Best Friend Yoga

Last week I spent 5 days studying Anusara Yoga with John Friend in Cambridge, MA—a 3-day teacher’s intensive and two days of observing and practicing asana classes. I arrived in Boston admittedly depleted from several months of non-stop teaching, definitely needing to ‘receive’ teachings for my own benefit and restoration as well as to further advance in my understanding of the Anusara method to continue to be a good teacher to my students. The 36 hours of training were all that I was expecting and more. Being surrounded by 150-160 yoga students every day, practicing and learning the high arts of asana, pranayama, meditation, and philosophy- mat to mat under the guidance and watchful eye of a masterful teacher is the kind of stuff I live for. John Friend is truly wonderful. In the sea of students in front of him, from 30 feet away, he gave me a verbal adjustment cue of ¼” hand placement movement which opened up an easeful channel of breath and energy in my whole body and pose. This was just one of the many of his simply amazing gestures of guidance over the week. His presentation of the teachings of the Shiva Shakti Tantra was simultaneously playful and serious. The language of which is foreign to me, but the concepts universally and intuitively insightful. I feel lit up, ultimately balanced, and so excited about living life to the fullest!

I spent the week in Boston without an internet connection (that at first caused me panic, then became a liberating situation) practicing hours of asana everyday. My body/mind loves and needed that. I do not take for granted that it was SUCH a luxury. It has been a slow re-entry back into the routine of householder and small business owner. There is a lot of ‘catch-up’ and work to tend to. And I am figuring out how to take the teachings out of the Masonic Hall in ‘The People’s Republic of Cambridge’ (home of Harvard and MIT among other brainiac institutes) and into my Yoga Birds world in Fairhope, Alabama.

I have come away from the week with heightened awareness of what is meaningful in my life—love and relationships topping the list-- and how to cultivate more sensitivity in all of my friendships…at home, at work, and most importantly in myself. I reconnected with my BFF and look forward to practicing with more self-sensitivity, which will reflect in and support all of my actions off the mat. ‘Cuz that’s the way it’s always been with me and my friend, yoga.

Seeing Each Other

Yesterday the Teacher Training group spent the last 40 minutes leading each other through Sun Salutations. It is the third time we have broken into small groups to practice teach. For some this is new territory, for others a familiar place, although a bit out of their comfort zone, as they apply new insights and teaching techniques to their current methods. I posted a photo album entitled "Seeing Each Other" on my facebook page of the transformational hour. Already there is a positive evolution of the state of affairs of yoga teachers in Lower Alabama. Please join me in an uplifting Hallelujah!

Back to the TT…as I observed everyone in the room practice teaching and as I listened to their words, I was touched most deeply by the obvious care everyone shares for their fellow student-friends. Our studies in the training continue to imprint the importance of ‘SEEING who is in front of you’ in a yoga class—I mean, like in the AVATAR kind of SEEING. And this is what I mean by a “student-oriented… “ yoga class in the Teacher Training Mission Statement:

Yoga Birds Teacher Training mission is to offer a course for serious students and aspiring professional teachers of yoga to deepen their knowledge in the areas of yoga history, philosophy, asana and pranayama technique, meditation, ethics, teaching methodology, and the business of yoga. Yoga Birds teaching style is a synthesis of the teachings of BKS Iyengar, Pattabhi Jois, TKV Desikachar, Judith Lasater, John Friend, Donna Farhi, and Leslie Kaminoff. Graduates of the program will gain new insights of Self through heightened studentship, find their unique voices as teachers, and have sufficient training and practice to impart a safe, student-oriented, appropriate, practical, skillful yet artfully sequenced, beneficial, and inspiring Western-style asana- yoga class. Ultimately in service to the improvement of health and well-being of the citizens of Lower Alabama.

For the skilled yoga teacher, this kind of observation of a person / yoga student means looking through eyes of compassion and ultimately reading the energy moment by moment from beginning to end of what is first and foremost SAFE, then appropriate, practical, skillfully/artfully sequenced and inspiring. And making that observation of EVERY class participant.

This is no small task! This kind of skillful observation of the the yoga student requires, an uninterrupted, full application of embodying your intention as a teacher, razor focused attention to details of the bodies and attitudinal qualities of your students, and a sustained connection to your mindful flow of skillful breath and language ( that would be intention, attention, and mindful breath which are by no coincidence, the hallmarks of a skillful asana yoga practice). Hence the importance of teachers to maintain a substantial yoga practice. That is the topic for a different post.

Back to the TT…what is becoming very clear to everyone in the training is that skillfully practicing asana and skillfully teaching asana are two completely different arenas. My method of teaching yoga teachers seeks to break the teacher’s habit of (or warding of the tendency to start) needing to do the asana practice alongside the students so as to know ‘what to say (or do) next”. If a teacher is doing the practice alongside the students he is not able to SEE his students. I think what I see happening in the group is that they are discovering how much easier the ‘right’ words come if they just address what they are SEEING instead of relying on a script of how they ‘think’ the situation should flow. What is amazing to watch is that once the trainees begin observing and SEEING while simultaneously teaching, they tap into a wellspring of infinite cueing details. And in the same manner that our asana practices ‘train’ us for skillfully living off the mat, I believe this first Yoga Teacher Training is helping us all SEE each other, our loved ones, and all our brothers and sisters outside of the yoga studio with a new skill… freshly awakened eyes of compassion.

I am just high on life as I think about what an amazing, dedicated, enthusiastic, open, and courageous group I have the honor of teaching! JAI! YES! RIGHT ON!

Adventure Of A Lifetime

Insomnia is so weird. It set the tone for my energy all day yesterday. When I awoke at 3:20 and discovered that my alarm was not just about to go off, rather I needed to sleep for two more hours…I knew I was up. That quality of wakefulness is unique and it’s like you know you’re in for it. I went downstairs to the couch and tried to catch a few more minutes of the deep peace, but Bear who is such a good boy came and nuzzled right at the foot of the couch and was so comforted by my being there in the den with him that he fell into a deep loud snoring doggie sleep. And I knew it was hopeless for me. So I gave in to it, got up and started my day. I sat for meditation, made coffee, and decided to redeem an Amazon birthday gift certificate I’ve been holding since May. It was the perfect time for my shopping spree. It seems the more choices there are the more time I need to make a decision on what I want.

Of course the three books I purchased were yoga books. One is a brand newly published modern history of yoga in America. One is a commentary of the Shiva Sutras by Swami Laksmanjoo which completes my library for the required book list for Anusara Certification, and the third a relatively new book that parallels the ancient art of Indian theatre acting and dance performance with 20^th century acting technique. I can’t wait for my new treasures to arrive.

Last night one of the trainees asked me if I have ever just 'had enough' of yoga or have felt ‘over it’. I had to stop and think. I do think there have been times when I have been tired and frustrated or injured when practicing active asana just agitated me even further. But over these last 15 years yoga has become more than just the practice of the poses. It has become the Way that I live, not a thing or activity that I do. It has been a process of sustaining attention in the present moment. It has become living with intention. It has become patiently sitting with challenging situations and deciphering the most graceful course of action to proceed. It has become a slowing down to listen and be guided by the inner wisdom of my breath and heartbeat. So the more I ponder the question, “Have you ever felt just over it?", the clearer it becomes that I have just begun the journey and that Yoga gives me the opportunity to embark on the the adventurous path, fresh everyday, moment by moment. Even in the glaring light of insomnia.