Don't Let It Bring You Down......5 Ways To Stay In The Spirit

Deck those halls, trim those trees...... a line from my favorite holiday song by the group The Waitresses- Christmas By Myself This Year. Great song, seriously love it, and it has a happy ending-girl and guy finally align and that old time holiday magic happens! Sigh. Pretty picture, but most likely not a  reality.
 Are you ready for the holidays?  Heard on a loop. This is asked by just about every person you meet in passing. Mindlessly, just like people ask each other how you are without really wanting to know. Sensitivity to the fact that not all of us are in the same space might just need to be the practice we all need to observe.  The truth is, not everyone has the family or financial support to be in a festive frame of mind. Many people struggle during what can literally be the darkest part of the year. Imagine being a child in a homeless shelter, or their parent.  There are those that are alone,  have lost loved ones, or in order to find that picture perfect holiday that the media portrays shop themselves into oblivion trying to fill the dark space within. The onslaught of treats and late nights can take their toll.
I relate. I never really liked all the excess, the rushing around, nor the expectations. I struggle with it. My father, mother, and stepmother all passed away during this time. Many years I have found myself in a dark funk, unable to shake the malaise that would creep in. Really feeling alone. I did some soul searching, and decided that like the rebel I can be known to be, I was going to create tradition that was relevant and meaningful to me.  WHAT??  Cue the screeching sound of brakes, the music stopping abruptly, and the curious stares. You should see the looks of strangers when I tell them I don't celebrate the holidays in the traditional way.  Instead I have found alternative  ways to stay in the spirit of light during this, what can be  the darkest part of the year through reflection of my yoga practice. Five of the Yamas and Niyama , or restraints and observations of yogic thought really can really bring a shift in your perspective, of this potentially stressful, if not magical time of year.
1. Christmas lies not underneath the tree, but in the hearts of you and me.... Practice- Contentment, or Santosha.   The holiday season is not about the biggest tree, the brightest Menorah, or whether or not you got the Lexus with the big red bow! The spirit of the season is to give with an open heart, from the heart, without attachment to the reception. The biggest gift you can give is time and yourself. Spend time with loved ones, visit a nursing home, help out at a homeless shelter,  or make donations to an organization that is in need. It doesn't have to be monetary folks. When I shifted my perspective, and decided that exchanging gift cards  with extended family was far from the spirit,  the clear choice was to stop.  My daughter and I decided to  do a collection for the local county animal shelter. They could use your old sheets, blankets, and helping hands. So can many organizations in the area.  Look at your closet-what can you perhaps share with someone that is needier than you? When you are asked what you got, you can answer truthfully-a lot of joy!
2. In the darkest days, stay in the light... Practice-Tapas, or austerity. The time before the Winter Solstice is the darkest part of the year. Days are short, and sunlight is fleeting. It is cold here in the Northeast. It makes you want to be inside with the blankets over your head. Get out and about instead, try to  be in the company of those people that are like minded. Visit places that make you feel good. Stay active. Take a yoga class. Go for a walk, get out in the sunlight. Stay in your current practice to remain grounded and don't retreat under the covers. You will raise your endorphins and brighten your mood.
3. More is not better..... Practice- Mithara, or moderation. I once heard someone say it looks like Christmas threw up at our house! Really, I don't know about you but  that does not sound to appealing to me. At all!  Excess.  And then it is over. Whether it is the extra cookie, the jillion invites to parties, or that last minute errand, ask yourself- do I really want  or need to do  this? Your wallet will thank you, and so will your health.
4. Bolster your immune system.... Practice- Saucha, or  purity.  The changing weather, closer contact with more people, burning the candle at both ends, and dietary changes that the season brings can challenge our immune systems. People get sick because they become run down. This is the time to pay attention to staying in balance. Try stimulating and moving lymph with dry brushing and then apply warm oil massage to the skin, paying attention to your joints.  Dress warm, in layers. The indoor dry air can wreak havoc. Stay hydrated. The amount of water we need is 1/2 our body weight in ounces. Get up and go to bed as close to your regular time as you can. Eat foods that are high in antioxidants and vitamin C. Ever notice citrus is very prevalent this time of year?  And as hard as it is, try to avoid the excess. That doesn't mean be a monk, hiding in a cave,  or beat yourself up for that extra cup of eggnog, but focus on being in balance. One thing I have discovered to help is Fire Cider. Gypsy anti flu brew! Full of immune supporting ingredients, a tablespoon a day keeps the doctor away. (For more on this visit my Facebook page The Ayurvedic Apothecary!)
5. Start your own tradition....Practice- Ishvaraha Pranidam, or the realization thee is something else out there besides you! When I decided to break tradition, I needed to create a meaningful  one for myself.  And I have to tell you,  it was liberating.  Many cultures around the globe traditionally have celebrations  that are meant to bring in the light. The one that resonates with me is the Winter Solstice. The darkest, shortest day followed by the reemergence of light.   I choose to  decorate a small natural tree with dried citrus, cranberries, apples, cinnamon, and raffia. Whatever natural items I have access to. The house smells awesome while the fruit dries,  and afterward the tree is taken  outside for the outdoor creatures as a gift.  Watching them enjoy their treat  is a  reason for the season, and I enjoy it as much as they do. If you do exchange gifts, try making some; and create your own wrapping paper with potato and celery stamped  with ink on newsprint.
By following any one of  these suggestions, perhaps, you can unwrap a new tradition for you and yours. That doesn't mean you have to totally do a 360 and change everything.  I still cook holiday meals, celebrate and participate with friends and family, but I am able to  step back, and stay in my center, and find true meaning  beneath the trappings of the season. To bring in the light, not only into our hearts, but to share it with those around you. This is my practice, on and off the mat...... Breathe in the light, breathe out the light, be the light!

                                                               

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Ways and Means

Yoga. Definition of the word....Union. To yoke together. According to Patanjali's Yoga Sutras.....stilling the thought waves of the mind.The great  Erich Schiffman relates it to moving into stillness. As a yoga teacher, watching what is offered as Yoga in many studios makes me shake my head....it is the antithesis of stillness. Constant photos of people contorted and people in the flavor of the month Maya Pincherasana ; handstand pics abound. This can actually push potential yoga students away from the practice. It intimidates and gives them a false picture. This modern model of Yoga  is all about the ego, the "ahamkara", the mind that says I look damn good in this pose. That's what it becomes, just a pose. No substance, no reflection, no connection. People get so wrapped about the physical and their prowess they don't look within. I have heard students leaving an over packed class comparing each other and how such and such looked. Really, are you kidding me? Yoga happens when you connect  to yourself on the mat , not on the mat next to yours. You can't imagine how many times a new student greets me with "I'm not very flexible." So sad. Little secret here folks- in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika there are only 15 poses....many seated. The goal of these was to prepare the body for Yoga....or cessation of the thought waves of the mind. I somehow don't think that is going to be acheived in a class where the soundtrack, how many arm balances you do, and fast paced juicy flow are the focus and  the teacher is more of a performance artist than a teacher. Many are telling students to push harder, exceed their limitations. You see, when you take the time to deepen into a posture, watch your breath, and feel the lines of energy that emanate through the body, magic can happen. You find the space between.  Stepping back and becoming the witness to your practice. You hit that aha moment where you connect so deeply you can stay in this space forever. You step away from yourself. When you take that first bite of bliss, you are hooked. I have been there and want to help my students get there.  Delicious, sweet, and life altering. You begin to change your perspective about what really matters.

This is where Yoga happens, the mental chatter stops. Asana is the ways and means to a much deeper practice, getting out of your head and into your heart.

Musical Chairs

Fall. The mornings are crisper(even though right now in Philadelphia it is going to 80+) and the season is most definitely changing. Summer is fading like the last rose. There a few leaves changing. Geese are flying. The sound of acorns dropping fills the woods behind my house. Children are back in school. Mornings are darker, and it is more difficult to awaken.  Change is good, but it can be hard. The Ahamkara, the ego,  tells us not to accept changes. It likes things just the way they are. Think about it; you may have been wearing flip flops all summer( I know I do!) but these chillier mornings something a little more substantial is in order. But the ego says, NO! wear the flip flops you are used to them, and they feel good, damn it !). The ego likes things that it is comfortable with. Make sense? Change offers us an opportunity to grow if we accept it. To use it as a lesson. Many times, we struggle when the opportunity presents itself. Go back in time to an autumn a long time ago, back to your childhood.  Remember the teacher in elementary school that would put 4 or 5 desks in a grouping? To perhaps work on a group project. You may or may not have been comfortable with this group. But you needed to experience and participate it in order to get the work done. You work together, and pretty soon you might have just forgotten that you weren't to happy about it in the first place. You might even have received a good grade for your endeavors and perhaps even made friends. But just when you felt your place , the teacher changed the group! For most of us, this brings discontent. Might even make you sad. When I taught in the classroom, I had a place called the "sad step". A place where you could go if you made a classmate sad, me sad, or were having a sad day to think about how you could make it better. When you get that desk move, you may very well put yourself on the sad step. But even if you stay there a long while, it is not going to change the fact that the powers that be have decided it is for your own good and there is no going back. Life is the same; when the our role in life, or a situation suddenly changes the course of our reality, our " desk" is moved and  we struggle to accept this change. The Ahamkara puts the breaks down in a screeching halt. Disbelief. How can they do this to me? I didn't do anything to deserve this? Fill in your own statement, we have all  been here.  We have the choice to put ourselves on the sad step and not accept the inevitable. Or we can take on the new position with an open heart, see what we can learn from it, and accept change with grace. Every element is in flux in the cosmos and situations change through the flow of the gunas. It is never static. I am really relating to this right now. Last week I was busy with my regular teaching schedule, classes and students. Comfortable with my regular status quo. When I found myself in the emergency room with what was a scary situation, I was in disbelief. Desk chair pulled out from under me. No, no way not me, uh uh! Several CT scans, intravenous medication, and outpatient surgery later, I have a scar right where my third eye is. ( I kid you not, I am now the yoga teacher that can really say "my itchy third eye! You have to laugh at the grand design. ) Permanent bindi. For all the world to see!  I could have put myself on the sad step, and moaned about it, or better yet put a paper bag over my head  and hide. Instead I choose to accept this change with grace, because that is all we really can do in this cosmic game of musical chairs. We are not in control as much as ego like us to think we are. My surgeon and doctors were wonderful. It will heal and slowly fade, but it is now part of me. A lesson learned. Just as the way we handle the challenges of life makes up our character. We can get stuck or we can grow. When things change unexpectedly, the choice is to accept and realize that there is something to learn from the experience.

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The Heart of the Matter

Anahata, the heart chakra. Translates to "unstruck" or "unbroken". Unfortunately, it sometimes does break......shattering into a thousand glimmering shards. They pierce our soul and we become fragile, "broken hearted." We all have had a time in our lives that strikes us here, through situations or those around us. The pain of a broken heart can suck the life out of you, just as a happy heart can radiate light to the world from within. The heart also relates to the Udana vayu, or upward moving air,  one of the five forms of Vata, that moves the spiritual energy up and awakens us.When the heart is hurt we tend to retreat, I know. I personally am going through a painful time in my life and feel like the air has been sucked out of my being. I feel powerless to change things. It hurts deeply. Closing inward. I just want surrender to the waves of sobs and let them drown me. I am on retreat this week, and the darkness, warmth of candles and cloistering soothe; like being rocked and held in the arms of the earth. I almost wish it would open and swallow me into the quiet darkness of the abyss. Sitting in safe silent reverie,I have  the realization that when we feel powerless it is really where we are at our most powerful, by surrendering, letting go. By understanding that the only way to heal anything is through the power of love. Acceptance. Love is at the heart of the matter, it is the strongest of medicines if we allow it to heal our wounds.

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America....the beautiful

America....the beautiful. Richest country. Home of the free.(Or so we are told.....). The media tells us these things, and we gobble them up. But it is not the case if you look at what is going on right under our very noses. Yes America is beautiful....purple mountains majestic. Yes, perhaps much wealthier in the pocket than many countries where the income may be just $2 a month. Free....not for all. There are those in this country that are forgotten, whether they live in the inner city slums, are homeless and sleep under the Ben Franklin Bridge, the Native American reservations of Dakota, or the rural areas on the Appalachian Trail. They are trapped in a cycle of poverty to which we close our eyes. As a culture, we tend to not see what is going on with our brothers and sisters right next to us, we are too wrapped  in the "ooh and ahh" it's all good, just keep enjoying your creature comforts mentality the media paints for us to stay asleep and  not see the bigger picture.
I recently went to Lee County Kentucky, one of the poorest counties in the entire United States to begin to set up a yoga outreach program for Go Give Yoga.   If you have never seen the Appalachias, I suggest you do. I drove, so I was able to see the mountains, valleys, and blue mist that rises up first hand. From Western Maryland on it is truly breathtaking. Some mountains are almost 3000 feet above sea level. Amazing rock formations, animals grazing on steep hills, ever twisting roads before me. Arriving as the sun was setting, one of the first things I noticed was an area of deforestation down the hill that the road cut through and smoke rising up from it. There is strip mining for coal going on, and it is setting the people up there not for the better. Mountain top removal is wreaking havoc on the natural environment. They have one of the nations highest rates of  cancer here. Runoff from the mining operations leaches into the ground  water. I was told not to drink the water, use bottle or filtered by my gracious hostess at the Cumberland Mountain Outreach. ( wait a minute, isn't this the good ole USA?) Water, water everywhere, not a drop to spare. If you do not have access to the luxury of bottled water, what do you do? Consume what may be poisoned and worry about the consequences long term later? Safe drinking water is a basic human right that we ALL take for granted. The country there between Lee and  neighboring Wolfe County is beautiful to be sure, the people gracious.   There is wildlife- bear, bobcat, copperhead, coyote.  There are also trailers, many falling in on themselves. As we drove around I questioned why there were graves on peoples property; you see  small group gravesites, well tended and loved,  frequently. Folks here are permitted to bury their loved ones this way according to local custom, and their family ties are strong.  My hostess at the Outreach took me on a tour of the high school, the drug court, and the main street. We went to the local Kiwanis club and  I spoke about the benefits of anxiety reduction and self regulation that yoga can bring to children.  There are under 2000 people living in the county seat of Beattyville, and there are not many jobs or industry. The main employers are the prison, jail, or the school.  Not a lot of choices for your future. Many, if not most are on food stamps. Lee is a dry county, which is a blessing,  as crystal methamphetamine and pain pill addiction is rampant. Drug court does a brisk business.  In the forests, marijuana is a planted cash crop. I was informed that choppers and Humvees regularly come to eradicate the harvest. Yet in the beauty of these wild forests travelers come to rock climb the spectacular gorges.  Children go home on Friday from school, where they are fed on subsidy and then  many don't eat all weekend because their parent sold their food stamps for drugs. The children at the high school appeared overweight, and lethargic; and I am sure it is not  because of affluence, but lack of a healthy diet and lifestyle, and perhaps lack of hope.
While I was there ,I met another yoga teacher, one who has a vision for this beautiful area and its people. To empower them, not maintain them. To pool community and work together for the greater good of all residents of this hidden gem. To encourage healthy lives and health care, to bring yoga into these counties to help people connect to their bodies. To be proud of their Appalachian roots, to create their own jobs,  and find a better way for themselves. She has asked for my help, and I am glad to offer any I can to the people here. Thank you for having me.
At the Outreach, there is a small store, called "Second Hand Rose", run by Miss Rose herself, a lovely elderly woman, who just adores babies. The store  donates clothing to the children for school, 3 outfits each,  and run fill a "bag for a buck" sales. At Miss Roses 'they make these very special braids of strings of different fabrics. They symbolize, "as one thread we are weak, as a group we are strong." It is something we all need to take heed to. United we must  stand.
Please visit....
 www. gogiveyoga.org  to find out more, or make a donation to the project in Appalachia.
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Life Is the Practice

Some of you, my readers, from my posts can tell I work with children as well as adults. I taught and directed a private non profit preschool for many years until the universe changed my seat assignment. Now I still get to work with them in a different capacity, by bringing  them freedom to be themselves through yoga and art. Children are amazing beings. They are loving, forgiving, open hearted and resilient. They bounce and push boundaries. Full of curiosity.  They see each moment as  being open to possibility with no regrets. Guess what? You and I  were  children once!  We all wanted to seize the day in our own way. Didn't care what we looked like to the rest of the world ( even though your mother probably was not too thrilled when you wore two different socks and your shirt backward to school!) it helped us grow. Every minute was an opportunity for fun. But  as we move into adulthood, we sometimes put that child that resides within all of us deep down, hidden from the world. We stop being spontaneous and don't move ahead, losing sight of that sense of abundant joy  and build walls around our heart and minds.  Conform to the norm. We stop being present in our lives.  Ask yourself when the last time you behaved without caring what others thought? Without fear? Jump in any puddles lately, or did something just because you felt like it? It is fear that brings us here. Fear weighs the soul down like quicksand, you get stuck. If you struggle, you sink deeper. The truth is, it is healthy to face your fears, look at them and see what it really is that frightens you about taking chances. And then do something about it-do something that scares you as an adult, but as a child you wouldn't have thought twice about. Make it a personal practice every day to  do just one thing that challenges you. See how it liberates you and how you feel more buoyant. Be that person that sings in the rain-people may whisper and look at you like you are batty, but that's because they wish they were doing it too! In yogic tradition, the teachings tell us to step away from the ego, which causes projection, it tells us stories about the past and creates scenarios for the future. The way to avoid this is to be present, that the only moment that is real is now. Live like there is no yesterday, no tomorrow, and only today-LIFE is the practice, all you have to do is commit to being part of it.
Yesterday is a dream, tomorrow is a gift yet unopened, all that exists is this moment, breathe into your existence.


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What's Your Brand?

The "market" it seems, lately is being flooded with yoga. Everywhere you see a photo of a brightly clad hip looking yogi/yogini with their wheat grass smoothie, their favorite style of mat, or their coconut water in hand. Commercialism, much?  Groupons  and Living Social deals pop up all the time for classes-Bikram, Hot, Vinyasa, Inyengar, Svaaroopa, Laughter, Ashtanga,  Acro, ( don't be upset if I forgot one,  I am sure I am leaving someone out)...the branding goes on and on.  Yoga has become a product, for sale. Teachers see adds on "how to grow your yoga business". "How to market your brand" So sorry, but I want to throw  up.  Yes, we live in the modern world, and yea, the times they are a'changin', that brings with it good and bad.The reality is that "Yoga" ( the meaning of the word is union, or to yoke together) comes down from a thousands of year old tradition. It was taught guru to disciple, one on one.  There is a rich heritage of texts describing the process of yoking the mind, body and spirit. If you start to delve into the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, which only contains two passages on physical posture, the  eight limbs, or Ashtanga are as follows...
                1. & 2.Yamas, Niyamas which are observances and disciplines of conduct.
                 3. Asana; the physical postures
                 4. Pranayama; breath techniques that enchance the life force or Prana
                 5. Pratyhara; the withdrawing of the senses-looking within
                  6. Dharana; pinpointed focus
                  7. Dhyana; meditation
                  8. Samadhi; absorption, knowing one's true nature
(When was the last time that you were offered any of these in a class, my friends? )
If you look further you and examine the Bhagavad Gita, will find the real brands of yoga, the originals, not cheap imitation knock offs of, as Osho puts it,  this science of the soul....
                1. Jnana Yoga; the Yoga of knowledge
                 2. Raja Yoga; the all encompassing royal path
                  3. Bhakti Yoga; the Yoga of Devotion
                  4. Karma Yoga; the Yoga of selfless service
I don't know about you, but when there are too many choices I get overwhelmed. I may pick something in haste because it looked appealing and the price was right. Only to be disappointed that it wasn't what it appeared. It lacked substance, Yoga is a rich tradition, and it is being reduced to " Indian army calastentics" ( to quote one of my dear teachers tongue in cheek!) to make money and because people are seeking something. Yoga is meant to help find the answer to "who am I" to bring a deeper connection to your self. And maybe when you do that, you just mind find a connection to the human condition.
I love  all four paths of yoga; I am amazed at the knowledge and wisdom of the ancient sages. Add the psycho physiological reaction that comes from asana, where maybe you just find that "space" between and connect to the practice and learn how to breath and find out where you got lost on the way. Chanting, and realizing that there is something more out there is heart opening, it connects you. Helping others, without thought to yourself will change your life. This IS yoga.
I teach adults, pregnant mommas, and children. I practice all four kinds of yoga. I chant mantra, practice asana and love it. I devour the writings.  I love sharing this knowledge with my students, and watching them grow. There is nothing better when you witness that "aha" moment when a student really finds a posture. My brand is not a about the latest flavor, I don't wear Lululemon or drink Vitacoco. To each his or her own- if that's your thing, no offense. Personally I don't want 40 students in a class, it can be detracting to a more personal experience.  And I don't walk into a class and throw a handstand to show my physical prowess to my students ~( yes friends, people teach this way.)...about how to have an ego-the very thing yoga teaches us to step away from!
  I teach from the deep and beautiful tradition of this multi layered science , and have seen and believe in the healing and heart opening that comes through practicing true yoga.
Right now, I am setting my feet onto the path of Karma yoga. I bring yoga to patients at intensive outpatient rehab in North Philly, they have started bringing  me in twice weekly because we are getting positive results, I have traveled to Haiti to bring yoga to children there, and  am once again going to do out reach in a very poor and needy region, the Cumberland Mountains in Appalachia to bring yoga to those who need it. I have heard once again a range of comments...."awesome" to  "why are you doing that-you don't get paid?" ...yadda, yadda. And yes I teach classes at studios, and privates and do get paid in dollars , one has to pay the bills. But yoga teaches us that we can be in the world but not of it. We don't have to suck up to the big cash Sacred Cow. The reality is I do get paid in many ways- for the classes I teach,  in the smiles of my students, the heart felt appreciation of sharing this gift together, the peace that comes from letting go of all the b.........t. ( Fill in the blank, please) This, folks is my "brand" of yoga. Not flashy nor neon colored, but substantial.  Authentic. Trademarked.  Do you prefer the real brand or a cheap fashion knock off?


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Namaste!