Vrksasana... a tree grows from a seed

This month at Yoga Shala, we take to the forest and forge our way into the trees.  Vrksasana.  It takes fortitude for students to believe in themselves, especially through standing balances.   Why not, instead, look to the seed instead of the tree?  Place a kind thought, warm wish, a magnificent moment into the protection of a seed.  Plant the seed and use your breath to nourish the seed and watch it grow to its fullest potential as it is it's own true nature.  A seed has all the potential in the world to grow and find its way into the world, if given the opportunity to find its potential.  Watch it with love and give compassion for its struggles.  Allow it to be what it is.

Likeness with the seed, a tree has a magnitude of life.  Once your warm wish, kind thought, magnificent moment comes to fruition, does it stop there?  Of course not.  In nature the tree never stands still.  The wind moves in,  through, and around its branches and leaves.  Throughout the course of its life, it starts as a seed, takes root and works its way up through the earth.  Its environment helps shape and nurture the tree, giving it a place among the others in the community.  Each season a tree will change.  In Spring, it is reborn from the cold winter's slumber.  The buds slowly emerge and open up.  In Summer, the tree is alive and alert.  In Autumn, the tree prepares itself for another cycle of life.  The leaves slowly change into it's brilliant colors and eventually sail to mother earth.  Althrought the seasons of change, the tree is stable and constant, but still it moves and breaths.

Rooted to the ground while lifting and growing to the sky.  So must our thoughts and minds, remain ground while having the inclination of thought and confidence to change and sway. 

Sankalpa and the new year

It still is making me reel a bit that we are not only welcomed into the new year but into a whole new decade. As we work our way through the hardships of this year past, we are looking to the future for a sense of ease and relief. But is it an intelligent, or more importantly, a wise stance to look forward so much so that we forget where we stand? As the calendar has turned, we are asked what is your new year's resolutions? Can we move away from resolutions and move closer to intentions?

Resolution vs. Intention

A resolution tends to take on the persona of something that we wish to give up. Something that we don't like about ourselves or our habits. Something that has a negative spin on our life. We resolve to "give up sweets", or to "lose ten pounds", to "quit smoking." Even when we try to put a positive spin on it such as, "I am going to take 3 yoga classes a week" or "I am going to try to treat myself better", it turns into an empty promise that we hope we can achieve in a selected amount of time. But what happens when the pressures of life steps hard fast in front of our progress? We become discouraged, insecure or even angry with ourselves. Those set backs after a short amount of time throw us for a tailspin. This happens because the resolution set is, by nature, a formal, firm, binding and breakable venture.

Instead of setting this near impossible goals for ourselves, wouldn't it be better to find intention of our actions. Intentions can be defined as an aim, direction, ambition, approach, nature, significance, sense or heart. It is an understanding. It is the root of action. It is the purpose or attitude toward the effect of one's actions or conduct. Intention can be looked at not only as the mind-set but a reason or purpose to make something happen. It is taking ourselves and our mind out of the future and into the present moment.

Sankalpa

In Sanskrit, the word for intention is Sankalpa. "It is not just a wish, it is a conviction. It is faith in oneself. Faith that one can do it." "It is trust and faith in oneself, in one's own strength and courage". Deepak Chopra explains, "it is like the seed structure of intelligence around which time, space, and matter consolidate into a manifested event." After reading this, I realized the mistake made year after year. We tend to set ourselves up for failure. The mistake made has to do with the oversight of the nature of intention. Intention helps to fulfill resolution. Without it, it is nothing more then a empty wish. Without intention, the foundation of our efforts, we become lost and misdirected.

Finding our way to Sankalpa

Just breathe. Follow each breath as it cycles. Noticing the connection made between each part of the breath. Isn't it interesting that without effort the breath just comes. The intake of breath comes with fluidity and alertness, pauses for a mere moment to turn around with gratitude to find that it is the exhale. Only when we want to dive in to pick apart the breath do we visit the intricacies that the breath can become. How it can effect our state of being. But on the most basic level, the breath, or prana, brings focus onto the present moment.

Be present and open to the moment. Ignore the unknown, the anxieties, or the insecurities of what the future has to hold. Learn from but don't dwell in the past. Be here now. Where else do you have to be? We have yet to learn how to time travel so we are forced to take each moment as it comes. One right after the other. But we find ourselves fixed into a state of discord and distraction. If you were not in the moment while breathing, what would happen if you inhaled again and again with out fully exhaling. You would most likely hyperventilate. Without taking each moment, or each part of the breath, as it comes we create a harmful state. To be present in the mind, body and breath we reach a contented and peaceful state of being.

Open yourself to the possibilities of what you possess. We are all incredibly strong and courageous. We have the capacity of compassion and kindness. So often when striving for these acts of kindness, compassion and courageousness, we use it towards others and forget about ourselves. Find the trust within ourselves so we can find within ourselves that positive light; the same compassion and kindness given away. This is not a selfish act but a courageous one. Open your heart and you will be present within your own destiny. Find gratitude towards all, including yourself.

Reexamination and reminding yourself of your sankalpa when distraction sets in. At some point, you will be distracted. You will be pushed out your present state of mind and into a state of reeling chaos. Find compassion and the excitement that we can begin again. As we grow and as we move throughout our lives, we change and evolve. Let your intentions evolve with you. Allow those intentions to stay in the present moment with you or they have somehow morphed into a resolution, steadfast and unwilling to change.

Sankalpa is not making a wish every new year. "It is taking a step forward and once you take a step forward, stepping back has no meaning."

As the Rain Falls...

Here in the Pacific Northwest, the season has officially turned. The brilliant sunshine that we took for granted at the end of the summer has turned its attention elsewhere. No longer are we able to forget what it means to turn inward. As the rain falls, we are naturally and instinctively settling down. Night time begins to fall even before the majority of us get out of work. I find myself, like so many others, becoming more homeward bound. A true effort is made to leave the comfort of my adorable and cuddling cats, the soft warm glow of the fire place, and the dryness that is home.

Instead of staying away, finding lazy days on the couch and eating comfort foods, we can instead turn to a practice that can energize us, inspire us, and even heal us. I have noticed of late that many of my students have been complaining of more stress in their lives, more tension in their bodies, and less energy to deal with any of it. As we fall into the dark, cold, and wet months of winter, we can turn to inward introspection, visualizing something that brings us joy, warmth, and support. Allow this to accompany you in your day to day steps and in your practice. Allow this to integrate itself into your consciousness so you no longer need to try to think about it. A thoughtful yoga practice can not only open up our bodies, heal injuries or abuses but also change our perspectives. Changing how we think about our yoga can alter how you do your yoga.

One way to help deal with stressful times is to turn to our breath. Seems so simplistic, doesn't it? In times of stress, frustration, anxiety or any other feeling of discord, our breath becomes shallow and even stressed itself. Our breath is the last thing we tend to focus on or even think about. We sometimes even forget to breath! In these stressful times, allow yourself the special gift of a moment. A moment to do nothing else but breath. Close your eyes. Turn your attention inward. Send the breath into your belly, allowing it to soften and relax. Taking full and extraordinary breaths softly through the nose and sending it down. Allowing this downward attention to help you find grounding and support. Come out of your head. Take at least 10 full breaths before moving on with your day. Notice if this changes how you perceive the events happening. It is so simple and so profound. Just breath. This attention will help relief stress, tension, and even change the way your relate to people in these pressing times.

Some of us deal with lack of energy, motivation, and desire to interact at all. Focusing on the breath will also help along with keeping active. Stick with your practice. Allow it to change. Allow there to be an ebb and flow. If you have a difficult time motivating yourself to do your self practice, go to a class. Group energy helps inspire us to move and breath! If getting to a class seems daunting, take another moment. Sit and breath. Keep sending the breath down to find your support system and then turn your attention to your inhalation. Allow each inhale to fill you with inspired, positive energy. Once you get the itch to move, go... go straight to class. Get on your mat. Surround yourself with others that most likely had to make the same bold effort to get there. Come together and live your practice.

You are worth each breath you take. Give yourself the chance to find its inspiration and motivation. Allow it to let you dance and sing and live! Breath!

Restorative Yoga

In a world that we are constantly on the go, when do we give ourselves a moment to sit back, bask in the pause and breathe?  Even if you are not living in a particularly large city, day to day demands are guaranteed to cause us to fall out of balance.  This chain reaction can lead to stress, anxiety, depression, headaches, muscle tension or pain, digestive troubles, insomnia, and even chronic health issues.  So, what do we do to counteract the inevitable? 

Many people turn to medicine that is prescribed by their doctors.  Unfortunately, this is only covering up the underlying problem.  How do you bypass this and move straight to the source?  Alternative practices are becoming not only more popular but highly sought after.  Acupuncture, massage, light therapy and yoga are largely popular these days.  

But yet another question arises... where do you start?  Does the thought of starting something unknown and new give you even more anxiety?  Maybe you had once tried something like yoga, didn't like it, and never tried it again.   Finding what works for you is a daunting task and is a long process.  If you are lucky, you will find a teacher that is knowledgeable, informative, and most importantly, inspires you to explore the practice further.  Not every teacher or style will gel with everyone.  If you are ready to continue with your search, maybe there is an answer.

Restorative yoga is a way to release stress and to uplift your spirits.  Restorative yoga gives us the opportunity to slow way down, find intention to the breath, and as the style is called, restores us from the inside out.  Completely passive, we explore different ways to release tension, change habitual patterning, and even challenge ourselves through stillness.  Restorative yoga is literally a gift to yourself of peace, serenity and calm.  

Starting on Sunday, September 13th, 2009 at Yoga Shala of Portland, I will be presenting a monthly offering of Restorative Yoga.  Each 2nd Sunday of the month we will explore different aspects that Restorative yoga can offer us.  A perfect way to conclude a weekend and find the calm before the storm that is Monday morning.  

September we will be exploring compassion and kindness through heart opening and backbending. 

October gives us the opportunity to journey further into experiencing the calm, release and rejuvenation.  October 11

November starts the holiday season of gluttonous celebrating. As such, we will aid our digestion and find grounding.  November 8

December  will help you get through the holidays through detoxing twists.  December 13

Unlike other forms of yoga, Restorative yoga requires no previous yoga experience.  It is a perfect place to start for anyone with little to no yoga background, is experiencing difficulties doing a more active yoga practice, or just wanting something different.   In these hour and a half practices we will explore the passive world of yoga using bolsters, blankets, blocks, and other props to help our bodies let go.  You will have time to settle, unwind and release into each asana, or pose.  

You can register online at www.yogashalapdx.com or by calling Yoga Shala of Portland at (503) 963-9642.  

www.yogashalapdx.com