Om Namah Shivaya

Om Namah Shivaya

Saturday, June 20, 2015

Practice and Life are not that Different

"Follow your nature.
The practice is really about uncovering your own pose; we have great respect for our teachers, but unless we can uncover our own pose in the moment, it's not practice — it's mimicry.
 Rest deeply in Savasana every day. Always enter that pratyahara (withdrawn state) every day.
And just enjoy yourself. For many years I mistook discipline as ambition.
Now I believe it to be more about consistency. Do get on the mat.
Practice and life are not that different." — Judith Hanson Lasater 

Thursday, June 18, 2015

' break your mothers back'

Step on a crack- break your mothers back.
I am a living example of this old saying.

Currently not being able to move as well as I would like. Everyday gets better and better but still...I can't do my darn downward dog!

Yoga has many more paths than the physical... but right now I am craving the physical asana of yoga.
And with out the physical makes the mental and spiritual so much harder.

But there is yoga that aides the lower back. Not sure what exactly is ailing me but I am gathering it has something to do with the discs in my lower back. Here are some poses you can do to ease the pain of lower back issues.

Yoga for Slipped Disk
  1. Makarasana (crocodile pose)
  2. Jyestikasana ( superior Pose) 
  3. Advasana (Reversed Corpse Pose) & Shavasana (Corpse pose) as resting pose

Stage 2:

  1. Bhujangasana (cobra pose)

  2. Ardha Chakrasana (half-moon pose)
  3. Marjariasana (Cat pose).

I am going back to my room now to practice some of these.
OM

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Life supports all of my thoughts- especially when physical Pain arrises.

Is there a correlation between dis-ease in the body and dis-ease in the mind? Does the thought that orriginates in the mind influence manifestation of physical pain in the body? I think so. Am I a master of this? No. But do I feel this synchornicity? And I do try to incorporate it when healing is needed. Because, for me, healing the emotional issue often translated to a healing in the body. And sometimes vice versa.

When I lived in Chicago, I remember going to Pacific College Scool of Acupuncture. Mainly because there were alot of students there that offered reduced rates for training purposes.
I was also a student so could not afford typical rates. The place was great. Not fancy but lots of bustling energy around with people eager to learn how to heal.
And I needed some healing.
Many issues have plagued me in life but at this point in my journey...the issue was between my mother and I. There is no need to get into the nitty gritty of our issue. Simply, it was causing me alot of anger which affected my stomache. I had a knot in my stomache that ached constantly and kept me clogged up (if you know what I mean). The knot only grew and became more and more painful over time.
A few bottles of fiber and calming tonics along with some other medicinal herbs and frequent colonics- i could not rid myself of the pain. Until... I decided to go get some acupunture. A typical treatment it was but this time the head doctor and teacher treated me; partly to showcase and use me as a teaching vessel for one of his classes but also divinely appointed by God. He spoke about my liver and said many techincal things about my tongue and pulse and then looked me in the eye as he stuck this needle in some point on my hand and said "Forgive"!

Tears welled up in my eyes and I immidately found the mental pain pressure point and knew I had to forgive my mother. In that instant- I did. Not just mentally but that pressure point triggered an emotional release that allowed me to truly heal.

That experience stuck with me for two reasons.
Acupuncture works (will get into that later)
and that mental pains do cause physical pains. Absolutely.

So fast forward 10+ years later and I am still learning how to self heal. What a blessing.

With that said. Its time to heal whats been on my mind lately. BC I have had some physical manefestatinos of pain that have maxed out in their message by debilitating me.
My hips and lower back.
According to Louise Hay and her book. "You can heal your Life"
the mental cause of hip problems is fear of going forward in major decisions. Nothing to move forward to.
And here is the New thought pattern: I am in perfect balance. I move forward in life with ease.

Here is the other issue ailing me. slipped disc. The mental cause is feeling totally unsupported by Life. Indecisive. Positive affirmation is Life supports all of my thoughts; therefore I love and approve of my self and all is well.

Thought these mental diagnosis may sound dramatic. If you can see a tiny bit of truth in them, then you can start to heal by affirming the positive, the opposite.

With the move back to Oklahoma looming... yes many of these thoughts pop up. But luckily I have this secret to help self heal.
BTW I did go to acupuncture today and feel much much better.
Amen to that!

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Yoga is not a means to get SOMEWHERE....

its becoming more and more enjoyable debating my religious friends on this simple subject.

Right where we are- God is.

It is already Given to us.

So stop feeling guilty and start enjoying IT.

'Yoga is not a means to get SOMEWHERE as if you were not SOMEWHERE already. It is your direct and intimate participation with Life.'
Mark Whitwell

Welcome back, ME!

Welcome back! I am welcoming myself back. I started this blog when I returned from India years ago! I was so inspired and filled with joy and passion and the bhav of India- especially the time spent with my dear teacher Mark Whitwell- so I started a blog to share with the world.

Life happened. And of course, the blog was one of the first things to be forgotten. But I have not forgotten the lessons learned in the holy land of India. In fact, one teacher said something very poignant to me while I was there. He said, all the teachings of India will not make much sense until you go back home. Then you will start to understand all what you gained and learned over here.

Amen to that.

Fast forward about 5 + years and here I am.
Now a mother and a wife. Yoga is stronger and deeper to me now than ever. The birth process was the ultimate expression of yoga for me. We will get into that later.

And talk about the updog and down dog in marriage! Fwew!!! With out yoga I dont think my husband would be alive. Joking! Love my husband, adore my daughter and am grateful that yoga has kept me (somewhat) sane through all of lifes changes.

Heck that is what yoga is. Breathing through the vinyasas of life. Some days you can flow through gracefully and others you cant even catch your breath!

Welcome to my writings on strife, love, loss, motherhood and wifery and the yoga of life!