Live Your Yoga

In our physical yoga practice, meaning asana and the awareness and control of breath, we are building pranic energy. Prana. Energy. Life force. As individuals that energy can be a very powerful thing. The more we practice, the more our mind becomes still. The mind becomes still, the pranic energy continues to rise. When we practice in a group, the pranic energy becomes dynamic. We mingle with each other, give and receive of one another. We raise the vibration of our very souls. With these thoughts in mind, we name a Sankalpa, an intention, and we use the energy of our practice to direct that intention.

Now here’s a yogic principle come into play, that of non-attachment. We set our intention, we put our prana behind that intention, we bow our heads on this practice, and then we let it go. It is out there doing its work. And we hold no attachment to the outcome.

Sometimes there is just nothing like a hot shower to cleanse the mind and refresh the whole self. Ahhh…

While scrubbing my tired skin with a yummy ayurvedic sugar scrub, it got me thinking about how blessed I was to have these delicious natural products at my personal hygiene bidding. As I dried off and went about my relatively simple routine, I felt a renewed love for the products on my bathroom shelf. The skin is our largest organ after all. Treat it with love. ♥

So without further ado, and in no particular order, these are a few of my favorite things:

1. Witch hazel. I love this stuff. I tend to go back and forth between brands, whatever’s on sale. But truly, witch hazel is my answer to a lazy night when I don’t feel like washing my face. Or those times when you’re camping and don’t have access to a water supply. It’s also a great astringent and even an antiseptic for cleaning wounds. My husband doesn’t really care for the smell but I like it. Keep some organic cotton pads around for applying or just use as a splash.

2. Aubrey Collagen and Almond lotion, oh how I love thee! I’m the kind of girl that likes to keep things simple (most of the time) so I was always looking for a lotion or moisturizer that I could use on my face as well as the rest of my body. This is it. It’s not too heavy, not to light. It smells fantastic and definitely serves its purpose. Most of Aubrey’s products are organic and vegan. Bonus!

3. Bronner’s liquid castile soap. Any scent but my favorite is peppermint. This stuff is pretty versatile and can be used for just about anything from brushing your teeth to washing your clothes. We keep a large one in the shower for bathing and a small one in the VW for camping needs. Be careful, a little goes a long way. And watch out for the more sensitive areas of your body. The peppermint tends to tingle. Most healthfood stores will carry this in their bulk section so save your container to re-fill.

4. Jojoba oil. I like keeping a simple base of jojoba around because I can add it to a smaller container with my favorite essential oil. If you apply the oil to you body when your done showering before you dry off, and then just pat yourself dry with a towel, your skin is so silky smooth! Also works great as a massage oil. My yoga students love it!

5. Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay. This is by far the best facial mask ever! If you use apple cider vinegar instead of water it mixes a lot smoother plus you have the added benefits of the ACV. Leave it on for only a little while or until it dries to a crisp To remove, take a warm, wet washcloth and press onto face with both hands. Rinse cloth and repeat until most of the clay has come off. Rinse any leftovers off with warm water. Witchhazel can be a little stingy to apply right after so I use Rose or Lavender water instead and follow with my Aubrey lotion.

6. Egyptian Magic. This is the most expensive of my beauty arsenal but it lasts forever and it’s worth it. I use it for tough dry spots like my feet and hands. Also great for cuts and scrapes and even chapped lips.

7. Speaking of chapped lips, I’ve yet to find anything that beats my Burt’s Bees. It saves me in this dry climate. I like the original with the peppermint, or the new honey one.

That’s it for the most part. I tend to go back and forth between what I use for shampoo/conditioner. My favorite brands are Aubrey, Jason, and Avalon organics.

8. Oh~and recently I’ve been using these great new bar soaps that my neighbor makes. (I know, awesome right?!) They are completely natural with no harmful additives. They come in all kinds of great scents, too! Check her out at Apotheka Soaps.

So there you have it! A little insight into my girl-ness. ♥

Ciao!

To keep it local if you’re in the Springs area, shop Mountain Mama Natural Foods or Sammy’s Organics. Vitamin Cottage is great, too!

Maintaining a home practice can be challenging for many of us. Teachers and students alike.

I remember going through my first training. I had a committed personal asana practice. It was a home practice, because at the time (and for most of my life really), I couldn’t afford to take yoga classes at a studio. I remember many of the other teachers-in-training were surprised at this, and mentioned that if it wasn’t for going ‘out’ to a studio, their practice would be non-existent. I know this to be true for many of us…

I suppose it’s similar to our diets. If we had a personal chef to prepare us fantastic and nutritious food, wouldn’t it be easier to eat healthier? So we go ‘out’ for yoga, we leave it to the teacher to work our bodies and nourish our minds. That is what they’re there for, right?

Well, in a sense, yes. That is what we’re here for. But at the same time, we are here to teach you that it is actually YOU that is your own best teacher. My goal as a yoga teacher is to inspire. Inspire YOU to live to your greatest potential and recognize your own divine nature.

If you make it to my Tuesday noontime Sadhana every week without fail, but that is the only time you get on your mat… of course I would congratulate you for honoring yourself that one day a week with that gift of yoga. I would also encourage you however, to develop some sort of home practice. They say it takes 21 consecutive days to develop a healthy habit so that it begins to flow freely and naturally. My suggestion: Start with a 5 minute a day pranayama practice. Sit quietly, preferably before you start your day, to connect with your breath. Perhaps you have 15 minutes to spare for a few rounds of Sun Salutes. You can begin anywhere. The point is, to just begin.

I love having you in class. I honor that sacred divine and intuitive teacher in each and every one of you. Lay out your mat tonight on your living room floor and go inward. Let your breath lead you into your most perfect asana practice yet.

Namaste’.

The conception:
Rhythm lies at the heart of play, and thus various rhythmic actions are the primordial forms of delight ~bird song, the chirping of crickets, the beating of hearts, the pulsation of laughter, the ecstatic loss of self in drumming and dancing… -Alan Watts

Potatoes. Yep. You read it right. Here's why:

The week before last, my husband took our dog on his regular morning run through beautiful Red Rock canyon. On this particular day he happened to trip and fall. Our dog, being that he didn’t want to be the cushion to the landing, ran on… dragging my husband behind.

When he got home I tried not to panic. He tends to injure himself often. (Tis true, honey) He was pretty banged up though. A nasty deep gash on the palm of his hand and a leg that had definitely seen better days. So we cleaned the wounds and pulled out the ole staples: tea tree oil and what we had left of Egyptian magic. Normally we use Tamanu oil for EVERYTHING, and because of this we were completely out, as was our local health food store. I don’t know if it would have made a difference or not having Tamanu. Probably not.

Anyway, that day and evening he was helping out a friend in Denver, handling a lot of cash and merchandise and exposing his hand wound to all sorts of invaders…

The next morning we were having coffee and we noticed the wound on his hand was tender and red with an obvious red line traveling up his arm from the wound. Definite red flag! I knew some folks that had blood poisoning and knew that it was nothing to mess with. Immediately we started him on LDM and did research online and in our many holistic and medical books. Everything we came across said EMERGENCY!!! We opted at first to go to our trusted local herbalist and get her opinion. Well no sooner did she look at his arm then she declared: get to the hospital NOW!

He was expecting an antibiotic shot given the seriousness of the issue and the fact that the first emergency clinic sent him to another because they didn’t have the shot. So he sat at the “Urgent” care facility, a division of the hospital for almost 2 hours before anyone addressed him with any information. By that time his hand had just been soaking in some sort of soapy water solution and his ‘patience’ was wearing very thin.

When it finally came down to it, it turned out they didn’t have the shot (after they’d already told us they did), and prescribed him pills instead. Have you read the side effects of these things?! We were so frustrated by the time we left. They didn’t come through with anything they said when we got there, including giving us a rough estimate of the bill… nope, we have to wait a good month or two to see our outrageous hospital bill for absolutely NO service.

He got a tetanus shot. Didn’t want it, but he did it anyway.

I filled the script on the way home. But we weren’t satisfied. Between the LDM and reiki, the line had started to fade. We wanted to give Mother Nature one more chance before we pumped him full of chemical antibiotics.

Now let me state: I am in no way suggesting you ignore your doctor’s orders for such a serious condition. I am simply relaying a personal experience.

We found a story online about potatoes. We thought, okay, let’s just try this. We’ll monitor his condition, and if any of the symptoms get worse, we will immediately take the antibiotic. So on to the health food store for some organic white potatoes. We peeled and then shredded some of the pulp, and made a poultice type application for his wound. He kept it on there for a few hours, covered with plastic, then we let it dry out for awhile and followed it with an Epsom salt soak, followed again by drying and then more potatoes. We did this continuously for a couple of days. By the end of that first night, the line had faded dramatically. He continued with the LDM and also took propolis, ate LOTS of garlic and drank lemon and cayenne water.

No antibiotics later, he is superb. Wound is healing wonderfully AND he didn’t get this NASTY cold/flu that I seem to have caught (probably from being in the hospital). It is still beating me for almost a week now. I am very sure though that the propolis, vitamin C, garlic and LDM kept him from getting sick. And they are definitely helping me, too. Just taking a bit longer than I’d like… ugh. We are happy, after the fact, that they didn’t have the shot.

It was funny. We are not doctor people. We always trust in Holistic medicine, but we are not opposed to using conventional methods when they are deemed necessary. What was funny was that we ended up using our Holistic arsenal anyway.

Jai! and Blessed are we to live in such a magical, bountiful Earth! Heres to health!

In Feb. of 2008, Joy and Rodney’s 3 year old son Dominic got the flu with the rest of the family. Shortly thereafter, he started regressing, and eventually lost almost all of his speech. After nearly a year of doctor appointments, speech therapy, occupational therapy, CT, MRI, hearing scans… a local pediatric neurologist said to them, “This is Autistic Regression Syndrome, and we’re seeing it in a lot in young children after viruses. The only thing you can do is ABA [Applied Behavior Analysis] therapy”. Knowing that their insurance specifically excluded ABA therapy (and, in fact, any therapy related to the diagnosis of Autism), they asked the doctor to make the formal diagnosis Aphasia in the hopes of getting some treatment covered by insurance. This spring they found Alpine Autism Center, a local Colorado Springs ABA therapy center, and made the decision to put all they had in savings towards getting Dominic the therapy (at $2300/mo for half days), with the prayer to Spirit that should Dominic need additional therapy beyond what they could afford that the money come for what he needs. Joy and Rodney are also pursuing alternative biomedical treatment for Dominic that has helped him greatly. It is expected that Dominic will need ABA therapy for at least another year, and as of the end of July it does not appear that insurance will be covering any of it. So Joy and Rodney are continuing the ask Spirit for the money to be made available, and part of doing that is providing a way for people to give. Should insurance cover any, excess will be donated directly to Alpine Autism Center’s operating fund (they are a 501,c,3 non profit and are doing amazing things for the children that no one else seems to be able to help). To learn about Dominic’s journey, and how you can help, please visit their family blog.

There is a new class that I have fallen in love with, led by an exquisite yoga teacher that I am so grateful for. It’s themed and called ‘Women’s Wellness’. I went to the first one on a whim, loving the name (interesting titles tend to catch my eye.) I discovered that it was a class that originated off of a workshop on stages of menopause, but this didn’t discourage me, it only further fed my spark. I have a deep love of learning new ways of healing and the idea that this class was formulated for women especially intrigued me. It was my first class with Keri, and I have since discovered that she is an inspiring teacher, something that I personally look for.

The classes are informative and nurturing not only for those nearing menopause or experiencing the full effects of this often challenging time, but also for me (soon to be 30 years old and most likely years away from this phase of womanhood). The sequence is designed to specifically support a woman’s body and the class is filled with tidbits of yummy information on ways to nourish your body and spirit.

I love yoga. It is a deep part of my existence and I know that I would not be who I am without it. I also love women. I feel a strong connection with my sisters in this life, and sometimes feel that we need the support that only our sisters can give ~in more ways than we may let on. This is not to exclude men from our lives, or the balance and love that they provide. This is to acknowledge the bonds that we as women share, and to learn to honor ourselves as the Divine feminine that we are.

~Afraid to move forward
hesitating in indecisiveness
back and forth
back and forth
back and forth

until one morning
She wrapped herself
in purple silk
put roses in her hair
and shouted, “YES!”
to the sky.~

“Release” by Tara Maher 2007 (from Wemoon 09)

My Lahiri girls

I am so grateful for being born a woman. I, like many women before me, and I’m sure many women after me, have spent time growing towards that gratitude, and of learning how to experience it comfortably. But I can now and I DO. I am grateful for my curvy thighs, those that I used to resent, but now embrace as being my support and connection to my heritage; I love my curves. I am grateful for my emotions; happy or sad, content or confused, as they guide me and help me understand lessons that I may not have access to otherwise. I am grateful for my moon cycle, that which comes to regulate me and remind me of my feminine nature and strength. I am grateful for my breasts, and accept gravity and its purpose, and that I was able to nourish my daughter and possibly other babies in the future.

I am grateful for my sisters. Those women of blood and beyond that inspire me to be the woman that I am, that encourage me to go beyond my perceived limitations of what I believe I am capable of. Those women that see the spark in me even when I no longer can, and remind me constantly of my Divine nature.

I am grateful for my mother, and her mother before her. And the grandmothers of time that have brought us to where we are today. I am grateful for their experiences, their victories, and their struggles. I am grateful for their courage and their sacrifice. I am grateful for their wisdom.

I am grateful for my daughter. I am grateful for OUR daughters. For they are the women of tomorrow, and the wisdom gained from our past will guide them to their future.

I am grateful to be alive and to be alive as a WOMAN. We still have so much to learn. But together, we will. With the wisdom to come from a place of love, we as women can continue to change the world.

EMBRACE YOUR DIVINITY.

Hello dear friends whom happen past these tidbits of thought. It’s been months since I’ve shared here. My daughter is out of school for the summer. The weather has turned warm and wet. Beautiful sunshine shines down upon us and my spirit is lifted. There is a part of me that needs to feel the sun on my skin. Part of growing up on the East coast, soaking in the mother ocean, warmed by father sun. I tend to experience the winter doldrums at times here in Colorado. The breathtaking beauty of the Rockies helps to sooth my soul and aids my patience for awaiting spring.

Now that it is here, and the soil is ready to share the magic of new life with us, I must learn to garden. I’ve always wanted to have the ‘green thumb’. Colorado presents a challenge for me though. Growing up in Florida, where there is sunshine year round and plenty of moisture, most everything grows fairly easy. But this challenge only presents an opportunity to become more connected with the earth, and I love to dig in the dirt.

I’ve a positive feeling for things to come. My husband and I are renovating our 100 year old home, attempting to increase its efficiency and possibly make room for a growing family. We are both learning something new everyday about the world we live in, and working to make it better. Sustainability is key, and that is the goal we work towards.

I was grateful to cross paths with a dear friend of mine yesterday in class. A fellow drifter in this world that shines light in the lives of those he encounters. If you have an adventurous spirit, you should check out www.familytreeboards.com. Aaron Mattley is the creator of these magnificent and innovative ‘yoga’ boards. They are truly phenomenal. My daughter and I and another friend got to play on Aaron’s board after class. We all had a fear of the typical skateboard. But this was different somehow. Watching Aaron ride was like grace on wheels. It was beautiful and we are hooked! We definitely need lessons, but have found a new sense of freedom on these commuter boards. Since we all live, work and shop locally, with this board it makes driving less seem much more feasible and fun. He’s also got a little demo video at www.myspace.com/commuterboards. Check him out and say hi for me…

Peace to all. Now go and do something brilliant.

What do you do when you experience the sacred? When your heart trembles? When your inner fire is so bright it can barely be contained… When your cup of joy is filled to the brim?

I had the joy, the pleasure, of spending the past 3 days with Shiva Rea, Shiva Kumar, and a myriad of other luminous beings. Even now, sitting here with the intention of sharing the experience, it’s hard to bring forth the words that will fully express the joy of what I feel.

I want to keep this feeling. Carry it with me and experience it off the mat. But how?

This morning I wake, my first morning of not having to jet off to Denver in 3 days. Wrapped in the arms of my beloved, I am in bliss. We arise, I make my daughter breakfast, pack her lunch for the day, and send her off with a kiss as my husband waits to drive her to school. I notice our dog going along for the ride, as he often does, so I attempt to retrieve a bag out of the back that I don’t wish to be trampled on and covered with dog hair. However, they are already running late, my husband hands me the wrong bag, there is confusion that I realize I am causing, so I try to just send them on their way and not worry about the coat in the backseat. I walk away feeling slightly frustrated, and then guilty for putting an edge to the morning.

This is not what I wish to be feeling my first morning home with my family. So I leave the wrong bag at the door, enter the house, and immediately sit… and breathe.

The short moment of frustration is gone. The guilt has passed. I sit and I breathe and I relax. The dog is happy he gets to go for a ride. My husband comes home and makes me laugh and the morning strife was all in my head. All is well.

The saying of ‘choose your battles’ is so very true.

So back to the point, if there was a point. Embodying the sacred and carrying it with you. The previous passage only an example of what can distract you from your path, and what you learn from it.

I am able to find the sacred in most of my daily journeys. Preparing food for my family, playing with my daughter, making love to my husband… but it’s the Embodiment of the Sacred that I am after. With every breath, every step, every word, every action. I’m not talking about being a saint. Just practicing awareness, and bearing witness.

As I am able to fully grasp the essence of the past days, as it slowly makes the transition from the pathways of my heart to my (cyber) pen, I will hope to get it here, in some comprehensible form, to you.

In the meantime, I will share a piece that has stayed at the surface, and still radiates throughout.

Photo by Amy Meyer

Studying yoga with Shiva Rea is a yogic adventure unlike any other. After the first session on that first day, I called my husband to share my joy, and send my love. As we talked, I tried to convey to him the feeling of my morning. What I came up with is this: Practicing with Shiva, every asana, every breath, every single movement I made, no matter how simple, became a prayer.

Now I must mention, I do not generally pray. I do believe strongly in the power of prayer, but I am not one to practice it. Unless, and I say this without shame, I am in need of something, like protection for my family while I am away, or I am giving thanks for a good meal or good health. But these things are usually just in passing silently to myself, or at times, aloud. I do not ever recall really feeling prayer though. So as I spoke to my husband, I realized that at this moment, I did. I felt it.

I moved and I prayed with my movement. It wasn’t an effort. It was rather divine in its simplicity. Embracing that realization for myself was very powerful. If I could find this prayer on my mat, I could surely step off with it as well.

The next morning, before beginning a very vigorous and intense physical practice, Shiva had us pair with a partner. She wanted us to pray together. How appropriate, that I should find my prayer the previous morning and now to find myself in another lesson, at Shiva’s request.

I found my partner and observed everyone else pairing together. We faced each other, knees touching. Some simply laid their hands on their knees, palms up. Some placed their hands together in a prayer position at their heart. I took my partner’s hands and we placed our palms together as if we were a mirror image. She smiled at me, communicating silently that we had found our perfect position. We closed our eyes and were silent.

I tried at first to pray in what I thought was typical prayer form. You know, compassion for all living things, etc., etc. But that just wasn’t working for me. Of course I wish compassion for all living things, etc., etc., but this moment had to be organic and effortless. I had to stop trying to force it and just let it happen. So I sat there in silent meditation with my friend, our hands pressing, and just focused on my breath. And then the words came to me. “My body is a prayer. Everything I do is sacred.” Yes! That was it. Everything about those words felt perfect to me. So I repeated it, over and over again. I made it my mantra. And it became my prayer.

I passed it to my friend through the silence, through our touching skin, and I embraced her in my words. “Our bodies are our prayers. Everything we do is sacred.”

When we were called back to the present, my friend and I opened our eyes, squeezed our hands together, and hugged. No words were exchanged. Only love. And the entire room was vibrating with it.

So I share this with you as an invitation to make this your mantra.

When you wake up in the morning, before you open your eyes, stretch out your limbs, breathe in your god/goddess breath, remember and embrace your divinity, and say these words.
My body is my prayer. Everything I do is sacred.

Mean it fully and repeat it often.

Let your love light shine!
-B

The sun has welcomed the day - shining its gentle ‘good morning’ rays through my bedroom window. My eyelids flutter, knowing it’s time to rise, yet my warm bed and soft pillow pull me back into dreamtime and I drift away, allowing discipline to falter. The next time my eyes open, the sun shines brighter and I smell the delicious aroma of coffee brewing.

Is this the way of the yogi? To linger in bed instead of waking with the sun? Is it laziness, selfishness, lack of discipline? I don’t think so. Should I not rise before dawn, make myself a cup of hot water with lemon, meditate before mornings light and start my salutations to greet the sun - instead of the other way around?

Yes, this is ideal. And a beautiful way to start your day. But is it also not beautiful to listen to your body? And when your body gently whispers, ‘20 minutes more’, to respond with compassion instead of guilt? I would say, yes. And when you do rise and greet the sun - do it with gratitude. No harm is done in allowing yourself more rest when your body calls for more rest.

And no matter what beverage you find in your morning cup, just be sure it is a cup of joy. A morning cup of love, a cup of bliss - a cup of intention.

Thank you warm cocoon of blankets for nourishing my slumber.
Thank you shining sun for being my bright beacon of daily reminder.

Now go and commit joy unto the world…