May 1st, 2012
Avidya – The Other Yoga Practice
Have you heard of Avidya? Avidya is like a smoke screen that veils our perceptions from knowing the Truth (Sat). On the path of Yoga, Avidya is a constant that gives our practice a limitless source of continued definition. It is one of the most trying practices in yoga, as we can be aware of it, make choices because of that awareness, but it is believed that Avidya is a constant. That’s right it never goes away.
Picture a tree with the roots deep and limitless, with 4 branches. The roots are Avidya and the branches are how Avidya grows within us in the form of Ego, Fear, Desire and Aversion. Very much like the colored film they put on stage lighting that basks the stage in that color, Avidya colors how we see things moment to moment. At times it can be any one or all of the branches of Avidya that are operating your perception. When unaware you will then act or react and make choices because of what you are desiring, fearing, wanting to avoid, or simply believe YOU have the right to with no awareness of anything else.
Tricky you say? YES it is! The practice of yoga begins to not only bend your body, but your mind as well. You begin to be more aware of how you are thinking, and from there you have the opportunity to understand things more clearly. This is when you step onto the path of Avidya awareness. You’ll start to note how your desires are tainting how you are seeing a given situation, and may then be negating the situation for others. Or you might be aware of how you are experiencing something because of some fear you have that has nothing to do with that moment. At other times you may want to avoid something based on a past experience that is now limiting what could be happening in the present moment. And of course then there is the Ego, and its drive to have it be about YOU, you, you and no one else. Remember I did say it is tricky.
Avidya, is not something that we can get rid of it, we can only be aware that our experiences and perceptions are being driven by them. It is from that awareness where we begin to experience changes. Rather than acting out of fear, ego, desires or aversion we see how it is tainting our perceptions and we can awaken to ‘what is’, free from Avidya. Imagine any scenario where you begin to expand your perception beyond your fears, desires, avoidance or ego. What would that be like?
I welcome you to a joyful practice, with the true pleasure of watching yourself grow and shed the old. May laughter be close at hand, as it will temper the experience of falling back into being unaware then aware again. May compassion be a touchstone for you, as you stretch onto the Avidya mat and its strong roots continually offer you new moments of awakening. Did I just hear someone laughing? What a beautiful sound of freedom! Namaste.
Posted in Articles, Inspirations from Class, yoga, Yoga Philosophy | 1 Comment »
March 30th, 2012
Well I did it! For 24 hours I was unplugged from the internet, email, cell phone and TV, and what I discovered was delicious.
Gretchen Mills from Key West Yoga Sanctuary and I joined in on the National Day of Unplugging to create a wonderful event for Key West. We kicked off the event on Friday evening with a Music Jam/Potluck. What sweetness to hang with friends, families (lots of little ones playing on the beach) sing, and eat wonderfully nourishing food while the sunset! Thank you Lazy Dog for bringing paddle boards over for us to play on. And then we did it, we turned it all off!
The rest of the evening was reading, relaxing and a great nights sleep. I was aware of how my shoulders unwound during the night and it felt divine.
Saturday was a day for being in nature, spending time with loved ones, eating nourishing food, doing Yoga and Meditation, creating art and music, or just being! We offered events around town to encourage all of that including a wonderful children’s art project with Jenni Franke at Key West Wildlife Center, pottery painting at Honest Works Island Pottery, and a picnic at Fort Zachary Taylor State Park (box lunch provided by Help Yourself!).
I kicked off my morning with yoga, by teaching class at Ft Zach. Then it was time to chillax at the beach. I brought a picnic breakfast, books to read, a comfy beach chair to enjoy. It was such a treat to just be at the beach with friends, and loved ones watching the day wander by. It was the annual around the island sailing race, so I was there to cheer on my friends as they came around the point pushing against the current. Rah! For lunch Don brought us a nutritious box lunch from Help Yourself! We lingered, we chatted, we played with babies, and laughed a lot.
By 3 pm it was time to leave the beach and head over to the Key West Yoga Sanctuary for Raji’s class JourneyDance . What a treat to experience her offering, spirit and space to dance with others and be expressive with music. We rocked it, bounced it, partnered, expressed, connected and liberated IT! Wahoo!
The feeling of elation took me to Higg’s Beach where a few of us met to give thanks for the day. As the sunset on my 24 hours I reflected on the freedom this time of unplugging connected me to, and the knowing I can do this at anytime I so declare. I declare it now that we shall do it again for our second annual day next March, and whenever the inspiration initiates between now and then. “See” you then!
Thank you!
Posted in Healthy Planet, Retreats | No Comments »
February 23rd, 2012
I saw her first as an image of a rainbow the day before she arrived. A fleeting image of a rainbow over the water came to me as I glanced up quickly looking over the water. Then I noticed her as an interesting ship coming towards us the next day as I was walking to set up for yoga. She had the most interesting triangular rigging, something I had not seen before.
As she continued to move towards our shore, and I continued to prep the yoga “platform”, my eyes kept being called to her. And then it happened. First the awakening, as I recognized the rainbow on her bow. Then I saw the white dove, and finally the words Greenpeace.
My heart began to flutter, and my spirit soared. Completely inspired I grabbed my camera and began to run like a school girl, with all the glee, joy and speed I could muster towards her. As I ran I was so aware of all the emotions running through me, especially the sense of youth, joy and exhilaration! Incumbered by my sandals, I kicked them off and flew to the entrance of the harbor.
Once there I found myself jumping up and down waving to her as she passed by so gracefully with strength and power. The honor of seeing Rainbow Warrior pass through our waters sent chills through me. My childhood memories of the stories of Greenpeace, and all the work they do to honor our planet flew through me and my arms as they waved. Gratitude oozed through me and outward.
I’m not sure anyone on board saw me, but I know for sure SHE did. It was an honor and a privilege I will not soon forget. I am so thankful for the experience of this awakening and inspiration! Keep your senses open. You may soon have one yourself.
Posted in Articles, Inspirations from Class | 4 Comments »
February 1st, 2012
One of the many gifts of a yoga practice is the way we can find ourselves in the space of peace or equanimity. There are many ways to practice yoga, and yet often the end result is this space of peaceful ease, sometimes called grace or bliss. How delicious!
One of the ways to practice yoga is through studying the sacred texts, like the Yoga Sutras or the Baghavad Gita. I was recently reading Sri Swami Satchidananda’s translation of The Yoga Sutras and came across this advice, “Whether you are interested in reaching Samadhi (bliss) or plan to ignore Yoga entirely, I would advise you to remember at least this one Sutra. It will be very helpful to you in keeping a peaceful mind in your daily life. You may not have any great goal in your life, but just try to follow this one Sutra very well and you will see its efficacy.”
The Sutra he is referring to is 1.33. “By cultivating attitudes of friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous, and disregard toward the wicked, the mind-stuff retains its undisturbed calmness.”
Ah, can you imagine a sense of undisturbed calmness in your mind, body and spirit? Delicious! So what is Patanjali speaking of in this Sutra? He suggests that in your daily life you will come across people expressing 4 energetic forms. They are sukha or happiness, duhka or unhappiness, punya or virtuousness and apunya or wickedness. The keys he gives for maintaining your sense of well-being in light of these energies are friendliness, compassion, delight, and indifference or disregard.
As you come upon a happy person, find a sense of friendliness to them. Recognize that there may be some old habits which may create some other response to someone’s happiness other than friendliness. Apparently even 4000 years ago people would act in a less than friendly way when approached by other’s happiness. Take a breath and ignite in you a friendly response. It will be a selfless act that all, including you, will benefit from.
Patanjali then suggests that when you come upon an unhappy person, reach inward and ignite compassion for them. Your feeling of well-being will be energized by compassion, rather than being sucked out of you in feeling sadness or even empathy toward them. You certainly will not help others by becoming unhappy as well.
The third interaction is when you come upon one who is virtuous. How delightful to see true virtue being expressed, and to inspire it within you! Let virtuousness in others be the lighted path for you to follow, with a heart that sings delight.
Then lastly, what do you do when you are in the presence of wickedness? Indifference is the key, he says. This one can often be confusing, as we may believe he is suggesting that we do nothing about wickedness. Not true. He is saying that when in its presence do not react with anything else other than indifference when it is in your face, because any action you will take at that point will be like pouring oil on a fire. Once away from the wickedness, your actions, centered in your undisturbed calmness, will be virtuous, compassionate and friendly. What magic you will create!
Happy – Friendly Unhappy – Compassion Virtuous – Delight Wicked – Indifference
And away we go….
Posted in Articles, Inspirations from Class, yoga, Yoga Philosophy | 1 Comment »
December 19th, 2011
The power of Yoga permeates our practice no matter which angle we approach it from. As we stretch, breathe bigger, quiet the mind and/or challenge our bodies things begin to change. A broadening of ourselves cracks open and we begin to see new possibilities on many levels. What we believed to be impossible at one point in our lives begins to seem not only possible but is already happening in our lives and all around us. We begin to dream of new possibilities, and see them realized.
As I was biking the island yesterday I began to have these thoughts and images around how we relate to one another when it comes to dreaming. It seems that there is a cultural conditioning, which is well accepted, to be what I will call a Dream Squasher. We may not realize we have that habit, or condition. We may even validate our actions with reasoning like, “but I need to help them out so they don’t get hurt,” or “I need to speak my truth.” In the end what we are inflicting on one another is another opinion (often unasked for) that pulls the rug out from the dreaming process.
Do you recognize this behavior in yourself? Want to set it free? First recognize your habitual responses that start in the gut and find their way to your tongue that are less than supportive, or down right undermining. You’ll also need to be clearly aware of when someone is sharing a dream, notice your conditioned need to squash it, and take a breath.
Here is your time to step onto the platform called supportive. No Fairy Godmother (nor Godfather) leaves home without this bit of magic. If you want to become a Fairy Godmother then first you will need to learn to charge your responses and words with the magic of support, inspiration and empowerment. These powerful three are the fairy dust we all are brightened and encouraged by.
Support is the way in which we keep something or someone “upright”. We sustain and provide help when asked for, and belief in the dream. We even stretch our own awareness to see how this dream will and can become a reality.
Inspiration is a stimulus energy that helps the creative process to mature. It is like compost that nourishes the dreaming process. There is the moment when we first begin to share our dreams that catches our breath, and we await the next “inspiration.” The Fairy Godmother gets to stimulate that inspiration, that intake of new ideas, and breathes energy into it.
Empowerment is the fine art of creating space for power to be declared. We bring the quality of esteem alive by giving high regard and consideration to another’s ideas or dreams which is like hypercharging the concept. With great dexterity we step aside and create the space for the manifestation of another’s dream. Pow!
Our transformation is complete as we begin to hear our words transform from discouraging, disapproval, and disempowering to our magic 3 – support, inspiration and empowerment. Responds like, “what are you thinking”, or “did you consider…” become, “wow, that’s sounds wonderful” or “I love hearing how excited you are with this idea, and I know you can bring it alive with the passion you are feeling.”
As with many transformational processes, the “feel good” quality is symbiotic. The benefits are felt by both the dreamer and you. There is such a rush when you are dreaming your dream and someone else creates the space and energy for it to be realized. As you support another that rush flies through you as well. I guess that’s why it is often called divine. Here is to more of us on the path of Fairydom.
Posted in Inspirations from Class, Spirit, Uncategorized, yoga | No Comments »
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