Shunya Mudra

This morning as I sat with Shunya Mudra, a lovely yoga song was playing in the background, on my "quiet yoga" playlist. Yet as I calmly brought my awareness to the Visshudha chakra, governing the throat, shoulders, mouth and ears, a dinging caught my attention, distracting me from my lovely meditations. I angrily wished that this song had been equalized properly, for this dinging was obviously doing no good!

Which brought my directly back to the purpose of this mudra.


Hearing problems are related to a person who is no longer able to hear or who even doesn't want to hear. This can be a blessing or a catastrophe. Poor hearing can protect us from unpleasant things or even from disagreeable sounds or information that find their way into us. On the other hand, we can also no longer hear beautiful things. Not wanting to hear is sometimes based on a particular kind of stubbornness that can lead to disaster. Consequently, if we are willing to scrutinize the reason for our hearing problems, this can lead us one step further toward a richer life.The middle finger is associated with the sky (ether). This is the gateway to the higher dimensions-the gateway to Heaven. The ancient myths say, if we want to get to Heaven, we first need to be thoroughly purified. This is why it may be appropriate to "look within" and make amends for old offenses. 




So with yogi-like attention, I redirected my emotions to find gratitude for this song, at this moment, and its lessons in grace and acceptance.

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti
शान्ति







*image here

Laurelhurst Park Yoga Sunday

This Sunday, 1pm I will be in Laurelhurst Park teaching a donation based vinyasa class! All levels welcome.

Focus is placed upon the energetic movement of the physical shapes in which we we find our bodies, and how that affects our breath, consciousness and everyday life.

This mixed level class is excellent for trying new postures and laughing. Beginners welcome! Grassy ground is a perfect place to challenge your balance, find your roots, and share a new experience.

Yoga mats optional, blankets/towels can be useful if damp.

**Location - usually near the duck pond! We'll try to find a shady spot if its hot.**

Please arrive a little early to find us

More info on the Meet Up website: meetup.com/yogapdx

Yogis love bikes!

shapes

Its amazing how bodies are designed to touch, lean, and move together.




I hope to see much more partner yoga in my future!

Yoga with Alice

Tuesday and Thursday nights 7:30pm, I will be teaching Vinyasa at Yoga Bhoga!

I am so honored to join my beloved teachers in this space. 

A huge wall of windows let in amazing summer sunlight, and the studio is so serene.

1028 SE Water Avenue #265 

Portland, Oregon 97214

Vipassana

"Vipassana, which means "to see things as they really are," is an ancient technique of meditation which was taught by Gautama the Buddha more than 2500 years ago as a universal remedy for human suffering, i.e., an Art of Living. It is the process of self-purification by self-observation. One begins by observing the natural breath to concentrate the mind. Then, with a sharpened awareness, one proceeds to observe the changing nature of body and mind and experiences the universal truths of impermanence, suffering and egolessness. This truth-realization by direct experience results in mental purification.

The technique is a universal remedy for universal problems and has nothing to do with any organized religion or sectarianism. It can be freely practiced by anyone without conflict due to race, community or religion, and will prove equally beneficial to one and all. You can find out more about the technique by visiting the international Vipassana Meditation Home Page."

I recently read an account of an experience at a Vipassana retreat. It is a 10 day retreat for beginners, with 2 meals provided, lodging (tents) and several hours-long closed eye meditation. Some people's experiences are intense! I have no idea if I would be able to keep it together. I went to a Buddhist meditation class once or twice, and kept nodding off. But by all accounts, this is an experience worth more than any teacher training, trip to India, or whatever floats your boat.

Just as I reflected this morning on my little meditation pillow, I should practice more. My semi-regular practice of 5 minute practices ground me, creating that sacred space in my life that is so hard to maintain sometimes. Soon, I will have more free time to devote to moving deeper within my practice, and finding a path that will support my inner and outer development.


Source: Oregon Vipassana Meditation

manifesto

I know everyone is familiar with the eye-catching little Lululemon bags, but I haven't ever read the manifesto in list form. Its something I need right now, in this moment.

• Drink FRESH water and as much water as you can. Water flushes unwanted toxins from your body and keeps your brain sharp.
• i like warm water with raw, local honey in the morning
• A daily hit of athletic-induced endorphins gives you the power to make better decisions, helps you be at peace with yourself, and offsets stress.
• Do one thing a day that scares you.
• done... more details coming soon
• Listen, listen, listen, and then ask strategic questions
• Write down your short and long-term GOALS four times a year. Two personal, two business and two health goals for the next 1, 5 and 10 years. Goal setting triggers your subconscious computer.
• this is something I love to do... lists and more lists
  
• Life is full of setbacks. Success is determined by how you handle setbacks.
• Your outlook on life is a direct reflection of how much you like yourself.
• That which matters the most should never give way to that which matters the least.
• Stress is related to 99% of all illness.
• Jealousy works the opposite way you want it to.
• The world is changing at such a rapid rate that waiting to implement changes will leave you 2 steps behind. DO IT NOW, DO IT NOW, DO IT NOW!
• Friends are more important than money.
• Breathe deeply and appreciate the moment. Living in the moment could be the meaning of life.
• Take various vitamins. You never know what small mineral can eliminate the bottleneck to everlasting health.
• I don't believe in vitamin extracts... I prefer to get mine from vegetables and whole foods.
• Don’t trust that an old age pension will be sufficient.
• Visualize your eventual demise. It can have an amazing effect on how you live for the moment.
• The conscious brain can only hold one thought at a time. Choose a positive thought.
• Live near the ocean and inhale the pure salt air that flows over the water, Vancouver will do nicely.
• Observe a plant before and after watering and relate these benefits to your body and brain.
• Practice yoga so you can remain active in physical sports as you age.
• Dance, sing, floss and travel.
• Children are the orgasm of life. Just like you did not know what an orgasm was before you had one, nature does not let you know how great children are until you have them.
• Successful people replace the words “wish”, “should” and “try” with “I will”.
• Creativity is maximized when you’re living in the moment.
• and most genius discoveries occur when bored. Boredom is not the same as lazieness, but a commitment to exploring your mind.
• Nature wants us to be mediocre because we have a greater chance to survive and reproduce. Mediocre is as close to the bottom as it is to the top, and will give you a lousy life.
• Do not use cleaning chemicals on your kitchen counters. Someone will inevitably make a sandwich on your counter.
• just like my mama told me.
• SWEAT once a day to regenerate your skin.
• Communication is COMPLICATED. We are all raised in a different family with slightly different definitions of every word. An agreement is an agreement only if each party knows the conditions for satisfaction and a time is set for satisfaction to occur.
• What we do to the earth we do to ourselves.
• The pursuit of happiness is the source of all unhappiness.

big spoon little spoon

Sweetest sun salutes... and amazing control!



via YesYoga

Saucha

Saucha's the first of the niyamas, the active observances. It involves keeping things clean, inside and out. "For me, [the concept of] saucha means both physical and mental hygiene," says Cope. "You want to keep your thoughts uncluttered so you can feel free from afflictive emotions; you keep your body and environment in order, to create a sense of calm." A mind trained by meditation has more complexity and orderliness. Physical orderliness can also affect the mind. So get rid of clutter, scrub floors, simplify your life—all these are expressions of saucha.

But don't get too hung up on the idea of literal purity. "When you work at purifying the body, you begin to understand that it will never be perfectly clean," Kraftsow says. "Patanjali says, look more deeply at what the body is: The more you clean it, the more you realize that it is an impermanent, decaying thing. Saucha helps break up excessive fixation with your body, or the bodies of others."

When you learn to dis identify with the body, the Yoga Sutra suggests, you can get in touch with your essence—the part of you that's pure and free from aging, disease, and decay. When you understand your true undying nature, it's easier to stop striving for physical perfection and instead rest in joyful awareness.

Source: yoga journal 

My mind keeps returning to this passage I read recently, endeavoring to find the wisdom of understanding impermanence. Keeping perspective on the constantly piles of laundry, the persistent dust bunnies that gather under the bed, washing of dishes, pulling of weeds... knowing all these cycles of decay only foster space for further creation. I feel such an incredible sense of peace when the dressers are clear and clean, the floor is crisp and smooth under my bare feet, yet sometimes the path to that moment seems too long, or too much.

I think this niyama is at the forefront of my mind for other purposes as well, I am always studying alternative heath options, seasonal, local eating with the influence of Ayurveda. I battle with the natural desires of the mind for the foods we habitually crave and reward ourselves with. Tortilla chips and cheese is one of my weakest links! Both items are very tamasic (heavy, dull, inert), but I love homemade tahini with pretty much any vegetable you throw at me, so I make an effort to have fresh snacks ready when cravings hit. Sattvic body, sattvic mind.

Sattva : Essence (subtle)

Rajas : Activity

Tamas : Inertia (gross)

Source: Three Gunas of Ayurveda

One of my homework assignments this month for my yoga teacher training is a daily practice of Tradak. Through Tratak, you increase your ability to hold your mind on one thing, concentrated, as long as possible. This not only builds up concentration but also willpower and the ability to use your energy and yourself economically. (But this should be done in an easy, relaxed way.)

{Here's a link with more info, and a Paul McCartney you tube demo!}

Tratak is both a meditation, and a cleansing practice. Saucha for the eyes, relieving stress and providing therapeutic exercise.

I enjoy washing my tear ducts without the precursor of wild emotion. I am no stranger to tears, but they usually come at the cost of my emotional balance. I appreciate the sense of relief a good cry can bring, so I was very interested in the practice of watering the eyes through a discipline. Yes, it hurts at first, but as the practice deepens, the sensations evolve.

Durga devi

Durga is an incarnation of Devi or the Mother Goddess, a unified symbol of all divine forces. For Shaivas Durga is the wife of Shiva. For Vaishnavas and Shaktas Durga is another form of Uma or Parvati.

The Hindu Goddess Durga manifested when evil forces threathened the very existance of the Gods. To destroy these demons, all gods offered their radiance to her creation and each formed part of Durga's body. Durga also obtained very powerful weapons, such as the chakra from Vishnu and a trident from Shiva.

The name "Durga" in Sanskrit means "invincible". The syllable "du" is synonymous with the 4 devils of poverty, sufferings, famine and evil habits. The "r" refers to diseases and the "ga" is the destroyer of sins, injustice, irreligion, cruelty and laziness.

Durga killed the powerful demon Mahish and all his great commanders. Demonic forces are self-destructive but very powerful. Divine forces are constructive but slow and efficient. When demonic forces create imbalance, all gods unite, becoming one divine force called Shakti or Durga

AUM
AING HRING KLEENG
CHAMUNDAYE VICHCHEY
AUM

yoga everywhere

tittibhasana
olympic peninsula, washington

limbs

"Asanas are part of a broader system of yoga called hatha yoga. Other yoga systems include asanas too. No one owns them. In hatha yoga there are some additional practices that are more direct approaches to moving prana in the body."

It is no surprise that yoga asanas are so popular. We live in a world where human experience is based mainly on physicality. Our senses are yet to be drawn inward to the point where inner experiences will become as real (or more real) than experiences in the external world. So we are always looking for a physical solution. Yoga asanas begin to take us from physicality to more subtle experiences of divine energy in the nervous system. This is why asanas are so relaxing. It is their main draw. People do asanas for relaxation, for some inner peace. Yoga asanas are very good for that. They are also very good for preparing the body and mind for pranayama and meditation. This is the way we will look at them – as a preparation in our daily routine for pranayama and meditation.


Source

keys

Just received my new yoga book from Amazon! 

Travis was enthralled with this book last night! We took turns reading out of the book, and exploring the activated muscles in our favorite poses. 

The anatomy workshops I have attended in the past few months have familiarized me with many of the muscle names, but the complexity of their interactions, and the deeper investigation of their structures is baffling!

As the cover demonstrates, the book encourages you to try each pose and feel these unique muscular adjustments for yourself to experience a new level of muscle control.

It also delves into the biomechanics of stretching, the bandhas, and some restorative poses. Delightful! I recommend it to anyone, beginner to experienced yogi: there is some amazing information about our bodies.

Command your ilio-psoas and you can conquer the world...

Its just a matter of taming the bull

shades of red

"of all the losses rupturing the human soul today, this alienation [disconnection from the body] may be the most alarming because it separates  us from the very roots of existence. with jobs that are degrading, routines that are automatic, and environments that annihilate our senses, we lose the joy that arises from dynamic connection with the only living presence we are guaranteed to have for the whole of our lives: our body"


Eastern Body Western Mind: Psychology and the Chakra System as a Path to the Self {link}

primary series

Coming home to my mat
lighting my tiny tea lights
rearranging crystals
taking that deep in breath

something about the ashtanga series
freeing the mind
focusing the breath

opens the back of my body

for days following, every breath
every erect spine
the roll of my shoulders

takes me back to that magical moment

the deep in breath
the flowing out breath
raising the arms
folding the body.