Moving!...

Well, let me clarify... around the internet! I am working on a new blog: www.lindseyogabliss.wordpress.com

What do you think? Easier to naviagte? Pretty? Functional?

Adventures with David Swenson...

One word for my weekend... Amazing. I loved every bit of the yoga, travel, site-seeing, and food. I have learned more from David that I can put into words. He leaves me with a want to study with him again! David has this amazing fun demeanor that makes you laugh. He has a wonderful way of conveying hard-to-grasp concepts in a fun and easy way. I was browsing his website and found a Q&A section that I liked a lot: Thoughts. His website is http://www.ashtanga.net/.

We not only learned about yoga asana, modifications, and how to get into harder poses. But we learned that asana isn't the most important. Will it make your life any better if you can do the Advanced A series? No. David also gave a whole new meaning to bringing awareness into our practice by comparing our bodies to a car. If you are driving down the road and your car starts making a "thud, thud, thud" noise, what do you do? Do you speed up and ignore it? Do you stop and look at it and say, "eh, we can make it 100 more miles?" No, you pull over to the side of the road immediately, change the tire, and go about your way. So why do we ignore our body's "thud, thud, thuds?" If your knee is hurting it is sending you a message, "Hello Lindsey, this is your left knee speaking. We're having a little discomfort down here." And maybe I ignore it because I really want to do that next asana. "Hello Lindsey, just in case you didn't hear the first time. Ouch, ouch, ouch!" And I ignore again because I really have to try that jump-through... "HEY! Lindsey! Ouch, ouch, ouch, OUCH!" Not only did this make me laugh, but it really sank in. We've all heard our teachers say, "listen to your body" but this made it even more clear.

In the last class of the weekend we had a philosophical discussion on the 8 Limbs of Yoga. Why do you do yoga? Fitness? Stress relief? Or maybe to make yourself a more peaceful person? If you go to yoga, does it make you a better person? Not by any means. Just because the person next to you in class can put their foot behind their head does it make them a more "enlightened" person? Absolutely not. What if that person is horribly mean outside the yoga studio? In simple terms, the 8 Limbs are about how to apply yoga to your every day life. 

The definition of Ashtanga is "8 limb path."

• Yamas: self restraint, vows of abstension, control
• Ahimsa: Non-Violence
• Satya: Truthfulness, Honesty
• Asteya: Non-stealing, or Non-misappropriating
• Brahmacharya: Chastity, Continence
• Aparigraha: Without possessions
• Niyamas: fixed observation, rules, precepts established orders
• Saucha: Cleanliness, Purity
• Santosha: Contentment, Peaceful
• Tapah: Fire of Ordeal, A Burning Desire
• Svadhyaya: Study leading to knowledge of self 
• Ishvara-Pranidhana: God or Higher Self the target of concentration, surrender
• Asana: posture comfortably held, seat
• Pranayama: regulation of breath, restraint of breath
• Pratyahara: withdrawal of senses
• Dharana: concentration, fixing of the mind (mono-task, stay present)
• Dhyana: meditation, contemplation, reflection
• Samadhi: profound meditation, putting it all together

We had a two and a half hour discussion on all of this so it is definitely not possible for me to explain it all or even explain half as well as David did. But maybe it will spark an interest in your practice. 

David also mentioned that no matter the reason that we come to yoga, whether it be fitness, a simple want to do the poses seen on magazine covers, stress relief or anything else... we all end up in the same place. Yoga has this magical power to make you crave more. Why? We don't really know, it seems to be magical. But at the same time, "yoga is not easy" (Sri K. Pattabhi Jois). Putting all the 8 Limbs into practice is not easy. Pattabhi Jois is not talking about putting your foot behind your head, he's talking about applying yoga to your everyday life.

David ended the discussion with a question that I want to pose to you.

Is the world a better place because of our presence in it?

Wonderful food at The Laughing Seed vegan restaurant.

After an amazing & enlightening weekend with David Swenson!

New friend! Marian Bull.

Wouldn't be the same without my best yoga bud! Susan Hall.

Scenic ride home.

In addition to wonderful yoga inspiration by David, I met an amazing new friend. Marian Bull is a fellow yogini in search of yoga and she will be embarking on an amazing journey to Mysore, India in January 2012. Follow her blog posts to "live vicariously" through her experiences in India! www.MarianWrites.com. I love meeting new friends!

I also have a big "thank you" to extend to my friend, Swapna Gupta. This weekend would not have been possible with out you and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Karma is a wonderful thing and you have a bountiful amount coming your way!

Love,

Yogi Tea Wisdom...

"Your life is based on the capacity of energy in you, not outside of you."

Love that my tea not only gives me a perfect bedtime treat... but that it has inspirational messages on each tag!

This Sunday...

This Sunday while I'm in North Carolina soaking up all the knowledge I can from David Swenson, Elizabeth Keller will lead the Sunday Community Yoga class at Birmingham Yoga. Elizabeth is a recent graduate of the Birmingham Yoga Teacher Training Program. Come visit her for a wonderful class!

Date: Sunday, Sept 18
Time: 5:05pm
Location: Birmingham Yoga (Inside 1st Ave Rocks)

Shanti,

Top 10 Yoga Websites...

In search of more yoga information? May it be yoga philosophy, physical asana, Ayurveda, meditation, or widsom, visit these Top 10 Yoga Websites for your enlightenment!

Top 10 Yoga Websites: An article by Elephant Journal

Shanti,

Outdoor Yoga Class...

Project Bandaloop is offering a one-of-a-kind outdoor yoga class at the Alys Stephens Center! 

Monday, September 19, 2011

Alys Stephens Center (UAB campus)
6:00pm

$5 donation 

All you need is your beautiful Self, a mat, and water!

See http://www.alysstephens.org/ for more info.

If you missed the Earth Harp last year, you won't want to miss this!

See you there!

Quote of the day...

"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in service to others."  ~Gandhi

Sweet Om Alabama...

Sweet *Om Alabama now has a website! 

www.SweetOmAlabama.org

Sweet *Om Alabama is a non-profit organization founded in 2007 and is dedicated to uniting the Birmingham Yoga Community to raise awareness and funds for pressing issues of our time. 

This wonderful website is still being built but you will find information on community yoga events in the Birmingham area. The main event for yearly donation is Global Mala. 

The above logo will be the T-shirt design this year. For all of those who give a donation of $35 or more will receive a bamboo T-shirt! Donation proceeds this year will go to starting a fund that will allow local yoga teachers to serve the at risk and in crisis population through the practice of yoga.

More info on Global Mala 2011...
This year's Global Mala Project will kick off Friday, September 23rd with a beautiful evening of yoga and meditation. The night will include a yoga set led by Akasha Ellis and a Healing Circle Meditation led by Kerry Meon.  

6:30-8:00pm

The Historis Cahaba Pumping Station

4012 Sicard Hollow Road

Birmingham, AL 35243

Saturday morning we will join together to practice sun salutations looking over the city at Vulcan Park. The group will complete 108 rounds, but don't be intimidated by the number!! Please come and practice for as long as is right for YOU and then relax, enjoy the music, view, and community!!

8:00-10:00am

Vulcan Park

1701 Valley View Drive

Birmingham, AL 35209

See the website for more info!

Oh! How I love living in Sweet Om Alabama!

Quote of the day...

"Meditation is really an inward gesture that inclines the heart and mind (seen as one seamless whole) toward a full-spectrum awareness of the present moment just as it is, accepting whatever is happening simply because it's already happening."
 ~ Jon Kabat-Zinn

Salutation Nation...

 Wonderful practice with Christine!

Inspiring friend, Swapna.

 There's no better practice than one with my best friend.

 Wonderful friend, Susan Hall.

Blissful after a wonderful practice!

National Yoga Month!...

September is National Yoga Month!

Events in Birmingham...
Salutation Nation:
Homewood park, Sept. 10 @ 9:00-10:00am
Click here to find this event in your town!

A Peacemaker Meeting: International Day of Peace
The Yoga Circle, Sept. 17 @ 2:00-3:30pm
Click here for more information!

Global Mala: Sweet Om Alabama
Vulcan Statue, Sept. 24 @ 8:00-10:00am
Friday night treat: Sept. 24 @ 6:30-8:00pm - Meditation & Kundalini at the Cahaba Pumping Station

Family Yoga & More: With Annie D.
The Summit (Lululemon store), Oct. 2 @ 1pm

In other towns...
Global Mala: Fort Walton Beach, FL
Sept. 24 @ 8:00am-12:00pm
www.globalmalafwb.com 

Spirit Fest: Waynesboro, PA
Sept. 16-18
Click here for the Spirit Fest website.

David Swenson: Asheville, NC
Workshop: Sept 16-18
Click here for the Asheville Yoga Center's info on this event!

Find your event & get your yoga on!

Inspiration...

While I was in North Carolina for Labor Day weekend I stumbled upon The Highlands Village Square Arts & Crafts show. There were many amazing artists but this one truly opened my eyes. His name is Marcus Thomas and he is a quadriplegic by way of a skiing accident. The first day, I walked by and saw him sitting in front of a booth and thought he was just visiting as I was. But when I went back the second day he was in front of his booth painting a very intricately detailed picture! Marcus holds the paint brush in his mouth and paints these amazing pictures.

***When I arrived home I started looking for who he is and his story. I found this inspiring video...  http://youtu.be/dg_B2r3a5zk***

This one is my favorite. We all know I love labs! And also the dog, Bella was laying at his side while he was painting!

Click here for Marcus' amazing story on his website.

Does this not give a whole new meaning to the phrase, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade??"

Love Fulfills the Law...

“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. The commandments: “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”

~Romans 13:8-10

Naturally, growing up in church I have more exposure to the teachings of the Bible than any others. However, I am sure that there are passages such as this one in every religious text. I have always been curious about other religions and the similarities and differences between them.

What does your religion say about Love?

Shanti,

Quote of the day...

"Whether you're on your mat or out in the world, your breath is your link to moments of grace."
~Maggie Varadhan

Free Yoga Sunday!...

Don't forget that EVERY SUNDAY is Free Yoga Sunday at Birmingham Yoga!

The 5:05pm Community yoga class is donation only!

**This weekend (Sunday, Sept 4) the lovely Christine Caiola will be teaching. I will be hiking around the mountains of NC for Labor Day weekend! Please come and join her for a special treat!**

Location: Birmingham Yoga (inside First Ave Rocks)

Time: 5:05pm

Date: Every Sunday

Free, donation only class!

See you soon!

Om Shanti,

Quote of the day...

"Our culture's become so used to living in the mind, we forget that our true identity is not our thoughts. Our essence is spiritual, a state that is best experienced not in words, but in the space between them..."
~Downward Dog, Upward Fog (a novel) by Meryl Davis Landau

Salutation Nation...

It's that time of year again! September is National Yoga Month and that means lots of fun yoga activities!

Lululemon's annual Salutation Nation is September 10th @ 9am (in your local time zone)

All around the world yogi's will dedicate our practices to peace. Join your community to move, breathe, connect and get your downdog on!

In Birmingham the location is Homewood Park.

Shanti om,

Quote of the day...

"If you observe a really happy man you will find him building a boat, writing a symphony, educating his son, growing double dahlias in his garden. He will not be searching for happiness as if it were a collar button that has rolled under the radiator."

~W. Beran Wolfe

Yogi Tea wisdom...

I love that my morning Yogi Tea has inspirational wisdom on each bag.

Today it was, "Appreciate yourself and honor your soul."

Global Mala 2011...

Birmingham's Global Mala 2011!

Friday, September 23, 2011

Meditation & Kundalini 6:30pm-8:00pm

Location: Cahaba Pumping Station

Saturday, September 24, 2011

108 Sun Salutations 

Location: Vulcan Statue 

I will update when I find out what the service component will be this year! Serving others through acts of peace is always a wonderful way to spread joy!

David Swenson in NC...

I'm seriously thinking about traveling to North Carolina for this David Swenson workshop!

http://www.ashtanga.net/classes/workshops/asheville-north-carolina-weekend-workshop.html


http://www.youryoga.com/ayc/~workshops.html#davidswenson

Quote of the day...

"Human beings, indeed all sentient beings, have the right to pursue happiness and live in peace and freedom."
~Dalai Lama (XIV)

Servant of Peace...

This is my current favorite Snatam Kaur song...

Aad Sach, Jugad Such, Haibhay Such, Nanak-a Hosee Bay Such
Translation: True in the beginning, true in the primeval age, true even now, and true forever.

"When a time comes and things don't move, this mantra writes down the root of prosperity in your personality... all that is stuck shall move." ~Yogi Bhajan

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born into Eternal Life



The pictures in the video are of Anandamayi Ma, a great teacher who is now widely recognized as a personality of great spiritual eminence.

The video cuts off at the end but you can buy the song/album on Sprit Voyage, Amazon, or iTunes :)

Om Shanti,

Are you a believer?...

I love this definition of "believer." People seem to be so skewed today about "right" and "wrong" and "my religion" and "your religion." As long as we're all believers as this article defines it, we are all the same.

It’s a simple question: Are you believer? However the answer may not be so simple. To answer this it may be better to first answer the question: What do you mean by “belief”?

This is important because meanings of words evolve over time and that the meaning of the word “belief” has evolved too. Karen Armstrong in an interview with Reddit explains:

…the English word belief changed its meaning: beliven used to mean “love, loyalty, commitment, engagement,” It was related to the German liebe (“beloved”) and the Latin libido (“desire”). Only in the late 17th century did it come to mean: “an intellectual acceptance of a somewhat dubious proposition.”

When ancient sages and prophets talked about having “belief” or “faith” they meant something much different from what it seems to mean today. The call for having belief or faith was akin to a call for action. It was not a call for an intellectual exercise. You do not decide to be a believer or non-believer as an intellectual exercise. Instead you decide to act or not to act. To be a believer meant committing to live your life in a particular way.

And what type of life were the ancient sages asking us to commit to when they asked us to be believers? The answer is that all sages and prophets, throughout history, have unanimously asked us to commit to the “Golden Rule”: To do to others what we would have them do to us.

Belief was a commitment to think and act, all day, every day, in a manner that is consistent with the Golden Rule. The promise was that if you do this consistently you would grow closer to God. Belief was a journey towards God; it was not something that you do at the outset of the journey. God was not an intellectual exercise. God was something practical you could do something about and you could grow into.

Ancient sages understood that God is not an intellectual idea that describes something in space-time. Ancient sages understood the limits of language and had a full grasp that reality was not what it seemed and was indescribable using language . This is similar to the limit of language that modern physicists are running into as they try to describe the nature of reality. How do you circumvent this? How can you have religion and spirituality without having the ability to talk about God?

The genius of ancient sages was that they preferred to talk about God only through metaphor and poetry. For a more direct understanding of God, they explained, it was best to be attained through direct experience. The word “belief” or “faith” was used to describe this. The idea was not to ask people to subscribe to some dogmatic set of unproven ideas, but instead to have them commit to live by the Golden Rule. The claim was that doing so consistently led to an upsurge of spiritual force within that made you increasingly God-conscious.

This brings us to the word “Ishvara-pranidhana” in yoga. This is one of the Niyama and has been spoken of byKrishnamacharya and others as one of the most vital aspects of the 8 limbs of yoga. So what does Ishvara-pranidhana mean? The answer to this question will also help us understand what it means to be a believer.

The word Ishvara translates to God and Pranidhana translates to ‘devotion, surrender, concentration, or dedication.’ The word “Ishvara-pranidhana” hence translates to “God-focus”. It means that we should commit to sideline the ego and surrender to God. It means that we should never forget our divine essence and not get lost in the idea that the ego is us. At any given time we have a choice: Either we can be in ego-consciousness or we can be in God-consciousness. Some commentators have likened this as the choice between being in the left hemisphere of the brain (be in ego-consciousness) or being with the right hemisphere of the brain (be in God-consciousness).

But do we have a choice on how we express our consciousness? Can we control from which hemisphere of the brain we are expressing and experiencing consciousness? The answer according to the sages, past and present, is an unqualified yes. This is in-fact the basis of the 8-limbs-of-yoga. The central premise of raja-yoga is that if you practice the 8 limbs consistently then you will increasingly find yourself to be less ego-centered and become more spiritual and God-conscious.

The next question is: Why should you care? What is wrong with being ego-conscious? The reason why sages throughout history have essentially given the same message is that they all saw the ego as the source of our problems. The ego takes us away from our essence and makes us behave in a selfish manner. Ultimately this leads to deep sorrow and suffering. Instead of enjoying the constant and deep bliss of divine consciousness we end up swaying in the temporary cycles of happiness and sorrow, progressively drowning in the morass created by the ego.

A believer consciously says no to living disconnected and divided from the whole. The believer wants to dance to the deep wellspring of joy that comes about by being connected with the whole. The believer wants to be open to the joy of divine grace in every living moment. So what do you choose: To be a believer or a non-believer?

I found this article at MyLifeYoga.com. A wonderful and inspiring website!

Inquire within...

This meditation will help you listen to your soul as it points you in the direction of your true desire...

Close your eyes. Become aware of your body. Bring your attention to your breath. Become aware of your effortless breathing for one or two minutes, until you feel still.

Now, bring your attention to your forehead in the space between your eyebrows. As you hold your attention there, become aware of your body breathing. Relax. Don't force or try to shape your breath.

Allow your awareness to connect your breath to the point between your eyebrows. When you notice the body breathing in, your awareness moves from the point between your eyebrows to the midbrain, a point roughly between your temples that is sometimes called the third eye. When you notice your body breathing out, sense your awareness moving from that point back to the point between your eyebrows. Continue to feel your awareness move from one point to another on the movement of your breath. As you breathe in, awareness moves from the point between the eyebrows to the midbrain. As you breathe out, awareness moves from the midbrain to the point between your eyebrows.

As your mind settles, feel the practice becoming more effortless; feel a growing sense of calm.

When you experience this, become aware of presence slowly unfolding in the midbrain. Continue to watch, feel and listen.

Once you enter into a rhythm of deep peace and effortlessness, begin to sense that your awareness, at the point between your eyebrows, moves in and out on its own, independent of the breath. Eventually, stop thinking about the breath and just be aware of a kind of effortless pulse moving in and out of the third-eye center. Gradually feel a sense of bliss unfolding, your whole being flooded with a boundless sense of contentment and joy. Don't try. Just be aware and, at the same time, completely relaxed. Contentment will continue to unfold the more completely you let yourself go into effortlessness.

Now, become aware that the source of this contentment and joy you are experiencing is actually you. Continue letting go until you feel that you are the source of joy and bliss. In the final stage of this practice, you are completely absorbed into a state of joy and bliss, such that you no longer experience being separate from the universe of which you are a part. Eventually, you experience being bliss itself - unbounded, you are the bliss that the ancient teachings tell us is the nature of all things.

Now, established in this state, tune in to your "wisdom center" - the place of knowingness within you. For many people, it's in the gut. For others, it may be in the heart or third-eye center. The important thing is to just settle and tune in to a feeling of knowingness and certainty within you. Resting in a deep state of contentment, experience the part of you that knows exactly what you need and what you don't need. Feel connected to the inner core of truth that is always ready and fully capable of guiding you to your best life.

Continue to rest in contentment as you pose the following question to your higher Self. Calmly ask: "Which one of the four desires, if it were to be fulfilled in the next 6 to 18 months, would best serve my highest purpose, or dharma?"

Allow your inner voice to provide you with an answer that pinpoints the particular desire that will best serve your highest purpose. Don't let your rational mind take over this process; it must be organic and intuitive. The response from your soul will be decisive and clear.


Reference: Yoga Journal 2011

Soul's desire...

I read this article in Yoga Journal and it made me want to share it. We all strive for happiness in life, so we can all take away something from this article.

What is your soul's true desire?

Uncover your personal blueprint for happiness and let it guide you to bliss...

Happiness. We all seek it. There is no more basic or universal drive than the desire to be happy. It is inherent, something we are compelled to want by virtue of who and what we are. Everything that human beings have accomplished and aspired to, our every endeavor, has been and always will be rooted in the impulse to satisfy our longing for happiness. We desire love, pleasure, beauty, friendship, accomplishment, wisdom, and power. Each of us longs for an abiding sense of purpose and meaning, peace, health, and security. At some level, we also aspire to freedom, to a greater capacity to shape our destiny, and to a connection with something greater than ourselves, which some call Source, Self, or God.

As the 13th-century poet Rumi observed: "The wings of humankind is its aspiration." Aspiration was responsible for the creation of language, society, culture, science, architecture, the world's spiritual traditions, and even walking on the moon. Everything that humanity has accomplished is the legacy of its enduring desire for fulfillment.

The yoga tradition provides one of humankind's most effective systems for achieving happiness in every aspect of life. In the same way that the physical practice of yoga so effectively benefits your body and mind, the larger science of yoga is similarly powerful in unlocking the vast potential of your body, mind, and spirit to help you achieve your best life imaginable. Yoga's supreme objective is to awaken an exalted state of spiritual realization, yet the tradition also recognizes that this state does not exist in isolation from the world and worldly matters. Thus, the science of yoga teaches you how to live and how to shape your life with a commanding sense of purpose, capacity and meaning. In short, yoga has less to do with what you can do with your body or with the ability to still your mind than it has to do with the happiness that unfolds from realizing your full potential. There may be no more important step to achieving ultimate fulfillment than accepting what the Vedas teach us about desires - that some desires are inspired by your soul.

The four desires...

According to the Vedas, your soul has four distinct desires, which are collectively described in the tradition as purushartha, "for the purpose of the soul." The first of these four desires is dharma, the desire to become who you were meant to be. It is the longing to thrive and, in the process, to fulfill your destiny. The second is artha, the desire for the means (such as money, security, health) to help you fulfill your dream. The third desire is kama, the longing for pleasure in any and all forms. The fourth is moksha, the desire for spiritual realization and ultimate freedom; it is the intrinsic desire to be free from the burdens of the world, even as you participate fully in it, and to experience a state beyond the reach of the other three desires.

According to Vedic tradition, the four desires are inherent aspects of your soul, or essence. Your soul uses them to fulfill its unique potential. Learning to honor the four desires allows you to thrive at every level and leads you to a complete and balanced life. It's important to understand that, from the viewpoint of the Vedas, all four kinds of desires, including desires for material prosperity, if pursued mindfully, can be spiritual because they can pave the way for your soul to express itself on Earth. Of course, not all desires lead to happiness. Desires can and do result in pain and frustration. However, according to the ancient tradition, attachment to desire, not desire itself, is the underlying cause of practically all of our pain and suffering.

The tradition also speaks at great length about the necessity of understanding your life's deeper purpose, because true happiness is dependent on your fulfilling it. Indeed, it is my observation that the failure to develop a clear understanding of their life's purpose is the reason many people are unable to achieve and sustain the happiness that they, deep in their hearts, seek. The challenge we all face is to learn how to take into account the full measure of who we are and use the positive force of all four of our soul's desires to lead us to our best life.

The power of intention...
The place to start harnessing your power to determine your destiny, to achieve any intention as well as lasting fulfillment, is your own mind. According to the Vedic tradition, the most profound way to affect the course of your life is by harnessing the power of resolution or intention, which in Sanskrit is called sankalpa.

Sankalpa is the compound of two Sanskrit words: kalpa, which means "a way of proceeding" or, more revealingly, "the rule to be observed above or before any other rule," and san, which refers to a concept or idea formed in the heart. Thus, sankalpa means determination or will: an intention, a conviction, a vow, or most commonly, a resolution - one that reflects your highest aspirations. In practical terms, a sankalpa is a declarative statement, resolution, or intention in which you vow or commit (to yourself, your teacher, a priest, or even God) to fulfill a specific goal.

The ancient concept of sankalpa is predicated on the principle that your mind has a measureless capacity to affect the quality and the content of your life. The ancient traditions - including Veda, Tantra, and yoga - venerated the mind and appealed to the Divine for the mind to be filled with "auspicious thoughts," because they saw the mind as the chief architect of our lives. In other words, they viewed your mind as the ruler of your fate. "The mind is everything. What you think, you become," said the Buddha.

We are all familiar with the concept of intention or resolution. It is said that the average American makes 1.8 resolutions per year. We create intentions to lose weight, find a more rewarding career, get organized, or attract the ideal partner. We resolve to change our diet, be more disciplined, work harder, work less hard, spend more time in nature or with our families, enrich our spiritual life, stop smoking, be a greater force for good in the world, or do any one of countless other things we aspire to accomplish. However, it's critical to note that research shows that at least 80 percent of us do not achieve our resolutions. Despite all that you may have heard or read in praise of the limitless power of intention, this statistic means that fewer than one in five of us achieve what we set out to achieve.

What explains this failure to fulfill our resolutions? One very important reason is that we too often focus on fulfilling our desires without giving as much thought to how our desires serve the greater meaning and purpose of our lives. Another reason, from the perspective of the Tantric tradition, is that there is a science to manifesting intention, and if you don't apply it, you will likely end up as part of the 80 percent who don't see their resolutions fulfilled.

A sankalpa, by definition, focuses your mental and energetic resources and, in the process, the forces of nature, toward a specific end. I've worked with people who have successfully applied sankalpa to achieve everything from healing a life-threatening illness to enriching their spiritual life or finding their dream job.

Now comes the critical question: How do you identify the specific desire that would best serve actualizing your potential? More specifically, what - if you could achieve it in the next 6 to 18 months - would enrich you and, in the process, contribute to fulfilling the meaning and purpose of your life? At first glance, the answer might seem obvious. If you're financially strapped, wouldn't you just create sankalpa to make more money at your current job, find a better-paying one, or win the lottery - in other words, a sankalpa that focuses on achieving a desire in the realm of artha (finances and material security)? Not necessarily. When it comes to desires, the obvious answer isn't always the right one. That's because until you learn to do otherwise, the obvious answer almost always comes from your intellect, and your intellect isn't completely capable of knowing which intention will best serve you. Your soul, however, has a way of always knowing what you need to serve your higher purpose and, at the same time, what your next best step should be in order to experience the lasting happiness you seek. The point is, we all know, more or less, what we want; we don't always know what we need.


Choosing your right desire...
One of my students, Victoria, was in her mid-50's when she was told she would never again walk without the aid of a cane or crutches. A few days earlier, she had been hit by a car, which broke her hip and several ribs, and crushed the bones in one of her legs.

Victoria had, in the past, worked with the process of The Four Desires and fulfilled several sankalpas, including successfully creating and navigating a challenging career transition. Her intention now was to use her power or resolve to help herself heal. Unwilling to accept the doctor's prognosis, she assumed, quite logically, that her sankalpa should focus on artha - which entails health and well-being. Her goal was to learn to walk comfortably again, resume playing golf, and even dance. In combination with her sankalpa, I suggested to Victoria that she use Yoga Nidra, an extraordinary deep-relaxation technique that empowers sankalpa.

A month or so later, Victoria and I spoke. The work she was doing was not having the effect on her body that she had hoped for. I was tempted to ask her to be patient but stopped short when she acknowledged something that her relaxation practice had revealed: Being completely dependent on those around her had forced her to see something that until then she had been unwilling to admit, which was that her boyfriend of 14 years had long been distant and unsupportive; now that she really needed him, he was more distant and less nurturing than ever.

Despite being "together" with him, Victoria had felt alone for a long time. She realized that she needed to heal her relationship with relationship. She recognized that she needed to focus her attention to the fulfillment of kama, the second desire, which relates to love, intimacy, and relationship. The more we spoke, the more obvious it seemed that Victoria's first step to healing was less about her body and more about her heart.

If she was going to walk again, she had to be strong enough to "walk away" from a less-than-nurturing relationship. I helped her craft a new sankalpa. Her resolve would no longer be, "I am completely healed from physical injuries." Her new resolve became "I feel loved. I stand, walk, and dance happily on my own, surrounded only by people who care for me."

From the moment she refocused her sankalpa and began to methodically apply it, Victoria's physical healing accelerated. Almost instantly, she felt different. She was now inspired and uplifted; most important, she was now prepared to face the physical challenge of learning to walk again and stand completely on her own. Less than two years later, Victoria not only stands without a cane but walks, plays golf, and practices and teaches yoga. Her former boyfriend is no longer part of her life. Victoria's story shows that when you collect your resolve, commit all of your resources, and direct them properly, you can create lasting and meaningful change.


Seek within...
So how do you know when you've chosen the correct focus for your sankalpa? Consider Matthew 6:33 from the Christian New Testament: "Enter the kingdom of Heaven and righteousness and all things shall be added on to thee." The Vedic scriptural source, Chandogya Upanishad, conveys the exact same principle this way: "His desires are right desires, and his desires are fulfilled." The terms "righteousness" and "right desires" point us back to the fact that the right desires are in line with our higher purpose. The Sanskrit term for such desires is satyakamna, which means, "true desire." The will to act on such desires is called satyasankalpa, or "true resolve." How do you find your satyakamna, your true desire? The answer is to ask your soul. Steeped in soul, you no longer have to try to distinguish "thy" will from "my" will; soul is where universal will and individual desire merge. As Lord Krishna states in the Bhagavad Gita, "I am desire itself, if that desire is in harmony with the purpose of life."

If you have little or no meditation experience, you might assume that the soul is accessible only to those few who have dedicated their lives to finding and experiencing it. The good news is that this is not the case. One of the greatest yogic , the Yoga Vasishtha, puts it this way: "This Self is neither far nor near; it is not inaccessible nor is it in distant places: It is what in oneself appears to be the experience of bliss and is therefore realized in oneself." In other words, anytime you experience profound happiness or bliss in your life, you are actually experiencing your soul. You may not know it, but the joy you are feeling is coming from you. It is you. The key is to learn to be able to access it whenever you want. This is where the practice of meditation comes in.

It's possible for anyone, in a single meditation session, to get at least a glimpse of stillness - and of a unique kind of contentment, the contentment that is your soul's nature. This is a critical point in achieving both spiritual and material fulfillment since, according to Vedic wisdom, we are each born with a blueprint to achieve a full and contented life. Your soul holds that blueprint, and the higher aspects of your mind - specifically, your intuition - are the means by which you can read that blueprint and let it guide you to fulfill its master plan.

Thus, by learning to apply the simple steps of meditation that I will lead you through (see Inquire Within blog post to follow) and by learning to "see" those desires that are inspired by your soul, your desires can become the means by which your short-term goals, in any of the four categories of desire, become your way of manifesting your soul's overriding purpose, or dharma.


The path to a fulfilled life...
"If you cling to a certain thought with dynamic willpower, it finally assumes a tangible outward form," said Paramahansa Yogananda. "When you are able to employ your will always for constructive purposes, you become the controller of your destiny." The vows you hold dear, when you are deeply committed to them, speak directly to the universe, compelling it to act on your behalf. When such conviction is linked to dharma, the aspiration to become the best you can be, you will be led to a life of joyous fulfillment and accomplishment. Strengthened and focused by your sankalpa, or resolution, you will eventually learn to see how all things, all experiences - even those that are challenging or might at first appear to be obstacles in the path to achieving your desires - are actually helping guide you.

In the process, you'll develop faith. As you become more capable and powerful in the service of a higher ideal, your resolutions will help you become a more powerful force for good in the world and enable you to realize the ultimate promise of yoga, which the Srimad Bhagavatam, one of India's most revered texts, describes this way: "A human being is born to dive deep into the stream of life, find the hidden treasure, and attain eternal fulfillment."

Eternal fulfillment is both an art and a science. When you learn to skillfully apply the science, you become an artist. Your heart's deepest desires become your brush strokes, and the life you were meant to share with the world becomes your finished canvas.

Love & happiness,

References: 
Picture: from the article: Seven habits of highly happy people. 
Article: Yoga Journal, author: Rod Stryker

Quote of the day...

"The mind is everything. What you think, you become."
~Buddha

Daily dose of inspiration...

Peace, love & vitality,

 

Teacher Training 2012...

Birmingham Yoga has another teacher training class starting January 13th, 2012! If you are looking to expand your knowledge of yoga, I highly recommend this training. This yoga training is on the "Top 5 best thing's I've done with my life" list!

Training can be completed in two places:
Birmingham: 6 months
Guatemala: 1 month immersion

Click on the links below for more information:

About Birmingham Yoga Teacher Training (FAQ)

Information on Birmingham Yoga (Pricing, schedule, teachers, course description, books...)

Feel free to ask me any questions!

Love,


*The picture above was taken by Charles Walton. 
Pictured: some of the Birmingham Yoga 2009 teacher trainee's and two of our teachers, Akasha & Terri.*

Quote of the day...

"Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls."
~Mother Teresa

Magic City Asana...

Come and get your yoga on at the Magic City Asana event at Lululemon! Saturday, July 30th Jasper Wolfe will lead a free yoga class with a live DJ, DJ-spins! Space is first come, first serve so be there on time! Class is 9:00-10:00am! Refreshments will be provided after!


Stay and shop the wonderful yoga clothing after class!

Details
Date: Saturday, July 30th
Time: 9:00-10:00am
Location: Lululemon Athletica at the Summit
(left side of the shopping center when you enter from 280)
Reserve your space here: store@lululemon.com

Come the day before! Lululemon Athletica opens at the Summit on Friday, July 29th!

Store Grand Opening to follow! (...and more free classes!)

A Poem...

The Invitation by Oriah Mountain Dreamer

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living
I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
for love,
for your dreams,
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon...
I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow
if you have been opened by life's betrayals
or have become shriveled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your
fingers and toes
without cautioning us to
be careful,
be realistic,
to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can disappoint another
to be true to yourself.

If you can bear the accusation of betrayal,
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless,
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty,
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand on the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
"Yes."

It doesn't interest me
to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after a night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn't interest me who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the center of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like the company you keep
in the empty moments.

Quote of the day...

"The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong."
~Mahatma Gandhi

Healing Energy...

I was inspired in tonight's yoga class. A fellow yogini in class is a school teacher and one of her student's is loosing his battle with cancer. With tearful eyes, she asked if the class would dedicate our practice to him. I did my best to send all of my energy I created with my practice to him. I couldn't help but think how minuscule my problems were compared to his. She said that his sudden turn in health was a shock to everyone because he was always smiling and happy. Children are amazing, they are fighters, positive to the end.

In yoga, our practice is not about being fit, or being flexible, or being able to stand on our heads. It's about creating energy and using that energy in a positive way. If we know peace, the world around us will know peace.

"Be the change you want to see in the world."

~Mahatma Gandhi

At the end of class we sang the healing mantra, Ra Ma Da Sa. We sat in a tight circle and sang like the whole world could hear us. If you are ever in need, or know someone in need of healing energy this is a great mantra to repeat. 

Ra Ma Da Sa

Sa Say So Hung

*Here are instructions for practicing this meditation*

Posture: Sit in easy pose.

Focus: Eyes are closed and focused at the third-eye point.

Mantra: Ra Ma Da Sa, Sa Say So Hung. The mantra should be sung in one complete exhalation. As you chant the first Sa, your navel point is pulled in so that this syllable is abbreviated.  You should also pull your navel point in as you chant Hung.  Hung should be vibrated at the root of the nose. The rest of the syllables are drawn out in a strong, powerful chant. Strive to keep your chant at full volume (loud but not raucous) throughout the meditation.

Meaning of Mantra:
Ra = sun energy
Ma = moon energy
Da = earth energy
Sa = infinity, universal energy
Sa = repeat in second half of mantra
Say = the personal embodiment of Sa
So = the personal sense of merger with Sa
Hung = the Infinite, vibrating and real.

The mantra literally means: "I am Thou." It is also means, "The service of God is within me."

Mudra: Bend the arms and bring the elbows against the side of the rib cage. The palms of the hands are parallel and face the sky. The elbows are snug at your sides with the forearms in close to your upper arms. The hands are at a 60 degree angle, halfway between pointing forward and pointing to the sides (see picture).

Time: 11 minutes.

End: Inhale deeply, hold your breath and visualize the person you want to send healing to (it can be yourself). Make that image in your mind very clear and see a glowing green light around the person. Keeping that person in your mind, exhale. Inhale deeply, hold your breath and continue to send the person healing green light. Still keeping that vision in your mind, exhale. For the last time, inhale deeply, hold your breath and see the person very clearly, see the green healing light bathing the person, bathing every cell in the body. Exhale and relax. 

May this sit with you as magically as it did with me tonight,

Whole Foods Summer Healing Expo...

Blissful Heights in Homewood is offering a Summer Healing Expo to showcase Birmingham's holistic health and wellness offerings! 

Come to Whole Foods Market on Saturday, July 9th (10am-3pm) or Sunday , July 10 (1pm-4pm) to visit the different stations set up by staff and colleagues of Blissful Heights. 

You can hear all about massage, acupuncture, nutrition and yoga from these licenses professionals, as well as get an organic mini-facial from their on-site esthetician. Designated appointment times are available for 10 minute one-on-ones with the specialists, but walk-ins are welcome for the rest! Sign-up at the customer service desk to reserve your spot or come in at your leisure during the expo times. 

While you're here, visit all the tables to collect stickers and enter to win a gift basket and gift certificates.

Don't forget! It's THIS WEEKEND!

Pay attention to your breath...

Pranayama is that obscure fourth limb of yoga that has not gone mainstream yet. Will it ever? Of course!

And think of the benefits: life extension, maybe a full 100? A focused mind, glimpses of what goes on behind the curtains, peace of mind. What is there not to like?

Starting a pranayama practice is a process, it requires finding right instruction, the blessing of a good teacher, time to dedicate it to a practice, building up a routine, etc. It is a practice just as much as asana, yamas, or meditation is.

And yet, beginning is simple because pranayama starts with awareness, continues with measurement and extension, and results in a focused and peaceful mind.

 However the first step is:

Paying attention
 Here are 32 suggestions on where to place the attention and create the right environment for the magic limb to show up in our lives:

1.- Pranayama beings with noticing. Every time you remember, pay attention to how you are breathing, do not judge, just notice.

2.- Understand what it is. Prana = life force, ayama = extension. Or, prana can also be breath.
Prana is whatever you understand and name that which is keeping you alive right now, your breath, your life force and how we get more of that.

3.- The main purpose of pranayama is to extend life, so we can have those full 100 years and work at our practice for a very long time. Having a longer life is useful in practicing breath extension and with having a better chance at accomplishing or rather, experiencing the other limbs of yoga, the ones that come afterwards, which require a very long time.

4.- Then to teach us slowly, how to extend our breath, and retain it and master it.

5.- The purpose of pranayama is also to remove lethargic tendencies -or tamas-. Pranayama wakes us up and is especially useful for those of us who practice strenuous asana practices, as in some ashtangis who enjoy their series -yes I mean me-.

6.- Then to make us bright and clear in mind. As a consequence be become more clear in our thinking. Also when both nostrils are active both parts of the brain are stimulated which provides a better ability for concentration.

7.- Then to help us focus. A clear mind can withdraw into itself and focus on just one thing, which is the way of the eight limbs of yoga.

8.- Then to aid in the limbs of yoga that follow proper breathing (pratyahara, focusing, merging with the object we focus on)

Noticing:

9.- Notice how the way in which your spine is erected, or not, affects the way you breathe. Change your sitting position or standing position and pay attention to the interrelation of it and the breath.

10.- What nostril is most active right now? How about as soon as you wake up? How about when you wake up in the middle of the night?

11.-If one of the nostrils is blocked see if you can activate it so that both will be flowing by placing a yoga block or a small pillow under the opposite armpit and pressing the arm firmly. Did it work? If not, try laying down on the opposite side of the blocked nostril. Did that open it up? Notice what works.

12.- Is there a difference on how you feel when both nostrils are open together than when just one is open? and if so what are the differences?

13.- When you are agitated or mad, what happens to your breath?

14.- When the breath is shallow and short how do you feel? Observe especially when you feel agitated emotionally.

15.- How is your breathing when you are sick? I tend to do puffs of forced exhalations.

16.- Does your breathing change when you take a bath? I tend to yawn and breathe deeper.

17.- Take a long smooth and slow breath. How long did that take? in seconds? in heart-beats?

18.- How long can you comfortably retain that breath? in seconds? heart-beats?

19.- Exhale and see how long can you make the exhalation. Write that number down.

20.- Have you tried using a neti pot? Try it and make a note of how it feels. Note that if you regularly practice intense asana (poses) then the use of the pot is not necessary as an every day occurrence. Only when you notice that your nose is stuffed.

21.- On your next asana practice pay full attention to the breath, is it reaching every single cell in your body? If not notice the blockages, work to open. Become very aware of how the breath interacts with the pose. Breathe in and lengthen, breathe out and reach.

22.- Do you avoid breathing when you walk on the street near something you consider may smell bad? Are there other moments when you almost unconsciously breathe less to avoid something? bring it all to light, notice it.

23.- Clean your tongue with a tongue-scrapper in the morning. It will change your life to notice what gets stuck there, and you may enhance your sense of smell.

24.- Listen to Richard Freeman’s Yoga Breathing

25.- Try a pranamaya preparation exercise like kapalbhati and begin building the number of expulsions you can do per minute. Rejoice in how your mind gets clear after each round. Think quality, not quantity.

26.- Then practice a basic exercise called nadi shodana, which is safe and can help you calm the mind.

27.- Read about pranayama in the HathaPradipika, this is the commetnary that Srivatsa Ramaswami (a student of Krishnamacharya for 30 years) recommends. It has a lot of Sanskrit on the first part. However, if you are more into the “more English” camp, this is the one I read.

28.- If you would like to take a pranayama retreat here are some suggestions:

In Asia there is Paul Dallaghan.

In North America we have Ramaswami, who studied directly with Krishnamacharya and recently in his Facebook page said: “I studied with Sri Krishnamacharya for a number of years. I do not remember a single yogasana class which did not have a decent dose of pranayama and shanukhimudra (pratyahara) in it and short prayers to begin and end the session”

In India there is O.P. Tiwariji, who is elusive to find as he does not have a website (you will have to google him). He is however offering a pranayama teacher training in Mumbai in November and he is also is teaching with Paul, in October (1st to 14) in Thailand. Blessed are you if you can make it to any of these. He will also be giving short workshops in Paris and Taiwan pretty soon.

There are many teachers, make sure to do your research. Look for quality and lineage.

29.- Read about all eight limbs of yoga so you see where pranayama fits into the map, and the territory.

30.- Begin to investigate the concept of bandhas because they are critical when the retention part starts to happen Do you engage mula bandha during your asana practice (tightening of your anus). Begin experimenting with it if you do not already do so. Get used to it. Learn about Uddhyana and Jalandara bandha. All three bandhas are critical for pranayama practices, especially when they get deeper and they involve retention.

31.- The actual pranayama benefits are reaped through the retention of the breath for longer and longer periods of time. However, the retention has to be done in the proper way, engaging all bandhas, following strict rules, in a right sited position and environment. It takes deep care and dedication, but it all begins with noticing the breath.

32.- Read this book. It is the best I have found, and I have read most.

If you follow these suggestions and begin keeping a diary you will become very familiar with the regular, current patterns of your breath.

You will be in tune, and will become a connoisseur of your own breathing. The deeper your awareness the more prepared you are to go deeper into the fourth limb.

May you be successful on the journey.



I found this article (32 Ways to Pay Attention to your Breath) via Elephant Journal
This is a wonderful website. Visit and browse!