This has gotta be fast...
Just want to share that I attended Justine's kundalini class last Thursday at Bodhi Yoga (gobodhiyoga.com) and was really surprised and pleased! It was my first experience with kundalini, and I gotta say, I'm going to explore that path further!
Bought a book on good ol' Amazon.com and plan to take Justine's class again next Thursday.
Whee!! Jolly good fun!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
A few more little steps...
Since beginning the teacher certification course at Bodhi Yoga (www.gobodhiyoga.com) with Syl Carlson I really have been immersed in yoga, and I'm loving it.
Among the suggested reading was Yoga Beyond Belief by Ganga White of White Lotus Yoga in Santa Barbara, CA. Oh-my-gosh (as we say here in Utah Valley), what a little gem it is. For a novice like me it is such an eye-opener - a wonderful encapsulation of many parts of the yoga tradition. He touches on the history, philosophy, technique, anatomy, teaching, day-to-day living of all things yoga. It is like a wonderful box of yummy bon bons and I get to try them all.
Taking the food analogy a little further, I know this isn't the full meal, but it has made me even hungrier for more information - direct and indirect.
Mr. White is a great one for experiential learning and for trusting your own conclusions. I gotta say, that is so refreshing and it certainly rings true to me.
Thanks, Syl, for steering us toward this great little book.
Among the suggested reading was Yoga Beyond Belief by Ganga White of White Lotus Yoga in Santa Barbara, CA. Oh-my-gosh (as we say here in Utah Valley), what a little gem it is. For a novice like me it is such an eye-opener - a wonderful encapsulation of many parts of the yoga tradition. He touches on the history, philosophy, technique, anatomy, teaching, day-to-day living of all things yoga. It is like a wonderful box of yummy bon bons and I get to try them all.
Taking the food analogy a little further, I know this isn't the full meal, but it has made me even hungrier for more information - direct and indirect.
Mr. White is a great one for experiential learning and for trusting your own conclusions. I gotta say, that is so refreshing and it certainly rings true to me.
Thanks, Syl, for steering us toward this great little book.
Friday, August 14, 2009
First Step
[I actully wrote this on Friday the 14th, but thought I'd lost it. I'm still learning how this blogspot site works. Guess I'll post it today.]
I began going to a yoga class as a diversion from the day-to-day stresses of caring for my very elderly mother. What I discovered was that the attention and respect I gave the instructor, the challenge of the poses, the fascination I felt for the entire subject allowed me to focus my mind on something other than my fears and worries about my abilities as a care giver.
Lo and behold!! Just setting those concerns aside for a few moments allowed me to view them from a different perspective when I (inevitably) took them up again. Gradually, class by class, something within me shifted to enable me to see that I was a very capable person, that my mother was safe with me, that we could face anything we needed to as she made her transition back to God - and we did.
I guess it's possible that any diversion might have produced the same results - anything that you love and has value for you. But there was just something about the combination of the physical and the mental effort required in a yoga practice that really worked its magic on me.
I began going to a yoga class as a diversion from the day-to-day stresses of caring for my very elderly mother. What I discovered was that the attention and respect I gave the instructor, the challenge of the poses, the fascination I felt for the entire subject allowed me to focus my mind on something other than my fears and worries about my abilities as a care giver.
Lo and behold!! Just setting those concerns aside for a few moments allowed me to view them from a different perspective when I (inevitably) took them up again. Gradually, class by class, something within me shifted to enable me to see that I was a very capable person, that my mother was safe with me, that we could face anything we needed to as she made her transition back to God - and we did.
I guess it's possible that any diversion might have produced the same results - anything that you love and has value for you. But there was just something about the combination of the physical and the mental effort required in a yoga practice that really worked its magic on me.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Today I gave myself the most wonderful gift: I began my personal yoga practice. Being an early riser, I was on my mat by 5:45, and thoroughly enjoyed myself til 6:30 when I thought I needed to stop and get ready for work. Tomorrow I'll plan for an hour, at least.
It was actually Syl who told me that the gift existed. I mean, I'd heard of "personal practice" but had no idea how amazing it could be. (Syl is Syl Carlson of Bodhi Yoga in Provo, Utah. I'm enrolled in the 200-hour teacher certification class that her studio offers, and personal practice hours are required.)
I'd tried in the past to practice at home but had always allowed myself to be distracted. Having the incentive of the class requirement helped, but being encouraged by Syl was what made it possible for me to see this morning's practice through.
Not only do I feel physically awake and relaxed from the Asana practice, but I feel an unusual lightness in my mind and spirit. Based on what Syl told us, I think that must stem from the time I spent being present - in the Present - unconscious of time (mostly) and free to follow where my body led me.
I will always love Laura Harper's classes and be profoundly grateful to her for introducing me to this discipline, but now I know that I can have the Joy that practice brings any time I want.
It was actually Syl who told me that the gift existed. I mean, I'd heard of "personal practice" but had no idea how amazing it could be. (Syl is Syl Carlson of Bodhi Yoga in Provo, Utah. I'm enrolled in the 200-hour teacher certification class that her studio offers, and personal practice hours are required.)
I'd tried in the past to practice at home but had always allowed myself to be distracted. Having the incentive of the class requirement helped, but being encouraged by Syl was what made it possible for me to see this morning's practice through.
Not only do I feel physically awake and relaxed from the Asana practice, but I feel an unusual lightness in my mind and spirit. Based on what Syl told us, I think that must stem from the time I spent being present - in the Present - unconscious of time (mostly) and free to follow where my body led me.
I will always love Laura Harper's classes and be profoundly grateful to her for introducing me to this discipline, but now I know that I can have the Joy that practice brings any time I want.
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