Finding the calm in the storm

The west coast of BC has been hit with fall wind storms! It is amazing! The waters are so choppy, it is a wind surfer's dream! There is so much going on in the air, as my yogi buddy Chantal says "it's a very vata time" - the universe is on the move. In Ayurveda tradition, the vata dosha is characterized by the element of wind - dry, quick, excited, high energy, aggression, impulsive
- changing seasons
- changing weather patterns
- changing winter tires
- gearing up for all the holidays (November is next week?!)
- more more more more

One can get caught up in the Vata of the season, tends to be reactive/impulsive. The need to do more, give more, start new challenges... !!!

 But here is the thing - reaction, reacting - these are impulsive tendencies, so how can we step back for a moment and examine the whole picture.

If one reacts quickly, how likely is it that they could become physically injured and/or imbalanced? Pretty likely.
How can we calm our own storms, the internal storms.... That being said, there will always be a source of drama in the world, something to attach to and get very worked up about... is it worth it? How can we develop strategies to mindfully disengage from sources of stress/drama which do not serve?

I was reading a book on being in the moment and practicing mindfulness - this book likened the human mind to a body of water, deep and vast. Under times of stress/imbalance the waters become choppy. The book was talking about strategies of mindfulness to calm the waters of one's own mind via meditation and yoga (though I believe that meditation and yoga come in many different forms for different people). Once one is able to calm the waters, then they can see clearly, and act mindfully vs. impulsive reaction. Personally, I find that my decisions are always better if I act in a mindful way - the outcomes are more sustainable, more balanced.

I love that the universe can literally show you exactly what you need to see... vague? yes. But what I mean is that my life has been changing a lot and I have been challenged to find a balance that works for me in this moment. So I'm asking myself, how can I calm my own waters... and then I went on a walk with the dog and my husband, Dan, and this is what I saw...

Calm in the storm via physical barriers on Steveston River

I love this picture as it reminds me to take note of my personal "storm barriers". What are the activities/who are the people which support me to live a mindful existence and help me keep a clear head? With those questions in mind, I went to a coffee shop for a chai latte to read my book and went to a yoga class - after which I felt like I had calmed the waters of my mind.

Enlighten Up! A skeptic's journey into the world of yoga.

I heard about this film from a yogi buddy of mine. I have watched it twice in the last 12 hours.

 

Enlighten Up! | Official Movie Site

About:
Filmmaker Kate Churchill is determined to prove that yoga can transform anyone. Nick Rosen is skeptical but agrees to be her guinea pig. Kate immerses Nick in yoga, and follows him around the world as he examines the good, the bad and the ugly of yoga. The two encounter celebrity yogis, true believers, kooks and world-renowned gurus. Tensions run high as Nick’s transformational progress lags and Kate’s plan crumbles. What unfolds and what they discover is not what they expected.

Nick Rosen getting a new perspective in BKS Iyengar’s class in Pune, India

 

My Impression:

I'm in love, seriously, with my practice more than ever and with this whole idea, the whole skepticism of it all. Yoga means a lot of different things for a lot of different people, how do you know who to trust? What is right? What is right for yourself? Who has the time/money/motivation to go looking for it? How do we know we are supposed to look for it? Are we supposed to go looking for it? "18 million Americans now practice a Baskin Robbins variety of yoga" - this is so true and it is all so commercialized! How is one to decide which yoga, if any, is right for you? Who has the best advertisement, the sexiest yoga clothing, the one who chants the loudest.....? hmmmmm. This movie looks into so many different aspects of yoga from the physical practice to the spiritual, from "namaste to T&A", from "Godless" yogis to God loving yogis, how are we all connected and what does it all mean?

 

What I take out of it is that if it is works for you, go for it.... because there is no one right answer. If you are feeling it, you are doing it. Namaste.

My favourite conversation of the whole film... (and yes I did put this on, pause/play/type like crazy to get it all down)

Nick goes to visit the Guru Sharan Ananda aka Guru of the blissful refuge at his ashram outside of Gokul, India. At this point in the film, Nick is frustrated with the idea of yoga as a practice which seems to be greatly centred around getting closer to god. For Nick, a "Godless New Yorker", this is not accessible and he struggles a lot with the motivations/correct reasons for practicing...

Guru of Blissful Refuge - A man with a heart of gold and my favourite laugh!

Nick: I see yoga multi fold tool, physically, use to try to focus my mind a little bit. And I think that my goal is perhaps modest in terms of yoga. It is simply to be happy. What is your impression of how we practice yoga in the west?

Guru Sharan Ananda: I am not really acquainted with yoga in the west, but Asanas mostly used for physical strength, asana is more of the thoughts. More of the inside and very less outside. And what we are doing is 98% outside and maybe 2 or 3% or 1% inside.

So what then is the connection between bhakta yoga (devotional practice to god) and asana yoga? What is the connection between what I practice at home and this, not only worlds apart but almost separate philosophies, separate practices.

Good question, let me put it this way. You came to meet me you could have come by cycle, you could have come by car, you could have come by elephant, you could have come by foot. To reach here, there are so many directions. That depends on you, where you are at present. Because, let me say, you are the most important person under the sun. What is east? From where does east begin?  You are the centre point. From you, this is east. For me, east could be different. This place could be west for you, but for me it is east. So you are the most, or let me use my word, most-est important person under the sun.  What we say that it’s not important what you are doing, it’s important WHY you are doing.

What do you mean?

You can prepare your food for your just consuming, for someone you love, and prep someone for the Lord - so the action is physically the same, but inside it is different. If you are forced to do cooking for someone you do not like, then you will do it, you will cook, but you won’t enjoy it.

Same thing can be said for yoga?... Anything, absolutely anything under the sun! Everything depends on you, hangs on you. So you should feel the importance of yourself. You are the most important person for any decisions, all decisions, all the practices or any practice. And again you said how to attain happiness, yes, that’s important. Let me put a little stress on it, how much hard you are working there, is there any happiness there? You will have to question yourself, where is it? Where can we get that happiness? You said take what is right for you, take what feels right. I am a godless guys from New York City. It doesn’t make sense necessarily where I come from this bhakti yoga this embracing Krishna…

Then do not embrace, never do it. If you don’t like it, don’t do it. Go on practicing what you are doing. If you want to believe in god, believe. If you don’t want to believe, don’t believe. And still you could be a religious person.

And what would make you religious or spiritual? Be yourself. Be your true self.

It’s not so easy for me to just…, sometimes I do not trust myself, to say that “ok I’ll just find my true self. Are there specific practices that one can engage it to help… As much as possible try to get rid of what you are not and you are unnecessarily… wearing… on yourself. Try to get rid of this.

Happiness not outside, it is within us. See for instance, our sweet Kate is here. She is the same person, she’ll be the same person. Somebody will see her and he will simply jump and other man will not. Has she made any change?  It’s ourselves. Kate is a very lovely person, but not for all. It’s ourselves.

Me finding bliss at a bookstore, random happy moment. Yoga!

Be yourself, serve yourself to be the best "you" you can be, and pass it on. Namaste

October 20 - wearing purple for a good cause

Facebook has informed me that today is an especially important day to wear the colour purple. What will wearing a particular colour do?

Well today it is drawing awareness and sending the message that the wearer supports the end of homophobia and related violence, bullying, and hatred.

I support any campaign which promotes equality between any living thing. I believe we are all interconnected. Hatred and intolerance toward anything/ anyone just fuels that negative energy which justifies war and the overall distruction of the planet!

So I wear purple today to signify that I am not ok with homophobia/intolerance/hatred.

Will wearing this particular colour actually help in the long run? Yes, I do.

 Even if others do not understand the significance of my colour choice, I will, and thus am more likely to speak out against homophobia and any physical/verbal/emotional abuse.

It's time to break the silence because not saying anything and letting homophobic comments and actions happen without negative recourse is condoning them.

My purple shirt is a promise that I will not condone such actions with silence, I will speak up.

Too much fruit? These muffins are sooooo easy to make!

"Anything goes" Fruit-Filled Muffins aka Robyn's Yoga Muffins

heaven knows.... anything goes!

Yoga Muffins! How are muffins yogic? I just think a lot of love goes into them and you never know how they are going to turn out as you can put pretty much anything into them.
Great thing about these is that you can make them vegan or not - decide via milk and egg choice.

2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

3 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 cup sweetener

egg replacer (to equal 2 eggs or real eggs)

1/2 cup oil

3/4 cup sour soy milk (add 1 tsp vinegar to soy milk or use regular milk)

1 1/2 cups "Anything goes" fresh and/or frozen fruit

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add the sweetener, egg replacer, oil, sour milk, and fruit. stir together until "just mixed"/ Scoop into lightly oiled muffin tins and bake for 35-45 minutes (use a fork to see if done). Makes 6 muffins (or more depending on how much fruit you add - I use a load of fruit and often get 12 muffins).

Fruit Combo ideas:

apple/raisin

banana/chocolate chip

raspberry/blackberry

strawberry/apricot

pear/apple

ginger/apple/apricot

or whatever is left over in the fruit bowl!

Enjoy!

Yoga expensive? Not anymore!!!

Public Service Announcement:



Do you know about this??????!!!!!

Here is the run down... Personally, I love to have a pass at a big studio with loads of classes, but financially it is not in the cards for me right now- the universe has provided a beautiful solution! Passport to Prana is a card which costs $30 and entitles the user to one class at each of the participating studios - there are over 40 studios in the Lower Mainland, including one class at each of the YYoga studios, Semperviva studios, Shanti Yoga, and so many more!! It is amazing, what an deal! I just activated mine, so worth it - and what a great opportunity to try out all the studios in the city

http://www.passporttoprana.com/

1. The pass lasts from October 1/10 to July 31/11

2. You can buy the pass online or from one of the participating studios

3. One per person per year, but you can buy as many as gifts as you like

4. How fun will it be to strive to get each studio - its like a yoga scavenger hunt - bring your best yogi buddies and have a blast!

5 Things My Cat Taught Me About Yoga | Top Five Tuesdays | Yoga Blog | Yoga Journal

5 Things My Cat Taught Me About Yoga Top Five Tuesdays Yoga Blog Yoga Journal

1. There's no shame in taking cat naps. Savasana can happen anytime, anywhere. If I took Savasana as frequently as my cat Gracey does, I'd be diagnosed with narcolepsy. But that doesn't mean I can't be inspired by her natural tendency to rest when she needs to. There's also no shame in resting in Child's Pose or skipping a Chaturanga or two during your yoga practice. It's a sign of wisdom.

2. Be patient. Gracey has a lot in common with advanced yoga postures. For example, they both come to me when they are good and ready--and not a moment sooner. The best thing I can do is have patience, let go of expectations, and when that sweet moment finally comes, be ready to delight in the purring. 

3. Be persistent. When my cat gets a glimpse of a little red dot of light, created by my laser pointer, moving across the carpet, she chases it relentlessly. Even when the dot disappears, she will sometimes spend a very long time sniffing and pawing at the carpet looking for it. It's with that kind of determination, we should approach our practice. We know the peace we're seeking is there because we've seen it before. And if we keep working at it, we'll find it again!

4. Have faith. I could never be a pet. The concept of having complete trust in someone else to put your food out and provide you shelter and love is so foreign it's hard to imagine, but my kitty has no problem with that. She just trusts that her dinner will come. She doesn't have to know every detail about where it came from or what's coming next. She's just grateful to have another meal. In yoga, I might not always know when the next lesson is coming, but I trust that it will come when I need it.

5. Take care of yourself. You know what the best part about having a cat is? They clean themselves! I never have to chase Gracey around or think of clever ways to trick her into getting into the bathtub as I do with my dog. The yogic equivalent is when you have an injury, and you take the time understand it enough to explain it to your teacher, modify poses when you need to, or skip a pose altogether. (Of course, bathing yourself regularly is a good idea, too!)
What yogic lessons have you learned from your pets?

Erica Rodefer is a writer and yoga practitioner in Charleston, SC. Visit her blog, Spoiledyogi.com, follow her on Twitter, or like her on Facebook.

Yoga - more to it than Wednesday night class? Say wha?!

Yoga to many of us is going to class once and a while. It always feels so good and then we walk out of the door... hope to get back soon....hey, maybe I'll bring my buddy next time, hmmm maybe not this was a nice "me" experience...

What if we took this a little further?

Yoga is more than just that class that I go to on Wednesdays? I'll admit I was intrigued, but was a little intimidated by the whole India thing.... Until I started to open myself up to a little research. I went to a wonderful, eye opening workshop by Rolf Gates (http://rolfgates.com/pages/home.html) during my 200 hour training at Semperviva Yoga (http://www.semperviva.com/). Rolf has written a book about yoga "Meditations on the Mat - Daily Reflections on the Path of Yoga" (2002).

A whole new world of yoga as a life style and life long journey has been opened. Rolf has a come from a very dark past and has used yoga as his life raft, or canoe, to sail down the river of life into the light. His book is based on 365 short essays, one for each day of the year to cover all of the 8 Limbs of Yoga in very non-threatening and inspirational ways, but also in everyday language with everyday examples. Rolf makes the 8 limbs accessible to the Western world; it all makes a lot of sense.

I'd like to start with the 4 aims of life. Now these actually come from Hinduism, a religion with its origins half way around the world, but when you look closely these ideas don't seem quite so foreign.

The Four Aims of Life

1. Dharma - observation of spiritual discipline

2. Artha - creation of a balanced life

3. Kama- enjoyment of the fruits of one's labours

4. Moksa - liberation

Look past the sanskrit, I dare you.....  Of all of the things that we do in this world, there are 4 basic root motivations.... They look pretty familiar..... Not so foreign, eh? I would love to live in a world where I am free to pray to whomever I like (if anyone or anything as the circumstance presents itself), where I have a balanced life, enjoy the fruits of my labours, and feel liberated.  Isn't it a wonderful notion that a woman of Western decent can share these ideas with a culture of Eastern decent?!

Union. Yoga. Connection. Community. Om.

Now, being a woman in Canada, I can say that I have the freedom to strive toward these 4 aims. (PS for those who shy away from the word "spiritual" or "religion", maybe just substitute the word "love" - try it out, observation of a love discipline - for self, others...)

It is a work in progress....but so is life!

Here we have the 5 major afflications which get in the way of our aims of life - again, looking pretty familiar. It is so interesting to really reflect on how these afflications can stand in the way of the light of life.

The Five Afflictions

1. Avidya - spiritual ignorance

2. Asmita - pride

3. Raga - desire

4. Dvesa - aversion

5. Abhinivesa - fear of death (this is a big one for me, again - work in progress, and that is ok)



 This is the beauty of what yoga is teaching us, life is a journey, not an end point - so enjoy the view!

 Be in this moment! RIGHT NOW!

Yes, there are these aims, and they fluctuate as to how much of one or the other we have the privilege of experiencing right now.... just as to how much one or more of the afflications maybe present in our lives....Sure, we may have a road map, but often the road forks when we least expect it and we are on a different road than we expected. Regardless, we are here, we are breathing, we are awake and striving to live with spirituality/love, balance, liberation, and enjoyment of our hard work. Its not perfect, but our yoga is a journey, it is a practice. 

The Yoga Sutra gives us a guide of how to use yoga along the life path and it is divided into 8 limbs. I am excited to reflect on these limbs of yoga to bring them more into my own life, but also to demystify them a little....

The 8 Limb Path of Yoga

1. Yamas - 5 Moral Restraints

     Ahimsa - nonviolence

     Satya - truthfulness

     Asteya - nonstealing

     Brahmacarya - moderation

     Aparigraha - nonhoarding

2. Niyamas - 5 observances

     Sauca - purity

     Santosa - contentment

     Tapas - seal, austerity

     Svadhyaya - self-study

     Isvara-pranidhana - devotion to a higher power

3. Asana - Postures (hey Wednesday night class!)

4. Pranayama - Mindful Breathing (this is familiar too...)

5. Pratyahara - Turning inward

6. Dharana - Concentration

7. Dhyana - Meditation

8. Samadhi - Union of the Self with Object of Meditation

 Ya, its a lot... Much to learn and take in, but hey we've got a life time and beyond!

Brand new day

Here I am, sitting with a glass of red, contemplating why I would start a blog at all.... it is so.... 2010.... I'm not even a writer! I took English in grade 12 because I had to and had no need to continue on with the subject except for a smattering of courses here and there to satisfy various university credentials. And yet, here I am, on my couch, with a glass of red, and a stream of consciousness... Here we go!

I guess my fascination with the whole "blogging thing" potential to share truth. What an idea. But really where else could I have an anonymous forum just to write and share, well, anything (that is if I didn't attach my name, which I did - by the way, I'm Robyn, nice to meet you)! The whole idea is quite freeing to me. Realistically, one person may read this (hi mom), one hundred people may read this, no one may read this; however, it is a creative outlet and I'm going to give it a try. To me, writing is genuine. My personal experience is that when I write, I mean it - I am taking another step than to just think something. I'm taking time out of my day to publish... and I think I am liberated.

So here we go, oh I already said that... Oh well, here we go again! So, yes, my name is Robyn. I am a married, 20 something woman living in the lower mainland of Vancouver. I grew up in Whistler (yea, it was the best time ever), did my Bachelors of Arts at UBC, and my masters at the University of Toronto. A lot has happened in that time and a lot has yet to come, but at this point I am an Occupational Therapist and a yoga instructor, and I am really happy.

Yoga on Whistler Mountain - pure bliss

I found yoga, or yoga found me, when I lived in Whistler, my first teacher was Kashi Richardson - a Whistler mom and (little did I know at the time) a very experienced yoga teacher. This practice started when I was 16 or so, and it has changed my life. Now, my life has gone through some twists and turns, and I'll admit I have not always had a positive outlook on life... But what I can say for sure is that for me:

1. whether it has been a day, a week, or a year since my last time on the mat my yoga practice has always been there for me,

2. the more I practice the happier I am,

3. when I am not practicing/unable to physically practice I feel a void, and

4. I have come to realize that yoga practice is not just about the physical poses (or asana) it is about a way of life.

Objectively, the word "yoga" loosely translates to "union".

This is a beautiful opportunity to unite the mind and body - to love and take care of yourself in everyway possible!!!

 This is also an opportunity to take these positive vibes of love and pass them on to others, to smile, embrace other human beings, to reduce anonymity and produce relationships etc.etc.etc. Fun eh? I think so.

yoga = union

=uniting body and mind

= loving the self

= creating community

= loving life

"Om" - the sound of the universe. It speaks to me everyday.