As I am going threw this second weekend of my immersion I am realizing that there just isn't enough time to discover and learn everything that I want or need to know in this setting. This weekend focused more on upper body with particular attention to the shoulders. My shoulders have been giving me some problems lately and I have been stuck as to how to work with freeing some of the blocked energy. I have been trying to find the connection of the shoulders moving down the back and the expansion of the heart. Keeping the shoulders safe has been a big issue for me since I have had some shoulder injuries in the past that have been very debilitating at times.
Recently in class I decided to give some prep for handstand. The response was interesting, the part I love is that the majority of my students say they could never do handstand because there arms aren't strong enough. When they come into L pose at the wall they are able to hold themselves up, arm strength isn't the real issue with these students. The real issue is that they are afraid. Fear holds them back. Fear can be a big motivating force but when not properly balanced it can be very debilitating. Being courageous in the face of fear will lead to greater freedoms. Since the theme for this weekend is shoulders and upper body my thoughts have turned back to the message of courage. Apoaching the difficult aspects of life with a courageous and open heart working towards a balance, learning to dance with the divine.
What 8 year old hasn't been told countless times to go practice the piano (tuba, guitar,or what ever instrument of auditory torture it happens to be) and given the traditional eye roll and "Oh, Mom". Then sits down and begins to hammer out some scales and perhaps a bit of a piece of actual music while being reminded that "Practice makes perfect". My question is does it make perfect? What is perfect any way? Who's measuring stick are we using to determine perfect. In some areas my measuring stick may seem inadequate to some people. Let's redefine perfect as continual practice. Everyday get up in the morning and practice being kind to yourself. Practice being kind to other people. Practice patience, love, caring, understanding.
In my yoga practice I sometimes get frustrated with my far from perfect body. My hip that gets bound up somewhat easily. My hamstrings that sometimes seem too short to allow me to move into a pose that I have been working to achieve. My arms that at times seem too short. This is the instrument that I was given and I have to learn to be patient when things seem to be beyond my grasp. I suppose that the thing that I most practice is opening to Grace. Following the first weekend of Immersion this idea of open to Grace was utmost on my mind. As we head towards the upcoming second weekend I am still coming back to that first principal. It is the first principal for a reason. I am beginning to wonder if it shouldn't be the third, fifth, seventh, and ninth as well. Not to say that the five Principals of Alignment need to ne tampered with but just that the first principal has become more pervasive in everything I do.
So tomorrow we practice everything! Perfection is everything!
My first taste of yoga was at age 17. I don't remember much of what was taught during those early classes but what stuck with me was the feeling of accomplishment that I had. Fast forward about 10 years and yoga came back into my life. There was a feeling that I had after class that made me hungry for more. The more I learned and began to discover what there was left to know the more I felt I had been called to find this path. Last year I began a teacher training class that really left me with more questions than answers. Along the way I began to deepen my physical practice which lead to a deeper spiritual practice and helped to open my eyes to the wonders of my everyday life. There have been so many instances where I have thought that had I not found this path of yoga I would have reacted so differently under the same circumstances.
This past weekend was my first step on my new path to more fully discover who I am and why I have been dropped down in this place at this time. I began an immersion into Anusara Yoga. Anusara speaks to me in so many ways it is difficult to articulate all of them. For most of the students by the time they reach the phase where immersion is the next step they have already cultivated a depth of learning that far surpasses most peoples willingness to participate. The thirst for knowledge is intense. The desire to spread this knowledge into the community is equally powerful. It's also really fun to be able to talk to someone who has the same level of commitment and understanding of why you get really excited when you really figure out that "If I move my little toe like this, the power of that micro movement frees my entire leg to be stronger and more grounded." Multiply that excitement by 30 people and you have an immersion underway!
I have had a couple days to reflect on my weekend and have discovered more depth of understanding than I originally thought. Finding my self back at home and trying to unravel all of the information that was conveyed only creates more desire to return to my mat and see what new things I can discover, what new way can I see the world that I didn't know existed. When you approach the world with an understanding that there is an innate goodness to be found it makes everything that much sweeter. Suddenly the traffic doesn't seem quite so horrid, the mountain of laundry seems more like a hill, the sound of my birds fighting seems less obnoxious. Having the willingness to look for the good and seek it out creates more lightness and joy.
Pickling is one of the oldest and easiest ways to preserve foods. Anything can be pickled. Fruit pickles! Veggie pickles! Pickled fish! Pickled pork! Pickled beef! Pickled eggs! Ok you get the idea anything can be pickled. Once you start pickling things you may not want to stop experimenting.
Generally when we think of pickles we thing of the ones from the grocery store where every bottle tastes the same as the next. Real pickles, homemade pickles have the bite of vinegar the crunch of the cucumber, slightly salty, slightly sweet. The true taste of a pickle is the one you make. When you make your own pickles you can substitute different types vinegar, kick up the heat by adding a dried chili to the jar before you seal them. Have a sweet tooth, make some super sweets. Want to make a crowd pleasing topping for deserts how about desert pickles?
All this pickle talk has made me think of one question. Why do we refer to pickles as only cucumbers? The reality of the situation is that the liquid that the cucumbers is put in is the actual pickle, the result is a pickled cucumber. The real champion of the equation is the vinegar. Vinegar's preservative powers are top of the class. The high acidity of vinegar makes it an unwelcome environment for just about all micro-organisms, which is why we have to add some spices and maybe some sugar to the mix to make the pickle taste less like window cleaner. There are some tried and true combinations that have been handed down over the years. Pickles are probably only limited by your imagination. So get out in the kitchen and get yourself into a pickle! It won't hurt I promise.
"What does open to grace mean to you? "This question creates many different thoughts and feelings that come rushing to the surface. Open to grace means to soften to the unknown, to surrender all of your pre-made plans when things don't turn out just like you want or expected. To climb to the highest mountain and accept that the reason you came up was to step off the edge to spread your wings and fly. Understaning that the next step you take maybe terrifying but you take it anyway not to prove anything to yourself or anyone else but because it is the right thing to do. When you open to grace you connect more fully with your inner truth.
It has been about 6 weeks now that I have been teaching regular yoga classes and in that short space of time I have discovered the freedom of non-planning. I began by meticulously planning each class and trying to create a theme or an idea that all the poses were based around. I then began to look at my own practice. I didn't plan anything when I went to the mat I just did what my body was calling for. During my practice I might begin thinking of sequences to share in a class or thoughts arise that maybe pertinent to other practitioners. Most of the time I keep these things to myself because the class doesn't seem to be asking for that information. Sometimes it is difficult to tell if the students are truly understanding what I am talking about especially when I ask them to move a part of there body that they may have never thought about before. It does seam that most yoga instructors have the same difficulty with this, always wondering if the students understand what they are talking about.
So far I have gotten numerous reviews of "great class" and even more since my lack of planning has created more freedom to try to tailor a class to the students who are there at the time. Sometimes this works out very well and sometimes the students leave with looks on there face that tell me they have no idea what just happened.
Well I think I will just continue to experiment and let things flow.
The sound of jar lids popping in the kitchen is a sound that every canner wants to hear. The last bit of air being forced out of the jars as they cool means that the jar has successfully sealed. Being able to share this knowledge with others and hearing of there success in there own kitchens is wonderful. This past Saturday I got to share that with some friends. We made Strawberry-Mint Jam, Strawberry-Lemon Marmalade and Lemon Curd. Listening to there stories while the jams were being made and watching with amazement as they got there first taste of jam making made the afternoon fly by.
Knowing where the food you feed your family came from and how it was produced is one of the biggest pieces of information that I felt I could provide. As someone who is somewhat skeptical of mass produced foods, not knowing what was really in my food was always bothersome. Being able to share in the local food movement and provide information about local farmers who produce some wonderful fruits and veggies is great. Why send your money off to the other side of the world when you could keep it here and help your local community to prosper is a feeling that has been very rewarding to me.
Now everyone together A la Cusine!
Recently in class I decided to give some prep for handstand. The response was interesting, the part I love is that the majority of my students say they could never do handstand because there arms aren't strong enough. When they come into L pose at the wall they are able to hold themselves up, arm strength isn't the real issue with these students. The real issue is that they are afraid. Fear holds them back. Fear can be a big motivating force but when not properly balanced it can be very debilitating. Being courageous in the face of fear will lead to greater freedoms. Since the theme for this weekend is shoulders and upper body my thoughts have turned back to the message of courage. Apoaching the difficult aspects of life with a courageous and open heart working towards a balance, learning to dance with the divine. 
