Yogamad shares some faith...

Yogamad's latest post really resonated with me and the whole idea of faith. Check it out -
The Borrower

Icky Thump

I've been so uninspired with a lot of new music these days but when I was watching Rage the other day, I found a new love. Icky Thump by The White Stripes. These guys are brilliant musicians and have a great sense of humour too - official site.

Yule, Winter Solstice

The Winter Solstice (Midwinter) is the shortest day and the longest night of the year, marking the astronomical beginning of Winter. There are so many interpretations of why people celebrate The Winter Solstice but the main reason is to celebrate rebirth.

In Pagan religions, this is the night the Great Mother Goddess gives birth to the baby Sun God. From this day, the hours of sunlight begin to lengthen and the power and strength of the sun grows.

Southern Hemisphere: 21-22 June
Northern Hemisphere: 21-22 December

Also known as: Yuletide, Yulefest, Jul, Juletid, Julfest, Jül, Jól, Joul, Joulu, Jõulud, Joelfeest, Géol, Feailley Geul, Christmas, Christmas in July, Midwinter, The Winter Solstice.

I really wanted to go to the Winter Magic Festival in Katoomba this year but a few things clashed. It's one of my favourite festivals of all time because of the colour and the people. I'm definitely looking forward to the longer days and more light. You wouldn't know it to look at me but I love the sun, the warmth it brings and the buzz of an Australian summer. It's finally sunny outside again too, after all the crazy weather we've been having.

NIYAMA - self-observation

The first of Patanjali's Eight Limb Path was about how we act and react to the world around us - Yama. The second is Niyama and it's about us.

The books I reference for my studies are listed in my Yoga Books and Yoga Resources links. My favourite and most clear and direct reference is by Samadhi Yoga's Katie Manitsis (nee Spiers) - Spiritual Survival in the City.

NIYAMA - self-observation (a guide, not rules)

1. SAUCHA: purity/cleanliness
   - practising yoga asana (hatha)
   - elevating thought process
   - moderating your speech
   - looking after your body and health
   - keeping company with those who support your practice (satsang) and not those who "bring you down"
   
   
2. SANTOSHA: contentment
   - accepting - working against feeling of not being good enough, either physically and/or spiritually
   - understanding that you do not always know
   - knowing when you have done your best, not constantly pushing
   - making your best effort and then letting go
   
   
3. TAPAS: self-discipline (tapah = to burn)
   - self-effort
   - cultivated over time through awareness
   - build intentions and develop mindfulness, embrace challenge
   - use commitment to burn through your resistance or laziness
   - find balance between pain and pleasure, strength and softness
   - suffering should be avoided but discomfort can be essential to growth
   
   
4. SVADHYAYA: self-study
   - making an honest appraisal of what you need to change
   - balance of not judging yourself too harshly and letting yourself "off the hook"
   - finding the "middle path"
   - learning about who you are and what spiritual practice works for you
   - being willing to "open up"
   
   
5. ISHVARA PRANIDHANA: surrender/devotion
   - handing it all over to god (however you perceive god to be eg. Mother Earth, Gaia, Jesus, Allah, Buddha etc.)
   - letting go and trusting in higher good
   - trusting and believing in enlightenment (however you perceive that to be) and aspiring to the goal of self realisation, acceptance and your place in the world

What stands out for me in the Niyamas is the Tapas -
use commitment to burn through your resistance or laziness.

Gratitude & Focus

Yesterday's yoga class with the beautiful Sarah was about setting an intention for our practice with the idea of gratitude for someone in our lives. If any time during the class we thought it was a little hard or we started to wander, we had to think of the first person that came to mind and remind ourselves that we are doing the practice in honour of them. I thought of one person, then started juggling with a few others. Sarah then brought us back to thinking of the first person, as this is usually the correct one. It really helps to start my practice with an intention, even if it's just to be still. Let all my thoughts just glide over me and not hold on or run away with them. Like the sounds in the room and outside. Just let it all go.

I've been a bit slack with my yoga practice the past two weeks and I think it's because I was down about the running. I got into a funk and just didn't want to do anything. It's my overall intention this week to make sure I get in more of my asana practice. When I don't do it, I start to feel really unbalanced. Yesterday was great to get me re-focused again. I'll also do my next post on Niyama, the second of Patanjali's Eight Fold Path. The first one was Yama, I posted a while ago. Keeping up with study (in any interest) also helps me stay focused.

Travel Bug

Guess who's staying with my sis in New York? Phil, that's who! We got a call from them today at 1am New York time and they were getting ready to go out two hours after Phil arrived and after a few wines already! Classic sis style. Can you tell I'm just a little envious? It'll be weird seeing photos of Phil with my sis.

Man, I need to get my shit together and get my arse over there. I have a consolidation loan now and will be digging into my debts. No more excuses sista. Get it together. I know, we were supposed to go in July so can someone please remind me to save when I go on about buying a polar watch or something equally as unnecessary and expensive again! Sheesh.

Running Postponed

I'm on the fly so a super thanks for all your brilliant comments and suggestions people! For now, I'm going to listen to my body and just focus on yoga, weights and power walking. I'm not giving up on running but I'll try again in the summertime, when I can afford to go to a specialist also. I've been reading up on ideal weights for runners as well and I'd want to lose a few kgs (no more than 5!) before I try again. It'll help take the pressure off my knees.

Running Dilemma

Firstly, it's Saturday night and yep, we're staying in. My man are I have been asked to be godparents to our gorgeous little nephew and the Christening is tomorrow, early. It's also been crazy weather in Sydney! Lots of rain and wind and people dying. Not really fun. I hope it gets a little calmer soon.

So my dilemma is whether to run or not. When I was younger, I had sore ankles/knees when I played netball so I had them x-rayed. They found that I had too much gel-like stuff in between my joints so when I did anything too high impact, it would cause friction and cause me pain. There was a medical term for it but being around 10, I only remember it as "cala-popsicles" but yeah, I have a problem that's always been there and running is bringing it on again.

I've been doing the C25km for 3 weeks straight now and my knees are killing me. They even sound "crunchy". It's seriously been effecting me every day, even when I'm not running. And yep, I have good running shoes and have good form (so I've been told). It even effects me doing yoga and this is so not cool! I don't want to give up but I don't want to stuff myself around either. I don't "need" to run but I've been enjoying it. I do yoga, power walk, hoop, cycle and hopefully will go back to rock climbing as well soon but can I accept that I will never be a runner? I am really in love with the idea of running.

I even wonder, if I lost a little more weight, will that take off some of the extra pressure when I run? I can afford to lose a little more weight because I am at the top end of my healthy weight range. But do I really want to focus on my weight again aswell?

I have to decide what I'm going to do by Monday. I need to make a decision. I know what my doctor will say. Stop running because you don't need to.

A Lesson in Kindness

YogaGlamGirl has posted a gorgeous post.
Check it out: Trash Talk - A lesson in kindness

This could be heaven....

Heaven by Lamb, from the What Sound album -
click here for the lyrics. A beautiful song by an amazing band. A favourite.

Jivamukti Spirit

One of my favourite yoga teachers is back from her Jivamukti training in New York and her class today was magic. She was on fire and I felt so amazing after her class. She has a subtle way of assisting people in poses and I really value that because being a beginner (9 months now), I'm not always sure I'm aligned correctly. She's awesome!

I was a little hesistant to take on board the whole Jivamukti philisophy initially because I found it a little too "preachy" and "confronting" but now I'm getting into it. I love the spiritual side to yoga as well and Jivamukti really embraces that, including being more socially and environmentally aware which I think is really important. It works well with my own spirituality of revering the earth, mother nature.

Having said this though, I want to continue to explore and experience as many different styles of yoga as well and make up my own mind.


Further Reading
Jivamukti Yoga, New York
Jivamukti Yoga, London
Alana, JivaDiva
Sarah, Jivamukti


PS. Notice the TM on the logo? Refer to my post on Yoga Patents.

Moving in June*

My focus this month is to re-introduce weights to strengthen my upper body, specifically my arms. I'll be using free weights and resistance exercises like push ups.

I wake up most days (except weekends) around 5.30am and get yoga, walking, running and now weights, out of the way. That's how I have a social life! I do it while everyone is still sleeping so no one is any wiser, apart from thinking I'm some crazy happy morning person. Never used to be. On a spiritual note, there's nothing more beautiful than watching the sun rise and saluting it every morning - Surya Namaskar.

UPDATE
Running is postponed and it keeps on raining, in mid June!? My focus for the rest if the month will be yoga and weights. I'll make sure I walk everywhere else to get some cardio in.

Fri 1 - rest day
Sat 2 - 75 min samadhi yoga
Sun 3 - 75 min samadhi yoga
Mon 4 - C25km Week 3, Day 1
Tue 5 - 20 min arms + abs
Wed 6 - C25km Week 3, Day 2
Thu 7 - rest day (rain)
Fri 8 - 50 min weights, resistance (rain)
Sat 9 - rest day (rain)
Sun 10 - 60 min yoga shakti (rain)
Mon 11 - rest day (queen's bday long w/end)
Tue 12 - 30 min walk
Wed 13 - 40 min weights, resistance
Thu 14 - 30 min walk
Fri 15 - rest day
Sat 16 - rest day (rain)
Sun 17 - 75 min samadhi yoga (rain)
Mon 18 - 45 mins yoga shakti
Tue 19 - 40 min weights, resistance
Wed 20 - 45 min yoga shakti
Thu 21 - 40 min weights, resistance
Fri 22 - 45 min yoga shakti
Sat 23 - 75 min samadhi yoga
Sun 24 - rest day
Mon 25 - 45 min yoga shakti
Tue 26 - 50 min weights, resistance
Wed 27 - rest day
Thu 28 - 50 min weights, resistance
Fri 29 - 45 min yoga shakti
Sat 30 - 75 min samadhi yoga

* subject to change depending on circumstance and what I feel like doing

Yoga Patents

Indian Rage Over Yoga Patents
Friday 1 June, 2007 - news.com.au

This kind of thing makes me a little sad when I think about yoga, the history and what it means to people. To read about patenting yoga, something that has been practised for over 6,000 years, does not sit well with me. I think it defeats the purpose of what yoga is meant to be about. I'm a bit dubious about Bikram because of this, even if it is about the "sequence" of the poses. Sure you have your own sequence but to go around suing people? Sounds rather greedy instead of enlightening to me.

I'm not necessarily a traditionalist but I don't agree with taking ownership of something that is not yours alone and which has evolved so much so, that people right across the world can embrace it now and experience what it is to include yoga in their daily lives, in their own way. Yoga belongs to everybody and I very much dislike those who manipulate it for monetary gain. And to patent something can only be for monetary gain. Maybe I am wrong to think this? I just feel it is wrong in my gut and my heart.

Yes, and I probably wouldn't be surprised by how many other people do this also who I look to for yogic guidance. Jivamukti Yoga, OM Yoga, Shiva Rea? We all need to make money to live in this society but how far is too far? Or is patenting there just to protect the integrity of it all?

More Reading
Asana, Yoga Journal