Happy Yogaween

"Delicious Autumn!

My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns." ~ George Eliot

Besides the season of spring, autumn is my second favorite time of year. It's that glorious time when the leaves change color and you can smell a sweetness in the air. I don't know if it's candied apples or just plain candy, but there is something wonderful permeating the air out there.

Besides the sensory changes of the season, I love this time of year because of Halloween and seeing all the kids dressed up for trick or treating and even dressing up myself. I still do and I still find it a blast. I'm happy to say that my husband and I and a lot of family members have held on to that glorious time of childhood. For me it's the only time a year you can play "pretend" and dress up and be whatever you want with no strings attached.

But this is also a time of year where you'll notice a lot more images of gore as well. This brings me to the next Yama, or restraint, which is Ahimsa or non-violence. This is the perfect time of year for a good scare...haunted houses, horror movies, CSI anyone? Of course this is the nasty end of the spectrum as violence goes. I've observed as I've gotten older that I really don't like being exposed to those images or that energy. It really gets into my subconcious and I don't like that stuff being there. But, if you like a good scare, by all means get your fix.

The kind of "non-violence" I'm referring to in relation to yoga is non-violence to others of course, but it also has to do with non-violence towards ourselves. As people we want to respect others and treat others kindly, but it's just as important to carry that respect and kindness over to ourselves. And this is crucial when it comes to our thinking. Really try to observe in the coming weeks the thoughts that you have about yourself. Are you judging yourself a bit too harshly or are you giving yourself some slack? Are you patting yourself on the back as you often do with everyone else? Really notice this.

This is a hard lesson for me too. I'm a perfectionist and no one is harder on me, than myself. But remember it's a yoga practice, not a yoga perfection, so we just have to keep showing up to our mats to do the work.

So...ahimsa...be kind to yourself, especially at this time of year when you are bombarded with negative images of the Halloween season and you bombard yourself with that negative talk in your mind. If you skipped that fitness class or were too tired to do your yoga practice, begin again the next day. It's okay.

Just breathe, practice, and be happy. And be kind to yourself as you would anyone you encounter.

My friends, have a safe and happy Halloween.

It's the most wonderful time of the year

It is that time of year... that time where Halloween starts and we engage in the holiday marathon that doesn't end till January 1st. It's hard not to feel stressed, rushed and irritable and then we add time and money constraints on top of that. We put so much pressure on ourselves at being the perfect parent, party planner and gift giver and the return on our investment is feeling neglected, exhausted and perhaps even depressed.

What is a yogi to do? In times where I feel like I am repeating a cyclical habit, as I tend to do when the holidays pop up, I like to turn to the wisdom of the past. What do the ancients tell us to do? Surely they all felt times of increased stress and had their own challenges balancing work, family and life in general. Their circumstances were undoubtedly different than our own, but stress is stress in any age. So for this particular time on the calendar, I'll refer to a yoga term called the "Yamas." And one yama in particular, which is "Brahmacharya."

Briefly, the yamas are described in Patajanli's Yoga Sutras, one the earliest texts ever written about yoga. To simplify, the yamas are "restraints" or "self disciplines" for our own personal yoga practice. It can also be depicted as certain ways we conduct ourselves in the outside world. They include such practices as truthfulness, non-stealing, non-harming, etc.

I bring up Brahmacharya becauses it is an observance about containing your energy and not giving everything away (time, money, etc) to everyone, at all times. And this is not just during the holidays. This should be practiced at all times, but it's especially important now when we are running this marathon to buy presents, bake cookies, go to parties, etc. Brahmacharya is about boundaries, setting them and keeping them. And it's about saying that dreaded word, "No."

What can you let go of or at least lighten your burden so you are not feeling so rushed and stressed during this time? By letting something go and saying no, you say YES to your personal needs, like your yoga practice. The true practice of Brahmacharya forces us to balance all of these activities AND still have time for ourselves. Keep a little for yourself and maybe this year, you'll feel alot more of the true essence of the season: gratitude, family, love, peace and miracles.

Yoga for Turbulent Times

It is truly an amazing time in our country and on our planet right now. Who would have guessed that we would be in the midst of an economic meltdown that is felt nationally and globally? I wouldn't have. I am not a financial whiz so I'm not going to go into all the particulars because I don't understand them all myself. I just know that it's really tough out there right now and it's going to keep testing us in the near future.

So, what can yoga teach us in this moment? What can I say to you that might help? I would say, let's start at the basic, gut level which is...first we need to breathe. Take some deep belly breaths, right now. I don't mean those shallow chest breaths you've been taking all day. I mean take a nice deep breath from your diaphragm, let it fill up your lungs, expanding your chest, and then let it go. Do that a few more times.

So, now that you feel a little more grounded in the moment, let's talk about how yoga can help us right now.

For starters, we need to actually start practicing yoga. It's proven that yoga helps to relieve stress, slows down a rapid heart rate, detoxifies the body and circulates fresh oxygen and blood throughout our entire system. Why do I tell you this? Because when you feel better physically, you'll feel better mentally and emotionally. And when we feel fit in body, mind and spirit, we're able to cope with what's going on in our external world. Now is not the time to abandon our practice, to abandon what makes us feel good in our bodies because we are going through financial hardships. We're not at the point, nor should we ever get to the point where we sacrifice our health because the world is topsy turvy. It's always going to be this way. It's the cycle of life.

I am the type of person that looks at the glass as half full. When we had those hurricane winds a few weeks back and we all lost our electricity, I was a little scared and inconvienced at first, but after my husband and I got a plan together it was actually fun and adventurous. And I have to say, it forced me to appreciate all the blessings I had and to appreciate the simple things in life. I really didn't miss the tv or the computer that much. And I really liked reading by candlelight. This financial mess is yet another learning experience.

I am reminded of one of the yoga obersvances called Aparigraha which means non-coveting or non-attachment. This is non-attachment on all levels...physically, emotionally, materially, everything. It's about simplifying your life and learning what is really important and what you can let go. Maybe you don't really need that expensive cable/internet package and you downgrade so you can take a yoga or dance class. And if you can't do that, buy a book or dvd and continue at home. Just keep doing it. Use your creativity and be resourceful.

Let the world run it's crazy course. But continue to work out, meditate, play whatever is appropriate for you. The world needs your light, your grounded, simplified self.

Love and Light,

Susan

Is Yoga Religion?

This is a very delicate subject and extremely difficult to write about without having to worry about offending anyone. I apologize in advance if I do offend anyone, but I'm going to speak the truth from my heart on this topic.

And by the way, the answer is no. Yoga is not a religion. While it was born in India thousands of years ago and is associated with Hindusim, it is not followed as a specific religion. I can understand anyone's confusion or worry on this particular aspect of yoga because I wrestled with this issue when I first started practicing. I thought that if I fully wanted to devote my life to a "yogic lifestyle" I had to change from being the Catholic I was raised to be, to worshipping the monkey "god" Hanuman. I know I will have many blogs devoted to this subject, but for now, let's just touch the tip of the iceberg.

Simply put, yoga is the science and study of the self. Let me say that again. Yoga is the science and study of the self. It's not an occult. We don't worship the devil or do anything evil. We're practicing postures and sitting in silence to enhance the physical well being in our bodies and maybe stop the chatter in our minds for a few minutes. Nowhere is it written that says you have to stop going to Sunday mass because you practice yoga. Conversely, yoga will more likely strengthen your connection to whatever faith you do follow.

Now, for those of you who are agnostic or aetheist, I have good news for you too. You can still practice yoga. You won't get "converted" or get struck by lightning. Unlike Alice, you will be able to control how far down the rabbit hole you go.

If your sole intention when you start is to tone your arms or tummy or alleviate stress in your life, then by all means do it. Embrace your intentions. I will not judge you one iota. Whatever brings you to the mat is your choice, what will keep you there is also your choice. All I am asking is that with courage, you stick your big toe in the water and try it.

My friends, the benefits of yoga are far too great to get hung up on attaching any kind of religious label to it. Practice and apply it to your own life, your own unique path and just be open to where it takes you. And by all means whatever your faith or non-faith is, by all means embrace that because it's part of your journey too. There is no need to change it or stop it simply because we're stretching our bodies and becoming more healthy.

My love to all of you.

P.S. I'll explain more about that monkey "god" in another blog. It's too much for one sitting.

What is Yoga?

There are many definitions of what yoga is. The word in its classic sense means to "yoke" or to "unite." This could mean uniting the body and the mind or the physical with the spiritual. This is the most common definition when a student is trying to discover what yoga is. But a well respected teacher from not so long ago, offered these definitions that really helped me to expand what yoga can be, helping me to deepen my own practice. He detailed yoga as:

~ " to attain what was previously unattainable" which for us could simply be now being able to touch our toes, when before we couldn't.

~ "yoga is directing our attention to the activity we are engaged in" meaning yoga is about staying focused when we do something, anything, like cooking a glorious pot of soup.

~ "yoga is about being one with the Divine." This is probably one of my favorite definitions and yet can be the most challenging because how often do we engage in anything that allows us to get closer to our Source?

These are just some explanations of yoga to ponder on, but I don't want you to get too heady or overwhelmed by this just yet. No matter where you are on your spiritual path, and you are on one, by the way, yoga is not just a physical exercise we do on a mat. It's that yes, but it's so much more as depicted by these few definitions.

The great thing about it, is it can be anything you want it to be. Yes, we will start with a discipline on a sticky mat, but eventually you can take your practice off the mat. Your yoga can also be when you work in the garden, spend time with your kids, walk your dog, bake bread...anything that helps you feel more expansive and connected to your Source.

My definition of yoga is coming home...when I feel ease in my body and mind and I just feel at peace in my heart. It's happiness...pure and simple.