Bad News, Good News, Yoga News

Bad News: The internet is not nearly as accessible here as I was hoping or was led to believe. I know, I know, I can learn to live without it and it is a test of my Ego. I just will not be able to update this site as much as I would have liked. I am however, gathering copious photos, notes, memories etc to share as soon as I am able! Also, I am just so darn worn out, updating a blog is about the last thing I want to do!

Good News: This place is wonderful and a blessing of many kinds. My roommate is my age and we have much in common. The other students are as enthusiastic, if not more so, than I am. The studio space is incredible and carries a powerfully positive energy. The training is hard work (and this is only day three!) but it will be well worth every drop of sweat. There are many places nearby to go for morning walks or long hikes here in the Berkshires. There is a creek running just outside my window and if I walk to that area, there is a stone fire pit, tree swing, and tadpole puddles. It has been mildly warm in the day and cool at night. What more could I want? I could go on and on about the positives but I am exhausted and it is an early day tomorrow.

Yoga News: I officially have permission to disclose more detailed information on the program I am attending. I wanted to wait, out of respect, to talk to the main teacher first about what I am doing, and make sure that it was acceptable to post publicly about her business.

I am at Frog Lotus Yoga Teacher Training in North Adams, Massachusetts. Check out their website of you are interested.

 This studio has an interesting history and lineage and I wish the website talked a little more about it. I can fill you in more later.

Off to bed, it has been a loooooong day!

Arrived at my destination. But have I arrived?

So I have officially arrived at my destination. Well, one of my many destinations that I am already aware of, and some that I am not yet aware of.  :)

I spent about four hours traveling across Massachusetts today to get to the studio where I will be training. It's actually a lot less of a drive, but I took the slow and scenic route and stopped several times. Like to cool my feet of in a nearby stream:

It was a gorgeous little stream.

There were some great views of the Berkshire mountains along the way.

I'm pretty sure I can learn to love it here!

I arrived to find an enormous studio, gorgeous living quarters, and a very friendly roommate. Our first dinner together as teacher trainees was delicious and everyone was quite talkative and appeared to share in my excitement!

More pictures to come of the studio and living quarters. First classes begin tomorrow morning.

Yoga on Horseback?

Is there no end to the fads of yoga-on-top-of-something-odd?

In sequence with my recent post about yoga on paddle board, today's news shared a story of a woman who teaches equine yoga, or yoga on horseback. Her yoga studio is her backyard.

A quick Google search led me to discover that this is not a thoroughly uncommon practice! See Desert Horse Equestrian Services yoga page .

While interesting, I think I will keep my practice on a mat. A mat on the ground, not somewhere crazy like on the wing of an airplane.

Yoga in the seat of a roller coaster! I totally just thought of a brilliant new market!

Moving Day

Today I am moving into my new apartment! It is a very busy time for me, especially because in the midst of moving, I also need to pack and prepare to leave for my teacher training on Sunday.

I feel like I don't have time to practice yoga today, which is never a good feeling.

So I think I will spend 5 to 10 minutes for a quick sun salutation sequence and some pranayama. This will be in my kitchen, among boxes stacked high of course.

Looking forward to being able to catch up more on the blog writing!

A Light Bulb

Something I have been doing over this past week has suddenly clicked inside of me. A light bulb has gone off...


I went out of town for a few days and ate at restaurants more often than I usually do. It was incredibly easy to order tasty and filling dishes that were also vegetarian! I had a bite here and there of my boyfriend's meat-filled dishes, just to see if I was missing out on anything special.

One night during this vacation, I was reading some stuff online about yogis and vegetarianism and one swami wrote that by eating meat, you are turning your body into a graveyard for the flesh of those animals. I'm pretty sure I had read this before, but this particular time that I read it, the idea settled into my brain for the night and grew in there while I slept.

The next day I honestly could not stand the thought of eating meat. I felt sick just thinking about all of the meat that I have eaten in my life and (I know, this is gross!) all of the animal flesh that had rotted away in my stomach and intestines, turning gross and toxic. Sorry if that yucks anyone out.

So I think I have now officially moved on from dabbling here and there with vegetarianism (as chronicled over at Veggies. You Know You Love 'Em!), to a full-fledged effort to eradicate meat-eating from my life. Now, I'm not saying that I foolishly believe that I will never have cravings for meat again, or that my opinions could never be swayed back in the other direction! I am a growing and changing human being who cannot commit to a life-long particular way of thinking. By right now, right here, I have (at least momentarily) crossed over to the other side.

Can you attain bliss on a paddleboard?

So if you think you've already heard of all the latest yoga fads, check out this article in the Boston Herald about yoga on paddle boards.

There are some very cool pics of folks in asanas while also balancing on paddle boards in the middle of a lake. Talk about core strength!

I may have to try this the next time I attempt surfing...although now that I think about, it is probably not possible on ocean swells, which probably explains why they were on a lake!

A space for at-home yoga practice

While studio yoga practice can be wonderful, and even necessary for some, I was reminded the other day that your studio practice is just "practice" for your at-home practice.

My apartment right now is carpeted and I have been doing my asana practice in my linoleum floored kitchen, after moving all the chairs out of the way, locking up the cats (who are wicked distracting anytime I lay out my mat; yoga seems to equal kitty playtime!) and sweeping up all the food crumbs. In other words, it hasn't been a great space, but it has done the job.

I signed the lease for my new apartment today and...drum roll please...meet my new home yoga space!!

Why yes, that is a spare bedroom with hardwood floors and plenty of sunlight!

I am excited to turn this into a space that works for me and my practice. It also may serve me well for teaching private yoga lessons after my training is complete. There actually would be enough room for two or even three students at a time, I think.

Don't forget to read about my vegetarian explorations over at Veggies, You Know You Love 'em!

How do you make your home yoga space work for you?

Animals do yoga too

Just for fun because I am celebrating the end of my job as a social services worker, a week "vacation" (more like moving and getting situated into my new apartment and packing and preparing for YTT), and then the start of my training program and a new career!

Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

Upward Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana)

I have no idea what animal this is, perhaps a monkey, do you?

Table-top with arm extention (Is there a name for this?)

Saluting the Sun (Urdhva Hastasana)

Forward Bend (Janu Sirsasana)

Tree (Vrksasana)

Handstand (Adho Mukha Vrksasana)

Corpse (savasana)

Long last week of work

This past week has been the final week at my job as a social services worker. It was an incredibly long, busy and stressful week. It was also kind of emotionally draining, having to say goodbye to clients and to co-workers. But I know I am now headed in a direction that is much more suited for me! I have been so grateful for the feedback I received so far by my readers, thank you for your kind words.

Apologies for the pause in blogging, but I promise to catch you up on the next phase of my adventure this weekend! I did manage to write about spicy vegetarian burritos over at Veggie's. You know you love 'em! Check it out!

Countdown: Eight days until my Yoga Teacher Training begins!

Yoga on a Budget

Frugality is an important quality to have in my book. I used to be broke all the time! That is never fun. I now feel like I have a decent grasp on avoiding debt, living well within a budget, and still enjoying life to the fullest! 

I was explaining my Master Plan (mwa, ha, ha) to become a yoga teacher to an acquaintance of mine the other day. I got the usual response that I have been getting when I tell people that I am quitting my job to go to a yoga teacher training, "Oh, I've heard yoga is so wonderful, I should really try it sometime!". This time however, it was followed up with, "yoga classes are so expensive though, I don't think I can ever get into it". Instant frowny face.

I know it's a recession. I know that blowing money on indulgences is never a good idea, but I promise you, a deep and fulfilling yoga practice can be had without busting the bank!

Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Yoga DVDs are completely unnecessary in my book. There are so many free videos online now on YouTube and various yoga websites, as well as on Comcast On Demand if you have that, that purchasing a new DVD is a waste.
• If you really want to own yoga DVDs, Amazon and eBay are the way to go! Or the used section of any big box bookstore.
• Yoga props: mats, straps, blocks, etc, etc, etc. I have seen some of these items sold for outrageous amounts of money. I again recommend going with Amazon or eBay, not just for used, but new items frequently go for much less than store bought or yoga web store costs.
• Take it one step further and discover that a blanket, belt, and brick are all suitable yoga "props" for your home practice! Most yoga studios will provide you with all necessary props for your studio practice.
• Fancy meditation cushion? Or....stack of pillows and folded blankets? I promise you, your meditating mind will not know the difference!
• The majority of yoga studios that I am familiar with offer weekly or monthly "community" or "donation" classes. These are classes are sometimes taught by teachers-in-training, but are usually just a way for the studio to practice good karma. The cost for one of these classes vary between free, specific item donation (such as a canned food drive), and 50% to 75% cost of their usual drop-in class fee. Ask your studio!
• If you are planning to have a regular and frequent studio practice, it will almost surely be worth investing in a class card or a monthly, quarterly , or even yearly class package. A class card is when you pre-purchase 5, 10, 20, whatever amount of classes for a discounted amount (make sure you like the studio/instructors prior to purchase!!) If your studio's drop-in rate for one class is, say $10, a 10 class card might cost you $80, a savings of 20%. I personally am purchasing 3 months unlimited class package at a time. It is costly (about $230), but since I am attending 3-6 times per week, it is very much worth it to me!
• Most importantly, shop around! You would do this if you were buying a new car, so why not when looking for a yoga studio? Spend the drop-in amount to try out the teachers, meet the owners, and get a feel for their methods, focus of class, clientele, and overall atmosphere. You want to find a studio where you feel comfortable, accepted, challenged and welcome!

Know any other ways to save money and still have a fulfilling yoga practice?

New Blog, New Topic

I have been having the urge to write about vegetarian cooking so much lately that I decided those urges called for a new blog! Please join me over at Veggies. You know you love 'em! Adventures in Vegetarian Cooking.

Veggie Pizza, soooo good!

I did some grocery shopping today and picked up more veggies than I usually do, since I am trying to gradually replace meat dishes with vegetarian dishes. I looked up a few recipes and made a plan for the week's cooking.

This evening I made a veggie pizza with spinach, tomatoes, vidalia onions, and loads of garlic...

Garlic, and lots of it, is a key ingredient in lots of things that I make!

This pizza was sauce-less. I used olive oil, basil and parmesan (pesto) as the base, and piled it high with fresh spinach, veggies, a few sliced jalapenos, and crumbled feta cheese. It came out garlicky, cheesy, and delicious!

Suggestions for quick, easy, and cheap vegetarian meals?

The Significance of OM

Have you ever been in a yoga class where there is a led chanting of OM and thought that this was just another hippie-dippie method of making the class seem more "authentic"? I was a few years ago, when I was first starting to explore yoga, and that inspired me to do a little reading-up on the meaning of OM and of chanting in general.

Above you see one of the most popular tattoos of enlightenment-seeking, hybrid-driving westerners, the sacred and mystical syllable of Indian religions. But what makes it so sacred? And how can we find significance and importance in using this in chanting or meditation mantra?

OM is the origin of all sound, the cosmic vibration of the universe. If you are quiet enough, you can hear the hum of OM anywhere and everywhere, in everything you do. God manifests as OM and OM is what we take away from any spiritual experience, whether we know to label it as such or not. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1).

Carerra's commentary on the Yoga Sutras says the following:

"OM is the hum of the business of creation: the making, evolving, and dissolving of beings and objects. You can hear it in the roar of a fire, the deep rumble of the ocean, or the ground-shaking rush of a tornado's winds...It is always vibrating within us...This hum can be hears in deep meditation, when external sound is transcended and internal chatter stilled."

Om is comprised of three letters, A, U, and M and is usually pronounced as a tripthong, each syllable representing birth, life, and death; creation, evolution, and dissolution. There is a lot of energy manifested when one chants OM and so it is the origin of all mantras and the prefix to most mantras.

Yesterday, I spent the day on Plum Island, on a small nature reserve in northern Massachusetts. I was there to sun myself, play in the water, and relax in the sand. I succeeded in all of those things! But I also spent some time trying to listen for OM in the sound of the waves. It did not take too much time or effort to hear the rumble of a wave being born and rushing towards the shore, the crashing of that wave as it crested and fell, and the fizz as it died and retreated back into the ocean. This rhythm became clearer and more powerful the longer I sat there listening for it.

To try to symbolically recreate that sound, the sound of God at work in the world, with a simple chant, seems to fall short. I do know that mindless parroting of a sound has no power, but to be able to just start grasp the possible significance of the mantra, brings about a subtler perception and a moment of connection with the Self.

(sorry for the incredibly poor quality of this cellphone video!)

Where in the world have you heard OM? What have you experienced from the chanting of OM? 

My first no-meat day.

As I wrote about previously, I am planning on making a massive reduction in my meat consumption. I am starting this by gradually replacing my usual meals with vegetarian meals. Yesterday was my first day to purposefully go "meat-free"!

I certainly will not say that this was a perfect example of a well-balanced, nutritional, and completely animal/enviornmentally friendly, but it was a small step in the right direction.

Breakfast:
Cereal with Skim Milk
Organic Apple

Lunch:
Fresh Spinach Salad with
     olives, radishes, green onions, carrots

Snack:
Raw Almonds
Mozerella String Cheese

Dinner:
Whole Wheat Pasta with Spinach, Ricotta Cheese and Tomatoes

So, all in all, I didn't even notice that there was anything different about today's meals. I didn't experience any cravings or feel like I was lacking in any area!

I plan on doing a little more research on vegetarian meals and putting together some delicious recipes, but will update as things move along.

Know any great and easy "meat-free" recipes?

Facing a fear I didn't know I had.

I have started keeping a yoga journal in which each time I practice, whether at home or in a studio, I am writing a quick blurb about what was the best part of the practice, and what was the hardest part.

So now I catch myself in class thinking, "Ooh, this is the best part", and then later, "Ooh, no this is definitely the best part!". On the flip side, I am also having thoughts like, "This part sucks so bad! I will be writing about this in my journal later" (silent grumble).

Yesterday I walked into class and realized that the only space available for my mat was right in the center of the front row. I surprised myself with the automatic negative emotional reaction that I had to this realization. Without even noticing, I had gotten into the habit of getting to class early enough to take a spot in the back corner, and had started counting on the fact that I could be in that back corner in my own little yoga world!

The second realization that hit me was "Wait a second, I'm getting ready to train to be a teacher! Teachers usually have to stand in the front of the class, with people actually looking at them!" And I suddenly got very nervous. Uh oh.

"I will be writing about this in my journal later."

Am I really going to do this vegetarian thing?

I've been putting off even thinking about "going veggie" for awhile now. I am a foodie. I love food. And (surprise!), I love meat.

I love chicken wings, pork chops, bratwurst, cheddar stuffed bratwurst, spaghetti with meatballs, meatloaf (it's like a loaf of bread, but it's meat!), steak kabobs, steak tips, giant cuts of medium-rare sirloin steaks, filet mignon, and don't even get me started on the possibilities that come with bacon!

But I am also a human with a conscious. I feel the weight of responsibility of being at the top of the food chain and being the species that is in control of our planet and its resources. Also I luuuuuurv me some living animals too! Furry, feathery, cuddly or not, I have pets and I love them.

As a student of yoga, I cannot ignore the yama, or ethical aim, of ahimsa, or non-violence. This includes non-violence towards any living creature.  There are some monks who wear masks over their mouths to prevent the accidental inhalation of bugs and carry brooms at all times to sweep away bugs that might be about to be under their feet. I know that I will never take it to that extreme. There are so many more reasons why I am interested in making this change other than merely a love and respect for all animals. I could write a whole other blog just on the environmental impacts of raising cattle. Check out 49 Good Reasons For Being a Vegetarian.

It will also be a challenge to find a way to eat that is healthy and well-rounded, imagine the damage I can do with macaroni & cheese, cake, and nachos! I read a great blog on Elephant recently about just such a dilemma, Why vegetarian does not equal healthy.

I may not ever cut meat out of my diet completely. I plan to continue to eat seafood as well as dairy products, but I do intend to cut back drastically on my meat intake. Everything I've read so far recommends taking it slow; having one or two meat-free days per week, slowly building a vegetarian recipe collection, and using meat substitutes when I'm having a craving. So that is my plan, beginning with this week. For the month of August, while I am attending the yoga teacher training, all of my meals prepared on-site by the chef will be vegetarian. That will be my first true test!

Could you ever go meat-less? If you are a vegetarian, how did you make the change?

Don't you have to be like a Yoga master or something to become a teacher?

I hope not, because that does not describe me! When I hear "yoga master" I think of the the gurus of India who are wise beyond comprehension, flexible as any circus contortionist, with the strength of  a strongman competitor. I might even conjure up an image something like this:

Will that ever be me? Unlikely, though my possibilities, I believe, are unbounded.

Here are the qualities I believe are needed, and indeed I expect, in a yoga teacher:

• A passion for yoga
• The desire to explore and expand yourself spiritually
• The ability to give clear, precise and accurate instructions
• The capability to give appropriate and safe adjustments
• A willingness to prod students to see yoga as more than just asanas (poses), and to inspire further exploration.

What do you expect from your yoga instructors?

Seeking the Change

A quick explanation of the name of this blog... (Please read my previous post for an introduction)

A well known and popular quotation of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi,

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world".

Ghandi was, of course, the pioneer of resisting tyranny through mass civil disobedience, a principle developed from the limb Yama of the eight-limbed yoga tree. Yama are the ethical aims we should try to live by, including  Ahimsa or non-violence.

This blog centers around the idea of change. My desire for change has been a driving force in my life for some time. Mukunda Stiles stated that yoga is indeed alchemy. The self transforms into the Self. The word yoga itself means "yolking" or union of the self to the true Self.

In the yoga culture, the true Self or Supreme Self is often represented by the image of a swan. Everyone knows the story of The Ugly Duckling, right?

A homely duckling born in a barnyard transforms into a graceful and beautiful swan to the surprise of himself and others around him:

Guess what is hiding inside of all of us, just waiting to be discovered so that it can take flight?

So, in other words, here is the change/liberation that I am seeking!:

What change are you seeking?

Lemme introduce you to crazy idea I had awhile back...

So it has now been 6 (six!) years since college graduation, and since the start of what I thought would be an exciting and adventurous life.  Oh, the plans I had made for myself at that time! Traveling and exploring the world, meeting fascinating people, and hoping to make a difference in the lives of the people I served in my work. The dreams of any inspired youth... Blame this guy:

Fast forward through six years of struggles with finances, busted romances, bosses I wanted to strangle (some co-workers who I wanted to strangle even more), adventures in anti-depressants, one move across the country, and here I am: sitting at my work computer 8 hours a day, churning out stacks of government paperwork and feeling over-worked, underpaid and under appreciated. Did I mention the hour-long, mind-numbing, life-sucking commute through greater Boston? I have become the average yuppie (Young Urban Professional for those of you that missed the 80's) that I never wanted to become!

Don't get me wrong, there have been a smattering of good times and good things happen to me. I have had some incredible friends, with whom I have had some incredible times. The music festivals and concerts, restaurants and favorite bars, mountain climbing and beach dozing, discovering and practicing yoga have all certainly brought a level of sanity to my life. And for most people, those smatterings are what get them through at the end of the day. But for me it has never been enough.

Yogic philosophy speaks of an inner longing for freedom inside all of us. The problem in life is that we tend to seek the desires and wishes that we think will bring us happiness, when it is freedom from those desires and wishes only that can bring us the permanent happiness that comes with true liberation.

So here I am about to quit my job, in the middle of the biggest and scariest recession of my lifetime, to seek that true liberation! I am deepening my yoga study and practice, and I will be attending a Yoga Teacher Training later this summer. I hope that this blog will be a place where I can share that adventure with you. I'm sure there will be a lot of new things that I will learn that I will want to share with you along with the many new successes and failures that I am bound to encounter!