Inspirational

Eagle Pose

A yogi taught me:

entwine my arms, press hands together,

stand on one foot, bend the knee,

snake the other foot

around the bent knee,

and balance (try to balance),

looking at a single point

(picture of a rose)

I was swaying,

breathing in, out, a conscious being.

Then my hands were not my hands.

They merged with palms and fingers

of all women, men. We fell through

the air from a rocky cliff, through

the center of a rose, red-blood petals,

pollen, leaves, bone,

burdened with sweetness,

the dank smell of worms

burrowing under our roots.

I was a creature in the earth: nothing.

I knew that peace,

though I breathed in, out,

in the sun, an eagle on a rock, a rose,

Garurasana Eagle Pose standing on a foot that I no longer knew,

not swaying.

by Susan Verelon Stark
copyright 1995

inspired by Mark Sandler

Power of listening

to your heart,

Finding out who you are,

is not simple.

It takes time for

the chatter to quiet down.

In the silence of "not doing"

we begin to know

what we feel.

If we listen and hear

what is being offered,

then anything in life can be our guide.

Listen.

Anon

Ron Norris in Sirsasana (headstand) on Mt. Holy Cross in CO (14,005 ft). What better way to celebrate a successful climb!

YOGA PHILOSOPHY in Daily life

the power of choice

This summers re-occurring theme has been "the power of choice." Recently, we were in conversation with a child psychologist. She was speaking to the topic of "choosing" how we experience the world. Pessimists, she said, are often viewed as having a more realistic view of the world, while optimists enjoy their lives more fully.

Dr. Dean Ornish, of the Preventive Medicine Institute, recently spoke at the Chautauqua Institute. He also spoke of the issue of perception. In his example, a father and son were driving in a car. They were held up at train crossing. The father became angry "Oh great, now we will be late." The son, on the other hand, said "Oh dad, now we can watch the train together."-Same event, different interpretation.

Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras (the authoritative text of yoga technology) said in II-33 "When disturbed by negative thoughts, opposite (positive) ones should be thought of." Negative thoughts lead us to mental suffering. Positive thoughts lead to inner peace.

Not to be confused with suppression of emotions, it is our freedom of choice which leads us to mental tranquillity and physical vitality.

COMMON SENSE YOGA

the frog story

I heard of an experiment that illustrated the effects of chronic stress in a most unusual way. Chronic stress (long term stress) builds over time, is hard to identify, and often denied. Part one of the experiment involved placing frogs in extremely hot water. As you would expect, they jumped right out of the pan. This is an example of "Yikes, I’ve got to do something about this situation!!!", or acute stress. It is similar to getting your taxes ready the night before you meet with your accountant. Part two involved placing the frogs in tepid water. They sat passively looking at each other while the experimenters turned up the heat. Finally, two frogs made an attempt to jump, but it was too late.

Why didn’t the frogs jump out when they could have?Yoga offers us tools for healthier living in a chronically stressed environment. My yoga practice helps me to feel healthier, happier and to make better choices. Are you are tired of sitting in a pan of hot water? Jump into Yoga. It works!

thank you - Carrie

Tuesday January 11, 2005

A silence like snow

I seem to remember Sheila Murphy quoting this phrase, but the name of the original author eludes me just now.

I am going to stand silently on the jetty and look out on Lake Ontario as the snow falls on my hat, my scarf, my gloves, my upturned face. It's a beautiful image, and that is the image with which I am going to end this blog.

In yoga class today (with Mark Sandler) I finally understood what my teacher has been trying to show me. There are gaps between thoughts. If you allow the gaps to become longer, the curtain of thoughts - tinkling like rows of beads - parts and you are deep inside of consciousness itself, deep inside silence.

by Cassie Lewis

Ron Norris in Mayurasana (peacock pose) on Mt. Sneffels in CO (14,150 ft). On a clear day at the summit it seems you can see forever.

FINDING THE RIGHT TEACHER

Recently Hatha Yoga has become so popular, that its’ everywhere. There are many fine teachers to pick from as well. How to know who is right for you?

Consider these thoughts:

• Know what you want, such as improved health, flexibility, inner peace, strength, mental clarity etc.
• Ask teachers about their qualifications, philosophy & teaching style. Choose a teacher who is well educated & experienced in Yoga philosophy as well as Hatha Yoga.
• True teachers acknowledge their own teachers. They show a commitment to their personal practice & ongoing study.
• Try out classes with different teachers & Yoga styles to find what works for you.
• Does the teacher exhibit inner peace, equilibrium and treat you with respect & compassion? Are you challenged mentally as well as physically?
• Notice how you feel at the completion of each class. Do you feel calm, inspired & more in touch with yourself?
• Good teachers will refer you elsewhere (when you are ready)
• Remember- Yoga is a gift to yourself.

OM Shanti (Peace) - Mark Sandler

Jack Kerouac, from Dharma Bums

In the desert winter night, good and warm in a duck down bag, the silence is so intense that you can hear your own blood roar in your ears. But louder than that by far is the mysterious roar which I always identify with the roaring of the diamond of wisdom, the mysterious roar of silence itself, reminding you of something you seem to have forgotten in the stress of your days since birth.

note from Mark- This is a wonderful description of what my guru Shri Brahmanada Saraswati called Nadam (the inner spiritual sound)

The Wisdom of Swami Brahmananda Saraswati

This story came from my friend Gyandev of The Expanding Light Center of Ananda Village in northern California.

Mark - Here is a story I thought you might enjoy that was told to some folks in Ananda's Delhi center:

From Prem Prakash:

Once I had the good fortune to meet Swami Brahmananda Saraswati (then still Dr. Ramamurti Mishra). In front of a group of several dozen people I asked a question which I thought to be earnest, but that the teacher recognized as revealing my arrogance. He called me up to the front of the room and asked me if I could sit in the half-lotus posture. I did so, and he praised me. Then he asked if I could sit in the full lotus. I took this posture, trying to appear humble in front of the group, but actually feeling quite proud of my asana ability. Dr. Mishra then instructed me to grasp my hair, which I did. He then asked me to pull myself up off the ground. Obviously I was unable to do so, and his point regarding pride of accomplishment was well made!

note from Mark- Shri Brahmanada Saraswati was very kind to the truly sincere but also had a great sense of humor which he applied to everyone .