Everything is God

This time I'm resting on my back and all I can think of is how amazing it is that I'm lying here. My friend told me that every day she wakes up and thanks God she is here doing this. I thought it was sweet but now I'm feeling it.

A while back before ashtanga I was in corpse pose at the end of a yoga class. I was lying there and feeling my bones touch the ground. I could feel my organs and my flesh and all I could think about was how this is decaying and before I know it I will be dead.

This time I'm thinking about life. How amazing it is to be lying here. My legs work my arms work. I am alive. And even the stupid crap that pisses me off is pretty amazing. Thinking about God or Goddess or universe or whatever makes you think about how much whatever is happening is so small so insignificant and at the same time, it is all that ever existed.

Sharath is amazing. Assisting someone in supta vajrasana is not easy. Usually you sit over their crossed legs and I always have a bit of a challenge applying the right amount of weight. Sharath walks over and places his toes on my shins and I drop back as he stands over me shouting and gesturing with his arms at people around the room. Something big, something small. Looking up he is a giant and I'm so small. It ended with "Bakasana".

In bakasana, you balance on your hands with your knees on the backs of your arms and your knees bent up toward your rear forming you into a little ball. In the second variation of the posture, you have to jump into this position.

So after I get bakasana I'm on my mat thinking about how amazing this is and thinking about God and all that feeling life is this incredible joyous experience. I walk outside. I sit on my bike. I forget how to stand. I fall over and the bike falls with me. The guy with the pushcart that sells oranges laughs. The woman cleaning the driveway of the salon gasps and takes her hands to her cheeks. I laugh and get up and wipe mud off my back. In the end I'm just this ridiculous clown and some falling is just what I needed.

Getting crazy with bakasana:
http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=abBwccUCFEU

Ashtanga Anarchists

In high school I had a mild crush on Gene Wilder.  I think it was maybe because it was not what people expected and because I wanted to laugh.  Danny Paradise reminds me of Gene.  The whole evening I had this thought in the back of my head that maybe he would honor a golden ticket.  Maybe not.

I walked in late.  Actually, I was right on time, but Danny was so enthusiastic about sharing his knowledge that he got out there in front of the class as soon as he could and started talking.  Learning yoga isn't like, "ok, get ready, here we go."  Instead, it is a lifestyle, it is spontaneous, and you learn the most when you don't see it coming.  I wonder what I missed.

As I sat down, he was answering ashtanga "user" questions about anything and everything.  We took a short break and then talked some more, learned nauli kriya, laughed, and then began practice.  In addition to the "traditional" ashtanga sequencing, he showed us variations and asanas that used to be taught back in the day.  He laughed as he explained how teachers who have been teaching less than ten years will tell you that there is only one way, but let's ask them if they are still practicing like that in thirty years...

Some notes:

*disclaimer:  below are my personal notes and are to be read as such.  I've done my best, but I apologize if I've misinterpreted anything.  

Like David Williams, Danny says that yoga lasts about 24 hours and then you need to do it again.  Even if it is just for 15 minutes.

Minimum yoga practice as taught to him way back when:

Nauli, 3 Surya A's, 3 Surya B's, the last 3 finishing postures

However, he really emphasized that one must make the time for yoga because you have to take care of yourself.  So, "if your work doesn't allow it, change your job."

Yoga is about awareness.  We have to take responsibility for our actions and responsibility for the state of the world.  We are the ones who must find solutions.

The first ten years of practice are undoing all the damage you've done up until then.  After that, its healing the day before.

3 Common misconceptions about yoga:

1.  Guru Worship.  It is about the practice!  You don't need to go to a teacher all the time.  The sequences were made for you to be taught (by a teacher) and then practice on your own, returning to your teacher when you are ready to learn more.

2.  Pushing.  The best teachers do not push.  They understand that the body is transformed slowly and steadily.

3.  Vegetarianism.  It isn't required, but it will make your practice lighter and just plain better.  Plus, meat is icky.

Danny practices on the wood floor, with a cotton rug, or a "travel mat" that looks like a sheet of packing plastic.

The original yogis were anarchists, not fundamentalists.  Get off the wheel of life and increase awareness.

Yoga injuries:

1.  Often caused by greed and inattention

2.  Do what is appropriate on any given day and recognize your limitations as the body is always changing

3.  The key is no pain in practice

healing = heat + oxygen

Please see yesterday's post for a clip from Danny's workshop at OM Factory NYC.

Let's finish with some yoga porn, shall we?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abBwccUCFEU


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7img8taGWY

there is the best comment on youtube for this video. it says, "i would hinder this woman's flexibility in yoga via impregnation". Really, it says that.

April Fool's and the One Kick Wonder

The day began like any other. I woke to an alarm, hit snooze, and then bolted into what I hoped would be a hot shower. The gods were in my favor. I walked through the rain onto the subway. I watched, fighting feelings of disgust (think yoga, peace E, peace) as I watched the myriad of construction workers of all shapes and only large sizes scratching their balls, sleeping with their mouths open, and taking up two seats on the subway. I get to my 6am class at 5:30. Hooray! I'm early! Alas, the door is locked. Looks like class is cancelled. Bummer for the students, bummer for me. I write a note and head downtown to the shala where I am the second person through the door (a rare and auspicious occurrence).

So I was thinking a lot about thinking and the importance of not thinking. Poses that are hard if you think too much: bakasana B, tittibhasana, pincha mayurasana. I can easily psych myself out. "Oh, I'll probably stick it on the 3rd or 4th try..." and other miscellaneous self deprecating thoughts flow freely. But I decided its like sports. You visualize the success. You KNOW you will do it. You become confident in your ability and then you ride the wave through your obstacle into success.

I've been giving myself these little confidence-boosting pep talks and it works! I'm getting bakasana B on first try. I'm kicking up to pincha for the second day in a row on the first kick. Not bad. Its good when your relationship with a pose gets to a point where it is a part of you. You don't fight against it because you've already initiated a compromise from past experience. Looking forward to that with pincha.

I think that on the way to no thinking is positive thinking...Oh, and I'm getting my hands to move in the exit vinyasa for pincha!