Category: Yoga

Categories
Beautiful Places Beautiful Rituals Yoga

Circle your calendar

and make time for your yoga practice.  You will notice the difference after 6 classes. Different variety of yoga styles all working in tandem to bring out the best in you:) You deserve to treat yourself well – all styles of yoga, including my beloved Vinyasa Flow where I started and Restorative yoga for my weekly tuneup & recharge at a lovely neighborhood gem of a studio tucked away near SF airport (for those international travelers – great way to recover from a jet lag) Northern Peninsula/Silicon Valley – with cute downtown scene nearby.  The studio is near a ramen shop and a gourmet cupcake bakery… and right by the vintage antique shop and a “vintage” railroad tracks with trains still running … when you hear the train roar past you as you lie on your mat… the sound evokes that “journey” we are reminded of taking each time we are on the mat. It’s a magical space. I personally used to refer to it as my “urban-ish spa”:)

I have been to so many yoga studios – really, countless studios in my lifetime – SF, Southern Silicon Valley,  NY, LA, and even Tokyo… and just outdoors “AOZORA” – Blue Sky yoga circle( I used to teach when I was training myself) but the quality of this studio’s instructors and staff are just as high – Many of them I am proud to call my teachers myself – as they are teachers’ teachers… and it’s a relief to walk into a clean space filled with natural clear light.  Yes, the place is ECO-GREEN.  All the instructors there are all at the very minimum 200 hrs.certified from reputable yoga training schools and registered with Yoga Alliance plus most have thousands more hours of training and teaching… so reassuring that you are under the care of truly dedicated teachers.  In fact, the owner’s pursuit of the 8 limbs of yoga as a way of life, shows through upon walking in … Ashtanga yoga, which literally means “eight limbs”, ashta = 8; and anga = limb… 8 limbs..  limbs meaning steps;  8 steps in the road map to live a more meaningful life as we are all on that “journey” – and another train roars by:)

First limb is YAMA… and the five yamas are:

Ahimsa:  nonviolence

Satya:  truthfulness

Asteya:  non stealing

Brahmacharya;  continence

Aparigraha:  nonconvetousness

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More you study different cultures and philosophies, more you are struck by their similarities… as though there’s a common thread running through the vastness of our existence.

Yama means Mountain in Japanese and it is with honor I carry my family name which literally means, Oceans and Mountains.  Sounding rather Native American but coming from generations of aristocratic and/or Samurai families… but if you trace far back enough we all come from the same pool of sea water; whether you are from an aristocratic, royal or warrior families or from the primitives in some thick jungle.  We are one.  There’s nothing that really divides people (other than the socially imposed values and belief systems), when you think of our true origin and where we are returning to at the end.

Namaste.

Categories
Healthy Activities Yoga

Tomorrow at 7:40am – Circle the calendar…

Bay Club, Redwood Shores – as I sub for another lovely soul, Myra.  All around me signs of spring.  Spring is here.  Cherry blossoms are blooming and wisteria too;  gardens awash with pinks and lavender … pastels and light abound … beautiful .. and my eyes are tearing and my voice is hoarse and scratched – BUT, hope with some neti pot, I will be healed by tomorrow AM.  At least, it’s not a cold; just an allergy.

I know at least 3 who are down with a cold and fever and suffering at home while the weather is sunny with blue skies outside.  The change of season from winter to spring is a time of transition and all of us are adjusting.  While you are feeling antsy as with onset of spring fever and thoughts of summer – then thoughts of weight loss and exercising like crazy to achieve that “image” –  All good if not excessive and paying heed to your body’s signals.  Eating right first and foremost and Rest is the key… Hope to address that tomorrow AM with a practice to boost your immunity.  I need to rest…  As Judith would say “Changing the world, one Savasana at a time.”  Luckily I learned from her … ahhh. Stress?  What stress? (did someone call me on my practice of “denial”? lol)

Categories
Yoga

Mindful Flow… Unrehearsed…

What is Mindful Flow yoga?  I will teach it tomorrow morning. It’s like a combo of various classes I enjoyed in a style that values your ….. fill in the blank.

Precious souls are found among the like-minded. Thanks for the (leap of?)  faith:)

 

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Post- class comments…Having said what I said about all are welcome, in reality,  what do you do when you are expected to teach a Level 2/3 class but find yourself in more of a Mixed Level class and trying to mentally reconfigure the lesson plan right at the start? Honestly, it is difficult to walk into a class full of maybe 30-40? with all different expectations. Turns out some starting yoga that day… yes, and it’s level 2/3 and I do not turn away anyone… Luckily I have another week to fine-tune it and then my duty will be fulfilled ! Subbing must be anti-aging as I have to be on my toes, think on my feet despite the unanticipated variables and refresh my set mental patterns to be more flexible and pliable .

Teaching yoga at a yoga studio is much different than teaching at a Sports Club.  It would be unthinkable to walk out before Savasana at a studio – whereas at a Club, students walk in late, they walk out early before Savasana … Savasana – after all, isn’t that the reason why we are are doing yoga in the first place?  So that we can figure out our true essence; what life is about; how to find joy in the day to day.  Basically, to be able to meditate without twitching, wiggling and scratching and moving every few seconds in discomfort… if only they knew what they are missing out on – the class experience as a whole to restore YOUR wholeness.

Another big difference – some were resistant to chanting OM – okay, I realize, it is a sports club and I am NOT promoting Hindu religion (I’m Buddhist Catholic Shinto…agnostic at times and respecting Judaism too – so… embracing all; attached to none – does that make me a heathen? )  at all but upon discovering the regulars were formerly in a Jivamukti inspired/style yoga class, I was compelled to – I was almost going to chant a Mantra that I am so proud of learning but… skipped it given the nature of the place…and noting how some were not Omming…too weird for them perhaps which is the way I used to perceive it so I get it.  NO judgement ever although perhaps I was the one being judged as being weird? by the few who did not participate … and that’s okay.  Totally understandable if you are in the older generation of Japanese … as some older Japanese have hangups whenever the word “AUM” or “OM” is uttered due to unfortunate association where a terrorist organization, a cult had named themselves that in the 80’s.  Most young Japanese do not have that negative association but I assume anyone over age 40 may still associate fear to those to those “dreaded” words… so best allow them to find out by personal experience how such fear means that you have allowed the terrorists to win in a sense – as they succeeded in tarnishing a sacred sound of consciousness to notorious acts of terrorism and violence… it is unfortunate.  Only way to overcome it would be to find out by feeling it first hand to be of innocent, pure and inspiring mantra that it is.  Surely the younger newer generation will discover the good, not evil, in the ancient teachings.

If only all the students knew the benefit of this ancient form of sound therapy.  On a more astral level, the vibration clears the mind, allows the energy channels/nadis to get unblocked,  so that you can better focus on the practice you are about to undertake.  On a physical level,  it also releases the tight jaws we usually unconsciously hold.  So Try it.  Get over the resistance that limits you.  There are many variables that differentiates yoga practice from say, ordinary fitness class – and biggest would be the spiritual mindful aspect.  The chanting is one of the tools to clear the mental chatters and rids the clutters for new learning to take place. It works.

Ignorance is a bliss; or is it?

Maybe I will skip the Rolling OM next week – it was so wonderful at Yoga Journal Conference when the whole entire space echoed with the rolling MMMMM buzzzz sounds reverberating in the air and in your head… The space cleared,  the energy waves WE CREATED were so positive… sacred. The stillness afterwards was palpable…You have to experience it to know it.  The calm… the peace after the last M vibration cascades and then … dissipates into thin air.

I have to conclude though, the students were all so warm, positive and most motivated to try anything new – it’s just a matter of time and a right instructor like Nancy whose class I love myself.  The place was positively charged:)  I always learn so much from the students.