Thursday, May 24, 2012

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Thinking of doing more about the Yoga in your life?

I never thought I would teach Yoga. I did a teacher training for the sole purpose of being able to teach myself Yoga. I wanted to find more of what I liked in Yoga and reconcile my issues with it. Also to deepen my practice physically and gain some understanding about certain poses. I did all of that and more. Now to tell you about Jai Yoga Arts, the place where I teach Yoga. It is a really awesome community. One of the main purposes of the studio is to do just that...build community. Ella is an amazing teacher and mentor. She has a way of teaching Yoga that makes it accessible to everyone. Beginners and long time practitioners. Jai is such an awesome place to teach Yoga but also to take Yoga classes. Everyone in the community is warm and friendly. The best part of class, having tea together afterwards. You really get to know the people at the studio and they all get to know each other. Jai is really such a true manifestation of the idea of Yoga as "union".

Do your teacher training here!


Sunday, May 20, 2012

Dear Ten Ren's

I am really wanting some Ju Hua bubble tea today


Sunday, May 13, 2012

Fear drives focus

This weekend I found myself in a scary situation that I could not get out of. Ok let's not be dramatic. It was something that lasted somewhere between 4-8 minutes. I don't remember, but I do remember realizing how bad of a situation I was in that I was really forced to stay focused in order to stay safe and then just get through it. I think these are situations in which you can step back, be an observer -organize your thoughts and then choose. Panic or stay centered? Staying centered is what gets you through.


Thursday, May 10, 2012

Samadhi at 6:45am

Studying Chinese medicine, I spend a lot of time thinking about how our emotions play a part in our ailments, sicknesses, diseases. As a society and as a culture, this is huge. In TCM, meditating is a part of daily life in order to maintain health. Think of it like taking your vitamins or eating healthy. So why don't we think of Yoga in this way? I do. Staying calmer and happier will keep you healthier. Even if you look at this in a Western Bio Medical kind of way. Our bodies are more alkaline...stress and anger create more acidity in our bodies, what do you think the physiological effects are? What about our nervous systems and our endocrine systems. Emotions effect these systems, which effect our hormones....doesn't it just make sense?

Samadhi is awesome for our health and immune system. It brings lightness and easiness to our minds and bodies. I like the idea that Samadhi is so available to us. I know that some people may argue that what we think we experience isn't "really Samadhi". But really...come on...why does it have to be so special? We know it when we feel it. I think its like child's pose. Sometimes we're so busy in life we forget to enjoy simply resting. When we do it it feels so lovely, no? This is what I taught to my 6:45am class today and whether or not they connected to it, I felt they did! They breathed an amazing energy this morning that kept me going all day.

Thank you, 6:45-am-ers!

P.S. I wrote this post a few weeks ago and looking back on it now...it sounds like I was writing about Samadhi....


Sunday, May 6, 2012

Thursday, May 3, 2012

For Samadhi, See Union.

That's what it says in Iyengar's book, Light on Life. I feel like some people put Samadhi on a pedestal. Yoga, even. Practicing Yoga doesn't make a person better than anyone else. Its a choice, "a path", a way to conduct ones life. Other people do things like Qi Gong, making art, Akido, running, Olympic weight lifting, singing - you get it. Samadhi can be translated as bliss. We experience bliss all the time! It's always there for us. Ever have that moment or day where all things align and feel right? You just feel so content there are no words. Things feel like they should be how they are. There are really no other words to explain it, but I guarantee that we've all felt it more than once.

This is the cool thing about Samadhi. It's always there for us to experience. What Yoga does is help us realize its there. Practicing Yoga helps us recognize it, feel it, and realize that its there when we want it. Maybe today things aren't going your way. You always have a choice -be really upset at the fact you cannot control the universe, OR let it go and let things run its course. The worries and stresses of everyday life are natural. We cannot always escape them, and we cannot live our lives in Samadhi everyday -its just not natural. What we can do is recognize when we've steered away from it and try to steer ourselves back to, or as close as we can to Samadhi. The union of yoga is finding that sweet spot in life where things are lined up, you feel oneness and content.

You don't have to be a monk or a swami. Just trust yourself and find it.