Or actually, back on the mat. Due to a fall on the ice and the ensuing consequences I was unable to do much physical yoga for more than a year and a half. Needless to say I had to give up teaching classes as well. I learned more about how to keep up a yoga practice even when you can't do any asanas, sit on the floor or bend down to put on your socks and shoes. At one point, I was really bummed out and figured I would never teach a yoga class again.
But to make a long story short, I took the time I needed to heal and gradually the possibility of teaching again began to become clearer. There was still some hesitation on my part but the desire to share this part of my life was so strong I just knew I had to make the decision to start a new class.
Last night was the night. A few former students and several new ones showed up. I felt a little rusty and a little nervous but I remembered some advice from a dear teacher of mine: Just tune in and get started and then get out of the way and let the yoga take it from it there. Works every time!
I felt so exalted after the class - it's hard to explain just how special it feels to introduce these techniques to people and see how it makes them feel.
Can't wait for next Monday!
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Monday, January 2, 2012
A time for change
The new year is upon us - 2012! Is it the apocalyptic end of the world as we know it or the start of the New Age? Not sure, but one thing I do know is that it will be a time of change for me on several levels. I just turned 48 years old which means I am undergoing "the change" and it is a very trying time both physically and mentally. I welcome the end result but just wish I had some idea of how long this is all going to take.
My stint as a mother will also change this year as I become the parent of two teenagers. From my experience with one so far, a lot of deep breathing is necessary for those unpredictable outbursts. But there is also so much new insight that can come from these developing young adults who are standing on their own two feet more and more. It's a challenge I look forward to since I see it as a way for us all to evolve into better human beings.
My yoga practice is undergoing perhaps the biggest change of anything in my life right now. There have been questions, doubts, resistance, you name it. I haven't even been doing yoga or meditating every day (gasp!). And this has been part of the transformation I think. There is a danger in following a practice slavishly just for the sake of it. I began to notice that the joy of the practice was diminishing the more I tried to do it by the book.
So I've taken a step back and am adopting a new approach which is more attuned to my overall well-being. Feels quite liberating and this morning I actually got up at a decent hour and had a very satisfying yoga session. I feel like I am now ready to commit to a 40 day practice again. We'll see how it goes.
Now that that is settled I'm hoping I can figure out what to do on the job front. I'll continue to teach classes this term although a bit of a wrench has been thrown into my plans. Basically I don't have a reliable locale in which to hold classes and I am reluctant to run around searching for a new place before each term start. But spring session is more or less secured and then comes the summer break. A lot can happen between now and then.
So I'm bracing for the changes and looking forward to the new places they'll take me. Happy New Year!
My stint as a mother will also change this year as I become the parent of two teenagers. From my experience with one so far, a lot of deep breathing is necessary for those unpredictable outbursts. But there is also so much new insight that can come from these developing young adults who are standing on their own two feet more and more. It's a challenge I look forward to since I see it as a way for us all to evolve into better human beings.
My yoga practice is undergoing perhaps the biggest change of anything in my life right now. There have been questions, doubts, resistance, you name it. I haven't even been doing yoga or meditating every day (gasp!). And this has been part of the transformation I think. There is a danger in following a practice slavishly just for the sake of it. I began to notice that the joy of the practice was diminishing the more I tried to do it by the book.
So I've taken a step back and am adopting a new approach which is more attuned to my overall well-being. Feels quite liberating and this morning I actually got up at a decent hour and had a very satisfying yoga session. I feel like I am now ready to commit to a 40 day practice again. We'll see how it goes.
Now that that is settled I'm hoping I can figure out what to do on the job front. I'll continue to teach classes this term although a bit of a wrench has been thrown into my plans. Basically I don't have a reliable locale in which to hold classes and I am reluctant to run around searching for a new place before each term start. But spring session is more or less secured and then comes the summer break. A lot can happen between now and then.
So I'm bracing for the changes and looking forward to the new places they'll take me. Happy New Year!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Background noise
Just back in from a walk around the center of town in the middle of the day when there is plenty of activity going on. Once again I've discovered that my mind has an easier time becoming quiet when there is some background noise as a setting. It helps me retreat deeper into myself into the calm waters, if you will, that keep me on an even keel regardless of the apparent storm raging around me. It is one thing to be able to sit in a silent room and meditate and another to meditate in the middle of a busy street. Don't get me wrong - I love sitting in a quiet cozy room on my soft woolly yoga mat for a meditation session. But when you can actually apply what you practice on the mat to everyday situations, I see that as progress!
This is what I try to convey to the people who come to my yoga classes and why sometimes it feels better if the neighbors above the yoga center are banging their pots and pans a little too loudly or if there are a few cars pulling in and out of the parking lot outside the door. How else can you learn to let the surrounding noise come and go if it's always silent? The thoughts generated in your own mind are deafening enough but I find that a bit of external noise softens the internal chatter a little.
The same principle applies to relaxing with and without music. Soothing melodies and healing mantras can be helpful tools for stressed out minds and bodies, which can barely lie still without twitching every few seconds, to come into a state of deep relaxation. But sometimes your breath or your heartbeat or even your thoughts are the best music to lull you into that restful state. Otherwise you might become conditioned to only feel relaxed if you have the right music playing.
Some sounds, however, just don't mix at all with a meditative mind. The number one noise polluter that grates on my nerves to no end is the leaf blower! Somehow it has become adapted for year-round use and someone in our neighborhood has been starting one up every morning since last spring - arrrghh. I know, I know - take a deep breath...
This is what I try to convey to the people who come to my yoga classes and why sometimes it feels better if the neighbors above the yoga center are banging their pots and pans a little too loudly or if there are a few cars pulling in and out of the parking lot outside the door. How else can you learn to let the surrounding noise come and go if it's always silent? The thoughts generated in your own mind are deafening enough but I find that a bit of external noise softens the internal chatter a little.
The same principle applies to relaxing with and without music. Soothing melodies and healing mantras can be helpful tools for stressed out minds and bodies, which can barely lie still without twitching every few seconds, to come into a state of deep relaxation. But sometimes your breath or your heartbeat or even your thoughts are the best music to lull you into that restful state. Otherwise you might become conditioned to only feel relaxed if you have the right music playing.
Some sounds, however, just don't mix at all with a meditative mind. The number one noise polluter that grates on my nerves to no end is the leaf blower! Somehow it has become adapted for year-round use and someone in our neighborhood has been starting one up every morning since last spring - arrrghh. I know, I know - take a deep breath...
Monday, November 21, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Affirmations
Sometimes a few positive words can make a big difference in your day. My sister-in-law's mother passed away yesterday and my elderly father-in-law is currently at risk of doing the same. Not the cheeriest news to receive especially since the grief of my own father's passing is still tangible. But a simple reminder from an affirmation on a teabag tag helped me put things back into perspective for now: Life ends, love is endless.
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