So throughout this process I've yet to do any great deal of reflection on how this practice affects my outside life. I guess it's been enough of a change just delving so deep into my practice. Well yesterday, after my generally wonky practice, I got reminded just why I'm doing this. Well, at least one of the many reasons.
I haven't really mentioned much about it but at this point my life is focused into two main areas, yoga and music. Whenever I'm not busy doing yoga related activities there's a 90% chance I'm doing a music related activity. My day job is as Head of Publicity at a music promotions company. I own a small business that does recording/production and also sells recorded music and publishing. On top of that I play bass in a band and compose my own music. I play (in approximate order of proficiency) bass, drums, guitar, piano and voice. I also live in a house with five other musicians. So as you can see music is a HUGE part of my life.
But back to relating this to yoga. Since I first started practicing years ago I noticed the profound affect that my yoga had on my music. I noticed that my instrumental skills increased technically and that I would be suddenly infused with new ideas. I also found a direct parallel between the discipline of yoga practice and the discipline of practicing an instrument. In both cases the more you give the more you get back (to a point of course). To top this off, the confidence and ease that I've learned from yoga has all but eliminated my once immense stage anxiety. I used to tense up horribly on stage but now I let loose and have SO Much fun!
At first I wasn't really sure why all this, but after a few years I think I've gained some insights as to why. Music really is a form of meditation. Years before I became "spiritual" I can recall getting absorbed in my music, coming into incredible flow states. Time seemed to disappear as I connected with my instrument and just let the sounds come out. Since then, as I've learned the incredible focus of yoga and meditation my musical abilities have exploded. The flow state has become a regular occurrence.
So to come back to yesterday, a common passtime in my house is to have open jams in our basement. This is great because most of us play more than one instrument so it gives us a chance to switch it up and play different things. Last night I sat down on the piano (not my main instrument) and JUST PLAYED. Normally I'm a bit hesitant and uncertain, but yesterday my fingers just knew where to go. I made up great chord progressions and melody lines. Most importantly I just let it go. It was wonderful.
After some time my little brother (who lives with me) got tired of playing drums and stepped down. I enthusiastically took his place (drums are my favorite instrument to play). Now if ever there was an instrument that yoga is made to help it's drums. Since starting this project my skills on the drum kit have gotten infinitely better. It really makes sense if you think about it. Asana is all about isolating different parts of your body and making them do independent things in support of each other. Playing drums is just the same! As on the keys I just let it go on the drums. And it was wonderful!
Since starting this practice project I've noticed more and more times like these. Even if I'm not spending as much time practicing my music somehow my time spent practicing yoga compensates for it. It's a strange but incredible correlation.
To summarize and tie this all together, yoga will take whatever you're passionate about it life and help you realize it to its fullest potential. For me this is music. In India music is traditionally taught in the same Guru-Disciple paradigm as yoga is traditionally taught. When a student takes up an instrument it is a life's devotion and is immensely spiritual. Lately I've come to see the logic to this parallel and have been approaching my music, yoga and life as a spiritual devotion.
I think that I will continue to expound on this music parallel as the year goes on. It certainly seems relevant and is absolutely important to me.
Wishing you all happiness and good fortune!
Showing posts with label asana. Show all posts
Showing posts with label asana. Show all posts
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Rob - Days 33-35: Patterns
I'm beginning to figure out where I tend to fall off the train. This week, and last, I missed practice on Thursday and Friday. See what I've come to realize that while an evening practice is possible, it's tough. I'm best served by making sure that I make it to Mysore in the morning.
Thursday is the toughie. I sign in the Mysore class at the studio and then head straight to work. By the time I come home I'm exhausted and have no strength or motivation to practice. I think I'm going to hold on to Thursday as my optional day of rest. I mean, it's not completely keeping with the original intent of this project. However the MAIN intent of the project was to observe the process of a consistent practice. With that being said I've observed that I really need that day both for the sake of my schedule and my body. But Friday is another matter. If I'm going to take Thursday as rest I'm going to need to be vigilant about making it to Friday Primary class.
So what does this all have to do with patterns? Well, I've realized that my challenges with those days (Friday specifically) have come from my complacency with my diet. Now many would argue that I'm healthy, and sadly by American standards I'm way healthier than the rest. I maintain a Vegan diet and try to avoid processed food, etc. However since this experiment began and my schedule's gotten booked I've really fallen back into some bad habits. This has created a drag on my system which makes it hard to wake up in the morning even when I go to bed early and thus miss morning practice.
Mainly I've stopped cooking and have relied on prepared foods. Now this isn't necessarily all bad but its expensive and greatly increases my chances of eating crap. Confession: I've been eating at Burger King (GASP!) more often than I would care to (which is not at all). They have a Veggie Burger and my roomies go there a lot so it's an easy choice. I've also been neglecting to eat enough fresh veggies mainly due to my not preparing my own food.
So what am I going to do? Well, the cooking is going to be a bit of a challenge but it's something I'm going to work towards fitting into my schedule. In terms of prepared foods I'm going to stick to the least processed, highest quality foods I can get. Probably mainly from TJ's and Whole Foods.
I'm also making a conscious effort to eat less. It's so easy when we follow a Vegan or other healthy diet to go out of control with portions. Now I'm not trying to lose weight. It would probably be really unhealthy for my weight to drop any lower. What I am going to work greatly on is eating smaller portions of healthier foods. I've really come to realize how much big portions of caloricaly dense foods slow me down. The past few days I've been monitoring portions and only eating till I'm full. I already feel much better.
I may expand on this as I progress but I think those two steps are a great place to start.
Now what does this have to do with my practice? Well, EVERYTHING! I have forgotten how instrumental the entire diet and outside life is to a successful practice. Sure, I've been doing my Asana and getting great results. But I know deep down that by implementing these bigger changes my other practices will be greatly assisted. I'll feel better and actually have the energy to practice every day (or almost every day at least).
Just to check in. Asana is going swimmingly. I'm progressing very steadily I would say. This is the first time I've ever been so consistent for so long and I can definitely tell. I won't go into too many details, I'll save for a later post.
Another project: renewing my Dharma Practice (It's also going great but I'll also save that for another blog entry)
Final Project: Get back to writing on here every day! I have so much to talk about and it really helps me check in and keep focus.
Stay tuned for the continued evolution of this process. And if you're one of my friends, either real life or online, please help keep an eye on me! One of the main reasons I started this blog was so that I would have public accountability. I love hearing from you guys and appreciate all your support!
Thursday is the toughie. I sign in the Mysore class at the studio and then head straight to work. By the time I come home I'm exhausted and have no strength or motivation to practice. I think I'm going to hold on to Thursday as my optional day of rest. I mean, it's not completely keeping with the original intent of this project. However the MAIN intent of the project was to observe the process of a consistent practice. With that being said I've observed that I really need that day both for the sake of my schedule and my body. But Friday is another matter. If I'm going to take Thursday as rest I'm going to need to be vigilant about making it to Friday Primary class.
So what does this all have to do with patterns? Well, I've realized that my challenges with those days (Friday specifically) have come from my complacency with my diet. Now many would argue that I'm healthy, and sadly by American standards I'm way healthier than the rest. I maintain a Vegan diet and try to avoid processed food, etc. However since this experiment began and my schedule's gotten booked I've really fallen back into some bad habits. This has created a drag on my system which makes it hard to wake up in the morning even when I go to bed early and thus miss morning practice.
Mainly I've stopped cooking and have relied on prepared foods. Now this isn't necessarily all bad but its expensive and greatly increases my chances of eating crap. Confession: I've been eating at Burger King (GASP!) more often than I would care to (which is not at all). They have a Veggie Burger and my roomies go there a lot so it's an easy choice. I've also been neglecting to eat enough fresh veggies mainly due to my not preparing my own food.
So what am I going to do? Well, the cooking is going to be a bit of a challenge but it's something I'm going to work towards fitting into my schedule. In terms of prepared foods I'm going to stick to the least processed, highest quality foods I can get. Probably mainly from TJ's and Whole Foods.
I'm also making a conscious effort to eat less. It's so easy when we follow a Vegan or other healthy diet to go out of control with portions. Now I'm not trying to lose weight. It would probably be really unhealthy for my weight to drop any lower. What I am going to work greatly on is eating smaller portions of healthier foods. I've really come to realize how much big portions of caloricaly dense foods slow me down. The past few days I've been monitoring portions and only eating till I'm full. I already feel much better.
I may expand on this as I progress but I think those two steps are a great place to start.
Now what does this have to do with my practice? Well, EVERYTHING! I have forgotten how instrumental the entire diet and outside life is to a successful practice. Sure, I've been doing my Asana and getting great results. But I know deep down that by implementing these bigger changes my other practices will be greatly assisted. I'll feel better and actually have the energy to practice every day (or almost every day at least).
Just to check in. Asana is going swimmingly. I'm progressing very steadily I would say. This is the first time I've ever been so consistent for so long and I can definitely tell. I won't go into too many details, I'll save for a later post.
Another project: renewing my Dharma Practice (It's also going great but I'll also save that for another blog entry)
Final Project: Get back to writing on here every day! I have so much to talk about and it really helps me check in and keep focus.
Stay tuned for the continued evolution of this process. And if you're one of my friends, either real life or online, please help keep an eye on me! One of the main reasons I started this blog was so that I would have public accountability. I love hearing from you guys and appreciate all your support!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Rob - Days 24-32: THERE'S JUST NOT ENOUGH TIME!
Hello friends, yogis and countryfolk. I've missed you guys and feel bad that I have been so absent, especially with how much has been going on in my practice!
I've really just been quite swamped with my work and teacher training. I learned a lesson last week about poor scheduling and admittedly my practice fell off for a couple days. I've compensated my count accordingly.
Oh yeah, it's been over a month either way! Amazing. And honestly it's working. I feel my yoga on a much deeper level than a little over 30 days ago. Of course I must attribute most of that to my training.
The YogaWorks method is such a departure from my typical Ashtanga practice that it's really shown me a completely different side of what the practice can be. There's an intense focus on alignment and most holds are upwards of 30 seconds. This coupled with a bit of vinyasa leads to a really intense practice. Oh yeah. And Natasha has us going for about 2 1/2 hours each time!
The days after I've been super tired, but once I recover I've been noticing new openings in my body. On top of this I have such a deeper awareness of alignment has completely changed my approach. I've done my regular Mysore practice a few times and felt in to my skeletal alignment in a new way. Basically what I've realized is that here to the majority of my focus was on "forcing" my tighter regions to open using mainly muscles, and the wrong ones at that. By aligning my bones neatly and engaging the correct muscles I've been able to come far deeper into many poses while simultaneously using less energy and having more focus on my breath! Hooray!
The single most beneficial teaching I've found is a proper Tadasana in ALL of my poses. By engaging my quads, lifting my arches, and in some cases aligning my pelvis properly I've found that I'm much more stable and can fold much deeper. This is surprisingly effective in the many forward folds in primary. To my amazement by engaging a proper Tadasana in the straight leg I'm able to straighten it nearly completely and fold almost completely flat. So it appears the much of my perceived hamstring curse was actually just poorly executed postures. I really mean this in a non-judgmental way. I'm so happy to be progressing based on execution and not by force!
And as if that weren't enough... I'm also finding that by proper aligning in poses I seem to be receiving much more energizing effects from them. I'm far less tired after practice and feel a deeper connection and sensitivity to the world. The awareness that I'm developing in the poses is helping my with my everyday awareness.
When I made this blog the Sanskrit words on the top that I chose are the second Yoga Sutra - "Yoga Citta Vritti Nirodhah". Roughly translated (and we discussed this in training as well) this means that Yoga enables one to still the mind and achieve an even focus (HA - that's the Rob Phillips version at least). I'm really starting to see how a physical practice of Asana can be so catalytic towards a spiritual and mindness practice.
Wow, that's a lot for one post.
And think, I'm only just over a month in. Where will I be in 11 more.....? :)
I've really just been quite swamped with my work and teacher training. I learned a lesson last week about poor scheduling and admittedly my practice fell off for a couple days. I've compensated my count accordingly.
Oh yeah, it's been over a month either way! Amazing. And honestly it's working. I feel my yoga on a much deeper level than a little over 30 days ago. Of course I must attribute most of that to my training.
The YogaWorks method is such a departure from my typical Ashtanga practice that it's really shown me a completely different side of what the practice can be. There's an intense focus on alignment and most holds are upwards of 30 seconds. This coupled with a bit of vinyasa leads to a really intense practice. Oh yeah. And Natasha has us going for about 2 1/2 hours each time!
The days after I've been super tired, but once I recover I've been noticing new openings in my body. On top of this I have such a deeper awareness of alignment has completely changed my approach. I've done my regular Mysore practice a few times and felt in to my skeletal alignment in a new way. Basically what I've realized is that here to the majority of my focus was on "forcing" my tighter regions to open using mainly muscles, and the wrong ones at that. By aligning my bones neatly and engaging the correct muscles I've been able to come far deeper into many poses while simultaneously using less energy and having more focus on my breath! Hooray!
The single most beneficial teaching I've found is a proper Tadasana in ALL of my poses. By engaging my quads, lifting my arches, and in some cases aligning my pelvis properly I've found that I'm much more stable and can fold much deeper. This is surprisingly effective in the many forward folds in primary. To my amazement by engaging a proper Tadasana in the straight leg I'm able to straighten it nearly completely and fold almost completely flat. So it appears the much of my perceived hamstring curse was actually just poorly executed postures. I really mean this in a non-judgmental way. I'm so happy to be progressing based on execution and not by force!
And as if that weren't enough... I'm also finding that by proper aligning in poses I seem to be receiving much more energizing effects from them. I'm far less tired after practice and feel a deeper connection and sensitivity to the world. The awareness that I'm developing in the poses is helping my with my everyday awareness.
When I made this blog the Sanskrit words on the top that I chose are the second Yoga Sutra - "Yoga Citta Vritti Nirodhah". Roughly translated (and we discussed this in training as well) this means that Yoga enables one to still the mind and achieve an even focus (HA - that's the Rob Phillips version at least). I'm really starting to see how a physical practice of Asana can be so catalytic towards a spiritual and mindness practice.
Wow, that's a lot for one post.
And think, I'm only just over a month in. Where will I be in 11 more.....? :)
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Rob - Day 23: YogaWorks Teacher Training Day 1!
Well the big day finally arrived! What day is that? You know, the one I've been talking about since the first day of this blog. My first day of teacher training! This really could be like 3 posts but maybe I'll keep it simple for now.
So, where to begin. Well. For starters it's a big group. 42 aspiring teachers and advanced practitioners in all. For those of you not familiar with Back Bay Yoga that's a really tight fit for the sun room (where the training is being held). But it turned out to be mostly manageable. We staggered mats so we were even able to spread our arms during sun salutes and such.
I don't believed I mentioned this previously but I'm taking the training on scholarship (AMAZING) which means that I have to help with the sign in and administration of the course. As such I was relegated to what is probably the least desirable spot in the room. I had to watch out from hitting my arm on the window to my left and my head on the wall in fron of me. Did this deter from my experience. Hell no it didn't!
I feel like I learned more in that first day than in a month of practice. What I'm coming to realize is how little I know about alignment. Fortunately for me the YogaWorks method is ALL about alignment and correct posture. I'm sure that by the end of this all my practice and understanding will have skyrocketed to an amazing level.
Funny anecdote for the day: Natasha taught us proper forward folding technique using a Barbie doll. Now this is funny in and of itself. What makes this story hilarious is that not only did she demo with the Barbie, but she had cut its hair to the exact same cut as hers. So we watched the doll demo, and then her demo. Needless to say the juxtaposition was hysterical.
Tomorrow's day two! Stay tuned.
So, where to begin. Well. For starters it's a big group. 42 aspiring teachers and advanced practitioners in all. For those of you not familiar with Back Bay Yoga that's a really tight fit for the sun room (where the training is being held). But it turned out to be mostly manageable. We staggered mats so we were even able to spread our arms during sun salutes and such.
I don't believed I mentioned this previously but I'm taking the training on scholarship (AMAZING) which means that I have to help with the sign in and administration of the course. As such I was relegated to what is probably the least desirable spot in the room. I had to watch out from hitting my arm on the window to my left and my head on the wall in fron of me. Did this deter from my experience. Hell no it didn't!
I feel like I learned more in that first day than in a month of practice. What I'm coming to realize is how little I know about alignment. Fortunately for me the YogaWorks method is ALL about alignment and correct posture. I'm sure that by the end of this all my practice and understanding will have skyrocketed to an amazing level.
Funny anecdote for the day: Natasha taught us proper forward folding technique using a Barbie doll. Now this is funny in and of itself. What makes this story hilarious is that not only did she demo with the Barbie, but she had cut its hair to the exact same cut as hers. So we watched the doll demo, and then her demo. Needless to say the juxtaposition was hysterical.
Tomorrow's day two! Stay tuned.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Rob -Day 17: OOOPS! I did it again.
Okay, so maybe it's time to be a bit more realistic about this whole process.
Yesterday, as last Thursday I was busy from 5:30am-9pm. And of course this left me with little to no time to practice. Sure I could have busted out a few poses before I went to bed but that was really the last thing I wanted to do at that point. I really feel as part of this process that quality is as important as quantity. Frankly I don't don't feel like (as David Swenson would say) just "making an asana out of myself." Maybe I should make Thursdays an optional day of rest? My schedule's so busy those days that that may be a good option. Of course I'll make my best effort but sometimes it just might not be possible. At least I know that this is happening out of a literal lack of time and not any lack of discipline on my part. I guess that's all I can really hope for!
I'd love to hear if you guys have any thoughts or suggestions on the matter.
Namaste, Om Shanti, etc.!
Yesterday, as last Thursday I was busy from 5:30am-9pm. And of course this left me with little to no time to practice. Sure I could have busted out a few poses before I went to bed but that was really the last thing I wanted to do at that point. I really feel as part of this process that quality is as important as quantity. Frankly I don't don't feel like (as David Swenson would say) just "making an asana out of myself." Maybe I should make Thursdays an optional day of rest? My schedule's so busy those days that that may be a good option. Of course I'll make my best effort but sometimes it just might not be possible. At least I know that this is happening out of a literal lack of time and not any lack of discipline on my part. I guess that's all I can really hope for!
I'd love to hear if you guys have any thoughts or suggestions on the matter.
Namaste, Om Shanti, etc.!
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Rob - Fear Not Blogosphere - I'm Still Here! - Day 16 - Mysore
Hello World! I will confess that I have been neglecting this blog for the past week or so, but fear not! My practice has remained...well...for the most part. Last Thursday I was busy from 4:30am to 9:30pm and was unable to practice. I figure this is a worthy excuse so rather than beat myself up I just hit the mat the next morning. I've skipped that day on my day counter for accuracies sake.
I don't think it will be of benefit to backlog the days so long after the fact so I'll just pick up again with today. A quick aside though. It's been over two weeks! Holy cow! (I don't normally use this expression but somehow it seems a bit yogic, yes?) I'm definitely feeling the benefits of consistency each day in my mind, body and spirit. I have more energy and more equanimity with what the world tosses at me. This is really important since I've just started a new full-time, much higher stress job (the reason I haven't posted in so long). I'm really glad I've made this commitment at such a transitional time in my life. I'm finding it immensely helpful thus far.
I made it to Mysore practice this morning feeling more limber than ever. As I've dove into my practice I can feel the opening in my body, even if it does come with some soreness and the occasional tiredness. Today as I was jumping though and around I felt really light and graceful. I'm also noticing that I am aware of more parts of my body than I used to be. For example in utthita hasta padangusthasana I no longer focus on the stretch in the extended leg but instead focus on the grounded leg. It feels almost as if my leg is attached directly into the floor. Pretty cool stuff if you ask me!
This journey is already about 5% underway and already I'm feeling amazing effects in my practice and life. Lord only knows where I'll be when I reach 100%. Also, starting next weekend I'll be throwing a little gasoline on the fires of my practice. I'm starting a 200 Hour YogaWorks Teacher Training with Natasha Rizopoulos. Needless to say this will definitely make the experiment more interesting!
Also, I found this awesome article on Huffington Post about the history of Asana. It's likely to be a bit of an eye opener for some of the yoga snobs out there:
I don't think it will be of benefit to backlog the days so long after the fact so I'll just pick up again with today. A quick aside though. It's been over two weeks! Holy cow! (I don't normally use this expression but somehow it seems a bit yogic, yes?) I'm definitely feeling the benefits of consistency each day in my mind, body and spirit. I have more energy and more equanimity with what the world tosses at me. This is really important since I've just started a new full-time, much higher stress job (the reason I haven't posted in so long). I'm really glad I've made this commitment at such a transitional time in my life. I'm finding it immensely helpful thus far.
I made it to Mysore practice this morning feeling more limber than ever. As I've dove into my practice I can feel the opening in my body, even if it does come with some soreness and the occasional tiredness. Today as I was jumping though and around I felt really light and graceful. I'm also noticing that I am aware of more parts of my body than I used to be. For example in utthita hasta padangusthasana I no longer focus on the stretch in the extended leg but instead focus on the grounded leg. It feels almost as if my leg is attached directly into the floor. Pretty cool stuff if you ask me!
This journey is already about 5% underway and already I'm feeling amazing effects in my practice and life. Lord only knows where I'll be when I reach 100%. Also, starting next weekend I'll be throwing a little gasoline on the fires of my practice. I'm starting a 200 Hour YogaWorks Teacher Training with Natasha Rizopoulos. Needless to say this will definitely make the experiment more interesting!
Also, I found this awesome article on Huffington Post about the history of Asana. It's likely to be a bit of an eye opener for some of the yoga snobs out there:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sadie-nardini/your-yoga-poses-arent-500_b_272821.html
Namaste, Om Shanti, Etc.!
Namaste, Om Shanti, Etc.!
Friday, August 21, 2009
Heather - Day Four : For Real!
Partially due to exhaustion and partially due to schedule-based necessity, I did a small restorative practice today: svasana, cat/cow, brief downdog, pigeon, child's pose, (yin-style) butterfly, svasana. I forget the immense energizing value of a restorative practice when you are tired. How could I when Josh Summers, my Yin teacher training teacher, said that an indication of your energy levels and the appropriate activity is determined when you are tired by how you feel after a yang or yin class: meaning if you are MORE tired after a yang class then you were truly tired, if you were MORE tired after a yin class then you had stagnated energy that needed to be moved around, like in a yang class. The reverse is also true. I wouldn't go so far as to say I am brimming with fresh energy, but I don't feel like I could just drop at any second. I will definitely sleep fantastically tonight!
As I write this, I am thinking about how all my posts to date have had some sort of reflective theme to them. To be honest, I am running dry tonight. Maybe it is just the exhaustion, or it is just not being in as reflective of a mood. The only thing I want to accomplish with this blog as I move through my days is honesty. I admit there was a part of me that tried to find a way to twist my activities on Thursday in such a way that could be argued as yoga, and I guess I did that while talking about being present with my day and current company. But in my heart, though I know yoga is only one-eighth asana, I knew that when I made this commitment I was committing to 365 days of asana. I have already committed my entire life to the practice of the whole of yoga - at least as much as I can manage in this lifetime!
Wishing you happinEss and metta from a little dot in the universe called Boston,
Heather
As I write this, I am thinking about how all my posts to date have had some sort of reflective theme to them. To be honest, I am running dry tonight. Maybe it is just the exhaustion, or it is just not being in as reflective of a mood. The only thing I want to accomplish with this blog as I move through my days is honesty. I admit there was a part of me that tried to find a way to twist my activities on Thursday in such a way that could be argued as yoga, and I guess I did that while talking about being present with my day and current company. But in my heart, though I know yoga is only one-eighth asana, I knew that when I made this commitment I was committing to 365 days of asana. I have already committed my entire life to the practice of the whole of yoga - at least as much as I can manage in this lifetime!
Wishing you happinEss and metta from a little dot in the universe called Boston,
Heather
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