STEP BY STEP AND SPECIAL DEDICATIONS
FEBRUARY 15, 2010: Today's class is dedicated to three of my friends and longtime TBY students Ashley, Jennifer and John all celebrating birthday's today and yesterday! Our birthday's serve as a positive reminder that we didn't just arrive to today out of the blue. We had to take many steps in our personal journey's to be where we find ourselves in this moment.
Other people's birthday's remind us too to take stock of where we have come from, take responsibility for it (gosh that part is hard), stop trying to rewrite the past but simply acknowledge what steps have been walked and then make a conscious choice of the direction we want this next year to go.
The very first Yoga Sutra Chapter 1, Verse 1 states "Now begins the study of yoga" or put in real person yoga terms..."Once upon a time." The story begins where we are but for any and all of us the book of our lives has fallen open to the book of our life already in process. Now it could be chapter 10 or 29 or 39 but wherever it is the story has much more to be written. That's where the yoga really comes into play. And I mean play. If you believe that our true nature (which yoga suggests wholeheartedly) is to be happy the the world is our playground. Where do you want to see yourself playing your life story out next?
This philosophy of starting where you are and building from there STEP BY STEP is one definition of Vinyasa Krama as a life philosophy and a sequencing technique. Take downward dog for instance. This one pose is an important step in preparing us for a million or more than a million other yoga poses. For instance, handstand! But don't freak out...this doesn't mean that the same day we learn downward dog we race to learn handstand within 30 minutes. This is a step by step process and it takes time. Yoga is not a quick fix.
So this week please join me Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday where during each of my classes we will take the foundational steps through the embracing and practicing of downward facing dog to prepare us for taking the step of Handstand maybe in this lifetime or in the next one. This allows us to work at our own pace and my teaching methods and techniques will be customized to class level, time of day, and what everyone's energy feels like too. So don't stop taking steps because you read handstand and get scared.
Don't panic.
Whatever challenge, hurt, difficulty you are facing in your life please use this practice on the mat to come with you to help you take one step at a time in moving your life forward in the most positive way! Love to you all, Silvia
(And I want to say a special thank you to my brother Fred for his continued grounding and my best friend for their undying support and love. What I learned from you both even just today I offer with an open heart to all my students)