The purpose of yoga is to ease suffering on all levels, physical, mental, emotion, chemical and spiritual and to still and quiet the restless or busy mind.  As individual suffering decreases happiness within and around that person increases.  Yoga encourages the practitioner to use what is learned on the mat and the growth that takes place within that person off the mat as a form of service.  It is not a selfish practice but a very generous practice.  Yoga is meant to take place in the present moment.  It is both the purpose and practice of freeing oneself of past holdings and future expectations.  Release and letting go is a great gift of the practice.  Freedom and liberation are at the very core of the practice. The yogic practices are suggestions, a means to an end, but the practitioner is free to pick and choose what practices to include.  Yoga is holistic, it involves the entire person, body, mind and spirit.

Religion is a belief system and may include beliefs regarding salvation, eternity, past lives, religious figures/people, worship, ceremony, traditions and more.

There are many similarities between the two.  Both (religion and yoga) are a way of life.  Both express a great need for more love, inward and out.  Speaking from a Christian back ground both involve the whole person, body, mind and soul.  Both acknowledge God and creation.  Both emphasize surrender and letting go.  Both clearly state moral and ethical practices.  Both are concerned with freedom and liberation.

Yoga and religion are not the same, but there are similarities.  Personally I need both, one alone is not enough.  My greatest freedom and sense of peace came when I surrendered to a much bigger God (one God) and trusted in him to take care of my every need.  My connection with God is part of my yoga practice but more than that it is through my walk with Jesus that I have come to know and understand God.  I have many to thank for helping me to know and understand that relationship.  For now what I want people to know is that the message and the life of Jesus is not one of judgment, but one of love.  The Greatest love!

More than that yoga is freedom and liberation.

In the words of Patanjali (yogic philosopher credited with writing the first yogic text), yoga is the stilling of the restlessness of the mind.

Yoga is peace, kindness, joy and gratitude.

Yoga is breath and movement.

Yoga is balance.

Yoga can be anything you want and need it to be, from the simple breath and doing nothing (but paying attention) to self study to meditation in motion to exercise and much, much more.

Yoga is everything and nothing.

Here are a few examples:

May I be filled with loving kindness

May I be peaceful and at ease

May I be well

May I be happy

Steven Cope, A Path Wtih Heart

May I feel protected and safe

May I feel contented and pleased

May my physical body support me with strength

May my life unfold smoothly with ease

Sylvia Boorstein

To practice sit or lie down quietly and repeat the affirmations mentally.  First directed towards self, then again towards loved ones, strangers, your local community, greater community, the world as a whole and towards your enemy’s.  This can be a powerful practice in concentration and transformation.  Transforming negative thoughts, healing emotional hurts, making space for forgiveness, awakening gratitude and healing a person on all levels of being.  It truly has the power to move a person forward to live a happier and more loving life.

May this simple practice touch the loves of many and connect them more deeply with the love within and around them.  Opening them to more easily give and receive love and kindness.

I finished teaching a yoga class and as a bit of research for this entry I asked my students to please share with me what the “Spirit of Christmas” means to them.  I think their responses covered it all.  Here is what they said, “First and foremost Jesus birthday”, “Love and sharing”, “Charity, some give more now then at any other time of year to charities”, “Gratitude”, “Time off, from work and from school and also time to get everything done”, “Family, friends and good times”, “Simplifying, giving but not too much (setting some boundaries)”, “Too much, spending, decorating, focusing on gifts, overwhelming”, “Stress of it all, anxiety over giving the gifts that were purchased” and finally what was mentioned was “Family stresses and past issues once again brought up either internally or possibly outwardly”.  So many thanks to my yoga students for sharing their time, thoughts and feelings with me!

What I have discovered for myself is that Christmas is giving.  God gave us the ultimate gift in Christ.  Giving can be stressful.  I think simplification is key and living within your means is vital.  In the words of Vanda Scaravelli, “Give what you can but don’t over give”.  Don’t go into debt giving gifts you can not afford.  Get wrapped up in the giving spirit and know that you can give your love, your words of gratitude and encouragement (written or spoken), you can give your time to charity or to others and it doesn’t need to cost a penny.  Don’t give what you don’t have!  Give unconditionally and don’t expect a return.  Give from a place of love, people can feel and sense the spirit with which a gift is given, so however small you think your gift may be wrap it in love.  The spirit it is given in is big, therefore the gift inside does not have to be.  Remember that the greatest gift has already been giving in the birth, life and death of Jesus Christ.

Like most, I too get stressed over family some of the time.  I find myself revisiting past hurts and find that  I struggle to practice unconditional love and forgiveness.  I am not proud, but I am honest and I think I relive past hurts more now than at any other time of the year.  I work with every cell of my being and makeup to forgive, a practice that does not come easy for me, and I have noticed that slowly over time the hurts lessen.  What I find most helpful is my trust and faith in God and the strength that I get from Him.  I forgive others and myself because God has forgiven me for my unloving, hurtful, and selfish behavior.  To be forgiven, one must forgive.

Be grateful for all that you have.  Be grateful for the life (animals and people) and love in your life.  Be grateful for your blessings.  Be even more grateful for life’s challenges.  We learn and grow more from our struggles and challenges than from life’s obvious blessings.  Learn to think, feel and see life’s struggles as your greatest blessing.  If you need a challenge for the new year try that out!

So yes Christmas time can be stressful, what may feel like a time crunch to get all the gifts purchased, the cards addressed and in the mail, the food cooked, the house cleaned and ready for guest, the plans made to travel, dealing with difficult family members and whatever else you may find stressful.  It is the stress and negativity of the season that turns the best of us into the worst of us.  Even the most well meaning of us can be a Grinch at times.  When you find that you are being the Grinch and not the giver remind yourself that stress is a feeling or a thought and come back to your spirit.  Return to a spirit of love. God is love and He loved us so much that he gave His only Son so that we would be forgiven and have life.  He gave us His only son as an example of right living and the knowledge that it is possible to live like Jesus lived.

I believe the spirit of Christmas is a celebration of life,  Jesus’s life and how that translates into our lives.  It means a life of love, not judgment.  One of forgiveness and letting go, not holding on.  One of life, not death.  Jesus lived and died so that we may have eternal life with him.  A life of strength, not weakness.  One of light, not dark.  Jesus is a perfect love and a perfect life.  What a gift to be treasured!

Savasana

SAVA= a corpse

“Savasana or rest pose is an experience in itself.

It is the pose through which we discover softness.

It is the pose through which we dissolve into the earth.

It is the pose through which we begin to experience pranayama (breath awareness).

It is subtle & magical.

It is bliss.”

Cat De Rham & Michele Gill, The Spirit of Yoga

Savasana or corpse pose is said to be one of the most challenging posture to practice. Reason being, Savasana requires that we quit the mind & let go. Not easily done by many of us living in this western society. It is also a pose in which we rest, a place of stillness where the preceding poses absorb into our being, (physical, emotional, mental, & spiritual). It is a pose of closure. Corpse pose as the name suggest is symbolic of dying, letting go not only of tension, but any attachments to living our current life. When we reawaken we are reminded of a new beginning & encouraged to let go of attachments that hold us back from living happily in the present moment.

How to Practice Savasana

· Gently roll to one side & come on to your back

· Prop your head up on a neatly folded blanket for neck support if need be

· Softly close your eyes

· Relax your arms alongside your body with your palms up. Leave space for your armpits to breath, shoulders need to be happy, make adjustments that allow your shoulder & neck to relax.

· Relax your lower body

· Use support beneath your head or knees if need be, legs may be straight or knees bent

Most importantly be comfortable and warm

So here goes, a list of to-dos that seem to be overwhelming me these last few weeks:

• Participating in Financial Peace University at my church.  For those who don’t know it is a group workshop created by Dave Ramsey and lead by a group leader.  It’s great, but it’s forcing me to really look at my current finances, my spending habits, my future financial goals and it requires time, mental effort, self control/boundaries and it requires learning about insurance (really how it works, not a strength of mine) and investing for retirement.  It’s big stuff and it’s not easy to take an honest look at where I am at and then make the necessary changes to get where I want to be.
• My 3 year old son.  I recently purchased a book titles Your Three Year Old, Friend or Enemy and truthfully that is how I feel.  He is a great little guy but he is testing me as his parent.  I do my best to set boundaries and instill good behavior.  My question is how do you influence a three year old to do what needs to be done when they insist on doing the opposite, while at the same time teach them how to set their own boundaries and say no to protect themselves from hurtful behavior?  I have decided parenting is the hardest job on the planet!  Bless you who have more than one!
• Work.  Balancing work with being a mom, wife, homemaker, friend and alone time.  Wow, balance takes constant consideration and a firm understanding of what my priorities really are.
• Writing.  Where is the time to write?
• Selling yoga bags, I did not anticipate just how challenging this new adventure and creative outlet would be.  There is so much competition out there and a great deal of rejection to go with it.

I feel better all ready.  What seemed huge, beyond me, in my head is only five bullet points.  Not so much after all, a lot of work yes, but I have a lifetime and that thought coupled with a HA breath, it’s really not so terrible.

So now what I do after listing it all out, I focus on my successes.  I may not be where I want yet, but that is okay because I really have made progress!  That’s the good news, I am moving in a positive direction.  So here are my successes relating to the above points.

• We are working diligently to get out of the minimal debt we are in and committed to staying debt free!  We are in the process of changing our insurance policies and saving money.  I am more aware of our finances and spending than I have ever been in our entire marriage.  We have a firm plan.
• My son is down for a nap right now, which allows me time to meditate, write and relax!  I am committed to keeping his routine and have giving him one on one time today.
• Relating to work, I remind myself that I love what I do and it’s not easy balancing my life, but I have done a great job so far.  I gave myself time to check in with myself and regroup.  I am bringing my stress levels down and relieving that feeling of being overwhelmed.
• The time to write is now!
• I sent out emails to potential buyers and made a sell call I have been thinking about for a long time recently.  I made some changes to my site and think often of what to try next.

So now that I can see I am not just sitting around idly doing nothing another wave of ease washes through me.  Progress has been made!  I feel more and more at ease with each breath and each written word.

Now that I feel more at ease I can create a game plan that keeps me moving in the direction I want to go.

• As far as finances go, I will complete the workshop, learn more and continue to outline our goals for the future and work towards them.
• As for being a Mom, I will read the above mentioned book and hopefully learn something new.  If not I will call a great therapist I know who specialized in this area and make an appointment.  Never be ashamed to ask for help!
• With work in mind I will create a more balanced schedule and remind myself these past few months have been abnormally busy with workshops, travel and just a lot more going on.  It is not the usual and it will slow down soon.  I will give myself adequate me time to help balance it out and make sure there is plenty of family time!
• I will keep my goal of writing twice a week and not be hard on myself if it just gets done once a week or not at all.
• Finally, I will focus 30 minutes a week on selling bags.  I will aspire to an hour a week and see how that goes.

I feel better, much better in fact.  That little bit of time and effort put the above issues in perspective and neutralized my feelings of being overwhelmed.  Now I can relax, trust that I have plenty of time and be proud of myself for my accomplishments thus far.  It really is a simple technique.  Write out what is overwhelming you, write out your successes in those areas thus far and then a game plan for how to move forward.  I sincerely hope this is helpful because staying in an overwhelmed or stressed state can be paralyzing as well as harmful to your physical, mental and emotional well being.  If the above technique does not help don’t hesitate to ask for help from a friend, loved one, family member or professional.  We all need help and it’s a strong person who can recognize it and seek it out!

It was at UTD that my interest became a reality.  One of my instructors informed her class that the Women’s Center, one of the colleges many organizations, was offering a yoga session and she strongly encouraged it, telling us how wonderful she thought yoga was.  I sought out the Women’s Center, learned the class series was affordable and my current schedule would accommodate the two additional class each week.  Right then, I signed up, paid for the class and thus began my journey into yoga.

At my first class I had an “ah ha” moment.  Walking up the instructor was there to meet and greet each of us and the moment she introduced herself as Vicki Johnson I knew I was exactly where I was suppose to be.  I truly believe the encounter was divinely inspired and a true gift from God!  I love Vicki and she continues to be a great inspiration and teacher in my life.

From that very first class my love and experience of yoga has only grown!  I began the Fall of 1998 and in May of 2000 I graduated with honors from UTD with a Bachelor or Arts in Psychology.  From there I went on the Massage School, graduated in January of 2001 and began to practice massage.  In the Spring of 2001 I began my teacher training with Namaste International, now Namaste USA (at the time I started Vicki assisted the teacher training, now she helps to run it).  That same summer I started teaching at our local community college (now Collin College) where my interest first developed.  I have a 500 hour Certification with Yoga Alliance.  I have studied extensively with Karen Prior and I am certified with Mamaste Yoga to teach prenatal yoga (since 2003).  I will soon have a certification with Yoga Alliance in Prenatal Yoga, something new being offered this coming year, 2010.

I have studied many years and with many teachers.  My love of yoga grows as I learn more about myself and the world around me.  Yoga means union or connection and that is what the practice has done for me.  Yoga has help to transform me into a better person, more aware of myself, my environment and others.  Yoga has deepened my spiritual connection to my creator and it has strengthened my relationship with Jesus Christ.  Yoga has been a source of physical, emotional and mental comfort and it has given me tools to use when life is stressful, overwhelming and painful.  The practice of yoga is intended to ease physical, emotional and mental suffering.  I can honestly say that is what yoga does for me and that is what I hope to share with others.

Complete Three Part Breath

the essence of what you are doing is cleaning

the purpose of all these techniques

is to remove the the impurities

that accumulate in the lungs

so that you become lighter & clearer

unfortunately these impurities are

reluctant to move out of the lungs

you do not get rid of them with strength

but by being very alert and focused

on what you are doing

Sandra Sabatini

BENEFITS OF 3 PART BREATH

Activates the entire respiratory system, brings smoothness to the breath & improves breath holding for singers, divers, etc. Helps build oxygen & energy levels & communicates directly with the nervous system via the vagus nerve. This breath is cleansing & serves to both energize & relax.  It is referred to as a complete breath, three part breath and yoga breath.  It is the basis for all other breathing techniques.

COMPLETE BREATH

• Sit or come into lying release pose
• Settle into your natural breath
• Begin to relax
• Begin by exhaling fully
• Then inhale into your diaphragm (belly), ribs & clavicular area (collar bones)
• Exhale by reversing clavicles, ribs & diaphragm/belly
• Practice often

Utthita Trikonasana

Utthita=extended Trikona=triangle

“When we stand, weight is transmitted down through our spines, into our pelvis, through our hip joints to our feet. Standing is a foundation for stability, mobility, and confidence. When the lower part of the body is grounded properly, the upper part of the body, including the mind, becomes light and agile. Energy is freed up. We learn to have our feet on the ground, to find connection to the earth and to grow upward toward the sky.”

Esther Myers, Yoga and You

Benefits

Triangle acts to balance the muscular support around the lower back & pelvis & align the pelvis with the legs for a clear line of weight distribution downwards. It is a grounding posture, thus it allows you to feel your legs supporting you. Triangle pose also releases the hips, legs, & spinal column. It is a strong pose, legs are active & abdominal muscles are engaged. Standing poses build confidence & security.

Practicing the Pose

• Find your feet & your legs in Tadasna (Mountain Pose), take a moment & breathe. Our feet are naturally resilient, to maintain this resilience & to support the body properly the arches need to be extended & the muscles, tendons, ligaments & small joints of the feet need to be flexible. Focus your attention to your heels, outer edges of your feet & the base of your big toes. Your legs can be straight or there can be a soft bend in the knees. Avoid placing stress on the knees, do not lock the knees & with out forcing or straining direct your knees forward.
• From Tadasana as you exhale step your right foot a comfortable distance behind you (long or short stance). You know your stance is too wide if you can no longer feel the outer edge of your back foot. It is okay to keep your front knee bent for protection; however it is important that the front knee face forward. Angle your back foot in slightly & have your left toes forward. Take a grounding breath before moving on… relax as you inhale & as you exhale drop into your heels, the outer edges of your feet & press into your big toes.
• With the legs in position take a breath & float your arms up to shoulder level. Relax your arms. Imagine a wall behind you. Try practicing with the wall for support sometimes, it’s a wonderful stretch for the body & a changes the sensation from doing it in the center of the room.
• With the wave of your breath lengthen long over your left leg as you exhale. Move slowly; don’t rush here, it is important to lengthen the spine before releasing your left hand to your shin, ankle, foot, floor, or block. Allow your pelvis the freedom to move. Right arm & fingers reach up, right shoulder aligns on top of your left, & right palm faces forward. Breathe & enjoy! REPEAT OTHER SIDE

Cautions

Knees: NO PULL ON THE BACK OF THE KNEE, front knee can be kept slightly bent.

Neck: NO STRAIN ON THE NECK, look down at front foot, straight ahead, or up at top hand. Keep head level with your heart.

Head: DO NOT COLLAPSE THE HEAD, spine is kept in alignment

My favorite prayer to date is found in Ephesians 3:14-21.  The ( ) are mine to illustrate that the prayer can be stated for someone or for yourself.

“When I think of the wisdom and scope of God’s plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.  I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you (me/us)  mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.  And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your (my/our) hearts as you trust in him.  May your (my/our) roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love.  And may you (I/we) have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.  May you (I/we) experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you (I/we) will never fully understand it.  Then you (I/we) will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.  Now glory be to God!  By his mighty power at work within us (you/me), he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would every dare to ask or hope.  May he be given glory in church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through endless ages.  Amen.”

I have just recently started to set aside 20 minutes everyday for quiet time to both pray and just sit and breathe.  In just a few weeks I have noticed a difference in how I feel and how my day goes.  The prayer above is wonderful and I do return to if often.  Most days however I offer up what is in my heart and any request that have been asked of me.

For anyone struggling with prayer I will give a simple outline/structure, I use this very same sequencing:

• Give thanks (for the day, for gifts/blessings, for struggles and hurts, for people, for whatever)
• Make your request for yourself and for others
• Ask for forgiveness for your mistakes, we are all flawed and when we recognize it before God he has the power to help us change
• Give thanks, thanks, thanks, and more thanks.  I believe all that we have is a gift from God and he never tires of our thanks and acknowledgment
• I end with I ask this all in Jesus name, Amen

It’s a simple as that.  Do this for a day, a week, a month, a lifetime and I believe your world (our world) will be a better place!

~With love~