Bow Down Yoga

Welcome to Bowdown Yoga. Why Bow Down?

......click below to investigate.

 

Here's what I've been thinking about...

Imagine that you are in a flow type asana class. Through out the class the poses are changing but the breath remains the same. The breath exists in the different forms of the asanas and each asana presents a different situation which sets the stage for different experiences to be had. The flow of asanas leads eventually to Sivasana, corpse pose, representing the death of our attachment to the body and mind and our awakening to the True  Nature of Oneness.

Now imagine that each asana is representative of one of your life times.  The breath is a metaphor for your Soul. Just as the breath exists with in each new asana, your soul goes through many many cycles of birth, death and rebirth. Each time it does it takes on different forms and incarnates into different situations so that certain lessons can be learned and certain karma's can be worked out. All this, of course, is to facilitate the Soul's journey towards Moksha, liberation.

When you are in a pose in class that feels less then blissful you might be afforded some ease by the knowledge that the pose is not going to go on forever nor is it the last pose that you will we do. This sense of calm leads to a state of equanimity of mind that allows us to stay present and work through the discomforts and hopefully remove some deep seeded obstacles of body and mind that are preventing us from experiencing a greater sense of happiness and freedom in the pose.

In much the same way, the life that you are living now is just one 'asana' in the sequential series of many. (I'd even go so far to say that this entire manifest universe is but one in a series of many  sequential universal asanas but I'll save that for another time.) The placement of this life time is not arbitrary. It is a logical progression from the last and will lead you to where you need to be going just as the vinyasa unfolds in class. At times this 'asana' which is your life might put you in certain positions or situations that are uncomfortable; even, at times, painful. Why? So that you may learn and work through what you must in order to grow and evolve. If you resist or shut down during those times in your life what will happen? Well, what happens to you in class when you resist of shut down in a pose? Sometimes nothing and sometimes it actually become more painful (and of the two, the later is probably preferable). If you remain present in life and dedicate yourself to working just as you do in an asana in class , then it would stand to reason that you would also remove some deep seeded obstacles of body and mind that are holding you back from greater experiences of happiness and freedom with in this life time. Make sense?

Just as you would stay connected to the breath in class, strive to remain connected to the changeless nature of the soul rather then the ever-changing nature of body and mind. Put this life time in perspective. Do the work you need to do so that you might flow gracefully into the next life time and one day, into Bliss.

 

Go forth brave warrior ......

Here is your mission: It 4:55 pm. The post office closes at 5pm. You have a letter that has to be mailed today. Can you try as hard as you can to make it to the post office in the next five minutes but remain completely un-effected whether you make it there in time or not? This means not feeling happy (yeah me... life is great) if you make it and not feeling distressed (this is horrible ..... everything is wrong now) if you don't.

Often times I use this example in class to illustrate the praxis of "action-less action" or "non-attachment to action", one of the central themes of the Bhagavad Gita.

"Self-possessed, resolute, act, without any thought of results, open to success and failure. This equanimity is Yoga." - B. G. 2-48

There is no need, nor is it necessarily possible, to refrain from action in order to attain liberation (Moksha). The key is to perform all actions with an attitude of selflessness or dispassion. Remember, it is only the ego that is caught up in the whole "win/lose, success/failure" trip. This egotistic tendency stems from our own sense of self importance and leads to a life of anxiety, pain, and suffering. Instead, strive to make each action selfless. Relinquish your "it's all about me" attitude. Act wisely and boldly but do not concern yourself with the outcome of your actions.  In doing so, the mind will remain steady, undisturbed and focused in all situations. This is true liberation. Nothing will get you down!

This same teaching can be found in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Here, Patanjali explains that Yoga (or Samadhi) can be attained through the non-identification of the fluctuations of the mind. In order to reach this one must sincerely, consistently, and with great effort practice concentration (abasyah) while simultaneously employing viragayah (non-attachment to all desires and worldly matters). In other words, work very hard in your pursuit of Yoga but have no expectations as to the outcome of your efforts. Worrying about whether or not you will someday attain liberation will only interfere with you efforts.

So, go forth, brave warriors. Take action! Engage! And then let go! Remain steady in mind and steady in heart. Everything else will take care of itself.

Om Shantih.

While I don't usually promote consumerism.....

My sister, Nina, makes these pendants and I think they are awesome!  The front has the beautiful Sanskrit chants: Lokah Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu and the back, its translation: May All Be Happy, May All Be Free. 

They serve as a great reminder of the intension that should  guide all our actions as well as a way to share the teaching with others.

To find out more about these pendants you can contact me or contact her at ninatd@yahoo.com

Let's each try to do at least one thing today to help alleviate the suffering of another!

Turns out, you really are just your ego .... HAPPY APRIL FOOLS DAY!

Though I'm not exactly sure what the exact origins of April's Fools Day are I am pretty sure that it has got to be one of the most light hearted holidays around. It's only 9:30 a.m. and I've already prank-ed my parents, my boyfriend, 3 other friends and my dog.

I think what I like so much about this holiday is that it gives us the opportunity to not take ourselves quite so seriously all the time.

Learning to laugh at ourselves rather then always beating ourselves up over our perceived "mistakes" (of which, of course there are none.) or failures is a powerful tool to help us cope with the challenges we all face and to gain a little bit of perspective as to what is truly important in life.

So get creative, nothing mean spirited or malicious, but share a laugh with someone laugh today!

p.s. a new podcast has been posted (seriously).

Costa Rica 2008

I just got back into town yesterday. It's good to be home though I deeply miss the warmth and spirit of the Osa Peninsula. Here are a few photos from this years Costa Rica retreat. More to come.....

My little Dharma

So I decided to try this thing where I wake up in the morning and I lie in bed and say, "Okay Guru (which is what a usually call God) I am not going to move until you move me." In other words, I decided I would wait to get out of bed until a reason to act emerged from my heart. A reason that has nothing to do with my ego. So not "get out of bed to drink coffee",or "get out of bed to go to work and make money etc...". I would not move until a selfless, pure reason made itself know.
So I did. I said, "Guru, I am not going to move until you move me." I waited for a long time.  I waited, and waited, and waited, and waited and waited. Nothing happened so I waited some more. All of a sudden my bedroom door flew open and there was my 8 year old  daughter in her Polly Pocket nightgown looking madder than Kali Ma and yelling at me because I had let her over sleep and she was going to be late for school and today was community sing day!
I thought, "Okay universe I get it. She is my heart, my responsibility, my reason to get out of bed each morning. Thank you for reminding me."
I didn't know dharma could be so darn cute!

Try it sometime and see what your heart tells you!

Chapter one of the Yoga Sutras in a nut shell.

After class last week a student expressed some confusion related to the first chapter of the Yoga Sutras. As promised, here is my "chapter one in a nut shell overview" for you. I hope it is helpful. Key words have been highlighted......

In the context of the Yoga Sutras, the word Yoga means to 'yoke' or harness the senses via intense concentration. The end result of this practice is union with the Supreme Self. The Supreme Self is that unchanging energy of pure Being which is referred to as Purusha in the Sutras. It is a state of super consciousness that ultimately exists beyond thought, though during its early stages cognition is still present. In order to reach this state it is necessary to control and eventually to stop the vritti, movements of the mind, because our thoughts will always bind us to our individual sense of self, jiva.

   

Abasya, practice, and viragya, detachment or dispassion,  are the methods which enable the yogi to move beyond the modifications of the mind and the obstacles that they present. They allow the mind to become concentrated or one pointed, ekagrata parinama. When the mind become one pointed it begins to merge with its object of concentration. This leads to the first stage of samadhi called, samprajnatah samadhi. The more intensely and steadily one practices abasya and viragya the quicker one will reach this state.

 

  Samprajnatah samadhi can also be reached  quickly through surrender or devotion to God, Isvara-pranidhana. Ishvara is Purusha in form but yet is free from all attributes and afflictions that Prakriti, nature, or the energy of creation, is subject to. The vibration of Om is the same as Ishvara and by its constant repetition and meditation on its meaning, japa, one can also come to know God, Purusha.

    As the mind becomes more purified through the deepening of its efforts of concentration, or through supreme devotion and surrender, Samadhi becomes more refined until reaching the final stage called asamprajnatah samadhi, super consciousness beyond perfect knowledge, beyond even the subtle latent impression, samskaras, left by thought, complete merger with Purusha.

Happy New Year 2008

    As we enter the new year of 2008 may I offer you my most sincere wishes that you have great new year. I know that many of us at this time enter into of the new year having made certain resolutions. These can range widely from vows we take to let go of certain behaviors and tendencies that we feel are no longer useful to us and stand in the way of our feelings of inner peace to those qualities or action we have chosen to cultivate in the hopes of becoming better people in world and which will help us to fulfill our life destinies. Whether we are aware of it or not, resolution making is a tradition based in the age old law of Karma which states that everything we are experiencing in our lives and this moment is a result of some past action we have taken and that the state of our futures will be determined by the actions we choose to take now in the present. We have chosen our resolutions because karmicaly speaking we believe that the results of these new actions will bring us more happiness and freedom in the coming year.
    Whatever your resolutions may be remember that one of the greatest tools we have to ensure that we are successful in our endeavor's is the practice of meditation. Sitting still and watching the breath, even for just 5 minutes a day (though an increase in practice will lead to greater results), is a potent means to purify our thoughts and to control the mind. All actions arise from thought. Meditation helps us to gain space from our thoughts and in that space we can decide "is this a thought that I should act upon? Will it help me to uphold my resolutions? or, perhaps should I let it go and wait to act until I know that the action I take is born from a thought which will help  me move in the direction that I want to be heading."  Without that space how can true change occur? What would stop us from just falling back into the old thought habits of the mind that led to our suffering in the first place?
    Heed well these words of Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta:

"Meditation brings wisdom; lack of meditation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what hold you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom."

And may peace and love be with you in this new year.
 

Conscious Holiday Shopping

“Each action, every choice we make as individuals and as members of communities, affect the world in which we live. ......  In fact, we determine our shared future by the actions we take and choices we make in the immediate present, today, right now, wherever you are....... We must look deeply into our own hearts, beyond our conditioned minds, to find what is really valuable to all. And then, to bring the value of Love into the communities to which we belong.”
- excerpts from an essay written by Sharon Gannon, co-founder of Jivamukti Yoga

This holiday season lets make sure that we give from our hearts, not from our conditioned minds.

Here are some shopping tips:

Of course it's always a good idea to shop locally for planet/animal friendly products for friends and loved ones (here in Burlington there are certainly some shops worth or checking out such as Lunaroma, and The Lotus Shop )but in case you can't find what you want or if you are, like me, less inclines to deal with the holiday crowds and displays of over cosumption...... here are a few site that you might want to do your shopping at.

http://www.veganstore.com/misc.-accessories.html
http://www.veganpeace.com/HolidayShoppingTips/holidayshoppingtips.htm
http://store.greenfeet.com/index.asp?&utm_source=Yahoo_Search&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=green_shopping

But, giving shouldn't just extend to those whom you are close to, or even just to humans.

Why not give a cold dog with no place to keep warm a dog house this season ....

https://ebiz.isiservices.com/peta-e/peta/donation.asp?section_code=H07W174Q&ask4=--265-530-1325

or help out by donating a gift to a non profit like Vermont Greyhound

Remember ... your actions matter, they always have.

Get Busy Being Born!

           "He not busy being born is busy dying."
                                                                  -Bob Dylan

Could it be that from the time of our births we simply spend each moment of our lives moving closer towards death; or, is it possible to live in such a way that we are constantly being re-born?

To the  unenlightend mind we exist as separate finite beings limited in our capacity to experience true happiness and freedom due to our identification with form. To such a mind the meaning of life seems to be found in power, control over others, and material gain. And while some small pleasures may be experienced it is inevitable that for one who seeks meaning in the temporal, pain and suffering will always soon follow. In this way, yes, we are always moving towards death because our sense of who we are is so caught up with the egoic self that we can not feel beyond the body and mind.

This is not the way of the Yogi. Yoga is about growth, transformation and exploration. Devote your time towards learning new things, meeting people who think differently then you do, questioning your own belief systems and facing the future with a sense of boldness, adventure and positivity!

Challenge yourself to be re-born again and again into new and more expansive realms of consciousness through reading, travel,  meditation, chanting, selfless service, engaging in mind expanding conversation, or whatever else works for you.

When we eventually become enlightened we will not longer feel that we are the body and mind but will know ourselves as the great ocean of awareness, beyond time and beyond space. Until then let us use the body and mind as our vehicles to travel into the unknown for this is where Truth awaits us.

Get busy being born .... life is short!