DAILY Getting ready to be ready, sounds fun, as if packing to go on vacation. Getting ready to be ready for anything is another matter. If we approach that with the same enthusiasm and excitement we do packing for a smashing holiday, we might face present uncertainty with greater skill. Being human animals, uncertainty makes us nervous, and in trying to be ready for all the surprises now being offered, we shrink. There is no glow of anticipation. Worse, fear jumped in the suitcase, under the new cocktail heels. Stepping out with confidence in 6 inch stilettos, through high, and low grade insecurities requires élan, if not bravado, care, if not criticism, and faith, if not hope. Hope is dead, long live faith. The difference between them is packing for a vacation when you know you’re being sent down river in a pair of stilettos. Only faith will see you through the rapids. Hope capsized on the first rocks. Heading through rapids, one can only grab reality by the round dangles and squeal, if not in delight, then in passionate brays for the unique charm of vicissitudes. If one is being hurled willy-nilly down river, then not only do we need to know how to swim, but handle category five rapids. Learning to roll with the punches, and then roll again is the boot camp of consciousness. The stilettos may look fabulous, but it is time for muscle, not mincing. And no, there will be no walking around the falls… Over we go, facing each moment as opportunity to be alive, to face fear if not conquer it, to reach out, and open the heart in the headlong tumble. Sign up now for the best boot camp around. Asana: Sarvangasana Cycle/Shoulder Stand series. First remain in Sarvangasana five minutes, then do… Read more »
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Happy New Year
The regeneration of this new cycle asks that every day hold baby steps of awakening. It begs the self of personality to grow into the Self of soul. It requires the heart’s Grace to be inclusive rather than exclusive. It asks kindness at every turn, especially kindness toward self, that small self that feels it’s failing, it hasn’t done enough, if only it had been better…’this’ would not be happening. The ancient Hebrew timing of a ‘New Year’ asks we inspire ourselves with the breath of spirit. Observing world-changes, and feeling our own shifts, we boot sleepy, and frightened selves into fast forward. This struggle of the Aquarian age is to give birth to a new consciousness. With the profound planetary energies surrounding this new moon, this ‘new year,’ we finally move from out-grown shells and irrelevant structures. Scary? You bet! Demanding? Absolutely! You think you have any choice? None! What can a butterfly do but tear itself from the mold of its old chrysalis to its new adventure of flight? Like us, it may appear calm and nonchalant, but what do we know of another’s inner struggles? Afterward, when the changes become visible, we are congratulated that we took the leap, ran the river, flew off the branch…after wings stop shaking, hearts stop pounding. This new world, this new year is not just for the bold and beautiful, it is for everyone alive to Self, breathing to become… L’shana tovah Asana: Karna-Pidasana/Ear Pressure Pose. This pose is often the release from Sarvangasana/shoulder stand, as you lower legs overhead to floor. Move through Halasana/ Plough Pose, then bend knees, drop them toward the floor on either side of the head, by the ears. Hands can help prop the back up, or clasp together on floor away from shoulders, opening pectoral… Read more »
Read moreInsomnia
Sleepless nights stalk the body in many ways for many reasons. Primary issues are stress, hormonal imbalances, and depression. Not getting enough sleep affects the brain, the body, and emotional well being. It’s serious when it is on-going. Sleep apnea, the absence of breathing several times a night, is a disorder that affects a good night’s sleep, which will not be addressed here. Go see a good sleep doc. Make sure you are getting enough Calcium, especially Calcium Lactate or Chelate, 1,000 to 2,000 mg daily, along with 1,000 mg of Magnesium. If you fall asleep then wake later in the night, often the lack of Calcium contributes to this pattern. Get enough exercise during the day. Even a short walk can make a sleep difference. Do cooling Yoga Poses in the evening-see suggestions below. Eat foods high in tryptophan at dinner: turkey, figs, dates, yogurt, tuna, bananas, grapefruit. Avoid caffeine, especially after 12:00 PM. Avoid or reduce high protein meals in the evening. This includes beans and tofu. They block serotonin production. Avoid or reduce alcohol. It is not a sedative, despite what you think. The body converts it to a chemical, acetaldehyde, which is a stimulant. This wakens you in the early hours. And it builds up more in men than women. Try to eat earlier which helps the digestive process. Avoid or reduce the following foods in the evenings: sugar, cheese, chocolate, sauerkraut, wine, bacon, ham, sausage, potatoes, spinach, and tomatoes. They contain tyramine, which increases the release of norepinephrine, a brain stimulant. Helpful herbs to take as a tea or extract before bed: valerian root, skullcap, catnip, hops, lady slipper, passionflower, and chamomile. There are several good homeopathics, one is simply called, ‘insomnia.’ If you can have a sample of your hair analyzed for copper or… Read more »
Read moreSpring Zen
Simply crossing out ‘winter’ to write SPRING YOGA SCHEDULE is joyous. I will spill less blood on this page knowing we are at the crossroads. I can feel spring asking that we open to a more Zen state, the ‘Big Mind’ instead of the personal, small mind. The Zen of spring displays a more capacious heart, funding hope, giving courage to make needed change. How do I work my way into Universal, or ‘Big Mind’ so that I can be that exquisite Zen Master/Mistress, alive to spring requirements? We would all prefer to be connected to Universal mind; big hearted, generously open, fully present, without judgment or guilt, but the question is….how do we get there? As usual, I have no idea. The only thing I have is the willingness to sit here, waiting until I walk into answers. I am counting on that willingness for it is the only thing I own, all else is borrowed, appearing and disappearing as it wishes, not necessarily when I want it. When connected to Universal mind we are in a somewhat euphoric state of profound power, peace, and balance. When we make decisions from that place, inevitably they are the right ones. I’m grateful I am able to visit, ie become Zen, in the odd moment, but as usual I want more. Why can’t I remain within the Big Mind? Why is that connection so fragile? Would it be this difficult if I were a monk, or a nun? After learning that Mother Teresa fought with God most of her adult life, I don’t have a lot of expectation that any particular state of nun-hood, or monk-dom is going to serve better than what I gots. What I gots is what you gots–our Practice; a mat asking we stand on it; Asanas… Read more »
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