Proprioception: Where Is My Body In Space?

    Earlier this year I came across a TEDtalk by Max Strom entitled, " There Is No App For Happiness." I found myself immediately intrigued, by this big teddy bear before me, and  pleasantly hypnotized by his rich voice. If you've ever studied with this yoga teacher, speaker and author you'll know exactly what I mean!
  A few weeks ago,  I had the pleasure of learning from him in person, at Semperviva Yoga. I felt like he was our kindergarten teacher, feeding our imaginations with animated stories, as we sat cross legged staring up at his big body and jolly gaze. And you know you're in the presence of a brilliant teacher, when everything they've said sticks. I ingested his words so deeply, that I went home to further research a concept he introduced called, "proprioception."
   Proprioception is defined as, " the sense of the relative position of neighbouring parts of the body". For example, touching your nose with your index fingers while closing your eyes tests your ability to proprioceive.  The mind has memorized where body parts are so perfectly that you often don't need the use of the eyes to find them. 
   In fact, we have a deeper relationship to our front body because we can see it, and our back body is more likely to feel somewhat numb or foreign to us. Lets say you were told to touch your belly button-you'd be able to find it without even thinking.  However, if asked to quickly penetrate your T7 Vertebra, well....good luck with that one! 
       Proprioception is what allows us to walk in complete darkness without losing balance. It is what allows us to paint freely, without looking at the hand that's performing the paint stroke. When we're driving, it's what allows us to keep our eyes on the road, and not on our feet, while we break and accelerate.
   Max expressed that as we age if we don't continue to stay physically active we lose our body awareness. Thus, one of the number one causes of death with seniors is from a result of falling, because one's proprioception gradually becomes impaired. He shared that for some seniors, finding their nose with the index finger can be a challenging task. This floored me, and I think this sole fact inspired me to write this entry.
   I know I'm a healthy 27 year old and am far from being a senior, but I move my body daily and I sometimes crumple it up into pretzel shapes and then I roll up my mat and leave; My yoga practice is often an afterthought. 
      My first reaction to this was, "Oh, the little things we take for granted." However I then began to reflect on this with great admiration and respect for the work yogis do, and not just physically. As body awareness develops so does your relationship with each individual body part, becoming mindful of exactly where they exist in space. Many areas of ourselves have become unconscious, but the alignment principles of all different types of yoga help to rewire and light up the murky spots inside. I believe that's why you can feel so full after practice: you begin to glow and feel energized because the dots are being connected again and your body parts are being married as one. It's no coincidence that yoga actually translates to mean, "to yoke" or " to unite".
   Before Max's workshop, I never actualized how many miracles occur on the mat. For example, lets say my students are in a twisted lunge to the left, their eyes are gazing skyward, and I ask them to bring their left hipbone back while drawing their right sit bone away from their sacrum- they then adjust accordingly. The fact that they can access a very deep portion of their pelvis, without looking, is pretty incredible; it's a skill we take for granted. 
        Even 2,000 years ago the depths of this work was cherished and eventually expressed in the ancient Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Sutra II.46 states that, "This discipline and attention must be applied to the practice of each asana, to penetrate to its very depths in the remotest parts of the body. Even the meditational asana has to be cultivated by the fibres, cells, joints and muscles in cooperation with the mind."  Sutra II.46 Sthira Sukham Asanam
      This skill is developed and fine tuned every time we hit the mat. As we become more aligned and aware of our physical bodies, we trust it more. This snowballs into us trusting our hearts, and hearing our intuition with confidence and efficiency. I believe this can morph even more into us being present with everything that surrounds us. We become like animals, noticing everyone's wear abouts, everyone's moods, reading everyone's body language, etc! Nothing goes unnoticed and relationships even deepen- from the bone in our left thigh, to our neighbour down the hall.
       To tie my point into a pretty bow, I'll share with you Elizabeth Kadetski's experience on the mat, taken from her recent novel, First There Is A Mountain.
      " I could discover my body anew every day, and through it discover the world around me. I could start again- remake my Universe." 

http://www.maxstrom.com/

   
 

"Island Time For Winter Time" Playlist

Tofino 

And by "Island Time" I mean Vancouver Island Time!

1) Any Day Now~ Jon & Roy
2) Ernie~ Fat Freddy's Drop
3) Deerfoot~Jon & Roy
4) Track 16~ The Harder They Come Soundtrack- Jimmy Cliff
5) Punk Reggae Party ~ Ras Gilbert
6) Brookers Song~ Jon & Roy
7) Dry Your Tears~ The Boom Booms
8)Love Gonna Walk Out On Me~ Toots & The Maytals Feat.Ben Harper
9) In Our Nature~ Jose Gonzalez
10)To The Beach ~ Jon & Roy
11) Pacific~ Sleeping At Last
12)Dance of the Gray Whales~A Fine Frenzy

Creating A Masterpiece

Vintage Indian Inspired Playlist

Saraswati- Goddess of music, art & creativity. Taken outside of a temple in South India 2009

Pink~ Talvin Singh
Pilgrimage~ MC Yogi
Arrival in Benares~ The Darjeeling Limited
Wood~ Rostam
Emily~Goldspot
Elephant Power~ MC Yogi
Bangles~ Putumayo
Bombay Talkie~ The Darjeeling Limited
The Householder~ The Darjeeling Limited
Devaki~ Putumayo
Raga Hansadhwani ~ Ravi Shankar
Heart Center Either~ Sound Ambassador
Aad Guray~ Deva Premal

My visit to the Taj, Agra 2009

The Outrageous Request: No Pop Music In Class Please!

    There once was a man who ventured into my class and put in a very specific request. While other students shared what body part they wanted to open up, and/or what pose they wanted to try, this student announced that he didn't want me to play pop music!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
     I immediately reacted with a laugh and I reassured him that there wasn't going to be any Britney or N'Sync mixed into my jams that day. However, this dude was serious-he didn't want any lyrics in the music and he didn't want anymore words invading his head.
     Even though his request did get my back up, I had to consider where he was coming from. I'm sure he wasn't the only one out there who was lyrically sensitive, especially during a practice where your senses are being heightened and fine tuned.
     Personally I'm not one of those people, because for me lyrics tend to go unnoticed. Instead of the artist's words affecting me, it has always been the musical progression and instrumentation that catches my ear. I know this is a result of growing up in a very musical household.
   My parents met in band when they were 17. My mom is still studying to this day, and has recently gone back to University to study music performance and her beloved French Horn. As for my dad he now and again taps out an intricate rhythm with his butter knife, while waiting for his morning toast. Though he still has an ear to die for, I'll give him that!
       Growing up classical music filled our house and my mom would drill us on the time signatures, key instruments, and composers of various compositions. My sisters and I would put on figure skating routines and to accompany us we'd splice together three different tempos of music, editing them to a tee. All of this, along with being forced to play the flute until I was 18, has allowed me to become quite aware of what goes on behind the lyrics.
    I like to think I'm somewhat musically inclined, and that is probably why I took such offense to the gentleman's request; I put a lot of care into my playlist.
    And shit, it's quite funny there is so much stress on music in yoga classes nowadays. Traditionally, yoga was done in silence. I actually find my most challenging, and yet most profound practices have been when there is no music playing at all. You are forced to sit with your monkey mind, your emotions and the moment, without escaping away to the background beats. Maybe this student was onto something...
   However, it's 2012 and sometimes we just need to be swept elsewhere and moved by music.
   I'd like to dedicate this semi-instrumental playlist to the man who ventured into my class and made an outrageous, but relevant request!
   Enjoy!


3am ~ Bearcubs
Gravity ~ a k u a
Stay The Same~ Bonobo
Hill Sighed ~ Emancipator
Jet Strem ~ Emancipator
Safe in the Steep Cliffs ~ Emancipator
Reckoner~ Radiohead
Porcelain~ Moby
Eyes Down ~ Bonobo
Anthem (Nym Remix) ~ Emancipator
Push Harder~ a k u a
Deep~ Citizen Cope
Husks and Shells~ Volcano Choir

****  Akua is a beautiful artist from Montreal. We went to summer camp together and she's going to take the music world by storm very soon! Catch her while you can. --->>>

http://Www.soundslikeakua.com/

http://www.glamour.com/entertainment/blogs/obsessed/2012/11/do-you-like-sade-and-kimbra-th.html?fb_action_ids=4139154110730&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_ref=sharebar_fb&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%7B%224139154110730%22%3A484314888256915%7D&action_type_map=%7B%224139154110730%22%3A%22og.likes%22%7D&action_ref_map=%7B%224139154110730%22%3A%22sharebar_fb%22

DISCOMFORT

    This week, I experienced discomfort and it was very good medicine!
    I went for dinner with a good friend and friends of hers, whom I'd never met before.
   As a yoga teacher, you come across many types of people everyday, which provides great practice for feeling comfortable amongst strangers. However, this evening I felt thrown out of my yoga bubble and into a world I forgot existed. I watched as I crawled into my socially awkward turtle shell where I stayed for the remainder of the evening.
     Back in the day this foreign world was not so foreign to me. I worked in foodie land for years before I lived, breathed and ate yoga; how quickly you forget! Although I faked my way through my wine knowledge (and oh so much more), serving still kept my brain tuned to society's current song, and I had a general idea of what was "in". It allowed me to see all walks of life, all with different tastes, moods, behaviours, sized wallets, styles, and manners.
     So there I sat in my hippie clothes, tripping out on the sparkles scattered upon the stunning woman around me, sipping expensive wine and eating beautifully presented food I couldn't even pronounce. The conversation skipped from one hip thing to the next and all I wanted to do was a handstand in the corner.    
       Thankfully, I actually had two moments of relief!
      One occurred when the elevator music morphed into a slightly more Indian sounding elevator jam, and I actually sprung out of my chair to Shazam that shit. I think I even announced to the table how amazing the song would be for Surya Namaskar. That was a proud moment.
     My second moment of relief came from a grounding conversation with our waiter. He was from India (thank GOD), so we talked about his homeland and the meaning of OM. When the girls wanted to be included in our banter, I jumped at the opportunity to explain the Universal vibration of OM. It started with enthusiasm and then I trailed off and off and off, until I was mumbling to myself and staring down at my Sunchoke Soup; they lost interest FAST!
   Cue yoga now! Where did my practice go? Where did all that work disappear to when I needed it the most? Why was I categorizing these woman, the restaurant, and myself?  I hadn't felt this out of place in a long time, and I honestly hadn't judged or compared myself to others like this since Performing Arts School (surprise surprise).
     Funny enough, I had to teach that evening so I left early, almost running back to my yoga bubble where everyone looked and talked like me. On route I meditated on what had just occurred...and without a doubt completely overanalyzed it, as yogis often do. I became quite grateful for the experience, because I discovered I rarely push my edges anymore.
     Risks allow you to take your blinders off. Even if you're convinced that you are an open person, we are only human; We are bound to categorize and judge. The more comfortable I become in my safe schedule, the deeper I slip into the illusion that everyone thinks and sees as I do. Being uncomfortable with a situation, a realization, or with the stirring of the pot is an incredible exercise. Its difficult to remain curious and interested in what seems separate from you, while still remaining supportive of yourself as your mind is being blasted wide open.
   However, this exercise will guarantee personal growth and learning. It will keep you from slipping into ignorance and to be honest I believe bliss can be found in discomfort.

My Discoveries

1) I wanted to run to my cozy yoga community to be told that I was the one in the right and in the light. I wanted comfort and familiarity. Don't look to external sources for instant validation. It's the easy way out and facing the "in house "boogie man is way more interesting.
2) If you feel like you're being judged or if you feel out of place, chances are it's because you are the one doing the judging.
3) Make it up differently. See uncomfortable situations as exciting opportunities to learn from.
4) Its good to be reminded of your insecurities. We'll probably always have them to varying degrees. These moments are humbling, especially when you've been feeling almighty. They reveal what you need to work on.
5) You are never too enlightened to learn lessons.

..."one should be completely satisfied with whatever situation arises and not look for entertainment from an external source."

" We are not afraid that smog and dust or people's hatreds and passions will overwhelm us; we simply open, completely surrender, give. This means that we do not judge, do not evaluate. If we attempt to judge or evaluate our experience, if we try to decide to what extent we should open, to what extent we should remain closed, then openness will have no meaning at all..."

" This is the selfless action of the bodhisattva (one who is awake). He is not self conscious; 'Am I making any mistakes?'; 'Am I being careful?'; 'To whom should I open?'. He never takes sides. The bodhisattva will, figuratively just lie like a corpse. Let people look at you and examine you. You are at their disposal. Such noble action, such complete action, action that does not contain any hypocrisy, any philosophical or religious judgement at all. That is why it is transcendental.... It is beautiful."

*** All quotes by, Chogyam Trungpa.

Inversions: Notes from our "Advance Your Asana" Series

Sirsasana 

Inversion Workshop

Headstand- Sirsasana

BENEFITS          

 *Stimulates parasympathetic nervous system (responsible for stimulation of "rest-and-digest"), cardiovascular, lymph, endocrine, and digestive systems

 * Lowers blood pressure

·               *Clears thoughts, great for awakening the mind

·          *Helps one become balanced and self-reliant in pain and pleasure, loss and gain, fame and shame, defeat and victory.

·           *Enhances prana and life force

TIPS

*Eyes should never bulge or be bloodshot- keep a calm dristi (gaze)

*Weight only in head, not in arms-lift out of the connection of the floor

*Draw shoulders away from ears to free the cervical spine (neck)

*Rectus abdominus muscles engage to prevent ribs from bowing out

*Draw inner thighs together so that balance is gathered in and pinpointed to sweet spot on the head

*Lift the spine to avoid dumping into the neck

*Eventually 95% of weight is in the head

** For females, Sirsasana is a challenge because they aren’t as strong in the upper body and have a bigger proportion of weight in the hips and thighs

***For males, Sirsasana is a challenge because they tend to have poor hip flexibility, therefore it’s harder for them to get their hips stacked over their shoulders

“Sirsasana is really a blessing and a nectar. In this asana alone, the brain can drawn plenty of prana and blood. Memory increases admirably. This leads to natural Pranayama and Samadhi by itself”~ Swami Sivananda

Shoulder Stand – Salamba Sarvangasana

“ The pose is called Sarvangasasa because it influences the thyroid and through it the whole body and it’s functions. In Sanskrit, Sarva means “the whole” and Anga means “the body”. ~Swami Kuvalayananda

BENEFITS

·        *Healthy blood circulates around the neck and chin which relieves asthma, breathlessness, and bronchitis.

·       * The firm chin lock stimulates thyroid and parathyroid glands, as blood supply is increased.

·        *Soothes nerves and relieves headaches 

·       * The changed in bodily gravity affects the organs, so the bowels move freely and constipation vanishes. Also relieves pain in the stomach and colitis

·        *Leaves you feeling strong, happy and confident.

·        *Allows prana and new life to flow freely, leaving the mind at peace.

TIPS

·        *Keep the natural curve of the cervical spine so that it can bear the weight of the head perfectly

·        *Lift centre of the neck towards the ceiling and life the chest to chin to avoid gripping the neck

·        *During your first few attempts, the centre of gravity may be in the hips, and your bum and legs might be behind your head. With practice your legs will go straight up over head, and you’ll balance with little effort.

·        *Press upper palate of mouth into the ground, as well as forearms (connect to foundation for full extension through the legs)

·        *Pull energy from the pubic bone up the inner line of the legs, and our through the inner big toe to release pressure out of the low back, and to extend the spine.

·       * Keep elbows hugging together. Eventually the elbows will be outer shoulder distance apart.

** Headstand (King)- Celebrates power and consciousness

     Shoulderstand (Queen)- nurtures the body

“ Take as much time as you need-weeks, months, or even years-to work on the preparatory poses. Once you do float up in Headstand, the ease that you will experience in the pose will be worth your efforts.”~ Patricia Sullivan

Arm Balances: Notes from our "Advance Your Asana" Series!

Adho Mukha Vrksasana

Arm Balances

           The highly mobile structures of the hand, elbow and shoulder girdle are ill suited to weight bearing.

In the foot, four fifths of the foot’s structure is dedicated to weight bearing because the dense tarsal bones comprise half the length of the structure.

In the hand, half the length of the structure is composed of the phalangeal bones. The solid and relatively immobile carpals (wrist bones) comprise only one fifth of the total length of the hand. Therefore, you only have half the length of the hand available for weight bearing.

Chaturanga Dandasana

* Chatur= four    Anga= a limb     Danda= a staff or stick

Affects: builds heat in the body. Strengthens the arms and wrists in preparation for arm balances. Contracts and tones the abdominal organs

* Weakness in the pose shows up in the lower body as lumbar hyperextension combined with hip flexion. To counter this, the coordinated action of the hamstrings is important.

Bakasana

Baka= Crane, heron

Affects: strengthens the arms and abdominal organs since the latter are contracted.

* Imagine wings were spread as you abduct the scapulae, and beak is lifted as you extend the cervical spine.

* Cervical extension tends to flatten the thoracic curve, so it’s important to constantly engage the muscles of the spine to maintain flexion.

Pincha Mayurasana

Pincha= a feather of a tail                        Mayura= peacock

Affects: develops the muscles of the shoulders and back. Tones the spine and stretches the abdominal muscles. Great prep pose for handstand.

* Push forearms into the floor to engage the serratus anterior muscles, which will allow the scapulae to come onto the back close to the rib cage.

* Extension in the thoracic spine essential, therefore freedom and mobility in this area is important. The more extension there is, the less the lower back and cervical spine have to do.

* If there is tightness in the forearm (supinator muscles), the elbows will swing wide and the hands will draw together. A shortened latissimus dorsi can also cause this and can also cause too much lumbar extension

* The curve in the low back needs to be stabilized by a strong core

Adho Mukha Vrksasana

Adho mukha= face downward            Vrksa=tree

Affects: develops the body harmoniously. It strengthens the shoulders, arms and wrists and expands the chest. Washes out your brain, and removes blocks. Sweeps away negative and obsessive thinking; you simply can’t obsess while you’re in this pose or you’ll fall out.

* Challenge in handstand is to feel for how to stay connected all the way up and down as you move through unknown space and establish new neurological pathways.

* the breath can often be an afterthought, as there is so much going on already. The combined action of the core supporting muscles, working to minimize shape change in the spine, also minimizes the breath movements. Therefore take quick, efficient breaths that don’t disrupt your balance.

** maintain the integrity of the hands at all times, as all of the body weight is balancing on them. Collapsing into the wrist or heel of the hand is quite dangerous for the carpal tunnel and the nerves passing through it.

* gravity will want to flex and abduct the hips, so it is important to activate the hamstrings and to energize the legs fully to stay straight.

“Instead of feeling how far you can go in a pose, or how long you can stay in it, ask yourself how long you can feel your spirit exploring the physical pose.” ~ Ana Forrest

A Lil Cuban Mix

Guramayle~ Gigi
Fiesta Pa'Los Rumberos~ Albita
En Que Parte de Cuba Nacio el Son ~ Ibrahim Ferrer
Vengo Con Sed ~ Generoso Jimenez
Paradise~ The Boom Booms
All Names~ Jun Miyake
Vamos~ The Boom Booms
Since Our Last Goodbye ~ Charles Bradley
A Bailar Tomason~ Generoso Jimenez
Fiesta de la Rumba ~ Afro Cuban All Stars
Gati Bongo~ Orchestre Baka de Gbine
Mali Sadio ~ Toumani Diabate's Symmetric Orchestra
Kothbiro~ Ayub Ogada & Gavyn Wright

Tipping Barrels

Take 20 min out of your day to watch this incredible film on the Great Bear Rainforest, it's wildlife, & The Pipeline's affect on it all. I can't believe our country holds such beautiful wildlife and terrain. We're so lucky. Lets not f*&^ it up!

Ambient Noise Playlist

~This playlist creates such a great vibe in the yoga studio, especially if it's mixed with backbends. "Life is good" is the message that it brings, along with great sighs and moans of relief.  So turn this one up and stretch your chests, open your hearts and feel euphoric!


1) Wash ~ Bon Iver
2) July ~ Youth Lagoon
3) Cannons~ Youth Lagoon
4) Calgary~ Bon Iver
5) Afternoon~ Youth Lagoon
6) Go Do ~ Jonsi
7) Cool Knowledge ~ Volcano Choir
8) Crystal Rope ~ Gayngs
9) House of Cards~ Radiohead
10) Montana ~ Youth Lagoon
11) Left Behind~ Zero 7
12) Vito's Ordination Song ~ Sufjan Stevens
13) Belles ~ Andrew Belle

~~~Trevor Powers, of Youth Lagoon, is not yet 20 and he recorded The Year of Hibernation in his kitchen, bedroom and garage of all places! It is one of the most peaceful albums I've ever heard and it's absolutely perfect for fall~~~

Advance Your Asana Workshop

• ADVANCE your ASANA. challenge yourself. Ask ?s. EXPLORE. take your time. Gain Confidence. build COMMUNITY. Be Inspired.  Join Sarah Crawford Russell and I this October for this fun and interactive 4 part workshop series for the dedicated yogi. Be ready to challenge your yoga practice and empower yourself. Each workshop will focus on a specific theme, allowing participants to deeply immerse themselves in the practice while learning new skills and possibly a few helpful tricks too! 3:00-4:30pm at Unity Yoga 1672 E10th Ave, Vancouver $90 for all four workshops! or $30 individually Saturday October 6th - Inversions  In this workshop we'll tackle any pose where your heart is above your head. We'll give you the proper ingredients to whip up your best expression of the upside down postures. You'll leave feeling confident and cleansed! Saturday October 13th - Arm Balances  Side Crow, Dragonfly, Side Plank and much more! This workshop will open your shoulders and strengthen your core, allowing you to gracefully balance on your hands, forearms and even chin! Come experiment and play! Saturday October 20th - Backbends With an emphasis on core stability and postural alignment, this workshop will explore the components and benefits of backbending safely and mindfully. Come willing to challenge yourself, let go of fear and stretch beyond the ideas you have of your limits, your practice and yourself! Saturday October 27th - Breath Awareness From Tadasana to Savasana Find synchronicity and bliss between your breath and movement. This workshop will focus on how pranayama can dramatically expand your experience on your mat and how to consciously sustain your breath the entire way through your practice. You will be encouraged to find the stamina, endurance and confidence that you never knew you had!  SIGN UP at Unity Yoga, or email me @ emilyjanemillen@yahoo.com

MoTownish Magic: New & Old

~ Thanks so much to my bad ass student, Robyn, for sharing Charles Bradley with me~

1) I Love You So~Finley Quay
2) Up With People~ Zero 7
3) New Soul~ Yael Naim
4) Since Our Last Goodbye~ Charles Bradley
5) Fat Ass Joint~ Cujo (Pina Soundtrack)
6) Look Up~ Zero 7
7) No Time For Dreaming~ Charles Bradley
8) You Are The Best Thing~ Ray LaMontagne
9) Sweet Life~ Frank Ocean
10) I Believe In Your Love~ Charles Bradley
11) Love Gonna Walk Out On Me~ Ben Harper
12) Share Your Love With Me~ Aretha Franklin

Morning Folk

A little folk to accompany your morning asana!

My sister Caroline, in Lighthouse Park, West Vancouver

1) A Worthier Man ~ Good For Grapes
2) Yesterday Was Hard On All Of Us ~ Fink
3) The War ~ Sanders Bohlke
4) Hard Sun ~ Eddie Vedder
5) Go Do ~ Jonsi
6) Falcon ~ Morlove
7) Towers ~ Bon Iver
8) Down In The Valley ~ The Head and The Heart
9) Morning Sheets~ Patrick Watson
10) Bloom ~ Paper Kites
11) Bag Of Wind ~ Lia Ices
12) Redford~ Sufjan Stevens

Im Afraid of Stillness

          Today in class we were practicing headstand. The teacher asked if we had any questions. One student shared she felt comfortable in her inversion, but never held it long because she got bored. When she experienced boredom she'd simply come down. I wanted to run over, hug her, and scream, "YOU ARE NOT ALONE"!
         Strangely enough, I've been experiencing the same thing in my practice. I've noticed lately that I can't stop moving on and off the mat.
         Even when in stillness, or between poses, I feel like something is constantly moving- my finger tapping to the music, or my head swaying. Am I simply feeling the need to move energy-to circulate it entirely through the body- or am I afraid of stillness? Am I doing this to keep myself busy? Am I afraid of facing nothingness, of being bored, of not thinking, of experiencing the thoughts and feelings my body has been trying to reveal, but I've been too busy to see them, or feel them, or receive them?
        Even throughout my day its finish one thing and move onto the next. In transition I'm thinking about what's to come after the task I'm about to perform. This is my constant struggle.
      I find comfort in knowing that many face this challenge. One of my old acting teachers- who I know has a busy mind- inspired me with his daily routine. Coming home after work, he'd drop his bags and before checking his emails, voicemail, reaching for food or getting at other work, he'd lay on his bed, stare into space, and do nothing.
        How often do I lay on my back, stare at the ceiling, and let brilliance naturally come in, probably quicker than it would with me trying to force it? I know that brilliance exists there. In silence lives clear realizations that can be often too beautiful to bare. In silence lives so much peace your mind doesn't know what to do without the drama. In silence lives so much clarity you laugh at how complicated you've been making things.  In stillness there lives some harsh realizations that can be hard to swallow. In the end, once you choose to digest them, you see that they're great gifts.
  This is why meditation is so challenging. We fear that when sitting we're wasting precious time. There is little faith in the power of simply existing, in the power of taking in the subtleties of our environment, and we have little faith that things will naturally unfold as they should.
   Its wonderful to notice when you get restless, or when you try to escape silence. Its even more wonderful when you begin to crave moments of stillness.
   Here are a few quotes concerning the topic from author and yogi, Michael Stone.
   Enjoy:)



"Stillness is a point of nothingness, yet is also everything."

"In yoga postures we dissolve the technique of moving the body into pure feeling and then dissolve the mind into that deep experience of feeling. When the mind returns to this natural state, anything can arise in mind, body and heart, and there is no pushing or pulling, just arising and dissolving, one form becoming, in turn another."

"We discover a lot more in the silent space between thoughts than through all the interpretations, ideas and views our minds generate. Moments of psychological stillness remind us that there are ways of knowing other than intellectual or habitual."

"When we move through the world 'concealed and wrapped in thought', there is no direct contact with reality and we know not 'who or what' we are. Yoga begins with the gesture of a gentle bow in service of the present moment."

Shake Your Asana

I'm very excited to announce that I'll be taking you on an incredible journey with DJ HYFI! While Hyfi works the turn tables, I'll be working out your bodies ! Come sweat, groove, and experience moving through asana to live beats!
Semperviva Yoga, City Centre, will be hosting us Sat, July 14th, from 7:30-9pm and tickets are $25!

An incredible tool to help deepen your awareness, to heal and to ground you, is music and sound. The yoga of sound is called, Nada Yoga. The cosmos, nature, humans, our entire planet consists of sound vibrations. The vibrations shake up your insides bringing new life and energy to the surface. It also helps to reconnect you with the energy channels in the body, the chakras.
Here is a description of what you're in for:

Take a journey across a sonic landscape of groovin' beats and lush atmospherics. DJ HyFi weaves together a wide array of electronic music, catching the pulse of each vinyasa wave and carrying the collective energy to intense peaks, through smooth groovin' valleys, and eventually melting into deep spacious bliss.

About DJ HIFY

Ian Hyman 
DJ Hyfi is a Philly-based DJ who has taken his art into the yoga studio to create a deep fusion of sound and movement. He spends most of his time on the road spinning for workshops, festivals and conferences around the nation and internationally. He strives to create a fresh experience for yoga enthusiasts everywhere with his unique approach to this dynamic art. Finding inspiration from life on the road and the interesting collection of characters along the way, he shares his perspective on yoga through his turntables. Ian's DJ mixes are infused with a wide range of soulful electronic music, from deep ambient tunes to ecstatic rhythms of Jungle/DnB.
http://soundcloud.com/search?q%5Bfulltext%5D=HYFI

Feel Good Tip of the Day

 Today, why not add some music to your daily rinse? Make your bathing experience into more of a cleansing ritual & celebration.
 Shake your naked bum to some drums. Personally, I love blasting world music-little reggae or African...whatever floats your soap!
Splish, splash, have a dance party in your bath and get out feeling rejuvenated and ready to take on the world!

Playlist For My Ladies @ Semperviva Yoga

   








Today is June 16th... and it's pouring rain,...it's cold...and everything looks black and white.
     I taught on Granville Island, at Semperviva Yoga. The studio there hangs right over the water. It's almost made up entirely of windows, the ceilings are high and decorated with solid wood beams, and to top it off the floors creek! On days like these, there is nowhere else I want to be.
       However, when I walked in it was quite difficult to pick up on the energy in the room. Personally, I was craving a cozy class, but half of the students seemed quite lively. Mmmm, what music do I play and how to a cater appropriately?
     I scrolled through some playlists, but nothing was resonating with the complicated vibe. Instead, I just asked everyone what they were in the mood for: Bumpin Reggae or Yummy Folk.
      Both answers were thrown at me!!! GREAT...I shouldn't have asked.
      Why not make everyone happy? I scrambled to help these two very different musical styles find unity and quickly mixed them together. After some dissecting and resembling we rocked out to a not so shabby playlist.
          And by request, HERE IT IS !!!!!!!!!



1) Jamming~ Bob Marley
2) Mile Maker~ The Innocence Mission
3) Bloom~ Paper Kites
4) I've Got This Friend~ Civil Wars
5) Track #3 (not sure of title) ~ Finely Quay
6) Fears~ Jono McCleery
7) Swing~ Zero 7
8) New Love~ Josh Heinrichs
9) I am A Light~ Sarah Slean
10) More Love~ Molyah
11) Je Te Laisserai Des Mots~ Patrick Watson
12) Redford~ Sufjan Stevens
13) Swimming Pools~ Patrick Watson

Harvest The Spirit, Nourish The Soul: An Autumn Yoga Retreat

THIS JUST IN!!!!!

Sue Horning, owner and founder of Unity Yoga, and I will be leading a retreat to Salt Spring Island, BC.  Join us at Stowel Lake Farms from Sept, 28th-30th. 

For more details please visit, www.harvestthespirit.wordpress.com.

Here is a summery of what we'll be offering:

One of our biggest challenges of modern day living is to live harmoniously with 

nature and the changing seasons.  Autumn is a time to harvest the bounty we grew 

in summer, to store and prepare for the winter ahead, and is associated with the 

metal element, signifying contraction and introspection, as opposed to the upwards 

and outwards movement of

the fiery summer. It is a time to reflect, to receive what 

is of essential worth, and to let go of what is not useful to us. Through Yoga, Thai 

Massage, Chinese Astrology & Meditation, we’ll draw inwards to connect to the 

energetic change of fall, at cozy Stowel Lake Farms, on Salt Spring Island. 

Wanna come? Email mlemillen@yahoo.com to sign up!!!

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