Traveling Within the Walls

Every Sunday morning, I travel, passing thru locked doors and gates into a world surrounded by concrete and barb wire.  Welcome to the Anchorage, Alaska Correctional Complex, a huge juggernaut of non description, tucked into a hill with the endless Alaska skyline of mountains in the distance.  

Wait! Let’s back up…and start with some context.  

First, you have to know something about me, I love to travel! 

The exhilaration of going to new places, hanging out in interesting destinations, and having unique experiences that only such places can give, brings me great joy. Going out into the world whether it be across the globe, locally or just to some weird occurrence, all make my heart sing. These moments expand my horizons, literally and symbolically. When I get to combine this love of travel with yoga, that’s even more blissful. Retreats, visiting other studios in different cities, and the novelty of practicing in picture tag worthy locations, these are all fantastic and truthfully fun experiences.

But, there is a catch.  

An unavoidable contrast  emerges when traveling with a yoga mat under my arm. The distinction between my own privilege with those who lack any of the same such liberty sharpens in my mind. Once observed and recognized, it is everywhere. The contrast and disparity now appear wherever I roam, whether here in my own city or out there in the vast wide world. 

It’s hard to ignore an eye opening experience.  It changes us. The awareness flows into every corner of our lives.  As I step on my mat the realization of privilege challenges my personal affirmations and lifestyle. It leads to a question. How can I continue in my traveling yoga lifestyle  and freedom unless I help others claim their own personal independence? Instead of traveling outward and filling my life with endless adventures and experiences, I want to start sharing my yoga with those who lack the ability to go anywhere.  

Where to start?  Sure, I could go on some service trip to a developing nation. I have done such things.  Back in my thirties, I partially owned a business leading others to do just this.  But even this can be an opportunity of privilege.  I want something raw.  After reflecting, it came to me.  Prisons!  Right here, just miles from my house are three such places,  Actually, a variety of homes that I lived and stayed in during my life had correctional facilities  nearby. If you look at where you live, I bet you will be surprised to see that correctional centers are near you too.  

So, it begins.  

Every Sunday I travel within concrete walls. Unseen eyes behind camera lenses watch as I pass through the double sets of shatter proof doors with a yoga mat under my arm.  After wandering through a labyrinth of heavy hallways and up staircases I enter the chapel. Really, it’s a multi-purpose room with non-descriptive institutional chairs, colors and whiteboards around the chamber.  Boxes of Bibles are tucked away in corners, religious pamphlets litter a table by the door and some grave verses taken out of context  are written in wet marker on the boards.  Fluorescents shine above brightly, giving light but no illumination. 

I take the next fifteen minutes getting  everything ready. I unroll mats and stagger them around the room, walk to the corners of the room reciting mantras then take several sun salutations on different mats.  The clock reads 9:30am, almost time.  The rattle of keys and the clicks of locks open heavy doors in the hallway. Twelve men in yellow scrubs walk into the room escorted by a guard.  They great me, shake my hand, some of them bowing slightly with hands pressed in front of their hearts.  

We begin, traveling inward with every pose. Together we are free.  We are explorers going beyond this chamber into realms untouched by the woes of this world.  We enjoy the experience and every moment even if just for 90 minutes. Then, it’s over.  Keys! Locks! Guards! Farewells with an Om and a Namaste. These are my students. This is my studio. 

Every Sunday I travel within concrete walls…

You can check out my adventures, teaching schedule and  my new blog on my website.  If interested in prison yoga please follow our work at Turiya of Alaska  on Instagram or Facebook 

Namaste Everybody!

On Travel and Being Here Now

Travel!!! See the world around you.

Why bother?  It's true, you can probably find what you want and are looking for where you live as far as the comforts and modern conveniences of life.  But...seeing the world around you with feet on the ground teaches a profound lesson if you are open.

Doubtful...well...read just a little more.

Curious about traveling and the boon of the road? Yes, then, continue reading.  Remember, this is just my experience, you will have to  pack your Patagonia Blackhole bag and see where you land to get what I am writing about.

As I hacked at these reflections on my last long trip, my darling wife and I were rolling across the Northwest from Vancouver back to Seattle riding leisurely in the lounge car of the Cascades Amtrak line (a wonderful way to travel).  We took eight days off from our lives in ANC and set out for a leisurely get away.  At first, it we wanted some far off destination with sunshine and maybe beaches  but honestly that's not really us.  We wanted to do the things we love most of which revolve around nice long eye gazing meals, artsy neighborhoods and random classes at chic yoga/fitness studio boutiques.

Ultimately, we bought some inexpensive tickets to Seattle (only one jump away which for an Alaskan is important since it takes a lot of effort to leave this attached island), rented some hipster envy AirB@Bs and  added some international flare by getting return train tickets from Seattle to Vancouver.

Mind you,  we could theoretically in a certain sense do all the things here in Anchorage that we did on our trip.  It's true. Currently, we reside in a funky art cottage within in a artsy hood called Spenard. There, we know the groovy restaurants and what classes to take from the best instructors.  Still...there is something about going somewhere else and doing it all the same sort of way in a different context, most of all there is one lesson above all that doing this  teaches.

What is it?

Learning to be where you are when you are there or as that joyous mystique Ram Das declares, "Be here now."

When traveling, one needs to be present to the details and open to the randomness that the road brings.  Sure you can plan everything to a perfect plan.  Many people do.  We probably know people who do this and we know how exhausting that can be.  I am referring to a different path. Instead, I am thinking about the journey  when you leave open moments for the magic to shine through.   One needs to plan enough to have a framework.  I absolutely agree that a certain amount of intention setting and organizing needs to be done so one can enjoy the trip without anxiety.  After this minimal planning,  it's essential just let it roll out before you and  enjoy every moment that you are in.  Or else, you will miss out on the miracles, the secret gems of discovery, the right restaurants off the guide books, the groovy streets that nobody ever talks about back home, the pleasure of meeting people you don't know and just those indescribable serendipitous moments that only a traveler knows.

But...step off the present, start answering emails, texts, tagging oneself and guess what?  The now vanishes and the other worldly portals of the road grow dim.  To experience all that a trip brings one needs to be right there and attentive to the now of the journey.  I know this to be true and have been in awe of how things just worked out, and in honesty have also missed so much, focusing on "life" instead of being in the "it" of where I was at the time on all those trips over the years.

So...what's the point?  Travel, let go of needing to be in control and see what everybody is telling you to see, step away from your guidebook and trip organizers then let yourself be free in the world of blessed coincidences.

Then, come back to where you are and bring this attentiveness to the moment with you. Be here now and let your life be one of openness.

Om Shanti...


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Walking Here and There

So...about five months ago my car got hit and stopped being road worthy.  Honestly, it was sort of a relief once the immediate crisis of the scenario settled in my mind.  Although that car hauled me around for five years it was a lemon from the time of purchase.  Often, it's mechanical oddities stressed me out, and although I wanted to be all mindful and let it go, this question of whether or not I would actually get to where I was going always rested in my mind.  Probably the best thing about the car was that I developed quite a Japa yoga practice chanting Om, Sohum and the Ganesh mantra while driving around and wondering if it would make it.  So, rather joyfully, I sold it for parts and pocketed the money I received for damages.

At first, I went to the bank and started the uncomfortable process of financing and that entire intrusive dance.  After the dismal investigation of exaggerated car costs and interest laden payments, I had second thoughts about the whole structure of our society and the cost of cars.  I am not an eco-warrior and not trying to make a statement but after a rather heated conversation with a bank official and shady vibes from more than one car salesman I decided to put one foot in front of the other and begin walking since I am lucky enough to live only twenty five minutes from work by foot.

Now, remember, I live in Alaska and this all happened in October.  Winter and cold were approaching but I was determined to make a change.  I purchased a warm slick jacket then made sure I had toasty gloves and hat.  Smart Wool socks and beat up Extra Toughs came next.  I was ready.  Yes, I walked through snow and cold then into the bursting spring of Alaska.  Most of all, I started to use my legs, felt connected to my body on a deeper level and saw the world around me again with fresh eyes.

When one walks, a whole vision opens up! One starts to see.  Of course, we always see but do we see?  The obvious images of the same old landscape that I saw everyday now began to take on a character and a depth.  The nuances of sky at different times of day initiated  awakening before me, the shifts in air and the subtleties of the atmospheric moisture made sense to my body.  I started to see the beauty again of Anchorage, Alaska even in the midst of grimy streets, wandering street people and dirty snow.  The never ending whirl of light and darkness in this frontier landscape became real again for me as I watched the sunshine diminish in winter  then return again behind the mountains as spring came back.

Then, there were the people of the street.  The wandering folk of Anchorage who one sees on corners or at cross walks making their way through the elements.  Sometimes drunk , sometimes moody, sometimes just getting by but always friendly, there is a certain communal aspect that they share and I get to be part of it as one of the walkers.  We greet each other, sometimes just a nod or at times a random conversation about weather while waiting for a red light so we can cross some raging road.

Walking clears the mind and focuses one on the here and now.  I believe this completely and this experience has furthered my conviction on this point.  I think I will continue to walk and keep this connection to myself and the greater world.

Take sometime and just walk here and there.  Find a way to let your feet carry you and enjoy the journey.

Om Shanti...

Dharma Training

Over a year ago, I started to play with the idea of going on and getting the next level of yoga and completing a 500 RYT certificate somewhere.

Thus, the investigation began.  Numerous website visits, emails and inquiries led me on several fantastical mental journeys of who I might study with for this important next step.  After several conversations with my trusted advisors, friends and family then a whole set of mental jumping jacks, I chose Dharma Mittra in NYC as the right person to study with for this advanced training.

Dharma Mittra, I didn't really know a lot about this interesting and somewhat mysterious gentleman that so many hailed as their teacher.  As a young man he immigrated from Brazil to the United States, landed in NYC  then immediately met and started studying with his guru.  He spent years in an ashram, learning the ancient skills of yoga eventually going on to open his own studio and training program.  This was all over the course of decades. Some say that he is the last of a certain era.

Now, he is getting ready to move on to the next stage of his life, his children are grown, numerous disciples run his programs and the studio space  that so many have trained in is being bought out by a neighboring consulting firm.  This would be the last year that a particular style of training would take place.  This is the context I traveled off from Anchorage to the Big Apple this past fall for two different week long immersions in the lineage of Sri Dharma Mittra.

I  trained over the course of a few months combining long days of immersion, independent work and teaching projects.  It's nice to reflect on my experience now that it's almost complete.  Admittedly,  I started with many expectations for myself and for the training.  Expectations are dangerous things; they paint pictures with and in the mind of possible experiences of events and outcomes that are phantasmal.  I can be completely honest here and say that all and none of my expectations were met!

What did I expect anyway?  Basically, it came down to three.

1. Feel Legit! Yeah, I know this may sound strange but there is this little voice somewhere inside me that always doubts my path, career and validity of being a teacher.  All of us probably have such a inner whisper at times.

Well...now that's over, do I feel legit?  Not at all and completely! At first, I felt even less so after training and being with so many advanced asana and serious yogis who bend like pretzels while sitting around speaking about veganism for long periods of time.  But that was my own mind comparing and creating negative stories about what a yoga teacher is supposed to be.  In this limited respect, I felt less than legit.  But...if I go past this and look at the deeper teaching of yoga and what Dharma shared in his talks then I am more legit than I ever thought before going.  I got what he was talking about on  a cellular level even if I can't bend like play dough or describe raw foods very well.  When in doubt, I just need look at my certificate and remind myself that I did the training, completed the course and currently work as a successful yoga teacher.

2. Connect to the greater yoga world.  Of course, I live and trained in Alaska and wonder what yoga teachers from all over the world are doing.  I was hoping to make all sorts of professional acquaintances and develop a connection with teachers from all over the globe.  Well...it didn't happen.   Yeah, I have a vast number of new social media contacts but on a deeper level, I didn't really make many lasting rendezvous while there.  The training was long (twelve to fourteen hours a day for eight days) and truth be told most of us just wanted to be alone or connect with loved ones when we were off.

Still, I did connect to the greater world of yoga in a way never imagined. Walking around NYC during breaks watching all of its aliveness, journeying back home to Alaska and being with my students again,  I realized that the real world of yoga goes way beyond the walls of pastel colored yoga studios.  Life and all of its dance is the ultimate asana practice.  Yes, I feel connected now to the greater world of yoga but in a way I never imagined.

3. Deepen my teaching. Sometimes it seemed I had slipped into a rut with my teaching and needed new inspiration to take me to another level. The hardest part about this desire was that I didn't really do very well in my teaching practices while in training.  I received poor feedback and less than complimentary words on my style and skills from my instructors.

Ok, without sounding like a martyr this isn't a new experience for me.  I don't really do well in staged and mock teaching settings.  I have a hard time taking them seriously and regardless of how they are set up know it's not real.  Besides, I feel judged in those moments and don't like it.   I am probably not the best student. I know this is harsh but being on the path means to be honest about our own perceptions and recognizing how we learn. I do better and feel what I am learning by doing it in the field.

So in the end, I still feel like I am winging it a lot of the time. Maybe,  we never arrive at some summit of knowledge that we then poor down upon others.  No, it's from that place of being vulnerable and knowing that we don't know that our teaching starts to deepen.  At least, this is my experience.

Yes, I am a 500 RYT now.  I would like to share with you  all sorts of answers and expertise but instead less knowing is all I seemed to get out of it.  There are no external answers, formulae and solutions when seeking, just more questions and doubts. I accept this and see that this is the depth I sought.

What's next?

Discovering your Way

There is no fetter like illusion, no force greater than Yoga, no friend greater than knowledge, and no enemy fiercer than ego.  v.4 Gheranda Samhita

There is a path we all want to live in our existence, walk and breath, one that has been written upon the very halls of destiny.  Perhaps, it dwells deep within the marrow, far set into the furthest recesses of our minds, hard to tell from whence it comes.  But…it is there.  Even the most skeptical of persons must admit that each and every one of us carries propensities towards a particular nature that tends to far exceed nurture.  

The ancients, they knew of such things.  This identity behind the personalities of culture and creed were called a variety of things.  Soul, daemon, genius, atma, Self, the list goes on yet the mystery remains the same.  There is something within that transcends and intends beyond the masks of our temporal lives that drives us to be who we are meant to be.  If one is truthful and reflects upon the path of life from birth to now, one must agree.  

Finding this path, one’s way or dharma is the goal and beginning of life.  To realize what is the task of bliss for each every person is the focus of all great legends and epic tales.  

Why am I here? What is my purpose? What is the meaning of my life? 

All questions, reflections from the magnetic draw of serendipity.  

We all feel it, the pull to be what we are meant to be. Indeed, we are drawn to the unique identity that is our role in this cosmic play we call life.  To find our place is a magnanimous fortune.  It is not easy, even though who we are is always there but it is covered by powerful magical illusion that bewitches our minds and leads us astray.  The life we live, the generations we are born into, the cultures that surround us, all these and more cloud our inner vision and place us in an existence that limits us from seeing our true nature.  Fate, karma, bad luck, these are all the same, remnants of what was before coming into the now.  Accepting this and seeing that there is something larger and more profound than these identities is the shaft of light in the darkness that reveals true knowledge.   

Knowledge begins the journey to liberation.  We see through darkness, out the cave of limitations and realize that a life beyond our imagination exists, one of true satisfaction and fulfillment.  This is the road we are meant to travel.  

If this were enough, so many would be happy and full of infinite joy.  But, most have this beatific sight then ignore it or fall into despair because what was seen seems beyond any reach of present circumstances?  Too many distractions, obstacles surround it.  Honestly, even for those who see and strive after it, what was seen as the path is confused and clouded by perceptions of our mind so the goal becomes even further out of our hands.  This is the realm of the ego and it's skewed take on what are meant to be binds us to ultimate disappointment.  

Here resides a force capable of leading us to the life we are meant to have.  It is a way that has taken many forms and shapes though the ages.  The moment we look at the vision of our lives see it and say yes to it, the cosmic wheels begin to churn and place before us the practice that will lead us into the life we are meant to live.  It will be different for every person.  

I call it Yoga! Name it whatever you want.  Go deep into it and you will discover the way to liberations and fulfillment.  

This is the plug that when connected to what we seek will illuminate our way.  Through following a course of yoga whatever it might be for one, however it manifests itself and then through a determined practice we will be led to the way we were meant to walk.  

May you find your Yoga!!!

Finding Meditation

First, without bragging let me just describe my life.  I teach five to eight yoga classes and week then add four to five indoor cycle sessions on top of that, fill in to sub in both disciplines, have private sessions with clients as well as oversee several instructors as their direct supervisor.  Oh, and, of course, there are all those extra projects that come along and fill my days.  This is all interesting but the days get filled and time slips away. Basically, my life is busy.  Granted I work in a really uplifting profession but even when one does what one loves things can be intense and exhausting especially when too much ends up on my mat or on the spin cycle.

What to do? 

I could just do more in an attempt to take care of things.  Work differently, find a better schedule, delegate, try and take time off, plan a vacation (that’s real work) and so on…but all this becomes more stuff to do in the end.  

I know in those moments it becomes apparent that it’s time to meditate.  The ultimate act of some non-doing!  That's right, not more doing, but more nothing just to be and be still without worrying about results or what it will get me.   When I meditate, I allow myself to exhale in a whole state of being sort of way then let the world dance by in all its seeming importance until at some point the chatter, urgency and importance of it all drops away allowing a quiet to emerge.  There in that place beyond the ripples of life the truth exists and what really matters rises to the surface and reveals itself.  

There from that place of quiet contemplation I see the relative nature of my acts.  Even when I am attending to great matters and taking care things that must be completed if I am to live a life without complication, still these too become secondary to what I find in meditation. 

This is the real path anyway. It’s not the action, the teaching, all the doing rather this is the arrow that points to the reality of a deeper experience.  Sitting, resting, and all the manifestations of meditation become the real goal of work, yoga and any other act.  

Strangely enough when I grant myself these moments, I receive what is needed to move forward. Sure things may still seem stressful and the day can be filled with obstacles and struggles but when I touch that inner serenity there possibility emerges beyond the immediate occurrences.  This creates a ground from which to move onward.   From this, things evolve, tasks get completed, the necessary finds its completion and the fringe falls away.

Most of all though, it’s not the result of the mediation that matters, this would make it another task to complete if this is the case.  It’s simply to go to where I am truly who I am, the place without masks, definitions and identities and to rest in that.  This is the realm of true Knowledge, the knowing that matters.  Just that!  

As an ancient text declares in all it’s directness.  

By Constant Meditation (comparable to the rubbing of the fire-wood) is kindled the flame of Knowledge, which completely burns up the fuel of ignorance.  V42 Atmabhodha

May we all unplug in our days and find this.  

Enjoy the Ride!

Favorite Morning Affirmtaion

I have tried all sorts of affirmations and mantras in my time.  Friends, inspirational books and teachers have given all sorts of suggestions, some complicated and others interesting.  But,  the one I prefer and use is simple and open ended.

Almost every morning, I open my journal and write down the sweetest words.  They are so simple.

Ok-are you ready?  Here it is.

Everything I need now is here!  

That's it, the magic formula to success and living a blissful day, at least for me.  I do what I can through my day following my truth and then trust that the process will take care of me, leading me where I need to go.

Just try it or make up your own version then live into the day knowing you are on a journey with a universe whirling in and around you that completely supports your story.  Maybe, you don't believe that right now but see what happens and perhaps you will start to see that you indeed are taken care of everyday.  It doesn't mean that you won't doubt or have bad times, just that there is a purpose to your life and that it is to be the most radiant being you are.

Om

Sitting When Things Get Busy

Has any one else had a busy few weeks?

I have, regular yoga and spin classes, filling in to sub as well as taking on some extra projects, all interesting but the days start to get filled. Granted I work in a really uplifting profession for my livelihood but even this can be intense and exhausting if too much ends up on my mat or on the spin cycle.

I know in those moments that it's time to sit!  That's right, not more doing, but more sitting just to sit and be still, read something uplifting and light, write free form in my journal or just breathe with my dog at my feet.  When I sit, I allow myself to exhale in a whole state of being sort of way.

Strangely enough when I grant myself these moments, I receive what is needed to move forward. Sure things may still seem stressful and the day can be filled with obstacles but when I touch that quiet moment there is an inner possibility beyond the immediate occurrences.  This creates a ground from which to move onward.   From this, things evolve, tasks get completed, the necessary finds its completion and the fringe falls away.

What's Your Yoga?

Recently, I had the amazing opportunity of guest instructing at a local yoga teacher training program. Twice in one week, I traveled to a beautiful little Alaskan college campus tucked away in the woods next to a small lake with the mountains of the Chugach range hovering in the distance.  Impressive!

My topic? Introducing Patanjali along with the Yamas and the Niyamas.  Quite an undertaking in a total of six class hours.As we all sat together and discussed Patanjali's ideas, a question began to emerge that continues to stay with me even after our session ended.

What is yoga?

Of course, I could answer from Patanjali himself or with one of the descriptive definitions provided by his numerous commentators.

But...

What is my yoga?  What does it mean to me?

I would ask any reader of this blog.  What is your yoga?  How do you define the path you walk upon. This is worthy topic of contemplation.  So, I ask you dear yogis...

What is your yoga?

Add Gratitude to your Practice

Try writing a gratitude list before stepping onto the mat.  The simple act of listing the gifts of life with pen and paper can add so much to any yoga practice.  It's true! 

Long before any semblance of a consistent yoga practice, several people suggested starting my day with a gratitude list.  I sat at my desk the next morning halfheartedly attempted writing one, on one level hoping it worked and the other wanting to prove it a ridiculous suggestion.  It seemed simple but proved difficult while at the same time curiously engaging.   This process continued, and over time, the list grew from ten random listings to a whole page.  

Years later, an instructor in my teacher training program suggested that writing gratitude lists prepared the mind for yoga. This added a new awareness to the daily gratitude list. I soon found that it merged with my developing yoga practice and later with my path as an instructor.  The physical poses opened the body and brought along the mind.  The gratitude list opened the mind which then softened the body.  The combination of the two complimented one another.

Rather than take my word for it just try it.  See what happens.  If it doesn't work than put it aside.  If it does, then keep it.  Here are some simple suggestions how to start a gratitude list.

1. Start with you.  Begin by listing the obvious, you and the gift of being alive.  It could look like this-me, waking up, being alive, my body, being me, etc...

2. Recognize the obvious and simple things.  Hot showers, a bed, sleep, your home and its amenities, clothes, breakfast, a hot cup of coffee, electricity, the car out front.  The list will go on.  There are so many things to write down.

3. Nature provides us with so much.  Here is a great pool from which to acknowledge.  Light, sunshine, rain, snow, stars, trees, there are so many depending on one's preference.

4.  List family and friends.  It is always helpful to remind ourselves about the people who support us.  No guilt trips just jot down the people that you love and mean something special, wives, husbands, parents, siblings, children, best friends, and those people who we positively interact with on a regular basis.

5. Acknowledge what brings joy.  What is it that brings a smile into a life?  Yoga, travel, hobbies and so forth, it is important to write these down because they give so much to life.  Putting them on paper reminds one of these pleasures.

6. How about your career? Yes, our work is a huge part of our life.  We spend a huge part of our lives working.  One can list a vocation, work place, colleagues, and clients.  Maybe, this is a tough spot? Then, this practice might open up the eyes to actual good things in the arena of life.  

7. Remember the lessons of life. Every day teaches us so much if we open our eyes to these lessons.  It can be through the guidance of a teacher or through a challenge in life.  Regardless, we learn fresh perspectives and new ways in which to engage the world and in our daily affairs.  Thanks for those lessons.  

Start your gratitude list.  See what happens as you discover all the wonderful benefits in your life.  Share what you discover and pass on the joy.  Namaste

Yoga Trade Article:Thirty Days of Sun

All of you probably remember my road trip from Anchorage AK to Long Beach NY and back again, more importantly the Thirty Days of Sun Challenge that many of you participated in during the time of the summer solstice.  I wrote an article about this and Yoga Trade just posted it.  Check it out by following this link and let me know what you think.  

Setting the Foundations for a Home Practice

Before moving into something, it is helpful to investigate what creates a solid foundation for success.  Starting a home yoga practice is no different.   There is a lot out there about poses and sequence.  But, what about the preparation that leads to a consistent and sustainable practice?   Consider this the prologue or maybe even the prequel to the story that you want to see unfold.

#1 Set an intention and return to it everyday.  This helps manifest what we want in our lives.  Create a one line phrase, say to yourself, make it a mantra maybe write it down every day.  As you daily return to the desire for a home practice through your intention doors will start to open.  Soon enough, opportunities will present themselves to begin a sustainable practice. Try and see what happens.

#2 Find a studio that offers a regular wide range of classes and establish a regular routine of going to practice with others.  This introduces us to poses, practices and ideas as well as gives us ideas, community and a further resource.  Practicing alone needs inspiration from others and finding a yoga home will further the quest for a home practice.

#3 Start a gratitude list. Even though this doesn't seem to be part of  physical yoga practice think again.  Take a few moments in the morning or through out the day to list the things you are grateful for especially those connected to yoga.  The list will grow adding positive momentum to move forward.

#4 Create a space by finding a place in your home that will be the practice point.  This probably  involves cleaning up a bit and moving things around to have a place dedicated to your yoga.  Try purchasing some items to make  the space even more welcoming.  Treat yourself by getting a nice yoga mat and some props such as a block, strap and/or bolster then  create ambiance with some  tea candles an essential oils. Make it a special environment where you want to return to again and again.

Now, you are ready to begin. More questions on the how?  Don't worry more to come...

Salutation Lesson #3

Many lessons come from my experiment of doing thirty consistent days of sun salutations.  Previously, I listed two others and for this entree's purpose have one more to describe.  This last one is truly the most important because it continues to resonate far after the thirty days ended.   Here it is...

Anybody can have a home yoga practice.

The daily returning to the same routine over the course of a period of time creates a consistent personalized practice.  As with any action performed over a span of days, it starts to become an internalized habit that continues long after the initial need or mandate.  Once there, it becomes part of one's daily experience, and a home yoga practice has been established.  It may sound rather simplistic but after all as the maxim goes, "Life is complicated; yoga is simple."

Try it on your own.  Find a version of the sun salutations (the simpler the form the better), practice for thirty days and see what happens.

If you are curious about the practice of sun salutations and the larger question of a home practice you might like my upcoming workshop on 1pm this Sunday (8/3) at Anchorage Yoga.  I will go over how one might start to discover a personal yoga routine and move forward with it.  Follow this link to find out more about this opportunity.

Salutation Lesson #2

The second lesson from having a regular practice of sun salutations...

Yoga is more than calisthenics!

It is easy to approach sun salutations or any other yoga practice as a form of exercise.  For sure, there are physical benefits that come with doing yoga on a regular basis. I know many people who come to yoga with this in mind. 

But...as I continue the practice of sun  salutations something else emerges that is beyond the physical results. There is a change that comes over my being shifting the mindset from one of limitation to openness. This comes from the joining of movement with breath and combining this with the intentional sequencing of one pose to another.  This creates a flow of energy from the head to the toes through the practice which saturates the entire being (physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually). After the last sequence I stand on my mat in mountain pose completely grounded in the here an now. 

For me, this is a different experience than exercise ever gave me but after all that is just my perspective. Maybe try doing sun salutations regularily for thirty days and see what happens for you. I would love to hear about it. 

Namaste 

Salutations Lesson #1

It is well past the  mid point of the Thirty Days of Sun, the commitment to practice the ancient rite of sun salutations everyday. This has been very rewarding to say the least. I created this FB event to encourage others to join with me over the period surrounding the solstice in an attempt to further personal home practices. For me, it has been an on the road experience since the day I started also marked the embarkation day for a six week road trip from Anchorage AK to Long Beach NY and back. Needless to say, I have practiced in all sorts of places. Yoga studios, hotel rooms, garages, random slabs of concrete and before majestic views along side of the road have been just a few of the places where I have bowed to the sky discovering the ever rewarding lessons of sun salutations.

The first lesson is one of will. I realize I can do such a daily routine with my own inner drive.  There is nobody to keep me from just forgetting about it or deciding that I don't feel like it this or that day. Actually there is a side that always wants to be lazy and forget the practice. Maybe this is why my teachers say that making it to class is hardest step of a regular yoga practice. But through the act of agreeing with the commitment and then following it onto the mat ignites the yoga flame. My inner drive accepts this and rises up, taking over and leading me through one salutation after another. As I keep up with the practice, the drive becomes more powerful and takes me further each time. This drive becomes the teacher and makes me realize that I can follow something through to the end on the mat such as in salutations and in the world through other acts. 

May you too discover this wonderful inner drive and may it reward you off the mat. 

Go Travel!

According to the Tao Te Ching, one may see the world without ever stepping from one's doorstep.

Beautiful sentiment!

I agree in principle but...(What would life be without the questioning afterthoughts?)

Travel has been an important aspect in my life!

I left the sleepy river valleys of upstate New York where I had spent my youth only to momentarily return there for brief intervals at a time.  Along the way, I sojourned over North America and beyond, lived in interesting places and became acquainted with the greater world. But, it was more than just a tourist appreciation I sought.

Travel transported me both literally and mentally out of habitual surroundings and placed life into new perspectives. Often familiar places I thought I knew were transformed upon returning and sites never imagined or sought after were discovered.  More often than not, the road and the destinations were secondary to the discoveries of my own internal landscapes.  Repeatedly, I came to realize that the personalized  identities clung to as life's definitions were often phantasmal and rarely as important as believed. I saw how others lived  and was challenged to look at my own lifestyles.  The physical perspectives from other longitudes and latitudes granted a better view of my own metaphorical location offering the chance for various views on my next planned steps in life.  Always, the travel vistas have altered my life's goals revealing far more interesting bends and curves than the straight line of thought.  My life has been so interesting on account of these voyages, and I can't really imagine a life without such movement.

I suppose everything has its trade off.  There are certain things that a life of travel might not offer.  But, regret is a silly thing. Who has time for that?

This summer step off your doorstep and see the world.  Let this transform how you see things.  Even if you can't go far go somewhere and see what happens.

Namaste

Thirty Days of Sun! The Challenge!

Suryar Namaskar!

Starting on the morning of the 7th, Darcy and I will depart Alaska for an epic cross country road trip. The destination is Long Beach, New York where on July 6th we will celebrate our marriage with family and friends. It will be a trip filled with adventure. The one constant will be the ancient practice of the sun salutation. For thirty days, we will practice at least twelve variations of this rite.

I would love for all of you to join me in this practice. Imagine people from all over the North America and beyond practicing sun salutations together. How cool is that? 

If you would like to participate join my Facebook Event Thirty Days of Sun and share your experiences, pics whatever as you discover your Sun Salutation practice.  

Water and Wood Yoga

Yoga classes...my life is full of yoga classes either taking or teaching them.  It is easy to start to believe that yoga is exactly this, classes.  Don't get me wrong, no complaints.  I am so grateful to be teaching and taking such a wide variety of classes.  It is a gift!

But, there is more.

Maybe, you expect me to now point to the realm beyond yoga, some mystical  parallel cosmos of bliss that attending classes and performing asanas will lead its practitioner in which to participate.  I don't know if that that place exists. Instead, I am referring to the mundane world of water and wood.

Water and wood?

Yes, I am discovering a whole other world of yoga, the everyday practice of life that supersedes and underlies all asana whether it be in a class setting or at home. I am referring to the work of life regarding house chores (dishes, laundry, groceries, etc.), bills, insurance, car maintenance and all that other non-categorical stuff one experiences throughout the day.  You know; the stuff that always continues without ending.  These tasks can be very exasperating and frustrating, always streaming and continuing to flow without an end in sight. The ancients referred to this as carrying water and chopping wood.

Maybe this sounds like a stretch. How can this be considered yoga?

I guess it all depends on perspective.  It isn't yoga in the strictest sense of looking at yoga as an asana practice.  That is true.  But if one looks at yoga as a means of interconnection and integration then these seemingly mundane tasks become a means to express one's yoga in daily affairs.  Setting an intention to address these tasks the same way one might before a class or home practice then undertaking them with the awareness and mindfulness can transform them into a practice of water and wood yoga.

Enjoy your practice!

Namaste

Join me at the Anchorage Lululemon

Namaste Everybody,

Join me this Saturday morning (March 15th)  9:00-9:45am for community yoga at the Anchorage Lululemon Showroom.  I am stepping in as the guest instructor this week.  It will be a chill yin inspired morning flow to awaken the body and the mind.  Click here for more information and to register.

See you on your mat!

Buying Buddha

This week I purchased my first Buddha statue, nothing to serious just a small one for my desk.  While out running some errands,  I came across just the right figure with a tea candle holder in his lap.    He now reposes in full lotus gently overseeing my work.  This  leads me to reflect on a yoga client's question from just other day.  Somewhere between standing tree and dancer poses, she looked at me and asked, "So...do you consider yourself a Buddhist?" I remained ambiguous when answering, never really saying yes or no.  I do that often when directly asked such things; better to be allusive rather than declare something untrue.

Interesting question!  Buddhist?  Me? I did just buy a Buddha.

Looking over to my book shelf just across from my desk I might be tempted to say yes.  Titles referencing Buddhism and Zen in their titles line the shelves.  I read them and consider many of them in my top ten favorite reads.

But...honestly...if being a Buddhist means acknowledging a formal religious path with memberships and masters then the answer would be a solid no.  Nevertheless, I recognize the middle way of Buddha as I understand it, that narrow razor's edge somewhere between answers and questions, the one that seeks to remain always here and now.  This path inspires me to stay clear from so called absolute answers that bind and constrain as well as from the utter despair of total meaningless.

So does this make me Buddhist? Probably not.  I am content to look at my bought Buddha on the corner of the desk. This little statue in all it's simplicity challenges me to wake up and remain in the present with soft eyes, flexibility and uprightness.

Namaste!