My New Backyard Labyrinth

Sat Nam. There are still one or two dressings to be done, but we now have a beautiful labyrinth made of rose and red flagstone, with grass along the path, with birds flying low around it, with heart breaking beauty uncovered on each step. I'm loving it, of course. Today I finished reading The Secret History, by Donna Tartt. But is doesn't matter about the book, or whatever book I just read or movie I just saw. The labyrinth and the book and the movie are all reminders I have art to make, and mine is teaching yoga, I guess, though I'm hoping it's also writing something wonderful. I ask before I enter my winding path: How do I begin to write? Upon turning around from the center I have had the following answers come: Lose weight; then you will have the confidence to write. All we can do is be like the flower; for the short time we're here, give it everything we have. We can't solve today's crisis; we can learn about it and let it break our hearts open, and that will also teach us to be like the flower. What good are these things! That is not a question. It is only a question when I don't walk the labyrinth, read the book, see the movie, practice yoga, try to write something wonderful. Have the confidence to go outside and let life see me. "Drg darshana shaktyor ekatmatevasmita." Egoism is when the seer identifies with that which is seen. This is a klesha, or obstacle on the path of yoga. What about the birds singing and the flowers blooming, and that one wilting flower ready to release its cling to the stem? I am not any of those things. I am not the labyrinth. I am not even what the labyrinth traces. All these, and all the so-called answers I get turning from the center, are here to help me, as in the sutra which says something like for the enlightened one, none of this matters, but for those unenlightened does everything exist. I never even claimed enlightenment as my goal. I want awareness. I want to deal with my extreme sensitivity, not lose it. I am where I need to be then, in life. This is where my path has led me, right where I am. Is that enlightenment? It's not even enough for the day's crisis. Being where I am isn't doing anything for all those children of Central America being bussed here and threatened there. Here is where I shopped at the farmer's market today. Here is where I prayed. Here is where I watered the lawn in the middle of a major draught. One step up and two steps back. The labyrinth shows me this: all my steps lead somewhere. Carve a path and walk it. The labyrinth doesn't give me answers on its own. My subconscious supplies them. It just gives me time to listen. To watch my steps. I'm glad for the space in my day and my yard. I'm glad for my sensitivity, even though it often implodes in me seemingly out of the blue, leaving me = = dropped. The labyrinth reminds me I have time for that, and the flagstones lie waiting for me when I'm ready to come out. I already carved the path.

My Practice Saturday, July 19 - working toward eka pada rajakapotasana

child's pose sequence: 1. wide knees 2. knees together 3. hands clasped 4.hands clasped the opposite way - each held for 5 breaths 5. down dog 6.vajrasana with toes tucked under 7. deep squat lift hips to soft uttanasana, upside down neck rolls roll up to tadasana 8. chest expansion x2, changing the interlace of hands on second one 9. surya namaskar C. x3 10. surya namaskar B. x3 - vira 1 with gomukhasana arms and held three breaths, to vira 2, triko, ardha chandrasana, chappasana, and back through to come out 11. dancer 12. archer to dancer 13. handstand 14. forearm balance 15. eka pada bhekasana 16. full bhekasana 17. pigeon 18. down dog 19. pigeon again, this time try for full eka pada rajakapotasana, first recreating eka pada bhekasana by bringing foot to waist, clasp elbow; then rolling the shoulder open into the full pose 20. mermaid 1 and 2 x10 each 21. down dog 22. child's pose 23. bharadvajaasana 1, clasping elbow of front arm with back hand 24. simple twist 25. supta padangusthasana 26. apanasana 27. supta baddha konasana 28. savasana Everything was held for about a minute. I did NOT explore my edge with this sequence. Instead I stayed in a range that felt good and stayed as long as it felt good. The exception was the first pigeon, which I may have held for more like 2 minutes. This was strictly asana with no pranayama or meditation. Maybe because I kept it light I had a summertime energy in me which sufficed!

July 8 Gentle Sequence for a Friend

My friend came in for private practice today, and this is what we did: 1.savasana with a blanket over belly and bolster under hamstrings - belly breathing with 6 second inhale and 6 second exhale 2. child's pose supported with a bolster and sandbag over hips - 6 second breathing 3. seated 6-3-6-3 breathing 4. legs up the wall sequence: wide, reverse pigeon, wide, 1/2 shoulderstand up/down/hold and lift to full shoulderstand, plow, roll down, twist, hug knees to chest 5. baddha konasana w/ back at wall and steamroll neck along wall turning head left to right 6. savasana with lower legs on chair, blanket and sandbag on low belly This sequence took about 50 minutes and can easily become a whole pranayama/restoratives class.

July 6: Interesting Digestive Class

1. kapplabhati and nadi sodhana - 2-5 minutes each 2. supported gomukhasana - seated on edge of bolster, take full pose, using strap if necessary for joining hands together, then release arms and fold forward, resting forehead on stacked blocks 3. dandasana for a couple of breaths between sides of gomukhasana 4. eka pada supta virasana 5. udarakarshanasana 10 rounds 6. virasana with gomukhasana arms and reverse prayer arms 7. uttanasana - ardha, bent knees, straight legs 8. bound tree 2 9. eagle at the wall - from chair at the wall, inhale extend one leg and raise both arms to the wall, exhale down x6 pairs, then eagle balanced at wall, then eagle without the wall 10. vatayanasana 11. tadasana 12. prasarita padottanasana 13. uttanasana 14. surya namaskar A. x1 to floor 15. cobra twist 16. bow 17. bharadvajasana 1 18. bharadvajasana 2 19. paschimotanasana 20. viparita karani 21. savasana This sequence is fun and good to do if you're in an asana rut as well as a digestive one! I wonder if one follows the other(?). Each asana can be practiced form a few breaths to a few minutes. When it's hot I like short holds and a couple of reps for energy. Sat Nam.

A Morning Sequence

Sat Nam. This was my sequence this morning, when I woke up earlier than I wanted to and needed a little easy movement: 1. wide leg child's pose 2. knees together child's pose 3. supta padangusthasana a - bottom leg bent and top leg strapped, b - straighten bottom leg, c - open top leg to the side with a block against the hip to hold the leg up, d- both feet through the strap and open wide with no blocks to stop the hips 4. supported gomukhasana - seated on bolster full pose, then release arms and rest forehead on a block or two 5. down dog 6. eka pada supta virasana with bolster supta virasana 7. bharadvajasana 1 8. bharadvajasana 2 9. down dog 10. uttanasana w/ bent knees, ardha uttanasana, uttanasana 11. down dog 12. child's pose 13. savasana I did 7 breaths per asana.

Saturday, March 2, 2013 All Levels - Tree Class

Sat Nam! This is the practice we did in All Levels Saturday, March 2: We've been chanting the lokha mantra for 5 minutes at the start of class. 1. jaw releasing: bite the wrist, either vertical or horizontal; let jaw hang on the wrist bone; bite the other one; then with a wide open mouth, inhale and exhale three times; finally begin ujjayi somewhere in the next 5 breaths; sense space and lightness in the mouth 2. tadasana: we rolled our weight forward and backward on the feet, paying attention to where "center" was; vines of light growing from souls of feet to core of earth and back up through feet again, connected to mulha bandha 3. urdvha hasatasana: ribs opening and lifting on inhale; mulha bandha meets receding navel on exhale Carrying what we've learned in tadasana to the following standings: 4. tree 1 and 2, one minute each, x2 sets, with time in tadasana in between (we moved from arms up to tree to maintain lift and belly awareness); 1/2 bind in tree 2 5. triangle 6. warrior 2 7. parsvakonasana 8. prasarita padottanasana 9. twisting triangle 10. twisting parsvakonasana 11. prasarita padottanasana 12. natarajasana x2 13. tree 2 again, moving into 1/2 bound one legged forward fold and then into toe stand 14. uttanasana *All standing postures held 1-2 minutes 15. bridge with block on long side, running along sacrum; straighten legs; then viparita karani on block; back to bent knee version *All held 1-2 minutes or longer 16. lie flat for a minute; then hug knees to chest 17. Nada Sanchalana (See March newsletter for directions) inhale up front of spine; hold at bindu; exhale OM down back of spine; we did about 8 rounds in class 18. savasana (I read David Whyte's "Mameen") Enjoy the sequence!

Yam Ham Om - A Sequence For Heart, Throat, and Third Eye

Sat Nam! In an effort to refresh this sequence blog, I offer this practice for the heart, throat, and third eye. In it there are backbends and inversions, and bija mantra repetition, which I love. Enjoy! yam - seed sound of heart chakra (anahata) ham - seed sound of throat chakra (vishuddhi) om - seed sound of third eye chakra (ajna) chakravakasana x6 -chant yam ham om as you exhale into either halloween cat or child's pose, whichever you prefer 1 arm dynamic camel x6 -inhale up into 1 arm camel with the other hand behind the back -exhale down, ear to the ground, head moves away from the moving arm camel vinyasa x6 -inhale on knees, both arms overhead; exhale child's pose, touch heart, throat, third eye coming down; in cobra, stay and nod slowly three times on three breaths; ex down dog, chakravakasana to child's pose; begin again Surya Namaskar C. x6 -begin with arms out to sides, chant yam ham om on the forward folding, touching heart, throat, third eye natarajasana with yam ham om, touching heart, throat, and third eye x6 archer, dancer, archer x6 with no chanting hold dancer for 6 breaths vira 1, fold forward over bent knee, vira 1, up x6 then hold a pyramid pose for 6 to 10 breaths each side prasarita padottanasana 2 minutes camel 6 breaths, x3 on back with arms overhead, then bend knees, then bridge 3 ways: inhale arms overhead in bridge, exhale down x3; inhale bridge with arms overhead,exhale roll down x3, then inhale up with arms overhead, stay up on exhale, roll down on suspension of breath, then same as the last one with uddiyana bandha x3 each way shoulderstand and plow with or without props - with props hold poses 5 minutes each supta padangusthasana sequence paschimo 2 min. fish if you'd like chanting through all the bija mantras to continue to ground energy before savasana savasana