Inspired?

It's something that all of us should have in our lives...someone or something that lifts us up to what's next.  Lately I've been thinking about finding inspiration, so where do I look?  Where do all of us look for inspiration whether it be to further our work, deepen our relationships or uncover what we thought might have been unreachable?

As I delve into this arena of thought, I am driven to reflect back into my life and look for key moments that were particularly inspiring.  What I found was an array of people who challenged the way I thought.  I realized that what they stood for, how they acted and stood in their own life was something that I aspired to have in my own life.  Who were the movers and shakers in my own history?  What choices had they made along their own journey to enable them to stand so strongly in their own sense of self, in their own radiance?

Part of the answer is around purpose.  The people who I admire are focused on why they are here...in this body, in this life.  It's as though they have uncovered their personal mission statement and are doing everything they know how to enact it.  Study, persistence, grit, facing failure and being vulnerable are all part of the process.  Their attention is not only on what they are doing in life but how they are being in that process. 

People who our society might see as successful because of financial gains yet don't give back aren't the people I'm drawn to emulate. Neither are people who are so stuck in their own story that they seem to lay stagnant in life. The same issue arises time after time, they complain, yet are either unwilling or unaware as to how to make a different choice. I find that, for me at least, I'm drawn to people who take action 

Most of us have heard the saying, "if you want to be inspired, hang out with inspiring people".  This came fully into my life by undertaking the Global Seva Challenge to India in 2012.  It was in February/March of 2013 on the Bare Witness Tour to India with Off the Mat, Into the World that I was surrounded by inspiration.  Not only from the leaders, but from all of the people who made the trip.  Each of us had our own story of how we raised at least $20,000 for the cause.  Each person's story was different, yet each person knew how we all felt.  We were driven by passion and filled with the idealized vision to make a difference in the world. And we had.  I have never had such a deep experience in the company of such likeness...one of the apex moments of my life.

My thought of the week is who is in your circle that inspires you? Are the relationships you have with people lifting you up and allowing you to be seen for who you are and see what lights your fire? Or are they dampening your enthusiasm for what's next?  Is it time to seek out and expand your circle of inspiration?  If you answered yes, I would love to hear how you're choosing to make that happen.

I feel so fortunate to be able to readily identify those people who have supported my dreams even if they seemed impossible.  I hope you know who you are and I love you dearly.  Thanks for allowing me to not only begin to uncover my light, but to stand completely vulnerable within it.

How Long Does It Last?

You're lying in Savasana, the final relaxation pose at the end of class and off in the distance you hear the instructor ring the bell. Once, twice and finally three times the bell is being struck and resonating its base chords, calling you back from your reverie. You feel at peace and although your body has been challenged physically, your mind is not full of distracting chatter and you 
float out the door in a post-yoga state of bliss.

That is, until you're trying to pull out of the parking lot onto a busy street and someone decides to make an illegal turn into an exit only exactly where you're trying to go and expects YOU to move. Arghh! The aggravation! 

And poof...it's gone. That euphoric state is deflated and it's back to life, back to reality. The 75-plus minutes you spent shedding agitation, distraction and limiting beliefs has once again shifted to the back burner of your awareness. It's as though someone has thrown a switch moving you into an all too familiar state where relaxation and being centered is no longer present.

So how do we stay with these seemingly fleeting states of bliss? How can we navigate our lives without grabbing onto every possible distraction? We take a yoga or meditation class, we get a massage, we soak in a hot tub and it seems as though that's a treat, not a normal way of being. Yet, being a balanced and 
centered person IS a normal way of being...we've simply lost touch with it as our over-scheduled lives have taken control.

My thought of the week is around noticing what steps in our way to staying connected with our peaceful selves. Two things that will support us in this pursuit are awareness and practice. 

I often refer to the yoga studio as our laboratory, the place where we experiment with finding our breath, noticing where our thoughts are in particular moments and seeing if we can pay attention to the cues our body is sending. We practice on the mat so when we step off the mat and back into the mainstream we see what sticks. We can practice our yoga standing in line at the 
market by noticing our posture. We can practice taking a deep breath when someone in front of us pulls out a check book to pay for their goods. We can practice compassion by looking at people with "soft eyes". 

Awareness is about setting an intention, a plan that we make with ourselves to try something different. Practices such as listening to a complaining friend without trying to offer them a solution but rather to simply receive, rather than fix. We can notice our reaction when things don't go our way and do so from a place of curiosity rather than judgment. 

Part of holding onto the bliss of our yoga is to find a deep breath in those moments that push our buttons. We might realize we're holding our breath as we problem solve or think about an upcoming situation that will likely challenge us. When we notice, we can alter our current state. It's as easy as slowing down and taking a deep breath.

If we stop to notice we begin to enter the gap, that space between stimulus and reaction. In the gap, we begin to realize we have choices and what we choose can be directly related to what we're trying to practice. 

Awareness and practice go hand in hand and have to be repeated continuously. Change takes time but the patience pays off in the form of finding our centered selves more easily...and not losing our bliss when someone turns into the exit and expects us to move. We take a deep breath, realize that this too shall pass 
and not being willing to surrender our bliss just yet. 

Where's Your Focus? In Or Out?

This past week I was reading an article in which someone made a comment about why people practice yoga.  It said that some come to the mat simply for the often intense physical practice that yoga can provide.  It's a form of exercise that has grown in popularity as an option on the movement menu.  Others come to the mat for connecting to and awakening their spiritual nature.  Many people who are "spiritual but not religious" have found a way to deepen their spiritual selves without the dogma through the various practices of Bhakti (devotional) yoga. It then went on to talk about the divergent paths that people take yet still call all of it yoga.

This type of commentary isn't unusual but this time it sparked a reaction in me that asked, "why can't the practice be both?"  Why does it have to be either just physical or just spiritual?  Is it for the sake of simplicity or are segments of our populations not ready to experience ALL that yoga has to offer? 

In a recent discussion with a yoga friend, she passed along the gist of another conversation related to how yoga has become an external practice in the West.  What began as an internal practice in India, a way to attain enlightenment, has morphed into a practice where we are quietly suggesting a "hey, look at me" attitude.  Just check out people's yoga posts on Facebook which often reflect the wildest, most complicated and twisted poses you could think humanly possible.  The comments are "wow", "impressive" and "who thought anyone could do that".  We see the image and decide on the level of the person in the picture.  If they're in a no-handed headstand we assume they've achieved great levels of yoga acumen. 

Further, just look at the cut, lithe and muscularly lean bodies that fill the pages in yoga magazines, showing off tight fitting, multi-colored outfits in hybrid, high-tech fabrics that wick moisture and eliminate body odor.  These images are meant to capture our attention with the subliminal message of "if you do yoga, you too, will look fabulous in these clothes".  And perhaps part of that message holds some truth.  My beef comes when people are led to believe that this is what yoga is and is meant to be...for young, lean and fit people who want a different workout option.  It's watering down a tradition that has lasted for more than 2000 years to something that is to be consumed by a mass market.

Obviously, I hold a different view and truly believe that anyone who can breathe can practice yoga.  But how are we being taught?  Are students being given permission to not push hard, to back away from pain and that it's OK to wear sweat pants?  Are we able to promote the other benefits of yoga without the physical being the primary reason?

With some yoga studios bursting at the seams with students, the industry has had to supply teachers to meet the masses.  In doing so, the amount of time spent on and off the mat, walking, talking, studying and breathing yoga might be quite limited for newer teachers who need time to develop a deep practice and be able to relate this to students.  Instead of being taught by seasoned Indian masters and gurus, we have created a market that at its root is a reflection of a body-based image not dissimilar to the fitness industry.  And as a result, we have moved the focal point of yoga from being one of deep inquiry to one with an outward focus.

I have to believe that as we evolve as an industry we have teachers who are able to bring the essence of the the physical practice as it relates to the philosophical complexities that classical yoga has to offer.  Why can't yoga be about having an awesome workout as well as diving into the deeper self?  As we're finding our edge, being challenged in a pose or creating a sweaty puddle on the mat, why can't we tap into those energetic clogs that hold us back?  I believe this is prime time to not only remove tension in the body, but to look to the deeper internal landscape of what makes us tick.  And it's often what makes us tick that leads to tension in the body...they go hand in hand-body, mind and spirit.

We can explore the body, mind, spirit complex in the West through yoga. Instead of unwinding each thread into its individual parts we can remember to experience the whole.  What we experience in our physical selves is a reflection of our thinking, feeling and emotional selves and vice versa.  And as the Buddha realized, all of life is suffering.  When we confront what causes our suffering we can begin to remove these obstacles and step toward a full and compassionate life.

Stepping onto the mat and carrying off the mat what you've experienced and learned through the practice is one of these tools for reducing suffering.  And in the process, it does make your body feel amazing!

Me, Me, Me

This past weekend I was honored to be part of something bigger than my daily life as I was one of five yoga instructors asked to teach at a charity event called Poses On Paseo.  It was the brainchild and inspiration by a fellow local yoga teacher named, Johnny Yuhas, who had the vision to bring our community together through an outdoor yoga practice and in the process donating all of the money raised to a local free medical clinic.  We were accompanied by live music in the form of Larisa Stow and the Shakti Tribe and graced with delicious food vendors and generous sponsors.   When Johnny asked if I were interested in participating back in November 2013 I was honored and excited to say YES!

The residue that has held on since the event on Sunday was one that only became familiar to me in 2012 when I was raising money and awareness for the Global Seva Challenge in collaboration with Off The Mat, Into The World.  I spent approximately 10 months holding a variety of events as well as selling wristbands, t-shirts and tanks to raise money ($28k) for organizations addressing the issue of sex trafficking in India.  

Prior to the Seva Challenge, I knew that working toward something that was not related to me was important, but it wasn't until I got my hands dirty and dug into the issues that it changed me.  Prior to the challenge it was all theory and no practice. Stepping off my mat toward something bigger resulted in several shifts taking place in my world...it began to rock.  As I learned about how and why young girls are sold into sex slavery, a chord deep inside of me began to resonate.  Its volume continued to rise as I realized this chord was a voice to end violence against people, women and girls, in particular.  I began to sense the despicable and seemingly unconscionable act of selling a child for profit.  It propelled me into wanting to DO something, to take action.

In one event, an outdoor community garage sale, I was driven by the image of a young girl being raped daily to lessen my own discomfort I had in packing up unsold items in 106 degrees heat and very little sleep.  The reality check of the abundance of my own life helped to propel me through what seemed to be my own obstacles.  It was no longer about me and my first world challenges.  I had an opportunity to truly make a difference in the lives of people I hadn't met or didn't know and I was determined to make it happen.

I didn't take on the challenge to further my own career.  It came from that fundamental place of how we can serve each other, like the saying: "If you're feeling down, help someone".  But similar to all service that is said to be selfless, it truly isn't.  When you turn your focus and energy outward, through the simple intention of doing something for someone else what comes back to you, floods back in a bigger wave then you could ever anticipate.  Serving others can alter the course of their lives yet it, without a doubt, alters our own as well.

Our culture is rife with a "what's in if for me" mentality.  What will I get if I do such and such?  I often say when teaching yoga that part of the practice is learning what serves and supports you and as you uncover that, letting go of what doesn't.  But the other part of our practice is what can you give and how can you serve?

I once again hold deep gratitude for being able to be part of the pool of people who step into service.  That deep inner chord was struck again about how can I serve and it was so simple as well as beautifully inspiring.  Thank you to all who have served others and may we all continue to do so.

So Much On The Menu!

(The topic of this weeks blog might not be of interest to many of you who may already be along the path of yoga.  However many of you may be asked by friends or family about your yoga experience and how you decided what kind of yoga to take.  I chose this topic because I get asked these types of questions frequently and I realized that as practicing yogis and yoginis you may be asked the same questions as well.  This may be a great opportunity to not only walk the talk, but to share some of the thoughts mentioned below.)

 

If variety is the spice of life then all one needs to do is take a look at the offerings at any yoga studio to see that this ancient practice has become VERY spicy!  So many choices exist that include purest styles such as Iyengar, Ashtanga and Bikram where a precise format is often followed.  And then there's the flow varieties such as Vinyasa and Anusara.  For toning it down you can choose from Restorative, Yin or Gentle Vinyasa.  What if you're a hardcore fitness junkie looking for the endorphin push?Give Power or Boot Camp Yoga a try.  Can't get on the floor? Chair Yoga might fit your palate.  And I'm only mentioning some of the more generic choices as many have evolved into specific flavors and hybrids (yogalates anyone?).

 

So how do YOU know what to select?  Often, when people are initially looking at stepping onto the mat all they know or have been told is that they should try yoga.  They search for a studio close by or take a class at a local gym (fitness yoga) in the hopes that it will fit the bill.  It can seem like a risky maneuver to show up at a class and have no idea what to expect.  And thankfully, that has worked for some people.  Others, however, are often left with a sour taste in their mouths.  They went to a class that simply wasn't aimed at supporting their needs.  Not all yoga is created equal, yet as it continues to evolve, so must the information that is presented to the buying public.

 

Over the past eight years I have been working, quietly, on addressing this issue.  My aim is to get people into the right class the first time around.  Often people will find their way to my classes who have had a bad experience with yoga previously. They say things like- "The class was too hard, fast, slow or easy. The instructor was good but there were so many people in the room, I felt invisible.  I got hurt trying something that was beyond me, yet I didn't want to feel embarrassed by not doing what everyone else was doing".

 

Often it's not the fault of the instructor.  Studios want to be able to stay in business which means generating revenue by getting backsides on mats.  Some places can pack them in so tight that mats nearly overlap resulting in stretched out arms inevitably bumping into other.   

Originally yoga was taught 1-1, teacher (guru) to student (only men practiced).  We have taken the model from the fitness industry of offering large, generic classes to the masses which can make economic sense but leave many participants scratching their heads.  

 

In an attempt to actually see and know the student my emphasis has been on deliberately keeping classes limited in size and getting specific about the type of class on offer.  I have been fortunate to experiment with this model over the past few years within a medical practice.  The needs of the students took time to reveal themselves and continues to do so, yet here are some of the things I've learned:

 

*Limit the class size, even if the room can hold many.  

 

*Offer classes based on the needs of the people wanting to attend, such as a distinction of experience (beginner/experienced) or physical limitation (Can they kneel?  Get up and down from the floor?).  Get specific.

 

*Consider the population of people NOT being served by yoga; in particular focusing on the nervous system, healing or managing chronic injuries or seniors who have different needs than Gen X'ers. 

 

Many of you who read this blog on a consistent basis know "if you can breathe, you can do yoga".  Finding a class that CAN welcome anyone wherever they're currently at is a vital part of getting the most out of the practice.

 

To finish this thought of the week, I'll offer a couple pieces of advice.  First, avoid classes that say "all levels"  especially if you're a beginner.  Find a class that says it's for beginners and work your way into your practice.  Even if you're in great shape, you still need to learn the basics.  

 

Second, ask many questions BEFORE you come to a class, preferably of the instructor who teaches it.  This is vital if you have a chronic injury or other limitations.  Maybe you love being in the heat and the studio is kept at a cool 74 degrees.  Or they burn incense which you have an allergy to or they chant and you've always wanted to give it a try.  

 

Third, try it out.  The class time might be great but perhaps you don't resonate with the teacher.  Find a teacher who you DO resonate with and your experience will be greatly altered in a positive way.  

 

Fourth, give yourself permission to say "no". That means listening to your inner voice if your body is giving you the signal to back off. Not only is it your body but you want to feel empowered to make your own choices guided by a conscientious teacher.

 

Finally, the intention is that yoga can be a lifelong  practice and support you through the physical, mental/emotional and spiritual undulations of our lives.  Choose wisely and it might even be a path of liberation.