You Can't Take the Ganesha Out...

A little over a year ago I began teaching yoga at a local studio that offers varying
healthy options to living: massage therapy, bellydance, reiki, life coaching, etc...all the
yummy stuff.  But coming into this space, I quickly realised I wasn't going to start class with a lot Sanskrit chanting or delve into the spiritual side immediately.  Part of this has been personal, selective growth and part of this is learning about the people who come to this studio.  Well--on the other side of immediately--is this year later when I comfortably begin and end with OM and share small stories of the practice.  I understand this to be more about my comfort at this point, not wanting to scare off students, afraid if I delve too deeply they're not going to come back to this space.  Even as I write that, I think it's smartly silly.


This past Thursday, at the end of class, a student came to me and said she had a question.
She continued by asking if I had any good books about Hindu gods or goddesses.  I
told her I didn't, but when I have questions about them, I either go to the library or online.  She then continued to tell me that when she is in savasana she gets images of "elephant people."  

I smiled.


Oh Ganesha.


I asked if she knew about Ganesha.  Had she heard the name?  The story?


No. And No.


I gave the small bits I knew and realised it's ok to share what I know, even if it's not complete.  People have the choice to go further in exploring their minds.  


And then she talked about seeing a "monkey face."


I smiled again.


Oh Hunaman.






She was full of this open space--recalling the past.  We spoke of reincarnation and spirituality.  It was a conversational gift.


That evening in the beginners class I shared the word Sri and the meaning.   This student was/is connected in with this divine sense, yummy sense of her spirituality.  So, even as I try to lightly cover the spiritual side of yoga, there are going to be those it resonates with and those it won't.  I don't need to necessarily water down my words, my stories...they sit where they need to...and Ganesha, removes the obstacles--placing success...where we open ourselves to.

Your Mid Back WANTS to Love You!

A friend I bellydance with has had back issues for a few months now.  We attended
a bellydance workshop in the fall when she had just begun having sciatica pain.  She stands on her feet
most of the day as a dental assistant and is the mom of three younger girls.  She's a busy
woman with a busy family, attempting to give herself the gift of dance--which is creating
more pain on some occasions.  With a pleading look in her eyes, she approached me last week  after class to come up with some stretches for her--with hopes of relieving pain.  She's been
going to physical therapy and is getting an MRI, but desires a livable approach to
what she's going through.  I sent this to her this week and thought it may be helpful to
others.  If you have suggestions, feel free to comment. 

Om.


Start by sitting quietly for a few minutes and check in with your breathing and yourself. Middle back pain is associated with not feeling supported. Cultivate a positive intention to see yourself supported emotionally, physically, spiritually and intellectually--releasing any judgement that may arise.

1. Childs Pose
2. Cat/Cow
3. Gentle Sun Salutations

The poses linked below by Sadie Nardini on Gaiam are a good stretch. Notice that she talks about not over developing belly muscles.

http://blog.gaiam.com/blog/top-6-yoga-poses-for-back-pain-slideshow/


In the end, finish by lying on your back doing gentle twist with your knees to both sides to relieve any tension to the lower back. If it bothers your back though, do not twist. Legs up the wall or supported up on the couch, also is a good back release.

End with a few minutes of relaxation.

Try to do this a few times a week. Play with the timing, you may discover stretching before bed helps you sleep better.

More than my body

I'm moving a little easier today.
On Wednesday I used a frozen bag of vegi's on my back and it truly made a huge difference.
Plus, I spent time thinking about where I am, why I feel overstretched and what my body means to me.

I've spent most of my life taking advantage of my body.
I suppose most of us do.
I was a child who could do gymnastics and was semi-athletic.
Movement has never been strained for me.
I suppose that's one of the draws to yoga and bellydance for me.
I feel my body and challenge myself, physically and mentally, during both joys.

And if I don't have my physical body, where does that leave me?
As long as I am breathing, it leaves me to do pranayama more.
It leaves me to more meditation.
Mantra.
And it takes me back to my roots of art, jewelry and music.

I feel grateful that I have been given this life to express all the etheral qualities I feel.
I am more than my body, but remembering this on days I feel less, is challenging.

I will think about this more, figuring a way to express this while teaching...
loving what I do.

Evergreen-ish

I sat on my mat this morning, half sick with a cold that doesn't make asana-sense, but quite capable of morning meditation.


So, I sat. And like most times, the first 5-10 minutes are the most monkey-mindish. 
And then I placed Om with my inhales and exhales, visualizing the symbol within my third eye. 

As I sat, I began thinking:
Evergreens
Christmas trees
Nature
Divinity
Atman soul
Evergreens being the divine tree, never dying, like the glowing Atman
Without veil--maya--
Heart.


And the next thing I knew I was "seeing" a snow capped mountain, wondering
how that was/is related to evergreens...possibly that a mountain
doesn't die or change either--maybe the landscape, but at the base--
it is always a mountain.


Like it is always a tree.
And the divine light shining
inward,
shines outward...
No matter what time of the year.


Om.

Word of the day: kula

I don't remember if it was my family, teachers or both, that instilled the idea of learning a new word a day.

It seems the concept should partner people together, but I suppose it doesn't matter, because in the end--I still-- almost at 40-- try to enhance my vocabulary.

So my word on Monday was kula: meaning family or group.
If you look up kula via wikipedia, you'll discover it means different things in different languages.
I am interested in the Sanskrit interpetation of the word, even though according to the New World Encyclopedia it is a difficult word for English interpretation. 

Personally, I don't see the difficultly in it.
I know there's the saying we can pick our friends, but we can't pick our family.
First off, I don't buy that saying.
I think we come to this place, this space, choosing our family and friends to love and learn about and from...but if not--then at what point do we acknowledge our family brings us lessons and ideals to learn positive and negative from?

Ok. Then there's this looseknit idea of 'family' --the people we mean to spend our time with.
On purpose.
With intention.
Friendships.
Relationships.
Working relationships.
Spiritual community.
Our kula.
Tightknight group of folks who love each other or at least tolerate.

If we are fortunate, we have a supportive immediate and extended kula.
And if we don't--we should honor our inner light, to place our Being towards the highest.

On Monday evenings class, I threw out the word kula while they were in childs pose, explaining the meaning of family.
I don't get into my personal beliefs too much, but try to share philosophy and ideas that correlate to the practice.  One thing I did say was that when dealing with our kula, our family--our base--we can use the chakras or energy centers in our body that coincide with words and ideas, to help us.

Our base chakra or muladhara chakra is said to reside at the base of our spine.
It's what keeps us stable in relationships, work, family.
And seeing how we're coming upon the holiday season, this chakra can take a beating...dealing with positive and negative past family baggage or even work that we're trying to accomplish before our time off.

That's when we need to ground ourselves.
So--Mondays class was full of grounding poses.
Heart opening poses through grounding poses, that hopefully offered insight or thoughtfulness.

I enjoyed Mondays class because I realized I spoke as I usually write.
There's a true gap between what I physically say versus my written word.
I feel more comfortable writing, sharing what may or may not be accepted.
But what I've been striving to find in my teaching is this voice I carry through writing, into my real-life teaching.
And what I feel comfortable in doing is sharing words.
Sharing stories.
To me these are real 'things' that people can carry in their heads in a positive way.

Sharing with their own kula.
Family.
Om

Saucha

On my hands and knees, mopping my floors, the word 'saucha' popped into my mind.
Saucha is one of niyamas in yoga philosphy, meaning purity or cleanliness.  Dealing with my household,
I find it the most difficult.  Once upon a time, my girls were young- I was married and worked very part time. 
My household was never perfect, but it was much more tidy.
Then my girls grew alittle and I was no longer married, working two full time jobs.
My household was less than perfect and hardly tidy.

And then yesterday, with my youngest at home sick, I took/take such joy in being able to clean--truly clean.
Not the surface wiping, but getting into the corners and delving into the practice--delving into saucha.
At a certain point, I remind myself--this is not permanent...the cleaning, the messiness--the moment.
Soon there were a housefull of girls rearranging any order I may have illusioned myself into creating.
And then that will disappear too--but I will have the thought and the word to ponder on:
Saucha.

Plus, I have other positive purities within myself--my household that I can see the abundance in and appreciate. It is a constant practice. Much love.
Om.
xoxo