Ego Deflation

Just last week, after having participated in two classes with me, a young woman emailed, concerned by her relative boredom with what we had done so far (in these 2, one-hour classes). She felt that in each class, we basically did the same postures . . . . "Is this how the remaining 4 classes would be?"

I confirmed that yes, in fact, she could expect similar postures for the next and the next and even the next 100 classes to come, because it really isn't about the poses at all. Thankfully, I'm  a yoga teacher, not a choreographer. And the practice is not designed to entertain or amuse, but rather to force one to go inwards (an oft uncomfortable place to explore). A class with as many steps as there are breaths could lead to distraction just as easily as a Utube video, a bottle of wine, shopping on-line, canned comedies on TV, or any other of the myriad things that we chose to do in place of just being.

As a yoga teacher--luckily--I dont have to provide endless routines designed to keep each and every student interested and entertained. It's not my job.

I explained that the greatest yoga masters do the same postures over and over again for decades, and that rather than become boring, each pose is more interesting, reveals greater depth, unveils more about the Self than it had the very first time that you stepped on the mat.

You see, you will never be this age, with these issues, or these gifts, in this body, at this time of year, on this day, at this time, with this teacher EVER again. With every passing second and every breath taken, we are changing. Our bodies are aging, our minds adapting our experiences receding into the vast realm of memory. Our wisdom (we only hope) is increasing. 

My commitment today is to Wake Up to my practice as a synonym for my life. To get on the mat with the fresh eyes of a beginner, to bypass the ego that knows it all and wants to move on, move forward, progress, dismiss, and so on. To sit with it: the boredom, the struggle, or the bliss--whatever it is that makes an appearance. Because it too shall pass and fade into the distant recesses of the mind before being looked back upon with the fuzzy fondness of an old memory, a better time . . . until we realize that there is no better time. There is only and will only ever be, quite simply--today. Here and now. Today. 

Life Lessons From a Pet

Georgia's first modelling gig . .  . purchase the most recent copy of Sweat Equity for the full scoop! 

Compassion

Compassion has not come easy for me. Whether towards myself and my ongoing commitment to raw veganism, or towards friends and family and my expectations of how they should be, it has always required continuous effort and focus.

Sympathy and compassion towards animals, on the other hand, come with great gusto. People tend to call Georgia "chubby" or "lazy" when in fact she's got low body fat. Her "laziness" is a consequence of a malignant tumour she had removed and severe progressive arthritis.

She's taught me the importance of questioning our assumptions.

Of late she's decided she won't walk anywhere that isn't 'carpeted.' And my condo is exclusively laminate flooring. It was funny at first . . . another manifestation of her spoiled ways as I laid down the red carpet to honour her path to the kitchen; but when walking inside from the balcony caused great anxiety and grief, I realized something else was going on.

So I asked around. My chiro told me that dogs with severe arthritis (or people for that matter) have problems with their equilibrium; so to balance themselves, they take a wider stance, and the wider stance allows for less grip on laminate flooring. Ah ha. 

So I went home and lined the floors with yoga mats (what else), 

so Georgia could walk with ease from one room to another. 

Pot of gold at the end of the rainbow

We Made It!!

Sometimes the road to success seems so long, when all we need is a little help from someone who cares enough to listen and understand.

Parsvottanasana

I love this posture.

Check out the hand position. This is upside down from the classical and thus "right' variation of the pose, which has the fingers pointing up towards the shoulder blades. My graphic designer 'got it wrong.' Funnily enough, however, I've been struggling with some shoulder issues the last couple of weeks. I really tweaked something in the rotator cuff area, so the classical version of Parsvottanansa isn't readily accessible. I saw this image, I tried it out, and low and behold! This is a great modification of the final pose: more challenging than simply holding the arms, and not as potentially injurious as Namaste hands behind the back.
Bravo for "errors"! 

Yoga Sutras: A Book Review

One perk of blogging? You get awesome books like these for free to review! Read my teacher's perspective of Master Iyengar's latest, below. Thanks Sylvie!

 

 

 

Core of the Yoga Sutras: The Definitive Guide to the Philosophy of Yoga

With a forward by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and written by one of the world's most respected yoga teachers, B.K.S. Iyengar, this book is an awakening read for devoted yoga students. 

The original Yoga Sutra’s of Patanjali begins with an aphorism containing the word “now,” insinuating that the student has done the preliminary work and can “now” begin the study of Self.  The same is true of this book: preliminary work is required; before diving in, supportive study and practices must be in place. Purchasing the book alone suggests either a sign of readiness or openness to being ready. In any case, the purchase is positive.

This book is a text to be studied, continuously reveal itself as our own practice matures. Accepting that the study of yoga study is one requiring patience, concentration, and a willingness to “start over’ helps us to slow down when reading. As we slow down, capacity to absorb the material dissolves our expectations, and integration flourishes.

If you are new to the study of Classical Yoga, welcome! I hope this book inspires you. If you feel intimidated by the text, don’t be discouraged, and don’t allow the book to sit and collect dust. Honour you’re starting point and your eagerness to undertake this study and lend your book to your teacher. She will love it! And as she takes in the wisdom, the ripple effect creates a positive wave that flows in all directions.

If you’re already a dedicated student of Classical Yoga, this book will lead you to a deeper understanding. It is also a cherished guide for teachers who lead hatha yoga teacher training programs and include aspects of Raja Yoga in their training. Outside of dedicated individual study and guided trainings, the book is ideal for a book club spread over the course of a year.

Sylvie Gouin E-RYT500, RNCP
sylviegouinyoga.com

Vacation

My "Vacation":

Flight from Ottawa to Washington is delayed 30 minutes.

Rebooking the connector; thus a 4-hour delay in the airport.

Workaholism kicks in and I'm editing/writing/working at the airport. No ripe banana to be seen for miles. Scarf down some nasty, salty, yet addictive so-called natural chip of some form.  Feel gross.

Connector to New Jersey in a puddle jumper . . .  12 extra seats but the mom with a kid who believes in the communicative power of baby talk with toddlers at decimals well beyond the average person's capacity for hearing--she sits beside me.

I'm grateful.

I'm grateful for contraception. I'm grateful for a fiancé who has no history with two legs and two lungs and a name all its own.

Arrival is fine. Hugs and smooches. Then off to the largest bicycle race in the U.S.A.

1.5 days into it, the first time I've gotten the "flu" since age 10. Sick for 3 days. Future partner is an excellent caregiver. Bonus points. Minutes after I can climb out of bed, he gets sick. 1.5 days. I get a bonus point or two for caregiving. Who knew?!?!?!

Then a bombing at the Boston Marathon. Absolute tragedy. Really? Really. Literally 23,181 registered and approximately 5,000-10,00 unregistered people psyched to test their physical stamina and endurance. The perfect stage for a mass murder--right?  I just don't get it.

One day later I'm scheduled to fly home and endure the joy of customs. My fiancé, selfless beyond words, agrees to drive me the 7 hours home. Relief.

Awaken the next morning to a flat tire. Face in a barf bag the entire 7-hour drive home.
Firm resolution that travelling is not for me. And yet I'm already planning my next vacation.

It looks like this:

7 straight days of no work; that's no teaching, no writing no editing.
A juice fast: all raw, all organic, all fruits and vegetables. Fully stocked with an unlimited supply.
Yoga twice a day, meditation once a daily, daily journal requirement. Some might call this lame. Or perhaps a "Yoga Retreat." I call it vacation.

In fact, it just might become a sold-out version of Eryn'sYoga Detox Stay-Cation.
Ya never know.

Can 1 Person Make a Difference?

Can 1 person make a difference?

A 20-year old vegan saves about 2,000 innocent animals from unnecessary suffering 

in factory farming and slaughter. 

Damn right we do.

Dash of Inspiration

"You are far greater than you have ever dreamed of being. And no matter what you are experiencing in

your life right now, trust that all is good and unfolding in your best interests. It may not look pretty, but

it is exactly what you need to learn for you to grow into the person you are destined to become.

Everything occurring in your life has been perfectly orchestrated to inspire your maximal evolution as a

human being and bring you into your true power." 

                                                                                  Robin Sharma

Here comes the bride . . . .

Let's hear those church bells ring-a-ling, ding ding ding-a-ling too . . . come on it's lovely weather .  .

Oh wait. Wrong ditty. Wrong carnival. This one is a wedding. My wedding: two words I have never (nor thought I WOULD EVER) strung together in one sentence, nay, in one full paragraph, hell in an apocalyptic run-on essay about my entire life's story! And yet here I am. When Facebook responses to such a grand announcement echo the slap of friends' jaws hitting the floor with comments like "It's about time!" and "We never thought!" and "I honestly didn't think you would ever . . . " it's clear I wasn't the only one shocked to find myself adorning a ring on that finger. I'd like to say I was hesitant, uncertain, cautious, or even begrudgingly acquiescing to the desires of a needy man. But the truth is, I pulled the ring out of his hands, put it on my own finger and said "YES!" before the question left his mouth.

It's true. In fact, some might say I pre-supposedly proposed to him. You decide.

But even more interesting than the fact that I've met someone whom I can't imagine living without is the variety of responses from friends and acquaintances.

The first, from a close and highly respected friend: "I want to restate how thrilled I am for you both. The rightness of this is palpable,  and no-one I know deserves a lifelong partner who is at once responsive yet independent, contemplative yet active, curious yet content more than you do."

Followed by the mundane yet highly appreciated "Congratulations!"

And a few of my now personal fave, "He's lucky to have such an amazing woman!"

To the most recent--and the focal point of this blog:

The endearingly concerned.

A student stayed late after class today, wanting to talk to me. I could tell something was bothering her,  so I wasn't surprised when she asked to chat afterwards. We danced the typical prelude: "If you had a friend who . .  . . would you say something if they . . . " and carried on till the scene was ripe for revealing that I in fact was the endangered friend. The conversation went something like this:

Suzanne: "Eryn, I just . . . I care for you so much" (at this point, tears are flowing and I can't imagine what the heck could be wrong) "And I just have to tell you; it's been eating me up inside for over a week now. I'm the first to want you to be happy. You SO deserve it, and I would never say or do anything that would ever take away from that... but" [obviously a big but]  "but I have to speak what's on my mind." Big breath in. Big breath out. Here we go.

"I'm just so worried that you're getting into something with this guy, this American. I've heard so many stories about men from the U.S. coming over to Canada because they want to live and work here; so they find a Canadian woman, marry her, take her to the cleaners, and then bail to leave the poor girl with nothing but their nasty U.S. debt . . . and the cops can't do a thing about it because the woman has sponsored the guy and now she's responsible for EVERYTHING he does" (insert innuendo: rape, pillage, steal, sabotage.... you know, all those Yankee habits).

And for a moment . . . just a brief moment, my gut reaction to the intensity of her tears was one of "Holy Shit!"

But then I remembered: 

First, I've got nothing to clean.  [Phew! I knew there'd come a day when 'low net worth' would mean something positive].

And second, this whole scenario sounded vaguely familiar.... hmmmmmmm.......But why?
I've never  been married before. How could it sound familiar?

Ahhhhh HAH! She was recapping the risk of EVERY marriage on the face of the earth! In fact, that's the risk of every common law relationship, too! And isn't that always the sad outcome of bad divorces and 'broken homes'? One gets screwed over and taken to the cleaners. The other gets ripped off or cheated on. I mean, isn't that the name of the game? I always thought the risk-taking of trusting someone was what made relationships so exciting. What an adrenaline rush to put yourself out there, hand your heart over to be stomped on or wrung out and hung out to dry. Fun times!

Isn't that why people say "Better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all?" Or did they mean, "Better to have loved and lost--as long as you keep the house?" And here I was called cynical when for 20 years I responded, "I disagree . . . better to have never loved at all. Then you don't know what you're missing."

Well, try as I might, balance for me comes in 99% : 1% ratios. And that's progress. Moderation excites me about as much as a bowl of cold porridge. Where's the room for moderation in love?? Sounds like a relationship doomed from the start, if you ask me.

To win big, you have to risk it all.

So thank you to all who so sincerely care enough to forewarn and share. But a wise and brilliant man once said, "Everything I have that is valuable cannot be taken away." I'm grateful I have the guts, today, to say that this applies to me.

xo

99% Raw Vegan

Rejoice! Rejoice! 

I am sitting here blogging, inhaling the dark velvety aroma of Black Silk. It is my forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden . . . coffee. Anyone who has followed this blog for any period of time may recall several posts on this very topic: First is the exuberant and joyful proclamations of caffeine freedom, followed by  a wallowing depression, sprinkled with some "yogic awareness" of just how strong this addiction is, topped with the tasty cherry of surrender [some call it failure, I call it a lesson well-learned]. And what lesson might that be?

The lesson is: Coffee is the ONE THING I refuse to give up. My life has become a series of dramatic interventions strung together like beads on a string . . .  I am a master at quitting, but I'm even better at starting again.

Thus, I commit to halting this redundant affair and from now on, will banish the words "I'm off coffee" from my journalling, my emails, my correspondence with friends, my hypnotherapist, my spiritual guide, my acupuncturist, my fiance, and my SELF. I am going to embrace this shadow and dance with her until she decides of her own accord, to walk away. That may be never, and I'm okay with that.

99% Raw Vegan and 1% Coffee is pretty good if you ask me.