Sep 18, 2012 |
Last week I experienced a few enlightening meditation sessions that I’d like to share with you. The credit for this enlightenment is due in large part to the expert instructions I received live and in-person from Erich Schiffmann, when I was lucky enough to study with him earlier this month.
Both in person and in his book Yoga: The Spirit and Practice of Moving into Stillness, Erich suggests to ask the universe “What do I need to know?” when silently meditating and then wait for the answer. I don’t know about you, but I couldn’t wait to hear what the universe had to say to me, and had no problem putting his suggestion to practice.
Ask and You Shall Receive
Deep in meditation this last week I posed the question “What do I need to know?” and got two very different and wise answers.
The first one came early on a weekday morning when I sat down on my meditation pillow right after getting up from bed. I didn’t take the time to do any asana practice because I was in a hurry to start my day. As a result, I had a difficult time getting into my meditative state due to the tightness in my body. The message that came through loud and clear was always take the time to stretch and breathe before you start your meditation practice.
Yes, this is basic yoga knowledge, and the reason why asana practice was developed in the first place was to prepare the body and mind for meditation. You’re probably thinking this is not a major revelation, but right at this time in my life, the universe was telling me exactly what I needed to know, or rather, to be reminded of. I wasn’t expecting to get a message like “go play the lottery” or “it’s time to make a dentist appointment”; I was just hoping to get some sage advice that I could put into practice. Sometimes the messages we receive from the universe can be just a gentle nudge, a reminder of what is best for you. If you’re going to take the time to meditate, you might as well take a few more minutes to prepare for it and get the most out of it.
Become Fear-Less
The second message I received later in the week was more profound. It came Saturday after doing an awesome hour-long yoga practice on the beach. I got to move, stretch, and breathe with the sound of the waves, blue skies, green trees, and soaring birds, so settling into my meditation practice was much easier (incredible what listening to the universe can do for you!). After about 10 minutes, my mind was ready, and I put out the question to the universe…What do I need to know? The response: Let go of fear. It is such a waste of time to worry about the future. Focus on being happy and enjoying this present moment. Just keep doing what you’re doing, help other people, and it will all work out.
I have to admit, for the past year I have fretted quite a bit about my future. Can I make a living doing what I love? Will I be able to retire comfortably someday, or am I blowing this time of my life when supposedly I should be in my peak earning years? Am I fooling myself; should I just go out and get a “real job”? I’ve had many tedious conversations in my head, beat myself up silly, and let fear get the best of me on repeated occasions. And, the worst part about this—I can’t get back any of that time. It’s lost when it could have been filled with happier and more productive moments.
Despite my ability at times to be “fear-less,” I can tell you that I have never been happier in my career or life. I am doing what I love (teaching, writing, and sharing about yoga), my work attire consists of either PJs or black stretchy yoga pants, I have no commute, and I’ve learned how to live and survive comfortably on a smaller budget.
Wow – what great advice the universe gave me! I’m all ears and taking this advice to heart. I need to let go of all that yuckiness, the worry about the future, and just live for this moment, do what I love, keep focusing on helping others, and have the belief that it is all going to work out.
I put this into practice on Sunday night, when my usual mode of operation is to let the angst about the coming week start to creep in. I worry about everything I have to do, and poof! The gift of the last few hours of the weekend is completely lost. Think about it: How many Sunday nights have you not enjoyed because you started festering about the week to come?
This Sunday night instead of getting that pit in my stomach, I popped in a movie, grabbed a glass of wine, and hung out on the couch with my husband, fully enjoying the moment. I have wasted so many Sunday nights, but no more! This is going to be a continual challenge, but each time I let fear creep in, I’m going to kick it in the ass and instead tune into my message from the universe and focus on enjoying and being productive in the present moment.
Have you received any messages from the universe recently? If so, please share and leave a comment below.
Last week I also had another meditation breakthrough courtesy of wisdom provided by Max Strom, so stay tuned for that revelation.
Fear Image: Kriss Szkurlatowski
Sep 13, 2012 |
I spent last weekend hanging out with Erich Schiffmann, a yoga teacher of 44 years, author of Yoga: The Spirit and Practice of Moving Into Stillness, and a dude who says “Wow,” “Yay,” and “Awesome” more than I do! I got to practice mirror-gazing meditation, get my first taste of freestyle yoga, listen to inspirational talks, laugh, reeelaaxxx (that’s how Erich says it), learn, hang out with a cool group of yogis, and eat lots of yummy vegetarian food.
This all took place in the charming and hippy-esque village of Yellow Springs, Ohio, at a weekend Essentials of Freedom Style Yoga retreat led by Erich, which was lovingly organized by Patricia Schneider and Andrew Junker, the founders of Yellow Springs Yoga. I really want to send out a big hug to these two for bringing such incredible yoga teachers to Ohio – it really is unbelievable to be able to drive a few hours and study with a master teacher like Erich.
Thank You Patricia and Andrew!
This morning I was going through all of my notes to prepare a post to recap the weekend, and there is just too much good stuff to download, so I’ll be sharing little nuggets of Erich wisdom over the coming weeks. Here are just a few memorable moments from the weekend…
It’s Fun to Be Learning
Erich shared that, after practicing yoga for 44 years, he is still in love with it; in fact, he admitted that he is even more in love with it now than he has ever been! And, after he shared this, he got this big grin on his face, followed by his infectious chuckle, and told us that part of the deal with yoga is that you just keep learning. With that same playful chuckle, he admitted that he hasn’t done a sun salutation in years; yet, his practice has become more intelligent, respectful, easier, and fun!
I found this refreshingly inspirational because I have wondered a few times if I will ever tire of practicing yoga, if somehow the utter joy of it will start to diminish. After hearing Erich speak with such enthusiasm, I know there will always be room for me to learn, live, and grow in my yoga practice, and this on-going learning is and will continue to be awesome.
Freedom Style Yoga Rocks
On Saturday after going through a practice of meditation and asana, Erich set us up for a little freedom-style yoga. We were basically told to do what we wanted to do, to plug into the yoga patterns that we already know, to pause and tune in to the asanas and trust ourselves. Erich explained that when these downloads occur, we give expression to what we’re feeling and channel it into our practice. And then he said words that were magical to me, “Give yourself permission to deviate from the prescribed pattern.”
During freedom-style yoga sessions Erich plays cool yoga music (from peeps like DJ Drez and Donna DeLory) and just lets the class do their thing. All I can say is wow—freestyle yoga rocks! When I experienced it, I closed my eyes, let my body relax and flow and do what organically felt good. I found myself putting together some really kick-ass flows that I want to share. Erich encouraged us to keep a notebook handy when we practice freedom-style yoga to journal what we experience and then teach pieces of it. It’s kind of like making up your own song and then teaching it to others.
I have a confession to make: My virgin freedom-style yoga experience was so much fun, so exhilarating and liberating, that it moved me to tears. But as with all my yoga cries, they were tears of joy.
After class I went to talk to Erich, who was extremely kind and approachable to all the workshop participants, and told him about my experience. His response was, “Yay, Awesome! Yay for Free Form,” and then he gave me a big hug. How cool is that!
This awesome photo was taken by the lovely Alie McManus
I’m looking forward to putting on some music this week, pulling out my yoga mat, and putting my new freedom-style yoga to practice. In fact, I’m going to practicing pausing and hesitating both on and off the mat instead of flailing about. I’m going to use these pauses to download and become more creative, to put more soul into what I do, to make it my song, and maybe come up with a few yoga poses of my own!
Have you ever tried freestyle yoga? If so, what kind of music did you play, and what kind of download did you have? I would love to hear from some of you, so please leave a comment below. And, if you have never tried it, I encourage you to give it a go.
Stay tuned because I’ll be sharing more about my experience in Yellow Springs with Erich Schiffmann. And, if you were wondering, thankfully there were no embarrassing moments like what I experienced when I studied with Rodney Yee and Max Strom.
Sep 11, 2012 |
Of course yoga always rocks, and this weekend it is going to rock Lincoln Park in Cleveland, Ohio!
If you’re not familiar with Yoga Rocks the Park, they are live music and yoga gatherings set in beautiful parks across the United States. The goal of the events is to bring together like-minded people to connect through yoga, wellness, and music to discover our shared enlightened nature. These events have been held this summer in Boulder, Denver, Milwaukee, Omaha, Phoenix and CLEVELAND!
The previous events this summer were on Saturdays when I was busy teaching beach yoga, so I’m super excited to announce that there will be an event this Sunday, September 16, at Lincoln Park in Cleveland! This Yoga Rocks the Park event will include an all-levels yoga class led by Linda Stevenson and Rebecca Tighe from 10:30 to 11:45 AM, which will be followed by all the music, food, and fun of the 14th Annual Tremont Arts & Cultural Festival. Jennifer Martinez Atzberger will lead a special FREE yoga class for children at 2:00 PM as part of the festival’s children’s village.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXCfwWO-QnQ[/youtube]
If you are new to yoga and want to give it a try, this class will be accessible to beginners. If you’ve never been to Tremont, this event is a great way to check out this cool Cleveland neighborhood.
The cost to attend the class is $10 if you pre-register at the Yoga Rocks the Park Cleveland webpage, or is $15 at the event. You can feel good knowing that 25% of your class fee goes to Colorado-based non-profit Yoga World Reach, which offers yoga and alternative therapy programs to those in need both locally and around the globe, and another 25% goes to Urban Lotus Youth Yoga, a non-profit organization that brings yoga to at-risk youth in the Cleveland area.
If you have never practiced yoga outdoors, do yourself a favor and get your yoga mats out to Lincoln Park this Sunday! As if doing yoga outside in a beautiful setting with a bunch of cool Cleveland yogis is not incentive enough, you can also look forward to free samples of Vita CoCo pure coconut water.
Thank You Andy Holland and Emily Miller for Bringing Yoga Rocks the Park to Cleveland!
I’m sending out a big yoga hug to Andy Holland and Emily Miller for getting the Yoga Rocks the Park events up and running in Cleveland! I’m so proud that Cleveland is represented and is part of this organization. Please join me this Sunday to support this awesome event, connect with nature as you practice yoga outdoors, spread peace, and help grow the yoga community here in Cleveland!
Enter to Win 2 FREE Passes!
Yoga Rocks the Park Cleveland has offered the Daily Downward Dog two free passes to this event, so if you want to go, please leave a comment below. I’ll randomly select one winner at noon on Friday to win both passes. The winner will be contacted via email and also announced here in the comment section.
Plans are underway to host some winter events, so stay in touch and support Yoga Rocks the Park Cleveland by liking them on Facebook or following them on Twitter.
Lincoln Park is located at Kenilworth Avenue and West 11th Street in Cleveland (Google Map link). Please arrive early to check in for the class by the main stage, and bring your own yoga mat or towel. If there is rain, the class will be held at Merrick House Gymnasium, which is around the corner from Lincoln Park.
Hope to ROCK the PARK with some friendly faces this weekend!
Sep 6, 2012 |
On Monday morning I rolled out of bed and prepared to go teach my very last beach yoga class of this summer at Main Street Beach Vermilion. I had a class theme planned, but for some reason this little voice inside my head inspired me to pull out an old favorite mantra of mine to share with the class instead.
I hopped on my bike and rode to downtown Vermilion to find that the cloudy weekend skies had dispersed, the sky was blue, and the lake was shimmering with the morning light. As I stared out at the lake, instead of taking in all of its glory, I was instead festering over the fact that it had not been as pretty over the weekend when I was shooting my very first yoga and meditation videos with GC Creative Studios. I was letting myself get ticked off that Mother Nature had graced us with such a stunning morning now. Why hadn’t she been more generous over the weekend when I really needed her to produce vivid sunsets and clear blue skies?
After a few minutes of obsessing, I finally got the honking kick in the ass that I deserved when my mantra for class popped into my mind, and I knew I needed to put these words into practice.
Attaining Serenity
I no longer let myself be swept into the turmoil of my mind and emotions.
From now on I let go of all stress, tension, and worry so I may attain harmony and serenity.
I will do one thing at a time and savor each moment.
I quickly realized that by worrying about the past, I was not doing the one thing that was most important: savoring the moment I was in and enjoying this gorgeous morning, taking in all of its splendor while preparing to greet my students and savor each and every moment of my last class with them.
I love it when my conscious nudges me down the path I need to go, and that morning it knew I needed the wisdom of these words.
These next few weeks are always tough for me as I transition from spending so much time outdoors on the beach teaching yoga to my fall schedule, and this mantra is going to come in handy as a reminder to not get swept up in missing the days of summer, to not multi-task, but rather to focus on the task at hand and fill up with the sweetness of what is happening right now. I have so much to look forward to, and I plan to savor each and every moment.
Aug 30, 2012 |
Look out, you rock and roller yogis, the summer is coming to an end, and the Daily Downward Dog’s yoga class schedule is ch-ch-ch-changing!
Yep, this week is my last full week of beach yoga classes. As sad as that always makes me, I’m really excited about my fall schedule, a few new projects I’ll be working on (that combine my love of yoga, meditation, and travel), and new opportunities to grow in my own personal yoga practice.
The Yoga Lady Has Not Started Singing on the Beach Yet!
I have added a few September beach yoga classes, so after this Saturday you can still get your beach yoga fix on these days:
MONDAY September 3 – LABOR DAY – 8:30 AM (final class at Main Street Beach Vermilion)
Thursday, September 13 – 6:30 PM – Sunset Beach Yoga at Firefly Beach, Huron (NOTE the earlier start time due to the days getting shorter)
Sunset Yoga Class at Firefly Beach
Saturday, September 15 – 8:30 AM – Firefly Beach, Huron
Thursday, September 27 – 6:30 PM – Sunset Beach Yoga at Firefly Beach, Huron
Saturday, September 29 – 8:30 AM – Firefly Beach, Huron
In October I’ll be teaching at a new yoga studio opening in Vermilion and will post more details on that very soon.
Akron and Richfield Yoga Class Schedule
Mondays at 6:00 PM – Gentle Yoga Flow at Yoga Bliss Akron (beginning September 10)
Beginners’ Workshops
Are you hankering to give yoga a try, but want to start out slow in a supportive and fun environment? Check out my 5-week beginners’ series. I’ll be teaching this series at both Nirvana Yoga and Yoga Bliss in October.
Yoga Bliss Akron – Wednesdays from 7:30 to 8:30 PM, October 3 through October 31
Nirvana Yoga in Richfield – Thursdays from 7:00 to 8:00 PM, October 11 through November 8
I have a full description of the workshop here, and you can contact either Nirvana Yoga or Yoga Bliss Akron to register. The space is limited in these workshops, so sign up early to secure your spot.
Private Sessions, Workplace Yoga, and Parties—Oh My!
I am always available for private yoga sessions, workplace yoga, and yoga parties, so contact me for more information.
Continuing Education
September is going to be a busy month as I’ll travel to Yellow Springs, Ohio, to study with Erich Schiffman and also to Brecksville to study with Doug Keller at Namaste Yoga Studio. I’m super excited to continue my yoga studies and to learn from these two internationally known yoga masters.
Hugs & Kisses
I just want to send out a HUGE shout out and THANK YOU to all the students that showed up at the beach (through the heat and the rain) this summer and honored their bodies with the practice of yoga. It was such a gift to see all of you grow both in flexibility and in spirit. I hope the peace of the lake, the warmth of the sun, and the connection with nature will stay with you for a long time.
As you flow into this new season, do not resist the change, but rather find comfort and be glad for it. To quote a few inspirational folks:
“If we don’t change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, we aren’t really living.” – Gail Sheehy
“Action and reaction, ebb and flow, trial and error, change – this is the rhythm of living. Out of our over-confidence, fear; out of our fear, clearer vision, fresh hope. And out of hope, progress.” – Bruce Barton
“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” — Mahatma Gandhi
“Never believe that a few caring people can’t change the world. For, indeed, that’s all who ever have.”
— Margaret Mead
Take me out David….
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMQ0Ryy01yE[/youtube]
September Image: Geri-Jean Blanchard
