Photo by: Muha

I’m jealous. Period.

I’ve tried to transcend this envy, but it’s there-reminders of the AMAZING opportunities to plant my Trikonasana into in the warm sand of paradise with the fill-in-the-blank yoga celebrity or, the local studio director.

Advertisements are flung at me from pop-up ads to my recent favorite-the studio’s bathroom stall door. There, staring at me was a huge poster inviting me to a lush, tropical paradise for a two-week yoga retreat promising to be a transcendent experience. The glorious feeling of bliss and contentment I had in class was quickly deflated as I realized how much I WANT to go away, but can’t! “I’m gonna miss out…I’m ready to go deeper into my practice and study and bond with other yogis!” I thought, “But I have kids to feed, motherly responsibilities, lack of FUNDS!” Poor me. Really? I have nothing to “poor me” about, yet I feel bad. The closest I can get to a sanctuary of tranquility is in an unfinished playroom in my basement, sitting in lotus on an ABC rug, and the hum of the dryer, like a soft mantra, taking me deeper into my meditation. I’m OK with my reality, until reminders of what I’m missing are staring me in the face.

I want all the yogis out there who have been fortunate to travel the world, the country, or to have simply attended a local yoga workshop, to pause, reflect, and feel grateful…again, as you look back on 2011. I know you are good people who are indeed, grateful, but please, remember many of us are not as free to travel thousands of miles away for such experiences, and we ache in envy as you share your experiences with us. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t share…just be mindful.

I’d like to thank the local studios who have brought in Kathryn Budig, Simon Park, Jo Tastula and others, but many of us still missed out. Studio owners, please think of the large population of your customers who will never be able to attend the adventure you put forth in front of them as you place that gorgeous, glossy advertisement in your lobby or loo. We’re bummin’.

Thanks Yoga Journal, Pravasa, Athleta and all the other companies who have offered the chance to win a trip to paradise. I will continue to enter. I know I’ll have my opportunity to travel to one of those sandy beaches one day. In the meantime, I will take myself there in quiet visualization with the gentle tumble of fresh laundry in the background.

Bon Voyage, you lucky yogis!

Photo by Patrick Q

Happy Winter Solstice!

Winter Solstice marks the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, and from this day, until the summer solstice in June, the daylight hours increase each day. In ancient times, people held huge celebrations to welcome the light. It also marks the first day of Winter. Evergreens are a symbol of the Solstice as are candles.

The Winter Solstice is a wonderful time to celebrate the season with your family and have fun! Here are a few ways to celebrate the Solstice:

• Make a wreath from evergreens collected by family members. On or after New Year’s Day, your wreath can be returned to Nature.
• Make your family’s favorite food and/or a cake and put a sunshine on it.  Birthday candles can be put on the dessert. Each family member can light a candle and make a wish for the holiday season or the upcoming calendar year. Once all candles are lit, the family as a whole can blow them out to send wishes on their way. Then call out “Happy Solstice” or “Good Yule” in unison.
• Ring a bell together to celebrate your connection with the cycles of Nature and to celebrate your connection with life on planet Earth and all of Nature.
• Light a candle and talk about what the Solstice means. Ask family members to focus on a candle, and then extinguish. Sit in darkness for a few moments and reflect on the importance of light and of Sun to life on the planet.
• Feed the birds! Take your family outdoors during the Winter at this Solstice time. Focus on being part of the fabric of life of Nature. Then express appreciation for the beauty of Nature. Each family member then takes a handful of seeds and focuses on the seeds as symbols of life and as messengers of goodwill toward other parts of Nature and then places the seeds in a feeder or grass. Enjoy the light!!!!

Photo by: Shayan

It’s been 7 months since I brought my teaching to a screeching halt.

I have been teaching yoga for 6 years at what started as a nice, steady and balanced pace. Then, somewhere along the line, I began picking up more and more classes. One day, I realized that my severe forgetfulness was no longer fair to classify under “mommy brain syndrome” this was a red flag that I needed to slow down. I was teaching more than double time, caring for my three little children and working part-time. I was tapped out, emotionally, spiritually and energetically.

I remember driving to class one day thinking about the students who would be looking forward to their morning yoga and what I would have to share with them. I had this sinking feeling that…I had…nothing. Sure, I had yoga poses I could sequence together to nurture, strengthen and challenge them, but this has never been enough for me. I found myself struggling to come up with a genuine theme. A theme to help connect them to their practice and to their lives. Most of all, I wanted to offer authenticity (never under estimate a students ability to identify truth or lack thereof). I was running on fumes and I knew it. This was not good.

Any yoga teacher knows this feeling. We’re a compassionate kula of individuals who believe in offering our hearts and spirits to our students. I realized I was not living my yoga any more. I had become so focused on my teaching and trying to keep up, that I had completely abandoned my own practice! I realized without nurturing myself, and building my practice, I was not honoring myself or the tradition of yoga.

I knew I had to let go of teaching some of my classes, maybe all of them, in order to create space for myself, but leaving my students was a hard decision. I had come to know and love my students. I had watched so many of them grow their practices-becoming more passionate, dedicated and confident. One of my students had come through depression and was delighted in the space she created for herself in class to work through her hard times, another student was battling cancer. I didn’t want to abandon them-not now. But I realized that sometimes we have to let go of ego and leave space for what might be a wonderful opportunity for students to expand, and grow. I realized my students might like me, but they didn’t need me. What they needed was their practice, much the same way as I needed my practice. It was time to return to my mat… at home.

I’ve spent these many months practicing anywhere and everywhere I could from the banks of a tranquil lake nearby, to almost every room in my house. I kept only one class. I finally took a formal meditation training and implemented a solid meditation practice into my daily routine. I feel full. I feel refreshed, and most of all, I am bringing a new richness and depth to my teaching that comes from within, and it feels fantastic!

Fewer classes… better classes! For me, anyway

Namaste!

Alison Chenin

I met Alison as a student in one of my yoga classes and she has since become a dear friend and a mentor. I have watched her develop a beautiful yoga practice, but it’s her spiritual growth and journey that has inspired me the most. Alison was an obvious choice for me to interview, because she embodies that “thing” that so many of us are searching for. She is grounded, open and confident, but most of all, she is truly present. Alison has studied many areas of spirituality, but she’s become passionate about Primordial Sound Meditation. She’s spent the last few years studying this form of meditation at The Chopra Center in San Diego and is now a certified Instructor.

Luna Presence Yoga:  Welcome Alison! Thank you for taking the time to enlighten my readers about Primordial Sound Meditation. Can you explain this kind of meditation?

Alison Chenin:  Primordial Sound Meditation (“PSM”) comes from the ancient Vedic traditions of India. The founders of the Chopra Center for Well Being in California are Deepak Chopra MD and David Simon MD. Both Deepak and David, in conjunction with scholars in this country and in India, revived this ancient meditation technique. This type of meditation is a mantra-based practice. The mantras originate from primordial sounds found in nature, such as: wind, waves crashing, rain falling etc. We use these mantras for their vibrational quality. There is no meaning attached to the mantra. The reason being, one of meditations goals is to take our awareness from the active level of the mind on an inward journey to quieter levels of the thinking process until eventually we slip beyond thought all together to a level of pure silence, pure awareness. When we come out of meditation, we bring some of that silence – some that awareness – into our everyday lives.

LP:  Describe your first experience with PSM and why it resonates for you in your life.

AC:  The first time I meditated was three years ago at a yoga retreat at the Chopra Center that I attended with my Aunt. This is where I was taught PSM and was given my mantra. After learning how to meditate using PSM, I instantly felt the benefits of meditation on many levels: physically, emotionally and spiritually. The experience was truly life altering. I instantly started sleeping better, I became much more open and patient with myself and others and I felt a great sense of spiritualness; as if I were connected with the universe. There was an overall shift in the way that I looked at and experienced my life.

LP:  How is it different from other forms of meditation?

AC:  PSM is a very comfortable practice. We think our Mantra comfortably, we sit comfortably, and we receive the benefits in a gentle way. A person can experience the benefits of PSM without adopting an entirely new belief system.

LP:  When did you realize this was something you’d like to teach?

AC:  Soon after I came home from the yoga retreat and witnessed the benefits in my every day life and relationships, I realized that this is something I wanted to share with others.

LP:  What can one hope to achieve through a regular practice?

AC:  The list can go on and on! The yoga tradition that PSM is derived from teaches us that we are mutli-dimensional beings that live simultaneously in three different realms: the physical body, the emotional body and the spiritual body. That being said, the benefits from a daily practice will affect all three realms. Physically: normalization of blood pressure, decreased heart rate and strengthening immunity. Emotionally: Less judgmental of ourselves and others, a greater sense of calmness and well being and increased creativity. Spiritual: When we experience life from the level of our soul our choices bring us greater happiness, peace, love, meaning and purpose. Through PSM we experience progressively expanded states of awareness, enabling us to remember our essential nature as infinite and eternal.

LP:  You’ve heard this a million times, but it’s the #1 reason people give for not meditating, “I don’t have time” how do you respond?

AC:  We can use excuse for everything we do in life. People always find a way to make the time for things that are important to them. Also, meditation is a practice. You won’t “ruin it” if you miss a night or a morning, you simply have to come back to it.

LP:  What obstacles do new meditation students often experience?

AC:  The time issue seems to be the most frequent concern of most new students along with the idea that they are not “doing it right” if they have thoughts during their meditation.

LP:  Any tips you can offer to help address these obstacles?

AC:  As to time, you need to look at the “big” picture of your day. We all have different demands in our personal lives; a person needs to figure out where they can pick up time to partake in a daily meditation practice. For some it might be getting up earlier, for others it might be giving up a little television. What’s really important for the new meditator is to try to stick with it for 1 to 2 weeks so he or she can start to see tangible benefits. Once most people see benefits, they find it much easier to “make the time.” Regarding the idea of “doing it right”, PSM considers the fact that people will have thoughts throughout meditation. PSM allows the meditator to acknowledge these thoughts and then gently return to his or her mantra. Once a meditator accepts the fact that ‘thoughts” are part of the meditation practice, he or she realizes that the thoughts no longer have to be “forced out” or that they are not meditating “correctly.”

LP:  Explain the process of your course.

AC:  The course is divided into four sessions. Each session running about 2 hours. The four sessions are: Introductory Lecture, Personal Instruction, Perfecting Your Practice and A Vision of Higher States of Consciousness.

LP:  What kind of results have your students shared after they’ve completed the course?

AC:  Students have been quite pleased with their results. The benefits that I described earlier, have impacted each of my students in different and positive ways. For example, my latest student simply cannot stop talking about how it changed his life. He enjoys meditation so much that he has made “special time” every evening to meditate and he credits meditation with helping him bring back his focus, making him happier, and even bringing back his love of reading.

LP:  Do you plan to continue your studies at The Chopra Center?

AC:  Actually, I am currently enrolled in the Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga Program which will result in me becoming a certified yoga instructor. I will complete the course this October.

LP:  You keep a vast library of favorite books. Which one has had the biggest impact on you?

AC:  Without a doubt, Deepak Chopra’s Seven Spiritual Laws of Success along with his Seven Spiritual Laws of Parenting. Without even realizing it, these books started me down the path of becoming a meditation and yoga instructor.

LP:  Can you share a few other must reads?

AC:  You Can Heal Your Life, by Louise Hay, Free To Love, Free to Heal by David Simon MD, The Power of Intention by Wayne Dyer and The Art Of Happiness by his holiness the Dali Lama.

LP:  I love quotes, so I have to ask, what’s your favorite quote?

AC:  “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.” -anonymous. The reason this quote resonates with me is that meditation allows us to unlock the power of our spirit which enable us to accomplish everything we want for ourselves and everyone around us.

Thank you so much, Alison. I look forward to learning much more from you!

If you are interested in more information about Primordial Sound Meditation or would like to take one of Alison’s courses through Peace of Mind Meditation, call 216-533-0649 or email cheninom@me.com. You can also follow Alison on Facebook at Peace of Mind Meditation.

Photo: Scott Robinson

If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.  
–Lao Tzu

I’d like to ask you to think about your week so far. I’m sure that you could make a list of ways you’ve pushed yourself; working late at the office, running the kids all over town, staying up later to “get things done”, even saying “yes” to a party you really don’t feel like attending. I invite you to try a little experiment on yourself. What if for one day, you allowed yourself to let life be easy? If this phrase conjures up immediate resistance and a million and one reasons you can’t “go easy”, then you, my friend, are my prime target!

Let life be easy…What does that mean? It means taking care of yourself by letting go of any “extra” work. That’s right. I want you to be unproductive and anti-social. I’m not implying that you should ignore your responsibilities, or avoid doing the activities that you enjoy, I’m asking you not to eat lunch at your desk. I’m asking you to say “no” to happy hour with colleagues. I’m asking you to leave the dishes in the sink (I promise, your house will not be infested with bugs in one night in the middle of winter). I believe that as a society, we are clueless on how to slow down. Our country thrives on our productivity. This mindset of creating more, more, more better and faster has followed us from the office right into our  homes. Productivity is necessary and good, to a point, but what’s the cost? We’re over-worked, under paid, stressed out, anxious and unhappy.

Giving ourselves permission to slow-down gives us a sense of calm and reminds us of the importance of caring for ourselves. Don’t wait until you are so run down that you get sick and miss a week of work, or until you feel so depleted you have to take a day off. You will enjoy your life more when you feel good. And PLEASE don’t wait until your next vacation, 6 months from now, to really breathe! But, most importantly, when you decide to let life be easy…don’t feel GUILTY about it!

Yoga reminds us how sweet life can be when we drink in stillness and catch up with ourselves. Your weekly practice can be this very exercise in letting life be easy. Don’t kill yourself in a level 3 power class for your every practice, reward yourself with a restorative class or a hatha class, or simply back off pushing yourself into postures. Go deeper and hold your asanas longer. I guarantee you will leave feeling renewed and revitalized.

I want feeback, so you better get to it! Tomorrow is going to be great!
Namaste!
Julie

Photo: Kim Long Photography

It is better to strive in one’s own dharma than to succeed in the dharma of another. Nothing is ever lost following one’s own dharma. But competition in another’s dharma breeds fear and insecurity.
-The Bhagavad Gita

Dharma…The essential order of things, duty, law, moral principal of the Universe, the Buddha’s teachings…whichever definition you are familiar with consider this…are you living YOUR dharma? Are you even sure what YOUR dharma IS, and is it OK to be on a conscious search to find dharma? This is what I ask myself when I consider “dharma”. As I researched Buddha Dharma, I found this passage to be a refreshing and comforting approach to my quest for dharma:

Do not accept any of my words on faith, believing them just because I said them. Be like an analyst buying gold, who cuts, burns and critically examines his product for authenticity, only accepting what passes the test by proving useful and beneficial in your life” – The Buddha 

After years of introspection, yogic study and meditation I have arrived at a similar conclusion- that what I tend to believe, respect and trust are things that I’ve taken the time to question, look at and marinate in for a while. I’ve read books on different religions, yogic styles and interpretations, I’ve read articles on “the best” approaches to healing this and that, I’ve paid tons of money on workshops covering a myriad of topics. I spent years judging these experiences too as, good, bad, disappointing, a waste of money etc. But I’ve come to realize how valuable all the time, work and money these things are to me. It’s all part of my living dharma. I’ve met some wonderful, like-minded people in workshops. I have also used what I learned in my readings to help connect the dots in my search for meaning. Reflecting on our life experience, whether good or bad, is how we learn to be honest with ourselves. We know when something doesn’t “sit” right or make sense, yet we question our ever valuable intuition. By taking a deep, introspective journey through our most joyous experiences, as well as, our most disappointing, challenging or painful experiences is sometimes imperative to really find what we’re looking for.

I love that I can look at my life and finally have a confidence in my meandering search for meaning and purpose knowing that all my experiences are part of my living dharma! What’s yours?

Photo: Kim Long Photography

Who am “I”? “What is my purpose?” “What am I doing with my life?” These are questions that every human being has asked her/himself at some point during their life. Some of us have enjoyed receiving clear answers in our search through yoga, meditation or other means. Some people may feel they haven’t discovered any answers, but experience more subtle clues throughout their journey while many more people simply hide away and let the ego take over, never letting the true-self emerge.

There is a great one word definition of self, the “Witness”. The observing self that sees and judges what we do and what we say. This “witness” becomes very important during the search for purpose. Going back to psychology 101, I learned about Maslow’s theory of self-actualization. He said once you realize what you are capable of doing, it gives you motivation to do it, and by realizing your potential it will lead to fulfillment. Seems so elementary, but once you begin your work, you find it’s much easier said than done because of one very ugly word…judgment. This pitfall on the journey to inner knowing has blocked me for many years. It’s like the wave that pushes me back right when I get through the pull of the undertow. Self-judgment is the detour sign that takes me forever to get back on track and wastes my precious time. It’s the beast that devours my confidence and spits out my shell. And yet it’s there… The Judge, The Self, Myself. 

I know there are many members in the SJC (Self-Judgment Club). I’m not unique. I know this. I also know that many members of this international club don’t like to share this detail about themselves. But they are willing to give away their personal power each time they self-deprecate themselves. I know this, again, from experience. I’ve realized that I have become my own roadblock. My “witness” needs to take a break and go on vacation. I have work to do on a deeper level.

So for now, all you SJC members, there’s a reservation waiting for your witness. Don’t you have work to do? Enjoy yourself. You deserve it!

“Doubt yourself and you doubt everything you see, judge yourself and see judges everywhere. But if you listen to the sound of your own voice, you can rise above doubt and judgement and you can see forever.” – Nancy Lopez

Photo: Kim Long Photography

“I love Paris in the Summer, when it sizzles.” – Cole Porter

Are you ready to officially welcome Summer? Chances are you already feel like it is summer, depending on your coordinates. In Ohio, the trees are in full bloom, the hints of sweet, spring blossoms have just about faded, the grass is lush and green and has required a few mowings by now and the nights are lighting up with fireflies! Some of us are sighing in disbelief that June is almost over, but chin up, the official start of summer is this Monday, June 21st! So, get ready to celebrate the evening light and the longest day of the year, and have a party!

To read more about the History of Summer Solstice read HERE.

Don’t forget the sunscreen!

 
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou

Many of you have asked where I get all my photos for my blog. Well here she is! As modest as she is, she’ll kill me for using this photo, but she did give me rights to her collection (how lucky am I?). When I started this blog two years ago, I intended it to be a way for me to connect further with my students, post some technical yoga advice, and share some fun interviews. In doing so, I naturally fell into voicing how yoga philosophies have helped me to see myself more clearly and helps me make deeper connections to my ever changing and evolving self in hopes to inspire you. I enjoy sharing these experiences with you. So, what does Kim Long have to do with all this…a lot.

Kim inspires me with her insight and vast knowledge, she is as witty as she is serious and she challenges me simply by sharing her own struggles from parenting to her views on religion and everything in between. She makes me ask the same questions. I learn from her. Kim and I met at the end of our freshman year of college. We both learned later that we were intimidated by the other, but we began a conversation that ultimately led to all the pre-requisites for best-friend material: finishing each other’s thoughts, quoting entire movies, talking for hours on the phone when we were a few dorms away from each other and then, enjoying the great moments of life with one another, our weddings, kids, and new careers.
 

We’ve all heard that if you have one or two ”good friends” by the time you reach adulthood you’re lucky. That always depressed me as a young adult and still does sometimes. Why must we become so closed off as adults? I love people. I love meeting people, I love learning about people and I truly believe you can never have too many friends. Maybe one of those new friends will become a part of your life forever and what’s the harm of that? If Kim or I had held on to our intimidation or judgment of the other we wouldn’t even know each other today, and that would be a HUGE loss. I am truly grateful to have Kim in my life, and though we live 5 hours apart, we know what’s going on in each other’s lives. It’s not hard. We simply care. In honor of all you are, Kim, this post’s for you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I honor you!

Namaste!  

I love the quote I posted at the beginning, but I must amend it to fit Kim. I’d have to say it this way:

 “Kim will remember what you said, what you did, who was there, what she was thinking and how you made her feel”.

To see some beautiful photos visit kimlongphotography.com

“Change is the essence of life. Be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become”-anonymous

CHANGE. This is one word (or verb) that generates more fear within people than anything else I know. It doesn’t matter what it’s in reference to, change inevitably stirs up fears within us. But, change is part of our evolving lives. Even what we perceive as good change, like say, a promotion, brings about fear..fear to perform to expectation, to meeting goals etc. But no matter what changes in our lives, having a new baby, getting a divorce, losing a job-we are forced to face our fears, big or small.

I welcome general change in life. I always need to be moving forward, experiencing new things and meeting new people. I thrive with change. Or do I? This is why I love my yoga practice. I often realize in meditation that I carry fears about things that I don’t recognize on the surface, but hide somewhere deeper in my psyche. Each of those things I fear…I have begun to realize I have no control over, except my reaction to them. I don’t know if my original statement “I welcome change” is completely honest. Is it true for you?

How do you react to change? For most of us, our “fear” is simply fear of the unknown. But if we let go of that fear what would happen? What if you just let those fears go with the wind…would you die instantly? Would you loose all your money? Would you become homeless or whatever else runs through your mind? We are intelligent people with an innate ability and instinct to take care of ourselves, yet we still scare ourselves with thoughts, thoughts and more thoughts about “change”. It’s only human to feel uneasy as we face change. How nice it would be to live as freely as we were born when we knew no fear. But that is not what life is meant to be. We each live lives of varied experiences, some good and some bad, and fear isn’t always a bad thing, but when it begins to hold you back, it’s time to look at those fears about change more closely. There’s a message there.

What if we took one day in our lives to take the key (that we all possess) and just turn the lock and bust out of our fears? It’s like deciding to dive off the high board into the 12-feet. for the first time. Remember how scared you were? Would you drown? Would you remember how to swim? Remember standing on the tip of the board, starring at the deep unknown as your heart pounded and then you just did it! You jumped…and it was liberating, or maybe you panicked when you hit the water, but what happened? You did it! Maybe you never wanted to do it again and maybe you ran back and jumped in a hundred more times. Now, look at your life. How many times have you voluntarily jumped back in? I know I feel like I’ve been pushed back off that board a few too many times-the Universe throwing me off the edge to sink or swim- rather than taking the plunge myself.

As I reflect on my past year of change on the eve of my birthday, I feel more confident in myself from swimming back up and inhaling that glorious breath into my new life. I’m ready to climb the ladder for a voluntary leap of faith this time! What about you?