Yoga Emerge with Amy Patee

My blog has moved!

noreply@blogger.com (amypatee) — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 18:02:00 +0000

Greetings Folks!

I will be continuing to blog via my own website, www.amypatee.com, come and see me there!

In light and love,
Amy Patee
www.amypatee.com

Yoga...It’s about the journey, not the destination

noreply@blogger.com (amypatee) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:28:00 +0000

I hear time and time again from my students things like, “I’ve been practicing yoga for 6 months and I still can’t reach my toes.” Or, “When I do wheel pose my arms won’t extend straight.” And, “I can’t get my heels to the floor in downdog yet, what’s wrong with me?”

My answer to them in every case is, “It’s about the journey, not the destination”.

Let me clarify. Many people believe that to be a successful yogi you must be able to perform all of the yoga postures perfectly. And that in doing so, they will be “good”, “enlightened”, or “better off than when they started”. The truth is however, is that yoga asana practice is a means to increasing body awareness so you can begin to get in touch with your inner experience of feeling, thinking, and being. Additionally, as you perform the various asanas you encourage balance in your body and mind. This balanced state of being allows you to sit and meditate with ease. Meditation is also a yogic practice; it’s just not as popular right now!

When you let go of the idea that there’s a final destination that you’re working towards in your asana practice, then what? Your goal-oriented self may feel bored, uninterested, or just plain old confused about the purpose of practicing at all. The part of you that’s addicted to “doing” may be nauseated with the idea of “being”. But, I guarantee, as you surrender your need to “get someplace” you will discover greater depth in your practice and within yourself that is very intriguing. When you make this jump, you are truly beginning your yogic journey inward and neither your practice nor your life will ever be boring again.

Let me help you make this jump. Apply these suggestions to your practice.

1. Begin by establishing healthy “outer” alignment.
“Outer” alignment teaches you how to execute a pose. It tells you to align your knee over your ankle and your hands in line with your shoulders. This allows you to embrace the general shape or outline of a pose safely and with ease. You must begin here if you are new to the practice and/or learning a new pose. While you will be engaged in a degree of “doing” as you establish your outer alignment, it provides the necessary structure for you to go deeper into the subtler realms of sensations, feelings, and thoughts.

"Outer" alignment may be assisted by using props and modifications to make the pose fit your unique body.

2. Breathe, relax, feel
Once you’ve struck a pose, breathe. Relaxed breathing in and out through the nose coincides with a relaxed body. Being relaxed does not infer you are collapsed or not-working. It simply means you have discovered a balance of effort and ease or strength and softness all at once. When you are breathing easily and are relaxed in your body you can feel more easily what’s happening inside yourself. This is where you want to get to.

3. Realign or adjust yourself from a place of “inner” body awareness
As you begin to feel your body from the inside-out you will become more aware of where you are misaligned. “Outer” alignment will only get you so far. Even if your knee looks perfectly aligned to the external eye, the intricate work of the muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, and nerves beneath the skin may be telling another story. When you are in a feeling-mode during asana practice, your sensitivity to how your inner body is working becomes more apparent. You can fine-tune each position more accurately from moment-to-moment-to-moment.

Alignment is not a set equation. It is an ongoing process which requires constant dialogue between the body, mind, and breath. When these three merge, the experience of spirit surfaces; I call this Ultimate Alignment.

When you experience Ultimate Alignment, you may feel immense peace, a sense of expansiveness, a deep connection to everyone and everything, and always, a quality of ‘being love’. Ultimate Alignment reveals to you your inherent state of wholeness.

Ultimate Alignment will surprise you when you least expect it. Rather than seeking it out, stay engaged consciously in the process of breathing, relaxing, and feeling. Ultimate Alignment will emerge more and more frequently as you cultivate greater and greater presence in the moment.

4. Work your edge
When you perceive a yoga posture as a destination, you arrive, set up camp, and then, often times, check out until the teacher guides you into the next pose.

However, when a yoga pose is approached as a journey, there is never a dull moment. Rather than becoming bored, you constantly “work your edge” to keep your mind’s attention enthralled with what’s happening inside of yourself.

Can you go deeper or stretch further? Can you release or relax more? Can you continue to breathe easily as you do this? Have you stopped yourself short because you “think” you can’t go any further? Are you scared of pushing yourself to find out? Do you feel uncomfortable emotions surfacing? Do you let yourself feel them or distract yourself by moving and/or thinking about something else?

“Working your edge” does not necessarily mean stretching as deeply as you can. And, it definitely does not mean pushing through painful sensations. When you “work your edge” you are engaging intensely with yourself: feelings, sensations, and thoughts. In simpler terms, you are challenging yourself to remain present to what is.

5. Be confident and stay humble.
Even if you completely accept the fact that yoga practice is about the journey not the destination, that doesn’t mean you can’t ever relish in finally being able to touch your toes or having mastered a new posture. It can feel great to witness your own growth on any level: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.

At the same time, let your new found confidence be equally matched with a degree of humbleness. Be thankful for the practice, your body’s ever increasing vitality, the breath, your mind, and the teachings. There is still much more to discover, I promise!

6. Have fun!
Your essential nature is one of bliss. If your yoga practice is always serious and intense, lighten up! Although yoga can provide you with quiet, inward time that you desperately need in your life, remaining light-hearted about it all is good for your soul! Laugh at yourself, smile, and have fun!

May your yogic journey be blessed with many twists and turns. May your heart be light, may you experience Ultimate Alignment, and may you know the magnificent being that you are!

In light and love,
Amy Patee
www.amypatee.com

What’s causing my pain and how can I heal it?

noreply@blogger.com (amypatee) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:06:00 +0000

Looking beneath the radar for answers….

We all suffer from pain. Maybe it’s a sore shoulder that’s got your attention, a gut ache, or an all-consuming sadness. Whether physical or emotional, pain can keep us from living our lives to the fullest and experiencing our innate sense of wholeness and feeling of well-being.

Sometimes we are in pain for obvious reasons like stubbing our toe, getting a paper cut, or having a loved one pass away. But the source of our pain can also be elusive or what I like to call “beneath the radar”. As a yoga teacher, I often hear from students about their physical aches and pains. Yet, almost always, there is no knowledge of why they are hurting. They may guess it to be the result of an old injury, general weakness, or simply getting old. But, when I tune into their pain, another story is revealed. You could say that I’m seeing “beneath their radar” and what I often discover is that the root of their pain is patterns of negative thinking and feeling.

This, of course, makes complete sense when you understand that the body and the mind are intimately woven together. The body is tangible, physical, and easy to touch, feel, and see. The mind, on the other hand, which encompasses our feelings and thoughts, is much more subtle. Because of this, the body often becomes the messenger of bad news. That is, the news our minds have selectively attempted to forget, ignore, repress, or hide.

Amazingly, I have watched chronic pain, both in myself and my students and clients, disappear for good when the underlying emotional-mental fracture has been brought into the light.

Do you have a nagging pain that limits you in some way? Let me walk you through some simple steps that you can do to get in touch with the source of your pain and create true healing on all levels. Incorporate these suggestions during your next yoga practice and let me know what you discover.

1. Realize that your body and mind are connected.
If you are not convinced of this, it will obviously be difficult to uncover the underlying negative emotions or thought patterns wreaking havoc on your health.

2. Consciously make a body-mind connection
Lucky you, every yoga class facilitates this! All you need to do to make a body-mind connection is to bring your attention and/or awareness to your body. Bringing awareness to your breath as it moves in and out of your body is also useful. As you do so, tune into any sensations occurring and feelings that are flowing.

Some people will have an easier time doing this than others. If you struggle connecting to your feelings or sensing your body, be patient with yourself and keep practicing. Yoga asana is a superb tool for increasing body awareness. With consistent practice you will “thaw out” your numb spots and begin to feel more and more alive and connected to your body.

The ultimate aim is to be able to “live from your center”. This means you are engaged with the outer environment but deeply tuned in to your inner environment at the same time. You maintain your body-mind connection throughout all aspects of your life.

3. Shine the light of your awareness upon your pain
While you are practicing maintain an awareness of the part of your body in pain. Breathe into it and observe how it is impacted by the different postures. Realize at first glance, you’re not seeing the whole picture. There may be a blind-spot obstructing your line of vision and keeping you from discovering the source of your pain.

The light of your consciousness, however, can illuminate those dark areas to help you see more clearly. Go into the pain, let yourself feel it, accept it, be curious about it, and interested in it. Notice what you are telling yourself about the pain. Understand that the story is not the result of the pain; the pain is the result of the story (I guarantee, some rendition of it has been around for a long, long time). It is our minds that program the physical body. Most importantly, maintain your body-mind connection and be open to realizing the truth.

4. Accept and then eliminate any negative energies you discover
As you penetrate your pain with your awareness you may discover tremendous feelings of sadness or anger. You may even remember an old traumatic experience and realize you do not feel resolved about it. Accept what is. It is our tendency to push away what doesn’t feel good, but as you’ve learned, this does not “fix” any problems. Sooner or later, the body will express any old hurts so they can be addressed. With acceptance, most emotions will run their course unimpeded and simply release. This happens fairly quickly. However, when extreme amounts of negativity have been accumulated (which is not uncommon) I recommend utilizing a clearing technique to help eliminate the excess. One really effective approach that I use can be read about here.

5. Seek further assistance. Sometimes we need a guide to show us the way
If after exploring the above steps you have no “break-throughs” I highly recommend seeking the help of a healer and/or guide of some sort. It is no easy task to see through your own blind-spots (they’re called this for a reason!).

If you live in the Minneapolis area feel free to contact me to learn more about my Energy Work sessions. I specialize in uncovering people’s blind-spots and have over 10 years of experience working in-depth with the physical and energetic bodies. Read more here.

We are meant to live joyfully in our bodies. When this is not the case, we don’t have to accept it and just settle for a life of pain. The body never lies. It is always communicating to us whether we are living in alignment with our essential state of wholeness or not. When we feel pain, the body is simply saying, “You’ve disconnected from your state of wholeness, please look at this so it can be resolved and you can come back into alignment.” Making a body-mind connection is crucial. Listening is key. From there, the truth will unfold and you can once again experience your innate sense of well-being: physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

Thanks for reading! Please leave any comments and/or questions.
In light,
Amy Patee
www.amypatee.com

Getting Comfortable with the Uncomfortable

noreply@blogger.com (amypatee) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 22:19:00 +0000

Spending time on your yoga mat may be an ideal way to stretch your tight muscles, strengthen your body, and relax your mind. But there is so much more to gain from your practice, especially if you begin to consciously bring what you do on your mat to the rest of your life.

I want to invite you to explore a practice that I’ve been working with over the last several weeks. I call it “getting comfortable with the uncomfortable”.

Most experiences we have (both on our yoga mat and off) are pleasurable or not. What feels good to us we accept and often times, seek out and attempt to hold on to for as long as possible. When something doesn’t feel good to us we push it away, ignore or attempt to avoid it, or try to eliminate it as soon as possible. Sometimes this act of resisting takes the form of judgment.

For example, in yoga class your teacher may guide you into a posture that you find extremely challenging. As you approach the pose you are filled with anger at the teacher for “pushing everyone too hard” or for making yoga into “a game of who’s strongest”. The truth is however, the teacher is simply instructing the class through a variety of postures. You most likely find the pose difficult and possibly feel less-than your fellow yogis for not being able to perform it as well as them. The story that you are telling yourself (in the form of judgment) is how you avoid taking responsibility for your own “bad” feelings.

Not everyone resorts to judgment all of the time. We can deal with non-pleasure inducing postures by taking a water break or going to the bathroom. Another commonly employed distraction is picking the lint off your yoga mat or staying in the pose, but completely collapsing and checking out.

Funny thing is, as soon as the “bad” pose ends and a pose we have deemed “good” is executed we’re happy again, life is great, and our teacher is once again our favorite.

The same thing occurs in life. Things are going our way and we feel great! Something “bad” happens and we feel awful. Some people may have very little awareness of the “bad” times because at the first hint of pain they run so fast they don’t even realize what propelled them to do so. While they may avoid being uncomfortable in the moment, they may also miss out on a lot of meaningful life experiences. Others linger in the “bad” feelings for way to long because they think that’s their only option. In this case, the person may appear to be very skilled at “getting comfortable with the uncomfortable”, but that’s not really what’s occurring. When one truly gets comfortable with the uncomfortable a state of contentment, or santosha, arises. Usually, in this moment, “bad” feelings dissipate and faith in the divine plan dominates. The situation may still be the same, but your state of being in relationship to it has changed.

Next time you step onto your mat experiment with “Getting Comfortable with the Uncomfortable” using these suggestions. Apply them in your day-to-day life as well and notice how Santosha/contentment increases.

First of all, make a commitment to realize your emotional self.

Everyone is meant to experience a range of emotions which you can essentially plug into two categories: “good” and “bad”. All emotions are valuable resources that we’ve been given. They inform us about what we like, dislike, and basically, what we believe.

You may feel like you are ruled by your emotions. Or, maybe you feel disconnected to your feelings and more “up in your head”. Regardless of your tendencies, being able to realize this aspect of yourself that is emotional can be liberating. Stepping back to recognize how you are feeling can help you release any identification you may have with your emotional state affording you greater objectivity about the moment. Additionally, if you don’t feel easily, choosing to realize this part of yourself is all it takes to wake up your emotional body.

Make it a daily practice to check-in with yourself about how you are feeling

in the morning when you awake
mid-day
at night when you retire
anytime you feel triggered in a negative way

Take a few breaths and receive the information your emotional body is offering you.

On your yoga mat, engage in a similar practice. Acknowledge your emotional state of being at the beginning of practice, somewhere in the middle, and at the end of your practice. If a pose has brought buried emotions to the surface or something the teacher says triggers you, check in then as well.

Acceptance.

When you are experiencing an emotion, embrace it. I have found it especially useful to say to myself, “I’m really angry right now, and that’s ok”. Depending on the intensity of my emotion I may need to add, "no one's going to die", or something along those lines.

No emotion is inherently good or bad. In essence they are simply energies moving through us informing us about our perceived reality.

Get Comfortable with the Uncomfortable

This step occurs simultaneously with step #2. After you have acknowledged what you are feeling (step 1) and have admitted to yourself that that is ok, any “bad” feelings lose their power. Suddenly you have become comfortable with what was making you uncomfortable. You have discovered Santosha or Contentment. And with this comes a sense of great freedom.

When I feel contentment I know deep in my being that everything is going to be ok. I realize that I’m not going to die, life will continue to go on, and I also remember that it will only be a matter of time before change occurs and this “moment” will then be a past memory stored away in my mind.

Have fun exploring! Let me know if you have any questions and please share any comments!

In light,

Amy Patee

www.amypatee.com

Yoga for a Strong Core

noreply@blogger.com (amypatee) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 20:17:00 +0000

Take advantage of these special classes and offerings that focus specifically on the core!
Everything held at One Yoga Studio unless otherwise noted.
Core Strength Yoga Class, Wednesdays, 10:45-11:45am, Ongoing/Drop-in
Master Class—The Core, Saturday, January 30, 3:00-5:00, Preregister to reserve your spot
Special Class—Uddiyana Bandha for Core Strength, Sunday, January 31, 6:00-7:15pm, Drop-in
Yoga for a Strong Core Teacher Training Level 1: Power in the Pelvic Floor, Dates TBA

My mission as a yoga teacher is to help people connect to the truth of who they are. This is my personal quest as well, to know who I really am—and to live from this place of authenticity.

Inspired by this mission, I find that my focus in teaching is to get people to go inside of themselves. The entry point is the body and the way in is to begin feeling. But, as a species, we have become so disconnected. Being up in our heads all the time, our bodies tend to feel numb and/or way over-stimulated. So much so, that being in them is difficult and uncomfortable.

The beauty of yoga is that this disconnect to our body is taken into consideration. The practice of asana (postures) works to return the attention of our mind, which is also our energy and power, to the sacred domain of ourselves.

As the body starts to move through unfamiliar and possibly challenging positions, a connection must be made between the body and the mind. This can be painful, irritating, uncomfortable, and disorientating. When we are vacant from our body for long periods of time, other negative energies tend to accumulate. Often, these energies are unresolved emotions that if left unprocessed, can wreak havoc on our health and peace of mind. These are the underlying energies that contribute to diseases like cancer. Moving, feeling, and paying attention to the body means getting in touch with these energies so they can be resolved and cleansed from the body.

I refer to this period as the “thawing out stage”. If you’ve ever been frost-bitten you’ll understand this analogy. Once the body thaws, greater sensitivity is achieved. You will find you can feel your body so much more. You may have profound breakthroughs in regards to your range of motion or your ability to perform a posture you could not do before. You become more present.

Once people have made it through the first thaw, my aim is to help them go deeper to their very core. The physical core of the body, once penetrated, opens doorways to the subtle world of energy which is what yoga is all about—bringing us back to our energetic essence.

The physical structures of the core are the pelvis and spine along with their deeper musculature, the “corset” of musculature surrounding the mid section of the body, the internal organs, nervous system, and the endocrine glands. These anatomical places offer a tangible reference point to help anchor the mind inside our physical center.

As we connect to these deep physical structures within, we get closer to our energetic reality and expansive states of mind are accessed. This is where immense creativity and limitless energy are found. Many people will experience their chakras clearly when they arrive within this inner space.

To help you more fully enter the sacred domain of your personal core, try these things during your next yoga practice. Teachers, guide your students inward using these ideas.

1. Create an intention to connect to your core self.
Intention is everything. You can take a class at a health club and spend a whole hour working your “core” but that does not mean you will arrive at the truth of who you are. An intention aligns your mind with your actions and helps you arrive at the destination you desire. Be clear with yourself what your aim is and the end goal you wish to achieve.

2. Center yourself and check in—Sift through the layers of your physical reality.
As you dive deeper into yourself make sure you pause long enough at each border of your physical reality to breathe and just be.

Be aware of and feel the space around your body. The boundaries of the room you are practicing in or the four corners of your yoga mat are sufficient borders to reference.
Be aware of and feel your skin/outer shell of your body. Acknowledge the space you physically occupy. Visualize yourself, but then try to feel yourself—your skin. Do a once over of your body by stroking the skin with your hands. This can awaken the skin’s sensory nerves and sensitize you to your outer body casing.
Be aware of and feel your muscles/tissues, bones, organs. Go deeper into your physical self and explore what your capacity is to feel these structures. Notice if emotions arise that you would rather not feel or if the mind distracts you away from yourself as you move further inward.

3. Be aware of and feel the breath’s movement through your inner-body chambers
Deep breathing naturally creates movement throughout the whole core of the body. However, you can also regulate the breath and direct its movement to instigate specific effects. Imagine your breath is like a flashlight. Breathe in and shine the light of your breath and awareness around your inner core space. Visualize it first, and then try to feel it.

Pelvis
Abdomen
Ribcage
Neck
Head

4. Make your navel center home-base for the attention of your mind
Explore moving from your center. With your focus on your navel, initiate all of your movements into and out of every yoga pose from this place. Experiment and note the impact it has on your body and state of mind.

5. Establish inner body connections in every yoga pose
Lastly, once your navel has directed you into a pose and you are steady and stable begin to make inner body connections between your home-base and your periphery. As if you are playing a good game of “connect the dots” start to internally “see” and “feel” the head connecting to your navel, as well as your hands, feet, and tailbone. Every pose will become a unique expression of your own inner starfish. Physical integration and connection supports a feeling of wholeness in the mind. Additionally, linking up the energy of your core with the periphery of your body invites your authentic self to emerge in the outer world!

Have fun exploring. Please leave any questions and/or comments you may have.

And, be sure to check out my Core offerings listed at the top of this blog!

In light,
Amy Patee
www.amypatee.com

Practicing and Teaching Yoga--Mind Awareness

noreply@blogger.com (amypatee) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 02:19:00 +0000

The following post is an excerpt and/or summary from my forthcoming book: Teaching Yoga—A Definitive Guide.

Body, breath, and mind awareness—I consider the cultivation of these three things fundamental to the practice and attainment of yoga. When you gain awareness of all three, in the moment, you place yourself (sometimes unknowingly) in your center where you align with your soul or essential self.

At first, when this alignment occurs you may have a euphoric feeling. You could feel extremely peaceful, joyful, and in-love with yourself, others, and life. At the same time, this alignment can leave you feeling emotionally overwhelmed or nauseous. You see, our essential self vibrates intense bliss; much different than any bliss that we experience in our regular day-to-day life. When you align with your essential bliss, the potency of the experience burns away impurities--or anything that does not align with that vibration of truth. For most all of us, we have accumulated a lot of impurities. Therefore, the ecstasy of union/yoga is often a “good pain” or a “hurt so good” kind of feeling.

For example, many years ago I was going through a deeply profound healing process within myself. I was practicing a vigorous form of yoga on a daily basis. Most of my practice sessions would last from 2 to 3 hours! I would sweat a tremendous amount and feel light and spacious at the end of practice. One day, however, as I rested in savasana, completely “spent” from the rigors of my practice I went into an altered state. A vision came to me. I saw my entire body engulfed in the color red and I experienced an extremely deep state of inner peace and contentment that I had never felt before. Slowly the vision dissipated and I got up to attend to the rest of my day.

A few hours later after relaxing and reading I stood up and stretched my body and yawned. Suddenly, I started to sob uncontrollably. My whole body cried for over an hour. As I sobbed I heard an inner voice coming through that said, “Everything is already ok. Everything is already ok.” These words became like a mantra in my head as many veils over my eyes were lifted. I saw for the first time consciously, an aliveness that penetrated everything around me. I remember staring at my plants, touching their leaves, and continuing to sob over the fact that they too were alive, like me.

As you can see, although I was experiencing a euphoric and expanded state of being, I was also feeling a tremendous amount of pain. Through alignment with my true self I could see all the ways I had been misaligned and it hurt! All the years of disconnect, all the years of forgetting, all the pain from being separated from my most beloved Self. It was a “good pain”.

So, when considering the topic of Mind Awareness, I want you to understand that discomfort is natural and should be expected. It is within the realms of the mind where all the big stuff happens. It is the mind that programs your physical body, the flow of your breath and energy, and it is the mind that underlies your emotional states of being. If you can become the master of your mind you are enlightened.

Most people are working on the physical body (annamaya kosha) and energetic/breath body (pranamaya kosha) in their yoga practice. This definitely impacts the realm of the mind (manomaya kosha and vijnanamaya kosha), but the impact won’t be permanent until the body, breath, and mind are all equally viewed with conscious awareness. This is when true change occurs. This is when self-realization happens.

Exploring the realm of the mind is advanced work in many respects. For instance, in Raga or 8-limbed Yoga, the body and breath are first tamed and regulated before the practice of meditation is encouraged. In meditation one becomes very intimate with the workings of the mind. At this level, you are learning to really master your attention or energy and become the commander of your own self and life.

Our minds are amazing tools we have been gifted with. But, when we lack awareness of them, they can be infiltrated with immense darkness that stands in our way from living in alignment with our soul. Gaining mastery of the mind will require you to face the darkness that lurks there. Again, this can be equated to the “hurt so good” feeling. Gaining awareness of your mind will transform your entire life. But gaining awareness of how you have allowed your mind to control you in many negative ways may be painful—but liberating. Are you willing to go for it? Do you want to become enlightened and learn to be the master of yourself and your life?

If so, here are a few ways to cultivate awareness of your mind in your yoga practice and/or in your teaching.

1. Hold the intention to know the truth of who you really are.
Believe it or not, very few of us really understand the potential we carry within ourselves. Instead, we believe ourselves to be who we’ve been told we are by various “authority” figures, including parents, teachers, the government, and society at large. I consider myself a seeker. I strongly believe there is more to discover, more to know, more to embody; and I want it. Do you? If so, consider the idea that you don’t know yourself yet and hold the intention that you want to.

Teachers, as a spiritual guide to your students, you have the ability to facilitate awareness and promote personal and global evolution! This is exciting and a gift. How do you want to use it? Educating your students about their Whole Self is key. Let them know, there is more to discover about themselves and yoga is one way of getting there. Suggest the idea that the happiness they experience in their life now is only 20% of the happiness that is available to them. Can you even imagine this? It is the truth. Encourage your students to embrace the intention “to know the truth of who they really are”.

2. Ask why.
To begin exploring the mind you must begin to question it versus just accepting everything it thinks! The best place to start is when you are faced with something that makes you uncomfortable. Instead of settling, instead of just accepting what is, ask why.

For instance, in yoga practice, your mind proclaims “handstand isn’t for me” and you sit that pose out and sulk because it looks like so much fun. Ask why! This is when things get juicy. Maybe your mind tells you “because you are weak” or “because you weigh too much” or “because you’re not talented enough” or “because you are scared of failing”. Whatever the answer is, do you believe it? Is it true? Why is it true? Why do you have to believe it? Like I mentioned earlier, darkness lurks in the mind and works to keep us disempowered and victims to our own lives. Whatever you are experiencing in life, don’t let your mind make up its mind without your conscious approval! Ask why!

When you are teaching challenge your students to gain discernment of their mind’s unauthorized authority over everything. When a student says, “I’m just too weak to do that pose” show them the way. Help them start small to build the strength they may need. Or, bust through their mind’s illusions and support them in possibly trying something for the first time. For me, these are often the most satisfying teaching moments . . . a student’s exhilaration after turning upside down for the very first time or reaching their toes when they believed it would never be possible. Don’t let them be a victim to their mind’s preconceived notions about what is and isn’t possible. The sky’s the limit!

3. Learn to simply observe your mind
In addition to dialoguing and/or questioning your mind’s programming, learning to simply sit back and observe the chatter is useful as well. What story is the mind currently engaging in?

I think of the domain of the mind as a giant library filled with millions of books. In any given moment the mind has hundreds, maybe even thousands of books open, reading and acting out overlapping stories all at once! It’s exhausting; which is why we remain unconscious to most of the chatter. But, becoming conscious of it empowers us. Instead of letting the story be our reality, we can see it as it really is, a story. At the same time, we gain the power to change the story to something that may suit us better.

As a teacher, I like to offer periods of silence during class, sometimes I will interject during a quiet moment with, “what story are you telling yourself right now?” And then I guide them back to the breath and the sensations in the body. Additionally, I offer short meditations, usually at the end of class when the body is more able to sit comfortably. Sometimes I offer meditations that work to train the mind into silence, such as focusing on the breath. But, other times, I just invite students to sit and be and just observe what is.

It can take a while before one realizes how much is going on in the mind! But, if adequate body and breath awareness have been cultivated, the realm of the mind will become more conscious.

Have fun exploring! I welcome any comments . . . until next time. . . Be the best person you can be!

In light and love,
Amy Patee
www.amypatee.com
www.youtube.com/amypatee
www.facebook.com/amypateeyoga

Teaching Yoga: Breath Awareness

noreply@blogger.com (amypatee) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 20:51:00 +0000

In the last few blogs I have been sharing with you a foundational approach to teaching and practicing yoga that involves cultivating awareness of the body, breath, and mind.

All yoga, no matter what the “style” or “tradition”, facilitates the development of these three things. Together they help anchor us in the moment and become intimate with ourselves.

What I have discovered through personal practice and in my teaching is that there can be an over-emphasis on the practice itself—the attainment of postures, the mastery of breath control techniques, and/or a successful meditation practice. It is an illusion that if we just perfect the postures, become more flexible, breathe just right, or sit for a whole hour in meditation, then we will be enlightened, then we will be “good enough” and deemed a real Yogi. However, when you stop focusing on whether or not you can touch your toes yet you free up your attention to be redirected inward where you then can begin to engage with your self—body, breath, and mind—in an enlightened way filled with awareness.

The next time you come to your mat ask, “May the practice of yoga help me understand the deep internal workings of my Self. May I become aware of my body. May I become aware of my breath. May I become aware of my mind. May I know my True Self through this cultivation of awareness.”

Breath Awareness

In my last blog I discussed how the development of Body Awareness is a key ingredient necessary for the experience of Yoga to occur. Today I’ll be discussing Breath Awareness, ingredient number two.

In yoga philosophy the breath or Pranamaya Kosha is seen as the second layer of the ego-self that must be illuminated for yoga to be attained and our true self to be discovered.

Breathing is a physical act. I remember when I first began yoga when the teacher would ask for us to follow the breath I would mentally say to myself, “breathing in, breathing out”. I was so disconnected from my body that it did not occur to me that it was my body that was actually doing the breathing. I was thinking about the process as it was happening, but I was, at the time, incapable of feeling it and thus being in my body.

Remembering this first experience and my gradual learning and embodiment of my self—body, breath, and mind, I would like to share with you a few ways to invite more breath awareness into your practice and/or teaching.

1.Feel the primary pathway of the breath.
As a teacher it can be helpful to realize that many yoga students (especially beginning students) have limited body-breath awareness. If you ask them to follow, notice, or be aware of their breath it is hard to say how they will interpret this. They may simply “think” their way through the practice. Providing your students with physical “breathing” landmarks can take them deeper inside their body and help them begin to expand their awareness. Try these examples. Use the word feel to elicit embodiment of the process versus the intellectualizing of it.

*The nose – tip and nostrils

*The windpipe

*The lungs – bottom to top, front to back, side to side

*Thoracic Diaphragm

Focus on just one area asking your students to feel the movement of the breath there or guide them in letting their attention travel with the breath along the entire path from nose to thoracic diaphragm on the inhalation and thoracic diaphragm to nose on the exhalation. This can be a stand-alone practice done while sitting or in savasana or it can be explored in any yoga asana.

2. Feel the secondary pathway of the breath.
More experienced students can be guided in feeling the secondary pathway of the breath. This pathway includes any movement that occurs throughout the body and energy field outside of the primary pathway (nose, windpipe, lungs, and diaphragm). Some areas to consider are:

*Belly

*Spine

*Pelvis

*Legs

*Arms

*Head

A good starting point for beginners is to feel the movement of the breath down in the belly. Asking students to place their hands on their belly can reinforce body awareness and help to get their attention anchored inside. Instruct them to feel the belly expand into their hands on their inhalation and to feel their belly withdraw from their hands on their exhalation.

3. Utilize different instructional words for breathing and begin to note how they impact your practice and/or your students experience.
As a yoga teacher you may find yourself saying time and time again, “Take a deep breath”. While there is nothing wrong with this, I encourage you to define for yourself what it means to you. Once you are clear, share this with your students and allow it to morph and change as your level of embodiment and body-breath awareness deepens. People take deep breaths in a variety of ways and depending on an individuals life experiences taking a deep breath may actually be stress-inducing. Try utilizing these different instructions to invoke greater overall breath awareness.

*Take a deep breath

*Take a relaxed breath

*Receive the breath

*Drink in the breath

*Be breathed

*Breathe into the bottom of your lungs

*Breathe out until you feel an internal squeeze

Happy Exploring! I welcome any comments and/or questions you may have.

Next blog post I will be detailing the last foundational ingredient of yoga—mind awareness.

Teaching Yoga: Body Awareness

noreply@blogger.com (amypatee) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:15:00 +0000

Over the next couple of months my blogging will be focused on the topic of “Teaching Yoga” and is especially geared towards Yoga Teachers. However, any person interested in self-growth and/or a regular student of yoga should not hesitate to read further. Looking through the lens of a teacher (of any subject) can be illuminating and enlightening. Enjoy!

All of the topics to follow are excerpts and/or summaries from my forthcoming book: Teaching Yoga—A Definitive Guide.

In my last Blog I outlined three fundamental ingredients essential to the experience of Yoga.

They are:
Body Awareness
Breath Awareness
Mind Awareness

When these three things are cultivated something special happens. You become present. Presence is the seed that springs forth yoga. Yoga is an experience of Ultimate Truth.

If you break down any tradition, practice, or style of yoga these three things lie at the foundation. Although they are often covered up with fancy words, elaborate practices, and other distractions of the 21st Century Yogi.

When you begin to shift your intention, as a practitioner and/or teacher, to the cultivation of these three foundational ingredients YOU begin to arrive. Instead of doing Triangle pose, you BEcome triangle. This occurs because you are not focused on how the pose “looks” or the outer shape but rather how it feels. Every pose then becomes a different expression of the self—body, mind, and breath. When you realize this you realize the Self and it is quite amazing.

In yoga philosophy the body, annamaya kosha (veil or sheath) is often perceived as the first and densest layer of the self that must be illuminated on the journey inward. Most yoga classes today are working on this layer of discovery.

Teachers--Here are three simple ways to actively facilitate Body Awareness in your yoga classes. Try them out in your practice as well and notice the impact on your overall state of being.

1.Encourage being in the feeling mode.
As a teacher a certain amount of your verbal script must address how to “do” the pose. This is especially the case in beginner classes where new students have no asana knowledge. However, a posture can usually be executed with about three or four instructions. Once the basic outline of the posture is established (don’t expect perfection!) guide your students to feel.

2.Give reference points for feeling
The action of feeling is much different than stretching, reaching, pushing, relaxing, etc. To feel is to openly allow yourself to experience “what is” in the moment, in your body. Although it is an action, it is a “being” action versus a “doing” action.

To get students into their bodies and out of their heads you must invite them to feel. But it is extremely helpful to offer specific guidance as to what they should feel. Our bodies tend to have numbs spots that our nervous system avoids interaction with. It is these areas that hold the potential to awaken us from our dormant lapse of true self knowledge.

Reference points for feeling can reinforce outer alignment, but from an inner place. Here is one point to explore. Focus on it throughout an entire class (or practice) and note the effects.

Feel the foundation—the foundation of any pose has the ability to create steadiness and alignment throughout the rest of the body or not. Often times our foundation is skewed. This can create serious distortion throughout our body that causes imbalances that lead to injuries and chronic pain.

One of the most basic ways to cultivate awareness of the foundation of a pose is to actively explore how weight is shifting down through it.

For example, in Tadasana--Standing Mountain Pose, you can ask your students to place more weight on the pinky side of their feet. Have them hold it and feel the sensation of it for at least seven seconds. This is the minimum amount of time required for the nervous system to fully register the excess weight and make a clear interpretation of it. Then have them roll inward. Finally have them center the weight between the inner and outer edges of their feet. Although this may seem very elementary, it is deeply complex.

When you focus your attention on your feet (or whatever part of your body is in contact with the floor/earth) you are “grounding”. Being grounded takes you out of your head, into your body, and makes the support of the earth available to you. When the body feels this support it releases excess tension and lifts upward towards the sky with ease.

3.Slow down and give space to feel
As mentioned above, feeling specific things (like the sensation of equal weight in the feet) takes time. Of course certain things we feel instantly like those tight hamstrings in a forward fold. But there are many numb spots in the body due to chronic stress, injuries, repressed emotions, trauma, etc, that remain beneath our radar. Renewing sensation in these areas fosters greater body awareness and thus more presence.

As you teach don’t shy away from quiet pauses after a feeling point is referenced. You may notice uncomfortableness in your students as they greet their deadzones. This is ok and often a necessary step along their path to self realization.

Happy Exploring! I welcome your responses!

Next Blog post I’ll be writing about Yoga Ingredient #2—Breath Awareness.

Teaching Yoga: The Foundational Elements

noreply@blogger.com (amypatee) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 22:55:00 +0000

Over the next couple of months my blogging will be focused on the topic of “Teaching Yoga” and is especially geared towards Yoga Teachers. However, any person interested in self-growth and/or a regular student of yoga should not hesitate to read further. Looking through the lens of a teacher (of any subject) can be illuminating and enlightening. Enjoy!

All of the topics to follow are excerpts and/or summaries from my forthcoming book: Teaching Yoga—A Definitive Guide.

The Foundational Elements of Yoga

What I have observed in teaching over the years is that there are so many angles to teaching yoga. There are so many styles, belief systems, philosophies, lineages, and “best” ways to align the shoulders, and breathe deep, and, and, well, you get the idea.

I see teachers who strongly adhere to the “one way” perspective and those that float from idea to idea absorbing as much information as possible. Neither is good nor bad. It is useful to go fully into one style or system of yoga to embody that path. It is the attachment to that “being the only way” that can create an obstruction to moving forward. Likewise, dabbling in many different styles and/or yogic ideas can also be beneficial affording you many choices and possibilities for teaching and practicing. However, sometimes the constant “seeker” is simply distracting him/herself from just being and learning from the teacher within.

I am always curious about what lies at the base of any organized and/or structured system or philosophy. I wonder, what are the key ingredients needed to educe the final product. I am most interested in the ‘product’ of healing. My definition of healing is, “the way we return to our essential state of wholeness”. This innate interest within myself is why I was drawn to Yoga and to all of the other body-mind modalities that I have studied.

Yoga to me is the end product obtained by doing all of the practices that we refer to as Yoga. Yoga is not asana, pranayama, meditation, chanting, etc. Yoga is the embodiment of our Essential Self. It is a state of being.

So, I have asked within my own practice and in teaching; what are the key elements that elicit Yoga? Yes, there are so many books filled with endless techniques to get me there. There are many teachers that “know” the way. And yet, what is beneath those practices, those teachings?

The Body seems to be one of these key ingredients, for it is here in the present moment. It may carry energy from long ago, but the physical manifestation of body is right here, right now and the vehicle in which we experience our Essential Self.

Ingredient #1: Body

The body cannot exist without the breath (at least not for very long) so it to must be a primary ingredient for this experience of Yoga to be had. Like the body, it is only here in the moment. Also, like the body, the breath may reveal the past and/or the projection onto the future, but it only expresses in the Now.

Ingredient #2: Breath

What else I have wondered can be in this moment as it is my belief that Enlightenment or Yoga can only be experienced in the present.

Mind. Another word that could be used here is Consciousness. There are many layers of the mind that can add or subtract us away from the moment. It definitely is primary to existence. Whether we are awake or asleep, consciousness is with us and impacts are state of being.

Ingredient #3: Consciousness or Mind

These first three ingredients: Body, Breath, and Mind do not = Yoga. Just like eggs, flour and sugar do not = cake. This is where you must actively choose to engage with yourself—to become aware.

Through yogic practices you start to develop body awareness, breath awareness and awareness of your mind. When you cultivate enough of each and mix them all together into alignment you achieve presence.

Being present precedes being enlightened, but it does not = Yoga.

A prolonged period of presence however does promote self-knowing. When you are in the present moment it is easier to be objective and to have clarity about the truth. When you are present your body, breath, and mind are aligned. As you become familiar with this state of being, you will realize more easily when you are not in the moment. You can begin to observe what it is that takes you away from the moment. All of this is information that can be useful on your path to enlightenment.

Being present gives you more choices about how you expend your energy, what you give your attention/energy to, and a place of orientation to navigate the world objectively.

You might choose to utilize your presence to go deeper into the experience of Yoga. Meditation can take you there. When this takes place your body, breath, and mind become expanded. Limitations are removed and there is a great sense of being at One with All That Is. The little body merges with the Big Body. The little breath unites with the Big Breath. And, the little mind becomes the Big Mind.

Then what?

My next post will dive deeper into these foundational elements of Yoga and how we address them in Teaching.

Stay tuned and please leave comments, thoughts, ideas that you have to share!

Thanks for reading.

Why Do You Teach?

noreply@blogger.com (amypatee) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:40:00 +0000

Over the next couple of months my blogging will be focused on the topic of “Teaching Yoga” and is especially geared towards Yoga Teachers. However, any person interested in self-growth and/or a regular student of yoga should not hesitate to read further. Looking through the lens of a teacher (of any subject) can be illuminating and enlightening. Enjoy!

All summaries and/or excerpts to follow are from one of my forthcoming books: Teaching Yoga—A Definitive Guide.

When I first began teaching I was exuberant about it. I had no trepidation about sharing my experience and everything I knew about Yoga with others. I can equate this original feeling to standing at the foot of Mount Everest. Not yet having climbed to the peaks, but feeling as if I had by way of pictures I’d seen and books I had read.

And then, I took my first step and experienced the great feat that stood before my very eyes. I felt myself gasp for breath as I climbed higher, struggle for sure footing over rocky terrain, and feign having energy as I slept less and less due to altitude sickness. I lost touch with any belief in myself I once thought I had that “I could do this”. But in doing so, I paved a way back to something essential and potent that rested latent within.

The yogic journey, or any self-evolving practice, returns us to our essential self, that which is happy, peaceful, illuminated, radiant, and true. Because I teach yoga, and often teach specifically to yoga teachers, I have mapped out my journey thus far in detail and I take great joy in sharing this map with you.

In the beginning. . .

In Buddhist traditions there is a reference to having a “beginner’s mind”. When we choose to become a yoga teacher this is guaranteed. You’re traversing new terrain. No matter how well you have studied the map your first steps are sure to surprise you. You may even get knocked off any high horse you may be riding. My original yoga teacher training was at Mount Madonna in California. There motto, which has stuck firmly in my mind, is “teach to learn”. In this vein, I can say everything I share is an articulation to myself; a synthesis of my experience of life. Students who attend my classes are, in a way, a sounding board; an audience that efficiently educes my wisdom, often times, before I have fully become aware of it myself.

Why do you teach?

The first question I would like to propose to anyone already teaching yoga or to those who desire the occupation of teaching yoga is, “Why?” And then, I would ask, “Why?” again. Sometimes we are called to do something because of our ego attachments. We may identify with the role of being a teacher, a healer, a person with knowledge (specifically spiritual knowledge), or we may feel safe or comfortable with being in a position of power. This list could go on and on. If you give yourself permission to ask “why?” and openly allow for any answer to come you will have a useful piece of information to propel you forward on your self-growth journey. No answer is wrong or bad. It is simply information to gather about yourself or the persona you identify with. In yoga this is called Svadhaya or self-study.

Let your answer be a foundational seed that you will tenderly nourish throughout your lifetime. Watch how it grows and changes. Notice how your practice carves out more space for the light to shine down within. Realize how illumination only increases truth and your connection to the truth. In your teaching let yourself receive the great gift of being taught. See what happens when you approach your role as teacher with this attitude.

As you embrace the big picture of why you want to or already are teaching, relax. Begin to build your skill set, find your niche, be grateful for the opportunity to teach and practice, eagerly receive the teachings, and most importantly have fun.

So....Why do you teach? I look forward to reading your comments!

To assist you in building your skill set the next several blogs will outline the key aspects of teaching yoga successfully.

Therapeutic Yoga for Emotional Health

noreply@blogger.com (amypatee) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 22:01:00 +0000

Therapeutic Yoga for Emotional Health

This Saturday, August 8th, 1-3pm
The Yoga Center of Minneapolis
Preregistration required

Emotions, often defined as energy moving, express on a biological, psychological, and energetic level. They inform you about your reality. More specifically, they inform you about what you believe.

In essence your Emotions are a tool that you've been gifted with. However, few people learn how to effectively utilize them. Yet, if you consider yourself a seeker, in search of your true self, the emotional plane must be traversed.

In Yoga philosophy the self is described as being composed of six different sheaths or koshas. They are:
1. Physical Body (annamaya kosha, awareness of sensations)
2. Energy Body (pranamaya kosha, awareness of breath and energy)
3. Emotional Body (manomaya kosha, awareness of feelings and emotions)
4. Intellectual Body (vijnanamaya kosha, awareness of thoughts, beliefs, images)
5. Joy Body (anandamaya kosha, awareness of desire, pleasure, and joy)
6. Ego Body (asmitamaya kosha, awareness of the witness or ego sense of “I”)

These six sheaths act like veils that cover up your Essential state of being which is unchanging and eternally present.

As you gain awareness of these sheaths your attachment to them lessens. This often occurs naturally as you engage in a regular practice of yoga. However, when you are identified with your emotional body (manomaya kosha) you become whatever it is you are feeling. If you feel happy, you are happy. If you feel angry, you are angry. This would not be such a bad thing if you always felt happy. But, most people experience “negative” emotions that make them feel bad.

To stop feeling your emotions (or at least the ones you don’t like) is not the answer (although many people attempt to do this with drugs, alcohol, TV, excessive business, falsified enlightenment/detachment, etc.).

To just stop identifying with your emotions is easier said than done.

So, what is the answer? How do you shift your relationship with your emotions so they can serve in your best interest and help you navigate earth in an informed way?

Here are some suggestions to explore:
1. Gain tools to help you center yourself in the midst of emotionality. Several yoga practices will be explored in my workshop this Saturday that effectively anchor you in your center where objectivity can be accessed. Such proven tools include meditation, pranayama (breathing techniques), and asana (postures).

2. Create a dialogue with your emotional body. Your emotions are responses to what you believe. What you believe is a result of your conditioning. In Yoga all of your conditioning is referred to as Samskaras or imprints of experience. Samskaras organize and create vibrational patterns that crystallize into belief systems, veils and illusions that keep you from seeing the truth, unhealthy behaviors you have learned, habits you've developed, skewed perspectives that you perceive with, etc. All of your samskaras together structure your body-mind complex or ego identity. Here are steps for dialoguing with your emotional body:

1. ACCEPT IT
If you believe your emotions or a particular emotion is bad you will have a hard time hearing what it is trying to tell you. You are in a state of resistance. Try asking yourself, “what if my anxiety (or fill in the blank) wasn’t bad?” “What is it actually trying to tell me?” When we accept what is we connect with the flow of life and the flow of life is ever-changing. Sometimes the mere acceptance of what it is you are truly feeling allows that emotion to liberate you from the confines of your mind. Rather than remaining powerless to what it is you are feeling it begins to serve you in a positive way by informing you about your reality.

2. FEEL IT
Once you’ve accepted your emotional body, invite yourself to feel it physically. Emotions (energy moving) are meant to flow. However, when we resist them or numb out to them they get lodged in our being and create health issues.

3. NAME IT
As you feel your emotions, name them. “I am sad, angry, anxious, etc.” See if you can describe how it feels in your body and mind: “my heart is racing”, “I want to run away”, “I feel paralyzed with fear”, “my body is trembling”, “I feel like I’m going crazy”, “my hands are sweating”.

4. EXPRESS IT
Emotions express physiologically through our body. The neuro-endocrine system releases hormones that are distributed via the blood stream to every cell in the body which creates feeling states on the physical plane. Sometimes it can be beneficial to support the metabolization of these hormones via movement. For example, a really angry person may find relief and a more receptive state after a kick-boxing class. A sad person may feel lighter after a good cry.

5. CHANGE IT
The intention is not to eliminate your emotional body, but rather have it serve you and your unfolding life. Your emotions are the result of what you believe. To gain freedom from chronic emotional upset you must begin to examine your belief systems and your samskaras or past conditioning. Often the life you live is based on belief systems that you do not actually believe in! There are limitless approaches available to explore the deeper meaning behind your emotions. Here is one simple practice to begin with: (from Traveling Free by Mandy Evans).

1. Choose a belief to explore: “I believe_______________________.”

2. Ask yourself: (all answers are correct)
a. Do I believe that?
b. Why do I believe that?
c. Is that true?

3. Now ask yourself: “What would happen if I didn’t believe that?”

4. Then ask: “Would that be ok?”

Another approach that I have been utilizing for many years is UTUE Clearing. UTUE stands for Universal Truth, Ultimate Education. This system eliminates negative emotions as well as the underlying beliefs, rules, illusions, behaviors, etc that limit us. It works! Feel free to contact me directly if you’d like more information about this approach or visit UTUE online www.utue.org to learn more.

To explore these ideas and learn more about how Yoga can support your emotional health sign up to attend my workshop this Saturday, August 8th, 1-3pm, at The Yoga Center of Minneapolis, Pre-registration required.

I hope to see you there!

Turning Upside Down--Handstands

noreply@blogger.com (amypatee) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 23:27:00 +0000

Turning Upside Down--Handstands

Workshop this Saturday, July 11th, 1-3pm

At The Yoga Center of Minneapolis

Preregistration required.

Standing on your hands may be something you did when you were a child. Young and carefree, turning upside down was an act of play. Now, older and wiser, standing on your hands is scary. You could fall over. Your arms could buckle right beneath you. And, even if you did make it upside down, would you even be open to that perspective? The world looks quite different with your feet reaching towards the sky!

I’ve been practicing handstand since about 4 years old. As a young gymnast standing on my hands was something that came easy to me. I did not think about how or if I would get upside down. I just did it. I remember having the coaches use me as their “demo” to show new tricks we would be practicing. I was fearless and had an innate trust that my body would do whatever it was that I asked of it.

Because of my early training, the practice of yoga asana was a natural fit for me. I found a thrill and joy in contorting my body into different shapes, attempting to balance once again on my hands, and reconnecting with my body in a more conscious, adult way.

Although handstand has come easy to me, it has also been one of my biggest teachers. This is because being in the pose—body, mind and breath aligned, is no simple task. I can flip myself upside down and possibly have the good fortune of balancing just right to stay inverted for a few delicious moments. But, I have discovered another way that is rightfully much more satisfying and I would love to teach it to you.

One gift of practicing yoga asana is that it helps us connect to our body. The mind begins to expand within and consciousness awakens in every cell. As we start living in our body we experience greater ease in aligning our intention with our actions. What we say, do, think, and feel match one another more easily. Yoga off the mat happens effortlessly as the alignment found through our asana practice slowly anchors itself as primary and becomes our main way of being in the world.

Handstand is one of those poses that will challenge your degree of body-mind connection. Like all balance postures if the mind wanders away from the task at hand you will find yourself easily swayed out of alignment and most likely out of the pose. Add the complexity of going upside down to the equation and you have yourself a challenging asana sure to inspire growth on many levels.

There are several approaches to handstand. The steps outlined below will be explored more in-depth during my workshop this weekend along with several others.

1. Learn how to stand upright, in alignment with your core engaged before attempting to go upside down.

Many of us have compromised postures. We avoid standing in our center and either pull forward (recognized by the ribcage thrusting forward) or slouch backward (recognized by a sunken heart). Standing in a neutral or centered way can feel strange and extreme (if you normally thrust your ribs forward, standing in neutral may feel like you are slouching). When you go upside down you will be accompanied by your habitual posture and remain out of alignment. You might attain what appears to be handstand but your core will not be engaged properly and there will be a feeling of disconnect throughout the body. You will not realize this is the case at the time, unless there is pain—which always indicates something is out of alignment. You will only come to realize you were out of alignment when you have achieved greater alignment. You then have a point of reference. The feeling that accompanies true alignment, in any pose, is wholeness. When your mind expands throughout the body and you feel a sense of connection to your whole self—that is alignment.

2. Open the shoulders

Standing on your hands requires deep flexion in the shoulder joint. If your current range of motion does not allow you to accomplish this you are not ready to go all the way upside down. Again, you may attain the final pose if attempted, but in a compromised way. The wrist, elbows, and shoulders will struggle to be aligned and thus the rest of the body will not have a solid base of support to rise up out of. Injury could result. Here are some pre-requisites to full handstand:

1. Ability to hold downdog for at least 10 breaths without a lot of effort through the shoulders

2. Ability to hold ½ handstand (downdog with heels against the wall, walk your feet up the wall until legs are parallel to the floor) for at least 10 breaths without a lot of effort in the shoulders

To achieve effortlessness in the shoulders while in downdog and ½ handstand the core must play an active role. However, if your shoulders are not open enough your foundation will lack adequate support and even the strongest core will not do the job—so work those shoulder openers!

3. Clarify your intention: align your mind with your actions for manifestation

Wherever you are in your handstand endeavor create clarity around the small steps leading you to your final goal. An example of this can be (think, feel, and do):

1. Align your hands shoulder-width apart and spread your fingers wide

2. Focus your eyes on a point between the hands

3. Bend your right knee and kick off your right foot

4. Touch your left foot to the wall

5. Etc, etc, etc.

Each step brings you closer to your end goal, but at the same time, each step is an accomplishment in and of itself. Yoga is the outcome of the practice we do. When your intention is aligned with your actions in this way you remain in the moment. The more constant we are in the present the more in touch we become with what is real. Rather than living in the past or future we come to just be. In being we experience the truth of who we are.

Happy Exploring!

I hope to see you this Saturday, July 11^th, 1-3pm

At The Yoga Center of Minneapolis

Pre-registration required.

Upcoming Yoga Therapy I Workshop

noreply@blogger.com (amypatee) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:14:00 +0000

Yoga Therapy I workshop—Building a Foundation
July 17-18 (Friday 6-9pm, Saturday 12-4pm, 5-8pm)
At The Yoga Center of Minneapolis

Preregistration required.

In my Yoga Therapy workshops I present an approach to healing that addresses the universal needs of being a human being while honoring the uniqueness of each individual. Yoga, Somatics, and Energy Work techniques are weaved together to provide a structure for developing an articulate way of working therapeutically with people to help them heal from any ailment.

In Yoga Therapy I—Building a Foundation we’ll explore the most primary need we have as human beings; to feel bonded to the earth and present in our body. When we are not in right relationship with the earth we must fight gravity.

Fighting gravity is a stressful act that makes our bodily environment feel hostile. Because of this, we check out and live in our head. The lack of consciousness below the neck can only continue for so long before the body will demand attention, unfortunately, usually in the form of pain. Sometimes the pain will be physical, other times, emotional or mental as the body and mind are intimately woven together and impossible to separate.

Some of the things we’ll explore in Yoga Therapy I include primary reflexes that were first activated and experienced when we came out of the womb and landed on dry land. These basic reflexes ensure we bond with the earth and feel supported.

We’ll also investigate dysfunction in the first and second chakras and discuss psychophysical dis-eases that occur as a result. Various yoga practices and hands-on-healing techniques will be utilized to integrate and promote healing first and foremost within ourselves.

When we have traveled consciously on our own path we then cultivate greater potential to facilitate others in a positive way.

Please join me at The Yoga Center of Minneapolis on July 17-18 for this transforming workshop!

Blessings,
Amy
www.amypatee.com

In the Beginning. . .

noreply@blogger.com (amypatee) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:59:00 +0000

Greetings and welcome to my first blog post.

I have been teaching Yoga since 2000 and exploring Somatics (an experiential learning process of the body-mind complex) and Energy Healing since 2002. Over the years I have blended all of my healing arts studies in my private practice helping people heal physical ailments as well as emotional diseases.

What I have learned through my years of study, practice, and personal self growth is that the healing process is extremely unique and at the same time universal. There are certain things that all humans need, however, the process in which we gain these things is very different. When certain needs are not met, we become misaligned, developing unconscious strategies to cope. Our body becomes stressed and our mind cluttered with ways in which it attempts to make us feel whole. Health lacks overall and life becomes a struggle. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

I’m currently writing several books on yoga, wellness, and healing and would like to develop a conversation around the concepts in the books and a community to explore new ideas.

Thank you for taking the time to read. I can’t wait to hear from you!

Shine bright!

Amy, www.amypatee.com