Enter, Final weekend of yoga training

So, so much for writing about the full journey I've been on these last 6 months of yoga training, but it really has been transformative.  While I expected to have more awareness of my body and develop a more conscious mind, I wasn't expecting to be so full.  As I sit here and begin to think about what the last six months have meant to me, I begin to feel emotional, my stomach whirling around and thinking.....what is next?

Well, I know a few things that will come, more study, more practice, and more patience with myself and others.  More thinking before speaking, more connections to a path ( a path that takes many twists and turns).  More opening in the mind and body.  More acceptance.

Yoga is a life long journey.  The term yoga means "to yoke" or union, bring together. and I feel that I have done that on so many levels.  From the people I've made connections with in our little group, to the very yogic union of mind and body.  I also feel that I've made much more of a connection with what really matter when it comes down to it.  Everything...and nothing, all at the same time.

The yogic path is about accepting, showing up, and being present, but letting go and not attaching to anything.  It's been one of the great discussions we've had in our group.  How do we keep showing up sometimes when it is so hard, how do we let go of anything that we hope to be an outcome.  How do we accept things as they are without judgement?  By taking it moment to moment.  Quite literally being present, with our breath.  Focusing on what we're doing in the present.

I think that I'm getting better at that.  While I sit and type, I am fully present in this blog.  I can feel my fingers glide over the letters, and feel the texture that is each key as I press my digits into each shape.  I feel the temperature of the room, the coolness on my skin. The way my skin feels in my bathrobe, and the light that begins to fill the room from outside the windows.  The birds are chirping, but they're not so close, and the hum of the fan is letting it's presence be known from the upstairs.  Each letter I type is linked to the next, each space I leave is a void.

So what is next for me after all this training?  Well, I could say--- party!  Because there will be one, and I could say more yoga classes because I will take them.  But I also say I will become an explorer once again, thinking about how I can apply all that I learned to the real world.  Next Monday night has the potential be to be a lonely one.  No more group to keep me focused, or share a similar understanding with.  But, as we all know... we create, we sustain, then we destroy.  It's a cycle, and this program is going to come to an end.

So thank you Brahma,Vishnu, and Shiva.

One thing that I can say that I was really showing up for the practice of headstand.  We'll, it took me a few months, but I finally got there:

And now I can let that go too.

Sketchbook Project 2012

Finally, you can now go see or visit my sketchbook on line, or on tour with the other 6000 journals/sketchbooks.  The theme of my sketchbook is "Transatlantic" but I titled it "Space and Time".  My book is divided into 5 sections.  The world, South Africa, Clarion, New Mexico, Now.  It's a journey that focuses on the path that we follow, how it ebbs and flows, and hopefully some how gets me to this being stage.   The stages of the moon are there to represent the passage of time, there is always some kind of path, and then layers of collaged papers, and drawing. Objects in the pages contain numbers in some form.  They're pretty obvious in the Clarion one.  The number relates to the age I was when I was living there at the time.  So if you start with the world, I am at 0.

Each section has it's own frame of reference and symbols.

The world:  Age- 0,  8 pages (including front and back cover)  countries, airports, continents, chakras
South Africa: Age - 9,  6 pages  flag, geometric lines and shapes
Clarion:  Age - 18 2 pages river, trees
New Mexico:  Age 27, 4 pages, Mountains, dots, desert, river
Present: Age 36, 16 pages, Buddha, sun, trees, Om, many paths, windows, the void

There's other stuff too, but those are the main ideas that pop out at me.  I'm going to show it to my students today, hopefully they won't think that I'm crazy.  I am considering doing paintings like these, but I'm not sure yet.  I need some sort of summer project, though, and I'm trying to figure out what it is.

Enjoy:

Transatlantic- Time and Space

Finally finished

Been working on a painting for my friends' new arrival.  They're having a baby in a month and wanted me to make something that went along with a wall hanging they got along their travels somewhere (Africa, maybe?).  So I made a painting for their baby's room.  I threw in a few animals, the one in the palm tree is the stylized bird that is on their wall hanging, and I had to try and complement the colors.  So it's fun.

Fun colors, lots of patten.  I swear the sun is not as bright as that yellow, there are some warmer tones in there.  I also think the monkey looks a little angry, but oh well!  Maybe he's stuck in the tree.

The wall hanging, for inspiration.

Art Weekend

It was a beautiful weekend, not only weather wise, but art wise.  It all kind of started on Saturday, when my husband and I decided to metro into town to see "Song 1" at the Hirshhorn.  We actually lucked out, because they extended this showing a week more.  It was so popular that people have seen it multiple times.  I think it probably is worth seeing multiple times, but we only saw it once.

The Hirshhorn Museum is a round museum, with flat concrete sides.  The artist for "Song 1" projected movie like images on the whole museum, so it was all in the round.  There was music which was "I only have eyes for you", while each "character" sang or spoke lines from the song.  Each person was presented along, except for the obvious singers, who actually looked like they were singing alone.  Some lip synced, and others just spoke.  There were some famous people in it, Tilda Swinton, Devendra Banhart, and a few others.  The whole piece was 35 minutes.  There were lots of colliding images, and repetitive patterns.

I really enjoyed it, you can actually watch it online here.  It's different then watching it on the building.  But you get the general idea.  I noticed that it had a drive-in movie type feel when I was watching it, and then all of the people walking, cars beeping, traffic, sounds of sirens, definitely played into the emotion of actually watching it on the Hirshhorn.

Sunday was filled.  I mean it FILLED!  My friend Vicki and I ventured to New York City.  For the day.  We got up super early and took the Bolt bus to NYC.  It was actually pretty easy, and uncomplicated.  We got off at Madison Square Gardens and made our way to the Whitney Musem by foot and subway.  The Whitney as a Biennial, where contemporary artists are chosen to install, present, and show their artwork.  It interesting, because there are also performances, and art making happening while you're there by the artists themselves.  They'll even talk to you.  I however, didn't have my camera.  Which totally stunk, because I only got a handful of pictures on my phone.

It was interesting, it seemed like a quieter display.  When I think of other Biennials I've been too you can see some pretty outlandish, scary, disturbing, explicit stuff.  BUT, of course, a lot of the work is extremely conceptual, and there are lots of meanings behind the symbols... so I probably didn't "get" all the work.

There were a few that stood out, and I'll have to post them later.  I want to research them a little more, look them up, and then talk about them.

I loved NY.  It was a perfect day for walking.  I think we practically went through almost all of Central Park, most of Time Square (can do with out for the most part).  Lots of interesting people, lots of interesting stuff just out to look at.  A great lunch of crepes at some French place, some amazing cappuccinos (my first coffee in months).

It was pretty rushed, but possible.  I think we spent a total of 6 1/2 hours in the city and almost 9 hours of traveling.  If you have a goal in mind, and traveling within the city isn't a hassle and you know what you're there for, it can be done.

Here are a few highlights from my phone, from this weekend (wish I had some better pictures, but my camera isn't working at the moment:

Song 1

Sun is set.

"Song 1"- Man singing and standing alone at wall

One of my favorite parts.  2 characters in a denim factory.  They're lip syncing, maybe thinking the song in their head

Denim factory becomes pattern!!!! YES!

No words, just music and figures dancing within the figures.

Eyes for you.

Lyrics

Multiples images city and figures, buildings.

Playing with color, pattern and light.

Pretty Fire Escape around 48th and 7th?

Subway, off we go to the Whitney.

Organ playing music (not recognizable) and also part of the piece is scattered throughout the entire museum.  The artist took apart a book about the universe, and placed the illustrations of the book all over the Whitney.  I don't think we managed to see them all, but the ones I saw looked like the Milky Way.

This was in the same room as the organ and missiles.  It is said that these are abstract paintings of an organ.  I love the composition and the brightness.

This artist made tapestries.  LOVE MAZES!

Central Park, Children's Zoo.

Bus home, someone tagged the seatbelt guy.  AHHHHH!

It's a beautiful evening in the neighborhood

Wow, I am actually sitting outside this evening.  Having a lovely glass of wine, smelling the scents of the yard.... grass, honeysuckle, cool air.  It's a perfect night for a Wednesday, and I'm not going in until it's dark.

I haven't been able to experience these peaceful nights so much lately.  Time just seems to fly by that I forget to listen, or get into some form of bad habit. I like watching tv, it's a welcome escape most evenings.  Or I'm off to a yoga class, or even rushing to prepare dinner, or thinking about art class the next day.

I value these evenings when even the noise of the distant traffic seems kind of calming.

I see all sorts of greens that range from almost yellow to a deep forest green.  So many things that I just pass by on any given day.  I really don't want to go in.

The breeze feels good and even though it was quite warm for a May day, it's settled into the 70's.  Just right.  I see the fading sunlight casting on the tree in my back yard.  The yellow is fading, and the light is dispersing.  It will be dark soon.  And, I'll go in.

I hear the noises of my neighbors working in their yards.  Machinery.  Trimming, edging, taking care of their own yard.  Isn't that something?  The "American Dream".  Have a yard, take care of it.  The thing is, even that machine sound isn't bothering me at this moment.

The birds are still calling out, and I hear a variance of tweeting.  They don't sound like cell phones, although I hear how many types of birds who live in urban areas are changing their tones, just as we change our cellphone rings.  They still sound like birds to me, and certainly much more pleasant than a phone ring.

This area is still bustling when I think everyone should be at home eating a meal, catching up on the day, or going for a stroll.  I dream about finding a place where all I hear are the sounds that nature makes again.  When I lived in New Mexico, I was fortunate to live close to the mountains for a year or so.  My apartment complex was away from the main road and overlooked the valley of Albuquerque.  I took advantage of the nearby trails and the quieter roads.  You could still hear and see the main road, but the nature is what was present.  Howling coyotes, chirping birds, wind.  I miss that.

For now I'll just have to enjoy the sounds of my own back yard.  Appreciating the careful breeze as it moves the wisps of hair around my head.  It's good to notice, it's good to witness, it's good to just be where you are and nowhere else.

Goodbye

Maurice Sendak, thank you for your wonderful illustrations, amazingly funny, scary characters.   My parents didn't really like your books because the characters were strong minded, brash and sometimes obnoxious, but really, I loved them.  Your monsters were delightful.  My childhood would have been so different without you.

May you find that your dinner is still hot when you return "home".

Still thinking about MCA!

I talked to my students about the Beastie Boys today, they were very receptive.  Which was amazing.  They even compared it to how they felt about the loss of some of their favorite performers.  I think it was a great connection to make with my students.  I'm not sure what they see when they look at me.  They could easily focus on the way I look or how I dress.  But most students, I like to think, realize that the people standing up in front of the classroom have more to offer than just an educational lesson.  Somestimes, little by little, I get to shed the outerlayers of my onion. This was one of those moments.  They could have made jokes about white rappers, or laughed at the idea that I like hiphop music, or felt that I was making light of how they react to their favorite entertainers passing.  But they didn't.  They were supportive, they asked questions, they wondered why I found him to be interesting...all this without judgement.

I also gave them this quote my MCA: 

"I give thanks for this world as a place to learn,

and for this human body that I'm glad to have earned."

I will be keeping that quote up around my desk until the end of the year.

Posting is happening...in my mind

So, I've been away from this blog for quite some time now.  It's been a very busy year.  Most of my "free" time has been taken up by yoga training, which has been so fulfilling on so many levels.    All of a sudden it seems as if the months have just flown by.  I guess that's how it feels when you're so busy.  But seriously, where does the time go?

I just finished teaching my first officially planned glass to my teacher training group yesterday.  I have to say it went pretty well.  I spent many hours planning, prepping, and practicing for the day. We worked in a group to create a 1 hour 15 minute class that focused on the hara.  The hara is a term used to describe the belly, the third chakra, the solar plexus, celiac plexus...whatever term you want to use.  So I researched the different ways it's talked about across psychological, energetic, and physical terms.   It is MULTI-disciplinary yoga teacher training, after all.

My main task was to open the class, get people warmed up, welcome them, open the space, and settle them in.  I was nervous being up in front of these beautiful people, but I totally felt the support behind their eyes as they looked on.  I even had the courage to use the singing bowl (LOVE IT, by the way, gotta get one of my own).  We went through a series of breath work, and a little bit of core work and we finally ended in Tadasana (mountain pose).  And that's where one of my partners picked up.

My partners and I are very much alike in the fact that we're creative people, quiet people.  So our main yogi-mentor dubbed us "the quiet storm".  We nearly died laughing.  But it was true.  This practice was all about the core work, and we were strong, yet caring and careful about our practice.  (especially since people had just come from lunch).  People noted that our voices were pleasant (maybe a little too soft at times).  But all in all a great practice where they felt cared for and relaxed....

It was interesting to hear the feed back, of course it was mostly positive, we are yogis!  There are things I need to work on.  I felt my energy level drop off towards the end.  It's really important to keep it up!  I think with more practice I'll be able to keep it going.

I did learn that I can teach yoga, it's just like teaching art.  I've been teaching art for almost 12 years now, and yoga only really about 5 times in my entire life.   It all comes back to the brain, learning things everyday is good for us.  It keeps us healthy, it keeps the mind fresh, it keeps us from being kept in one spot.  We grow.

Today we go back so the second half of the class can also teach.  So looking forward to what my yogi friends do.

P.S.  This was also a really sad week for me.  One of my all time favorite musicians died on Friday.  MCA, Adam Yauch, this band was really a part of my life, and also my way into looking in Tibetan Buddhism and the Free Tibet campaign.  Of course, I never met him personally, I can say that him and the Beastie Boys have a profound effect on my life, my music choices, and how I view the world...  Thanks MCA, RIP.  Check out MCA skills in this video

Mind just blown.

Ok, so...listening to NPR is one of my favorite pastimes.... I know what you're thinking... However, they reveal the most interesting FACTS ever.  Just this past week, they were talking about the new slavery exhibit on display at the American History Museum (haven't been yet.. but thinking about getting to it sometime soon).  The exhibit was originally on display at the Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home in Charlottesville, VA. (haven't been there since the 7th grade even though I go to c-ville regularly). The Monticello had been notorious for not exhibiting anything about slavery until the last 15 or 20 years, even though it was definitely part of it's history, and the Jefferson family history.

The exhibit brought up a huge discussion about good ol' enlightened TJ.  We all know his history.  Although educated and "enlightened", father of constitution, and the poster child for inalienable rights (apparently only white men at the time),  he actually DID own slaves, he didn't free most of them, and fathered 6 children by having a continuous (seemingly consensual) relationship with a slave named Sally Hemings.  He never took responsibility for that part of the family, and his kids actually were servants to him.

So this is where the interesting fact comes in.

Thomas Jefferson was married to a woman named Martha.  Martha's dad was an attorney, slave trader and an exporter in Virginia.  Her mother's was a daughter of a planter (tobacco maybe) and her dowry consisted of  her personal slaves, which included a woman named Betty Hemings.   As part of the marriage contract the slaves were to remain property of her mom's side of the family.

After Martha's mother died, her father took Betty Hemings as a concubine and fathered 6 children.  They were born into slavery, and they were actually 1/2 siblings of Martha!  And 3/4 European!  One of those children was Sally Hemings...

When Martha's father died, Martha was married to Jefferson, and since men controlled "property", those slaves came to the Monicello.  Martha died after being married to Jefferson for 11 years, and soon after Jefferson began a relationship with Sally Hemings, Martha's half sister.

Isn't that crazy?  I had never even thought that!  I had never even assumed that Sally was an actual family member to Martha.  It just blows my mind how it's so interconnected.

According to what I've heard and read, all the Hemings family members had privileged positions at Monticello, and they were trained as domestic servants, artisans, and chefs.   Jefferson freed all of Sally Hemings' children, and a few of them entered white society as free adults (I don't know if Sally was freed).
  A while back the descendants of Jefferson (Sally's too) appeared on the Oprah show, and I'm still looking for footage.  Apparently it didn't go well.  The NPR report also talked about how the Jefferson estate has never officially accepted all of this, even though teh DNA is there. 

Anywho- it actually makes me want to go back to Monticello and see it again through adult eyes.  In fact, I feel that way about a lot of things.  I need to go back and investigate, instead of just being an observer. History is such an important subject for all of us.

Bitterness

Well, it's mid February, it's about time for a little bitterness.  Don't you think?  I mean it's supposed to be cold, grey, cloudy, snowy, and icy.  But the bitterness isn't in the weather this year.  It's burning inside me at this very moment.  I keep trying to let go, but it's still harboring inside me.  It's sunny and cold outside, but I need that sun to melt the bitterness in my own heart. Not very yogic.....

Here's what happened.  For almost a year now I've been working on the Creative Connection Art/Yoga Program.  I've found some success this year (and I must not forget those successes).  I gained permission to provide this program to my students after school, I gained a trained yoga volunteer for the program, I started yoga teacher training myself, I even gained a Donor's Choose Grant to get yoga mats and other supplies.

The next step came to get a grant.  A bigger grant.  A $5000 grant to help fund the program, gain other supplies, gain another volunteer, and maybe even get a little stipend for myself for all the money,training, and time I've put forth.  The grant was to come from the district! WOW!!! What a thought?!  The school disrict actually providing opportunity for the MOST disadvantaged students with an amazing, innovative program.  So--- I applied. 

Didn't get it.  No mention of why, no mention of what I could do better, no parital funding.. NOTHING! My principal wasn't even notified.  I had to tell him.

That's why I'm bitter.  To lose that bitter taste and to gain something positive from this experience I decided to write "Dream Fund" committee a letter.  I am asking them to tell me why I didn't get it.  Could it have been a stupid mistake?  A clerical error?  OR what? Or why not give me half the money, a quarter? Something?? Is it because I'm not really "in" the district and I need to "know" someone on the committee?  WHAT?

Argh, what is even worse is that it pretty much ruined my weekend.  I am sad to say it got to me.  It pretty much sat within me the whole weekend and I just couldn't let it go.  I felt so defeated.  It has been something that I've pretty much poured my whole life into.  To get a rejection that I thought was cold and formal really just hurt.  I took it personally.

It's time to pick up where I've left off.  Move on from this, and learn from it.  Stay committed to what my goal is... Providing an innovative program to bring self awareness and creativity to my students, and others!

I am going to keep trying. I'm going to keep doing. 

Strange weather

The last few days have been super warm for the season.  It's been driving me a little crazy, but at the same time I'm trying to remind myself to enjoy it.  This rare weather hiccup is nice! It really is.  Not wearing a jacket, walking the dog on long walks.  Seeing the SUN!!! It's great.  I'm sure we'll get hit with some major weather later.  I'm hoping for at least one snow day, but we'll see.

Yoga

I decided to try to look around on the Internet for some yoga videos, since I'm probably going to have to teach by myself someday soon..  I came across this nice video.  It's a  vinyasa flow style.  Which means you basically move with your breath.

Vinyasa actually is a Sanskrit word that means "to place in a special way".  So it kind of makes sense because you're trying to move from pose to pose.

This video is a little bit faster than I'm used to, but I think that's because it's a shorter class.  Usually we tend to move into a pose and hold it and go deeper.  But I like this as a quick yoga class when I don't know what to do, or can't make it to the studio.  *PLUS*  I actually like the person's voice who is giving direction.  It's a pleasant German/Austrian sounding voice, which to me makes me feel a little nostalgic.

Give it a try.  If you haven't ever done this style of yoga it helps to watch it first.

here it is

Anyway, more to come, more styles to come....  I'm off to go read the Sutras... I'm trying to do one a day because it's too much to sit down and read.. Thank goodness there's only 196 or so... Maybe I'll be done by the time the training is done.

Namaste!!!

Confession

I blew it!  I started drinking coffee again.  I knew I shouldn't have done that...

The importance of Physical and Mental Health

At the detention center we've been battling for the needs of our students.  This year our PE teacher made a great effort to create a fitness/classroom that would house his health classes.  Not only that, the facility could be used by anybody, including staff, and also a place to hold yoga classes and other small group activities.

The D home said NO.  Worse then that, they said they were turning it into a storage room.  Yep.  That's right, a place for stuff in boxes.  Worse then that, we were actually given $30,000 to create a multipurpose classroom and they still turned it down.  It wouldn't have cost the facility anything.  We were granted the money from the state.  NO.  They would rather turn $30,000 away and have nothing.

So we're trying to come up with a plan B.  We are still granted this money, which is quite a lot.  We have so many ideas, but of course all of them have to get approved by the facility.  I've been doing my part by trying to incorporate yoga with one group after school, and we'll be offering yoga to 2 groups this spring.  The problem is this center.  The people who run this place seem to not care about the well being of the kids. I don't know all the reasons.  I bet you can think of a few on your own.

I decided to go on record about what I think.  And here it is.....

Hi Mike (and co-teachers),

I probably won’t be in tomorrow’s meeting so I thought I would write my own thoughts and feelings about this issue here.  This represents my beliefs and ideas.  I want in no way to offend anyone.  I feel that this issue is extremely important to our school program, but most importantly to our students. 

Firstly, I am so sorry to hear about the abandonment of Plan A (plan to create a health/fitness room for youth and staff).  I think one of the most important topics to our students are health issues.  I feel like our students crave knowledge and accurate information that pertain to their own health and fitness and it is a shame that we cannot give them a physical space to safely explore, understand, and research those issues.

I think this is also a great time to evaluate how I teach.  I think that finding a way to weave in health issues to my own curriculum can be beneficial to my class.  Of course this takes some planning time and a different approach.  I would like to suggest that maybe I could possibly team teach with Mike on occasion about certain things that are within my knowledge base and abilities with fitness and health.

As a whole team we are a knowledgeable group of teachers and already bring our own vast knowledge, creativity, and a wealth of personal experiences to our students.  Could we work across the curriculum in a productive and useful way that meets the needs of our students without overworking ourselves?  Maybe re-evaluating the schedule to accommodate physical health, mental health, and fitness centered classes is an approach worth considering?

Another idea for consideration, may be to plan a health and fitness “expo” for our students?  Or once a week or once a month offer something that aims focus on the holistic well being of our students in all (or most) classes?  Can we get some guest speakers to come in and give in-depth, hands on experiential lessons on health and fitness?  Can we invite people who create workshops on particular topics that are aimed at our population?  Can we attend conferences and workshops ourselves so we are trained to provide those experiences for our students?  Does anybody know where to look for such things?

What is the long term goal of the health and fitness program at NVJDHS?  Will we see this type of funding every year?  Do we ever anticipate having a “home” for the health and fitness program?

I have also already applied for at Dream Fund Grant, and will hopefully be able to continue the after school yoga program with at least 2 units this year (Unit 3 and 4).  I have also looked into other national grants to apply for additional funds to bring in volunteers and possibly receive training.  As you know I will be fully certified in yoga in the beginning of June, and I am already certified in Yokid Yoga Teacher Training.  I would be more than happy to provide yoga classes to students during the school day.  I would be happy to gain training in climbing (I used to climb in New Mexico). 

How can Merilee help us with this road block?  Would she find it acceptable to create a different type of learning environment or change scheduling?  Are we able to offer course changes to include things like yoga? Would funding be available to specific trainings for teachers?

I can also check to see if some of my yoga teachers would know anything.  Many of them are athletes, social workers, artists, and volunteers.  Maybe they or someone they know would be able to offer up some different ideas.

Other ideas:

Wii fit

Take Unit 7 to an Outdoor Education Trip

Bring experiential education to the D- home (there are facilitators that would come in and do team building etc…)  -- This would also require some long term work to actually have a benefit with kids.

Health workers come in to work with units in small groups to discuss sexual health and diseases

Partnerships with Alexandria Mental Health Facilities, Art groups, youth advocates

I do think that changes need to come in some way to the detention home and I feel that we could make a lot of change within the school. We just need to think outside the box and consider things that may be different and not of the “norm”.  We have to remember we do NOT teach the “typical” (whatever that means) student.  All of our students come from a variety of backgrounds, and I think it’s a disservice to not meet them where they are at.  This year in particular, we are fortunate to have a small population in which we actually have the capacity to make a greater impact. 

I think it’s important for me to let my students know that I’m here for them and I’m going to offer them the best that I can, so they can do the best that they can.  Equity in education is such a huge issue in this country.  Every one of our students should get the education they need.  Our population needs education in all subjects, but in particular they need knowledge about their own health, mental and physical well being.  I will do what I can to support you, Mike.

Thank you all for reading this e-mail, I will get off my soap box. 

With warm sincerity,

Kate

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We'll see what happens......

Yoga and the Autonomic system

This great article will help me bring yoga to more places!!! Let the research begin.  If any of you out there in Internet land know of any yoga research.. let me know.  There is a journal, but other then that, there isn't much!

On a lighter note, had a wonderful gentle yoga class this evening with one of my favorite teachers.  So relaxing.  And this week I definitely experienced some nice hamstring stretches.

So - if your hamstrings are tight, forward folds are definitely a nice thing to do.  However, it's even better when you're lying on your back.  Perhaps do it one leg at a time:

1.  Lay down on the ground.  Feel the points of your body on the floor.
2.  Relax your back into the floor by engaging your abdominal muscles and releasing your lower back to the floor.
3.  Hug your left knee into your chest while keeping your right leg extended.
4.  Place a strap (belt, whatever you got) around the arch of your left foot and gently extend your leg to the ceiling.
5.  While keeping a micro-bend in the knee, on an inhale gently guide your left foot towards your face.  Be gentle, you're not really pulling, but you definitely want to feel a slight pressure.  You don't want to wrench your foot towards your face, you want to feel a nice stretch on the hamstrings, and maybe along the whole back of the leg.  Use your breath to gently ease into the stretch.  Let the strap or belt hold your leg, and let gravity do the work.  If you're feeling it, you're doing it.
6.   Take 10 deep breaths.
7.  To gently get out of this pose. Gently bend your knee and let the strap go.
8.  Hug your knee into your chest once more.  Point and flex your left foot, go around in circles, do whatever helps to relax the foot.
9.  Gently bring your left leg down to meet the right.  Notice the changes or heaviness you might feel in the left leg.
10.  Repeat with the right leg.

Holy Coincidence

Ok, I just wrote about the Meyers Briggs.
Well, it wouldn't be a huge deal except, a yoga friend scored the exact same thing.... AND- she's a teacher-- and we both have the same kind of dog..

I know, I'm reaching... but that just totally makes me laugh.   Ok-- must go catch up on some yoga reading..

Personality Types

I've taken a Myers Briggs test.  You know what they are?  It's a personality test that bases the findings on answering a battery of questions.  The particular test I took had about 70 questions, and I was only allowed to answer "yes" or "no".  I can't remember taking the test before this time, but I'm sure I've probably taken it in a psychology class or something. 

My personality type is INFJ.  Which means Introvert/Intuitive/Feeler/Judger.  What the heck does that mean?  Well, it means a lot, now, because I think it really does describe me.   The description that I read said that only about 2% of the people who take this test get this type.  I don't know how I should really feel about that.  Does that make me even more strange?  Maybe just a tad.

It was really interesting to read the description.  While I find it to be a little bit like a horoscope, there was a lot of truth in it.  I have read a number of other descriptions and this one really does seem to fit me.  The test did reinforce some of the things I already knew about myself, but also provided a little bit of insight to why I may react in certain kinds of situations or how I behave with people.

While I do see myself as an empathetic and intuitive person, I'm not quite sure I understand the paragraph about my supposed psychic abilities.  The last part of the description mentioned that I have the ability to understand psychic phenomena and have visions....like ESP.  Hummmm....

Yes, that would make me different, wouldn't it. 

Anyway, if you're interested in how you would score on Carl Jung's (he was said to be an INFJ too) test...try it out! You  might find out something new about yourself, and that in turn could possibly open up new understandings or possibilities for you.  The internet as tons of tests, so you have to choose wisely.  It took me forever to find an appropriate test, and no, I didn't pay for it.  I'm going to give it to my students tomorrow.  I think they'll find it interesting.  After all, they're teenagers, all they do is think about themselves!  ;-)

Citta Vritti

What is "Citta Vritti" (pronounced C is pronounce "ch")?

We had a huge debate about what that was last night in yoga.  They are sanskrit words that translate to "Mind stuff" .  In one of the important books that we will be reading is "Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, The 8 Limbs of Yoga".  In this Sutra, or thread, he says that basically yoga occurs when there is a stillness.

Which brought up all sorts of reactions.  On of them actually stemming of to are we born with the citta already?  Or is it the stuff that happens to us throughout our life?  Most of us concurred that it can be both.  Kind of like a nature/nurture thing.  We are born with some interesting predispositions that are actually contained inside our genes, or DNA.  But we are also impacted from the time we are born with our environment.

Sound about right doesn't it?  But then we all continued to think, but aren't we born pure? And where doesn't one's idea bout reincarnation come from?  And what about all that??

And whether you actually believe in reincarnation, or one life, or whatever, or that an infant is the purist personification of life, it was the most amazing conversation that ended up being about death.  Can you pick when you're going to die, can you actually say you're done with life.  Or, do you just let life takes it's course and have no say in the matter.

All of this was very deep and emotional for a Monday night, let me tell you.  This group has only been together for 3 days, and already the comfort level of people is amazing.  The trust, the openness and the thoughtful and respectful discussions.  I'm truly feeling very lucky to be a part of this group.  I can only imagine that these next Mondays and weekends will truly be come enlightened times.

After Sunday, I was actually an emotional wreck.  I was upset, and agitated.  I was angry and irritable.  It was the strangest sensation to feel all this after I has just spent the weekend meeting people, talking about ideas, and doing lots of yoga.  But it is also well know that this yoga practice does have lots of impact.  It can bring up thoughts to a quiet mind, it can make you feel vulnerable, and it can make you lose track of time.

When I got home I think that is what happened.  I felt like while I was at the studio time kind of stopped, but the rest of the world somehow sped up.  I felt that while I had one of the most fascinating weekends, I was upset.  Luckily, my husband didn't think I was crazy.  He consoled me and supported me.

I feel better today, I feel good about the choice I made to explore this passion.  Especially at this time.  I don't think I could have come to this earlier in my life, although I wonder why I didn't.

Sutra 1.1
Atha yoganusanam
"Now the existence of yoga"

First snow

What comes to mind if you think about the first snow you ever remember experiencing?

For me:

Wonderment
Excitement
Play
Fluffy
Cold
Serene
Quiet
Peace

I wish you peace!!!!  But have fun playing in it!

Happy New Year (I'm a little late)

Better late than never.  This year is bound to bring many changes to all of our lives.  We'll be experiencing and learning new things.  We'll meet new people and encounter many challenges along the way.  That's life!  That's what it's all about.  But what I hope to remember this year is that it's all manageable.  It's all is there to teach you something about yourself. 

This Saturday I set out on my new adventure in yoga teacher training.  I'm really excited and nervous to embark on this journey, however, I know it's going to be a deeply profound and personal experience. My first yoga class was August 1998 in the PE department of the University of New Mexico.  My best friend had taken a few classes at her college, and I was really interested in why she found the practice to be so prolific. It seemed to make sense to me to take a class that was introspective and invloved fluid movements to stretch and tone the body.  At this time, I was still basically a runner and thought that the only way to a healthy life.  I had no idea that you needed balance! I had no idea you could really get so many gifts from the asanas of yoga.

I was also at a turning point in my life.  I completely set out on a new advanture for the first time in my life.  I did it without anyone's help and not a lot of support.  I had just left a damaging relationship, and decided that maybe yoga was exactly what I needed to release the symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression.

So I took a class that met 2 times a week.  It was in the style of Ashtanga, which is actually a pretty rigorous set of poses (that never change).  I liked the class, and I remember the teacher being great at explaining what to do.  She made it seem more like something choreographed.  We learned a lot about breathing, and linking breath to movement, different ways to practice breathing, noticing changes in your body.. all of that.  I loved the class. 

But once it was over, I had no more room in my schedule to repeat it.  So I stopped taking it.  I practiced for a little while on my own, but because I hadn't been going to class, it just kind of faded away.  It's too bad that it did. From then until now it was hard for me to add yoga classes back into my life.  I took a few classes here and there at the gym, and even bought a few books so I could try and re-create the asana practices that I had once done regularly.

It was hard to keep doing it without dedicating time for practice, and being committed to it. 

Having been back in the US for some time now, I've rekindled that practice on a few occassions.  When I first moved back I started taking classes again to relieve stress, and sort of empty my mind.  I filled my summers with classes and really began to enjoy the practice again.  It became a summer activity for the last few years.  I hadn't ever tried to include it in my life during the school year. 

So I thought about that.  Why am I not continuing this practice on a daily basis? Why am I forgetting the benefits of this practice?  Why am I not creating time or space for this?  When I really thought about it I had no reason.  

This time, I decided to make a commitment, go in to yoga with an open and dedicated heart.  Last March I enrolled in classes and haven't stopped since.  Maybe I'm not the most experienced person to ever dive into yoga teacher training, but I'm prepared for the challenge.  I am certain that I will be learning a lot by myself, but also hope to take away information that might work for the students I teach.

I'll be writing a lot abou the teacher training in this blog in the next 6 months.  I hope it becomes a record of my experiences, and hopefully a nugget of information for other people who are interested practicing yoga.

Happy New Year to ALL and  Namaste.