I love yoga; I really do. I think I was born with a natural inclination toward a yogic lifestyle. As a child, I enjoyed stretching and tumbling. Naturally, I gravitated toward yoga asana classes in college. I took my first ever Yoga class at City College San Francisco in 1998. I have been practicing with some regularity ever since. When I decided to do my first Yoga teacher training program in 2005, a whole new way of living opened up for me. Being introduced to the spiritual philosophy and practices filled a void that had been inside of me that religions had not. And life has given many opportunities for learning to practice, to live my yoga. I’m not talking about living in an ashram somewhere, meditating half the day, eating dal and organic kale. Who has time for that? Not me, not right now. I’m talking about applying the practices to meet the demands of my every day life and achieve some kind of balance.
I have take on a lot of responsibilities in life. I’m a single parent with two kids and pets. I am self employed. I’m always taking classes. And it seems like there is always some kind of drama, heartbreak or upheaval going on in my life. I think this is because of the way I was raised and also my samscaras. I was born to teenaged parents who had substance abuse issues. I grew up to be, what I’ve learned is a pretty typical adult child of alcoholics. I find myself drawn to troubled people. For a long time, I thought I could somehow ‘fix’ these people. I have a tendency to become very attached to people who later abandon me and I can take it very personally. When this happens I may become very depressed myself. Interpretations of my astrological birth chart point to this tendency; it’s just who I am. This is my fait. Not to be a martyr, but to facilitate healing. My mission in life is to accept myself for who I am and to learn how I can best give service to people without giving too much of myself, not loosing myself inside of another. I humbly attempt to serve, selflessly.
Every morning when I wake up, I take a few minutes to meditate. I focus on my anja chakra. I focus on my breath and gently awaken my body. Sometimes I might play a guided meditation or a chant and I’ll practice some reiki hand positions or pranayam. I do not usually take a full 20 minutes of meditation, which is recommended, but 5 minutes every day, I do. I think consistency is the most important thing. Also I will call upon meditation to clear my head at any given point in the day when I catch myself not being present.
When life gets particularly stressful, some people fall into unhealthy habits, such as smoking, drinking alcohol or over eating. I don’t know how many lives I’ve watched go from bad to worse because of these vices. Now, I’m not perfect. I have done these things myself, but more and more often, I choose Yoga and self care as my way of coping with stress and depression. My monkey mind may be spiraling around and round. My body may be aching with physical pain caused by the burden of stress I am carrying. Sometimes I am so overcome that I can’t function. So, I roll out my yoga mat. I find a supported, seated position. I focus on my breath.Then I visualize a grounding chord reaching from my pelvis into the core of the Earth and up into the crown of my head, I’ll focus on opening my 6th and 7th chakras, to shower in a white light with golden sparkles. I’ll sit and breath for as long as I need to, or as long as I can. Then I move into an asana practice that suits my current needs. I generally prefer a gentle, but flowing practice that emphasizes heart openers and twists because these literally unwind the knotted up energy and constrictions in the body. I also like inversions. They help to bring more blood flow to the brain, which helps to bring clarity. I think ‘fish pose’ is my favorite pose. I could stay there all day. I have been working on headstands recently. I have some issues with my neck and shoulders, so this has been a very good practice for building strength and overcoming limitations.
Teaching yoga is a very important way I stay in practice. I really love the work of teaching and sharing what I have learned with others. Assisting the Seniors and Restorative Yoga Class at City College San Francisco has been such a wonderful experience for me. I enjoy working with the group. They seem grateful to have me there and I have learned a lot. I know more about modifications, variations and the psychology of working with people. I have been teaching mostly private lessons or small groups of three or four people. Working with the large group of sixty seniors has given me the confidence to begin teaching a larger group myself. It is time to propel my career to the next level.
Many big changes are coming up in my life. One of which is that the primary teacher of Yoga I have been mentored by for the last few years is retiring. This does not necessarily mean I will never see her again, because I will have the opportunity to work with her occasionally for workshops and I may see her at MA Center events. Suvani Stepanek has been a major influence on my yoga practice, my teaching style and my personal growth. I am very grateful for her influence on my life. Now that Suvani’s classes are coming to an end, I will need to find a new mentor. I think I will begin to spend more time at the Integral Yoga Institute, I go there from time to time and I really like it there. I went there on Thanksgiving to practice asana, puja and have a pot luck feast. I can practice all aspects of yoga at IYI. I can volunteer in exchange for asana classes. I can participate in more pujas, kirtans and workshops. They are an international organization with a strong teacher training program. I am excited to spend more time there. Perhaps I’ll meditate for longer periods and eat more kale.
I am so grateful to be living my yoga. With all the addiction, mental illness and disfunction in my family, I don’t know where I would be without it. Because I have yoga I am able to achieve more equanimity in my life, a clearer mind, a more balanced emotional state and a healthier body. I am healthier, happier and more free from suffering. I want to share this freely with others, so they may reap the benefits of Yoga as well.
Yes, and it's true yoga is most important for healthy life. because a lot of huge modifications are approaching within my living.
ReplyDeleteOf course, and accurate yoga and fitness can be most important with regard to healthful lifetime. since many large improvements are usually getting close in my located.
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