Awe and Gratitude

I feel so very blessed today. Despite the heavier than usual traffic along EDSA. Despite the long work day and the longer list of things to do...

At the end of the day, though I was late for our meeting, Connie gave me such beautiful news:

I am officially part of the Yoga Manila family!

I am at awe and I know because it's the silent, magnificent kind of exuberance. The one that recounts the journey to this moment, like seeing that fantastic view from a mountain top. My heart is filled with so much love and gratitude.

My Sweet Lord, how I thank you for your love, for all the seeming obstacles that continue to teach me and the gargantuan ones you flick so easily out of my way. How I thank you for this path and now, the gift to share it.

Hari OM!

Reflecting...

As I go deeper into practice, I watch myself go through the most turbulent thoughts, the most outrageous emotions, and see myself slowly go back into stillness. Off the mat, I have learned to be more attentive to the qualities I love and abhor about me and those around me. Seeing quite clearly (and sometimes, still, reluctantly) how closely intertwined these qualities are, and how fleeting. We are truly so much more vast than these fleeting labels we've created. I like to think of it as how the sea reflects the sky. Beyond the blues they project upon each other, there lies infinite life forms and light years beyond human comprehension. 

So when we reflect, if we can be still enough and silent enough to allow faith in our hearts, we may catch a glimpse of the wonders beyond that first layer of light and darkness. I believe faith allows us to quiet our minds, to override the thoughts and judgments we hold dear, so we can open ourselves to a deeper sense of knowing True Love, Divinity, God, the Source, and we are able to reflect the qualities that are timeless, boundless, and infinite - peace, love and compassion. 

John Scott in Manila

When I am in YT, I am often asked how the yoga community is here in Manila. I think we are very fortunate to have many international teachers coming over. After a week long yoga retreat in Boracay, John and Lucy Scott had a one day workshop in Manila yesterday.

And so, I woke up at 5:30 a.m., passed for Jon and we headed to the Bel-air clubhouse. We got there early enough to say hello to yogi friends from various studios.

It was a beautiful session. When John Scott arrived, he went around the room, shook everyone's hand and repeated each person's name. He has such a warm energy and exudes that special connection I perceive from my most loved teachers. I opened myself to the subtle differences in style and we took our time going through the introduction in technique and through the counting.

We went through the entire standing sequence and did full Vinyasas but we cut the seated sequence short and from the Janus, went straight to Marichyasana C, skipped D, spent time in modifications for Navasana and Bhujapidasana, skipped Supta Kurmasana and Garba Pindasana, savored Baddha Konasana, and skipped Upavishta Konasana till Setu Bandhasana. We did Urdvha Dhanurasana, Paschimottanasana Salamba Sarvangasana till modified Matsyasana. I stayed for the whole duration of Sirsasana and rested in Savasana. Unlike this narration though, John and Lucy stayed with each of these poses.

I enjoyed immensely how we savored every pose in the practice.

Thank you, dearest Becky de Villa (who was by the door making sure our gurus catch their flight...), for bringing us together in this space.

More photos from Stillpoint Manila (taken by Analiya Ancajas)

After the session, Jon, Reg, Sasheen and I had brunch at Coffee Bean. It seems Ganesha watched over me the entire morning...

October... November...

The doors are opening. I will be assisting and/or teaching on these days.
I hope my dreams are blessed to be fulfilled in 2011.

Here are my schedules for the next 2 months:

Oct 9 (Saturday)
9:00 a.m. Mysore
11:00 a.m. Slow Flow

Oct 16 (Saturday)
9:00 a.m. Mysore

Oct 26  (Tuesday)
6:30 Led Ashtanga

Oct 30 (Saturday)
9:00 a.m. Mysore

Nov 6 (Saturday)
9:00 a.m. Mysore

Nov 13 (Saturday)
9:00 a.m. Mysore

11:00 a.m. Slow Flow

Nov 16 (Tuesday)
6:30 Led Ashtanga

Nov 20 (Saturday)

9:00 a.m. Mysore

Nov 27 (Saturday)

9:00 a.m. Mysore

Saturday Mornings and Thursday Night Dharma

I wrote this entry some Saturdays back. As I end this tiring day, feeling somewhat feverish and thinking about my dharma, let me post this unedited note...

I look forward to Saturday mornings. I wake up early so I can practice and assist Jon in his Mysore class. I love that I am slowly working my way towards my dharma and I can feel pieces of me shine at the thought of doing something I love.

I will begin to teach in the office too and I am thinking of whether to go for an Ashtanga introduction or a more restorative flow for the coming Thursday nights.

Soon enough, I will be teaching kid's yoga and pre-natal, as well. But my dream is to help the breast cancer survivors heal their broken hearts... I remember raising my hands in prayer for the first time, weeks after the  surgery.

Now, all I need is faith and time.

Blessings, blessings..

My heart has learned to sing louder. The next morning after coming home from YT, I woke up with mantras in my heart and went to the terrace for gratitude, forgiveness and guidance. I got my first pleasant surprise for the day when I got to the office.

Today, I went to the terrace again to be thankful, forgiving and humble in asking for help.  In the middle of my 3rd meeting, I checked my other phone and saw a text from Jon (which he sent at 8:30 a.m.!) He asked if I can sub for Connie. I replied hoping it was not too late. When we are called, we say yes and so I did. Without my change of clothes and much mental preparation, I said yes. Trust that things will work out. I was able to leave by 5 p.m., hail a cab, get the last shirt and shorts from the little sports shop in Shang (mismatched prints, as they are).

This is another dream come true for me...to teach a class in Yoga Manila. I had nine students. I thought quietly, 108 = 1 + 8 = 9 (they were 8 initially, one came in late).... I had the most amazing time of quiet recognition.

The fish is finally in the water.

Day 17 (Sept 6)

My last fire ceremony for these 2 weeks. Paul put in extra milk and herbs. He said he would make it extra special. I dressed in all white. It was difficult to leave. It is always difficult to leave YT. I embraced my teacher with questions on what to do next and how. I did not ask them. I will see him in December. By then, I may tell him about the beautiful answers handed to me. At this point, I trust the Divine absolutely. I know the road will lead me to teach, travel, write. I said thank you (profusely but I feel, still, not sufficiently).
I am in an eternal state of thankfulness.

I queued to check-in my bag at Samui airport, running somewhat late. I love the Samui Airport. Wooden bridges, quaint shops, lotus ponds, free danish pastries and coffee. It was a short flight to Bangkok. I was going to wait there a while. I shopped for gifts to bring home and ate my vegetarian meal by myself with a yoga book while waiting for my flight. To remind me of this journey, I got an OM necklace.

As I neared the gate, I was reminded one last time of what the 2 weeks were about. Narasimha recounted this story.

The Churning of the Milk Ocean

It was the Asuras vs. Devas (not Chanel vs. Gucci)

When Allan picked me up, guess who he surprised me with... My beautiful Lakshmi present. A sign of beautiful things to come.