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