Anusara Workshop w/ Christina Sell

Last month Christina Sell, owner and instructor at the San Marcos School of Yoga, came back to Corpus Christi to grace us with her wonderful knowledge and spirited style once again. The Yoga Studio of Corpus Christi hosted a 3 day, 4 session workshop with Christina guiding us through Anusara yogic practices and theories.

Anusara Yoga is a school of yoga started by John Friend back in the mid-nineties. This school of Yoga's "popularity is due in large part to its uplifting philosophy, epitomized by a 'celebration of the heart,' that looks for the good in all people and all things."(1)

I have long heard of John Friend; his name appears in every Yoga magazine, half the Yoga books reference tables, and all the studios I've ever visited. His fame and respect is well deserved throughout the community. So when I first heard about Christina, a teacher of Anusara Yoga, coming to pass on the styles, practices and philosophies, I knew I had to experience it for myself. After all, as any practitioner of Yoga knows, we're all perpetual students, the study and practice never end.

Out of the 4 sessions I was able to attend 2: Friday evening and Saturday afternoon. I knew my plate was going to be full that weekend, just making those two sessions was quite a squeeze, but we do what we must, right?

Friday's session worked heavily on learning to rotate our thighs properly and opening our pelvic base to allow the maximum amount of room for full release into our poses. "Inner Spiral" was the catch phrase of the night. After a brief lecture on the ensuing practice, Anusara philosophies, and our signature opening chant to honor ourselves and each other (Christina calls it the Sanskrit 'Amazing Grace''), we opened with a series of Surya Namaskars for a good warm-up. Then straight into Forward Lunges -Anjaneyasana .

I know that it's not popular to start with such a physically demanding pose, but we all quickly found out that there was most assuredly a method to her madness. To begin with, Christina has a great philosophy that all people move to their own rythms and patterns. As far as you go is as far as you go... and for you, that is perfect. Not to forget that what is perfection one day is not always the same the next day. Furthermore, we took the pose step-by-step, making a special point to understand the ins and outs before proceeding too deeply.

Through 3 hours of practice and teachings, we progressed from Forward Lunges to One-legged King Pigeon Pose - Eka Pada Rajakapotasana. Both these poses I have worked on for years, picking up techniques and suggestions from various instructors and students along the way. All the while listening to how my body responds to the pose. Some suggestions were more helpful that 0thers, but what I took away from Friday's class topped it all. Christina Sell has a way of breaking down the ideals and processes of each pose to the near finite, then explaining the whole of it to a degree of satifaction that leaves little to question.

I had to miss Saturday's morning session due to my own Yoga teaching schedule and made a point of attending the afternoon session. When I got there I wasn't sure just how far I was physically going to be able to participate. I had already lead 2 Yoga sessions and attended my kenjutsu class. I was 5:30 hours into back to back classes. I didn't know how much more my body had to offer. But physical participation or not, I wanted to at least pick up the teachings, styles, and philosophies of Anusara Yoga.

We opened in the same manner as the day before. After the Sun Salution series we went to the floor and started with Wide-Angeled Seated Forward Bend - Upavistha Konasana. We worked through a series of opening hip moves while remembering to spiral out our thighs that utilized Baddha Konasana, Adanda Balasana, and eventually working our way to Head-to-Knee Forward Bend - Janu Sirsasana. At one point Christina walked over while I was trying to guide my right rib cage to my left knee. After asking permission, she adjusted my midsection spacing (same theory we were using to open our pelvic floors for more room to move) and down my body naturally went until my right ribs really were touching my left knee.

Getting into the pose is one thing, coming out of it is quite another. So I braced myself to see what my body was going to do next. Up I came with no twitches, aches or screams. A true release of my body into the pose. Even after being physically active most of the day, I felt great.

Christina Sell's workshops help remind me why I got into teaching Yoga in the first place.

Illustrating shoulder position during poses.

Eka Pada Rajakapotasana

Using straps for thigh spiral and opening into the pose.

Explaining the use of straps and assistance to aid in the poses.

Ahimsa For All

So here’s one for the books:

A couple weeks ago two ladies and I were in yoga class. I was teaching, they were following.

Our nod to a bit of Jnana Yoga was a talk about connecting with ourselves. About remembering to think about our Self once in a while, to be selfish in a good way and not sacrifice our betterment and health for the world all the time. Moms seem to be keenly accustomed to this kind of lifestyle. And understandably so; children need guidance every step of the way and sometimes they just don't get that Mom needs a little moment to herself once in a while.

So we take a moment once a week to go to a Yoga class and connect with ourselves again.

The ladies were all nods and smiles at the beginning and so into the Hatha practice we went. Each inhalation and lifting of our eyes, I reminded us to lift our hearts and open to the world, experiencing the Self that lay within.

We were just getting into the intensive part of the practice, everyone was in Adho Mukha Svanasana - Down dog - when I looked up to see how their alignment, breathing and postures were. I glanced over at “D” and saw that about a foot away from her right hand was a massive Waterbug, more commonly referred to as a Cockroach. With eyes wide, I quickly glanced over to the ladies to see if either of them had spied the bug as well. They were deep into their poses, making good work of their inner attentions, so no one had seen the little bugger, but me. It was upside down and still as death. I knew the owners of the establishment poisoned regularly - as everyone in South Texas does. Unfortunately the common side effect to poisoning for roaches is that they seem to choose to crawl out from their hiding places and die in the middle of the floor. This little guy had missed the morning sweeping.

As I gingerly walked off the platform and over to the roach I asked them to listen to their breath and consciously steady the in and out flow. Honestly, I was hoping they wouldn’t look up and see where I was going.

If you’ve never seen a Waterbug here in the South before, let me offer a little background on them. They’re brown, 2 inches long average, they live in trash and on your uncovered kitchen food, impossible to kill, and can live for a ridiculously lengthy amount of time without their heads. In any other context a truly amazing creature to study. But NOT in the middle of a yoga session.

I approached the roach and imagined that if I kicked it just right, I would send its dead little body sliding down the edge of the wall, under the toe kick and to the back of the room and no one would be the wiser. Just a silent little flick and we could all move on without worry.

So I flicked it with my toe, a move I have performed a thousand times over since growing up in South Texas, only this time my aim was immensely off and it landed right on “D’s” mat near her right foot. I quickly stepped over and told her to not move as I attempted once again to expertly toe flick the bugger off her mat to the side.

Not only did I miss it completely, but it wasn’t dead at all, just apparently stunned. With the cockroach now fully awake, it turned and started running up her foot. Naturally, I started swatting at the bug, and her foot, repeating “Don’t move! I got it!” All the while
”D” saying “I can’t see what it is, I don’t have my glasses on,” and donkey kicking her foot back.

I finally landed a good swat and sent the offending roach sliding across the floor to the back of the room, stopping with an audible ‘thud’ as it hit the back wall. So much for practicing Ahimsa.

After some laughs and quick anecdotes about our own experiences with roaches, I wondered if we were ever going to get our attentions back to the task at hand and make this class a fruitful practice. Thankfully, no one in that room that day was a stranger to the wiles of South Texas Cockroaches and we were all able to put the experience behind us pretty quickly. After a bit of meditation to center ourselves again with our Self, we proceeded with the session and ended with, surprisingly enough, lunch.

What a wonderful group of ‘flexible’ ladies. :)

The Chakras and You

During the Spring I came across several teachings through my readings and practice that repeatedly touched base on the Chakras. Whether it was the right time for me, or the teachings were well delivered, or the planets were in alignment, regardless of the reasons, the individual (and unexpected) messages on the Chakras really stood out for me. I started isolating much of my studies on the work of the Chakras; the theories, practices, and correlations to western science. I found the teachings to be very enlightening; from the pragmatic to the metaphysical.

In a nutshell, they just make sense. So, for the joy of it all, I decided back in May to devote the rest of the Summer sessions at the Tango Tea Room to Chakra work. There are 8 Saturday sessions throughout the Summer. At the end of May we started with the first Chakra, Muladhara. At the next session we will be working on the fourth, Anahata.

I offer a hand out with the symbol on top, a brief description to go with the lecture that begins the class, and highlights of the specifics with the traditional Sanskrit names so if anyone wants to research the information later, on their own time, they have a reference point to start from.

Like always, in every session I remind the participants that what I say, what the books and teachings say that I reference to are not here to be forced down anyone’s throat as the end-all-be-all to truth and life. I know people are quite varied in their beliefs and if anything, particularly on the spiritual end, interferes, collides, or goes against their personal beliefs, then let it go. These sessions are for enlightenment and to better ourselves, not to hurt, judge or in any other way create discomfort. Everyone seems to understand and respect the openness of the class. Without fail, at the end of these sessions someone has always come up to share with me their “aha” moment that morning. Discussions ensue and the teachings carry on out the door.

I feel that the way the Chakra teachings move through the cleansing of the body, mind, then spirit work well for all. Whether the yogi believes in God, Nature, Nothing, or Everything these teachings speak to all. My hope is that at some point in time, immediately or years later, these positive lessons of enlightening the Self find a way to help everyone.

Kerrville Folk Festival - 2

Hill Country, Texas

We're back :)

The Kerrville Folk Festival runs 18 days straight, we managed 12 days straight this year - plus 3 at opening weekend.

What a run! I will always be indebted to the masterminds of music lovers - Dalis, Rick, Lee, and all the rest - for starting this beautiful festival and sharing it so freely with the world. For those of you who have not had the pleasure of a true 'Music Festival', imagine everything you do, from sun up to sun down, being performed to a non-stop soundtrack. Every moment of your day - brushing your teeth, showering, walking, talking, ordering lunch - being filled with the melodious sounds of someone's soulful heart and talent. It's a wonderful reprieve from the maddening pace of the socialized world we normally call 'home'.

Two days into the festival this year, or really two days and 18 years into the festival, and I had already become so accustomed to the dulcet tones of the days that I had begun to tune them out as I went about my work and play at Kidsville. So much so that when 9AM came around and I headed over to the theatre for our first adult yoga session I wondered if anyone would be bothered that I didn't bring a CD player and music. As soon as the thought hit me, I raised my hand up and hit myself. How silly. Without even realizing it, as soon as my yoga bag went over my shoulder I instantly fell into my standard class mode that I guide with here in the city.

With each step taking me towards the open air theatre in the camp grounds, I ran through my mental checklist as if it were any other day at home: mats, blankets, incense, lighter, Four Corners book, CDs, player, etc. I had, in a sense, simultaneously fallen so completely in step with my surroundings and equally out of step.

As I laughed at myself for being so goofy (again), I knew that starting a new series of yoga sessions with a whole new group of people while my mind bounced in and out of the present was not the way to go. So I must say I was glad to see that no one had arrived yet, therefore giving me time to quietly set up the mats and take a moment to myself.

After all the extra mats were laid out and ready, there were still no new arrivals; for yoga, at least. Several wandering musicians had stationed themselves in various places along the etched, stone seats under the roof and were practicing a myriad of melodies and chords.

It was just the focal point I needed. With this being the first day of morning yoga offered I knew the attendance was going to be as unpredictable as it could get. I was as prepared for anything as I could be, including no one. And at this point, it was precisely so. So I took the opportunity - children gone, husband busy, friends out, yogis m.i.a. - to find a comfortable Ardha Padmasana, close my eyes and pin point one player, one line of music. All the musicians under the roof that morning were playing guitars, so the sounds, even in different keys, blended so well.

Within seconds, one line in the key of G came swimming out of the others and straight into my ears. The man was picking and strumming the same 4 chords over and over, in a wonderfully repetative manner that struck me as guitaristic chanting.

I took his lead and allowed my mind to finally wonder into a focal point and so began some real yogic work. After an undertermined amount of time, I worked through a few rounds of the full Yogic Breath, then into my Hatha Yoga practice.

No one came to the session that first day. From a selfish point of view, because of the lack of attendants, it worked out to be a beautiful session for me. I didn't have to think about anyone else, but myself. I went through most of my practice with my eyes closed, moving naturally from one pose to the next, holding poses longer, allowing my body to truly talk with me/itself and guide through channels of comfort creating an ever growing symbiotic state within the levels of myself.

With not having to remind people to "breathe", "draw the navel in", "release neck tension" and all the rest, I was completely able to coil in on myself and make amazing headway.

I can not tell you how long my session lasted on that stage, but the musical mantra never stopped and by the time I came out of my restorative meditation followed by a couple Ardha Matsyendrasanas, I was feeling better than I had in at least 3 weeks.

Here's to all the fascinating, eccentric, and above all beautiful people I shared the last two weeks with... and for some, the last 18 years.

Namaste :)

Kerrville Folk Festival - 1

It's festival time again!

About the Festival:

Every year the wonderful crew of people from the Folk Alliance team up with Quiet Valley Ranch to host a family oriented event dedicated to the life and love of music.

"It is the longest continuously running music festival of its kind in North America. For 18 straight days and nights each May and June, over 30,000 guests come from all over the world to experience the magic of what we simply call 'Kerrville'. The Festival is known internationally as a Mecca for singer songwriters of varying musical style. It’s a place where those just developing their skills have the opportunity to play their music along- side master craftsmen.

"In addition to the live music there are also special concerts and activities for children, songwriting schools, music business seminars, hill country bike rides, canoe trips on the Guadalupe River, Sunday Folk Song Services, and our annual New Folk Competition and concerts for emerging songwriters. There is something for everyone who enjoys music, camping, the outdoors, and making new friends."

I have been attending this festival off and on for the last 18 years. In the last two years I have changed my attentions from merely being a fan and avid lover of music to staff member, while still retaining the aformentioned.

This year - as seems to be the trend - has brought on a new tradition for me and family, as well as for the festival. I have now started a daily morning yoga class for the munchkins of the festival.

The family and I went up this last weekend to open the event with all our friends and family. I chose to stick with the Kidsville staff since I knew I would end up there all day anyway with my own little ones. We have a great crew of adults and teens volunteering this year to run the place. But, honestly, that's no different than any of the other years before. The crew members may change from year to year, but they never fail to be anything less than fantastic.

Along with helping out with the daily arts and crafts sessions, music circles, cleaning, organizing and all the rest, I have also started a daily 8AM kids yoga class. It didn't take much prompting to get every mother, father and child excited about the new addition to the Kidsville line-up. Kitara, the woman heading the crew this year, and I decided on the yoga classes Sunday afternoon, spread the word throughout the evening and by Monday morning our first class had every extra mat I brought filled up.... and then some.

And I must say, those are the cutest little kids I've ever seen. They come wondering out of their tents with sleep still in their eyes, hair standing on end, bare footed, and smiling. Most of them are new to the practice of yoga - at least the hatha style -, but never fail to give a warm and cheerful "Namaste" when they walk up and as they leave the mats.

As it is with my classes here in the city, we practice for about 30 minutes, then break so they can all go get breakfast. As soon as school is out on Thursday we're heading up again to stay and play for the rest of the festival, which runs until June 8. To keep the happy vibes going, after the kids class I will be leading a 9AM adult session at Threadgill theatre. It's an open air theatre which we've been helping to build and maintain for longer than I can remember.

If you get a chance, navigate over to the festival's home page. Check it out and as soon as you can, come on over and join the fun!

YOGA DAY BENEFIT - SUCCESS!!!

Namaste beautiful yogis,

Yoga For Life - Yoga Day Benefit for Breast Cancer was a wonderful success. I would consider the event a success even if one person showed up to support Breast Cancer research and a healthy yogic lifestyle. I am pleased to say that more than one person showed their support for the cause, the event and all together we raised $86 for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer benefit taking place this weekend - April 12 & 13.

It was an absolutely beautiful morning for yoga in the park. A cold front had blown in the day before and dropped the temp to a chilly 50 degrees and I wondered if anyone was going to be able to handle practicing the next morning. Usually, 50 deg. at anytime of year is not something to really give any thought to, but when practicing yoga in a park, outside and exposed to the elements while trying to convince other people to participate, 50 deg. can suddenly make all the difference. Thankfully the Universe was smiling upon us Saturday and the early morning’s chilly winds passed into a perfect afternoon.


We lightly touched based on some Jnana yoga discussions, bringing in elements of teachings I have had that seemed to tie into not only our reasons for attending that morning, but also the little bits of converstations that were passing around before our session. Some revisiting of the yamas; with rememberances of non-violence towards ourselves and others, truthfulness with the few of us who thought about skipping that morning and had to re-evalute our motives, non-stealing of our time and dedication, abstinence from our usual lazy, Saturday morning behaviour, and non-hording of our personal funds.

Our yoga session for the day, however, was largely dedicated to our individual practice of Karma yoga. As Swami Vivekananda says, "Helping others physically, by removing their physical needs, is indeed great; but the help is greater according as the need is greater and according as the help is far-reaching. If a man's wants can be removed for an hour, it is helping him indeed; if his wants can be removed for a year, it will be more help to him; but if his wants can be removed for ever, it is surely the greatest help that can be given him."

And, of course, we continued our steady practice of Hatha yoga. With the weather being slightly chilly at the beginning, we chose to go through a more thorough psycho-physical session to warm-up our muscles, joints, ligaments, organs, and all the rest. We followed that with a lovely hour of asanas; starting with a couple surya namaskars, facing east then west for each series.

With the consent from everyone, we followed then with some supported shoulder stands and inversions. There were a couple ladies who wished to not go into to full shoulder stands. I momentarily debated whether I should cancel the sequence because there wasn’t 100% inclusion. The grass we were practicing on was so cushiony and soft, I felt it was too perfect to pass up. Half of the students had already shown interest in supported shoulder stands before, I was just waiting for the right timing. This seemed as right a time as possible.

So instead, I showed the two ladies (and everyone else) the modifications for the series. As the class rolled back and lifted themselves onto their shoulders, everyone else wishing to do the modifications laid back into Viparita Karani. As we went from Sarvangasana to open V-legs, to Halasana, the modified poses went from Viparita Karani to open V-legs, to either knee-to-chest or back to Viparita Karani. When everyone rolled up into sitting possition with a smile on their faces, I guessed it was the right timing after all.

After our meditation time in Savasana pose, I took everyone through a little introductory practice of Trataka. Some of the students wore glasses, some didn’t. Just like the asanas, these eye practices benefit everyone. We took the last 10 minutes to touch base on some of the practices and philosophies of Trataka and I ended it with some resource info. Reminding them that I, too, am a student of the practice and to further their studies they would do best to find a seasoned practitioner.

I am so thrilled to have shared this time with all those lovely yogis and I hope to have many more classes with them in the future.

Namaste :)

KIDS YOGA CLASS

At the beginning of this month I teamed up with Michelle who runs one of our local yoga studios- Yoga Studio of Corpus Christi- to start a new yoga class for kids. With the exception of a Family Yoga class on the Navy base, it is the only kids yoga class in the city.

With having two little ones of my own - 5 & 8 -, I have become quite familiar with the attitude and energy of children while practicing hatha yoga. My kids are cute as a button, but I don't pretend to think they're anywhere ready to practice the other paths of yoga yet. Not in any serious manner. Because, after all, what 5 year old can honestly be called "serious".

Our smallest class consisted of just my two little ones. Our largest class included mine, three sisters and our most loyal follower Adare. She's 3 years old and absolutely divine. When Michelle and I set up the class, one of my specifics was in the age limit; 5-12. Under 5 yrs. old and it usually turns into a glorified babysitting session. Over 12 and a lot of kids are ready for the adult classes. Usuall because they've been practicing hatha yoga for a while by then, they know what's going on and their bodies can handle the more intense class time. And if/when the classes get too big, the kids are split into two sessions 5-9 & 10-12.

However, just like a lot of things in life, the age limit is more of a guideline than a set rule. Take Adare for example; she's 3, but she is by far more focused in class than my own 5 year old. Part of that, though, could be because I'm the Mom and my kids see me in a different light than the others. Right now, because of the newness of the class, the other students still see me as a stranger and haven't had the time to develop any kind of relationship with me. That comes with time.

I've come to find out that teaching kids yoga makes for a great practice in patience and all of the yamas.

Kids are beautiful, crazy little soft balls of massive energy; free flowing, wide-eyed and above all new. Everything is new to them, even the things they've heard a million times over, it's still received as new information needing further processing. They come into the class bouncing around with their favourite mats underarm trailed by their far more subdued moms.

So far, I've left it up to the parents (all moms so far) to decide whether they wish to sit in on the class or wait out front. My philosophy is that they know their kids better than I do and every child is different. Heck, every human is different. And if they feel that sitting in the back of the class is the better choice, then go for it. Their kids will understand what they need to -whether it be patience, independence, flexibility, or confidence - in their own time. All I ask is that the kids and parents alike give me a chance to capture the attention of the kids before they feel the need to jump in and help. Help, funny enough comes in many forms; helping their child into a pose, helping them show-off their mom's cool inverted pose, helping me with runaways.

The best and most difficult part about teaching hatha yoga to children is that I never know what to expect from one class to the next. It really is all up in the air. The same philosophy can also be applied to any adult class, but there is an expectation of decorum, layout and reserve. It all varies from class to class, but not nearly to the extent of a children's session.

For example:

The class where we had the three sisters show up. The last 15 minutes were spent trying to get the kids to not run over each other as they animatedly performed their favourite poses. I realized I was losing my audience and the moms in the back were looking a little worried so I took a mental moment (no more than a breath's worth) and decided to just flow with the kids in their sea of seeming chaos. I could tell, however, that what was coming out as chaotic banter and actions harbored an underlying current. They were all trying to best one another with showing off their yogic abilities. So I went with it.

I said "OK, guys, if everyone can get onto their own mats, you will each have a chance to show us all your absolutely, most favourite yoga pose. If you know the name share it with us. If you don't, I'll tell you what the name is in as many laguages as I can remember." That did it. The oldest girl went first and we just circled around from her. It ended up being my personal favourite of all the classes so far.

Then at our last class, it was my two kids and Adare. The A/C was not working and it was around 80 degrees outside. There are no windows in this studio so it's not hard to imagine, I'm sure, just how hot and stuffy it got in there. Thank goodness the previous instructor didn't leave any insense burning. It just would have been too overwelming.

My kids had agreed that they were going to attend this class and with that they knew they had to stay in the studio area and not run in and out from the front room to the studio. Well, sure enough, between the ever increasing heat, the wind-down of late afternoon and hungry tummies, my two munchkins couldn't keep their attentions on me for one second. We weren't even 5 minutes into class and my son excused himself to the front, followed shortly by my daughter. Adare was absolutley not into the idea of performing anything by herself that day and very politely, and repeatedly, told me so. I brought out every trick I had to try and keep her attention on the excitement of hatha yoga, but to no availe.

It also didn't help that my daughter kept running in and out telling me how her brother was bothering her and how he stole her chocolate (I didn't even know they had any on them) and on and on. In and out of the bathroom for one thing or another. To say the least, I was losing my cool. We ended class 5 minutes early that day. Mostly because there were no more students left on the mats. At least no one was crying. I've been very fortunate to not have an injury or a crying session in class. Yet ;)

As much as I raged in my younger years against the idea of having children and the absurdities of procreating in this day and age, my favourite people in this world are children. They live in an envious state of love and acceptance. They move from spirit to dream, dream to reality without boundaries. Children absorbe everything in their path and all they want is to play and be happy. And because of that they're the happiest beings I know.

I spend every waking moment trying to reaquaint myself with my former child-self. It's a blissfull place to be and a wonderful way to live. My own children have helped raise me as much as I've been raising them. They and their friends remind me how life is truly a simple thing and the ultimate goal is know one's self and simply BE.

Yes, I am fortunate enough to live in a great place where I'm allowed to excersize my own personal freedoms. Say what I please without fear of persecution. Study what I wish and become my own person.

.... and I'm taking every advantage of that freedom that I can to hopefully one day find samadhi.

YOGA FOR LIFE - YOGA DAY BENEFIT

.... FOR BREAST CANCER



On Saturday, April 5, 2008, a Yoga For Life-Yoga Day Benefit will be held at Sherrill Park, downtown between North and South-bound Shoreline Blvd & Kinney St. Starting at 9:00am I will lead a 90 minute, open yoga session. This is a public event for everyone to join; beginners and advanced alike. Some mats and blankets will be provided, but supplies are limited.

Donations of any size will be asked for which will go to the Avon Walk For Breast Cancer the following Saturday. Tax deductible donations can be made by check or credit card. Forms will be supplied for the donations as well as informative hand-outs on early detection of breast cancer and treatment centers.

I will be walking the full distance of a marathon (26.2 miles) for the event in Houston. I walk in honor of all who have had to live with the pain and suffering from this terrible disease. I walk for my sisters, my nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles, my grandmother, my mother and my daughter.

Along with helping hundreds of thousands of people who have been afflicted by this disease, you will also be helping yourself along a healthier and happier path of life by enjoying the benefits of a good, solid yoga practice.

**********************************************

If you would like to donate to the Yoga For Life team now, you can navigate over to the donation page and click on the pink "Support Me" button. All information is kept confidential and tax-deductible donation receipts are available from the Avon Foundation.

**********************************************

Yoga For Life - Yoga Day Benefit

for breast cancer

April 5, 2008

Starting at 9:00am

Sherrill Park

Open donations

**********************************************

Sciatica Q&A

“Thou cold sciatica, cripple our senators, that their limbs may halt as lamely as their manners.” – William Shakespeare 1564.

A friend of mine - JuJu - asked about her sciatica and what I could possibly recommend for it from a yogic point of view. She participates in the MS 150s; Houston to Austin. I looked through all my texts and have consulted several times over - both past and present - with various medical and holistic professionals on this subject. Here is what I have for her and hopefully anyone else with the same question. Before you read on, PLEASE MAKE ALL YOUR MOVEMENTS DELIBERATE, SLOW AND CAREFUL. Fast movements and jerking can only increase physical problems. Besides, no one wants to be a jerk.

Sciatica is defined as pain caused by irritation, compression or inflammation anywhere along the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerves are the largest and longest nerves in the body, reaching about the size of your thumb in diameter, and running down the back of each leg. Each sciatic nerve is composed of five smaller nerves that leave the spinal cord from the lower spinal column, join together and then travel down each leg. It then divides into smaller nerves that travel to the thigh, knee, calf, ankle, foot and toes.

Sciatic pain can usually be linked to two types of irritation:

One cause of sciatica is piriformis syndrome. The piriformis muscle extends from the side of the sacrum to the top of the thigh bone at the hip joint, passing by the sciatic nerve en route. When a short/tight piriformis is stretched, it can compress and irritate the sciatic nerve. People who stand pigeon toed - with their toes turned out - often develop piriformis syndrome, as do runners and cyclists, who overuse and understretch the piriformis muscle.

Also, sciatic pain is often the cause from compression of the L4-S1 nerve roots affecting the sciatic distribution. Occasionally irritation of any part on the branch of the sciatic nerve in the legs can be so severe it can set up a reflex pain reaction involving the entire length of the nerve. For example, if the nerve is pinched or irritated near the knee, you may feel the pain in the hip and buttock.

If a tight piriformis muscle is the problem, then it must be gently stretched. Do not overstretch or more spasm can result. Remember what you do to one side, do to the other to keep a proper balance of strength and stretch (limberness). Focus on improving posture and body mechanics in daily activities. Yoga practice should be modified so that the pain is neither created nor intensified.

Standing Poses:

The easiest is to start in Tadasana (mountain pose or standing position), ground your left leg and bring your right leg up onto a platform; a step, a chair, a box. 90* degrees is good. Feel the stretch in your hamstring, groin, glutes and lower back. If your body allows, hinge at the hips, don't round your back, and lean forward into the pose keeping your hands either on your hips or knees. Come back up, bring your leg down and switch sides.

Trikonasana (triangle pose). Use bolsters or supports if needed.

Parivrtta Trikonasana (revolved triangle pose) with the support of a table or countertop can also help.

Virabhadrasan (warrior I pose)

Virabhadrasana II (warrior II pose)

Utthita Parsvakonasana (side angle pose)

Parivrtta Parsvakonasana (revolved side angle pose)

Forward Lunge

Seated Poses:

Seated Half Lotus. Sit upright on your sit bones, not your tailbone, in a comfortable chair with a flat seat. Pass on the lay-z-boy and try something more like an office chair or dining room chair. Bring your rib cage up and out to straighten your back and create a good strong base for your pose. Up and out, not puffed out. Feet flat on the floor, legs hip width apart, knees over ankles, hands on either your knees or thighs.
Bring your right ankle (not foot) up ontop of your left knee. Now is a great time to bring in your Pranayama practice and take steady deep breaths while holding this pose for up to 2-3 minutes. If your right knee is up, press down gently with your right hand to ulitmately bring your chin parallel to the floor. Then switch.
IF THIS HURTS, DO NOT DO IT. A good rule of thumb I pass along in all my classes is, "If it hurts, stop. This is 'find the enlightenment', not 'feel the burn'."
If your body can go further then with keeping your back straight, hinge at the hips and lean forward. Do not round your back, this will not help you no matter how far you go! The woman in the picture almost has it, but remember not to round your back and also, I prefer to keep my hands on my knees rather than increase the intensity of the stretch by reaching for the floor since this only increases the desire to round the back. If your sciatica is really acting up, this will be near impossible anyway.

Bharadvajasana

Agnistambhasana

Pasasana (noose pose or wall twist)

Baddha Konasana

Marichyasana III

Dandasana (staff pose or seated pose). If your sciatica is not as severe or not present at all, you will be able to do this. This and the next one are great poses for building strength in the lower back, glutes, abs and legs to forego any future nerve problems. However, if your sciatica is acting up, these next two will be near to impossible.

Paschimottanasana (forward bend)

If these are too difficult it is suggested to isolate the muscles more with:

Janu Sirsanan (head to knee pose)

Reclining Poses:

Viparita Karani (legs-up-the-wall pose) with or without a bolster. Many believe this to be the ulitmate pose. Restorative, cleansing, it takes all the weight off your lower back while letting gravity work its magic. I use Viparita Karani, Balasana (child's pose) and Savasana (corps pose) as restorative poses. During class I make a point of reminding everyone - including myself - that if at anytime they feel fatigued, short of breath, or dizzy to go into one of these poses.
It is always good to end with one of these poses, especially Viparita Karani or Savasana, after a full workout; whether aerobics, cycling, running, yoga or any other strenuous activity. It gives the body a chance to relax and assimilate all the channels you just opened in your system.

As far as yoga is concerned, there are a million, billion different poses and sequences to perform to help with sciatic pain (along with every other aspect of your life). This is just one sequential suggestion. Any and all of these poses can be worked into a regular Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation) practice.

For more information with a medical slant try here. Remember to always speak with a physician before beginning any type of physical exercise.

Live long and prosper my fellow yogis.
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti

MS 5K - CORPUS CHRISTI

Today I managed to meet several of my personal goals that I've been putting off for far too long.

The first one started with waking up at 5:30AM. No coffee, no TV, no bodies, just me and the sunrise. It is a lifestyle change I've been trying to adopt for a while now. With having to get up early (for a Saturday) to participate in the MS 5K it gave me an incentive to wake up with nature -- as opposed to acrobatic kids on my bed.

Shortly there after I was able to follow through with another hard-to-achieve goal of mine which was to participate in and help with more charity events. Once I arrived I saw how beautifully the sponsors for the event had everything arrainged. There was a kids' area already put to good use by the time I arrived just after 7AM with moon walks, games and music. Some of our local businesses showed up to help all the walkers get into the swing of things: free coffee from Starbucks, free fruit and breakfast cakes from the grocer, hats, bandanas, a live band, water, hot chocolate, and more.

I joined my neighbor & friend over at her team's hula hut booth, the SPASMATICS, to get aquainted with everyone. Since I was skipping my usual Saturday yoga class that I teach at Yin-Yang Fandango and Tango Tea Room for this event, I went ahead and had my own yoga warmup and stretch over to the side on a lovely sun-lit piece of grass. Sun was very important today since it started out at 40 deg., but thankfully no wind!

The SPASMATICS team captain was a woman who had just been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, herself. MS is described as a result from attacks to the nervous system by the body's own immune system. Some believe it is a metabolically dependent disease while others think that it might be caused by a virus such as Epstein-Barr. Still others believe that its virtual absence from the tropics points to a deficiency of vitamin D during childhood.

There are several medications out there to help with the symptoms, but nothing yet to prevent or truly fight off the disease. So..... we walk to help.

Another goal I met today was in the walk itself. The MS 5K offered me a great chance to get into the mindset for the upcoming Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in April. I was able to watch my diet and the effects more closely today, assess my body's wear and tear after only a few miles and my style for walking with several people (as opposed to my lone training walks these past couple months). One thing came through crystal clear, I needed to really stretch afterward. Walking soreness and tightness is not the same as running sore/tight.

When my friend and I crossed the finish line I checked the clock. My yoga class that Melissa was so generously covering for me was just barely starting. And the class was just a few blocks on the otherside of downtown. Knowing that it takes everyone a good 10-15 min. to set up and settle down, I decided to forego the free bar-b-que lunch and festivities after the event and hightail it over to yoga.

I arrived just a minute or two after they started. I was excited to see it was a full class so I slipped in and put my mat down in the very back by the door. By the second run of psycho-physicals (warm-ups) I noticed I was still wearing my walking number that was pinned to my back. I'm still not sure if that would be considered a super-focused mind or an unfocused one ???

It only took a few minutes for me to realize my decision to skip free food for yoga was absolutely perfect. I wasn't tired or sore from the walk, but my glutes and tensor fascia lata really enjoyed the extra stretch-and-hold work. Plus, Melissa is a great instructor and it's been too long since I last took one of her classes. We both received our yoga certifications at the same time through a Solar Yoga school and we have remained close since.

After yoga was over and Melissa and I took a moment to chat with our fellow yoginis, it was lunch time. Very much lunch time!

BUDDHA SAYS "HAVE PATIENCE"

"Slow down,
You move too fast,
You gotta make
The moment last,"

This past Saturday was the 4th of the month which meant you could find me at the Tango Tea Room leading my favourite morning yoga class. I can't really tell you why it's my favourite, because truth be told, I love all the classes I attend; whether leading or following. There is something.... fun, though, about my Saturday classes in Morrocan Lounge at the Tea Room. The people who come really seem to like what they get from the classes and it makes me feel so good to see the same faces coming back again and again.

With a late start due to room rearranging and getting everyone onto the same page - wave length if you will - we agreed to have a late ending, as well. No one was in a hurry this morning and from the sound of it, this class was pretty much the only thing on everyone's schedule for the day. So why not go the extra mile?

I say "pretty much" because even though I was in no particular hurry either, I did have other plans. Later that afternoon, in the same room used for my yoga class, was going to be a Buddhist Meditation workshop lead by a nun from the Chittanami Buddhist Center in Austin, TX. In yoga, meditation is also called dhyana, 7th of the 8 limbs of Raja/Hatha yoga. It has been a very difficult one for me to attempt, much less practise on any consistant basis. I've been looking for a guru or teacher to help guide me through the teachings and practises of meditation, but it has been one of those journies where I must be still and wait for my teacher rather than actively seek one out. "Be still and know that I am."

When I recieved the update about this Buddhist meditation workshop coming to town I knew I had to act upon it. One of the reasons was, as is typical of me, sheer curiosity. You see, my on-going martial arts study is from the Matsumura family who helped to bring the teachings to Okinawa from the Shaolin Temple monks. When I looked into the Buddhist teachings of meditation, their roots came from the same Shaolin Temple. I had to go.

I wasn't sure what to think about it, but I knew I was going to attend. Last February I had the privilege of sitting before the Dalai Lama and listening to him speak, but I've never met a Buddhist nun and I wasn't sure what to expect. Was she going to be a flighty, light-headed theologian that talked of whimsical beliefs and a generic view of love? Was she going to guide us through 2 hours of closed-eye, silent meditation? Was I going to be able to understand anything she said; either linguistically, intelligently or spiritually? But most importantly, was I going to be open-minded enough to listen?

That last one was the easiest for me to answer, at least. Yes. The simple fact that I was going told me already where my mind laid. Like all teachers before me, it didn't matter whether I agreed with them or not, I always learned something from them. And funny enough, the more I disagreed with a teacher or instructor, the more surprised I was at what I learned from them and the situation. Like the Dalai Lama said, "When you lose, don't lose the lesson."

So between the time my yoga class ended and the meditation workshop was to begin I slipped in a good 4 mile walk to keep up my training for the marathon. I know, 4 miles in 50 minutes is a far cry from 26 miles and 7 hours, but every bit counts, right? Plus I had the added advantage of being downtown for my yoga class so I was able to enjoy a full hour along the seawall that defines the eastern side of downtown. Bright Spring sunshine, 75 degree temperature, a briney breeze, lapping waves, pelicans, sailboats and to top it off, I was able to stop in and enjoy the Art Museum for a bit and view some of my godmother's work before heading back for the workshop.
When I walked into the Morrocan Lounge, where the workshop was to be held, I saw people already busying themselves with chair arrangments and jovial salutations. The spokesman for the group seemed very anxious and flitted about with an air of nervous energy. Being my first time there, I chose to step out of the way, take a seat on one of the couches along the back wall and wait for our lecturer's arrival. It wasn't long before I saw that most of the people gathered by this point were just as excited as Ms. Spokesman. The joy and excitement over having another chance to study with this buddhist nun was palpable.

Then she arrived. Her greying hair was cut short in traditional Buddhist fashion, she was draped in rust and saffron-colored monastic robes that looked to be pieced together from various large swatches of fabric. She smiled with ease and greeted everyone individually.

Her name was (is) Kelsang Inchug. She sat in the chair prepared for her at the front of the room and placed a cloth bound book on the little side table stationed next to the chair. By that time 12-15 people had arrived with about as many new comers -yours truly included - as returning followers. I was happy to see such a wide variety of people in such a small group: 40 years difference in ages, men, women, a middle aged mother with her severely down syndrome daughter, teachers, baristas, doctors.... oh my!

Kelsang Inchug began with a meditation preparation. The first step in practicing meditation that clears the mind by purifying hindrances caused by our previous negative actions. We closed our eyes and she guided us through So-Ah-Ham breathing; "Think 'So' as you inhale through your nose, 'Ah' at the peak when you hold your breath for just a second, and 'Ham' (hoom) when you exhale through your nose."

After our minds had quieted a bit and we were more in tuned to the moment, she proceeded with an extremely enlightening and informative lecture on the Buddhist way of Patience. It was our focus of meditation for the day. Beyond the specifics of Buddist teachings, what she had to share on the theories and practices of Patience was no different that what we've all heard our whole lives. The difference came in her own personal delivery and relay of the practice of Patience. With her calm, dignified demeanor she taught us about the principles and practices of Patience in the 21 Lamrim meditations.

She spoke of the Four Noble Truths, Samadhi, the difference between love and attachment, true Patience (joined with) (rather than) simple tolerance.....

This is also refered to as the time of contemplation. The purpose of contemplation is to bring to mind the object of placement meditation; in this respect it was Patience. She parleyed various lines of reasoning, contemplating analogies, and reflected on the scriptures - Buddhist, Hindu, and Christian alike.

In much the same respect as the Dalai Lama, Kelsang Ichung listened fervently to any and all questions and stories that arose during her lecture, she used parables to illustrate her responses and laughed unreservedly with her whole body. Not once did I ever feel this Buddist nun putting on anything more than her true face and showing us her true self. Not once did I feel she didn't wholly believe and embody the very word she was speaking and teaching. It was one of the most supportive environments I have had the pleasure of being in, in my short 29 years.

I can not relay to you all that was covered during that workshop. There was so much information to digest and so much personal growth that I still have to go through (lifetimes of it) that I must stop now in my story. For the sake of your eyes and my fingers if nothing else.

Some recommended readings:
Introduction to Buddhism
The New Meditation Handbook
The Joyful Path of Good Fortune

Namaste :)

WALK LIKE AN EGYP......

A couple of weeks ago I came across an event for Breast Cancer research. Avon is hosting a walking marathon (26.3 miles + 13.1 miles) to raise funds for cancer research. One walk in each state. Houston will be hosting it for Texas, in April.

I know, there are fundraisers and charity events going on pretty much every weekend in one place or another. And the larger the city, the more frequent the events. For this one, however, I chose to throw my name into the pot. My first reason, as shallow as it was, brought me the motivation I sorely needed to get off my keester and move. Sure, I move daily through my yoga practices and classes, but as anybody knows, holding Virabadrasana II for 3 minutes does not give the same benefits as walking 10 miles in the morning. So my initial motivation actually had very little if nothing to do with curing cancer and more to do with body image - internally and externally.

After I got to sharing the info with my friends and family I came to fully acknowledge the fact that the people developing cancer need as much help as they can get. There's no guarantee that before I die, I won't have already lost a family member to the ravages of cancer or cancer related illnesses. If there is something I can do to help prevent that, by golly I'm going to do it.

This thought process brings me to this morning. Steeped in my "walking" training. Irene, a fellow cool chic and one I hope to call friend someday, joined me for the first time. We haven't talked much, but this morning offered us a chance to get to know one another better. Come to find out, our scheduled morning walk was getting rained out (more like drizzled out) and we were both feeling bad for the other for not creating a better situation. HA. As if we had some ability to control the weather and the mind-set of the other. It was one of the sweetest gestures thrown my way and I dearly appreciated it. So on that note, we took a walk in the rain. 4 miles, 1 hour. Neither of us had any decent rain gear to speak of, but the rain was warm and soft, as if it was already June.

Even though I walk nearly everyday getting ready for this event, Irene and I had been planning this Wednesday walk for a week. And wouldn't you know it, the very second we stopped stretching and stepped onto the pavement, it started to rain. Right there on our parade. All we could do was invoke our yoginis from within and roll with the punches. Be present, be flexible.

Rather than fight the drizzle and rain, complain about the unfortunate circumstances, we invited it and embraced the time we had to share with one another. Plus, it sure did make tea time more enjoyable afterwards; green tea and mint spiked with honey, mmmmm :)

OM SWEET OM

On Monday my youngest munchkin woke up in the middle of the night with a low grade fever and a rash all over her body. Cut to today: She and I took the morning off to hike over to her pediatrician's office for a visit.

I was slightly annoyed because it meant she missed out on the celebrations at school and I had to cancel my morning yoga class at the Martial Arts Academy. Not really a huge deal for my class since I have hardly advertised for it at all and more often than not, since starting the class last month, no one has shown up. I really should advertise..... but that's another topic for another time.

Anyway, I could tell by the time we left the house (without my phone, without my sketchbook, and without money) that this was not just going to impact my morning, but the whole day. I did what I had to do, but without any particular flare or excitement behind me. My daughter, on the other had, was perfectly happy with spending the day with Mom.

After we checked in at the doctor's office I anticipated a long wait, reached for my sketchbook, remembered I forgot it - along with everything else - and sank a little lower into my plastic seat. On the side table was one, mind you One magazine, WebMD Wire. Woopidydoo.

I opened it at random and immediately recognized a picture of a man in the lotus possition. The article was titled "Om, Sweet Om". 80 plus pages and I managed to open up to the only meditation article in it. Sometimes the Universe whispers to us, sometimes it screams.

In a nutshell the article pointed out that meditation research has become a point of interest over the past few years at several leading research facilities and the interest is growing exponentially. Though it's a difficult field for scientists to study, - try to measure metaphysical growth - several individuals have dedicated most of their professional lives to paving the way for western medicine to jump in. What was previously a subject ignored as flippant mysticism is now setting roots as a medication.

Research facilities such as Dalian University of Technology in China, National Academy of Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Society of Neuroscience, and the University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center have popped up in more than 1,000 articles stating their results from continued meditation studies. Everything from anxiety, depression, blood pressure, hot flashes, HIV, ADD, ADHD, schizophrenia, rheumatoid arthritis, and daily stress is being linked with meditative studies.

Of all the articles I've read on "leading research" in meditation, I keep coming back to the same thing. Well of course meditation can help! It's as if the new world powers, the leaders in technology and life, are taking their sweet time to, not so much discover, as realize what has already been in practice for thousands of years. And been a success at that.

TWO TO TANGO

This morning's class at the Tango Tea Room brought to light something I've been trying to watch over closely since my very first class. Injuries. More importantly, injured parts of the body that scream for attention.

As a student I have run into other fellow students working with pain, guided by pain, or otherwise ignoring their pain. None of these tactics ever seemed right to me. Especially considering that the majority of the time I studied Yoga (before teacher's training) I was in constant pain; whether it be my ankles, foot, neck, or more often my lower back. So for years, in watching more-seasoned students struggle through asanas or pranayama because of their near debilitating pain, I simply thought that's the way it was to be. That my pain was a cause of my own actions and someday, through shear determination and a consistant yoga practice I would magically wake up one day and be physically healed. My body would be happy and so shall I.

As great as the classes were, pain just wasn't talked about much. It was something largely ignored by my past instructors, only talked about when a student approached them privately after class. As if pain itself was the problem and should not be acknowledge for fear of exacerbating the situation. Unlike the truth of it all, which I've come to find is that all people are in pain at some point: physically, emotionally, mentally and yes, spiritually. The physical side of the spectrum is usually where we put our focus, though, when in class.

So with today, I started the class with my usual nod to a bit of Jnana Yoga by discussing some theories of yoga that applied to our day's practice, then reminding everyone to take care, listen to their bodies, and when in doubt or pain, come out of the pose and/or go to Child's Pose - Balasana.

About an hour into the practice a friend of mine who was seated in the back row came out of the pose we were working through and started rubbing her wrist. After guiding the rest of the class back down to Dandasana I looked over to see if she was O.K. She said she was fine, just that the particular pose we were in was not working with her wrist and so she sat back down. I decided to take that moment to basically make an example of her. She didn't seem to mind and the timing was perfect. I used her great judgement and style to reitterate my point about bringing the "yoga mindset" into our yoga practice; being aware of our bodies and listening to them. "Remeber this isn't feel the burn it's more like find the enlightenment."

After that I noticed one more student in the front row do the same thing: slowly lower down out of her Downward Facing Dog and relax into Balasana. I have to say, I was very happy to see that. This second student was someone just getting back into yoga after a few years of hiatus. I noticed she had been struggling already a few times earlier in the class and whether she needed a restorative pose then or not, I can not say, but I was happy to see both students use good judgement, listen to what their bodies were saying and rather than jerk out of their positions, lower slowly to their mats and relieve the stress.

As an instructor with a full class I know that I can not give each and every student the full attention they need. I know (as much as I don't like it) that some things will go unnoticed on my part. The best I can do is give a great lesson in yoga each and every time. The rest I must leave up to the wonderful yogis that come to participate. It is in that thought right there why I insist on reminding several times throughout our 90 minute class to "listen to your bodies", "don't strain yourselves", and "if it hurts, stop."

A BRAVE NEW WORLD

It is indeed.

I have started this blog to spread some thoughts, some opinions, and I hope some good while I’m at it.

Unlike the dystopian theme of the novel which shares my heading, I have pursued the practice of Yoga for many years now for the plain and simple desire of finding my nirvana. To be honest, I spent much of those years looking in the wrong direction. Pursuing misguided attempts at harmony. And unbeknownst to me, causing more seeds of frustration and discontent to play in my daily life. As my grams would say, “… all the wrong things for all the right reasons.”

The desire, though, was still there. The simple and unharming desire to simply be: be happy, be content, be honorable, be here and now. I think the breaking point came when I saw not so much the suffering on my part, but the suffering in the people closest to me: my family, my children, my dearest friends. The world is, after all, a reflection of our own perceptions.

So, on a whim, I signed up for a Yoga Teacher Certification course at the only local Yoga Alliance accredited school here in the city. It was, to say the least, an outrageously wild adventure. It was enlightening in more ways than I could have ever imagined, but not in anyway I had expected. By the end of the 3 month, 225 hours course I realised I knew nothing when it came to the life and practice of Yoga. Don’t get me wrong, I gathered a wealth of knowledge and more importantly, a BIG FAT ARROW pointing me in the right direction to fully pursue more teachings. I was simply a certified teacher who had just realised I was newborn in one of the oldest practiced faiths. I knew a lot, but I knew nothing.

That was last year.

So the journey begins…..