Strength Receiving

Practice and Life are not that Different

2015-06-20T09:26:00.000-07:00

"Follow your nature.
The practice is really about uncovering your own pose; we have great respect for our teachers, but unless we can uncover our own pose in the moment, it's not practice — it's mimicry.
Rest deeply in Savasana every day. Always enter that pratyahara (withdrawn state) every day.
And just enjoy yourself. For many years I mistook discipline as ambition.
Now I believe it to be more about consistency. Do get on the mat.
Practice and life are not that different." — Judith Hanson Lasater

' break your mothers back'

2015-06-18T15:55:00.000-07:00

Step on a crack- break your mothers back.
I am a living example of this old saying.

Currently not being able to move as well as I would like. Everyday gets better and better but still...I can't do my darn downward dog!

Yoga has many more paths than the physical... but right now I am craving the physical asana of yoga.
And with out the physical makes the mental and spiritual so much harder.

But there is yoga that aides the lower back. Not sure what exactly is ailing me but I am gathering it has something to do with the discs in my lower back. Here are some poses you can do to ease the pain of lower back issues.

Yoga for Slipped Disk

Makarasana (crocodile pose)
Jyestikasana ( superior Pose)
Advasana (Reversed Corpse Pose) & Shavasana (Corpse pose) as resting pose

Stage 2:

Bhujangasana (cobra pose)
Ardha Chakrasana (half-moon pose)
Marjariasana (Cat pose).

I am going back to my room now to practice some of these.
OM

Life supports all of my thoughts- especially when physical Pain arrises.

2015-06-17T15:31:00.002-07:00

Is there a correlation between dis-ease in the body and dis-ease in the mind? Does the thought that orriginates in the mind influence manifestation of physical pain in the body? I think so. Am I a master of this? No. But do I feel this synchornicity? And I do try to incorporate it when healing is needed. Because, for me, healing the emotional issue often translated to a healing in the body. And sometimes vice versa.

When I lived in Chicago, I remember going to Pacific College Scool of Acupuncture. Mainly because there were alot of students there that offered reduced rates for training purposes.
I was also a student so could not afford typical rates. The place was great. Not fancy but lots of bustling energy around with people eager to learn how to heal.
And I needed some healing.
Many issues have plagued me in life but at this point in my journey...the issue was between my mother and I. There is no need to get into the nitty gritty of our issue. Simply, it was causing me alot of anger which affected my stomache. I had a knot in my stomache that ached constantly and kept me clogged up (if you know what I mean). The knot only grew and became more and more painful over time.
A few bottles of fiber and calming tonics along with some other medicinal herbs and frequent colonics- i could not rid myself of the pain. Until... I decided to go get some acupunture. A typical treatment it was but this time the head doctor and teacher treated me; partly to showcase and use me as a teaching vessel for one of his classes but also divinely appointed by God. He spoke about my liver and said many techincal things about my tongue and pulse and then looked me in the eye as he stuck this needle in some point on my hand and said "Forgive"!

Tears welled up in my eyes and I immidately found the mental pain pressure point and knew I had to forgive my mother. In that instant- I did. Not just mentally but that pressure point triggered an emotional release that allowed me to truly heal.

That experience stuck with me for two reasons.
Acupuncture works (will get into that later)
and that mental pains do cause physical pains. Absolutely.

So fast forward 10+ years later and I am still learning how to self heal. What a blessing.

With that said. Its time to heal whats been on my mind lately. BC I have had some physical manefestatinos of pain that have maxed out in their message by debilitating me.
My hips and lower back.
According to Louise Hay and her book. "You can heal your Life"
the mental cause of hip problems is fear of going forward in major decisions. Nothing to move forward to.
And here is the New thought pattern: I am in perfect balance. I move forward in life with ease.

Here is the other issue ailing me. slipped disc. The mental cause is feeling totally unsupported by Life. Indecisive. Positive affirmation is Life supports all of my thoughts; therefore I love and approve of my self and all is well.

Thought these mental diagnosis may sound dramatic. If you can see a tiny bit of truth in them, then you can start to heal by affirming the positive, the opposite.

With the move back to Oklahoma looming... yes many of these thoughts pop up. But luckily I have this secret to help self heal.
BTW I did go to acupuncture today and feel much much better.
Amen to that!

Yoga is not a means to get SOMEWHERE....

2015-06-11T14:32:00.000-07:00

its becoming more and more enjoyable debating my religious friends on this simple subject.

Right where we are- God is.

It is already Given to us.

So stop feeling guilty and start enjoying IT.

'Yoga is not a means to get SOMEWHERE as if you were not SOMEWHERE already. It is your direct and intimate participation with Life.'
Mark Whitwell

Welcome back, ME!

2015-06-11T11:21:00.002-07:00

Welcome back! I am welcoming myself back. I started this blog when I returned from India years ago! I was so inspired and filled with joy and passion and the bhav of India- especially the time spent with my dear teacher Mark Whitwell- so I started a blog to share with the world.

Life happened. And of course, the blog was one of the first things to be forgotten. But I have not forgotten the lessons learned in the holy land of India. In fact, one teacher said something very poignant to me while I was there. He said, all the teachings of India will not make much sense until you go back home. Then you will start to understand all what you gained and learned over here.

Amen to that.

Fast forward about 5 + years and here I am.
Now a mother and a wife. Yoga is stronger and deeper to me now than ever. The birth process was the ultimate expression of yoga for me. We will get into that later.

And talk about the updog and down dog in marriage! Fwew!!! With out yoga I dont think my husband would be alive. Joking! Love my husband, adore my daughter and am grateful that yoga has kept me (somewhat) sane through all of lifes changes.

Heck that is what yoga is. Breathing through the vinyasas of life. Some days you can flow through gracefully and others you cant even catch your breath!

Welcome to my writings on strife, love, loss, motherhood and wifery and the yoga of life!

Indian Balls are so Sweet!

2010-06-02T15:32:00.000-07:00

all waters are holy

2010-06-01T09:05:00.000-07:00

Having been in India for a month and bathing in the holy Ganges River...
it made my think about all waters flowing through our lands...

The Arkansas River of the Mid West, the Hudson River of NY, the Gulf Coast of the South and even little sounds, lakes and streams all over this country...

I came to realize that All Waters are Holy.

Even thought we do not have many people prostrating infront of the Hudson every sunrise and sunset...that doesn't mean that that deep blue cold water of the ancient Hudson River is not blessed with sacred energy, revitalizing currents and glorious animals inhabiting the space.

So my friend, Jeremiah and I decided to bow down to the Hudson.
We were at the Chelsea Piers at sunset , with the view of Jersey across the shore...and we both agreed that all waters are holy. The Ganga flows into the Hudson...

Then sitting at Columbus Circle for an outdoor picnic lunch...I sat next to the water falls and man-made streams circling the seating area. I bowed down to that water and then raised it up to my forehead in honor of its purity and beauty. All waters are holy.

I recently spent the weekend in South Hamptons and was so honored to be on a cliff over looking the gorgeous Atlantic Ocean...blessing it and it blessing me with the sea breeze...
all waters are holy

so today...look in your water bottle and bless your beautiful water!
celebrate your shower!
pay homage to your pasta boiling in the pot of water!
bc

All waters are holy!

My Encounters at the Kumbh: the Gypsies of Rajisathan

2010-05-28T09:17:00.000-07:00

Strength Receiving along the Ganga

2010-05-26T08:21:00.000-07:00

YOU

2010-05-26T08:18:00.000-07:00

"You don't need to find yourself for you never lost yourself" Mark Whitwell

What a powerful statement...meditate on that for the day.

If we were never lost, then what are we searching for?
As Mark and his teachers say, "To merge and to be with our own experience, rather than react, is yoga"

This is the yoga I practice, I teach, I believe.

This is yoga where if all I can do is breath in and out on the subway or in traffic, or maybe before I go to sleep I inhale and exhale my hands above my head and to the floor for a few minutes...then I am yoga.

As Mark says, "All you need to be a yogi(ini) is your body, breath and the beautiful embrace of your own reality"

That sounds like a perfect mixture to me...and something that I can take anywhere I go, for the rest of my life.

So far, it has already impacted my life on a deep level bc there is no excuse that I do not have enough time or money to practice yoga...bc yoga is me, breathing strength receiving.

om shanti

DO even when you don't want to Do it

2010-05-17T08:04:00.000-07:00

What a past few days...
First of all I have had a horrible stomach ache. Its so strange...I was in India for a month and never got sick...and then after eating a vegan pita pocket with an organic salad in NYC...boom! I got food poisoning or something painful and awful.
Doing my yoga was not easy.
So I simply did alot of breathing...deep breathing...a lot of child pose...for a long period of time.
And what did seem to help was leg raises and the Single and Double Wind Relieving poses: Vatayanasana.
This pose gently massages the digestive system and gives relief from excess gas (hence the name of the pose) , stomach and intestines.
basically you lie on your back
inhale and exhale on knee to your chest
pull in the knee to your chest with your hands wrapped around the knee
breath in and out
switch legs
do this four or five times with at least 2 or 4 big breathes while holding the knee to the chest.
Then you can bring both knees to the chest and inhale and exhale for a while.

What a relief!
To find more great releaving yoga poses...check out the book: The Sivananda Companion to Yoga

Om Shanti

Sore!

2010-05-12T16:27:00.001-07:00

I am so sore from yoga class yesterday! I guess you do sometimes work your muscles a little more in class than in your personal practice.
Guess it goes with everything else in my life: have a nice balance of both so you can have the best of both!
hari Om

Yoga Class

2010-05-11T09:54:00.000-07:00

I took my first yoga " class" today... its been over a month.

My personal practice has been so strong and wonderful...that I have not needed to pay to go to yoga. But I decided to go today and wow...it felt amazing!

Usually when you have not been to a class or the gym for a while...its so hard to get back into it...your muscles ache and your mind wanders. But I was in bliss...in a packed room with wonderful people, sharing energy and moving with our breath and the sound of jazz music and Krishna Das...

The whole class was a joy. Even at times when they were moving a little faster than my breath could handle...I slowed down to my own pace and kept the ujjayi breath Mark taught me.

My muscles felt elongated, my breath was deeper, my body was more relaxed, my mind was at peace.

The NOT going to yoga class and practicing my OWN yoga helped so much.

So many people that I talk to about yoga make excuses about how much money yoga classes are in the city or how they don't have time to go...and I keep saying to do your OWN yoga. Take out a few minutes in the am and pm and just do the breathing sequence of lifting the arms up over head and bending forward with the exhale. That's it for now and if that is all they can do then that alone WILL change their life.

I am living proof. Who knows what the future will bring, but right now I am a believer in Marks' promise and I will continue to do my yoga!

om shanti

"Yoga is your direct participation
absorption in the given wonder
the extreme intelligence of life
that is of course in every person
every creature
you can do this
it's not a search
it's not to use the mind
it's not to use the body to try to get somewhere
as if you are not "Somewhere"
as if you are not the full blown wonder of life
dependent on a vast process
for your own existence
so there is a right yoga for you
you learn to do that yoga
and then you too can enjoy this direct absorption
participation in the nurturing force that is life already given to you
you are completely loved
completely loved
you are completely cared for
everybody is completely loved
completely cared for
even if the social conditions are suggesting otherwise
even if your mind doesn't recognize it
by doing your yoga practice on a daily basis
actually and naturally
not obsessively"
-Mark Whitwell http://www.heartofyoga.com/

Jalandhara Bandha

2010-05-10T06:54:00.000-07:00

“Jal” means “Net”, in this case, net of Nadis (energy channels) and the word “Dhar” means “to stop or to hold” the flow of the fluid (Amrit), flowing through the nadis. This bandha is also known as “chin lock”.

Benefits:

Jalandhara Bandha benefits the thyroid and the parathyroid glands.
The pressure on the carotid sinuses facilitates a cranial circulation and helps in lowering the blood pressure.
It has a stimulating effect on the muscles of the throat and improves the blood circulation in that region.
It exercises the neck muscles and stimulates the spinal nerve centres.
It cures many disorders of the throat.

Mark and Me in India. the night of the Kumbha Mela

2010-05-10T06:49:00.000-07:00

Doing my Yoga has already...

2010-05-10T06:45:00.000-07:00

Doing my yoga everyday has already helped my...
aches and pains
mind chatter
breathing
relationships with others
appetite
weight loss
and sense of my self

Its been about a month that I have been doing my yoga everyday now...sometimes for 7 minutes and sometimes for 30 minutes. It starts to feel so good that I do not want to stop.

My routine:
Basically I start standing up, eyes closed, hands down by the thighs.
Inhale my hands up above my head gently touching fingertips and look up at hands
Exhale hands down to touch thighs.
Continue this for at least 3 or 4 breaths...up to as many as you feel.
Really hear the inhale and exhale...to the point that the throat is open and mouth is closed.
Ujjayi Breath

The with the exhale fold down, fingers touching the floor
Inhale all the way back up fingers touching the tips and look up
continue with the breath for as long as you like

Then
Extend one leg forward about 2.5 feet, hips width apart
and inhale your hands to the sky and exhale all the way down so they finger tips are touching the floor
tilt your chin to your chest for Jalandhara Bandha

change legs

rest in childs pose

try this for a few days

It seems that my body is being naturally stretched so that the soreness is released, easily. BC every day and night that I do my yoga, I feel looser and leaner. I have not gone to the gym or eaten more or less. But my body is responding to this deep, conscious breathing..and my heart is responding to this time I am putting in for me.

You try.

From Mark Whitwell:
"The ancient wisdom of yoga teaches that Life is already given to you, you are completely loved, you are here now. It teaches that we are not separate, cannot be separate from nature, which sustains us in a vast interdependence with everything. The universe comes perfectly, and is awesome in its integration and infinite existence. This union is our natural state, this union is Yoga."

The Ups and Downs of Relationships, Literally.

2010-05-03T16:48:00.000-07:00

After returning from my amazing and fullfilling trip to India...the connection with my boyfriend has changed a bit. I feel this is quite natural, especially considering all the life evolving and transforming that went on with in myself in India while he stayed in his everyday life of NYC.
We seemed off. A lot of changes are happening in our lives and we were not communicating very well...to add my jet lag and culture shock of arriving back to the 'in your face' world of America.
So...we debated, argued, listened, cried...and before we were going to head out the door I said, "Drop your bad and take off your shoes". We stood face to face and I lead him in the simple breathing that Mark teaches. Inhale the hands up and above the head and then exhale the hands to namaste/pranam. We did that for a few minutes and then went on to the next step which is the same breathing pattern but this time as we exhale we bend down so our fingers touch the floor. On our inhale we rose to standing, hands above head and exhale we descended our spine, fingers touching the floor. We continued on with this for a few breaths and then finished with chanting to Lakshmi (Om Shreem Sri Hai Namaha) and many moments of silence with our hands in pranam. I opened my eyes and said to him, "Namaste: The light with in me honors the light with in you" and he smiled. Our energy was sealed and all the past and future dissipated into the heartspace NOW.
Om Shanti!

In me As me

2010-05-02T04:22:00.000-07:00

"Nurturing source reality is appearing in you as you" -Mark Whitwell http://thepromise.com/

Since I have been taking out a few minutes in the morning, evening and night to do my yoga...I have found this quote to be true.

It might be too deep or even too trivial to explain. All I know is that since I have been choosing to take time out of my days to spend in my own breath, touching my feet and belly, closing my eyes and listening to the sound of nothingness while i flow in the strength receiving cycle of this yoga...I have been nurturing my Self...in me as me.

So far so good

The Promise

2010-05-01T22:12:00.000-07:00

From the day I met Mark Whitwell a few years ago in LA and having recently spent a few weeks in India with him...he continues to promise me that if I practice my yoga for 7 minutes a day for 3 months...my life will change for the better through creating intimacy with my Self. What does all of this mean?

I spent 2 weeks in India with some beautiful strangers, now friends...and our hearts were open to receive Mark's teachings. Though his teachings are quite simple..they are also complex. That is why I will be having some of the other students and teachers share their experiences on this blog as well. The day to day quests and questions of 'this Promise'...

Here we start.