YOGA
The BLESSING of seeing so many of you in this place of serenity, self-care, nurture and transformation is inspiring. Yoga is all of that and more, something special and varied for each of us.

Something I have noticed is worthy of sharing: How we soften our "edges" in yoga. Many of us have challenging experiences in our past or present that we are trying to come to peace with. I see it in all of us, myself included. I call the pain or discomfort of those challenges an "edge." The challenges don't necessarily go away, the memory or hurt may remain, but our ability to handle it, without pushing it back onto (usually innocent) others, expands gradually.

I have heard this called 'expanding the container:' The capacity we have to ride life's difficulties great and small with equanimity, the ability to maintain internal calm and stability, while the external landscape constantly shifts-this is one of the deepest intentions of our practice. Our central core of calm, confidence, and connecting to the source of our being creates a foundation within. Since this foundation is firm and solid, so the outward expression of our hearts, minds & spirits is more steady and loving. It grows in this way, sometimes in very small ways, but progressively.

Thank you for showing me that. What a profound gift.
I bow to your inner light, Jai Bhagwan.
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Better SLEEP
So many times I have talked about this to someone in my classes, I decided it was time to write it.

Many of us have occasional difficulty with sleep. I have certainly experienced this. Once, during a particularly difficult stretch, I slept only 4-5 hours a night for about six weeks. Here are some of the strategies I discovered then, that can be helpful when you have difficulty in falling asleep, especially after waking in the night.

I have a sleep "mantra." The intention of all the mantras is to calm, focus and guide the mental/emotional energy in a chosen direction. Now-- a true, genuine mantra is highly unique, personal and private. It is given to a student by a teacher who knows her personality and temperament very well, and it is chosen to fit the student's aspirations. So this is just a "mantra." It will become a true mantra when you make it genuinely yours with your personal adaptations. My sleep 'mantra' is : "I'm tired, I'm relaxed, I'm falling asleep."

Please: experiment, modify the specific wording. Perhaps include a reassuring presence of God or another spiritual being. Change it to fit the specific circumstance. "My heart is brave. My mind is calm. God is with me." Three phrases seems to be most calming and soothing to the mind.

Very often the problem is an over-active mind. The mind seems to run on its own. (You know what I mean!) The challenge in falling asleep has to do with persistent thoughts that will not stop! I have found this to be helpful: Find a mental challenge that is not very interesting (so that it won't get your mind more stimulated and alert.) But the challenge has to be engaging enough that your mind has to follow through, thereby shutting out the competing thoughts of whatever it is that is 'out of control' in your mind.

Here are some examples that have worked for me. Please let me know when you create other ones that work for you, so I can pass them along.

-Recite the alphabet--backwards.
-Find names of things in alphabetical order-men's names, women's names, animals, birds, fish, flowers, trees, cities, cars . . . .
-Calculate a repetitive math pattern, such as: add 50, subtract 5.

The keys seem to be: keep it simple, just complicated enough that your mind can stick with it, but boring enough you can fall asleep doing it. It may take several or many times for it to stick. But it is worth it: The training you want to encourage in your mind is a discipline of thinking about those persistently nagging thoughts only when you can engage them productively, maybe with the help of a journal, friend, clergy or therapist. And of course meditation helps, I can wholeheartedly encourage all of us to practice that more.

Here is a breathing practice I have used very successfully recently, and I have heard of others recommmending it to the prenatal students ( So I believe it has to be very safe and low risk.)
Breathe in to the count of 3, breathe out to the count of 6. Or,
Breathe in to the count of 4, breathe out to the count of 8.
Adjust as your comfort level indicates, letting the exhale be somewhat longer.
When you count, the mind has a contained focus and it helps minimize the "chatter.' Equally or more importantly, there is a physiological effect. Emphasizing exhale is calming, soothing, and eliminates excess energy that keeps us awake.

Let me know how it works for you.

A longtime student of yoga who recently joined our classes let me know about this one.
Breathing in say to yourself "SO".
Breathing out say to yourself "CALM".
This has the aspect of a mantra, quieting and stilling the mind with a soothing message. It is also a variation on a classic, longstanding mantra "So-Ham", which means roughly "I am that I am." In other words: "I am not my body, my mind, or any of the many things I identify myself with. Rather, I am the profound essence that is all life. I am of that essence, I am that." <<<<>>>><<<<>>>><<<<>>>><<<<>>>><<<<>>>><<<<>>>><<<<>>>><<<<>>>><<<<

Coping with Fibromyalgia
I attended an extremely interesting weekend session with Dr. Michael Chieken at Kripalu this past October. Dr. C has a program in Philadelphia for treating people with Fibromyalgia. His approach combines the traditional allopathic treatments (which means mostly pharmaceuticals) with "complimentary" modalities: acupuncture, yoga, nutrition, and other healthy lifestyle guidance. Many of you know someone who has Fibromyalgia or the related syndromes: Irritable Bowel Syndrome & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Please pass this on if they are interested.

I won't cover everything here, but there are a few essential pieces that apply to ALL of us. The diet and lifestyle that has become prevalent in America is to do more, faster, with less sleep, less exercise, and a fast food diet. The result is an accumulation of stress to the mind-body system. Some of us are inherently more resilient to the load, because of genetics, environment, and many factors that are not totally understood yet. But for some of us, the mind-body system eventually collapses to some extent. Many of the participants in the workshop had developed Fibromyalgia symptoms after a particularly stressful event: for example, being involved in a car accident, or after the birth of a child. One way to view these events is that they were just the straw that broke the camel's back.

While there is no cure, the symptoms of Fibromyalgia can be alleviated for many people to a great extent by lifestyle adjustments. As anyone who has this syndrome can tell us, the adjustments have to be made anyway, because the body and mind can practically shut down in severe cases.

But sensible lifestyle choices will go a long way, in addition to some specific strategies, to making us healthier, whether we have the severe challenges of the syndromes or relatively more mild ones of our everyday lives. Adequate and restful sleep is at the top of the list. For those with Fibromyalgia and related syndromes, pharmaceutical interventions may be needed to re-establish the restorative neurological patterns of sleep that have gotten out of sync.

Eating well and regularly nourishes the system. Minimizing artificial ingredients and processed foods may eliminate subtle irritants. Gentle to moderate exercise such as water aerobics will help the body regain strength and be tired enough for a healthy restorative sleep. And yoga will help establish the mental disposition of calm, as well as the mind-body connection of attunement, that promotes overall well being.

There is more about this, and if you are interested please contact me.
Sweet dreams, Beautiful days and nights, peace and blessings to you.
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Fall 2003

WHY YOGA ?
Many of us come to yoga with this kind of thought: "My body isn't flexible, I can't touch my toes, I am not strong. . ." etc. etc.
The practice is not about your body!

It is about: "What does my mind make of what my body can or cannot do, or anything else for that matter?" The mind can typically be critical, judgmental, discouraged and discouraging, and rejecting--most especially toward our own selves. This practice is a beautiful process of self-reflection, compassionate introspection, and deep contemplation--and self acceptance. From a perspective of mindful, awake, aware attention, and compassion, we can move in the directions that support and nurture ourselves and all those around us.

That we do yoga through the medium of the physical body is a blessing: so that we may experience increasing health and vitality, and diminishing tension and discomfort. The body is our vehicle, in this life, to convey our intentions and carry out the actions that express 'who we are.' So a healthy body is a great goal! But in what ways is the body in service to the calm, strong mind, and the vital, balanced, serene spirit? That is the question, and the answer, of yoga. So that we may use our strength and intelligence wisely, and discriminate carefully among our over-abundant choices--major and minor-- these are the intentions and designs of the practice we call yoga.

May YOUR practice reflect the highest intentions of your life: in your relationships, roles and responsibilities, may you be more fully conscious, at peace and balanced. May your actions, thoughts, and words be guided by compassion. May all your inherent joy, goodness, and energy be directed to your chosen goals.

I offer you my deep and lasting gratitude, for joining me on this journey, and for trusting me as a guide in this very personal work.

With wishes for peace and blessings, Jai Bhagwan.
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Summer 2003

WHAT IS VINIYOGA ??
I have been in training for over a year now with a teacher named Gary Kraftsow in a method or approach to yoga called Viniyoga Some of you have heard me talk about it & still wonder what I mean.

There is enough to say about it that someone could write a short book, so know that these statements just scratch the surface. The approach was initiated by an Indian man, T. Krishnamacharya, and his son, T.K.V. Desikachar, who continues the teaching today. Krishnamacharya was a yogi his whole life, and studied broadly in the many systems of Indian philosophy including yoga. His view of the Viniyoga methodology emphasizes that the practice of yoga must be adapted to the individual, and not the individual to yoga. Desikachar was trained as an engineer. When he began to study yoga more intensively, his scientific background brought forward the biomechanical functions of the classic yoga poses. His work helped create adaptations of traditional forms that can suit the uniqueness of the individual human structure in different contexts. The biomechanical emphasis also created a set of principles which we follow in creating the sequences and combinations of postures, to create the maximum benefit with the least risk to the body.

Gary Kraftsow's path began when he was 19 years old, and merged with his scholarship in comparative religions. He studied with Desikachar in India beginning in 1974, and has offered yoga classes and yoga therapy for nearly thirty years.

Checkout this link: Viniyoga Intro
There are several themes that run through the Viniyoga approach. One is, that the individual's goals are the primary guide for how to design a practice. Another is that asanas are adapted in a wide variety of versions to suit the needs of the practitioner or to create the desired effect. Breath is the primary and foundational principle for guiding the practices. Also, the principles of designing a practice are logical and rational, based in the biomechanical understanding of muscles, joints and other tissues.

Another is that many dimensions of human experience are integrated to create a practice: song, ritual, prayer, meditation, breathwork, or anything else significant or meaningful to the practitioner. So, even still, this description just scratches the surface.
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Winter/Spring 2003

At this time of year as the days grow gray and dim, the light within seems all the more vital and bright by contrast. Keeping it resilient becomes more crucial during the dark of winter. How do we link to the inner light, how do we grow it and keep it strong?

These are my personal thoughts about it. The inner light is a place or a sense of trust, confidence and inner strength. It is also a sense of acceptance, surrender and releasing to the mystery and the unknown. How we connect to it is unique and personal. Some of us link through the yoga posture practice with its introspective focus. Some of us link through formal meditation practice. Some of us link to this place with music, dance or other art, and some of us find it in our work, or through relationships.

It is a place that represents a sense of safety, wisdom and peace, so finding it is not only comforting but necessary. It is a constant process, finding the inner stable core from which we can move out to fulfill our roles and responsibilities while remaining whole, balanced and calm. Yoga one way we find and explore this sense or place within ourselves. Yoga is a quite reliable way to do it, but you probably have other ways, if you think about it! Let me know what you come up with.
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Sivansana
Again, these are my own thoughts, except as noted. An interesting conversation I had with a student recently made me realize I may not have explained the meaning or purpose of Sivasana well. Sivasana is the deeply relaxing "Corpse" pose we practice at the end of the posture classes. The symbolism of 'corpse' comes from Siva, who personifies one of the three principles in the Yogic system: Creation, Continuance and Dissolution, represented respectively by Brahma, Vishnu and Siva. "Corpse" posture signifies that which has been, that which is done and releases, "dies." If we can loosen, dissolve and release the ignorance and attachments which tie us to the cycle of suffering, so much the better. The bonds of the material and conditioned reality dissolve gradually, as we recognize them to be what they are: limited.

How is this manifested in the practice? In Sivasana, one works to be completely physically relaxed and released, while remaining completely alert and conscious. (Most of us drowse and even sleep, because of chronic sleep deprivation!) The mind observes as in meditation, the passing thoughts, sensations and emotions, without engaging or reacting. In this way we can approach the profound non-attachment that begins to free us.

Sivasana is usually recognized as the hardest posture. Why? Because the mind is the most difficult challenge any of us faces. Much harder than any of the physical forms of asana! Do you find it otherwise?

Some other teachers have this to say about Sivasana: "The deep relaxation is often where the wisdom comes. It's where the healing happens most and it's where the awareness of how to relax into the alignment of a pose becomes deeply discerned." ~~ J.D. Nucci

"I tell students that they receive the benefits of the asanas during the final relaxation and that the relaxation is equally as important as the postures... I also stress the importance of the relaxation when they practice at home." ~~Pat B., New London, CT

"Sivasana is the very most important posture of the whole class! It allows the body to integrate all the work it's just done moving through the postures. It also makes yoga distinctly different from other kinds of fitness. Walking out of class without that integration can make one feel pretty vulnerable, too." ~~Tricia McAvoy, New London CT

"Doing a practice without Sivasana at the end is like typing a document in your computer without pressing 'save.' " ~~Mark Whitwell, an internationally known teacher in the Viniyoga tradition
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Fall 2002

"The Three Bears Theory of Yoga:"

Once upon a time there were three students. When they practiced yoga they all had different attitudes and approaches. The first student was burning with desire to achieve a strong expression of the postures. She worked to her limit every time she came to the mat, and her thoughts ran in this vein, "I am a better student than so-and-so there! Look at how his posture is! I hope the teacher notices how hard I work!" Her practice was a reflection of her competitive feelings inside, always driving her forward.
The second student was very low key, so low key that sometimes he did not make an effort at all. His mind was always moving out to what he was going to eat after practice, how soon the teacher would release him from the posture, and, "Isn't it time for Shivasana yet?" He was afraid of getting hurt, of getting tired, so he did not work very hard. His practice was a reflection of his wish that if he just showed up for the practice, he'd get the results.

The third student tried hard every time she practiced. She put her attention as strongly as she could to the subtlest awareness, the smoothest breath. She also had as much fun and relaxed as best she could, each time she came to practice. Even when she felt tired, lazy or yucky, she gave 100 percent of what she had that day, which was not always the same as her very best day's practice. She barely noticed who else was in class until it was time to say, "See you next week." Her practice was a reflection of what the Bhagavad Gita discusses at length: release the fruit of your optimal efforts. Do your best of the moment and let go.

All three students came to the end of each day with the opportunity to take stock and consider. The third student consistently had the most calm and serene concentration. The third student reliably had the most free attention and spirit to give to her tasks and the to the people around her.

I am all three of these students from time to time, as we all are, whether in the yoga practice or some other aspect of our lives. The three bears theory of Yoga can be affirmed this way: Don't try too hard. Don't hold back and not really try. Give every endeavor your best and fullest effort, and then relax and trust as to the result. Hopefully we are always moving toward this balance.

Not too much. Not too little. Just right.
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Summer 2002

"SU~-~UMMER       TI~-~~~IIME. . . .. .AND THE LI~--~~VIN' IS EEE-~-AS-~~Y. . . ."

I hope it IS easy for you!
I am doing a lot this summer and I know many of you are too.
I have been asked a few times recently, a question along these lines: "How can I get my mind to be still? How can I get my mind to be a blank slate? How can I get my mind to be empty?"

The Yogis and seekers have asked the same thing for hundreds of years. Very few have ever fully succeeded in 'stopping' the mind. Maybe a handful in a thousand years. But that is not the goal that the average person works toward.

WHAT IS A REASONABLE GOAL? The nature of the human mind is to be busy and active, to ceaselessly reach out to any external thing, person or idea. So the intention of getting the mind to be less reactive and more calm is reasonable. This is the goal of our yoga in general, and the goal of meditation in particular.

In getting the mind to be a little less active, we need a focus. In yoga class the focus can be the physical sensations we create with our movements. It can also be the breath. The focus, sometimes called the anchor, becomes the reference point for how strong our concentration is. How many breaths can you stay completely engaged in the focus? A yogi I know who has practiced over many years and meditated for long sits, told me he once got up to seven breaths!! That is, a few minutes. He is someone who has practiced very regularly. So the goals are modest.

The practice I suggest is meditation. A good definition of meditation is: Concentrating on a chosen point of focus. Returning the mind to that focus as often as necessary, and, as soon as you can when it wanders. By repeating this practice many times, you can gently and gradually learn to quiet down the distractions. They will never be eliminated, because, as yogis and seekers over many centuries have reported~~that is the nature of human mind: to be attracted, repelled, drawn into and pushed away from events, identities, and situations. What you will develop is the composure not to react, to watch, slightly detached, in a state of equanimity and calm. THAT is the goal.

What to focus on? Your breath. A word or short phrase that has meaning. Something in nature. Or simply watch the thoughts float past like they are frames of a movie, or clouds in the sky.
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Winter/Spring 2002

A New Year. A new beginning.

What do you want for the new year? This question implies another inquiry: What do you want for your life? This point in time is but one along a chain that extends almost endlessly behind and before us. The direction that you set today is necessarily influenced by what came before. The steps you take today unalterably shape the rest of the journey.

And then-there is more. . . . .

Yoga is a very personal experience, an intimate communion with your deepest self. Taking this time regularly, whether in class or better yet daily on your own, even for a few minutes, just might be transforming. Yoga is an inquiry, deeper & deeper, past layers & layers of what is called, in many traditions, the "conditioned mind." Who we think we are. There are relationships, responsibilities, roles that keep us knitted into the social fabric. We need to be there. But for the most part, we spend our lives so caught up in the external world, we are asleep to the vast inner world. There is more.

In balance, especially as we move forward in life, my hope is that we become less concerned about the new things, the new car, the improved salary. You know the saying: when we are gone is anyone really going to remember us for our income level, our great clothes & electronic equipment? Let me be clear. I am talking about balance. Where do you want to spend your time and energy? Where is the focus of your attention? You have this choice in each moment. Focusing on YOU is a very worthy endeavor. Doing it with balance, love, deep care and compassion is a lifelong challenge. Taking the outcome of that inner meditation to your world is the simple but profound good we can offer humankind.

The fruits of the spirit are priceless. Welcome to the yogic path.
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Fall 2001