I took this picture in India, a place where Ayurveda is alive and is part of everyone’s life. I was surrounded by this ancient knowledge and have a full respect for this Practice. I knew then and there I wanted to go deeper.
In the last year I have finished my certification to be an Ayurvedic Health Counselor and Practitioner. Although I knew that I would never stop being a Yoga Therapist, Ayurveda allowed me to connect to my clients in so many ways. Like these leaves, Ayurveda and Yoga just fit together – they are “sister sciences.”
In this training Ayurveda for a Heart Centered Life we will cover the macro and the micro, how all the elements present themselves in EVERYTHING that we do, eat, who we spend time with and even our clothes. Think of the idea that “like attracts like”.
Those of you who know me are aware that 1). I do not like having my picture taken. I had a student the other day say “hey I think we took that training together, I will have to go back and look at the pictures.” I told her I am always hiding or finding a way to be outside when pictures are getting taken. My standard response has always been “I am in witness protection and cannot be in the picture” but it really oozes into the next thing 2). I have a hard time talking about myself and my accomplishments. A picture proves I was there, but does it prove I know everything? No and that is me, not fully believing in myself – something I have always struggled with. It has gotten better for sure, but it creeps back in time and again.
My dear teacher once told me, that his teacher told him, “be your place card.” Meaning, LIVE what your business card says, don’t just list it out. So I take that to heart, I am trying, to the fullest of my ability, to LIVE what I know and share that with others the best way I can. For me that is sharing my love for teaching, my skills of all things sacred and ritual based, and living my yoga every day in whatever I do. Sometimes patterns and negative thinking get the best of me, like sitting in traffic on Mopac when it takes me 50 minutes to drive 12 miles. But through the years I am LEARNING and LOVING sharing my experiences from years of studying and teaching.
A good friend and student gave me this t-shirt. The creator of the t-shirt based this sentence on the fact that she had 5 kids and she was never going to be “thin” in the eyes of the public. She was good with that. For me, this t-shirt means that I have a lot to give, that I am “thick” with knowledge. On good days, I can even say “yes, my body is thick and I am ok with that.” Again, Yoga works on so many levels. What does the “thick life” mean to you?
We each spent many months in our mother’s womb listening to her heartbeat, a steady rhythm… lub, dub… lub, dub… lub, dub. This natural beat is entrained into our nervous system and can be tapped into once again.
Drums have been used in every culture for many purposes from religious rituals and other ceremonies, to sporting events, and as a way to communicate or signal. Shamans used drumming as a means of reaching an altered or trance-like state so that they can connect with the spirit dimension. Drumming has also been used therapeutically since ancient times.
The “medicine” drum is still used in many Native American ceremonies today for good reason: drumming can promote physical and emotional healing, boost your immune system, produce feelings of well-being.
Community… this is how I grew up, can you guess which one is me? I grew up on a farm surrounded by lots of family. Fast forward to 2020 and we go into lockdown, no social interaction or any kind for 2 solid years, even more for some. Then blast into 2022 April to September and Feb 2023 thru April 2023 and my mom’s health kept me at her home as her caretaker. Two things happened during these stints of time, I found new relationships with my mom and it felt like my life was on hold. I know that I will continue to support my mom, but like all of us, we cannot put our lives on hold. That is a hard concept to wrap one’s head around because we do love and only want the best for our loved ones. But still a life on hold is not a full life, it is a path we must all find on our own, how to show up for ourselves and others without one overshadowing the other. I found myself loving the stillness of the country and at the same time missing my social life in Austin.
While I am not an “extrovert” by any means, I did miss human contact, especially as a Teacher. Teaching brings me joy on so many levels. It allows me to digest and pass on teachings from my own teacher, my experiences and my growth, it allows me to connect in a much deeper way. It’s this connection, this exposure to ideas and community that leads me to Saṃgha, pronounced Sangha. That is why I want to bring this idea back again. I did it early on during the pandemic, and while I know some of us are yearning to get back to human connection.
This idea of “virtual” can also expand our community into other time zones, cultures and ideas. These topics will vary from yoga philosophy, yoga therapy, everyday tips and well… basically everything Yoga or or any ideas that you might want to explore, please let me know. Some of these will be led by me, other times I will bring in other folks who have a direct connection to the topic, like an interactive podcast. These offerings will be donation based and range from 1.5 to 2.5 hours in length. Literally, pay what feels comfortable to you. As I mentioned, they will be interactive and in some cases recorded.
I cannot believe that it is December!! Being away for 6 months really makes the year short. For many reasons this is my favorite time of the year. Mostly for the idea that I can begin again, shake off the old and bring in the new. It was not until recently that I was able to really let the Universe guide me in this thought. I tried to force and shove things into play, to ease my sense of fear, because if my calendar was not full then fear came into play. How would I feed, clothe, and be someone if i was not busy and my calendar full? The thought of NOT having something “planned” and “set” brought up so much fear for me. While I know that this fear lingered from trauma at an early age and the idea that “distraction” would keep me safe. Cause you know a moving target is harder to zero in on. That was me, always moving, in mind and body. Let’s be clear, I still move hahahaha, but I move with a little more purpose and I move in a manner that allows me to look at my Patterns. Patterns come with certain Emotions and for those emotions, like Fear, to shift, we must first shift the Pattern. Does this sound familiar to anyone? Have you ever been in a car accident and do you still flinch when you come to that intersection? That is a perfect example of what I am talking about, there is a pattern and an emotion, this requires a shift to happen. And there is no better way to shift a pattern than to have an intention for the coming year. So save the date January 28th from 10:30-Noon. Space will be limited so that we can work a litter deeper and with more focus.
Wishing you all a safe and happy Holiday season for you and yours.
I bring this up because during the holidays, there are many qualities that come into contact with us. They can be introduced at family functions, meals and even with the folks that we interact with.
We often put so much pressure on ourselves to produce the most perfect “event” that we increase some of these qualities, and bring ourselves out of balance. We forget that the most important thing to remember about the holidays is that we are there for Sangha or Community. We have made a choice to be where we are, so we should take the time to really enjoy it. To be with the people we love, or not. Make a choice and be happy with it, do not let other Gunas/Qualities come into the equation. Just enjoy what you have decided to do, or go out and start a “new tradition”. My partner and I have. We both work on Thanksgiving day, so when we come home we have “snackies”, put on pajamas, and watch a movie snuggled on the couch with Mabel
It’s important to prepare for the holidays, ensure you are breathing enough, moving enough and most importantly fortifying your body with Grace and a steady practice. Below are a few offerings to support you throughout the holiday season, I hope you enjoy them!
This picture really represents how my entire summer went. I remember a friend saying to me “Wow the entire summer has gone by” and as I realized it was September, it was very apparent to me that my life really was on fire. My 90 year old mom broke her ankle in two places and after her surgery she required full time assistance. I was happy to be able to make changes to my schedule to be able to help her get back into her home. I was also very aware of my Yoga community and how my students and employers were graceful and patient with my time as I tried to find a balance between her care and my own family.
It was quite a journey for both of us. I learned a lot about myself, my mom and our relationship. It was YOGA at its purest form. I learned so much more “balance” and what “state” my mind was in and how to navigate around these obstacles. Was I tired of making my 20 phone calls to the insurance, had I forgotten to eat because of the 8 hour trip to get her to her doctor’s appointment, was she fearful that she would never be able to go back to her home and exceptionally emotional that day, was my mind on home and how much I miss Kevin and Mabel (our dog). These are known as antarāyāḥs or obstacles, as stated in Yoga Sutra 1.30
Sickness (vyādhi), mental inefficiency (styāna), doubt (saṁśaya), negligence (pramāda), idleness (ālasya), non-abstention –lack of control– (avirati), erroneous perception (bhrānti- darśana), the state of not attaining (alabdha) to any yogic stage (bhūmikatva) (and) unsteadiness –anavasthitatva– (anavasthitatvāni). Those (te) mental (citta) projections (vikṣepāḥ) (are) the obstacles (antarāyāḥ)
Patañjali presents a list of 9 difficulties of life. The list is extremely interesting and includes different sorts of challenges. For example, there are things that happen to us, like illness (vyādhi), mental fatigue (styāna) and lack of energy (ālasya). There are mistakes we make like haste (pramāda) and overindulgence (avirati). Our confusions, like doubt (samśaya) and misperceptions about ourselves (bhrāntidarśana), are also listed as life difficulties. So too are the moments where we don’t attain what we had hoped to (alabdhabhūmikatva) or notice that our capacities have slipped (anavasthitatva), as happens to everyone who ages.
As I find more balance, routine and can finally be home, these antarāyāḥs or obstacles seem less foreboding. As my mom returned to her home, she is also in a better place. She is happy to be home and driving, feeding chickens and having lunch with friends. She has made a full recovery and I can see the joy and the relief as she settled into her own home and her freedom again. She has learned to adapt to her healed ankle and that makes me happy. When I asked her how she was getting to the chickens she replied “ I put their feed and water in the basket of that rolling chair (rollinator) that you got me and I go out the front porch, where its level, I can do this” she tells me. I want her fierceness when I turn 90, in fact I wish it to everyone!!
While my entire summer was one fire, I would not trade it for the world. I gained a new understanding of my mom, our relationship and how to interact with her.
Holi, the festival of colors, always reminds me of the upcoming Spring season. It signifies the end of Winter when things are dark and heavy, it leads us to light and new paths for growth as Spring approaches. It is marked in Ayurveda by the junction of Shishira (winter) and Vasanta (spring) seasons. These 15 days between seasons is a way to get our digestion, which is strong during winter, to spring and summer, where our digestion runs a little less strong. Spring delivers the qualities of Kapha dosa which can lead to nasal allergies, respiratory disorders and weak digestion. So as we move into Spring, think of things that might ignite your digestive fire. Warm water in the morning, a LITTLE bit of heat like peppers or black pepper and less things like yogurt, cheese and ice cream which can slow down your agni (digestion).
Holi is celebrated by the Homa, the burning of a ritual fire. I encourage you all to create your own Ritual Fire by inviting in the directions. Ignite your own fire symbolically or literally. Be in your backyard with feet in the earth, who cares what your neighbors think, in these times we can all use LIGHT.
You can hold a candle in your hand during this ritual. Face East: Imagine a Goddess in Yellow, with Air /Vayu as its element
Face South: Imagine a Goddess in Red, with Fire/Agni as its element
Face West: Imagine a Goddess in Blue, with Water/Apo as its element
Face North: Imagine a Goddess in Green, with Earth/Prthvi as its element
As you face each direction think or chant Om Shantis, Shantis, Shantihi (Om peace, peace, peace).
I am so excited to have completed my Ayurvedic Health Counselors program!! I mentioned before that I had been studying with my teacher Elizabeth for some time, 5 plus years and decided to put all that information to use and make it “official”. I present to you my certificate of completion.
Many of you do not know that I am making Ayurveda a part of my studies, but I am happy to have a wider lens in assisting my clients heal and find balance. I am also so excited to bring this deeper training to you all. I have a little over a year to complete my Practitioner program. It’s a deeper way to study as we are studying from the classical Ayurvedic Texts and it feels more like a philosophical way to study Ayurveda and its healing potential. I will be offering more of these sessions to you all and incorporating it into my Yoga Therapy work addressing Trauma.
I think of Ayurveda much like this picture that I took in India a few years ago when I was Studying in Chennai at KYM. India is filled with Ayurveda, it is a way of life and taught from a very early age to all. Ayurveda for me is very much like this stack of leaves. Individually they are light, very one dimensional and can be easily moved by the elements (Mahabhutas) and qualities (Gunas). Together they become something heavier, three dimensional and harder to move. Such is with Ayurveda, it is all about the individual and how the elements affect that individual. Think macro and micro and how you as an Individual might reside in that idea. This is Ayurveda.
I hope you are celebrating in whatever way makes you Happy!! As you can see we are super excited about Christmas at our house, we have a brand new ball to show for it…
I know that sometimes the holidays can be stressful and bring up feelings for us. Whether you love or not so much love your family, these gatherings can bring about some emotions. There are rituals in place that have been there for many years. But it is ok to begin your own rituals, in whatever way makes sense for you. We have had a lot of change in our lives over the past two years, nothing is “ normal” anymore. So go out and find what makes sense to you and yours. Keep traditions, change them just a bit, include more or less folks around you.
Know that if you are happy those around you are happy, so do what suits you. I used to worry about not being able to be “ home” during the holiday season, years of working retail jobs. Now that I am older and have my own home I travel to see family and friends after the New Year. Less stress, no one has to “ fit” me into their schedules and everyone is a little more relaxed. We often put so much on ourselves to make it all “ right”. But as long as your intentions are good and boundaries are in place, you will be ok. It is all change and we all struggle with it, just ensure the change suits you!!
Corazón Yoga 