Category Archives: practice

hawaiian retreat

practice, travelin' moon

After a lot of processing, I have decided to keep most of what I learned about myself while doing yoga in Hawaii to myself so as not to “end” the growth by tying it up in a little bow and presenting it in words. What I will say is that I had a fantastic time, learned a lot about myself & about yoga and happily gobbled up the amazing and healthy food they cooked (3 square meals per day, which is something I never have). I did this while listening to the frogs sing loudly and proudly ~ the little dreamers who shout their desires out into the night enthusiastically. While there were several warm rainstorms, there was enough sun to feel like I was actually on a Hawaiian island, although I never made it onto a beach. (This was surprisingly ok with me and I kept busy on land).

I did, however, sit by the pool, where clothing was *optional*. Personally I chose option B: to wear my bikini, while doing my best to act nonchalant whenever anybody who chose option A walked by. (Kirsten, you would have died). And then I would pretend later that I hadn’t seen that person naked when I met them again doing yoga in their clothes. This was a very new experience for me and while I consider myself to be fairly progressive and liberal, I can say for sure that I will never sunbathe in the nude, unless I am deserted on an island by myself and my bikini is lost at sea. It’s not that I am offended by nudity: if you’re up for it, go for it! I was less uncomfortable that these other people were nude and more uncomfortable that I seemed to be in the clothed minority.

On the morning of my departure I rose at 5am to go to the edge of the island where the active volcanic lava pours into the ocean. We woke up early in hopes of catching this awesome sight in the dark, but we unfortunately got lost and didn’t make it there until sunrise. Luckily this was still a once in a lifetime sight. It was impressive to watch the red hot liquid of our earth pouring into the powerful waves of the ocean. I’ve included my photos of the whole trip right here, most of which are from this excursion…

I am so glad I gave myself the gift of this vacation and I hope to get the chance to experience more Forrest yoga in the year to come. I have narrowed it down to two different kinds of yoga training that I am interested in doing: Forrest & Anusara. Both of these styles inspire me in exciting ways and now the choice is which one to do first…I’ve set my goal to be teaching yoga by November 2009!

And I leave you here with this quote that I found at work the other day which seemed to beautifully and simply describe what I learned in Hawaii…

“Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.”
~Chinese Proverb

NAMASTE.
*

vay.cay.shun.

practice, travelin' moon

In one week from tomorrow I will be getting on a plane for Hawaii. I sort of don’t believe it, but my plane ticket really does say next Wednesday is the day…

I will be visiting the Big Island of Hawaii, staying on the Hilo side, where I will be attending a yoga retreat and generally taking a break from everything. I am completely thrilled with the idea of spending a week with myself, doing yoga and meeting new people. I can’t say that I’m not a little nervous, but I do think that it will be so good for me to be away from everything…(I’m going to use all my willpower to leave my laptop at home).

I am going on a yoga retreat with Ana Forrest. I don’t think I will come back with the ability to do any of these poses, but here she is doing a very advanced demonstration at a Yoga Journal Conference…


~~~

Just one week left to go. That’s all. I can’t wait!
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yoga gives me gas

makes me laugh, practice

There. I said it. And I bet I’m not the only one…

elsiedowndog Perhaps it’s an over share, but I find it kind of funny. A yoga class is such a quiet, soft, gentle place and then suddenly I’m doing a downward dog and a silent little fart often sneaks out. It’s simultaneously embarassing and amusing. Then, I hope against hope that there is no odor or the teacher doesn’t come over at that moment to adjust my hips.

But, hey, isn’t that what yoga is all about? Releasing unwanted toxins and finding peace and refreshed energy?

I guess it’s working…
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she understands my rhomboid

practice

From my aerial dance practice {yes, that’s what I call it right now}, I have a chronic rhomboid muscle injury on my right side…

rhomboid muscle: rhombus-shaped muscles associated with the scapula and are chiefly responsible for its retraction

Over the past several weeks I’ve been bouncing around to various yoga studios, classes and teachers hoping to find a good match; someone who is inspiring and skillful. It’s amazing how many yoga classes are only just so-so. I always feel good after a class because of the physical release of tension, but inspired? Not so much.

The other thing I’ve noticed is how little these supposed “body experts” know about my injury. Every teacher asks the class whether anyone has any injuries or pain they should know about and several people always mutter things about their wrists, lower backs, knees and hips…then I raise my hand and say, “I have a rhomboid injury” and the teacher looks at me with a little flicker of “uh oh, we didn’t spend much time learning about that in teacher training” and then they say something like, “oh, gosh, ok, well, let me know if anything hurts”.

This makes me chuckle silently, because I always hurt ~ this injury is chronic, so I walk around and sleep with a little pain or discomfort most of the time.

Well, tonight I found the teacher I’ve been looking for. Not only did she begin the class with some thoughtful ideas and ways to integrate yoga into daily life, but she recognized that I had something going on in my shoulder before I even mentioned it. I was in a cobra pose and she came over and asked, “Do you have some sort of shoulder injury?” I was shocked.

She asked if I was a swimmer and I told her I do a type of aerial dance. She then proceeded to adjust me and help me engage in a way that made all the pain in my rhomboid completely disappear. She complimented my body awareness and ability to take and hold adjustments, which, of course, stroked my ego. She was fun, challenging, grounded and wonderful.

At the end of class she told me about her other class called Theraputics where she specifically works with students with injuries and encouraged me to come.

I feel so refreshed and excited and eager to get back to her class again later this week and in the weeks to come. Sadly she only teaches two classes per week that work in my schedule, but that’s two days per week down, two to go, in order to meet my weekly 4-class goal.

Hooray for finding the right teacher! I feel even more motivated in my yoga journey than before…

beautiful dark mornings

practice

The cool thing about waking up very early in the Fall is that it’s still dark outside and all is quiet, except for the delicate mew of Marceau wanting his breakfast.

It’s time for the third yoga class in my new yoga ritual.

I am still in search of the right teacher. There was noone like Elsie {who I googled last night and found she is pregnant and has moved to Pittsburg ~ no!}. But getting myself to class is the first step: finding the perfect teacher for me will come with time and patience. For now, it’s about re-learning the basics.

Today’s intention for my practice: Do Less.