What Day is it?? Day 17

What happened to the last 5 days?  My attention has been pulled away from blogging to working on website.  Once again my arch nemesis rears its ugly head!  Impatience combined with Fear!  What if? what if? I gotta get it done NOW!  I remember my former doctor Tom telling me about adrenal exhaustion 20 years ago when I had  it from giving birth AND getting our house ready to sell (only a few weeks later)...  He said: you can't whip a dead horse!  So what do I do?  I gently coax the horse along with promises of a vacation in just a few weeks, or something in the future (the carrot).
Two days ago, Saturday, the horse laid down and wouldn't get back up.  I knew I must surrender - no choice then.  I lay around with Angus reading and watching a movie, then reading, then watching a movie and eating choice yummy foods he brought me.  I was exhausted, the mind wouldn't think, the body wouldn't move.
My friend Maria tells me - we teachers must practice what we teach!  I know I say to her.
After a day of rest, I am back in the saddle, and I put the road signs in place- the "stop" signs, the yield signs, they are written into my calendar.
Yesterday it was a swimming pool meeting at 1:30-3:30 pm (I am tanned now).  Tonight it is a friend's baby shower, tomorrow I am visiting another friend to sit and watch her clear her office.  No stress, just rest.  Friday, I go pick raspberries and hopefully bring some home (I like to eat as I pick!).  In between all of that, I am still working on my website, scheduling classes, creating offerings for my studio that will also nurture those who come to my space.
This is yoga, yoga is all of life.  Namaste.

Tuesday, Day 10

Yoga challenge, practicing yoga daily is not only asana, keeping mindful of breathing, how you move through life.  That can be the greatest challenge especially when there is alot of business and weather happening right now.  July 18th it is in the 90's and humid outside.  Driving in a hot car, walking outside in the heat after being comfortable in air conditioning.  How does that feel?  Do you experience this fully?  Do you suffer?  I am crabby when it is very hot outside.  I looked at the weather forecast for the next several days.  No relief in sight this week.  It will be hot.  How to adapt?  I asked my students.  They are settling in at home and catching up on inside work.  I love staying inside in this weather, planning my days around the weather.  We have to do this a lot in Minnesota.  Sometimes it is too cold, sometimes too hot.  Lethargy sets in when it is hot.  We forget to drink enough water, we forget to honor our body.  Your body requires more rest, cooler food, more water.  Easier yoga.  We have to get up earlier to walk our dog, set up the fans in the home to circulate the air.  Being present isn't so much fun.  In yoga philosophy, the ancient texts tell us that there is always a balance between the good and the bad.  I enjoy the bad, like this heat, this weather, because I know there will be good coming again.  I am not attached to it.  When it is beautiful outside, I enjoy it, knowing that this too will change.  Nothing is permanent.  Be kind to yourself and others right now.  Compassion, gentleness, treating yourself and others kindly.  This too is yoga.

Time to Check in!

The first week of the 40 day yoga challenge is complete.  How are you doing?  What are your observations, challenges, victories, failures? 

Day 8 of 40 day yoga challenge

I did not write for the 7th day.  All my life, I and many of us, have heard that on the 7th day, rest.  I rested and once again sat by the teacher, Nagin, and listened to his stories about yoga philosophy and also much about world religions.  I did not know that Muslim's started the University system or that Hindu religion changes constantly as humanity changes.  He knows about some of the more obscure sects of religions, like the Tantric yogis (which he does not like), and fundamentalists who support the caste system in India.  I had no idea that there is a problem there with caste leaders ordering people killed if they marry someone from a different caste or religion even.  Some couples have fled to America just to be able to live together - otherwise they would die together in India. These are stories we do not want to hear.  But just as the god Siva swallowed the poison when all the gods & goddesses were churning the ocean for their powers & gifts, in order to live a truly spiritual life, we must learn to swallow our own poisons, yet not eat it.  What does that mean??  It is symbolic.  Life is all of the good and the bad.  A truly spiritual human being does not reject any of it, yet does not allow the poison of it to harm them.  Nagin Sanghavi has dedicated his life to finding and teaching the truth.  He has risked his life many times over many years to teach and speak up about the injustices in the world, so that other people's lives can be better.

As practitioners of yoga, we too must look at life around us, continue to improve ourselves and speak the truth.  Satya is the second yama in the Yamas (the 1st limb of yoga).  Satya is truthfulness  Look around all of life and in your life  -  where do you see the truth or the not truth?

Day 6 - Things are not what they seem...

As I spend time with the teacher from India, Nagin Sanghavi, I am renewing my excitement and passion for studying all of life!  At age 93, he is currently sitting at my dining room table writing an article that will be published in India.  He writes a weekly column.

He studies Sanskrit and translates it.  He has read the original text of Patanjali, the yoga sutras, over and over again and says he still does not understand it.  Then he explains some concept that Patanjali writes about that I had never heard before (even though I have read a translation of the text several times).  Reading a book in the language it was originally written, you get the meaning the author meant to convey.  I think it will take too long for me to learn sanskrit, yes, it will however, if I live to 93 or 100 or 120 (yesm possible), I have plenty of time to study.  One day at a time, one moment at a time, to practice something.  We have an infinite amount of time.  How will I use it?  A common theme runs through the lectures I hear that move me. . . that theme is patience and practice.  I want the results now...I want to accomplish this.... then I am reminded about patience.  And acceptance.  I reject things I do not want to happen, we all do, however, if you resist life, you will suffer.  So this is my practice:  acceptance and patience.  What's yours?

Day 4, July 13, 2011

The fourth day of the challenge, I have done my 60 minute practice today.  Struggling to maintain a positive outlook and notice that this too shall pass.  I know from studying yoga which is the exercise prescribed in Ayurveda (the science of life), that I am primarily a "vata" body-type.  When vata moves too much, works too much, this dosha (body-type) tends to get out of balance emotionally.  To rebalance, there are some small actions I can take (and will take today) that will bring me back into balance.  Eat, rest, take a warm bath, and simply allow in the abundance of my life.

If you are a pitta body-type, you are a driven person.  You get crabby when you get too hot, and you should avoid hot foods, even though you LOVE hot foods!  How to balance pitta:  cool off with watermelon, mint tea (iced), fennel seed, raisins. . . but go ahead a work out, but slow down and be kind to yourself!

If you are a kapha body-type, you may have trouble motivating yourself to move.  Know that when you do move, you will feel so much better!  Don't give in to the idea of more rest.

You can learn more about your body type at http://tridosha.com/self-test 

Tough days ahead? What happens when we commit?

Making a commitment, I usually feel some remorse or regret shortly after.  I allow myself to feel my feelings, they may not always be comfortable.  These certainly are not.  Then something triggers my memory of having been here before.  How many times have I made a commitment, then regretted it?  How many times have I backed out of a commitment?  Usually not without a fight!  I am stubbornly committed to my commitments!

Ha ha!  There are better ways, however, to support yourself in what you are committed to.  Look at the language of your thoughts.  What if I said instead, that I am committed to the benefits I see from having committed to a 40-day yoga challenge? (for example : )  I am committed to being an inspiration in the world, I am committed to my own well-being and the well-being of others.  To joy, freedom, beauty, peace, harmony and love. . . These are the things I am committed to.  Ahh, the remorse is gone.  I am ready to be in the challenge....

Namaste

Day 2, July 11, 2011

I woke up excited again, and panicking a bit, then I instantly remembered...I am NOT doing life like this!  God is taking care of everything for me.  Now, I feel great love in my heart as I move through my day.

Only 4 days left before Nagin Sanghavi and his daughter Harsha will be with us.  He will be speaking at the studio at 11 am on Thursday.  My biggest fear is that only 3 or 4 people show up and I have nothing to give him.  Now that I got that out, I remember that our biggest fear is the most unlikely thing to happen in our entire lifetime!

Ha ha!!!  So 2nd day of yoga challenge, I want to tell you about the Yamas in yoga philosophy.  The first one, the foundation of all of yoga philosophy is: Ahimsa:  non-violence in thought, word and action.  Notice your thoughts - are they loving? or ?  When taking on a yoga challenge, there is always the danger of being too hard on oneself.  When taking on any challenge, there is the possibility of being too hard on others.  The thing is, we will think these things constantly, yet the first step of ahimsa is to be aware of - to observe - all of the violence - outside of you and inside of you.  Then begin to transform it within yourself.  That is where the outside violence begins to disappear from view.

Gandhi was the father of nonviolent action - however, he was not the first.  Remember Jesus story?  He did not fight back when he was taken to be beaten, mocked, and crucified.  So when you have an unkind thought about anything today, remember to turn it into a loving thought.

Day 1, July 10, 2011

I leaped out of bed this morning!  Day 1 of the yoga challenge!  Well, not really, I couldn't sleep so I got up before 6 am.  My body has an irregular sleep schedule, so I don't fight it.  I start moving slowly, my neck, shoulders, and lower back are aching.  What?  Yes, they are, I start out just like everyone else each day.  The body took a pounding yesterday - I'm so excited about Nagin visiting and using that excitement energy to paint the room he will be staying in (that has needed painting for over 3 years now...).

Today my yoga is more painting, mindfully I apply the paint.  I observe my mind that has many things to say about the painting process:  "I wish it was done"; "what a mess", "it smells bad", "it takes forever", "my time is more valuable than this!". . on and on the mind chatters.

What is yoga:  In the yoga sutras of Patanjali, (I have a copy translated by Sri Swami Satchidananda) he says:
"the restraint of the modifications of the mind-stuff is Yoga".  Now restraint does not mean stopping all of that chatter, it means holding back or controlling.  How do you do that?
Step 1: Know that the mind never stops talking.
Step 2:  Know that you are not the mind.
Step 3:  Observe your thought patterns as you move through your yoga asana practice and each daily activity you participate in (the manual labor type work is the best time to practice this: doing dishes, folding laundry, painting the wall; wax on wax off....)

Oh, and here's a tip:  you can look at this mind chatter as entertainment or redirect your thoughts.  You can shift your attention.  You are not your mind.

40 Day Yoga Challenge begins July 10

What is yoga? For 40 days this challenge is about you committing to your self.  What do you really want, what is your purpose, how do you want your body and mind to feel and experience life?

Only you can say.  This challenge is for you to begin a journey of true transformation.  Our guidebook is the 8-limbed path of yoga.  First looking at what are the 8-limbs:  Asana, Pranayama, Yamas, Niyamas, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi
Now what are these?  You have heard of asana if you are doing this yoga challenge!  Asana is posture.  It is what most people think of when they think of yoga.  In the challenge, we are going to go much deeper than this.  Physical exercise.  This physical exercise, asana, is where it will begin.

Your pledge:  to practice yoga 6 days a week for 40 days, your asana practices - 4 to 6 days per week.  Another exercise, such as walking or swimming, the other 2 days if you do not want yoga that many days.

The length of asana practice - 60 minutes including breathing practice, meditation and relaxation time, one 75 minute practice per week.  Strive for a minimum of 20 minutes of those 60-minute practices being the asana (physical) practice.

Part of this challenge is to give your body the physical health and discipline for you to transform what you are setting out to transform right now.  This only happens through practice, daily, for a long period of time.  40 days is a powerful number to change any habit.  This repetition also creates new pathways in your brain!  Giving your mind and body new cooperation.

Another part of this challenge is to rein in your mind!  Read spiritual scriptures, listen to talks about spirituality, your religion or yoga - a tremendous opportunity is to come see Nagin Sanghavi July 14-16.  It helps you to keep true to your practice when you are paying attention to yoga.  Where you place your attention is what is powerful in your life.  Let's do it!!!