Grasshopper, Scorpion

Two of the peak poses of today's class.  Also, handstand...  Phew.  

Everyone worked hard, all made it to their maximum peak.  Love.   

Finding Balance

One of the biggest challenges in any stage of your practice is staying grounded while balancing.  Here is a very basic checklist to use:

ANATOMY OF BALANCE

1. Press your big toe on the mat

2.  lift your arch up towards the sky

3.  Pick your drishti ( visual point of concentration) and stay there! Make sure to picl a non moving point, such as the corner of your mat or a random dot on the floor.   Do not pick solid colored walls for you will get light headed. 

4. Activate Mula Bandha by lifting your pelvic floor. 

AND LAST- 

5. Practice!  

Go Yoga!

I am so excited to be part of the best yoga studio in Williamsburg! Starting this Monday, I am teaching the Monday at noon class!   Also, subbing tomorrow at 10:00 am, and more classes to come.

Hugs to all!

Patricia 

Putting yourself out there

Once you get a steady yoga practice started, it's very easy to get stuck in a routine- go to the same teacher, attend a same style class, and receive similar messages.   Fighting habits like this are part of the reason why we do yoga.. So we can learn to let them go!

Trying a different class is great for we become aware of what we are attached to.  Rather than fight the emotions ("why is she going so slow," "why is the music so chilled out") a new class can give an opportunity to explore a new experience and learn from it.  A different class can also be an act of generosity as well.  For example, a new teacher may be building up students in a studio and your presence there is so appreciated by the teacher. Or perhaps you are battling with control issues ( New Yorkers we are) attending a different class is a healthy way to practice non-attachment (Aparigraha).  Practicing yoga to learn to let go!  

This week, before running to your usual class consider taking a class in a studio you have never tried. Be open to the new experience.  More importantly, be aware that the reaction to the experience is your choice.

Driven by desire

We are all driven by desire, yet desire kills.

Let's say you purchase a beautiful couch (coat, shoes, car or whatever), you love the couch for a bit, then you go out and look at other couches and realize yours is shit.  You want the other couch, you save for it and finally get the other couch.  The cycle starts again.

This is the cycle that we live in, with everything.   Always wanting more, wanting what is someone elses or what we don't have.

Look around you and LOVE everything about what is happening now for tomorrow you may no longer want it.

Unless you end that cycle, nothing will ever be enough.