I had the incredible opportunity to volunteer at the most important athletic event on the planet this summer. Our team of volunteers work on the VIP Protocol team at the London Olympics, looking after Olympic Officials, heads of state, royalty of various nations, presidents, Prime Ministers, and Officials for various sports organisations. We liaised with athletes and press with interpreters, and escorted some of the athletes to the podiums for medal presentations We were from all over the globe, and pulled together for the purpose of presenting the greatest show on earth, and for a combing intent of making it a wonderful, unforgettable experience for everyone we encountered. Our team member gathered, at their own expense, from China, Spain, USA, Portugal, Egypt, Italy, and various parts of the UK. As exciting, (and it was!) to be present at the Marathons, Road Cycling, Race Walking, and Cycle time trials, the thing that struck me most was this army of volunteers who worked to get the job of a great, global experience, rolled out for the world to share. It was an army. Seventy Thousand, (out of 250.000 that applied), the largest mobilised voluntary workforce organised since WWII, came together, regardless of race, heritage, or prestige of the job got it done brilliantly. I keep thinking of one smiling, happy volunteer with a giant sponge finger, pointing the way to the Olympic Stadium. Not exactly a status filled position, yet consistent in her friendliness. It was accomplished with pretty much ZERO moaning and groaning, jockeying for position, status battles, on the premise that we WANTED to do this. The results serve as a testament to this ideal.
What does this have to do with Yoga? BKS Iyengar, referred to as "The Michelangelo of Yoga" by
the BBC. "There is today in India yoga "Olympics" where yoga
practitioners can compete with one another. I do not decry this. In my
life, I have given many demonstrations around the world in an attempt
to popularise yoga. While this was yoga as an exhibition of art, the
essence of yoga is not about external display but internal cultivation.
Yoga is beautiful and divine.
Although the athletes competed with each other, the yoga practitioner competes and drives him/herself, for the goal of enlightenment. It is personal, but also, as Iyengar says, meant to be shared with the world. The competition is not external. The volunteers at the Olympics, in all their capacities, were doing so, for personal reasons, and hoping to bring this work to the world, without individual recognition. No one stood on a podium, no one received a medal, yet the effort put out was monumental. The Olympics could not have happened without this voluntary gesture. No glory, just a goal to make this a special event for others. (I must say we did enjoy the events, but also worked very hard and for long hours!) It was amazing and humbling to be part of this, and to watch it unfold in front of us. I salute the athletes who competed, the grace and goodwill among them was palatable. It shows how practise can bring an ordinary person to exceptional performance, though discipline, and bring a human being beyond it's previous limits. In yoga, we take this ideal on a personal, internal, journey, but it requires as much dedication and principled practise as any Olympic athlete.
It did warm my heart when the loudest applause at the Closing Ceremonies was for the volunteers. Honestly, it was a privilege. I continue to volunteer in other endeavours, and do recommend it to anyone who can. You will receive back much more than you give. The world needs you. You can change the world, collectively with other like minded individuals, and you can change one life for the better, which, also, changes the world.
Find a group, cause, or start one that you have a passion about, give of yourself and your unique gifts, and you will be amazed at how it will change the world around you, but more importantly, change and enhance your life. Namate'
Friday 24 August 2012
Monday 31 October 2011
Pure as New York snow!
Over the years, I have studied all kinds of yoga. I have studied all the traditional forms, and some vaguely resembling some sort of yoga. I have respect for anyone who brings fresh ideas into the mix. This is how all the different styles and disciplines have evolved. Originally, there was one form of yoga, ( the first person ever who thought to do a downward dog!) and from that the wisdom has extrapolated from that point in time.
Though I do like and accept new input and ideas, I also think that now, rather than an addition to long held, existing wisdom, we are starting to move into NEW yoga for other reasons. Some things are just NEW for the sake of being NEW, to attract the momentary attention of would-be yoga students. I have seen everything from just using standard props, to hanging from the ceilings, yoga disco, yoga for dogs,(yes, the original downward dogs!) yogalates, yoga/dance/martial arts mix, hot, cold, internet ad infinitum. Of course, this can be a gateway into more profound forms of yoga, but I am worried that the essence of milleniums of wisdom is diluted and in danger of being lost in the name of New, Slick, and Cutting Edge.
Having practiced traditional yoga, and experimented with the new variations, I am a staunch believer in studying the traditional forms of yoga, so this great knowledge remains in the knowledge base of practitioners. For this to be lost in favour of a more diluted form would be a tragedy, and great loss. I am not saying that this is inevitable, by any means. I want the wisdom that has flowed through the ages to continue to do so with it's rich river of human knowledge. This is the basic, underpinning of everything yoga is about.
Try other types, incorporate new knowledge, but let's remember where we came from and why yoga has graced us all these thousands of years.
Namaste' and keep smiling
Though I do like and accept new input and ideas, I also think that now, rather than an addition to long held, existing wisdom, we are starting to move into NEW yoga for other reasons. Some things are just NEW for the sake of being NEW, to attract the momentary attention of would-be yoga students. I have seen everything from just using standard props, to hanging from the ceilings, yoga disco, yoga for dogs,(yes, the original downward dogs!) yogalates, yoga/dance/martial arts mix, hot, cold, internet ad infinitum. Of course, this can be a gateway into more profound forms of yoga, but I am worried that the essence of milleniums of wisdom is diluted and in danger of being lost in the name of New, Slick, and Cutting Edge.
Having practiced traditional yoga, and experimented with the new variations, I am a staunch believer in studying the traditional forms of yoga, so this great knowledge remains in the knowledge base of practitioners. For this to be lost in favour of a more diluted form would be a tragedy, and great loss. I am not saying that this is inevitable, by any means. I want the wisdom that has flowed through the ages to continue to do so with it's rich river of human knowledge. This is the basic, underpinning of everything yoga is about.
Try other types, incorporate new knowledge, but let's remember where we came from and why yoga has graced us all these thousands of years.
Namaste' and keep smiling
Saturday 22 October 2011
WHERE do you train?
Of course you can practice anywhere, anytime, (in line at the grocery store is a great place for Tadasana!), but where you train and practice can influence the content and approach of instruction.
In a yoga specific studio or ashram, the specificity of the classes is usually very precise. Beginning, ongoing, intermediate, advanced, prenatal, post natal, teacher intensives, only admit students that have proven themselves at those levels. If you have studied in the same place continuously, then it will be easy to place yourself in the correct class. If you are looking at new locations, an intermediate class may not be at the same level you are used to. It may be more advanced, or less strenuous. But a beginner would not think to attend advanced or teacher's intensive
When attending a class in a fitness center, the lines of demarcation are more tenuous. From an instructors point of view, the level can vary from some absolute beginners (that day!) to ongoing students with 10 years experience. It is a challenge to teach with such diverse levels of expertise. New students will not have the system in place to translate instruction into movement. This of course is acquired through practice and consistency. The ongoing students need a bit of a challenge not only to keep interest up, but also for improvement and understanding of the finer nuances of asanas.
It is a different challenge from the yoga specific locations, but is certainly doable. If the basics (warriors, triangles, sun salutations etc) are explained in detail, the ongoing student will remember to apply them. The newer students will hear instructions, see movements, apply the grosser adjustments and gradually, through practice and repetition (of movement and verbal details) start to integrate the finer nuances. An instructor has to keep an close eye on new students of course, to prevent injury and bad habits. The ongoing students, who, like everyone else who practices, can be remiss on the details, need reinforcement.
It may appear to be an imbalanced situation, but it can be integrated and be a good experience for the new and ongoing student. It just needs attention, making sure all students are working at whatever level they may be, and the intention of bringing information in consistent and easily understood presentation. Happy practice!
In a yoga specific studio or ashram, the specificity of the classes is usually very precise. Beginning, ongoing, intermediate, advanced, prenatal, post natal, teacher intensives, only admit students that have proven themselves at those levels. If you have studied in the same place continuously, then it will be easy to place yourself in the correct class. If you are looking at new locations, an intermediate class may not be at the same level you are used to. It may be more advanced, or less strenuous. But a beginner would not think to attend advanced or teacher's intensive
When attending a class in a fitness center, the lines of demarcation are more tenuous. From an instructors point of view, the level can vary from some absolute beginners (that day!) to ongoing students with 10 years experience. It is a challenge to teach with such diverse levels of expertise. New students will not have the system in place to translate instruction into movement. This of course is acquired through practice and consistency. The ongoing students need a bit of a challenge not only to keep interest up, but also for improvement and understanding of the finer nuances of asanas.
It is a different challenge from the yoga specific locations, but is certainly doable. If the basics (warriors, triangles, sun salutations etc) are explained in detail, the ongoing student will remember to apply them. The newer students will hear instructions, see movements, apply the grosser adjustments and gradually, through practice and repetition (of movement and verbal details) start to integrate the finer nuances. An instructor has to keep an close eye on new students of course, to prevent injury and bad habits. The ongoing students, who, like everyone else who practices, can be remiss on the details, need reinforcement.
It may appear to be an imbalanced situation, but it can be integrated and be a good experience for the new and ongoing student. It just needs attention, making sure all students are working at whatever level they may be, and the intention of bringing information in consistent and easily understood presentation. Happy practice!
Sunday 9 October 2011
How Old are YOU??
I have encountered thousands of students in my years of teaching. They are all fitness levels, from wheelchair bound to Olympic athletes. They have been of all ages, from little children to octogenarians (unless they were fibbing about their age and were actually nonagenerians or centenarians!) If you take a peak at the website www.genarians.com, a website celebrating people in their nineties and 100's, the very first picture you see on there is BKS Iyengar who is 93!
We may measure "how old you are" in chonological age. This usually will form a picture in or mind of what someone should, or should not, be like physically and mentally at the chronological point. At 25, we should be full of life, optimism and vitality. At 93, we would be failing, cranky and an invalid. From my experience, having observed students, I have found that chronological age has very little to do with the amount of LIFE in someone. I have found young people who were stiff, inflexible, in fairly bad health and true pessimists, without a spark of enthusiasm, and I have seen students in their 70's 80,s and beyond, defying gravity, with a happy anticipation of what the next day will bring.
This is not a blanket statement. I have also encounter many young students who have enough energy to light a city, and some older student who really cannot be bothered to move at all. My point here is that, practicing yoga, consistently, will elevate and increase the life force within us, and maintain that throughout our lives. A 20 something with a bad case of lethargy, will find the sparkle and enthusiasm for life return, as the body and the mind resonate at a higher level, and the older student, will feel the rejuvenation of that force start to work it's way up to the surface. This applies to all in between also. If you have been practicing most of your life, you will feel this high resolution throughout your life, and be able to live fully, in physical health, and mental acuity.
Aging will seem much more irrelevant, since the effects of it are much diminished and spiritually, we become ageless. It is, after all, about the vital force that animates us. Our mission, as we dwell inside our bodies, and is to keep this force stoked and fired up. If you are 20 or 90, it is irrelevant. If your fire is burning brightly, you are life incarnate! Yoga will ignite that force and keep it bright all your life. SO come on baby, light your fire!!
We may measure "how old you are" in chonological age. This usually will form a picture in or mind of what someone should, or should not, be like physically and mentally at the chronological point. At 25, we should be full of life, optimism and vitality. At 93, we would be failing, cranky and an invalid. From my experience, having observed students, I have found that chronological age has very little to do with the amount of LIFE in someone. I have found young people who were stiff, inflexible, in fairly bad health and true pessimists, without a spark of enthusiasm, and I have seen students in their 70's 80,s and beyond, defying gravity, with a happy anticipation of what the next day will bring.
This is not a blanket statement. I have also encounter many young students who have enough energy to light a city, and some older student who really cannot be bothered to move at all. My point here is that, practicing yoga, consistently, will elevate and increase the life force within us, and maintain that throughout our lives. A 20 something with a bad case of lethargy, will find the sparkle and enthusiasm for life return, as the body and the mind resonate at a higher level, and the older student, will feel the rejuvenation of that force start to work it's way up to the surface. This applies to all in between also. If you have been practicing most of your life, you will feel this high resolution throughout your life, and be able to live fully, in physical health, and mental acuity.
Aging will seem much more irrelevant, since the effects of it are much diminished and spiritually, we become ageless. It is, after all, about the vital force that animates us. Our mission, as we dwell inside our bodies, and is to keep this force stoked and fired up. If you are 20 or 90, it is irrelevant. If your fire is burning brightly, you are life incarnate! Yoga will ignite that force and keep it bright all your life. SO come on baby, light your fire!!
Saturday 1 October 2011
OH MY ACHING BACK!!
We have all had an occasion to shout that!! At times it is from lifting a sofa, and for alot of people it is a chronic condition that diminishes the quality of life. I have suffered both of these conditions. I am happy to say that I am pain free, I believe as a direct result of practicing yoga.
As a teacher, I get many, many students who suffer from back pain. I am often approached with a lament of "I have back pain, what poses can I do to make it go away?" The answer to that is nebulous at best, because the causes of back pain are numerous and far reaching. It can be from trauma, physical conditions, injury, lack of strength in the supporting muscles, or really just from carrying yourself "funny". I always emphasize getting medical approval before practicing with an injury or condition. Students should not go against medical advice and sometimes the body does need time to heal before coming to practice again.
What I have found, from my students who regularly and consistently practice, and from practicing myself, that with an all round practice, the body will strengthen itself, (supporting muscles and ligaments) and create space (contraction of the skeletal structure can cause compression pain) which goes a very long way to supporting the back in a healthy and pain free way. It is the consistent element that makes the difference in strength and flexibility, both of which are essential to keep the back happy.
I have had injuries that have caused various conditions in the back. I have sciatic pain that was debilitating, and was born with scoliosis and tilted pelvis. None of these conditions give me any bother at all. I trust that the overall execution of the poses, and the effect they have for the health of the body is what keeps me pain free today.
I think, as a species, (we humans being an ambitious lot!) stood up too fast in the evolutionary process and didn't give our backs the time to build the proper support! We need to take responsibility for our own back health. A good, well rounded, practice of yoga asanas, will help us shore up any shortfalls our back may have in supporting us. There is a reason we talk about things being"the backbone" of the situation, and that is because that is the most essential part of support. Without it, everything will fall apart. Pay attention, use your intention, to help your back help you.
Namaste'
As a teacher, I get many, many students who suffer from back pain. I am often approached with a lament of "I have back pain, what poses can I do to make it go away?" The answer to that is nebulous at best, because the causes of back pain are numerous and far reaching. It can be from trauma, physical conditions, injury, lack of strength in the supporting muscles, or really just from carrying yourself "funny". I always emphasize getting medical approval before practicing with an injury or condition. Students should not go against medical advice and sometimes the body does need time to heal before coming to practice again.
What I have found, from my students who regularly and consistently practice, and from practicing myself, that with an all round practice, the body will strengthen itself, (supporting muscles and ligaments) and create space (contraction of the skeletal structure can cause compression pain) which goes a very long way to supporting the back in a healthy and pain free way. It is the consistent element that makes the difference in strength and flexibility, both of which are essential to keep the back happy.
I have had injuries that have caused various conditions in the back. I have sciatic pain that was debilitating, and was born with scoliosis and tilted pelvis. None of these conditions give me any bother at all. I trust that the overall execution of the poses, and the effect they have for the health of the body is what keeps me pain free today.
I think, as a species, (we humans being an ambitious lot!) stood up too fast in the evolutionary process and didn't give our backs the time to build the proper support! We need to take responsibility for our own back health. A good, well rounded, practice of yoga asanas, will help us shore up any shortfalls our back may have in supporting us. There is a reason we talk about things being"the backbone" of the situation, and that is because that is the most essential part of support. Without it, everything will fall apart. Pay attention, use your intention, to help your back help you.
Namaste'
Sunday 18 September 2011
Do I HAVE to????
Once you have practiced yoga for a continuous period of time, the body really enjoys the benefits and the mind loves it. Yet, and this happens to almost every practitioner I have spoken, there is that little lazy part of ourselves with the GREAT BIG VOICE, that would like not moving....EVER!!
This is the little gremlin that makes a convincing case for staying in and watching a DVD rather than grabbing your mat and heading for class. The arguments are convincing...it is raining, I am tired, I am settled at home now and don't want to go out, my foot hurts, I have to get up early in the morning, I have to wash my hair, feed the dog, call my mother, go to the store, meditate quietly by myself, or just plain an infantile I DON'T WANT TO AND NOBODY CAN MAKE ME!!
Why this cerebral imp is there is any one's guess. It is part of most peoples practice to learn to ignore this and do what you need (and want!) to get up and go. It is not just ignoring the VOICE in your head, it is practicing overcoming your lower impulses for a higher purpose. The lower self always wants the easier softer way out of everything, including practicing, and tries to convince us it is the best thing. An ability to hear it, ignore it, and do it anyway, is part of the mental discipline and development of yoga in your life.
This, of course, is the true mastery of the self. The next time your favorite DVD beckons, the sofa looks just too good to ignore, and the dog makes you feel guilty, tell your self "Thanks for sharing", grab your mat and go. By conquering this gremlin, you are practicing yoga!! Namaste'!
This is the little gremlin that makes a convincing case for staying in and watching a DVD rather than grabbing your mat and heading for class. The arguments are convincing...it is raining, I am tired, I am settled at home now and don't want to go out, my foot hurts, I have to get up early in the morning, I have to wash my hair, feed the dog, call my mother, go to the store, meditate quietly by myself, or just plain an infantile I DON'T WANT TO AND NOBODY CAN MAKE ME!!
Why this cerebral imp is there is any one's guess. It is part of most peoples practice to learn to ignore this and do what you need (and want!) to get up and go. It is not just ignoring the VOICE in your head, it is practicing overcoming your lower impulses for a higher purpose. The lower self always wants the easier softer way out of everything, including practicing, and tries to convince us it is the best thing. An ability to hear it, ignore it, and do it anyway, is part of the mental discipline and development of yoga in your life.
This, of course, is the true mastery of the self. The next time your favorite DVD beckons, the sofa looks just too good to ignore, and the dog makes you feel guilty, tell your self "Thanks for sharing", grab your mat and go. By conquering this gremlin, you are practicing yoga!! Namaste'!
Friday 19 August 2011
Funny Little Habits....
We all have funny little habits. Some are interesting and quirky, and make us more interesting, and some are downright annoying and distructive! You may have developed a habit from childhood, like chewing on the end of your hair, or twiddling a pencil through your fingers when concentrating. Harmless, and not likely to have any ill effects one way or the other. In the overall scheme of things, singing Build Me Up, Buttercup while taking a shower is not going to damage you, though it might defintely annoy the other people in the house!
Unfrotunately, we also develop funny little physical habits. Some, again, make us unique and identify us. You can usually spot someone off in the distance and recognise them by the way they move. You can spot them on the dance floor, for good or for bad, or how they run, walk or stand. We can personally have developed ways of sitting, standing, walking etc, that have been laid deeply down into our neuropathways, and we have no real awareness of it. It settled into the unconscious when the pattern has been repeated and used enough. Some of these are good. Some support us and all are there to propel us around and get done what needs to be done. Some..on the other hand, may be very detrimental to the framework we occupy, i.e. the skeletal sturcture.
We may have had an ankle injury back when, and held our foot and ankle at a distorted angle. If it is held there long enough, repeated enough, that distortion will settle into a pattern of movement that can be permanent, even after the ankle has healed. We could just have developed a "hitch" in the way we walk, which ultimately will pull the structure out of alignment. We could be rolling our weight into the balls of our feet, instead of spreading it over the breath of the foot, and develop bunions, and bony build up outside the ball of the foot.
The body is built for symmetry. (unless there are bone length anomolies or distortions) and Yoga, and especially SAY Yoga, helps to bring they symmetry back to the structure. It will correct these "funny little habits" that form over time. Once the body start to be aware of these habitual ways of moving and holding, the mechanism in your awareness, your consciousness, will expand the ability and start to NOTICE in the broader sense. You will notice that you "notice"! The ability to examine and evaluate things that we often take for granted or never gave any attention to start to seep into our awareness. The internal world becomes more interesting, and the external world becomes more astonishing.
A life lived unexamined is not worth living, as Socrates said. Yoga will certainly teach us how to examine, and evaluate the life we are living!! Enjoy your funny little habits that make you you, and be happy to address the ones that may be ready to be released.
Unfrotunately, we also develop funny little physical habits. Some, again, make us unique and identify us. You can usually spot someone off in the distance and recognise them by the way they move. You can spot them on the dance floor, for good or for bad, or how they run, walk or stand. We can personally have developed ways of sitting, standing, walking etc, that have been laid deeply down into our neuropathways, and we have no real awareness of it. It settled into the unconscious when the pattern has been repeated and used enough. Some of these are good. Some support us and all are there to propel us around and get done what needs to be done. Some..on the other hand, may be very detrimental to the framework we occupy, i.e. the skeletal sturcture.
We may have had an ankle injury back when, and held our foot and ankle at a distorted angle. If it is held there long enough, repeated enough, that distortion will settle into a pattern of movement that can be permanent, even after the ankle has healed. We could just have developed a "hitch" in the way we walk, which ultimately will pull the structure out of alignment. We could be rolling our weight into the balls of our feet, instead of spreading it over the breath of the foot, and develop bunions, and bony build up outside the ball of the foot.
The body is built for symmetry. (unless there are bone length anomolies or distortions) and Yoga, and especially SAY Yoga, helps to bring they symmetry back to the structure. It will correct these "funny little habits" that form over time. Once the body start to be aware of these habitual ways of moving and holding, the mechanism in your awareness, your consciousness, will expand the ability and start to NOTICE in the broader sense. You will notice that you "notice"! The ability to examine and evaluate things that we often take for granted or never gave any attention to start to seep into our awareness. The internal world becomes more interesting, and the external world becomes more astonishing.
A life lived unexamined is not worth living, as Socrates said. Yoga will certainly teach us how to examine, and evaluate the life we are living!! Enjoy your funny little habits that make you you, and be happy to address the ones that may be ready to be released.
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