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Beautiful Rituals Healthy Activities Healthy Living Yoga

Reverie…

Cocooning, Incubating, and Integrating … a Luscious Me-time:)

yogabrain
– Illustrations by Timmy Kucynda

More cocooning, better chance our chrysalis will transform into a even more beautiful butterfly:)
Let’s relax, restore and renew …

All the while holding fully supported yoga poses for spinal and internal organ health.
Each Pose is a “Meditation” … the ultimate ART of DOING NOTHING and LET IT BE GOOD FOR YOU:)

• Light “warm-up” of stretches to soften tightness and melt away tensions – it’s not Yin.
• Recover flexibility nano-millimeter at a time.
• rediscover how your body can feel more expansive and spacious, freed of blockages, the knots, the tightness.
• You find your healing breath that rejuvenates.
• Your sub-conscious mind to merge with your conscious mind yielding more creative juices to flow – inviting yourself to tap into your own pool of …nectar. Sweet:)
• Virtually a Dream state …No longer disconnected, Mind & Body finds peace within and harmony with what’s outside.

The regeneration of organic Self through this quiet practice of utter self-awareness…

I love this practice because…I have always felt we needed a safe sacred space, what you might even call a refuge for reflection, quiet, rest and mindfulness in our hearts and minds.

I too grew up to feel guilty about resting – we have been taught that resting is not essential. That, it’s boring, and the amount of shame and guild felt when we are imposed with the push to always get things DONE – to be productive and achieve. And if there should be any spare time during your 24/7 commitments, we need to be WORKING more and more and if not, either we are lazy or even sick. In fact, for some of us, we are only allowed to rest (not the same a sleep) when we are sick. This is when YOU = what you do, rather than, YOU = what you are.

Think we can give ourselves at least once a week, time to thoroughly digest, nourish and rest. It’s probably the most anti-aging medicine out there that you can dispense yourself. I say this as I listen to a lady tell me how sitting still is SO hard for her and that soothing, reflective, quiet time she found to be VERY challenging & asks me – why? I suggest – How about a sweaty Ashtanga class then ? – she quips – Yoga is just not for me – she continues – I need it to be fun and constantly be moving to beat – need to be more non-stop active! I NEED a WORKOUT ! she flung both arms up with shoulders up to her ears, looking very Nixon-esque as she said this… I noted how absolutely exhausted she looked. It’s interesting that despite looking so worn out and aged, she is driven to do more, rather than slow down and take care of our biological, primal need to move with grace, then, rest. Rest so that … we can again be the best we can be when it matters.

iRest because I deserve that “delicious idleness” purifying my senses to live more fully during the wakeful hours.

Categories
Anything Cute

primitive breed?

“The Shiba-Inu is a primitive breed, and a living national monument in their native Japan. They are not very affectionate dogs, but are extremely loyal to their family/owner. Similar to the Japanese Akita because of their appearance and fierce loyalty, Shiba-Inus are a great breed to adopt because they are small-sized dogs that are smart and loyal. They are also known to be escape artists and door-bolters…”

Not affectionate? Not true – fiercely loyal and just not very jumpy, waggy tail like crazy and lick your face-kind of smothering affection, he does not exhibit. Affectionate in a cat/tiger-ish style.

momoshibainu

(- *this photography by me:)

Yes, excels at digging under a fence to find freedom on the streets, lounging in the middle of the street as a huge truck approaches head-on… No fear – unfazed with presence – stops the truck.

Indoor, they like to play with slippers and socks!

shibainuyoga

(- this photography by Ashley Currie from Pinterest)

We learned a lot from him:) Well, not about playing with socks and slippers. About stopping trucks.

(*note: giving credit where due and unless otherwise stated in such credit caption, all photography by me, the amateur, usually just using my iPhone:)

Categories
Uncategorized

Rainy Evening…Wasn’t in the PLAN

danceinrain

Rain, pitter patter…more rain. A little break in the downpour than softer … pitter patter… more rain.
Myself, feeling the pull of the kitchen where I was baking an apple pie, I made a resolve to get to the studio
… a commitment is a … commitment. I too kind of see the act of “loading” and “guiding” as “shugyo” …

Was tested as soon as I walk into the studio – lighting was a bit glaring – florescent lights are … florescent lights.
There are 2 hanging lamps lighting emitting faded warm lights – love them but so so dim … can’t see a thing:)
Then… the sound system dies the last 30 minutes… trying to fix it in vain.

While silence is golden – the mood was not set up for that kind of class so felt the need for sounds.
I am not running a monastic meditation session – it’s supposed to be relaxing, blissful yoga class!
If it had rained harder, the soothing white noise of raindrops would have been a perfect atmospheric but…
all you hear are doors shutting or voices from the other class that just got out.

Should I provide guided meditation or … ah, chanting instead of singing – yes, not even Karaoke style as there was no… accompaniment.
That’s called a cappella singing as I should know – the former choral singer. Singing without accompaniment – just human voices reverberating can be so enchanting.
Mahamrityunjaya Mantra is said to beneficial for mental, emotional and physical health.
“It is a moksha mantra which bestows longevity and immortality” known world over as a mantra of healing or victory over death – SO, why not?
It’s funny, that’s the chant that just came up… proving – repeated enough, anything can be retained.
Not knowing how it was being received, I stopped at one recitation while debating going to another chant or repeat.
I could have gone on and on…(but spared them, lol)

All these thoughts when the unexpected happens. It’s just like life. Sometimes things just don’t go as planned!
With lack of proper light, I was left to recite from memory … although affirmations are intuitive.

At this point ad lib – improvising … it is interesting how one feels the need to provide “content” when there is silence.
As much as my teacher’s class is completely silent and does not rely on any music, it is interesting how I felt the need for sounds.

Lights may not work, the sound system may not work, people may or may not show up…
but I was very much present. If this class was at Cal Berkeley or Stanford or any of the college campuses, or in the middle of bustling city…
the studio would have been packed…
as I have witnessed that – and have been one of those over-worked students to attend such classes in search for peace and clarity…
people are so stressed out or exhausted and many are hungry for a sanctuary where they can recharge in a healthy,
nourishing way… if only they knew where to look.
It’s not your couch although I am sure on this rainy evening, many may have done just that – lounging on a couch with a cat or dog on their tummy, watching Netflix…or some I know were at the over-crowded airport parting with their loved ones as Thanksgiving holiday weekend came to a close – all the more, impressed with those who showed up – they are true yogis, tending to their mind and body, re-configuring their nervous system for optimal health.

NEXT week – resolved for more HEAT, SOFT LIGHT & SOUNDS.