To This Day Project

Ashtanga Yoga Workshop - Stockholm, Sweden

For continuing students of all levels of experience. Deepen your Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga practice, as taught by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois.

Take a deeper look inside the practice of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga in this weekend workshop for students of all levels of experience. It will both challenge and a liven your already existing practice, assisting the process of moving the awareness back into a heart centered, unifying approach. We will further investigate what it means to integrate the practice on the mat, and into life; balancing both strength with ease, and the healing benefits of daily practice.

Special attention will be focused on moving with conscious awareness, proceeding with breath, otherwise known as vinyāsa. Trouble shooting areas of instability that may be present, we will delve more thoroughly into how to build strength, with care and attention, building upon internal alignment.

Main Points of Attention:
* The tenants of Ashtanga Yoga philosophy.
* Experience joining the 3 points main focal points in each movement know as, Tristhanam (Posture, Breath, Gaze), promoting sense withdrawl, or pratyahara.
* Discover balance, support and integrity in strength based postures.
* Learn to activate and open the energy channels of the body without strain.
* Techniques for jumping back and jumping though.
* Structural breakdown of the core postures of Primary Series.

Time: 09.00-11.30 – 15.00-17.30
Price: 600 sek

To book click here

Ashes to Snow

Ashes and Snow by Gregory Colbert from Gregory Colbert on Vimeo.

Feather to Fire

Feather to Fire from Gregory Colbert on Vimeo.

I love art. I love film. I love the marriage of the two. Gregory Colbert's work has always been inspiring to me. I was lucky enough to be in the vicinity of one of his exhibits back in 2008 in Mexico City. It was beyond words. Many are already quite familiar with the above film as well as his photography. Since photography and film have been ignited passions of mine lately it is something I feel compelled to revisit. 

Food: A Word

In Mysore

"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well."  

- Virginia Woolf

I've had an interesting relationship with food over the years. I guess many of you out there could say the same. I had a father who was into organic foods and farmers markets loooong before it became fashionable to do so. Quite honestly, at the time of my youth it was a little embarrassing. You know how it is, to be at the age where it seems beneficial to be like everyone else. Thankfully, I outgrew this mentality. Yes, my father was a nutritional sleuth, reading labels like the real purity detective that he was. I remember many times looking up at him, patiently waiting, to get the nod of approval for something I felt I desperately needed. Fruit Loops and Lucky Charms are what every kid needs! So I thought. On most occasions my dad gave me a flat out, no. Sometimes, however, he would say, yes! If, and only if, it met the nutritional standards he was looking for. To this day I never quite figured out what they were. All I know is there were never flashy colors floating in my milk while eating my morning cereal. C'mon, feel sorry for me.

I always felt a bit strange when my father would take me to the out of the way, one store of it's kind, natural food store. It stood on the funky edge of town. Nothing like the flashy grocery stores that I was glamoured by, or like the Whole Foods ultra hippie-chic of today. No, here there were huge barrels of bulk foods, dusty shelves, teas, and dried herbs. I always remember the smell. It was strange. Yeah, it smelled natural, not antiseptic, which I thought was natural. Of course my father would always school me on the true ways of the world. How crazy our society had become. How detached we were from nature and our environment. How essential it was to have your own garden. The importance of composting! The relevance of recycling. Trees are our friends! Why isn't anything made in America anymore?!! At that time I thought he was a bit quirky, eccentric even. Now I know different. I can appreciate all that he was trying to teach me at the time, even though I didn't quite get it. However, on a deeper level what he instilled in me sunk in. A seed was planted. I just didn't know it at the time.

Fast forward. I went through a junk food rebellion, but it never really stuck. It never felt right. The bigger lesson is I went through a phase where food became a means to an end. Obviously, I learned the importance of eating healthy, but in reality it become just another concept or expectation I needed to fulfill. In that, I never really gave myself the freedom to connect consciously to my food. A problem. More or less, I was fitting myself into various diet labels. First, I became vegetarian to my mother's dismay. Then to low fat, the Zone, high protein/no carb, rawfood, living foods, raw food vegan, vegan, the list goes on and on. During those years I just couldn't help it, it was a phase of identification and experimentation. I thirsted on learning about nutrition and longevity.

Delving deeper into yoga practice I clearly felt the connection between the food I ate, and how it affected my practice on into day to day life. The gift of yoga; becoming in tune with bodily energies and cycles, call it body wisdom. Well, not so fast. Even though I was able to intuit my bodily rhythms at a higher level I was still using food as a means to an end. Meaning, asking myself questions such as, will it give me energy? Will it help make me look good? Is this yogic? AHIMSA!? Yes, it is true Ahimsa is important, but do we not also have Satya, as well? Truth. I still wasn't connecting to my food or to my truth. What was making me feel good? What was making me feel whole, sustained, nurtured, and nourished? Important questions. Questions that go much deeper than diet labels. Yes, I know the phrase, "you are what you eat." But, this isn't what I was driving at. It went even deeper. What was my relationship with the food I was consuming? The vital question. This is what I was missing all along. This is what my father always knew. Ironic. The essential element had always been right under my very nose, as clear as day, except I was as blind as a bat. It was my full circle moment.

At present, I feel uncomfortable with diet labels. I don't want what I eat to be my identity. Through the years I've seen it all. I've seen people preach veganism for the sake of nonviolence, who were quite frankly, not even all that nice. I've been around meat-eaters who have hearts of gold. I've seen the opposite. I mean, can we really eat our way to God? Does what we eat make us better human beings? Can we be arrogant and self-righteous about our diets and ideals? Obviously, I have many more questions than answers. Are there more health conscious ways of eating? Definitely YES. However, from what I've been exposed to there's much more to the story when it comes to diet and what is good for the planet, ultimately ourselves. The ways of mass agriculture have done massive harm to our natural environments, and we all know the horrors of factory farmed meats. Where's the balance? We've lost it.

I guess it goes back to the question. What is our relationship with our food? Is it destructive and violent? Is it humane and just? Is it in balance with ourselves and our surroundings? Again, important questions to look at. As I've become more connected to the foods that I eat, as a best practice, knowing where and how my food got to my table has become more important to me; choosing to eat at the level of cause, not the effect.

Ultimately, I have and will go through my eating ups and downs, but truthfully, nourishing myself from the inside out has proved it's importance over the years versus trying to fulfill some exterior label or image. When it comes to diet I will never live in absolutes because this is still using the outside as a marker. The only Absolute is on the inside. If I connect here first then my choices on the outside become easy one's to make. 

What Hurts the Soul?

Mysore, India

We tremble, thinking we're about to dissolve

into nonexistence, but nonexistence 

fears even more that it might be given human form!

Loving God is the only pleasure. Other delights 

turn bitter. What hurts the soul?

To live without tasting the water of its own essence. 

People focus on death and this material earth.

They have doubts about soul water.

Those doubts can be reduced! Use night

to wake your clarity. Darkness and the living water

are lovers. Let them stay up together.

When merchants eat their meals

and sleep their dead sleep, 

we night-thieves go to work.

- Rumi  (Translated by Coleman Barks)

Yogi Kitchen: Behind the Scenes

Adam & Theresa

I've been lucky enough to be acquainted with the passion and the brains behind the vegan/vegetarian cooking blog, Yogi Kitchen. Don't they make a lovely couple? Both Adam and Theresa are dedicated Ashtanga yoga practitioners, as well as, healthy vegetarian/vegan food lovers. Such a great combo if I do say so myself. Based out of London, England, the one thing I can appreciate is their simple love for healthy food first. Though they eat mostly vegan they don't terrify me with their food dogma which can be a turn off. They have a beautiful way of highlighting the vast possibilities in their cooking, and leave the preaching to the wayside which is a highly attractive quality to those who may be curious in regards to all that vegan cooking has to offer. Above all, they make it fun and ooooh so inspiring! After one cooking class, I seriously couldn't wait to put some of what I've learned into practice!

The other great thing is they travel to Mysore every year, so if I am so inclined, I can pick their brains in regards to vegan/vegetarian cooking, and believe me, after eating their food my tastebuds approve. Heck, my tastebuds want to give them a standing ovation! For more information and cooking inspiration visit their highly informative blog at www.yogikitchen.com.

Also, on a important note, Adam is a highly regarded Authorized L2 Ashtanga yoga teacher out of London, Englad and offers annual retreats in Turkey. For more information visit his website at www.keenonyoga.co.uk.

Vegan Frittata 

Vegan Cheese with Cauliflower

Vegan Crème made with Cashews 

In cooking class

Diffinitive Moments

That Atman alone, that state of simplest form of awareness alone, is worthy of seeing, hearing, contemplating, and realizing.  - Upanishads

It's interesting, I've made a number of trips to Mysore, thankfully, and each time I come I feel extremely grateful. It isn't always easy to make the trip, but it always ends up being worth it. At the same time, I'm reminded on what is important in terms of coming here.

Reminiscent of preparing to make my first trip I was offered worthy guidance from a senior teacher, who will remain nameless. He told me don't get caught up in how many times you go or for how long, or for how many years, because often people use that as a marker to mean they have reached something higher and all that doesn't matter. What matters is right now. That doesn't takeaway from the experiences; the good times, the bad times, the pain and the breakthroughs. And with all that, it still goes back to the point we sit in in each moment in our practice.

Each time I come to Mysore it brings a different energy. I am always fascinated by this. A new layer. Something new to contemplate or develop. As I lean into discomfort on and off the mat new freedom is found. It's in these definitive moments that hold a world of value. Believe me, I don't always step into discomfort with grace. I have experienced aggravation, and unimaginable lows and I've learned it never really serves me to sweep these feelings under the rug no matter how uncomfortable they are. This is the fuel transformation is made of. All of it serves a purpose in the greater scheme of things. 

Over the years with more conscious practice under my belt I realize the importance of not taking the whole process too seriously, and at the same time, I feel more inspired and devoted as ever. It has been a big step for me to laugh at my follies and internal weaknesses to then be able to pick up the pieces more joyfully, versus judging where I think I need to be in the moment. What does it mean to be a yogi or to tread this path? I often ask myself. Within my limited understanding, in my heart I feel it means being true to whatever arises, banishing the fear and judgement that may present itself from me and others. The search for validation on any level has always been paralyzing. 

If I stay true to my heart space, even when the mind revolts, at least I've taken a leap worth jumping for. 

Maturity Doesn't Always Come with Age

“The willingness to forgive is a sign of spiritual and emotional maturity. It is one of the great virtues to which we all should aspire. Imagine a world filled with individuals willing both to apologize and to accept an apology. Is there any problem that could not be solved among people who possessed the humility and largeness of spirit and soul to do either -- or both -- when needed?” ― Gordon B. Hinckley

Maturity doesn't always come with age. Age is just a number of how many years we have been on the planet and doesn't signify the quality and maturity of the soul. At least this has been my experience. What I find interesting is some of the most inspiring people I have met lately have been those much younger than me. I've been amazed at the insight and quality many young people bring to the table and luckily many have crossed my path. It's funny because it doesn't make me feel insecure, but it enlivens and reminds me that it's time to continue to broaden my scope. That's the beauty of some of the youth coming up today because they are revelling in possibility and connection. They get it and aren't nearly as afraid and fearful. Honestly it's a breath of fresh air and I welcome it and will continue to encourage them even as I steadily do my own internal work.

With the New Year, I'm reminded that the time lived doesn't matter. It is how we use the time we are given that matter. Yeah, I can practice Yoga everyday but it is in the application of practice in my life that carries the most weight. Years racked up are meaningless if I haven't made the definitive choices to allow transformation to happen.

Youth is definitely an energy. And in the same light, some of the most youthful people I know are much older than me. Curiosity and the willingness to learn keep this energy in motion and are not only the markers of the youthful but the wise.

Like it or not, we are coming into an age where labels, status symbols, and hierarchies are becoming obsolete. Associations are not the only thing that gets us anywhere. It is in the heart of our intentions and the truth we carry within ourselves that will be the fuel to drive us forward and upward.

True. 

When We Pray Alone

We are brought thick desserts, and we rarely refuse them. We worship devoutly when we are with others. Hours we sit, though we get up quickly after a few minutes. When we pray alone. We hurry down the gullet of our wantings. 

But these qualities can change, as minerals in the ground rise inside trees and become a tree, as a plant faces an animal and enters the animal, so a human can put down the heavy body baggage ... 

and BE LIGHT!

(Rumi) 

Yoga in Schools

Yoga heals. 

Photography and Intuition

Pic taken by Christine Love Hewitt

“Beauty can be seen in all things, seeing and composing the beauty is what separates the snapshot from the photograph."    – Matt Hardy

If you hadn't noticed I have a little hobby. Photography. It kinda snuck up on me. I've always enjoyed snapping photos, even at a young age. There's something about capturing a moment in time, or a beautiful scene, that has held joy for me over the years. I know what you are probably thinking . . . everyone is a photographer nowadays or touts themselves as one. So, yes, I have jumped on the bandwagon. It's an art I have huge respect for, and as an enthusiastic amateur, I welcome the opportunity to get my creative juices flowing as I learn something new. 

Criticism . . . why take pictures during travels and miss being in the moment? I don't agree. In my experience, when taking photos you must be conscious and connected to your surroundings, especially when capturing the spirit and energy of a place. Photographers I admire are adept at tuning in, as they tune into their surrounding environment. You can't help but feel the emotion and vitality of their photos. 

Can it really be an exercise in intuition? I think so. In many ways. Capturing a striking photo takes instinct, it takes practice, just like anything. I can't say I'm a natural, but I do know the more pictures I take, the more quality images I get. When I relax and change my point of view, another side of me takes over, especially when I let go and not over think it. 

And, beyond all that, it's so much fun. 

Credits: The top photo was taken by Christine Love Hewitt, a talented pro-photographer that hosts photography workshops in Mysore, India, as well as, organizes photo shoots with yoga practitioners. For more info: www.yogicphotos.com.

The photo below was taken by yours truly . . . 

Doomsday

Last night I had a prolific dream. Vivid, scary and in your face. I guess all this talk of 12.21.12 seeped into my subconscious because this dream was like no other. I'm talking massive earthquakes where the Earth itself was splitting apart, buildings were being shook off their foundation, and people were in a massive panic. I felt this primal instinct to run for higher ground versus being sucked down into these massive cracks in the Earth. I made it out. I didn't think. I just went with my gut. 

Samastitihi

Mysore, India

“You need not get at it, for you are it. It will get at you, if you give it a chance. Let go your attachment to the unreal and the real will swiftly and smoothly step into its own. Stop imagining yourself being or doing this or that and the realization that you are the source and heart of all will dawn upon you. With this will come great love which is not choice or predilection, nor attachment, but a power which makes all things love-worthy and lovable.” 

— Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

Finished my third week in the shala. Often, I find myself thinking after practice, wow, I made it through another one, and what a privilege it is. The depth available is never ending, and just knowing this allows me to relax into the fact there is no need to arrive anywhere. The quality and attention I bring to every aspect of practice has spoken more than the accumulation of more. In the end, it is all the same. How great is it to simply stand in samastitihi. There is so much there. On the outside it looks to be simple, but the energy and attention brought into this pose is endless. Steady awareness even in the mist of simplicity culminates into what is deemed as more advanced postures. After deeper study, I've found it is another illusion to look through as I taste the core and essence of steady awareness into the simplest of actions. It only grows from there.

More than practice, bringing quality and attention into everything I do, especially when interrelating with others has become a practice to take off the mat. When offering an open ear it is amazing what people will reveal. I'm touched when an offering and sharing of experience is given even when it isn't always pretty and perfect. In the listening, a breakdown of the barriers of I, me and my, takes shape.

I've had various teachers in my life and one from my past always spoke of the principle of softening. Back then, I didn't understand the full scope of what she was trying to relate to me. On a cerebral level I got it, but not on a heart level. Now, I've come to a point where I am not only understanding what she spoke of, but I am also experiencing it. Softening isn't about being a push over, but it is a yielding energy that holds timeless strength. It's a letting go of attachment and allowing the truth of who I am to simply be present. There are times when a resistance toward this creeps into my awareness, and I've learned to give it time to play out. The choice not to engage with it brings challenges, but when I hold steady in observation, it then starts to dissipate.

As the sweat pushes out of my pores during intense practices I think to myself, please God, wash away all that blocks my inner light and my connection to YOU. It is only through surrender and the willingness to be pushed off the cliff that my spirit can take flight. The scope of my mind is minuscule in comparison to my soul's knowing.

Why can't I always trust this?

Baby steps, I suppose. Something I'd like to sit with today or better yet, STAND FULLY IN. 

Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity

"Through meditation one realizes the unbounded. That which is unbounded is happy. There is no happiness in the small."

(Upanishads)

I've been coming across loads of great books lately. This book, Catching The Big Fish, by critically acclaimed filmmaker, David Lynch, came as a gift just at the appropriate time. An early Christmas present. The connection with consciousness and creativity is a topic which holds fascination for me. His tool to find the connection is through TM Meditation, otherwise known as, Transcendental Meditation. David Lynch, explains his process with letting go to then allow more compelling ideas to flow into his awareness. I have really appreciated his candor and openness in regards to his process. Worth checking out if tapping into your inherent creativity is something that speaks to you.

Shattered

"He whose happiness is within, whose contentment is within, whose light is all within, that yogi, being one with Brahman, attains eternal freedom in divine consciousness."  

(Bhagavad-Gita)

Shattered. That pretty much describes my practice today, and I wouldn't want to be any other way. I love practicing here. If I'm not willing to meet my edge then what's the point? 

Cultivating Peace

"Contemporary science tells us we are designed for peace and that our health and longevity depend on it. In fact, our survival as a species requires that we end our investments in war and direct our attention toward solving our many looming challenges. The worldviews that have promoted excessive competition, environmental degradation, increased social inequity, religious bigotry, and perhaps widespread systemic collapse are clearly not adequate to the optimal evolution of our species." 

 - James O'Dea, Cultivating Peace

Peace is the REAL game changer. 

I love this. In this day and age we are inundated with images of what is going wrong. However, we then miss all that is going right. The people who have made it their life's work to bring people together, building bridges instead of destroying them, creating networks, exemplifying their gentle powerful humanity, are the unsung heros of our day. I look to those for inspiration. No, unfortunately they don't make the news. Where media outlets thrive on exploitation, we must not forget this is only a small fragment of reality. The hour may feel dark, but let's not forget, all is not lost, and in the end, it is us we must look to for salvation. It is in our heartfelt connection with each other pacifying our prejudices within ourselves and finding the truth behind the veil, that will heal the wounds of our time. 

How then? 

There is so much that can be done, but first it has to begin within us. There is much work to be done within myself. I know this. Shedding the layers of discontentment, working through my own junk, is an important step to make. However, it can't always be about my own process and pain. Whenever, I live in service it puts a multitude into perspective. It heals. When and how can I add value to a situation instead of taking? Important questions. 

Delving into the above book has ignited and energized me on another level. This is not fluff. It asks hard questions and brings striking realizations to the table. It isn't necessarily about being against something but rather being for the values and attributes of peace. It's a practice. Simply naming yourself as an ambassador of peace isn't enough. It isn't about avoiding conflict but rather being comfortable in the mist of it, finding common ground, and ultimately the cord that connects us all.

Do I recommend this book? YES. O'Dea pushes us to be the change we seek. 

Cologne, Germany

Here are the pics from my trip to Cologne, Germany back in November. A big thanks to Ashtanga Yoga Mitte Köln! It was a sincere pleasure! I've been a bit late, as usual with posting the photos!

Practice, Practice, Practice . . .

 Jackfruit 

"The practice of asanas and pranayama is learning to control the body and the senses so the Inner light may come forth. That light is the same for the whole world and it is possible for man to experience this light, his own Self through correct Yoga practice. This is the natural outcome of a good practice and one will gradually learn to control the mind because one eventually will come to experience the very support of it. But the mind is indeed very difficult to control, but everything is made possible with right practice. We must therefore first and foremost practice, practice, practice for any real understanding of Yoga to take place. Then eventually we will be able to break the fixed patterns of the mind and taste the greater underlying support of it all.” 

- Sri K. Pattabhi Jois

 The Shala

 Coconut Time

First week, practicing in the shala, I'm always on a high. With feelings of comfort, exhilaration, mixed in with the energy of everyone in the room, let's just say, after a year of practicing alone, there is no other place I'd rather be. And, let's not forget the heat of tapas being burned. Settling into this breath paced practice, I hop onto the wave, and simply enjoy the ride. Second week, which I'm in the mist of now, reality sets in. The kinks in the body arise. When the high of the first week wears off, the real work begins. It will be a steady climb before I start to coast again. It always works out this way. 

It also takes a while to decompress from the pace of living compared to home. In India, one quickly learns that everything works left of center. Never quite right. Never fully efficient, but somehow things come together anyway. A good lesson in giving up control or else live the alternative of beating your head up against a brick wall. It's never fun and you'll tire of it eventually. 

Six trips, I feel blessed and thankful to have had the opportunity to come and as often as I have. I know it isn't always easy for those out there who are balancing many things to put together the trip. I know this, and it reminds me to never take it for granted. I think for me my first trip to India really put what I deemed important into perspective. Growing up in the U.S., quite frankly, I was forced fed a bunch of bullshit. Force fed good stuff too, but when young it was confusing distinguishing between my own growing intuition and knowing, and the cultural mores that surrounded me. I know this might be controversial for some, and no matter, it has brought me to this point of discovery. Freedom isn't always what we think it to be. Think on that. What does it really mean to be free? 

In the same light, I honor the balance of deepening yoga practice and creating a life out in the world of material. Some can use trips to Mysore as an escape, and quite frankly, I find dipping my toes into both worlds deems useful in honoring what it means to bring yoga into life. How can we know that the practice has done it's work? 

Through the years, with more practice, something more wants to be born. I find this exciting. I feel through yoga practice we uncover gifts, and it's our responsibility to bring it forward or else grow stagnant. In many ways, it's an offering. Our service to the world. Opening up to this there's a sense of release, and at the same time, a comfort in not knowing it all. When I'm here I like to keep my eyes and ears open as I tune into my awareness. Can I learn something new through my encounters? Can I be open and release all notions of knowing something. Because yoga doesn't work through association alone and idle gossip. It never has. 

Pure Rock Angel

I'm a big supporter of creative talent when I see it. Especially, when the person behind it is a force of nature in their own right. Shana, or otherwise known as, Zahara Jade, takes the cake. She's pure magic. I don't often blow smoke, unless, and only if, I'm struck by someone who sincerely brings light into every encounter, as well as, love. When this passion and love is poured into work, it often brings a divine quality and energy that is unique unto itself.

 When taking leaps of faith, it may seem risky, but honestly, to stay small and not expand into the realm of possibility often ends up feeling more like a risk. Zahara has exemplified this by opening up to the unknown, starting by untying the knots of a destiny that was not her own and utilizing her unique, inspiring gifts.

Please, support the work of of this budding jewelry designer who brings sincerity and focus into all that she does by backing her Kickstarter project. 


Back Zahara's current project with Kickstarter here. 


The last day to pledge is 30 December 2012.

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Bio
World traveller fairy goddess creator, I have been journeying around the world in this lifetime for the past 4 years. Along the way I have created a line of jewelry that is in line with my authentic life path. While journeying to the Far East and shedding external layers of myself I envisioned P.R.A.Y. PRAY, or PURE ROCK ANGEL YOGI, represents all of you drawn to read this; any authentic being living in line with his or her divine essence, in tune with source, flowing with the beautiful synchronicity of life and rocking it out in this lifetime, living life to its fullest. My creative force was born from a desire to heal in early years and it now serves to help heal others. I also provides healing for people on a physical, emotional, and spiritual realm doing mind-body energy healing with an M.A. in Clinical Psychology and training from healers around the world. Much of the time I am also teaching my passion, yoga, playing (fire poi, dance, fire staff, slack line, guitar, surf) and flying (aerial silks, acro yoga).