Categories
Uncategorized

Immersed in YOGA; Living it…

Life is fragile; Love is the glue.

This …

Returning to Day 3 of the Invitational tomorrow. It’s been enlightening … kind of like peeling an onion, layer by layer, the heart of the matter is revealed. Some crying on the way? For some yes, but laughter in the end … it’s laughter yoga in spite of the heavy stuff since it’s all about lessening the heavy burdens some may carry. It’s light, airy, effortless – we ease into that stillness. There’s JOY.

Love to share to how-to’s and the deep and juicy but ironically passing it on to the eager. Namaste 🙂

* Sign up to subscribe so I can share those methods that work to bring about more energy, manage the unwanted and prepare us all for the life we are meant to live – vibrant and fulfilled.

Categories
Yoga

Judith Hanson Lasater’s Invitational

IMG_0061_smallThis time is the last of the three part series this year where Judith will invite her students to a sangha of learning. It’s quite a luxury to get to do this… I could pass it up and wait for another one that may happen in couple of years or … do it. Felt a little intimated when I realized you have these 10-30+ year student of hers showing up to these …but some fresh 20-somethings to balance out:) Such loyalty and it’s because she really keys in on your needs and answers them. Hope I can get to that level of focus and clarity as well.
We had the 4 days in March; then June and now in October, we meet again – loving the progression in themes. Many familiar faces – this is a tough time of the year for all to make it to San Francisco. Nothing in comparison to those showing up from out-of-state, but it was a struggle for me – rather an ironic turn of events to lose something in order to gain this experience but – here I am – I count my blessings on how lucky I am to make it to this special Sangha – those passionate about learning from a veteran master teacher who imparts all that she has learned from BKS and then her own yoga life experiences and skills – while she maintained her balance with raising a family and aging gracefully.

IF YOU CAN’T BE IN PHYSICAL SPACE WITH JUDITH, IT’S ALRIGHT. IT’S OKAY; YOU CAN STILL LEARN FROM HER VIA HER OFFICE HOURS BECAUSE SHE IS KIND OF LIKE THAT MOM-LIKE “PROFESSOR” OF YOGA IN THE WEST 🙂 Has anyone ever wondered how she can be so prolific and at the same time so present at the same time? I have.

Some Q & A’s:

An interesting question:
Many of us experienced that Pranayama causes anxiety rather than bring on the calm and clarity. That progression in the Ashtanga yoga from the limb of Asana to Pranayama, then to Pratyahara …is what is supposed to happen… but anxiety stops us in our tracks at times when maintaining that ratio becomes strained … To that question, Judith answered something that we hadn’t realized …

Her answer as to why some people experience Anxiety when we make intentional breath control to affect the mind, the emotions, the mood – was VERY INTERESTING – kind of an AHAHHH moment.
Then her answer as to what to do about it when anxiety arises during pranayama applies in other areas of life where one experiences anxieties when one isn’t supposed to. Has that ever happened to you? After the practice, that practitioner was asked – if that anxiety she had described come up – the answer? No. It’s magic? No, a certain revelation pointed out by Judith shifts everything in a way to undo the forces of anxiety from arising – it’s not just about breathing deeply or exhaling longer, etc. etc the quick over-simplified cure for all.

I cannot share any photos from the day that was filled with asana, both restorative, non restorative and then therapeutic; pranayama, and talks filled with wisdom and … of course … sprinkled with lots of humor. Photos and videos for our own learning but strictly non-public so that she says, we can create a place of total safety and trust. I respect that.
Yoga Dogs Clendar
Yeah, did a shoulder stand the Iyengar way. Realizing that my arms must grow another inch or two … for comfort. At any rate, Much Safer way shown.

Categories
Healthy Living Yoga

Protocol Presentation

Tree pose because … the forest is right there … beyond the Moon Gate.
IMG_9884_small
Last summer’s photos from Vancouver, BC, Canada where we hope to relocate should you know who gets elected to be the leader of the free world.lol Just kidding. Not?
IMG_9896_smallSo had kind of a challenging weekend. Challenge in a very good sense. Three of us were in a lineup to teach a lesson plan we each designed with specific intentions/purpose in front of (no more pre-scripted blue print sequence … we have to think it up with logical justifications as to why this over that posture for instance …) maybe – didn’t count – 30 yoga teachers (everyone like me are 200 hrs. certified) and teacher training director this Sunday. I was one of the three to share the “project”. Then be … critiqued with constructive feedback by Self first – in front of the entire group. Judgement Day? & here we are all about non-judgement in yoga BUT as one to teach, we must have humility. It is so very difficult to let the ego go and treat the challenge to get evaluated… as just another part of a learning and growing opportunity – I mean, after all, no matter what anyone tells you, we are conditioned to think it’s a … TEST, isn’t it? Evaluation is … a test. We get graded on tests and I have been conditioned to stress over them because of course I want to do well.
IMG_2458
I overcame the performance anxieties by thinking about a dear student who used to come to my Sunday evening classes at a lovely studio in the Peninsula. I thought of her and her fighting spirit and how she used to bestow me with such positive encouraging feedback. She had really inspired me to study this art of healing more seriously. Thinking of the battles she’s waging, the challenges she is overcoming, my little test really is nothing – relatively speaking – it’s just about cultivating humility for betterment. Seeking high quality and betterment … while remaining humble is …to me, spiritual. And this is just another continuum of that pursuit.

So this challenge, this “test” is so little relatively speaking in scheme of the BIG challenges we face in our daily lives. I can even share a part of my evaluation where the program director commented as follows:

+ Thoughtfulness and care evident in instruction, voice and selection of the postures.
+ Very nurturing presence and instruction, conducive for healing.
+ Very fluid progression in sequence to help sustain mindfulness.

Phew – what a relief!!! because honesty, I found myself deviating from the pre-set lesson, practically an ad-lib even though I had a whole plan outlined, that had been peer-reviewed by a well respected cohort … At times like this, stress and tension is actually a good thing when harnessed and channeled for improvements.

Then comes the “constructive” criticism portion … thankfully not too much – This feedback being the most important:

– Simplifying postures and refining precision to highlight focus.

So in other words, hone it into a very distilled focused practice. Whereas, I made it a bit more complicated than necessary …by cramming in lots of postures, with the immature notion of more the better … Sometimes we are scared to keep things simple, but that was the overriding lesson: Keep it simple. Less is more.
As I had 100’s of possibilities running through my mind, it is indeed all about making choices, distilling the teachings into a clear, concise lesson plan that resonates.

So fortunate to immerse in the fine art and science of yoga methods for therapeutic applications. More and more amazing and helpful information to share if I am allowed to share the knowledge from the experts and experienced peers (the MDs, therapists and seasoned experienced teachers) as I integrate the teachings into lesson plans.

This month’s module … “Immune System and Yoga” taught both theoretically and through actual practice, was very eye-opening. Felt its medicinal effects immediately and felt that in some ways, regular practice of this is better than say, getting a flu shot – REALLY. Don’t we need to strengthen our immune system as we head into holiday season?

With optimal health, we can enjoy all that the coming season has to offer, healthy and fully engaged. Life is short; life is fragile and … we keep it going with loving self-care. When you are cared for, you can be that love furnace kindled with energy and light – we have to have the energy, the light ourselves so we can share that warm glow of santosha. We can’t care for others unless we ourselves are well cared for – to me, that’s what a spiritual practice is all about. To expect the best in all of us as we learn and grow on this blessed journey called life. Love & Light … Namaste
IMG_1817
IMG_1812