It has been over four weeks since my surgery. I cannot believe that I have been hobbling around on one leg for over a month. With still a long haul in front of me, I am learning to not look ahead too often but to take one day at a time.
By far, the most profound lesson I have learned so far during this time is that there is a wonderful sense of peace in my life when I slow down and take one step at a time. At this point in my recovery, my work and family life almost resembles that of pre-surgery days. However, there are many obstacles in the way of my living at my pre-surgery pace. In other words, I have to slow down and show up for every step that I take or I might just find myself on the floor in a tangle of crutches.
In the past month, my life has been broken down into micro-movements. For example, when getting a glass of water, I must break my movements down as follows: Lean right, balance, reach for the glass, re-balance, reach for the faucet, fill the glass, steady yourself, now drink.
The crazy thing is that I find myself naming these small steps in my mind. Step down the stair, balance, crutches down, foot down, balance. This practice has helped me stay to present and focused during the most basic movements of life.
This mental exercise (which some may think borders on compulsive behavior!) has profoundly shifted my yoga practice and my teaching. One step at a time. One breath at a time. There is no rush. Move slowly and precisely.
One step at a time. One breath at a time. Slow and steady. That is mindfulness. And in mindfulness there is space. And in that space, we find peace.
Cara
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Sunday, November 30, 2008
My Left Foot - Part 3: The Wonderful Stationary Sequence
This morning I practiced yoga for the first time since my surgery. I used the template of our Stationary Sequence and modified poses according to what I could and could not do. It was down right fun. I used a stool for most of the standing poses and was able to move through most of the floor poses without too much fuss. Words cannot explain how tremendously wonderful it felt for me to move my body after two weeks of being literally “stationary”.
We often tell out students at Verge Power Yoga that there is a pose for everyone in our Stationary Sequence. Our teachers are more than happy to modify poses for our students prior to class or even during our classes.
We have students practicing at Verge with hip, knee and shoulder replacements. We have students with spinal fusions and chronic low back issues. We have students with rods, plates, screws and more! If you have been off your mat due to an injury or illness, please email me at cara@vergepoweryoga.com and I will personally help you modify the Stationary Sequence so that you can return to practice.
The beauty of the Stationary Sequence practice (or any practice for that matter) is that we can all be doing the same pose but at the same time, all look a bit different. Bottom line is that our yoga practice should serve us individually and based on what we bring into the center with us on any given day, i.e. headache, busy mind, tight hamstrings, etc.
My modified practice this morning served me in a big way. I felt cleansed physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. It was a perfect practice because I did the best that I could do with what was available to me today which is very different than where I was two weeks ago. I rested in savasana feeling grateful to be amongst the physically mobile population again.
I return to teaching tomorrow and cannot wait to see everyone. I’ll continue to practice at home for a few more days and then move my stool to Verge for classes there. . You’ll be seeing me “blissed out” in a modified pose in our Stationary classes by the end of the week.
Until then… Peace.
Cara
We often tell out students at Verge Power Yoga that there is a pose for everyone in our Stationary Sequence. Our teachers are more than happy to modify poses for our students prior to class or even during our classes.
We have students practicing at Verge with hip, knee and shoulder replacements. We have students with spinal fusions and chronic low back issues. We have students with rods, plates, screws and more! If you have been off your mat due to an injury or illness, please email me at cara@vergepoweryoga.com and I will personally help you modify the Stationary Sequence so that you can return to practice.
The beauty of the Stationary Sequence practice (or any practice for that matter) is that we can all be doing the same pose but at the same time, all look a bit different. Bottom line is that our yoga practice should serve us individually and based on what we bring into the center with us on any given day, i.e. headache, busy mind, tight hamstrings, etc.
My modified practice this morning served me in a big way. I felt cleansed physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. It was a perfect practice because I did the best that I could do with what was available to me today which is very different than where I was two weeks ago. I rested in savasana feeling grateful to be amongst the physically mobile population again.
I return to teaching tomorrow and cannot wait to see everyone. I’ll continue to practice at home for a few more days and then move my stool to Verge for classes there. . You’ll be seeing me “blissed out” in a modified pose in our Stationary classes by the end of the week.
Until then… Peace.
Cara
Friday, November 28, 2008
My Left Foot - Part 2: Learning to Listen
Our bodies are truly amazing instruments. And the healing process is flat out a phenomenal experience. I am 10 days out of surgery and, if I listen carefully, my body will tell me what and how much I can do on a day to day basis. And, what I am able to do right now is not a lot.
I can honestly say that I have just about surrendered to my body’s advice to rest a lot and drink a lot. I fully believe that our bodies need an abundance of rest in order to heal. I am learning that there is no substitution for quality rest and there are no short cuts.
The few times I have pushed myself by doing too much in the past ten days, I have paid the price with throbbing and pain in my left foot. I have learned the hard way that I cannot fool my body by squeezing in one more activity or one more phone call. In the past, I could ignore the physical signals that whispered to me when it was time to stop pushing. Right now, my body is in full charge and will scream at me when it is time to stop and rest. I think that I am actually learning to really listen to my body.
Listening is an incredibly important skill to develop. We are asked to listen in school, at work, to our kids, to our spouses. But do we really listen? I know that I don’t always listen when I should be. I think that I am listening but I’m really not. There are times during my yoga practice when I don’t listen to my body. There are times when I don’t listen to the teacher (yes, it is true). There are times when I don’t listen to my kids or my husband!
But now, due to this surgery, I’ve been forced to listen carefully. I will need to continue to listen carefully in order to facilitate healing. If I don’t listen, I feel physical pain. If I do listen, I let go and allow myself to rest and heal.
In many ways, this surgery has been a gift. I have a feeling that my improved listening skills will be one of the most special gifts of all.
Thank you for reading and listening to my story.
Peace. Cara
I can honestly say that I have just about surrendered to my body’s advice to rest a lot and drink a lot. I fully believe that our bodies need an abundance of rest in order to heal. I am learning that there is no substitution for quality rest and there are no short cuts.
The few times I have pushed myself by doing too much in the past ten days, I have paid the price with throbbing and pain in my left foot. I have learned the hard way that I cannot fool my body by squeezing in one more activity or one more phone call. In the past, I could ignore the physical signals that whispered to me when it was time to stop pushing. Right now, my body is in full charge and will scream at me when it is time to stop and rest. I think that I am actually learning to really listen to my body.
Listening is an incredibly important skill to develop. We are asked to listen in school, at work, to our kids, to our spouses. But do we really listen? I know that I don’t always listen when I should be. I think that I am listening but I’m really not. There are times during my yoga practice when I don’t listen to my body. There are times when I don’t listen to the teacher (yes, it is true). There are times when I don’t listen to my kids or my husband!
But now, due to this surgery, I’ve been forced to listen carefully. I will need to continue to listen carefully in order to facilitate healing. If I don’t listen, I feel physical pain. If I do listen, I let go and allow myself to rest and heal.
In many ways, this surgery has been a gift. I have a feeling that my improved listening skills will be one of the most special gifts of all.
Thank you for reading and listening to my story.
Peace. Cara
Saturday, November 22, 2008
My Left Foot - Part 1: The Basics
Stability has been the mantra in my classes, on my yoga mat and in my life for over 5 years. You may have heard me say in class, “find physical stability before physical movement, seek mental stability before acting or reacting or sit in emotional stability before speaking.”
While I intend to practice stability in my life, I have been living with an unstable left foot for most of my adult years. Last Wednesday I had some repair work done on my shaky left foot. The procedure in layman’s terms is called a Corner Fusion. Simply put, my doctors screwed together a joint in the top of my foot that I had dislocated 25 years ago.
The injury occurred during a touch football game in high school. Juniors against the seniors I recall. As the running back, I cut right, grabbed the ball from the QB, cut left and ran for a touchdown! It was in the pivot that I dislocated the joint and experienced a common football injury called a Lisfranc Injury. Back then however, it was called a “bone bruise”. After a quick x-ray in the ER and I was sent on my merry way with a pair of crutches.
Over the past 24 years, however, I have injured and re-injured that left foot in different ways. There have been ligament tears, nerve issues and sprains. Balancing on that foot on my yoga mat has always presented a huge challenge and has helped me learn to be patient and compassionate.
In search for some answers to my stability issues, I found Dr. Nick Romansky of Healthmark Foot and Ankle Associates, a well known podiatrist to professional athletes including the US Soccer teams at the World Cup, Olympics and more. He and I went on a quest to find the reason behind the chronic pain in my foot.
Dr. Romansky told me that my yoga practice had kept me physically balanced to date but that as I age, I run the risk of knee and hip issues due to the misalignment and instability in the foundation of my body, my feet. Those words caught my attention.
After CT Scans, MRI’s, multiple x-rays and physical therapy, his team of doctors reached the diagnosis that I had dislocated a joint at the top of my left foot that day on the football field. Simply put, what should be the most stable joint in the foot, he said, was completely unstable. My “keystone” was unstable and was becoming increasingly unable to support my body in a balanced way.
That was all I needed to hear. I know from my own yoga experience and training that our stability begins in our feet, our foundation. If the foundation is weak there will be excess stress on the body and eventually, stuff will break down.
So on Wednesday, my foot became more stable with a lot of expertise and some screws. I will not be able to bear weight on my left foot for about two months. It will be one of the most challenging practices of my life. I look forward to this time being one of growth and evolution. I will share my challenges with you in this blog that I plan to update a few times per week.
So, be grateful for your healthy feet and for your stable foundation.
I hope to stay connected to you all thru this blog and with your comments. Please share. I’ll be back to teaching shortly after Thanksgiving.
Peace.
Cara
While I intend to practice stability in my life, I have been living with an unstable left foot for most of my adult years. Last Wednesday I had some repair work done on my shaky left foot. The procedure in layman’s terms is called a Corner Fusion. Simply put, my doctors screwed together a joint in the top of my foot that I had dislocated 25 years ago.
The injury occurred during a touch football game in high school. Juniors against the seniors I recall. As the running back, I cut right, grabbed the ball from the QB, cut left and ran for a touchdown! It was in the pivot that I dislocated the joint and experienced a common football injury called a Lisfranc Injury. Back then however, it was called a “bone bruise”. After a quick x-ray in the ER and I was sent on my merry way with a pair of crutches.
Over the past 24 years, however, I have injured and re-injured that left foot in different ways. There have been ligament tears, nerve issues and sprains. Balancing on that foot on my yoga mat has always presented a huge challenge and has helped me learn to be patient and compassionate.
In search for some answers to my stability issues, I found Dr. Nick Romansky of Healthmark Foot and Ankle Associates, a well known podiatrist to professional athletes including the US Soccer teams at the World Cup, Olympics and more. He and I went on a quest to find the reason behind the chronic pain in my foot.
Dr. Romansky told me that my yoga practice had kept me physically balanced to date but that as I age, I run the risk of knee and hip issues due to the misalignment and instability in the foundation of my body, my feet. Those words caught my attention.
After CT Scans, MRI’s, multiple x-rays and physical therapy, his team of doctors reached the diagnosis that I had dislocated a joint at the top of my left foot that day on the football field. Simply put, what should be the most stable joint in the foot, he said, was completely unstable. My “keystone” was unstable and was becoming increasingly unable to support my body in a balanced way.
That was all I needed to hear. I know from my own yoga experience and training that our stability begins in our feet, our foundation. If the foundation is weak there will be excess stress on the body and eventually, stuff will break down.
So on Wednesday, my foot became more stable with a lot of expertise and some screws. I will not be able to bear weight on my left foot for about two months. It will be one of the most challenging practices of my life. I look forward to this time being one of growth and evolution. I will share my challenges with you in this blog that I plan to update a few times per week.
So, be grateful for your healthy feet and for your stable foundation.
I hope to stay connected to you all thru this blog and with your comments. Please share. I’ll be back to teaching shortly after Thanksgiving.
Peace.
Cara
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Fighting the Good Fight
I received my Quote of the Week yesterday from Andrew Cohen. He is a magnificent teacher and forward thinker. This quote gave me goose bumps and chills. Hope it does the same for you.
I highly recommend subscribing to his weekly email. www.andrewcohen.org
Cara
The Evolutionary Enlightenment Teachings of Andrew Cohen
I believe that any individual who has spiritually awakened in our time, to the degree that he or she finds a higher and deeper motive for living, is going to be driven to fight the good fight in one way or another. Whether it is through engaging with the struggle to evolve consciousness or fighting to save our world from climate change or nuclear war, the spiritual impulse cannot be separated from the moral compulsion to make the world a better place. And in order to fight the good fight, we have to engage, we have to get into the ring, not just stand outside it and be philosophers.
It takes guts and integrity of motive to fight the good fight. It takes a passionate interest in life itself. It's easy to stand on the sidelines, shaking your head and commenting on how tragic things are. But if you really care, you are going to be in the ring, trying to make the world a better place. And only from that position will your words and your thoughts and your insights have weight. When you live an engaged life, your sense of self gains depth and power and authority, and your philosophy is no longer abstract. You become a person who can really make a difference, because you are actively participating, you are digging deep, and you are pushing up against the edge of your own potential. ~Andrew Cohen
I highly recommend subscribing to his weekly email. www.andrewcohen.org
Cara
The Evolutionary Enlightenment Teachings of Andrew Cohen
I believe that any individual who has spiritually awakened in our time, to the degree that he or she finds a higher and deeper motive for living, is going to be driven to fight the good fight in one way or another. Whether it is through engaging with the struggle to evolve consciousness or fighting to save our world from climate change or nuclear war, the spiritual impulse cannot be separated from the moral compulsion to make the world a better place. And in order to fight the good fight, we have to engage, we have to get into the ring, not just stand outside it and be philosophers.
It takes guts and integrity of motive to fight the good fight. It takes a passionate interest in life itself. It's easy to stand on the sidelines, shaking your head and commenting on how tragic things are. But if you really care, you are going to be in the ring, trying to make the world a better place. And only from that position will your words and your thoughts and your insights have weight. When you live an engaged life, your sense of self gains depth and power and authority, and your philosophy is no longer abstract. You become a person who can really make a difference, because you are actively participating, you are digging deep, and you are pushing up against the edge of your own potential. ~Andrew Cohen
Saturday, November 1, 2008
We Gathered Together
Yesterday was an extraordinary day for Philadelphians. Two million plus fans gathered together for a parade to honor the Phillie’s and their world championship. Another few million watched at home as a city gathered with a single intention and that was to CELEBRATE! And celebrate we did. We celebrated the long awaited championship of one of our professional sports teams. We celebrated the city of brotherly love. We celebrated being alive together on the most perfect October day.
I wasn’t at the parade but it didn’t matter. The celebration was everywhere and I felt the joy out in the suburbs. So did the many others that I encountered throughout the day. In the grocery store everyone was smiling. At the bank, we all seemed to be ready to strike up a conversation. Life was just easy and fun yesterday. In Philadelphia, for one day, we were more connected than we were separate. And that was a very good thing.
There were no incidents yesterday. There was no fighting. There was a beautiful sea of red and white joined together to gather and be grateful. I hope that the world was watching because yesterday we showed the world what is possible when we are more connected than we are separate. Yesterday there was pure joy in this city. And it was a very good thing.
Yesterday gave me a glimpse of our potential as a species when we unite for a common purpose. It is powerful and it is possible.
So I thank the Phillie’s for giving us a reason to unite and gather in a common intention. I thank the city for allowing us the space to gather. I thank all the fans for joining together regardless of race, religion or political affiliation. We were one Philadelphia yesterday and it was magic.
Peace.
I wasn’t at the parade but it didn’t matter. The celebration was everywhere and I felt the joy out in the suburbs. So did the many others that I encountered throughout the day. In the grocery store everyone was smiling. At the bank, we all seemed to be ready to strike up a conversation. Life was just easy and fun yesterday. In Philadelphia, for one day, we were more connected than we were separate. And that was a very good thing.
There were no incidents yesterday. There was no fighting. There was a beautiful sea of red and white joined together to gather and be grateful. I hope that the world was watching because yesterday we showed the world what is possible when we are more connected than we are separate. Yesterday there was pure joy in this city. And it was a very good thing.
Yesterday gave me a glimpse of our potential as a species when we unite for a common purpose. It is powerful and it is possible.
So I thank the Phillie’s for giving us a reason to unite and gather in a common intention. I thank the city for allowing us the space to gather. I thank all the fans for joining together regardless of race, religion or political affiliation. We were one Philadelphia yesterday and it was magic.
Peace.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Rest Your Mind
The concept of rest has been leading my practice and my teaching this past week. My intention has been to simply rest and to help my students find the space so that they can rest as well. There is something so comforting to me about the word rest. It seems to give me permission to slow down and shut down from the world even if just for an hour.
The need to rest our minds from overstimulation is now more important than ever. The media is in a frenzy barraging us with news of the financial markets and the election. On my mat last week I realized that I was feeling mentally and physically fatigued because I had been over dosing on news.
It was during that practice that I decided to just rest my mind. I felt an overwhelming desire to not do or think about anything. And so I did. During that practice, I let go of my need to perfectly execute each pose. I let go of having to go “deeper” in a pose. I let go of the alignment principles. I let go of everything and I rested. It was an incredible experience and is one that I have been able to duplicate over and over during the week.
After sensing my own overloaded mind, I then sensed this same syndrome in my classes. As a society, we have all been on an intense media high since early September and I think that we are all starting to feel the effects of the prolonged stimulation.
If you’ve been in one of my classes over the past week, you have probably heard me repeat the phrase, “Rest your mind on your breath”. It is such a relief to me to give myself permission to not think, not solve, not ponder anything at all!
There are so many decisions to make these days, that we truly exhaust ourselves by over-watching, over-listening and over-thinking. If you feel overloaded as I did a week ago, then I offer you this simple advice:
Try not to read or listen to the news more than once or twice per day.
Rest your minds in your cars by driving in silence.
Rest your minds at home by making a conscious decision as to when to watch the news
instead of having the buzz of the talking heads in your ears in a continuous steam.
Take 5 conscious breaths once every hour.
Get on your yoga mat and rest your minds while moving your bodies.
These practices have helped me get off the spinning wheel that I was on just a week ago. I hope that they will help you too.
I wish you a well deserved rest.
Peace.
The need to rest our minds from overstimulation is now more important than ever. The media is in a frenzy barraging us with news of the financial markets and the election. On my mat last week I realized that I was feeling mentally and physically fatigued because I had been over dosing on news.
It was during that practice that I decided to just rest my mind. I felt an overwhelming desire to not do or think about anything. And so I did. During that practice, I let go of my need to perfectly execute each pose. I let go of having to go “deeper” in a pose. I let go of the alignment principles. I let go of everything and I rested. It was an incredible experience and is one that I have been able to duplicate over and over during the week.
After sensing my own overloaded mind, I then sensed this same syndrome in my classes. As a society, we have all been on an intense media high since early September and I think that we are all starting to feel the effects of the prolonged stimulation.
If you’ve been in one of my classes over the past week, you have probably heard me repeat the phrase, “Rest your mind on your breath”. It is such a relief to me to give myself permission to not think, not solve, not ponder anything at all!
There are so many decisions to make these days, that we truly exhaust ourselves by over-watching, over-listening and over-thinking. If you feel overloaded as I did a week ago, then I offer you this simple advice:
Try not to read or listen to the news more than once or twice per day.
Rest your minds in your cars by driving in silence.
Rest your minds at home by making a conscious decision as to when to watch the news
instead of having the buzz of the talking heads in your ears in a continuous steam.
Take 5 conscious breaths once every hour.
Get on your yoga mat and rest your minds while moving your bodies.
These practices have helped me get off the spinning wheel that I was on just a week ago. I hope that they will help you too.
I wish you a well deserved rest.
Peace.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Move Slowly, Move Peacefully. Go Far.
There is an Italian saying that goes, “Chi va piano, va sano, va lontano. Chi va forte, va alla morte”. Loosely translated, this means he who moves slowly, moves peacefully and moves far. He who moves too quickly and forcefully goes right to his death!
I was reminded of this wise saying this week as the news of our troubled financial institutions took over the headlines. The predictions have been out there for us to read. Everyone knew that we were headed for more troubled times. However, we, meaning individuals, corporations and banks, continued to overspend and over borrow. The rush for financial gain has blinded our vision and we now pay the price as some of our oldest financial institutions head towards their death.
My nonna (grandmother) would often quote that Italian saying emphasizing the morte or death part with her hands. “What is the big rush?”, she would ask me? “Piano, piano, piano”, (slow, slow, slow) she would mumble to herself as I raced in and out of the house.
Finally, 30 years later, I am beginning to understand my nonna and it all started on my yoga mat. By slowing down my practice I have begun to move through my poses in peace. I have also been able to move in deeper and further than ever before. By slowing down physically, I have started to slow down my mind. The mental chatter will now sometimes (not always) settle into a rhythm sometimes in the first 20 minutes of practice.
I truly believe that our yoga and meditation practices parallel the way that we are living our lives. My practice is always so harshly honest that I cannot stand it sometimes! My practice reveals if I am forcing or moving too quickly. My practice reveals if I am lazy or doubtful. And as I like to say, if it is happening on your mat, it is happening in your life too!
I wholeheartedly believe that what I do at the individual level will happen at the collective level too. So if I over consume or over borrow, I will add to our aggregate issues. But if I learn to move slowly in this world, perhaps I will move more peacefully. And if I move more peacefully I know that I evolve as an individual. Now that affects the aggregate in a whole new way!
If we all start moving and acting more slowly, I know that we will move and act more peacefully. And if we all move and act more peacefully, I know that collectively we will evolve as a species. That is something to cheer about.
Grazie Nonna for your wise Italian words and for being my first yoga teacher.
I was reminded of this wise saying this week as the news of our troubled financial institutions took over the headlines. The predictions have been out there for us to read. Everyone knew that we were headed for more troubled times. However, we, meaning individuals, corporations and banks, continued to overspend and over borrow. The rush for financial gain has blinded our vision and we now pay the price as some of our oldest financial institutions head towards their death.
My nonna (grandmother) would often quote that Italian saying emphasizing the morte or death part with her hands. “What is the big rush?”, she would ask me? “Piano, piano, piano”, (slow, slow, slow) she would mumble to herself as I raced in and out of the house.
Finally, 30 years later, I am beginning to understand my nonna and it all started on my yoga mat. By slowing down my practice I have begun to move through my poses in peace. I have also been able to move in deeper and further than ever before. By slowing down physically, I have started to slow down my mind. The mental chatter will now sometimes (not always) settle into a rhythm sometimes in the first 20 minutes of practice.
I truly believe that our yoga and meditation practices parallel the way that we are living our lives. My practice is always so harshly honest that I cannot stand it sometimes! My practice reveals if I am forcing or moving too quickly. My practice reveals if I am lazy or doubtful. And as I like to say, if it is happening on your mat, it is happening in your life too!
I wholeheartedly believe that what I do at the individual level will happen at the collective level too. So if I over consume or over borrow, I will add to our aggregate issues. But if I learn to move slowly in this world, perhaps I will move more peacefully. And if I move more peacefully I know that I evolve as an individual. Now that affects the aggregate in a whole new way!
If we all start moving and acting more slowly, I know that we will move and act more peacefully. And if we all move and act more peacefully, I know that collectively we will evolve as a species. That is something to cheer about.
Grazie Nonna for your wise Italian words and for being my first yoga teacher.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
A Golden Summer
This summer my parents and my in-laws each celebrated their golden 50th wedding anniversaries. The happy couples got married two days apart in 1958. We celebrated this summer by honoring our parents and their amazing achievements. These two wonderful couples stayed together for fifty years while so much chaos and confusion occurred in the world. They were blessed to stay healthy and happy in spite of the risk of disease, accidents and premature death.
Both couples said that their recipe for success was their strong commitment to one another. They vowed to love and honor one another fifty years ago and were able to ride the storms of life on the foundation of those vows. Now, we all know that the story doesn’t always have such a happy ending but I do think that we can learn so much from people who have endured, persevered and achieved success from many, many years of hard work and commitment.
In our world of fad diets and fad fitness trends it seems that many of us jump into the newest and greatest fad feet first only to drop it like a hot potato in a month or less. Hollywood goes so far as to celebrate fad weddings only to see those fad marriages dissolve in a year or less.
What I have learned and continue to learn from my yoga and meditation practice is the necessity of a committing to a consistent practice. Practice can include prayer, meditation, yoga, walking, cooking, painting, etc. A practice can be five quiet minutes with your morning cup of coffee.
We will all be called to different practices.
I took some time the other day to write down my current practices. There are many in my life. A chose a few of the more important ones and committed myself to practicing them consistently for the next fifty years of my life. (That is if I am so blessed as to have fifty more years to live.) It was a powerful experience and has since charged me up in many ways.
So I thank my parents and my in-laws for demonstrating the powerful force of a committed practice. I am grateful to be a product of such commitment.
I share with you all below a terrific passage from the brilliant Buddhist teacher, Jack Kornfield. He further and more eloquently addresses what I’ve humbly tried to explain.
Peace.
If we do a little of one kind of practice and a little of another, the work we have done in one often doesn't continue to build as we change to the next. It is as if we were to dig many shallow wells instead of one deep one. In continually moving from one approach to another, we are never forced to face our own boredom, impatience, and fears. We are never brought face to face with ourselves. So we need to choose a way of practice that is deep and ancient and connected with our hearts, and then make a commitment to follow it as long as it takes to transform ourselves.
--Jack Kornfield in A Path with Heartfrom Everyday Mind, edited by Jean Smith, a Tricycle book
Both couples said that their recipe for success was their strong commitment to one another. They vowed to love and honor one another fifty years ago and were able to ride the storms of life on the foundation of those vows. Now, we all know that the story doesn’t always have such a happy ending but I do think that we can learn so much from people who have endured, persevered and achieved success from many, many years of hard work and commitment.
In our world of fad diets and fad fitness trends it seems that many of us jump into the newest and greatest fad feet first only to drop it like a hot potato in a month or less. Hollywood goes so far as to celebrate fad weddings only to see those fad marriages dissolve in a year or less.
What I have learned and continue to learn from my yoga and meditation practice is the necessity of a committing to a consistent practice. Practice can include prayer, meditation, yoga, walking, cooking, painting, etc. A practice can be five quiet minutes with your morning cup of coffee.
We will all be called to different practices.
I took some time the other day to write down my current practices. There are many in my life. A chose a few of the more important ones and committed myself to practicing them consistently for the next fifty years of my life. (That is if I am so blessed as to have fifty more years to live.) It was a powerful experience and has since charged me up in many ways.
So I thank my parents and my in-laws for demonstrating the powerful force of a committed practice. I am grateful to be a product of such commitment.
I share with you all below a terrific passage from the brilliant Buddhist teacher, Jack Kornfield. He further and more eloquently addresses what I’ve humbly tried to explain.
Peace.
If we do a little of one kind of practice and a little of another, the work we have done in one often doesn't continue to build as we change to the next. It is as if we were to dig many shallow wells instead of one deep one. In continually moving from one approach to another, we are never forced to face our own boredom, impatience, and fears. We are never brought face to face with ourselves. So we need to choose a way of practice that is deep and ancient and connected with our hearts, and then make a commitment to follow it as long as it takes to transform ourselves.
--Jack Kornfield in A Path with Heartfrom Everyday Mind, edited by Jean Smith, a Tricycle book
Friday, August 8, 2008
A Sharper Image
Yesterday I had my eyes checked. It had been a year and a half since my last exam. The doctor strengthened my prescription… by a lot! In the words of Emeril, she said, “we’re going to take it up a notch”. I stepped outside with my new vision and my world was magnified! The leaves on the trees were defined and clear, the signs on the road popped out right in front of me. The clouds seemed so close that I felt I could touch them.
I enjoyed my drive home and drank in these new sharper images. I felt awake and alive.
This feeling of clarity reminded me of how I often feel after a yoga or meditation practice. Often times when I step out of the doors of Verge Power Yoga my world seems clear and sharp. Everything around me seems closer and more accessible to my touch. After practice, I feel a sense of connectedness with everything. I feel awake and alive.
What I recognized yesterday was that our practice sharpens our vision on a daily basis. It is as if we receive a new set of eyes every time we step on our yoga mat or our meditation cushion. Every time we are able to stabilize thought and settle the nervous system, we wake up just a little bit more. We connect with our world just a bit more. Essentially, after every practice, we “take it up a notch”. We sharpen our vision. We become clearer. We become more awake and more alive.
My revelation from yesterday is that to practice yoga and meditation is to receive a new prescription for life… every day. What a blessing.
Peace.
I enjoyed my drive home and drank in these new sharper images. I felt awake and alive.
This feeling of clarity reminded me of how I often feel after a yoga or meditation practice. Often times when I step out of the doors of Verge Power Yoga my world seems clear and sharp. Everything around me seems closer and more accessible to my touch. After practice, I feel a sense of connectedness with everything. I feel awake and alive.
What I recognized yesterday was that our practice sharpens our vision on a daily basis. It is as if we receive a new set of eyes every time we step on our yoga mat or our meditation cushion. Every time we are able to stabilize thought and settle the nervous system, we wake up just a little bit more. We connect with our world just a bit more. Essentially, after every practice, we “take it up a notch”. We sharpen our vision. We become clearer. We become more awake and more alive.
My revelation from yesterday is that to practice yoga and meditation is to receive a new prescription for life… every day. What a blessing.
Peace.
Friday, July 25, 2008
An Extraordinary Practice
Yesterday I had an extraordinary practice. I took the one hour noon Stationary Series class. Same series of poses practiced one or two times. Very ordinary you might say.
It was anything but. This practice was something else. From the outside, I moved from ordinary pose to ordinary pose. But from the inside, my world was magnificently brilliant and completely alive. The reason for this, I think, is that I was able to stay present for a sustained period of time.
The Buddhists say that when fully present, the ordinary becomes extraordinary. Washing the dishes can become a deeply fulfilling practice. The Buddhist practice of sand art supports this philosophy. Each grain of ordinary sand, placed properly by a monk will collectively become a beautiful picture.
I stepped onto my mat yesterday with a simple intention to pay attention to my breath. That’s it. And I began… interlace fingers under chin, set gaze… take a deep breath in.
As I moved from pose to pose, tension melted from my body and the sound of my breath became magnified in my mind. A deep sense of peace came over me and the amazing thing is that I didn’t recognize this until after the practice. I was so focused on my breath that my mind did not recognize thought. I was practicing above the level of thought. So cool!
This state of being was not new to me. I’ve had glimpses. What was different for me yesterday was that I was able to sustain this state for the entire practice. The predictability of the Stationary Series supported and contained my experience.
Many of our regular Flow students are challenged in the Stationary Series. Mentally challenged, that is. I’ve heard it said that the Stationary Series is “so boooorrrring” or “it is the same poses over and over”. That’s right, it is! I felt the same way once.
However, the simplicity and the predictability of the SS class is the container in which the mind can practice being present. Since there is nothing to anticipate, the mind can relax in the moment. That is the beauty of the ordinary.
If I could bottle my experience yesterday, I’d sell a million by next week. But I cannot. As Krishnamurti said, “true power must be experienced”. I encourage you to practice only the Stationary Series for your next ten classes. At first it may seem ordinary but fasten your seat belts, the extraordinary may be only a breath away!
Peace.
It was anything but. This practice was something else. From the outside, I moved from ordinary pose to ordinary pose. But from the inside, my world was magnificently brilliant and completely alive. The reason for this, I think, is that I was able to stay present for a sustained period of time.
The Buddhists say that when fully present, the ordinary becomes extraordinary. Washing the dishes can become a deeply fulfilling practice. The Buddhist practice of sand art supports this philosophy. Each grain of ordinary sand, placed properly by a monk will collectively become a beautiful picture.
I stepped onto my mat yesterday with a simple intention to pay attention to my breath. That’s it. And I began… interlace fingers under chin, set gaze… take a deep breath in.
As I moved from pose to pose, tension melted from my body and the sound of my breath became magnified in my mind. A deep sense of peace came over me and the amazing thing is that I didn’t recognize this until after the practice. I was so focused on my breath that my mind did not recognize thought. I was practicing above the level of thought. So cool!
This state of being was not new to me. I’ve had glimpses. What was different for me yesterday was that I was able to sustain this state for the entire practice. The predictability of the Stationary Series supported and contained my experience.
Many of our regular Flow students are challenged in the Stationary Series. Mentally challenged, that is. I’ve heard it said that the Stationary Series is “so boooorrrring” or “it is the same poses over and over”. That’s right, it is! I felt the same way once.
However, the simplicity and the predictability of the SS class is the container in which the mind can practice being present. Since there is nothing to anticipate, the mind can relax in the moment. That is the beauty of the ordinary.
If I could bottle my experience yesterday, I’d sell a million by next week. But I cannot. As Krishnamurti said, “true power must be experienced”. I encourage you to practice only the Stationary Series for your next ten classes. At first it may seem ordinary but fasten your seat belts, the extraordinary may be only a breath away!
Peace.
Monday, July 7, 2008
A Little Mental Atrophy
I’ve been out of town with my family for the past 10 days. We spent 4 days at a soccer tournament in Maine and the next 6 days on the Maine coast. The weather was great, the beach was beautiful and I relaxed just as one should while on vacation.
During the week, I ran a few times on the beach and stepped onto my yoga mat twice. I thought it was a pretty good attempt at keeping up with my physical routine. I came home feeling slightly toxic (but well tanned).
Having returned on Saturday, I stepped onto my mat at Verge Sunday morning at 7:15 am. The body felt fine, a bit slower and softer, but not too bad. It was my mind that was a whole different story. In short, I could not pay attention. I was distracted and dulled. The “fierce focus” that I had trained and developed over the past few months was definitely out to lunch.
I was truly surprised at how weak I felt mentally. My mental muscle had atrophied as a limb does when casted for a few weeks. During the practice, my mind continuously drifted to the past, the future and to places I had never even been before!
For the most part, I am very focused during practice. I do as the teacher says. I listen to my breath, focus my gaze and listen to my body. While my mind does drift away, I am usually able to catch my thoughts before they become a story and pull me away completely.
Over the past few months I have been very focused on being focused and in so doing I think that I have actually become mentally stronger and more stable. So what astounded me during my practice on Sunday was how quickly that mental muscle had softened due to lack of practice. It further convinced me of my view that we can train our mind to be focused just as we train our muscles to lift more weight.
I don’t regret taking the time to relax. In fact, I believe that it is just as important to rest and rejuvenate as it is to train and gain strength. So now my weak mental muscle and I will get back to work on the yoga mat and the meditation cushion so that we can build up the strength to focus, pay attention to stay present for a sixty minute Stationary class.
Peace.
During the week, I ran a few times on the beach and stepped onto my yoga mat twice. I thought it was a pretty good attempt at keeping up with my physical routine. I came home feeling slightly toxic (but well tanned).
Having returned on Saturday, I stepped onto my mat at Verge Sunday morning at 7:15 am. The body felt fine, a bit slower and softer, but not too bad. It was my mind that was a whole different story. In short, I could not pay attention. I was distracted and dulled. The “fierce focus” that I had trained and developed over the past few months was definitely out to lunch.
I was truly surprised at how weak I felt mentally. My mental muscle had atrophied as a limb does when casted for a few weeks. During the practice, my mind continuously drifted to the past, the future and to places I had never even been before!
For the most part, I am very focused during practice. I do as the teacher says. I listen to my breath, focus my gaze and listen to my body. While my mind does drift away, I am usually able to catch my thoughts before they become a story and pull me away completely.
Over the past few months I have been very focused on being focused and in so doing I think that I have actually become mentally stronger and more stable. So what astounded me during my practice on Sunday was how quickly that mental muscle had softened due to lack of practice. It further convinced me of my view that we can train our mind to be focused just as we train our muscles to lift more weight.
I don’t regret taking the time to relax. In fact, I believe that it is just as important to rest and rejuvenate as it is to train and gain strength. So now my weak mental muscle and I will get back to work on the yoga mat and the meditation cushion so that we can build up the strength to focus, pay attention to stay present for a sixty minute Stationary class.
Peace.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
The Heat is On
The last few days in Philadelphia have been hot and humid. For those of you not living in the area, we’ve had record temperatures for four days. Those in the media here have had a field day with their excessive heat warnings and stories on how to “beat the heat”.
As the wave began and I started to melt, I remembered a quote written by Eckhart Tolle in his book, The Power of Now. He wrote, “Learn to surrender to what is”. In his book, Tolle advises his readers to try to surrendering to the moment instead of resisting what is happening.
So in this heat and humidity, I tried to do just that… surrender. I surrendered to the heat on the side lines of the soccer fields by staying cool under an umbrella. I surrendered by drinking tons of water and eating light. I surrendered in my yoga practice by slowing down. I surrendered as a teacher by keeping my classes simple for my students. Much to my surprise, it worked! I survived the heat without a lot of mental drama and the high heat is now over.
I think that the reason I was able to keep my cool is because I didn’t think or talk about it much. I consciously ignored the media hype. I think that if I had resisted the heat or struggled with the fact that the heat index was 107 degrees my experience would have been quite different. I know that I would have been thinking and talking about the heat incessantly. I would have also been watching the tube for ways to “beat the heat”.
What I’ve learned from Tolle is that resistance requires energy. Resistance causes thinking and too much thinking requires a lot of energy and creates stress. Too much stress agitates the nervous system and, and, and… generates HEAT! When we think and resist and whine and complain, we literally fry our systems. Wow. This was a big “ah-ha” moment for me. So by simply not thinking about the excessive heat, by surrendering to the moment, I was able to stay cooler both physically and emotionally.
This is a start. I recognize that it is a whole lot easier to surrender to a heat wave than to something much larger like a strained relationship, a work situation or an illness. This was a baby step for me, but it was a necessary step. I know that I will be faced with greater challenges in my life that will require me to let go and surrender. For now, I’ll take the heat wave and work from there.
Peace.
Recommended Reading: The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
As the wave began and I started to melt, I remembered a quote written by Eckhart Tolle in his book, The Power of Now. He wrote, “Learn to surrender to what is”. In his book, Tolle advises his readers to try to surrendering to the moment instead of resisting what is happening.
So in this heat and humidity, I tried to do just that… surrender. I surrendered to the heat on the side lines of the soccer fields by staying cool under an umbrella. I surrendered by drinking tons of water and eating light. I surrendered in my yoga practice by slowing down. I surrendered as a teacher by keeping my classes simple for my students. Much to my surprise, it worked! I survived the heat without a lot of mental drama and the high heat is now over.
I think that the reason I was able to keep my cool is because I didn’t think or talk about it much. I consciously ignored the media hype. I think that if I had resisted the heat or struggled with the fact that the heat index was 107 degrees my experience would have been quite different. I know that I would have been thinking and talking about the heat incessantly. I would have also been watching the tube for ways to “beat the heat”.
What I’ve learned from Tolle is that resistance requires energy. Resistance causes thinking and too much thinking requires a lot of energy and creates stress. Too much stress agitates the nervous system and, and, and… generates HEAT! When we think and resist and whine and complain, we literally fry our systems. Wow. This was a big “ah-ha” moment for me. So by simply not thinking about the excessive heat, by surrendering to the moment, I was able to stay cooler both physically and emotionally.
This is a start. I recognize that it is a whole lot easier to surrender to a heat wave than to something much larger like a strained relationship, a work situation or an illness. This was a baby step for me, but it was a necessary step. I know that I will be faced with greater challenges in my life that will require me to let go and surrender. For now, I’ll take the heat wave and work from there.
Peace.
Recommended Reading: The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Be Here Now
During my first few years as a yoga teacher, I focused much of my time and energy on preparing themes and finding quotes to deliver in class. I have stacks of books and journals in my office filled with highlighted text, opinions written in red, and ideas for future themes. I understand that all that work was necessary to bring me to the point where I am now. As I continue my personal journey inward, my studies and my teachings have been narrowed down to this simple message … Be Here Now.
Be Here Now is the title of a 1971 book on spirituality by Ram Dass. It was a revolutionary book bringing eastern studies and practices to American soil. Its title, now a coined phrase, has been repeated by spiritual teachers throughout the world.
Be here now. Show up fully. Pay attention to what you are doing. While growing up, we heard it from our parents and teachers. As adults, we are reminded of the importance of paying attention on our busy roads, at our fast-paced computers and on our yoga mats.
Woody Allen said, “80% of success is showing up”. Just show up! It is so simple yet so challenging with a list of things to-do a mile long and a calendar that is busting at the seams. Why can’t I drive to work, text my friend, look at my GPS and listen to the news at the same time. Why not?
The answer is painfully simple. Overdoing and over thinking creates stress in the mind and body. Paying attention and focusing on the moment as it arises, cultivates peace.
I write this week’s blog to help us prepare for what will be discussed over the next few months. Let’s start small, with a seed, and plant the reminder, “Be Here Now”, in the soils of our busy minds. You can write the phrase on several sticky notes and put them on your steering wheel and on your computer screen. Over the next few months, in this blog, on our yoga mats and meditation cushions, in our cars and at our jobs, we will explore tools and techniques that will help us cultivate this simple message.
Until the next time…
Recommended Reading: A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
Be Here Now is the title of a 1971 book on spirituality by Ram Dass. It was a revolutionary book bringing eastern studies and practices to American soil. Its title, now a coined phrase, has been repeated by spiritual teachers throughout the world.
Be here now. Show up fully. Pay attention to what you are doing. While growing up, we heard it from our parents and teachers. As adults, we are reminded of the importance of paying attention on our busy roads, at our fast-paced computers and on our yoga mats.
Woody Allen said, “80% of success is showing up”. Just show up! It is so simple yet so challenging with a list of things to-do a mile long and a calendar that is busting at the seams. Why can’t I drive to work, text my friend, look at my GPS and listen to the news at the same time. Why not?
The answer is painfully simple. Overdoing and over thinking creates stress in the mind and body. Paying attention and focusing on the moment as it arises, cultivates peace.
I write this week’s blog to help us prepare for what will be discussed over the next few months. Let’s start small, with a seed, and plant the reminder, “Be Here Now”, in the soils of our busy minds. You can write the phrase on several sticky notes and put them on your steering wheel and on your computer screen. Over the next few months, in this blog, on our yoga mats and meditation cushions, in our cars and at our jobs, we will explore tools and techniques that will help us cultivate this simple message.
Until the next time…
Recommended Reading: A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
Thursday, May 8, 2008
We are Made of the Same Stuff
I have been keeping a journal since I was 10 years old. I have stacks and stacks of my most private thoughts stored in boxes covered with dust. It wasn’t until recently that I ever considered sharing my ideas through a blog community. I’ve been of the mindset that my private thoughts should stay private! I now see things differently.
Verge Power Yoga opened just three and a half years ago. During this time, I have taught hundreds of classes, been stretched and pushed, been high and low and have grown tremendously. It has not been easy. But through the challenges and the successes, the most important truth that I have come to learn is that we are all essentially made of the same stuff.
In essence, we are all one. We all have busy minds and experience similar emotions during certain seasons. We all feel physical discomfort in poses and love the high after a sweaty yoga practice. And, we all yearn for peace and clarity. It's that simple.
So often in class I will say something only to have a student rush up to me afterwards to ask, “How did you know that I needed to hear that?” I knew because I needed to hear it too. Since we all ponder similar questions, what I say in class and what I will write about in this blog may seem familiar or resonate with you. This blog is intended to connect us more intimately as a yoga community allowing us to share our life experiences and the yoga journey. As my journaling sparks your thoughts and growing clarity, I invite you to respond and share your experiences to enrich the yoga journey of others,(including mine).
Our topics will vary and I ask that all participants keep our running commentary respectful, thoughtful, positive, and focused on the yoga life journey. I will post an entry weekly. I welcome your participation and approach the Verge blog with great anticipation of our collective life and wisdom.
Namaste. Cara
Verge Power Yoga opened just three and a half years ago. During this time, I have taught hundreds of classes, been stretched and pushed, been high and low and have grown tremendously. It has not been easy. But through the challenges and the successes, the most important truth that I have come to learn is that we are all essentially made of the same stuff.
In essence, we are all one. We all have busy minds and experience similar emotions during certain seasons. We all feel physical discomfort in poses and love the high after a sweaty yoga practice. And, we all yearn for peace and clarity. It's that simple.
So often in class I will say something only to have a student rush up to me afterwards to ask, “How did you know that I needed to hear that?” I knew because I needed to hear it too. Since we all ponder similar questions, what I say in class and what I will write about in this blog may seem familiar or resonate with you. This blog is intended to connect us more intimately as a yoga community allowing us to share our life experiences and the yoga journey. As my journaling sparks your thoughts and growing clarity, I invite you to respond and share your experiences to enrich the yoga journey of others,(including mine).
Our topics will vary and I ask that all participants keep our running commentary respectful, thoughtful, positive, and focused on the yoga life journey. I will post an entry weekly. I welcome your participation and approach the Verge blog with great anticipation of our collective life and wisdom.
Namaste. Cara
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