Straying...away on track

The past two months have been tumultuous. I felt a real calm around me this Summer with my yoga, reading, thinking, writing. But coming out of my introspective Self was a hunger. Something I could not put my finger on. Something was happening inside. Angry talks with my husband shifted my focus to getting out of my shell. And lo, and behold! My husband began to support what I was looking for.

Being a wife and mother come with an image of what everyone expects. And I was living in that image. But it was not MY image. I know the girl I was, the girl inside this woman. She's a bit crazy, and wild. She is caring and passionate. I am now learning to merge what I need and want together in a way that celebrates my family and my inner Self.

Beyond your self

"A human being is part of the whole, called by us "universe," a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest - a kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty." -Albert Einstein

Easwaran's comments: None of us see life as it is, the world as it is. We all see life as we are. We look at others through our own likes and dislikes, desires and interests. It is this separatist outlook that fragments life for us - man against woman, community against community, country against country. Yet the mystics of all religions assure us on the strength of their own experience, if only we throw away this fragmenting instrument of observation, we shall see all life as an indivisible whole.

I am continuously amazed at Albert Einstein's insight into existence despite the contribution he made to physics that overrides humanitarianism.

Partner Yoga Poses

I was browsing Sugar's blog recently and found a bunch of nice partner yoga poses. I want to remember them: http://www.fitsugar.com/tag/Partner+Yoga

Esp. for the Girl Scout yoga I am teaching in a few weeks.

MAHA MRITYUNJAYA

(Victory over the great death):
Aum Trayambakam Yajamahe
Sugandhim Pusti Vardhanam
Uvarukamiva Bandhanan
Mrtyor Muksiya Mamrtat

Translation: I meditate on and surrender myself to the Divine being who embodies the power of will, knowledge and action. I pray to the Divine Being who manifests in the form of fragrance in the flower of life and is the eternal nourisher of the plant of life. Like a skillful gardener, may the Lord of Life disentangle me from the binding forces of my physical, psychological, and spiritual foes. May the Lord of Immortality residing within free me from death, decay and sickness and unite me with Immortality.

Meaning: It is a healing and nourishing Mantra - the heart of the Vedas. The healing force awakened by this mantra sends forth its ripples from the body to the mind to the soul. It strengthens power of will, knowledge and action, unblocking the flow of enthusiasm, courage and determination. The vibration of this Mantra awakens the internal healing forces while attracting nature's healing agents, creating an environment where the forces of both converge. This Mantra is an invaluable resource for healers and teachers. It connects us to the healer within and helps us receive the full nourishment from food herbs or any discipline undertaken for our total well being. The mantra removes physical, mental, and celestial ailments. It gives victory over Death, suffering, and disease. The Maha Mrityunjaya mantra removes obstacles and brings happiness to life.

The change of boiling points

Why is it that change only occurs after a boiling point has been reached? Why do people have to get to a point where anger, emotions, turmoil occurs before they will change?

More on Asteya

I'm up early. 3:30am. Abundant energy. I look in my inbox and there is another thought from Easwaran that is a great follow up to yesterday's thought.

"An attitude to life which seeks fulfillment in the single-minded pursuit of wealth--in short, materialism--does not fit into this world, because it contains within itself no limiting principle, while the environment in which it is placed is strictly limited." -E.F. Schumacher

Easwaran's comments: The very air we breathe is not inexhaustible. If we love our children as we profess to, we should remember that the air is limited, exhaustible, a perishable member of the family of life. Treat it gently. Treat it with care. Don't blow fumes into the air or dump poisons into the rivers and oceans just because it increases profits. Don't fan overconsumption by buying things you do not need. It is not only corporations who carry the responsibility for pollution. Insofar as we tell them, "Produce all you want! We'll buy whatever you make," the rest of us are responsible too.

It is a wise commentator on today's world who points out that we do not inherit from our parents: we borrow from our children. Let us do all we can from today onwards to ensure that our children's children will live in a world unthreatened by radioactive waste and chemical pollution.

Need I say more? Practice asteya. Practice non stealing.

Asteya: the more you give, the more you get

Easwaran's daily thought today reminded me of Yoga Sutra 2.37: wealth comes to one practiced in non-stealing

"Unto those that hath shall be given, and they shall have abundance: but from those that hath not shall be taken away even that which they have." -The Gospel according to Saint Matthew

Easwaran's comments: This is a strange paradox, a little-known secret. Jesus isn't speaking of worldly goods. He is speaking of a very rare kind of treasure: the more you draw on it, the more you will have. The more patient you are with people, for instance, the more patience you will have. The more generous you are today, the more generosity you will have tomorrow. The more love you give, the more loving you become. The principle can be stated in the plainest of terms: if you are selfish with your love, the scant security you cling to will be battered by life. But if you give of yourself freely, your security will be unshakable. Your joy will be limitless. You will always have more to give.

Non-stealing is a concept many people only practice on a material level. It is considered a sin, or unethical. And there are punishments and laws against most material theft. But what about stealing from Nature? We only have a finite amount of air to breathe, or clean water to drink. Sure there are laws on how much pollution can be pumped into our environment, but it does not keep people from using too much, not giving back.

And what about stealing someone's else's time and energy? Many people do not realize that they steal energy. They talk too much without letting you talk, also. Or they constantly ask to come over and visit. They find that people stop wanting to be with them because they are sapping people's strength.

Once you practice non-stealing on all levels including material, spiritual, emotional...you will start to find peace in yourself. Give out to others without seeking something from them. A smile, to start. Maybe someone will smile back. When you show that you are trustworthy, people will put trust in you. When you love others, you will be loved back.

More methods of Yoga

Found an email Kathy sent last year. More forms of yoga you can practice...although I will have to research some more to understand them all (ie taraka yoga?)

• karma yoga: the path of self-transcending action
• bhakti yoga: the path of self-transcending love-devotion
• jnana yoga: the path of wisdom
• raja yoga: the royal path of meditation
• hatha yoga: the forceful path of bodily transformation
• mantra yoga: the path of numinous sound
• taraka yoga: the path of light
• tantra yoga: the path of ecstatic realization
• sahaja yoga: the path of spontaneity

Mallet's Bay Congregational Church

Several weeks ago, I attended a birthday party of a neighbor and friend. At the party, I met her church pastor. Young, pretty; I would never had guessed she was a Reverend. Later that evening, whilst I was into my cups, I recall having a conversation with her (and others) about God. I don't
remember everything I said, but I remember passionately saying that we all worship the same God, it's just Religion that puts filters on and separates us. Rev. Mary said something about, we should talk again. Then I remember later telling her "when I'm sober, I'm coming to your church!" What a drunk-ass!

Anyway, I kept my promise today. I got the boys ready and off we went to Mallets Bay Congregational Church. My neighbors were there (thankfully) because my boys were restless. Their only church experience is my in-laws' Roman Catholic church. My 5 y/o at first was not happy, but when his friends came in, he was. And they were SO GOOD! They colored and kept voices low. (For the most part, my 2 y/o has only two settings: off and very loud).

It was not a typical day, it was a hymn sing. We sang...a lot. But my neighbor warned me and I went anyway. I was determined to keep my promise, and going to church is one of those things that I have been saying I will look into, but kept putting off. It was time to make use of willpower and act. Reverend Mary greeted me warmly. The church members greeted me warmly. I "re-met" people I had met before. Certain sense of community. I look forward to more days and sermons.

Why am I going to church? Seeking inspiration in my yoga journey, in my own personal journey. Seeking community. Now my boys are in school, I feel this is a part of their education. Much like the public school, I will monitor the messages and lessons and ensure they are hearing and absorbing things I think are correct and enriching to them.

I have shunned church for the last 25 years because of Religion and how it separates people. I think Reverend Mary may receive openly and allow for other Religious teachings to inspire her congregation without filtering us out.

Travel within

I started getting another inspirational message to my email account from the author o the Gita book I am reading, Eknath Easwaran. This quote below was particularly interesting to me...

"There are many going afar to marvel at the heights of mountains, the mighty waves of the sea, the long courses of great rivers, the vastness of the ocean, the movements of the stars, yet they leave themselves unnoticed!" -Saint Augustine

Easwaran's comments:
Today many people who enjoy traveling are not content with visiting London or Paris; they want to travel by camel in the Sahara, or kayak in the Antarctic. But no matter how exotic, this is horizontal travel, where we stay on the surface of life. Much more fascinating is vertical travel - that is, meditation, which takes us to the Land of Love in the utmost depths of consciousness.

For a long time we may not get very far, but if we insist on traveling deep, meditation will become a daring adventure. We will pass through level after level of consciousness, just the way one travels from one country to another. There is this difference: when we pass from the United States into Mexico, we know when we have crossed the border. We must stop and speak to the guard. Then the language changes. We know we are in a new land. In meditation, it is rather different. The changes are likely to take place so gradually that we may not even be aware of it immediately. But slowly and surely we will begin to have a strong feeling of coming home to our native land.

As I delve into yoga, I am becoming more aware of aspects of my life that help or hurt our environment be it Nature, relationships, or the growth of humanity. I used to think it was an item of success to be able to travel the world, visit new places. But now I think about the Carbon Footprint I leave--the jet fuel, the dumping of waste by ships in the ocean, the special small packaging items I buy so I do not have to carry so much with me. Or how about the layers o sunscreen that wash of at the beach, destroying coral reefs? Oh, there is much damage. Am I really going to be a better person by travel distant places to learn? I wonder...

Moments of bliss

The last three evenings, my kids and I have gone swimming at or after sunset. The water at the beach is calm, no one is running about, and the sun setting behind the Adirondacks is beautiful.

The first time I took them, my 5-year-old kept asking if his friends would be there. He usually plays the older kids and thought he'd be bored without them. But when we arrived, he was thrilled by the fact that he was at the beach "kind of late" and he played in the water with his little brother. It is the best they have played together in several weeks.

I forgot to bring a life jacket for my 2-year-old to swim in. At first I was afraid of the risk, but he adapted well. He's been swimming better and better every day. By the third evening, he was showing me how he can "go underwater." He holds his breath and tries to go under. He only goes up to his nose, but it's a start and I was happy he was finally going under without sucking in water.

These evening swims also allowed me some time to read. Usually when I come down other families are there so you socialize. But I was able to sit at the water's edge and watch the kids while reading. It was a wonderful atmosphere with the difference in lighting and the stillness of the waves to remember how blissful is life.

Methods of yoga

• Jnana yoga:Yoga of Knowledge. Followers use will and discrimination to dis-identify from the body, mind and senses until they know they are nothing but the Self.
• Bhakti yoga: Yoga of Love. Followers identify with love and devotion to God to find the Self.
• Karma yoga: Yoga of Action. Followers dissolve identify with everything in life, going beyond the finite self, and the body and mind, to discover the Self.
• Raja yoga: Yoga of Meditation. Followers discipline the body, mind and senses until mind fluctuations are stilled and they merge into the Self.
  

Bhagavad Gita

I have recently begun to read the Bhagavad Gita translated by Eknath Easwaran. According to his web site, Easwaran "is respected around the world as the originator of passage meditation and an authentic guide to timeless wisdom. His method is a practical approach that fits naturally into any faith, philosophy, or lifestyle, enabling us to bring universal ideals into daily life."

I am still reading his introduction. He is setting the reader up to be able to understand the ideas presented in and teachings of the Bhagavad Gita. He discusses the background of the Gita, from the Upanaishads, and explains concepts of Inidian/Hindu spirituality such as atman, brahman, maya, karma, and dharma. He also discusses the yoga psychology that weaves throughout the Gita such as seperating purusha, spirit, and prakriti, everything else including mind and matter and the forces that bring prakriti together.

I am now reading a section that describes the essence of the Gita. In this section, Easwaran says the Gita is "a text book on the supreme science of yoga." But, he declares, yoga has many meanings. He defines four of them: jnana yoga, bhakti yoga, karma yoga and raja yoga. I have read of these many times before and glossed over them, seeming to be out of my ability to grasp. But either I have finally come to a point where I finally have comprehension, or Easwaran just makes good examples I can understand. No matter which yoga you follow, the Gita offers something for everyone. The essence? Selfless action.

A few more pages to read on the higher image of the Self, and faith and spiritual evolution will conclude the introduction and I will delve into the battle Arjuna must fight and the fundamental answers Krishna provides his questions on life.

Feeding the Dog: new asana sequence

Yesterday, while browsing the handbook Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha, I came across a series of poses that included vajrasana, balasana, and adho mukha svanasa. I wanted to create something that would link the breath and motion with each exhale and inhale. I came up with this gentle sequence below. I call it "Feeding the Dog" as in giving energy toward the downward dog.

1. Inhale to Vajrasana (or Virasana)
2. Exhale to Balasana with extended arms above head, palms on floor
3. Inhale to Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (or Bhujangasana), roll toes under then
4. Exhale to Adho Mukha Svanasana, bend knees to floor and repeat
   

Notes

• Poses flow so that you should not need to change placement of feet and hands. They should land in the same place in every cycle.
• In vajrasana, your feet are together, toes touch, and your buttocks are rested on your heels. In virasana, the legs are open, feet spread slightly to allow buttocks to rest on the floor. Which one you choose will change whether your balasana is a deeper hip stretch, or you are rested up on your legs.
• If chosing bhujangasana, practitioners may push up onto hands and knees before pressing up into adho mukha svanasana.
  

Teach through yourself

Every once in a while I think, "Am I teaching yoga well?" as though there is a standard for teaching yoga. Yoga Alliance has given a loose standard to how teacher teach yoga, and what must be covered. But there is no lesson plan. If you know 10 asanas well, you can teach yoga. But the styel and delivery of any yoga class will be different from teacher to teacher. Each of us is different and focus on some aspects of yoga different than another teacher. You will not ber perfect for every student. I think back to an article I read last Fall, "As a teacher, you have the right—and some might say the obligation—to bring all of your talents to the table and express the teachings through yourself." The students have an obligation to themselves to find the right teacher for them. And if that teacher is not you, so be it.

Satchidananda's Words this week center around being a humble teacher. "Don’t pose as an all-knowing person. That’s the problem: Are you going to teach or preach? Preaching is not important. Practicing is what’s important. In fact, nobody is a teacher; we are all learners. Sometimes, we learn from the students themselves. So be humble and gently impart what you know. Say: ‘This is all I know; this what I’m hoping for. You try. You may even get it before me.’ That kind of humility is important."

And as Pattabis Jois said, "99% practice, 1% theory"