Finding the quiet in a noisy life

"Yoga is the practice of quieting the mind" ~ Patanjali

Meditation was, and still is, the most difficult part of my practice. The first time that I dropped into meditation I nearly had a panic attack. My fight or flight instinct kicked into overdrive and all I wanted to do was leave the quietude of that yoga studio and rush out into the hustle and bustle of the outside world. The way that we live life today, silence is an extreme, one that threatens to leave us alone with our thoughts without escape.


I always find that after a strenuous asana practice meditation is a welcome relief, a time for the body and mind alike to take a breather. But the true benefits of meditation can be found in finding this ability to relax, to detach, in difficult moments, particularly those times when you cannot find sukasana on the mat. In the middle of an argument with a loved one, not finding satisfaction at work or simply sitting in the middle of rush hour with nowhere to go: it is at these times that we need the ability to quiet our mind the most.
Determined to enhance my meditative state, on and off the mat, I researched the web and this is a summary of what I found:


a)Meditate on a mantra: Om, Satnam, or whatever personal mantra will work for you.

b)Reduce the amount of caffeine entering your body.

c)Pop in a relaxing CD, i.e. Enya, Yoga chants or nature sounds.

d)Focus on your breath, the gentle inhalations and exhalations, let them massage your chest.

e)Find a comfortable seat: on the floor, in your office chair, but shift about
until you will be able to focus on the meditation alone.

f)Don't force the process. If a thought enters your mind, don't berate
yourself for it. Recognize it and then think "neti, neti" or "not this, not
this." Invite the thought to leave your mind to resume meditation.

g)Light a candle, find sukasana and stare at the flickering light. Allow your
mind to focus on the light while allowing disturbing thoughts to leave.

Finding quiet in this busy world is not an easy task, but a necessary one. Not only for your yoga practice, but for your practice of living well in the Now.

A world of mats

When I think back to my first mat, I am reminded of the beginning of my own journey down the yogic path. As with most things in my life, I get a small thought, a desire that creeps up and nags at me until I give it a try - yoga was one of those things. I went to the closest Marshalls, thumbed through their bin of mats until I settled on a purple one with a picture of a smiling Hawaiian woman on the front. If she was happy on the mat, surely I would be too.

And I was, at first. Unfurling it dutifully in front of the television everyday, I went through DVD after DVD until I felt confident enough to actually attend a class, with other people, who would be able to see and possibly judge my practice. In those early days, I still worried about those things.

The first time I went to a class might have been one of the most intimidating moments of my life. I didn't know how to position my mat, how to sit, how to chant and I most certainly didn't know any of the Sanskrit that was flying about my head so freely. Yet despite my initial apprehensions, I loved it and found myself going back for more, week after week. While my own practice was blossoming I found that my mat was doing nothing to support it.

Slipping and sliding in class was normal, or so I thought until I forgot my mat one day. Borrowing one from the bin at the back of the studio I found that - aha - I didn't have to watch my hands slide about while in adho mukha svanasana (downward facing dog)! My quest for a new yoga mat was on. On that miracle mat was the name Jade Yoga mats, and that very evening I went online to browse their selection. It just turned out that I had a birthday approaching, so I asked for the Jade Fusion and was surprised when I actually felt it for the first time, it was the heaviest mat I had ever handled. The thickest mat that Jade offers is clearly the best on the market (in my humble opinion!)

With my Jade Fusion, I have had such a wonderful time in class, and I get compliments on my mat all the time, especially during my YTT class when I have to share my mat with a partner for posture adjustments, etc. "I love your mat!" I do too, and I wanted to share that with everyone in the yoga community. And it is even machine washable: just throw it into a front-loader, add the tiniest amount of detergent and leave outside to air dry. Voila! It doesn't get much easier than that, and it is made of open-cell, natural rubber which appeals to any yogi that has a green heart like I do.

Please visit the website today to purchase one for yourself, and enjoy!
http://www.jadeyoga.com/store/product.php?productid=16135&cat=249&page=1

Modern thoughts on an ancient idea

In Chinese mythology a divinity known as the Jade Emperor, Yu Huang, was fed peaches by his mother as they were believed to ensure the gift of immortality. Perhaps because I had just indulged in a delicious peach myself before class, I was and have continued to think about the idea of immortality since my teacher discussed it as a part of hatha yoga, the branch of yoga that we as modern yogis base our everyday practice on.

There are many reasons why I entered yoga: to bring peace and calm to my overworked mind as well as the physical aspects that have transformed my body to such a point that I can't remember ever having experienced this level of strength and health in my life.

As I stood with a handful of vitamins at the sink last night, I thought about the ramifications of immortality. The weight of the word alone is not enough to fully appreciate what the initial proponents of hatha yoga were teaching their followers so long ago. Not satisfied with this brief teasing mention of it in class, I did a little more research and was a bit shocked when I came upon Georg Feuerstein's The Yoga Tradition: Its History, Literature, Philosophy and Practice, in which he wrote:

(The yogi) wants it all: Self-realization and a transmuted body in which to enjoy the manifest universe in its diverse dimensions.

Through the creation of the adamantine body we could realize immortality in the earthly realm while we were in the process of finding both selves, self and Self. As someone living in the 21st century, and particularly as an American, I can appreciate the attitude "I want it all, and I want it now." Sometimes I even fall prey to this myself, but am able to remember my humility and allow events to fall into place themselves.

While the idea of the adamantine body itself, the "Diamond vehicle," is appealing, I am more apt to fall in line with what Helen Keller once wrote. "I thank God for my handicaps for, through them, I have found myself, my work, and my God." Despite how much I may grumble about this infirmity or another, it is my imperfect body that led me to yoga, that eventually brought an inner peace and a level of self-satisfaction which in turn has allowed me to enjoy a certain degree of success in life. With all that said, I am still striving towards the best version of me that I can be in this lifetime, which might be, at best, a flawed diamond but one that still shines with an eternal hope for myself, and mankind.

Tough economic times call for affordable yoga

As most of us have experienced in some form or another, the economy has suffered a major setback. Often I find that when I invite a friend to join me at a yoga class, their response is most likely to be "But I simply cannot afford that luxury right now, as much as I would like to go!" It is because of this exact sentiment that I have created a list of affordable yoga for those living in the Charleston area. It is my hope that everyone, of all skill levels, will give yoga a try, and see if you don't get hooked like I did.

Jivamukti Yoga
320 West Coleman Boulevard
Mt. Pleasant, SC
*First class is free to SC residents*

Blue Turtle Yoga
627A Johnnie Dodds Boulevard
Mt. Pleasant, SC
Every Sunday at 5 PM, Community class is free to the public

Holy Cow Yoga Center
10 Windemere Boulevard #B
Charleston, SC
Community class Tuesday/Thursday at 4 PM, free or suggested donation of $5.00

Charleston Power Yoga
557 King Street, Suite A
Charleston, SC
Every Friday 5:45 - 6:45

Trying out new things

As part of our YTT program, we are asked to take three extra classes per week in addition to the ones required for the program. Yesterday I decided to check out a Kundalini class, not quite sure what to expect but, as usual, keeping an open mind.

After inviting us to find our comfortable seat, the teacher led us through a round of ohms. This was unlike any other ohm I had ever experienced, it was so loud and piercing that I nearly jumped out of my skin. Yet it was exactly what I had been needing at that moment - on the way to class, I felt so lackadaisical that even as I laid down my mat I was regretting not skipping class to go catch a nap. Once the ohms assaulted my brain, I was ready to tackle anything.

As a student who is accustomed to a certain ritual in class - sun salutations, warriors, arm balances, forward stretches - I was shocked again to find that this Kundalini class would offer nothing of the sort. If strength training were to meet yoga along a path, their union would be Kundalini. While none of the movements in themselves were difficult, it was their lengthy repetition that would leave me sore the next day, and most likely the day following that as well. For someone like myself who sometimes misses the competitive nature that is so lacking in a standard yoga class, Kundalini seems to be a perfect alternative for this problem.

Feeling almost light-bodied, having torn away all my worries and anxieties for the day, I melted onto my mat in a grateful savasana, awaiting those blissful few moments of peace that would allow my mind to wander a moment, my body to rest and prepare for embracing the rest of the day. I almost should have expected what happened next to come. I felt the teacher moving to the back of the studio and then experienced a series of gongs, crescendoing and falling away, each pulse kneading my mind.

Would I go again? Perhaps. But I would definitely expect the unexpected to occur, and in turn, to find myself enjoying the experience for its unpredictability.

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti

Welcome everyone!

Finally, at the behest of those nearest and dearest to me, I have started this labor of love that has been my desire for quite a while now. It is my hope that you will join me on my journey as I complete my YTT training in Charleston, SC and beyond.

Namaste,

Molly