Especially this time of the year

Even more important than the warmth and affection we receive, is the warmth and affection we give. It is by giving warmth and affection, by having a genuine sense of concern for others, in other words through compassion, that we gain the conditions for genuine happiness. More important than being loved, therefore, is to love.

Dalai Lama

OM Shanti Shanti Shani

Within each of us is a place of restfulness and peace, a place of practice, a refuge from the stress and anxiety of busy lives and busy minds. With training, this place becomes more easily accessible; at home, at work, and even at play. This is our birthright.

Thought for the Day

Either you run the day or the day runs you.

- Jim Rohn -

NAMASTE

The gesture Namaste represents the belief that there is a Divine spark within each of us that is located in the heart chakra. The gesture is an acknowledgment of the soul in one by the soul in another. "Nama" means bow, "as" means I, and "te" means you. Therefore, Namaste literally means "bow me you" or "I bow to you."

To perform Namaste, we place the hands together at the heart charka, close the eyes, and bow the head. It can also be done by placing the hands together in front of the third eye, bowing the head, and then bringing the hands down to the heart. This is an especially deep form of respect. Although in the West the word "Namaste" is usually spoken in conjunction with the gesture, in India, it is understood that the gesture itself signifies Namaste, and therefore, it is unnecessary to say the word while bowing.

We bring the hands together at the heart chakra to increase the flow of Divine love. Bowing the head and closing the eyes helps the mind surrender to the Divine in the heart. One can do Namaste to oneself as a meditation technique to go deeper inside the heart chakra; when done with someone else, it is also a beautiful, albeit quick, meditation

Hatha Flow Yoga

By synchronizing traditional yoga poses with deep breathing, a powerful inner fire is created which cleanses the tissues of the body, tones the muscles, quiets the mind and leave you prepared to face the business of life with clarity and ease.

Sanskrit Term of the Month

Pada

Sanskrit pada is a cognate with Latin ped, which we see pop up in english quite often.  For example pedestrians, centipede, etc, are all examples of ped.  Pada, unsurprisingly, means foot/leg in Sanskrit.  We see this pada in pose names such as padahastāsana (foot-to-hand pose, a forward fold) or eka pada bakāsana (one leg crane pose).

OM Shanti Shanti Shanti

YOGA NIDRA

The ancient yogis developed Yoga Nidra as a method of achieving deep and complete relaxation while maintaining consciousness. During this session, all you'll need to do is wear comfortable clothing, lie down, be at ease and listen as you are guided through systematic relaxation and visualization techniques.

Our bodies and minds can barely keep up with the demands of modern life and its rapid pace. Physical tension leads to tight muscles, decreased immunity, insomnia, high blood pressure and other health conditions prevalent today. Mental tension makes us feel restless, worried, anxious and unable to realize our creative potential. Sleep is not the same thing as relaxation and other activities we think of as "relaxation" are simply diversions of our attention.

Yoga Nidra breaks through stress and tension in order to motivate healing and change. You'll leave feeling rested, rejuvenated and calm, a rarity in today's hectic world.

Today's Ponder ...

Authenticity is an attitude of awareness in which we are willing to experience our thoughts and feelings as they are.

—Dr Joan Borysenko

ASANA

Āsana is derived from the sanskrit verbal root ās, which in this instance refers "to sit". The -ana ending turns the verb into an action noun, making āsana which for our purposes translates to sitting or posture. When you hear the sanskrit names for poses you'll almost always hear āsana at the end (think trikoṇāsana (triangle pose) or chaturaṅga daṇḍāsana).

BE PRESENT

We are called to value the power of presence more than we value the presence of power.  May we bring our full attention to this day, so that our presence may be offered to all we encounter. May we be guided by the Presence that is always within and around us.

Obstacles are Within

The Yoga tradition could not be more clear about what stands between you and the “there” you seek. Your obstacles are within. The pain of not resolving them may grate enough to generate a fire that will diminish them bit by begrudging bit or you can practice the yoga that cultivates your soul’s fire. Spirit’s flame is power, embodying all that you aspire to and marking the path out of the weeds that keep you from it.

Rod Stryker

The turmoil in our world ... how blessed we remain.

How little my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy?

Thomas Jefferson

Bhakti: The Yoga of Devotion

The Sanskrit word bhakti is taken from the root bhaj, which translates "to adore or worship God." Bhakti yoga is the yoga of devotion. Its ultimate goal, like any other form of yoga, is self-realization and union with the Divine. One of the most common styles of bhakti yoga is kirtan, a centuries-old spiritual practice found in many traditions. Thanks in part to popular kirtan singers like Deva Premal, Krishna Das, and Wah!, as well as the recent growth of yoga and spirituality specific niche record labels like Nutone and Mantralogy, kirtan is currently experiencing a renaissance.

Thought for Today

"Sometimes a smile is the source of your joy. And sometimes joy is the source of your smile."

Thich Naht Hahn

Yoga Nidra

The ancient yogis developed Yoga Nidra as a method of achieving deep and complete relaxation while maintaining consciousness. During this session, all you'll need to do is wear comfortable clothing, lie down, be at ease and listen as you are guided through systematic relaxation and visualization techniques.

Our bodies and minds can barely keep up with the demands of modern life and its rapid pace. Physical tension leads to tight muscles, decreased immunity, insomnia, high blood pressure and other health conditions prevalent today. Mental tension makes us feel restless, worried, anxious and unable to realize our creative potential. Sleep is not the same thing as relaxation and other activities we think of as "relaxation" are simply diversions of our attention.

Yoga Nidra breaks through stress and tension in order to motivate healing and change. You'll leave feeling rested, rejuvenated and calm, a rarity in today's hectic world.

THE PARADOX OF OUR AGE:

We have bigger houses but smaller families;
more conveniences, but less time;
We have more degrees, but less sense;
more knowledge, but less judgement;
...more experts, but more problems;
more medicines, but less healthiness;
We've been all the way to the moon and back,
but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor.
We built more computers to hold more information to produce
more copies then ever, but have less communication;
We have become long on quantity, but short on quality.
These are the times of fast food but slow digestion;
Tall man but short character;
Steep profits but shallow relationships.
It's a time when there is much in the window,
but nothing in the room.
—Dalai Lama

Rebirth - Refresh - Renew

Spring has sprung, and the momentum of planetary changes is definitely picking up speed. As the world continues to spin into this wave of uncertainty, I am more grateful then ever to have Yoga in my life to help me feel stable and to keep my priorities and values clear. It is such a blessing to have ritual in our lives, and to take time to offer prayers and blessings of peace. Especially potent is to have a community, or Sanghat, of committed seekers that gather together in the spirit of peace and self inquiry.

TAPAS

Practice is often referred to as Tapas, in Yogic terminology. Tapas literally means to burn. It refers to the austerity of committing yourself to a consistent practice. It is the small sacrifices we make for the larger return. Tapas also refers to the passion of wanting to get free, healthier, and more open to life and love. Let's face it. Sometimes the Yoga feels great, sometimes it takes tremendous effort to get on the mat. Yoga is much like a relationship; it takes effort, and yet it is wonderfully rewarding. The great thing with Yoga is that you always get more than what you put into it. As we learn to be more self reliant in cultivating our well being, it does take a load off of our expectations of others, and frees up the relationship to surprise us in other ways. It is said that we practice Tapas, or austerity, on the mat, so that we can be free and clear for our relationships and life. If we do not, the back log of stress and frustrations envelope us and loads everything and everyone we come into contact with. It always falls back into our own lap, and as it is always our choice how we experience things, as the Yogis say, suffering is optional! Pain, is a part of life, so when we embrace the necessary discomfort, ie the sensations we experience in a stretch, we can avoid unnecessary suffering that is yet to come. It is a small sacrifice to make, when we can avert so much future distress that could come our way.

Sanskrit Word of the Day

Dṛṣṭi 

Drishti, formed from the sanskrit root dṛś(to see), is used in yoga to signify the gaze, or more specifically where the gaze falls.  Note the use of the vocalic ṛ (something not present in english) and the retroflex ṣ and ṭ.  Drishti, along with bandhas and ujjayi breath are the three fundamental components of the traditional ashtanga vinyasa practice.

Yoga Sutra

Patanjali Yoga Sutra

 

II. 42 Santoshad Anuttamah Sukha Labhah

  Sage Patanjali

     The highest fulfillment of happiness and well being, is our ability to be content. Ram Das tells a wonderful story about contentment. One day while taking a bath, he thought to himself, "If only I had my book, I would be so happy". After getting himself a book to cozy up with he thought, "If only I had a back cushion". He got the cushion and thought, "If only I had a candle to read by". At this point, Ram Das realized that no matter what he orchestrated, there would always be another desire popping up. In Tibetan Buddhism there is an image of the hungry ghost. The hungry ghost has a belly distended with hunger, with such a tiny opening for a mouth that it can never take anything in and be nourished. Let's be honest, we all have a bit of the hungry ghost inside of us! The Yogi understands that even happiness is over rated, as there is always the downside of unhappiness. But to be content with what we have supersedes happiness, because it brings us to a state of fulfillment. This is not to say that we don't have dreams or aspirations, but to put into perspective that we are in process. One day, I looked up fulfillment in the dictionary: A feeling of satisfaction that comes from knowing that you are doing your work. If we wait for all the circumstances to be to our liking, we will never fully engage in our highest endeavors. Think of yoga practice: we always have other things to do on our agenda, there is always something or someone to distract us, and we are rarely in perfect physical, emotional or mental form. If we allow our discontent to govern us, we might not take the time to experience the nourishment of Yoga, and other worthy endeavors, and ultimately the fulfillment of doing our work. If we can endure the little grievances and discomforts and accept them as part of life, we can discover economy in our pace and ultimately the results of patient, consistent effort, and the fulfillment of our contentment.

We are all just human BE-ings

As human beings we all want to be happy and free from misery… we have learned that the key to happiness is inner peace. The greatest obstacles to inner peace are disturbing emotions such as anger, attachment, fear and suspicion, while love and compassion and a sense of universal responsibility are the sources of peace and happiness.-  Dalai Lama 

Service

The quality of our lives cannot be measured by what we get, but in the service we give to others

Make this a service day.

Beautiful Quote of the Day

"You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should."

- Max Ehrmann -