Old ideas and new teachings

Recently one of the students in a class I taught suggested that I get into Ashtanga Yoga. I have been doing soley Vinyasa style for most of my 14 years of practice. Though nowadays every style seems to be a blend of "Vinyasa, Ashtanga and Iyengar" -still not sure what that means! I have dabbled in Iyengar style which definitely speaks to me. Though it just has not come up for me yet to find myself in Ashtanga. And there is nothing I have against it -despite the fact that many of my fellow Yogi's who are into it have told me its hard on the body and it makes them more prone to injury, but I just have not been in a place in life where it has led me there. The student who suggested it to me seemed to think I was closed off to it but really my life schedule is just filled with all kinds of things like full-time school which also includes constant studying, family, relationships and working. And then on top of that...making time for my own Yoga practice, Muay Thai training and distance running. I would love to try all the studios and all kinds of Yoga -if only I had the means and time. I often sign up for trials or buy class packages for studios to try them out but I find I rarely have time to really use them. I think that its great to be all in with all kinds of Yoga however I do feel that currently its not in my dharma. There is simply no room. So for now...I am focusing on maintaining my regular routines but still finding newness in them. Currently, I am re visiting all of my teacher training materials to discover new ways of getting into poses and also better ways of teaching them to people. Although I am limited in my time I can still make space...as well as practice practice practice!

Flexibilty

I have been doing my runs with more ease! I'm not thinking about it as obsessively and am even starting to...enjoy it! YUP! Running is so great -every time I stop doing it it's like I'm mad at it...and once I start again I truly can't believe why I stopped! Ok rain, now please go away so I can start doing outdoor runs :)

In our Yoga practice we can use our bodies to find flexibility...flexibility in our minds, flexibility in our lives. Our physical practices can help us be freer in our mental practices.

“To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders” Lao Tze

Yoga students give me their light.

“He who knows all the answers has not been asked all the questions.”-Confucious

Daya Yoga, Ridgewood

The Zen of Running

I am trying to run. Actually I do run. But I am trying to run...well? Meaning I am trying to run and enjoy it and not hate it so much! In the past I have never really run for more than 3 miles so I decided to make a running "schedule" about a month ago and have stuck to it pretty well! Last week I finally got to my 4 miles -breaking 3 was a big deal. Since then I have only done it 2 other times but I'm slowly but surely working on it. Kim Kardashian has been extremely helpful in this as I watch Keeping up with the Kardashians while on the treadmill -Kardashian Dash if you will. My goal is an hour or 6 miles...but to be able to handle it every day at some point.

This whole running thing is a big mental challenge for me. First of all I get mentally obsessed -which was the reason for not being able to break 3 miles -I get bored and then convince myself I'm tired, my ankle feels weird, my legs hurt too much, I might get shin splints, etc. I keep looking at the time on the treadmill and 1 or 2 minutes is just torturous! HOW DO PEOPLE STAY ON A TREADMILL FOR AN HOUR?! Also when do your legs stop feeling so friggin sore? So that is the second part of the mental challenge -I'm not even running but I am thinking about my calves being tight and sore -when does it stop? Should I rest tomorrow or do a short run? If I do too many short runs will that make it hard to do 4 miles again? What is this stupid conversation I am having with myself about running all about? Why don't I just stop the conversation and run instead? Yes -good idea.

OK so besides Kim Kardashian, I also have Yoga -duh. So I can't do alternate nostril breathing while running, but I started using the mantra -Om nama shivaya along with the Chakras and there I am feeling all light, mentally letting go of my weird running conversation that goes no where, and just getting it done instead. Thank you, yoga and thank you, Kim. Stay tuned for progress on my running!

Kardashian dashing

Y'all need to read this book!

Healing through your ears!

I know you don't think this looks likes healing...but it is!!! Auricular Acupuncture is the SHIZZZ yo.

If you want to try some FREE auricular acupuncture come to Pacific College on Monday June 24th and July 1 from 6-8pm, 5th floor.

Liberation!

See me on the Jai Blog!

Playfulness part II: movement

Next time you're in a Yoga class let go of your ideas of shapes and poses. Feel your joints and limbs, shake them out, rotate them. How often do we take the time to notice our joints? Notice if you're crunching them or jamming them, see if you can make space in them, make your limbs feel longer. Make space in your body and breath into those spaces. Our joint spaces are a common place for things to get "stuck". If we can pay attention to giving them some love and space we can have happier joints and be less achy!

In downward dog, lift one leg and rotate your hip, knee and ankle. Feel how all 3 joints relate to one another. In cat/cow asana you can rotate your hips and your shoulders, move your body in circular motions. In side angle pose feel the top arm reach up and over and then rotate the whole arm making circles around your face. Try one of these!

Everything is new

We often look to gain experience, gain status, gain labels, gain money, gain love. Gain is such a common theme but we forget to look at things with new points of view and live in our present moment. This can allow us to be more playful in life and therefore able to discover new abilities and experiences. Newness is hard to come by -as each day passes we further ourselves away from our true nature and forget playfulness.