So this morning I woke up and decided to eat a bowl of cereal and watch some TV.  Only to find that nothing was on- SURPRISE!  As I skimmed through the channel I saw that Nick Vujicic was on some christian statement.  And I said “oh my god, this can’t be good.”  So I decided to watch.  Like a car crash I just can’t turn away.

Vujicic was discussing how he found support in the christian god.  That he read John something or other about the blind man.  And no one could tell why this man was born blind but Jesus said that God was working in this man.  So Vujicic internalized this and said God was showing his power through him; though this man was born blind, he can achieve anything with the help of God.

This is paraphrasing, but at any rate my jaw DROPPED!  I always begin to question people who say that God has a plan and is putting them through this test.  First off that would mean that God put these problems on people, secondly I’m not sure which to acknowledge that God is testing their strength or parading around his awesomeness by helping them through their life.

At any rate, What would we do if a parent cut off the arms and legs of their child to show their power.  “Scream Child Abuse” replied my roommate, Brody’s Lover.

Exactly.  Brody’s lover then went to discuss the fact that Vujicic was ecstatic about converting people to Christianity through his talks in other countries, saying that always appear ethnocentric to hear.  I concur.

I’m not against those that follow christianity.  I think that many of them have a great heart.  I do however find their need to express a single truth for everyone a bit jarring.  But how do you confess that there is only one God without wanting everyone to see this ‘truth.’

I can safely say that I’m not entirely sure about my belief system but I will talk about one thing I think

NAMASTE

I’m sure there are multiple interpretations to the meaning of this word, and that seems to fit with yoga being so individualized/self-supporting.  From my experiences in Yoga with Kim at the YMCA i Hartville, I like to think about her attempt at explaining it:

The Light within me honors and shines with the Light within you.

Wonderful Kim

Kim is a wonderful woman who endowed me with knowledge during out time together.  I love her.  She is quirky and hysterical.  She promotes positive energy.  She has a sultry, raspy voice from singing in jazz clubs that is perfect for rest and relaxation time.  Kim was well on her way to becoming a professional(national?)  figure skater but fell once in a final round, and she is now livid that professionals fall all the time.  She once told me that:

Sometimes you have to be the Queen bee and there is no bad karma coming to you.

She also explained that Chocolate is an acquired taste that I will get when I’m older.  However, I still prefer Caramel.

Back to the Light

This definition provides acknowledgement and connection between two or more individuals.  And I agree that we should go together welcoming the differences and similarities between us.  I picture a flame with the light emanating from my hearts center touching and mixing with another individual.  The image freezes and our bodies are silhouettes as the frame zooms out showing the expansiveness that our energies flow.  And the lights are connected through an infinitesimal number of threads across.

EVANGELION

Neogensis Evangelion touches on the idea that our bodies are only tangible walls between our true selves.  That we chose to separate ourselves to create a me; without these bodies an I or you does not exist.

KNOW(TOUCH)ME(YOU)(MY/YOUR BODY)

I have had a less than spectacular experience finding my body conciousness.  I don’t wish to discuss those aspects at this point in time, but I do want to talk about a separation between self and body.  This is titled after an exercise done with Amanda, Erik, and Michael.  But it brings to mind what I feel my body is and are you really touching it.

I’ve noticed that my body feels bigger than me at multiple points in my life.  That it is this shell.  Which technically it is and the cavity hold the organs.  But I feel as if my thoughts and energy is moving this frame from the inside and trying to fill it out.  That the I is somehow hidden inside.

It creates this tension of being large and small at the same time.  My body is too big, dropping and sagging off of my actual being, but compared to the world I feel small.  It probably goes to explain why when I hug someone I say  that they are so tiny while they are probably bigger than me; their exisitance in my life is larger than their actual body size.

I noticed that when I’m dancing, like actually feeling it, that my body has finally been filled by this energy.  Sometimes, actually most of the time because I don’t control my energy that well yet, that it feels to be pouring out into the air particles around me.

It’s probably why I dance; feeling full without the calories of eating.

-EPF

Aproveitei meu “momento sabático” para rever as 5 temporadas de Lost.

É incrível como cada vez percebo outros detalhes e descubro novas ligações (se é que elas realmente existem!) entre os fatos.

Sempre gostei de séries, mas nunca me senti tão envolvida como em Lost. Tanto que venho enfrentando uma crise de abstinencia desde o fim da quinta temporada, crise esta que só acabará em 02 de fevereiro de 2010, quando está prevista a estréia da sexta e última temporada nos EUA.

Jacob, anti-Jacob, John Locke dead-or-alive, realidades alternativas, egípcios…são várias as teorias e spoilers, mas continuo não tendo a menor ideia do que os roteiristas estão nos preparando para este grand finale.

Até fevereiro!

E Namaste!

Free Maurice Kirk

I have not found the original article of this case, but the following gives the unsavoury flavour of the depth of corruption. The second article goes into greater detail concerning official corruption in this case. It is time honourable Members of Parliament took up the baton and demand answers. The behaviour of police and the judiciary is typical of the Middle Ages, not of the 21st century!  P.

FLYING VET’S HUNGER STRIKE REPORTED WORLDWIDE
http://newsgroups.derkeiler.com/Archive/Uk/uk.legal/2009-08/msg04946.html

My Friend Maurice Kirk the flying vet on hunger strike
http://trallwmfarm.blogspot.com/2009/08/my-friend-maurice-kirk-on-hunger-strike.html

A friend asked me today, “how do i get started?  Is it expensive?  Any insider advice?”  I called him back and left a voice-mail and told him to call me back and we could talk…but I was so excited that I left my thoughts on the voice-mail anyway (i tend to leave a long voice mail every now and then, i suppose, just in case i never talk to you again, for some reason or another, i would like my message to get to you).  Then i thought, this should be my next blog…it should have been the first, but, it wasn’t so, here it is…

I told him (Jason, thanks for the inspiration and questions) that i recommend he look into the Yoga studios in his neighborhood, really check out what’s all around (i never minded traveling for different Yoga experiences; different classes or different environments).  Look at their schedules on line and see what sort of explanation of their classes they provide.  That’s what i did.  i soon found that there were a ton of different names out there and i quickly realized that i had no idea what was going on, so no real idea how to choose.  it was one thing to see Power Yoga, or Flow Yoga, i could come up with some image on those.  But what the heck is Anusara Yoga, or Ashtanga Yoga, or Hatha Yoga, or Himalayan Yoga, or Vinyasa Yoga, or, or, or??

Well, for starters, from what i understand, any sort of postures yoga; any physical yoga, exercise-type yoga is Hatha Yoga.  So, all these other names, they are all types of Hatha Yoga, again, that is when it comes to doing postures (asanas).  So, Anusara is a type of Hatha Yoga, same goes for Ashtanga and Himalayan and Vinyasa and so on and on.  It gets confusing because once you think you know that, you come across a studio or center’s class schedule and they list Vinyasa Flow and Hatha Yoga and you thing, but wait?!  what?  i thought Vinyasa Flow was Hatha, what’s more Hatha about the Hatha class?  augh.   Nothing, at its core.  But it does seem that when people call a class Hatha and not something else, its regular, basic, maybe a slower paced Yoga.  Its a yoga with no bells and whistles.  It doesn’t have a special “gimmick” or slogan, save for all the “slogans” that come along with all the ancient philosophies that are a part of all other Hatha yoga anyway.

it all makes more sense the more you do it and go to more classes and see that there are such a great many similarities.  Some types have a certain series they follow, like Ashtanga.  Some link every move with an inhale and an exhale, Vinyasa…but these are all fun research projects.  i find that is it so great to get recommendations, but there is nothing like experiencing it all for yourself.  So, as i was saying before, look up your local studios and check their schedules, if you would like further description of the types of classes they have, search them on the internet, it’s all out there.  Then, or instead of that, call the studio or just go down there and be open and honest and ask them what they’d recommend for you.  They will give you the best advice, because they know what they’ve set up there.  I’ve been to studios where they offer Hatha 1, 2 and 3 level classes, and there’s really no difference.  I’ve also been to studios where the difference is drastic, but i will say that of all the studios i’ve been to, no teacher has ever turned me away because i don’t have enough experience.

One of the great things about Yoga, is there are always modifications.  So, even if you are in an advanced class because it was the only time that worked for you that day, if you tell the teacher, they will help you; they will offer modifications.  Or, if you just get into a class that is proving hard for you, there’s always modifications, you can always go into a relaxation or easier pose to get your breath back.  If you’re competing in Yoga, pushing yourself to an unsafe place, be that a place of physical pain or a place where your ego is getting the best of you and you are doing a pose in a way that is not good for you, you could hurt yourself; that is your ego pushing you to compete.  This Yoga practice is such a great place to let go of your ego and do what’s best for you.  My point is, no matter what class you go to, if you have a hard time, accepting that you need a break or a modification is highly respected and looked well on.

And by the way, everybody has hard days.  You never know who you’re standing next to, so comparing is pointless.  you might be standing next to a dancer who can do the splits all the ways, and you end up feeling jealous.  what you might not know is though she’s in the splits, her mind is racing and she can’t get present.  So, actually, doing the splits in Yoga is turning out to be hard for her.  Calming the fluctuations of the mind is what we’re trying to do in Yoga too.  So, remember, you are you, and you don’t share the same history as the person next to you.  That’s why they say in Yoga, “start where you are”.  There is no better place to start than now.

Is it expensive?  It can be, sure…but the beauty about just starting is you have so much exploring to do and Yoga studios know that, so many of them give the first class for free.  Many studios also offer, at a discounted rate, an unlimited week or month, for the first timer. that is how i started.  It’s such a great idea that they do this, it gives you such a great chance to really experiece their style, or in some cases, many styles in one place.  Some studios focus on one style, others will offer many styles.  Again, this all turns out to make a lot of sense, once you start getting into it.

I also went to the library and got books on Yoga.  It was so tempting to buy every book on Yoga I saw, but there are a million, from books on postures to books on different traditions and philosophies…i really recommend the library, you will save yourself a lot of money and if something just isn’t clickking with you, you won’t feel so bad;  you’ll just return it.  Also, check out the Yoga DVD’s at the library.  Try doing it at home, then moving to a studio if you’re not comfortable going straight to the studio.  It’s a nice idea to get a video before your first class anyway, so you can check out some of the poses and see what they’re called.  Some teachers use the Sanskrit names, some translate them all to english, some mix.  I mix, because i think it’s fun to speak of them in the language they came from, but i like to say the english translation too.

I had trouble getting to my first class, because of social anxiety issues; i was always nervous about walking into any new place the wrong way and looking the fool.  The first Yoga class i actually went to was with my sister.  She had started going to the studio down the street from where she lived.  When she told me, i jumped at the chance to go with her; to go with a person who could walk be through the place; through the steps and help me to feel comfortable.  That was all i needed, and from there, i’ve never had a problem walking into any studio or center, and for that matter, anywhere.  I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, Yoga helps Yoga and that helps your whole life.  It gives you the tools, physical and mental to keep it all up.  And for that, i am so very thankful.

now get out there,  if you need a buddy to go with, maybe it can be me.  I’m in!  and if you’d like a private class from me, e-mail me at kory.youyoga@gmail.com (i’m in the NW suburbs of Chicago, we’ll see what we can work out). the first one’s free, as they say.

namaste, kory

Amigos,

dizem que uma imagem vale por mil palavras…

…mas,

o que dizer de um gesto como este!…

te agradeço muito, Alessandra, pelo lindo presente!

“yoga is just stretching”.  No, Yoga is yoga, just stretching is just stretching. 

Now,  I will explain in a way that makes sense to me: Yoga is a way of going about things.  Yoga is systematic, yoga has other parts other than the physical postures (asanas).  I’ve spoken about the Eight Limbs of yoga before; they are what makes Yoga not “just stretching”.  Some people who know that I practice Yoga ask me “do you practice Yoga everyday?”  My initial response is “no”, because what they’re usually asking is if I practice postures; if i do the yogic exercises.  That is what I am answering “no” to.  In the beginning, i would have meant “no”, entirely.  Now, after studying and learning more about Yoga, i find that I am answering “no” about postures, but the real answer is “yes, i do practice yoga everyday”.  Now that i know that, i find myself answering in that way, and if i feel that it is welcomed, I’ll explain.  The beauty of Yoga is its philosophy, its path; to get you to your truest self, to help you to happiness, to help you to detach; not let yourself become so attached to anything, to control the fluctuations of the mind, to come to peace. 

How do you practice Yoga, how do we practice Yoga?  Why is it just not stretching?  Because of the philosophy.  Because of the Eight Limbs; Yamas (restraints), Niyamas (observances), Asana (postures), Pranayama (breath practices), Pratyahara (sense withdrawal), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation) and Samadhi (enlightenment).  Because of these Eight Limbs, because of the other things going on, that is what makes it different.  In Yoga, we practice non-competitiveness. We learn to look into ourselves, and watch our own progress and make sure to not push ourselves beyond our limits, beyond our edge.  We appreciate what others are doing around us (whether that is postures or at work), and if we get jealous, we work on not being jealous.  we work on being happy for those that we feel are excelling, we don’t use that as a way to feel bad about ourselves and push ourselves past where we are.  If you push yourself past where you are, you could hurt yourself and that is not practicing the first Yama (restraint) which is Ahimsa (non-harming), and it is not practicing a few of the Niyamas (observances) such as, Santosha (contentment), or Tapas (discipline).  This is what makes Yoga, Yoga.  It may seem like a lot to be thinking about while you are practicing postures or just living life, but when you chose to live a yogic lifestyle, and you begin to understand these Eight Limbs, you start to realize that they all just lead to the next, and they are so complimentary to each other that they just become common sense and second nature.

If you are not practicing the postures (asanas) every day, but you are observing the restraints (yamas) and observances (niyamas) then you are practicing Yoga.  If you are practicing the postures (asanas) but you steal, or are a bully or you lie then you are not practicing Yoga, you may be doing Yogic postures, but Yoga is more than it’s postures.  if you think that you are better than anybody else; superior in some way, not seeing the divine in everybody, then you are not practicing yoga, even if you practice postures everyday…that is my understanding.

But we should talk about the postures.  as far as the Asanas (postures), the physical, it is also strength-building, and massage.  There are postures we do that absolutely build strength, strength of body and of mind.  It is the strength of the mind that is my favorite part.  When you stand in Vrkshasana (Tree Pose), you are strengthening your legs, you are strengthening your core, you are strengthening your arms, and you are strengthening your mind.  How are you strengthening your mind?  By focusing.  Balance postures are such a wonderful and immediate way to see if you are focusing, it’s a wonderful time to practice Pratyahara (sense withdrawal).  When you work on balance postures and your mind is wondering, you will find pretty quickly that you will fall out of the posture.  When you focus, when you are concentrating on what you are doing, the posture, you will stay in it longer.  This sort of practice affects your focus for the rest of the day.  The more you practice something, the better you get at it.  So, you find yourself having trouble focusing on a project at work or during a conversation, just remember  how you focused in Tree Pose and do that, bring it into your life, not just on the mat, or wherever you practice your postures.

So, do i practice Yoga everyday?  Yes.  do i practice postures (asanas) everyday, no.  I know that since i began my journey on the Yogic path, i am more truthful, more content, more observant, more calm, more understanding, more a lot of things.  And, again, yoga helps with yoga.  I used to get mad at myself for not practicing the postures everyday, then i realized that went against the principles of yoga, and that Yoga is so much more than the physical.

I hope this explains some of the difference

namaste, kory

In my last post, I mentioned three things that “Namaste” means to me. When I re-read that post today, I realized that all three of those things focused on thankfulness or gratitude. In honor of Thanksgiving, I thought it was appropriate to spend a little more time talking about this gratitude thing. There are a lot of different ways to talk about gratitude, but tonight I’m thinking mainly of the approach that Sonja Lyubomirsky takes in “The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want”.

Lyubomirsky begins her book by explaining the 40% solution to happiness. It’s easy to fall into that trap of if I could just ___ I’ll be happy. The blank is different for everyone: get that job, get married, buy a new car, etc. Lyubomirsky tells us that, scientifically, this is completely untrue. Instead, everyone has a happiness “set point” – a disposition for happiness. Some people are incredibly optimistic and happy by nature, others are not. This “set point” makes up 50% of a person’s happiness. Their circumstances in the moment (the stuff we always wish to change) make up 10% of their happiness quotient.

The good news? A stunning 40% of a person’s happiness is completely in their own control, and is determined by “intentional activity”. And suggestions for those intentional activities are what constitute Lyubomirsky’s book.

Which brings me (finally!) to my point: #4 in the book is Practicing Gratitude and Positive Thinking. Lyubomirsky shares one particularly revealing study:  participants who expressed gratitude once a week for ten weeks were more satisfied with their lives, spent more time exercising, and had fewer headaches, acne, nausea and coughing than the control group.

I know this makes sense for me. The run-of-the-mill bad day can be greatly improved when I just spend a few moments reflecting on the good things in my life. It sounds cheesy but it’s true – taking a moment to feel grateful for what you have helps to diminish the feeling of wanting something more.

Lyubomirsky says it best here: “Gratitude is many things to many people. It is wonder; it is appreciation; it is looking at the bright side of a setback; it is fathoming abundance; it is thanking someone in your life; it is thanking God; it is ‘counting blessings.’ It is savoring; it is not taking things for granted; it is coping; it is present-oriented. Gratitude is an antidote to negative emotions, a neutralizer of envy, avarice, hostility, worry, and irritation.”

I know that at the end of every yoga class, I feel a deep sense of gratitude for the time I spent in the company of others, practicing yoga and creating positive energy. I am thankful for yoga, and I am also thankful for my husband, my family, my dogs, and my many inspiring friends.

But these are generic things to be thankful for. Every day there are a million tiny things I’m thankful for that I don’t always stop to think about. Today, for example, I was thankful that Andy walked the dogs so I could sleep in 15 extra minutes. I was thankful for my delicious lunch (leftovers a la Andy). I was thankful that Ellen was playing at the dentist’s office tonight so I could watch it while I got my filling. The more times every day that I feel true gratitude, the happier I am, and I know that’s a fact.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Namaste,
Jamie

Here is some information on the subject of friends.

I know friendship is a touchy subject in a world where people rely on other people in order to feel good about themselves. A lot of the time people want to know how they can determine whether their friends are ‘real’ or phony. In a world of illusion, what is real?

Well my friends, Love is real.

So what are friends for? Let’s talk about this.

I see how friends can become an important subject, however exactly where is the need to discuss friendship coming from? If this type of question haunts you, then we are at a level where we can now hear and better understand the role of a friend.

Why spend so much time and effort on other people in how they relate to and feel towards us? The only thing we need to look at when it comes to other people is how they mirror us, and in doing so, we are given clear guidance in order to navigate ourselves. Everyone we know, we have attracted and created from the inside out for us to experience ourselves through.

A “fair weather friend” is in alignment to us at that time. A “bad weather friend” is there because they are in alignment with us at that time. We never really have to go further than that because the rest is getting into details that are illusory.

When we ask, someone is there to answer. But we’ll only be able to experience from the place where we are emotionally, spiritually and mentally. So only people who are also where we are emotionally, spiritually and mentally will be heard and only to the extent that we allow ourselves to hear them. If you are having a bad day, then someone will come to you who is able to hear your down perspective. That means that that person must be at that down perspective as well otherwise they will have to lower or raise their perspective in order to hear you and provide a presence in your experience at that time. That person will never lift us up or bring us further down unless we are fully allowing their influence. No one can control our perspective but we may allow influence. It is best to remain clear and unaffected. We should never expect someone else to meet us at our level. There are plenty of other versions of the mirror who will reflect back to us exactly where we are. There is no need to force the issue or attempt to control the perspective or level of another person. It is us personally who must change if we want our friends to change.

In order to attract only fulfilling and satisfying feeling relationships, we must already be fulfilled and satisfied. We only share in the happiness and love that is our true nature. We do not create that happiness, although many of us do resist it from time to time. If we can purposefully live with a full allowing of fulfillment which is our true nature, only those who are fulfilled and satisfied will find us (or really be created by us). When we look into these friends a.k.a. mirrors we say, “They make me happy.” But they do not. They are merely reflecting back our already established happiness and together we share it.

Namaste. The God in me sees the God in you.

<3, Rayna (the Muse! ^_^)

Namaste is a vital Sanskrit word to yogis worldwide. It comes from two words: namas (I bow), and te (you), so the most literal translation is “I bow to you”.

When we say Namaste, we bow our heads slightly forward, with our hands pressed together in front of the heart chakra, or the breastbone. We align fingers to fingers, palm to palm, with elbows extended directly out, in prayer position. This gesture alone means Namaste, but the verbalization of the word often accompanies it.

In the southern regions of Asia, Namaste can be a casual social greeting. Used as such, it has a wide variety of implications related to social status and level of respect shown to the person you are greeting. It can also acquire a more formal tone as the setting dictates.

In my yoga experiences, we have always spoken Namaste at the end of class, while bowing forward, seated at the front of our mats. Some teachers open their class with Namaste, as well. In addition to “I bow to you”, there have been other, more poetic and longer translations offered, such as:

• We are one.
• We are equal.
• Your spirit and my spirit are one.
• I greet that place where you and I are one.
• I honor the Spirit in you which is also in me.
• The light within me honors the light within you.
• The deep space of joy within me honors the deep space of joy within you.
• All that is best and highest within me salutes all that is best and highest within you.

and finally…

• I honor the place in you in which the entire universe dwells. I honor the place in you which is of love, light, peace and joy. When you are in that place in you and I am in that place in me, we are one.

When I say Namaste, the meaning doesn’t stop at any of these things. Both as a teacher and as a student, I am also saying “thank you for coming to class today”, “thank you for allowing me the opportunity to practice with you”, and “I am grateful for yoga and all it has to offer, and I am blessed to have shared an hour of it with you”. We already know that yoga means union, and Namaste is a beautiful way to seal our union before leaving class.

If you’d like to do more reading on Namaste, I found the following sites interesting:
Yoga Journal Beginner’s Q&A, I love India, and The Holistic Shop.

Most importantly — what does Namaste mean to you?

Namaste!,
Jamie

]]> http://becausenooneasked.com/2009/11/16/when-did-inshallah-become-the-new-namaste/ Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:13:07 +0000 Michele http://becausenooneasked.com/2009/11/16/when-did-inshallah-become-the-new-namaste/

Why would an apparently stereotypical hippie chick close an Etsy listing with “inshallah“?

Just wondering.

The common definition I have been given for the greeting “Namaste” is “the light in me greets the light in you.”  That “light” is the spark of divinity within all of us.  It is also called our Christ Consciousness.  I’d say it was a huge moment in my life receiving this information.  I am not just this human body and mind, but within me lies a light and that light is God.  My view of life has not been the same since.

I am grateful to have found an amazing church that is supportive and encouraging of the search for truth.  I go to church not to gather with friends (although they are an amazing group of people) or out of duty or obligation, but for spiritual food.  Some Sundays I stay home because my nourishment that day is meant to come from loving time with my family, time in nature, or reading spiritual literature.  But most Sunday’s I feel a pull to go.  It never fails that when I respond to that pull and show up, I receive “my message.”

Today I received a few messages, but the most important one came in a song.  From time to time our music director will have us sing the song “The Face of God.”  This particular song, I believe, expresses the same sentiment as the greeting “Namaste.”  The lyrics are as follows:

You are the face of God.

I hold you in my heart.

You are a part of me.

You are the face of God.

Usually after 2 verses of the song, we are asked to turn toward someone next to us, look into their eyes, and sing the song to them.  I will admit that often this is an uncomfortable feeling.  I think it has a lot to do with the quote I posted yesterday.  It is hard for us to accept our own divinity.  Many of us have had lifetimes of being told we are miserable sinners.  We also have a difficult time truly connecting with other people on a soul level.  So to look in the eyes of someone you either don’t know or don’t know well and acknowledge their spark is quite the challenge.  Today when the song started, I felt a bit nervous.  Who would I sing to and how would it feel?

When it came time to find a neighbor, the friend sitting next to me had stepped out.  I turned around and saw a visitor, who was there with her daughter.  The woman was probably in her 80’s.  I reached for her hand and looked into her eyes as I sang the song.  She had beautiful blue eyes and I watched as they welled up with tears.  By the end of the verse the tears were streaming down her cheeks.  Her daughter looked at her and began to cry as well, then I also began to choke up.  It was a beautiful moment.  We had gone past the superficial level and experienced the true meaning of “Namaste.”

I put this video up so you could listen to the song if you want to.  Hearing it gives a little more meaning to the post.  It seems the video must have been put together in the aftermath of Katrina as it contains a lot of those images.

a few years ago i started practicing yoga.  i had always been interested, but i always lacked the motivation to really follow through with my interest (which is another story that i’ll get to).  my sister started going to a yoga studio down the street from her house and when i came into town to visit i went with her.  i was always nervous about crossing the threshold, i always had nervous anxiety about new places.  knowing she had been there and could help me be comfortable was all i needed.  we went to a class and i was hooked.  i had no problem after that one class, entering any yoga studio anywhere…there were times when i was surprised with the set up of a place or that a class was empty but for me, but i found that yoga itself was what made it all ok, that was something i almost couldn’t believe. Yoga proves itself  to me everyday.

this blog is all about how yoga has changed my life.  it is about how yoga affects everything from washing the dishes to sleeping better at night.  if you can see yoga in everything and not just in the postures, then you are understanding that yoga is more than just postures, which is a common, and unfortunate misunderstanding.

i hope you enjoy

namaste, kory

This place was so hyped up that I was expecting something out of this world delicious. My favorite Indian restaurant in the entire world is Bombay Club in Harvard Square. Delicious, in my eyes, you can’t beat it. So, I came in here with high hopes.

This was the first Indian restaurant I’ve tried in Vegas, it’s right next to Lotus of Siam, and right away that was a good sign for me. Anything that someone in my group of foodie friends recommends that is in a seedy strip mall HAS to be good.

Started off with a kingfisher beer, papadom, and the requisite sauces. Friend of mine got the mulligatawny soup, I didn’t try it, but he said it was good! For dinner, I got the chicken vindaloo and kheema naan (lamb stuffed bread). I asked them to make the vindaloo as hot as they could, and I didn’t have a problem eating it. Wasn’t as spicy as I thought it’d be. I mean, it was spicy, but it wasn’t like –  OH MY GOD IM GOING TO DIE IF I DONT GET WATER RIGHT NOW AIGDJGSADJG kind of spicy, na’mean?

Overall, though, high quality food for a very low price. I was impressed with the place and I’ll definitely be going back again.

I went to see my yoga teacher’s master/teacher this weekend. I could not go to the practice that he held last night because of work, but I am glad I got to hear him talk and to see him. I am kind of embarrassed to admit it, but I really wanted to just see what he was like in relation to how I look at his student who is trying so hard everyday to teach me new things. I was a little nervous. But I went.

And it was totally cool.

I like the energy that people who are completely in possession of who they are can project. It is a unique thing to behold, and I know very few people who are really that way. I know plenty who think they are, but few who really are, and you can tell the difference immediately. I live in a place filled to the brim with individuals who claim to be uber-enlightened. You know, they have all the right music, incense, books – yeah, they bought the t-shirt. Funny enough, they tend to be some of the most judgmental and narrow minded people I have encountered. Like judgmental AND patronizing all at the same time. It is an UNjoy to behold. The guruji I saw on Sunday had it going on for real. He was totally different than the people I usually see professing their enlightenment. He was just really happy, and that is sort of what I hope enlightenment is really all about. And then he mentioned Osho, which is also cool because I have been digging Osho ever since I realized he could be all deep AND talk about the “F-word.”

Enlightenment is the understanding that this is all, that this is perfect, that this is it. Enlightenment is not an achievement, it is an understanding that there is nothing to achieve, nowhere to go.

Put that on your list of “Things that make you go, ‘Hmmmmmmm….’”

The thing is, I am seriously considering going to India. Yes, India. Yes, to do yoga. No I am not totally crazy. I don’t think. And since I began to consider this, traveling so far to study with someone, it seemed prudent to meet the “man behind the curtain” first. Frankly, the fact that this guy is my teacher’s guru would really have been enough, but still, I have always been the type of person who likes to get to know the people in whose hands I purposefully put myself. Okay, actually that is not entirely true, but in this case my curiosity and my interest led me to being mildly pragmatic.

And why would I consider something like this? Something that I know will be really hard, probably pretty uncomfortable, and not even mildly abundant in the types of things I typically choose to indulge in? I am not sure I have an answer to that question. Am I just wanting to be Elizabeth Gilbert version 2.0? Well, dividing a year into Italy, India and Bali doesn’t sound half bad, does it? But… Liz Gilbert I am not. I love Italy – and everything I encountered in it. I found Bali delightful – enough so that I am returning in two months. But India… now there is the enigma. I am not in search of some deeper meaning, or conversely some higher truth. [At this my amigo Fun Bobby expressed great relief, following his thinly veiled concern, when I casually mentioned I was considering checking out an ashram.] I’ve no divorce to get over, nor any sense of absence to examine.

No.

India comes at me for different reasons to numerous to expound or expiate here, though you can be sure one of them is a very bendy individual who calls Guledgudda home.

In some ways I imagine that if I am afforded the opportunity to do this it will end up being one of those things that you can consider in the future-past-tense, like “It will be a kick ass thing to have done.” In some ways I think it will be heartbreaking and in others inspiring. Will I take photos? Of course. Will I do ten hours of yoga a day? I hope. Will I write about it? I am not sure. I have a friend who, after every book we read, says: “I could’ve written that,” as an assessment of a book’s lack of significance. She said it of Gilbert’s book first. “I could’ve told that story, what is the big deal?” Well, maybe everything doesn’t need to be a big deal to everyone. And from the small deals sometimes the coolest things emerge.

There is a story there. It is about a boy who was chosen by his master to do important things and appreciates that there is always running water in Hong Kong. Can anybody write it? I don’t think just anyone could. But there may be someone who should.

I honor the Spirit in you which is also in me.

The final season begin early in 2010…

Lost features an orchestral score performed by the Hollywood Studio Symphony Orchestra and composed by Michael Giacchino, incorporating many recurring themes for subjects such as events, locations and characters, something uncommon in television music . Giacchino achieved some of the sounds for the score using unusual instruments, such as striking suspended pieces of the plane’s fuselage.

         On March 21, 2006, the record label Varèse Sarabande released the original television soundtrack for Lost’s first season. The soundtrack included select full-length versions of the most popular themes of the season and the main title, which was composed by series creator J.J. Abrams. Varèse Sarabande released a soundtrack featuring music from the second season of Lost on October 3, 2006.

        A soundtrack for the third season was released on May 6, 2008, with the fourth season soundtrack released on May 11, 2009.

   Pop culture songs have been used sparingly in the series, given the mainly orchestral score. When such songs are featured, they usually originate from a diegetic source. Examples are the various songs played on Hurley’s portable CD player throughout the first season (until its batteries died in the episode “…In Translation”), which featured Damien Rice’s “Delicate”, or the use of the record player in the second season, which included Cass Elliot’s “Make Your Own Kind of Music” and Petula Clark’s “Downtown” in the second and third season premieres respectively.

    In two episodes, Charlie is shown on a street corner playing guitar and singing the Oasis song “Wonderwall”. In the third season’s finale, Jack is driving down the street listening to Nirvana’s “Scentless Apprentice,” right before he arrives to the Hoffs/Drawlar Funeral Parlor, and in the parallel scene in the fourth season’s finale he arrives listening to “Gouge Away” by Pixies. The third season also used Three Dog Night’s Shambala on two occasions in the van.

       The only two pop songs that have ever been used without a source (i.e. non-diegetic) are Ann-Margret’s “Slowly,” in the episode “I Do” and “I Shall Not Walk Alone”, written by Ben Harper, and covered by The Blind Boys of Alabama in the episode “Confidence Man”. Alternate music is used in several international broadcasts. For instance, in the Japanese broadcast of Lost, the theme song used varies by season; season one uses “Here I Am” by Chemistry, season two uses “Losin’” by Yuna Ito, and season three uses “Lonely Girl” by Crystal Kay.

Today is all about recognizing the constant state of chaos that is modern life. According to Holiday Insights,

Chaos Never Dies Day recognizes the turmoil in modern, everyday life. Are things a little crazy at home? Is school a little on the wild side? Is your work place hectic and disorderly? We thought so.

Just when things seem to calm down at work and home, along comes something to disrupt your life. Yes, disorder is everywhere. Hectic schedules, changes to plans, unexpected tasks and chores, the list goes on and on and on…….

Today is designed for you. It’s a day to recognize the chaos in your life. You can best celebrate this day, by recognizing that chaos never dies. Rather, its a way of life. You can partake in this special day, by putting just a little order back into your life. You can start, by picking one thing that is really disrupting your life, and change it…for the good.

What one thing to pick? My bedroom is pretty cluttered right now with a bunch of unfolded laundry, and my office is an absolute war zone. But I think there is something even more fundamental that needs a little clearing right now: my brain. My poor mind has been frazzled lately, between work and the family reunion and trying to figure out how to celebrate a holiday every single day. It’s all turning my synapses into soup, and I think I need to do some triage sorting-out up there.

My solution is a yoga DVD I picked up at Best Buy a couple of months ago on a whim. Called Am and PM Yoga for Beginners, the DVD offers two sequences. The AM sequence “enhances basic poses with gentle repetitions to invigorate, tone, and streamline your body.” The PM sequence aims “to dissolve stress as it lengthens and opens your muscles.”

I”m telling you right now, there ain’t nothing “gentle” about the AM sequence. The first time I tried the sequence, I discovered my deep hatred for Downward Facing Dog–a basic, common yoga pose that involves keeping your rear end in the air and your legs straight while your hands are on the ground. I am a cat person. The only dog I like is my parents’ Border terrier. Friendly, cute and small. Downward Facing Dog is not a Border terrier. It is an unfed, untrained Rottweiler capable of pain and misery.

So today in an attempt to find calm among the chaos, I opted for the PM sequence. The honestly “gentle” stretching and long period spent lying on the back with hands over the belly seemed right up my alley tonight.

I rolled out G’s yellow yoga mat and swatted Koda away. I popped in the DVD and even found the two remotes necessary. However, I spent almost 20 minutes trying to find the buttons to switch the TV to the DVD player, since our TV is almost older than I am and doesn’t have one of those handy “video” buttons on the front. This whole production forced me to pull out the DVD player manual in order to interpret the mysteriously labelled remote buttons. Honestly, what does “input select” mean? You could put that in French and it would have the same effect on me. Entrée choisie.

After some random button pushing and decidedly un-calm thoughts of violence toward my TV, the screen miraculously switched to the serene smile of Elena Brower, certified Anusara Yoga teacher. I sighed, happily, and pulled my feet in toward my groin, beginning to inhale and round my back, when the phone rang.

I found pause and answered, telling G that technology was thwarting my efforts to achieve inner peace. He told me he’d be home soon.

I returned to my practice, shuffling through one Downward Dog and happily dropping into Plank and Pigeon. Koda jumped on me, but I refused to release my momentary inner calm.

Momentary it most certainly was. G came home, opened the mail (why haven’t silent envelopes been invented yet? why?) and sat on the couch to read. There is a reason I haven’t joined a yoga class. That reason is I’m too self conscious to attempt this stuff in front of people. Any people. Including G. So much for focus.

He got up to get some food just as Elena mercifully slid into the lying on the back pose I mentioned earlier. As I laid on the floor, focusing my eyes on the water damage cracks in our ceiling, I flashed back to middle school and my brief attempt at cross country. Our coach, Mr. P., would lead us through warm-up and cool-down exercises that closely resembled yoga poses. The team favorite was Blue Sky, where we laid on our backs, staring at the sky, silent. More than once Mr. P. would fall asleep, leaving us to our own devices, which usually meant giving up and wandering home. I guess there were reasons none of us won any races.

Anyway, Blue Sky is just as effective on a yellow mat as hard, matted school-yard grass, and I did find myself feeling much more relaxed after the sequence. If I can beat back my mental chaos for one evening, perhaps I can do it for a whole week. After all, it’s currently the International Society of Friendship and Good Will Pursuit of Happiness Week. So I am going to attempt not only the PM sequence every day this week. I’m also going to attempt to get up and get through the AM sequence every day, because I know that achieving the whole practice will ultimately, somewhere down the road, bring me some sort of happiness. At least I hope so.

Namaste.

Latha Venkatesh’s fingers, though frantic, were always careful. Venkatesh herself huddled over her musical instrument, the veena, as though listening closely to every sound coming out of it. As though the veena was continually on the verge of telling her something.

This was all at a carnatic instrumental concert which took place Sunday afternoon in the Union’s Little Theatre. Named “sur dhwani” (“the sound of music”) and sponsored by K-State’s Society for the Appreciation of Bhayativa Heritage and Arts, the concert featured Venkatesh as well as a mrindagam-player named Shiva.

There is a sweet mellowness even to the faster pieces. It’s in the veena’s strong twang. It reminds one of a sunset over water in the evening. The two instruments made a wonderful pair, creating music that was both soothing and energetic at the same time.

At 3:04, Venkatesh put down her veena and, with her head bowed, started clapping while Shiva made the melody with his mrindagam. Roughly seven minutes of this passed; during this time, it did not take long to realize one incontrovertible fact: Shiva’s right hand was clearly insane.

Stern-faced but wild-eyed, his fingers, though also frantic, belied an exceptional amount of control. He struck the mrindangam near its centre, then near its rim; he struck with two, three, four fingers. He struck with a steady, even rhythm and then he sped up, as though tap-dancing with his phalanges.

About 70 people attended the showcase of South Indian classical music.

Greetings!

I began my yoga journey at the age of 14. My mother & I took a class together and we were the two youngest students! Thank goodness times have changed and yoga now attracts people of all ages. Although I was the youngest in the class, I was and remain hooked.

I have carried yoga in my heart and soul ever since. Yoga is a part of my every breath.

I completed a 200 hour yoga certification at The Spirit of Yoga in Downingtown, PA. The Spirit of Yoga is a Yoga Alliance certified school, and Master Yogi, Pam Walsh instructs her students in a very diversified program of Hatha Yoga. I have carried away from her and other yoga teachers a love for a diverse practice.

My teaching style is a bit eclectic, and I take a very lighthearted approach to my classes. I hope to share energy with you.  Please join me to experience my teaching style in an all level class, open to students of all fitness levels.

I hope to see you soon,

Namaste,

Jesi Yost, RYT

I cannot even begin to share with you guys how often I get asked this question. Sometimes I feel a bit weird explaining it’s meaning as there’s so much more to it than just the definition.

Namaste holds a powerful relationship between people. It is a deep grounded in deep respect both in each other’s individuality and EVERYTHING that makes us the same.

One of my Facebook friends shared this video and I instantly fell in love with it.

If I could just have this little video with me all the time and play it whenever anyone asked me: what does Namaste mean? You betcha I’d play this puppy

Please watch. Enjoy the power and…well just watch

Welcome to my world of Yoga!

I wish to share the beauty of Yoga with you.

May you be happy.

Om Shanti,

Meng Foong

欢迎你来到我的瑜伽世界！

我希望与你分享瑜伽的喜悦和美丽的世界。

愿你快乐。

明凤