Chitta Vritti

Sutra 1-2 The restraint of the modifications of the mind-stuff is yoga.
Yogash chitta vritti nirodhah: Yoga is the restraint (control, mastery) of the modifications (changes, movement, thought-forms) of the mind field


The weekend in Asheville was wonderful.
Friday and Saturday we did a lot of Anusara with Barbara Hall.
I had fun playing around with handstand and alot of the principles of Anusara .
Sunday we started with a master class by Stephanie and that was really fun (as always)
We did adjustments and partner stuff throughout the weekend.
Sunday evening we did Iyengar. 1.5 hours on shoulder stand. We did this in groups of 3.

This did remind me that Iyengar is not for me. While I know there are amazing aspects of this practice I like to bring into my practice and his books are wonderful.
The actual practice just doesn't inspire me to get on my mat for some reason.
This was my 3rd time dabbling in Iyengar.

So every weekend I go to Asheville we play around with different styles, the history, anatomy and always going over the sutras and 8 limbs of yoga.

However, I return home confused, conflicted and unsure.
My personal practice is steeped in Ashtanga as taught by SKP Jois (although my direct teachers are Marsha from Balance here in my town and also Kino MacGregor - I've only practiced with her twice but consider her a huge influence on my practice)
Regardless, I find that Ashtanga is what challenges me... and sometimes it challenges me to the point of pure frustration.

So, in this training we are required to journal our daily asana, meditation and pranayama practice.
This was what I wrote today:

"Started with Primary series. I got through the sun salutations and all the way to Paschimottanasana. Then I just stopped. I couldn't go any further. I grabbed my eyebag and went into savasana. I realized i was not in my practice. I was thinking of my teachers and if I would ever impress them. This bothered me and therefore I stepped out of my practice and into rest. Then went into my meditation to clear some of this fog.
The fact that this thought had been my focus during the practice upset me. Why after so long am I still striving to impress anyone?

I am disappointed my head got in the way of my practice. It seems as if I can't figure it out. I try to fit myself into a box or lable. Why do I feel compelled to have to label myself as an "ashtangi" or why do I feel that I need a label at all.

How come other people just know. They've found their practice and never deviate from it. They never question it...they just know. Am I just letting the "head stuff" get in my way.
It is really starting to bother me. I am getting on my own nerves with this and not sure how to get out of this mindset"

Not sure what I got from this, I know I did get frustration. I know by my 7th sun salute I was already fatigued. And that frustrated me.

Some days I overthink things way too much. And today might be one of those days :)
Sometimes our practice is more than just the physical element. It challenges us on different levels.
Why do I stress myself out over such small things like my practice..

Ashtangi's and the Moon

So today is a full moon. In Ashtangi land there is no practice on Full or New Moons.
You can read about that here
So do you Ashtangi's abide by this rule? Do you fully enjoy your moon days off?
I am thinking of a simple flow practice this evening and meditation.
Then tomorrow back to Primary Series.

Doorways

Most of us are practicing being outer focused first, tending to the needs and requests of others before ourselves. Then somehow, it seems that there isn’t enough time left over for ourselves. That’s because we’re doing it backwards. To truly love and be friends with others, we must practice loving ourselves well and fu...lly on a daily basis. —SARK, American author and artist

It is December!

I do love this time of year. Granted it doesn't get bitterly cold in the South. But the weather is still changing, I can feel an end to this year approaching and new one creeping up.

I like that feeling.

Looking back on past 11 months of this year...my personal life has had its ups and downs. My marriage is great (which has taken a lot of work to get to this point and I am very grateful for that)

But my job, my practice, my family and so on. All of that was in a constant state of change. Granted everything around us is always changing. But these aspects of my life were much more noticeable.

I have to make some decisions recently that were in the best interest of my wellbeing.

Having so much on my "to do" list left very little time to concentrate on the things that are very imporant to me such as my new job, my yoga practice, yoga teacher training, my family (as small as it may be it takes work!)

So after weighing my options and a lot of thinking- I've decided to step away from Teaching at Lotus. The studio is beautiful and a great place to practice yoga/meditation at in Newnan. I hope it continues to build a great base for the community. I hope to also be around to see them grow!

I have a lot on my plate and it is causing me to short change the things that really need my attention. I hope to return to teaching in the future. Perhaps just one day a week. But I do not intend to take on a full teaching schedule at this time. I need to be realistic and do what I know I can comfortably handle. After all I do not want the students to be short changed nor do I want to short change my personal practice or studies.

Right now I am hungry to study and learn.

So I am sad to leave that yoga bubble of like-minded people and such a beautiful space. But, I have to be honest with myself.

In other news, I am excited for this weekend. Headed back into the mountains of Asheville to learn Iyengar & Anusara. Should be fun and looking forward to checking in with all the other yoga trainees!!

Holidays, Mysore Practice and Training

Are you ready for the Holiday Season!? Chai wants to know? We are...because we don't do much really. And we like it that way.

What a lovely long weekend filled with the beginning of the holidays.My husband and I are a tiny little family...me, him and the dog (Chai)

So I cooked a really good Vegan/Vegetarian Meal of: Tofurky, Greenbean Casserole, Sweet Potato Casserole, Home Made Mashed Potatos, Stuffing, Vegan Gravy, Pumpkin Pie.

Then we put up our Christmas tree.

Besides that- we relaxed, cleaned, watched movies and read a lot.

On Sunday I went to Mysore with Ashtanga Yoga Atlanta held at Yoga Samadhi

It was a packed mysore room (for our Atlanta Ashtangi's- we are a small group I believe)

But the teacher was wonderful. Some really good assists. I always enjoy the energy of Msyore Practice. It is one of those things where at times I think "Why do I do this to myself" and then I remind myself..."because in at the end of practice you feel amazing. Clear headed, light and blissful. So it is worth the sweat and work" And it truly is.

Nothing beats the high of Ashtanga yoga (for me anyway) I am a totaly yoga junkie lol.

I have teacher training this weekend. Headed back up to Asheville and living in the yoga bubble for 2.5 days. That is always wonderful. This weekend is focused on Anusara and Iyengar styles. So I am looking forward to seeing a little more in depth of these practices.

I've taken Iyengar classes and I took an Anusara Fundamentals 6 week course. So this will be a nice refresher on both styles.

Okay...well much to be done. Enjoy your week!

Thankful

Thankful for so much! Thankful for 4 days to spend with my family-- Denver & our furry child Chai.

Pumpkin Pie in the oven, now working on sweet potato casserole then the Tofurky.

I intend to get on my mat too at some point to give thanks for a practice that keeps me grounded and grateful.

♥ Much love.

Practice & Tofurky

Today's practice was difficult. Mentally and physically. I over slept--again. Which rushes my practice and I highly dislike. And I didn't make it to mysore at Balance.

I finally stopped goofing around and got on my mat. Unsure of what I would start with--I did the primary series up to Navasana with only a vinyasa between seated postures.

Forward folds were tough today. By the time I got to backbending I could only complete 3 that were decent.

In closing Halasana (Plow) was difficult. I think my upper back must not have been warmed up enough? Meditation was fine. It was better than asana.

However, I did realize that by the end I was shocked how fast the time went by and that my upper arms were tired. So at least I pushed myself.

I really need to get a handle on my schedule- but that is typical for me.

Tonight we go to meditation with Bhante which will be a nice way to prepare for Thanksgiving tomorrow.

I intend to get up and practice. We also have 2 Tofurkey's in the fridge. Because my husband loves them so much! He likes to make tofurkey sandwhiches.

Not much else to report. Lots of reading to do this weekend!

Choosing Peace

Have you ever come across an article that took you for a turn or created a turning point for you? I have a few. One of which is related to my practice. I had been practicing Ashtanga for a few months and I really got hooked on yoga magazines as I was trying to learn as much as possible.
I picked up Yoga Mind Body Spirit in December of 2007

I remember reading an article by Kino MacGregor. At that time I had no idea who she was. But the Article Title "Choosing Peace" stuck out to me as well did a photo of her in a crazy variation of bow. At that time I was still very new to the practice.

I read this article and it triggered something in me. I had been frustrated with my progress on my mat (which has happened several times since then....) I get frustrated with something and typically give up..walk away...quit.

That applies to everything. Social Situations, relationships, so on.
So this article has been one that I go back to often.

Choosing Peace
by Kino MacGreggor
You create your reality by the thoughts that you think. Your attention is itself responsible for your life experience. No matter how awful the traffic jam is, how loud your neighbors are, how inconsiderate people may seem, how delayed the airplane is, you are the one who is in control of your reality.
Regardless of what type of experience finds its way into your life, you always have power over your reaction to reality. In doing so, you are the true master of your own fate. Think that life is awful and it is...for you. Think that people are careless, blind and ignorant and they will be...to you. The power of positive thinking is a common topic of conversation, books and seminars in our post-new age, twenty-first century world. Most of us agree that it’s a good idea to concentrate our thoughts towards a positive goal, rather than lull around in the doldrums of complaint and whine. The real question lies not in the debate about whether we can create our own reality or not, but rather in the how.
Enter the five thousand year old tradition of which you take part when you practice yoga. Yoga is a true science of the mind where you actively practice choosing a peaceful response to distressful situations, thus giving you the tools for creating your reality in each moment. When you practice yoga, you watch your mind’s reaction to touching the borders of your physical reality. Your inner dialogue in postures that seem impossible to you parallels your reaction to life situations that push the boundary of your comfortability. Pushing these limits brings up fear, anger, sadness, frustration, and numerous other insidious emotions.
It is easy to let your mind spin away into these temptations, however, with regular practice you will have the strength to remain calm, focused and aware. It’s like the difference between scratching an itch automatically and feeling the itch, then choosing not to scratch. As you remain calm, you are able to choose a peaceful response to your experience and thereby create your own reality. Wayne Dyer says that it is always possible to stop any life experience and say to yourself, “I can choose peace over this.” Yoga gives you a forum to practice saying to yourself that you acutally can choose peace over the patterns that you’re practiced in the past. You finally have the strength to stop scratching those pesky itches.
Your thoughts are crystal clear in between your breath, posture, and drishti. With no one else to blame, no where else to run, nothing left to do, start where you are, in the center of your created life experience and begin the dedicated, devotional path towards creating a peaceful life in the present moment. One breath at a time.


After being inspired by this article and Kino's words I quickly went on a google hunt. I found Miami Life Center
I thought if I ever ended up in Miami I had to practice there. Well later on in 2008 a group of friends decided to take a trip to attend the grand opening of the Yoga Shala in Islamorada .
We found out it was cancelled the week prior---but the condo was paid for and we all had the week off. So we went anyway.
We all agreed to head to Miami for one mysore class with Kino. Here we are after a sweaty mysore practice in the Miami heat March 2008. Nearly 2 years ago.