The best laid plans of mice and men

August 20, 2010 in Yoga, creativity, mantra, music, video, writing | 1 comment

Namaste. Thanks so much for all the well wishes and welcome backs!  

I've been on a relatively fast pace since returning from India, and really felt the need to sit in quiet reflection. I headed off to Ananda Ashram for a few days of Mauna, the practice of sacred silence.

Arriving at Ananda is like coming home. No matter where you've been, the ashram always takes you back, and it's like you never left. I always pause at the old iron gates to set an intention for my stay. When I looked inwards, what came back was 'quiet'

Classical indian singing lessons at ananda ashram

Sitting down for my first simple meal, I looked up and there was the radiant Shrimati Kankana Banerjee sitting across from me.

She smiled and said, more as a statement than a question: "You're coming to my class tomorrow?"  Before I could think about an answer, I felt my head nodding yes.

Turns out that Kankana is considered the best vocalist in india and she was at Ananda to teach a weeklong immersion in Classical Indian Singing.

          You can't always get what you want.

I was a bit resistant to this idea of not just singing, but singing all-day… I mean, I made my vow not to speak for 3 days, I was committed… or rather attached to my plan.

I surrendered to the new plan, the opposite of what I 'wanted.'  That next morning, I fixed myself a really huge mug of green tea and settled in for my first lesson.

           But if you try some time.

Kankana played an ancient harmonium, and led us in stringing many single syllables into beautiful – swimming melodies called Ragas.

           You just might find. 

Practicing the Raga scales is very meditative, There's a true sense of surrender to it  She leads, you follow, it's simple, beautiful, and beyond mind.  

My friend Kamaniya said "I didn't see you leave, but noticed you were gone for some time, and saw you come back into your body, different." 

            You get what you need…

At some point, hours into the practice, I merged with the seductive sounds, sliding into a peace I've never experienced before. Words don't describe this new threshold, so I'll not even try.

Three days of Mauna practice may have been good for me, but surrender to the new plan was even better.  

I grapple with decisions sometimes. When faced with several equally nice sounding options, my mind gets all attached, looking for the 'right' decision. Is one ever really more right than the other?    

I've got this great opportunity to study with my teachers this October. It will take some effort to travel to Ohio to be with them for a few days. Planes, travel details and expenses… but mostly, being away from the students I'm so blessed to have.  

As I churn this choice in my mind, and type this, it seems I still haven't fully grasped this lesson that surrender is best. That things tend to appear right when we need them, and often not in the tidy packages we are looking for.

To make room for them, we sometimes have to un-make our minds.  Have you found yourself changing plans midstream, how did it work out?

I'll leave you with this beautiful video of Kankana singing:

Next Saturday August 28th is our free Open Mic Music Night at Yoga and Nia for Life.  And note the Live Music Yoga class with special Guest Tom Lena – 9am Sunday September 5th.    Om Shanti,  I'll see you in class.

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Back to Nature

July 17, 2010 in Yoga, animals, creativity, jnana, writing | 8 comments

a wild rabbit

I was sad one day and went for a walk; I sat in a field.
A rabbit noticed my condition and came near.

It often does not take more than that to help
at times– to just be close to creatures who
are so full of knowing, so full of love that they
don't chat, they just gaze with their marvelous
understanding.      -St. John

___________________________________________

We can't get back to nature.  We are nature.  When we can remember that, we tend to make better choices for our environment.

   What we do to nature, we do to ourselves.

Have you ever wondered why so many of the Yoga postures are named for things found in the natural world?  We have cows and cats, Camels and Crescent Moons.  Notice there is no Angry Motorist, Stressed Out Mom, or Corporate Bigwig posture…

The Yogis spent much time observing the natural world, and how we could live more in tune with the way of nature. They saw where the human condition could get us off track.  There's all the usual suspects of greed, fear, pride, stress, and strife, but the main culprit is our lack of awareness.

This is where our practice can really shine.  In slowing down, we can observe ourself in real-time, seeing aspects of ourselves we'd like to strengthen, and parts we would rather see less of.  

Our practice can return us to that simpler time, where we could do one thing at a time, more in harmony with the natural world.

   Our stress levels plummet, and we begin to heal.

Just stand in tree pose.  Go ahead, back away from the monitor. Stand up tall and true on one leg.  Embody the essence of a particular tree that you know.  

Aspire to her strength and suppleness, her grounding and reaching. Unconditionally sheltering and feeding all who come.  Stand in gratitude for your chosen tree.  

    All this time she's been breathing in your exhales,  and providing your inhales.  

Ask what you can learn from her.  If she could speak in our language, I'd imagine she'd say:  "Use less paper and wood.  When you do need to buy paper, seek out recycled… and in solidarity with me, stand in tree pose in the checkout line."

Yes, there is a Rabbit pose:  

Rabbit Yoga pose

 

And the rabbit stealing a cookie pose:

rabbit steals a cookie

Somedays, a carrot just doesn't cut it.  

Om Shanti,  I'll see you in class.

-john

p.s.  Two spots just opened up in our Oct. 2nd. Fall retreat, (The Oct 15th retreat is full up)  Let me know right away if you'd like to join us.

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Do it anyway

July 7, 2010 in Yoga, abundance, ahimsa | 4 comments

Written on the wall in Mother Teresa's home for children in Calcutta:

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.

  Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.

  Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you'll win some unfaithful friends and some true enemies.

  Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.

  Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.

  Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.

  Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten.

  Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.

  Give your best anyway…

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The Cookie Thief

June 27, 2010 in abundance, jnana, writing | 8 comments

A woman was waiting at an airport one night,
With several long hours before her flight.
She hunted for a book in the airport shops.
Bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop.

She was engrossed in her book but happened to see,
That the man sitting beside her, as bold as could be.
Grabbed a cookie or two from the bag in between,
Which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene.

So she munched the cookies and watched the clock,
As the gutsy cookie thief diminished her stock.
She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by,
Thinking, "If I wasn't so nice, I would blacken his eye."

With each cookie she took, he took one too,
When only one was left, she wondered what he would do.
With a smile on his face, and a nervous laugh,
He took the last cookie and broke it in half.

He offered her half, as he ate the other,
She snatched it from him and thought… oooh, brother.
This guy has some nerve and he's also rude,
Why he didn't even show any gratitude!

She had never known when she had been so galled,
And sighed with relief when her flight was called.
She gathered her belongings and headed to the gate,
Refusing to look back at the thieving ingrate.

She boarded the plane, and sank in her seat,
Then she sought her book, which was almost complete.
As she reached in her baggage, she gasped with surprise,
There was her bag of cookies, in front of her eyes.

If mine are here, she moaned in despair,
The others were his, and he tried to share.
Too late to apologize, she realized with grief,

That she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief.

Please.. share this with someone.   If you like this, you may like:   Yoga Poems: Lines to Unfold By, and Go In and In: Poems From the Heart of Yoga

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May All Beings Be Happy and Free

June 21, 2010 in ahimsa, mantra, video, yoga films | 4 comments

A must-see video of our favorite Mantra preformed by a middle school choir:

They are singing Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu… The beautiful mantra I share with you at the end of each Yoga Class. It means:

     "May all beings – in all places – be happy and free."   

The melody comes from Girish's latest ablum, which I'm honored to have helped produced.  You've been hearing sneak-peeks and early edits from 'Diamonds' in class.

Great news!  looks like Danielle is coming up from Jivamukti Yoga NYC to assist our Sunday morning 9:00 4'th of July Yoga class  in West Concord.  

It's a joy to teach on all the holidays.  Most studios close, and the mix of people coming from all over makes for a very nice class.  We get our practice in early and have the rest of the day to savor it.

There's just a few spots open for the local Fall retreats…  all the details on the Yoga Events Page.

Om Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu…

Happy Solstice – I'll see you in class.

-john

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Why 108?

May 28, 2010 in Uncategorized, Yoga, jnana | 6 comments

my odometer at the spring Yoga retreat in massachusetts

On the way to teach at our Spring Retreat I had run a few errands, and took a long-cut to visit a friend, and look at some harmoniums.  

When I pulled up at the retreat center and shut off the car, I looked down to see a perfect 108 on my odometer.  

I teach Japa Meditation to Yoga Students, where we use a Mala, a string of 108 beads to count the recitation of a chosen Mantra, or sacred word.

In the Yoga Asana communities you'll often see people practicing 108 sun salutations for a cause, or on the change of seasons.

Invariably the question:  "Why 108?" comes up.  There are many opinions about Why 108, but here I'll mention a few that people tend to agree upon.

108 comes from multiplying 9 times 12.  Two sacred numbers in many traditions.  

9 is the number of planets that are said to rule us (the grahas),  and 12 is the number of zodiacs in Hindu astrology.  This allows 108 combinations of planet – in – signs.

The ancients measured, quite accurately, that the distance between the earth and the sun as 108 times the sun's diameter.

The distance between the earth and the moon is just about 108 times the moon's diameter.  (some say it moved)

The diameter of the Sun is 108 times the diameter of the earth.

Like the Beatles song from The White Album,  this number 9 just keeps coming back:

9 x 1 = 9
9 x 2 = 18, 1 + 8 = 9
9 x 3 = 27, 2 + 7 = 9
9 x 4 = 36, 3 + 6 = 9
9 x 5 = 45, 4 + 5 = 9
9 x 6 = 54, 5 + 4 = 9
9 x 7 = 63, 6 + 3 = 9
9 x 8 = 72, 7 + 2 = 9
9 x 9 = 81, 8 + 1 = 9
9 x 10=90, 9 + 0 = 9
9 x 11=99, 9 + 9 = 18, 1 + 8 = 9
9 x 12 = 108

and… 1 + 0 + 8 = 9 

A baseball has 108 stitches.  In Ayurveda and martial arts, there are 108 marma, or pressure points on the body.

Have you heard any others?  click on the comment link to share what you've heard.   Japa Mala can be a very powerful, and comforting  form of mediation.  in a future post I can go over the details, but it's best learned in person.  

I'd be glad to teach you the basics to get you started, shoot me an email.  You can see some nice malas on the link to the left.

Om Shanti,   -j

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Who are you

May 13, 2010 in Yoga, jnana, writing | 2 comments

"I know there's a place you've walked where love falls from the trees"  -the who

Who are you?

Parent, Student, Teacher, Runner, Boss, Worker, Friend, Yogi, Golfer, Lawyer, Human, American… We wear so many hats (masks?) that we can lose sight of who we really are.  We are not just these aspects we project into our world.

We are how we do, what we do… We are how we play these roles.

Our practice shines the light of awareness on all parts of ourselves. If we have the courage to look clearly at how we are doing what we do, we can see our weaknesses, fears and doubts, along with our greatest strengths.  

Only when we embrace the whole of ourselves, with equanimity, can change begin to happen.  

I came to Yoga to integrate the scattered parts of myself, Engineer, Yogi, Vegan, Teacher, Student, Human Man, Brother, Son… It just took too much energy to switch between roles.  

With practice, I get a clearer view, and gain perspective.  I wear less hats now, I keep simplifying, unbecoming,   looking forward to just being…  Unconsciously conscious.

How to mend the gap between how we are, and how we'd like to be:

The teachings are clear and simple, we become what we think and what we do. Set a clear intention of how you'd like to be, and practice living that way.  Start on your mat, and don't look away when you dislike what is revealed.

When you feel yourself squirm with resistance… that's where the juice is. The bigger the resistance, the bigger the potential breakthrough.  

Listen carefully, to your body, to your mind, to your breath, and to your emotions.  When they conflict, you can't hear your Ananda, your bliss trying to shine out.  When you get these aspects of yourself all inline, integrated with your intention… there's a profound clarity there. 

Yoga tells us: If you don't like what you're thinking or doing, to practice the opposite.  Stay the course. Breathe calm and acceptance into the discomfort.  On the other side is that clear glimpse of your true nature.

Lasting change comes from filling yourself to the brim with the antidote to how you don't want to be anymore.

Be steadfast and keep going.  Your efforts will shine-out into your other roles, your practice will radiate out to others… They're counting on you, and we're all in this together.

Om Shanti,  I'll see you in class.

-j

p.s.  A special treat!  I've arranged for Irene, a music therapist, to come play Live music for our Yoga class.  See the events page to meet Irene and get the details.

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How they did Yoga in 1944

April 28, 2010 in video, yoga films | 6 comments

Okay, watch this must-see video to see what Yoga looked like in the 1940's.

 (It's not as risque as this first frame seems…)

Be sure to keep watching past 60 seconds to get to the Yoga flow.

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reduce your junk mail

April 21, 2010 in Yoga, frugal living | 1 comment

Tree Knot

         For Yogis, everyday is Earth-Day.  

From the light of awareness we can see clearly how our choices, no matter how small or large, are either part of the problem, or part of the solution.  The good news is, We can each substantially lessen our impact on this world with minimal effort.  

Did you know that if we all chose to eat just one meatless meal, one day a week, it would be like taking 500,000 cars off the road?  This is the power of our forks and knives, and what is good for the planet is good for us as well.

Recycling your junk mail is noble, but not getting it in the first place keeps the trees where they belong.

Catalog Choice is a free service that nixed most of the catalog type junk mail I was getting. It's quick, super-easy, and effective way to save trees and fuel, and a sure-way to improve your tree pose.  

To create exponential change, forward this post to your friends, asking them to forward it.  

              Print one page to help save millions!

Print out their Earth-Day Poster and hang it up, help your community reduce junk-mail and lets keep some of our trees around.

Happy Earth Day – Make sound choices, not just for today…

Om Shanti,

-john

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91 Year Old Yoga Instructor

April 12, 2010 in Yoga, video, yoga films | 16 comments

Watch this video of a 91 year old Yoga teacher who tangos in her spare time.  Her philosophy is as inspiring as her youthfulness. A life lived in service of others.  If you can't see the video in your email, got to my website and visit the blog.

Forward this post to a friend who could use some inspiration to get to Yoga:

You all asked, and we listened!

Danielle is coming out from New York City this weekend, she'll be assisting our 9am Yoga class this coming Sunday, and the Monday 4pm class. 

Danielle is gifted at helping people find just the right depth of a posture. If you've not experienced her co-teaching, you're in for a real treat. Come just a bit early if you can, so we can get started right on time.

Danielle in West Concord, April 18th, 19,th

Looking ahead slightly, Our Open Mic Kirtan on Sat. the 24'th, a free event.. If you like Yoga music, come on down! That Sunday, the 25'th is Restorative Yoga, 12:30. might be the last of the season, unless I hear differently from you. Get the scoop at the events page.

Thanks again for all your kind emails and feedback, and of course, for coming to class! This Friday night I'm at Global in Stow, 5:45.

Om-Shanti, I'll see you in class,

-John

p.s. Two more interviews coming soon, Our Airbus pilot fellow Yogi, and David, the surgeon who just went back to Haiti to serve another tour in the camps. phew, wait till you read that one. subscribe to not miss anything, upper left hand corner. -j

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