Family



Deer in Winter, Midwest

This week, being Christmas and all, has reminded me of how grateful I am for my family.   After a full decade of living several hours away from my own family, we are once again living closely, in the same town of the same state.  I had forgotten the blessings of sharing our daily lives.

While visiting and catching up every few months had always pleasant and positive, nothing compares to sharing the genuine ins and outs of daily existence with each other, the positives and the negatives, the real nitty gritty of life.  For this authenticity, I am thankful. 

I am also thankful for my partner's family, who I've grown to be a part of. They are the big, lively, fun, vibrant, and never-a-dull-moment oranges to the small, quiet, low key apples of my own family.  I like the contrast and the yang they bring to the yin I am used to. They have embraced me fully, apple and all. 

Family doesn't have to be biological, but can also be those who have came into your life along the way, including friends who become like sisters and brothers.  And I have some really amazing friends...who may sometimes not even realize how incredible they are.  I'm not sure how it happened, but I am lucky enough to be surrounded in a friend family of fellow yogis, artists, poets, writers, musicians, humanitarians, givers, seekers, students, teachers,  preachers, actors, singers, dancers, healers, rebels, mothers, fathers, nurses, veterans, peacemakers, rebels, excellent listeners, incredible advice givers, those who graciously let me emotionally vomit all over them and those who emote aching beauty and unconditional love.

These friends help me see things clearly, guide, console, inspire, tell great stories, help me make memories, make me laugh and keep teaching me over and over again.  They remind me not to take things so seriously and then validate me when I do take things seriously.  Even if we do not see each other as often as we'd like, they are in my minds and hearts every day and we share something special each time we interact and dialogue. They are my family. 

Yoga is something we can do each day on our own mats, in our own space, by ourselves, but its principles and goal of connection are taken out into the world, with our families and our friends and beyond.

So, Happy Holidays to all, to our families and friends.  Let them know how much you appreciate them.

And I hope Santa brought you a new yoga mat!

Question of the Week: What is something valuable your family has taught you?


My tiny yang and big yin kitties





Just Like a Prayer



Oregon Waterfall

Music, drums and sound vibration have had a powerful place in our ritual, ceremony and daily, devotional life for thousands of years.  Yoga uses sound vibration, formally in Kirtan, which is a session of music and chanting, often accompanied by drums and other instruments.  This sound vibration is also a part of every yoga session, beginning and ending with chants (in Sanskrit).  They are usually prayers of peace (such as Om Shanti) or of tranquility and reality. 

The word “chant” can easily scare some, but chant is just another word for spoken prayer (usually in another language), which exists in every religion and culture. The Lord’s Prayer, Hail Mary, the Nicene Creed – they are all chants.  Just like a Jew may pray in Hebrew, a Muslim in Arabic, a Catholic in Latin, Buddhists in Pali or Tibetan, Yogis often pray in Sanskrit, since that is the original language of all the yogic prayers. While a devotional and spiritual practice, yogis believe chant and prayer has scientific grounding because the vibrations help yogis increase their health, well being and clarity of mind.  Consistent chanting can calm our nerves, heal our bodies, open our hearts, and prepare our minds for meditation.

Spiritually speaking, chanting is a healing practice that allows us to speak with God, to have a conversation and open ourselves up to the divine power. Although I had experienced an occasional "Om" here and there at the beginning of yoga classes, it wasn't until the Ashram where I was certified that I was introduced to chanting in a serious way.  I had never given it much thought before, but joining together and repeating beautiful, rhythmic prayers with a group morning and night for a month straight gave me an electrified spiritual buzz that I cannot explain. 

Though since then, I’ve gone through plenty of periods of doing yoga without prayer, I find myself in a place now where I just don’t want to do yoga without a hearty “Om” at the beginning (the sound of cosmic consciousness, of God) and my Ashram prayers at the end. Like spiritual bookends to my practice, these prayers are grounding and remind me why I’m doing yoga in the first place.  Afterwards, I feel light, energized, peaceful, and ready to take on anything. I feel like it taps into something deeper, something that connects us all together, and then that energy connection taps into divinity, whatever that may be.

At its most simplest root, chanting is just a lovely, calm practice.  But I also can’t help but think of more intense results of the power of chant. Take Tina Turner, who began chanting the Buddhist Nam Myoho Renge Kyo and completely changed her life around.  She said chanting this prayer (which means “Hail the Wondrous Truth of the Lotus Sutra” (one of Buddhism’s sacred texts) was like life’s mirror and gave her a strength and clarity she never had before.  She left her abusive, addicted husband, Ike and started her life over, becoming a devout Buddhist.

There are many chants I love...the Buddhist Pare Gate which tells of the Buddha’s passing into parnirvana (ultimate release from death); a haunting Hindu chant about a devout yogi sitting under the stars every evening praying to God; an African chant praising the Divine (Ashe! Ashe!); but I’ll end with my favorite of them all.  In Sanskrit, Lokaah Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu translates roughly as “May all beings of creation be filled with peace and joy, love and light.”  Ahhh….isn’t that nice?

Question of the Week:  Do you have a specific prayer, mantra, chant or saying that calms or speaks to you?  If so, please share it with us!

Motivation



Morning Marigolds, Rishikesh, India

“Constant practice alone is the key to success.” – Sri Pattabhi Jois

"An ounce of practice is worth a ton of theory." - Sri Swami Satchidananda

Patanjali's Yoga Sutras say that a way to inner peace is a consistent yoga practice.   Easier said than done.   How do we motivate ourselves to have a consistent practice and keep learning, even if we sometimes just don’t feel like it?

Funny this should be our first topic because as I write this entry, I am sneezing and coughing from an unforgiving chest cold that has inhabited me like an alien invasion.  With my head feeling like a football-sized snot factory, the last thing I want to do is bring my puffy, pounding sinuses upside down in foreward bend.  

Though my cold has limited my normal practice, I've felt better by dedicating even just a few minutes of my day to whatever I can manage - a few gentle leg stretches and lunges where my head can stay lifted, pranayama (breathing) and then drinking green tea, usually while wrapped up in a blanket watching back to back episodes of Cake Boss. Okay, the last part isn't really yoga, but there's nothing like Buddy Valastro's antics to make you feel better.

Yogis say it's better to do a few minutes each day than an hour or more only once a week.  Consistency is key.  However, the simple fact is sometimes life will get in the way of our "consistency." It is just all too easy to get off track and there have been plenty of times where I’ve taken non-sick leave as well, not getting on the mat for days (or even weeks). I was just too “busy” with other things, too bored, too listless or let’s face it, just in a plain I-don’t-wanna-I’d-rather-eat-chocolate-in-bed state of mind.  

There is a reason the Yoga Sutras give detailed outlines of obstacles to our practice. Guilt and beating ourselves up have no place in yoga, only awareness of these obstacles and discipline to stay consistent. Ahimsa (nonviolence) and compassion are key, not only towards others, but to ourselves.  Everybody is different in what motivates them and I am still learning like everyone else, but below are a few things I've found helpful in the trial and error of motivating myself to get on the mat in those times when I’d rather watch Cake Boss…or Project Runway...or Sex and the City... Come to think of it, maybe Netflix should be an addendum to Patanjali's list.

            1)  Morning Practice

      What's better than starting your day by awakening, stretching and breathing deeply?   And for the rest of the day, you feel energized, supple and ready to take whatever comes at you. (On a related note, a relaxing evening practice is just as exquisite, transitioning you to a good night's sleep).

2)   Keep it Simple

      Make your goals realistic.  It’s nice to have ambition, but try setting baby steps and then push past those rather than drawing grand finish lines.   For instance, instead of setting out to do 90 minutes of practice, say “I’ll do 20 minutes.”  More often than not, you'll end up doing 30 minutes, 45, or sometimes an hour or more because it just feels so damn good.  The same applies for consistency.  Every other day, twice a week, a few minutes each day - do what works for you. Make the time to nurture and commit to yourself. 

3)   Variety and Diversity

      This is a matter of personal taste.  If you are from a Bikram or Ashtanga school, you may thrive and take comfort in knowing exactly what pose is next and what sequence you will do day in and day out.  I appreciate the discipline in repetition of these styles.  However, my “oooh…shiny” side leads me to prefer to mix it up.  Just move and let your body do a spontaneous flow, use a quality favorite DVD or take a variety of different classes to see what style fits you best.

4)   Smells and Bells

      Stuff helps.  Now, this doesn’t mean we have to buy a bunch of things or that you can only do yoga if you have the right mat, blocks and other trendy accessories.  Far from it.  In fact, in India, where yoga originates, all a yogi needs is her own body - there are usually no mats or props like we use here.  However, lighting candles, incense, gazing upon an interesting or inspiring painting or mandala, playing relaxing music, etc. can all be effective ways to help you focus. 

      5)  A Buddy

      One of the things I love about yoga is that it is mine.  I practice on my own, just for me, in my own home.  It is intimate and personal and individual.  Even so, I do really enjoy the classes and community of my fantastic local studio as well.  And if I have a friend over, I may talk them into a quick session (always with my “just 20 minutes” argument, of course).  A yoga buddy can make motivation contagious.
      ........................................ 

     
Motivation is individual, but ultimately it goes beyond flexibility and strong thighs (which can be great byproducts of practice) to achieving inner peace and connectedness, or as my teacher Swami Satchidananda would say in his thick Indian accent, “Ultimate Tranquility.”

I just know that the more I do yoga, the more I WANT to do yoga.  :)

Question of the Week:   What are your own suggestions for staying motivated in practice, whatever that practice may be? 

Sometime this week, tell yourself, “Just 15 minutes.”  That’s all.  15 minutes before you go to work, cook dinner, watch that movie, play a game with your kid, walk the dog, see your friend, get dressed, go to bed, etc.  15 minutes to stretch, bend, breathe and connect.  Just don’t be surprised if it feels so good you end up doing 30…

Namaste,

Amala

Hari Om

            What is it about yoga that is so damn fantastic?  What keeps me (and so many others) rolling out our mats day in and out?  I can think of many reasons why I do yoga, but when it comes down to it, I love yoga because of the way it makes me feel – physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.  I'm sure many of you feel the same way.

            I cherish my daily yoga practice and am so constantly amazed by what it brings to my life, both on and off the mat, that I’ve realized I want more than to just do it, but to talk about it too.  It is like that feeling of being in love and glowing about every little detail to your girlfriends with a big, goofy grin on your face (and also equally important, venting when your love doesn't always live up to your expectations of it).

            So, here I am, merging two of my greatest loves, yoga and writing, into what I hope to be a lovely, saucy coupling, venturing into my very first blog experience with cautious optimism. I feel like maybe I should have a big “Y” painted on my forehead and an armful of yoga straps to toss at the computer screen...

           Anyhow, welcome! First and foremost, this will be a forum for which I can selfishly dish about my favorite subject, but I also hope it will engage and interest others out there with similar ideas, questions and thoughts about yoga, from new beginners groaning in downward dog (which don’t worry, you’re not alone) to seasoned practitioners and all of those in between.  I hope you’ll share, discuss, ask questions, offer tips, commiserate, and offer your stories or favorite quotes.  Feel free to agree, disagree, share your transformative stories or even vent about not so positive yoga experiences if you'd like.  It doesn’t all have to be hippies, puppies and rainbows in here (though I'll warn you, there will be some puppies...) 

That said, each week, I'll write about whatever Yoga topic comes to mind (breathing, favorite poses, gurus, India, holy cows, ayruveda, the Yoga Sutras, yoga classes and DVDs, chanting, spirituality and philosophy to name a few ideas) and end with a question to encourage (again my optimistic side here) any further discussion and interaction in the cyberworld.  Considering how many branches, layers of history, rich philosophy and diversity of experiences that are out there, I think there will be plenty to talk about.

I'll begin by answering the Question of the Week (found down below):

I’ve been practicing some form of yoga since I was 16, when my piano teacher handed me a Lilias Folan VHS that changed my life forever (I love you, Lilias!).  After several years of practice, I traveled to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia for a month-long transformative spiritual "yoga boot camp” training immersion in 2001, which certified me as an instructor in Integral Yoga.  I credit practicing and teaching yoga as the central reason I kept my sanity during the time I was working on my Master's thesis, which is an experience that finds you sometimes forgetting anything else exists.

Today, I practice a spiritual cocktail of Vinyasa flow, Integral, Sivananda, Jivamukti, and whatever else feels right on any given day, with my latest passion being Trance Dance Movement (more on that delicious subject later.) 

I feel about yoga like I feel about religion and that is that no one path has to be THE right one and you can practice an eclectic buffet of many styles that fit your ideals and intuitive needs.  It’s not for everyone, but that’s okay.  My philosophy is that some people like peas while others like corn and still others just want some damn cake.

In the last 17 years since we first became acquainted, yoga has picked me up, rolled me out, dusted me off, nurtured and challenged me (often at the same time), taken me to amazing ashrams, to holy temples in India, and to numerous workshops across America (which run the spectrum from incredible to incredibly disappointing, but always an experience). 

          Literally in sickness and in health, in richer and poorer, in good times and in bad (and sometimes worse), yoga has always been there for me with open, nonjudgmental, compassionate arms.

Is it weird to say that it's one of the best relationships I have ever had?   

All I know is that after all of these years, I’m more in love than ever.   That’s not to say it’s always been smooth, easy sailing. Like any relationship, yoga and I have had our times of not speaking to each other.  But that’s for another entry…

And now for you, the Question of the Week: 

Why do you practice (or have an interest in) yoga?

And for your Yogic contemplation – introducing Banjo Mulligan! My pointy-headed, leaky-eyed, rescued beagle/whippet/we-don't-know-quite-what-she-is hound dog.

           The epitome of the perfect yogi, she enjoys stretching out under me when I am in triangle or downward dog (ha), choosing the exact moment when I lay down in savasana (relaxation pose) to give me a full out tongue bath to the face (not so conducive to achieving inner stillness), and terrorizing squirrels...which, I guess is not so yogic.   But she doesn't really seemed to be bothered by this inconsistency.  And hey, even the gurus are sometimes inconsistent. 

Until next week.

Namaste,
Amala