Meditation

Sitting in meditation the mind continues to flutter. The thoughts about what it should be and how can I get there. Feel faith. Feel calm. Relax. Bring the mind to the breath and the mind moves. It always moves.Then there is the light. The spark. That feeling of expansion lifting my heart. And I am drawn in.

Vayus - the magic of moving energy through asana

Follow this link and begin to understand why asana is important.

Love and Asana

"Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do... but how much love we put in that action." Mother Teresa

This is such a beautiful way to approach asana. It is not how deep, how pretty, how challenging the pose. It is the love we put into it that reaps the rewards every pose has waiting for us.

Take love to your mat today.

Taping into the life force

Last Friday Shari Friedrichsen taught a class at 108 Yoga. There were no sun salutes, no powerful poses,no head stand or arm balances. Just bridge, warrior one, garudasana arms. And yet, the effect was profound. Shari walked us through linking physical movement to the movement of energy in the chakras, those illusive energy centres of the body that we hear about and really don't get.

Yoga is not the asana. Rather, the asana is a tool to allow us to experience the energy. Energy is subtle and elusive; just when you think you could name it, you realize you are uncertain. Energy is a shift in experience, it is the feeling of space or of heat, lightness, that was not there before. But energy is the life force, the very essence of who you are and how you express yourself in the world. Energy influences the mind and emotions, the functioning of the physical body.

Next time you go to your mat, be curious. Move through the layers of physical tissue, explore the inner working of the body with each breath. As that breath moves through an area you are expanding, feel the openness and lightness, and you will start to experience that energy.

Shake it up baby!

"Twist and shout! Come on Come on Baby now, work it on out."

I am sure you are familiar with that song which transcends the sixties. As I made my way to class yesterday that was playing in my mind and with good reason. Fall is a time of year when a lot is happening; seasonal temperature changes, lots to get done and even our diet changes with the change in what is in the produce isle at the grocery store. If you are a student, then this is also a time when you need to assimilate all those classes and readings in preparation for midterms.

Twists. What you need to know:
1) The action of squeezing the torso as one rotates from the navel puts a compression action on the organs of the digestive system and will stimulate their action, building the digestive fire - agni. Agni is essential for transformation of food and experiences. Feeling a little overwhelmed? a twist practice just may help.
2) The spine is of major concern when twisting, since we are rotating the vertebrae - thus it is essential to begin with some extensions or laterals, opening the space between the vertebrae.
3) In standing poses, pelvis is not fixed, giving us the freedom to safely warm up to the deeper twists where the hips have less freedom to move like in Ardha Matsyendrasana.
4) Contraindications are any spine injuries.
5) According to Ayurveda, twists are helpful in reducing pitta and vata - perfect for fall.

Twists have a balancing affect. As we move through seasonal change and the hurried pace of fall, twists are essential to helping us to find the balance we need.

First steps

When an interviewer asked Rod Stryker the question, "What do you wish more yoga students knew?"
His answer: "That yoga doesn't end with the body. My mission is to impart old-school wisdom, teach pranayama and meditation as much as asana, and encourage people to access that inner realm beyond the body. When you connect with the source, the shakti, the sea of intelligence, every part of your life improves. You'll be more joyful, more fearless, and more capable."

Asana is the first step toward accessing the inner realm. Learning to manage your energy, your breath, allow you to quiet the mind and the inner realm becomes illuminated.

Vatta pacifying poses

Ayurveda is the sister science to Yoga. Where asana is designed to help us work with our energy, Ayurveda helps us work with a body that is healthy and balanced. Each of us has been born into this body with our unique nature, our prakritti. The elements of our environment, our diet, the weather, the activities we participate in, and of course asana, affect whether we are in balance or moving more out of balance.

When we are on the cusp of seasonal change, temperatures changing, more wind and damp, everyone is experiencing more vatta. If you already have vatta in your prakritti, it will most likely affect you a little more... just like me.

The good news is that by changing what postures I choose in my personal practice can help balance the vatta. What does the dancer like qualities of vatta need? Grounding - standing poses with two feet firmly planted like warrior two and forward folds. Backbends are still helpful, just best to stick to those with the belly on the ground.

Want to know more about your prakritti - simple; just take the quiz and as Kathryn Templeton, Ayurvedic Guru suggests, probably best to have someone who loves you and knows you well help you stay honest. ;)