30 Day Yoga Challenge!

Mar7

Photo by Jessica Dozois Campbell of Girls With Film Photography

Recently, I was speaking to a photographer friend of mine, Jessica Dozois, who runs her business out of Chilliwack, BC, about an hour outside of Vancouver. Jessica is a single mom who works hard to both live her dream of being a photographer, but also to look after and provide for her adorable son Max. So between long photo shoots, looking after her son and spending all night loading and altering pictures in the evenings, Jessica doesn’t get a whole lot of time to herself to relax or otherwise.

But when the Chilliwack Times started the 30 Day Yoga Challenge, as a New Year’s Resolution in which participants must do hot yoga at least once, each day for 3o days, Jessica was quick to jump on board, noting that it was something she felt she had to do for herself. So yoga mat in hand, she made her way to the studio to bend and stretch in a high temperature room.

When I asked Jessica how she felt about the challenge, she had this to say, “When I first tried Bikram yoga they give you a form to fill out. And under ‘Why you are coming?’ is a multiple choice answer…I choose ‘To lose weight’ but after only going for only a short while, I realized how it made me feel mentally, which was amazing and is why I continue to go.” Some days, she didn’t feel like attending and her muscles begged for a break. On other occasions, it was her mental saviour when inevitably, life gets a little bit hectic. But most of all, Jessica discovered that taking time for yourself is a vital part of mental and physical health, be it in a yoga studio or in your bedroom with a good book. “Being in the hot room for ninety minutes of sweating like you’ve never sweat before, pushing yourself to do the best you can and when you come out of there it is the best feeling of accomplishment.  Not just with the 30 day challenge, but overall, bikram yoga has changed my life. It makes me happier and healthier than I’ve ever felt before.” Jessica quickly found that if she missed a day (you are allowed to miss a day in the challenge, but it means that the following day, you must do two classes), she often craved being back in the studio, surrounded by the supportive atmosphere that the owners create.

So what did Jessica do when her 30 Day Challenge was over? She signed up for another one, which completed on 29 Feb. And although it’s no longer a “challenge,” Jessica embraces yoga in her life every day, to find peace and relieve stress. As it turns out, the 30 Day Hot Yoga Challenge wasn’t just about going to a class each day, but rather, it’s about making the resolution, no matter the time of year, to take time for yourself, in any form. It isn’t until we give to ourselves that we are ever able to give fully to others.

Kelly

Filed Under: Basics, Everyday Spirit, In The News, Inspiration

Why do you Love Yoga?

Oct7

This weekend it’s Canadian Thanksgiving. There are many things I am thankful for – my awesome boys and family, that I get the chance to pursue my interests (like  stepdancing and cognitive science),  the beautiful sunny morning and of course my yoga practice.  Yoga has kept me healthy and sane and made me see the world in different ways – really things look different when you are in a headstand ;)

My friends over at @Carleton_U are running a contest encouraging students to share why they think Carleton is a great university. I thought it would fun to do the same with yoga.

If you would like to share some of the reasons why  you love  yoga, leave a comment here or tweet them using the hastag #iLuvYoga. You will be entered in a draw for a set of downloadable yoga pose drawings.  On Sunday, October 9, I will compile the comments and tweets and randomly select the winner!

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Filed Under: Inspiration, Yoga Stick Figures

The Student is Ready

May20

TeacherCreative Commons License photo credit: Symic

Tuesday morning dawned wet and overcast – a perfect day to solve the occasional writer’s block I am prone to.  Usually I am just putting the final touches on an article by this time…not still trying to figure out what to write; but as it turned out, the subject of this article was already waiting in my email inbox.

We’ve discussed teaching, and what it means to be a great teacher – of Yoga or otherwise; but what makes a good student?  Life is a classroom – and there are some general guidelines that apply to all facets of our existence, as well as some amazing help along the journey.  Think of these guidelines as a student handbook given on your first day of school, except this school is lifetime enrollment – and its motto is too funny (forgive my warped sense of humor): “Graduation ceremonies held as required at the local funeral home.”

The Inbox

It has been over thirty years (gulp) since I attended grade three, and to be honest most of those memories are dim, shadowy remnants hiding in dark corners; but in a moment of Life’s curious synchronicity a light has been lit.  I received an email from a reader who recognized a reference to an amazing teacher during my third grade year – and as it turns out, we not only shared the classroom, but we both were influenced by this person at critical times in our existence…and so begins lesson one of life’s student handbook.

The First Lesson

Open up the student’s handbook to Life and you will find two words under lesson one:  “Don’t Panic.”  There is more wisdom hidden within these two simple words than I have room to write – which is probably why only these words are used.  Another way of saying “don’t panic” is instead to say “cultivate peace.”  When we keep centered within ourselves with a clear mind, the answers to life’s problems can be seen.  Clouded by fear and panic, we often fail to see what is right in front of us and instead make poor choices that can negatively impact our lives.  Learning not to panic and how to remain calm and focused in any situation is the most valuable lesson we can learn.  Both Yoga and meditation help to build this centeredness…

Lesson Two

As a good student of any sort, absorbing the material is a must.  On the second page of the student’s handbook to Life is lesson two.  Lesson two states, again, very simply:  “You have help.”  As with the grade three teacher who was there for not only myself, but at least one other (my heart tells me many), we all have help.  When we look back at our lives, it is easy to see in retrospect those who mysteriously entered our lives at a time we needed them, and then vanished almost as mysteriously when the time was past.

Not all the help we receive is easy to recognize, but as a good student, we should be aware of it.  The partner you angrily argue with over a trivial matter, a loud and obnoxious neighbor, or a loved one you feel more like strangling…all these people too are in our lives to help us along our way.  The help we receive does not have to be asked for – it is a natural part of Life’s University; but it is more effective when as a good student you come to recognize it in your daily life.  This help extends beyond our encounters with other people and into our environment as well.  A spectacular sunset watched in solitude can dispel a miserable day at the office more effectively than any medication – and with no harmful side effects!

Lesson Three

Lesson three comprises four words:  “Pay attention in class.”  A good student listens to the teacher, asks questions when confused, and pays attention to what is being taught.  Sadly, the majority of Life’s students pay very little attention at all in class.  We can get so wrapped up in work, bills, possessions…and then we stop listening in the classroom.  Paying attention can be as simple as stopping to notice roses on your way to work, or more importantly, learning to recognize the signs around the class pointing you in the right direction.

Learning to pay attention is a way of recognizing the sanctity of each moment and giving it the respect it deserves.  On a more physical level, our bodies give us many signs as things slowly begin to go wrong due to stress, disease, misuse, poor nutrition, and many other reasons.  Being aware of the subtle shifts in your health can give indicators that can save your life in some cases – as in the case of someone who begins to experience minor chest pains on occasion and rather than shrug them off, sees a doctor for tests and makes lifestyle changes to prevent a major attack.

Lesson Four

Lesson four in the handbook of what makes a good student is also straightforward:  “Lessons are repeated until learned.”  In life, a good student sees the lesson the first time it is being taught, and absorbs its teachings.  Our Teacher is a kind and loving sort – giving lessons that are easy and cause us little upheaval in our lives.  It is only when we fail to understand or absorb the lesson that they slowly become more and more intrusive – until we are forced to face what it is we must learn in this life.

Lesson Five

No wonder this handbook is not available in published form – six pages and less than a few dozen words…but it would be worth a fortune.  Lesson five is just as short and to the point:  “Nobody fails.”  That’s right.  You cannot possibly fail.  As a student, this means just a little more than receiving a passing grade at the end of your days; it also means that you should remain unattached from the results of your efforts.  Do the work in your life to the best of your ability and creativity, and let it go.  When we set all these expectations on ourselves and what we are trying to accomplish, we are setting ourselves up for failure instead of remaining open to the way we need to go.

 

A student’s point of view

Boy, there are days that class can really suck.  Too much homework or you think the Teacher is mad at you, or you just can’t seem to get it…That is where the final three words of our student handbook help.  On page six is written not a lesson, but a reminder:  “I love you.”  When you take a moment to realize how many events, people and situations are created for the sole purpose of teaching you what you need to learn, how can you not feel loved?  When you see the sun shining down upon you in the morning, remember that it shines for you too.  As children of The Creator, we are always loved, never abandoned, and never lost…

Namaste, my friends.

 

Filed Under: Everyday Spirit, Inspiration, Philosophy

When Yoga is Not Enough

May12

I confess it has been a difficult couple of weeks – to the point where I found it necessary to take five days off work, retreat from the world – and regain balance.  Even my Yoga has suffered – too tired, too much on my plate, can’t focus… The day to day hustle, the mental and emotional stress of the work environment, bills, personality conflicts, and sometimes just plain old nasty people; they all contribute to this ‘yoke’ that modern culture has become.

When we are not engaged in our daily affairs, we stereotypically turn to TV or the Internet for what most call “down time.”  Little time is reserved for actively strengthening our commitments to higher ideals, spending time in nature (a healing place), or communing with ourselves…and our Higher Self.  Why does our own ‘inner voice’ seem so subdued, if audible at all, in today’s world?  Where is the Divine Nature of our existence in our day to day activities and especially, our thoughts?

The Bhagavad Gita

Yes, I have spoken of this tome before…although this incarnation is by far the most readable, understandable, and valuable of any read to date.  I have read this book over and over again in the last few weeks, and draw strength and faith from its pages.  The Bhagavad Gita is a love song sung by God to His friend man.  The Gita is a statement of the core truths which many of us already believe in our deepest hearts – making these truths clearer, and offering practical application in our daily lives.  More than just a book, the Bhagavad Gita has an ‘accumulated potency’ – full of the ancient but ever current breath of spiritual energy and strength.

Dr. Jack Hawley

In the course of writing The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners, Jack Hawley consulted over thirty different texts, and in doing so has synthesized the original languages into English in such a way that has preserved in ancient within the new.  The recently of late Sathya Sai Baba and many other contributors served as sounding boards and advisors during the creation of this English translation – rigorously testing the translations and their meanings to insure the heart of the Gita remained intact.  Jack Hawley is a student, teacher, consultant, and lecturer who works to instill new energy, heart, and spirit into large organizations and groups.  Over the last fourteen years, Hawley has spent half of each year in India learning, teaching, and living by the principles in the Gita.

What I needed

As I had said, it has been a rough while as of late.  There is a real downside to losing balance in life – once you start down the dark side… (Sorry, watched Star Wars on the weekend!)  It’s true, though.  Once my Yoga fell to the wayside, I of course began to beat myself up about it.  This eventually turned to becoming angry with myself, and then angry at others.  When my anger at myself spread outward, my meditations started to falter, and then I noticed my appetite changing, sleep changing…STOP THE BUS!  I’ve learned the hard way that there is a point we all reach at some time or another affectionately known as “The breaking point.”  Going past the breaking point is a one way ticket to the dark side, and I was teetering on the edge. (I know, enough with the Star Wars references…)

I took Jack Hawley’s advice and buried myself in the Bhagavad Gita…too unfocused to meditate or contemplate on it for any length of time; I read it.  I read it slowly, against my ingrained ‘research skim’ I treat most books with; stopping to go back and re-read when the end of a stanza forgot the beginning.  Over and over – no TV (well, except for Star Wars – again, sorry), no music, just the Bhagavad Gita and an intense hope that the accumulated energy of this work would somehow just seep into me.

Where I Got It…

Miserable use of language, I know…but it fit the time.  Chapter Eighteen of Jack Hawley’s the Bhagavad Gita is entitled:  “Liberation Through Knowing, Acting, and Loving (Moksha Sanyasa Yoga), with a simple yet profound subtitle – “Give Me your whole heart.”  I think I reread the subtitle four or five times, as if stuck on it the first time I read the book.  A subtle little bell was beginning to chime softly in the distance of my soul…no nearer or farther than I imagined it, I suppose.

Years of searching, years of education in religious studies and ancient philosophies, thousands of books, and tens of versions of the Gita – none spoke to me as this did.  My heart has belonged to the Creator always.  Meditations and my day begin with prayer to be an instrument of The Divine, see that Divinity in all things, and act accordingly.  What part of my whole heart was I failing to give?  I realized that once I had been liberated from narrow-minded “it’s our way to heaven or you will go to hell” philosophies (no offence to anyone), I have been lacking something:  A practice I was totally comfortable with and could follow.

How one becomes Perfect

Stanza fifty as The Divine speaks yet again to Arjuna:

50   So learn from Me now, friend, as I briefly profile the qualities that make the loving Yogi one with Me.1 There is no higher achievement.

51   Cultivate a pure intellect.  Free your mind and heart from delusion.  Be self-restrained.  Give up the ego.  Subdue your senses through steady will.  Abandon the sight, tastes, and noises of the world.  Put aside with no regret the likes and dislikes so burdensome in life.

52   Seek solitude; eat but little, lead a simple, self-reliant life, curbing your thoughts, speech, and actions.  Be detached, impersonal.  Engage your mind always in concentration, contemplation, and meditation on the Godhead.

The instructions go on, but at stanza fifty-five The Divine ‘stops’ to drive a point home.  In the midst of profiling the qualities one should develop, Krishna (The Divine) gives a ‘sacred shortcut’ to Arjuna:

55   Be very clear about the crucial importance of love.  To love is to know Me. The act of loving itself is indeed the experience of really knowing Me, for I am Love, Arjuna!  To love is to know My innermost nature, the Truth that I am.  It is through this sacred and deep knowing that you gain access to Me and become one with My own Self.  Loving is knowing God!  As a deep knower of the Godhead, you actually become the Godhead.

Give Me your whole heart

I have always loved God – in all the variations I have considered.  I understand that all our views on the subject are going to differ, and they will probably all turn out to be incorrect and inconsequential in the presence of The Divine once we have shuffled off this mortal coil.  My love for Allah is not whole, however.  I find it easy to see Brahman in the flowers and trees, and all of nature’s creatures and sublime beauty.  I confess that I have a lot of difficulty with seeing Krishna in others still.  Thanks to Jack Hawley’s the Bhagavad Gita, I have a practice to follow as Krishna drives home again and again:  The Divine is inside you and all around you.  Nothing exists outside The Divine, and all that exists within God has at its core Divine Consciousness.

To give God your whole heart is to realize that God is in everyone and everything.  You cannot give your whole heart if you are not willing to love all of Divine Creation as you love God.  That means the person stealing your purse, the beggar asking for money or food…even those who would do you harm, as Krishna speaks of in the Gita.  The only practice we need to follow is Love.

Before I leave you with something to ponder for a few minutes when you have nothing pressing, I wish to extol the love and power inherent within Hawley’s the Bhagavad Gita one last time.  Buy it from Amazon, loan it from the library…heck – go to Chapters with a Starbuck’s and plant yourself in an armchair if you have to.  Read the Gita over and over again, slowly, reverently; the spiritual power in the Truths contained in the Gita will seep into you and begin to resonate.  All Truth has this capacity, and you will quickly notice it working in your own life.

The end

Finally!  For those of you who have remained conscious through this entire article, I salute you!  Back to my ‘problem’ with seeing The Divine in others – here is a thought for both of us to consider:  Imagine that just one person you will run into today is someone God sent your way out of love and curiosity to see how you are progressing in your journey…and God decided he was going to go along for the ride to be there personally.  It could be a beggar, a thief, a close friend, a co-worker, an angry customer – anybody.  Now imagine God is doing that already, in everyone you meet every day…

Namaste

Dr. Jack Hawley

In the course of writing The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners, Jack Hawley consulted over thirty different texts, and in doing so has synthesized the original languages into English in such a way that has preserved in ancient within the new.  The recently of late Sathya Sai Baba and many other contributors served as sounding boards and advisors during the creation of this English translation – rigorously testing the translations and their meanings to ensure the heart of the Gita remained intact.  Jack Hawley is a student, teacher, consultant, and lecturer who works to instill new energy, heart, and spirit into large organizations and groups.  Over the last fourteen years, Hawley has spent half of each year in India learning, teaching, and living by the principles in the Gita.

Filed Under: Book & DVD Reviews, Everyday Spirit, Inspiration, Philosophy

Inspiration for the coming of Spring

Feb3

I lost someone special recently, and as with most things in our lives, it is not until it or they are gone that we realize what an integral part of our existence they have become.  I volunteer some of my spare time cleaning homes/apartments for the elderly who can no longer afford it or are unable to clean for themselves.  Most are shut-ins by nature of either physical impairment or mental difficulties that can manifest in later life.  I admit, at first I would become a little frustrated at the need for tea, coffee, juice and snacks before cleaning – but I soon came to understand it was really the companionship I had volunteered, not my cleaning skills.

Tea and biscuits

The sweet lady that passed away was the worst of the bunch, consuming roughly an hour of time early Monday mornings just to get by the food and tea before I could get to the cleaning…I arrived this Monday to be greeted not by her wizened smile, but by the sombre faces of her family instead.  I felt shell-shocked, she was so alive last week…frail, but alive.  I travelled to the funeral at the behest of her family Tuesday, and cried alongside her brother and children.  The tea I had first resented, and then looked forward to every Monday – was no more.

Life is not about lasting forever – nothing in this physical existence does, and for good reason.  Each year the old gives way to the new and in doing so imparts wisdom and growth to the next generation.  Live for the moment, feel every nuance and value every second of sharing with one another we are given.  Thank you, Loretta.  Thank you for teaching me that tea and hot biscuits are worth stopping for no matter how hurried our lives seem to be.

The depths of winter and the death it brings is not to be feared, for winter speaks of making room for the spring – where new birth and life rise from the remains of the old.  The lesson is in how we manage and use time in relation to our priorities, before our own winter comes.  The lesson is in the understanding that all must come to its end in its time.  Below are a few inspirational stories from around the fire to give you pause and thought to what you consider important, how to accomplish it, and how to live.

Find your big rocks

One day, an expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration those students will never forget. As he stood in front of the group of high-powered overachievers he said, “Okay, time for a quiz” and he pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouth jar and set it on the table in front of him. He also produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, “Is this jar full?” Everyone in the class yelled, “Yes.”

The time management expert replied, “Really?” He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. He dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks. He then asked the group once more, “Is the jar full?” By this time the class was on to him. “Probably not,” one of them answered. “Good!” he replied. He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in the jar and it went into all of the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, “Is this jar full?” “No!” the class shouted. Once again he said, “Good.” Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked at the class and asked, “What is the point of this illustration?” One eager beaver raised his hand and said, “The point is no matter how full your schedule – if you try really hard you can always fit some more things in it!”  ”No,” the speaker replied, “that’s not the point.

The truth this illustration teaches us:  If you don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll never get them to all fit.  What are the ‘big rocks’ in your life – time with your loved ones, your faith, your education, your dreams, Yoga, a worthy cause, teaching or mentoring others? Remember to put these big rocks in first or you’ll never get them in.  So tonight or in the morning when you are reflecting on this short story, ask yourself this question: What are the ‘big rocks’ in my life? Then, put those in your jar first.

Making sandcastles

Hot sun, salty air, rhythmic waves…

A little boy is on his knees scooping and packing the sand with plastic shovels into a bright blue bucket.  Then he upends the bucket on the surface and lifts it and, to the delight of the little architect, a castle tower is created. All afternoon he will work, spooning out the moat, packing the walls. Bottle tops will be sentries. Popsicle sticks will be bridges. A sandcastle will be built.

Big city, busy streets, rumbling traffic…

A man is in his office.  At his desk he shuffles papers into stacks and delegates assignments.  He cradles the phone on his shoulder and punches the keyboard with his fingers.  Numbers are juggled and contracts are signed and much to the delight of the man, a profit is made.

All his life he will work, formulating the plans, forecasting the future. Annuities will be sentries. Capital gains will be bridges. An empire will be built.

Two builders of two castles… They have much in common. They shape granules into grandeurs. They see nothing and make something. They are diligent and determined, and for both the tide will rise and the end will come. Yet that is where the similarities cease, for the boy sees the end while the man ignores it.

Watch the boy as night approaches…

As the waves near, the wise child jumps to his feet and begins to clap. There is no sorrow. No fear.  No regret.  He knew this would happen.  He is not surprised, and when the great breaker crashes into his castle and his masterpiece is sucked into the sea, he smiles.  He smiles, picks up his tools, takes his father’s hand, and goes home.

The man however, is not so wise.  As the wave of year’s collapses on his castle he is terrified.  He hovers over the sandy monument to protect it.  He blocks the waves from the walls he has made.  Salt-water soaked and shivering he snarls at the incoming tide.  “It’s my castle,” he rages.   The ocean need not respond, both know to whom the sand belongs…
I don’t know much about sandcastles, but children do. Watch them and learn. Go ahead and build, but build with a child’s heart. When the sun sets and the tides take it all from you – applaud.  Salute the process of life and go home with a joyful heart.

A joyful heart

Now, I write this with a joyful heart.  The sandcastles that were built for all those years by Loretta are all gone, washed back to from whence they came.  She took her Father’s hand, smiled, and went home. The memories of the sandcastles she so painstakingly built last in the hearts of her family and at least one other person – never to be forgotten.  The beach is clean again – smooth, just wet enough – perfect for starting new sandcastles in the morning sun…with tea and biscuits.

Filed Under: Everyday Spirit, Inspiration
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