ahimsa

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Don’t be the cookie

July 28, 2011 in ahimsa, creativity, recipes | 8 comments

In some popular styles of Yoga, students are encouraged to aspire to an ‘optimal alignment.’ While safe alignment is very important, I’ve seen much forcing in postures, the ‘ideal’ of a posture pushed like a cookie-cutter onto an unready body.

These kind of classes foster competitiveness, and echo much of our modern culture, which values appearence over substance.

Look where that focus has brought our society.

I think these lineages of Yoga mean well, but sometimes the language used can project that there’s something wrong with where we are currently at. You are where you are, and it’s a perfect place to start a Yoga practice.

Let your practice validate you on the way to transforming you.

Raise your right hand, make the peace sign, and take the Yogacratic oath…

Say: “I’ll do no harm.”

In our classes together, we adapt the postures to the current state of our bodies. Not an impose, but a Yoga pose, now helpful in the context of our lives. We foster a safe place where there’s nothing to prove, and we support each others unfolding.

In practice, we are not looking for paper mache’ shells of experience, but true postures, fully embodied, with substance and purpose.

Postures from the bones-out. Yes, Yoga is an inside job.

The true ‘optimal alignment’ is where the posture is safe, and of benefit to your whole being. Steady, with even breath, a meditative quality in your mind, and a clear sense of purpose. This place can be elusive. We get there by feel, and this takes practice.

Practiced this way, your favorite Yoga posture can be the one you are currently in. There’s just no place you’d rather be. From these peaceful places we can contemplate higher thoughts, like offering peace and compassion to all beings.

Our grandfather of Yoga, Sri Patanjalii suggested our postures be steady, and sweet, and on that note, I’ll close with some sweet postures:
Yogi Cookie Cutters yoga pose cookies

Yoga posture cookie cutters are available from The Kitchen Yogi, others from here. and compassionate recipes here. But remember, make enough to share, and don’t be the cookie!

Have you found yourself in a competitive class? Did you win? how did you feel after?

Om Shanti, I’ll see you in class. -j

SKBHBPMU7PS9

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Do it anyway

July 7, 2010 in abundance, ahimsa, Yoga | 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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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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Caring for a Girl

February 14, 2010 in ahimsa, animals, writing | 5 comments

When our heart truly opens, we don't choose the direction it takes us. In honor of Valentines Day and our heart-opening Yoga class earlier, I wanted to share this story of a special couple, a guest-post by Carrie:

Carrie and Boo

Caring for a Little Girl

I never wanted to have children, at least that’s what I’ve always told myself. I often think, “There are too many people on the planet already, I don’t want to give up my freedoms, I don’t want to change my lifestyle, and what is the world going to be like when they’re my age”.

Yet, now I find one of my greatests joys is caring for a little girl. My love and admiration of her grows daily. She frolics around outside for most of the day, eats lots of veggies and grains, and sleeps inside for company and warmer comfort at night. She lets me know her likes and dislikes, loves to be held, wakes me up in the morning with her clucks, and entertains me with her curious ways.

‘2Blindy’ is her name. She once lived in a small backyard flock. I first noticed her when she squawked and flapped away from another girl who had just pecked her in the eye. I saw this happen time after time as I worked in the vegetable garden near by. Part of my job there at the farm was to feed and get the chickens water each morning and collect eggs. I accepted this task reluctantly at first because I did not like the idea of “stealing” their eggs from under the nesting hens.

Gradually I got used to it and started accepting that if this ‘had’ to get done by someone, why not let it be me. After all, I sing to them calmly and quietly as I “steal”!

The more I witnessed 2Blindy getting pecked each day, the more I realized how much I wanted her to feel at least a few minutes of peace while she tried to get some food and water. So I started to pick her up and put her on my lap two times a day, while blocking her head so she wouldn’t get pecked. I can only imagine how horrible it was to not have peace and kindness while just trying to live.

She got used to me and would come running around the corner when she heard my voice, sometimes even tripping over a rock in the dirt pen. Needless to say, I also fell…. (and what I mean by that was, in love with her). 

One 19 degree morning when I got to work I found her outside on a ladder, puffed up in a ball, shivering. She had a bloody wing and looked hopeless and lonely. I told the farmer of this chickens condition, and it was recommended that I, “put her inside the house in a box with the other dying bird”. As I did this my heart sank. Sometime later I found it stuck in my throat, not knowing what to do or to say.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Enough is Enough

November 26, 2009 in abundance, ahimsa, Yoga | 1 comment

Thanks to all who came out for Thanksgiving Yoga practice this morning.

Our theme was Enough,  the prequel to Gratitude.  Our vehicle was flow, or Vinyasa.

Smoothing out, and honoring the transitions between postures tells ourselves at many levels, that in-between is a valid way to be. We don't have to know everything.  We don't have to do everything.  Flowing into postures can helps us get to where things seem to fit.

Our life is like a jigsaw puzzle, but we never get to see the picture on the box.  Keep going, slide the pieces in where they fit, and trust in the process.  If a piece doesn't fit, let it go.  It must be for another puzzle.  Trust that the bigger picture will become clearer in time, and resistance slips away.

When our mind drifts during practice, it's an expression of more, when we can focus our mind in practice, it's an expression of enough.  Continually returning our focus to right now strengthens our ability to remain there for longer periods of time.

                   The door to meditation will swing open on easy hinges.

We start out with just a glimmer of enough, an ember of content.  Each breath fans the flame.  Contentment, (Santosha) is like a big 'ol warm sweater on a cold day.  When we embrace enough.  We can turn down the thermostat of more… 

look around you, find two things.  Experience the space between them.  Carry that practice into all your actions and you'll need less to make you happy, guaranteed.

I am blessed with so many caring and earnest students.  You make it possible for me to teach and share, and I take your blessings with me to Asia.  

I resolve to see enough, and to soak up enough teachings to share on my returning.

Happy Thanksgiving.  Om Shanti, to all beings.  

John

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World Vegetarian Day

September 30, 2009 in abundance, ahimsa, Yoga | Add Your Comment

 Namaste.

I got some emails regarding the Fruit Fly Liberation blogpost.  Most were favorable, a few were fun, and a couple were hostile.  I’m used to the full-spectrum of reactions to my suggesting compassion.  For some reason, some people are threatened by the idea of caring for others.  

I wouldn’t say they are cold or heartless, just misinformed.  I bet they care for their dog or cat just fine.  All of us have a level of compassion, where we draw our line.  This is selective compassion.  The Practice of Ahimsa, or non-violence asks us to lower this line to include more beings. This is a foundational aspect of Yoga.

Myself, I don’t feel qualified to decide which beings to care for, it’s a matter of simplification to care for all beings, even the small ones, even the unpopular ones.  If the pigeons raid the feeder, I put more seed out. They are hungry too.  Ditto for the Squirrels.  Why not? 

As I was washing my greens for dinner tonight I noticed this tiny little bug in the basin of water.  He sure was small, and… he was swimming.  I held him a leaf, and he climbed on.  As I set him out in the garden, I could imagine his relief.  

Yes, I project a lot onto others… But this bug was trying to save himself, as you would if you were dumped in the middle of the ocean.  My dinner was nicer in knowing that he survived it.

This will to live is inherent in all beings.  We share the same Prana, (not the Yoga-pants, but the lifeforce) that animates him.

Okay, so John’s ranting about the bugs again.  

But It’s really not about the bugs, it’s about recognizing the gift of life in all beings.  

October first is World Vegetarian Day.  Please read:  The Startling Effects of Going Vegetarian for Just One Day  

Yoga asks us to examine our beliefs often, and hold our truths lightly, cause they change as we learn more about ourselves and our world.  We don’t have to be selective, we can care for all beings.  Om Lokah Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu.

 The further I walk along this path, the less I need to know.  

As we head off to our Fall Retreat at Spirit Fire this weekend, our group will live in peaceful practice and enjoy amazing Vegetarian food.  

We’ve got a full house this trip, but a couple spots may still be left for the Spring 2010 retreat.  Email me right away if you’re interested in joining us though.  

Om Shanti, I’ll see you in class.

john

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Fruit Fly Mukti

September 13, 2009 in animals, Yoga | 2 comments

When we chant Om Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu it means May *All* Beings Be Free of Suffering.

We vow to do our best.  So you've got fruit flies?

Here's a pic of my nifty fruit fly catch and release system:

how to deal with fruit flies

I've found that a copy of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali works very well as the base, I think they come for knowledge as well as the tasty bit of over-ripe banana.  Leave this setup for a few hours.

While you're waiting, go practice all the Yoga postures named after bugs. Scorpion anyone?  I'm drawing a blank on the others, Perhaps we could list them in the comments.  Let's hear what you've got?

After your Shavasana, sneak up and swiftly pull the cork out, cause they are fast! (when you're little you have to be.) Bring them outside and open up over another piece of nice fruit for them to take refuge on.  

Make it organic, say Mantra for them and I can almost guarantee that you will never come back as a fruit fly.  Change the 'bait' fruit daily, or you'll be hatching more flies.

Om Shanti, I'll see you in class, and we'll be sure to do 'Live-Bug' pose.

John

P.S.  Hope you can join us for Sunday's Equinox Workshop, and the following week is our Open Mic Kirtan, and restorative class.  See the events page for details.  

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Yoga, Inc.

August 8, 2009 in Reviews by john, video, Yoga, yoga films | 1 comment

 At some recent point, the word Asana, (postures) became synonomous with Yoga.

Asana is a powerful vehicle for transformation, but without the framework of Yoga, it's exercise, and the benefits are fleeting.

Asana is third on the eight limbed path of Yoga.  It comes after the ethical and purifying principles of the Yamas and Niyamas. Ways for a society to live together in harmony.

You see, Yoga is much much more than the postures.  It's a path, a way of life handed down from the ancients.  It's a carefully mapped out way to end suffering and find liberation in our lives.

John Philp was kind enough to send me a copy of his documentary  Yoga, Inc. to review for you all.   John's film addresses the sideshow that our national Yoga scene has become, Yoga (asana) competitions, lawsuits, franchises, infideliity and sexual misconduct.  Here's a short clip:

Major players have pulled Asana from the context of Yoga to stand alone as a way to make tremendous amounts of Money.  Many of these major 'stars' of Yoga mean very well, but some have lost their way.  How can you tell?  look at their actions, and how they treat others.

Thanks John, for making the film Yoga Inc.

It has become okay in some circles to abandon principle, call anything Yoga and peddle it as a means to make money.  

Last year a heavily promoted, major "yoga" charity events headlining sponsor was a Factory Farm.  The factory farms are major polluters, users of energy,  and they wreak unmeasurable suffering on all involved.  The tagline of the event "Come do Yoga to save Mother Earth!"   Huh?

Am I the only one who sees the emperor has no clothes?  Do we sidestep the teachings, and the idea of Karma when there's money involved?  

 Money is pure potential, what matters is how you got it, and what you do with it.  Are these teachers at fault, or are they giving us what we want?

                             We don't have to go to these events.

The means do not justify the ends.  Each and every dollar you spend is a vote for the world you'd like to live in.  Who are your teachers, what do they stand for?  How do their students act?

if you are a 'Yoga' teacher, what are you teaching?  are your actions and words inline?  Are your students getting more than buff? 

Live your Yamas and Niyamas:

Yamas:     Ahimsa – Satya – Asteya – Bramachyra – Aparigraha

Niyamas:  Saucha – Santosha – Tapas – Swadyaya – IshvaraPranidad

I'm doing my best to live in Yoga, I've come a long way, and have a long way to go.  

In gratitude for this path.  

John

p.s.  Many thanks for all the inspiring emails and stories for the Testimonials page.  I love to hear how Yoga has been showing up in your lives.

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Kirtan

July 24, 2009 in music, Yoga | 2 comments

 I’ve been asked several times this week, "What is Kirtan?"   

The experience of Kirtan is beyond words, But I’ll give it a try.  Technically, Kirtan is a method of learning via call and response. Back before teachings were written down, they were passed in an oral tradition.  Students would learn the acres of scripture by repetition and rhythm.  

In the Vaishnava tradition, Kirtan is the only way to self-realization that works in our current times. Way back in the Sat-Yuga, (age of truth) people lived to be 100,000 years old, and that is the last time that Yoga really worked.  In our current age, Kali-Yug,  the age of darkness, we don’t have enough time, and must recite the name of divinity to realize our own divine nature. 

If we lived to be 100,000 years old, our IRA’s might have enough time to recover huh?

In our culture, Kirtan has come to mean songs of devotion, called out in Sanskrit by a leader; responded to in chorus along with some instruments.  You hear some of these songs in Yoga class.  The voices unite, and you feel really good after.  You can ‘hide’ in the chorus until you find your range, and join in…. Everyone can sing kirtan.  Really.

My personal experience of Kirtan is that the whole of Yoga is contained within it.

The songs are sweet, or Ahimsic in nature.  They are devotional: Ishvara Pranidad.  We sit still, in Asana.  These Mantras takes all our breath, a focused Pranayama.

Once The rhythm is established, we slide into Pratyahara, a withdrawal from the external senses.  This brings about a single point of focus: Dharana, the gateway to Meditation: Dhyana.  In this meditation we are cleansed of negative thoughts and emotions: Kriya.

When the music stops, In that viscous-stillness we look within: Swadyaya, and get a glimpse of Samadhi, our blissful true nature.  

That’s a sliver of how Kirtan has unfolded for me.  To find your truth about Kirtan, come try.  I host at least once a month, and maintain the Boston Kirtan Facebook group where you can find out about all the local offerings.

Namaste.

-j

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Catch and Release

April 30, 2009 in Yoga | Add Your Comment

In Asana class the other day we talked about balancing strive with acceptance and humility.  Our physical practice can invoke our striving nature, our need to compete, to improve, or ‘collect’ postures,  especially the ones we see as advanced.  This can distract us from our path, and can lead to frustration and injury.  Depth in our practice must be balanced with humility and acceptance.

I recalled as a boy fishing with my father, We practiced ‘catch and release’ fishing.  When hooked, we’d haul the fish in, unhook her, and set her free.  

I thought about how that could be a metaphor for how we can aspire to live.  With a loose grip on things and experiences, we can flow with what is, that dance between grasping and contentment, The sanskrit terms are: Graha and Santosha.  

Everything is on loan, including the breath you just took.  (stop reading, sit up straight, close your eyes and take three long, smooth, borrowed breaths)

I was always horrified to catch a fish, it is such an act of violence.  Don’t tell dad, but towards the end of my fishing hobby I realized that if I didn’t bait the hook, I wouldn’t catch anything.  Dad would be hauling them in, calling over to me , "Any bites?"  nope, none at all Dad. 

Vinyasa Yoga is to flow with breath and intention.  Why limit this to Yoga class?

Live in Vinyasa, loosen your grip on things, thoughts, and experiences… Breathe. Catch and release. Step into your flow.

Om Shanti, Peace to the fishes. I’ll see you in class.

-j

p.s.  did you do the three breaths?  Couple spots still open for the Invoking Shiva class this weekend, and our Fall Retreat is 3/4′s full, or would that be 1/4 empty ?  Let me know right away if you’d like to join us.  Details on the Yoga Events page.

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