True Confessions of a Yoga Teacher
balance
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Posted on Saturday, February 18, 2012 7:05 PM
What is the practice of yoga? It is many things for many people, but for me
it has given the gift of mindfulness, of awareness. Of a greater sense of gratitude as well as
consciously being in my body. Forgetfulness, It is not just a
mental issue; it can also show up in the body.
No one is immune to the habitual state of forgetfulness, CRS (cant
remember shit) as I often call it. We
are told we can keep our minds alert thru mental exercises, so why not the
body. As this forgetfulness or lack of
awareness shows up in the physical body we lose awareness of sensation in
certain muscles and or muscles groups in the body. |
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Kimberly Hardick: Posted on Wednesday, February 15, 2012 10:48 PM
Reflections on our
Reflections We all have the ability to Sense energy, but many of us lack
the awareness of self, and it is thru this self awareness that we can tap into
our innate ability to accurately sense energy. For just a moment, listen to the sounds around you, both
inside the room and outside. Don’t try
to identify it just sense it. What about
fragrances, do you smell anything? Touch,
can you feel the clothes resting on your skin, your hair on your neck or face,
maybe a gentle breeze made by your breath. |
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Posted on Thursday, February 02, 2012 11:27 AM
Pain and suffering, it is
everywhere, but so is joy. It is our
true authentic self. Do you ever wonder how to rise above and become unaffected
by the pain and suffering of others. Does this mean we must lose sight of
compassion? How can one not be
affected and react to the negative energy while maintaining and staying in a
space of peace?
It can be difficult to rise
above it, not react, and stay in a place of joy, of love and acceptance. Avoidance of people, places and things is not
always possible. |
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Posted on Sunday, December 18, 2011 5:33 PM
Patience with self. How many times I use this as an intention in my classes, how very seldom I am finding I practice it outside of the class. I accepted from the onset of my injury that it was going to be a practice of patience and acceptance. I just did not know it was going to take so long! LOL The simplest of tasks took so much more energy as I hobble around balanced on one leg. The right side of my body having to do twice as much work not to mention these arms of mine were getting a daily work out. |
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Posted on Wednesday, November 09, 2011 1:59 PM
You have the ability and the power to touch the
lives of everyone who you come into contact with and with everyone each
of those people come into contact with. Think of the possibilities.
The second of the 8 limbs of yoga are the five
internal practices of Niyama (observance). Niyama can be described as
the rules that need to be observed by individuals, on a more personal
level. - Sauhca
- Samtosa
- Tapas
- Svadhyaya
- Isvarapranidhana
 So lets begin with Saucha, the first of the Niyamas, it literally means |
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Posted on Thursday, November 03, 2011 9:47 AM
I wonder who came up with these ideal forms anyway?Brahmacharya
is the fourth of the Yamas, and one that does not come with out a bit
of misunderstanding and mystery. Lets look at this as our life force,
prana, energy, chi. How many times I find myself busy busy busy, yet
feel as thou I mindlessly spinned my wheels and accomplished nothing. I
flit from this task to that task, from here to there and by the end of
the day I am so exhausted yet feel like I have nothing to show for it. |
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Posted on Wednesday, November 02, 2011 1:28 PM
Today set an intention of faith. Faith as we trust the limits as well as the abilities of our bodies.Today I am looking at Asteya, the third of the Yamas. Not
stealing or grasping. How might one be able to apply this to a yoga
practice? One steals due to a sense of lack. Lack of not just wanted
material possessions but lack of perceived ability. A lack of believing
we can create what we need. Lack of Self worth. I know this one
well and like many have struggled with it off and on my whole life. |
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Posted on Tuesday, October 25, 2011 9:45 AM
It is easy to get ourself hung up on expectations, and it is these expectations that cloud our view of the truthSatya is the second principle of Yama and means commitment to the
truth. Once again this principle brings with it a duality, it can be
associated with your daily practice of life on or off the mat. What you
find to be truth today, may or may not be your truth tomorrow. This
can be a source of healing as you are then able to release expectations
based on past experiences. |
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Posted on Tuesday, October 25, 2011 9:17 AM
I can not emphasize enough the importance of balanced strength in Today’s Athlete. Squats are great and have there purpose but do you really think you can continue to strengthen the front of the legs and continue to ignore the back of the legs with out consequences?
This post will show up in both the Quads and the hamstrings as it relates to both.
If your hamstrings are weaker then your quads a few things could happen
- 1.Your hamstrings can tear from the overpowering load of a contracted quad as you extend your leg back from your hip.
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Posted on Monday, May 16, 2011 3:02 PM
(this post was written over a year ago when I was healing a broken ankle. I am currently transferring my blog from one site to another and as I reread what i wrote and share them again, I am being reminded of the beautiful lessons that can come when we are open)  Patience with self. How many times I use this as an intention in
my classes, how very seldom I am finding I practice it outside of the
class. I accepted from the onset of my injury that this was going to be
a practice of patience and acceptance. |
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Posted on Sunday, April 24, 2011 9:35 AM
It is easy to get ourself hung up on expectations, and it is these expectations that cloud our view of the truth Satya is the second of Yama's and means commitment to the
truth. Once again this principle brings with it a duality. It can be
associated with both your daily practice of life on or off the mat. What you
find to be your truth today, may or may not be your truth tomorrow. This
can be a source of healing as you are then able to release expectations
based on past experiences. |
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Posted on Tuesday, April 12, 2011 7:39 AM
"Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach."As
I am exploring the wonders of mastery, I am seeing this quote in a
whole new context. For me the asanas of yoga have never come easy, and I
am always exploring new ways to bring about ease and agility which then
allows me the ability to share. It has been in my lack of natural
ability, my practice of exploring and being open that enable me to teach
what I know. I am an artist, a
skill I am not currently practicing, yet I can remember people asking
me why I did not give lesson. |
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Posted on Wednesday, February 02, 2011 8:12 PM
Compassion for where you are today, Do not let
the memory or ideal of an asana be your guide, rather respect and have
compassion for your body today.The Yamas, the foundation of your yoga practice and the first of the 8 limbs of yoga. There are 5. - Ahimsa
- Satya
- Asteya
- Brahmacharya
- Apiragraha
They are also referred to as the ethical disciplines in the performance
of asana, according to Iyengar in his book the tree of yoga. He likens
the Yamas to the roots of a tree, and from here the rest of the practice
will flourish and grow. |
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Posted on Wednesday, February 02, 2011 8:11 PM
A physical practice is just a physical practice unless you bring into it the other elements.
"Many of you say that performing an asana is a physical
discipline, but if you speak in this way without knowing the depth of
asana, you have already fallen from the grace of yoga." BKS Iyengar Wow
how I love this man! I traveled to India this past fall and I had
hoped to say I studied Yoga in India. I took some classes,
I
stayed in an Ashram along the Ganga for a week, (bathing in a bucket I
might add) Participated in some amazing spiritual rituals, journeys and
tours, but I was really surprised at how little yoga I found. |
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Posted on Wednesday, February 02, 2011 7:18 PM
When
speaking of balance, their are many factors to take into consideration.
You first must have an awareness of gravity, as well as a sense of the
direction of movement. This awareness must be maintained thru out each
and every action. It is here that you will find and maintain your
center of gravity. If you overstretch in one direction your center of
gravity changes and you must balance your direction of movement to
maintain your center of gravity. |
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Posted on Wednesday, February 02, 2011 7:16 PM
Touch! Such a treat in a yoga practice, to receive the gentle confident, guiding touch of a teacher. I call thisThe Art of Compassionate Touchwhen
working with teachers. The confident guided touch of a yoga
instructor has more then just a temporary effect in the practitioners
body. It is often associated with what I like to call an Aha moment. I
am then able to really process and understand what is taking place in
my body while in the asana with a deeper awareness. |
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Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2011 1:44 PM
You may also find the achievements and
progression decrease as you learn to just be in the asana and it is
here, as the effort decreases that you find the joy.
When
speaking of balance, their are many factors to take into consideration.
You first must have an awareness of gravity, as well as a sense of the
direction of movement. This awareness must be maintained thru out each
and every action. It is here that you will find and maintain your
center of gravity. |
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Posted on Sunday, January 09, 2011 8:05 PM
It is so important to remain whole body aware. Balance! Want to
bring awareness to your balance or lack there of, break an ankle. I
have never been so aware of my balance and the importance of it till
this adventure with my ankle. I am ever so grateful for my strong
balancing practice and the fruits of that are revealing them self to me
daily. Currently balancing for me is the physical aspect of maintaining
my balance on one foot, sitting, standing, extending. |
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