Live Your Yoga

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"Listen! The wind is rising, and the air is wild with leaves. We have had our summer evenings, now for October eves!" ~Humbert Wolfe

How are you feeling as you transition into this darker time? As the Earth begins her gentle descent into the depths of the season, might I suggest you take some time to rest yourself? To reflect and take stock of the fruits of your labor, to slow down, and most importantly, just to be grateful for the love and bounty of your life?

After the Equinox, I felt that Summer wasn’t quite ready to loose its grasp and let Fall roll its way in. Alas, as the days have counted their way into the season, I am reminded again of the rhythmic cycle of life; everything must fall away to rise again. Indeed the morning chill has shown its face and I find myself bundling up and enjoying the transition into Fall.

I move deeply into my yoga practice this time of year. When the darkness pours in, I allow the silence of the season to fill me. When the winter doldrums begin to take hold, I seek the sun. Originally from the Florida coast, our main seasons were Summer and Hurricane. The chill of the occasional cold front came and went, with the excitement of the rare and breathtaking icicle to put many a smile of the child’s face. But it wasn’t until I moved to Colorado that I began to experience the true essence of the Seasons. I feel truly blessed to bear witness and move through the journey of Mother Nature’s cycles.

My yoga practice allows me to connect to these changes on a deeper level. As I move through asana, listening to my breath, feeling the physical heartbeat of my own body, I am reminded that that rhythm is part of the larger rhythm of life on this planet. It is the same heartbeat of Mother Earth.

I invite you to be still, and connect to that magical life force that carries us on, and connects us all… what a gift is it just to breathe.

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.

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'

It’s been some time since I’ve posted on this blog. I am happy to note that we’ve succeeded (sort of) in growing (some) things. The garden project is a continuing adventure. By next year, we should have it down.

I’ve felt somewhat neglectful of this blog, but then decided that it was okay, being that it’s more important to live my yoga than to write about it.

My public teaching schedule is limited lately. I’ve been kept rather busy in other areas. My 2 classes at Spectrum are going well, the energy has improved there and I feel like I owe that to Rebecca and Alice. I feel so honored that they chose to continue with me from Om and Garden, and it’s like a little bit of that sacred space came with them.

Or it could be that having them there has allowed me to free up the energy I’ve been holding in. Either way, I am so grateful to have them there.

Life and its daily rhythms are carrying on. Each day is filled. Plenty of chaos. Plenty of love.

I keep breathing.

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.

♥

Magic is everywhere.

Like right here in this bowl of soup, for example. Not the best photo, mind you, but that’s what happens from a camera phone.

Quite a random turn of events getting sick, but nevertheless, the crud this way came.

So my darling husband stewed together his own brand of magic into a magnificent healing punch! for my immune system. Yes, it’s the gobs of onions, garlic, and ginger… among other things. But mostly, it’s the LOVE that went into the process.

So while the husband and the child are out feasting on Italian food for the mother in law’s birthday, I am home, snuggled in my grandma’s afghan, watching Practical Magic, and getting loved up with my love soup. ♥

I had two phenomenal classes on Friday. Different venues, different students, different atmospheres. Both however, had amazing energy! Jai! I was so elevated from those classes. The experience and sacred sharing that can happen during yoga is endless.

It’s the energy of my students and the energy we build together. They are wonderful. We do not just share as teacher/student and the practice of asana. We share life. We share precious moments of intimacy. We share the blessing of simply being together.

I end every class with a message of gratitude for my students. And I mean it deeply every time.

One of my students brought me a dozen eggs today in lieu of payment. The eggs came from her very own chickens. Does it get any better than that? I think not.