Yoga Blog

WHY DO I DO YOGA?

JANUARY 10, 2010: I just read the coolest quote that totally says what I feel. Check out February Yoga Journal Great Article about Winter Olympians doing Yoga. My fave quote from Shanon Bahrke, US Freestyle Ski Team when asked What surprised you most about Yoga?

ANSWERED: "I love it in class when there's a supergood vibe, and everybody's energy is working as one. Maybe you came in with a bad attitude or had a tough day, but now everyone's energy lifts you up. That's just incredible."

Right on! See you on the mat let's raise the vibration even higher this year! Love in all ways, Silvia

1/10/2010 Tags: love, yoga, good, vibes, yoga journal Direct Link

GETTING OFF THE HAMSTER WHEEL

NOVEMEBER 11, 2009: Lately when I've asked my friends how they are, they are answering with one word: BUSY! While Nature is pulling into it's core during November, completely shedding all that isn't essential, us humans go into a frenzy, as we begin to prepare for the holiday season. My family was sick last week and my to do list just kept growing. So now I am back on it, trying to tackle all that had built up so fast and I can find myself feeling overwhelmed at times. How do we find peace especially during times of extreme busyness? .

I found a sweet article in this month's Yoga Journal that addresses this very question. In the article by Sally Kempton called, Busyness Plan, she writes about idea of external and internal busyness. External busyness is when we simply have a lot on our plate to accomplish; there is a project due at work, you are having people over for a party, your kids need you to be at 4 places at the same time. She says this kind of busyness, which is essentially the juggling of your life, can be managed. In contrast, the idea of internal busyness is a busyness that manages you, since this is when we are in a constant state of busyness even when we do have a spare moment. It is the idea that you are filling up your time with tasks non-stop even when you don't really have to. She asks the question: What do you do when you have a few extra moments in your day? Do you run to the blackberry, reach for a dishrag, start organizing something, or do you take a few moments to take a few breaths, rest, meditate, stretch and perhaps find a little space in your mind?

It really comes down to our own attitudes about time and whether we see life as abundant or deficient in time. We are taught that time is scarce and that a truly "good" day is when we accomplish as much as we can. There is little attention given to the HOW we lived our day. Were we kind? Did we enjoy ourselves? Did we give others our full attention? Were we open to be surprised, humbled and enthusiastic by what the day offered to us?

Sally Kempton recommends 2 types of yoga to help us find more peace in the midst of busy lives. First, is an inner practice that takes you into your center, either through meditation, pranayama or asana. The idea is to create these little micro-moments of space during your day. By creating the space, you can be more present to yourself, which allows you the opportunity to make better life enhancing choices for yourself and others. You might have felt this when your day "flows" a little better if you go to a yoga class in the morning. The second type of yoga she recommends is more demanding since it involves keeping this sense of spaciousness with you for your whole day. She mentions the story of 2 monks: one is sweeping, while the other is scolding him since he is losing time for meditation. The sweeping monk answers, "There is one inside me who is not busy!" The idea here is that we can be in the center point, or the madhya (the gap, the pause, the middle) in every moment. We can even turn our yoga class into one more thing we have to do and perform, instead of coming into it as a wonderful, joyful opportunity to find witness connection, balance and peace through our bodies.

"The true skill in action is a natural fluidity that arises when you can act from the perspective of the one who is not busy. The one who is not busy is free in all her actions because she knows that she is untouched by the action and it's results. She is the witness of the action. When the action is happening, she can sit back and allow it to take place." -Sally Kempton

So please join me for a yoga class this week. We'll try a few micro-meditations that you can have in your toolbox when life gets overwhelming. I want to thank my tby teammates Nancy and Jill for subbing for me last Wednesday and allowing me the time to heal myself and my family. Thank you!! Namaste. Mara

11/11/2009 Tags: Sally Kempton, Yoga Journal, Madya, Mara Campbell Direct Link

SOUND OF OM BY GUEST BLOGGER MARY SCUDELLA

OCTOBER 24TH, 2009: This past Saturday we practiced yoga. We also practiced the sound of Om. This is an ancient and sacred sound. It connects us with our inner being, while also connecting us with the universe. It is a sort of hum, so we also practiced Brahmari pranayama (humming bee breath). Patanjali said when we chant the sacred Om, our consciousness becomes �one-pointed: and prepared for meditation.� So, we chant this amazing sound, which may actually lead us to finding our own divinity.

The sound of Om is actually made up of four separate parts. The first two sounds are �ah� and �ooh,� which actually form a contraction into the �oh� sound. The �ah� represents our waking state or subjective consciousness. The �ooh� represents the dream state or consciousness of our inner world: thoughts, dreams, and memories. The �m� represents our dreamless state of sleep and experience of ultimate unity.

The last part of Om is the silence which follows the sound. It is called the anusvara (after-sound). As the vibration slowly dissolves into silence, we are able to transcend our state of consciousness. The Maitri Upanishad described this silence as the crown of the mantra, �tranquil, soundless, fearless, sorrowless, blissfull, satisfied, steadfast, immovable, immortal, unshaken, enduring.�

So, the next time you practice yoga or your just practicing life, consider turning breath into sound. Chant the sound of Om and notice its effects. Don�t forget the silence afterwards. And, see what divinity awaits your discovery.

Om	Brent Lewis, DJ Free & Soulfood
Sa Ta Na Ma	Mantra Girl
Charming the Serpent	Govinda
Transform	TJRehmi
Anand (Bliss)	Snatam Kaur
Shambala	Beastie Boys
The Divine Sound	Suvarna
Om Mani Padme Hum	Deva Premal
Vandey Gurunam	Reema Datta
Aad Guray Nameh	Snatam Kaur
Truth	Mantra Girl

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WHY DO I DO YOGA?

GETTING OFF THE HAMSTER WHEEL

SOUND OF OM BY GUEST BLOGGER MARY SCUDELLA

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