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August 3, 2009:  Do you ever wonder why do we get angry?  Like what is so important that tempers have to flare ever?  Even if we are “right” and the stuff we are thinking is true isn’t getting angry the real issue?  Well I think about it.  When I was run over by the car 15 years ago after initial recovery I can say I was angry.  I had that why me, why did that guy run me down, this wasn’t my fault.  What I learned through this was that so what if I didn’t deserve to be in this “hit and run” being angry was delaying my healing.  Anger was just making me more irritable and really agitated, unable to sleep.

 

So then as in now we can choose anger or love. If we choose love we set ourselves free!  For Stress paralyzes life; love releases it. Worry confuses life; love harmonizes it. Anger darkens life; love illuminates it.  As Augustus William Hare writes, “The feeling is often the deeper truth.”  Embrace your truth, embrace what you feel and free your soul for love and peace!

 

I decided after trying out the ill fitting costume of anger I’d choose love.

 

I practiced love.  I relaxed my breath to breath like love would, I wore cool colors, I quieted my thoughts.  And as I started to practice vinyasa flow with time the anger subsided and felt stronger and quietly calm.  From that point forward I made a meta commitment to myself to never again let anger monopolize my thoughts or heart.  And to the gentleman that ran me over that sunny Sunday morning so long ago. Well, it was an accident. He certainly meant me no harm and even now I think of him time and again and wish him happiness, mental freedom and peace of heart.

 

Join me on the mat and off to address your anger, see it, say hello to it and let it go.  We do this for the betterment of ourselves and our world.  Love, Silvia

 

Lokaha Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu!  (translation below)

May all beings everywhere be happy and free and may the thoughts, words and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and freedom for all!

 

MAY 8th, 2009:  On this beautiful Mother's Day weekend, where we honor the power of creation itself, I feel deeply inspired by all of the Mom's that practice yoga with us at TBY.  I see their strength and quiet courage in making time for their own nourishment on the yoga mat so that they have more to give their children and partners.  You are all amazing in that you are modeling such healthy choices for your families! Keep shining out for you are making the world better not only for your kids but for the children of your children.  This ripple of self-love lasts forever!

And I'd like to especially recognize all the current pregnant goddesses practicing with us in almost every single class.  What a humbling expression of love to be in the practice with such a powerful being growing inside.  

Finally I bow in gratitude to one of the most powerful women I know, my mentor Shiva Rea, who inspires me with such infinite goddess energy to be a better person and teacher each and every day.  Yesterday she wrote these words that I totally embrace and want to share with you, "All praises to the men who love women and the women who love men...Ah Shiva-Shakti!" 

                                                         

You see this practice is one of finding the balance and honoring the power of creation and the action required to direct that energy into new realms.  We are Shiva Shakti, we are sun, moon, Zeus and Athena, Sita and Ram.  Through spiritual practice we can find that perfect harmony within ourselves.  We discover our potential for more and greater things!  Even if the way we are doing life now is good, it can evolve more as our nature is one of expansion and creativity.  So today let’s harness our own creative power to give birth to the next stage of our lives, to our best self ever!  Listen to your heart, Silvia

 

"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." - Dr. Suess

 

SEPTEMBER 20TH, 2008:  We started class going around and sharing why we are here in class today.  It was inspiring to say the least!  It also set the tone for how important it is to learn to give this time of yoga to ourselves. There is a balance between giving and taking.  We all know there are 2 kinds of folks: Givers and Takers.  We have been both.  We see this pattern in nature.  The lungs of the earth are the trees around us.  When we breath out we give trees life.  Trees then clean the air and provide us the air we breath in.  Giving and Taking.  When it works like this in balance all is good! 

Krishnamacharya said, "Inhale, and God approaches you. Hold the inhalation, and God remains with you. Exhale, and you approach God. Hold the exhalation, and surrender to God."

 

However, the hardest part of our practice is not to find this balance between giving and taking but to maintain it.  Consider if at this point in time are we as human creatures giving back to the Earth as much as we are taking from her?  Our lives really depend on the health of Mother Earth you know?  Where in your life are you doing too much giving – how do you know?  Well are you feeling depleted?  Where are you taking too much? How can you feel how each breath guides you back to your center between the give and take?  Peace to all beings everywhere!  Love, Silvia

SEPTEMBER 14, 2008:  Have you ever started to feel defensive because you were feeling a little bit beat up?  Have you ever felt like other people or the world was out to get you? Have you ever felt like the weather outside was out to get you?  (It has now rained hard for 2 days straight).  Well what happens is we start to get more and more afraid or defensive and start looking for the worst, we look for folks to be against us, we look to put up our fists instead of opening our arms. The good news is…

·         Yoga brings us from disconnection and fear to connection and love

·         Through our practice the intelligence of our minds connects with and joins the wisdom of our bodies

·         This connection, being part of the circle, the universal team is the force the power we find on the mat

·         Practicing yoga can help us to feel part of a larger community. It reminds us we’re all on the same team, wearing the same jersey.

·         As we step onto our mat we can be assured that other men and women are doing the same thing all over the world

·         When we breath together we remember that we are all breathing the same air as one another, our ancestors and those that come after we’re gone

When we practice we are simply exploring ALL humanity in the form of ourselves.  We can become the world’s GREATEST EXPERTS on anger, impatience, frustration, as well as joyfulness, patience, clarity.  We become extremely wise and sensitive to all humanity simply by knowing ourselves.  This develops within us gratitude and understanding for OTHER people.  In the poses there is no need to defend ourselves against others because we’re all playing a different but vitally important position on our team just like on any team there is diversity in positions available.  Today let’s really value our contributions and try to identify with others rather than comparing or fighting them so we can experience the grace of our interconnectedness and make the world a place of harmony and peace!   Love, Silvia 

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever does.  -Margaret Mead

SEPTEMBER 4TH, 2008:  Last week I was reading Robin Sharma's "The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari" and really enjoyed it, especially the 10 Rituals of Daily Living.  I have always believed in the importance of rituals.  I love them! We even have rituals in our yoga (how we set ourselves up in poses, where we put our mat in the room, when we take sips of water).