fact that it takes 21 days to create a new habit.) Make a contract with yourself!  A contract form can be found here.  If you practice Tai Chi, you can do that instead of yoga.  I suggest you promise to do 20 minutes or more of asana and/or pranayama practice (or Tai Chi) and 10 minutes or more of meditation. Go to Awareness Village's Facebook page and post on the wall, or in the discussion area, about your experiences, or to ask any questions. The link to the Facebook page can be found along the right side of this page. I will be participating in the challenge along with you and will be blogging about my daily practice and experiences, so check back to see how it is going for me. Feel free to comment on my blog posts instead of, or in addition to, on the Facebook page.  I can't wait to hear from you and finding out how you are doing with the challenge!

Kids Yoga Starts Today!!!

WOOHOO!  I am so excited!  I love kids and am happy to be able to share the gifts of yoga with them.

Classes will be held on Wednesdays, starting today, and are at 3:30 to 4:15 (ages 4-7), and 4:30 to 5:30 (ages 8-12).

Kids yoga has many benefits, other than being down-right FUN, including:

Relaxation

Builds confidence and self-esteem

Increases concentration and focus

Enhances overall physical health, including increased strength, flexibility, coordination and balance

Promotes creativity while exercising their imagination

Develops mind, body and community awareness

I plan on having the classes for the summer, except for on August 11, when I will be out of town for a required teacher training retreat (I am in the 500 hr teacher training at Yoga Loka in Reno-already have my 200 hr and want to play bigger!).  If there is interest in continuing through the school year, I will re-evaluate at that time.  (I want to continue the classes!!!)

Being Devoted

This week we talk of ishvarapranidhana, devotion to a higher power.

When speaking of ishvarapranidhana, we don't have to mean that traditional God of our Judeo-Christian culture.  It is YOUR sense of the Divine.  The Divine can be described as that which makes you feel connected to everything else.  Your sense of the Divine can be an actual god, kharma, nature, your sense of the eternal, or anything else that moves you to think of that Divine connection.  It is a very personal choice.

One way we can practice ishvarapranidhana, is by practicing bhakti yoga, the yoga of devotion.  Many bhakti yogis chant, or practice kirtan, as a path of devotion.  That is a great way!  Singing to the divine can provide a very blissful state.  But that is only one way to practice devotion to a higher power.  You can practice by engaging in a regular meditation or prayer practice, service, by regular walks in nature, or simply by being mindful to be the best "you" that you can be.  It doesn't matter how you do it, it only matters that you do it and that it matters to you!

Devotion to your Divine gives you a way to live fully, using your object of devotion. your higher power, to guide your life.  It gives you a benchmark by which to judge every action you make.  It gives you direction and a moral code.  Before you act, you might think to yourself, "How would this affect my life and the lives of those involved?  Is this the best way for me to behave?  Would acting in this way be consistent with my spiritual path?"  Think also of what and how you think, not just your behavior.  Our thinking directly affects our behavior.

When you consistently and sincerely practice devotion, you may feel one or more of the following:  as though you are one with the your higher power; peaceful and filled with love and joy; as though you are the servant of your higher power, as though you are caring for your higher power; that your higher power protects and cares for you; or, as if your higher power is your friend.   All these feelings are natural.

We have to be careful where we place our devotion; we want to be devoted to a worthy higher power.  So often, though we state a devotion to a higher power, we are actually devoted to our job, the food we eat, or even the TV or internet.

Your assignment is to discern what are you devoted to?  Is it worthy of your time and devotion?  Are you devoted to the higher power you want to be devoted to?

Until next time...

Namaste,

Julie

The Time to Study

Hello All,

Last week I told you I would report back on my foray into tapas.  I did get a lot of stuff done in my master bedroom.  The summer/winter clothes are switched and I reorganized my master bathroom.  Hey, accountability works!

This week we will discover svadhyaya, self-study, taking the time to know ourselves.  The better we know ourselves, our own minds and hearts, the better we can know our own minds, hearts, moods and emotions.  One way of practicing svadhyaya is meditation.  One benefit of meditating is that we learn how to respond, rather than react, to situations.  For example, if someone pushes our buttons, we have the "mental space" to realize we need to take that deep breath or count to ten before reacting.  We can respond in a way that might create more peace and harmony in our families, and by extension, in our world.

Usually meditation is seen as sitting quietly, focusing on the object of the meditation.  But, meditative activities can also give us the "mental space" needed to learn about ourselves.  What feels meditative to you?  Do you like gardening, playing an instrument, or knitting?  Do those things!  Part of realizing our own spiritual nature is to learn to see spirit in the mundane activities of our lives (yes, even doing the dishes or cleaning the toilet).  (Yuck!)  But, seriously, people are so different from one another.  What inspires or causes one person to discover him or herself may not do the same for someone else.  You will have to discover what makes you tick your own way.

There are still more different ways to practice svadhyaya.  One important, and traditional, way is the study of sacred texts, such as the Bhagavad Ghita, the Upanishads or the sacred texts of your chosen religion, if you have one.  There are other types of "sacred texts," as well.  Any writing that inspires YO U is a "sacred text."  Reading gives us a chance to investigate different possibilities, to see things from different perspectives, and to reflect on our own beliefs, assumptions, and mental boundaries.

Your yoga asana practice can help you learn about yourself, as well.  During asana practice, you might learn about ways you resist, different urges and tendencies, your competitive nature, about your ego, your insecurities and fears, or how you deal with boundaries, your own and others. 

However you choose to learn about yourself, svadhyaya means being committed to the process, even when the going gets rough.  It can be a bit rough when you learn of your faults and foibles, your delusions, addictions, and the parts of yourself you'd rather not know about.   But you will also learn how you can overcome some of these faults and which ones we can let go of; this can only happen when you know and learn to understand yourself.  You will also learn self-acceptance, which I think is the greatest lesson of all!  The greatest reward is that you discover who you really are, the essential, eternal you, your true spirit and your true worth.  When you discover who you really are, nothing can stop you!

I like what Swami Kriyananda says in "Raja Yoga."

Self-study begins with the careful observation of one's thoughts, feelings, and motives.  As one advances in this practice, he discovers that central reality of his being which is beyond thought, form, and substance, which cannot be observed and analyzed, which cannot even be truly defined, though it is sometimes described by its essential quality: JOY.

Your assignment this week is to learn something about yourself that you didn't know before.  Writing/journaling is a good way to learn about yourself, so write about what you discover.

Namaste,
Julie

Rising to the Top with Tapas

The niyama tapas, austerity or discipline, is a difficult idea for many of us.  I thought I'd look at the dictionary to see what it says about austerity and discipline.  New World Dictionary says "austerity" implies "strict self-discipline" and "discipline" implies "training that develops self-control, character, or orderliness and efficiency."  I like "discipline" better and it seems to fit the yogic meaning of tapas.

Tapas is from the root word "tap," which means heat.  It's not a temperature type of heat, it's a kind of a "fire in the belly," a desire to meet your goals type of heat.  From B.K.S. Iyengar, in "Light on Yoga,"

Tapas...meaning to blaze, burn, shine, suffer pain or consume by heat.  It therefore means a burning effort under all circumstances to achieve a definite goal in life.  It involves purification, self-discipline and austerity.  The whole science of character building may be regarded as a practice of tapas.

Tapas is the conscious effort to achieve ultimate union with the Divine and to burn up all desires which stand in the way of this goal.  A worthy aim makes life illumined, pure and divine.  Without such an aim, action and prayer have no value.  Life without tapas, is like a heart without love.  Without tapas, the mind cannot reach up to the Lord.

Wow.  That says it all, doesn't it.

In our American culture, discipline has gotten a bad rap.  We think of discipline as punishment.  But in the time of Patanjali and his codification of yoga in the Yoga Sutras, discipline had a connotation of self-care.  Doing even mundane chores can be self-care, too.  For example, you will have much more inner peace if you just do your dishes, rather than having them in the back of your mind saying "wash me, wash me."  Think of all the peace you will have if you stop procrastinating?  It is truly helpful to think of discipline in this way.  Think how much better it would be if you thought of sticking to your eating plan or exercising regularly as taking care of yourself.  When we are disciplined, we build our character and have pride in ourselves, just by taking care of our daily business.

Your assignment this week is to think of discipline as self-care, not punishment.  What is something you've been putting off?  Is there a goal you want to achieve on which you've made no progress?  Pick something this week to finish.  When you complete it, sit down, close your eyes and experience the peace of a job well done.  Of course, journaling about your experiences is a good idea.

We all choose where to be disciplined.  I'm disciplined when it is fun to be disciplined; I like doing yoga, hiking, knitting and reading. I choose the fun stuff! I'm going to do this week's assignment with you, and report back to you next week on my own results.  (Accountability never hurts!)  I have been putting off some work in my master bedroom.  So, I will put away all my clean clothes and switch my winter and summer clothes.  I'll let you know how it goes!

Namaste,
Julie

Being Content with Santosha

Santosha, contentment, is my favorite niyama.  If we can't be truly contented with our lives, our bodies, our "whatever," we can't find true and lasting peace and our ability to concentrate suffers.  With contentment, we can rest in a place of peace without desire or attachment.  When we practice santosha we are happy with what we have and what happens in our lives, rather than being unhappy because of what we don't have or what doesn't happen.

In our culture, it can be difficult to find contentment.  Our culture is quite concerned with competition and comparison, keeping up with the Jones', for example.  We are assaulted by advertisements that promote the desire for material wealth and possessions and sensual experience.  If we don't have the material possessions, money, or the body on the magazine cover, or we don't drink a certain drink or eat a certain meal, etc. etc., we feel inadequate.  We are led to believe that if we have those things we will be happy and worthy.  Those feelings of inadequacy, due to competition or comparing ourselves to others, block our ability to feel peaceful.  This is even though, logically, we know that happiness is not gifted to us because we have the right "things," lots of money or because we have the perfect body.

Feelings of inadequacy are the work of the ego.  Santosha gives us the ability to accept things as they truly are, rather than forcing ourselves to achieve the desires of the ego.  Then, we have the ability to see which desires are from our heart and spirit and which are created by the ego.

As a teacher, I sometimes see my students thinking they have to go further into a pose than is best for their bodies, sacrificing alignment and causing undue stress.  This is due to the struggle of the ego wanting to do the pose "right."  If you are in the alignment that works best for your body and provides your proper balance of effort and ease in this present moment, and you practice with a joyful spirit, you are doing the pose "right."

Santosha is a choice we choose to make.  We choose santosha by being content with what we have and what happens in our lives.  We choose peace.  When we practice santosha, we develop an emotional maturity.  While we may have powerful feelings, loss or the inability to attain a certain thing or state does not devastate us.  We could lose our job or relationship and, while we might have intense feelings around the situation, we can have the ability to move past the situation and continue to live our lives without causing ourselves undue pain and suffering.  Being overwhelmed by our feelings, desires and attachments serves no one.  With santosha we have the ability be courageous and find solace in the face of an otherwise miserable event.

In Light on Yoga, B.K.S. Iyengar says:

Contentment and tranquility are states of mind.  Differences arise among men because of race, creed, wealth and learning.  Differences create discord and there arise conscious or unconscious conflicts which distract and perplex one.  Then the mind cannot become one-pointed (ekagra) and is robbed of its peace.  There is contentment and tranquility when the flame of the spirit does not waver in the wind of desire.  The sadhaka [spiritual aspirant] does not seek the empty peace of the dead, but the peace of one whose reason is firmly established in God.

This week's assignment is to keep a gratitude journal.  Every day write down five things for which you are grateful.  (Of course, you can write more if you wish.  It is your journal.)  Often, what we really need to feel contented is to be grateful for what we have.

I wish you contentment and peace!

Namaste,
Julie

The Next Limb of the Tree

The next limb of Ashtanga yoga philosophy is niyama.  Niyama is comprised of five personal observances: sauca (purity or cleanliness), santosha (contentment), tapas (disclipline or austerity), svadhyaya (self-study), and ishvarapranidhana (devotion).

Sauca is concerned with keeping ourselves pure and clean, inside and out.  Outside sauca is pretty straightforward, good grooming and keeping ourselves clean and presentable.  Keeping ourselves clean inside means caring for our mental and physical health, keeping our internal organs functioning well and our minds clear and clean.  We can attend to inner sauca by practicing pranayama and asana, as well as by meditating.  A clear and clean mind is free of disturbing emotions like greed, hatred, anger, delusion, pride, and the like.

Practicing sauca brings radiance and joy to the body and mind, and banishes mental pain, dejection, sorrow and despair.  Not too bad for just taking care of yourself, is it?

The purity and cleanliness of our food, and where we eat it, is another aspect of sauca.  We feel and perform our best when we eat well.  We don't feel our best when we eat fast food and candy.  B.K.S. Iyengar, in "Light on Yoga" says,

Character is moulded by the type of food we take and by how we eat it.  Men are the only creatures that eat when not hungry and generally live to eat rather than eat to live.  If we eat for flavours of the tongue, we over-eat and so suffer from digestive disorders which throw our systems out of gear.  The yogi believes in harmony, so he eats for the sake of sustenance only.  He does not eat too much or too little.  He looks upon his body as the rest-house of his spirit and guards himself against over-indulgence.

Note: Iyengar doesn't say you can't like your food, only to not like it so much you overeat.

This week, take good care of yourself.  Reflect on how you can take even better care of yourself.  Eat well (on a clean, presentable table), exercise well, meditate well, and start making some new habits.  Journal about your experiences.

Next week, we will talk about santosha (contentment), my favorite niyama.

Namaste,
Julie

Hold On to Aparigraha

Aparigraha means non-hoarding and is another facet of asteya (non-stealing).  We are to receive only what is appropriate, no more.  If we take more than what we have earned, we run the risk of exploiting someone else.  There is no need to get greedy.  When we collect or hoard, it implies a lack of faith in God or in ourself to provide for our own future.

B.K.S. Iyengar in "Light on Yoga" says,

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.

Swami Kriyananda, in "Raja Yoga" says aparigraha "leads one to become non-attached even to his own body.  It is by such perfect non-attachment that the blindness of temporary identifications is overcome..."   Aparigraha prompts us to learn to let go and surrender, and not hold on to, or identify with, the past and that which is not for our highest good.

This week, your assignment is to look at your life.  Is there anything you are holding on to?  Have you been greedy?  Look at your physical environment first, then your emotional, mental and spiritual environments.  Try journalling about it and make a plan to let these things go.  I assure you, you create a vaccuum by letting go of your "stuff."  It allows space for even better things to come your way.

This concludes our discussion of yama, the first limb of Ashtanga yoga philosophy.  The next limb is niyama.