Six years ago I went to a Vinyasa workshop with Rolf Gates. Rolf had just recently published his book, “Meditations from the Mat”. He was a powerful teacher and quickly becoming well known throughout the yoga world. When I arrived for the workshop the yoga room was buzzing and it was mat to mat. You could not even see the color of the floor—mats were touching. People were dressed in their most fashionable yoga gear while intensely warming up. I felt like I was back in an ice hockey locker room prepping for a big game.
When Rolf walked in he was calm and collected. Before he began the class he asked some profound and simple questions, “Can we drop the performance mode? Can you empty your cup and allow me to guide you through a practice?” The intensity of the room dropped and everything grounded down into an non egotistically awareness—it was a profound shift. Rolf’s wisdom still rings in my ears. There are many people who come to the physical practice of yoga with a performance based and competitive mind. You can learn a lot about yourself if you can see this aspect of yourself. The part of your mind that wants to perform, wants to be better then those around you and wants to win.
At Empowered Yoga we emphasize challenge over competition. A challenge is born within your heart—it is a quest for inner excellence. When you compete it is about the ego, there are winners or losers and the motivation is many times not so pure. When your motivation shifts to challenge we broaden our view. Our practice becomes a simple question, “Am I doing my best?” If the answer is yes then you are always a winner and there are no losers. Paradoxically this shift from competition to challenge inspires others to let go of egocentric motivators. Paradoxically my body is stronger, more flexible and graceful when I am operating from challenge. Fear constricts us and a competitive mind is a mind that is based in fear.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Monday, February 2, 2009
75 to 25
Saturday afternoon I was sitting by a pool in Costa Rica then hours later I am in freezing temperatures. I went from one polarity to another. This is metaphorical for being on retreat and then in the blink of an eye, being back in your real everyday life.
In my last class Saturday morning I gave some helpful hints on reentry into society after a retreat.
In my last class Saturday morning I gave some helpful hints on reentry into society after a retreat.
- As soon as you land into your respective airport notice your surroundings and the speed at which everything is moving.
- As you are picked up by family and friends notice your heightened awareness and let this awareness see people with a greater sense of openness and appreciation.
- No one else was on the retreat so don't expect those in your life to be any different. You are the one who is different. (Non-judgemental of course)
- Don't speak too deeply about your experience. Just tell people it was life changing.
- Realize that without a daily practice you too will fall back into the speed and potential unconsciousness of life
What makes a retreat powerful is incorporating the teachings into daily life. If you have never been on retreat make it a goal to someday attend one. They can be truly life changing.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Opening or Closing
In any given moment we are either opening or closing to life. If you are closing you may feel anxious, stressed and typically uncomfortable. If we are opening to life we feel calm, relaxed and at ease. In any given moment you can pause and notice how you are feeling. Getting into the habit of noticing this can help you make decisions about the direction your life is taking.
When we are closing we are resisting reality. We wish the moment was different. We want life to be different then it is. No matter what we do wrestling with reality is one fight we will always lose. If you do not like what life is presenting to you resisting it will only make it worse--what we resist will persist. In fact it will not only persist yet in many cases build pressure and inflict more stress.
If we are open to life then life is more workable. We can accept what life is presenting and begin working with what is. In many ways this can turn the most difficult circumstances into powerful learning experiences. Happy moments can become even more joyous!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Presence
Before I started to practice yoga I never really gave much conscious awareness to the present moment. I would be awakened from daydreaming by a nun slapping down a ruler or a coach yelling loudly. Of course I spent time in the present moment yet I never knew the difference between being in thought and being present without thought.
In high school and college I continued living without this awareness. In reflecting back I was always living in my head, reliving the past or strategizing about the future—never fully appreciating where I was. Do not get me wrong—my childhood was incredible. I just never knew that there was a difference between thinking and experiencing the present moment without analyzing with thought what was happening.
When I first started practicing yoga I would wonder what the teacher thought of me and while in class anticipate what posture was coming next. I would look around the room for entertainment. If a class did not entertain me, I would seek out another teacher or class. I would be thinking constantly during practice. This all changed one day when I started to practice Ashtanga Yoga.
Ashtanga Yoga is a series of postures. There are three reference points to creating a mind and body connection. I learned to bring my attention to the stillness in my eyes, the breath, and the awareness of my body as it remained still and as it moved. I began understanding what it meant to be present—athletes call this the zone. It is the place where everything slows down, thought drops and the appreciation for life grows.
These three reference points have grown into daily tools that I use on and off the mat to return back to the present moment awareness. Life seems to get brighter and brighter and my appreciation grows from this practice—a worthy component to being empowered.
In high school and college I continued living without this awareness. In reflecting back I was always living in my head, reliving the past or strategizing about the future—never fully appreciating where I was. Do not get me wrong—my childhood was incredible. I just never knew that there was a difference between thinking and experiencing the present moment without analyzing with thought what was happening.
When I first started practicing yoga I would wonder what the teacher thought of me and while in class anticipate what posture was coming next. I would look around the room for entertainment. If a class did not entertain me, I would seek out another teacher or class. I would be thinking constantly during practice. This all changed one day when I started to practice Ashtanga Yoga.
Ashtanga Yoga is a series of postures. There are three reference points to creating a mind and body connection. I learned to bring my attention to the stillness in my eyes, the breath, and the awareness of my body as it remained still and as it moved. I began understanding what it meant to be present—athletes call this the zone. It is the place where everything slows down, thought drops and the appreciation for life grows.
These three reference points have grown into daily tools that I use on and off the mat to return back to the present moment awareness. Life seems to get brighter and brighter and my appreciation grows from this practice—a worthy component to being empowered.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Costa Rica
I am writing this entry from Pura Vida Spas in Costa Rica. This is my 7th year facilitating retreats and every year it seems to get better. The attendees this year are steadfast, enthusiastic and came to work deligently with a smile. There is not much resistance and this makes the practice much more enjoyable and fun.
Each day starts off with a basis meditation. This year Chris Rogers has joined me to lead the group on Big Mind training. Big Mind is learning to think bigger then yourself. Our theme is Beginners Mind. This is a term which orginates in the Zen tradition. The general idea is that a beginners mind is a Big Mind and capable of numerous possiblities. A more advanced mind is a small mind and limited in possibilities.
After each morning session we enjoy amazing fruit and other healthy food. We ask people to stay light on the eating due to a 10am Hatha yoga practice. After practice we shower and enjoy a heathy and tastey lunch. Much of the afternoon is spent resting by the pool or sleeping.
We practice again in the later afternoon. This is a longer practice where more theraputic movements are practiced. Afterwards everyone showers and we have dinner together. The conversation is rich.
I really enjoy being down here yet it is challenging being away from Sara and our children. I hope to handle the Blog on Presence while I am down here.
I have not had time to edit this blog so excuse me for any grammer mistakes.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Commitment
Maintaining a commitment can be very difficult for people—why is this? I believe the most important part of maintaining a commitment is being clear from the very start why you are feeling the way you do. Around this time of the year people are setting resolutions. Their commitments are rooted in dissatisfaction—an aspect of your life that you are not happy with and you would like to let go of and change.
It is really important to spend time with this feeling of dissatisfaction and not just ignore it. The more intimate you get with the dissatisfaction the more meaningful the commitment will become. Spending time writing down what will happen if you maintain the commitment and what will happen if you don’t maintain the commitment can be very fruitful. Brainstorm and refine your thoughts and feelings to one page. Read this page daily and remind yourself why you made the commitment.
If you are unwilling to spend some time to become clear on what it is that you want your life to be about then chances are you will lose your commitment. I don’t think people lack willpower or discipline they just lack presence. I will address presence in my next blog.
It is really important to spend time with this feeling of dissatisfaction and not just ignore it. The more intimate you get with the dissatisfaction the more meaningful the commitment will become. Spending time writing down what will happen if you maintain the commitment and what will happen if you don’t maintain the commitment can be very fruitful. Brainstorm and refine your thoughts and feelings to one page. Read this page daily and remind yourself why you made the commitment.
If you are unwilling to spend some time to become clear on what it is that you want your life to be about then chances are you will lose your commitment. I don’t think people lack willpower or discipline they just lack presence. I will address presence in my next blog.
If you are new to the blog I aim to post weekly entries. I write about my challenges and triumphs in life. My intention is to help you live a more empowered life.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Importance in Personalizing
The beauty of yoga is beginning to understand the paradoxical nature of truth. Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit yuj, meaning, "To yoke" or "to unite".
It connotes the idea of balancing out the polarities. It is within this balance that we discover oneness. When the Buddha was asked how to tune a lute he replied, “not too tight and not too loose”. Yoga is all about striking a balance.
In the last entry I wrote about the importance of not personalizing your experience. In this entry we will address personalizing our experience. Let’s look at two different situations. One that will create suffering and one that will create happiness. During situations where suffering arises, I find it important to stop and ask myself how I have contributed to this situation. By making this a practice I don’t fall into a victim mentality spending endless time blaming someone else for my present state of unhappiness. I know if I don’t practice this, I will become hard, defensive and guarded in life.
Now, when it comes to successful situations that produce happiness, I don’t personalize it. I ask myself how those around me have contributed to this situation. For me this keeps me humble and non-egotistical. This helps me foster an attitude of interdependence and appreciation for those around me. I can rest in the cohesive nature of life.
Striking a balance is the skillful act of knowing when to personalize and when not to personalize an experience. Your internal compass needs to point towards happiness at all times, so if personalizing an experience brings up suffering then you can let go of personalizing. If not personalizing the experience brings up suffering then you need to stop and ask yourself “how have I contributed to this situation?” This requires a keen sense of awareness and the ability to discern.
This is a very important practice while being on the path to happiness.
It connotes the idea of balancing out the polarities. It is within this balance that we discover oneness. When the Buddha was asked how to tune a lute he replied, “not too tight and not too loose”. Yoga is all about striking a balance.
In the last entry I wrote about the importance of not personalizing your experience. In this entry we will address personalizing our experience. Let’s look at two different situations. One that will create suffering and one that will create happiness. During situations where suffering arises, I find it important to stop and ask myself how I have contributed to this situation. By making this a practice I don’t fall into a victim mentality spending endless time blaming someone else for my present state of unhappiness. I know if I don’t practice this, I will become hard, defensive and guarded in life.
Now, when it comes to successful situations that produce happiness, I don’t personalize it. I ask myself how those around me have contributed to this situation. For me this keeps me humble and non-egotistical. This helps me foster an attitude of interdependence and appreciation for those around me. I can rest in the cohesive nature of life.
Striking a balance is the skillful act of knowing when to personalize and when not to personalize an experience. Your internal compass needs to point towards happiness at all times, so if personalizing an experience brings up suffering then you can let go of personalizing. If not personalizing the experience brings up suffering then you need to stop and ask yourself “how have I contributed to this situation?” This requires a keen sense of awareness and the ability to discern.
This is a very important practice while being on the path to happiness.
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