A Healing Practice

The blessing is that I am able to share this with you.

Published in Athletica Magazine, July 2013

Click here for the unedited version :)

Kapotasana

Pressed upon my heels,

I feel

Sometimes myself a boat

Capsizing 

I feel

My throat feels fear

Sometimes.

And then 

There are waves of days

I cannot place 

What time of sleep or fruit I ate

Or state of mind allows me

to leave my shore,

Knees on the floor,

One breath.

Hips and heart like open sails

Beyond break waters

Set sail. Land sight and hands. 

Like anchors dropping,

Push up the beams 

Of arms pole straight

Gaze down, reel in.

Steady, slow.

Pull up, push forward 

So much 

to catch, to fish -

Two heels

is a million 

in my muddied head.

Glorious rays of breath -

Of five full breaths forever

And ever 

And then again still hoisted

On a prayer up

And I am back

on my shore

Still on the floor.

Still.

Y is for Yoga

On this rainy Sunday, I managed to practice and catch up on my reading. While spending time with Yzzy reviewing the alphabet on YouTube (yes to learning interventions!), I was pleasantly surprised to see this. 

Not yo-yo or yak... Y is for Yoga.

During practice this morning, she  was asking me to tell her five things about Yoga (as she pretended to write...)

In between "free breathing with sound,"  I managed the say the following - 

- Yogas citta vritti nirodha

- breath, bandha, drishti

- practice, focus, surrender

- be fully present and aware

- peace, peace, perfect peace

She seemed satisfied with the answers and decided to stop talking to me so I could carry on.

Post practice, here is my reflection:

Before we become heart-centered, we must first know what is truly in our hearts. May it be light. 

Tasmai Sree Gurave Namaha

Bright yet Blurred.

These weeks have been strange and I feel the shifting of something in and around me. Here we are at the beginning of another cycle. Time is a great teacher. So are dreams, but I find the lessons reveal themselves much later.

On Guru Purnima, I dreamed of my teacher. He asked me why I have not come to see him. 

Then I dreamed about what seemed like a train station full of people. I was traveling alone, as I do. I did not lose my way and even as I waited for fear to kick in, it didn't. Then I dreamed I was given a book - Light on Yoga Sutras - because we were reading it in a class and a stranger insisted on giving me a copy even if I had one at home. And then there were scenes of someone saying goodbye to the tombstones of her parents because she was leaving for another town. I cannot remember why but I think it was because of a heartbreak. I do not know who she is.

For my teachers, my dream weavers, my healers -

Guru Brahma Gurur Vishnu

Guru Devo Maheshwaraha

Guru Saakshat Para Brahma

Tasmai Sree Gurave Namaha

Tasmai Sree Gurave Namaha.

Om.

No Bed of Roses

For the past five days, I have been lying on my own bed of nails. The first try was awkward but I eased into it after five minutes or so. The next tries were more comfortable and my back has begun to look forward to the heat and pressure from the points. 

Sleep has definitely been better. Who needs a bed of roses?🌹

Here's an article from Wall Street about it: http://m.asia.wsj.com/articles/a/SB10001424052748703712504576242782763737972?mg=reno64-wsj

Morning Mysore

It's Arne's last day in Manila for this round. Just observing. 

For us, catching, catching...This is what happens before the work day begins.

Maritoni teaching. Soraya (top left), Anne Y. (top right), Matty with Arne, me (bottom right)

Practice photos by dear Matty

Float on

Stay above water.