truth and beauty, are they all I need to know?

Posted on February 17, 2009 by carolyn

Dariel Woltz in Niralamba Sarvangasana

Thinking about how beauty and truth intersect. . . . .It’s a classic. Yoga poses are inherently visually striking when performed well. One of the rewards of teaching yoga is to catch a student in a pose that is BEAUTIFUL for him or her. Sometimes I must just stand back and clap in appreciation.

I’ll inevitably say “Now, THAT’S your pose!”

We all have this capacity for holding truth within us. Yoga teaches us to have a BEAUTIFUL life as well as a TRUTHFUL life.

Please spend some time WATCHING your teachers and your classmates as they practice/perform their poses. Let the BEAUTY and the TRUTH of the asana invade you and imprint upon you like your fav song lyrics. You know — the ones you hear and then can’t get out of your head! Asana can imprint upon you in just that way, if you invite it.

A few years ago, I was creating and conducting workshops on poems influenced by artwork, trying to inspire folks to marry the two fields in unusual and insightful ways. There are many poems now that use artwork as inspiration or that include their words in visual representations. There are entire collections wherein poets have used the visual arts for their MUSE just as there have been art shows focusing on WORD ART.

Here’s a poem I wrote a couple of years ago on the subject of truth and beauty. Thinking about Keat, of course — and please do listen to his poem read out loud using the link below my poem.

Beauty/truth

The sun rises

Every breath breathes

The heart drums

Legs lengthen

Eyes shudder

Truth is a bed in crumpled linen

A pillow limp from cranial weight

An open book flat upon the floor—

another page unread

Light flicks through dust motes and glistens

A cloud undulates in the bathroom

The towel damp on the rack

A night of nothingness dissolves

On the floor forgotten pajamas

Naked the day opens

Beauty is a bowl spoon and cup

ready on the wooden table

A coffeepot humming its routine

The mouth moistens

while sunshine pours

its sweet sauce through the shades

Do spend a meditative moment or two listening to a Fabulous rendition of Keat’s classic, Ode on a Grecian Urn. You won’t be sorry, promise!

award_art1

I’m still trying to figure out ways to make these blog awards meaningful to you, my readers. I will gladly entertain your thoughts on the subject. In the meanwhile, I’m following BlissChick’s lead – using them as a chance to highlight some of the blogs I’ve been reading and enjoying lately. These particular blogs have a BEAUTIFUL look to them as well as content-rich posts.

CULINARY BAZAAR – makes food look so good, my belly starts to growl just reading the recipes

YOGA, the MIND and CULTURE – a sister on the yoga journey with artwork that really highlights her posts and makes them even more arresting

CHANGETHERAPY - a blogger who covers a lot of territory on her blog and I find her posts enriching as well as beautiful beyond the surface. Hint: Take a peek at some of her Wordless Wednesday posts; I love them.

YOGA for CYNICS – an outrageous attitude that is uplifting without trying, or even wanting to be – has a knack for beautiful images too though I think he collects them from around the web

BUDDAOFHOLLYWOOD – a tender one with a flair for creating zen stories just when you need them!

Do you think that Truth is beauty and Beauty is Truth…do you think that THAT is all you need to know?

25 Random thoughts about Laughing Yogini

Posted on February 8, 2009 by carolyn

dicentra in Fredonia NY (devin photo)

Since I’ve been tagged repeatedly by FaceBook friends, I’ve gotten the message that I should provide a little more “personal” type info. for my beloved readers! So here goes, round two of 25 random thoughts….

25 Random Thoughts about LaughingYogini

1. Practices asana as a form of prayer.

2. Tore her Achilles doing the “Energy” Yoga tape with Rodney Yee and Patricia Walden ….which she did every morning after the kids left for school and M. went to work….for a solid year…still remembers the “zing” in the back of her heel (1998 or so)

3. She and Mike spent their 25^th wedding anniversary at the London Iyengar Institute in an all-day workshop on standing poses.

4. Loves teaching college students (and younger!) because of their energy and willingness to go where they’ve never gone before!

5. Wishes her tummy was smaller so she could go deeper in several poses.

6. Is still waiting to get into full splits on the floor, lift into a complete backbend, do a headstand away from the wall, clasp her hands behind her back in gomukhasana…..hmmmm, the list goes on….but who really cares since she is alive and well and feels like a goddess in ardha chandrasana?

7. Worked intensely for 2 years with a meditation teacher with whom she no longer studies. She did however, ramp up her sitting practice AND learned a lot about herself in the process.

8. No longer publishes her e-zine CIRCLE YOGA. Laughing Yogini blog and website launched in May 2008.

9. Practiced a half hour of ujjayi breath every day for six solid months while grieving a family member’s illness and credits THAT to her own life.

10. While in legs up the wall pose, listened to Pema Chodron cds every afternoon for many many months.

11. Teaches seniors because they ROCK and they don’t hold back!

12.Will probably never become a complete and utter vegetarian, though she really does love her veggies.

13. Has always believed in a higher power…god, the goddess, the Self. The Great Spirit, energy, collective unconscious….you know what I mean. Believes that higher is within.

14. After returning from living in Mumbai, the entire family — parents and kids: 12, 11, 8 years old — practiced yoga on the living room floor following the suggestions of Richard Hittleman’s YOGA…for about a year.

15. Her back went “electrical” when F. tried to straighten her up in sarvangasana on the last day of her first teacher training! Not to worry, sometimes body parts need adjustments.

16. Gave each other yoga ropes for their 30^th wedding anniversary (2 years ago). These are now in the basement studio and add a lot of zing to their personal practice as well as the classes.

17. Researched in Light on Yoga by B.K.S.Iyengar how to help heel spurs after being told by therapist that she’d never be able to walk barefoot…she’d already tried most of traditional medicine’s treatments at that time….after practicing Supta Virasana regularly those pesky heel spurs softened!

18. Graduated from 2 separate teacher trainings. Really LOVED BOTH of them even though they were quite different from each other. Sometimes it’s not the “advanced certificate” that’s as important as much as the knowledge that can be absorbed.

19. Is not happy with what the x-rays said about her lower back (spurs, eburnation, bone on bone) BUT is determined to continue honoring the “sacred space in the lumbar spine” as Vanda Scaravelli says.

20. Wishes she would find time to read and reread all of the yoga and meditation books she has on her shelf.

21. Was born bow-legged. Once found a pair of her baby shoes with boards connecting them at the arches which were supposed to straighten out her legs, according to Mom Kieber. She’s still working on straightening those bones!

22. Wishes she were more photogenic so she could create yoga videos just the way she thinks they’d be instructive for her students…ahhh well, they’ll have to make do with podcasts….the oral tradition.

23. While she’s broadcasting wishes: she wishes she had a full and complete studio built over the garage! And …..she’d like to get some training with Tibetans!

24. Was first introduced to YOGA nearly 40 years ago in Mater Dei High School Yoga Club. Blessings on that sweet teacher, whoever and wherever you are today!

25. Has found a deep connection to her yoga kula: students, friends, teachers, online acquaintances. She’s grateful for the wellspring of support and love that she has found there and hopes to return the sweetness with every breath.

Do You Believe in Prayer?

Posted on January 13, 2009 by carolyn

Yoga and prayer…do they go together…do YOU bring them together? Yoga asana IS prayer for me. It’s the prayer of the body in motion. It’s opening my SELF to the grace of the universe.It is working to create a sustainable body/mind/spirit and therefore family/friendships/community/nation/world.

Sitting meditation – is it a prayer? Yes’m indeed. We sit to develop compassion; all practice is for compassion. Imagine if those in the West Wing sat everyday, hell, sat once a week and practiced Lovingkindness meditation.…Imagine (as John Lennon did but the world has not quite grasped the work involved yet…Imagination + Prayer/Practice = a more loverly world!) ahhh, for today – as we enter upon the inauguration of a new era – just imagine….

This post is dedicated to another Jersey girl, a member of the original Mater Dei yoga club back in 1971: “White Cathy” – and the benevolent work she has done and continues to do! It’s a blessing and inspiration to know you.

Yoga and meditation teach us to open ourselves; to free ourselves from the confines of our “programming,” of what we have been inculcated by society. The practice informs us of a greater existence, a greater SELF that we can aspire to and it is a SELF that we all belong to in this great human family – some would say in this family of all sentient beings.

Do you believe in the power of prayer to change the world? Do you act on that belief? How does it affect your life? – or the lives of those around you?

Benefits of Inversions, Modified Shoulder Stand

Posted on January 12, 2009 by carolyn

When the elder yogini grinned up at me from her head on a blanket on the floor – her legs up in the air of the studio – her backside securely perched on the folding chair – I could see that she was in the “correct” position and the correct position felt good!!!

If you are unfamiliar with the pose, check out Witold Fitz-Simon’s article on supported shoulderstand.

Supported shoulderstand on Chair (ckg photo)

Why do I like to be upside down? my haloed student asked, hoping, I think, that I’d have an answer.

When I told her that I loved an inversion too, she said that ever since she was a kid, she’d always enjoyed being upside down. She’s a young seventy-something.

Looking at her sparkling blue eyes, and the way that her wavy alabaster curls spread about her head like a halo on the blanket, I wondered why reversing the flow of gravity pulling our physical self to the earth should give such an emotional boost. Sure, yogis have said since ancient times “You are only as young as your spine” ….and the spine strengthens whenever our feet lift and our head drops.

We know the health benefits of inversions:

venous blood flow returns to the heart with ease
nerves are soothed and headaches relieved
thyroid and parathyroid glands are bathed in blood and brought into healthful condition (yogic wisdom)
with repeated and regular practice, hypertension, and unstable emotions are regulated

B.K.S.Iyengar calls Salamba Sarvangasana the “Queen of Poses” – Headstand is the “King of Poses.” Though he doesn’t discuss the supported or chair version of the pose in his classic text, Light on Yoga, he does discuss at length the benefits of standing upon one’s shoulders:

The importance of sarvangasana cannot be over-emphasized. It is one of the greatest boons conferred on humanity by our ancient sages. Sarvangasana is the Mother of asanas. As a mother strives for harmony and happiness in the home, so this asana strives for the harmony and happiness of the human system. It is a panacea for most common ailments. There are several endocrine organs or ductless glands in the human system which bathe in blood, absorb the nutrients from the blood and secrete hormones for the proper functioning of a balanced and well developed body and brain.”

Though I am taking a break from inversions until my neck heals from the injury I incurred in November, I really miss supported shoulderstand as it was a regular part of my daily practice. I found it was indispensable for alleviating the pain of varicose veins. It also helped on a psychological level, promoting seeing the world from a different perspective. This benefit is not often emphasized, but I find very important in my own practice, teaching and life.

Texas wildflowers at dusk (Mark Knight photo)

Beginner’s Mind and Body, one-legged yoga

Posted on December 11, 2008 by carolyn

Dipti lifting foot into Tree with strap

Day after day, month after month, year after year, practice can grow stale and arrogant if I don’t re-invigorate mind and body in what zen master, Suzuki Roshi refers to as Beginner’s Mind. In yoga asana practice I need to remind myself to approach the physical aspect of any pose with “Beginner’s Body.”

If I return to the mat each day with an intention to open myself to whatever the practice (the universe!) can teach me, if I approach every class—whether I am teacher or student— as if it is my first, yoga will continue to inspire and embody its own motivation.

Fortunately, there’s nothing like an injury in one part of the body to jolt me out of my usual routine. An injury that requires resting, like the neck strain I have today (due to doing something I KNEW I shouldn’t do, but did anyway!!!) forces me to lay off my usual inversion practice for a while and spend more time in other poses and sequences—an opportunity to practice with Beginner’s Mind & Body.

As all of my teachers have stressed, yoga is not about becoming “a little more bendy;” it’s about how deep and how quickly I can drop down into the center of the SELF. It’s about attempting to stay connected with my center for as long as possible. To do this, I MUST practice Beginner’s Mind.

Dipti in Revolved Hasta Padanghustasana

There’s nothing like a one-legged sequence to shake out whatever remains stale and “old” in my practice. My teacher Dipti introduced a challenging sequence in last week’s class. What made it different was that nearly all of the poses were practiced on one leg and then the class switched legs and did them all on the other side. This required balance muscles in the core, ankles, and gluteus medias as well as intense concentration to remain upright!

For the dark, cold days that are upon me now in the western New York, a great way to stir the inner light (without straining my neck!) has been playing with these one-legged poses. Remembering the stability inherent in correctly practicing the individual poses, I gently try combining them. I pay particular attention to stabilizing my pelvis to protect my lower back and I press down through the inner leg and ankle of the standing leg to avoid my tendency to roll onto the lax outer ankle.

I’m starting with just a couple—3 at first—and trying to move through the poses without touching the lifted leg onto the ground as I transition from one to the other. I figure that as soon as I get used to the first 3, I’ll add another one or two as I become comfortable. I’m shooting for stability and grace in the sequence.

If you decide you’d like to spice up your practice and develop your Beginner’s Mind/Beginner’s Body with one-leggers, start slowly and carefully with strong focus on building alignment in each pose before moving on. Use ujjayi breath to build the position. As always, listen to your body, especially your vulnerable lower back and knees and stop when you feel pain.

Read the Introduction to Home Practice and Asana Practice if you haven’t yet and be sure you have permission from your medical practitioner before embarking upon any asana practice. Everyone should work at their capacity, not beyond—and make use of blocks, straps, or chairs if the full pose is presently unattainable.

One-leggers are not recommended for pregnant women, folks with current spinal disc or sciatica issues, or anyone who experience dizziness,

D. in Revolved Lifted Bent Knee Pose

Here’s a list of possible poses that I’ve been fooling around with:

Vrksasana – TREE
Virabhadrasana 3 – WARRIOR 3
Natarajasana – DANCER
Utthita Hasta Padanghustasana -STANDING BIG TOE
Ardha Chandrasana – HALF-MOON
Urdhva Prasarita Ekapadasana – UPRIGHT EXTENDED ONE-LEGGED (standing splits)
Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana – HALF BOUND LOTUS
Garudasana – EAGLE

I have to resist the thought that “Now I have the pose- and i can relax my attention.” I keep reminding myself that the journey is the pose and attempt to stay mindful coming into, during, and transitioning from pose to pose. If I fall out, no big deal; I can try again or move on as I feel prompted from within. Practicing this way over and over again helps to relax the grip that the past has on my mind and allows me to breathe and “pose” in the present.

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The audio version is great listening while walking deep in the forest, or on a treadmill:

Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind

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TODAY’S MANTRA:

HONOR,

BALANCE,

LIGHT

Kundalini, Breath of Fire

Posted on December 2, 2008 by carolyn

Ed Woods & Yoga Teacher, Theone Wilkinis

Ed and his yoga teacher, Theone Wilkinis

One of the high points of visiting Dave & family for Thanksgiving holiday was checking out long-time family friend, Edwin Woods’ Friday morning Kundalini class at Spring of Happiness in Manlius NY. Greeted by teacher, Theone Wilkinis in her studio, I immediately relaxed and found “my space” on a blue mat in the corner. The ambiance and energy were friendly and supportive; a cd of Wahe Guru chants drifted in the background adding aural comfort to the setting.

What was most different for me from classes I teach or attend, was the practice of Breath of Fire (Bhastrika) during most of the poses. Breathing in this manner required great mental focus, not to mention abdominal control. In addition to helping us maintain a meditative mindset, the rapid fire breath work had many physical benefits. We all built up a lot of heat, evidenced by our sweating — and the steamy windows lining the studio wall.

Here’s a video that shows Breath of Fire taught by Alyssa, a Kundalini teacher from Mind Body Soul Yoga:

Learn More about Kundalini Yoga:

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The 8 Human Talents: Acceptance, Creativity, Commitment, Compassion, Truth, Intuition, Boundlessness, and Radiance, Restore the Balance and Serenity Within You With Kundalini Yoga.

Gurmukh with Cathryn Michon.

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Meditation as Medicine, Activate the Power of Your Natural Healing Force.

Dharma Singh Khalsa and Cameron Stauth.

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Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan, Unlock Your Inner Potential Through Life-Changing Exercise.

Shakta Kaur Khalsa.

Panterrra Pre-Natal Yoga Workshop

Posted on September 28, 2008 by carolyn

Dariel in empathy vest with Maureen (carolyn)

Saturday morning, I wondered what I was doing in a pre-natal yoga workshop; after all, I hadn’t had a pregnant woman in class for at least one year. Furthermore, my own pregnancies were more than 22 years ago! Something inside nagged me to attend the workshop though, and one thing I’ve learned from my years of practice is to listen to that voice, so I went. And how informative and fun, it was! I learned that I had A LOT of emotions that I’d been carrying with me through the years regarding my own birthing experiences as well as my experiences as a mother and my relationship with my own mother. There’s nothing like yoga to cause all the STUFF to rise to the surface! And what is the appropriate response? Be present; just be present and observe whatever happens, whatever you are feeling, or thinking, or dreaming. Accept the *stuff* as part of you and honor all of it. Let it go. Breathe and breathe another long slow breath, for all of us – you and your baby – and me and my fledglings.

The theme of the weekend, if there was one, was that pregnancy is a time of awakening intuition and pregnant women should be provided skills and opportunities to support the process of looking inward. This will support them as they enter motherhood as well.

Dariel in supported Hasta Padanghustasana

D. in wall chair pose with ball & bolster

The workshop was arranged with a mix of pre-natal information from an RN yogini, asana with Dariel and Maureen, and q & a with a practicing midwife yogini. We all had opportunity to wear the pregnancy vest that included enlarged breasts, belly, and baby weight sitting on the bladder. See Dariel’s photo on top above and below where she is demonstrating a great way for expectant moms to stretch their backs on a large physio ball placed on a chair. To the far left she is demonstrating a safe practice of hasta padangusthasana using chair, wall, and strap.

Maureen led us in a memorable wall sit. We each pressed an 8 inch physio ball between our knees, while keeping head and back on the wall. We attempted to keep it up for a full minute (thighs burning, I tell you). This would teach the pregnant woman how to breathe and focus even through pain. It was very effective and I will definitely use that in classes for everyone – students get ready! One of the great gifts of yoga and meditation is the ability to learn to stay present through turmoil and pain.

Lots of anecdotal birthing stories were shared among the participants throughout the weekend revealing the unique path each woman follows in the process of bringing forth a new life.

We enjoyed time on Saturday to walk in the gorge, or to walk along the street beside ripening vineyards, breathing in the intoxicating scent of grapes.

Panterra: Bell Creek Gorge Sept. 2008 (carolyn)

Sunday morning we covered deep relaxation, breath techniques, finding personal rhythm to assist the birthing process, several styles of vocal toning for Stage 3, and more asanas appropriate for supporting pregnancy.

By lunchtime Sunday, the weather turned rainy and we all wanted to chat and bond, or practice our own asana.

The grand finale of the weekend was Maureen’s gentle voice leading us through a pre-natal yoga class complete with guided centering and a final blissful savasana.

By the time I sat up, I almost wished I were pregnant again!

Dariel practicing birth preparation with ball on chair (carolyn)

For FURTHER STUDY see Brenda K. Plakens (Grounding thru the sitbones) article in Yoga Journal:Tools For Teaching Prenatal Yoga

carolyn in side-lying savasana (Dariel)

Practicing Gratitude, Head Balance

Posted on September 17, 2008 by carolyn

HURRICANE IKE hit and the gang in Houston remains without power. Dinners have become very interesting. And the nights are long. A great time for meditation! By the way, Laughing Yogini’s server is wrapped in plastic in a bathroom until power returns. If you have left a comment, it won’t be approved until nutopia is back on line. Try re-submitting to the yogini at laughingyogini dot com and I’ll see what I can do from here. Lots of lovingkindness meditations going out to those whose lives have been shattered by the storm.

We all have an opportunity to practice gratitude – name 5 aspects of your life that you are grateful for. Can be anything …here are a couple of mine: the smell of my shampoo, the delicious cup of coffee I enjoyed this morning, the sweetness of the breeze upon the skin of my face, being able to tie my shoes, a very cool student who smiled at me this morning. Do this every day, either in meditation or in your journal, and the practice will go far towards alleviating sadness and depression – those “I feel so sorry for myself” moments that come upon us even in the best of times.

chair head balance

My own many years-long struggle with head balance surfaced in a dream. Yogis need to constantly work against the inevitable frustration that comes from self-imposed goals and standards. I work at letting the frustration become the guru! Sitting in my heart, the frustration offers a lesson of acceptance, very tangibly. Surrendering into self-acceptance, my asana begins to take off. And if it doesn’t soar in a way that LOOKS better, it most certainly FEELS better, enabling access to the particular energy flow of the asana.

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Dream of a Perfect Head Balance

In the screened sunroom of this dream,

your long white hair and fierce sapphire eyes

shone like far-away stars. I was teaching you

how to stand on your head—

separation from your wife had left you

a quagmire of guilt, a swamp of suffering.

Night surrounded the room as it usually does

in my dreams, but we worked in a circle of light.

Kneeling in the middle of the reed rug

I explained how to press your ulnar points,

how to lift through the shoulders, how to reach

through the balls of the toes.

Though I have yet to do this in my life,

I demonstrated a perfect sirsasana

without any wall for support.

You nodded, attentive to every detail.

I assured you regular practice of head balance

would discipline your mind, broaden your spirit,

and warned heart trouble was a contraindication.

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Then there are those poses that, well, you really can barely make an attempt. For me, those are the arm balances. I set up my props, and psyche myself by visualizing myself in the pose, and blam…the lift-off does not happen. At that point, it’s either a flop into frustration OR I can choose to enjoy the ride. In this case, the ride doesn’t go very far, but hey, it was fun falling on my face a few times. Afterwards, as I curl into Child Pose, the seeds of gratitude for even being able to attempt such the inversion, germinate, filling me with light. Laughing at how silly I must have looked trying fuels the spirit of exploration that’s so important for a healthy yoga practice. It breaks the chains of competition in class too because every student is trying to challenge individual, personal edges.

How do you deal with frustration in your daily practice or in group classes? Do your frustrations surface in your dreams? Have you written about them?

Have you found any satisfaction from practicing gratitude?

How does this relate to contentment …to peace…to compassion…in your life?

BarefootAndUpsideDown

Yoga as coming home to the Self.

Category Archives: asana