Finding Balance

“Your hand opens and closes, opens and closes. If it were always a fist or always stretched open, you would be paralysed. Your deepest presence is in every small contracting and expanding, the two as beautifully balanced and coordinated as birds' wings.”  - Rumi 

Think of one word that describes 2013 for you.  Just one word.   Now, think of one word that you would like to manifest in 2014.   I've asked my students to think of these words over the past couple of weeks as they sit quietly before our asana practice.   The word for what they would like to manifest for themselves in 2014 then became the intention for their practice.  How can you find this intention as you move from posture to posture? As a result, turning intention into action on the mat.    

For me, 2013 was "stabilization".  This year was about reuniting my family after a year of separation from my spouse, it was about settling into a teaching career and a method of teaching that resonates and feels unique to me, it was about finding my grounding and working to create stability for myself and my family.  The year certainly had it's ups and downs, and moments where stability was challenged.  At the end of the year, I can say that I feel like I have a solid foundation, a solid ground to build from.

I teach balance often in class.  We talk about the essential elements of staying balanced while in our postures.  We look for grounding, dristi (focused soft mindful gaze), and stability or awareness of our core.   From these elements we begin to find balance.

2013 was the year of creating the elements of a balanced life.   2014 will be about maintaining that balance and becoming aware of how to sustain balance personally, and with my work/family life.

We've all had practices where we've felt out of balance.  Both spiritually and physically as we topple our usually strong and sturdy vrksasana.   I expect that when our body falls out of balance often during practice we can easily link that to something that has been out of balance in our lives, perhaps related to diet, or even emotions or activity level.    Mind and body are one, not separate entities.  So - imbalance elsewhere in the mind or body often shows up as a wobble in our practice.   This can work both ways - if we see imbalance in our practice we can begin to work through it and challenge ourselves to find balance on the mat and as a result perhaps begin to see more balance in other areas of our lives.

"shtira sukham asanam"

"postures assumed should be both still and pleasant"

- Yoga Sutra, Sadhana-pada (46)

Our practice in January will be about finding balance.  Following a month of strength based practice, we will begin to use the grounding and centering we cultivated to begin expressing our postures with a balance between strength & ease, stillness & sweetness.   The balancing postures allow us to explore this concept fully as we attempt to stay grounded amid varying challenges.  

Because, life is like that.   We've probably all felt ourselves in the experience of a life out of balance.  When I began teaching, I wanted to teach a lot so I took any and all teaching opportunities that came my way.  I ended up with a crazy schedule that had me heading in all directions like (to quote Sadie Nardini) "an octopus on rollerskates".   In an attempt to do what I loved to do, I ended up creating imbalance in other areas of my life.  

This winter I have begun to prioritize more, finding more time with family by adjusting my schedule and saying "no" when I needed to.   I have also dedicated myself to a regular studio based practice with teachers that inspire and challenge me.   Keeping balance by maintaining a dedicated yoga practice but also recognizing that there had to be a solid work/family balance.  I wanted to live in a way that I didn't feel the need for a vacation just so I could spend time relaxing or with my family & friends.  I wanted to find that balance in every single day.   

I've also stopped using the word "busy".   I used to always respond to the question "How are things?" with "busy".   Instead, I take the time to think about how things actually are.  If things feel busy, I see that as a sign of an imbalanced life.  "I'm just too busy to do the things I want to do...".  I'm not.  Nobody is.   It is about prioritizing, and saying no when you need to in order to cultivate the balance that allows you to feel like you are no longer too busy to live the life you want.   Furthermore; we should never be too busy to get ourselves on to the mat to do the work of physically cultivating balance in our body and thus in our lives.   

We will start by exploring the strength foundation we built last month, and then look to the elements of sthira and sukham in our postures in order to draw in and express.  To be less like an octopus on rollerskates and more like a neatly folded pile of laundry.

Our practice will begin on January 1 at Bodhi Tree Downtown for a FREE New Years practice at 3pm with Scott Maclean, Dev Kashyap and myself.   We will continue exploring balance on January 4 as we move to our hands in the Defying Gravity arm balancing and inversion workshop.  You can register for that workshop online at http://bodhitreehotyoga.com or by clicking the Defying Gravity poster in the side bar.  Use the code: "gravity" (no quotations) to get $5 off your registration if you register before January 2.

Looking forward to an exciting, fun, and balanced month (months, years...) of yoga with you!   Happy New Year! Let's do this thing!

Cracking Open

Over the past few months I have been committed to a daily asana practice, and have recently added  meditation into the mix.   Sometimes my practice consists of a few handstands while folding laundry, other times I lay over a bolster, and other times I practice vinyasa and other times I simply just sit.  What I tend to avoid in my practice at home are the postures that give me trouble.  The postures that make me hurt, or that are challenging physically or emotionally.   I usually stick to the stuff I like.

This morning as I was meditating and I happened to be looking at a chair (I meditate mostly with my eyes open as a practice of being grounded in the moment directly in front of me), and the thought popped up (as they often do when I sit still) that I should attempt a back bend over the chair today.

So, I went about my practice avoiding the chair until I couldn't avoid it any longer.  I finally decided to place a blanket on my chair, and lay back.   This is a posture I hate.   It makes me want to puke, and I would rather do anything than lay back over the chair and have the edge of the seat take residence just underneath my heart.   In class, I often bail out and avoid the chances of potentially bursting into uncontrollable sobbing, or vomiting.

So - I laid back.   5 breaths.

Then overwhelmed with emotion, and nausea.  I got up.

I moved along to shoulder stand (another posture I dislike, but it felt like a breeze compared with the chair back bend).   Then laid myself over a bolster to reflect and rest.

My conclusion:  It's time to crack open

Am I dealing with just my own karma here, or many lifetimes of karma?  When I asked my teacher about this, she said "deal with this lifetime, it's the one you know".   Indeed, it is.   And for whatever reason, I'm holding on.   Letting go of control particularly control of my emotions is a big thing.   So much so, that I'm protected by a big fear of mine - vomiting.  I open my heart, I want to puke.

But, this isn't the first time I've encountered this.  Back when I first began practising yoga, I ran into a similar issue.   I was just starting to open up to practice - creating a relationship with my body and breath and connecting to myself in a new way.   At this time, every single yoga class was met with overwhelming nausea.  I made some changes to cope - attending class on an empty stomach and giving up coffee.    Thankfully, the nausea subsided but my willingness to keep getting back on the mat to do the "work" that was before me was waning.

It was at this time that I took a break from yoga.   I found many excuses to not attend class - and as a result was able to avoid the work I needed to do to take my practice to the next level.

It was a good six months before I returned to the mat.  Summer of 2010, I got myself an unlimited summer pass and got back on the mat.   By winter of that year, I was applying for teacher training.   I began teacher training in January 2011.   During teacher training, I was locked into growing my practice and for the 16 months of teacher training I can say that yoga began to create genuine shifts and growth.   My body began to open up, I began to face fears on the mat and fears in my life.  I transformed from a shy introvert into an open, confident teacher.

Of course, I hadn't reached enlightenment or anything - I simply began to create an intimate relationship with yoga practice.

Today, I recognized that there is more to crack open.   I know it is worth every bit of pain, every amount of work, every moment of dedication I give to it.   As I approach my 40th birthday this week, I am seeing how I can begin to face some monumental fears of being truly open and vulnerable, in order to open to the world and in particular to those who are closest to me.

Yoga is a pretty incredible thing.   A powerful tool to create the life you desire.   A powerful tool to find stillness and to connect to something that feels infinite in possibility.   I'm filled with gratitude to have this tool in my life and in particular I am grateful to be able to share this every day with students in my classes.

I often see students reach that often scary moment where their practice is starting to reach inside them looking to create real growth.   Suddenly, their schedules become busier and they are unable to find a way to get themselves into class with the same amount of regularity.  Some stop coming to class all together.   You may even recognize this in yourself.

Yoga gives you the ability to begin looking at yourself honestly.   In that ability, you begin to recognize the importance of living authentically.   From my perspective, if I am to to live with this awareness, I know I need to keep working.   My path in yoga may not have a defined end goal, but it certainly has pit stops and many opportunities for awakening and growth along the way.   If you have found yourself in a pit stop recently,  and you've stopped coming to class,  I encourage you to make your way back to the mat again.  Make the time to dedicate toward growth.  Crack open.  As hard as the shell might seem to be,  the world needs the vulnerability and authenticity that will begin to seep through the cracks.

My Methodology is Yoga

One who shirks action does not attain freedom; no
one can gain perfection by abstaining from work. 
Indeed, there is no one who rests for even an instant;
all creatures are driven to action by their own nature.

Those who abstain from action while allowing 
the mind to dwell on sensual pleasure cannot
be called sincere spiritual aspirants. But they
excel who control their senses through the
mind, using them for selfless service.  

Fulfil your duties; action is better than inaction.
Even to maintain your body, Arjuna, you are obliged
to act.  Selfish action imprisons the world.  Act
selflessly, without thought of personal profit.  

- Bhagavad Gita 


Last week I decided to offer an arm balancing and inversion workshop.  It was prompted by a couple of things - the first being that a friend I was in teacher training with asked if I could offer such a workshop, and the other was my desire to give people the tools to create a stronger yoga practice.   After all, the foundation of the arm balance practice is repeated in many postures, and happens to be one of the foundations for a safe & strong vinyasa practice as well.

Yesterday, I was asked what methodology I use to teach arm balancing - and was it effective, could I personally hold a 30-60 second handstand? 

What is my methodology?  This is something I've never really considered as part of my teaching practice.  Of course, we have a physical based methodology, we teach alignment and we have based our teachings on the study of anatomy, physiology and the less tangible subtle body.  There is process, there is the setting of foundation, and the gradual (albeit non linear) progression in skill.

My immediate response was that my methodology was yoga.  Union. 

From the outside, and often from the inside as well, yoga can seem like another form of fitness.  Just another way to exercise the body - to move the body - to feel good.  Maybe it's just stretching to some.  And, of course, yoga is a great way to exercise.  But, it's more.  We know this.

Yoga is about creating a relationship.  A relationship with your body, with yourself, with God (pure energy, truth, ultimate reality, stillness).   Many reasons initially bring the yoga student to the mat for the first time, but it doesn't take long to realize that there is much more going on during practice than just exercise.   When we begin to open up to communicating with our breath, our bodies, and our hearts - we begin to open up to life.  To being human.  We recognize the role of the ego, the role of humility, the role of practice as we move toward finding stillness.

"yoga citta vritti nirodahah"

-Patanjoli 

(yoga is the cessation of the whirls of conciousness)

As we approach an arm balancing practice, we recognize there is work to be done.  We have to learn to distribute weight into new places, we need to learn to create a new relationship with gravity, we have to become intimate with the very subtle sense of breath and being.  We need to be fully present.   If we approach the arm balance practice without the more subtle approach of yoga, we begin to seek only the results of the practice.  The practice becomes about an attachment to success.  We strive only to achieve the fruits of our labour.  We start jumping our feet up trying to find bakasana, or we fling ourselves wishfully into handstands.   We see the external shape and try to recreate it.  But, we all know that the external shape is found when we begin to understand the internal processes required to create that shape.     

In the above excerpt from the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna is explaining the practice of Karma Yoga, or selfless service.   Krishna recognizes that the human being, by it's nature, acts.  We are living creatures, and that our nature alone presumes that we must be active.  Krishna describes how it is through action we obtain freedom, through action we can follow our path (our dharma).  But, he cautions that the action must be selfless - that we cannot work simply for the fruits of our labour, or for the sense pleasure of achievement or success.   

This is the methodology of yoga.  

"Practice and all is coming" - Pattabhi Jois 

When we come to the arm balance practice.  We know that achievement does not mean that we've become a better person.   There is no great mystery to be uncovered when your legs fly up in koundinyasana.  We celebrate what we see as success.  We post photos on Instagram and Facebook, hashtagged, #progress.  We reap the reward of our practice and we fully embrace the joy of the moment.   But, we know that the yoga was about more than the success - the yoga was about the process, it was about the work, the practice, the openness and the willingness to create a relationship with ourselves through dedication to practice every single day.   

We know that the progress is non linear, that we might have days, weeks, months or years that set us back.  That we may be injured, or ill or that our physical form might not find what we would call success in postures we are working to achieve.   The yoga is what allows us to see that despite what happens with the physical form, we may still be progressing or growing as a practitioner internally.  That progress cannot always be measured by what is happening externally.   The yoga is what allows us to be still despite the myriad of curve balls life can throw at us.   The yoga is what allows us to fully feel happiness, joy, pain, sorrow, anger.  The yoga allows us to be in the moment that is directly in front of us - whatever that moment holds - knowing that the next moment may bring something entirely different.  We learn to detach from the expectations we hold for each moment, and instead we embrace them fully as they arise.     

My methodology is yoga.   I wouldn't have it any other way.   

Weighing in on the Business of Yoga

Last week The Leader Post published an article about the business of yoga in Regina.  The article , has been the topic of a couple yogi bloggers over the past few days and I thought I would add my opinion to the mix. The general gist of the article in the Leader Post was about how yoga has grown in popularity in our city, with some interviews from local studio owners and teachers about the business of running a yoga studio.  The article also commented on the newly opened Lululemon store in the city, commenting on how the store sells a yoga image using local teachers and in store classes to promote their brand.

Indeed, yoga is a commodity.   It is a recreational activity, something many of us do in our spare time.   Practising in a studio setting is primarily available to those of privilege.  We cannot argue that the maintenance of a studio fits right into the capitalist model, simply because studio owners need to pay their bills, and feed themselves.    The cost of practising in a studio is certainly prohibitive for many.  Most studios offer energy exchanges, or offering options to those who are unable to afford yoga. I have yet to pay for a yoga class at my studio using real money - my entire practice career, teacher training, and current workshop attendance has been paid for in the form of energy exchange.  But, I'm still in a position of privilege,  I was a stay at home mom until I started working at the studio full time, and I was able to afford the time to practice in a studio.

I think the first conclusion we can make is that studio based practice is not available to all.  There will be impossible barriers to practice for some.  This is the reality of a capitalism.

I get paid for what I do.  I expect to be paid to teach.  I do volunteer my time once a week to teach at the YMCA (a truly non profit, community based organization promoting wellness).  I couldn't afford the time to teach as much as I do, if I were not being paid.

I love teaching.  I love sharing the physical practice of yoga with my students.  As mentioned in a previous blog post, the tradition of yoga is so vast that often just teaching an asana practice is what feels most authentic to me.  I argued that the spirituality of the tradition of yoga is being dumbed down to appeal to a western market.

We live in a culture of lululemon, mirrored 40 degree Bikram yoga classes, naked yoga, hula hoop yoga, paddle board yoga, branded yoga of every kind.   The tradition of yoga can sometimes feel pretty watered down by the consumer approach yoga studios take in an attempt to attract students to their studios, increasing their market share.  Increased revenue means a better standard of living for studio owners and teachers.

I have no issue with lululemon, nor do I have issue with Bikram, nude yoga, and all the other styles of yoga.  Some sit better with me than others.  Particularly the styles that do not propose they are anything more than what they are.   I have full respect for those who call a duck, a duck.  It's cool,  end of story.  It's a gimmick, end of story.  It's fun, end of story.

It's when we start to attach spirituality to this stuff that feels like the tradition of yoga is being co-opted by capitalism.  When the competitiveness of the business, the drive to push students in and out the door is more important than the authenticity of practice, I start to feel disillusioned.

My teacher once said to me, "There is nothing hidden in arm balances, the postures do not contain some deeper level of insight - being able to do an arm balance does not make you a better person.  It makes you a person who is able to do an arm balance."  Yet, we often see these postures being sold as "transformative".   If there is transformation through yoga, it certainly doesn't come with the ability to do a handstand.

The transformation comes from the yoga itself.  It isn't found in nakedness, or on a paddleboard. It becomes available when students begin to open up to creating a relationship with themselves.   On the mat, and off the mat.

I hope that from under all this consumerism, the gimmicks, and the marketing of yoga we can cultivate an authentic life through practice.  Rameen Peyrow addressed this in the Leader Post article stating,  "while people may start practising yoga for all kinds of reasons, ultimately, as they cultivate a genuine meaningful practice, they become more introspective and end up reaping all the benefits of yoga. Yoga's main purpose  is to help practitioners cultivate a relationship with themselves."

We need to come to each practice with an openness and a willingness to cultivate that relationship.  We need to pay attention to what pops up for us on the mat, and decide if we are willing to create the changes we want to by being honest in our relationship with ourselves.  Letting go of self limiting thoughts, working hard to open the body up so we can move freely, cultivating strength of mind and body, and becoming more compassionate are all components of a meaningful yoga practice.  Then, we take this work off the mat.  This is how we bring yoga to the larger community.  Not everyone can afford to practice yoga in a studio, nor will everyone want to begin practising yoga.  No matter how we try to sell it.  Our job as practitioners to is to carry the yoga with us.  

Western culture co-opts everything.  If it can be sold, it'll be marketed and sold.  Yoga is not exempt from this. I think we can best approach this by recognizing when we are selling something based on false or fragile spirituality.  We owe it to our practice, and our students to be honest about what we are doing.  We discredit the entire practice when we allow greed or ego to guide our intention.  Be honest.  Be authentic.  Get people in the door.  Sell yoga, not illusion.

Chocolate Chip Patience Cookies

"If I could store any character quality in a cookie jar, I'd store patience.  Chocolate-chip patience cookies.  And I'd eat them all at one sitting"  - Jarod Kintz, This Book is Not for Sale 

I was looking for the perfect quote to start this week's post about patience, the whole time being a child of the 80's hearing Axl Rose's voice in my head, "just a little patience, yeaaahh yeahhhh".  I'll admit I was starting to feel slightly tempted to just start off with Guns and Roses lyrics instead of taking the time to look for the perfect quote, then this one popped out at me.  Once again, patience pays off.  

Damn you patience!! Always right.  

I love this quote, simply because I love chocolate chip cookies.  And  I lack patience.  I also like eating lots of cookies in one sitting.  Because sometimes, I want it all - RIGHT NOW! 

Patience is a struggle for me.  I do not like waiting for things to happen, especially when those things excite my spirit.  New ideas, cool stuff, adventures, hanging out with friends, learning new stuff.  Whatever it is.  I want it now.  

My yoga practice is sort of like that too.  At the start of summer, I spent a lot of time working on some of the more "fancy" yoga poses, the circus tricks.  The stuff that gets you noticed - back bends, arm balances and inversions.  I was making great progress, and then I went to Whistler for Wanderlust.  At Wanderlust, I found myself often at the brink of my own physical edge in simple standing postures, the very building blocks of a more advanced practice.   I was seeing the effect of my "goal focused" practice - ignoring the foundation postures in my home practice in favour of seeking the glory poses.  My foundation was weakening.  

After Whistler, I stopped practicing the arm balancing and inverting for a while to focus on breath and stillness.  I revisited a restorative practice and began looking at posture, tone, and rebuilding the foundation of my advanced practice.  It was during this time that I thought I might try an arm balance or two to see how things have progressed, and I fell to the floor.  All the progress I had made had gone.  I felt like I had given up or failed by discontinuing my daily practice of the advanced postures.  Fear, doubt, and self defeating thoughts crept in.  I simply wanted success!  

Two steps forward, one step back?  Or in this case, many steps backward..... is there a step forward?  

Patience.  I recognize that yoga is my place to learn patience.  Patience can be cultivated in my practice simply by honouring my body, and listening to what it is telling me on any given day.  This requires being patient.  It requires not needing everything right now.  But it also requires dedication, not giving up because I am not getting the results I want quickly enough.  

Isn't that the way we are though? We barely wait for anything now.  Email has replaced the written letter, texting the personal phone call, when we want information it is most often right at our fingertips.  Music instantly downloads, no more going to the record store to get the new Guns & Roses album and then waiting until you get home to hear it.  When we want to lose weight, we turn to potions and powders or surgery rather than making real sustainable lifestyle change, which takes longer and requires patience and dedication. 

My impatience gets me into trouble not only on my yoga mat, it's pretty pervasive in my life.  I may venture to guess this is the case for others.  Impatience takes us out of the present moment, situating us in an idealized future.  It causes discontent with what is happening right now, but right now is where we start.  Right now is where we can take a moment to breathe, reflect on what is happening, and react with a more patient and mindful approach.  So, this week my practice is about stepping back and waiting.  Breathing through the discomfort of not having what I want, when I want it.  Respecting that building foundation is the key to manifesting the things I desire.  Building foundation takes time.  I'm pretty sure it's worth it.  

Finding a More Compassionate Approach.

A couple of days ago, a facebook page I follow posted a status update about shifting our assumptions about people we encounter throughout the day.

What if, just for one day, we gave everyone we interacted with the benefit of the doubt?The guy who cut you off in traffic? Must be late for a very important appointment, or rushing to an emergency. Go right ahead, man.The rude woman ahead of you in line? Must be going through a really difficult family situation. Take your time.The person who appears rude on the internet? Must be new to online forums--her intentions were truly good. Let me answer your question politely and thoroughly.EVEN IF WE WERE WRONG... wouldn't this make our day that much better? - Whole9

 I think we often allow our own feelings to be held captive by the actions of others.  We tend to assume the worst about other people's intentions.  What if we decided to think differently about people's intentions?  If we decided to approach others with more compassion.  Instead of the knee jerk response, we sat with our reaction for a moment and re framed our response.  Even if we were wrong,  like the Whole 9 post suggests, wouldn't we feel better?

We can approach our practice in this way too,  by letting go of the assumptions we hold about ourselves. You've likely been in a challenging posture before, and have met with your "story", your inner dialogue that occurs each time you are there.  Downward facing dog is this posture for me.  This is how it goes:

 "Okay, hands go here, feet go here, hips lift, oh! the shoulders, open, oh! the hands, ground.  Core.  Hips.  Shoulders, oh, my shoulders are getting tired, I should be stronger than this.  Why are my hamstrings so tight today?  My feet usually get to the ground. Oh!  I'm gripping my neck  Hands.  Feet.  Shit!! I forgot to breathe. I hope this looks okay."  

I might find some stillness after all of this, sometimes I have less crazy.  Sometimes more.  But, this is my story.  My downward dog story.

I can learn a lot from this story.  I can see how I resist the pose, how I resist "what is" as compared to "what I think should be", I can see how I doubt my own inner guide to bring me into the pose.

What if I approached Downward Dog more compassionately, with fewer assumptions?  What if I found myself deeply curious about my experience here?  I can begin to uncover the layers of thought I have placed upon myself.  Thoughts that limit, that doubt, and that create tension in the mind.

The mind and the body are not separate entities.  Whatever is happening in the mind, is also occurring in the body.  As I meet resistance in the mind, I meet the same resistance in the body.  

I can decide from this point if I want to change my approach.  Give myself the benefit of the doubt.  Maybe I am strong enough and I'm just tired today.  Maybe I know stillness here already.  I might begin to trust myself when I find a more compassionate approach.

Practice is about exploration.  My downward dog story is not exclusive to downward dog.  It's my story in many other areas of my life, on and off the mat.  Knowing this is where I can begin to let go of thoughts, ideas and concepts about myself that I hold on to, that may be limiting me in some way.  That may be preventing me from finding stillness.

As you practice, pay attention.  Be curious.  

This curiosity can serve you well.  Practice compassion, don't beat yourself up about this stuff, don't hold what you discover as your truth.  Be kind to yourself and patiently allow yourself to let go of limiting thoughts, and habitual patterns that no longer serve you.  Use the breath, as you breathe in, you create space and open yourself to possibility and newness, as you breathe out you let go, or let be.

As you start to cultivate compassion toward yourself, finding a more compassionate approach to all things is easier.  You can give others the benefit of the doubt, just as you have begun to do with yourself.

... in search of authenticity

"We already have everything we need.  There is no need for self-improvement.  All these trips that we lay on ourselves - the heavy-duty fearing that we're bad and hoping that we're good, the identities that we so dearly cling to, the rage, the jealousy and the addictions of all kinds- never touch our basic wealth.  They are like clouds that temporarily block the sun.  But all the time our warmth and brilliance are right here.  This is who we really are.  We are one blink of an eye away from being fully awake.
Looking at ourselves this way is very different from our usual habit.  From this perspective we don't need to change: you can feel as wretched as you like, and you're still a good candidate for enlightenment.  You can feel like the world's most hopeless basket case, but that feeling is your wealth, not something to be thrown out or improved upon"  - pema chodron

More inspiration from Ms. Chodron... I have this little pocket book of quotes by Pema Chodron.  It's called, "The Pocket Pema Chodron" published by Shambhala.  I like it for a few reasons.  First, it fits in my purse.  Second, it's full of inspiring quotes.  Third, I like small things.  This quote is on page 3.

Sometimes I bring this book to class with me, to share some thoughts that inspire me.  I might base a class on a reading, or throw a reading in at the end to enhance an idea I've been trying to convey through the asana practice.

As a busy mother of three, as someone used to a fairly busy life - I kind of like the sound bite.  I like the little tidbits of inspiration you find on Facebook memes or a shambhala pocket classic.  It's to the point, and it conveys something that makes me think.

Yet, there is something about this approach that doesn't sit right

The tidbit, the sound bite, the tiny little piece of something much larger is becoming our primary way of communicating.  Social media and text messaging have truncated the process of forming and sharing ideas so much that we've even begun to distort the english language with acronyms and made up words.  

Yoga classes are not immune to this way of communicating.  There is an idealized, media constructed version of a yoga class you might see in movies or in news reels.  The brightly lit white room with flowy white curtains, everyone on their yoga mats, blissfully flowing through their practice as the teacher spouts rainbows and unicorns.  Yoga is happiness.  Yoga is about being blissful, it is about being serene.  

Deeper than this, but part of the idea that yoga is about the "ideal" experience of life, there are some things that are said, some common "sound bites" that are present in the yoga community takes something very small out of a much larger practice and presents it as the whole.  

Most commonly, there is a feeling like western yoga is only about the asana or practice of the postures ignoring the richness of the yoga tradition.  I feel like this is the least troubling western cultural appropriation of a larger spiritual practice.  The physical practice produces so much benefit on it's own, that a lifetime of asana without any of the other elements of  a yoga practice is good.  There is absolutely nothing wrong, in my opinion, with approaching yoga from this perspective alone.  

I'd rather this, than the false spirituality you often find in a yoga class.  Platitudes and sound bites are all too often taking a much larger spiritual tradition out of context and presenting it as a whole.  Things like, "shine your inner light" or "speak your truth" or "set your intention", or "be your best self".   These ideas are adapted from, or taken from the yoga tradition but have been filtered through our western ideology of capitalism, dualism & egotism.   In talking about this with my teacher, he said (paraphrasing), "who are you? - to know your truth, to shine your light, to set your intention, you must first know who YOU are"  

Maybe we should go to a yoga class to find out who we are.  To uncover ourselves.  To be with ourselves.  Not to shine more of who we think we are, or to speak more of what we think our truth is, or to set goals to be who we think we want to be.  We will shine, speak our truth, set our goals, achieve our goals and we will still be the same.  We may be happier, but problems do not go away.  Life is a series of ups and downs, moments of glory and moments of heartache.  Achieving your goals does not reveal happiness, it reveals that you can do something you weren't sure you could do.  True contentment comes when you can be with the ebb and flow of life and recognize that nothing is permanent, and nothing takes away from who you really are.     

Yoga isn't about making you your best self.  It's about being exactly who you are at any given moment, and being okay with that.  

I encourage you to be critical.  To approach your yoga practice openly, as an observer of what is.  To listen to the sound bites and ask yourself if it means anything to YOU.  Is this more stroking of your ego, of the person you want to be or does this really speak to the essence of who you are?  Does it allow you to dig into yourself to uncover the layers of thoughts you've carried with you as your description of "you".  

I'm not saying, don't set goals. I'm not saying you should just give up on being awesome, on trying to live your life fully.  You are already awesome and you should live your life fully.   If you want to run a marathon, run one.  But, recognize that running or not running a marathon does not make you a better or worse person.  It does not change your basic wealth.  But, don't confuse this with yoga.  Yoga runs much deeper than this.  

Yoga is about being authentic, about coming to the mat as you are, and getting to know yourself.  Fully.  And from there, the rest follows. You already have everything in you, you don't need to add anything.  You just need to discover and uncover.   Just observe.  And be you.  

The Elusive Home Practice.

Ahhh, vacation!  You'd think, you'd hope, that over this week long vacation I would have managed to drag out the mat and rock out a few poses, or work on a few sequences, or plan a few classes.   Truth? I haven't done a single pose all week.  Not one.

I've got all sorts of great excuses: too busy, too many people around, no space, no time, wanting to focus elsewhere, too lazy, too tired, just ate....

Truth is - I'm just a bit stuck.  This happens when I start to make some progress with my practice.  When I start to uncover some "stuff", it is always followed by a natural retreat or shying away from practice for a while.  You may notice this in your studio practice or your own home practice.  You go religiously to class three times a week, you schedule your life around making sure your practice takes priority.  Then, something happens and you stop.  You don't feel like going one day, and that turns into a couple weeks, then a month.  
Sometimes, those breaks are legit.  Maybe life did get busy.   I see this decline in regular attendance happen often with students who are starting to make some big breakthroughs in their practice.  Students who are starting to dig a little deeper.  They begin to uncover places where they are resisting growth, and that can be a little overwhelming.  As a result, sitting at home on the couch seems a lot more inviting than a challenging yoga class.

This is when we should most dedicate ourselves to getting on the mat.  

A home practice can be a valuable tool in those times where you are resisting attending class.  I don't believe that a home practice is a total replacement for learning with a teacher, but it can be the continuity of practice that you need to carry you through the times when you are feeling resistant to a studio practice.  It can also be a great tool when studio practice is unavailable to you, for whatever reason.  

I often have students ask how they can embark on creating their home practice.  What follows is the advice I give to students, and try to follow myself.  

First, recognize you don't need any props or supplies to practice yoga at home.  We are pretty conditioned to believe that we need "stuff" to practice yoga.  A blanket can soften the floor, you can use books for blocks, and housecoat ties for straps.  Pillows rolled in a blanket make great bolsters.  Chairs have endless uses in home practice.  It's all about creativity & willingness to forgo having the "right stuff".  In the end, a space on the floor is really all you need.  

Home practice doesn't have to look like a studio practice.  It can, but it can be very simple as well.  Maybe just some pranayama, very simple breath work.  Often my home practice is some breath work followed by a few restorative or yin poses.  

This leads to the question, "How do I know which poses to practice?"  

I don't know how many times I've pulled my mat out, moved into down dog, maybe a couple warriors, and a triangle for good measure then felt stuck, rolled up the mat and called it a day.  My best practices at home have never been guided by what I think I should do, but rather they've been guided by what I feel like doing.  

This is why I suggest starting with the breath.  Spend some time working with ujjayi breath or the ParaYoga practice of pure breathing I've been teaching lately in class.  Then move into child's pose or downward dog and see what happens next.  Allow the poses to feel intuitive, and natural.  Do what you feel like doing, and nothing else.  Allow the practice to flow through you.  

If there are a few postures you are working on, like balance postures, inverting or arm balancing.  Spend some time with those after you have done the more intuitive side of your practice.  It's my experience that the more challenging work is met with less resistance and difficulty if the body is warmed up and you are feeling a sense of connection to yourself, the breath and you are able to tap into some moment to moment awareness.  

Of course, practicing at home in this way this assumes some base level knowledge of the breath work, of the postures and how to align safely.  This is why attending a class with a teacher is an important part of your yoga practice.   

If you are still feeling stuck in your home practice there are some other options I give to students.  The first is a streaming yoga video website like My Yoga Online.  I prefer these websites to videos because there is no assumption of a teacher/student (viewer) relationship.  You won't hear things like, "You look great, keep it up" from a teacher who is unable to see how you actually look.   These websites are great to kick start your home practice, and often they are videos of actual yoga classes so you can get a little bit of that "studio" feel in your home practice.  Again, not a replacement for an actual in class experience but a great way to motivate you to get on the mat at home.  

Books are also a good tool for home practice. My suggestion is is to head to the library or the book store and pick out books that interest you - practice books, philosophy books, anatomy books.  My yoga book library is ever growing, and I usually have about 3 books on the go at once.  

There is one other, less conventional tool to assist a home practice.  If you are an Instagram user, you can find month long yoga challenges posted on Instagram.  These challenges request you practice one posture a day, then post the photo to your feed. 

There is some debate about the yoga "selfie".  Some people suggest it is "egotistical" and not a genuine yoga practice.  While, I can see how the selfie can bee seen that way, I think it's an unconventional but good way to encourage yourself to practice daily.   I participated in a challenge this past July.  There were postures I was really good at, postures that found me crashing to the floor, and postures I never ever practice.  The challenge got me on the mat every single day in July, a huge accomplishment for me.  

Of course, my camera was part of every practice.  Sometimes the practice was just to get the photograph for the challenge.  Other times, I would take the photo then continue practicing.  The presence of the camera did take me out of my own internal practice and made the practice about sharing instead.  I was fully aware of the "observer" as I performed the postures for the camera.  I think the result of this was more of an emphasis on the physical aspect of my practice, which I don't think is bad.  It's just important to recognize it for what it is.  

Overall, I enjoyed the challenge and am doing another challenge in September, hash tagged #moveyoasana.   If you are interested in following along with an Instagram challenge, I would suggest following @laurasykora to find out more information.  You may follow me at @suryayogaregina.  

We all get stuck.  We all have barriers or excuses. We all ebb and flow with our practice.  The key to managing the fluctuations is deciding to let yoga become a part of your life in some capacity, every day.   A part of the blissful chilled out times where the mat is easy to approach, as well as a part of the more challenging times when coming to the mat is met with great resistance.   And allowing your definition of practice to encompass simply sitting and breathing, to meditation, to reading, to challenging you physically.  

If you are looking for another way to build a home practice, you should check out my open studio time on Monday afternoons at Bodhi Tree Hot Yoga in downtown Regina (starting September 9, 2013).  Between 1-3, drop in and practice on your own or with some gentle guidance from me.  I will offer suggested practices for those looking for ideas, I can help with alignment and answer questions as needed.  I'm looking forward to the time to work more closely with students as they work toward building a yoga practice that is sustainable, challenging, and fulfilling.  

The Space Between

Tigers Above, Tigers Below 

 Pema Chodron 

There is a story of a woman running away from tigers.  She runs and runs, and the tigers are getting closer and closer.  When she comes to the edge of a cliff, she sees some vines there, so she climbs down and holds on to the vines.  Looking down, she sees that there are tigers below her as well.  She then notices that a mouse is gnawing away at the vine to which she is clinging.  She also sees a beautiful little bunch of strawberries close to her, growing out of a clump of grass.  She looks up and she looks down.  She looks at the mouse.  Then she just takes a strawberry, puts it in her mouth, and enjoys it thoroughly.  

Tigers above, tigers below.  This is actually the predicament that we are always in in terms of our birth and death.  Each moment is just what it is.  It might be the only moment of our life, it might be the only strawberry we'll ever eat.  We could get depressed about it, or we could finally appreciate it and delight in the preciousness of every single moment of our life.   

 This little gem has been inspiring me the past couple of days.  The savouring of the sweet strawberry conveys a beautiful image of being fully in the moment that is in front of you,  rather than fearing or anticipating what lies ahead or regretting or longing for what has been.  My last post addressed my own practice of trying to be fully present even if the moment I am encountering is uncomfortable.  

We look forward to things.  And we hold on to wonderful memories of the past. Like in the movies, where the high school football star always longs to return to his moment of glory as though that moment were a definition of his identity.  His life never really lived up to that moment again.  

Until. 

He meets the woman of his dreams.  Or lands his dream job.  Or gets an opportunity to mentor another young football star.  

Our lives are made up of these great moments of full expression.  Moments of pure joy, and moments of wretched sorrow.   And then a bunch of other really awesome stuff, and really crappy stuff.   We look forward to vacations, holidays, birthdays, parties.  We remember weddings, first kisses, the birth of a child.  We fear pain and death.  We miss those who have died or left our lives.  

The moments between these expressions, however; are the moments where we are engrossed in the living of our lives. The space between the great events, the ordinary stuff. The routines we practice day in and day out.  Sometimes we do this stuff on auto pilot.  As we daydream.  We may approach these times with a sense of boredom or disinterest.  I mean, how interesting is that drive to work?  or vacuuming the house?  or cooking dinner? Yet, between the tigers - between the great expressions of our lives - are the sweet strawberries of life.  The poetry of the ordinary.  

We see this on the mat as well.  The vinyasa practice, like all yoga practice, can reflect our approach to life.  We carry ourselves, all of ourselves, on to the mat.  And our habits follow.  Our boredom with the "space between" as we look toward that next great expression, or in other words, the next killer bound side angle pose.  

Don't get me wrong.  Rocking out a sweet bound side angle feels amazing.  It could very well be the great moment of our practice that particular day.  But, what about the space between the postures?  The moment we step our foot forward moving into the lunge as our foot touches the mat, and we feel our toes spread onto the earth.  The earth receives us and graciously returns her energy as we bow down to take the bind then begin to open our heart to the sky.    What about the poetry of the ordinary during our vinyasa practice?

Often our practice, particularly the vinyasa practice, can feel as though we are on auto pilot.  Inhale, reach up.  Exhale, fold over.  Inhale, halfway lift.  Exhale, jump back. Inhale, up dog. Exhale, down dog.  

Shiva Rea talks about the breath in three parts.  Beginning, Middle, End.  We initiate our movement as we initiate the breath.  As we draw the breath in, or move the breath out we move through the posture.  As we complete the breath, we express in our posture.  She talks about synching with the "natural pulse".  The natural pulse of the breath, an expression of the flow of prana (the life force),  should guide each movement of our practice.  

Meghan Currie talks about flowing through our practice as if we were flowing through honey.  Taking each moment, with it's inherent sweetness, and slowing it down moving through the slow liquid drag of thick honey.  

Just as the poetry of our lives is expressed in the moments between our greatness, the poetry of our practice is expressed in the moments between the postures.  The moments where we touch in on the the breath, on the movement, on the ordinary and the extraordinary beauty of our being.  

Super Nutritious Paleo Bars of Deliciousness

Delicious little bars of yumminess!  Enjoy! 

This bar is a kind of throw it all in and hope for the best.  You will need a durable food processor to ensure even mixing.  Suitable for paleo, vegan, vegetarian, & gluten free diets.  Great source of fibre, fat, protein, and chocolate.  

 

Recipe:

3 cups raw nuts of your choice (soak nuts overnight to sprout and improve digestibility)

8 medjool dates - pitted

Pulse until mixed evenly - nuts will be finely chopped and dates will have mixed in

1/4 cup coconut oil (melted)

2 tbsp chia, hemp, sesame, pumpkin & sunflower seeds (again soaking prior if desired)

1/4 cup raw cacao

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut 

2 tbsp. pumpkin protein powder 

1 tsp. ground vanilla bean 

1 tsp. cinnamon

Pulse then process until mixture is evenly mixed and nuts/seeds are chopped to the texture of your preference.  Pour into a parchment lined 8X8 pan and press firmly with a spoon.  Freeze or put in the fridge until set.  I prefer the freezer as I enjoy a more firm bar, and the chewiness freezing creates.  Once hardened, take the square out using the parchment and cut evenly into squares or rectangles or whatever shape you desire.  And enjoy.  So good with a cup of freshly made almond milk.  

Feel free to experiment and add other dried fruits or ingredients to these bars, and let me know how they turn out!  

The reason why you are really here, the one you don't know, but you know.

Ad-libbing a bit, this is the essence of what Meghan Currie said on top of Whistler Mountain during a class held as part of the Wanderlust Music & Yoga Festival in Whistler BC. earlier this month,

"Think of why you are here.  The real reason.  The reason you know, but you don't know, but you know"

Every once in a while, we have these profound moments spurred on by something seemingly small.  There were many inspiring and amazing moments of learning, growth, and awareness that hit me during my four days of practice in Whistler.  For some reason, these words have stayed with me as has the inspiration of the class on the mountain.

Maybe it was because I had faced a long held fear of heights to get to the class on the top of the mountain.  Maybe it was because I was practicing in the rain, on top of a mountain.  Maybe because Meghan Currie has long inspired my practice.  Who knows?  But, as I looked up at the blue sky emerging from the clouds reaching my hands up in Urdvha Hastasana, I had a moment of complete absorption in the present moment or samadhi, and I knew exactly why I was there.

 It was just one of those moments that will stay in my memory always.  The way the air felt, the way my breath sounded, the stunning beauty all around me. I felt complete gratitude for my yoga practice and an overwhelming sense of contentment with "what is".

Since returning from Whistler, feeling inspired, I've tried to convey the feeling tone of that moment in my classes.  I want my students to fully realize the amazing tool for growth we have in our back pockets.  Sometimes teaching is a job -  but more often, it is a compulsion.  An absorbing passion that drives me to share yoga practice with others.

I struggle a great deal with being in the present moment.  I am easily distracted, and often look for "outs" when things get uncomfortable or a bit too real.  During the same practice on the mountain, Meghan had us hold a challenging lizard lunge and just "be" with the intense burning sensation in our thighs.  As I held the pose, I watched my mind, my breath, my unwillingness to remain present despite knowing I was strong enough to last through the intensity of the posture.   I was able to remain in the pose, and emerged feeling like I understood just a little bit more about myself.

Our practice on the mat - it comes with us off the mat.  Our life - it comes on to the mat.   This practice, again, shows us what a valuable tool we have for uncovering where we are resisting our potential.  We resist with the mind, and the breath.  We fear and we doubt.  When things are uncomfortable, we try to get out of the discomfort.  We avoid, we make excuses.  We do these things, not because there is something innately wrong with us.  But, rather, because our experiences, our pain and our joy, have woven a blanket over our full potential, over the greatness that we already are.   Our lives weave in and out of our body & breath creating habitual patterns of thought and movement.  Our practice digs into these thoughts and movements and encourages us to let go of habitual patterns no longer serving us.  Sometimes we are successful, and other times we are too fearful or too wrapped up in ourselves (stories of "i" & "me") to let go.

My personal practice since my four days in Whistler, has been about recognizing that there is an ebb & flow to life.  My practice is to always be present in both, to be fully alive in each moment as it arises.  It's hard.  Damn near impossible sometimes, but this is my practice.  It begins on the mat, it extends to my teaching, and I hope over time it will start to permeate other aspects of my life. I want my partner, my children, my friends, family and those I encounter day to day to have my full presence.

I'm not going to be perfect at this. That's okay.  Compassion for myself is important too.

As you approach your mat, and as you approach your life, come to each with intention & compassion.  Intention may be something small, like intending only to learn or to breathe.  Or to be open.  And if you struggle, remember to be compassionate.

And know that each moment that unfolds has been part of a series of bizarre, uncanny, ordinary occurrences, coincidences and choices to bring you to that moment.  Doesn't each moment then, deserve your full attention?

When I think back to the crazy chain of events leading me to that moment on the mountain.  The many times I considered backing out because I didn't want to go on the gondola, the many times I almost decided not to go to Whistler at all.  Fear didn't hold me back.  I felt uncomfortable and was rewarded with something really huge.  How cool is that?  Yeah, like I've said many times before - yoga, life, all this stuff - is THAT awesome.

"When things are shaky and nothing is working, we might realize that we are on the verge of something.  We might realize that this is a very vulnerable and tender place, and that tenderness can go either way.  We can shut down and feel resentful or we can touch in on that throbbing quality"  - Pema Chodron.

"We already have everything we need.  There is no need for self improvement." - Pema Chodron

Come share some practice with me this week!  I'm sharing free yoga all week as an expression of gratitude toward the practice, toward my role as a teacher, toward my teachers for offering such an amazing space to learn and practice in and toward the students who practice with me, your dedication fuels my passion.

Tuesday 5:45 Hips & Hamstrings (Bodhi Tree Yoga)
Friday 5:15 Warm Yin & 6:30 Hot Vinyasa (Bodhi Tree Yoga)
Sunday 10:00am "The Space Between" Vinyasa at lululemon athletica store in Cornwall Centre, DT Regina.


Namaste



 

Quick Mid Summer Update!

The summer of less technology is half way done!  Days are flying by.  I've done pretty well cutting down the technology addiction.  I've kept off Facebook and Twitter - but, Instagram seems to have replaced those social media outlets!  I do love the positivity of Instagram, the lack of overt advertising, and the messages conveyed in just one photograph.  Only one day left of the Instagram yoga photo a day challenge, and then I will be cutting back my posting & viewing there for the month of August.

Changes?  My practice has grown, I have spent more time on the mat this month than I ever have.  I'm gaining strength and knowledge about my body.  My kids have also spent some time with practice this month. Aside from yoga, I learned how to make almond milk.  It's so much more delicious when you prepare it yourself.  I also learned how to make mayonnaise! Which is also way more yummy when it's home made.  We finally picked a paint colour for our main living space, and it feels so open and bright now that it's painted.  I organized my closet, and my drawers!  Funny what happens when you have less distraction!

I'm jetting off to BC this week to attend the Wanderlust Yoga & Music festival in Whistler.  I'm bursting with excitement.  I've got a couple of days to myself before my husband joins me for the last couple of days of the festival, after which we will drive home through the Rockies.  In those days, I hope to sit down and do some reflecting and writing about practice, the Instagram yoga selfie, the show stopping yoga postures and the concept of growth or transformation through yoga practice.  I have thoughts brewing around in my head, and a bit of tethering for those thoughts thanks to one of my teachers, Colin Hall, and his recent blog posts on the Bodhi Tree Yoga website.   I also intend to write a nice long review of Wanderlust complete with photos when I return.

I've got some amazing instructors covering for me while I am out of town, I am certain you are in great hands!

Thursday Level 2 5:45 @ Bodhi - Tina Hnatiuk
Thursday Lev 1 7:30 @ Bodhi - Dev Kashyap
Friday Warm Yin 12:10 @ Yoga Haven - Karla Blocka
Friday Warm Yin 5:15 @ Bodhi - Dev Kashyap
Friday Hot 6:30 @ Bodhi - Dev Kashyap
Sunday - Bodhi closed for long weekend!
Tuesday Hips & Hams 5:45 @ Bodhi - Cara Gress
Tuesday Core Vinyasa 7:30 @ Bodhi - Cara Gress
Thursday Level 2 5:45 & 7:30 @ Bodhi - Scott Maclean

I will be back on Friday August 9 for Warm Yin at Yoga Haven and the usual Bodhi Friday night line up.  See you when I get back!

#TechFreeSummer

Summer is here!  Every year, in about February I make a pledge to myself:

This year, I will enjoy every moment of summer. 

Summer rolls around and I spend a bit of time outside, maybe a camping trip, maybe a hike and then it's September.  It always goes by so quickly.  This year I pledge again, I will enjoy EVERY moment of summer.  The warm days, the rainy days, the summer storms, the boredom, the freedom, the scraped knees, the s'mores, the warm nights, the sunsets, the sunrises (maybe?).  

In order to have the time to enjoy summer, I am going to cut a few things from my daily routine.  Most obviously, excessive use of social media.  I'll be the first to admit that I am a social media junkie.  I enjoy Facebook, Twitter, Blogging, Instagramming, etc..  I like online community, and love the connection it gives me with friends and family.  Social media is probably the biggest time consumer in my life. Checking, reading, updating eats away those precious summer days.  But, not this year.  

Here is the challenge -  July & August Technology Reduction!  

1. No Facebook

2. No Twitter

3. No Pinterest

4. No Blogger

5. Limited Instagram*

*Here is my one concession.  I like to photograph and share.  I want to continue doing that.  I'm going to post a daily collage of my #techfreesummer (I understand the irony of posting tech free summer photographs on Instagram, I'm okay with that...), as well as continue to participate in any challenges I've begun (#yogangsters & #21dsd).  

Students!  You can see my summer schedule here.   Or follow on Instagram @suryayogaregina #summersurya for occasional updates on yoga related stuff.  

Students & Friends.  I encourage you to join in. 

Instead of checking in on Facebook, call a friend.  Instead of updating your status, write in a journal.  Instead of posting a photo, savour the moment in the moment.  Instead of reading a blog, read a book.  Go to the beach.  Run through the sprinkler with your kids.  Practice yoga in the backyard.  Go on a hike.  Spend time in nature.  Get some sunshine every single day.   Do all the things you did before you had a little computer permanently attached to your person.  

Feel free to document your #TechFreeSummer on Instagram along with me.  Again, irony not lost.  One photo per day - at the end of the day.  Let's make #summer2013 a summer to remember.  

See you back in September!  

Alignment - A case for attending Level 1 Yoga Classes

There seems to be a trend toward styles of yoga that are less focused on alignment.  My most popular classes are vinyasa style classes, both heated or not heated.  People like to move.  These classes feel multi purpose, you get the yoga vibe while also feeling as though you've gotten a workout in as well.  It goes quite well with the fast paced, always (digitally) connected, lifestyles most people lead.

As a practitioner, I am drawn to a vinyasa practice.  I like the flow, the syncing of movement and breath, and I like the physical challenge this style of yoga presents.  It is no wonder that I've become primarily a vinyasa instructor.  And while I love flow practices, I know that being well schooled in the principles of alignment has allowed me to move through these classes mindfully and safely.

As someone who has trained with a strong emphasis on alignment, there are certainly some moments of uneasiness while I am instructing vinyasa classes.  The practice is quick paced, the holds are often not very long, and there is usually not time for detailed explanations of alignment.  I help my students find a shape, then we work to refine from there.

It helps a great deal, when students practising vinyasa have taken some alignment style classes (often called Hatha Yoga, Discover, Level One, or Beginner) prior to attending a vinyasa class.  I can see the difference between the practices of a student who has taken the time to learn alignment compared to a student who has not.   I"ve had many conversations with students who attend hot classes & vinyasa classes exclusively and their reasoning for not attending level 1, or alignment classes is the pace of the class.  They find it challenging to watch to an instructor demonstrate or show postures, talk about them, then practice just one concept at a time.  It's different then flowing from the start of a class until the end.

This week - I've been focusing on alignment in my vinyasa classes.  We've worked through some interesting plank techniques, some arm balances, and some standing postures.  Emphasis has been on actions in the pelvis, abdomen & shoulders and how these actions influence the final expression of the posture.   We've workshopped our way through these classes, with some amazing results and transformative progress.  It's been brilliant watching the student's eyes light up as they see themselves in control of their postures & moving their practice in new directions.

Why is alignment so important?  Erich Schiffmann contends that aligning our postures correctly, allows for optimal energy flow in the body.  Good alignment reveals where we are tight, where we are weak, or injured.  It allows us to see where we need to stretch & open, strengthen or rehabilitate, "cleaning the tubes and airing out the pathways that distribute the life force".  He states that, "Stiff and tight areas of your body inhibit the free circulation of energy and there by strangle your internal supply of nourishment.  These are areas where you experience pain or discomfort to one degree or another.  They are undernourished - crying for help.  When clenched tightly this way, they remain separate, constricted, unrelated to the whole"  (p. 65 Schiffmann, Yoga, The Spirit and Practice of Moving into Stillness, 1996)

Hatha Yoga is about creating union, it's about integrating the "whole" body.  Integrating the thinking mind with the breath, with the physical and the more mysterious subtle body.  When we spend time  focusing on alignment while we practice - we find ourselves absorbed in the experience of the body.  We are engaged in creating wholeness - oneness - union.

Hot classes, or fast paced vinyasa classes may provide the practitioner with this experience of union from time to time.  The sensory experience of a hot class can provide students with a very deep sense of integration between the body and the mind.  They may also cause dis-integration.  Practitioners may find the heat becomes a barrier between the mind and the body with the mind's primary focus being on discomfort.  Fast paced vinyasa classes may simply find students doing their best to keep up, with external focus being on the other students in the room.  Sometimes the person next to you becomes your "mirror" simply because there is not enough to look inward for your practice.

How can a practitioner prevent the dis-integration that may occur in a vinyasa or hot class?  And what are the dangers of dis-integration?

Much of our modern life facilitates detaching from our body.  We sit with poor posture at a computer screen for many hours a day (and yes, I just adjusted my posture as I wrote that line), we drive cars instead of walking or biking, we don't spend enough time in nature, and we've lost touch with functional movement.  We become wrapped up in thoughts heavily influenced by attachments within our external world.  We live with illness, injury, depression & anxiety as a result.  Instead of sitting with and exploring this dis-ease, we further detach by distracting ourselves with pharmaceuticals, internet, cell phones, junk food, or television.  Dis-integration.

We are well trained to separate from our internal experience of one-ness.  Yoga helps us to retrain. It brings us back into our body.  We do this by moving in and out of postures, breathing and exploring a physical practice.  We guide ourselves through postures under the instruction of  teachers that show us where we resist wholeness.  The yoga instructor shows you how to make shapes with your body, how to align your body so that you may explore on your own.

Practitioners who take the time to learn good alignment will find more success in this exploration.  They will spend their time in a fast paced vinyasa practice absorbed in the experience of the body - not trying to figure out what body part goes where.  They will spend their time in a hot class learning to sit with discomfort while breathing through optimally aligned yoga postures.  They will have spent time with an instructor who has shown them how to move in and out of postures in a way that works for their body, safely and mindfully.   They will know where they are resisting oneness and their practice will become about exploration, and seeking union.  Not just keeping up, or coping.  It becomes more about integration, and less about physical exercise.  The practice becomes safer, more mindful, more meditative, and more like yoga.

I've spent many hours in level 1, 2, 3 classes, workshops, and worked through detailed alignment instruction during my teacher training.  I continue to learn something every time I go to a workshop, or to a level 1 class.  I set my intention to be open to learning, discovering and exploration. Even after learning tadasana alignment 5000 times, I remain open to discovery within this core standing posture.  I encourage the same of my students.  I try to integrate as much alignment instruction as I can when I teach vinyasa or hot yoga.  But sometimes I feel like I sound more like an auctioneer than a yoga instructor.

My point?  Come to level one.  Be open to sit with that slightly uncomfortable feeling of being "still" in a yoga class - and open yourself up to a whole new experience of ease, discovery, and wholeness in your practice.  Bodhi Tree has the best Level One instruction in Regina.  The teachers are smart, awesome, funny & know their stuff.

Mondays - 10:00 am with Colin Hall
Tuesdays - 7:30 pm with Dev Kashyap or Level 2 with Heather Antonini
Wednesdays - 6:00 am with Ali Bell or 5:45 pm with Colin Hall
Thursdays - 5:45 pm with Ali Bell
Saturdays - 8:00 am with Kerri Finlay or 10:00 am with Cara Gress
Sundays - 11:45 with me.

New session started this week - check it out!

Spring Schedule

Monday
Bodhi Tree Yoga 4:15 - 5:15 Yoga for Tweens (9-12)
Hot Yoga Regina  5:45 - 7:00 Surya Agni Flow (Hot Core Strength Vinyasa)

Tuesday
Bodhi Tree Yoga 10:00 - 11:30 Vinyasa 1
MNP with Inner Flow Yoga  12:00 - 1:00
Bodhi Tree Yoga 5:45 - 7:15 Core Vinyasa
Argyle Park Community Center 8:00 - 9:00 Beginner Flow Yoga (contact Argyle Park Community Association to Register)

Wednesday
Innovation Place with Inner Flow Yoga 12:00 - 1:00

Thursday
MNP with Inner Flow Yoga 12:00 - 1:00
Yoga Haven 5:30 - 6:45 Hot Flow 
Yoga Haven 7:30 - 8:45 Hot Flow 

Friday
YMCA North 9:30 - 10:30 Vinyasa
Bodhi Tree Yoga 5:15 - 6:15 Warm Yin
Bodhi Tree Yoga 6:30 - 7:30 Hot Yoga

Sunday 
Bodhi Tree Yoga 10:00 - 11:30 Hips & Hamstrings
Bodhi Tree Yoga 11:45 - 1:15 Level One