The other day, I sat down for meditation as I usually do, lit my candles, spoke with my murtis, and settled in.  I always meditate with a timer, one that I can’t see, but will alert me when the time is “up”.  I do this because when I used to try to go with it free of anything, I sat and wondered how long I’d been sitting, rather than just sit. 

This meditation was unusually juicy for some reason, however, and there was no question of when it would buzz at me…it felt like it was only a few minutes.  And at this point, I did something I had never done before…I doubled down.  I pressed the timer again, and settled in for round two.  Which also went by easily, but by the end, I felt “just right”. 

It’s not as though that is the first time that I had a great, juicy meditation where I felt the perfect combination of calm and vibrant.  That happens, or it doesn’t, but either way, I come out of meditation, go through my rituals, and get up to do whatever it is that my day holds. 

Wait, isn’t this exactly why I do this?  To find the bliss, to calm my mind, to energize and bring the moments of this experience closer and closer together so that they happen more and more often?

So why not?  Double down.  And it’s not just at the meditation cushion.  When we find bliss in our daily lives, we often tend to compartmentalize it.  We take that moment of bliss, but then move back to the daily grind.  But why not take a few more moments with the sunset, or smelling the rain, enjoying a bite of chocolate or laughter with friends?  It’s what this is all about, after all…

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Posted on May 28th, 2009 by amy
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In great respect for everything that Shri K Pattabhi Jois did to create the yoga that we have in the Western world, I gave up my regular practice yesterday to try something I’ve always wanted to do…an auspicious 108 sun salutations out of reverence to the founder of Astanga, and as a meditation. 

So I would consider myself pretty strong as yoginis go…perhaps too strong in some ways.  One with a penchant for muscling her way through things as opposed to letting them happen in a more organic way.   So while I knew this was going to be challenging, I figured I was absolutely up for it.

My friend Lisa had suggested a while back that I find 36 of something to use to count so that you could focus on your breath, alignment, and the movements.  Great idea.  36 quarters left over from washing my vespa at the coin wash, and I was set.  Slide 36 from the left to the right, back, and back again, and you’re done without having to count. 

So I pull out my favorite mix for losing my mind in the practice, and go for it.  The first 36 are interesting, as I take a look at my alignment through the poses, notice a few things that have improved since my Astanga days, and I’m feeling pretty good.  I make a few adjustments to how I would align the poses based on the amount of repetition I’m undertaking, and rock them out.  My breath and music are matching and it’s beautiful.  I pause to gaze at the sun peeking through the clouds after 36, and move on. Read more…

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Posted on May 21st, 2009 by amy
Filed under: asana, home practice | No Comments »

Recently, ontime’s Tillai Teacher Training had an instructor, masseuse and polarity practicioner by the name of Cindy Williams come to teach our newest teachers about anatomy. She had a beautiful way of describing the body and our relationship with it that is different from others I’ve had in the past.

She described our body as a community. A community of muscles, bones, tendons, organs, all combining together with our innermost self to become our full manifested self. So it stands to reason, then, that communities work best when they work together. And our bodies do this in such amazing ways. Muscles partner with each other so that one contracts while the other can release, groups of muscles overlap each other and support one another to most efficiently do the job they are created for. And those groups overlap, assisting the next “neighborhood”.

How beautiful that our own bodies, something right here, accessible to us always are such a great metaphor for life?

Read more…

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Posted on February 20th, 2009 by amy
Filed under: anatomy, home practice, root of the lotus | No Comments »

Ah, Valentine’s Day…the holiday around which love abounds.  The holiday of chocolate, flowers, dinners, romance…at this time of year we are surrounded with images around romantic love.  The focus of Valentine’s Day is outward, spreading your love to someone outside of you.

But there is an old adage that you can only love someone else fully if you can truly love yourself.  And honestly, we can be horrible at that.  How often do we chastise ourselves for not making it to yoga, for not getting up early enough, for having one too many glasses of wine?  Would we do that to our lover?  Would we talk to our lover the way that we have our inner monologue?  Certainly not, or we hope not, because if so, that lover probably wouldn’t be there very long.

But we’re “stuck” with ourselves.  We are forever, for as long as we both shall live, married to ourselves.  So why not start there?  Why not, from today forward, make ourselves a solemn vow to be sweet, loving and caring inward toward our own selves?  If that seems selfish, think again.  Because in the process of loving yourself completely, of being willing to accept your own limitations and weaknesses, you develop stronger skills at being able to do that as you look at others.  And as a result, you can be a better lover and a better friend.

So take a moment and think of 5 ways that you are not sweet to yourself.  Vow to change them.  And if you really truly are honest withyourself about making those changes, I think you’ll be amazed how it will impact your relationships with others.

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Posted on February 13th, 2009 by amy
Filed under: root of the lotus, themes | No Comments »

During the inauguration, Elizabeth Alexander, Professor of African American Studies at Yale University, read a poem of her own authoring “Praise Song for the Day“.  It was beautiful, and inspired my practice this week.  In the poem, she talks about all the simple things that we do during our day…just basic life…particularly for those who operate their pace in a less hectic fashion, it seemed to me.

And then the life that we aspire to.  That which we need in life, that which we hope for.  Possibility.  That if we dream it, the power of that dream can make it so.

In her words, “love…casts a widening pool of light”.  So as I take that to my mat, I ponder how I can take that love and shine that light in my life to create more possibility.  What could that love light create in yours?

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Posted on January 24th, 2009 by amy
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There is a figure known as Ganesha in Hindu theology, and he is the figure who is a small, round, boy’s body topped with the head of an elephant.  Of course, all myths are ultimately lies told in the service of a greater truth, so bear with the myth.  How, you might ask, did Ganesha end up with the head of the elephant?  And what on earth does that have to do with this email?

Well, Parvati, the astonishingly beautiful wife of Shiva, the ultimately reclusive god of destruction, became bored when Shiva went off for one of the many deep meditations that he would disappear for, often for hundreds of years at a time, which, even for gods and goddesses, feels like a lifetime.  So one day, luxuriating in her bath, she realized that more than anything, she longed for close, familial companionship.  So she began to slide her hands along her arms and legs, which were covered in the richest of oils from her bath, and in so doing, sloughed off not only the oils, but also the sandalwood powder, and her own exfoliated skin.  She formed these things into a ball, and breathed life into them, wishing for a child.  He came to life, and became her son.

Read more…

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Posted on January 21st, 2009 by amy
Filed under: myth, root of the lotus | No Comments »

Bhav…that which is arising…that which is infusing.

I’m not sure that I could be more in love with a word right now.  The “tea leaves” that inspire and infuse everything in life.

And even just to say it is beautiful.  So complete – a soft, breath-y, ethereal word that stirs the mind to thought and desire.

Sigh.

So what is it?  What is in me, I wonder, what sits beside me as a companion, what stirs me to life?

In any moment, bhavana is that spontaneous realization of something that moves you.  Whether it is one of these beautiful, vibrant sunsets we’ve had of late, or the smell of the morning, the nuzzle of a pet, or the true devotion of a friend.  This is what drives you to be who you are each day…the element that is your call to action, your drive, your focus, your essential nature.

Who do you want to be?  Focus, and bring yourself toward those things that inspire that beauty in you.  Because wherever you focus your energy becomes you.  It is a choice.  And an inspired one.

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Posted on January 19th, 2009 by amy
Filed under: root of the lotus, themes | No Comments »

ok, I’m co-opting my blog. But my kiddo is in the hospital, and I want to give a shout-out to the world that I’m hoping that she’ll make it through the night. Lots of love for my Baci…

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Posted on December 31st, 2008 by amy
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Shiva Rea is coming to Denver, and is being hosted by our very own om time!  I’m really excited to be particupating in this phenomenal opportunity to practice with Shiva here in Denver.

Here’s the scoop:

Heart Fire: Igniting the Sacred Flame with Shiva Rea
and special guests Andrew Harvey, Dave Stringer, Alex Theory and Shiva Kumar
January 30 – February 1, 2009

Prana Flow: Energetic Vinyasa, Ecstatic Kirtan, Yoga Trance Dance, Mystic Poetry, Sacred Activism, Science of Collective Vibration, Radical Relaxation Lounge, Prana Poi, Yogic Ritual

Join us for a sacred activation weekend that shifts the paradigm of yoga workshops into retreats of ritual transformation dedicated to tending the fire and flow yoga personally and collectively. Fuel your love and passion for the path.

WEEKEND: FIRE and FLOW
How do we tend the flame of our heart in changing and challenging times? These weekend ritual sessions are dedicated to tending your heart fire authentically as the center of one’s courage, deep happiness, vision, creativity, inspiration, and most of all transforming power of love. We will explore the universal and ancient understanding and practices of our heart center from tantra, hatha and bhakti yoga integrated within the vinyasa pathways of prana flow yoga.

All Sessions will be a potent combination of deep prana flow yoga and meditation offered by Shiva Rea and poetic teachings infused by Andrew Harvey, renown scholar of mysticism and sacred activism and the science of vibration and sound with Alex Theory, Ph.D., Dave Stringer, celebrated bhakti-rocker will ignite the Saturday evening trance dance and kirtan. Before each session, there is a half-hour magical window to naturally prepare you to receive the most from your practice.

See the omtime site for details…
Location in Metro Denver – Specifics to be posted shortly!
$250 if registered prior to January 16
$285 thereafter

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Posted on December 29th, 2008 by amy
Filed under: asana, where and what | No Comments »

Here we are in the season of resolutions.  So I thought I’d do a little series on inspiration…things to ponder as you look toward what you wish to have in your life in 2009.

I must admit that some of the inspiration came from the restorative class I took today, but much of it came from my first “page” of my inspiration board for 2009.  For me, the door to my larger Self is creativity.  And right now, that means my chalk.  So I’m getting messy with my colors, and seeing what comes up.  For me, my first crack is the broad strokes…the large things that I want in my life…family, friends, joy, connection with the Divine, and so on.  From here I’ll come up with some concrete steps to make sure that happens.

But along with this, we also need to consider what can be left behind from this year.  What is it that no longer serves us – maybe it served us last year, maybe not.  But identifying what those things are is as important as identifying what you want to manifest.

So take 10 minutes, when you get a chance, either with your colored chalk as I did, with cutouts from a magazine, your journal, your ipod spinning dance tunes to set you free…whatever it is that will give you your Divine inspiration…and note for yourself…what do you most want to let go of from this past year….and what do you most want to manifest?  Give each of these thoughts their own individual time.

We’ll work out the how later.

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Posted on December 28th, 2008 by amy
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