Journey To Self Love (Month-long Outline)

Journey To Self Love

#JOURNEYTOSELFLOVE

WEEK #1: Sept 1-6th 

1: Opening/Intention Setting CEREMONY

2: 8-Limbs/Yamas: AHIMSA (Pamper Your Self)

3: 8-Limbs/Yamas: SATYA (Check In

4: 8-Limbs/Yamas: ASTEYA (Gift Your Self)

5: 8-Limbs/Yamas: BRAMACHARYA (Refrain)

6: 8-Limbs/Yamas: APARIGRAHA (List of Why You Love Your Self & Love Note)

Week #2: Sept 7-13th 

7: 8-Limbs/Niyamas: SAUCHA (Cleanse)

8: 8-Limbs/Niyamas: SANTOSHA (Affirmation)

9: 8-Limbs/Niyamas: TAPAS (Writing Exercise on Judgement)

10: 8-Limbs/Niyamas: SVADHYAYA (Sacred Texts)

11: 8-Limbs/Niyamas: ISVARA PRANIDHANA (Surrender)

12: 8-Limbs: ASANA (Poses)

13: 8-Limbs: PRANAYAMA (Breath Work)

Week #3: Sept 14-20th 

14: 8-Limbs: PRATYAHARA (Streamline)

15: 8-Limbs: DHARANA (Focus Desires)

16: 8-Limbs: DHYANA (Meditation)

17: 8-Limbs: SAMADHI (Oneness - Writing Exercise on Masculine & Feminine in You)

18: Nurture Your Self

19: Embrace the Unknown

20: Media Black Out

Week #4: Sept 20-27th 

21: Adventure

22: Do something that scares you

23: Dance

24: Dream Big

25: Date Night

26: “Power of Vulnerability”

27: Listen Deeply

Week #5: Sept 28-20th

28: Truth Speaking

29: Wedding Bouquet & Ring Selection

30: Wedding Ceremony

Journey To Self Love

Many people jump from one relationship to the next without taking the time to pause and return to themselves to heal, learn from their past relationships, and assess how to best move forward.

This is so important!

Every relationship we have acts as a mirror and the more we open ourselves up, the more it hurts if things don't work out.

This phenomenon is not even necessarily connected to time.

The level of depth in which we open ourselves up to is directly correlated to how much hurt we experience.

Yes, it has a lot to do with how it ends... was there clarity on both ends as to why it ended?  Was there compassion in how it ended? Was it you who ended it or them?  If it was them, did there reason have to do with you or was it on them?  Did they cheat or did they ends things cleanly?

And still, how it ends and how that feels has a lot to do with how deeply you opened to love.

And so, it is extremely important to heal from the letdown before opening to someone else.

Otherwise, your next relationship will most likely not work out and the fallout will have a compounding affect.

This phenomenon is actually true for any unprocessed event in your life.

If un-dealt with, the emotions fester and the next similar trigger will stir up the same story, and same emotions, only now the story has a much larger history.

As Sigmund Freud so adequately put, "Unexpressed emotions will never die.  They are buried alive and will come forth later in uglier ways."

Child-Parent and love relationships, are intricately woven.

Often times the patterns we repeat in love, stem from as far back as childhood and, if you believe in reincarnation, previous lifetimes.

So the unprocessed pain and inability to break free from the pattern can often time have the weight of lifetimes of history repeating itself.

Your chaos is ancient.

If you don't take the time to heal, you take all your old baggage that didn't work before and with the heavy weight of lifetimes of that which did not work out, you dump it into the lap of your new partner and somehow expect it to work.

As Albert Einstein ingeniously puts it, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over, but expecting a different result."

When we hold the vibration of the victim, we attract other victims.

As Dr. Sandra D. Wilson so simply puts, "hurt people hurt people."

This concept should be familiar, it is called the "Universal Law of Attraction."

When we hold the vibration of the healer, we attract those who are also healed.

Wouldn't it be nice to break free of this ancient cycle and begin to attract healers instead of victims?

How do we break free from the cycle?

The answer is simple and yet one of the toughest things to do.

Consciousness.

One of my favorite quotes comes from the 13 Grandmothers and says "The hardest journey is from your head to your heart, but once you get there, you'll know who you are."

In shedding the light of our own consciousness of our repeating patterns and their origin, then forgiving ourselves, and those who have triggered the wound, we automatically change our vibration from that of the victim to that of the healer.

In order to help take this journey from head (victim) to heart (healer), I have devised a 30 Day Challenge I am calling "Journey To Self Love."

I will post the challenges daily on this blog, with the possible exception of Sept 20 & 21st when I will possible by off the grid and without internet as part of the challenge.

On these dates, I will post the challenges ahead of time on the 19th.

For a more interactive experience, please follow me on Instagram: @serralynnsmick

I will post daily there with pictures and can't wait to see your daily posts & shared experience as you take this journey with me & all other IG participants.

Because this challenge will entail some planning ahead, I will give you the month layout as well as weekly layouts so you can make sure to make time & space & acquire the necessary items & quiet time for these daily activities.

My next post will give the month-long plan

Lead with your heart,

 <3 Serra

Spinning Mandala Flow with Serra Lynn Smick

Please enjoy the Spinning Mandala Flow by yours truly...

Fall In Love with God

     We may call many places home in our lives, and where we make that decision, and connection comes from the heart.  Home is where the heart is.  We may go through many rites of passage in our lives, play many roles, take up many different habits and hobbies, and go through many different jobs and preferences.  Throughout the changes, there is one thing that remains constant throughout our entire existence and that is our soul, the center of our Being, our essence, and the One who experiences all the many seasons of our life. Our soul is formless and detached from the changes we experience. It is our Ego that personalizes our experience and leads us to suffering.  Our Ego roots us into this physical world, and prevents us from experiencing our divine, formless nature.  There is a journey that takes place in going from the outermost shell of our experience, the Ego, inwards towards the divine Self that is aware of and connected to God throughout all time and space.  God lives in the tabernacle of our heart, where we call Home.

     Making the journey from the outer, individual self, inwards to the divine Self entails sinking down into the shadows our own sub, and unconscious mind, through the many layers of Ego and identify. Ego is anything not happening in the present moment. It is not the noticing that comes from Ego, rather it is the recognition, reaction and response that is born from the noticing. Ego creates story. Unbiased and diligent study are required in order to understand the Ego. 

  

     To study Ego, create a strong, honest, consistent and present discipline of noticing the Ego. As we go further and further down the rabbit hole of our own consciousness, we will discover that Ego gets curiouser and curiouser. Through studying the turbulence of our Ego, we illuminate the darkness within, connect to the peaceful, powerful and all knowing light of consciousness within and contribute an even more radiant light to Universal light. As we make the journey through the layers of Ego, we will fall more and more in love with our Self.  When we fall in love with our Self, we intrinsically fall in love with God.  Falling in love with God is the way Home.

     We can choose to illuminate our path through spreading love and light through our every thought, emotion, word and action.  This is the next step.  Its a journey! Beyond the deep, intimate, gut and soul wrenching shadow work that helps us descend into our own individual hearts, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, a bright light. Once we are there, we are totally connected to the collective heart. Each and everyone of us is our own greatest guru, or teacher. Walking a spiritual path, a brightly lit path, means living in the present, and therefore viewing everything as a blessing. When the time is right, and we feel like sharing with the right person who is ready to receive our information, we share our path through shadow work towards love.  Move from the heart and we can do no wrong. 

Impermanence As the Only Constant

We know from the universal law of conservation of energy that in a closed system, energy is permanent in that it is neither created nor destroyed, and impermanent in that it is in a continual state of flux.  Energy has the capacity to change from one form to another.  An example of this is the conversion of solar energy into chemical energy, as in photosynthesis.  In observing the formula for photosynthesis, 6CO2 + 6H2O + Light Energy = C6H12O6 + 6O2, we find that the units on one side of the equation are equal to the other side of the equation.  Energy can take the form of a wave, or a particle.  In the example above, light energy is an example of energy in wave form, and carbon dioxide (CO2), water (H2o), sugar (C6H12o6) and oxygen (O2) are examples of energy in particle form.  Behind the form lies the formless, where what exists now was once only a possibility.  An example of this is an oak tree.  Within the acorn lies the potential to become an oak tree.  What is the driving force behind the collaboration of events that occurs in order for the acorn to become the oak?  Some would say coincidence, yet most would agree that there is a driving force behind the orchestration of life.  Who, or what is the driving force?  The force goes by many names according to your beliefs: religious, spiritual or otherwise.  For the sake of simplicity, and respect for all beliefs lets call this force “Great Spirit.”  Impermanence is a part of life, and we have a choice in how we respond.  Ignorance, or being in the dark about, and resisting the universal truth of impermanence, gives rise to attachment and aversion.  Ignorance, attachment and aversion are the three poisons that taint our actions.  We reap what we sow, and so as long as our actions, or karma, are poisoned, so too will our path.  Our most loving and nurturing choice is to embrace impermanence through acceptance of what is.

Over time and space, we can observe the impermanence of energy within the Universe, and within ourselves.  Of course this is true since we are a microcosm of the macrocosm.  We’ve all heard the phrase “times have changed,” and the famous quote by Heraticlus “nothing endures but change.”  We know these principles and yet applying them to our everyday life is a lot easier said than done, especially when our mind and heart get involved.  When we have an experience that is pleasurable, our hearts open wide and the mind becomes attached to the the rush of joy and ecstasy we receive.  Once the mind recognizes that the experience is a positive one, it creates a preference and seeks to repeat, or hold onto the experience, which creates attachment.  One of our deepest fears is the loss of what we become attached to, and the ultimate loss is loss of life.  Death is our greatest fear because it threatens loss of everything we know, and yet death and change are the only constants in life.  Maybe it is time to develop a healthier relationship to all things that come our way in life, especially death.  Attachment is an extreme reaction to a situation, and like the “yin-yang” symbol, the polar opposite is true as well.  Just as the darkness cannot be appreciated without the existence of light, attachment cannot be felt without the felt existence of aversion.  Where there is attachment, there is the possibility of loss, and thus aversion to whatever threatens to rip it from our grasp. 

When we have a negative experience of something in life, we become averted to its continuity, or repetition, and want nothing to do with it.  We will do just about anything to extricate ourselves from the uncomfortable feelings that arise from coming face to face with something we don’t like.  It is important to understand that it is not the person, place, or thing which agitates us that is the problem, rather it is the our reaction to it that creates inner turmoil.  It is also important to understand that magic and growth happen outside of our comfort zone.  If we can learn to detach ourselves from the situation, and from our projections of a negative outcome long enough to gain a more broad perspective, we can open up to the possibility of a different result.  There are infinite possible outcomes to any situation.  Fear creates aversion.  Fear of not being enough, loss, and of the unknown are a few common sources of disturbance.  We all have different core fears, and becoming familiar with your authentic fears will assist in observing the sources of your aversions, however deep or superficial they may appear.  As Alan Watts put it “the only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.”  Our most favored outcome is one where we can gain access to expansion and love, which could arguably be stated as the purpose of life.  Love is expansion.  If we can learn to love through all of our experiences, we can remain in a constant state of expansion, which is the ultimate goal of all religious and spiritual paths.  

In the present moment, everything is always exactly as it should be.  Our bodies, jobs, roles, life stages, preferences, thoughts, emotions are continually in a state of flux.  Yes, this brings up attachment and aversion as we cling to what we want, and reject what we don’t.   Remember that with every death, there is also rebirth.  “Out with the old and in with the new.”  This phenomenon happens with or without or participation.  We can choose to consciously let go of what no longer serves us in order to make space for what we do want, or life can do the work for us.  It can be tough when we are left in the dark as to why we experience a loss.  It helps to remember that in each moment lies is a gift.  Our gift is that in each moment there is an opportunity for growth and to live out our highest truth with integrity and purpose.  By accepting, honoring and learning from each moment, we live a life of faith, and prayer.  Offering one’s life up to Great Spirit as a vessel for growth and expansion of human consciousness is the ultimate prayer.  Have faith in the continual flux of everything in the world of form, including thought and emotion, and set yourself free from the bonds of attachment, and aversion.  The winds of change will continue to blow wild and free.  As the wolf spider weaves a web between two blades of grass, rather than two solid structure so the wind does not destroy its home, it is up to us to prepare our hearts and minds to bend with the wind by not clinging to things and events in our life.  When we truly surrender to each moment and let the breath of Great Spirit flow through our lives, we allow process of our own personal life path to unfold naturally and sing beautiful stories of love, and mystery with our lives.  

We build walls around our preferences to protect them from what threatens their existence.  As the late J. Krishnamurti says, “only the mind which has no walls, no foothold, no barrier, no resting place, which is moving completely with life, timelessly pushing on, exploring, exploding-only such a mind can be happy, eternally new, because it is creative in itself... Such a mind is life itself, because life has no resting place.”  If we resist, and deny the impermanent nature of all things, and work to control the outcome of our experience we stagnate, and deny the natural flow of Great Spirit.  It is up to use to awaken to our path, our way, and our light.  Ultimately there is only one path, one way, one truth, and one light.  Discovering how our own individual path aligns with the One true path is our purpose for living in this world.  In the now moment lies the gateway to acceptance of what is.  

Alignment

Every thought, emotion, and action from every experience leaves an imprint on the physical body.  Spiritually, the physical body is a projection of our human experience, and a sacred temple in which to explore, and expand our consciousness within.  Physically, bones, muscles, joints, etc. differ in size, shape, joints and configuration, and tension in the body differs in location, intensity and its ability to release.  These differences make asana alignment challenging in unique ways.  Respect the body, and accept the challenges it presents as a unique gift.  Perfect asana is achieved through consciously finding accurate alignment for each individual, as well as arriving at an edge, where the asana is filled with integrity, breath, and intention.  To explore an asana’s edge, use the breath to feel around in the body, then go a little beyond the edge to explore what comes up emotionally, and spiritually with acceptance and detachment.  Then, back off from the edge to explore what comes up for you here.  Every asana is dynamic, so dance around its edge and be open to the many gifts each asana has to offer each time it is visited.  Practice ahimsa, compassion, by honoring the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual edges that are met while consciously doing battle with blockages, and illusions in the way of finding Truth.  

There are some basic principles to finding the most perfect alignment.  There is a lot to be discovered through consciousness of breath, it is our life force and guide during asana practice.  Breath tells us where we are at.  If we have gone too far beyond our edge, the breath will become short, labored, or disappear completely.  If we are not quite at our edge, the breath will might lose its tenacity, and strength.  Finding the utmost integrity in as asana requires a strong, balanced, and conscious breath where the inhale and exhale are matched with intensity, and depth.  Bones are more dense than muscles, making them stronger.  Stacking the bones in each asana creates a strong foundation that balances out weight, and effort, more evenly between bone structure and muscle engagement.  Balancing the strength and flexibility of antagonistic muscles also ensures proper alignment, as well as prevents tension and strain injuries.  Antagonistic muscles work together in opposites such as the quadricep and hamstring.  For instance, if the quadricep, or front of the thigh, is not engaged while stretching the hamstring, or back of the thigh, then it is possible to over-stretch, and strain the hamstring. If the hamstring is not engaged to balance out a hamstring stretch, then it is possible to strain the quadricep.  Another example is with the antagonistic muscles of the core and back.  In a forward bend, the core is engaged so the back muscles can relax and lengthen.  In a back bend, the back is engaged so the core can relax and stretch.  Back muscles are constantly taking a beating, and are easily prone to tension injuries.  Proper bone alignment, and muscle balance can help heal, and prevent further injuries.  For instance, in a back strengthening asana such as Warrior III, if the antagonistic muscles of the core are not actively balanced with the muscles of the back, too much tension may build, and result in injury.  Consistent engagement of the bundhas, energetic locks, will also help to zip up the asana into proper alignment on a more subtle level.  Engagement of the bundhas also help gather up, and shuttle excess energy towards the central energy energy channel, the shushumna nadi, the final energetic channel leading towards enlightenment.  Even though enlightenment is rarely realized, bundha activation during asana practice does serve as a great energetic tune-up.  Activate and become aware of the whole body to create proper alignment, and optimal flow of energy that feeds all parts of the body, especially the hands and feet.  Lastly, proper alignment seeks to balance the principles of sthira and sukha.  Sthira is strength, and grounding, while sukha is softness, and expansion.  Balancing the forces of sthira and sukha in each asana, creates grace in your practice.  Proper alignment is a living, breathing, practice.  It takes many years to integrate all the many principles of proper alignment into a practice, and the journey is the reward.

The Warrior's Prayer

I am what I am.

In having faith in the beauty within me I develop trust.

In softness I have strength.

In silence I walk with the Gods.

In Peace I understand myself and the world.

In conflict I walk away.

In detachment I am free.

In respecting all living things I respect myself.

In dedication I honor the courage within me.

In eternity I have compassion for the nature of all things.

In love I unconditionally accept the evolution of others.

In freedom I have power.

In my individuality I express the God-Force within me.

In service I give of what I have become.

I am what I am:

Eternal, immortal, universal, and infinite.

And so be it.

The song of the Sylvapolitan

I am the earth I am

I am the opening heart I am
I am the sky I am
I am the endless expanse of awareness I am

I am the starlight of eternity I am
I am the moonlight of presence I am
I am the sunshine of life I am

I am the thunder of being I am
I am the lightening of passions I am
I am the rainfall of tears I am
I am the winds of forgiveness I am
I am the sparkling morning dew of laughter I am
I am the clouds of life passing I am
I am the rainbow of memories and futures to come I am

I am caves I am
I am deep deep sleep I am
I am luminous fish in dark pools I am
I am dreams of remembrance I am
I am crystals I am
I am life awakening to myself I am

I am rivers I am
I am the running pulse of procreation I am
I am waterfalls I am
I am orgasmic joy I am

I am fields and forests I am
I am fertility, nourishment, and growth I am
I am deserts and arid lands I am
I am patience and the burning will of perseverance I am

I am rocky shores I am
I am life in transition I am
I am hurricanes I am
I am trust and surrender I am
I am strong ocean currents I am
I am life in the flow I am

My tribe is creation
The earth is my clan
All that exist here are my people
I am the flowering of forever I am
In the garden of the Divine family of creation

Pachamama Prayer (in Quechua)
Pacha mama mucha napin
Yuya rinchis mama tay tay - ta
Wasin chista allun chista
Munas canchis kow sai nin chista

Mother Earth, on the altar with reverence
We remember you, mother, and father sky
Our home, our family
We love you, for giving us our lives

Reminded

Reminded, not grounded

No thing matters

There is no light, nor dark

There is no up, nor down

There is no inside, nor outside

Surveying this land,

Navigating through these rock formations,

Leading & nurturing a herd,

Connecting with & sharing the sweet, sweet Mother,

Drinking deeply of Her nectar,

and Playing my role as a strong medicine woman

...all as I have done for thousands and thousands of years

Her blood is my blood

Her life force is my life force

Make the inside like the outside

all is One 

Serra Lynn Smick

*written after a phenomenal day of exploring the Indians Campground near Fort Hunter Liggett in CA. 

Michael Gilman "A String of Pearls: 108 Meditations"

"Approach your practice of (Tai Chi) Ashtanga with a mixture of awe, respect and love.  Realize that people have been doing the same movements that you are now doing for at least 20 generations, and every time you start, the cumulative greatness of this art is expressed through you.  You are the forward edge of the wave that is moving endlessly forwards, pushed by the entire ocean of the past."

Recommended Book List

Anatomy of the Spirit by Caroline Myss

Anatomy of Hatha Yoga by H. David Coulter

Anam Cara: a book of celtic wisdom by John O’Donohue

Animal Speak by Ted Andrews 

Ashtanga Yoga “The Practice Manual” by David Swenson

Autobiography of a Yogi by Pramahansa Yogananda

A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle

The Enlightened Heart: an anthology of sacred poetry by Stephen Mitchell 

Buddha by Deepak Chopra

Dosha for Life by linda Bretherton & Kim Whitham

Emotional Anatomy by Stanley Keleman

Energy Medicine by Donna Eden

Fierce Medicine by Ana T. Forrest

Freedom From the Known by J. Krishnamurti

The Guru Papers: masks of authoritarian power by Joel Kramer & Diana Alstad

Yoga Beyond Belief by Ganga White

The Yoga of the Bhagavad Gita by Paramahansa Yogananda

Hatha Yoga Pradipika (version by Bihar School of Yoga)

The Heart of Yoga by Shiva Rae

Integrative Medicine by Andrew Wyle

Jivamukti Yoga by Sharon Gannon & David Life

Kabir: ecstatic poems by Robert Bly

Light On Yoga by B.K.S. Iyengar

Living Your Yoga by Judith Lasater

Meditation and Other Spiritual Disciplines by Swami Swahananda

Meditation by the Monks of the Ramakrishna Order

Meditations From the Mat by Rolf Gates

Peace Is Every Step by Thich Nhat Hanh

Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach, Ph. D.

Think On These Things by J. Krishnamurti

Vedanta: Voice of Freedom by Swami Vivekananda

The Way of Council by Jack Zimmerman & Virginia Coyle

Yoga and the Path of the Urban Mystic by Darren John Main

The Yoga Tradition by Georg Feurstein

Yoga Posture Adjustments and Assisting by Stephanie Pappas

Yoga Etiquette

Studio Etiquette

Payment:

Yoga is based on honesty, so simply be honest. Do not try to get free classes just because your friend is the teacher, or because you are a teacher. Teachers usually get free yoga where the teach, but this does not mean you should get free everywhere. Do not try to change your namie in order to take advantage of new student packages most studios have to offer. You only get to be a new students once. Simply abide by the rules for each studio you enjoy practicing at. Remember that the type of energy you project, you also attract. As an instructor, it is a rare occasion that you will find yourself behind the desk, but the same rules apply, just be honest and have integrity in all your transactions and dealings.

Teachers:

Many of us have preferences for which teacher we most enjoy practicing with, and this is normal and perfectly acceptable. what is unacceptable is voicing your opinions on which teachers are awesome and which are not at the studio, especially within earshot of any owner, secretary or, god forbid, teachers. This classifying forgets that we are all entitled to our own experience and opinions, not to mention it is incredibly rude, and if your words happen to fall on the wrong ears, say your least favorite teacher's ears, they can be extremely, and unnecessarily hurtful. This also means that if you show up to take your favorite teachers class and there is you may not know, or don't prefer, take class anyways. Everything happens for a reason and you are meant to show up that day for yoga with that specific teacher, like it or not. Leaving would be missing out on an opportunity to learn. If that means that you end up judging and comparing the teacher the whole time, then shame on you, but watch your judging and comparing, naturally detaching from it and learn more about it, maybe you'll even get to transform it into love and light, which is the purpose of living. It is also highly inappropriate if you are a teacher comparing other teachers as well. keep your opinions to yourself, practice with your preferred teachers, and learn to let go if you show up and your favorite teacher has a sub.

Chatting in the Lobby:

Depending on the studio, the lobby may be located within ear shot of the class room. If this is the case, keep your volume to a dull roar. Typically, if you arrive 15 minutes early or right before, you are also arriving when previous classes are winding down, or already in savasana meditation. Respect the savasana by not chatting away loudly in the lobby, disrespecting the peace and quite of the students still in class. Keep this in mind if you are the instructor checking your students in as well.



Class Etiquette

Scents:

No matter how pleasant you think your favorite oils, perfumes, sprays, lotions, etc. are keep in mind that in a room full of perspiring yoga students your strong scents may in fact insult the nostrils of a fellow student, this goes for teachers too.

Alcohol or drug Use:

This kind of goes without saying, and mostly for the reason that you should always come to the mat with the intention of letting whatever is meant to happen happen, but preparing yourself beforehand with the utmost integrity. Showing up drunk or high does not set you up to be clear to experience the process that occurs or not. It is also dangerous for you and for your fellow students and teacher, as you never know what can happen when mixing drugs or alcohol with an intense physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual experience.

Arrive early for class:

Not only is it extremely distracting to have students come to class late for the students, but also for the teacher. Once class begins, a beautiful orchestration of energy begins to flow involving the teacher and students together as one moving, breathing, flowing energy. A trust and safeness is felt as the energy of the individual merges with the group as a whole. If a student walks in late, it interrupts this mutually felt trust and safety that is felt. Eventually, the energies will merge again, but if this can be avoided. Arriving not just on time, but early to allow for ample time to pay, go to the bathroom, set your things in a safe spot, create your sacred space, and drop in is the way to not only avoid interrupting the sacred flow of experience that occurs in each class, but it also sets you up for success. It is acting with compassion for you, for your class mates and for your teacher. Teachers should arrive early, how early depends on the protocol of the studio where you teach. Typically, you want to arrive with enough time to get settled, and prepared for teaching. Make sure you give yourself enough time to set up music, set up your mat, and water, clear the room of any negative energy, and set your intention for teaching, usually about 15 minutes is ample time for this.

Remove your shoes:

In the class room, treat the space with respect. Your mat is placed on the floor, where your sacred experience takes place. Respect not only your mat, but the floor beneath it by removing your shoes. This will also prevent tracking dirt all over the studio floor where often times your feet, hands, and who knows what other body parts may touch.

Electronic devices:

Yoga is meant to calm the fluctuations of the mind and so a peaceful, and relaxing environment is key. It is also meant to bring you into the present moment. a phone call can not only disturb the ears of everyone in the class room, but it can also set everyone’s mind off on wondering who the phone belongs to, who just irritated and distracted them, who is calling, and what did they want, thereby bringing everybody into the past and future and away from the present moment. Do not bring your phone, or beeper into class under any circumstances. In some special cases, the teacher may allow you to bring in your phone, but this must be communicated to the teacher ahead of time. Also, you must ask the teacher if it is ok rather than tell them, and be respectful of whatever their choice is. Remember that the teacher has a whole class to consider, not just you.

Mat placement:

Some classrooms will have mirrors and some will not. If mirrors are present, this is an opportunity for you to visually check your own alignment by placing your mat so that you have a clear visual line to the mirror. This is not always possible, but do your best. Give others the same opportunity to check out and refine their own alignment by placing your mat in a way so that the students behind you can also see. Often times staggering mats works best for this. Also, many students come to class and bring all their old habits in with them, such as continually placing their mat in the same spot. Yoga is about breaking patterns, so do not feed into your old, rigid patterns by continually “getting your spot” in class. When you walk into the room, see if you can tap into your intuition to tell you where you should place your mat for this particular class. This will keep your perspective fresh from the moment you set your mat down.

Respect other space:

Whether you are slightly new to yoga, or a seasoned practitioner you probably can remember some amazing breakthroughs you had had on your mat, physically, mentally and emotionally. So, in a way you have gone through some processes, or journeys on your mat. Now think about your practice as a whole and the accumulation of journeys you have gone through, which is your journey through yoga. think about how special that is to you and think about how that journey takes place on your mat. Your mat hold the collective vibration of the accumulation of all the experiences that have taken place on it, and so is very sacred. Respect your mat by keeping it clean, physically, and energetically. Respect others mats too by consciously walking around, thereby respecting their sacred space.

Let the teacher be the teacher:

Not only from a student’s perspective, but also from a teacher’s, it is extremely rude when a student takes liberty to instruct another student, get up to adjust the heat, lights, music, doors, windows, etc. Hold space for the teacher to hold the energy of the room in a safe and nurturing environment. Additionally, if a student takes liberty to help out the teacher in the way they see fit, it subconsciously causes the class to lose trust in the teacher’s ability to lead. An exception to this rule is if the teacher asks for your help. As a teacher, if a student challenges your authority, and begins to help you out, ask them kindly to stop and return to their mat. After class, it is up to you if you want to ask them not to do that again and offer an explanation why. Often times, asking them to stop and return to their mat is enough. If it becomes a problem, it is up to you to talk with the necessary people so as to create a safe space for your students while you are teaching.

Let the class be the class:

Sometimes we show up to a class and it is not what we expected or wanted to get from that hour or hour and a half of our precious time. However expecting and getting are two things that yoga invites us to overcome. Yoga does not just take place on the mat, it takes place in your life as well. So coming to class with expectations, and wanting to get something particular out of the class demonstrates a weak yoga practice. If you happen to show up and are not in love with the flow, your dissatisfaction with class becomes your practice and you can learn to detach from and watch it. If you can manage to shift your perspective in this way, you can open yourself up to experience one of the most powerful, and important yoga classes you have ever taken. This is a far better demonstration of integrity than leaving, or doing your own thing.

Talking during class:

In the few lingering moments before class begins you should give yourself some time to shift gears from your busy life to your yoga practice. It is impossible to shift into an inward focused practice when you spend these moments talking with your neighbor. In addition, talking before class disturbs those around who who are trying to make that inward shift. During the entire duration of class, remaining silent is essential. Only the teachers voice and any music played during class should be heard.

Leaving early:

There will be times when a student needs to leave early. In this case, it is up to the teacher to allow this or not. If you chose to let them take class, you can place them in the back of the room, so that when they leave early it is of the least disturbance to the rest of the class. Some yoga is better than no yoga.

Special cases:

This includes temporary or permanent injuries, disfigurements, and illnesses. This is a very personal subject. First of all it is up to the student to decide whether they want to practice or not. If you feel up to coming to class with an injury or disfigurement, great! Everybody who wants to show up to their mat should be honored and recognized for that. It takes a lot of courage to show up. As far as illness goes, practice ahimsa (compassion) both for yourself and for others. If you are contagious, do not bring your illness into the room and share it with your fellow students and teacher, and potentially the whole studio. If your are ill, but not contagious, its really up to you to decide. If you want to practice, by all means practice.

Savasana:

Savasana is the part of class where the benefits are realized. If you need to skip out on savasana once in a great while, its ok, just tell your teacher ahead of time. If this becomes a regular occurrence or preference, take a look at that. If you can’t come to the whole class, then you can’t show up to receive the full benefits. If this is the case, then why come to class?

Keep track of your things:

It can be pretty frustrating to leave the studio and realize you left your favorite mat, mat towel, wallet, etc. at the studio. “Yoga Brain” is that the totally present, and a little too connected to the intense experience we just had, so not connected to things like belongings state of mind we tend to get when leaving the studio. Yoga Brain can be blamed for many things, including forget our belonging at the studio. Try to make it a habit of making one last final check list of your belongings before you leave the studio. in addition, you wouldn’t believe the hot, sweaty, smelly pile of belongings that tend to accumulate from the many washings of yoga brain a studio experience on a daily basis.

Using stones to enhance sankalpa (intention) in yoga

Another great way to enhance your intention or prayer is by imploring the use of crystals or natural earth stones into your practice and into your teaching. a specific frequency of energy, or light, falls within a specific pattern and, therefore, emit a specific color. this phenomenon can be applied to earth stones in the study of metaphysics, loosely defined as the study of what is beyond physical form. beyond the physical properties of each stone lies a specific purpose. typically, a stone’s color will be a good indicator as to what its purpose is in relation to. when compared to the colors of the chakras, such as the royal blue stone lapis lazuli being good for clearing out and opening up the throat chakra.

Some good stones and their brief uses (for more info look to “the crystal bible”):

Volcanic rocks or rose quartz : grounding and balancing for the primal force
carnelian: calms temperament and balances ability to create with personal intention
citrine: promotes confidence and helps develop one’s personality
jade: healing for the heart and emotional matters
lapis lazuli: opens and promotes truth speaking and healing of the throat chakra
amethyst: opens third eye and enhances intuition
quartz : strengthens connection to spirit

What is Tarot and how can it enhance my sankalpa (intention) for yoga

Tarot cards depict a story and explain patterns we find in both the microcosm of ourselves and the macrocosm of the universe. within the cards, 21 major arcana cards depict a story of a young journeyer that evolves through overcoming first an earthly challenge followed by a spiritual challenge. like a deck of cards, 56 minor arcana cards are divided into four major suites (wands, swords, cups and pentacles, or disks) depict different types of challenges we overcome during different periods of our lives. Wands represent the nature of fire within and depict a story of overcoming challenges of the action and creation realm. cups represent the nature of water within us and depict a story of overcoming challenges of the emotional and spiritual realm. swords represent the nature of air within us and depict a story of overcoming challenges of the mind. pentacles, or disks, represent the nature of earth within us and depict a story of overcoming challenges of the material realm. certain card layouts can tell a specific story to answer a specific question, where each card represents a specific piece of the puzzle. You don’t have to be trained to read tarot cards, they are based on intuition. Where it is good to know the story of the major and minor arcana cards as well as the different suites and what they represent, it is not necessary. Having the foundational knowledge of the cards and their meaning can only enhance your readings, allowing one to extract even more meaning from them.

Reading cards, whether pulling a layout to answer a specific or general question or pulling a single card can help create a sankalpa (focus or intention) for each class. at the very least, pulling one card, meditating on the message in the card and allowing that message to be the focus of your class can help redirect your karma (actions) towards a more intentional purpose-fulfilling direction.

What is Reiki and how can it enhance teaching yoga?

Practicing Reiki is to use energy medicine by removing the ego and any attachment to outcome, opening up energetic pathways in the body to allowing universal healing energy to flow through the hand chakras and into the recipient. this is an extremely special gift to be able to share with your students as you adjust them deeper into poses. Healing will already be taking place, this will make it a smooth transition for them through this emotional, physical and spiritual release.

Bundhas or Energetic Locks

Here are a few bundhas or energetic locks used in a physical yoga practice that I have found to be very helpful, in fact they have revolutionized my yoga practice. I hope you enjoy them.

mula (root lock): appropriately named, this energetic lock is Located in the muladhara/root chakra. engagement of this bundha during asana and pranayama practices can help turn the normal downward, or apana, flowing energy in an upwards, or prana, flowing direction. it is this upward flowing energy that frees the latent, potential energy of the jiva, or soul, called kundalini. Unleashing the kundalini from the base of the spine upwards brings our consciousness closer to god, closer to reaching samadhi, or enlightenment. a bundha is an energetic lock and not an actual physical location in the body, however we can begin to feel its subtleties by accessing specific locations in the physical body. to find this bundha find your pelvic floor muscles and practice squeezing the genitals and the anus together and separately. notice a “pulling up” and in sensation and you lift the pelvic floor. then notice a more subtle energetic ring, or sphincter, about 3 inches up and in between the genitals and the anus, this is the mula bundha. Lift in and up on mula bundha to prevent the energy created in your yoga practice, and aimed at attaining enlightenment, from escaping out through the root chakra. at first you may want to work with engaging this bundha only on the exhales, and gradually evolve your yoga practice to involve mula bundha throughout the entire asana and pranayama portion of class. this bundahs physical purpose is to create strength and lightness in your physical practice, as well as supporting the length and structure of the lumbar spine.

uddiyana (abdominal lock): engaging this lock connects our emotions, and creativity towards our heart center, and physically it strengthens the abdominals and supports the thoracic spine. this energetic lock is also sometimes called “the flying up and in lock.” this description more accurately describes the action one takes to perform this lock. to engage this bundha pull the naval straight back towards the spine and lift it slightly up towards the rib cage. I like to envision a tiny little bird has flown into my naval and its destination is my rib cage.

jalandhara (chin lock): this energetic lock exists within the throat chakra and connects your ability to speak your truth with your heart center. This bundha also has the physical purpose of lengthening and supporting the cervical spine. to activate this bundha lengthen the base of your skull skyward and press your chin straight back into the front of your throat. Make it comfortable!

Maha (The great seal): is the engagement of the three previous bundhas all at once. Typically, multiple bundhas should be engaged from the bottom up and released from the top, down. engagement of the great seal brings the practitioner focus, allowing one to rest more fully into the present moment and into stillness of the mind. It also balances doshas (or aryuvedic constitutions), chakras (energy centers) as well as unties energetic granthis (knots). when the great seal is in place, the vayus (winds) within the body are directed through the nadis (energetic pathways) through muladhara (root) chakra and into the opening of the sushumna nadi (central energetic pathway from root to crown. when energy is running in this direction, enlightenment is a possibility.

hri bundha (heart or core lock): this energetic lock is to be obtained once mastery of maha bundha is attained. this lock allows for a soft open heart that is supported by a strong and lengthened spine. to activate the lock grow your spine up and out your pelvis, engage mula, uddiyana and jalandhara bundhas, pull your front and back ribs in and down, squeeze your lower tips of your shoulder blades into towards the kidneys and slide them down your back, inflate your chest, and lengthen up through all sides of your torso. imploring hri budha reverses a tendency to close down the heart, and lets us practice opening our hearts and share our love with the universe in a vulnerable and fearless way.

jivha (tongue lock): pressing the tip of your hardened front tip of your tongue onto the roof of your mouth, just behind the teeth. engagement of this bundha locks the throat chakra towards the anja & crown chakra, connecting the power of speaking your truth toward intuition and connection to spirit.

Inspiration

The more I watch my self, the more I take the role of the silent witness, and through this, can learn about my self. The more I learn about my self, the more I step into the role of my true, higher Self. The more I step into my higher Self, the more I accept my divinity, my connection to the Whole, my participation in Reality. The more I grow, the more I ascend and raise my vibration. The more I raise my vibration, the more I participate in raising the vibration of the Whole. The more I help raise the vibration of the Whole, the more power the Whole gives me to continue to raise the vibration and heal the Whole. When that is my highest intention, prayer and purpose I can do no wrong. The Universe responds and brings me more opportunity to continue the cycle of death and rebirth to ascend with the Universe and be a positive force of love, healing, compassion and truth. This growth is sustained by the Universe providing me the means to live and continue following my heart and letting it lead me towards abundance. Living this way is win-win. Surrendering judgements, labeling, and attachment to all outcome creates an even stronger connection to faith, and Spirit. Understanding that Spirit works in mysterious ways and so we must unveil or ideas of how we can experience a joyful, loving, blissful life. Life can be seen as a continual practice of falling gracefully through the layers of self to finally arrive at Self, if we are diligent in our living a life's message of integrity. Let go and let God. Live life fully without fear. Be a warrior of the light by committing to continually hunt down the darkness and making light of it. See every moment as an opportunity to live your deepest purpose. Follow your heart towards living a life of love and compassion, within and without. Connect to Spirit to walk in the light of Truth. Let the air calm the fluctuation of thought and bring you stillness of the mind. Let the firm, dynamic Earth beneath you teach you un-attachment and bring you strength, support, grounding and steadiness. Let the penetrating Sun warm your heart. Let the flowing waters bring you stillness. These are the medicines, both within and without. Aho! Mitakuye Oyasin. To all my relations. Misla aya kolo! I love you! I stand in your honor and intend positive change, healing, love, light, peace, Truth & Oneness. I vow to honor you always by following a Spiritual path led by the light. Ekae. It is good.

Yoga Playlist

The Root Center - Andi Goldman & Jonathan Goldman - Tantra of Sound Harmonizer
Om Shanti - Daphne Tse And Matt Pszonak - Jala
Constellation of the Heart (Native Edit) - I Awake - The Core
Wandering Star - Portishead - Dummy
Rainbow - Oh Land - Oh Land
You Wish - Nightmares On Wax - In a Space Outta Sound
All I Want - Ganga - Don't Wake Me Up
Nataraja - The Dum Dum Project - Desi Vibes
Where We Are - Mackintosh Braun - Where We Are
May All Beings - EarthRise SoundSystem - The Yoga Sessions
Dance Yrself Clean - LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
Swagga (Downlink Remix) - Excision & Datsik - Boom / Swagga (Remixes)
Saturdays - Cut Copy
Dream Machine - Mark Farina - Om 10
Where Is My Mind? - Pixies - Surfer Rosa
So This Is Goodbye - William Fitzsimmons - Derivatives
Slip Away - Si*Sé - Si*Sé

Relaxing into my own divine nature

As we live and grow through time, we evolve. Everything living evolves over time. Natural selection acts upon the individual favoring traits that are best suited to their environment. We know that this happens on a genetic level, but we are made up of body, mind & spirit. We know that through time, as a species, our brains have become larger & we are learning & building upon that knowledge exponentially. On an individual level, we learn so many things as we grow and live. So, mentally, we evolve individually as well as together. Over time, we have evolved spiritually from the accumulation of teachings from enlightened ones, such as Buddha & Jesus, and from the accumulation of human experience with divine connection.
Universally, we are all connected to, and so affect, each other. When we forget about this connection we feel separate from the whole, lonely, disconnected to life and we are more likely to experience, and get stuck in, fear, guilt, judgement, blame, hate, and other darker illusions. They are dark because they are unconscious to the one universal truth, that we are perfect, whole & complete. They are illusions because they prevent us from experiencing our truth, our connection to divinity. Divinity is the collection of life force, or spirit. We are a part of this life force and yet we have our own individual life force as well. God is in everything, and everywhere & God is in us too. We are a microcosm of the macrocosm that is Spirit.
The purpose of walking a spiritual path is to hold true to your highest good, your highest purpose, to see the divinity in you & reflect it outwards, spreading love & light wherever you go, no matter what. To live this path is to live your truth, your Tao, your way. just surrender your life to God, to let God flow through all you feel, see, think, say, and do. I promise what you manifest co-creatively with God will be much better than you could have ever dreamed of. It is true, walking a spiritual path requires that you are present to everything. Sometimes when you commit your life to growing spiritually, the Universe brings you some tough lessons. Sometimes you might think to yourself, “I was so much happier when I was ignorant!” Just remember, as with everything, there is a fluctuation. What goes up must come back down, so when you find yourself in a lull, remember that it will go back up when it is meant to & when it does, watch out for pure awesomeness. Do not get attached to the highs or avert yourself from the lows, experience them with equanimity. The highs of a a more spiritually evolved being are naturally higher in vibration & therefore more intense. It may be tough always walking in the light, but it is infinitely rewarding.

The dance of masculine & feminine

The masculine way follows clarity, action, and decision making skills. The feminine way follows the natural flow of life. Men make decisions from their head, while women make decisions from their heart. Both are effective, but the masculine gifts the feminine by contributing his clarity, action & decision making skills. Masculine has trouble getting out of the head, and so the feminine is able to gifts by bringing the masculine into the body & into the heart, helping to reconnect with life. Masculine & feminine polarity is a reciprocal & a mutually beneficial gift from the Universe, especially when used as a sadhana, or spiritual practice.