Living the Wisdom of Yoga in Modern Times

The Universe is Giving You Signals But Are You Listening?

"As long as you think that the cause of your problem is 'out there' —as long as you think that anyone or anything is responsible for your suffering—the situation is hopeless. It means that you are forever in the role of victim, that you’re suffering in paradise." ~Byron Katie 

 

The path of self destruction is self laid one brick at a time.  Every decision we make leads up to NOW. When the life we are creating doesn't match up to the life we want, signs arise in the form of problems.  If ignored, the problems get bigger and bigger. If the root cause is weeded out, they subside.

The first step to changing our lives is to take total responsibility for it. As long as blame is placed elsewhere, we give up control. Without control, their is no change, only reaction. Even if we react positively, the same problems will continue to arise. By accepting responsibility, we can end the problem all together. For change to happen in our lives, we have to first have change in our minds. We have to believe that what we want is possible and strive for it. We can't take no for an answer. We must be vigilant in clearing our minds of thoughts and our lives of people and situations that don't serve our vision. You are meant to be happy, at peace and abundant!!!  Don't wait for life to happen, create it now!

Train yourself to notice the small signals now. Don't let a warning from your boss turn into walking papers. Don't let shortness of breath turn into a full blown heart attack. Life first throws a pebble, then a brick and then a mountain lands on us. Don't wait for the mountain!!!  Often we can't let things go until we have no choice. I was recently speaking with a yoga teacher friend who wanted to let go of some classes to simplify her life but she loved the classes.  Her life was throwing pebbles letting her know she was doing too much.  However, instead of leaving on a high note with love in her heart for her students and job, she was waiting for the brick.

 Sustainable peace in our lives happen when we don't wait for the brick. We make changes while things are still good. This goes against most people's modes of thinking because "why fix what isn't broken?" However,the realty is that everything starts in the mind. The seed of discontent has been planted so your situation is not going to go anywhere but down. Why wait for that?

Video of the day: Ashtanga Yoga w/a broken leg

 

Yoga Education: Top 5 Ways To Learn How to Teach Yoga

So you want to be a yoga teacher? Below are the top ways to learn in no particular order. 

1. Teacher Training:Teacher training programs provide a firm foundation in the basics of sequencing, anatomy, philosophy, history, business and presenting a class. Teacher trainings provide ample opportunity to practice your craft and receive feedback and support to make you better.
2. Your Own Personal Practice/Taking Other Peoples Classes:This is the most important step in learning to teach yoga. Your own personal experiences with the poses and the sequences provide  a level of knowing and wisdom that cannot be found in any teacher training program, website,book or DVD.  I find that people have no trouble spending $2500 on a teacher training but getting them to commit to a 3-6 day a week practice for up to year is a problem. Up to about 10 years ago or so, daily practice with a  teacher/Guru was the primary way that people learned. In my opinion, these are still some of the best teachers I have ever had the pleasure of working with. 
3. Teaching Yoga:Once you have the skills, get out there and do it. Nothing beats the real thing. You will soon learn what works and what doesn't.
4. Mentor/Feedback :Having someone you know, respect and love tell you that "you suck" is one of the best gifts you will every receive. The biggest leaps in my teaching came when someone had the guts to tell me what I was doing wrong.  First impressions are lasting impressions.  If you screw up a class, students are not going to come back to see if you will do better next time. You have lost them. Feedback from mentors, students,teachers and studio owners, help you to stop your mistakes sooner rather then later. This results in strong classes from the get go instead of struggling for years.    When I first started teaching, no one would give me feedback but yet I knew that my teaching was not as strong as it could be.  The best gift I ever received was when I went to work for an outspoken boss, who ripped into the first week  I was there. I was angry, pissed and weepy but once I got over myself, I grew as a teacher. After class, make it a habit to have a personal conversation with a few students and ask them how they feel and what they think.  Anytime you have a teacher in your midst, ask them to stay a few moments for feedback.
5. Books/Videos/Internet:These are great resources to add to your current knowledge base. They keep your classes fresh and provide new insights to your students. While there are books, videos and on line resources that claim to instruct on how to teach, they are not enough alone. They are supplementary.

Video of the Day: Feeling Good

 

Why Monday Sucks

Monday sucks because you make it so!! Change your life and Change Your Monday!

Not a monday goes by where I don't hear someone lamenting over its appearance. Yet every week, it always shows up. So we can't stop Monday but we can change how we feel about it.

Why You Don't Like Monday...

You are working a job you don't like

Slavery was abolished hundreds of years ago right? Wrong! It is alive and well.  Instead of chains and whips, we are controlled by the almighty dollar.  A strategically placed insinuation from the boss about job loss and its affect on our life is enough to keep us in misery and hating Monday for the next 50 years.  Change Your Job.

You have over scheduled your life 

We tend to take breaks on the weekend and then Monday signals that things are now back to normal. The "to do" list comes out and we pick up our responsibilities.  Focus on what is really important. Prioritize & Drop Some Things Off your schedule. 

You have over scheduled your kid's life

Every well meaning parent wants their kids to be exposed to the arts and culture and to be active and smart.  How many of your kids activities did they actually come to you about? Most parents suggest the activities to the children with their own agendas in mind.  What about your monday morning "wake up and get to school routine?"  Has it been overcomplicated? Are their things that your kids could do on their own? Do you nag your kids unnecessarily about things that ultimately don't matter? If they don't mind going to school  without perfect hair and matching socks why are we so worried about it?

Fun is for the weekend

You do fun stuff on the weekend and the week is strictly for serious pursuits. So you spend your whole week waiting for it to come back around. Make time to have fun during the week.

You Keep Telling Yourself Monday is Bad

You create your own reality. Whatever you put energy into can't help but to manifest. If you tell yourself that Monday sucks, your brain will bring things to your awareness that proves this. Shift your paradigm by deciding that Mondays are good!

 

Video of the Day: Inner Contradictions

 

Are You On the Way To Yoga Burnout or Yoga Enlightenment?

The popularity of  Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, Power Yoga, and  Hot Yoga are at an all time high.  These styles use vigorous and powerful  sequences to impart health to the body as well as the mind. They bring peace and well being to practitioners helping them to be a better person and live a more fulfilled life.   Because they provide such a great physical workout, many people approach them like a gym aerobics class and rely on brut strength and will power to move them through the practice resulting in an overly aggressive yoga practice that looses steam really fast and is not sustainable.  Practicing without incorporating the more subtle concepts of yoga such  as breath,non-harming, focus and non attachment, opens the door for stress, injury, ill health and an uneasy mind. Essentially you cultivate all the traits that you were trying to use yoga to cure.

 Look at the list below and see where you fit in. Are you on the road to burn out or enlightenment?

 Gym Mentality                                             Yoga Mentality

Barely Breathe                                                                  Deeply Breathe        

In the mind throughout practice                              Practice takes you out of the mind

Obsessed with attaining poses                                    Enjoys learning new poses

Labels practices "bad" or "good"                               Sees all practices as good

Compares themselves to others                                Focused on themselves

Always seeking more intensity                                   Time & place for everything

Sweat is generated from external heat                   Sweat is generated from internal heat

Snaps into poses                                                              Moves with breath into poses

Only uses mirror for alignment                                 Knows how poses feel in the body

Stares at themselves in mirror                                   Uses Dristhi(gaze points)

Mat has to be in same place or miffed                    Cool with whatever spot they can get        

Does advanced poses to show off                            Poses for their benefits and fun

Judges others practices                                                Non judgemental

Has to be in the studio in crowd                               Has friends but not about popularity

Compares current practice to previous               Practices from the present moment

Pushes through pain                                                     Pays attention to pain  

Breaks are a sign of weakness                                    Breaks when needed

Constantly seeking short cuts                                    Slow and steady wins the race

Worships those with "advanced" practices          Every body's human

Searching for Yoga body  for vanity                       Understands the effect of weight on health

Expects teachers to look a certain way                 Value teacher for what they teach    

Sequencing should be for intensity                         Sequence focused on well being

Leave class feeling broke down                                 Leave class feeling energized

Has a post yoga recovery ritual                                Feel good when you leave

Has to dress a certain way                                          May like clothes but not there to be seen

Hates anything spiritual                                             Open to other aspects of yoga

Depends on their teacher                                           Understand their own body

Can't stand silence                                                        Loves it

Can't be still                                                                     Strives to be still

Wants something for free                                         Understands the value of yoga

Pushes into poses                                                         Breathes into poses

 Only sees yoga as a workout                                   Total Body wellness system

Chooses studios based on popularity                   Chooses based on what they have to offer

Pushes through poses  using muscles                    Moves from the core and breath

 

 Video of the day: Yoga as a spiritual practice