the yogini cowgirl

reflections of the Dalai Lama ...

082311.  Something I have been realizing in the past few days as I reflect on all the amazing lessons and kindnesses I received from my grandmother over the years: whether she knows it or not, my grandmother lives her life in accordance with the teachings of the Dalai Lama …

It makes sense to me now, that when I read his words they sound familiar.  She could have (probably did say) each of these things at some point in her life.  But more importantly, she lives each one each day:

“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries.”

“It is very important to generate a good attitude, a good heart, as much as possible. From this, happiness in both the short term and the long term for both yourself and others will come.”

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”

“Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them.”

“Old friends pass away, new friends appear. It is just like the days. An old day passes, a new day arrives. The important thing is to make it meaningful: a meaningful friend - or a meaningful day.”

In another life, she might have been the spiritual leader of an oppressed nation …

Sat Nam,

YC

 

Keeping up ...

051111.  Sat Nam, Yogis & Yoginis!

As many of you know, we've been practicing a Community Meditation at Be The Change Yoga Studio called EXCEL AND BUILD YOUR HEALING FORCE.  It's been an incredible experience and several of you are on day 51 ... CONGRATS!  (And for those of you on day 17 and day 21 ... woohoo! Keep going!)

We're going to continue to meet on Wednesday evenings to practice the meditation together, but now that the initial 40 days are up, we are also going to use that time to experience different meditations.  Perhaps we'll discover the meditation that moves you to start/continue your own daily practice.

THIS WEEK (tonight at 7:45), we're going to challenge ourselves with a Prosperity Meditation.  Practiced daily, this meditation can transform your magnetic field and give you the experience of attracting good things to your life ... in all realms.  

and NEXT WEEK, we'll come together in a Healing Circle so that we can send healing energy to our loved ones who are dealing with emotional and physical struggles.  (The more bodies we have for the healing circle, the better ... MARK YOUR CALENDARS!)

so ... Join me tonight, for a little tea and a little prosperity ...

Q:  How's your practice these days?

how to sleep when you can’t sleep … and a non-sequitur photo to celebrate Spring’s late arrival

050711.  I like to sleep.

And I’m pretty good at it.

I don’t sleep too long (usually 6-8 hours).

But it’s almost always awesome. 

Deep.

Restorative.

Blissful.

It’s just pretty great.

And His Holiness the D’alai Lama once said that it’s the best form of meditation.

So I’m pretty thankful for the good sleep.

(the LO ... yesterday ... in the first of many late Spring showers which I hope will save our tulips :)

But I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to having restless nights once in a while.

Nights when I just can’t shake all the thoughts from the day.

Nights when I get caught up in fantasies of a future that doesn’t yet exist.

And then I pull out some of my yogini tricks:

KIRTAN KRIYA for sleep (taught by Harijiwan)

I use the Kirtan Kriya (Sa Ta Na Ma) in a restorative pose that Harijiwan taught us in teacher training that’s designed for women to induce yogic sleep.

Here’s how it works (for women only): 

• POSTURE:  Lay on your stomach with your hands at your sides. 
• MANTRA:  Silently (or in a whispering voice) meditate on the mantra “SA – TA – NA – MA”
• TRANSLATION:  SA = infinity, cosmos, beginning; TA = life, existence;  NA = death; MA = birth. 
•  MUDRA (where you put your hands): when you say “SA” your index finger touches the thumb; when you say “TA” your middle finger touches the thumb; when you say “NA” you ring finger touches your thumb; and when you say “MA” your pinkie finger and thumb touch.  Then begin again with the index finger.)  Let yourself fall asleep in the meditation.

SHOULDER STAND

I use shoulder stand (Gurmukh once told a class that 15 minutes of shoulder stand is like 2 hours of sleep … and after using this technique more than I want to admit, I must agree).  Here’s a great "how-to" article (including a fun little animation that shows each step of the posture) from the abc-of-yoga.com website… And please … this is NOT a posture for you if you are pregnant or on the first three days of your moon cycle.

ALTERNATE NOSTRIL BREATHING

Sometimes I just sit quietly in a meditative posture and practice alternate nostril breathing.

• In this pranayam, the breath is always relaxed, deep and full.
• Have the left hand in Gyan Mudra (thumb and index finger tips touching, straight but relaxed arm, wrist resting on your knee).
• Use the thumb of the right hand to close the right nostril, and the index finger or ring finger of the right hand to close the left nostril. (This is sometimes called “U Breathing” because of the this mudra.)
• Close the right nostril and inhale through the left nostril.
• Then close the left nostril and exhale through the right nostril.
• Then inhale through the right nostril.
• And close the right nostril to exhale through the left nostril.
• Continue repeating, alternating nostrils after each inhalation.
• ALTERNATIVES:  INHALING LEFT, EXHALING RIGHT can help make you calm and integrate unwanted negative emotions and stress.  It’s excellent by itself before bed.   INHALING RIGHT, EXHALING LEFT can give you clarity and promote a positive mood.  Helps bring the focus to what is important.

Happy sleeping … and happy belated Spring! 

Q: What do YOU do when you can’t sleep?

 

 

and the winner of the GIVEAWAY - Kulae tpECOmat yoga mat is ...

042311.  Congratulations ...

TRACY!

You've won a Kulae tpECOmat yoga mat!

 

Now all you have to do is PICK A COLOR ...

... EMAIL me your selection and mailing address so I can order this puppy and get it sent your way!

NOTE:  Winner was selected at random and must email me within a week of the drawing to retrieve the prize.

 

 

a GIVEAWAY ... to celebrate spring ...

042011.  Even though we were hit with 5 inches of snow yesterday, I'd like to take this opportunity to celebrate Spring!

With joy!

With bright spring colors (that remind me of Easter eggs)!

With grippiness (because couldn't we all use an opportunity to get a grip?).

And lightness (ahhh ... the sun ... the light ... the goodness).

And an eco-friendly excuse to get yourself back on the yoga mat!

The Kulae tpECOmat looks great (in vibrant and excellent color combos), it's light (2.0 lbs), durable (I've used mine near-daily for 6 months and it's still in perfect condition), has great grip, and is 100% biodegradable, with no rubbery-gross smell.  It's basically just awesome.

And one lucky reader will have his/her pick!

 

All you need to do is answer the following question in the comment section here on the blog ... before Friday at noon (MST).

Q:  What are you doing to celebrate spring? 

Winner will be selected at random and announced Saturday!

Good luck!

NOTE:  The folks at Kulae don't know the Yogini Cowgirl ... have never heard of the Yogini Cowgirl ... and have not supported this giveaway in any way ... I just happen to love their mat, and want to share it with you all.

40-Day Community Meditation to "Excel & Build Your Healing Force"

031811. There are so many changes and shifts happening lately (as evidenced by the fact that Japan is now 13 feet closer to the United States than ever before ... and the quake that rattled Southeast Asia sped up the earth's rotation so now our days are just a little bit shorter) ... it seems like life is moving at warp speed.

I’m lucky in that I am part of a beautiful sangat (community) of yoga teachers here in Bozeman. And Jessi, the owner of BE THE CHANGE YOGA STUDIO, has opened her heart and her door to share Kundalini Yoga and Meditation as part of the line-up at her studio.

And even luckier still that she supports some of my off-the-wall ideas.

The thing is, I've been looking for a mediation that would develop the strength and the will to sit peacefully amid the changes that are happening, but also develop the stamina to keep up. I realized I’ve been doing one particular meditation off and on now for about a year. Now, maybe it’s time to commit.

So starting next Wednesday (March 23rd), we’re going to begin our first COMMUNITY 40 DAY MEDITATION.

The great thing about doing a meditation as a community meditation is that you have support in knowing that you're not doing it alone. There are daily emails of encouragement. Weekly meetings to practice it together, drink tea and talk about what's going on as you wind your way through the process. There's a shared energy that can lift you up when you need it ... or maybe you're the up-energy one day and you help elevate your neighbor.

Committing to do the meditation every day for 40-days will use the physical flow of your energy to activate your body's own healing force and give you access to that store of energy in your solar plexus.

Yogi Bhajan said "when you want to excel despite all your deficiencies, do this kriya:"

The meditation we’re going to do is called EXCEL AND BUILD YOUR HEALING FORCE (from the manual Reaching ME in Me). I’ve mentioned it before on this site. But here are the particulars once again:

THE POSTURE, MUDRA and EYE-FOCUS:

• Tune in with the Adi Mantra (Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo – 3 times, like we do in class)
• Sit in Easy Pose with a straight spine.
• Interlock your fingers and raise your hands over head, so your arms become a halo around your head. Make the halo as round as you can (not stretched too high ... not too close to your head).
• Concentrate at your navel and meditate to the sounds of the Mul Mantra (no singing ... just listening).
• To end, inhale and hold your breath for a few seconds. Exhale and hold your breath out for a few seconds.
• And then close with a Long Sat Nam (like we do in class)
• Recommended to do it for 11-31 minutes a day.

Sure, it's a challenge to keep your arms up, and yes, keeping your focus on the navel while you let all other thoughts drift away can cause frustration and anxiety. And then of course there’s having the willingness to let the sound current (the Naad) of the Mul Mantra (the root mantra, which aligns us with our destiny) do its work on your psyche … that’s not always easy. But it's also a worthwhile effort when life seems like it's becoming unmanageable, like there's too much on your plate, and there's not enough time in the day to get it all done.

Cost - $11 for the entire 6 weeks (includes the weekly meetings, daily emails, and a journal to write about your experience).

So … join us at BE THE CHANGE for tea and meditation, this Wednesday, March 23rd. 7:45 pm. “Keep up, and you’ll be kept up!” - YB

EMAIL me with questions or to sign up!

who's up for a little group meditation?

031411. Let's all meditate together!

EMAIL me for more information or to sign up!  (Even if you can't make it to the weekly meetings, you're welcome to join the meditation ... the more the merrier, I always say.)

 

"That's a YP...not an MP."

031011.  I just read this piece by my friend and fellow-yoga-teacher Jessi and it made me think that a LOT more people than just me need to read it ... click the link and enjoy ...

via bethechange-yogastudio.bethechange-yogastudio.com

today's the day ... now it all makes sense

030911.  I've been hearing a lot of talk about how crazy things are these days. About how crazy people are feeling.  About how stressed.  How overwhelmed. How time seems to be speeding up even more quickly than ever before.  

I even heard a 4 year-old mention that she "couldn't believe it was already March."

I don't know about you, but when I was four, time felt like it was standing still ... the school year lasted forever, and the wait from Christmas to Christmas seemed almost unbearable.

(That's me on the left at age 4 ... with the SuperMom and the First Sergeant Sis on her First Communion day ... talk about great photo composition.  But YOWZA, check out SuperMom's super legs!!)

So if a 4 year-old is noticing the time shift ... seems like something might actually be happening.

And I'm wondering if it's a coincidence that, according to the Mayan Calendar, it just so happens that today is the day we shift into the 9th and final Wave of Consciousness ... 

photo courtesy FROM LONDON WITH LOVE 

Apparently, according to the Mayan Calendar, there have been eight other shifts ... the first one happened 16 billion years ago.  Then again 820 million years ago.  And 41 million years ago.  Two million years ago.  102,000 years ago.  3,115 BC was the next one.  And then another shift in 1755 AD.  What I find interesting is that they keep happening at a quicker rate, and I've now been alive for THREE of them.

The seventh shift lasted from 1755 - 1999, during which time "dramatic shifts in consciousness" happened about every 20 years.  It was all about power. Consolidating power into the hands of few.  

And then from 1999 - yesterday, it was about ethics and technology.  About integrity.  About lies being revealed.  About tyranny's being toppled because the truth is being discovered by the masses.  Anything not in integrity is revealed and removed.  (Can you say "Middle East"?)  

And those dramatic shifts and consciousness were happening every year.

If you even spend a little time thinking about it, it becomes pretty clear that it's challenging to keep secrets in a world with so much technology at work in our daily lives.  Every purchase is logged on our credit/debit cards.  There are cameras at intersections tracking your car as you speed through the yellow lights.  Global positioning systems into your cellphone's hardware can track where you are at a moment's notice.  

Now ... as of today ... we are moving in to the period of Unity Consciousness, during which competition becomes obsolete.  We move into a "I win - you win" paradigm.  And dramatic shifts happen every 18 DAYS.   Which means we'll be through this wave and into "The Golden Age" (the end of the Mayan Calendar) by the end of the year.

To quote an article from spiritvoyage ... "This is the time when we transcend duality – us and them, good and bad into Unity Consciousness. We are moving from living from our mind and ego and dropping into our hearts to remember who we are and why we are on this planet."

I can't say for sure that this isn't all hokey New Age YaYa ... but it makes sense to me ... I can see it all around.  And I would appreciate a world where we live from our heart centers.  So if it means I'm a bit New Age ... and a bit YaYa ... label me NAYY.

Q: Are you seeing evidence of this shift in your world?

 

a cooling breath ...

030711.  Pranayam is the science of breath. 

The purely physical aspect of breath is the blend of oxygen, and other chemicals that constitute air.  But prana is also the vital force that energizes one's mind, body and consciousness.  You may have heard me spout this truth before ... but prana is the wave upon which the soul rides.  And the depth, strength and curl of that wave creates creates the base of a vital and creative life.  And we have the power to control the wave.

Learning to breathe deeply and completely is fundamental in your yoga practice. And it's an incredibly effective tool for developing higher consciousness, for increasing health, vitality and a sense of connection in one’s life.

So today, I'm going to give you a little breath tool that I find especially useful if I realize I'm getting angry or frustrated.  Anger and frustration can inhibit one’s ability to think clearly … this calms me down, gives me clarity, and allows me to understand more fully what’s going on (externally, and in my own brain).

It's called:

SITALI PRANAYAM

And it's a cooling, relaxing breath that allows you to maintain your alertness.  Physically, it can help lower fevers and aid in digestion.  But emotionally and consciously, it can really help to cool one's britches and clear the air.

The how to: 

• Curl the tongue into a “U” shape. (If you're not genetically pre-disposed to pull the "U" shape off ... don't stress about it ... fake it ... do the best you can and be thankful you have a tongue that lets you share your truth!)

• Inhale through the curled tongue.

• Exhale through the nose.

• NOTE:  If you notice the tongue tasting bitter at first, it’s a sign of detoxification.  No worries.  It will pass.

 

Q:  Do you ever get so mad you can taste it?

 

love the ladies ...

030611.

International Women's Day has been celebrated since 1913 ... it's a day for the global celebration of women and their contributions to the world.  

Yogically speaking, women are the manifestation of the primal creative force of the universe.  We are "The Adi Shakti."  

And as women ... as this creative force ... we have the power (and the responsibility) to change the world through the example we set in our communities, through the compassion we show to our friends and neighbors, and through the values we gift to our children.  

We can raise consciousness and affect real change.  

And it begins now!  

Join me Tuesday night for a special evening of yoga and meditation to honor, manifest and celebrate girl power!

Om Namah Shivaya ... aka ... and now for something I know very little about ...

030311.  Apparently, in the Hindi tradition, tonight (the night before the New Moon usually celebrated either in February or March) marks the MAHA SHIVARATRI.  The Night of Shiva.

In brief, Shiva is one of the deities of the Hindu Trinity.  He’s the God of Destruction.  Which is not a negative thing … because every new beginning comes from something’s end.  (Think of it this way ... thank goodness you broke up with that loser, so you could open the space for the right person in your life :)

He’s also referred to as the god of yoga and meditation.  Because in deep meditation (samadhi), we let go of everything … we let go of our ego … we let go of our thoughts … we let go of old habits and attachments.  Shiva represents a letting go of every worldly thing so we can become one with The One … which is the whole point of meditation.

One of the myths I found says that tonight is the night that Shiva saved the world from destruction.  There was a poison in the water, and after the pleas and prayers from Lord Vishnu and all the people in the world, Shiva took that poison into his throat.  But the poison was so strong it nearly toppled the god, so a snake was placed around his neck, which abated the affects of the poison.  Although, it left Shiva’s neck blue (he’s often depicted with a blue neck … which also happens to be the color of the throat chakra).

Other myths suggest that tonight marks the day that Shiva married Parvati, and is an auspicious day for women to pray for the men in their lives … or to pray to find a new man in their life … and that he be like Shiva … the ideal husband (brave, strong, loving, protective, honorable, etc).

Hindi people who honor Lord Shiva all over the world will fast today (either eating a diet of only fruits and milk … or nothing at all), and then join in the festival tonight in honor of this powerful deity.

So … what’s interesting about this for the Catholic girl from New Jersey who practices kundalini yoga and lives in Montana?   Let me tell you …

The thing I keep finding (in the “research” I’ve been doing on the internet) is that tonight is a celebration of our transition from the darkness of ignorance into the “dawn of divine joy and knowledge.”

After my first winter above the 45^th parallel, it’s a great reminder that we won’t live in this cold darkness forever.  It’s a beautiful, dance-filled acknowledgement that the darkness of winter might finally be coming to an end … that light and knowledge and spring flowers and sunshine are at our fingertips. 

And despite being raised Catholic, I recognize that mine isn’t the only faith that offers insight and experience in the world.  I love the parallels that exist across world religions.  I love the similarities in the stories and I celebrate the differences.

So today … in my yoga classes and in my activities with the LO (which include swimming lessons, a trip to the dinosaur museum and dinner with Nana) … we’re going to dance.  We're going to meditate.  We're going to let go of the past.  We’re going to celebrate the light.  We're going to experience the now.  

Q:  What are YOU going to do today?

yogi tea ... MMmmmmm

030211.  Okay, so I’ve had more than a few requests for the recipe I use for yogi tea.  It’s so easy … I generally make a pot a week and have it on hand in the fridge to heat (or drink chilled) at a moment’s notice.

I know what you’re thinking … or at least … I know what I used to think … about making a vat of something and leaving it in the fridge.  I used to think I would never drink it (or eat it … depending on what it was).  That the whole idea of cooking something ahead seemed like it was for other people. 

With other lives.

That didn't resemble my life.  

Because I was so busy.  

And I had no time for vats.

And then I discovered yogi tea.

And it was the end of my vatless days.

It not only makes the house smell delicious while it’s brewing (I love the smell of cardamom … it’s “like totally tripendicular, you know?” – what movie?), but it also happens to be good for the blood, colon, nervous system and bones.  It’s good for colds, flu and general fatigue …

Water, five simple ingredients, 3 tea bags and a stove.  It's that easy.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• A stock pot filled w/ about a gallon of filtered water
• 4 slices fresh ginger root
• 8-10 cloves
• 8-10 black peppercorns
• 10-15 green cardamom pods (cracked)
• 4 sticks of cinnamon
• 3 black tea bags
• 1 ½ c. milk (I use a can of organic light coconut milk … you can use milk, coconut milk, soy milk, rice milk, almond milk … whatever you like)
• Honey (or maple syrup or agave) to taste

Bring the water to a boil and add the spices.  Cover and continue to boil for 30 minutes or so (add a little extra water if too much steams off).  Turn off the heat, add the black tea bags and let steep.  I generally just leave it on the stove for a few hours, just letting all the flavors really blend and come together.  But it’s ready in just a few minutes.

I also hold off on adding the milk and honey until just before serving.  I find the plain tea lasts longer … and it’s even good without the milk and honey over ice.

So … vat it up … it’s worth it!

Q:  To vat or not to vat ... that is the question.

 

 

breath ... and the importance of living in the now

022311.  Our favorite Cowboy leaves Montana this morning, en route to sunny California and back to the grind after a long-weekend filled with wedding to-do.  He’s already on his way to the airport.  And my heart aches. 

In fact, I started to feel sad about it yesterday … in the early part of the day … watching him tug the LO on her first sledding extravaganza …

… a full 20 hours before he needed to pack the truck and head down the road.

But I caught myself in the sadness.

I recognized that I was holding my breath when I looked at him, anticipating how I would feel when he left and thought: “What are you doing being sad today, when today he is right in front of you!” 

I checked it.

Realized I was holding my breath. 

And gave myself a few moments to inhale deeply and exhale completely.

That pallor of sadness went away.

And we got one more day of goodness before this morning.

I know it’s obvious, but the thing about living in the future (anticipating feelings for next month, next week, tomorrow and 3 hours from now) only makes us lose sight of right now.  We lose the joy.  We lose the moment.  We lose the experience.  And then we just get lost.

And if I’ve learned one thing from my yoga practice it’s this:

Breath is the wave on which our soul rides.  In yoga-speak we call it prana ... the life-force of our thoughts, feelings, intentions, etc.

In my experience, I hold my breath when I’m upset.  I hold my breath when I’m cold.  I hold my breath when I’m angry.  Or frustrated.  Or tired.  Or nervous.

But here’s the very basic science of breath … when you hold your breath, freshly oxygenated blood stops getting to your brain.  Without oxygen, the brain stops functioning at its best.  So it’s no wonder we stop thinking clearly, start acting crazy, say things we don’t mean to say, etc.

So being conscious of one’s breath lets us be conscious and in the moment.  It clears our thinking.  It keeps us focused.  It takes the commotion out of our emotion.  And it allows us to live in the here and now.

So we don’t start worrying about how we’ll feel in the morning when the Cowboy climbs into his truck and pulls out of the driveway until he actually does it.  And when that does happen, it allows the sadness and heartache to be authentic and real, but it doesn’t overwhelm the way it did yesterday.  Because I know it’s not forever.  We’ll see him in a few weeks and all is well.

My advice to all of us today … for just one day … be conscious of your breath.  Full breath in (stomach expands), full breath out (navel contracts).  All day.  And when you realize you’re not breathing … start again.  See if your emotions don’t turn to commotions.  See if your thinking stays clear.  Your words remain true.  And you don’t get lost in an unreality created in your mind.

Q: What happens to your life when you lose track of your breath?

 

 

 

to quote someone WAY smarter than me ...

021611. "I NEED YOGA!!"

The Little One came with me last night to my yoga class at Bozeman Yoga Center because our sitter is out of town.  

And the thing about the BYC is that there's a small yoga mart at the entrance.  There are mats and shirts.  Straps and blocks.  Pretty much everything you might need to start a yoga practice.  And right now, everything is 50% off.  Except the mats.  Which are $2.  

Yes.  

$2.  

Okay, so they are "gently used" mats.  But they have been sanitized.  There are no stains.  They don't smell.  They are eco-mats with no lead, no PVCs, and recyclable.

And they are child-sized.

And they are in a bin on the floor.

So when the LO walked in and laid eyes on the mats she didn't hesitate a beat.  She ran over to a pink one, grabbed it from the bin, and turned to me with her beautiful blue eyes.

"I NEED YOGA!"

And proceeded to lay out her mat.

(at home this morning ... one of four or five times the mat got unrolled today ... she really needs her yoga.)

How could I say no?

Especially since she understands something at 22 months that it took me more than 30 years to get.

Because here's the truth ...

"I need yoga, too."

And so do you.

And you.

And you.

And you, too!

So take some advice from the littlest yogini in our house and hit your mat.  It's good for the soul and the body.

 

Q:  Who teaches you lessons these days?

a pick-ture perfect process to create your own happiness?

020311.  As the LO and I pack and prepare for a weekend road trip to Utah, I reflect on the last time we were in the car for more than an hour ...

Like any good yogini, the LO demonstrates clearly how we all have the power to make choices and make changes to create the world we want to live in ...

contemplation ...

the birth of an idea ...

reflection ...

commitment ...

satisfaction?

Q:  What choices will you make today to create the world you want to live in?

while the cowboy's away ...

013011.  Since the Cowboy left for Los Angeles (eleven days ago … yes, I’m counting), I’ve noticed that unlike the mice when the cat goes away, I’ve got a lot less playtime! 

One toddler, two dogs, three horses, multiple classes, multiple workshops, cooking, cleaning, laundry, housekeeping, blogging, building a new website (which I’ll launch in the weeks to come … very exciting stuff that I look forward to sharing) … blah blah blah …  and on top of it all, I’m doing my best to maintain my own yoga and mediation practice because when I lose that, I notice that I start to lose my own sense of well-being.

There was a time in my life when I would get busy and the first thing to out the door was my own self-care.  I’d stop going to the gym.  I’d start eating poorly (or I’d start eating out a lot).  Because I thought it was easier.  And I thought it was giving me more time and energy to focus on what was important (which was the work I was doing).  What I didn’t realize, and what I realize today, is that if I don’t feel good … if my body doesn’t feel good and my head isn’t on straight then the outcome of the work I’m doing … no matter what that work is … isn’t as great as it could be.

So today … I’m an advocate for self-care.

I’m an advocate for being 5 minutes late to work if that means you can take 5 minutes out of your morning to do a few breathing exercises and meditate for 3 minutes.  Ninety seconds of Breath of Fire can change your day …

I support having a nutritious breakfast, even if that just means having a protein shake as you run out the door and jump in your car.

I encourage you to cook at home one more time a week using locally grown, organic, whole food ingredients, because yes … in a world where pesticides are showing up in the urine of infants whose mothers only eat organic food … and we don't know the reason that childhood diseases like ADD and autism are on the rise, we need to eat more organic food.  How our food is grown does matter.

And I’m rooting for me … I’m rooting for you … I’m rooting for all of us!

 

Q:  What are you doing for yourself today?

 

Breath of Fire

How to –

• Breath of Fire is rapid, rhythmic and continuous.  It is equal on the inhale and the exhale, with no pause between them. (approximately 2-3 cycles per second.)
• Always practiced through the nostrils with mouth closed (unless otherwise stated).
• Powered from the navel point and solar plexus.  To exhale, the air is expelled powerfully through the nose, by pressing the navel point and solar plexus back toward the spine.
• To inhale, the upper abdominal muscles relax, the diaphragm extends down, and the breath seems to come in as part of relaxation rather than through effort.
• Breath of Fire is NOT hyperventilation.
• Do NOT practice Breath of Fire if you are pregnant or on the first 3 days of your Moon Cycle.
• AN EASY WAY TO GET IT DONE:  Sit with a straight spine and a slight neck lock.  Open your mouth, stick your tongue out and start panting like a dog … Close your mouth and continue the panting breath through your nose.

 

Some of the benefits –

• Releases toxins 
• Expands the lung capacity and increases vitality
• Strengthens the nervous system to resist stress
• Strengthens the navel chakra
• Reduces addictive impulses for drugs, smoking, and bad foods
• Increases oxygen delivery to the brain, facilitating a focused, intelligent, and neutral state of mind
• Boosts the immune system and may help prevent disease

 

Yay for the Universe!

012811.  Just when I start feeling sorry for myself that the Cowboy’s living my old life … the Universe turns around and offers THIS …

(the sunset last night … a view from the parking of our favorite Japanese eatery)

We would have missed this beautiful site had I decided to make pancakes as I had planned.

But tomorrow is the first day of the 40-day ART OF LIVING seminar I am co-leading with two other amazing teachers from Be The Change Yoga Studio.  I know my practice has changed my life for the better (opened my heart, given me freedom to choose compassion and to follow my intuition), so I feel pretty honored to be able to share some of these yogic tools with the roomful of folks who have signed up.

And I still had a few last-minute details with regard to hand-outs and curriculum that I wanted to finish, so I opted for the “easy” dinner plan. 

Ivy waited patiently while I proof-read and printed … Watanabe’s opens at 4:30 … and we didn’t want to seem over-anxious … but we wanted to beat the rush … so I gave myself until 5 to finish my work.  And out the door we went for a short walk across the street, through a parking lot, and down the road on the right to our the yummiest veggie chanpon noodle this side of the Rockies … the LO loves loves loves them, too … so it makes it very easy to eat out .)

It’s amazing what the Universe has to offer, if we just open our eyes and see it.

Q:  Are your eyes open?

 

a Monday meditation to know the field

012411.  It’s Monday … okay … well … there’s still an hour left of Monday (okay ... 30 minutes), so I’m getting this in just under the wire.  So, once again, it's Monday, what better day to talk about meditation?  Plus, it’s been a while … and I’ve been practicing this meditation for a few days now and I feel like I am starting to get a real sense of it.

(this is from the Beartooth Highway in Southern Montana ... an amazingly scenic road that I recommend everyone drive at some point in their lives ... and on it's own, an incredibly meditative experience.)

 
This is called a “Meditation to Know the Field.”  Yogi Bhajan originally taught this mediation in 1973.  It’s a meditation to help develop the ability to know and feel the energy flow in any situation … like at work … if you’ve got a co-worker who’s “opposing” you … or at home … if you’re kids are sneaking out with the “wrong crowd.”  For me ... I decided to start this because I'm about to start a new workshop.  I'll be meeting a fair number of new people. And I'm feeling like it's important for me to be present and be conscious for the sake of the folks who signed up ... and I have the sense that this particular meditation is the one I need right now.

This meditation can help you develop your expanded awareness.  It creates a sensitivity … it expands your aura so it more easily picks up on the energy shifts of those around you.

It’s pretty neat.

So while I’m finding it to be a bit of a challenge because it’s 22 minutes (and that can be a long time when there’s a toddler to contend with), I’m also finding it to be a pretty blissed-out experience, and I must admit to feeling pretty sensitive to everyone around me … even strangers … like the dude at the coffee shop where I was earlier today who had clearly married his metaphorical mother.

So here goes:

NOTE:  precede this meditation with a vigorous yoga set  or vigorous work-out which includes pranayam (focused breath).

Sit in Easy Pose (cross-legged) with a straight spine.

EYES:  Eyes are 1/10^th open, with the eyes looking downward.  Concentrate your mind at your Brow Point … your Third Eye Point.

MUDRA (hand position):  Hands are in Gyan Mudra (index finger and thumb are connected at the tips, rest of the fingers are straight, but relaxed … wrists are resting on your knees).

FOCUS:  Keep the spine straight and begin releasing all the tension from the spine outward.  Let each segment of the spine release and each area of the body relax.

TIME:  22 minutes.  In my experience, it takes the first 10-15 minutes to release all the tension, so it’s in the second half of the meditation that I start to enter that “blissed-out” state, and really start to feel things shift in my consciousness.

So there you have it … a meditation for a Monday.  As I mentioned, I started this a few days ago and have plans to continue on … Tuesday will be day four of 40.   Let me know if you decide to join me in this meditation … I’m always happy to have a “partner in crime” on these adventures …

 

Q:  Have you started anything new lately?

 

 

as the days get shorter … time for yoga and meditation runs out?

121710.  Five more days until Solstice.  Five more days until the full moon.  Five more days until the total lunar eclipse. 

And as we lead up to the shortest day of the year, I’ve been practicing my Surya Namaskar and Surya Kriya (Sun Salutations and Sun Set) so I can invite the energy of the sun back into my life.

I must admit, I haven’t had a ton of time these days for my yoga practice.

My classes at BE THE CHANGE are on hold until the first week in January, so I haven’t had to get up for Sadhana three days a week.

Then that stomach virus last weekend really knocked it out of me.

And the Little One got it.

And then the Cowboy.

And then I realized how little time there was before Christmas and I’ve been rushing around to finish last minute “stuff” before the SuperMom and SuperStepDad arrive next Wednesday.

So wherever I am ... whenever I can ... I look for moments to connect and reconnect.

I’ve been “stealing” moments to practice and to meditate.

I wake up a few minutes early.  Three Sun Salutations.

The LO falls asleep in the car on the way home from her tumbling class.  I plug in my iPod and practice the SA RE SA SA: Meditation for the Chakras  (from the book Yoga for Prosperity by Siri Kirpal Khalsa) for 11 minutes while sitting in my car, waiting for her to wake.

The Cowboy runs an errand to the store, a few more sun salutations and a minute of Breath of Fire.

Struggling to sleep, I spend a few minutes in shoulder stand to get a few extra moments of "yogic sleep" and then silently chant SA TA NA MA as I climb into bed ... before it begins again.

 

Q:  What do you do with your stolen moments?

the dreaded SNOOZE button ...

120910. A reader recently sent me an email that got me thinking.  She wanted to know how I manage to get up in the morning for yoga and meditation.  And the thing is … I recognized myself a LOT in her email.  Here's her dilemma:

I desperately want to get up early before work to do some yoga/meditation, go to the gym and get to work at a decent time. This would then allow me to come home at a decent time and have time to relax / study (Indian Head Massage) or catch up on minor housework chores.

Instead I reset the alarm clock, get up at the latest possible moment, get to work later than anyone else, have to stay later at work, have to go to the gym after work (which I'm failing to do), have less time for study (which I'm failing to do), housework and relaxing (fail, fail). This all combines to make me feel that I'm failing at everything and it all becomes a downward spiral.

I have a clue that the answer may be in changing my thinking about getting up early before work, and the benefits that will bring. I just find it extremely difficult to motivate myself.

I just wondered if you had any words of advice.

Here’s my thinking about what happens when we keep hitting snooze:

First off, we make all these grand plans:  “I’m going to get up an hour early, get to the gym for an hour of cardio … or there’s a yoga class at 7 … if I can get there and get home by 8:45, I’ll have time for a quick shower and still be to work by 9:30.”

Uh huh.

They are great plans.

We set our alarm clocks with the best of intentions.  We know that it’s a good thing to wake up early, practice some yoga (or move your body in some way), meditate, get settled and focused for the day ahead.  Really good.  The world is easier to deal with when you start the day with a little sweat … a little laughter … and a little meditation.

But then the alarm goes off.

And our mind gets to work (If you’re anything like me, there’s a real dialogue that goes on in your head):

“Five more minutes.”  “I can still get to the gym if I skip a shower.”  “I’ll take a yoga class during lunch.”  “I’ll get to the gym after class.”  “It's only five more minutes.”

Snooze.

ZZzzzzzzz.

Alarm.

Snooze.

ZZzzzzzzz.

Alarm.

Snooze.

ZZzzzzz.

Alarm.

“Crap. Now I’m late.”  “No time for yoga.”  “No time for the gym.”  “No time for the meditation.”  “I can’t go during lunch because I have that meeting … hmmmm.”  “I can still get there tonight. … Oh no … I forgot I have that thing tonight … Aaaargh.”

And it’s proof-positive that our minds/egos are pretty powerful.

You see, the ego likes to have that control – keep us doing what it wants, ratherthan what we want/know we need.

It’s just so dang easy to get caught in this cycle.

But there is a way out.

Although it does take a little effort.

I’m speaking from experience here … I had the same problem when I was just starting out in my own practice.

Two things helped me make a shift (to take the power away from my ego and give it to my "soul" or "self"):

1 - START SMALL.  Instead of making grand plans (to get out of bed, get dressed, get to the gym, get home to shower and dress and get to work ... basically adding more than an hour to my morning), I started small ... if all I did was wake up and do 5 sun salutations and meditate for 3 minutes, I was a winner.  Some days, all I did was a 3 minute wake-up set (1 minute of stretch pose w/breath of fire, 1 minute of knees to nose with breath of fire, 1 minute of ego eradicator with breath of fire) and 3 minutes of a simple meditation before jumping in the shower to start the day.  After about a month (probably more like 40 days), I wanted to do more ... so I kept adding more ... Ishnaan (cold shower), kriya, meditation ...

The other thing I did:

2 - CREATE A SITUATION THAT DOESN'T GIVE YOU AN "OUT."  What I mean by that is ... if someone is waiting for you to pick them up to take them to the gym or yoga studio, you can't very well turn off your alarm.  Or, if you invite a friend to your house to practice with you ... you've got to be up and ready when they arrive ... you've created a situation that won't let you turn off your alarm.  Early on, I had a neighbor who agreed to meet me for walking meditations 2 or 3 mornings a week.  We started out walking for 30 minutes ... worked up to about an hour ... we both lost weight, we both "got happy."  And she just completed her third marathon.  The idea of her waiting outside my door in the morning got me up and out ... 

I don't know if these suggestions will help you ... but I hope so ... because I think if you add yoga and meditation all of those other things (work, home, study) get easier.

Q: How do you quiet your mind when it's working against you??

 

boy-oh, that buckin’ horse is hot … or, why it’s important to maintain your self-care … even when you’re in Vegas

120510.  The LO went to her first rodeo last night.

And I think she had a good time,

She was, at the very least, mesmerized by what was going on in the arena …

The buckin’ broncos.

The bull riding (these guys all put themselves in serious danger ... takes a certain mindset, I think).

And the “nay-nays” (that’s what she calls horses) riding like the wind.

It was wild.

And it was fun.

And it was major sensory overload.

Basically … it was Vegas.

And when we got back to our room last night it took about 4 minutes for both of us to fall into a deep deep sleep. 

The Cowboy stayed out for a bit … when you’re a rodeo veteran, the NFR is like a family reunion … and it’s important to spend time with the old gang.  To laugh.  To reminisce.  To reconnect with friends.

And what I realize today that maybe I didn’t realize five years ago is that it’s equally important (even when you’re on vacation) to find a few minutes to stay centered.  Because it’s easy to say “I don’t need to do my yoga.”  “I don’t have time to exercise.”  “I don’t have time to meditate.”  “I don’t need to eat right.”  “I don’t.” “I can’t.” “I won’t.”

But here’s the thing … a conscious, committed 10 minutes can make your vacation 10x more relaxing … make you 100x more present … and 1000x happier.

It’s a well-spent 10 minutes.  I promise.

So next time you find yourself waking up in a hotel room … before anyone else wakes up … take 10 minutes to do the following wake-up set and see how things go …

Tune in with the Adi Mantra (it’s okay to tune-in silently, so as not to wake your roommates):

    Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo

As you silently chant the mantra 3 times, you’re calling upon that subtle divine teacher within, to allow you to have a complete experience.

Now bring yourself to standing for 2 or 3 sets of Surya Namaskar (sun salutations).  Feet together.  Spine straight.  Hands in prayer pose at your heart center.

• Inhale and raise your arms overhead.  Look toward your hands.
• Exhale and fold forward.  Hands to the ground.
• Inhale and lift up … (hands to shins, spine parallel to the ground).
• Exhale and fold forward again.  Hands on the ground.
• Inhale and jump or step back into high plank.
• Exhale and lower to low plank position.
• Inhale, straighten your arms, lower your hips, lift your head and arch your back, bringing yourself into Cobra.
• Exhale and, using your navel, raise your hips to the sky, drop your head, bringing yourself into downward facing dog (In Kundalini Yoga, we call this “triangle pose.”)  Legs are straight. Arms are straight (elbows are turned in so the pressure/weight is on your thumb and first finger).  Neck is relaxed.
• Remain in Triangle Pose for 3-5 complete breaths.
• On an inhale, step or float your feet between your hands.
• Exhale bringing yourself to a standing forward bend.
• Inhale and come to standing, raising your arms overhead.
• Exhale and bring hands to prayer pose, and lower arms so hands are at your heart center.
• Repeat … 2 or 3 times …

To end, sit in easy pose (cross-legged) with a straight spine.  Close your eyes.  Focus on your third eye and silently meditate on the sound current Sat Nam (truth is my identity).  Inhale, exhale, and relax.

Tops, this takes 10 minutes.  And as I mentioned, it can change everything … for the good.

 

Q:  Why do you let your practice lapse when you get busy or when you’re on holiday?

 

 

how to lighten the load of the holiday season ...

UPCOMING CLASSES - EVENTS - WORKSHOPS 

PLEASE NOTE:  My class schedule at BE THE CHANGE is currently on hold as I enter the third trimester of this pregnancy.  HOWEVER, Private Consultations for Meditation and Yoga are still available.

In the meantime, for Kundalini Yoga, check out Ravi Inder Kaur's classes at Montana Lotus and The Birth Place.  For Vinyasa Yoga and meditation, keep heading to BE THE CHANGE YOGA, where Jessi, Jen and the rest of the teachers are there to care for all your yogic needs :)

PRIVATE YOGA & MEDITATION CONSULTATIONS:

Private consultations include personalized yoga practice that is designed for you and what's going on in your life.  Meditation consultation includes a 60 minute interview, a tantric numerology report and meditations specifically for you.  Meditation consultations also include daily email support to help keep you going as you work your way through a 40, 90 or 120-day meditation, and can include a weekly meeting to practice the meditation together.

 

YOGA & MEDITATION (90 minutes) - $75

PERSONAL MEDITATION CONSULTATION - (60 minutes + 40-90-120 days of personalized support/inspirational emails) - $50-$75-$100 (+$25 to add the additional weekly meetings)

*EMAIL me for more information or to arrange your personal consultation.

when does a challenge become a gift?

111710.  It was “challenging” to wake up this morning. Which is sort of putting it mildly.

You see, my alarm went off at 4:40 am … as usual.  All I could think was “why do I do this?  Why do I subject myself to waking up at this Godforsaken hour when I know no one’s going to show up for Sadhana?  What’s the point?”

And then I hit snooze and rolled over, falling fast into a deep deep sleep.

Tick tock.

Tick tock.

4:50 am

Bzzzzzzzzzz.

Snooze.

Tick tock.

Tick tock.

4:59 am

A mere seconds before the alarm again, I shoot up.

Angry.

Anxious.

Frustrated.

Arrrrrggh.

Now I’m going to be late.

Rush around.

Rush around.

(In the dark … I don’t want to wake anyone else in the house … including the dogs)

Still in PJs, I don a coat and grab the keys to the Cowboy’s truck (the one blocking my car) and run outside to start the engine. (It’s 22 degrees … need the car to be warmed up a bit)

Back inside.

Human popsicle.

Get dressed.

Brush my teeth.

Put on my hat.

Grab my bag and I’m out the door before 5:30 … so I get to the studio EARLY!

Wouldn’t it be a fun story if I did all that running around and someone actually showed up to Sadhana this morning?

But at 6:05, I knew it would just be me.

And now … after sitting silently in the studio for 20 minutes listening to Japji Sahib I realize the solitude of the space … the beauty of the room lit up by Christmas twinkly lights … the quiet.

So I open my book and practice.

Nabhi Kriya.  (It’s a yoga set that focus’ on one’s Third Chakra … Navel Center … aka “abs” … and it’s really more intense than I remember from the last time I practiced it.)

And then the Aquarian Sadhana meditations.

But I’m feeling “weak” this morning, so I literally lay down and let the sound current wash over me for three of the seven meditations.

I find myself lost in the meditations, actually.

And before I know it, my time is up.

Just a few more moments before students start showing up for the 7:30 class (because people always show up for the 7:30 class ... it's pretty awesome).

And barely enough time for the closing song “Longtime Sun.”

So I’m not surprised to hear the outer studio door open.

But I am surprised to hear another voice join in the song.

“May the long time sun shine upon you.  All love surround you.  And the pure light within you, guide your way on.”

And my heart is filled with joy.

That’s why I came to Sadhana today.

Because sometimes, the challenges bring with them beautiful fleeting gifts.

 

(Non-sequitur photo of the LO, who offered her own challenge today … not wanting to wear a coat, and insisting upon wearing my hat and scarf … ahhhhhh youth)

 

Sat nam …

 

Q: What challenges are you facing today?

 

Super Sunday GIVEAWAY!

111410. Ever wonder what the difference is between Anusara and Bikram Yoga?  Or Kripalu and Kundalini?  The folks at asanagreen.com have done us all a favor and explained many of the popular kinds of yoga in succinct clear descriptions. 

Here’s a LINK if you’re interested to check them out.  

One thing, though … as far as I can tell, the photos don’t have much to do with the yoga types … In 10 years, I’ve never been asked to do a headstand in Kundalini Yoga.

But I digress ... because what today is ... is Sunday … it’s snowing again … and the folks at asanagreen.com have graciously offered to sponsor the yogini cowgirl’s giveaway today with a $25 GIFT from their excellent website.

Use it for a mat bag …

or yoga props …

a new t-shirt …

some shorts …

a steel water bottle … 

or whatever you like.

All you need to do is answer the daily question in the comments by Monday (Nov. 15^th) at 5 pm (PST).  Winner will be chosen by random out of the Cowboy’s hat and will be announced Tuesday.  Enter as often as you like. And GOOD LUCK!

 

Q:  What will you do today to make it a day worth remembering?

 

life lessons from the UC

111110.  As most of you know ... I’ve been taking horseback riding lessons in effort to fulfill my dream of actually being a Montana cowgirl.  Once a week.  For an hour.  Either on Wednesday or Friday. Whenever the Ultimate Cowgirl can fit me into her schedule.

(this is me on the Cowboy's horse RED ...Red understands me ...he forgives me ...and he tolerates all my mistakes with grace ...lookout Cowboy, there's a new boy in town!)

And every week I am surprised by how much I learn about myself, about horses and about the world from these lessons.

Some of those lessons come from Laurie, whose 50-some-odd hard-livin’, movie-stunt-ridin’, elk-huntin’, cattle wranglin’, rodeo-in’ and teachin’ years on the planet have given her some incredible insight into humankind.  Like her awareness that the kids she teaches (her youngest students are 4 years old.  FOUR!!!) don’t have a timetable.  They just have an experience.  They get on the horse and ride.  They don’t judge it. They just live it.

It’s not until puberty that folks start to be aware of how bad they are … they over think their body (“relax on your sits bones, sit up straight, feet turned out, heels down, use your thighs, quiet your hands, blah, blah, blah”) … they get anxious about not being excellent from the get-go (“we’re going to stay in the round-pen for another lesson? Arrrgh)… and they create this timetable for themselves (“by my second lesson, I should be able to do this or that”)

I like to pretend that I’m pretty evolved.  That I have an awareness of my body.  That I have an awareness of my ego.

But NEWSFLASH TO MYSELF:  I’m not an exception.

(yesterday, the UC told me that when I get out of balance I look like one of those stocking stuffer plastic "drinking happy birds" ... ugh ... I think I'm in trouble)

Sure, the daily yoga and meditation helps a LITTLE. 

I mean … I can feel when my hips aren’t open, and when my feet are too deep in the stirrups.  But my brain is working over-time … I’m stuck in my head and not letting my body just do what it’s supposed to … except occasionally, when I am.

Because once in a while … once in a very great while … it comes together.

They are fleeting, brief, but beautiful moments that UC assures me will get more and more frequent as the days pass and I practice, practice, practice.

And then … in a fun twist of events … while I was looking up something for my yoga practice, I happened upon this little quote from Anne Wilson Schaef:

 “When we are one with ourselves and our process, we are truly one with the process of the universe.  When we are one with ourselves, our lives seem to fall into place effortlessly.  All of us know the feeling of moments of effortless living.  When we have the courage to trust our intuition, life begins to live itself.”

It’s amazing how much this quote applies to horseback riding and to life.

Next week I plan on finding a few more effortless moments on the horse … and in life, too, if I do any of this right …

 

Q:  Are you living effortlessly these days?

 

you're probably tired of hearing me say it ... but here I go again ...

110810.  I have this friend … He’s a New Yorker.  But he lives in Los Angeles.  And before I left town he was telling me about his daily ritual:

He wakes up a few minutes early every day so he has time to brew himself the perfect cup of coffee.  He whips out the espresso machine.  Grinds the beans.  Steams the milk.  He’s got it down.  And he doesn’t leave home without it … even if his first meeting of the day is at a coffee shop.

 

It’s his daily practice.

His sadhana.

I’m sure he appreciates the caffeine … but I think, if you asked him, the caffeine is secondary to the process … And it’s an important part of his day because even though it’s just a few extra minutes, they are the minutes he devotes to his own meditative space.  And it prepares him to face the day.

And that’s the benefit of sadhana.

Louis’ sadhana is making his coffee.

Your sadhana is whatever your sadhana is.

Even the LO has her sadhana.

 

(relax ... she's not drinking coffee ... promise)

Mine happens to be the Aquarian Sadhana that Yogi Bhajan outlined back in the early 70s.  My sadhana is comprised of a short kriya (yoga set) and seven meditations with seven mantras to get ready for the day. 

Mantras are specific sound currents that are organized in a way that have been proven to elevate our consciousness. 

Different mantras have different effects because the sounds within each mantra have different meanings, but they also each have a specific “Naad.”  The Naad is the essence of the sound current … the vibrational harmony in the sound current that gives us access to God/The Infinite.  So each of the seven mantras we use in sadhana has a different purpose.

The first one … The ADI SHAKTI MANTRA (aka Long Ek Ong Kars), which lasts 7 minutes, initiates the kundalini … it initiates the relationship between our soul and the Universal Soul.  It’s like picking up the phone and dialing the number.  And it’s a simple one.

(NOTE:  Unless otherwise noted, sit in a comfortable meditative easy pose, with a straight spine.  Eyes rolled in an up toward the Third Eye):

            Ek Ong Kaar

            Sat Naam Siri

            Wha-hay Guroo

Then we move into 7 minutes of the WAAH YANTEE, KAR YANTEE mantra.  This mantra represents thousands of years of prayer.  With it, we call directly on the Macroself, beyond the Guna, beyond creation.  And it’s a tad more complicated than the Adi Shakti mantra:

            Waah Yantee, Kaar Yantee

            Jag Doot Pate, Aadak It Waahaa

            Brahmaadeh Traysha Guroo

            It Wha-hay Guroo

The third mantra is the MUL MANTRA (Mul = Root) and it gives an experience of the depth and consciousness of your soul.  There are 108 elements in the Universe, and 108 letters in the mul mantra (in the original Gurmukhi script).  This mantra expands creativity and projects us into action in line with the Creator, and with our destiny:

            Ek Ong Kaar

            Sat Naam

            Kartaa Purkh

            Nirbho

            Nirvair

            Akaal Moorat

            Ajoonee

            Saibung

            Gur Prasaad

            Jap!

            Aad Such

            Jugaad Such

            Hai Bhee Such

            Nanak Hosee Bhee Such

Then comes number four … SAT SIREE, SIREE AKAL.  Another seven minutes.  Yogi Bhajan called this the “Mantra for the Aquairan Age.”  With it, we declare that we are timeless, deathless beings:

          Sat Siree

            Siree Akaal

            Siree Akaal

            Mahaa Akaal

            Mahaa Akaal

            Sat Naam

            Akaal Moorat

            Wha-hay Guroo

Number five is one of my favorites (it’s also one of the more challenging ones what with all of the Gurmukhi).  RAKHAY RAKHANAHAAR.  Seven minutes.  This is a shabd (sound current) of protection against all those negative forces (inner and outer) which move against one’s walk on the path of destiny.  “It cuts like a sword through every opposing vibration, through, word and action.”

          Rakhay Rakhanahaar aap ubaaria-an

            Gur kee pairee paa-I kaaj savaari-an

            Hoaa aap da-iaal manaho na visaari-an

            Saadh janaa kai sang bhavajal taari-an

            Saakat nindak dusht khin maa-eh diaari-an

            Tis sahib kee tayk Naanak mania maa-eh

            Jis simrat such ho-I sagalay dookh jaa-eh

Number six is a big one.  It’s the WAHE GURU WAHE JIO mantra.  And it’s 22 minutes.  Chant this mantra sitting in Vir Asan: sitting on the left heel with the right knee up, right foot flat on the ground and hands in Prayer Pose.  Eyes are open and focused at the tip of the nose.  There is no direct translation for this, but we could say “Wow, God is great!”  Jio is an affectionate but still respectful variation of the word Ji which means soul.  So with this mantra, we establish ourselves for victory and the right to excel.

          Wha-hay Guroo Wha-hay Guroo

            Wha-hay Guroo Wha-hay Jeeo

And the last mantra of the Aquarian Sadhana is only 5 minutes.  It’s the Guru Ram Das Chant and invokes spiritual light, guidance and protective grace.

            Guroo Guroo Wha-hay Guroo Guroo Raam Das Guroo

I've probably said it before ... but the thing about sadhana is ...Sadhana is a conscious daily spiritual practice – a regular and daily practice that keeps the mind clear and the actions true.  It gives us the skill and awareness to recognize our own negative patterns and the strength to break those patterns and elevate ourselves.

Whatever it is YOU do to prepare for the day ... it's a good idea to do it every day. 

 

Q: What’s your sadhana?

 

P.S. Guru Shabad Singh has a CD called ILLUMINATION that has all 7 mantras on it.  It's pretty great and available on spiritvoyage.com 

 

meditations ... a handy guide to meditations and yoga archive

When we pray, we ask God (or the Universe, or whatever/whomever it is you pray to) for whatever it is we want/think we need.  When we meditate, we listen for the answer.

Meditation is basically the process of connecting the Self (your intuition) to the mind, and the mind to the body.  Not only does meditating give you access to your intuition, it also gives you a sense of well-being, inner peace, stability and calm.  Meditation will make you true to your true Self, which is generally a pretty good thing.

 

THE AQUARIAN SADHANA

BEGINNER'S MANTRA MEDITATION FOR THE CHAKRAS

BREATH OF FIRE

DHAN DHAN RAM DAS GUR (Meditation to Manifest Miracles) 

EXCEL & BUILD YOUR HEALING FORCE

LOTUS PRAYER FOR PROSPERITY AND PROJECTION UNTO VICTORY

 MEDITATION FOR MASTERY

MEDITATION TO KNOW THE FIELD

SA RE SA SA: MEDITATION FOR THE CHAKRAS

SHABD KRIYA 

SO PURKH

 

 

 

 

yoga ... yoga ... and more yoga ...

102610.  Do you ever have one of those nights when you just can’t get done what you need to get done because there’s other stuff going on?  Like maybe a LO who wakes up every 20 minutes because maybe she has a tummy ache?  Or maybe there’s a neurotic dog in your life that needs a little lovin’?

Here’s the good news:  They’re both …

And I can finally get down to business.

Because the truth is, even though I have to wake up in 4 ½ hours to prepare for Sadhana, I’m excited to be up for a few minutes longer tonight because I have a fun announcement about some good things happening in the Kundalini Yoga community in Bozeman.

I know I’ve mentioned there are a few other Kundalini teachers in town.  There are five.  Including me.

And we each have our own businesses.

We teach at different studios.

We do our own marketing.

We plan our own events.

You name it, we do it alone.  (Okay ... so I'm not REALLY doing it alone ... I have the blessed help of the excellent studio BE THE CHANGE ... and all the teachers there ...)

At least … we USED to do it alone (metaphorically speaking).

That all seems to be changing and I’m here to announce that we formed a collective … The Kundalini Yoga Collective of Bozeman ... 

We found a STUDIO that invited all of us to teach there … and we have a WEBSITE!

So what does that mean for you?

If you live in Bozeman it means more Kundalini Yoga at way more convenient times.  THIS LINK gets you to the schedule of classes, workshops and events.  (starting Tuesday, Nov. 9th, I’m teaching Tuesdays at 6 pm … $11/drop-in … package deals available … EMAIL ME for info.)

And if you live elsewhere, maybe it’s just a new website to check occasionally for interesting updates about what’s going on in the Kundalini Yoga community.

Q: What's new in your world these days? 

 

 

there's a skip in the record of my mind ...

102410.   I can’t shake this one idea from my head these days … that the “thing” that sabotages our success in life is our mind. 

That voice in your head saying “go ahead … eat the cupcake … you’re never going to lose those last 10 pounds, anyway, why does one cupcake matter?” … or the one that says “five more minutes … just hit the snooze button … you’ll get to the gym after work” even though you know you have plans that night … or the one that writes you an excuse for not writing your blog for a few days because “you’re just so busy.”

 

(photo courtesy of slashfood.com - because I haven't made any cupcakes lately) 

Hrmph.

The thing that I’m starting to understand is: that voice isn’t who I am.

It’s just a voice.

It’s just my ego.

It’s just my mind.

And it has nothing to do with my Authentic Self.

Knowing that doesn’t always make it easier to ignore the voice.

But I must admit, that yoga, meditation, mantra and practice make it a lot easier to know the truth… to ignore the cupcake, to wake up for Sadhana, to sit at the computer even when I’m not sure what to write.

So … my mind didn’t win this morning!

It’s 4:30 am …

I’m up …

I’m writing …

I’m about to get ready for Sadhana …

And I’m not going to eat the cupcake …

Unless, maybe, it’s a coconut cupcake …

I’m a sucker for coconut cupcakes.

 

Q: How do you quell the voice in your head?

 

And the winner of the Kulae teECOmat-Plus giveaway is ...

101710.  Thanks, everyone, for playing ... the winner of Friday's eco-friendly yoga mat giveaway is:

LACEY!!!
 
Congrats, Lacey.  

You are moments away from becoming the proud new owner of a Kulae tpECOmat-Plus!  (You can choose between purple/grey or green pear/cornflower blue) ... Check out asanagreen.com to see the blue/pear version.

Email me and let me know which one you would like ... and where you'd like me to send it!  Woohoo!!

NOTE: Winners are chosen at random ... out of a hat ... by the Cowboy.  Stay tuned for more giveaways to come!

an ancient Sanskrit poem (author unknown)

Look well to this day for it is life …

the very life of life!

In its brief course lie all the realitites and truths of existence...

the joy of growth!

the splendor of action!

the glory of power!

For yesterday is but a memory,

and tomorrow is only a vision

But today, well lived,

makes every yesterday a memory of happiness

and every tomorrow a vision of hope.

Look well, therefore, to this day.

 

Q: What will you do today to make a good memory for tomorrow?

something in the cold cold air ...

101210.  It wasn’t easy to get out of bed this morning at 4:30 am (my usual Tuesday morning wake-up so I can get out the door by 5:30 for Sadhana at 6).

And it was cold.

24 degrees, to be exact.  (Two degrees warmer than the weatherman predicted … and I’ll take those 2 degrees any day.)

My eyes stung just a little with the rush of cool when I opened the front door.

And when I stepped outside, my breath fogged the air in front of me.

Have you ever noticed the effort it takes not to hunch up in the cold? … to really breathe it in … to let your shoulders relax … to acknowledge it, accept it, and let your body do what it’s supposed to do and warm itself?

Even the Cowboy’s truck needed a little warming up before it started purr like the kitten she is.

It’s still dark at 5:30. 

In case you were curious.

The stars still light up the sky at 5:30 in the morning.

And there’s a silence in the air that doesn’t exist any other time of day.

And this morning I felt it … in my bones.

The Amrit Vela … the “ambrosial hours” … the 2 ½ hours before the sun rises (which today turned out to be 7:37 am in Bozeman) … when the sun is at the prefect angle with the earth to really give one a boost … the time when, energetically, we can set ourselves up to handle anything that comes our way the rest of the day.

(photo from Albuquerque, NM, when I was there in 2008 ... not from Bozeman ... and not today)

So when no one showed up to Sadhana today, I had a choice to make … do the practice, do the meditations, or get back into the truck, head home and crawl back into a warm bed.  And let me tell you … that bed was warm and soft and making a big pull to drag me back.

But then I realized … I was up … I was there … might as well take advantage of the solitude and the peace and do the practice.  So … bring it on … I’m ready for today.

 

Q: Are you?

 

PS - don't forget to register for the eco-friendly yoga mat giveaway!  CLICK THIS LINK and comment for your chance to win a Kulae tpECOmat Plus!

only as good as my word ... GIVEAWAY!!!!

100710.  I promised last week that there would be a good give away this week … and I’m not going to let you down.  But first … let’s talk about yoga mats.

Specifically, let’s talk about your old, sweat-laden, smelly, icky, torn up PVC, phthalate-filled yoga mat.  Because if you’ve had your mat for a while, there’s a good chance it’s not one of the new biodegradable environmentally PVC & Latex-free mats.  So not only is it not good for the environment … it might not be good for you either.

Which seems like a complete contradiction to why we do yoga in the first place.

And then … when you think about the millions of people practicing yoga these days … that’s a LOT of mats that will end up in a landfill.  But yours doesn’t have to! 

Here are a few articles to consider … a few ideas for how to recycle your old mat … and some info about some of the newer mats that are available.

Recycle your mat

50 Ways to reuse or recycle your yoga mat 

A few of the companies making eco-friendly mats these days:

• Barefoot yoga
• Earth elements
• Jade
• Kulae
• Lotuspad
• Manduka
• PER
• Prana
• and sooooo many others … it’s a remarkably easy google search

And when it comes time for you to give up that old mat for a new one … the choice is not an easy one.  They all sounds great.  100% biodegradable.  Photodegradable.  No PVC.  No Phthalates. No BPAs.  No Lead.  Odor free.  Closed-cell technology (means they’re more hygienic).  Every one is available in great colors.

But I’ll tell you … I picked the Kulae tpECOmat Plus. 

And not just because I like asanagreen.com (where I purchased the mat) and want to support their business. 

I really picked Kulae because I have a thing about odor. 

True.

Not lyin’.

It’s a quirk.

And I’m only a little embarrassed to admit it.

But I really have a sensitive nose.

And even a slightly odiferous mat makes me gag.

(No, I don’t use the general use mats at any studio … no matter the circumstance.  I’d rather practice on no mat than have my face next to any sort of sweat smell. My own sweat even grosses me out.)

And there were enough reviews of the Kulae mat that mentioned they were odor-free.

Which has turned out to be the case.

So …

Because of my enthusiasm for my new mat …

This week’s giveaway is a NEW KULAE tpECOmat PLUS FOR ONE LUCKY PERSON.

Here’s a brief write-up from the asanagreen.com website: Outstanding support and comfort all in a 100% biodegradable eco yoga mat.  At 72 inches long and 1/4 inch thick, the kulae tpECOmat Plus is four inches longer than a standard yoga mat and has been designed with all styles of yoga in mind.  Two distinct surfaces offer superior grip, comfort, durability and balance.  Constructed using closed cell technology, so germs, bacteria and odor cannot penetrate the mat surface.

72" x 24" x 5mm.

All you have to do to enter is answer one of the following questions in the comments by next Friday (Oct. 15) at noon (PST).

Good Luck!!!

 

Q: Where is the weirdest place you’ve ever practiced yoga? 

OR  Where is your yoga mat right now?

 

PS - A few basic rules for the giveaway:  you can enter to win more than once ... but only once a day.  So feel free to come back tomorrow and submit another comment! And unfortunately, I cannot ship overseas, so US entries only will be considered. Winners must contact me via email to collect prizes after they are announced.

meditate to manifest a miracle!

100310.  I’ve mentioned before I’m on this email list where I receive these emails from Kundalini Research Institute called “I Am a Woman: Quotation of the Day” by Yogi Bhajan. 

So today, I woke up wanting to share this “Meditation to Manifest Miracles” I’ve been doing … and then this was the quote:

“Life for a rich person or a poor person, for a healthy person or an unhealthy person, for a tall person or a short person, means the same thing: what you put in you will get out.  It’s an investment.”

It was a little bit of a thunderbolt moment.

Because right now, the Kundalini Yoga community is celebrating the upcoming birthday of Guru Ram Das (the 4^th Sikh Guru) by practicing a meditation dedicated to Guru Ram Das.  (At this point in my practice, my knowledge of the Sikh Gurus is a very basic one.  And what I understand is that there have been 10 gurus.  And each represents a different aspect of God.  One represents courage.  One humility.  One clarity.  Etc.  And Guru Ram Das represents God’s ability to manifest miracles.  He’s like the “patron saint” of miracles.)

So … back to this meditation … according to my Kundalini Yoga teachers, doing this meditation on the days leading up to Guru Ram Das’ birthday on October 9^th is a powerful time of year to do it.  Guru Ram Das has no choice but to answer your intention, to intercede to God on your behalf … because “his reputation is on the line” … :)

And I’ve been doing the meditation for a few days now (since last Wednesday) and while I haven’t witnessed a miracle to this point, I am feeling an overwhelming peace and confidence in the Universe that everything is going to be just a.o.k. 

And like the daily quote says … life is an investment … and I’m willing to invest 11 minutes a day toward manifesting a miracle (not just for myself, but for my loved ones and for the world). 

Because who couldn’t use a miracle?

So this is what I’m doing:

It's called DHAN DHAN RAM DAS GUR.

POSTURE:  Sit in easy pose, with a straight spine.  Eyes closed, rolled gently up and in toward your Third Eye.

MANTRA:  (I’m using Snatam Kaur and Prabu Nam Kaur’s version from their CD Mother’s Blessing to guide my meditation.  It's available at spiritvoyage.com ... as are other versions of the meditation.)

Dhan dhan raam daas gur jin siri-aa tinai savaari-aa

Pooree hoee karaamaat aap sirajanhaarai dhaari-aa

Sikhee atai sangatee paarbrahm kar namasakaari-aa

Atal athaa-o atol too tayraa ant na paaraavaari-aa

Jinee too sayvi-aa bhaa-o kar say tudh paar utaari-aa

Lab lobh kaam krodh mo maar kadhay tudh saparvaari-aa

Dhan so tayraa thaan hai sach tayraa paisakaari-aa

Naanak too lehanaa toohai gur amar too veechaari-aa

Gur dithaa taa man saadhaari-aa

If you’d like to join me for the meditation, I’ll be leading it at BE THE CHANGE YOGA Studio in Bozeman at 7 am every morning this week (Monday-Friday).  I'm also going to lead a 31-minute version of the meditation at the close of Jessi's 6 pm class on Thursday.  Hope to see you there!

 

Q: What miracle do you want to manifest?

 

And the winners of this week's DIVINE BIRTH giveaway ...

100110.  THANK YOU to everyone who responded!  And CONGRATULATIONS to the three new winners of Snatam Kaur’s Divine Birth CD!

 

• Angi
• Andrea Siri Sumpuran
• Har Simran Jeet (Alakhi McLain)

 

EMAIL ME so I can get your shipping information and get these CDs to you ASAP!

And stay tuned for next week's giveaway ... :)

What's the big deal about Sadhana?

091410. First, a shout out to the SuperMom … “Happy Birthday!!!”

And now back to our regularly scheduled conversation … Sadhana.  What’s the big deal?  What’s so good or important about waking up, getting a good sweat up and meditating?  Everyday?  Why do we need a daily practice?

Because that’s all Sadhana is, really.  A daily practice that keeps you grounded, raises your consciousness, enhances your radiance, gives you strength, tenacity and courage to face the day and all that goes into it.

And who doesn’t need a raised consciousness, a radiant spirit, strength, tenacity and courage?  I know I do.

But it’s more than that.

Because Sadhana is a commitment.

It’s a daily commitment to give yourself an amazing gift.

Because no matter how short, it’s good to do some kind of Sadhana because “every effort of the individual mind to meet the Universal Self is reciprocated a thousand-fold.” (The Aquarian Teacher, by Yogi Bhajan, p. 151)

And it doesn’t have to be daunting.  Sure, it would be great if every day one could find the two and a half hours outlined by Yogi Bhajan to help lead us into the Aquarian Age (the Aquarian Sadhana is beautiful.  I promise to outline it here for you some day).   And yes, if Sadhana can happen in the amrit vela (2 1/2 hours before the sun comes up), you get the leg up of having the angle of the earth to the sun helping charge the energy of your experience.  But it's okay if some days your Sadhana is 90 seconds of Breath of Fire in your car before you have to go into a big meeting and need a burst of energy and courage.  And maybe some days it will be just reading about breath of fire.

The thing is, if we don’t have the willpower to wake up a few minutes earlier, how do we expect to have the will to fill in the blank (eat right, be honest, work hard, stay committed in our relationships, keep up, et al)?

The important thing is that we commit to doing something.  Everyday.  Commit to give ourselves the gift of a daily practice.

 

Q: What is your Sadhana today?

 

Mondays can be good days ... if you take advantage of the time you have off

091310.  After a cowgirl-crazy weekend (we drove two hours to Dillon to meet the Cowboy at a round-up/clinic for an old fashioned BBQ-pot-luck), we’re ready to start Monday renewed, refreshed, and ready to yoga.

But first … a few notes on the weekend:

• The LO schooled me in cowgirl fashion.  SHE picked out her shoes.  I swear.  She wouldn’t leave the house without them.
• I wish I had taken pics of the food – Cowboy caviar (aka corn salsa … soooo good), BBQ beans, pasta salads, and a grill filled with meat (and fire … there was a lot of fire) … and a coconut cream pie … YUM!!!

• I used my first outhouse.  Ever.  And yes, that says HFRS. As in heifers.  As in lady cows (not great for the ego … but pretty darn funny, if you ask me).  (NOTE, if you haven’t used an outhouse before … the toilet paper is under the can, which is held in place by the rock … that was the only thing that confused me.)

• We saw some of God’s prettiest country … and loved every minute.

But like I said, we are home again and renewed and ready for the week …

More Sadhana (Tuesday morning at 6 am we’re going to “Awaken the 10 Bodies”) … 6 AM - BE THE CHANGE YOGA STUDIO IN BOZEMAN  ... hope to see you there!!!

More Mommy & Me (we have a “Meditation for a Calm Heart” - because every mom I know needs to find calm in her heart).

And more personal practice … I’ve been using the Shabd Kriya before sleep and I think it’s helping me and the LO (who is happily sleeping about eight hours before waking in fits and starts … if I keep doing it, maybe she’ll sleep the whole night through … fingers crossed!)

 

Q:  Are you ready for the week ahead?

 

think, work, share, love and exercise better ... in just 15 minutes a day

090610.  Happy Labor Day, everyone!

In honor of this holiday that marks the official end of Summer, the start of the new school year, and the beginning of a new financial quarter, I’m going to share a meditation that Yogi Bhajan taught for more than 30 years so we can experience stress-free sleep. 

I know I’ve been writing a lot about stress these days … maybe it’s because I’m feeling a bit more than usual, lately.  Starting a new job (tomorrow!).  A change in living situation (the Cowboy’s finally home!).  Construction on the house (workers are here most days).

But I think we’re all under a tremendous amount of stress these days.  Every day there are new challenges, new changes, new stresses being added to the docket.  And not just personal stresses (like keeping your job and paying the bills) … it’s a time of major universal shifts: environmentally, financially, globally and locally. We can't pretend anymore that it's not happening ... so we need the tools to deal it.

For me, some of the changes that happen when I just START to feel stress include: 

My breath gets shallower.  Breath (Prana) is life.  I have to consciously remember that it’s not enough to breathe into my chest.  I need to feel the air fill my abdomen.  I need to feel it tingle in my finger tips and toes.  I need to exhale completely.  I need to fill my body with Prana to have the vitality to face the challenges ahead.

I get hungry.  Not really.  But I am constantly searching the cabinets for something sweet or salty to eat.  Food converts to energy.  But not all food is good.  Too much sugar, too much salt, too much fat and the body doesn’t convert to energy.  It makes one lethargic and can cause depression.  I need to consciously make the choice not to eat bad food.

And I forget to set aside time for myself.  I worry only about getting done for others what needs to get done.  What I forget is that if I'm not on top of my game, no one wins. So I need to find time for myself (to sweat, laugh and meditate, everyday) – which can be challenging when you have the demands of children and work and family calling.

And I need to sleep.  Because when I get overly stressed my sleep gets disrupted.

So today … I’m offering up “Shabd Kriya” – a meditation to bring about a stree-free sleep.  It is apparently best practiced right before bed.  YB said that this meditation can give one radiance and patience.  He said that done nightly, it can make you “think, work, share, love and exercise better.”  It can make your sleep deep and relaxed and can help regenerate your nerves.

I’m going to give it a try.

I don’t know about you, but I’d be happy to have some good sleep and regenerated nerves.

So here goes (from The Aquarian Teacher: Vitality & Stress, p. 195):

 

POSTURE: 

Sit in any comfortable posture with the spine straight.

 

MUDRA: 

Place the hands on the lap, palms up with the right hand over the left.  The thumb tips are together and point forward.

 

EYES: 

Focus the eyes on the tip of the nose, the eyelids half-closed.

 

BREATH & MANTRA: 

Inhale in 4 equal parts, mentally vibrating the mantra Saa Taa Naa Maa.

Hold the breath, vibrating the mantra 4 times for a total of 16 beats.

Exhale in 2 equal strokes, projecting mentally Wahe Guru.

 

TIME:  15 to 62 minutes

  

Q:  What is your stress response and how do you manage it?

 

sweat, laugh & meditate ... every day

090310. It’s been what many might call a “stressful” week. The siding is being taken off the house, the roof is being replaced, the front fence ripped out … and all the while: the LO started daycare, we’re getting ready for the Cowboy to return on Saturday, the Ferrier needed to re-shoe the horses in prep for Fall/Winter, and I start teaching at a new studio in four days.

And these are on top of the daily stresses that pop up all the time (clothing and feeding ourselves, paying bills, cleaning the house, doing laundry, taking care of the dogs, packing, unpacking, etc.)

It’s that time of year:  The end of summer. Beginning of a new school year. Start of a new quarter. A change of season.

And that’s stress, right?

Change.

And what is life without change?

Pretty boring.

But we need the tools to deal with stress.  Without the right tools, we gain weight, we stop sleeping, we get ornery.  We freeze.  We fight.  We fly.

The truth is, no matter what life throws your way … you can handle it.

You are human, after all. “HUE” “MAN” – you are “a being of light.”

But you have to retain your human-ness. You have to retain your connection to that light.

And while this may sound too simple, one of the most important lessons I’ve learned since starting this whole yoga thing is that in order to retain the connection, it’s incredibly important to SWEAT, LAUGH and MEDITATE … EVERY DAY.

And I believe this is universally true for everyone. There are other things that contribute to a general sense of well-being (like remembering your breath, eating right and getting enough sleep) … but sweating, laughing and meditating are the keys.

Sweating gets the toxins and poison out of your body.

Laughing releases the endorphins in your brain to make you feel good.

And meditating gives you access to your Soul … your intuition … your “gut.”

So get out there and Sweat! Laugh! Meditate! (Look at me on my soap-box again ... that's TWICE this week!)

It’s so simple. And we make it so challenging.

Ah … to be human.

Q: How do you deal with stress?

why do yoga?

083110.  In preparation for teaching at BE THE CHANGE YOGA next week, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about how all this started.  Why do I do yoga?

When I first started (more than 10 years ago, now) it was just a relatively inexpensive way to get a sweat up and a work out.  And in most cases, it was a really good sweat up.  And a great workout.

I went to Vinyasa classes.  Hatha.  Ashtanga.  I tried Iyengar (great for alignment, less-so for sweating).  I took Bikram from Bikram (once … not my thing …I want my yoga teachers to be nice to me).  And if it was scheduled at a convenient time for my schedule, I was there.

(non sequitur photo by my brother-in-law of a yearling moose that was outside my sister's house in Alaska yesterday morning ... I love this photo ... what a great reminder that we don't live on this planet alone)

And then I found Kundalini Yoga, which for me, was transformative in a way that I hadn’t experienced before.  My self-confidence grew.  I left unhealthy relationships behind.  I dealt with stress better.  My career started to take off.  I lost weight.  And I generally became a much happier person.

Maybe it’s the mantra.  Maybe it’s the mudra.  The meditation or the breath.  Or maybe it’s just that I like to dance with abandon, and it’s the only yoga in which dancing is part of the kriyas.

Everyone’s experience is different.  Kundalini is right for me.  Vinyasa might be right for you.  And Bikram could be your calling.

The thing is … yoga is yoga is yoga …and if you just add yoga, things will get better.   They have to.

Yoga, which means “yoke” or “union,” connects your body-mind-spirit.  Because beyond just giving your body a much needed tune-up, yoga trains the mind to give you perspective on your life.  It can give you the regular experience of an infinite horizon … infinite potential … and help you maintain it.

And finally, yoga can give you access to your “higher Self” … your “Soul.”  Basically, we are all looking for access to “God,” or “the flow of Cosmic energy.”  And our spirit is what gives us that access.  Our spirit is our origin.  It is our future.  And yoga can help us experience that spirit as a reality.  And when you do that … you have no choice to be happy.

So, when your body is “in tune,” and your mind is focused and your experience is through your spirit, the Divine will shine through you … and that’s what the practice of yoga can do for you.

With that in mind, I’m going to post my new teaching schedule for the Fall a few times in the next week.  If you’re in the Bozeman area, I’d love to see you in class one day!

TUESDAY

6 am - 7:15 am     Sadhana

1 pm – 2 pm         Mommy & Me (and daddies, too!)

 

WEDNESDAY

6 am – 7:15 am    Sadhana

 

THURSDAY

6 am – 7:15 am    Sadhana

1 pm – 2 pm        Kundalini Yoga (all levels)

 

Q: What brought you to where you are today?

when the cowgirl and yogini collide ...

082610.  I had my 2^nd riding lesson today.

I am really good at riding lessons.

Just ask Slick.

(Can't you see how much he likes me?)

I can brush a horse with the best of ‘em.

I can clean out their hooves (don’t use your fingers … that stuff in there is NOT dirt).

And if I hadn’t taken that Vinyasa class yesterday I totally would have hoisted that 40 lb saddle onto Slick’s back perfectly, but my shoulders were rendered useless by at least three too many asanas.

And if only I hadn’t done those Hanuma poses (splits … ow! … I had to use TWO blocks) … I would definitely have been able to get on the horse on my first try.  I know it!

But I have to admit something embarrassing.

And I’m reluctant.

Because it really shows off my dorkiness.

But it also shows my commitment … to be the best cowgirl I can, while remaining true to the yogini of my soul.

So … here goes:

You see, one of my teachers said it’s a good thing to play mantras during the day (and at night, and while you sleep, et al), because “if you’re groovin’ to the Cosmos, the Cosmos will groove with you.”  That’s a real quote from him.  He also said it doesn’t have to be loud.  Because even played really soft, you still get the benefit of the vibration.

So I’ve been playing mantra.  On my iPhone.  At the lowest level possible.  Most times, I can’t even hear it unless I put the phone to my ear.

And, I’ll be darned, since I started doing this (about 6 months ago), the Universe seems to be a pretty generous place.  And while I can’t say it’s entirely because of the mantra, I can’t say it’s not.

But the thing is … I’m not 100 percent comfortable with my choice to do this.  I worry that it makes me seem like a "zealot," or something.  Before I hit play, I can hear all the questions from my ego:  “Does it make me seem crazy?”  “What if someone hears it?”  “Do I have to explain it?”  “Will they take me less seriously when they hear the ‘excuse?’”

So today …

At my riding lesson ...

You’ve probably guessed what happened …

I was outside … and I hadn’t lowered the volume before getting out of my car … it was a little louder than I realized.

But I don’t usually stand too close to the Ultimate Cowchick because … well … we’re riding horses.

She was helping me cinch the saddle on Slick.  And it was pretty quiet in the arena ... except for the buzzing tinny little sounds of "Sa Re Sa Sa."

The UC turned to me and said, “I don’t know about you, but I’m hearing music … do you hear music?”

And I just started to stammer and grab for my back pocket and my iPhone, clumsily turning the volume down and muttering under my breath words like “mantra,” “universe,” “yoga,” “calm,” etc.

“Uh huh.”

Awkward silence.

Slick made a condescending chortle.

Another awkward silence.

“So when you go to get on the horse …”

Sigh.

I might not be her favorite student anymore.

 

Q: What happens when two sides of who you are collide?

 

 

Superman's weakness is kryptonite ...

082510.  Mine …

(and this is very serious)

… is gelato.

And not just any gelato.

I'm talking goooood gelato.

The kind that you can get at any mom & pop shop in Rome ... rich, luscious, smooth, creamy, delicious awesomeness.

The kind that's a little harder to find in Bozeman than it was in Los Angeles.

The kind you have to have shipped in for a special treat because none of the local stores carry it.

Seriously.

I’m being totally serious.

It takes all my willpower to NOT eat an entire pint in one sitting.

Which is why I need yoga.

Because everyone knows that yoga builds a strong core.

That’s why we “suffer” through Chaturanga Dandasana and Dophin Pose and Stretch Pose.

And that’s why we practice Surya Namaskar.

Because we know that with a strong core, one can find inner strength.

And that inner strength is incredibly useful when the Cowboy’s away.

The baby is sleeping.

The dogs are outside.

The house is quiet.

And there’s a full pint of Talenti Caribbean Coconut Gelato in the freezer.

 

I know I've mentioned this gelato in the past, but seriously (very seriously) it's incredible.

I’m sure if I hadn’t taken that wonderfully challenging Vinyasa class this afternoon (Thank you, Jessi!!!), there would be no full pint of Talenti Caribbean Coconut Gelato in the freezer.

And then I would be sad.

 

Q: How do you find your inner strength?

P.S. One more thing about the Vinyasa class I took yesterday at BE THE CHANGE ... I haven't taken a Vinyasa class in a while (6-8 months?) ... and the thing about Vinyasa classes (for me, at least) is that they remind me I have a body.  The next day (or a few hours later ... or sometimes IN the class) I become VERY aware that I have one ... I have shoulders.  I have a navel center.  I have quads.  And then I'm reminded why Vinyasa Yogis all have such a beautiful physical form.  You can't use your body this way and NOT have a beautiful form.  I think I'm going to like adding Vinyasa back into my life.  

it's official! Kundalini Yoga lands in Bozeman!!!

082410.  The yogini in me is thrilled to report that I am officially “on the schedule” teaching five classes a week at THE BEST YOGA STUDIO IN BOZEMAN … starting September 7^th!!!

 

As many of you know, I took classes at Be the Change over Christmas last year, signed up for their newsletters, and met the owner just a few short weeks ago.  I am not ashamed to admit that I have fallen in love with the community that Jessi Smith and her gang of teachers is building. 

Be The Change Yoga typically offers Vinyasa classes (a very different style of yoga than Kundalini), but you know my teacher Harijiwan’s theory … “just add yoga!” 

And Jessi has kindly created an opening to bring Kundalini into the space!

Speaking of the space … it is beautiful (physically and energetically), and I am honored to be included on the roster.

For those of you in the Bozeman area (and for any of you who might visit one day), here’s my teaching schedule for the Fall:

 

TUESDAY

6 am - 7:15 am     Sadhana

1 pm – 2 pm         Mommy & Me (and daddies, too!)

 

WEDNESDAY

6 am – 7:15 am    Sadhana

 

THURSDAY

6 am – 7:15 am    Sadhana

1 pm – 2 pm        Kundalini Yoga (all levels)

 

I’m hoping to be able to offer New Moon meditations once a month, as well… and maybe a few other special meditation and yoga classes... but let’s start at the beginning, shall we?

 

Q: Did you notice the full moon and find peace in the lunacy?

 

doing "enough" is rarely "enough"

082310. Last week was dedicated to my bourgeoning cowgirl (riding lessons, cowboy mounted shooting, the largest potato festival I’ve ever been to…). 

So this week, I’m looking to find some balance, again.

Because even though I’ve been consistent with eating right and practicing my yoga and meditation, I’ve fallen into a routine of just doing my bare minimum.  And my bare minimum is not a lot:

A few sun salutations (Surya Namaskar, for those of you who like the “real” names).

A wake up kriya (stretch pose, knees-to-nose & ego eradicator).

And a short meditation.  (And by short, I'm talking 3 minutes short ... way short.)

All-in, it takes about 15 minutes.

I make excuses to make it seem like it's enough ("the baby is going to wake up," "I have too much to do today," "I'll do more before I go to bed," blah, blah, blah).

It sort of feels like a short-cut.

And the truth is, the only one who's getting short-changed is me.

Because just doing your minimum for too long doesn’t get you anywhere fast. 

It’s like credit card debt. 

You wrack up some bills and then pay your minimum consistently for three years.  And at the end of those three years you’ve paid three or four times what you spent, and you're STILL trapped in the mire of debt, looking for a way to get out.

 

 
It's a bummer.

So this week, I’ve committed to really doing it.

Ishnaan (cold shower) – I’ll write more about this another time.  I just had a great email exchange with someone about why Ishnaan is such a good way to start the day.  If he lets me, maybe I’ll share excerpts.

The wake-up kriya.

A Natural Adjustment kriya. (It's a 20-30 minute set from the book REACHING ME iN ME ... email me and I can send it your way.)

And today I started the first of a 40-day meditation to bring about prosperity (in health, wealth and life).  It’s 11 minutes.  And I am in the middle of working with my accountant on my 2009 taxes (yes, I filed an extension ... they are not yet late!), so … what better time to start a prosperity meditation, right?  (Also, happy to send this to you, if you like ... just pop me an email.)

Q: Are you doing enough?

Saturday Swap … on Sunday … isn’t so much a swap as a GIVEAWAY!

082210. This week, instead of a swap, I’m doing my first-ever-GIVEAWAY!

A WOMAN’S BOOK OF YOGA: Embracing Our Natural Life Cycles by Machele M. Seibel, MD, and Hari Kaur Khalsa

 

  

In the 10 years I’ve been practicing yoga, this book has been an invaluable tool.  Not only is it a great reminder of the power of women, but the pages are filled with amazing kriyas and poses and wisdom to guide us through all the stages of womanhood.

Here’s an excerpt from the preface of this incredible book:

"Women are the embodiment of creative energy.  Intuitively we know this.  When we ee a pregnant woman, we see the miracle even though a baby is born every minute.  When we see a woman relaxed, empowered, and self- assured, the power is evident.  Kundalini Yoga can bring to each woman a deep sense of her original royalty, nobility, health, happiness, and identity.  The journey of the yogini – the female yogi – is one that leads through the science of learning about the body, through the revelation of the mind and its nature and capacities for bliss, and the expansivess of the experience of the soul.  This journey can lead to an acceptance and love of the self that reveals the natural radiance that is the birthright of every woman."

It really is an amazing book, and I’m very excited to share it with you all!

SO … here’s how it goes … the FIRST THREE people to comment on the blog page (not on Facebook … here on the blog) will be the lucky recipients of a new copy of this incredible book.

Q: Would you read a book if it could change your life for the better?

appreciating the pox (aka "be here now")

081710.  It’s Tuesday.  A week ago today I found the first blister on the LO’s little head.  It was so tiny.  And so random.

Six days ago I had to write an email to the mom’s of Oliver and Olivia telling them about the LO’s outbreak because the three of them had played like angels at the park on the Saturday before.

(I’m hoping beyond hope they don’t get the pox!)

Five and four days ago, the LO was so feverish and lethargic … she slept 18 hours a day and was barely eating or drinking.

Three days ago, we weeded the flower boxes, but didn’t leave the yard.

Two days ago, I unpacked … a lot.

And today, the LO is a scabby little mess. 

A healthy, happy, head-to-toe-scabby little mess. 

And, for the life of me, I can’t imagine a more beautiful sight.

So today, I’m going to take the advice of Guru Ram Das (the 4^th Sikh Guru and a Master Yogi).  I'm going to just “Be Here Now.”

I have all these lists (which you may have seen yesterday).  Of things that have to get done.

But you know what?

It’s okay if they don’t.

It’s okay if today, we are just “here. Now.”

Because today is the first day we can do whatever we like.  We don’t have to be in the house if we don't want.  We don't have to leave the house.  Because tomorrow, she won’t get chicken pox again :)  

So we’re just going to appreciate today.

Q: Are you here?  Now?

Back on track...

081110. “There is no such thing as an accident.  It is all part of a master plan.  Play your role as gracefully as you can and relax.” – Yogi Bhajan

I got a little lost yesterday in the stress of the LO coming down with Chicken Pox and all my “plans” for the week getting tossed out the window.

But this morning, I opened my computer and happened upon this quote and realized that old adage about life being what happens when you make other plans.  So after a short kriya and meditation I resolved to approach today with a better attitude, with much more consciousness and with no fig newtons.

LO's Nana came over today and brought her this Jeremy Fisher doll (Nana's favorite character from Peter Rabbit ... I like him a lot).  My job is to keep it away from Hitcher's grubby paws!

The LO is still deep in the midst of her pox, but she’s being a trooper. My detox is back on track and we’re both ready for tomorrow.

So here’s the meal plan for day 4:

WAKE UP – juice from ½ lemon and 8 oz of room temp water.

BREAKFAST – Millet (½ c. millet, cinnamon, 2 cups spring water  - I’m putting them in the slow cooker tonight, then tomorrow I’ll add apple sauce and ½ tsp. of raw butter)

MID-MORNING – 4 oz fresh juice / 4 oz spring water

LUNCH – Raw veggie salad (arugula, cherry tomato, scallion, pumpkin seed, goat cheese)

MID-AFTERNOON – same as mid-morning

DINNER (don’t forget to drink water w/1 tbls. Apple cider vinegar 30 min before eating) – Mung beans and rice (I made a vat of this yesterday, so there’s plenty for dinner)

DESSERT (wait at least an hour, and don’t eat dessert if you’re not hungry) – yogurt & berries w/a tsp. of honey; mint tea.

Q: How do you find your focus when life throws you a curveball?