Earth Day Is 40 Years Old

This past week you might have heard that it was Earth Day. From a yogic perspective, every day is Earth Day with the practices of yoga evolving from a connection to as well as a reflection of the natural environment. We salute the sun and bow down to the earth, stand like a tree or mountain and recline in a restorative posture named "flowing mountain brook".

With the availability of electricity and artificial lighting, we began to fall out of sync with the ebb and flow of natural light that in the past indicated when to go to sleep and when to awaken. As the earth has become more populated with the development of concrete and skyscrapers, we have lost our connection through bare feet into the earth. And as we live in noisy and busy environments, we often miss the sounds of the natural world.

Earth Day is a vivid reminder to honor Mother Earth (Gaia). That we, as humans, walk upon this larger planet with its own living energy. That Mother Earth is here to support us in every way. Earth Day is another opportunity to reflect upon how we individually impact the planet. What type of footprint are we leaving? Are we able to elevate our own level of consciousness to lessen that impact?

Here are a few reminders as to how we can continue to show compassion to Gaia and in doing so, we show compassion towards others as well as ourselves.

Tips:

1. Carry your own water bottle to avoid using plastic, one-use bottles.

2. Have your own multi-use lunch set for heading off to work, to avoid using one-time, throw away containers.

3. Remember to bring your own shopping bags to the store.

4. Check the tire pressure in your vehicle to enhance miles per gallon.

5. Use multi-use dryer balls in your dryer rather than a fabric softener in the wash or throw away dryer sheets. Or line dry your laundry.

6. Create your own compost for your garden.

7. Buy phosphate-free laundry detergent.

8. Turn off your tap when brushing your teeth.

9. Turn off your computer at the end of each day.

10....Send in to me any tips that you do in order to be part of the buzz around reduce, reuse, recycle and sustain!

Thank you Gaia!

Do, Re, Me, Fa, So, La, Tee...

Wah!performing at Bhakti Fest September 2009


Ahem...I clear my throat as I begin to write this week's thought as it's all about singing. Yes..I love to sing and have always loved to sing. I have held the vision of being on stage in front of a throng of screaming fans, firing up their lighters as we all sing the chorus to my worldwide, #1 hit song...

I have no idea what the song is, or what it's about, but the image of leading people into an elevated and altered state is intoxicating. For those of you who know me, being a rockstar remains a fantasy as my career certainly didn't take that path. Or did it?

As a child I was very shy and unwilling to speak up. The actual idea of speaking, much less singing in front of people was simple- avoid it at all costs. As I have evolved, public speaking has become something that I enjoy and embrace. The singing has taken longer.

When I didn't know much about the practice of yoga, I heard that some classes had chanting. Given my history, I thought that was something that just wasn't going to be for me. As I began to dive deeper into the study of yoga, I was at a teacher training and was introduced to this unknown world...that of chanting and kirtan (call and response). I stood in the class, with my eyes closed, hands placed at my heart in a prayer posture and listened as Deva Premal's recording of "Om Mani Padme Hum" wove its way throughout the group.

In that moment, I decided to take a chance and let her fly. I sang softly, focusing on the unfamiliar words. The instructor said to focus on the energy, the "jewel" in my heart and allow it to rise up. I began to cry. It was so primal and beautiful. So fundamental to being human...hearing and expressing the sound of my own voice through song and vibration.

It was in that moment that I fell in love with chanting. I was the "anti-chanter", fully surrending to something I thought I would never enjoy. And truthfully, I have always sung, to songs on the radio, my favorite LP's as I studied the lyrics. I sing in the shower and even louder in the car. I've turned to music when lifes challenges seem insurmountable. I've taught group exercise classes for 28 years...all to music! I was a music lover who discovered her own voice. Have you discovered yours?

I may not be fronting a rock band, but I sing every morning prior to meditation. I attend concerts, listen to Sacred Sounds radio and seek out as much "yoga" music as I can get my hands on. The more I study mantra, chanting and kirtan, the deeper the connection becomes to something that has been spoken, sung and passed down through generations. I feel that my voice is perpetuating the same vibration that was first plucked thousands of years ago, far off in India.

The greatest thing about the singing is that I don't care if I sound good or not. It not only makes me feel good and puts a smile on my face, but it reaches down and touches my soul.

So, all together now...inhale and do, re, me, fa, so, la, tee...

Community

Having taught group classes for 28 years I have learned and experienced many things. A certain feeling is present when a group of people come together and begin to move and breathe in harmony. Simply put, this feeling is one of a common connection and purpose. One of community.

What gives each group and class that special something is the collective energy brought out by the different personalities within the group. I notice when certain people are missing from a regular session...the energy shifts, not necessarily for better or worse, it's simply different.

I remember during my yoga therapy training, speaking with a younger yoga instructor who taught at the local community college. I asked him, "how many students attend your classes?" He replied, "oh, sometimes 40 or 50". I thought "Wow! I get excited when I have five people in my yoga classes...". I then said to him, "I know that if I lived in a more yoga-aware area, my classes might be bigger. But, I think part of my purpose is to build a yoga community in the desert."

Now granted, in my experience bigger is not always better. Perhaps from a bottom line perspective it is. When I was teaching at Melbourne University I'd often have over 100 participants in a Cardio Funk class that seemed to lift the roof with its sheer volume of energy...that was fun and cool! Numbers do matter, but that's not what always makes for the most enjoyable experience.

As my teaching has evolved into the the more subtle realms of yoga, I find the quality is better when the numbers are under 10-12 people. I am able to see and sense the individuals within the group, as opposed to seeing a sea of moving bodies.

My thought for the week is around the sense of community that is present in all group classes, regardless of size. Classes and retreats offer people with a similar objective the chance to support and be supported. When someone is out with illness, injury or grief, the collective group cares about that person and supports them through the experience.

As a group gets to know one another, they help to provide greater motivation for coming to class on days when we may not feel like it. The participants become accountable to one another for making it to class.

The reason I've taught group classes for so many years and to so many is that it's a dynamic process that continually challenges me as a teacher. Groups gain their own momentum and sense of support. After a while...I simply have to turn up and enjoy the ride!

So grab a friend and come along to a class. Join or begin the expansive experience of creating your own group!

To quote Jane Howard:

"Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family: Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one."

Getting Grounded

With spring in the air and the seed having been planted that a trip to Australia with it's pristine beaches is on the horizon makes me want to kick off my shoes.

Yes...get the soles roughed up and feel the earth...move...under my feet!

My husband, Ed, and I were raised in two very different environments. He was raised in the Bronx, a borough of New York City and surrounded by a concrete jungle. I was raised in Southern California where we do have miles of concrete, but we also have warm weather, big yards and beaches. I asked Ed one day how much time he spent barefoot growing up. He said he couldn't really remember spending virtually any time without shoes on his feet. Much to my amazement, I recounted a summer of stubbed toes...I barely remember being IN shoes as soon as the weather warmed up.

My yoga thought for the week is how desensitized our feet have become as we house them in shoes and socks without our little piggies ever getting much of a breather. When people come to practice yoga with me with socked feet, I ask if they would be comfortable removing them and going au naturale. Why?

When we feel our feet on our mats, lift and spread our toes and transfer our weight from one to the other when balancing, we not only strengthen our foot structure, but we connect energetically to Mother Earth. As a species, we spent years running around with bare feet. We have evolved to sense the uneven surfaces, feel the varying textures of the soil, detect warmth and coolness and get sand between our toes.

I love offering the visual of standing on your favorite sandy beach, with the waves gently lapping at your toes and allowing yourself to sink deeper into the sand. If you simply close your eyes, you can go there right now....ahhhhhh....just like Mother Nature intended!

I have also come to notice that the healthier and stronger one's feet, the better their balance. So no matter what your age, or how unsightly your feet are...kick off your peds and give your feet some fresh air. Good for the sole. Great for the soul. And your spirit with give you a silent thank you!