Categories
Healthy Living Yoga

(Mostly) All @ the Body … that was last year

This year’s theme is a bit different. Last year was a lot of anatomy review and all that could go wrong with that body temple. So there’s few ways to look at one’s body – one way is to look at it mechanically – a well oiled machine at the apex of fitness vs one that needs fixing from wear and tear? OR there’s a way to look at it as a more organic holistic integrated miracle of the divine … I don’t want to get all New Agey spiritual but it’s a pretty amazing how our spirit is sheltered. Thanks to Will Meecham, MD, MA’s MindfulBiology‘s anatomy videos (note: not on this website – custom made for the TT purpose) we were provided to see anatomy as not just skeletal-muscular system, internal organs and nervous system and all the wiring but much much more. From the med school training Will had, sometimes anatomy can get a bit … ah, med-school-ish BUT when you see it from the standpoint of biology and mindfulness, a kind of holistic view unfolds. Yoga therapy is about when that temple needs repair and restoration …Oh, yes, and the mind. So that holistic understanding really helps get in touch with what could help in all the took kit provided in yoga therapy.

That was the last year’s training. This year, based on that foundation laid, we proceed with “we do no harm” … Nothing is probably more harmful than someone who professes a cure but actually cause another whole set of problems. While well intentioned, it’s harmful. Our soft-care is different.
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As with most normal people, especially most girls and women, I first got into yoga with the desire to look and feel good or look and feel better.
There’s a that feel of BLISS during savasana after 60 minutes or 90 minutes of being with yourself, nursing yourself, discovering yourself. Yet, it
was more about vanity first and stress management, second.

But now that does not matter so much. Those two items to check off on the top of the list have now become more a by-product If we are into fitness, we all know how exercise makes us feel good. It’s the euphoria, the revelry, that endorphin feel of power and high energy when you sweat. It’s normal to want that.

You can get that in power yoga/ashtanga yoga-ish classes but I really enjoy the “yin” aspect of yoga. That intensity, the power – I save for other parts of my life – yoga, I come back to to nourish myself with. I guess Yang yoga to me is like Martial Arts; and Yin yoga to me is … yoga. If you find out that yoga was devised as a warm-up for a meditation practice, it makes more sense. And why is meditation practice so sought after. Is it because it was shown by Harvard Medical to increase the grey matter or is it because it helps us better deal with negative thoughts? Is it because it’s a preventative medicine for mental and cognitive decline? Why do we seek that time to clutter our minds …

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SO if 200 hrs. hours (I have some to recommend !)was about blue print poses and how to sequence them for fitness; last year was about delving deeper in 500 hrs.
More anatomy More philosophy More sequence More the whys the hows. MORE YOGA:) I know much of this is still just in me digesting and through gradual teaching, I will master them … slow, gradual, no rush. In its own time, my body and mind will breath the teachings so I am more authentic.
This year? Special populations where incorporating yoga therapy can really benefit.
It’s fascinating stuff. Gratitude for this opportunity. With 2 months break, I am ready to take up this challenge of homework, presentations. Alternating between the “doing” and the “being”, until it’s one and the same.
sm_IMG_0950Tokyo teacher’s class on the 31st floor overlooking the city. Oldest student being 82 !!! Excellent teacher – Taeko sensei is not only beautiful (a model on Ayurveda Basic Book), her instructions are clear and her voice lovely. Can’t wait to take her class again – it’s amazing – a testament that one does not have to work so HARD to get the same blissful effect. Gentle is good. Simplicity at the core. Tenderness is our longing. There’s peace. There’s harmony. Feel light and GOOD all over. Sometimes we don’t even know what we want, so brainwashed are we. Namaste.

Categories
Healthy Activities Yoga

“Emotions don’t compute”

by Gabor Maté M.D – The Biology of Loss and Recovery … Here’s the talk. It’s just so … dead on.
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Enough of my escapades even though I have more to share … this weekend I am back to my Yoga Therapist Teacher Training. The module for the weekend is “Trauma informed Yoga”.
It is sobering to learn that “trauma” is so prevalent in our society as this data indicates.
How does yoga have anything to do with healing? Everything – everything. Whenever we deal with Fight, Flight or Freeze reactions, yoga therapy can really really help and I am here to learn all about it.

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But emotions are … human. It’s everything real. They are what makes us human so do we need to control them?

After seeing this video, so convinced how yogis can help – we can help the parents and grandparents and … teachers ! Parents and teachers have immense responsibility. Yoga can support their work. Their work to raise healthy happy kids ! Who grow up to be well adjusted, resilient adults who make this world a better place for all.

“Solution is mindfulness.”

And as with anything you teach, it starts with you, the teacher.

Categories
Anything Cute Beautiful People Beautiful Places

Meow

If you speak more than one language you know that “meow” in English is not the cat meow in another language/country. It’s “Nyaa-Nyaa” or “Myaa-Myaa” in Japanese in case you want to be bilingual in cat talk:) In fact, Japanese language has refreshing variety of Onomatopoeia to capture the sounds of heart thumping to rivers flowing to birds chirping… My personal favorite is “waku-waku!” for hearts pounding with excitement and anticipation ! Another fav might be “uki-uki” – a feeling of anticipation, looking forward to something – that feel of spring:) We want that daily in our lives, don’t we?

Cat lovers’ store is open only on weekends… then this store named simply “S” is only open on Saturdays. Tucked away in one of these narrow alleyways.   It’s a quaint retro throw back to Showa era kind of town.  

The shopkeeper is like a curator of a gallery. She tells a story on each of the display items that are whimsical and rather …unique.

Nostalgic air fills the narrow streets where new space is emerging – charming “shitamachi”* here off the grid from the “Monjya” main street.
What’s “Monjya”? It’s a signature dish in this parts of town consisting of a grill for table, and pancake like batter to be grilled with all kinds of savory morsels of meats, shellfish, veggies, mochi noodles and even … cheese and the latest new ingredient option … tortilla. It’s a total mix-up, thus, “monja”! Japanese are a master at incorporating foreign ingredients and making it their own … whether be curry, mayonnaise or demiglaze sauce  

It’s Moon Island of a place …  we recognize so much can co-exist and still be traditional and harmonious.

* “shitamachi” – what is “shitamachi”? Usually points to an older part of town that’s more a commoner’s merchant district vs. the more upscale and fashionable or polished uptown areas such as Aoyama, Hiroo, Daikanyama, etc. Contrast to the more elite areas, there’s a more vintage feel to this area as the area tends to be untouched or left behind in the rapid architectural commercial development taking place in rest of the city. For that reason, it’s charm is undeniable.