Style Undefined

I started with a basic Vinasa flow DVD. Now I flow freestyle. My Asana varies from day to day depending on my mood. Sometimes its fast, and energetic, and other days its slow and relaxing. I let my body tell me what it needs. I have very little classroom time, so my yoga is not included by any particular style. I don't see anything wrong with that.

Austin, Texas has a very large, and fast growing yoga community.  Driving up and down the streets of Austin Texas - "the big city" - one finds a very large variety of yoga studios. 

So many studios, so many different forms of yoga, the choices can be overwhelming to somebody who is trying to choose a class for the first time. 

We, in the western culture, seem to be obsessed with branding, and putting labels on things. We dwell over making names for ourselves, and strive to prove to those around us that we are unique, or gifted one way or another, but in the end all these efforts at differentiation are essentially meaningless, because deep down we are all the same. 

We are all unique, every single one of us is unique by nature. We are all gifted, we have skills that we excel at, and everybody excels at something different, but in the end we all have the potential to be great at one thing or another. 

All of the qualities that make us seemingly different, when looked at on a deeper level, actually tie us all together, and at the heart of it all, we are all the same. Everything comes down to perception.  No one man, is any better than any other, because we are all, essentially the same, just formed out of different sets of circumstances. 

The same is true with yoga. All the studios, all the varieties, how can any one studio claim that their way is better than the studio up the road? Better is the wrong word, in most cases. Different is much more accurate. Different, yet similar. 

Generally, yoga is thought to have six main branches. Six is a small number, when you consider that there are more than seven billion people in the world. 

I propose that yoga is one thing, a union, that can be achieved in many ways. If you were to invite the entire world to one destination, all seven billion people, not everybody would arrive at the same time.  Its also reasonable to believe that they would  not all journey through the same path.

I believe that there are many roads to enlightenment, perhaps even as many roads as there are people, and that no one person's road is any better than anybody else's. 

My yoga is my road, and its mine alone. Though others may influence the choices that I make along the way, ultimately I am responsible for the journey, and the directions and paths that I take on the way to my final destination. 

My Asana practice, is as unique as my journey. It is alive, breathing, moving, growing, and evolving. It changes from day to day, depending on my physical and mental health, and is as undefined as I am. Really, "it" is me. It is an expression of me, it becomes me, and it shapes me. I grow through my practice, and every day I witness my practice growing. There is a union. 

Another Journey Begins

Yesterday my mother and I went to our first yoga class. The goal is to go every Monday. I am very excited about finally starting classes, and even more excited that my mother has decided to join me on this journey.

My first class was not difficult, thanks to all the time and effort I have been putting into my practice over the past few years. In fact, I deeply enjoyed the simplicity of this class, basics, sun salutations, and familiar poses.

There's something relaxing about being in a class full of people moving in unison. Yoga class is about connections, not competitions.  Everybody leaves themselves open and exposed but nobody feels vulnerable. It's truly beautiful.

Leaving class, I had the blissful, tingling, feeling that only a long and focused practice can provide. Its a feeling I can't explain. I get drunk on yoga, high, but clear, calm, and collected.

It wasn't always like that. I can still remember a time when I felt completely overwhelmed, staggering, quivering, and wobbling along with my Shiva Rea Fluid Power DVD. Then practice was all about getting physical and shaping up my buns.

I was in over my head, that DVD was definitely not intended for a beginner, like me. There is a sharp contrast between how I felt after those early workouts and how I currently feel after a deeply focused practice. Relaxed is not a word that I ever would have used to describe my earliest workouts, worn out, maybe.

The beginning was the hardest part, keeping the momentum going, and pushing myself not to give up. I am eternally grateful for the positive yogis in my life, who always provided encouragement and advice, guiding my early journeys.

My mother is now in the  exact place where I once was. She has two choices, give up, or dive in and give it all she's got. I wish her only success, and hope to be a positive voice in her ear, just as my friends did for me, now that she is sitting on the edge of her very own yoga journey.

Downward Dog

Downward dog, an often under appreciated old friend. It's one of the first poses I learned, and even now, years into my practice, I keep fining new ways to rediscover it. So many different variations for all my different moods.

First Yoga Class

I'm so excited! My mother and I are examining the class schedule at our local yoga studio.

I've been doing yoga for years now and I've got a confession to make. "I've never taken a yoga class." 

Teachers are valuable, and if you have the opportunity to work with one, then definitely take it, but I don't feel like you have to go to a formal yoga class to practice yoga. 

If yoga really is my natural state - our natural state - then learning it should come naturally. I feel like my yoga journey is an intimate voyage with myself into learning my true, deeper, self. Do we really need someone to teach us how to be our natural selves? Though I do think going to class is a great way to accelerate your learning, I believe that with determination and persistence, you will still  eventually arrive at the same destination. 

Don't misunderstand what i am trying to say. I love, and respect, teachers. I am extremely grateful that we have people in this world who live to teach others. Someday, I also hope to join the teaching family. 

I'm just trying to say that times are hard and maybe you can't afford to take regular yoga classes, or you live in a small town where there aren't any yoga studios. There are many reasons that class might not be an option right now. Don't make excuses. Nothing should stop you from doing yoga or anything else you really want to do.

I'm also grateful for YouTube and all the amazing online yoga teachers. There are so many great free resources online. Its wonderful that there are people who have decided to put the time and effort into sharing knowledge and information over the internet without expecting anything in return. 

If it's all out there for free why would I want to pay to take a yoga class? I'll tell you why. There's only so much the Internet can teach you and though there is a tone of great free resources out there. Nothing compares to having somebody to give hands on, physical training. I look forward to receiving that personal level of help.

Though my close friends and family, would say that I am "no Yoga novice." I still plan on starting with very basic classes. That's right. I'm going to go to beginners yoga class, because there's nothing wrong with me revisiting my basics, and making sure I've got those down with accuracy. Doing the postures correctly is important, so as to avoid damage to the body.

Having an accurate, sustainable, practice is essential. We are only gifted one body, so taking care of it is a necessity,  because we have roughly one hundred years to live in it.  How do you want to live your one hundred years? Will you be sick and miserable or healthy and active? It doesn't seems like a real question, does it? Which of those 2 would you choose? 

I have a good general idea of what to expect from my first yoga class, but honestly it still feels like there will be surprises waiting for me there.  I look forward to being a room full of people moving in unison. I look for to seeing teaching in action, because that's where I hope to be someday.

Every now and then there's a part of me that gets nervous for no reason at all,  though I tell myself "You got this. This is your yoga  and the nobody will ever change that."

Everybody is different. Yoga can take you down many paths, just like life. Not everybody will take the same life path, so it makes since that so would yoga. Were all unique individuals. That's wonderful.

You know what? I like wearing makeup. I like waxing my legs. I have a man with definitely not into yoga. I do things my way, because I rather write my own book then follow someone else's.

Natural Body and Mind

Naturally we are kind forgiving loving. We have energy and are free of disease, sickness, and allergies. 

Naturally we are born perfect. Even most birth defects can be traced back to improper diet of the mother before and during pregnancy.

We start out pure, honest, free of greed, lust, or hatred. 

Have you ever watched a baby playing? Have you ever noticed how flexible and infants are? We all start out flexible but in today's modern society staying that way is not highly prioritized, neither is staying natural, true to ourselves, or being healthy. 

So why isn't this a priority? It's sad that as a society we are have grown to be so far from who and what we are meant to be. Instead of healthy, loving beings, we are a culture of sick, selfish, creatures.

Sick. . . Obesity, cancer, heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, high cholesterol just to name a few major killers of the world. The worse part is that all of these ailments are caused by the foods we eat, combined with a lack of exercise.  We have no one to blame for our woes.  

Its our job to learn how to care for our bodies, and not depend on other people to teach us how to care for ourselves, but knowledge, and continued growth seem to also be values lost in modern society. Instead of chasing continuous personal growth, we spend the majority of our time lost, climbing the corporate ladder, seeking to grow useless material wealth. 

This type of living is not only  self destructive, but socially perilous as well. 

I spent the past two years a deep in study, seeking answers to these modern woes, and sharing ny findings to all who would listen. 

Time Magazine - Alternative Medicine

This is a big deal. The first issue of Time magazine that I have ever purchased. I was really moved on a deep personal level when I saw this on our local Grocery store newsstand. We, as a society, are moving forward, and this - to me -  is proof.

 Its about Time.

Amazing Meditation

This thirty minute guided meditation is amazing, 

but you will need headphones to listen to it properly.

Watch "Kelly Howell - Healing Meditation {Guided}" on YouTube

A Short Time

Its been a few weeks since I published my last "real" blog. In the back of my mind there is this nagging voice, calling me lazy. Maybe the voice is right, but for the past week I have been searching for something meaningful to share. Lots of quick ideas have been bouncing around in my head, but nothing I could easily elaborate on.

I want these blogs to have meaning, and direction. I want them to help, inspire and educate people.

Eventually, this may take me in the direction of a video blog, or maybe I will just share written Asanas with photos, but I need to remain focused on the now.

In just a few weeks, I have learned many personal lessons:

I went without a real Asana practice for 3 days, and the negative effects of this were extremely aparent to me by the beginning of the 2nd day. I was tired, stiff, felt off balance mentally and physically just to name a few observations.

I hadn't drank in a long time and I had a few alcoholic beverages at over the weekend apparently my new pure body no longer has a tolerance for alcohol after having only a few drinks my stomach was in knots. I'll stick to the occasional glass of wine if anything at all.

I did my first hour long Asana the practice in complete silence. I shoved earplugs into my ears and listened to my breath alone. It was truly wonderful. Each breath cleansing my body.

Never, in my life have I been a spiritual person, but there is something unexplainable growing in my practices. Its a connection between something higher, and myself. I feel it. My mind, body, and "it" are swirling together. By the end of my practice I am filled with "good vibrations," complete relaxation, and clarity. Balanced. Complete. Free. Strong words that still don't do justice to the way I feel.

This journey is full of endless lessons and rewards. The only real question is, "what's next?" I am looking forward to many great discoveries along the way... life really is about the journey.

Dinner

Modification of the following recipe:

The Very Popular…Moni’s Quinoa Mac N’ Cheese | MoniMeals

Sitting at the Edge of My Mat

Sitting on my ankles at the edge of my mat. I breathe in, drawing a slow, controlled, breath through my nose. Exhale. My breath continues, steadily, bringing life to my muscles with my movements.

I move into Balasana, bringing my shoulders down towards floor. In this posture I humbly bow down, promising to give respect my body throughout my practice.

The next inhalation carries me to my knees. Before I am able to form a thought, I am arched backwards into Ustrasana, lifting blissfully, grateful for the multiple openings in my body. This pose is so liberating, that I continue enjoying it for several breaths, stretching deeper, and deeper.

Eventually, I feel the urge to continue further down to the floor towards Kapotāsana, a pose I have been working towards for a quite a while. Lately I have been coming very close and can see undeniable proof that, with reasonable effort, anything can be accomplished. Today, the Pigeon is my friend. Almost there, I can grasp my toes with the tips of my fingers. I stay reaching, respectively, towards this boundary, smiling because I know this one will be mine soon

.

I make my way out, stopping to revisit Ustrasana on my way into Cat and Cow. Flexing up and down, relaxing and releasing, with my breath.

As I sink through Kumbhakasana, flowing into Chaturanga Dandasana, I realize the Sanskrit pose names are dancing along in my head, mirroring my movements, replacing all other thoughts. 

I hold myself just inches off the floor, for a breath or two, before finally lifting into Downward Facing Dog, rolling over my toes on the way into the posture. Downward Dog, or Adho Mukha Svanasana, still comes to mind in plain English. It always feels so welcoming, like a friend saying, "Hello, welcome home. Its good to see you!" I move through several variations, stretching my legs, chest, and shoulders, before jumping my legs up for a forward fold. 

I squish my ear-buds firmly into my ears so that they don't fall out during the next sequence. The calm, acoustic, harmony helps to keep the tempo of my breath.

I close my eyes, lost both in music and in breath, allowing myself to plunge further into Uttanasana, before continuing on with several Sun Salutations.

For the next hour I find myself lost in a twisting, winding, free flowing, dance, moving in complete relaxation from one posture to the next.  

Before I know it, I am sinking from Halasana  into Savasana, listening to the last minutes of a captivating melody. A woman is singing, her voice radiant  in a foreign tongue, and though I do not understand her words, my body is singing right along with her, joyfully.