This week, getting it all together

Hiya dear yoga peeps,

I finally learned how to use Garage Band for the purpose of recording my classes. This past Sunday, I  recorded my class, then took it and critiqued it all as part of my CLTT homework.  I was stoked to break a sweat and I actually enjoyed the flow of the class but did notice that I talk a lot and say bad jokes throughout class.  Overall, I am myself.  

Thus, there's always room for improvement.   The bad jokes will never stop (sadly for you) but my flow WILL get harder.  You've been warned!   And if anyone ever has comments or suggestions, I would love to hear them!  Please email me at yogawithpatricia@gmail.com

This week I teach on Wednesday 7:00 am at QF, Thursday noon at Sangha Yoga Shala (Community class), Friday 7:00 pm at QF and on Sunday at QF at 10:00 am.   

Hugs to all  of you for you are all my teachers.

Patricia


  
  Of course I thought this was hilarious, I can't help it.  Regardless of my tendency to laugh at everything,  it was very informative, its all about the mula bandha!  

Kelly at the Shala

Kelly is teaching at The Shala tonight, yay!

Thank you awards

I am thankful for so much, including:

- My 10 year-old nephew's random phone calls to let me know what's up with him (per his words)

- For chupe (the best venezuelan soup in the planet) is sold a mere three blocks away from me.  Venezuela in a spoon.  

- For soup, overall

- For all the people that write blogs about yoga, surfing and bad art, for I spend a good hour a day or two not doing things I'm supposed to do and I just read them. 

- for good art blogs too, like this one. 

- For my students for they are really my teachers. 

- My beautiful dharma teachers Lama Kelly Morris and Lama Kimberly

- My favorite yoga pose of all time, Scorpion.  All the time I spent making this pose perfect, to find that yoga is a million times more than just touching your head with your toes while upside down.  If it wasn't for my need to perfect this pose, I probably would not be where I am. 

- For Phillipe Parreno

- 20 minutes or more meditation sessions  

- My ridiculously optimistic attitude

- For being able to nap every day

-  CUNY tuition
- The ocean, even the Northeast coast, green and all.   

- My sister choosing a wearable maid of honor dress for me to wear to her wedding

- Clever Facebook updates

Am I missing anything? 

Tapas and Giving Thanks

When thinking of Tapas, I think most of us think of that restaurant, or of chorizo, batatas bravas, etc. 
Unless you have heard of that term in Yoga.  In yoga, Tapas is Niyama #3.  To read all of the Niyamas (and the yamas), click here.

Tapas has become one of my biggest priorities. Tapas means to apply all your discipline to your practice.  I like to think of it as having a "no pain, no gain"attitude. And to me, tapas, or discipline towards a goal, applies to much more than just my asana practice. It applies to everything around me that I am trying to change and improve. My quest for becoming a better person (or finding emptiness, per my lineage) and everything that falls under than huge umbrella (meditation, generosity, love, my karma, etc, etc).   I work on changing for the better, then I forgive myself for my mistakes, and finally, I give thanks to the person or situation that is allowing me to come into this realization.  I give this my all.  


Yesterday in teacher training with Lama Kelly, one of our fellow TT's talked about a situation in which she purchased food for a homeless person.  She was practicing generosity with an open heart, with a good intention.  In return, the homeless person told her that the food that was purchased was not the food that she would prefer and asked that she buy her something else.  This, upset my friend.   But Lama Kelly gave us an amazing way of looking at the situation-  she said that she should learn from the homeless person and explore how that person made her feel.  Rather than responding by being upset and pissed at the homeless person, the other choice is to choose to learn from them-  ask questions such as "how can I learn from this situation?"  how can I shift my energy so that I don't respond in an angry way?"  ANY situation can teach you to look at yourself and celebrate that you are choosing to make the right decision, that you are learning something, that you are improving...  

This week, thank all those people around you that give you these realizations, subtle or huge.  People that remind you of how good, or bad you have been.  This includes the person that pissed you off on the train (for they made you realize that your anger is useless), that person that made you feel bad about yourself because they were prettier/smarter/richer than you (for you are responsible for feeling that way towards them, its not their fault), your parents (for they love you), thank EVERYONE, for everyone teaches you something every single day.

Class schedule

Monday:  Quick Fitness at 7:00 am
7:30 pm:  Viva Vinyasa, open flow
Wednesday: Quick Fitness 7:00 am
Thursday:  Sangha Yoga Shala community class at noon

I'm off to Miami for the weekend.  My classes at QF are subbed to Catherine Helleux on Friday and Cass on Sunday.

xoxo!

Patricia

No gripping

My beautiful friend Joanna is in town, and as a fellow yoga teacher, we wake up, go to bed, and in between talk nothing but yoga.  It's so nice to be able to share yoga experiences and come up with answers to our own questions based on our talks.

Today, we were discussing how upset we get when we are running late for yoga classes or miss yoga overall because of a schedule hiccup.  It made me think of this attachment to yoga classes that sometimes we feel.  It's like yoga is going to save our lives or something.  Gripping to the idea that yoga is what will make your day better.

We have to separate ourselves from this feeling of attachment to everything. It sounds super harsh, and we must do this little by little.

To practice unattachment, we can begin on the mat.  The sequencing, the teacher, the poses, is not what is making us feel good.  WE are making ourselves feel good by practicing, by committing to class, by working on your postures, by allowing ourselves to disconnect from everything, we are increasing our self esteem, etc etc.

Tap into what it IS you feel when you are doing something you love, and disconnect it from what is providing you that blissful feeling.  Ultimately, it is always US providing ourselves that feeling.   We are responsible. Simply connect with that.   Once you find that, you can then find that feeling anytime.

For this week, let's explore the blissful feeling of asana practice by stepping it up a notch in all your poses. Challenge your mind to the next step and forget about the pose, just notice how it makes you feel and memorize that blissful feeling so you can keep it anytime.