Quiet Time

It is said that when something crosses our path three times within a noticeable time frame, that perhaps it's a lesson waiting to be learned. I had my third lesson this week, reminding me of the importance of unplugging. It all began with the first sign at the yoga retreat at Sanctuary, in Australia. The environment simply invites you to unplug as no TV's or radios are in sight and we don't use our US cell phones when traveling overseas. WiFi is available should you choose to connect but the views are so stunning they tend to draw people's awareness to the surroundings rather than toward technology.

The second sign was at the end of the first Module of the Yoga Teacher Training course which began last weekend. One of the students observed that during the first break, people gathered in the foyer for conversations and no one went to grab their phones. This was such an amazing observation from the perspective of where our habits are now falling - toward our technology and away from people. When the opposite happens, it seems like an unusual occurrence.

The third sign happened first thing on Monday morning when I dropped my cell phone and the screen went blank. I knew there were text messages that had arrived overnight, plus a voicemail, but I had no way of retrieving them. For two days I went temporarily unplugged from my phone...a forced sabbatical! 

Now I'm not suggesting we get rid of technology as I use it to support my work. This newsletter and blog is a prime example of getting the word out and technology provides that avenue. What I am suggesting is how MUCH we are governed by the habitual beeping and ping-ing of our phones. Do we make time every day to find quiet time for ourselves?

To quote Pema Chodron from "The Fruits of Solitude":

"We can't kid ourselves: if we never take a break from our busy live, it's going to be extremely difficult to tame our minds. This is why it's recommended to take time every day to meditate. Even short periods of sitting silently with ourselves allow the mind to settle down."

The first line of this quote really struck me-"we can't kid ourselves" in that if we truly are seeking to find more peace not only in our world but within ourselves, we are kidding ourselves if we don't make time to be peaceful. Do you make time to be peaceful? Have you befriended silence?

In making time for ourselves to be quiet, we can approach it by reframing the statement of "can I meditate today?' to "when can I find 5 minutes today to meditate today?" Setting the intention in a practical way to step into silence, to unplug from our devices, to close the door, to look at a sunset or stare at the ocean is vital to quieting our minds. Acting upon the intention seems to be challenging for so many of us in that we seek quiet yet are unwilling to commit to any quiet time. Even a few still minutes every day will begin to impact how we feel and how we face the world. 

Perhaps this is the gentle nudge you need to move from intention to action. Perhaps you're not in the current position to fly away to a retreat but if you're really seeking deeper inner peace then know you can do it. And if you need a reason to start...drop your cell phone and hope it breaks to offer you a "forced sabbatical".

Close the door. Find a cushion or chair. Sit down. Close your eyes. Breath. Done.

Soul Food

One of the interesting things about being human is that we can't survive for too long without being fed both food and water. It's a basic means of sustaining life. We also know that the quality of water and food greatly impacts the quality of our health state, which we hope is one of energy and vitality. But it's not only our physical selves that need to be fed. We need mental stimulation to feed the neurotransmitters in our brain and keep our synapses firing. Our mental state can also be affected by the fluctuation of our emotional selves and how we react to the ebb and flow of our changing landscape. We can feed our mental self through practices of meditation and contemplation. But more deeply, our soul needs to be fed just as much as our physical and emotional selves. Do you know what feeds your soul?  What is it that connects you to that deepest part of yourself where you experience purpose in your life and connection to others and something greater?

I know that when I want to feed my soul, I need to let go of other things that stop me from doing so. One way I do this is spending time with my feet and hands in the sand along the ocean. As I wiggle my toes deeper into the sand and the waves kiss my ankles, something begins to drop away. It's as if this primal action of feeling the earth move below my feet reminds me of being here. I drop into a state of radical presence as the senses come to greater vibrancy...the ocean breeze whipping my hair around, the smell of salt water, the sound of waves rolling in and out. As I begin to notice those moments the greater worries of my life get thrown into perspective and I'm caught asking myself the question, "What's important?"

I had many such moments of feeding my soul recently on our jaunt Down Under and, as sometimes happens, it didn't seem to be quite long enough. We spent our time on retreat at Sanctuary Retreat near Mission Beach, Queensland which was followed by beach strolling and time with friends. Two full years had passed since our last trip to Australia. We had thought about holidaying in Asia this year, but I could hear the beckoning calls from Down Under.

These calls came from a deep place within me, asking me to put my hands and feet on Aussie soil to feed my soul. Thankfully, I listened to the call and was able to embed the earth into my cells. Sanctuary is a special place that has brought insight and healing in the past and did so during this years experience. Perhaps it's the all-around nourishment you receive when you go there...incredible food, a disconnection from most forms of technology and entertainment and the time given to be quiet, find breath and move the body as an act of kindness and healing. Not only did it enrich my soul but the mind and body were thankful as well.

Knowing what feeds us on a deeper level is vital to maintaining overall health. Nature provides this arena and for so many of us is often within easy reach. It seems appropriate to conclude this week's blog by quoting from "Radical Acceptance, Embracing Your Life With The Heart of a Buddha" by Tara Brach:

"Just as the Buddha touched the earth in response to Mara's final challenge, when the voice of doubt afflicts us, we touch the ground by arriving, on the spot, in this moment. We touch the ground by directly connecting with the earth, the life of our bodies, our breath and our inner weather. We touch the ground by looking directly into awareness that is the very source of our life. As we connect with what is right in front of us, we realize the true immensity of who we are."

Om Shanti to that, Tara!

Eight Reasons To Undertake A Yoga Teacher Training

Ever wondered what it might be like to undertake the process of a 200-hour yoga teacher training program? You've been practicing yoga for a while and have developed a stronger physical practice and begin to wonder, "how can I begin to learn a bit more about this ancient practice?" Many people who undertake a teacher training do so for a variety of reasons: some to become teachers, some to simply learn more and others...well, who knows?

I posed this question recently to the graduates of my past two 200-hour teacher training programs asking them what benefits they received from the training. Below are some of their responses...check it out, there might just be something that resonates deeply within you. The following are quotes from the graduates:

1. You will learn about asanas (postures).

" We did work much on asanas, the proper way to teach and the importance of both alignment and anatomy."

"Jayne's immense knowledge of the body helped me to understand and appreciate all that is going on and what to pay particular attention to while practicing asanas."

"Greatly deepened my own practice from learning basic anatomy (skeletal and muscular) and in a way I now visualize my body from the inside out while doing asanas."

"Jayne provides a strong foundation for a safe, logically-sequenced and anatomically correct physical practice." 


2. It will open you to a wider meaning of what yoga is.

"It broadened my knowledge of the fuller practice of yoga by learning more about yogic philosophy, chakra energy, meditation - and, most importantly, then bringing that knowledge/practice into a real world daily setting in regards to managing stress, communicating with others, relaxation and self-care."

"Teacher training really opened my eyes to the vast world of yoga. Moving from the specific details of a pose; to the muscles, bones and joints involved; to the energy streams that feed or are released by a pose; to the way those energies feed body and mind; to the notion that poses are only the beginning of what there is to learn; to the various ways yoga is interpreted; and finally the release of all of these concerns in order to simply be in the moment, savoring that one breath."

3. It will deepen your personal practice.

"However, if teaching is not your goal, that's okay because the training goes so much deeper into the philosophy of yoga- the Yamas and Niyamas, the practice of meditation, breath work, mantra, chakras and much more. A student can take any one or all of those topics and delve deeper into their own practice."

"The main reason I took teacher training was to deepen my own practice-and it worked!!!"

"Jayne focuses on what yoga truly is. Not just the physical practice but the lifestyle. Through reflection of all Eight Limbs and listening to others peoples' life experiences, I was more able to examine my life and spirituality and to treasure how truly blessed I am. It also gave me a roadmap to set a path to achieving a truly yogic lifestyle myself."

"The course was like a journey to self discovery - through body awareness and alignment, knowledge and learning, reflection and testing out ideas, absorbing and integrating what resonated with my beliefs and prior knowledge. I learned to listen to my body and to honor its wisdom. This course opened up my curiosity and awareness of the connection and alignment between body, mind and soul. It was a magical journey toward wholeness."

"Teacher training helped me become a better teacher to myself, which was my goal, and to practice the focused serenity of yoga with more confidence and ease."

"I fell in love with yoga from my first class. I was 58 and did not expect to find a consuming passion, much less one that was very physical. This was thrilling to me. The mental and emotional challenges drove me even further into a quest for knowledge of all things yogic."

4. You'll re-ignite the beauty of being a student.

"I also realized how much I enjoyed "learning" again - to challenge my body and brain were an extra unanticipated bonus."

"I really loved taking the training because it melted medical (knowledge of the body/anatomy/precautions), yoga and personal growth all in one."

5. You'll be part of a like-minded community.

"It was fun to meet so many different people and to be exposed to their life and what has made them the way they are. Through all the illnesses, problems, meltdowns and moments...it was so worth it."

"I met new people that have become good friends and opened me to a new "yogic" family."

"The teacher training also brings you into a new community of like-minded, supportive, loving people."

6. Self-transformation. You might let go of some baggage!

"Jayne sets up a space that is safe, secure and embodies trust. In this environment I was able, not just to be myself, but to find, discover, evaluate, absorb or discard aspects of myself." 

"The learned aspects of living a yogic lifestyle and the application of simple philosophies when facing life's challenges have been positively effective and beneficial to me in my life and to the people I come in contact with."

"The class without us knowing it, gave us the opportunity to deal with things that may have been baggage that was holding us back, healing areas that were wounded and opening areas that may have been closed due to trauma. It made me really think about how I am living the best I can and being truly honest in how I care for myself."

7. It might reveal to you the joy in teaching others.

"I can teach yoga more effectively knowing more details about alignment, effective adjustments and benefits of postures."

"I continue to learn and expand on the knowledge gained in YTT. I am a yoga teacher and am excited to share yoga with other people!"

"I am now a yoga teacher that is teaching without fear. I can further my practice while at the same time helping those who have cancer go through their journey, forming their own practice."

"Now that I have begun to teach, I realize how much I actually learned at teacher training. It seems that Jayne was able to infuse all this knowledge in me and I wasn't fully aware how much until I began to teach. Alignment, needs and wants of my students, compassion, focus and, most importantly, wanting to give back all that yoga has given to me!"

"The intense time and study involved helped me to strengthen my own practice immensely, which makes me feel more comfortable when I step onto my mat as a teacher."


8. It will help you give to others.

"In order for me to be able to support others in my life, such as my husband, children, friends and co-workers, I need to take care of and be supported myself. I had always seen yoga as "me-time". However, I had come to believe that it was time for me to be able to share it with others, too."

"I have always known that I was meant to give back to the world. I always thought it would need to be through some large organization or a charity. I was way off. The most important gift I could give was small but just as important as any large scale project. I could give compassion, love and kindness through teaching. Sharing what I truly believe, what I learned in teacher training. That we are all connected by the spirit residing in our hearts."

At the beginning of each training session whether it be the 200-hour yoga teacher training or a workshop, I share my basic belief as to what we might be able to expect through such a process. Whether or not you teach in a more formal setting of a yoga studio,within a country or health club, at the local community center or to a group of friends you've gathered at your house, one thing will always shine through. How you are in the world influences everyone you come into contact with. Your actions "teach" others whether they be fee paying yoga students or your children and family.

What we undertake in the process of teacher training is the building of a foundation that can translate to many styles of yoga and into how we live our everyday lives. It sets the framework to function from a conscious perspective and it's an amazing journey to experience. If you're curious, speak to me and I'll see if a YTT is right for you!

Make Lemonade

Sometimes things pop up in your path unexpectedly. This past weekend, I was once again attending BhaktiFest, an annual gathering in the high desert of Joshua Tree as part of a yoga and music festival. My three days there were spent practicing yoga, meditating, singing mantra and hanging out with many like-minded people. The tribe had gathered to bask in the practices of devotion, known as bhakti. After having spent consecutive days in this frame of mind, my functioning mind shifted from my analytical left hemisphere into my more creative and non-judgmental right hemisphere. When I returned home on Sunday evening, tired and a bit blissed out, my main intention was to get things in order for my work week and get to bed.

That was until I got a text at 9:15 pm letting me know that the air conditioning at our main studio was kaput and it was suggested that I "cancel all of my Monday classes". "Oh", I thought, "I don't think that's going to happen. I have 20 people signed up for classes tomorrow and canceling is not really an option". So in my right-brained state, I began to look for a solution. I wandered into the garage looking for an old oscillating fan to bring to the studio. I found it, tested it out by plugging it in and put it in my car. I found a smaller fan and put that in the car as well. I texted my colleague asking if she had an extra fan and after sending the message I began to get a glimpse of the left side of my  brain that said: "That's not going to work. You don't know how hot it is in the studio. These fans aren't going to make a difference. You can't have people come to a hot studio unless they were planning to do that in the first place. What to do? What to do?". In that moment, I realized I had access to another studio, which wasn't being used on Monday. The problem was beginning to find a solution. 

However, by this time it's now getting close to 10 pm and way past not only my bed time but my personal limit as to when I'll contact people. So I shoot off a quick message to my first morning class asking if they're interested in practicing at the other studio. And on it went: the rearranging of people into classes; the contacting of people; the update as to when the AC might be back working. And what initially felt like I had been handed some lemons and a major buzz kill following a blissed-out weekend, turned out to reveal not only a teaching theme for the week but a reflection of sincere gratitude.

As people attended classes on Monday, they were incredibly thankful for the classes not being cancelled and some were delighted to return to the "original" studio where many first began their practice of yoga. I began to realize a solution to a scheduling issue I had tucked way back into my consciousness, by being confronted with a different way to look at the current challenge of not having one studio for a week. Where a solution was lacking previously, this particular challenge triggered a solution to something else. 

Often when things arise unexpectedly it may be overwhelming. In that moment, we may have feelings of helplessness or despair, yet, it is in precisely those moments that we begin to gain a different way of looking at what happened. Now the AC going out isn't life altering, but it illustrated how when we reflect, things have a way of working themselves out. It helped me to remember that where we are on our journey is exactly where we are meant to be and in order to find ease with that we need to do a couple of things: trust and let go. The trusting is about having a deep sense that all will be okay just as it's unfolding. The letting go is about releasing the need for it to be different to what you expect or want. When this element of surrender occurs, we release our attachment to outcome and gain a greater sense of empathy and compassion. It's in these moments that we expand our experience and although it might feel like we've been handed a bushel of lemons, we now have the opportunity for insight in a way never imagined. We make lemonade. 

So next time something happens that takes you by surprise, realize this as a moment of looking at life through a different lens. Let creativity arise and squeeze the heck out of those lemons! 

Nourish

My thought of the week has been the culmination of the topics I've been talking about over the past three weeks. We explored the topic of "Expansion" a couple of weeks back, where our attention is drawn into a particular event/thought/emotion and we contract around it. Expansion offers an opportunity to create space around that focal point to allow for all in our field of awareness. The following week we looked at what the practices of yoga and meditation offer to us in the form of self-discovery. What is it that we have been taught by stepping on the mat? What is the current lesson that is underway at the moment?

As we open to spaciousness and begin to discover what is arising in our practice, a third element needs to occur. How do we adapt to what we've uncovered? This week, we've been exploring how to nourish ourselves through our practices, our words, actions and choices. Now that we have a greater awareness of what's happening, how do we begin to hold onto positive changes that we make?

Herein lies the challenge. What might have been working for us ten years ago may no longer be effective. This happens due to the dynamic nature of being human. We are constantly in flux with both planned and unplanned events arising in our daily lives that can throw us off-kilter. If we lack awareness and keep repeating the same behavior, we can find ourselves in a place of dis-ease and imbalance. Finding what works for us and then having the consciousness to refine and tweak is a large part of keeping ourselves in balance.   By asking ourselves some of the following questions, we can fine-tune our connection to self and as Wayne Dyer said, 

"When you're at peace with yourself and love your self, it is virtually impossible to do things to yourself that are destructive."

1. Who are you hanging out with? Are those relationships nourishing you?

We know that the company we keep influences how we feel and the decisions we make. It is innate that we seek those like us, we look for our tribe as they offer a reflection back to us, as to our own true nature.

2. How are you nourishing your physical body?

Take a consciously deep and slow breath. It's that simple. This is just one way to feel connected to your physical presence. Choose whole, real food. The life force within the food affects the life force within your tissues, so pick vibrant foods that nourish not only your taste buds, but your cells. 

Move your body every day in some way that is multi-directional. We spend much of our time seated and its impact is long-term. Reach, bend, twist and get into those well-fed tissues. Not sure what to do? Head outside and take a walk. It doesn't have to be complicated or involve a FitBit.

3. Do you spend time every day in silence, stillness and contemplation?

Nourishing ourselves on a deeper level can be found through more subtle practices. Allow the agitated thinking mind to take a break and open to the wider field of consciousness. Get connected to your inner self as knowing ourselves on this level supports us in managing stress and finding peace.

4. Are you doing what you love and loving what you do?

We spend a large chunk of our lives at work. If it isn't something you love doing, considering changing it to something you do. You'll find richness in ways that just might outweigh the size of your paycheck.

5. Are you connecting to something bigger than yourself? Are you able to serve others?

Moving away from our own self-centeredness supports our own self growth. If you're feeling out of touch, feed someone. A bit down? Do something nice for somebody else. Often when we get out of our own way, we are reminded of our connection to all beings, every where and when we expand further, we connect to that huge eternal expanse of consciousness.

As we contemplate these few questions, do so from a place of openness and curiosity, rather than judgment. See what arises as this inquiry might open the gateway for a deeper sense of purpose, connection and love.

Now that's nourishment!

Self-Discovery

One of the primary intentions of the practices of yoga and meditation is the unfolding connection to self discovery. Most of us have no idea as to what stepping on the mat for the first time means or on what type of journey it will take us. Over time,
these practices begin to reveal deeper and deeper truths about ourselves as though we are peeling away the many layers of an onion. It most often begins with the most obvious layer, that of the body. In yoga, the five layers of who we are are referred to as the koshas and the longer we journey on the mat the more we get to know these layers.

The annamaya kosha is known as the food sheath, the outer physical layer of our being. We come to know it the moment we begin moving into various postures. We begin to learn about how our structure functions (or doesn't) by informing us of how tight our hamstrings might be, how some poses seem easy and others completely impossible. We get to know how our skeleton lines up when we're working against gravity and what needs to strengthen in order to keep it in that position. And this is sometimes where people stop exploring...they experience the physical efforts of their practice and perhaps think that's enough.

Yet the longer we stay with the practice, the greater the exploration of our more subtle layers. The next layer is the pranamaya kosha-the breath sheath. The breath in yoga is what distinguishes it from just about all other movement forms. It's the connection to the breath that carries us through and penetrates all of the other layers, as though it is the conduit to deeper connection. As we learn more about our practice, we get to know our breath in ways we might not have ever imagined. Prior to beginning my own practice, the only things I knew about my breath was when I didn't have enough of it (working out at high intensity or diving to the bottom of a pool) or when it got knocked out of me. Other than those moments, I was completely disconnected from the power that getting to know my breath held. This discovery points to how our breath can directly impact our emotional and mental states as well as efficiently delivering oxygen to all cells.

As we move deeper into our practice, we begin to notice our mental state and the myriad of thoughts that arise both on and off the mat. This layer, the manomaya kosha, awakens those moments where we begin to have a gap between what we think and what we do. We begin to grow the reaction time to allow space for more choice. Instead of reacting with defensiveness or anger, we can become aware of thoughts arising, notice them and pause which offers an opportunity for us to shift from reactive to choice behaviors.

As we peel away the layers, we begin to know the vijnanmaya kosha, also known as the wisdom layer. This is the layer of deeper knowing and insight. It's that layer where we trust what our inner senses and intuition are telling us. We become wise to the silent inner voice and guided by its presence. And finally, the deepest inner layer (or the one furthest out depending on your view) is the anandamaya kosha. Ananda in Sanskrit means bliss and this sheath is the place where we touch the perfect harmony of our existence, not only to ourselves but to everything else. It is in this sheath that we don't strive, tug, pull or force anything to happen as all is in perfect balance. 

We have all had moments of bliss in our lives, where we feel connected and all one, yet for most of us, these moments are fleeting. We have glimpses of them and then we revert back to being in our familiar and conditioned state. Yoga is ultimately about enlightenment, about finding our way into these states almost always! Imagine that! You can bet that all of the great sages, saints and radiant ones before us have spent time peeling their own onions. In our own process, it's likely to make us cry, but the light in blissful moments is worth more than just a sneak peak.

Trust the process, peel your layers and see what happens. You might find yourself becoming a radiant one as you just never know what you might discover.

Expansion

Not long ago I had a conversation with a student who expressed difficulty in focusing on anything that was good in his life. He said, "I am constantly drawn to the negativity in my life and the different challenges that I've been handed". I could see the deeply etched suffering and chronic stress that he held.  This was a moment for me to hold the space of compassion and to offer the possibility of something new---holding suffering and the broader picture of who we are, both at the same time. To make room not just for the challenges but to broaden the field of awareness to all that we are and what we experience. This is called expansion.

When we have something happening in our lives that is deeply emotional, we tend to contract around it. It becomes the primary focus of our thoughts and feelings. Just think about the first time you "fell in love". For me, I would float through the day, thinking of what he said, when we would meet and what might the future might hold. On the other end of the spectrum is when we broke up. Both times, same relationship, the experience of clinging to the major emotion was present. When we pull our energy and attention into one thing, we often forgot all else, which isn't a bad thing if you're serving for the championship match at Wimbledon, but not so useful when we become overly fixated on an emotional event or happening.

Grief is a prime example of contraction. When we have a loss it tends to hold so much power over us, often leading to moments of deep despair and being overwhelmed with all of life. When I spoke this week in class about expanding around the feeling of grief, someone reflected back to me later that they didn't think it was possible. My reply was, "Initially, it might not be possible. But over time, we are able to broaden the space around the deeply held grief and begin to realize all of the other emotions existing in our experience. Grief might be the most obvious one, but it's not the only one."

One way to work with expansion is through our physical body. Emotions and events tend to lodge themselves in our physical realm. When we get better at noticing a particular sensation held in the body, such as tightness in the chest, butterflies in the stomach or a knot in the shoulder, we begin to connect to our body-mind matrix. You may have heard in a yoga class the cue, "breathe into your hips". Now as far as I know, we don't have nostrils in our hips so "breathing into them" seems impossible. However, if we think of it in terms of tension, we can use our breath to begin to relax the muscles around the hips, which seems to create more space from the inside out.

Our bodies are our emotional barometers and the better we get at reading them, the more freedom we begin to invite into ourselves on both a physical and mental level. To practice creating more space and ease within, close the eyes, slow down the breath and bring your awareness to your body. Where do you feel the most tightness? In your throat? Heart? Belly? Can you sense what's driving this constriction? Can you relate it to how you've been expressing your energy in your day to day happenings? Next, find your breath and visualize it moving into the tight area and opening the spaces around the constriction. Give it lots of room and no judgment.  Allow yourself to be with what has arisen within your field of perception and realize you can hold all that is present.

Now take a deep breath, relax, let go and expand beyond the borders of your physical being. See where it takes you!