Arne Espejel in Yoga Manila

What I love about Manila's Yoga Community is that when we get together to practice, it is just amazing. For the past months, we have been practicing together - sometimes over 25 of us, Mysore style, in the lovely little Yoga Manila shala in Makati.

What brought our practice together? Arne Espejel, our dedicated Ashtanga Yoga teacher since April who has decided to stay with the community for yet another month (until June 21). Arne has brought the work to us through his persistent guidance, discipline, and compassion - keeping to the tradition of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and R. Sharath Jois.

He came to Manila willingly, knowing he may only have 8 students (us teachers who do self practice at the shala on weekdays :-)). Here we are now, students, teachers, teachers of teachers, all of us students in a space where yoga means what it is - union.

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Arne, Espejel, Authorized Level 2 Teacher in the tradition of Sri. K. Pattabhi Jois

Arne discovered Ashtanga Yoga in 2003. Five years later, he travelled to Mysore, India to practice and pay his respects to Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, the founder of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. Since then, he has gone back to Mysore for further studies with R. Sharath Jois and Saraswathi Jois, the grandson and daughter of the founder.

In 2010, Arne received the blessings of the Jois family and was authorized to teach both the Primary and Intermediate Series. Being one of the select few to receive this privilege, Arne would like to teach and help his students develop a Self-Practice. It is his firm belief that Self-Practice learned in mysore and led classes will help each individual attain a greater knowledge of oneself.

Full Moon

And it's more psychedelic in our minds.

Makati Avenue taken from our corner table at the Museum Cafe, May 25, 2013.

I Found Bliss in Baguio (May 10 to 12, 2013)

There's a wonderful little vegetarian nook in Baguio called Bliss Cafe. I enjoyed the food and the quaint eclectic bohemian space. One portion was naturally lit and the dining table set up feels like home. Try the mock barbecue (if you're not gluten sensitive) and the delicious salad with strawberries and honey yogurt dressing. I also had a few servings of Ahimsa (and we could all use some!) In this case, you get vegetarian lumpiang shanghai. There's enough variety in the menu - Indian, Mexican and good old Pinoy, and you could tell the meals are prepared with Metta. ❤

You may purchase some of the items on display too or just spend sometime reading up on Buddhism while having a cup of Chai. Though it says we will leave emptyhanded, I didn't. They give colorful friendship bracelets and I got Punnu Wasu's CD BhaktiChild as my souvenir. 

This is a great album and it's available in iTunes :)

Of course, to see Krishna, Lakshmi and the Tibetan Goddesses in the cafe is an auspicious sign to me. 

My daughter and son liked that they could strike the Tibetan gong, play drums, use the rainmaker (and it worked!), and throw in a few coins in the little fountain. Lots of good wishes here.

I also got to spend some quality time with my sister and mom for Mother's Day. :)

In my two and half days in Baguio, I was there twice and I'm definitely coming back. 

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Check out the reviews from tripadvisor:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g298445-d779190-Reviews-Bliss_Cafe-Baguio_Cordillera_Region_Luzon.html#

Address: Hotel Elizabeth, Gibraltar St. corner J.Felipe St., Baguio City

Notes from Tim Feldmann's visit

What a blessing that we have such lovely teachers come to Manila. Remiss in writing here in my blog, I checked my handy Notes app for memory cues from Tim Feldmann's visit at Yoga Manila last April 17 to 21, 2013. Here's what I found -

I had the blessing of spending some moments with Tim Feldmann over lunch. The past days of practice have been intense and truly heart opening for me. Over our meal on the shala floor, we spoke of Yoga bringing the Sacred into our own experience, limited as we are to contain its full understanding. One of Yoga's gifts is humility. How we get a drop of wisdom and how we must continue to practice until the wisdom forms trickles, nothing owned, nor permanent, just practiced. It was a beautiful conversation. 

Having him as a teacher brought on many firsts in my asana practice. Following that, there must be those unseen changes within too. Today, he brought my hands beyond my heels and on to my ankles in Kapotasana and I felt no trepidation. He has been bringing them there for  Urdvha Dhanurasana too. He taught me, as in the past days, to hold with strong fingers, to strengthen my legs. Since he arrived, I was able to keep my fingers on to my toes in Supta Vajrasana. (By the fifth day, I had no such luck in all. :))

My eka pada has been showing signs of recovery and I am amazed at the generosity of openness during these days.

In the afternoon, we had a workshop on jumping back and through. 

He saw my pattern of falling back on my behind before my legs touch down. He was compassionate as he spoke about replacing our samskaras (such persistent pesky habits those are). He spoke about how we must do the right (but uncomfortable) thing - like Arjuna in the battlefield. Oh the right but uncomfortable thing has brought me a mat burn and a wound on my thumb. 

Of course, we went through the techniques and I loved how he talked about Guruji and his teacher Lino Miele in their "You do" teaching style and cautioned us against his more easily digestible piece by piece teaching style. It is our practice and we must also find our own way, to not be so dependent on a teacher and to take responsibility for our practice. 

He also talked about having healthy apanic patterns (we all know prana gets the more positive publicity) especially helpful for jumping through and back. And of course, we cannot do without our bandhas because "It's not about your arms. It's about your anus." 

By the time we had our back bending workshop (his last for this round), I was all backbent out but it was pleasure ("pain", pleasure, "pain") as it is with Life and Yoga and Love and all these things we want to wrap our heads and joints and limbs around. 

How do I end this rather disorganized chain of words? I think I will just cap it off by saying:

What a kind compassionate soul, this ashtangi teacher Tim Feldmann is.

My Yoga Family

Photo opp with Tim

Stole a shot

and another.

Keep Mysore Safe For Women!

Please please support this...  Petition by Anuradha Ganesh Mysore, India     I just signed the petition "Mysore Police Commissioner: Gokulam Women Say Hands OFF! Help us end molestation/harassment of women." on Change.org. It's important. Will you sign it too? Here's the link: http://www.change.org/petitions/mysore-police-commissioner-gokulam-women-say-hands-off-help-us-end-molestation-harassment-of-women Gokulam is a popular destination for yoga students from abroad who study at the various yoga shalas in the area. If the harassment and molestation of the women in the area during all hours of the day continues, the environment will become even more unsafe for women, fewer people will to come to Gokulam and India, and the reputation of the country and its culture will be damaged. "Ladies are attacked by men on scooters, groped, slapped in the face, and pushed about, and exhibitionists jerk off in front of them. A yoga student was nearly raped on her way to the 4:30 yoga class one morning. The neighbors rescued her at the last minute." These despicable event are most frequent during the busy seasons of October to March, every single year. Visiting a foreign country to practice yoga in a beautiful neighborhood such as Gokulam, only to come face-to-face such violence is shocking, frightening, and traumatic for both foreigner yoga students and local female residents. It is just wrong. We are continuing to do what we can on our end to make the environment safer, including: (1) raising awareness within the community about the risks to walking around alone or even with someone, (2) holding discussions with the yoga community on culture-sensitive behavior and attire, (3) promoting self-defense tactics, and (4) communicating with the yoga schools to change class timings and to provide other safety-promoting services to students. Please help us by increasing police patrol of the area to end this unacceptable criminal behavior and abuse, and to make Gokulam safe for ALL women.

Anatomy of the Spirit

It is fitting that I read this book by Carolyn Myss as I recover from this flu-like illness, one of the worse bouts I've had in a while. It is uncanny sometimes, that we know exactly what ails us or causes us sickness, and yet we find the road to healing so difficult to begin, or even to continue.

I now know, halfway or so in this life journey, that there are no shortcuts to solving our Rubik's cube selves. Our organs, chakras, mental and emotional issues, spiritual and personal beliefs, physical strengths and dysfunctions are interrelated, part of our whole. This is one of many books that illustrate the connections, written in a way that is accessible from many view points.

At the end of each chapter (chakra), there are questions for self-examination that require a few moments of silent introspection (It took me a long time to finish this book!).

The book is helpful whether the reference point is the Chakra system, Sacraments or Sefirot.

I will end with the "seven sacred truths of the body and spirit:

1. All is One
2. Honor One Another
3. Honor Oneself
4. Love is Divine Power
5. Surrender Personal Will to Divine Will
6. Seek Only The Truth
7. Live in the Present Moment"

As One We Can

Today marks the 52nd anniversary of our Foundation. Today, we released a campaign I truly love - our new tagline, my aspiration from Day 1 at the Foundation and years prior, outside of it.

As I reflect on the past four months in this role, on where my work and prayers have taken me, on the practice that has merged my many versions, on my core beliefs, I am brought to this very day.

I love this tagline, this mantra, because I believe this on every level - we are all One.

Each moment brings us only two options - to remember to be one with each other or to choose to be apart. All results and consequences arise from this. If one believes in a Supreme Being, one can then say we either remember we are one with God or apart from God.

I believe we hope always to be yoked, to be in union. Our quest to be united, to practice Yoga, to commune with nature, to receive communion, to belong, to do good work together, to create communities. This speaks of our innate Oneness. If only it were that easy. Everyday is a practice.

With all the changes we go through at the littlest vibration, at a cellular level, to the functions and dysfunctions of our journey together, it is easy to forget the Truth that we know. I think, ultimately, we will all arrive at the Truth.

We also know there is work to be done. Our many roles reverberate in our being. We move along with devotion and discipline. There is so much to be done that requires relentless love, tireless outpouring. Alone, we cannot be sustained. But As One... one with our Source, our God; one within, with one another regardless of our imagined differences, we are sustained and we sustain each other.

As One We Can.