Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Caught

I just got caught by my regular Yoga instructor, skipping his class and coming from another class. The worst part about it is, the class I went to wasn't really for me. ::Le Sigh::

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

My first acupuncture needle

I needled my classmate today and she needled me. I am pretty sure we both missed the actual acupoint but it was pretty fun! I want to do it again!!!!!! Super addicted.

Saturday, July 9, 2011

The Leave-It-At-Home Practice.

Have you ever left your cell phone at home by accident? The panic hits when you realize it and you feel that drop in your chest. Sometimes I get pissed and most of the time I just live with it...because its actually no big. You continue to go about your day and there is something refreshing about not having to check your phone for texts, emails or even the time. I go about my day with no agenda but what's in front of me. Being so honestly, present.

On a normal day to day this is what I carry around in my purse with me.
(2 sets of flash cards, a book, a wallet, change purse, keys, flash drive, ipod, bottle of alleve, combination lock and lip balm.)





It is absolutely ridiculous, no? Add in sunglasses and a sigg bottle and that's not including my enormous cellphone which I used to take this photo. So I have this practice in which I try to not walk around without ALL my stuff. I am a New Yorker, so don't get me wrong -this is difficult...but when I am going to Yoga class early in the morning I leave my cellphone behind. Sometimes a random lunchtime stroll without the cellphone feels totally amazing. I go for runs with nothing but my door key and ipod. Its complete and utter "me" time. Whatever it is that is happening on the cellphone and email can wait! How else did we used to go about our lives in the 90's right? We still made it...and we can do it now. Or at least practice it even for just an hour. So practice leaving "it" whatever that may be...your purse, man purse, ipad, crackberry, iphone or cellphone. You can survive without it, trust me.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Revisiting the Yoga Sammich

Normally, I do a Yoga Sammich once in a blue moon. Lately, I have been doing them a couple of times a week. Last week I practiced as many as 4 Yoga sammiches!

Practicing them more often, I notice how not only do they make my practices feel deeper, they make whatever I do in between feel more significant. Things that happen in between may only been having tea and reading a book or dropping packages off at the post office but they feel lighter and brighter. My actions come with more ease and I also feel less of an inclination towards being an angry New Yorker. There is a major calming effect that is more intense than just taking a single Yoga class. Try a Yoga Sammich and see how it makes your "in between" feel!

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Is it my practice or your practice?

Yogatude is so ugly. People like this idea of being open but sometimes they really want validation. Which is totally cool except when it becomes something that is imposing onto other people. I find in Yoga studios and communities often, instructors who are imposing. This is one of the ugly things about Yoga. Although it is not really "Yoga" but something that people wrongfully manifest as Yoga. I find instructors who really just want people to listen to them. They want to be able to command people and have people follow what they say. What part of instructing does it become the teacher's practice more than the students? I think it can be a fine line and different for everyone.

I find this is what makes me not the greatest Yoga teacher. I truly do not want to make my classes be about me and how I am feeling and what I want to teach people but I try to mold the classes to the wants and needs of the class, which is difficult as its different everytime. Don't get me wrong I sometimes spend too much of a class in my head wondering if people like it, and maybe not enough of my energy towards the people themselves. Too much me and not enough them. Ultimately I want people to have an awesome hour to themselves and feel good afterwards. But if they can't parallel their feet in wheel pose perfectly after I mention it, am I going to keep pushing it? No. If someone can't square their hips off in Warrior I should I force their hips that way? No. Everyone's downward dog looks different and I don't believe I should make theirs look the way I want it to look or the way I want it to be. Where is the line of instructors taking the practice away from their students? On the flip side of this, like I mentioned before maybe this is what makes me OK at teaching Yoga and not great at it. I don't like to think of myself as a leader but as someone that can guide people. The importance in teaching Yoga for me is to guide people to the place where they can heal themselves.

Friday, July 1, 2011