Here's a lil instructional video about lil meditations that take lil time and can be practiced anywhere. I just want to offer everyone the understanding that mediation doesn't have to be arduous, or time consuming, or that if you don't stop your thoughts then you are not meditating. Little stick figure man thinks about cake in the video...I think about cake all the time. Yet I meditate, he's meditating, and I'm confidant you can too. So Enjoy!
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Home Practices
You know what might be the best thing about home practices? That you can stop and dance to Rhianna if the mood strikes. Then go right back to what you were doing. So Shakti.
Monday, July 18, 2011
A Girl's First Pair of Mala Beads
For those who are not yet familiar with mala beads they are a string of beads <please refer to the example to your right> that are used to meditate, or to repeat mantras, or as a symbol of one's spiritual beliefs. There are a 108 beads on a string, and about 108 suggested reasons why there are 108 beads. Non can be absolutely substantiated. If you're interested in these suggested reasons head on over to Swami J's website: http://www.swamij.com/108.htm
In my case, I bought them as a reminder of my dedication to Yoga. Many many ....many times I get caught up in life's wonderful whirlwinds. In fact I can say with confidence that there are a bazillion times in my life- say after a crappy day at work or a fight with someone I love- when I run straight to the wine bottle, and not so much the yoga mat. I felt strongly that I needed something of a talisman to remind me that I can always choose a yogic option, if that's my intention. Maybe instead of that glass of wine, I could try something new. It's definitely possible that I won't necessarily prefer the new thing in future situations, but the fact that I chose to try something new right now...totally yogic, bra.
Also, its kind of nice to have something to play with with my hands. See, I have obsessive busy hand syndrome (self diagnosed, but I'm pretty confidant its a serious clinical condition). Either I'm creasing shirts, or biting nails, or messing around with my hair...my hands always are doing something. So now playing with beads is just one more option! yay for options!
Ok yallins, I'm all blogged out. Thanks as always for reading, and of coarse leave comments if you gots something to say!
Cheers and Namaste.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Hey, remember that one time....
"Many a man fails as an original thinker simply because his memory is too good."
Fredrick Nietzsche
Oh Memory...you are some piece of work. I mean really, sometimes I love you, sometimes I hate you, sometimes I wish you would just stop being so damn stubborn and help me out with those lyrics I've been trying to sing for dayyyyyys. I know I know them, but I just can't put my finger on it. SO FRUSTRATING. Sometimes Memory, you just straight up disable me from moving forward with my life because you keep telling me that I don't like this, or I don't like that, or this will hurt beyond what I can handle, or this person is lame...remember? Memory, if you were my boyfriend I would seriously dump your controlling ass. But as it is, you are not a boyfriend. Or something that I'm ever going to give up willingly. So what do we do about this sitation? Well, this is what I have decided to do, and readers you can take suit if it fits for you as well. I think it is of great benefit to approach situations as if it is the first time. Observe succinctly whats going on around you. Move your body that makes sense and feel good for you, not what you know to be safe. Eat that food, because hey you may just like it! To be clear, I'm not suggesting a self induced amnesia. I'm suggesting a neutral, fresh, and unattached approach to each encounter. Is this making sense? Hmm...how about an example.
Some yoga teachers who's classes I've taken or who's writings I have read have advised their students to approach asanas (poses) as if it were their very first time. Take each one slowly and with much consideration, studying each subtle movement and sensation. If you are a regular hatha yoga practitioner, this is can prove to be quite a difficult task. For one, there is an element of ego and pride in knowing the basic poses. Finally you don't have to look up at the teacher every time for guidance, and in fact you know what they are going to say before they say it. Boy, don't you feel neato. (and by you of coarse I mean me). But now that you're here in Neatoasana, you may find that whoops you've lost or balance, or your mind has wondered away from you and your focus on your breathing has vanished. Maybe not, but I've heard a story a many where this has happened. Even worse, I've talked to some practitioners who've attested that their memory was the cause of injury, as they took for granted the many anatomical elements of the pose and hurt themselves. Sad face icon =(.
From a yogic belief system point of view, yogi's believe that there are 5 types of thoughts. That is to say that there are 5 categories that thoughts fall into even though the idea or thought impressions are infinite. The five categories that thoughts can be filed under are: right kind of thinking (pramana), wrong kind of thinking (viparyaya), imagined (vikalpa), deep sleep (nidra), and of coarse memory (smriti). Through meditation and deep conscious focus, one can detach themselves from these thoughts and simply witness them happen without being consumed by them. You can find this in Patanjali's Sutra 1.5. So try this as homework: try to view and experience situations by simply observing. Don't judge. Don't expect. Don't rely on past experiences to dictate current experiences. Simply watch and accept it for what it is.
That's all for now. Thanks so much for reading. Again please comment if you have any questions or additions or this topic, or suggestions...chu know...the typical comment stuff.
Cheers and Namaste.
PS: I remembered the lyrics to that song I mentioned before. It was "Let me see that thongggggg. Thong, tha tha tha thong." I feel so much relief right now!
Fredrick Nietzsche
Oh Memory...you are some piece of work. I mean really, sometimes I love you, sometimes I hate you, sometimes I wish you would just stop being so damn stubborn and help me out with those lyrics I've been trying to sing for dayyyyyys. I know I know them, but I just can't put my finger on it. SO FRUSTRATING. Sometimes Memory, you just straight up disable me from moving forward with my life because you keep telling me that I don't like this, or I don't like that, or this will hurt beyond what I can handle, or this person is lame...remember? Memory, if you were my boyfriend I would seriously dump your controlling ass. But as it is, you are not a boyfriend. Or something that I'm ever going to give up willingly. So what do we do about this sitation? Well, this is what I have decided to do, and readers you can take suit if it fits for you as well. I think it is of great benefit to approach situations as if it is the first time. Observe succinctly whats going on around you. Move your body that makes sense and feel good for you, not what you know to be safe. Eat that food, because hey you may just like it! To be clear, I'm not suggesting a self induced amnesia. I'm suggesting a neutral, fresh, and unattached approach to each encounter. Is this making sense? Hmm...how about an example.
Some yoga teachers who's classes I've taken or who's writings I have read have advised their students to approach asanas (poses) as if it were their very first time. Take each one slowly and with much consideration, studying each subtle movement and sensation. If you are a regular hatha yoga practitioner, this is can prove to be quite a difficult task. For one, there is an element of ego and pride in knowing the basic poses. Finally you don't have to look up at the teacher every time for guidance, and in fact you know what they are going to say before they say it. Boy, don't you feel neato. (and by you of coarse I mean me). But now that you're here in Neatoasana, you may find that whoops you've lost or balance, or your mind has wondered away from you and your focus on your breathing has vanished. Maybe not, but I've heard a story a many where this has happened. Even worse, I've talked to some practitioners who've attested that their memory was the cause of injury, as they took for granted the many anatomical elements of the pose and hurt themselves. Sad face icon =(.
From a yogic belief system point of view, yogi's believe that there are 5 types of thoughts. That is to say that there are 5 categories that thoughts fall into even though the idea or thought impressions are infinite. The five categories that thoughts can be filed under are: right kind of thinking (pramana), wrong kind of thinking (viparyaya), imagined (vikalpa), deep sleep (nidra), and of coarse memory (smriti). Through meditation and deep conscious focus, one can detach themselves from these thoughts and simply witness them happen without being consumed by them. You can find this in Patanjali's Sutra 1.5. So try this as homework: try to view and experience situations by simply observing. Don't judge. Don't expect. Don't rely on past experiences to dictate current experiences. Simply watch and accept it for what it is.
That's all for now. Thanks so much for reading. Again please comment if you have any questions or additions or this topic, or suggestions...chu know...the typical comment stuff.
Cheers and Namaste.
PS: I remembered the lyrics to that song I mentioned before. It was "Let me see that thongggggg. Thong, tha tha tha thong." I feel so much relief right now!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
And so these are the yogic matters of our lives...
Well hello there. Welcome. Please take your shoes off. But don't put them too far as this entry will be short...just a lil blib about the blog and what it is going to be going to about. So basically I'm starting this blog because my doctor says, and my bartender agrees, that I need to start activating/expressing my creative side ...I'm a devout believer in the age old saying "you don't use it, you lose it." I think I'm starting to lose it. Looks like the watching the ol' tele isn't quite cutting it anymore, which is weird because lifetime movies ARE creative. But I digress. This blog is going to be mainly yogic based, as the title suggests, and report on things in daily life that upon further inspection are either full of potential to be yogic or are already in fact yogic. But Roxy what do you mean by Yogic? Well you, great question. Thanks for asking. I'll be giving examples and then relate to maybe the philosophy, or a yoga sutra, or a limb of raja yoga, or an act of seva (selfless action)...and things along those lines. I intend to fully explain the yogicness of each situation as I understand and respect that some people do not in fact study yoga as much as I do. I'll also be posting other things like sequences I'm stoked on, meditation tips, etc. So in that effect I also hope that this blog educates about Yoga. Please leave comments, questions, compliments, and criticisms. I encourage all these things as it is all great feedback to help me grow as a teacher, articulator, and practitioner. So here it is...I hope you enjoy and learn...and by golly enjoy learning. That's all for now, but check back soon. As I have lost my remote control and inspiration is bound to strike soon.
Cheers and Namaste.
Cheers and Namaste.
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