Opening the Heart

Opening the Heart
Photo by Andrea Turner

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Drama

I've been hanging out with my yoga friends a lot recently (which is such a treat!) and we were discussing the dramas of our lives=) It was funny because so many people think that yogis and especially yoga teachers are supposed to be without drama or something. Or perhaps just able to deal with it better. That being said, we also discussed the fact that most of us who are drawn to yoga were drawn to it for a reason. There was some sort of drama in our lives that we couldn't or didn't want to deal with and sought out yoga as relief. And yes, it has taught us so much about dealing with our drama but it doesn't necessarily put an end to it. Nor does it stop our samskaras from coming up and showing themselves when faced with adversity. So thus, the drama.

My week was blissfully without much drama though as I did get to spend some awesome quality time with these good friends. Not so much of a family week for me - that comes during Christmas time. But my yoga family was a fabulous substitute. I even had a lovely practice with Anne down at the Clear Springs Studio. It was an Iyengar practice which I have little experience with; however, since Anusara does have some roots with Iyengar, I found the practice to be quite amazing. I even played with some binding that is difficult for me and found a new transition thanks to my newest Iyengar friends!

It has been a wonderful rest and though I do dread starting back to work a little, I know the rest has rejuvenated me for the next 3 weeks. My awesome friend Sam has asked me to sub for her at Castle Hill so look for me there on Thursday at 4:30pm! And take a look at this updated blog site with my new pics!

Monday, November 15, 2010

Yielding...

We all know what it means to yield when we drive. Wait, this is Austin...okay most of us know=) Anyways, when I looked this word up their were several definitions. The first-inclined to give in; submissive; compliant-didn't sound so good to me. I'm definitely someone who likes things her own way and will fight for those ways when I can. But the second definition spoke to me more-tending to give way, esp. under pressure, flexible, supple, pliable. In Anusara terms, open to grace.

I work really hard in my practice, in my job, etc. and sometimes it hardens me. I try so hard that I fall hard and wear myself out. A fellow practitioner in my class Sunday mentioned a similar feeling while she was practicing. She said "this pose is easy if you just do it but it's hard if you make it hard". I also see my fourth graders headed in that direction. I had a boy in hysterical wails last week because he had not yet mastered his multiplication and division. Yet today when he relaxed or "yielded" a bit, he did it perfectly.

That's not so say we shouldn't try hard. But first we must yield a bit in order to open up. In terms of asana, we are working on twisting tonight and in this very case, if you keep cranking yourself open, the other side of your body will harden in protest. So you must yield a bit to go deeper.

I look forward to seeing you all in class or wherever we cross paths!

Monday, November 8, 2010

Beginnings

Here I am still trying to keep my head above water. I have to admit that I've done better than last year but some things are falling by the wayside. But the biggest change is that I am being less hard on myself!

This last year has had a lot of endings and I've been reflecting on them lately especially with the weather and time change. This fact of life, endings, can be bittersweet. On one hand, I am sad for certain endings but on the other hand, I am enthusiastic about what's around the corner, new beginnings! I see so much just ahead and I can't wait to get started. A new instructor status (Inspired!), a new apartment, new friendships, etc.

Beginnings can be scary and tough to navigate sometimes. But if we go in with fear, the experience can be negative. I am choosing to move forward with enthusiasm which is what I'm teaching tonight in class. Opening your heart in asana can be scary, an old instinct that tells us to protect our vital organs. And opening the proverbial heart can be even scarier. Our past experiences can tell us "watch out, you've been here before and remember how that turned out!".

But if we never move forward, we stagnate, fester in our old ways. Why not practice opening, first on the mat and then on to the rest of our lives?