Friday 26th December 2003
Led Ashtanga practice
At Simi's shala the only led morning practices are Tuesdays and Fridays. Usually I can't get to either because Tuesday is Shed Yoga and Friday is my only Iyengar class with Darrin. But the Iyengar school is closed for 2 weeks (in contrast to the Ashtanga shala which runs almost normal daily classes despite Christmas and New Year - now that truly reflects the dedication of Ashtanga teachers and practitioners). Simi's overseas for two more weeks and Andrew is filling in, so I went to his led primary class this morning.
WELL...it was a REALLY FAST PACED practice that finished in one and a half hours. I must be a slow breather or something. It wasn't until the Janu Sirsasanas that I moved out of the "stunned deer" response and jumped onto the speeding train to enjoy the fast ride. Mula bandha was minimal, it's not automatic for me yet - I have to consciously remember to turn it on or turn it up, but the fast pace of this class kept me more in my head and on my toes than connected to my core.
I did manage to pick up a few new pointers from sneaking a look at Andrew, like the half lotus unfolding jump back from Ardha Baddha Paschimottanasana and the Marichyasanasas ( I usually do the beginners version where you unfold and lift the legs to Navasana, cross legs, lean forward to place hands then jump back) Although I did notice this morning that I'm lifting my crossed legs up a little more underneath me like Lolasana, and starting to get a little swing happening back to Chaturanga. That's progress. Floaty jumpbacks might actually be a possibility in this lifetime.
One grrrrr...I didn't get enough time to prepare for Supta Kurmasana. Usually I get there from a deep Uttanasana where I wedge my shoulders behind my thighs, place my hands behind me on the floor with fingers pointing forward, then bend at the elbows to sit my bum slowly to the floor, shoulders still deeply wedged. Deep Kurmasana first with heels off the floor,then clasp hands behind the back (easy now) and wriggle feet close together. Andrew moved into this pose so quickly I just had to flop to the floor, shove my arms to the sides then reach them behind me and hope for the best. I knew my shoulders weren't far enough under and my hands couldn't even touch behind my back, let alone clasp. I felt them gazing at each other from distant shores, yearning to connect. No time to grizzle...we came out of it just as quick and moved on to the lead up to those dreaded rolls. But by the time I'd hitched up my pants, got into Lotus and reached for the spray bottle, Andrew was in Kukkutasana. Missed it completely!
It did feel nice to get through the entire practice so quickly and easily this morning. Half the class went to the finishing sequence of inversions after Navasana and a few others fell away shortly after - maybe it was the pace of the class, or more likely the leftover lethargy from Christmas celebrations.
Posting a lot lately - Holidays seem to have provided the contemplative space for me to observe and muse over the little things and the BIG THINGS.
But like everything else, this too will change.
Email : nobodhishome@yahoo.com.au
______________________________________________________________________
Tuesday 23rd December 2003
New Moon Practice
Yes we're criminals...Renate and I did our Shed Yoga session this morning, ignoring the new moon rule (Kosta and Sasha are in holiday sleep-in mode). Usually we do a shortened Ashtanga sequence of one and a half hours because I have to rush off to work, but as I'm on hollies, I led Renate through the full sequence for the first time (well almost - I left out Garbha Pindasana, the 9 rolls and Kukkutasana , my least favourite part of the sequence and I completely forgot Uttana Padasana for some unknown reason).
No matter...today I bound in Marichyasana D for the first time on my own AND it was on my less flexible side, AND I didn't even have to struggle. When my hands touched and clasped it took me completely by surprise. A Christmas miracle I do believe!!!.
After the practice we pondered the supposed effects of the new and full moon. Our energy levels were quite normal today and the practice felt great. It's made me wonder about the "no practice on new and full moon days" rule. I've been trying to fine tune my internal antenna over the last few months to objectively observe any fluctuations in energy level, feelings, emotions, nuances on these days. But to be honest, I haven't really noticed any difference. Maybe I'm not sensitive enough yet.
We figured it would be worthwhile observing moon days anyway for the simple reason of honouring and flowing with the natural rhythms of the earth and the cosmos and attuning daily activities to the cycles of the natural world.
Consciously choosing to observe "As above, so below".
I'm reminded of a lovely book I read a few months ago: Love Letters From Mother Nature by Shelley Neller.
Email : nobodhishome@yahoo.com.au
______________________________________________________________________
Monday 22nd December 2003
Silent listening
Kosta and I did another 2 hour forward bend practice last night, but this time I decided to approach it differently as the last two sessions have left me feeling like a slab of concrete the next day.
We did the Dona Holleman sequence again but instead of my usual approach of working deeply in the asanas, I backed off, used a bolster to rest my head on and used the practice to cultivate a softer engagement. Working like this there are no loud messages from the body demanding your attention and action. The sensations are more subtle, they whisper to you. You have to be very quiet and receptive to hear them but they reveal hidden layers of the body and mind, not accessible when you are dealing with the grosser sensations of challenging asana work.
I actually got both feet touching each other in Supta Kurmasana on my own for the first time (only with patient assistance have I been able to actually cross them lately). I love the feeling of stimulation and heat in the lower back from Supta Kurmasana - you know it's working deeply. Towards the end of the session we did Upavista Konasana and Kosta very eloquently pointed out that although my chin goes to the floor, my belly doesn't. But I reckon it's because my belly isn't as big as his.
Vanilla Sugar
"If the only prayer you say in your whole life is 'thank you', that would suffice" - Meister Eckhardt
I've been baking moon shaped vanilla shortbread biscuits for my friends for Christmas. The heavy, fragrant scent of vanilla sugar always makes me feel grateful for the simple sweet joys; vanilla sugary things, peachy mango things, Nag Champa things, warm balmy evenings and salty things, all those little things that gladden our hearts, make us stop in our tracks and drop to our knees in gratitude for absolutely everything.
Thank You.
When I grow up I want to be a real Ashtangi
Will I ever have a life and a body and a commitment that can support a regular 6 day a week Ashtanga practice?. In all honesty, I don't think I've done more than 3 days in one week since I started last June. 2 days is the norm, 3 practices is an exceptional week.
If I'm working towards 6 days, it's a very slow tortoise like process. I don't think I'm physically capable or mentally able to sustain that devotion yet. But it's an alluring goal to work towards and I'm truly, honestly working towards it. Really I am!
Working Monday to Friday and surfing on Saturdays has curtailed my Ashtanga practice, but the passion and the urge to dive in deeply is steadily growing.
That's part of the Ashtanga magic.
The repetition of the practice allows you to measure not only your progress and your attitude, but also your Devotion. You notice how you are starting to give things up (like the extra coffee, late nights, the occasional jog, food after 7pm) because of Ashtanga. You start thinking of how you can change your life to get to more classes, or what changes to your lifestyle would help your practice. It's Devotion when you start to actually implement those changes.
Next year (ohmygod that's next week!) I'm planning to attend 2-3 early morning Mysore classes at Simi's shala; and I'll continue leading the early Tuesday morning practice with friends in my garage (Shed Yoga); I'll also be teaching a shortened Ashtanga sequence at Rebecca's studio on Saturday mornings from early January. By my calculations, that adds up to 4-5 practices a week. If the Saturday class takes off and I can convey the benefits of regular practice to the students, the opportunity is there to lead a Tuesday morning practice at the studio as well. And I could always leave my boyfriend in bed on Sunday mornings and do a practice in his lounge room (I've only done that a couple of times - I want him to feel special and not like he's in second place on my list of passions, so I try to restrain myself on Sunday mornings and stay in bed!).
Email : nobodhishome@yahoo.com.au
______________________________________________________________________
Friday 19th December 2003
Thinking like the Universe
An ongoing spiritual practice will develop the ability to perceive the deeper layers that lie beneath the surface of our daily lives. And as we peel away the layers of superficiality, and the layers of ego, we cannot help but to become more authentic, expressing the Truth as it is revealed through us.
Then it becomes impossible to live a half hearted life.
Intention and purposefulness empower every decision and every breath that I take. I've no doubt that Ashtanga helps to cultivate this with it's emphasis on linking breath to movement, harnessing and uniting our disparate energies into a singular focus.
The impetus is to shift to a new way of being in the world that goes against the current of social conditioning because it expresses our innate power and freedom. The richness of the inner world starts to manifest in the outer world through some alchemical process; and you enter a sort of slipstream where you are working in partnership with Divine intention; opportunities magically arise as if to reward you for walking the path towards Awakening.
"There's nothing as powerful as an idea whose time has come"
I've just started holidays; no full time work for two weeks, but I've resolutely decided to RESIGN when I return on January 5th. This comes as a surprise even to me because less than two weeks ago, I had a great job and a great boss and was settling into a long term position (been there 4 months). It's not that I don't enjoy work or this particular job (assisting in the development of a sustainable business management system (see www.ecointegrity.org). But from the moment the thought entered my mind about moving on, there seemed to be no turning back. Over the last week, that initial seed-thought steadily gained a quiet but powerful momentum; it was like a microscopic snow crystal that mobilized itself into a gigantic, tumbling snowball. I'm amazed and in awe at how the process of change manifests.
What takes the soul further away from its Divine purpose and what brings it closer? That question seems to inform all of my decisions these days.
So here I am, perched precariously on the precipice of great change. In 3 weeks time, I'll have no full time work and $0 in the bank. But what's extraordinary is I have no fear. I'm quite excited. I know I'm watching something very, very interesting unfold.
When you look back at the things that changed the direction of your life: meeting someone, reading a book, going to a seminar, following a hunch - seemingly random events at the time, you can see that your personal evolution has been orchestrated by an invisible conductor. I believe we magnetise these into our lives for the sole purpose of realizing our potential. And to become aware of this deeper reality at work, moment by moment, being REALLY AWAKE and CONNECTED to it allows us to participate fully in it with no fear, quickening the journey to full Realisation. It's breathtaking.
Becoming a REAL Yoga Teacher
I started teaching yoga again a few months ago having begun my career by teaching an independent class in an art gallery for 10 months in 2002 (then quitting when I allowed my full time job at the time to overtake my life). The opportunity to teach again came up through a chance encounter with Rebecca at a yoga workshop with Glenn Ceresoli earlier this year. Rebecca has a young but growing Iyengar style school; she knew nothing about me, had heard from someone that I'd done some teaching and she was desperate for teachers at the time. So acting on a hunch she approached me. I've been teaching a Level 1 class at her school for a few months now.
When I told Rebecca that I was resigning from my job, she was overjoyed that I wanted to teach more. WOW. By mid February it looks like I could be teaching up to 6 weekly classes at her school plus the class at the hairdressing academy.
Resigning from my job frees me up to practice, study, meditate and teach yoga. At the moment it sounds like heaven but I know this kind of lifestyle has it's own particular set of challenges and I'll surely come up against those pretty quickly. In reality I guess they'll be the lessons I need to learn just resurfacing in a new landscape.
Looking back over the past 3 years, circumstances have unfolded in the most perfect way that have allowed me to enter the world of yoga teaching through the back door (no teacher training, no apprenticeship, just a dedicated practice, extraordinary teachers and an enquiring mind). Now I'm ridgey didge. Yikes.
Email : nobodhishome@yahoo.com.au
______________________________________________________________________
Monday 8th December 2003
Teaching Yoga
Since mid September I've been teaching 2 yoga classes each week (one at Rebecca's school and one corporate class for a hairdressing academy). This has been the most I could manage along with a full time job. But when Rebecca finally got away for a 2 week holiday I took on 4 classes on top of my full time work schedule. I thought it would be a real test of my time management and my equanimity, but surprisingly I took it all in my stride and just sort of blossomed.
Teaching is challenging and rewarding; it can be expressive and creative, and also demoralizing. I've sometimes driven home after class feeling really dejected because everything I meant to do didn't happen, or the entire theme for the class never even surfaced, or I made so many mistakes that my brain was exploding with them.
Teaching shows me my gifts and allows me to express a heart felt love for people and for yoga, but it also shows up those weaknesses I'd rather not admit to. I'm grateful to be given this mirror so that I may see myself more clearly. For as I see and accept my own fears and failings with clarity, love and compassion, my heart opens to embrace the struggles of every single person on earth.
Forward bend practice
Kosta, a yoga teacher friend of mine, suggested we do a forward bend practice together on Sunday evenings in my lounge room, so we did our first session last night from 8.30 - 11.00pm (yes, 2 ½ hours of forward bends). We started with a long Dog Pose, then Uttanasana, then a 9 minute Paschimottanasana. After this we just followed a Dona Holleman sequence holding most poses for 3 minutes on each side. Kosta brought along a folder of Dona's sequences that are illustrated with funny little figures - not nearly as cute as the John Scott line figures I've grown to adore. His little man is such a spunky little dude - you can just imagine him somersaulting off the page right into your hand then bowing after his performance.
A lovely moment in the practice was in Trianga Mukhaikapada Paschimottanasana. We did it with a blanket under one buttock which facilitates an easier and deeper fold from the hips, but it doesn't require any bandha strength. Two minutes into the pose on side one I noticed a lovely adjustment just naturally occurring: with my right leg in Virasana and left leg extended, I found the left sitting bone quietly moving itself back as my right hip was moving forward, encouraging the right knee to slide forward in sympathy with it. It was as if these three anatomical points had set up a dialogue with each other and were slowly unfolding and opening up to each other and I was just a fly on the wall watching it happen.
Unfortunately the long slow practice left me feeling quite slow and psychologically heavy today and I just couldn't muster any enthusiasm to get out of bed for Mysore practice this morning. It can be quite insightful to note the mental and emotional after effects of different asana practices.
We'll do it again next Sunday and it'll be my turn to lead the practice.
Email : nobodhishome@yahoo.com.au
______________________________________________________________________
Led Ashtanga practice
At Simi's shala the only led morning practices are Tuesdays and Fridays. Usually I can't get to either because Tuesday is Shed Yoga and Friday is my only Iyengar class with Darrin. But the Iyengar school is closed for 2 weeks (in contrast to the Ashtanga shala which runs almost normal daily classes despite Christmas and New Year - now that truly reflects the dedication of Ashtanga teachers and practitioners). Simi's overseas for two more weeks and Andrew is filling in, so I went to his led primary class this morning.
WELL...it was a REALLY FAST PACED practice that finished in one and a half hours. I must be a slow breather or something. It wasn't until the Janu Sirsasanas that I moved out of the "stunned deer" response and jumped onto the speeding train to enjoy the fast ride. Mula bandha was minimal, it's not automatic for me yet - I have to consciously remember to turn it on or turn it up, but the fast pace of this class kept me more in my head and on my toes than connected to my core.
I did manage to pick up a few new pointers from sneaking a look at Andrew, like the half lotus unfolding jump back from Ardha Baddha Paschimottanasana and the Marichyasanasas ( I usually do the beginners version where you unfold and lift the legs to Navasana, cross legs, lean forward to place hands then jump back) Although I did notice this morning that I'm lifting my crossed legs up a little more underneath me like Lolasana, and starting to get a little swing happening back to Chaturanga. That's progress. Floaty jumpbacks might actually be a possibility in this lifetime.
One grrrrr...I didn't get enough time to prepare for Supta Kurmasana. Usually I get there from a deep Uttanasana where I wedge my shoulders behind my thighs, place my hands behind me on the floor with fingers pointing forward, then bend at the elbows to sit my bum slowly to the floor, shoulders still deeply wedged. Deep Kurmasana first with heels off the floor,then clasp hands behind the back (easy now) and wriggle feet close together. Andrew moved into this pose so quickly I just had to flop to the floor, shove my arms to the sides then reach them behind me and hope for the best. I knew my shoulders weren't far enough under and my hands couldn't even touch behind my back, let alone clasp. I felt them gazing at each other from distant shores, yearning to connect. No time to grizzle...we came out of it just as quick and moved on to the lead up to those dreaded rolls. But by the time I'd hitched up my pants, got into Lotus and reached for the spray bottle, Andrew was in Kukkutasana. Missed it completely!
It did feel nice to get through the entire practice so quickly and easily this morning. Half the class went to the finishing sequence of inversions after Navasana and a few others fell away shortly after - maybe it was the pace of the class, or more likely the leftover lethargy from Christmas celebrations.
Posting a lot lately - Holidays seem to have provided the contemplative space for me to observe and muse over the little things and the BIG THINGS.
But like everything else, this too will change.
Email : nobodhishome@yahoo.com.au
______________________________________________________________________
Tuesday 23rd December 2003
New Moon Practice
Yes we're criminals...Renate and I did our Shed Yoga session this morning, ignoring the new moon rule (Kosta and Sasha are in holiday sleep-in mode). Usually we do a shortened Ashtanga sequence of one and a half hours because I have to rush off to work, but as I'm on hollies, I led Renate through the full sequence for the first time (well almost - I left out Garbha Pindasana, the 9 rolls and Kukkutasana , my least favourite part of the sequence and I completely forgot Uttana Padasana for some unknown reason).
No matter...today I bound in Marichyasana D for the first time on my own AND it was on my less flexible side, AND I didn't even have to struggle. When my hands touched and clasped it took me completely by surprise. A Christmas miracle I do believe!!!.
After the practice we pondered the supposed effects of the new and full moon. Our energy levels were quite normal today and the practice felt great. It's made me wonder about the "no practice on new and full moon days" rule. I've been trying to fine tune my internal antenna over the last few months to objectively observe any fluctuations in energy level, feelings, emotions, nuances on these days. But to be honest, I haven't really noticed any difference. Maybe I'm not sensitive enough yet.
We figured it would be worthwhile observing moon days anyway for the simple reason of honouring and flowing with the natural rhythms of the earth and the cosmos and attuning daily activities to the cycles of the natural world.
Consciously choosing to observe "As above, so below".
I'm reminded of a lovely book I read a few months ago: Love Letters From Mother Nature by Shelley Neller.
Email : nobodhishome@yahoo.com.au
______________________________________________________________________
Monday 22nd December 2003
Silent listening
Kosta and I did another 2 hour forward bend practice last night, but this time I decided to approach it differently as the last two sessions have left me feeling like a slab of concrete the next day.
We did the Dona Holleman sequence again but instead of my usual approach of working deeply in the asanas, I backed off, used a bolster to rest my head on and used the practice to cultivate a softer engagement. Working like this there are no loud messages from the body demanding your attention and action. The sensations are more subtle, they whisper to you. You have to be very quiet and receptive to hear them but they reveal hidden layers of the body and mind, not accessible when you are dealing with the grosser sensations of challenging asana work.
I actually got both feet touching each other in Supta Kurmasana on my own for the first time (only with patient assistance have I been able to actually cross them lately). I love the feeling of stimulation and heat in the lower back from Supta Kurmasana - you know it's working deeply. Towards the end of the session we did Upavista Konasana and Kosta very eloquently pointed out that although my chin goes to the floor, my belly doesn't. But I reckon it's because my belly isn't as big as his.
Vanilla Sugar
"If the only prayer you say in your whole life is 'thank you', that would suffice" - Meister Eckhardt
I've been baking moon shaped vanilla shortbread biscuits for my friends for Christmas. The heavy, fragrant scent of vanilla sugar always makes me feel grateful for the simple sweet joys; vanilla sugary things, peachy mango things, Nag Champa things, warm balmy evenings and salty things, all those little things that gladden our hearts, make us stop in our tracks and drop to our knees in gratitude for absolutely everything.
Thank You.
When I grow up I want to be a real Ashtangi
Will I ever have a life and a body and a commitment that can support a regular 6 day a week Ashtanga practice?. In all honesty, I don't think I've done more than 3 days in one week since I started last June. 2 days is the norm, 3 practices is an exceptional week.
If I'm working towards 6 days, it's a very slow tortoise like process. I don't think I'm physically capable or mentally able to sustain that devotion yet. But it's an alluring goal to work towards and I'm truly, honestly working towards it. Really I am!
Working Monday to Friday and surfing on Saturdays has curtailed my Ashtanga practice, but the passion and the urge to dive in deeply is steadily growing.
That's part of the Ashtanga magic.
The repetition of the practice allows you to measure not only your progress and your attitude, but also your Devotion. You notice how you are starting to give things up (like the extra coffee, late nights, the occasional jog, food after 7pm) because of Ashtanga. You start thinking of how you can change your life to get to more classes, or what changes to your lifestyle would help your practice. It's Devotion when you start to actually implement those changes.
Next year (ohmygod that's next week!) I'm planning to attend 2-3 early morning Mysore classes at Simi's shala; and I'll continue leading the early Tuesday morning practice with friends in my garage (Shed Yoga); I'll also be teaching a shortened Ashtanga sequence at Rebecca's studio on Saturday mornings from early January. By my calculations, that adds up to 4-5 practices a week. If the Saturday class takes off and I can convey the benefits of regular practice to the students, the opportunity is there to lead a Tuesday morning practice at the studio as well. And I could always leave my boyfriend in bed on Sunday mornings and do a practice in his lounge room (I've only done that a couple of times - I want him to feel special and not like he's in second place on my list of passions, so I try to restrain myself on Sunday mornings and stay in bed!).
Email : nobodhishome@yahoo.com.au
______________________________________________________________________
Friday 19th December 2003
Thinking like the Universe
An ongoing spiritual practice will develop the ability to perceive the deeper layers that lie beneath the surface of our daily lives. And as we peel away the layers of superficiality, and the layers of ego, we cannot help but to become more authentic, expressing the Truth as it is revealed through us.
Then it becomes impossible to live a half hearted life.
Intention and purposefulness empower every decision and every breath that I take. I've no doubt that Ashtanga helps to cultivate this with it's emphasis on linking breath to movement, harnessing and uniting our disparate energies into a singular focus.
The impetus is to shift to a new way of being in the world that goes against the current of social conditioning because it expresses our innate power and freedom. The richness of the inner world starts to manifest in the outer world through some alchemical process; and you enter a sort of slipstream where you are working in partnership with Divine intention; opportunities magically arise as if to reward you for walking the path towards Awakening.
"There's nothing as powerful as an idea whose time has come"
I've just started holidays; no full time work for two weeks, but I've resolutely decided to RESIGN when I return on January 5th. This comes as a surprise even to me because less than two weeks ago, I had a great job and a great boss and was settling into a long term position (been there 4 months). It's not that I don't enjoy work or this particular job (assisting in the development of a sustainable business management system (see www.ecointegrity.org). But from the moment the thought entered my mind about moving on, there seemed to be no turning back. Over the last week, that initial seed-thought steadily gained a quiet but powerful momentum; it was like a microscopic snow crystal that mobilized itself into a gigantic, tumbling snowball. I'm amazed and in awe at how the process of change manifests.
What takes the soul further away from its Divine purpose and what brings it closer? That question seems to inform all of my decisions these days.
So here I am, perched precariously on the precipice of great change. In 3 weeks time, I'll have no full time work and $0 in the bank. But what's extraordinary is I have no fear. I'm quite excited. I know I'm watching something very, very interesting unfold.
When you look back at the things that changed the direction of your life: meeting someone, reading a book, going to a seminar, following a hunch - seemingly random events at the time, you can see that your personal evolution has been orchestrated by an invisible conductor. I believe we magnetise these into our lives for the sole purpose of realizing our potential. And to become aware of this deeper reality at work, moment by moment, being REALLY AWAKE and CONNECTED to it allows us to participate fully in it with no fear, quickening the journey to full Realisation. It's breathtaking.
Becoming a REAL Yoga Teacher
I started teaching yoga again a few months ago having begun my career by teaching an independent class in an art gallery for 10 months in 2002 (then quitting when I allowed my full time job at the time to overtake my life). The opportunity to teach again came up through a chance encounter with Rebecca at a yoga workshop with Glenn Ceresoli earlier this year. Rebecca has a young but growing Iyengar style school; she knew nothing about me, had heard from someone that I'd done some teaching and she was desperate for teachers at the time. So acting on a hunch she approached me. I've been teaching a Level 1 class at her school for a few months now.
When I told Rebecca that I was resigning from my job, she was overjoyed that I wanted to teach more. WOW. By mid February it looks like I could be teaching up to 6 weekly classes at her school plus the class at the hairdressing academy.
Resigning from my job frees me up to practice, study, meditate and teach yoga. At the moment it sounds like heaven but I know this kind of lifestyle has it's own particular set of challenges and I'll surely come up against those pretty quickly. In reality I guess they'll be the lessons I need to learn just resurfacing in a new landscape.
Looking back over the past 3 years, circumstances have unfolded in the most perfect way that have allowed me to enter the world of yoga teaching through the back door (no teacher training, no apprenticeship, just a dedicated practice, extraordinary teachers and an enquiring mind). Now I'm ridgey didge. Yikes.
Email : nobodhishome@yahoo.com.au
______________________________________________________________________
Monday 8th December 2003
Teaching Yoga
Since mid September I've been teaching 2 yoga classes each week (one at Rebecca's school and one corporate class for a hairdressing academy). This has been the most I could manage along with a full time job. But when Rebecca finally got away for a 2 week holiday I took on 4 classes on top of my full time work schedule. I thought it would be a real test of my time management and my equanimity, but surprisingly I took it all in my stride and just sort of blossomed.
Teaching is challenging and rewarding; it can be expressive and creative, and also demoralizing. I've sometimes driven home after class feeling really dejected because everything I meant to do didn't happen, or the entire theme for the class never even surfaced, or I made so many mistakes that my brain was exploding with them.
Teaching shows me my gifts and allows me to express a heart felt love for people and for yoga, but it also shows up those weaknesses I'd rather not admit to. I'm grateful to be given this mirror so that I may see myself more clearly. For as I see and accept my own fears and failings with clarity, love and compassion, my heart opens to embrace the struggles of every single person on earth.
Forward bend practice
Kosta, a yoga teacher friend of mine, suggested we do a forward bend practice together on Sunday evenings in my lounge room, so we did our first session last night from 8.30 - 11.00pm (yes, 2 ½ hours of forward bends). We started with a long Dog Pose, then Uttanasana, then a 9 minute Paschimottanasana. After this we just followed a Dona Holleman sequence holding most poses for 3 minutes on each side. Kosta brought along a folder of Dona's sequences that are illustrated with funny little figures - not nearly as cute as the John Scott line figures I've grown to adore. His little man is such a spunky little dude - you can just imagine him somersaulting off the page right into your hand then bowing after his performance.
A lovely moment in the practice was in Trianga Mukhaikapada Paschimottanasana. We did it with a blanket under one buttock which facilitates an easier and deeper fold from the hips, but it doesn't require any bandha strength. Two minutes into the pose on side one I noticed a lovely adjustment just naturally occurring: with my right leg in Virasana and left leg extended, I found the left sitting bone quietly moving itself back as my right hip was moving forward, encouraging the right knee to slide forward in sympathy with it. It was as if these three anatomical points had set up a dialogue with each other and were slowly unfolding and opening up to each other and I was just a fly on the wall watching it happen.
Unfortunately the long slow practice left me feeling quite slow and psychologically heavy today and I just couldn't muster any enthusiasm to get out of bed for Mysore practice this morning. It can be quite insightful to note the mental and emotional after effects of different asana practices.
We'll do it again next Sunday and it'll be my turn to lead the practice.
Email : nobodhishome@yahoo.com.au
______________________________________________________________________
