May 27, 2011 |
I love the fact that there are 101 flavors of yoga, and this past weekend I got to try out a new flavor I’ve never tried before: Baptiste. I was lucky to attend a series of master classes and workshops given by national Baptiste-certified instructor and former Akron, Ohio, native Zeek Vincent, who came back to his hood to teach a series of classes at Yoga Bliss Akron.
So, what is Baptiste yoga? I would describe it as a hot power vinyasa class mashed up with a powerful motivational message. The 53 foundational poses that make up Baptiste yoga all seemed familiar to me, but when they were delivered by a charismatic instructor with a great sense of humor, it became a magical and empowering experience. I don’t think I have ever laughed or sweat as much in a yoga class as I did this past weekend.
When I walked into the 91-degree room on Friday night for my first master class with Zeek, I have to admit, I was feeling a bit drained after a long week and wondering how I was going to make it through the 90-minute class. Before class started I met a fellow student named Shane who was about to have her first experience on the mat. She was really inquisitive and as I helped her get the props she needed, I really hoped that the class that was touted as all levels would accommodate the needs of a first-time yoga student. She told me that she had been friends with Zeek for over 30 years and was so excited to finally attend a yoga class with him.
My worry was for not, because Zeek did an excellent job of making the class accessible to everyone. He made sure Shane had the modifications she needed and knew the students to push further into their asanas. He urged us all to “let go,” and I don’t know about everyone else, but I definitely let it rip, and the 90 minutes just flew by (time flies when you’re having fun!).
At times during class I felt like Zeek’s words and the delivery in his voice were a bit like a sermon. Not a preachy sermon, but just the type of message I needed and wanted to hear on my mat. The primary message was that we all have the power within us to achieve great things. We need to harness that power and put it to work. We shouldn’t expect instant results, because nothing truly grand happens overnight, but, rather, we need to take our time in our practice and allow our bodies to get where they need to go.
A little assist in bow pose!
One of my least favorite yoga poses is bow pose or dhanurasana. You lie on your belly, bend your legs, and grab onto your feet, as you are supposed to lift your head, torso, and thighs off the ground. I can lift my head and torso, but damn if I can lift my thighs. Those suckers just have never been able to lift off my mat, but there was something in the way that Zeek described how to get into the pose and his cue to kick our feet into our hands that supercharged my thighs up off the ground and into the air. What a rush! Another yoga victory for me, feeling full of strength and a major sense of accomplishment that I had finally conquered this pose.
One of my favorite parts of class came during some intense abdominal work, when Zeek said, “Don’t just think about breathing; you must breathe.” He told us that our bodies are full of things that should not be there, like stress and fear. He urged us to use our breath and, with each exhale, to let go of the things that don’t serve us on our mats and in our lives.
With a beautiful sparkle in his eyes, Zeek has a gift for making you laugh at yourself while, at the same time, providing a powerful, motivational message.
“Spend more time believing in yourself, less time doubting yourself.”
Thank you, Zeek, for coming home to share your knowledge and gifts with us at Yoga Bliss. I know Shane was not the only one who left the studio this weekend with a smile on her face.
May 19, 2011 |
“Wake up, kids, we got the dreamer’s disease.”
—Lyrics from “You Get What You Give” by the New Radicals
It’s official: I’m sick. I’ve got a terminal case of dreamer’s disease, but I couldn’t think of a better ailment to suffer live with! I’m a Pisces, a dreamer, and a firm believer in what you get is what you give, so, naturally, I dig the lyrics of the New Radicals song “You Get What You Give” and have deemed it my official yoga theme song of the week.
I could write all day about what a dreamhead I am, but, actually, the message of this song for me is more about the practice of forgetting your selfishness and making others happy. This is a central theme in Patanjali’s yoga sutras.
“Forget your selfishness, make others happy, and you will be the happiest person. By seeing others happy, you can’t be unhappy. But by making everybody unhappy, you can never be happy yourself. So, at least for your happiness, bring happiness to others.” —from The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, translated by Sri Swami Satchidananda
Or, in other words; you get what you give. Give happiness, get happiness. Give compassion, get compassion. Give a shitty attitude, guess what: you’re gonna get a shitty attitude back. Ever notice how when you’re in a bad mood, others around you seem just as pissed off, but when you go out there with a smile, you tend to light others up? It really isn’t rocket science, but I know it isn’t always the easiest thing to do.
To paraphrase Sri Swami Satchidananda, this, in essence, is the practice of yoga: watching our own thoughts and actions and analyzing them. Knowing that the selfish thoughts bring misery and selfless ones leave us in peace.
“You’ve got the music in you
Don’t let go
You’ve got the music in you
One dance left
This world is gonna pull through
Don’t give up
You’ve got a reason to live
Can’t forget
We only get what we give”
“You’ll be okay, follow your heart”
“You only get what you give
You gonna get what you give”
—Lyrics from “You Get What You Give” by the New Radicals
Guess what song is going to make it to my yoga class playlist this week? Get ready, all you dreamers; it’s time to follow our hearts, put some happiness and peace out there, and get what we give.
Photo: D. Sharon Pruitt
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPAEFnVZVOs[/youtube]
More Yoga Theme Songs, Yoga Class Playlists, Cool Yoga Music
May 18, 2011 |
I’m all about good pairings: pasta and wine, pierogies and beer, coffee and bagels. But when it comes to pairing fitness activities together, the perfect pairing, as far as I’m concerned, is running and yoga. I’m sure many of you have heard that yoga can be great for runners, so if you want to read more about the reasons why I believe it to be the perfect compliment for a runner, please check out my guest blog post debuting today over on Poise in Parma.
I’ve been fortunate to hook up with some fellow Cleveland area bloggers lately, and when the awesome Alicia Hansen the author of PIP and also the head of the Ohio Blogging Association Northeast Ohio chapter asked me to help her out this month with a guest post, I jumped at the opportunity. I hope you will take the journey over to Parma and check it out!
May 12, 2011 |
I’ve got some pretty cool playlists planned for May, but before I can share the tuneage with my yoga classes, I need to figure out how to use my new IPhone (I just switched from a BlackBerry), so wish me luck and a lot of patience.
Thought I would share my class playlist from this past week. I threw in some rock, reggae, rap, a song that probably was not the most appropriate for a yoga class, a personal mantra for living, and a few inspirational messages that all mashed up together quite nicely.
Opening Breath Meditation and Warm-ups
“After The Harvest” · The Angels of Venice
From Summer Solstice 2: A Windham Hill Collection – this CD has a nice mix of beautiful, mellow cuts that are perfect for grounding exercises at the beginning or end of class.
“All Woman” · Lisa Stansfield
I know the men in my class were getting in touch with their feminine side while listening to this one.
“Don’t Know Why” · Norah Jones
Standing — Sun Salutations and Flowing Sequences (e.g., yoga-mat dancing)
“All You Need is Love” · The Beatles
“Back on the Chain Gang” · The Pretenders
Shout-out to Akron, Ohio, native Chrissy! The acoustic version from the Isle of View album.
“Back to Black” · Amy Winehouse
I really love Amy’s music, but it was tough finding one appropriate to play, because songs like “Rehab” were not going to make the cut. I’ll admit, the lyrics of this song are about a bad breakup, but I just love the retro sound and beat of this song. I took the class through an empowering flow from a reverse warrior facing the front wall to one facing the back wall (I coined it the double reverse warrior), so we were all focused more on the flow and not so much on the words during this one, and it just all flowed together.
“Crazy” · Seal
“But we’re never gonna survive unless we get a little crazy
No, we’re never gonna survive unless we are a little crazy.”
Great advice from Seal and a little bit of a personal mantra for me.
“Ganesh is Fresh” · MC Yogi
How can you not smile when you hear a rap song about Ganesh during yoga class?
“Got to Get You into My Life” · Earth, Wind & Fire
This song does two things for me: it makes me incredibly happy, and it makes me want to dance on my yoga mat.
Floor — Back Bends, Heart Openers, Hip Openers, Abdominals, and Twists
“Could You Be Loved” · Bob Marley & The Wailers
The prerequisite reggae song (every yoga class needs at least one).
“Blessed” · Elton John
I’ve always loved Elton and let’s just say this prolific man has an incredible song list to pick from, so you will see him pop up often in my playlists. This love ballad has a special place in my heart, and I wanted to share its lovely message with my students…
“You, you’ll be blessed
You’ll have the best, I promise you that
I’ll pick a star from the sky, pull your name from my hat
I promise you that, promise you that
Promise you that, you’ll be blessed.” —Lyrics from “Blessed” by Elton John
“Angel” · Sarah McLachlan
Last week I included “Sweet Surrender” in my playlist, so Sarah has made the list two weeks in a row! Sarah just rocks and she is an avid yoga practitioner (she’s been practicing for 13 years). In a recent article in Yoga Journal, she had this to say about yoga: “I love the discipline. I love the focus. I tend to be a little airy fairy, and I just love that hour and a half where I can be completely and utterly in the moment. It grounds me. It just solidifies everything for me and allows me to be completely in the moment for myself, with myself. I need that.”
Savasana
“Bathe In These Waters” · Donna De Lory
Donna’s voice is just so sweet and calming and perfect for savasana. I got this track off the Yoga Revolution CD and really need to check out more of Donna’s music. BTW, I highly recommend Yoga Revolution, a compilation of yogalicious artists (Guru Singh, Sarah McLachlan, Wah!, Sheryl Crow, and Peter Gabriel are just a few) with songs perfect for yoga playlists.
May 10, 2011 |
The very first card I ever received was a library card. I remember how cool it was to see my name on the shiny surface, the protective cover that came with it and finding the perfect place to store it so I wouldn’t lose it (which I ended up doing repeatedly).
My next card was from the official David Cassidy Fan Club that came in the mail (after what seemed like an eternity when you’re 10-years-old), along with an autographed photo that I was sure he signed just for me. Swoon! For David, I had to go and buy my first wallet so I could carry my Fan Club ID with me wherever I went. And who can forget the very first time you got a business card printed by your employer with your name on it? Why is it that a piece of paper with our name printed on it can bring such a feeling of pride, and accomplishment?
Over the years my wallet has expanded as I’ve amassed a dizzying array of cards. Cards for business, shopping, a free frozen yogurt; you name it, I’ve got my name on a piece of plastic for it.
But recently, I got one of the coolest cards I’ve ever received in the mail: my official Yoga Alliance registration ID card. I don’t know why I waited so long, but I finally sent in my application after completing my 200-hour yoga-teacher training to become a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT 200) through Yoga Alliance®. I didn’t know I was going to get a shiny new official form of identification along with the package, so that was an extra-special treat. Plus, the coolest part is that I can now officially use the RYT (registered yoga teacher) designation after my name.
So, now I am an official card-carrying member of the Yoga Alliance. I join fellow professional yogis around the globe and will follow their code of conduct, which includes adherence to the traditional yoga principles as written in the Yamas and Niyamas.
My wallet just got a little fatter today, and the Yoga Alliance card is moving to the premier position so I can proudly display my new membership and pride in the fact that I am a yoga teacher.
– Maria, RYT
