Reading: Yogabody

“I think there is more than the body, but the body is all you can get your hands on.” — Ida Rolf

The study of anatomy is a necessity to teaching yoga skillfully.  Stepping up to teach the anatomy section of my current Teacher training with Larisa, has been an intimidating and important learning and growing opportunity.    Learning again (it’s a repetition game) and then relating it in a useful way to others – I’m pretty into it!

That Ida Rolf quote is taken from Judith Hanson Lasater’s Yogabody.  I have learned to value and appreciate this book and Judith’s experiential anatomy teaching more and more with each re-read.   Her daughter Lizzie Lasater‘s Experiential Anatomy video series “Today’s Anatomy Question” with Mary Richards are invaluable learning tools as well.  I got to meet both Lizzie and Mary during my Experiential Anatomy training with Judith – they and Judith’s teachings are well represented in these videos.

Reading: Emotional Resilience

“Joseph Goldstein:

This thought which has arisen, is it helpful? Is it serving me or others in some way or is it not? Is it just playing out perhaps old conditions of fear or judgment or things that are not very helpful for ourselves or others? Mindfulness really helps us both see and discern the difference and then it becomes the foundation then for making wiser choices and why the choices lead to more happiness.”

This week’s post from Eric Barker‘s blog is a very practical and worthwhile joy to read.  Highly recommend:

Five Questions That Will Make You Emotionally Strong

Highly recommend reading whole thing.  A couple more highlights from Eric Barker:

“You’re not your brain; you’re the CEO of your brain. You can’t control everything that goes on in “Mind, Inc.” But you can decide which projects get funded with your attention and action.”

“The most important part of emotional strength is not calming your mind. It’s being resilient. It’s trying again after you’ve been shaken by negative feelings.”

 

Re-post: Mind your business: Love thy neighbor

“Our job is to love others without stopping to inquire whether or not they are worthy. That is not our business and, in fact, it is nobody’s business. What we are asked to do is to love, and this love itself will render both ourselves and our neighbors worthy if anything can.” -Thomas Merton

Happy Valentine’s Day!

outward and upward!

Much metta.

Readings: Obstacles and courage

Over the last couple of weeks I revisited these readings from the past:

“Do not wait for strength before setting out, for immobility will weaken you further. Do not wait to see clearly before starting; one has to walk toward the light. When you take the first step and accomplish that tiny little act, the necessity of which may be apparent only to you, you will be astonished to feel that the effort, rather than exhausting your strength, has doubled it—and that you already see more clearly what you have to do next.” – Philippe Vernier

Also, from Rolf Gates’ inspiring book Meditations from the Mat: Daily Reflections on the Path of Yoga:

“The obstacles in our path are the path. Every time we stretch beyond our resistance and our fear, we make a choice for life. And every time we choose life, fear loses its grip on us. We all know more than we think we do. And we are stronger than we believe ourselves to be. We come to our mats, and to our lives, to learn by going where we have to go.” – Rolf Gates

 

 

 

 

 

 

“The Vinyasa of Getting Your Point Across”

Janet, a marketing and communications consultant…and yoga student, recently interviewed me about the communication tools I use as a yoga teacher to effectively direct…and re-direct students.  This follows my post “Teaching: work in progress” regarding Janet’s request.

I am most grateful to Janet for her support and the confidence boost, as she saw and acknowledged something I would not.  Growth happens…with effort!

I am humbled and honored to share a link to Janet’s post “The Vinyasa of Getting Your Point Across.”

Here is a highlight from the post:

“I can just imagine what Vito sees as we try to act on his instructions and we demonstrate a surprising range of interpretations — left instead of right; head down instead of up… How does Vito get the strays back on the yoga bus, help them achieve something useful? Recently, I had coffee with him to test my hypotheses and learn more. (Vito’s ability as a communicator is especially interesting considering he has a morbid fear of public speaking from his earliest days.) So, if he can be an impactful communicator, with effort, so can you or your leader.

…

‘The word Vinyasa — It is often used to describe ‘movement with breath,’ which implicitly indicates mindfulness, however, it is more directly translated as to ‘place with care.’ There is a Vinyasa of language — to use words and make meaning with care. Being conscientious about what you say, your intent.’”

 

 

 

 

MLK Day 2017: Conscience and Courage

“Courage is an inner resolution to go forward despite obstacles.
Cowardice is submissive surrender to circumstances.
Courage breeds creativity; Cowardice represses fear and is mastered by it.
Cowardice asks the question, is it safe?
Expediency ask the question, is it politic?
Vanity asks the question, is it popular?

But, conscience ask the question, is it right? And there comes a time when we must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but one must take it because it is right.”
–  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Teaching: work in progress

 

I was recently asked to discuss the communication tools I use for teaching – my directing and re-directing, etc…with a professional communication specialist!!

 

The initial request inspired a moment of ‘shock and awe’ for me…and triggered an immediate response.   I figured I would share my initial response which may provide some insight into the dialogue of my teaching and the work towards overcoming early and persistent fears:*

 

Speaking has been, and believe still is, the biggest challenge I have to being a yoga teacher.  Having a traumatic public speaking background has been a major factor.  My ability to communicate clearly — without mumbling, stuttering or excessive speed or fear — so I can be understood, is my practice.
 
Speech is one of the primary ways I am self-conscious about teaching.  This is not meant to be a poor-me diatribe.  I have actually heard myself described as articulate or a good communicator, etc.  Truthfully when I hear these, I first clarify they are speaking about me.  Then, rather than accept the complement or validation for my efforts, I internally question the judgment of the source.

 

Through intention and practice I speak a lot slower than I initially did teaching.  Over the years, I have been most frequently asked if I am from NYC…coincidence??  To some, I may still speak fast.  I also get excited and have my moments of high-anxiety.

 

My language choice is a direct result of my limited vocabulary and my deliberate choice to teach actions over poses.  And if you are new to me, the words are so simple and commonplace that they may appear foreign in the context of an embodying practice (i.e., straighten, bend, right, left, etc.).  Beautifully, through regular practice and attention – self-awareness, self-connection and self-acceptance grows!

 

*Thank you so much Janet!!

Reading: Buon Natale 2016!

“La vita è come un albero di natale, c’è sempre qualcuno che rompe le palle.” — Proverbio Italiano
 
“Life is like a Christmas tree, there’s always someone who breaks the balls.” — Italian Proverb

Photo by John Ross of Patch NYC

 

Inspired from the teaching of Loving Kindness Meditation during the last teacher training weekend, the Metta and meditation of Thai Massage and the general ability to get triggered and caught by others, I came back to sharing translations of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra 1.33.

This week was Satchidanda’s translation/commentary from The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali:

“By cultivating attitudes of friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous, and disregard toward the wicked, the mind-stuff retains its undisturbed calmness.” – Sri Swami Satchidananda

Here is a link to previous sharings on Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra 1.33:

Readings from Class: More of Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtra 1.33

Happy Hanukkah!    Happy Kwanzaa!    Happy Solstice!    Buon Natale!
 
peace and love.

December 2016 Playlist: Most Requested


Ludovico Einaudi
Discovery at Night

 


Emiliana Torrini
Today Has Been Ok

 


The xx
Together From Baz Luhrmann’s Film The Great Gatsby

 


RY X
Deliverance

 


Smoke & Jackal
Fall Around

 


Emiliana Torrini & The Colorist Orchestra
Speed of Dark

 


Tei Shi
Bassically

 


Sigur Rós
Lúppulagið

Reading: Happy Thanksgiving 2016!

“Both abundance and lack exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities.  It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend…when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that’s present — love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature and personal pursuits that bring us pleasure — the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience Heaven on earth.” – Sarah Ban Breathnach

 

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” –Melody Beattie

Your studentship, friendship, support and inspiration are deeply appreciated.