tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54035724616155366482024-03-13T04:53:41.482-04:00Kezia's Yoga BlogKezia Baconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812868701966435706noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403572461615536648.post-86198765103838875602012-03-14T18:56:00.005-04:002012-03-14T18:59:13.564-04:0015 Years of GratitudeGlancing around the studio during rest pose in a recent yoga class, I felt so grateful. It was a good day, attendance-wise, and there was a quite a variety of people in the room. Some were family, some were friends; some were students of mine from way back, some were new to class, or returning after a long absence. With each and every person, I felt some sort of connection.<br />
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When I first began teaching, fifteen years ago, most of my students were strangers. My mother has attended class at least weekly since the beginning – and occasionally friends do as well – but for the most part the people who roll out their mats and pay me money to lead them through a series of stretches are simply “students.” They are there for the yoga, plain and simple.<br />
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But then a strange thing happens. In those semi-awkward minutes before class, when we’re waiting for the hour to strike; in those more-languorous minutes after class when we’re putting away our props and waiting in line for the bathroom; through the occasional offhand comment or question amidst our posture flow, we get to know each other. Week after week, we share our stories, as well as our yoga practice. How does your granddaughter like her new school? Where did you go on your latest vacation? How is your husband’s recovery from hip replacement surgery coming along? We celebrate each other’s joys, provide support in the tough times, offer solace for the sorrows. We may not interact at all outside the yoga studio, but over time, through our brief weekly conversations, we become invested in each other’s lives.<br />
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One student recently referred to it as “chat pose.” I like that.<br />
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I’ve seen so many people pass through the doorway to my studio – through the doorways to the ten-or-so studios in which I’ve taught over the years – and with anyone who’s stuck around for a while, inevitably I’ve formed some kind of bond. I care about what happens in their lives. I feel compelled to share a little bit about what’s happening in mine. And with the students who eventually pass out of my life for whatever reason – relocation, injury, perhaps just-plain losing their yoga mojo – I wonder where life took them next.<br />
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When I began teaching, at age 25, few of my friends were interested in yoga, or in “my” style of yoga, which seems to appeal in large part to the over-fifty set. But now as I head into my forties, I’m finding a lot more of my contemporaries are inquiring about my teaching schedule. Most of us have young children at home and when we can manage to squeeze in an hour to nurture ourselves, the serenity of the yoga studio beckons.<br />
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Teaching yoga can humble you. I advise my new students all the time: make an effort to find the “right” teacher. If I’m not a good fit for you, that doesn’t mean you don’t like yoga. Keep looking ‘til you find the right fit. So many students come and go that way – and I have to accept that – for whatever reason -- I just wasn’t what they were looking for.<br />
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So when a student decides to stick with me, when he or she shows up for class, week after week, for a year, and then two and then five. When it’s been so many years that we have to calculate the span of time “It was just after my divorce, so that's . . . OMG, that’s twelve years ago now!” I feel such gratitude. <br />
“You’re not bored with me?” <br />
“My class works for you?”<br />
“You start to relax as soon as you hear my voice?”<br />
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I can’t tell you how good this feels.<br />
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I find such satisfaction in teaching yoga -- the stretching and breathing, the slowing down, the opportunities for perspective and insight. I love how being focused on the words and movements required to lead a class will tune out all the chatter in my head and leave me with a sense of peace. I love that people show up, week after week, to share this with me. I love that I can (to some extent) support myself and my son with this work. It’s rewarding, it replenishes me, and it feels good.<br />
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This past Valentine’s Day marked the fifteenth anniversary of my first class. On February 14, 1997, Mary Norton – who runs the Cohasset Yoga Center and had been my own teacher for four years at that point – had enough faith in me to let me lead my own class at her studio. I’ve been teaching consistently ever since. First one class a week, then three, four, five. . . and at one point twelve. I’m down to a comfortable seven now. I’ve endured injury, pregnancy, post-partum depression, anxiety disorder, exhaustion, divorce . . . but I’ve kept teaching throughout it all (except for the month I took off after Abel was born). I would not continue to do this if you weren’t showing up for class week after week.<br />
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So, dear students, I have this to say to you: Thank you. <br />
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Thank you for your consistency, your stories, your willingness to share, and your support. Thank you for laughing at my dumb jokes, for not noticing when I fall asleep during rest pose, for getting me back on track when I forget what I’ve just said. Thank you for bringing cookies and chocolate, newspaper clippings and family photos, or the occasional gift from some far-off land. Thank you for giving me a job, a purpose, and a compelling reason to unroll my mat each day.Kezia Baconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812868701966435706noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403572461615536648.post-74755201873903759042011-09-26T16:31:00.004-04:002011-09-26T16:42:52.795-04:00Heartache is Real: Yoga and the Emotional BodyAny seasoned yoga practitioner can attest to the notion that we human beings “store” our emotions in our bodies. If we feel something that we’re not ready to express – perhaps because of fear, or confusion, or because it’s not socially acceptable – then usually we repress it. The emotion gets filed away in the “deal with later” pile and we forge on.<br />
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But the body doesn’t forget. If these emotions go unaddressed, then they start to manifest in other ways. It’s like they’re saying “Hey! Remember me? I need you to pay attention!” We may feel pain, heat, stiffness, cramping, or other general discomfort. And then we try to figure out what we did to cause it . . . was it my workout yesterday? Or lack thereof? Was it from sitting too long in the car? Perhaps it’s old age setting in? We tend not to consider that it could be something “inside” causing the discomfort, and not some external force.<br />
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A long time ago, I was in a committed relationship with a much older man. At age 24, when I looked to my future, I hoped for marriage and the possibility of children. Well past forty, my boyfriend did not. We loved each other (and liked each other!), but we wanted very different things from life. We weren’t sure what to do, so we just kept going – living and working together and trying not to think about what would come next.<br />
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Around that time I developed a weird pain in my chest. It was there when I woke up in the morning, and came and went throughout the day. It wasn’t particularly uncomfortable, but it was hard to ignore, sitting there like a stone, pressing down on the connective tissues above my heart.<br />
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I went to the doctor – had EKGs, and all that. “There’s nothing wrong with you.” <br />
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I thought maybe I’d pulled a muscle in yoga class. But no – the pain seemed not to be attributable to any particular thing.<br />
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One day I was chatting with Mark Mincolla, the Cohasset-based specialist in nutrition and Chinese medicine. I told him about the phantom pain and he said simply, “You’re grieving.”<br />
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I had no idea what he was talking about. No one had died, nothing tragic had happened in my life. “Huh?”<br />
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So the next time I went to see my massage therapist (what a life, I lead, hmm?), I told her about it too. (She does the kind of work that makes connections between the physical body and our ever-changing emotional states). She said, “Let’s find out what’s going on in there.”<br />
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And so we began an inquiry into What Was Causing This Pain. What was going on in my life that could cause such heartache? She helped me tune in with the subtle energies present in my – in all of our – bodies. She encouraged me to breathe into the pain and see what thoughts and feelings came up. I found myself crying a lot – sobbing at times – but still unable to put my finger on the source of these emotions.<br />
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Why is it so hard to see the writing on the wall? <br />
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Long story short: after a lot of soul searching, I realized that my relationship with the man I loved was not going to work in the long run. We were not a good match – we wanted different things and neither could bear to compromise. He didn’t want a lifelong commitment and I couldn’t bear the thought of NOT having one. And so we parted.<br />
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I moved all my stuff back to my parents’ house and left the next morning for a 2-week immersion at Kripalu, the first half of my yoga teacher training (YTT). Out of the frying pan and into the fire . . . Have I ever told you how intense YTT is? Ask me sometime. It’s like holding a magnifier up to your every last insecurity and being forced to study each in depth, until you’re utterly exhausted. Fun times. (Priceless too. No, I’d never give it back.)<br />
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And then I came home, settled in with my parents. It wasn’t an easy time. I had given up my 3-year romance, as well as the place I’d lived for two years and the job I’d held for three. For the rest of that year, everything was in flux. I dated a very tolerant (younger) man, became a yoga teacher, secured additional hours at my other job. Eventually things settled back into places that felt “right.” And one day I realized that I hadn’t felt that pain in my chest for a good long time.<br />
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It never came back.<br />
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I share this story today because I’m thinking about all the benefits one gains from a committed yoga practice -- the insights, the connections, the epiphanies. Sure, in yoga class, we stretch our bodies, strengthen our muscles, air-out our lungs and drive back the ever-surging tide of stress, but there are subtler benefits too. Things like releasing emotional blockages in the body.<br />
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It’s September, a time when many of us feel energized and ready to try new things (or return to things that have fallen by the wayside). Are you feeling the pull toward yoga class? Come back! Come try a class or a workshop and see how good it makes you feel. (Note: Lingering heartache is not a requirement for admission.)<br />
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<b>And Now A Word From Our Sponsor:</b><br />
This weekend’s Hamstrings and Hip Flexors Workshop will be a prime opportunity to release some of the emotions that tend to get stored in the hips: anger, resentment, sadness, self-expectation/self-doubt, disappointment, and issues that pertain to sexuality. come stretch, breathe, and release some of the junk you really don’t need anymore. Insights/epiphanies are practically a given. Whether you’ll be able to walk the next day is another story . . .Kezia Baconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812868701966435706noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403572461615536648.post-89720758186054536612011-08-05T18:32:00.002-04:002011-08-05T18:32:23.339-04:00Life is Suffering? A Quick Glimpse at Buddhism’s Four Noble TruthsI’ve been quiet here on the yoga blog these past few months, because my life has been in turmoil. My husband and I are divorcing. We have a five-year-old son, so you can imagine what a complicated process this is – for all of us.<br />
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I live my life – or aspects of it, anyway – in the public sphere. Between my blogs, my newspaper columns, Facebook, and the things I say during class to my yoga students, I am very much in the spotlight – by choice, of course. These past few months have provided an opportunity to edit and revise my public self. Just how much do I want to share?<br />
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Often, the challenge for me is to determine whether or not telling my story – whether it’s a humorous anecdote about an excursion with my son, or a hard look at my own shortcomings -- will help people. Sure I can keep all of this to myself, but if by telling my story, I help someone else feel empowered, or less alone, then my words have a purpose.<br />
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Sartre said that hell is other people, and that when it comes down it, we are all essentially alone. No one else, but ourselves, can live our lives, or fight our battles, or make our decisions, or find our enlightenments. To depend on others to do this for us is beyond foolish. <br />
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The Buddhists, on the other hand, posit that hell is not so much other people but the way we react to them. And while I agree with Sartre that it all comes down to what we do for ourselves, I also know that there is a great gift in community. The flip side of the suffering that other people – our reactions to other people – elicit in our lives is that we can find some comfort in their very presence.<br />
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I have been so fortunate for my chosen community these past few months. My parents are endlessly generous, graciously welcoming me and Abel (who is with us half the week) into their home. My closest friends have proven to be reliable listeners and advisers. I take great solace in knowing that this support is there for me. But I still have to do all the work by myself. Yes, I have a excellent therapist, who does a great job generating questions for me to ponder. But the fact is, I alone have to come up with the answers.<br />
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Buddhism is based on Four Noble Truths.<br />
1. Life is suffering.<br />
2. There is a cause for this suffering.<br />
3. It’s possible to end this suffering<br />
4. There is an established path out of this suffering.<br />
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Or to put it in more modern terms,<br />
1. Life sucks.<br />
2. It’s our own fault that it sucks.<br />
3. It’s possible for it not to suck.<br />
4. Help is on the way!<br />
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Hard times are inevitable, but they tend to take us by surprise. We have been sold a fantasy of an ideal life – perhaps the one we see in TV commercials, or in movies with happy endings. It’s hard not to buy into the fairy tale. So when something happens – something tragic, or impossibly difficult – that doesn’t fit into our worldview, we freak out. We may get angry/resentful, we may get depressed, we may try avoidance techniques like shopping or drinking in an attempt to escape the pain.<br />
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But there’s no escape. As the old adage goes, the only way out is through. The first step is acknowledging the pain itself, as well as the source of the pain. “I am suffering, and it’s my own damn fault.” Before you argue that plenty of random incidents are NOT the victim’s fault (I agree, I agree) let me restate that it’s how we REACT to what life throws at us that causes the suffering, not the incident itself.<br />
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So what do we do? We embrace the suffering, let ourselves fully experience the (for lack of a better word) suckitude. Acknowledge that there is a cause – that this didn’t happen randomly, but because of an intricate series of events and words and feelings – and that our own choices (or inability to make choices) is at least part of the problem. “Okay, divorce is hard. There is no getting around that. My life is going to be a firestorm of emotions for a while, and I’m just going to have to ride it out, do the best I can, and see where I come out in the end.”<br />
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Isn’t a relief to know that pretty much always, we “come out in the end?” This is the Third Noble Truth, in a nutshell. There is an end to the suffering.<br />
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And the Buddhists assure us that there is a path out of suffering. So where’s that path?<br />
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You find it by being present. The Buddhists will tell you that meditation is the answer. And it can be – oh yes it can. But the essence of this notion is that the end of suffering grows out of being present: acknowledging how you feel in a given moment, and letting that feeling be. Not trying to escape it, run away, change it . . . but fully feeling it, and all the turmoil that feeling it creates.<br />
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I felt like a failure when I realized that my marriage was over. I never, ever saw myself as “someone who would divorce.” It wasn’t even a consideration. I know that marriage requires hard work and I was determined to do that work, especially for the sake of my son. But nothing in life is simply black & white like that. You just never know . . .<br />
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So after a five-year lull, I’ve revived my daily meditation practice. Every morning I wake and spend ten minutes sitting in silence, trying to be present. (Full disclosure: I check my email first.) Sometimes I focus on my breath; sometimes I just tune in to whatever emotion is the strongest for me in that moment. The sitting is calming and grounding, and it helps me to feel more balanced as I start my day.<br />
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And it’s working. Slowly, very slowly, it’s leading me out of the suffering.Kezia Baconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812868701966435706noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403572461615536648.post-27965680808942975132011-04-22T16:41:00.001-04:002011-04-23T06:44:57.750-04:00Are You A Yoga A-Hole?My old friend and fellow yoga teacher Josh Summers shared this article with me. It makes sense and it makes me laugh. We yoga teachers can take ourselves WAY too seriously. <br />
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And Bill Withers? LOVE him!<br />
<a href=" http://www.elephantjournal.com/2011/04/a-yoga-ahole--lia-aprile/"><br />
http://www.elephantjournal.com/2011/04/a-yoga-ahole--lia-aprile/</a>Kezia Baconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812868701966435706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403572461615536648.post-58665816452464676242011-03-15T18:43:00.003-04:002011-03-15T19:06:17.103-04:00On Change and Mindful TransitionsMy friend Josh Summers writes a wonderful weekly email newsletter, Minute of Mindfulness, which gives helpful hints for establishing a meditation practice . . . or sometimes just ideas and inspiration for self-improvement. (You can sign up for it via this link http://www.joshsummers.net/meditation.php)<br />
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A recent post from Josh included this quote from Voltaire. “Doubt is uncomfortable, but certainty is absurd.”<br />
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These words are really resonating for me right now.<br />
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I’ll be turning 40 this fall. Many of my friends are in the same boat. Milestone birthdays tend to make us feel reflective. We look back on what has happened in our lives so far, and look ahead to what we’d like to happen next. (I think this is especially true at forty, which these days can be considered the mid-life). So birthdays are often times for re-evaluating and re-prioritizing – perhaps letting go of things we don’t need and setting goals for what we wish to accomplish in the future.<br />
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Here’s a simplified example. I want to double the monthly contribution I make to my retirement account. In theory, this is easy – I can just go online, log into my account, and change one digit. But in practice, it’s not so easy. I have to figure out where those extra funds are going to come from. I have to reconfigure my budget and see if there’s room to move things around. I have to find ways to save money, while at the same time, generate more work so I can increase my income. So this seemingly simple change actually affects all areas of my life.<br />
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• Home – Can I spend less on groceries? Entertainment? <br />
• Work – Can I work more? Are there additional sources of income I can tap? <br />
• Relationships/Family – Who will watch Abel while I work? Will I feel guilty being away from him more? How will my husband handle me being even busier?<br />
• Friends – With more work comes less social time . . .<br />
• Health – Can I handle the increased stress associated with these changes?<br />
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Transitions can rock us to the core. Even if the change is only in one part of our lives, it tends to affect all the others. And with transition comes questioning; doubt. We may lose our bearings. What was once comfortable makes us feel restless and uneasy. We may even question the essential nature of Who We Are. What do I want from life? What’s important to me? Why is this suddenly different from How It Was Before? Perhaps – because of this restlessness -- there is nothing in which we can find true peace or solace. If we’re lucky there is at least some consistency, some little “mooring” (perhaps it’s certain people, or an activity, or a place, or even a yoga class) where we will feel like ourselves. <br />
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And then there’s the questioning . . . and the inevitable waiting that comes as we sort everything out. . . and the “feeling stuck.” Perhaps we’ve identified what we want to change, but we aren’t able to implement the changes right away. Or we just don’t know how to proceed, and we need time to figure things out. Being “in the mire” – where we can see what we want to change, but still feel unable, in one way or another, to do it – can be difficult, frustrating, even painful. Yet we must wait. . . and accept that this waiting is part of the process. Dealing with The Unknown is one of life’s biggest challenges.<br />
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Certainty is absurd? Well, yes. Change is pretty much inevitable. Have you noticed that when you finally accept or get used to The Way Things Are, they tend to change? I find this especially evident in parenting. Have you ever lamented, “When I finally felt like everything was good, (x) happened, and changed everything?” It happens all the time. Sometimes it’s good, and sometimes it’s hard. You get a surprise job offer that turns your life upside down. Or you unexpectedly have to put your pet to sleep. Or there’s a tsunami.<br />
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Transitions are essential in life. Without them, we’d be bored; complacent. Sometimes they’re relatively simple – like my savings example above. And sometimes they’re not simple at all – struggling with a difficult and complicated relationship, or profound discontent in one’s career, or a health issue for which there is no immediate cure. <br />
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Sometimes we have to walk through fire . . . I have a friend who is earning her Masters Degree while working full time and parenting two young children. That’s not easy. But she keeps focusing on where she wants to be in a year or two, and that gets her through it. I have another friend who is struggling with a major health issue – with a relatively new diagnosis, she has to reconsider everything she does in life, and makes changes that will support her fragile health. Every day is a new challenge for her as she figures this out. Perhaps the essential nature of change can bring some consolation. “I won’t be in this difficult place forever. This too shall pass.”<br />
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How does all of this apply “on the mat?” Well, in some ways, transitions in yoga class are much easier. Because most of the time, we are in control.<br />
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When I teach, I put a lot of thought into how we move from one posture to another. These transitions are just as important as the postures themselves, because it this is the make-or-break time where we can maintain – or lose – our focus. If the postures and what’s between them flow in a comfortable, logical sequence, then the yoga feels meditative, relaxing, good. If the transitions are choppy, it disrupts our sense of peace.<br />
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So how do you work with transitions in your yoga practice? When we finish a balance pose, do you thud your foot to the floor, or do you let it down gradually? When we move our arms overhead and then down again, can you find a sense of symmetry and grace? Where does your mind go when you hear me tell you to release a posture – are you focused on your breath, or are you worrying about what might come next? In class, smooth transitions require mindfulness, strength, and coordination.<br />
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Come to think of it, we need these same qualities for the transitions we encounter “off the mat” – in our everyday lives as well.<br />
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So if change is inevitable, can you learn to embrace it? To flow with it? To ride it like a wave? This is not always easy, but indeed it can be done. Can you let go of the need to feel in control all the time? If nothing is certain, and everything changes, the notion of control is more or less an illusion anyway.<br />
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Lots to think about these days . . . lots and lots.<br />
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See you at yoga class!Kezia Baconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812868701966435706noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403572461615536648.post-59306584586995531682011-03-01T13:11:00.000-05:002011-03-01T13:11:57.660-05:00The Value of NurturanceLast year on Valentine’s Day weekend, I taught a workshop, “Thai Yoga Massage for Couples,” at the very lovely and cozy Dragonfly Yoga Studio in Marshfield. The class was full – twelve couples joined me for two hours of stretching and breathing together . . . and learning/practicing massage techniques on each other.<br />
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Before you get any strange ideas, I need to tell you that Thai Massage is done fully clothed on a mat on the floor. So nothing untoward happened. As my husband was home with our son, I asked my sister (and fellow yoga teacher) Marnie to assist me with the course, as my demonstration body. It doesn’t take much convincing when you offer your sister two hours of free massage . . . <br />
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The energy in the room was amazing. There we were: boyfriends and girlfriends, newly-married couples and those celebrating upwards of 40 years together. Same sex couples and straight people, plus two pairs of sisters. All taking time to pay attention to one another, to listen, to work out the knots in each other’s shoulders and necks, hands and feet. <br />
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What strikes me now, as I look back on it, is that all of the pairs in the room were nurturing each other. Especially now, as we begin to emerge from the deep dark of winter, with the cold wind howling at our windows, and the world – in many ways -- appearing to falling apart . . . we need nurturance. We need to feel safe and loved and appreciated.<br />
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Consider your relationship. Perhaps, like me, you’re in the trenches of young parenthood, when there never seems to be enough time for anyone in your life, let alone yourself. Or perhaps you’re farther along, and work, or caring for your own parents, has become paramount. Perhaps you and your partner spend lots of time together. Perhaps you only wish you could. So I ask you this: How much time do you and your partner devote to nurturing each other? Regardless of how your physical relationship manifests itself, how much time do you spend checking in with each other, listening when the other person needs to be heard, responding to the other person’s needs without dragging your own agenda into it, perhaps massaging a tight shoulder or neck, just because you know it will make your sweetie feel better?<br />
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My wish is that everyone gets this kind of nurturance whenever he or she needs it. The reality is: most of us do not. Our busy lives don’t easily permit it.<br />
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So . . . <br />
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I’m offering the Thai Yoga Massage for Couples (and friends) Workshop again this weekend. I hope that you’ll consider joining me. You don’t need any yoga experience to benefit from it – just the desire to spend some quality time with a friend, family member or loved one.<br />
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Advance registration is required. Please visit http://www.emmasdragonflyyogastudio.com for details.Kezia Baconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812868701966435706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403572461615536648.post-36705503100506767912010-12-27T12:09:00.000-05:002010-12-27T12:13:37.513-05:00Treehouse Yoga Studio Arrives in the 21st Century!Good news! Santa brought us an iHome! So now, at Treehouse Yoga Studio, we can say goodbye to skipping CDs, and hello to new music in our classes. Marnie and I are formulating new playlists on our iPods, and are eager to try them out in class. Don't worry, the old favorites will still be in the rotation.Kezia Baconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812868701966435706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403572461615536648.post-49132568295590222832010-12-20T13:55:00.000-05:002010-12-20T14:01:04.179-05:00Om ShantiAt the end of every yoga class, the very last thing I say, before I thank my students for attending, are the words "Om Shanti."<br /><br />"Om Shanti" is essentially a prayer for peace. "Om" represents the sacred sound of the universe. And "Shanti" means "peace."<br /><br />When I say it, I encourage you to say it back to me. Together, we wish for peace in our world, peace in our communities, peace in our families, peace in our lives, peace within ourselves . . .<br /><br />Om Shanti.Kezia Baconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812868701966435706noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403572461615536648.post-3379216479640150852010-12-15T09:46:00.000-05:002010-12-15T09:47:02.509-05:00Acceptance, Patience and SurrenderToday’s post completes my discussion of the Ten Principles of Yoga. The final principle is Acceptance, Patience, and Surrender.<br /><br />Acceptance: Accept where you are in the moment, even if you’d prefer it to be different. Let’s say you <span style="font-style:italic;">want</span> to be able to do a full squat pose, but whenever you try, it hurts your knees. Accept that your body is not ready for a full squat yet, and instead choose a modified version of the posture that causes no pain.<br /><br />Patience: Be patient with yourself, with your body. If you keep attempting that modified squat, you will find that over time you are able to go farther and farther into it. You will make progress . . . incremental progress most of the time, but you may also experience the occasional giant leap forward.<br /><br />Surrender: Just let it be. Let go of trying and breathe into “where you are” in the moment . . . and relish it.<br /><br />These principles can be such a challenge! We always want to be doing “better,” and often as we age, we find that instead we are doing “less.” But less isn’t worse. As long as you’re doing what feels right in your body, you are doing your best. Take a deep breath and enjoy the satisfaction of doing your yogic best!Kezia Baconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812868701966435706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403572461615536648.post-52426133221291526112010-12-08T16:23:00.001-05:002010-12-08T16:23:38.081-05:00EnjoymentHere’s one of the most important of all the Ten Principles of Yoga . . . enjoying oneself.<br /><br />We practice yoga for various reasons – to improve our physical and mental health, to relieve stress, to become more centered. But what good is it if we don’t enjoy the process?<br /><br />Do you love coming to yoga class? Do you look forward to it each day/week because it makes you feel good? Then while you’re in class, take a moment to relish this sense of enjoyment – telling yourself “this” is what I love about yoga . . . whether it’s the opening stretches or Moon Salutation or rest pose. Taking note of the things we enjoy makes our lives that much more pleasant.<br /><br />Sure there will be times in yoga class when you don’t love what’s happening – we all have our “least favorite poses.” There’s nothing wrong with not liking a pose – (as long as you still at least try once to do it, or a modified version of it). I’ve found that the poses I dislike the most are the ones I need more than anything.<br /><br />I’ve learned something over the years that can be applied to practically every situation, on or off the mat. If you’re stuck doing something – whether it’s frog pose or window washing or navigating a traffic jam – try to find a way to enjoy it. If there’s no clear way to “get out of it,” why waste energy hating what you’re doing? Instead, seek to find some joy in it, some benefit, no matter how small. Hating it while you’re stuck doing it will only make you more miserable.<br /><br />Finding enjoyment in all the little things we do in life is a valuable practice – especially when we’re challenged to find enjoyment in a root canal, for example, or a long wait at the doctor’s office. But it can be done! And you’ll have so much more peace of mind if you do it . . . or at least try.Kezia Baconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812868701966435706noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403572461615536648.post-64257545313985978922010-12-03T07:46:00.000-05:002010-12-03T07:47:03.039-05:00GentlenessWhile putting the Ten Principles of Yoga into practice, be careful not to be rigid with yourself! While you’re striving to relax, be breathed, feel grounded, and everything else, you may find that you’re trying too hard – either physically, mentally, emotionally . . . or on all fronts. Be gentle with yourself!<br /><br />Gentleness is a very important practice in yoga -- not pushing your body too far, and respecting your current “edge” (where anything less would feel like not-enough, but anything more would feel like too-much). Physical gentleness is not always easy, especially when we’re trying to master a new posture. Mental and/or emotional gentleness can also be a challenge – permitting yourself to be imperfect is not always a simple thing to do!<br /><br />When I have trouble being gentle with myself, I imagine a much younger version of me – say ten years old – and direct the mental chatter at that little girl, rather than her grown-up counterpart. It works wonders!<br /><br />Being gentle with ourselves teaches us how to be gentler with others. No one likes a bully.Kezia Baconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812868701966435706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403572461615536648.post-15591344428622309192010-11-22T14:36:00.001-05:002010-11-22T14:36:20.540-05:00Opening & ElongationAnother of the Ten Principles of Yoga is “Allowing Opening and Elongation.” When we practice yoga, we are stretching the body – gently encouraging muscles and tissues to relax, lengthen and un-knot. While we CAN force a stretch to happen, the optimal method never employs force. It is much safer – and more practical – to get into position, and then breathe and gently encourage the body to stretch at its own pace. In this way we are “allowing” the body to open and elongate, rather than “pushing” it to do so.<br /><br />This one is especially applicable to life outside the yoga room. Because there too, we get the best result when we refrain from force, and instead allow things to occur at a natural pace.Kezia Baconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812868701966435706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403572461615536648.post-13875176181906196032010-11-15T15:09:00.000-05:002010-11-15T15:10:10.307-05:00Centered & BalancedA regular yoga practice will help you feel more centered and balanced. If you tend to feel scattered, yoga will help you put the pieces back together. If you feel off-center, yoga will help to balance things out. <br /><br />Yoga has a wonderful equalizing quality. It can lift sadness or calm a hyperactive mind. It can create energy or bring calm. Whatever you need, really, yoga is there to serve you. It’s your inner self guiding your outer self toward what’s best for you. As long as you don’t let your ego get in the way!Kezia Baconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812868701966435706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403572461615536648.post-69314117836972310842010-11-08T16:26:00.001-05:002010-11-08T16:26:51.352-05:00Sensing ConnectionWhen you practice yoga, you become more aware of how things are connected in your body. For example, when you engage your abdominal muscles in a forward bend you feel your lower back relax a little bit more into the pose. That’s because your abs and low back work in tandem – one engages while the other releases. After a while, this becomes second nature.<br /><br />Yoga also teaches you how your body and your emotional states are connected. When you breathe deeply and slowly, oxygenating your body, you begin to relax a little bit. In time, you automatically breathe deeply when you need to slow or calm down.<br /><br />And yoga helps you to feel more connected with your fellow beings. Generally when a yoga class draws to a close, there is a warm feeling of camaraderie among the students. Sharing experiences tends to make us feel more connected . . . and this sense of connection tends to make us feel good!<br /><br />A regular yoga practice attunes you to so many different connections – which in turn helps you to have a better understanding of yourself, to be more responsive to your own needs, and to be more sensitive to the needs and motivations of others. Just one more reason why yoga is so good for you!Kezia Baconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812868701966435706noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403572461615536648.post-42500318728666192922010-11-04T10:40:00.001-04:002010-11-04T10:40:57.478-04:00Feeling Grounded and RootedOne of the most beneficial effects of a regular yoga practice is the feeling of groundedness or “rootedness.” You might come to your practice feeling preoccupied or scattered, but when you leave, you feel much more calm.<br /><br />Yoga slows us down and helps us connect with ourselves. Stretching and breathing in a deliberate way helps to clear away the chatter of the mind. So we move our bodies slowly, we breathe deeply, and as a consequence we reconnect with our selves. We feel more solid, more whole.<br /><br />For me, it’s one of the best things about practicing yoga. It’s also the fourth of the Ten Principles of Yoga.Kezia Baconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812868701966435706noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403572461615536648.post-68604583220229493832010-09-08T22:22:00.001-04:002010-09-08T22:22:58.687-04:00Being BreathedOf all the ten principles of yoga, this concept is the hardest for me to explain. Being breathed? Huh?<br /><br />What it means to me is that while we practice yoga, we are allowing the breath to move us. We breathe deeply to help ourselves relax and go deeper into postures. We breathe consciously to help us concentrate and focus inward. We breathe easily – not forcing the breath, or any other part of the body/mind to go farther than it should. We let the breath flow through us, let the breath lead us to wherever our practice is meant to take us.<br /><br />Following the breath, not the mind. Does that make sense?<br /><br />Remember, if you’re not breathing, you’re not doing yoga!Kezia Baconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812868701966435706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403572461615536648.post-44913253971633611412010-08-25T21:01:00.000-04:002010-08-25T21:02:17.347-04:00Relaxed Body, Mind and BreathThe second of the Ten Principles of Yoga is having a relaxed body, mind and breath.<br /><br />When we think of yoga, we tend to think of stretching, strengthening and ultimately relaxing the body. That’s what rest pose is all about, right? Even when holding a challenging pose, we look for ways to relax the muscles and tissues. First we get the structure of the posture just-right, then we learn to relax into it. It isn’t necessarily easy. But when we figure it out, it feels so right!<br /><br />But what about the mind? Relaxing the mind means letting go of thinking and processing and what-if-ing and just “being.” Not just during rest pose, but throughout class.<br /><br />And the breath? Having a relaxed breath means that we’re not striving to breathe in a particular way. We’re not forcing the breath. We’re letting the muscles around the lungs and other breathing apparatus relax. We’re just letting the breath flow smoothly in and out.<br /><br />When we think, we tend to tense up the body and the breath (not to mention the mind if we’re thinking too hard [brain cramp!]) Pay attention to how relaxed you are when you practice yoga. See if you can relax more. Then try applying this practice to everyday life.Kezia Baconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812868701966435706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403572461615536648.post-24518175215085533892010-08-11T13:17:00.001-04:002010-08-11T13:17:56.447-04:00The 10 Principles of Yoga: #1, Being PresentFor the next 10 posts, I will be discussing The Ten Principles of Yoga, to which I was first introduced in a workshop led by pregnancy yoga guru, Janice Clarfield. The principles can also be applied to childbirth.<br /><br />The first of the ten principles in Being Present.<br /><br />This is not so much about being physically present in the room (although that of course is important too). It’s about being present, mentally. Being Present means that while you practice yoga, you are focused on your breath, on physical sensations in your body, and on your mental and emotional states. You are not just letting your mind wander off from one topic to another.<br /><br />Another way to define Being Present might be “being conscious” or “being mindful.”<br /><br />There are so many benefits to Being Present while you practice yoga. If you focus on your breath and draw your awareness inward, your practice will become more meditative and serene. By focusing inward, you will be more attuned to insights and inspiration. You will also be more in tune with your physical self, and thus will be able to sense which muscles are tight, or prone to injury – so you will be able to adjust your physical practice accordingly.<br /><br />Reminding yourself to Be Present will also lessen the detrimental effects of a wandering mind. For example, if you find yourself comparing your own butt to the “perfect butt” of the person in front of you, and lamenting the notion that yours is less than perfect, then you are letting yourself become distracted with mental chatter. When you catch yourself comparing, bring your awareness back to the present – find your breath, notice what’s going on in your body, notice how you are feeling.<br /><br />It’s a valuable practice that can be applied elsewhere in your life as well.Kezia Baconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812868701966435706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403572461615536648.post-24057088687197355002010-08-05T10:29:00.000-04:002010-08-05T10:31:14.181-04:00Samadhi, or EnlightenmentSamadhi, or enlightenment, is the eighth limb of yoga. It can be defined as a becoming one with the divine, or being in a state of bliss, where there is nothing more to be done or sought. It is generally achieved via deep meditation.<br /><br />Some say that this is what we strive for while practicing yoga and meditation. There are plenty of seekers that want to achieve enlightenment and live in a permanent state of bliss. It’s a noble goal, and entirely possible. Who doesn’t want bliss?<br /><br />But in the meantime, we have all the other limbs of the yoga tree to help us along the way -- to teach us valuable lessons about ourselves, and others, about our own worlds as well as the entire universe.<br /><br />Spiritual seekers are often categorized into four sets or stages. There are the new seekers, aka students, who are actively learning the ropes of spiritual reflection. There are more mature seekers, or householders, whose charge is to apply what they have learned to their family lives. There are those who still later in life – think of retirees or crones -- begin to withdraw from the world and turn their focus inward. And there are renunciates – think monks and nuns -- who withdraw completely from the world and devote their lives to spiritual seeking.<br /><br />Where are you on this spectrum?<br /><br />In the past decade, I have crossed the threshold from student to householder. Before my son was born, it was a priority for me to attend yoga workshops – sometimes for two weeks at a time – twice a year at Kripalu in the Berkshires. It was a wonderful way to immerse myself in the reflective practices of yoga, meditation, pranayama and (relative) solitude. Now as a mother of an active four year old, I’m lucky if I can fit in a daily meditation. I’m fortunate, at least, that one of my jobs is to teach yoga . . . .so it’s my “duty,” in a sense, to stretch and breathe each day.<br /><br />Transitions like these can be startling. To go from focusing on my own spiritual path to learning how to practice what I’ve learned in the context of a family – and all the demands that family life (combined with part-to-full-time work) bring into the picture. Not easy, not easy.<br /><br />But still, there are moments of deep insight and stillness that seem to arise out of nowhere and help me to see how it’s all connected. Glimpses of bliss. I’m content with this for now.Kezia Baconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812868701966435706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403572461615536648.post-24876557328249951772010-07-28T14:36:00.001-04:002010-07-28T14:36:22.752-04:00Dhyana, or MeditationThe seventh of the Eight Limbs of Yoga is Meditation. The fifth, sixth and seventh limbs all go together, in a way. In order to meditate, you need to <br />a.) withdraw from the influence of your senses (Pratyahara) ; and <br />b.) concentrate on something (Dharana). <br />When you achieve these together, most likely you’ll slide right into meditation, (Dhyana).<br /><br />Traditional yogic and Buddhist philosophies define meditation as “the liberation of the mind from all disturbing and distracting emotions, thoughts and desires.” That sounds intimidating, though, doesn’t it? How on earth does one do THAT?<br /><br />Try it this way instead. Jon Kabat-Zinn defines meditation as simply “Paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.” That’s better, eh? And there are so many different ways to meditate – sitting, walking, praying, repeating a mantra, and so on.<br /><br />There is a common misperception that meditation is only done correctly when one is sitting completely still and one’s mind is completely empty. We may have glimpses of that every now and then, but on the whole, meditation is not about ACHIEVING this goal, but rather the PROCESS that we use to get there, or even to approach getting there.<br /><br />Meditation is about learning to quiet the mind, even if we never actually manage to quiet it. It’s about letting go of the past and future, letting go of all our predicting and what-if-ing and then JUST BEING in the present.<br /><br />For most of us, the present is elusive. We may focus on it for a moment, but a second later the mind is flying off in another direction.<br /><br />In meditation, we recognize that it’s the nature of the mind to run off (experts call it “monkey mind”). We just keep patiently bringing the mind back to whatever we’ve chosen to concentrate on, WITHOUT JUDGEMENT.<br /><br />A traditional definition of the purpose of meditation is “to relieve suffering.” Suffering is defined as the conflict between what is and what might be, what we wish for, or what we want. In meditation, we try to focus on what’s real and to strip away the rest. What’s real may not be very comfortable – we may have to face problems, fears, discomforts.<br /><br />Some interpretations of the Eight Limbs indicate that the ideal is when you’re meditating on the divine or feeling devotion to the divine. But atheists can meditate too! So I look at a “good” meditation more as aligning oneself with a higher vibration or energy, and landing in that place where everything seems to make sense and flow effortlessly. And, most importantly, feeling devotion to and gratitude for this connection between oneself and the universe.<br /><br />When we’re meditating, we’re more open to insight. It’s a valuable tool to help us see things more clearly and extend our own perception of reality. It helps us to feel calmer, more grounded, more aware – and can improve our health. <br /><br />Remember, the yoga postures were originally developed to prepare the body and mind to sit for meditation. <br /><br />If you enjoy yoga, please consider coming to one of my meditation workshops this fall. I will offer two sessions – Meditation Basics and Beyond Meditation Basics -- at Dragonfly Yoga Studio in Marshfield (November 7 and 21); and another at Body To Soul Fitness in Pembroke (date TBA, probably a weekend in September). I also offer private Learn To Meditate classes.Kezia Baconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812868701966435706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403572461615536648.post-36408353494517367092010-07-21T14:39:00.000-04:002010-07-21T14:40:15.605-04:00Dharana, or ConcentrationDharana, or concentration, is the sixth limb on the tree of yoga. Like Pratyahara, it is part of the “meditation triad” in the Eight Limbs of Yoga.<br /><br />Sense withdrawal and concentration are basically precursors to meditation. In order to meditate effectively, one must tune out outside stimuli (Pratyahara)and then concentrate on something in particular (Dharana). Neither is necessarily an easy task at first, but both become much easier with practice.<br /><br />What’s wonderful about meditation is that you can choose what you want to concentrate on. Your breath! Sensation in your body! An image (of a deity, perhaps, or something else that’s meaningful to you)! An action (walking, yoga, mala beads)! Find something that you can really relax into, and then focus, focus, focus!<br /><br />It’s the nature of the mind to wander. Meditators call it “monkey mind.” So if you lose your concentration, you haven’t failed. You’re just human! Meditation teaches us to improve our concentration by constantly returning to the subject upon which we intend to focus, going back to it again and again, each time the mind darts off to other topics. <br /><br />Dharana can be very helpful during your yoga practice. Do you find yourself contemplating your pedicure while holding forward bends? Thinking about your grocery list while standing in warrior? Instead of letting yourself become distracted by everyday concerns, choose something to focus on while you practice. Again, it could be your breath, or the sensations you experience in your body while practicing. A mantra, perhaps, or an affirmation. Choose something on which you can concentrate with relative ease, and come back to it, again and again, when you catch yourself becoming distracted. Doing this will heighten the benefits of your yoga practice and bring you closer to the “meditation in motion” that makes yoga a transformative experience.Kezia Baconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812868701966435706noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403572461615536648.post-90749631441561897252010-07-19T15:08:00.000-04:002010-07-19T15:09:02.473-04:00Pratyahara, or Sense WithdrawalPratyahara, the fifth limb on the tree of yoga, is defined as “withdrawal of the senses.” This is where we are concentrating well enough that we no longer respond reflexively to outside stimuli – sights, sounds, smells, and so on. <br /><br />There are various stages of pratyahara, but to be honest, that’s a territory of yoga practice that’s beyond my personal experience.<br /><br />My own understanding of pratyahara so far, is pretty simple, something I think many of my students can relate to. I become so absorbed in my practice that the only things I’m aware of are my body and my breath. The rest fades far into the background.<br /><br />Yoga can entrance us. It’s a little bit like when you’re driving on the highway and suddenly you realize that you have traveled x number of miles without even noticing. “How did I get here?” Yoga can have the same effect on us. We reach the end of class and realize and wonder, “It’s time to rest already?”<br /><br />Pratyahara is actually one of three limbs on the yoga tree that describe the process of meditating. We have “withdrawal of the senses” as well as “concentration” or Dharana, and actual “meditation” or Dhyana. All three work together.<br /><br />So when you’re so absorbed in your yoga practice that you don’t really notice time going by, then your practice has become a sort of meditation. And if you’re meditating and practicing yoga at the same time, you’ll find that the benefits are considerably greater.Kezia Baconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812868701966435706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403572461615536648.post-48152613105945388972010-07-08T10:17:00.001-04:002010-07-08T10:17:23.859-04:00Pranayama, or Breath ControlThe next branch of the Eight Limbs of Yoga is Pranayama, or breath control. Breathing technique and yoga postures go hand in hand. You may have heard me say in class, “If you’re not breathing, you’re not doing yoga.”<br /><br />Well obviously -- if you’re not breathing, you’re not alive either. What I’m really saying is that it’s important to be sure you don’t hold your breath, especially when you’re doing a balance pose or one that requires a lot of strength or effort. If you find yourself doing so, pause for a moment and take a long, slow inhalation through your nose. Then let it out, again through your nose, allowing your strength to intensify and your concentration to deepen.<br /><br />Breathing slowly and deeply helps to oxygenate your body, makes you feel calmer and more centered, and aids the body in eliminating toxins. Most of the time during a yoga practice, we breathe this way, but occasionally we take quick and/or shallow breaths to help move energy. There are Pranayama (breathing) techniques to build heat, cool the body down, build energy, calm the body down, improve concentration, release emotional/energy blockages, and so much more. Experimenting with different breathing techniques can add a whole new dimension to your yoga practice.<br /><br />If you’re interested in exploring the different ways breathing techniques can enhance your yoga practice, look for my Breathing Basics/Pranayama workshop, which I run at least once each year (usually in the winter or spring).Kezia Baconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812868701966435706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403572461615536648.post-34113695498287265192010-07-02T11:09:00.000-04:002010-07-02T11:10:21.256-04:00Asana – The Yoga PosturesPatanjali, who wrote the <span style="font-style:italic;">Yoga Sutra</span> around 200 AD, outlines the eight limbs of yoga, a path to follow when developing a yoga practice. Yama and Niyama, outlined in the last several blog posts, are the first of the two limbs. The third is Asana, or yoga postures.<br /><br />It’s important to note that there is no hierarchy here -- none of these limbs is more important than the others. Here in the West, when we think of yoga, we think of the physical postures. But they are just one small part of a yoga practice.<br /><br />The benefits of asana practice are innumerable – regular practice of yoga improves your strength, stamina, flexibility, balance, and overall health. Yoga also will calm your mind, improve your concentration, and help you feel more grounded.<br /><br />Most regular practitioners of yoga know that the benefits go deeper the more you practice. You have insights, great ideas, and inspirations while practicing yoga – you ask questions of yourself and solve problems. It seems that while busying the body with physical activity that at the same time calms and focuses the mind, there is room for new information in the brain.<br /><br />Many of my students have remarked on how I keep a notepad with me while teaching, and often pause to jot something down. No, I am not grading you on your performance in class! Usually I am making note of an idea that popped into my head while stretching and breathing – something I don’t want to forget.<br /><br />Regarding asana practice, renowned yoga teacher BKS Iyengar wrote, <br /><br /> "This down-to-earth, flesh-and-bones practice is simply one of the most direct and expedient ways to meet yourself. … This limb of yoga practice reattaches us to our body. In reattaching ourselves to our bodies we reattach ourselves to the responsibility of living a life guided by the undeniable wisdom of our body."<br /><br />I hope to see you in class sometime soon!Kezia Baconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812868701966435706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403572461615536648.post-46191112358845238772010-06-25T11:46:00.001-04:002010-06-25T11:46:45.537-04:00Ishvara-pranidhana, or SurrenderIshvara-pranidhana, or surrender to the divine, is the fifth and final Niyama. There is no specific definition for “the divine” – there is no particular god or “higher power” that yogic philosophy asks you to worship. Some might interpret this as “surrender to what-is,” or surrender to the way of the universe. This isn’t blind adherence to a religion or philosophy, but rather a principle of faith, or trust, in what-will-be.<br /><br />Ishvara-pranidhana is about trusting the natural flow of things. Letting go of your need to control things, or your desire to force the outcome of a given situation. It’s about cultivating faith, dedication, sincerity and patience – and getting one’s ego out of the way. <br /><br />One of my favorite illustrations of this principle is all about taming the ego. I teach gentle yoga classes. Sometimes yoga students who are accustomed to a more challenging practice attend my classes, and I can see them struggling against the relative ease of what I’m teaching. We’ll hold a simple downward-facing dog, for example, and they’ll be lifting their legs one at a time and adding chaturangas to make the pose more difficult. Meanwhile, I am encouraging my students to tune into the finer points of the posture – the position of the fingers and toes, the depth of the breath . . . It can be frustrating for me, and distracting to the other students.<br /><br />There’s something to be said for adapting a pose to meet your own needs (in fact, I encourage it), but there’s also a lot of value in slowing down and approaching a practice with beginner’s mind. Sure, your ego says, “I can do more with this pose, and so I will,” but the other side of that is your ego saying, “I’m too advanced for what’s being taught here, so I’m going to change it,” essentially thumbing your nose at what the teacher is trying to teach.<br /><br />In those situations, I encourage the students to ask themselves why they need to follow their ego and why they think there’s nothing to learn in the simpler pose. Perhaps – just perhaps -- there is something to gain from going with the flow of a gentler class and having more time for introspection . . . <br /><br />Of course, my own ego flares up in these situations too, because I’m supposed to be “the leader” and there are people not “following.” Ah, yoga . . . there’s always something to learn!Kezia Baconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812868701966435706noreply@blogger.com0