Live Your Yoga

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We are here to inspire, not to compete. That goes for everyone. We were all born for greatness. We have a mutual purpose on this planet. To inspire love. Joy. Respect. In not only our teachings but in our examples. What else do you have better to do with your time than to promote love? It’s in everything you do, if you make it.

When you’re spending time with your children, it is not only what you do with them but what they see you do without them. How better to teach peace than to love your enemy? Because the enemy is an illusion. How can you be an advocate for love if you do not support gay marriage? Or stand in the light of God’s love if you condemn your neighbor for standing in the same light, just under a different name?

We are here to love each other. Trust each other. And look out for each other. We are here to inspire greatness in each other. There is no real controversy at the heart of love. Some of us are slow to learn this fact. It’s part of our journey as humans be-ing. But we will get there. I am seeing it happen more and more each day. Soon we will realize that we are all a part of the same heartbeat.

Be an advocate for love.

I volunteered as a canvas for a body artist friend of mine. It was incredibly liberating and just plain fun! My mat was covered in paint when the shoot was over, but it was totally worth it.

Here are a few shots…

uttanasana

opening to grace

natarajasana

Body artist: Valentina Kai. Find her at www.medicinemuse.com

Photographer: R. Mike Lyons. Find him at www.rmikelyons.com

Working in a women’s boutique has opened my eyes and my heart to the ridiculous amount of self-critical, depressed, body-conscious women out there. And I’ve made it my personal/professional duty when I am in the store to brighten those women’s day, make them smile and give them a little bounce in their step. Even if just for a moment.

Maybe it’s because I have an amazing husband (though once a husband of one of these ladies almost brought me to tears~ even if she didn’t think much of herself, he certainly did), maybe it’s because I have good friends, a great family, or perhaps it has something to do with my yoga practice and seeing the strength and grace in my body. Maybe it’s because of my daughter, and being proud of my body for its capabilities in childbirth and rearing. Maybe it’s because of my spirituality and the fact that I am a visionary of the goddess within. Maybe it’s all these things.

Some may sneer at this wisdom and say, “well of course you feel that way, look at you.” Yeah, so what. Look at me. The only thing that makes us different is how we feel about ourselves and how we feel about other people’s reactions to us. That is all.

Let’s clear something. I am not supporting obesity or the fat, lazy American syndrome (yes, I said it. Sat nam.) I am however supporting a healthy and active lifestyle, self care, and most of all a healthy sense of self worth. And if that self worth comes with 50 extra pounds, then that’s 50 extra pounds of perfection, baby.

So do yourself a favor today, tell yourself your beautiful. And the next woman you see~ remind her that she’s beautiful too!

At the workshop on Sunday, we talked a lot about small self. Unfortunately, most of us know her on a first name basis. She’s the trash talking, flaw emphasizing, ego toting one that looks back at us when we’re brushing our teeth in the morning mirror. She’s the couldn’t have, shouldn’t have, oh no you di-nt kind of girl. The one that doubts. The one that looks around and thinks, I could never be like that, or on the opposite end of the spectrum, thinks that she’s the shit and wants you to know it in an obvious or sneaky coy sort of way. I’m the best, oh look at me, are you looking at me, no don’t look at me, no really, look. The small self stands in fear.

There is no room in my life right now for small self.

Jessica said a wonderful thing. And though she was addressing the entire group of beautiful and amazing women, I felt she was saying exactly what I needed to hear. She was speaking to me. She said it was my duty. My responsibility to share what I’ve learned. She told the story of the sage (hopefully I get this close to right ~ you’ll get the drift) who upon his death was expecting nirvana for all he had learned, and Shiva said to him, in your first life you have learned, in your second life you have learned. Now leaving this third life you have learned. But what have you given? And so he sent the sage back again, and in his fourth life he was a teacher.

I’ve thought about this concept before. And a version of this thought was one that got me on the path of teaching yoga in the first place. I wanted to change the world. And I believed that one way to do that was through yoga. Think about how you feel after your practice. Now think about every single person in the world feeling that same way. Peace? Enlightenment? How about just simple contentment for this moment? I expressed this thought to a friend once, a fellow yoga teacher. And she said something that was so far from my intention, but that affected me none the less. She said that thinking this way was my ego talking. I let that one little sentence dig into my small self. And it dug deep. But it’s finding its way back to the surface . That sense of affecting change. And now it’s even more profound because now, it’s my duty.

One week ago Sunday, my husband and I signed a lease to open a permanent location for One Rhythm Yoga. Since the Wednesday before that, when I was first considering the possibility, small self took up residency. We did everything together, and my husband was getting pretty annoyed when she kicked the covers off at night. At times, my whole self, my divine self, the part of me that KNOWS, well, she’d take over the situation in her firm voice. You know, the mother tone. And I would remember. I would remember. And I am back to the lesson of the daisy and that of my underlying strength. It’s there. And this space didn’t come to me for anything remotely having to do with my ego. I was not looking to open up a yoga studio. But then it was there, and God said, “Look Brandi. Now what will you DO with it?”

I have spent the last 13 years of my life learning what it takes to be yoga. I suppose technically I’ve spent the last 31. And I will spend the rest of this lifetime continuing that process. But here begins something new. Now I commit to being a teacher. Yes, I have been teaching. But I have never allowed myself to fully commit to it. Not really. Something happened. I discovered my duty.

I will not be surprised when small self peeks her little head in the doorway. Oh, yes, she’s a persistent little devil. I will not be surprised when she invites herself in for tea. But let me tell you friends, (and small self you best be listenin’ girl), after those lemon scones, she’s outta here. (says I in my best mama tone).

...they are a comin'

What a glorious afternoon in Colorado. After record heats the last few days, I awoke to overcast skies and now enjoy mild sunshine with gentle breezes. Oh yes. Glorious indeed.

I wanted to share my morning class with you, as it has sent me smiling into the world and I’m sure will carry with me throughout my day. First off, to “invoke” via dictionary.com:

Wow. That’s a lot to take in. Yet, that is exactly what I asked of my students this morning. That they call to heart the word, and ask what it meant for them. I then read them the short definition as presented by good 0l’ webster: to address or call upon in prayer. With that in mind, I expressed my desire as a teacher to share with them that our bodies are our prayers. Whether we hold religion, spirituality, or just a simple faith that we are alive on this Earth, we can all benefit from a moment of prayer, a moment of communion.

So as we sat through our pranayama practice, as we experienced those first movements into our vinyasas, we prayed. We prayed with our bodies. And though some may not have gotten it, I think that as they continue with their practice, they will. Your yoga may start out as something physical. It may start out as something that you do because you have tight hamstrings, or tension in your shoulders. It is my belief, though not imposed, that through a regular asana practice you begin to discover the spirit of yoga. You begin to peel into the layers of your own divine nature.

Let me tell you a secret:

We all need to be reminded sometime. I think coming to your mat is an excellent way to remember.

in the zone, yo.

While digging out a site for a new garden bed, I was playing around with balances on my shovel. I’m fairly light weight. So when I dig the shovel into the dirt I have to put my whole body into it to really make a dent. When I do that, one foot first then the other, I’m essentially balancing my whole body weight on the rim of the shovel.

I dance with it sometimes, swaying here and there. It’s a laugh if you were to see me.

So anyway, my daughter came out with the cell phone and grabbed a couple of shots of my shovel yoga.

Tree pose was not super difficult, putting my weight slightly towards one side of the body rather than directly in the center. But Dancer, well that was another story and will definitely need more practice. Couldn’t quite balance enough to take the leg any higher.

It was fun though.

Happy gardening.

care to dance, anyone?

I just taught my last class at Om and Garden… unbeknownst to us all when we began our practice this afternoon.

During Savasana I received a message from Kim telling me that the closing ceremony would be Monday night. As I sat there in quiet meditation, evening out my breath to that of my students, I grew profoundly grateful. I could not think of a more lovely group of women to share this with than those that lay before me now…

At closing prayer, I told them the news and how happy I was to know them. I know that they’ll come to my classes elsewhere. But there was something about the space we shared and the energy we created at Om and Garden. I’ll miss it. And I know they’ll miss it too.

To those students and friends, old and new, that shared your time, energy and love at that studio: Thank you so much for allowing me the grace of your spirits. I am honored by each one of you.

With the deepest gratitude, }♥{

~Brandi

Seane Corn Vinyasa Flow

(*click on the link above to be directed to the video inspiration for this post)

Seane Corn

Yoga as prayer and an offering to the Divine… she speaks from my own heart.

This is what yoga is to me. My way of communion. My connection to Spirit. When I am lost in my practice, listening to the sound of the ocean deep within my breath, it is then that I feel most connected to Spirit.

When I study with Shiva, she often brings me to my prayer. There is something beautifully inspiring about a teacher that can lead you into your own body, and into your heart.

I’ve never studied with Seane Corn personally, but I like what I see and what I read. I’d like to one day. But even if that chance never comes, I believe we’re on the same path. Yoga is magic. Try it. You’ll see.

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Sitting on my back porch. The sun is shining for what feels like the first time today. I was feeling a lot better yesterday, so much so that I think I over did it a bit. Therefore the morning brought me more mucous and a headache to seal the deal.

I taught 2 classes. The first was a gentle reminder that it’s hard to talk for an hour straight when you’ve been sick for days on end. I ended up having to leave the room for savasana because I thought I might go into a coughing fit and ruin the relaxation experience

The second was a little smoother. One of my favorite students was there. Yes, I have favorites~ but I do not play favorites. She is just the most lovely of creatures and her presence makes me smile every time. She and her partner in crime, which was absent today, are both shiny; the two of them bring joy to my heart.

I have a design commission to complete for Custom Made Fairytale. The wedding’s in June and that’s been weighing in on me a bit. It’s hard to be motivated when I’m sick. Plus, I want to be in the right spirits when I’m working on her dress. Energy transmutes.

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Good Goddess, this tree on my back porch is gorgeous. I don’t love her so much when I’m picking up spoiled crab apples in late Summer (she and I had a talk about this yesterday), but oh~ how I love her right now. She is the Sacred Yoni Tree. She has 3 perfect slits in the roundness of her trunk. It’s odd. But perfect. And she has always brought to mind for me the sacred feminine. I guess I should keep that in mind come late Summer as a reminder that we all fall down and get bruised sometimes… but we can still make the sweetest jam.

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Sacred Yoni Tree