What would you like more of?

In the new year I plan on adding what has somehow gotten lost from my life through much of this year to crappy stuff like family stresses and paperwork etc... 

It's Nature. There will be much more nature. 

ahhh...earth chi

A sweet student of mine had an article published and she is a really great writer.

The article is by By Lisa Marie Sterr and it's on Page 7 of the Fall issue of the Networker

Lisa Marie is really talented and lovely and open and honest and I cherish our relationship very much. We go way back have shared many a yoga class together. She inspires me. She wrote this one evening after a yoga class with me and I am glad she shared it with me. I can certainly relate in a huge way to much of what she says. 

It’s nice that yoga is always there for us through challenging times AND happy times. *All we have to do it show up. 

It isn't always easy, but we always feel better for it on every level. That’s the promise of yoga.

Here it is: Sometimes help comes from the most unexpected places. I’ve been feeling so tormented lately; full of raw emotions. About an hour before leaving for my yoga class, I have the most intense cry. I am so sad. Yet somehow I manage to eat, put on my yoga clothes, and head out the door.

Entering the classroom, I notice the soft lighting. My yoga teacher says hi to me by name, and I feel like she’s happy to see me. I settle on a mat. As the class begins, I focus on breathing. Still, it is a struggle to stay present, since I’ve been floating away from my body so much lately. I tell myself it will be a victory if I can have even moments of being grounded.

In the quiet room, all I can hear is my teacher’s voice, the yoga music and the sound of people breathing. Everything else falls away. I focus on my body and on following the poses. My neglected body, so alienated and uninhabited, is now moving and stretching. I feel it freeze, as it has been doing so often lately. I take a moment to notice it, then start moving again.

In the “downward dog” pose, I push all my tension, all my feelings of being trapped, into my arms. In “warrior,” I stand tall and feel my feet rooting down. My vision sharpens and I am present in the room, for the first time in weeks. I twist and bend, feeling the rawness in my joints, the heat rushing through my body.

And then the reward: relaxation.

I relax into my teacher’s voice – a pleasant melody soothing all the discordant notes inside me; into the supports under my head and knees and the cushioning of the yoga mat beneath me. The floor is smooth and cool under my hands. It is safe here. For the first time in weeks, I can rest.

Fluid, juicy sensations float through me as I leave the class. I’m melty, like the most exquisite piece of chocolate, and also warm and tingly, like feeling really close to someone. My body has been craving this sooth- ing – which I found, not in a bag of cookies or in my therapy group, but at yoga. I found it inside my body, where I’ve been feeling so much torment. I don’t know how long it will last; the anguish may come flooding back tomorrow. But for now I revel, and rest, in the relief.

Life is filled with suffering, but...

Life is filled with suffering, but it is also filled with many wonders, like the blue sky, the sunshine, the eyes of a baby. To suffer is not enough. We must also be in touch with the wonders of life. They are within us and all around us, everywhere, any time.

~Thich Nhat Hanh

Think of your body being wrapped in a fishnet hose, both internally and externally. It is and it's called fascia.

If you come to my classes I speak a great deal about fascia and we work to get rid of impediments and imbalances in every class. Working with the fascia through yoga and/or massage therapy will change your life. And thats a promise. Below, Dr. Frank Lipton speaks on your yoga practice and fascia. Enjoy!

Dr. Frank Lipman: Why Yoga Works from MindBodyGreen on Vimeo.

I ♥ Thich Nhat Hanh. We don't want to miss our life.

“The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.” -Thich Nhat Hanh

Thanks for another great year! Looking forward to seeing you back in class next week (in 2012)!!

Hap-hap-hap-y New Year to you!

We are shaped by our thoughts

We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.

~ Buddha Quote ~

We can't always change our outer world but we really can change our inner world.

Meditation makes us more resilient. One moment at a time is all it takes. Whether you have a formal meditation practice or not, just "be here now" as often as you can.

If you 'd like to meditate/learn to meditate in a group setting I'd love to show you. Thats exactly what we do when we practice our Yoga. We not only change our body, we change our brain. Its never about perfectionism, and thats why its called a "practice". All of my classes are perfect for beginners and affordable. Registration at Mount Pleasant CC (Main @Broadway) is on now. Registration for The Roundhouse starts this Friday Dec 9 (online) and Sat the 10th in person/by phone.

The Arts.

No idea who wrote this but I think we'd all agree.Where would we be without art? ♥

Only the man who learns to relax is able to create, and for him ideas reach the mind like lightening. Cicero

Is this not the most idyllic scene? I hope to dream about this very place tonight :)

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth
seeking the successive autumns."
- George Eliot

Like squash? Wild Rice? Roasted pecans?

Mmmm...this recipe was so delicious. I am about to embark on some leftovers for lunch! The only thing I screwed up on was, I sliced the squash down the middle instead of lengthwise. (didn't seem to matter too much). Made them a little wobbly, thats all.

Here it is: Roasted Acorn Squash with Wild Rice Stuffing

• Ingredients-
• 3 medium acorn squash (about 1 1/2 pounds each), halved lengthwise and seeds removed
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 medium shallots, finely chopped
• 4 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
• 2 cups cooked wild rice mix (1 cup uncooked)
• 2/3 cup pecans, toasted and finely chopped
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
• 
  
• INSTRUCTIONS
• 1. Heat the oven to 450°F and arrange a rack in the middle.
  2. Place squash cut side up on a baking sheet, brush 1 tablespoon of the melted butter over the tops and insides of the squash halves, sprinkle with brown sugar, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast in the oven until just fork tender, about 25 to 30 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, place 1 tablespoon of the melted butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. When it foams, add the onion, shallots, and celery, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and stir to coat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in the thyme and cook until just fragrant, about 1 minute.
  4. Remove from heat and stir in the rice, pecans, cranberries, and measured salt and pepper.
  5. Divide the rice filling among the roasted squash halves (about 1/2 cup for each) and drizzle the remaining tablespoon of butter over top. Continue roasting until the squash is completely fork tender, the edges have started to brown, and the filling is heated through, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Be honest and sincere anyway

The verses below were written on the wall of Mother Teresa’s home for children in Calcutta, India and are attributed to her:

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and the Divine. It was never between you and them anyway.

When you realize how perfect everything is, you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky. - Buddha

The autonomic nervous system is divided into the sympathetic system, which is often identified with the fight-or-flight response, and the parasympathetic, which is identified with what's been called the relaxation response. When you do yoga - the deep breathing, the stretching, the movements that release muscle tension, the relaxed focus on being present in your body - you initiate a process that turns the fight-or-flight system off and the relaxation response on. That has a dramatic effect on the body. The heartbeat slows, respiration decreases, blood pressure decreases. The body seizes this chance to turn on the healing mechanisms. ~Richard Faulds

Now heres a cool Guerrilla stunt. Its at the corner of Georgia and Thurlow.

A friend just brought a really interesting movie on plastics to my attention this morning as well. I just finished watching it and its great. It would be a wonderful little flick to show children (although its likely not the children who are the problem, its us adults.) The movie is by Ramen Bahrani. Here is the link: FUTURESTATES : Plastic Bag By Ramin Bahrani For more info on plastics and the environment go to The Plastic Pollution Coalition website here

Going away is nice but coming back is really nice too...

Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair- Khalil Gibran

I meet so many lovely people doing the work I do..

Some of us just practice together and share energy, which has its own quiet depth, and other times there are many heartfelt feelings shared, connections made, and even friendships built at times. I feel blessed every single day of my life. I do often receive correspondence through emails and cards and such, oftentimes speaking about how yoga has changed peoples lives, and I can certainly relate.On a whole bunch of levels.

This post is just to encourage anyone out there who has maybe given yoga a whirl and felt it just wasn't for them, to give it another go. There is a yoga class out there for you in your city. There really is. Find a good teacher and go.

I'll just share a tiny bit of an email I received from a student the other day

(I have the persons permission and am only including a small snippet.)

It goes:

"I also wanted to tell you that I really appreciate how you teach your classes. I went to a "by donation" yoga class last weekend and had a really bad experience. I left the class partway through. I'm glad that your class was the first one I tried when I was deciding about yoga... because I feel like you create a really accepting environment... that accepts wherever people are at, and lets them engage at a level that's appropriate for their body. I have come to find a sense of safety in your class... "

I am willing to bet that the class they walked out of last weekend was another persons "favourite" class. I have no idea who's class it was but that is how yoga sometimes goes. I am really glad that the person enjoys my class so much. *And this person really means the world to me* but the thing is, different classes/styles resonate with different people. I just can't encourage you enough to give yoga another chance if you have had a similar experience. (most of us have at one time or another). There have no doubt been people who my class hasn't resonated with. And thats perfectly ok. Normal even.There are so many different ways to discover yoga regardless of where you live. So many styles and levels. Its all there waiting for you. If its been a while, why not give yoga another chance?Somewhere there is a mat with your name written all over it.

I really hope you will.

Namaste.

allow yourself to just breathe and let go..

According to yoga scriptures, the heart center can be opened indirectly to cultivating compassion and kindness, calmness and dispassion, or directly through the focused practice of pranayama, or both. -Beryl Bender Birch

Happy Summer everybody!