Are you a fundamentalist yogi/yogini?

I hope not. I have met many yogis and yoginis and I have to say I haven't encountered many yoga fundamentalists.

A fundamentalist according to the dictionary is someone that "has rigid adherence to principles or points of view, and often by intolerance of others views." Like many things in Yoga, it is all about the balance and usually it seems like walking the razor's edge.
There is a difference when you are passionate about the style you practice and have the desire to share those wonderful benefits with others and pushing people to do what you do or criticize what they do or believe.

Yoga Sanga has given me the opportunity to meet fascinating yogis and yoginis and ask them questions to portrait who they are and their yoga experience. The maturity of the yoga community is amazing especially in those who have been practicing in and out the mat for a while.

Nevertheless, I once met a yogi that told me " It is so sad what is happening in the US related to Yoga... no one teaches the spiritual path any more and that is why our school is the best of all..." I respectfully disagree and told him that though not everyone is looking for the spiritual part that yoga offers, I have found many schools of yoga that train teachers and guide students to look beyond the asanas in order to have a better understanding of what yoga is about.

With all that, the question remains, what is the balance between your passion and disregarding other styles just because they are not for you?

Here are some points that I have been pondering on to answer that question:

a) It is OK to introduce yourself to a new group or in a job interview and explain what style of yoga do you practice and what is it that you find valuable in that style.
b) Your students and people around you don't need a label to sense if you live what you practice, your interaction with them will motivate them to go deeper into their practice or find another teacher that will offer a better understanding of yoga.
c)Usually the practice changes and evolves depending on the age, the life challenges that people face, etc. At some point students will find peace chasing those arm balances that might not become a reality into their bodies and decide to look deeper into meditation, pranayama and the others limbs of yoga.

At the end, what is really importance is to understand that the practice of yoga or any other spiritual path, should open our hearts to compassion, and to perceive the interconnectedness of life.
Unless you have really immerse yourself in a style of yoga, you shouldn't judge it.

Live your own style and understand that there might be something for everyone in those other different styles.

Tell us how have you handled a situation involving a fundamentalist.

Ready to be manipulated by your hearing sense?

If the words, sounds and colors of ads on the media are not enough to make you want to buy "the car" or "the shoes", not to worry the next frontier when it comes to marketing is called neural advertising.

In an low economy, marketing is still generating $34 billion a year according Jeffrey Kluger on a recent Times article. If you are skipping the ads on your TV using DVR, wait what neuromarketing research is exploring. Martin Lindstrom in his book Buyology explains how people have gone under research to monitor brain activity, pupil dilation, an all physical responses to different stimuli.
These researchers have found that sound is as engaging as sight. Just try to remember your favorite jingle or how your stomach react to the sound of percolating coffee. Guess what is the most appealing sound of all for most people? it is not a kiss, or the ocean waves, it is a baby giggle!
How will marketers apply this results is very simple, you already have meaning to different sounds, so it is just a matter of play them in a specific place over an over to have a reaction on you. Don't be surprise to walk down the aisle in a supermarket and hear the sizzling sound of food, or a birdsong when you are looking for a vacation package, and even lapping water in the sportswear fragrance.
How we, regular mortals can avoid being manipulated? First thing is to recognize that our mind is very susceptible to manipulation, be aware of what you watch, for how long and the effects on you. For instance , what is it in an action/violent movie that attract people so much? If there are not explosions, gore or guns people get bored with the content easily.
It is also important to disengage from all the overload we receive. One of the yogic techniques and in many other spiritual paths is Mouna or silence. For one day a month, don't turn on the TV, radio, computer (hard), and don't talk (for many even harder). Just do your regular routine without talking. This will open not only a space for reflection but also an opportunity to watch your mind closely.
And if doing it by yourself is hard, look for a silent meditation retreat or day, it is quite of an experience!
We nee to practice disengage frequently otherwise let me tell you a secret revealed by Mr. Lindstrom's testing, "people respond to a sound better when it's subtler." If you don't do anything you won't even notice when they are moving you to act!

The positive side of the coin is that we can also use this information for positive means. As a yoga teacher I like to play very soft sounds and relaxing music to have a pleasant response on my students, uplifting phrases can also induce a behavior to mention along with a soft tone of voice. Self-hypnosis is another way to retrain the subconscious mind to respond different.

At the end of the day, even it is not getting easier it is up to us to respond or not to the environment.

Where are the Yoga Warriors?

It seems like an oxymoron phrase, yoga is balance, quietude and tranquility. Warrior on the other hand brings to mind passion, fervency, energy and even anger. Nevertheless after meditating on it and latest experiences I think both can be reconciled.

As you may know life brings challenges in front of you that if you are willing to overcome, can bring the most amazing rewards.

Not too long ago I received a request for a class. It wasn't a class I felt confident in teaching though the challenge seemed interesting. It was the opportunity to teach a class for people with MS (Multiple Sclerosis).
Teaching gentle classes wasn't alien for me, however this type of class would require all my skills and willingness to study and learn more about this disease.
I was open and honest with the ladies and told them I had no previous experience but consider an honor to teach them if they were willing to give me this opportunity.

After six weeks I have to say this has been a very special experience. As usually happens, the teacher is transformed by the students willingness to try different things and explore the limits of what their body can do.

MS is a chronic, inflammatory condition that can cause an array of debilitating symptoms including fatigue, vision problems and even paralysis.

Some of my students in this group were diagnosed 20 years ago and others, just recently.
They are an amazing group of women that come together once a week to support each other and stretch their bodies the best they can. We use support during the poses to keep them safe and stable as balance can be compromised with this disease.

Being a witness of the fortitude of the human spirit is amazing. They don't complain, always willing to try a pose to see how their bodies feel and helping one another constantly. Couple of them have been practicing yoga for the last 8 years and have noticed the benefits that a yoga practice can have not only in the body but also as a way to slow down the recurrence recurrence of the episodes. Gentle inversions, forward bends and twists are great ways to move the spine and keep the nervous system and muscles active. The relaxation (Savasana) part of the class helps the students to learn ways to cope with frustration, sadness, and depression.

So where are the yoga warriors? They are in classes like this one where being passive and feeling hopeless would be the easy way out, but instead they show up to class, they participate to the best of their abilities and keep a big smile in their faces.
They are the true yoga warriors, individuals that don't don't surrender in font of adversity.
In one of the classes sharing these thoughts with them, one of them said, "I think we are OK, there are worst things we could have..."
Rocio Morales

Bird photo: Painted Bunting,courtesy of Julia Land, a yogini in the MS class. Click on the link to see more beautiful bird's pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/Sashapaco

Artic cold has arrived, good time to have a home yoga practice!

Home yoga practice

In Central Texas we are expecting a cold night, probable in the low 17 F and wind at 15 to 25 mph, brrr!

Of course compare with the folks up north this is not much. If it gets too hard on you, remember that soon we will be in the 100's F.

It is what it is and we should enjoy what comes into our way.

This week has been an interesting one for Yoga in the news. CNN started with the question " Is Yoga a Cult?" after having an interview with a lady suing one of the member of Dahn Yoga for harassment. Yesterday Dr. OZ talked about alternative healing therapies and included Yoga with a more positive outlook than the CNN's piece.

Today Martha Stewart is doing Yoga. The episode was shot this week in front of an audience of 51 yogis, who practiced yoga for the entire hour-long taping. There was a "warrior" workout with Trudie Styler, and an overview of three different styles of yoga: Ashtanga, Iyengar, and Vinyasa.

All that is great as we need to use the energy of the new year to avoid the toll that the winter can take on the body.

We as yoga practitioners/ teachers should be aware of them and encourage our students to start or keep their home practice. For instance, you could think that hip and bone fractures have nothing to do with winter. Well, a 10 year long study in New York City showed that "fractures were highest in winter, specially in the coldest and windiest days." reported USA today last December. Not only the icy conditions can be to blame, it is winter inactivity! said Dr. Zuckerman one of the orthopedic surgeon who helped conduct the study and president of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. "Winter inactivity weakens muscles, making falls more likely, indoors and outdoors. Also, low vitamin D levels, lined with weak muscles and brittle bones, might also play an important role in fractures" Dr. Zuckerman concluded.

As you can imagine, a good home yoga practice (if going out is not an option) can be very beneficial for bones and muscles. You don't need a long hard practice, 20 minutes a day really make a difference in your practice.

A sustained practice will improve your range of motion, flexibility, strength and most importantly it will develop body and mind awareness. This is also an opportunity to take a break and refresh your energies during the day.
You can choose from a variety of poses. Our next blog we will recommend a sequence.
For now flexing of the spine in different directions, opening the hips, arm's strengthening poses, and of course the relaxation pose (savasana) will give you a round sequence.
Find a place at home free from distractions on a wooden or low carpeted floor. Make the room comfortable and play some classical music or Nature's sounds, otherwise silence works just fine.

As for props having a mat, chair maybe blocks and a strap will help you deepen your practice.
Videos are OK as long as they are right for you. I have seen videos labeled as beginners that are not suitable for someone that is starting a yoga practice. Go to your public library and try some of them.
There are also websites and books that are very helpful. To mentioned some visit yoga journal (www.yogajournal.com) Yoga + Joyful Living Magazine (www.himalayaninstitute.org/yogaplus)

As for books it all depends on the style of yoga that you are practicing. Ask your regular teacher about some books that can support your home practice.

A question some students have asked me is "If I do all that, I don't need to go to a studio again!" Going to a class will always be on your benefit as it is hard to see our bodies when we are practicing. A good teacher should help you to go deeper into the poses and understand where the imbalances are in your body. It is always a good idea to have a good guide.

In following blogs we will feature some sequences for you to practice.

Warm yourself up and enjoy!

Photos courtesy of Dick D./ The Martha Stewart Show