Are you a fixer and a doer?

By Rocio Morales

I think in the modern world, most of us are. We live an a society where it is expected to come up with solutions or ways to fix things.
If a kid comes to you with a bruise, you will look for a way to clean the affected area and then put a band-aid to where the bruise is. If a friend tells another friend about her problem, you would hear the listener suggesting ways to solve the issue almost automatically.

We are use to do and fix, and when life challenges in some situations where regardless of the impulse to act, the effect is minimal; such experience becomes an an interesting one and a wonderful opportunity to grow.

Some years ago my grandmother passed away, she was without a doubt the link between all the family, her presence and kindness hold the family together. When she passed, all that connection changed and hasn't been the same since then. A result of her passing, my mother went into a severe depression and no matter what we tried to do or say she was going downfall. Watching her in this state made me realize the little control we have over those we love.
After trying different approaches (and spending time and resources trying to "fix her") my siblings, and myself realized that she needed time to break the cycle of depression and came out of it at her own time and terms. I am happy to report that she did.

There is an old Zen proverb that applies to this experience: "Sitting quietly, doing nothing, spring comes, and the grass grows by itself"

Yoga allows you to experience this type of situations not only at a physical but also at a mental level and even spiritually. For instance if your hamstrings are tight, no matter what you do, they will take time to lengthen. Forcing those muscles to lengthen, will injure them and the healing process can be long. On the other hand if you have a good disposition, meaning you will allow your body to open and feel OK when some people can bend and touch the floor and you can't even pass you knees, the body little by little will open. At a physical level Yoga helps to remove the old habits and open an space in your body for those muscles to relax and lengthen.

At a mental level Yoga gives you the opportunity to watch your mind and all the stuff that is in there when you go into a pose, are you too competitive that every pose is a challenge to be master forcefully? or do you acknowledge the restrictions in your body and keep working with them without feeling embarrassed.?

Next time before jumping to fixing and doing, resist the impulse and listen more, be open to possibilities and let go of the desire to control or to make everything perfect. To me that is one of the biggest gifts I have received from my yoga practice. Not everything is about doing and fixing, many times is better to let go, decide not to become a victim and open a space to heal and grow with the resources we have at hand at this moment, the present where we have more control over our life.

Sitting doing nothing Spring will come...

Can yoga by donation really work?

Last week was an interesting and exciting week of events.
I had a chance to meet with a group of teachers and students in a new yoga collective called Seva Yoga. Seva is a Sanskrit word that means, service a work that is offered to the Divine. Seva yoga is innovative because it is a complete donation based studio in Austin that wants to showcase all styles of yoga. Part of the proceeds go to a charity designated by the teacher. Here is the link to watch the interview they gave to Yoga Sanga Seva Yoga interview

There was also the Rise Event in Austin. Rise organized for third year a week of activities where they included more than 150 sessions where entrepreneurs share their experience all around Austin to other entrepreneurs. It was amazing to be with this people full of expectations, hard work and enthusiasm to make their ideas work. I took classes in building, dance studios, art studios and conference rooms. Rise is a free event for the participants.

As for events this week you will find:

Austin: If you practice Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, David Williams will be in town. There will be a workshop on how to balance the solar and lunar centers and how to recharge with Kundalini.

Dallas: There will a free Kriya Yoga introduction, a restorative yoga workshop and how to learn adjustments to help and support your partner. Also a workshop on yogabhyasa (persistent practice)

Houston: Shiva shakti book club, Meditation workshop and a Journey for peace.

San Antonio: Continues with Kundalini foundation series and iRest meditation.

New Baunfels: How to approach safely arm balance poses

Don't miss the multimedia section, every other week we are giving away books, DVDs and at the end of March 2 itunes-downloads for a 45 min. practice! Just enroll in our e-mail list for free. Your information won't be sold or share with anyone else.

Check our Calendar of events, and see how alive and committed is the Yoga Community in Texas!

Share the journey and Namaste!

Rocio Morales

Photo courtesy of Julia Land. Golden-cheeked Warbler. Click on the picture to see more pictures.

What is Karma anyways?

Karma is a concept that you hear frequently among conversations but usually misunderstood.
There is no doubt that in Yoga and other Easter traditions, the concept is pivotal in the understanding of how the world works and the effect that our actions have on it.

Even for some traditions like Jainism, their understanding of the world is intrinsic to their understanding of Karma. In the words of Dr. Christopher Chappel, Professor of Indic and comparative Theology "In Jainism, karma is the basic principle within an overarching psycho-cosmology, in which human moral actions form the basis of the transmigration of the soul (jiva)—constrained within the temporal world (samsara)—until one achieves liberation (moksa) from this cycle, by following a path of purification."

With more than 30 years of studying Yoga, Swami Dasa came to Texas to gives us a more practical, modern and down to Earth understanding of this concept.
In his lecture, Swami Enoch Dasa Giri explained to the audience that the most important concept to understand about Karma is that it is not a law of punishment or retribution, it is not "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" it is simply the law of cause and effect. We need to understand that our actions have repercussions and we are the solely responsible of those actions.
Nevertheless the way we respond to life has a deep root on how we have responded to the events in the past. Swami Dasa said, "It really doesn't matter if you believe in reincarnation or not; if you grasp that who you are now is the result of how you reacted yesterday to events an people, and though some of those actions were valid at some point in the past you need to decide if they fit in your present, otherwise let them go..." "Yoga with the understanding of Karma allows the practitioner to regain control over their life, that to me is liberating."

Swami Dasa used the example of a dog coming into a room where two kids are playing. For one boy, a dog might be a good and fun animal, for the other the dog is a source of fear and threat. We rarely see the dog for what it is. We respond to life based on our experiences, prejudices and emotionality. At some point we need to understand at a deep level that not all dogs mean harm to us. That is the beginning of taking control over the emotional response of our mind and over our universe.

Karma is a mechanism to allow us to see how our mind responds, how we affect the world and how the world can affect us. Swami Dasa mentioned too that in terms of Karma our intent to do or think something will propel responses in our environment that we will have to deal with.

As yoga practitioners we can see the biases in our bodies and it is easier to work with them in hatha yoga. Nevertheless, he reminded us that we have too keep in mind that Asana practice is only 1/8th of the whole system of Yoga. The first two limbs are important practices to be mindful and aware of how we should live our lives. For that we need to understand the Yamas as restrains: Non-violence, Truthfulness, Non-stealing, Moderation and Non-greed)and the Niyamas as observances: Purity, Contentment, Austerity, Self-study, Surrender to the indwelling Reality.

Swami Dasa helped us to understand how the upper limbs like concentration and meditation, allow the mind to be quiet, to turn the consciousness inward to see clearly and without emotional responses what lies there and how to change it for the better.

In other words what get us into trouble in our daily lives is many time our emotional response to the events that come to us. Practicing the eight limbs of Yoga give us the opportunity to regain control over our life and therefore have a positive impact on the universe we exist within.

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

What is Hatha Yoga?

Question submitted by Luceli L.

Dear Luceli,
As you may know Yoga has been around for probably more than five thousand years.
Yoga means "to yoke, to harness." The term Yoga has been used as a way to awaken spirituality through the control of the mind. Yoga is a system of techniques that allows the practitioner to achieve Samadhi or Enlightenment.

There are many schools or branches of Yoga. One way to achieve that self-control and attainment of Samadhi is via Hatha Yoga which translation means "forceful Yoga" In "The Shamabhala Encyclopedia of Yoga" by Georg Feuerstein, the term hatha yoga is "applied in general to the vast body of doctrines and practices reared toward Self-realization by means of perfecting the body."

Commonly you will hear yoga teachers mention that "Ha" usually refers to the solar energy and "tha" to the lunar energy. Hatha Yoga therefore is the union of those energies to bring Self-Realization.

All the poses that you take in a regular yoga class, have been developed trough time and many have been recorded in ancient texts. All comes down to the understanding of how the body moves in relation to space.

The poses in sanskrit are called asana (seat) and depending on different texts you can find from 16-200 poses that are more useful to human beings.

Hatha Yoga is also one of the limbs of the Eight fold path. In the practice of Hatha Yoga, the teacher instructs the students in the use of Locks (bandhas) and seals (mudras) "all of them designated to control and regulate the flow of life force (prana) in the body" Feurstein Encyclopedia of Yoga.

Next time you come to your mat, take time to breath and center your energies, be present and mindful during all the poses as they have not only an effect on your body but also on your mind.





Reference:
The Shamabhala Encyclopedia of Yoga by Georg Feurstein pp. 34-35, 118-121

It is official: watching TV can kill you!

You can blame the Australians for a change this time. On a recent study by Australian researches who traced more than 8000 people for an average of six years found that "those who said they watched TV for more than four hours a day were 46% more likely to die of any cause and 80% more likely to die of cardiovascular disease than people who reported spending less than two hours a day in front of the tube" as reported on the Wall street Journal last Tuesday.

What is shocking is that these results not only affect people that don't exercise, it affects those who exercise too. How come.? Well, the problem is the inactivity that brings to watch TV for long periods of time.
Think about those long football games that many men watch for more than three hours or the long hours you spend in front of the computer (ouch!) and you can have something else to be worry about.

And those results are only in relation to the TV, what about the amount of violence that you can watch in less than two hours. This information goes directly to your subconscious mind without even notice it. No none really knows the effects but I wonder if all those stimuli have anything to do with our moods and ways that we respond to our environment.

Is there a solution? Yes! do a little bit of exercise if you are in front of the TV for a long period of time, fold clothes, put the elliptical in front of it and actually use it!, move around, take the dishes out of the dishwasher, and stretch every so often.
Not only watching TV can affect you, long commutes, long flights, and any activity that requires you to be seated for hours should be a concern.
Dr. Dunstan, a researcher at Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, in Melbourne mentions that the "research shows the important role of muscle movement in how the body processes blood sugar and blood fats. the absence of movement can slow down or metabolic processes"

Here are simple yoga exercises that can help you move your muscles after a long time in front of the TV or computer. Take breaks every hour or so and stretch!

a) Shoulder rolls. Sit on the edge of your chair. Keep your back straight, breath. On your next inhale start rolling your shoulders towards the back. After 3-5 times, stop check that your back is straight and change the direction of the movement.

b) Twists. Sit again on the edge of your chair, put your left hand on the table in front of your right shoulder, right hand towards the back of the chair or in a place that is comfortable for you. Turn your whole back towards the right, be gentle with your neck. Take 3-4 breaths, release and go to the other side.

c) Neck turns. Same position as before, keep your chin level with the floor and slowly turn your head towards the right, then center it and turn towards the left and center again. Alternate the sides. Inhaling turn to the right, exhaling turn to the center and do the same to the other side.

d) Arm stretch. Bring your arms up to the sides of your head, release your shoulders and if you can interlace your fingers and bring palms up to the ceiling. Stretch your arms up and to the sides, breath.

e) Stretch your legs. From siting , bring your hands under your right knee and lift the leg closer to your belly. With the leg on the air, extend the leg completely towards the front level to the floor, keep alternating bending and stretching for 4-5 times and then do the same with your left leg.

f) Bound angle pose. This is a great way to work out and watch TV. Sit on the floor or on top of a blanket, extend your legs forward, bring your right hand towards the back of your right knee and gently bend the knee and bring the sole of your foot towards the side of your left leg. Any part of the side or your tight is fine or close to your pubic bone. Do the same with your left leg and bring the soles of your feet together, keep your back straight and take 5-6 breaths. Relax.

Caution:
As with any workout, please ask your doctor if you have any health concerns before starting any of these exercises.

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