Yoga Nuggets

"Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built." ~Rumi Have practiced yoga ten years; been teaching seven. Despite advanced training, constant self-guided studying, and nearly 2000 hours of teaching post certification; I balance scales of the known and unknown with a college freshman mind. Maybe Gemini energy pushes me in multiple directions; maybe that new candle joining the growing club burning on my birthday cake illuminates a hunger of urgency; maybe my philosophy of no regrets fans a flame. And, maybe it is my spirit making it uncomfortable for me to not venture out of my comfort zone. Maybe Springsteen's song plays in my subconscious to keep me 'dancing in the dark.' Legends that stepped beyond boundaries of outlined yoga declarations of the best way to practice are Ganga White and Tracey Rich. Founders of the eclectic, enlightening and liberating White Lotus Foundation . Their l...

As a city grows, it is in a state of construction. That yellow sign tells you to drive with caution at a slower pace for your safety. Consider practicing yoga with the foot a little lighter on the gas pedal. Your body is under a constant state of construction. Muscles . We like them strong, tight, shaped just so and flexible. And, we want it to happen pretty quickly. Young grasshopper yogis (no chronological age here), have patience. Technology is atrophying the mind's ability to stay still long enough to experience increments of time. Advanced technology is a time thief. Ganga White says it best: "Yoga doesn't take time, it gives time." Motion is lotion for the body. Muscles, after warmed up, can extend one and a half the original length. The muscle's fibers get micro tears; however, the healing process closes the gap and the message to get thicker, longer, and stronger is processed at the cellular level. Go too far, too fast and muscles, or worse, ligame...

A regular yoga practice (3-4 times per week) has a significant impact on how you feel, think, and build strength. It is not unusual for one to find something they really enjoy and delve themselves into it for awhile. As time wears on, the novelty wears off and so does the drive. Yoga is no different if you let it fall in the same routine. Practice long enough and a time will emerge when your body let's you feel the neglect of not doing the physical moves as much as desired. Life seems to get in the way and the classic excuse of not having the time to practice emerges from the left hemisphere. (The rationalizing side) If you take a moment of observing what you feel after that justification, you will "hear" the right hemisphere (the creative side) beg to differ. Then, when you actually hit the mat and immerse yourself in a practice, the realization emerges that the gap of time between practices was a bit too long. You will feel the gratitude of the cells as they seem to f...

Sometimes it is good to take a refresher course on what you do. It is easy to get in a monotonous routine of habitual moves or thoughts. This truth applies to more than just your yoga practice. Being a teacher of yoga, I introduce new ways to pursue a move or get to a new edge. After having the same students for over three years, I assumed they understood the most fundamental part of yoga...breathing. A brand new student to yoga ignited me to ask the class: "Does everyone know how to practice ujjayi (ocean) breath?" To my surprise (and disappointment in myself), most of the class admitted they did not. It was a humbling reminder that it is imperative to re-visit the foundation of what you build yourself on...whatever it is. One can add various structures on this base; however, it is wise to check on the foundation to make sure you're on solid ground. This realization about the folks I have been teaching was a divine reminder that they did not necessarily make it to t...

The practice of yoga has rapidly been on the upswing in the past few years. The medical field is even recognizing and advocating it to patients to help with various issues. "Official" tests have been done in a variety of components of the health field to find that the practice of yoga, breathing techniques, and meditation DO make a difference and ignite positive changes in one's well-being. But, like most changes or integration of something new, it is common to have an excuse not to do it or procrastinate in getting started. Are you a yogi wanna be, but...? To give this a little sound effect, hit this clip before you read further: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itAOGRiYRLI&feature=related Here are the top 11 excuses I have personally heard and will exchange each excuse with an enthusiastic revelation for you to consider! 11. I cannot afford it . Truth : Videos are inexpensive and some stations on cable have it on for free. Or, you can check out You Tube and f...

Yoga is whatever you need it to be each moment of your practice. If you need a boost in your energy, an active flow of moves and breathing can ignite that spark within you. If your body needs to let go of tension, a more passive practice of stillness in poses can guide the body and mind to release. Physically, yoga will help you learn the power of persistence and the strength of surrender. Awareness is the key that unlocks the body and mind. Once you are truly aware of where you are now, the yoga practice will link the parts together. This link of movement, breath and awareness will take you where you need to be. The magic of a yoga lifestyle is that it opens up so much space far beyond the physical realm. It opens cracks that allow your Light to become more visible to you and others. To better understand the concept of "cracks", listen to the words of Leonard Cohen's heartfelt song, Anthem. The initially unseen Light that becomes apparent will ignite revelations of chang...

I just returned from a week long advanced yoga training course with Ganga White at the White Lotus Foundation. It was truly a powerful time of self-discovery, sharpening yoga skills and connections. This thought provocative poem was written by Ganga White. When I first read it, I immediately thought of one my favorite songs by John Lennon, Imagine. Take time to read and feel the words. Ponder the "what if"; imagine the "what ifs" being the world's reality. Nothing has ever changed until one started to question and imagine another way of doing things. "It is easy if you try." We simply have to slow down for a moment and understand that each of us makes an impact on the planet's energy. Imagine what would happen if even half of the world lived with the mindset this poem conveys. The ripple effect of the positive energy would ignite a change for all... What if our religion was each other If our practice was our life If prayer, our words What if the t...

You have heard it before and maybe you have done it...write down your dreams or intentions. It is easy to think and wish for something to come true; however, a spark somewhere in the cosmos gets ignited when you write it down. The action of writing an intention on paper can awaken your subconscious and conscious mind to make it happen. I speak from experience for I have been keeping a diary/book of intentions for around six years now. I am grateful to say that the intentions have manifested over the years. Don't get me wrong, it is not instant. Instead, it planted the seed in my mind and synchronicity put the elements in order for the dreams to happen. As a yoga teacher, I have always set my intentions to learn and link with the best. When I read the book, Yoga Beyond Belief, by Ganga White, I instantly knew I HAD to get advanced training from him. I read it in July, 2009. I wrote in my book..."I will meet and get further training from Ganga White." Now, almost exactly tw...

With the busy schedule demands of work, family, friends, and whatever else you have going on, it is easy to say you don't have time to practice yoga. The truth is, when you make something a priority, the time becomes available. I totally agree with what Ganga White said in his book, Yoga Beyond Belief, "yoga does not take time, it gives time." As you become centered on your practice, you are taking care of yourself in many ways beyond the physical realm. You will quickly find that the class you attend or the practice you do at home is just what you needed. Always remember that if you don't take care of yourself, you will ultimately not be able to truly take care of anything else on your agenda. So, take off your watch, turn off the cell phone (you really can be without it), take a deep inhale and exhale and enjoy the dissipation of the concerns of the "to do list" as you simply enjoy your practice of yoga. When you're done, you'll realize that it did...