Unstuck

I have been listening to a lecture (?) given by Pema Chodron called "Getting Unstuck."  (You can find it on Audible.com and I highly recommend it!)

What has struck me most about this series of talks she gives on meditation, is the principle of becoming "unstuck."  She talks about letting thoughts pass through your mind like clouds in the sky.  They happen; you can't stop thinking (or at least I can't yet!), but you can stop being hooked by these thoughts.  Allow them to pass by without getting sucked into the thought process.

I've been trying to notice which thoughts "hook" me most in my daily practice.  It's almost always planning what comes next in my day.  I'm on the mat, I'm enjoying my yoga, but inevitably my mind wanders to what happens after yoga.  What do I have to do today?  What is on the calendar for this week?  When am I going to be able to go grocery shopping?  Did I remember to schedule a sitter for the parent-teacher conference on Friday?

And pretty soon I'm no longer on my mat, I'm already onto the next activity.

Now that I know that I get hooked easily by planning, the next step is to recognize when I've been hooked and come back out of it.  Let go.  Come back to my breath.

Bodhi Yoga

Sleep

Sometimes I think yoga is merely a wakeful sleep.

When we sleep our breathing deepens and lengthens.

In yoga, we lengthen and deepen our breath.

When we sleep our mind is free to explore the subconcious.

In yoga, we seek to free our mind.

When we sleep our body is at rest.

In yoga, we seek to bring rest and relaxation to our body.  We release tension.

When we sleep, our body is busy ridding itself of toxins, food, and waste from the day.

In yoga, we detoxify, ignite digestion, and speed-along waste removal through twists, bends, and deep breathing.

Obviously one does not replace the other, but I do think they improve together.  I certainly sleep better when I've practiced yoga that day, and my yoga practice is always more beneficial when I've had a good night's rest.  Lovely symbiosis of sorts.  :)

Bodhi Yoga  

The yoga of Procrastination

I am the Queen of Procrastination-- if not the reigning queen, at least some sort of royalty.   It's a habit that I cannot break because I have not tried.  Honestly, I didn't even consider it a "habit" (don't you hate that word--- honestly, when do we ever use it in a good sense?) until recently.

I've been procrastinating writing these blog posts, not because I dislike writing (it's actually one of my preferred activities), or because I dislike the topic of yoga (usually you can't get me to stop talking about yoga), and not because I don't have anything to say or contribute.  I have been procrastinating writing these blogs merely because it was an assignment given to me.  

Raise your hand if you can relate.

You could be happily engaging in your favorite activity when somebody else says, "Oh good, you're doodling endlessly on a notebook.  Would you mind filling up the entire cover before tonight?  I'll give you ten dollars!"  All of a sudden that fun task is now a job with a deadline.  Of course I would agree, wouldn't you?  Ten dollars for doodling on a notebook that is almost filled anyway?!  Heck ya!

But of course, within minutes, I would get bored and decide that it would be waaaay better to doodle on my shoe, or the other notebook I have, or my bare leg.  All of a sudden it's ten minutes before "tonight" and I still haven't finished the cover.  

Oftentimes you will find list making as a remedy to procrastination.  Am I the only one that finds that completely counter productive??  As soon as I write down a list of things that NEED to get done today, it feels like a demand.  I will almost always do everything else that needs to be done around the house EXCEPT for the things on the list.  I've heard one writer call this the "Ninja" approach to procrastination.  If you're putting off a task, do other things that need to be done, instead of doing unproductive things like endlessly googling pictures of celebrities or something.  

What IS it about being told to do something that makes me so averse to doing it!?  Well, here's my yogic take on this form of procrastination.

In order to resolve the problem, break the habit, stop kicking the wheel, stop the cycle of perpetuation, or whatever phrase you'd like to insert here, I need to see the situation clearly.  Is it a problem?  Really?  Why is it a problem?  Am I hurting people?  Am I hurting myself?  What are the consequences of continuing life without changing this part of me?  Do I like this part of me?

Pondering upon these questions will help you see the situation from different angles.  It's not judging the habit--- that can be counterproductive because judgment brings guilt or shame or embarrassment or other feelings with it.  You can't see something clearly when it is clouded by emotion.  Be honest and truthful.  It can be helpful to do some free-form journaling while pondering these questions.

Procrastination tends to correlate to the 3rd Chakra, the solar plexus.  Spending a few moments daily on awakening this chakra may help alleviate some of the symptoms.

Yoga poses that strengthen your core will help awaken your 3rd chakra.

Boat Pose and Lion's breath are explained very well here.
You could also do strong, standing poses like Warrior I and Warrior II.  Focusing on the strength needed to hold these poses.  Feel the strength radiating out from your core, granting you stability and power.

Taking time to meditate, using a mudra (hand position) that corresponds to the third chakra, will help awaken and enliven this power center in your body.   Come to a seated kneeling position (bottom on your heels), bring your hands together in front of your stomach fingertips together pointing away from you (like prayer position with the fingertips pointing away from your body), cross your thumbs and straighten your fingers.  With this hand position, focus on the third chakra and think about what it means and represents.  Chant the sound "RAM" (sounds like "Mom").

Bodhi Yoga offers a chakra healing deck of cards that is a wonderful tool in helping to awaken the chakras.

Journey

Everything in life is a journey, and if you can learn to enjoy it, you will love life.

That's not a famous quote or anything, that's just what I think.  So often I get trapped into looking for the end result, that I forget the journey.  

Parenting is a journey.  In my desire to raise righteous, wise, and loving children (an "end result"), I forget that I won't be able to gauge my success in that goal until the process is over.  Sure, there are signs along the way.  When big brother decides to give little sister a hug instead of a punching her, or when sisters bring you a bag of Halloween candy and ask, "Pweese? Some?"  instead of eating the whole bag by themselves in the corner of their closet.  Those are moments that give a glimpse of a "job well-done," so to speak.

But oftentimes I forget to enjoy the moments that will bring about the "end result."  When big brother decides to kick the sister who has taken his toy and you have to explain about hurt and pain.  You have to show him the pain he's caused and help him see the consequences of his actions.  Which all sounds so much more pleasant than what happens (i.e. "Uh-oh!  Did you just kick your sister?! We do NOT kick.  Kicking hurts people; look at your sister.  Would you like it if she kicked you?  etc. etc.)

My yoga journey is the same.  I love being able to share wonderful insights or bits of knowledge about anatomy and yoga philosophy while teaching.  I love being able to make my way into a forearm stand and hold it confidently in the middle of the room.  I love seeing lean, strong muscles in my arms and legs.  

But I forget to love the moments that gave me those things.  I need to love the dolphin plank pose, held for many, many breaths that helped build the forearm stand.  I need to love the hours of study required for my certification that gives me those bits of knowledge I like to share.  I need to love gentle monotony of a regular flow that strengthened my soft bits into muscle.  

The other thing about journeys is that nobody is ever taking the same one.  My yoga journey (and parenting journey) are different than yours, and even though we might appear to be at the same place in our journeys, we got here in very different ways.  That means there is no place for judgment, only appreciation.  

Bodhi Yoga

The Healing Arts

My father passed away recently.  I say recently because it still feels as raw as the day it happened.  Really, it was quite a few months ago.  He died, fairly unexpectedly, from cancer.  It was unexpected in how quickly it all happened, but obviously, we knew he had cancer, so the possibility was always there.

The most bittersweet memories of my life are the few days that I spent at his bedside while he withered away.  I cannot think of those days without shedding tears, but also being filled with gratitude.  My entire family was there.  It was incredibly spiritual and sacred to be with my father as he passed in and out of this world.

During class today, I rested in Savasana with my students.  As I lay there, I remembered gently massaging acupressure points on my Dad's legs and face.  I re-lived the moments of helping him through the pain and nausea.  I was able, during that time, to give my one and only partner-yoga session.  I'm not technically trained in thai massage or thai partner yoga-- and this definitely was not a "normal" session-- but I used what little knowledge and training I had in hands-on adjusting and Marma points, to relieve some of his muscle aches.  He had been in bed for a long time, unable to move himself and unwilling to let the nurse move him.

Because of my training, and a spiritual gift I had been ignoring, I was able to "hear" him when he couldn't speak.  I could feel my Dad's energies, letting me know where  and how to move his joints to relieve pressure.

Since his passing, I have had several experiences with his spirit, letting me know that I have been blessed with the "healer's art."  It's a gift I have been given, and it's there for me to cultivate.

Yoga is a healing art.  I have been healed through yoga, and I have witnessed others be healed.  My mentor, Syl Carson, was healed physically from many ailments through yoga.  I have been healed mentally.  I'm still healing emotionally.

Yoga in sanskrit means "to yoke."  To bring all parts of your being together.  In my words: to make whole.

Learn more about Therapuetic Partner Yoga here:  http://www.gobodhiyoga.com/utah-yoga-partner-training/

Ignorance

Do you ever wish sometimes you didn't know something?  I find enlightenment exhilarating and wonderful, but then once you know something...you can't un-know it.  So inevitably, it changes you and your habits, behaviors, etc.  

I remember when I didn't know that gluten was hurting my body (a personal allergy I have).  It was so nice to eat whatever I wanted and not worry about it!  Aaah, the joy of eating a piece of cake without guilt, and without the accompanying pains and discomforts.  I still felt the same physical pains and discomforts, but because I didn't know where they came from--- the delight of eating the cake was unmarred.  sigh :)  

Obviously, things are so much better now that I DO know.  My body doesn't hurt; things are functioning properly and I can recognize the signs of this allergy in my children.  But I will never again be able to not know again.  

The same goes for spiritual and emotional knowledge.  Sometimes along our journey toward mindful living we have an epiphany or we suddenly see something in our life very clearly.  It changes us instantly because we'll never be able to unlearn it--- but sometimes the process of living it is so much harder.  We find ourselves yearning for the easier days of not knowing.  Alas, we are already changed, just by knowing.

Bodhi Yoga

Thai Yoga and Acro Yoga

I have been assisting in weekly class given by Sandy Kalik called "Power and Play."  It. Is. Awesome.    Not only is Sandy one of my favorite teachers, but it's been such a wonderful introduction into AcroYoga.

We do about 30-40 minutes of flow (which is a power vinyasa flow because the studio where this class is given is a power yoga studio) geared toward whatever inversions we are working on that day. Then we spend 15-20 minutes practicing and playing with inversions like handstand, forearm stand, headstand, and sometimes arm balances.  Then we use the remaining time to work with partners and play with some simple acrobatic yoga poses.

I love this class because I've always harbored a secret desire to be a circus performer (seriously...), but ALSO because it allows me to practice an aspect of yoga that I'm really terrible at--- opening yourself up to support others and be supported.

My favorite part of this class is watching the community build from week to week.  We all started out without any knowledge of AcroYoga.  We were all strangers; we didn't know each others names.  And it is so easy to maintain your sense of individuality and isolation in a yoga class.  You come, you practice, you leave.  check it off your list.

But in this class, when you have your feet on someone else's bottom, it's very hard to stay alone.  Little by little we learned each other's names and stories.  Every week we'd have new people, and the regulars would welcome them and learn their names and stories.  The simple exercise of allowing myself to give my weight over to another person, letting my feet come off the ground, taught me the importance of giving and accepting help.

Alone we could not have the same kind of experience that we could have as a group.

I was introduced to this concept when I first learned about Thai Partner Yoga at Bodhi Yoga.  It was eye opening to see how hands-on adjustment, when both the giver and the receiver are in a yoga pose,  can benefit both people at once.  That's definitely the next training I'd like to attend!