tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36860543201832898282022-03-22T14:11:48.779-04:00This blog began as a way of sharing my experiences throughout my yoga teacher training. Since that training has been completed, and I am currently a seminary student. I will continue to chronicle my experiences and share them with you on my yogic journey. Further down the rabbit hole we go.Ellyn McNamarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15217320034777365136noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686054320183289828.post-3303113165702737592021-12-11T07:33:00.001-05:002021-12-11T07:33:14.909-05:00

I was at work while The president of my church (Self-Realization Fellowship) Brother Chidananda began The Lay Disciple Order Inauguration announcement on a live stream. I was counting inventory and practicing the presence of God until at about 10pm. Suddenly I remembered that it was on and I forgot to start streaming from the beginning. I worried that I missed it altogether, but I opened up the

Ellyn McNamarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15217320034777365136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686054320183289828.post-49340560084037495722021-05-31T12:16:00.000-04:002021-05-31T12:16:22.235-04:00

What has blown my mind about the whole Derrick Jackson situation is the willingness of conscious people to  ascribe any portion of blame to DaNaia Jackson for being cheated on. I have heard women and men clown her and denounce the way she dressed (in that Stand By Your Man hostage video). I have seen people say they would cheat too if their wife looked like that. People are equating her

Ellyn McNamarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15217320034777365136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686054320183289828.post-73274236853318071112021-03-19T01:14:00.000-04:002021-03-19T01:14:30.966-04:00

There have been several recent incidents in the media that have me thinking about sincere apologies and patterns of behavior that belie it. Public apologies by public figures should first be to the individual(s) that they’ve wronged. If they first apologize to the public, they need your money or your attention (or both) and chances are, the apology is NOT sincere. We have seen it too many times,

Ellyn McNamarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15217320034777365136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686054320183289828.post-42221945504025986842021-03-07T16:01:00.000-05:002021-03-07T16:02:32.139-05:00

Yesterday I realized after a meditation on love that my ex destroyed my root chakra (figuratively speaking. You cannot destroy a Chakra but you sure can fuck it up). The root is the foundation. She always had to recalibrate me. After every big fight or break up, she wanted to have sex.  She was solidifying the trauma bond at the very root of it all.  Stability, Security, and Sensuality are all

Ellyn McNamarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15217320034777365136noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686054320183289828.post-83675819061610448242021-03-07T15:54:00.000-05:002021-03-07T15:54:41.073-05:00

When I was a massage therapist, I used to say that my work was a one our vacation from my troubles. Each massage I would leave any worries at the door and focus solely on my client. Meditation is that for me. I have been a meditator for more than 20 years and I always learn something new, or go a little deeper with the things that I have learned over the years. When you sit to meditate, consider

Ellyn McNamarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15217320034777365136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686054320183289828.post-81079209662581990842019-04-22T08:08:00.000-04:002019-04-22T08:08:13.911-04:00

So, all the hoopla of Valentines Day is over and we can get back to being normal (whatever that is).  I have never really cared for Valentines Day, not as a teenager nor as an adult. It feels like it's all so contrived.  Do we ever really consider where the tradition comes from anymore?  Or do we just celebrate it because it's a day on a calendar that the world says you must honor as a day for

Ellyn McNamarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15217320034777365136noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686054320183289828.post-26825338055149500792019-04-22T08:06:00.000-04:002019-04-22T08:06:56.775-04:00

Tears scorch flesh Sobs rattle earth in volcanic eruptions Emotional upheavals Gather ocean's waves to form tsunami's wrath Lightening crashes like raindrops on a barren field Nothing remains unscathed

Ellyn McNamarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15217320034777365136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686054320183289828.post-72276042281921272462017-02-24T18:58:00.000-05:002017-05-15T22:56:18.932-04:00

I admit it.  I am not always as diligent about meditating as I'd like to be. In fact, I can honestly admit that I have be a slacker of sorts lately.  But when I do go back to my regular daily practice I feel more at peace, less frustrated, and less easily annoyed by the little annoyances of life. I've been practicing every day, but not nearly as long as I'd like to. With school being in full

Ellyn McNamarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15217320034777365136noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686054320183289828.post-33776867530994624712017-02-23T00:44:00.001-05:002017-05-15T23:01:29.672-04:00

Let me first start by saying that I was not a fan of either party nominee for the election in my country. I was a Bernie Sanders supporter and consider myself a Progressive.  I don't think that the whole of the Democratic party is Progressive.  I think that the party figureheads are comfortable with the status quo and put corporations over people.  I don't think that these people are evil for it

Ellyn McNamarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15217320034777365136noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686054320183289828.post-81891962903300781032016-09-02T11:06:00.004-04:002016-09-02T11:06:36.384-04:00

It's been a while since I have actively written here.  A quick update: I am in seminary right now, busy raising a teenager with ADHD, and looking for meaningful work that doesn't affect my sense of self and negatively impact my emotional wellbeing.  I am in the process of writing more and will be posting a blog within the next few days about the recent goings on. Thank you for those of you

Ellyn McNamarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15217320034777365136noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686054320183289828.post-28521200586652897202015-05-12T00:10:00.000-04:002015-05-12T00:10:21.760-04:00

Ahkiba and I got a new puppy almost three weeks ago.  Our hearts were broken when we got home from work and school today to find Gizmo barely moving and very sick.  Please visit the GoFundMe page to see how you may be able to help Gizmo.  Every little bit counts. Even $1 toward funding his surgery would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for helping our family!

Ellyn McNamarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15217320034777365136noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686054320183289828.post-18591324248386728722013-12-02T16:28:00.003-05:002013-12-02T16:28:56.667-05:00

Say hello to my little friend: Spirit Quartz Crystal Spirit quartz is a lovely little amethyst, though it does come in other varieties, the one I gravitate to is of the amethyst kind.  It has a faint lavender hue.  To hold this stone in the hand is to feel jagged little rocky edges.  The crystals burst forth from this little gem jutting in all different directions.  Amethyst has been one of

Ellyn McNamarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15217320034777365136noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686054320183289828.post-6737358274341632532013-07-05T09:09:00.000-04:002013-07-05T09:10:05.844-04:00

How can we attain inner stillness? The bible says “be still and know that I am God.” That is the key. Right in that truth we have been given the keys to unlock the gate of heaven. But how do we find the correct door that matches the key? What stills the mind so that we can know God? Concentration and meditation. Stillness comes after we have practiced the first two. When we go to

Ellyn McNamarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15217320034777365136noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686054320183289828.post-5135288280616865062013-06-12T11:41:00.000-04:002014-11-29T23:33:41.058-05:00

All of the classes that I have taught have had two things in common.  There have been people in it of all ages and there have been people with injuries or some form of arthritis.  I am guessing most yoga classes have had at least one of those elements in the studio and on the mat.  That being said, I'd like to focus on yoga as a healing modality or at least a way to ease the discomfort of

Ellyn McNamarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15217320034777365136noreply@blogger.com4North End Detroit42.382371 -83.0737tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686054320183289828.post-40716873755208625262013-05-23T16:00:00.000-04:002013-05-23T16:00:33.168-04:00

Thursday's at my job is free yoga.  It is open to the community.  No matter what your practice is, newbie, intermediate, or longtime practitioner, yoga is here for you.   It started when the downturn began with the Michigan economy, as a way to give an hour of solace to those who had suffered job loss due to the auto industry cutbacks, and it has been here to stay ever since.  While our economy

Ellyn McNamarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15217320034777365136noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686054320183289828.post-5059254062323547222013-05-20T11:49:00.000-04:002013-05-20T11:49:02.693-04:00

I want to be real when I write.  I want to be honest and sometimes what that looks like is not.... Well its not all rosy and bright.  After struggling for a time with some things going on with my daughter, I decided to have her "tested".  I wanted to see if there was something going on with her that I couldn't identify.  The problems we were having were not just your average tweenageer growing

Ellyn McNamarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15217320034777365136noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686054320183289828.post-72862607121332586122013-05-16T10:30:00.000-04:002013-05-24T09:36:17.007-04:00

I must admit.  I haven't been feeling very yogic lately.  There has been so much violence it feels like we've been cast into hell on earth.  I'm starting to wonder if this is hell and we are trying to find a way to see our selves out of it. Is this the crux of our mission?  To free ourselves This earth has been feeling like a disaster area as of late.  Mass killings are coming like a flurry,

Ellyn McNamarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15217320034777365136noreply@blogger.com3North End Detroit42.381987 -83.073509tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686054320183289828.post-16010707513412251002013-05-14T12:00:00.000-04:002013-05-15T10:32:03.069-04:00

It's very interesting that in my 10+ years of meditating I've often said that I don't like guided meditations.  I never liked to sit and practice my meditation techniques with someone talking! It was more of a nuisance and hindrance to my practice than it was instructive.   I guess what I never really thought about is the difference between guided meditations and visualizations. When I want to

Ellyn McNamarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15217320034777365136noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686054320183289828.post-85741060665461085902013-05-13T22:18:00.001-04:002013-05-14T06:49:57.825-04:00

Sometimes we become each others mirrors. We reflect beauty, pain, weaknesses, and triumphs!  We see the best and the worst, yet still we love. We see the terribly flawed and the overwhelmingly good. One does not cancel out the other, but acceptance, plus desire and effort to grow seals the bond of love.  That is a place I call home.  When you find that home, what will you do to sustain it?  Will

Ellyn McNamarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15217320034777365136noreply@blogger.com1North End Detroit42.382052 -83.073667tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686054320183289828.post-81656185439324861322013-05-13T10:57:00.000-04:002013-05-13T10:57:22.800-04:00

Lots of people that I know have been complaining about problems with their feet lately.  Whether you are a yogi or not it's important to know about this structure that holds you upright all day long.  This is your foundation.  If there's something going on with the feet it will throw you off balance in other areas.  The feet are affected by the weight we carry and the way we carry our

Ellyn McNamarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15217320034777365136noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686054320183289828.post-75772786485363239302012-10-10T20:07:00.000-04:002012-10-16T14:16:28.061-04:00

Click here to listen to On The Table Episode 1 - Why Yoga_ Michael Rice Interview Listen to our first audio podcast.  Host, Ellyn Gray, explores Yoga with Michael Rice. Michael is a yoga practitioner of more than 3 decades, he teaches free community yoga at Irene's as well as the 16 week series yoga at Irenes.  Together Michael and Ellyn explore yoga, its origins in the west, why

Ellyn McNamarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15217320034777365136noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686054320183289828.post-39268856486356250512012-01-20T15:06:00.000-05:002012-01-21T07:58:44.584-05:00

Inside there is a voice, an inner knowingness that is beyond the mental constructs of the mind. The seer. The watcher. This watcher knows all that is and is to come. Some call this the soul.  It is ever perfect, untainted, pure, beyond concept.  The soul is ever one with all that is.  I think sometimes we get glimpses of the soul.  It can take shape in many different ways. Last year two days

Ellyn McNamarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15217320034777365136noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686054320183289828.post-58677910198569718312012-01-18T06:21:00.000-05:002012-01-23T08:00:40.431-05:00

One Sunday I made it to church very early and had an interesting discussion about God, his role in our lives and why He is not just ever present with us and always taking care of us.  I know that everyone sees and thinks of God in the way that suits their own personal relationship.  And while sometimes I think of God as Mother (most times, because mother is a compassionate loving energy that

Ellyn McNamarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15217320034777365136noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686054320183289828.post-82785880979677908162012-01-16T08:36:00.000-05:002012-01-16T08:36:35.837-05:00

This world is a psych ward.  We are all patients using various medicines & methods to overcome our psychosis. Find the shrink that best suits you and keep using their methods until you free yourself of the mental maladies that ail you.  In time you will have victory.  You will triumph!  If they have found freedom, so can you!

Ellyn McNamarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15217320034777365136noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686054320183289828.post-82469191608778560912012-01-07T10:55:00.001-05:002012-01-07T10:58:43.381-05:00

I admit it. I love shoes. I want more shoes. My favorite kinds of shoes to wear are high heels. The higher the heel the better. I mostly love sexy strappy shoes, but platform shoes, colorful shoes or any kind of shoes, as long as they're stylish will do. I am really attached to high heeled shoes. They are stylish and cute. But my feet don't like them. I've tried; I go to shoe stores and look for

Ellyn McNamarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15217320034777365136noreply@blogger.com0