So, I’ve been thinking…

Been getting a bunch of questions lately about why I love yoga. Interestingly and not by coincidence, I’m sure, one of MY yoga teachers asked me to come up with a definition of what I’d say to someone who asked me what yoga is.

Don’t ‘cha just love when that kind of stuff happens?

So back to my original statement…I’ve been thinking…

What I can tell you is what yoga is to me, personally. And, honestly, to me it has so many layers I feel like I’m learning something new every practice.

To me, yoga is always inclusive and is always available to anyone at any time. That is one of the reasons I love it so much. It’s a constant for me, in my life, and I can go as deeply into it as I choose on any given day at any given time.

It is unity of body, mind and spirit.

When I do yoga, I’m so intent on the asana at hand and on the breath, there is no focus on the future or the past. It almost forces me to be present in only that moment and when that happens, all anxiety, worry or any THING that has my mind in its grips, is released.

It’s so very healthy for my body. I’m sweating. I’m moving my body. I’m getting stronger and more open. And there’s this cool thing that happens. When my body opens and those hard places of tension are relaxed I start to feel the strength in the very fibers of my muscles and in the very core of my bones. When THAT happens, my whole self, my spirit, my heart, opens up and everything falls into alignment. Body, mind and spirit all connect up and I feel such love and peace. I feel a clarity and a deeper knowledge of who I am. I feel free and whole.

There is no doubt in my mind that yoga changes people from the inside out and from the outside in. It brings us into a new awareness of our purpose and place on the planet and brings us into a deeper knowledge of who we are. It illuminates and enhances our vision so we see more clearly.

If I had to give a short answer, I guess I’d say…

Yoga is about love…it is that thing that ultimately opens our hearts, refines our minds, purifies and strengthens our bodies and allows our spirits to soar, freely, and to love without condition.

There you have it…my interpretation of what yoga is.

I’m curious, though…what does it mean to you?

I was the happy recipient of some cool wisdom from a friend and teacher today reminding me that yoga is about life and living, not about perfect Asanas.

“Yoga Masters are not created by a perfect alignment of all circumstances.  They are created by persistence, innovation, and getting up and continuing every time they fall down.”

-Ryan Kurczak, Kriya Yoga Teacher and Vedic Astrologer

It’s important to remember that sometimes life simply happens and how we adjust to a situation, go over it, around it or through it is what actually gives us the skill to become excellent yoga teachers. Yoga teaches us how to move, when to breathe and gives us the deep peace and stillness to be present, active, clear and grateful. It’s a symbiotic relationship.

Just fyi…if you want to know more about Ryan, you can check him out at Ryan-Kurczak.org.

More to come to this fledgling yoga blog so stay tuned…

Let’s just be simple and direct.

Yoga is the answer to….everything.

When we risk, we often feel good – more fulfilled than when we don’t. One thing most people agree on is the more we give ourselves fully to an experience, the greater our pleasure in life.

We have to let go of a lot of things to do that. We have to let go of being liked, and let go of expecting others to do it too. We have to take responsibility for our own experience. We have to risk moments of standing alone.

Take a leap into the unknown today. You may just find yourself.

Funny how in a split second everything can change…sometimes it’s into something truly beautiful and sometimes it’s into something we least expect and not so pretty.

The only thing that is constant is the shifting of our lives. Being aware of those shifts is part of yoga. Living in the awareness that everything is constantly shifting and moving and being aware of the subtle ways that energy moves both inside and outside of our bodies is preparation for anything that life throws our way.

That is the depth of yoga.

When you can feel your body open in new ways, you go a little deeper into who you are…your body naturally begins to tune into your spirit. Your physical body becomes lighter and the cells and muscles and bones begin to streamline into alignment and the energy begins to move in the same direction as your spirit and when that happens, you progress…your very being shifts into a new awareness and new body and new depth of understanding.

You are changing from the inside out – the most powerful kind of change there is.

It is absolutely beautiful. It is akin to being filled up and overflowing with the warmth of the sun.

That’s when your intentions change. You move from the consciousness of  “I” into the idea that we are all truly connected and that your actions (or lack of action), thoughts, words, deeds all have an impact. Your understanding deepens and your heart opens.

Changes and shifts are a part of the journey of life. Yoga is the awareness of the shifts and what they mean and how they impact us all.

Funny how yoga works.

It is so very personal to each and every one of us. It can rev you up or calm you down depending on your practice and the time of the day and the poses you focus on.

It always puts a special glow on people who practice regularly…I mean, really…how can anyone NOT love it?

For me, personally, yoga is that thing that fills me up on the inside and makes me feel so very strong physically, emotionally and spiritually. It’s breathing in sunshine.

Who doesn’t want a little beatbox in their yoga tunes? Each of the chakras has a unique color and tone. I learned early on, in yoga, about the importance of balancing the chakras via the sound of the tone as it is carried. MC Yogi mixes it up in a new way with a strong back beat and a little hip hop spin….LOVE it!!!!

MC Yogi – Chakra Beatbox from MC Yogi on Vimeo.

You can check out the new album “Elephant Power” here.  I’ll definitely be adding it to my routine

Ok, wish I could take total credit for these (um, hilarious) words of wisdom but apparently my conscience won’t allow thievery.

BUT…

I can tell you that the person who wrote this jumped right into my head with both feet and pulled out two of my absolute best theories on “why I don’t watch the news” and “how to turn the economy around.” So, I’m thinkin’ he might know a thing or two or maybe even five…

Either way…funny stuff…

“Read good news. Hug a flower. Look at a bunny. Doesn’t matter. Just create a space in your soul for hope. The reality you experience is almost wholly shaped by your perception of it. I’m not saying you have to believe that everything is awesome all of the time, but at least start to open the drapes in your brain and let some light in….You don’t have to go on some kind of doe-eyed Pollyanna bender; just start out by taking five minutes a day to find something about the world to feel good and/or hopeful about.”

This is from The Nerdist Blog back January-ish but still appropriate to our lofty topic. Here’s the full link (dude! I must be feelin’ some of that happy, hopeful, cute bunny feelin’ kind of  stuff…even sending some link love…)

Turns out Ashtanga yoga is yoga therapy…

Um, what???? That style of yoga that kicks my butt every single time? The whole primary series that is so challenging it can take years (I’ve heard) before you actually can DO and HOLD all the poses…5 breaths REALLY can seem like an eternity…

Yeah. Who knew?!

The whole primary series is called Yoga Chikitsa (sanskrit) which translates into Yoga Therapy. This is NOT what I think of when I think of therapy – mostly because I can hardly walk when we are done much less stand up straight and I’m wringing wet with sweat…and panting (I mean, practicing my ujjayi breathing)…

If you don’t practice Ashtanga you are probably getting the point.

But here’s the thing. When I’m done with the primary series, even though it is physically challenging, I feel like everything is in alignment, strong beyond belief (inner strength as much as outer) and I ALWAYS have a pervading sense of all the pieces of my own personal puzzle coming together.  Those feelings are, in my opinion, a big green GO light that some “thing” in this system works. That plus  it does make you physically strong fast…that, or you’ll die a quick death (just kidding…well, half-kidding about that last part).

Anyways, when I think about this as yoga therapy…it does start to make sense. The whole series is healing in that it cleanses and tones the body, the mind, the senses. Believe me, you WON’T be thinking about anything other than getting through the series of poses because in Ashtanga there is no room for any other thought than what is currently at hand…it is AWESOME.

Crazy, right? Makes no sense, really, but it is the coolest thing ever…Surya Namaskara A and B (sun salutation)…here I come…

THIS is not your traditional yoga web site. If you’ve come for ooey, gooey-ness, you are defintitely NOT in the right place. This yoga journal is edgy and real and maybe even a little hard-core because THAT’s what life tends to be about.

Doesn’t mean there isn’t love and peace and serenity and all those wonderful things but you know…sometimes, you just gotta lay it all out…so here we go…

Hang on.

Won’t hurt.

Should be FUN!