Nothing Restorative about Restorative Yoga

I teach power yoga, yoga for athletes, intermediate yoga, PiYo, all active, rigorous forms of yoga. Didn't see restorative yoga in there? No? And from my first class last week, you won't see it anytime soon either. OK, that may have been a bit harsh. I looked up the word restorative in the dictionary and it states "to bring back to health, strength, etc...". I walked out of this class thinking "that was it?". After holding 4 poses for an hour, I wondered why anybody would spend good money on this versus a meditation class. My legs fell asleep (according to the instructor that's normal), I was uncomfortable and therefore could not relax into the pose, and it was cold in there. I looked forward to savasana (corpse pose), a rare moment in the middle of my day where I could sneak some meditation time. But, alas, that was the ONE pose that was only 5 minutes long!
The spiritual side of me gently points out that maybe I need restorative yoga, as I disliked it so much. That my restlesness is exactly what restorative yoga will eventually dissolve. I wittingly respond that I meditate for long periods of time without a problem, so that's not it. By now, I realize I am arguing with myself and quickly end the discussion.
There is a solid foundation to needing exactly what we dislike. To live in harmony and balance is to live by the rule of Yin Yang. To be well-rounded, we need to nurture both sides. The Yang side, fast, revealing and expanding, needs its opposite. The slow pace of restorative yoga, its emphasis on concealment and contraction (going within) by the nature of its poses is the perfect antidote. So, just as a bitter pill may heal us, maybe I will give restorative yoga another try...someday.

Don't Wake Me Up Before You Go Go

My girfriend Cindy is finding out I am NOT an early riser. She tries to entice me with teaching morning classes to no avail. I am not a morning person, never have been and unless I wake up with amnesia one day, never will be. I am really OK with it. I know what I'm missing... breathtaking sunrises, cool morning walks in the infernal summer of Phoenix, a mystical, serene universal quietness. Don't care. Unless I am catching a jetplane to some exotic vacation spot, I see no reason to wake up at 6AM.

Knowing our limitations enables us to find the freedom within them. Dr. Stephen Hawking is an outstanding example of someone with almost complete physical limitations, yet this limitation may be the reason his mind is so brilliant. We all have physical, emotional or personal limitations, some are by choice, some not. Unless it is harming to us or others, maybe we just need to learn to embrace these imperfections and find the joy within that. It is these "blemishes" that mold our personality and character, giving us uniqueness in spirit.
As a yoga teacher I see this in my students of all levels. I ask that they enjoy and find the freedom within a pose, whether it is modified or not "perfect" in their eyes, instead of finding fault or frustration.
Tantra philosophy encourages celebrating life where we are, in the present moment, with all those blemishes, imperfections and limitations.
So, don't call me before 9AM. Now you know.

Soulfood is What We Need Right Now

Feeding the mind through books is a delightful way to relax, escape reality and recharge our batteries. Head to your local library and expand your mind by reading books on self-help, religion and all flavors of philosophy. It is also an opportunity to improve our knowledge of ourselves and divinity by delving into subjects we aren't familiar with. On my night table, I have a translation of the Dhammapada (considered by many to be the cornerstone of Buddhism), "The Creation of Health" by Carolyn Myss, PhD (a book on energy (chi) and how we affect our health through it) and "Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali" translated by B.K.S. Iyengar (the bible of yoga philosophy).
One of the three yogas through which to achieve enlightenment is Jnana Yoga, the yoga of knowledge. Bhakti Yoga, the yoga of devotion, is encompassed in jnana yoga. Followers of organized religion would generally fall into bhakti yoga. The other two are Karma Yoga (discussed in older posts) and Raja Yoga, the yoga of meditation.
Enlightening our soul by exposing it to the light of other religions and philosophy can only widen our understanding of others and encourage unity. There are threads and traces of the Dhammapada and the Yoga Sutras in the Bible. We are more alike than we are different.
Where we banish the darkness of ignorance, the light of knowledge will lead the way.

Run Silent, Run Deep

within your soul. Our spirit requires moments of silence. It is in those quiet spaces that it speaks to us. That inner voice we call intuition, that part deep within us that "knows", just can't compete with cellphones, television, music, traffic,barking dogs and screaming children.
To allow that voice to bubble to the surface, we must be attentive to it, nurture it and give it room to expand. Quiet time is good food for the soul. Take some time to sit outside and close your eyes. Listen to the wind whispering through the trees, the birds chirping and feel the sun warm your face. This quiet time may come in the form of contemplation, a moment where one just enjoys being, not doing. There is a well-known saying in Taoism that is my mantra, Wei Wu Wei, do without doing. So find a quiet place, even if it's your closet, and spend some time listening to your soul.