Live Your Yoga

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.

My favorite girl humored me with her camera skills. Check it.

adho mukha svanasana

trikonasana

trikonasana

utthita tadasana

salute!

utthita tadasana

om namah shivaya

advadanta sirsasana

surrender

balasana

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.

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.

♥

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. ♥

Somehow I have come down with a cold. Ugh. It was quite bizarre. I came home from work yesterday feeling fine, with the exception of being a little dehydrated. I ate some food and went to the back porch to sit in my rocker. My husband was pounding away on our earth ship (greenhouse) tires. I was sitting there, and all of a sudden I felt myself dozing off. My head got heavy and my throat started aching.

I went inside and laid down for maybe 40 minutes or so, but had to sub a class for a friend that I’d already committed myself to. So I made some slippery elm tea with chamomile and rose petals, and went on my way. I got through the class okay. Do you ever just go into ‘work’ mode? That’s where I was. I slept heavy, but I can still breathe through my nose so I slept decently. When I woke this morning, however, I hardly had a voice. I knew I could make more tea and go into work mode again. But my husband and I both agreed that showing up in this state was not showing up. And if I’m contagious, I don’t want to inflict that on my students.

So I had to cancel my a.m. class and get a sub for my noon. I still had to work at the boutique tonight, no way I could get out of that one, it being a new job and all. I am so thankful for the morning and early afternoon of rest though. It was necessary.

honey lemon throat coat, tissues, and my pen...

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.

photo courtesy of Simon Andrews

Om and Garden is closing. The first yoga studio I officially taught at in Colorado Springs. I’m torn by it. I love that little studio. We’ve been through a lot together. My energy, and that of my students, have helped to create that sacred space. And it is sacred. Everything will be fine, though. Kim is making the right decision for herself, and I honor her for that. I know how difficult it is to let go of such a monumental part of your life. And I expect she’ll go through a grieving process. (Lucky for her, she gets to go through that process in Hawaii ) I had considered taking over the studio, and perhaps getting a few more teachers in there. But the rent is just too high to take on as a commitment. I’m very serious about the commitments I make. That’s why I make so few of them.

All will be well. Someone will come along to create their own brand of magic in the space. And I’m sure that they’ll be grateful to be there. As was I. In the meantime, I’ll continue to teach elsewhere. They don’t have quite the same feel, but I’m continually thankful that the spaces exist, so that those who come seeking can find (hopefully) what they’re looking for.

I’m subbing a last minute class tonight for a friend. I had planned on having an evening at home with the family and some quiet time with the moon. It’s full tonight. But I figured, a little yoga thrown in the mix can only love it up that much more.

So I suppose my lesson for the day is this: Embrace change. Whether it’s coming up or happening right now, this moment.

Be in it. Breathe in it. And find the bliss in it.

Peace out, y’all.