Yoga - Toolbox for Transformation.

"The inner obstacles that disperse the mind are sickness, mental inertia, doubt, haste, apathy, intemperance, errors in judgement of oneself, lack of perseverance, and the inability to stay at a level once reached" - Patanjali Yoga Sutra 1.30


"Personal transformation has always been Yoga's prime directive"- Gary Kraftsow


"all of life is a continual process of refinement which allows us to see more clearly" - Donna Farhi


It's Spring and I am thinking about butterflies.  What a wonderful species - they are classic examples of transformation in nature, having 4 life stages that unfold miraculously through their evolution. Butterflies make me think about the eight limbs of Yoga. 


We come to Yoga with a variety of circumstances and conditioned behaviour - an ache in the back, a pain in the neck, an emotional upset, a tension headache, upset tummy, chronic health issues, a deep yearning for inner peace.  It is a journey, this practise.  Moments of breathing, stretching out the tightness in the muscles, going beyond thoughts and rational thinking to connect to an untouched well of joy, solace, calm.  Whatever we felt stuck in one moment, dissolves, softens.  So important.  Life is organic and always changing! Practise starts to break old cycles and re-patterns our brains, re-wiring us to feel free from the effects of old habits, pointing us in the direction of options and nourishing choices, newer and positive ways of being, thinking, feeling. 


Sometimes I hear students express desire to change but feelings that they "can't".  Well, patience, perseverance, practise, surrender, acceptance - these are all part of the tapestry.  The crocuses and tulips that start as seeds under the frozen earth must endure a whole lot before they push up from under the defrosting soil.  In an effortless effort, Nature unfolds herself.


Spring, with its bouncy, alive energy gives us a great boost.  So if you are feeling like you want to break free of something old that holds you back or hostage, here are a few tips:
-Start where you are.  
-Do one thing different each day.  
-Remember to take slices of time where you close your eyes, focus on your inner world, breathe, be still.  Interiorize your attention.
-Cultivate personal practise.  


Wherever you are in your cycle, it is one of many, you will find your wings; Courage and Faith.

Om shanty shanty shanty,
Rana

Spring: the season of the 'cleanse'

"Tapas: something we do in order to keep us physically and mentally healthy; a process of inner cleansing: we remove things we do not need" -T.K.V. Desikachar


"Purity protects one's body and brings nonphysical relationships with others" -Yoga Sutra 11.40


"The yogi conquers the body by the practice of asanas and makes it a fit vehicle for the spirit.  He knows that it is a necessary vehicle for the spirit.  A soul without a body is like a bird deprived of its power to fly"
- Iyengar


"The Liver is like a 'general' or 'planner' in charge of formulating strategies to serve the purpose and goals of the body-mind.  Physiologically it has the most complex functions.  It is responsible for detoxifying, filtering, nourishing, restoring and storing blood.  In doing this, the Liver chemically counteracts foreign toxins that enter the blood and eliminates these through the bile, along with the waste of broken down cells" -Dr. Michael Tierra, Lesley Tierra: Chinese Traditional Herbal Medicine


Food for thought, right!  Spring seems to be informally "liver awareness" time.  There is a lot of writing and talking about 'Spring Detox', 'Spring Cleaning', 'Cleansing'.  So what does it all mean?

Some of it comes from Traditional Chinese Medicine.  The Five Element System begins with the Wood element, which is where the new energy first arises.  Some of the positives associated with the element are growth and motivation, planning and organising.  Some of the negatives can manifest as frustration, anger, depression.



In the Yogic System, we speak of the Chakra System, and the Wood element corresponds with the Fifth Chakra which involves the Ether Element and relates to sound, vocalisation, and creativity, and your 'plan', or direction in life.  The 'location' is at the throat, but, if things don't feel in sync, or you feel confused, or angry, it is said to correspond to disturbances in the liver.

For those of us who have a cold winter, Spring is the season where Mother Nature's Sunny smile makes things defrost, and blossom; the maple syrup runs, we shed boots, scarves, hats, sweaters.  We re-organise our closets to find our lighter clothing.  People often have runny noses, allergies are irritated with all the pollen in the air, and the body shifts into decongesting itself of excess mucous. Some people have been telling me they are exhausted, joints hurt, and they are feeling completely lazy.  They may have an excess of mucous, and so the jump-start of a little extra cleansing may help.


Some things to try might be:
- buy and eat more greens, and fresh food (pizza is not your BFF)
(try my Yogreen-ie smoothie or Simply Immuni-tea)
-wake up and do a bit of energising yoga/pranayama practise or walk outside to get some fresh AIR, listen to the birds, watch the new budding flora
-sleep a little earlier, to wake up rejuvenated
-make friends with a Neti-pot
-journal to get all these lurking negative emotions OUT
-clean your closet and then give what you do not need to charity
-remember that the meditative state of relaxation cleanses the mind!

Giving yourself a little extra support during any transition -Season or otherwise- is so positive.  Just keep in mind that beyond all the recipes for Detox is the system of Yoga itself, which supports cleansing and maintaining nourishing habits throughout the Year and no matter how green you eat, if you are not in touch with yourself emotionally, you will not be able to 'rest and digest'...

peace and positivity!
Rana

mind-body connectionn

I just came across this text in a pile of papers, maybe someone emailed it to me...I am not the author but cannot find who wrote it so if you read it and know, give me a head's up; sharing it because it is a good reminder of our own power to inspire and be inspired, visualise, manifest, create. 

THE TONGUE CAN BE YOUR WORST ENEMY!

Your words, your dreams, and your thoughts have power to create conditions in your life.  What you speak about, you can bring about.

If you keep saying you can’t stand your job, you may lose your job.

If you keep saying, you can’t stand your body, your body may become sick.

If you keep saying you can’t stand your car, your car may be stolen or just stop operating.

If you keep saying you’re broke, guess what?  You’ll always be broke.

If you keep saying you can’t trust a man or trust a woman, you will always find someone in your life to hurt and betray you.

If you keep saying you can’t find a job, you will remain unemployed.

If you keep saying you can’t find someone to love you or believe in you, your very thought will attract more experiences to confirm your beliefs.

If you keep talking about divorce or break up in a relationship, then you might end up with it.

Turn your thoughts and conversations around to be more positive, and power packed with faith, hope, love and action.

Don’t be afraid to believe that you can have what you want and deserve

Watch your Thoughts, they become words.

Watch your Words, they become actions.

Watch your Actions, they become habits.

Watch your Habits, they become character.

Watch your Character, for it becomes your Destiny.

The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than you settle for

Thought I would share this with you.

In the search for Me, I discovered Truth.

In the search for Truth, I discovered Love.

In the search for Love, I discovered GOD.

And in GOD, I have found everything.

Be Blessed.

Watch how your circumstances and situations begin to change when you change the way you speak.

Pass this on to as many people as you can, so they can change their lives too.

Life is like melted butter…once things cool down, it can be reshaped.




enjoy 
Om shanty shanty shanty
Rana

yoga and the art of retail shopping

"Intuition is soul guidance, appearing naturally in man during those instants when his mind is calm...The goal of yoga science is to calm the mind, that without distortion it may hear the infallible counsel of the Inner Voice" - Paramahansa Yogananda

Well, it has been another week of dazzling reflections on balancing career, deadlines, duties, wisdom, people and grace and how my Yoga practice sheds light on so many different areas, like a sunbeam....My last blog was so intense I thought, I would try to write about something "cool", "light", and cheerful.

I have seen a few blogs lately that talk about fashion, giving tips on what to buy, what to wear, how to wear it.  Hmm. Fun. Let's put on the lip gloss and head straight for all THAT.

Of course, as luck would have it, I found a store that sells "YOGA jeans".  Thinking I had entered nirvana already, I beamed at the salesgirl - "YOGA teacher" here, sign me up!  Started trying on....pair #1 -  too big, we both agreed, pair #2 - uh, so-so, pair - #3, I didn't think so.... I wasn't that comfortable bottom line.  I just knew they didn't maximise or minimise or whatever the rave was, it was not working on me.
Now, the salesgirl was good, and she may have honestly thought I looked great, but she may also have had a slight agenda. A couple of other stores had cute things, but I realised, as I side-stepped the snow and ice here in the Montreal/March, that the season was not yet upon me for sundresses.  I had a good time conserving money and chitchatting with people though.

Here's what I loved.  There are such great yoga lessons in retail shopping:

*Inward listening under pressure ! AUMMMM.
*Can we check in with ourselves honestly in the moment, or do we need a walk around the block or a day to think about it?
*Are we on budget, on resolution, and still focused on what the mission was for?
*Did you really need a blouse but you are buying pants instead?
*Are they a want or a need?
*Is it a JUST GO FOR IT day?
*Are you able to look in the mirror and love what you see, or is it all negative self-talk?

See, I think the beauty of the Yoga system is that it turns us into confident, strong people who make nourishing and positive choices.  Life, in this way, whatever you are doing, becomes an art form.  Buyer Be(a)ware...Enjoy!






om shanty shanty shanty
Rana

yoga and safety

"Yoga has its origins in the search for the spiritual and in primordial questions about the meaning of life.  The awareness that yoga is a spiritual practise whose roots are ancient gives our journey continuity, richness, and depth" -Esther Myers


"The problem with institutionalized yoga or textbook instruction is that the reality of a person's life situation is not taken into account...The key to right teaching is in the adaptation of yoga to the individual, not the idividual to yoga" - T.K.V. Desikachar


"Yoga is not a standardised practise" - T.K.V. Desikachar


Lately much is in the news about yoga and safety.  I have sat with this topic for awhile, wondering if I should leap into the discussion, pondering how to stay politically correct, and I have decided I have enough to say to bring this topic to the blog.  In fact, you may want to go and get yourself a chai latte for this one.  


Foremost, I think when you put Yoga into a buffet of activities offered at gyms, and/or by people who are teaching a postural flow to students who want the physicality of a stretch coupled with a tinge of mind/body/spirit, the word safety SHOULD enter the conversation.  Just as it would when you play any sport, lift any weight, run any trail, climb any mountain.  Reducing Yoga, which began as one of the six Hindu philosophical schools, to just a physical discipline, almost makes it into a sport.  Let's "do Yoga" rather than Let's "Be Yoga" reduces a lifestyle into an activity that you fit into a schedule rather than an ongoing meditation in motion.  


The word "yoga" has morphed over time, and especially in the West.  It comes from the Sanskrit root yuj, meaning to "bind, join, attach and yoke, to direct and concentrate one's attention on, to use and apply".  In this, its original sense, which you find in the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads, it means joining the individual soul with the higher Self, the Cosmos/God/Universe; it is a mystical union, rather than a "I have to twist myself into this crazy form and hurt my shoulder" kind of union..So if you follow this, and are getting injured in a yoga class, something isn't right.  

I always tell students, whether in a private class or group, that they should listen to their bodies.  I give clear directions, like a GPS, but if these do not resonate with the student, they should follow their own path of comfort, and steady breathing.  Asana should make you feel better, open.  They massage the internal organs, detoxify our system, stretch out the tensions.  But they are only 1/8 th of the equation.  Sometimes I have noticed, people just want to put themselves in jeopardy, get an adrenalin rush, and that's that.  I will never forget someone insisting I teach him/her the headstand.  I said, "you have neck issues, it isn't for you.  I am showing you alternatives" but that was not the answer that this person wanted to hear.  Many times this happens.  Students forget what it is all about, and jump in.  That isn't listening to your body, that is listening to your thinking "gotta do it" brain.  We are all on the path, but we may be different shoe sizes, take different strides,  alternative directions.  Honour yourself.


Challenge is great because it stretches us but comfort and safety should not be underestimated.  They are the part of  your practise on the mat that helps you make transformations, nourishing choices and heal off the mat in your daily life (which is really important!)  So ask yourself whether what you are doing is helping to foster growth and happiness, compassion, patience.  Are you less angry and anxious?  Can you relax better during stress? Stress is an overwhelming phenomena, so you may want to ensure that you are learning to cope and relax more than touch your toes.


I have been teaching over 16 years, and studying for longer.  If I ever go to someone's class, I ALWAYS tell the teacher that I prefer verbal to physical adjustments.  Last year, at a workshop, the Teacher was showing everyone a pose and my body just said "I don't think so!" and when she came over I said, "thank you but it isn't going to happen for me like that", we laughed.  Some years ago, I wanted to try a posture and I needed supervision so I grilled the teacher, "will you be there, do you promise?!" When I felt sure, I did it.  I also remember a teacher completely dissecting my posture in a workshop over ten years ago.  I came h-AUM to my mentor and just cried.  I always feel safe with my Teacher with a capital "T".  You should too, but with open and mindful eyes, and a healthy respect for your own instincts. 

I will leave you with a few suggestions and questions to ponder.  Safety is definitely something Yoga Teachers should put as a priority (may open a new blog for this later), but so should you.   
-You are unique; three people in the same class have different needs. 
-If you do Group classes, find one that feels right and stay present on your own mat.
- If you have any health concerns, are new to Yoga
or unsure about something, have questions, anything, take a private class or study privately
or if you go to a group class tell your teacher
- Are you going into a Yoga class with an old injury or weakness?
- Are you easily distracted and miss directions?
- Are you looking (secretly) to push yourself to the point of pain?
- If you practise on your own, are you organic in your flow, or do you do autopilot?
- A Teacher is a guide but your own knowledge and instincts should override outside directions and you can and should be able to skip/omit/modify/rest
- Go MINDFULLY, when in doubt don't, but go mindfully always
- Research...if your knees are stiff but you are dying to do the lotus pose, read and see if there are contra-indications (there are)
- Be prepared to take a more appropriate class, than the one 'everyone' is doing
- Embrace your experiences


Yoga is a system, not a sport; most people need enough physical challenge to heal a tense body and calm a busy mind...the path of moderation and meditation awaits you...


om shanty shanty shanty,
Rana