Just Breathe

Moving house!

2008-09-01T23:57:00.002+02:00

This blog is moving!

Please join me at my new home, nadinefawell.net.

Review: Bala Yoga and Interview: Jodi Boyd

2008-07-27T01:25:00.007+02:00

Bala was one of the first studios I visited when I arrived in Melbourne. Despite the fact that it took me a hour and a half to get there, I just kept going back, until work got in the way! Jodi Boyd's classes, although vigorous, helped me start to rehabilitate from my sacro-iliac injury, and were completely safe, even for the likes of me. Also, the studio is beautiful and smells nice. I am always keen on the sweet-scented spots!

Jodi practising bakasana in the studio at Bala

Glamour shots of the studio...

And. Did I mention that there is a boutique? Prana yoga gear, mat bags, eye bags in delicious silks, and assorted natural goodies and books. A great way to pass the time before or after class!

They have an online store, for those of you who can't make it down to Beaumaris.

So, without further ado, read on to find out more about Jodi...

1. How long have you been practicing yoga, and how did you start?

My first class was about 18 years ago in high school, I was told it would help my asthma and my performance in the different sports I was competing in at the time (Surf Life Saving and Triathlons). I was pretty random in my practice - once a month, before or after an event - more stretching than the true sense of 'Yoga'.
Yoga became an essential part of my life a little over 10 years ago when I found two Yoga videos by Louisa Sear & Rachel Zinman. I practiced those videos morning and night until I knew them of by heart and that's when my journey really began.

2. How has yoga changed your life?

I am not sure how much of my changes have come from having Yoga in my life or have just come with age ('older and wiser') I know I put a lot down to yoga but I have 4 sisters who don't have yoga in their lives and they have had similar experiences - so a lot of my changes are inevitable - yoga or not. I know I am much kinder to myself and my body than I was in my teens/early twenties mostly due to yoga. I am very conscious and in tune with my surroundings, and my feelings, as well as what I want and what I actually need in/from life.
I know I was pretty sad and empty for some time and now I am the opposite. I lead a very happy and full life but my husband has a lot to do with that so it's not all Yoga.
And of course, it aided in changing my career path from Television Editor (which was not a bad job either!) to yoga teacher and studio/boutique owner.

3. You have been a triathlete, beauty queen, surf lifesaver, and TV editor. How did you come to add yoga teacher to the list?

My husband's job took us to Taiwan, and editing TV was not an option (I don't speak Mandarin). I had a pretty strong personal
practice then and one of the friends I made over there asked if I would teach some to her. I was nervous about teaching her things wrong so with my husbands encouragement (and my teacher at the time - Joy Armstrong) I did a teachers training course and I then started with teaching her at my house. 1 friend grew to 2, 2 friends grew to 4 then 8 and before long I was teaching 2 -3 classes a day all over Taipei some private some with 20+ students attending. People were telling me how I was changing their lives. I know it's the yoga not me, I am not disillusioned, I know I am not some kind of yoga Guru, it is just a great feeling to know you are helping to bring some happiness to other peoples lives, so there - a Yoga Teacher was born!

4. What kind of teacher do you strive to be?

Compassionate, approachable and understanding of my student's needs.

5. Lastly, tell us about the studio that you and your husband, Roger, own.

Hard at work behind the reception desk

It is a wonderful place for me to spend my days and hopefully an environment my students look forward to coming to, not just for the yoga but also for the comfort and calm they feel in being here.
My husband and I put it together, painted, scrubbed and assembled with a bit of help from a few friends and some tradesmen.My husband came up with the initial design, focused on a resort feeling with a Zen flow. We tried to create a spacious feeling with fresh flowing air, as well as being a quiet, calm and clean oasis with an Asian influence. Because the style of yoga I teach is very modern and not so traditional it was important to me that the studio reflected this.
The ambiance was very important to us also, dimmable lights, candles and oil burners with our unique bala scented oil. We are both into the minimalist style featuring large open spaces with the occasional piece (e.g - the Buddha's head) to add to the feel. Plus, I am an artist and I wanted my oil paintings surrounding me, they inject some colour along with our colourful students. I think your state of mind and the quality of your practice is effected by your environment, this is why I wanted to create something calming, open and uncluttered.

We called it 'BALA', it's a Sanskrit word associated with the meanings 'Strength, Energy and Power' reflecting the style of yoga I teach (a blend of the various different types of yoga practices I have tried over the years). I also like how the word 'BALA' implies balance.
With all the smiles on faces after a class and the lovely illustrated notes I receive from my Bambini (4-7yrs) and Nava(8 - 12yrs) students - 'I Love Jodi' and 'I Love Yoga', life can't be more rewarding! The Bala studio is a beautiful place to be.

Review: Studio Cirq and Interview: Lindsay van Niekerk

2008-07-27T00:45:00.006+02:00

This post should have appeared much earlier in the week, but, dear readers, I have been busy!

Studio Cirq is tucked away in a side street in the centre of Melbourne, owned and run by a gracious woman called Lindsay van Niekerk. Yes, she hails from South Africa originally! A long time ago though. Lindsay has created a lovely space for people to go before or after work, and at lunch, and get their yoga fix. The studio also offers pilates classes, meditation, and shiatsu.

I have been attending the lunchtime Dynamic Yoga sessions, which are taught in the Sakshin Ghatasha style, and I love them! Just vigorous enough to keep you interested, not so vigorous that you need to shower before continuing with your day.

Image from a workshop held at Studio Cirq. See more on their Flickr

The studio is filled with interesting things; hand made stools from a local Melbourne designer, piles and piles of interesting magazines - yoga mags, health mags, Vogue. And then, of course, Lindsay herself is very interesting. Read on to find out...

1. How long have you been practicing yoga, and how did you start?
I think I started when I moved to Australia. It would be in the early 90s I dabbled in the odd Iyengar class at a school in Fremantle with a teacher called Kale Leaf (!) who was a wise and witty man who I believe is still teaching. I remember those classes fondly though I’m sure I hadn’t a clue what I was doing. The school was next to a strip club and I remember a Friday evening pranayama class where it took supreme mental strength not to be distracted by the amplified commentary coming from next door. It was a memorable experience and helps when I get stressed about the noise here at night with so many bars and restaurants around me. And now I am very drawn to Yin Yoga which emphasises working the joints by holding a pose for up to five minutes.

2. How has yoga changed your life?
The change has been a gradual process of changing the way I think about things. Trying not to be too dogmatic or believing their is one solution to things. Also being aware of the instinct to push oneself physically may be appropriate in many other activities, but in yoga we can rise above that and listen and learn instead of impose.

3.How did you come to open a yoga studio? What are the challenges? What keeps you at it?
I opened the Studio because I had lost interest in what I was doing (twenty years of film and television starting in Johannesburg) and wanted to do something that combined my skills in production management with my love of Pilates and yoga. My concept was very clear from the start and I researched it thoroughly, spending 8 months on a business plan. I love having my own business, making decisions every minute of the day that are all mine to make. Running a business can be a very creative process and I thrive on the human contact, particularly as it is something people want to do and the Studio is a place that is a great escape from the office.

4. What other things excite you?
Many things excite me. I read voraciously on many topics. I am also a huge user of the web, in particular blogs on topics ranging from architecture to politics. There is so much good stuff out there – I could spend hours on the web though I do restrict myself. I’m a bit of an early adopter and will research topics that interest me. Right now I am becoming more interested in growing things and have been messing around with making terrariums at home. Its something that will take a while as it is very much trial and error. Also I’ve discovered martial arts – and I do something called Swimming Dragon which is just the best thing as it is very expressive and beautiful to do. I’ve always been interested in design, music (my first job was at a record library in Johannesburg), cooking and I love animals, particularly my two large and noisy Siamese cats.

5. Lastly, tell us about your ultimate indulgence.
I’m not one for over the top luxury, though if you had to offer me a weekend at the Peninsula Hotel in Tokyo with unlimited spending, I may say yes please!!

It's a circle of love!

2008-07-16T14:06:00.003+02:00

Remember the interview of BlissChick I posted?

Well, if you click here, you can read the one she did of me: It makes me sound super-special, and now I love the BlissChick even more than I did before - it's a circle of love!

I think there are grammatical errors in this post, bear with me, late-tired-incoherent.

Just Breathe...Out!

2008-07-15T09:02:00.004+02:00

I was so grateful to receive this email from Nischala Joy Devi:

1:34 Slow, Easeful Exhalations can be used to Restore and Preserve Balance

Rhythmical breathing allows the mind and emotions to return to their natural state of equilibrium.

This is her interpretation of the Yoga Sutra 1.34. I wasn't breathing so well, having just spent 15 very uncomfortable minutes with a guy at the laundromat* who insisted on telling me about all the women and girls in the area who had been raped and assaulted. In fact, he said the word rape so many times, I was starting to feel quite twitchy. I would have left, but had to wait for my laundry to finish. Needless to say, I had to stop and take a few deep breaths, and a few more deep exhales, once I escaped!

Thank you for the reminder, Ms Devi!

*Still waiting for my furniture to arrive, and with it, my beloved washing machine. Sigh. Soon.

Melbourne Yoga Expo!

2008-07-11T02:07:00.004+02:00

How exciting! A big, YJ-style yoga expo, in Melbourne. It has been running for several years in Sydney, but this year is the first in Melbourne.

Here is the official schpiel:

Come as one, bring two.

Share happiness. Introduce your friends to yoga.

The essence of yoga is union. Practicing yoga gives rise to a sense of being connected with all others - in effect to become ‘at one’ with them. The main aim of Yoga Expo is to help bring about this sense of oneness within the yoga community and within the community as a whole.

When we are ‘at one’ we can connect with ourselves and our natural reaction is to share the joy of this connection with others. Therefore, the Yoga Expo’s theme this year is for all yoga practitioners to come in a mood of oneness, of unity, but to bring along other friends to share in the joyful experience. In other words to ‘come as one and bring two’, to ‘share happiness and introduce your friends to yoga’. For more info see: www.yogaexpo.com.au

Interview with BlissChick

2008-07-06T10:48:00.006+02:00

Have you chanced upon the BlissChick blog? If not, you are missing out!

When Christine Reed, the eponymous BlissChick, approached me to do an interview for her blog, I asked her to answer her own questions for mine. She is a fascintating woman, an inspiration for living right, a lyrical writer. Read on to find out more about her, and also, admire this magnificent portrait of her, painted by her partner Marcy Hall. I love Marcy's work, especially her animal portaits. If I was certain I wasn't infringing copyright, I would have posted those here too!

1. Describe the PrimaryBliss of your life. How did you come to know that this was your PrimaryBliss?

My PrimaryBliss is centered around story. Thinking back, it's been like this since I was a small child. We moved a lot, so books became my best friends. I ate them, one after another. And at night, to put myself to sleep, I would make up stories, imagine different lives, faraway places, all of that. So I've always found some of my greatest joys in reading. And now I write stories; I am rewriting a very long novel, actually. Which has been a surprise to me -- to be writing a novel. It has taken me a long time to realize that I'm not "just" an essay writer or a poet but a storyteller. It seems like that should have been obvious to me from the beginning but I've taken a long and circuitous route to my PrimaryBliss! I also collect stories. When I meet a new person, it's the first thing I do -- try to get their story, the overall narrative arc of their life. And I teach other people about finding their stories. Whatever I am teaching -- whether it's creative writing or communications -- and wherever -- in a traditional setting or a nontraditional setting -- I realize that I am essentially trying to teach people that their lives are comprised of stories and that this is important, that their stories are important.

2. What types of choices and sacrifices did you make to be able to craft this bliss-filled life?

My partner and I realized a long time ago that having bliss-filled lives, for us, meant having time. Time to read and write and for her, to paint and write, and time to garden and be at home and with each other and our animals. So we bought a smaller house than the bank thought we should. We gave up our car seven years ago -- for reasons that started out as personal and then after 9/11 became more political. We simplify every chance we get. We don't travel -- again, also for environmental reasons. Now, we live on basically one full-time salary. But this means, yes, that we have fewer things, but that's totally okay because we have time. We are on our paths and our hearts are fulfilled and we are stimulated and challenged and invigorated. Living bliss-filled life is about making choices, choices based on your purpose here, purpose beyond accumulating things and planning for a retirement that none of us are guaranteed to get.

3. How does your PrimaryBliss radiate out into the rest of your life?

My PrimaryBliss and the resulting choices touch every aspect of my life. Once you make choices, the next important step, I think, is always keeping them in mind. Not just reacting miscellaneously to life but acting from your center. So when a full time job opportunity came up that sounded momentarily interesting to me, I had to work through that and realize that it didn't fit. That it would just end up being a distraction from what I say is most important to me. Changing your mind is one thing, but it can't happen every other day. Commitment to your choices is vital. Otherwise, we are like little boats on wild oceans, not ever really navigating for ourselves.

4. What are some other activities that also give you this sense of bliss? Things that make you lose track of time?

Gardening. Even just weeding takes me out of my head. Which is good. I have to do things to get out of my head and into my body. So yoga is so necessary. I would say that yoga works in tandem with writing for me to keep me balanced. Kundalini yoga specifically. I love riding my bike and being at the water. Bird watching was one of the first activities that I encountered where I could totally just lose myself and be in sync with nature (I've been such a city girl for most of my life). Music is crucial and films and sitting with friends and trying new wines. And food -- I love to eat good food.

5. What is your daily or weekly spiritual practice?

I have a real eclectic approach to my spiritual life. I turn 40 later this year and I am finally accepting the fact that I have a need for a variety. (I come from a family that was very into specialization -- we'll put it that way.) Anyway, I would say that I am a Reluctant Catholic Yogi. I find a beauty in the mystical aspects of Catholicism and there's an emotional and visceral reaction to the Mass, when done well, that I can't get away from (as hard as I may try!). And I am very attracted to Mary -- the idea that she is really the last vestige of feminine divinity in any Western religion. The rosary beads helped me through some deaths. Of course, I do yoga almost every day. And I'm a big candle person -- and I try to make intentions with the lighting of any candle. And finally, I find it's important to me on every level, especially spiritual, to be outside every day. To walk. Especially in the winter, when we can get so cozy inside that we forget there is more outside our four walls.

6. What music is your bliss?

Music is one of my blisses overall. I love to listen to music, live and at home, all the time. And thanks to Kundalini yoga, in which there is a lot of chanting, I rediscovered my love of singing. Something I used to do spontaneously when I was little. I would just make up songs about whatever. My partner and I now do this, so our house can seem a bit like a musical sometimes. But I love everything, from Frank Sinatra to Azam Ali to Vampire Weekend to Yo-Yo Ma, everything. I am a child of the 80's so I have a particular soft spot for U2 and INXS and Duran Duran.

7. Name books or authors/poets or people who are your bliss, who influenced your bliss.

Obviously, books have been a significant part of my path. I have an MA in English so for a long time, I only read dead people. I return again and again to Virginia Woolf and have recently fallen in love with Proust. But I've been trying to branch out into the land of the living... I adore anything by Joanne Harris, Neil Gaiman, Barbara Kingsolver, Jonathan Carroll, Jennifer Egan. I read a lot in mythology/theology/philosophy. In poetry, I seem to have a thing for Latin men, like Neruda and Lorca.

8. What advice would you give to someone who feels they have not yet discovered their PrimaryBliss?

Journal. I think writing through all your "stuff" is really powerful, and if you don't know your bliss, I'm guessing you have "stuff" to unpack. Think back especially to your childhood and to what you spent your time doing -- when you had free choice in the matter -- and think about what your wildest dreams were, what you fantasized about, what you thought was out of reach. The journaling process can go on for a long time, but if you stick with it, I guarantee it will work. Also, I think people can take this all way too seriously sometimes, so remember to play and laugh and have fun. And look at this with, as some indigenous cultures would say, "soft eyes." When we look too hard, we can scare away the clues and the helpers.

9. Do you have a favorite quote you would like to share?

My current one is "all shall be well, all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well" by Julian of Norwich. I think that contains all the theology/philosophy any of us ever really need.

Brahmacharya

2008-06-27T01:06:00.004+02:00

This is a fantastic piece, republished with permission from the author, Christine over at Yoga Every Day. I had not thought of brahmacharya in quite this way before!

Brahmacharya is one of the Yamas, or Suggestions for a firm foundation for practice. Brahmacharya means conserving your life force. As I was listening to folks discussing our current gas prices and “Energy Independence” on the radio, I realized that this is another application of Brahmacharya.

When we are aware of where and how we expend our life force - our precious time, energy and resources - we can make choices that reflect our deepest values.
Energy Independence begins with not using our life force carelessly. So if we’re sitting in front of the TV it’s because we mean to, and we’ve chosen the images we’re taking in. Or, if we realize mid-activity we are involved in something that doesn’t reflect our deepest truth, knowing we can choose differently any time.

The other part of Energy Independence is choosing the most efficient methods for moving through the world. On the mat this might mean being aware of whether we’re gripping in a pose, and releasing areas of unnecessary effort. A good rule of thumb is not to reach out further or with more vigor than we are reaching in.

In relationships, everyday interactions and helping others, our practice on the mat is really practice for respecting our own life force and the energy of everyone we meet. That’s why, though yoga makes us more flexible, healthier, thinner and happier, we have so many more reasons to find our feet on the mat.

And now, if you feel so inclined, you can do an asana session themed on this yama, from Kelly at SamadhiRUSH!

I'm ba-ack!

2008-06-24T12:25:00.002+02:00

Yay! Finally got home email sorted. Phew.

So now I can blog on a (hopefully) more regular basis; also, visit the blogs I love and have been missing (see sidebar) and actually respond to the lovely comments you leave. Instead of the deadening silence that has been meeting emails and comments.

Now for a little fizzle:
I got a rather nice email the other day. It appears I was 'blogged':

Stay tuned for the next few weeks: I plan a scintillating round of interviews and Melbourne studio reviews!

Now if you will excuse me, I am skipping off to waste time at Ravelry.

Settling in

2008-06-19T08:11:00.003+02:00

I still don't have home internet access. If anything, the Australian state telecoms provider are slower than the South African! The home-phone saga has been going on for three weeks now...

So, still visiting the library whenever I can to check email, blog a teeny bit, and so on. Mostly, though, my days are filled with yoga. Lots and lots of yoga; partly in the interests of getting to know the yoga community, partly in the interests of getting the community to know me!

In general, I have been overwhelmed by the generosity of the yoga folks in Melbourne. This is a recurring them, since I have already said how wonderful most Melburnians are, but even more so the yogis. One teacher runs by-donation classes - just like in the old days, you pay only what you can afford, into a little tin. Two studios have offered me yoga classes for FREE. Why? Well, it seems, mostly because I have just arrived. Can you imagine that? Loads of free yoga just because I am a cash-strapped migrant? That is insanely generous behaviour, if you ask me.

So I have been going to lots of classes, and it seems there is a wider variety of yoga on offer here than in JHB - Jo'burg has a more polarised scene - either very vigorous yoga or very gentle. Melbourne seems to have more in-between stuff. Well-trained teachers, kind, safe. Safe being a big issue since I am just dipping my toe back into the world of non-therapeutic yoga after my back injury.

That said, I did attend a class last week where the teacher didn't ask about injuries at the beginning of the class and then gave me an adjustment which caused my injury to flare up again. I think I am going to have to find a chiropractor, actually. When I told my husband the story, he was furious with me. He wanted to know why I had let this happen when I so obviously know better. I said I really hadn't wanted to make a huge scene in the middle of the class: I moved away the first time the teacher tried to adjust me (non-verbal cue) and the second time, said something about my injury (verbal cue). Then I just gave up and took the adjustment.

My hubby is right though. I shouldn't have, since I was in so much pain that night I didn't really sleep. Bah!

Note to self: stick to the SAFE teachers.

Oh Dear

2008-06-12T06:11:00.004+02:00

How did that happen?
What, you ask?

Well, it seems I am (clears throat) an endorphin junkie. Wow. I had no idea. I have been super-stressed and injured for so long, I had forgotten what it felt like to inhabit my 'real' body. Good, as it happens.

It also happens that I get cranky on days when I haven't done some heart-rate raising activity - brisk walk or fairly vigorous yoga practice, for example. This is how I know I am addicted to exercise. How did this happen to me? The kid who had to do cross-country because she was so bad at all other school activities? Who was quite sure that lying in bed reading was an Olympic sport?

It must be nature's way of inducing me to do what's healthy. Exercise, move, etc. Strangely enough, it seems that on days when I walk a lot (most of them, at the moment) my back hurts less. Although it hurts less in general these days. I can almost pretend no injury ever happened. But I won't. I promise to keep trotting it out on this blog for as long as I possibly can...

Now, limited internet access, must trot along and try to deal with my email.
Take care, all of you!

xxx

Good for You: Yoga

2008-06-05T09:01:00.003+02:00

little yogini, originally uploaded by hlkljgk.

Soooo, I've been rather quiet lately. Sorry. No internet access. Once my home phone is sorted I will be back in action, but for today's post, we have a guest post from Danielle Grilli. She is the content director of Rvita.com, and contacted me asking to do a guest post. Hell yeah, I said, I am not up to much, so go for it! I like that RVita quotes actual studies, not hearsay, so I can use the info from their site to offer my students proven benefits.

Read on...Publish Post

If I tried to count all the reasons why I’ve been doing yoga for 15-plus years, I think I’d probably lose track around about a thousand. I mean, yoga makes us FEEL good right? It makes our bodies feel tall and strong; it’s great exercise, and there’s no denying the small pride we all feel when manage to pull off some incredible feat of balance or strength or movement. It’s an evolution that, once you embrace, unfolds and unfolds before you in a seemingly endless journey towards…I’m not sure where, but it’s got to be good.

Any long-time lover of yoga knows well enough that yoga is curative inside and out. With roots in an ancient system of healing, an Indian philosophy borne from the desire to unify the body, mind, and spirit; yoga lays a path toward physical and emotional well-being. But how effective is yoga really? What do the scientific trials say? What can those who have never experienced yoga first hand expect from the practice and how can it be used as a treatment for various physical and emotional conditions?

Although many CAM (Complementary and Alternative Medicine) treatments have the disadvantage of being “clinically neglected”, yoga is an exception to the rule. In fact, over there years there have been hundreds and hundreds of reputable scientific trials which have touted the benefits of yoga. As a result, cumulative data tells us that there is “good scientific evidence” that yoga can be effective in the treatment of anxiety, stress, asthma, depression, heart disease, high blood pressure, OCD, schizophrenia, epilepsy and ADHD. Additionally, it has been suggested that yoga might be beneficial to those who suffer from fatigue, diabetes and reduced lung function among other chronic health conditions. To date, I don’t believe that there have been any scientific trials that have shown that yoga is a BAD thing to do although, as we all know, it’s important to watch yourself to prevent injury.

In the end it appears that yoga doesn’t just makes us FEEL better, it actually makes us better, healthier and stronger - inside and out.

One step at a time

2008-05-26T10:58:00.005+02:00

I like maps. And guidebooks. And, you know, books of instructions.
They make me feel like the world is a safer place because it has been documented.

We have a ridiculous number of photos of me consulting maps - in Paris, in London, in Melbourne. In the Melbourne Aquarium. I mean, really. A map? To navigate the aquarium? Yes. I did. And I made my poor, long-suffering husband do it too.

Another thing I keep reminding myself of right now: how many migrants have come to these shores before me. And survived. And prospered. There is even a flashy monument with the numbers of people who have come from Eritrea, Macedonia, everywhere. And a museum. I have visited the monument, but not the museum yet. Soon.

It's like Mr Desikachar says in his translation of the Yoga Sutra (yes, the one I almost always consult):

When we are confronted with problems, the counsel of someone who has mastered similar problems can be a great help.
YS 1.37

Such counsel can come directly from a living person or from the study of someone alive or dead.

It's all yoga. Even the difficult stuff. Especially the difficult stuff, actually.

Lost in Translation

2008-05-20T10:54:00.002+02:00

South African Flag, originally uploaded by afromusing. Australian Flag, originally uploaded by pookado.

Haha, taking advantage of the internet access while I have it.

So, although I speak English, it is not quite the same language as that spoken in my new country.
Some examples:

Did you want? = Would you like
See you later = Goodbye, because chances are you aren't going to see the person later. Or maybe ever again.
How you going? = Hello, or in SA we would say Howzit?
Singlet = vest or tank top
That's alright = It's a pleasure

That said, most everyone I have met so far has been as foreign as me, if not more so (not distance wise, but certainly language and culture wise.) So I actually don't know what Authentic Australianese is. Maybe it's to be found at my new favourite sushi bar where you can get lunch for $4 (R30) - so cheap! So friendly, so kind. Oh, wait, that's everyone in Melbourne.

Whirlwind!

2008-05-19T12:36:00.006+02:00

Oh wow, one week in Melbourne today! People here are very very friendly, very very helpful. I have lost count of how many maps people have drawn for us, and restaurants recommended, kindnesses offered. AND. We walk around at night. After dark.

This utter lack of xenophobia makes me sad about what is going on in my erstwhile nation. It's such a stark contrast.

Anyway, I always find it hard to write about things while I am living them, so here are some photos instead!

See the originals here! And nothing will be said about all the cupcakes and coffee. Mmmm.

PS yes, I did knit that green hoodie. Love it.
PPS Thank you for all the emails and comments. Your support means so much! xxx

See you on the other side!

2008-05-04T17:44:00.002+02:00

It's a week until we go to Melbourne; the cat goes into quarantine tomorrow, the movers come on Tuesday, and on Sunday evening, we fly!

Things are crazy here right now, and the phone and ADSL will be cut off tomorrow(ish), so this is me, signing out until I get to Australia and internet access there!

Sorry if I haven't responded to your comments and emails - I will get to it, eventually.

xxx
Nadine

A Yogini by any other name...

2008-04-25T19:35:00.004+02:00

I was flipping through one of my old Vogues (yes, again!) and noticed for the first time a Saks Fifth Avenue advert, featuring 'actress and yogini' Fernanda Torres wearing this Carolina Herrera cropped jacket.

Now, I checked it out, and the cuffs on that? Fox fur. Not fake. Real.

As I understand the word yogi, or for women, yogini, it means 'one who has attained yoga'. That's why I have taken to saying yoga practitioner!

If you have attained yoga, you are by definition enlightened, and therefore have practiced and mastered all the limbs of yoga, including ahimsa - non-harming. Which precludes wearing fur. This actress is not a yogini. She is just some chick who does yoga poses to stay buff.

Yoga Butt

2008-04-23T09:55:00.004+02:00

My friend Anna tells me there is a technical term for what ails me: yoga butt. Don't laugh, it's a technical term!
And no, it doesn't mean the beach-ready, hot pants wearing type of yoga butt we are all told we are aspiring to, but rather, as she puts it:

SI inflammation/instability often confused with sciatica

Yup, that's what I got. That's what a whole bunch of yoga practitioners I know have, too. Let me tell you how I think it all started with me...

I did a lot of Ashtanga. A Lot. Every day, primary series, with all vinyasas, for several years. Then I started to get hurt - sore wrists, sore hamstrings, sore knees, sore lower back, sore neck. It got to the point where I would dread getting on my mat in the morning. But, you know, yoga makes you feel better, right? So the more yoga I do the better I will feel, right?

Hmm. The end result seems to be that I have overstretched some ligaments deep in my hips, so my whole pelvic area is not as stable as it should be. (Yes, I have talked about this at length before, I know!)
A word of warning: if your hip structure doesn't want to do supta kurmasana, or any of those other pretzel poses, don't. Otherwise you will end up like me...

That's why I went looking for a kinder way to practice and teach yoga, and, thank goodness, I found it. But the legacy of my silly, joint-compromising past lives on.

Visiting the chiropractor has helped a lot. In fact I am thinking of recommending him for canonization. But. He wants me to do asymmetrical strengthening with more attention to the weaker side - and the first time I did that, I dislocated again and had to go trotting back for another adjustment.

So I am sticking to really simple stuff - the fab sacrum sequence from Yoga for Wellness by Gary Kraftsow - he has a dvd of this out now too!
I toss in a few other poses, almost all symmetrical, no one leg forward one leg back stuff, and definitely definitely no pigeon. That pose, much as I love it, is lethal to my current condition.

In fact, I am finding that the poses which feel 'right' are strength builders, mostly with my back at least a little supported - like locust (and variations), boat (and variations), bridge, gentle versions of urdvha prasarita padasana, and of course, the not cat-cow, chakravakasana.

On the recommendation of my mom-in-law, who is a naturopath, I am also taking the supplement MSM which is hopefully going to help with healing.

It appears that my yoga butt is just going to take time to heal. And patience. And we all know how well-endowed I am with patience. Maybe I should get some hot pants to tide me over?

Divine Sunset

2008-04-19T08:35:00.003+02:00

Yesterday was one of those hot, bright, dusty Jo'Burg Autumn days that make you want to hide in the shade until things cool off. Needless to say, dusk was welcome: the temperature dropped, a fragrant little breeze arose, and the sunset. Ah, the sunset. I stood on my balcony and watched the pinks and indigo's play across the sky until they faded to grey.

It was the kind of sunset you only get in Africa, the kind of sunset that had to come from Something Greater.

The kind of sunset that makes you feel blessed.

Nature is the greatest cathedral in existence.

Fashion First Aid

2008-04-12T08:48:00.005+02:00

Vogue Cover Dec 1965, originally uploaded by Rootje.

I have a confession: I have been reading Vogue. You should see the looks on people's faces when I tell them this - like I am a yoga teacher with a drug habit or something! Thing is, the pictures are pretty, and it distracts me from daily life. This is what I want. Daily life is hard at the moment; Vogue is fluffy and somewhat vacuous. I love it! Yes, I am aware of the problems with women's magazines. But Vogue is what I need right now. And you know what? I can vindicate my habit...

In the Yoga Sutra, it says:

Any inquiry of interest can calm the mind

YS 1.39, translated by TKV Desikachar

A wise yoga teacher I know once referred to this, and its neighboring sutras, as first aid measures. Basically, when nothing else is working, do what you need to do to get your mind off the negative track and back into a more neutral one.

I remember reading a while ago, in the magazine I am trying justify, about Norris Church Mailer, wife of the more notorious Norman. She had been very ill and had undergone several surgeries, leaving her health tenuous and her body very thin. So thin, in fact, that she could wear couture, bought vintage at auction from the wives of New York's wealthy. Now that, I say, is making lemonade out of lemons! Why not find some enjoyment in life despite ailing health?

So, any enquiry of interest can calm the mind. Why not Vogue, why not fashion, why not pinup art or motorbikes for that matter?

Just as long as we bear in mind what Desikachar goes on to say in The Heart of Yoga:

But such enquiries should not replace the main goal, which remains to change our state of mind gradually from distraction to direction.

Bring on the mind candy!

Democracy in Zimbabwe

2008-04-08T14:29:00.002+02:00

I received this email from Avaaz.org today. Some action is better than none!

Dear friends,

Zimbabwe is on a knife's edge between democracy and chaos. Results still have not been released from the 29 March elections--and fears are rising that Mugabe will resort to violence and fraud to hold on to power. South African president Thabo Mbeki said today that "it's time to wait"--but time has run out.

Observers, NGOs, and the opposition have appealed for international support. To respond, we're launching a new campaign to all Avaaz members throughout Africa. Click below to add your name to a petition calling for the results to be released, verified, and peacefully honored. We will send the petition to Mugabe's government, and to leaders and media organizations throughout Southern Africa and the world:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/democracy_for_zimbabwe/1.php?cl=72031466

Every day brings new developments, and the more time passes, the greater the danger grows that the will of Zimbabwe's people will be ignored. The faster we can grow this petition, the more powerfully we can show that the people of Africa and the world are looking to Mugabe to honour the choice of Zimbabweans.

In a crisis like this, a petition is just a small step--but it's something all of us can do, to raise our voices and call for what's right. And as history shows, international solidarity can be a powerful thing.

With hope,

Ben, Graziela, Ricken, Galit, Paul, Iain, Pascal, Milena, and Esra'a--the Avaaz.org team

PS: Here are some updates on the situation in Zimbabwe:

Court to hear Zimbabwe poll case - http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/C2F5E1E4-82BC-4EFA-BA75-A62BC34454AF.htm
Mbeki calls for patience in Zim poll crisis - http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=68&art_id=vn20080407060010671C262713
Mugabe Urges Zimbabweans to Defend Land - http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jaGkiD_oeuNCWUEr7YyXikc7dKZQD8VSUQBG0

PPS: A year ago, in one of the first Avaaz campaigns, we called together for Mugabe and his government to end their brutal attacks on opposition leaders. More than 45,000 people around the world took part. Now, there's a hope for much more substantial change--a new hope for the 12 million Zimbabweans struggling with hyperinflation, starvation, and HIV/AIDS. Please do sign the petition, and forward this email to friends and family--they can sign at http://www.avaaz.org/en/democracy_for_zimbabwe/1.php?cl=72031466.

ABOUT AVAAZ
Avaaz.org is an independent, not-for-profit global campaigning organization that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people inform global decision-making. (Avaaz means "voice" in many languages.) Avaaz receives no money from governments or corporations, and is staffed by a global team based in London, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Paris, Washington DC, and Geneva.

Don't forget to check out our Facebook and Myspace pages!

Eating Real Good Food

2008-04-02T20:45:00.002+02:00

I loved this piece from Holistic Girl. It reminds of what Mireille Guiliano says in her French Women books. Real food is better than that ghastly processed health 'food'.

And yes, good chocolate is a health food. I knew it!

Chocolate Stash, originally uploaded by anikarenina.

Check out this recipe for Chocolate Madeleines. J'adore toutes les choses Francais!

Take note: you can do yoga and live a pleasurable life. In fact, you should!

The Good Necklace

2008-03-29T06:46:00.004+02:00

I am tired of posting about my ailments! We may come back to them, we may not (and won't everyone be relieved if we don't?)

To enliven things around here, I have an interesting post originally published at Textiles and Bicycles, by the lovely Monica Bansal. She is a knitter, sewer, Iyengar yoga practitioner, and really passionate about doing what's right in the world. At some point, don't we as the yoga community (and indeed as humans) all need to think more about our influence on the world?

This is what Monica says in the intro to her blog:

Here I share my projects, thoughts, and rants on two of my greatest interests: art & craft and urbanism. Both are intertwined by underlying principles of environmentalism and respect for life–in all forms.

I knit and sew because it’s amazing. It’s fulfilling. It makes me a part of the group of people I respect the most: the artisan, the maker of the necessary.

I ride my bicycle everywhere because it’s fast, healthy, and it hurts no one (except possible me) by doing so.

I feel really strongly about these two aspects of my life because they carry with them ideas that have the potential to transform our culture with a real ethical shift: buy less and make more, drive less and bike (or walk) more, waste less and share more, sit less and move more, and this could go on (and will)….

I enjoy the rigour of her thinking and she gave me permission to share this with you:

I like the idea of seeing something in a catalogue and figuring out how to make it instead of buying the thing, which in this case is almost definitely made in China. The China thing is even more important to me these days as the Chinese government trashes the Dalai Lama. It seems shocking that this would be an advisable political move for them considering the worldwide, deserved adoration for him, but apparently invoking the strong nationalist identity of the Chinese is working among the domestic populace and they do in fact seem to agree with the government. That a group of people can be condemned for peaceful protest in the face of persistent human rights abuses against them is something I simply cannot understand.

Unfortunately as a normal American without much political power my identity is little more than consumer, so the power of the purse will be my vehicle for expressing myself.

I have never really made a “nice” necklace so this kind of proves it’s more possible for most (if not all) of us to substitute our ready-made purchases with home- and handmade stuff (not to mention I saved more than $50). And I learned from a coworker the other day that fabrics sold in the US are almost always made in the US because of tariff laws, which do not apply to ready-made clothing. I haven’t checked this statement out, but it sounds like I’ll be sewing a lot more than I have been.

The necklace in question? See it here.

Edited: The China/Dalai Lama issue? IF you feel strongly, add your name to the growing list of objectors here.

Today is OK

2008-03-25T16:32:00.000+02:00

Change is scary. Big Change is Big Scary. I am very very tired right now, and I feel like a bad yogi. I am anything but calm and centered, and to add insult to...injury, I can't even really do asana since my back is in such a bad way. Sigh.

So I thought I would share words from those wiser than me today. This is from the lovely Stella at Shiny Yoga:

In my teacher training a few years back, my teacher shared with us a story about how another teacher she knew, who was a smoker. She told us about the struggle this teacher would have - espousing all healthiness and light and love to her students on the mat, but then she'd leave class and light up a cigarette and feel completely torn.

It brings up the question, how 'yogi' is 'yogi'? And truth be told, it's something I struggle with a lot - and I'm sure a lot of you do too. Case in point, I am currently on my first holiday in 2 years. Yes - 2 years! So of course I've got the flu as I'm run down, my depression has flared up as I've not been giving myself enough time and love, and I've had lots of injuries over the last 2 months. But I'm always sharing stories of rest and listening to your bodies when I'm leading a yoga class. So now - I'm a wee bit torn.

But I'm turning a new leaf and in the new year, my mantra is from the lovely and ever-inspiring Pema Chodron and it is to : Start Where You Are.

You can get bogged down in wishing your life was this way or another. You can look back at the end of the year and beat yourself up because your resolutions didn't occur. Or you can start where you are - take lessons from what you know, realise you did what you could, and dust off your battered heart, give it some love and begin again.

And now read this article from Be Three about swah a - so be it, or I offer it up. It's ok to be with the bad stuff, these wise people say - and the teachings do tell us that difficult feelings are not the cause of suffering, our aversion to them is. All the same, is it too much to ask that the difficult feelings go away for a while? Little trip to Hawai for them perhaps?

Funnneee

2008-03-18T16:25:00.005+02:00

The chiropractor has forbidden me to do anything except lie around with my legs raised and visit him, so I am flat on my back with laptop on lap. More on my injury and What I Have Learned at some future time, but for now, look what I found via YogaGumbo:

More at Icanhascheezburger.com

Sore Back and a Someone

2008-03-17T21:26:00.002+02:00

My body, mind and soul are not One at the moment. In fact, the derangement is so bad that I dropped my wallet in a shopping mall on Friday morning. Silly thing to do, especially in South Africa. As a result, I had to cancel all my appointments for the day, and rush back to the mall to see if I could find it (ha!) or failing that, cancel all my cards.

Do you know, an Anonymous Someone had found my wallet, and handed it to security. Untampered-with. In crime-ridden Johannesburg! Amazing. Thank you, Anonymous Someone. I wish I knew who you were, so I could thank you properly.

And my back hurts. Well, my sacro-iliac joint on the right side hurts, actually. Right about the same place as this elephant's muladhara (root) chakra:

Chakra 1 - Muladhara, originally uploaded by venenum..

Is this not an awesome picture? Anyway, I am off to the chiropractor tomorrow to be put to rights, but thought I would share with you what this article on yogajournal.com has to say about root chakra deficiency (it's actually worth reading the whole article):

Circumstances that pull up our roots and cause a first chakra deficiency ... include traveling, relocation, feeling fearful, and big changes in our body, family, finances, and business. Some people, often those with busy minds and active imaginations, don't need special challenges to become deficient in this chakra; they feel ungrounded most of the time, living more in the head than in the body.
We experience deficiencies in this chakra as "survival crises." However mild or severe—whether you've been evicted, gone bankrupt, or just have the flu-these crises usually demand a lot of immediate attention. On the other hand, signs of excessiveness in the first chakra include greed, hoarding of possessions or money, or attempting to ground yourself by gaining a lot of excess weight.

Hmmm. Wonder why my back hurts? Good thing I know a little about how to go about correcting it. Yes, bring on the standing poses. And the standing balances: if you haven't already, check out the results of the balance pose poll here.

What's your favourite?

2008-03-03T14:09:00.006+02:00

Ah, it seems there are some among us who like eagle pose (yes Shula, garudhasana!) The 'back breathers' among us,seem to have no problem compressing the front of their lungs, while those of use who only breathe into the front of our lungs, well, we like Other Poses more.

As the ever erudite Katnip says,

We can’t see the back of the body. Its harder to feel. Its like the dark side of the moon. Is it really there? From the symbolic perspective, its our shadow side. Kind of scary to breathe into the shadow side -huh?

Natarajasana Pose (Dancers Pose), originally uploaded by the silent k.

Now I am really curious: since the March theme for WoYoPracMo is Grounding, standing balances seem rather appropriate. For me anyway. I know what my faves are, but what are yours?

To quote YogaMum:

For March, I invite you to think about the theme of "Grounding" and apply it to your yoga practice. In late winter, plants send down roots, to establish a deep foundation that will support blossoming and growth in the spring. We can do this kind of grounding in our yoga practices as well -- whether by concentrating on the rooting aspects of the physical asanas (working on the foundation of standing poses, for example) or by thinking about what we might need in our lives to "ground" and stabilize our practice. For myself, February was a bit of an unsettled month, and I look forward to spending some time reestablishing the roots of my practice.

I feel the same: this move to Melbourne has me feeling like the rug has been pulled out from under my feet. In a good way, but bumpy and unbalanced nonetheless.

I'm looking forward to the poll results - some ideas for my practice and teaching! As always, I love hearing what you think, most especially if you think differently to me: it reminds me why there are so many permutations of yoga - because everyone requires their own uniques solution!

Help me BREATHE!

2008-02-28T11:59:00.004+02:00

I am having Some Trouble breathing right now. I mean, obviously I am breathing. I'm still alive. But I'm not breathing, y'know?

In class today, I asked people to choose three standing balances; two they liked, one they didn't. Everyone chose tree as one of the poses they like, everyone chose eagle as the one they don't like. Odd, don't you think? So I asked why they didn't like eagle. The responses were all along the lines of:

'I feel I can't breathe'

Haha! People have all figure out for themselves what I have noticed in my practice, and from what gets taught at KYM: some poses facilitate comfortable, easy breathing, some don't. I personally don't really see the point of regularly doing the poses that don't!

This does:

boof yoga tree pose bw, originally uploaded by lastbeats.

This does:

Debbie in Virabhadrasana III, originally uploaded by LORatliff.

This does:

Debbie in Half-Moon, originally uploaded by LORatliff.

This doesn't:

Tara in Garudasana, originally uploaded by LORatliff.

They make quite a nice sequence: do the first three as a flow, then rest, and do the last one. Try for yourself, let me know what you think! Just remember to do a few squats or gentle forward bends after the balances, to counterpose.

Now, perhaps I should go stand on one leg & breathe. Just Breathe, Nadine, Just Breathe!

PS: Thank you all for your comments and emails. You support means so much! I will do my best to keep up with my blogging, but if you notice my absence, bear with me while I dismantle my life and re-assemble it on the other side of the sea!

Moving to Melbourne!

2008-02-19T09:18:00.004+02:00

That would be me, moving to Melbourne. At the end of April! Eek! How exciting! How scary!

1. The 'Yve' Building - Melbourne, 2. Webb Bridge - Melbourne Docklands, 3. Neon Lobby - Bourke Street Melbourne, 4. Brighton Beach, Melbourne 2003, 5. melbourne at night, 6. Melbourne Royal Botanic Gardens, 7. m-m-m-Melbourne, 8. Tram,Melbourne,Australia, 9. Rialto Towers, Winfield & Rialto Buildings - Melbourne, 10. Melbourne's elegant details..., 11. Melbourne & The Yarra River, 12. Ol' Melbourne Town

Why, you ask, would I do something so extreme? Well, the short answer is that I have lost faith. I have lost faith in the future in South Africa: every day the news tells us more horror stories of violence, crime, mayhem and corruption. The politicians I thought were trustworthy turn out to be just as bad as all the rest, and our infrastructure is crumbling. Worst of all, I have lost faith that my vote will actually make any difference to all of this.

I want to live somewhere with (fairly) honest politicians, where murder is not something that happened to your neighbor last week. I wish I felt able to be an activist about this, but I am honestly just spending all my energy trying to survive. Not the best situation, and hopefully, when I feel safer and more stable, I will be able to raise some awareness and get some action going about the sorry state of a nation that could have been something so much more; we have Nelson Mandela, for heaven's sake. Maybe this is the first step? If any of you international readers are interested, visit IOL to read our daily news.

And of course Melbourne is so beautiful! So to paraphrase The Avett Brothers' song, The Weight of Lies:

Wherever you run, make sure you run
To something and not away from
Because the weight of lies don't need an aeroplane to chase you down.

(I've been listening to that album a lot lately)

I am running (?) to something great, I hope. The truth is, we all want to believe in a better future, and for me, this is the only way. If you live in South Africa, the questions need asking: Are things OK? If not, am I willing to do something about it? I answered these questions for myself and discovered that I am in some ways less than I thought, and in other ways more.

So, onward, to something (and away from), at the end of April!
I will miss, most of all, the amazing yoga community I am leaving behind. Thank you all, so much. For all I have learnt, for everything.

Paris la Belle (and some good eatin')

2008-02-18T18:25:00.001+02:00

It is really too late to post about my visit to Paris, since it was in September last year, but I am going to do it anyway, prompted by all the talk of eating properly in the new year, diets to get rid of festive flab, and the like.

Now, mostly I escape the festive fat, but then winter arrives and it gets harder to stay on the straight and narrow. My parents, both of whom have been slim all their lives, taught us very good, moderate eating habits. But for some reason I tend to stray from that path with alarming regularity. One of the reasons I came to yoga in the first place was that I had a great deal of weight to lose. I lost it. Then the extreme eating espoused during my teacher training left me more than a little confused, and over the past few years I have found it difficult to balance enjoyment, moderation and guiltlessness in my eating. So my weight tends to oscillate. Before our two-month world trip, my jeans were tight. By the end, they barely fastened.

Thank goodness Paris was the last stop. Had it been a less beautiful city, after two months, my overstimulated senses would just have shut down completely. And then there was the food. I think about the food in Paris a lot. Wistfully. Strangely, a lot of the people carrying baguettes under their arms (yes, gasp, white bread!) looked thin and healthy. How could this be? Well, a clue came when I overheard our hotel manager ordering his lunch: a tarte aux fruit rouges. And a salade. Aha! He was balancing the naughty pastry with the saintly salad. Clever. And just so you know, he breakfasted in the hotel dining room on pain au chocolat and coffee.

Somewhere in the dim recesses of my memory I remembered a book called French Women Don't Get Fat. Couldn't find it anywhere, but my favourite scond-hand bookstore did have a copy of the sequel, French Women for All Seasons. The author, Mireille Guiliano, is a Frenchwoman who struggled briefly with her weight when she move to the US. Returning to the eating principles of her youth sorted that out rather quickly!

She gives great advice, most of which is common sense, but we all need to be reminded. Well, I do anyway. Eat slowly. Savour your food. Stop when you are full. Eat the best you can afford. Carbs are not the enemy. Get a bit of exercise every day; she favours walking, cycling and, yes, yoga!

It was such a liberating read, lifting so much of the guilt I carry around food and eating. And since reading it, I have got rid of the extra eight kilograms I lugged around India and Europe. With no guilt, no hunger, and quite a lot of chocolate. The book is now with my best friend. I hope it does for her what it did for me!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-14T13:44:00.003+02:00

happy valentines day - pink gerbera with a heart of chocolate!, originally uploaded by Vanessa Pike-Russell.

Someone left a lovely comment on the post I did for Valentine's Day last year, and when I read through it I was pleasantly surprised: it was coherent, no spelling mistakes or anything! Not like my recent posts at all....

So here it is, picked up and dusted off, straight from the archives to you.

Valentine's Day is a festival where people show their love for one another, and if you have time for yoga practice today, you might want to do some heart-opening back bends, opening to giving and receiving love.

How about a quick little sequence like this:

Dynamic Tadasana -
Stand in Tadasana. Become aware of your breath, of your heart beating, of your whole system working in unity.
When you are ready, inhale to raise your arms out to the sides and up, rising on to tiptoes, bring your palms to meet overhead. Exhale to bring hands to your sides and heels to the mat.
Repeat 6 times

Warrior 1/Warrior 2 Vinyasa -
Step your left foot forward, your right foot back, aligning the feet through the midline of the body if you can.
Inhale to come into Virabadrasana 1 (Warrior 1), exhale to straighten the front leg and draw your hands to your heart in namaste.
Then inhale to come into Virabadrasana 2 (Warrior 2), exhale to straighten the front leg and draw your hands to your heart in namaste.
Cycle through this vinyasa 6 times on each side.

Sun Salutes -
As many as you want, spend extra time in your lunges and upward dogs.

Then lie down in a comfortable supported backbend like Supta Baddha Konasana, sometimes known as Reclining Goddess Pose. In this position, let your breath become smooth and even, matching inhale to exhale. When you feel centred, and your breath feels steady and comfortable, imagine that you are sending love to those who need it with every exhalation, and receiving love with every inhalation. Notice who comes to mind when you think of giving love, and who comes to mind when you think of receiving love. Spend as long as you want with this imagery.

Seane Corn in South Africa

2008-02-12T13:15:00.001+02:00

Seane Corn & me!, originally uploaded by Danura.

Seane Corn is coming to SA in March! (Seen in this pic with the lovely Danura at the Asia Yoga Conference last year.

Here is the schpiel:

Dates: 7-9 March 2008
Venue: TBA, DURBAN

A Vinyasa Flow Workshop

Workshop Theme
SPIRITUAL ACTIVISM
Using intuition, mysticism and the yogic journey to cultivate inner awareness and initiate global change.

In this Vinyasa flow workshop taught by one of America’s most sought after yoga teachers, we will explore the three realms of consciousness: the physical/ mental, the energetic/emotional and the psychic/symbolic. These three realms create a holistic pathway for Self-investigation - the key for personnel transcendence. In these three realms: asana, chakra exploration, meditation, reflection and prayer create a ritualistic journey initiating the mystical into to the practical - bonding body, mind and Spirit. Learn how Self-confidence is the necessary tool for intuitive work, how to use your body to create a cosmic relationship with Spirit, and how, through prayer, we can become of service to Spirit and to the world around us. The intention of this workshop is to reconnect to our bodies, gain emotional insight, explore our individual Soul’s purpose and cultivate skills - both physically and psychically - to Spiritually assist each other, our students, and the planet we inhabit. (It is recommended that those attending have at least 6 months yoga asana practice.)

About Seane Corn
Seane has been motivated by yoga and Spiritual self-reflection since the late eighties. Her style is evident in her unique self –expression, and as an inspired communicator, her vinyasa classes are an eclectic fusion of various healing and Spiritual modalities making them challenging, intuitive, insightful and uplifting. Selected by Nike to represent yoga she has been featured in commercials, print and various articles and been seen on the cover of numerous magazines including Yoga Journal and Fit Yoga. Seane has been invited by acclaimed author and Spiritualist Caroline Myss to be on her “Experts Forum” where she answers questions on spirituality and yoga. She also created the yoga program at Children of the Night, a shelter that houses and educates adolescent prostitutes and is an activist for YouthAIDS. Seane teaches group classes in Los Angeles and leads workshops and retreats internationally.

Workshop Session Times
7th Friday 18h00-21h00
8th Saturday 09h30-12h30 & 14h30-17h30
9th Sunday 09h30-12h30

Investment
The investment fee for those who register before the 22nd February is R 1200, thereafter R 1350. A 50% deposit is required to reserve a space in the workshop. Full refunds, less a R50 admin fee are given for cancellations prior to the 29th February. There after, for cancellations prior to the 7th March, 50% of the deposit will be returned; no refunds after the 7th March. Full payment is required prior to the commencement of the workshop.

Registration
To register for the workshop please complete a registration form and fax or email a copy of the form and deposit slip to the number/email address listed below. Banking details are included on the form.

Workshop Organiser
For any queries or a copy of the registration form please contact Ashleigh on the following:

Cell: 073 525-9610
Fax: 031 573-2287
Email: ashleigh@hitc.co.za

Pay it Forward (and the circle of love)

2008-02-12T11:46:00.000+02:00

At high school, the popular kids hung out by the entrance to the tuck shop. I was decidedly not one of them. I was so not one of them that I tended to avoid visiting the tuck shop altogether. I was happier down by the art classes with the geeks, losers, smokers, skaters and bikers. I have never smoked, but have certainly been classed as geek and loser, and dated my fair share of skaters, if not bikers!

So imagine my surprise when not one, but five, lovely bloggers named my blog as one of their faves! It just shows how far blogland is from high school, thank Gawd.

Julia, the stylish, cat loving, knitting yogini from Knitteroo said my blog made her day! Right back at ya, Miss Muffy!

Then four yoga gals offered me an excellent blog award, wow! Thank you, Brenda (Grounding Thru the Sit Bones), Yogamama, Linda (Linda's Yoga Journey), and Nona( Everyday Yogini)! I love all you blogs too, and yogamama, I am looking forward to getting to know yours!

So I thought I would pay it forward by naming my favourites other than the ones listed above, since there are soooo many great blogs that I read, and it is hard to pick just ten!

Here goes:
Yogademia
Creating Ms Perfect
Cupcakes & Yoga
Poppalina
Rand(Om) Bites
Shiny Yoga
Zazazu
YogaDawg
Holistic Girl
YogaGumbo - by yogamum, creator of woyopracmo!

Some have already elected their top ten blogs, but for the rest, I am looking forward to finding great new blogs from your lists!

Eishkom

2008-02-07T12:27:00.000+02:00

I don't usually make political commentary, but I though I may as well join the blog-wide trend.

For those of you who don't know what is happening in South Africa, click here , here and here to get some idea.

Now for the rest of us:Edited: I have the feeling the other image danced too close to the edge of libel, so I have replaced it with something a little more innocuous!

Happy Hamstrings

2008-02-04T17:54:00.000+02:00

That backbending post sparked some really interesting conversation and comments! Below is an abridged version of email correspondence between me and Laura of Yogachi. She is very knowledgeable about anamtomy and movement, intimidatingly so! You can learn more about her at her blogs - for yogis, and also one specially for teachers. Thanks for all the awesome advice, Laura!

This does get a little long winded, but it is really worth the read I promise!

Nadine, did you try the dandasana on a block pose? We need to chat -- one hamstring injury to another!
Laura

Ooh, tell me more....
Does dandasana on a block help build stability? My main problem is that my hips have become so flexible in the forward direction, that my sitbones tend to flick up and my lower back overarch, unless I am really concentrating on my alignment, and of course, I am not always, especially when demonstrating! I just want people to get the gist quickly, so bad. So the injury heals, it flares up, heals flares up. I will take any and all advice! It works best for me so far to do a lot of work on strength and stability in the hips - esp the hamstrings, loose bastards, so I do a lot of locust etc.

I would LOVE to hear your thoughts Laura!

Nadine

Nadine,

Interestingly, our problems are similar, yet not. I have hamstrings
that are very tight (yogically speaking, that is. I went to a doctor
about my pull and he brought my leg easily to 90 degrees and
proclaimed me healed. He walked out before I even had a chance to say,
“uuhhh....”). The reason I ask is we can exchange notes. I can share what I have learned for my self and I would love to hear what you do.

Here is a list of what I do:

1. I learned how to hold the attachment of my hamstring. I contract
at the tendon right at the sit bone. I do that while lengthening
the rest of the hamstring. If you stand in Tadasana and
isometrically push one leg back, you can feel the necessary
contraction. (Sometimes I put a strap a the top of my thigh to
remind myself to contract.)
2. I do the dandasana I shared on my blog. REALLY helpful for
learning how to ground through the errant sit bone. Yes, I think
it does help build stability. As I mentioned in the post, you
feel the bones so you can tap into keeping them aligned. It
isn’t about the soft tissue anymore. You won’t flick the
sitbones either if you are in the bones.
3. I do seated forward fold with the extended leg heal up on a
block (and sitbones on a blanket). I can’t explain it, it just
helps.
4. I also ground well when I forward fold in seated positions to
not do what you mentioned doing in your email – flick those
babies up. Teaching is tricky. Not only do I do moves quickly, I
often exaggerate the movement so students can really see what I
am doing.
5. I also do LOTS of strengthening. I love bridge, too for
strengthening “that” area.

Okay, any ideas for me? Thanks for sharing!!

Have a spectacular evening.

Laura

Hey Laura!

You have pretty much covered all bases, I think. This is just about what
I do: I can elaborate a bit, but there is nothing you aren't doing, that
I know about! I really appreciate the reminder to be present even when
teaching, since this is my problemo...

The reason that propping your foot up on a block helps, is that it
'locks' the femur into the pelvis and prevents over-rotation. I didn't
figure this out for myself, read about it in Yoga for Wellness by Gary
Kraftsow! Funny, most of the time we are trying to get people to move
their pelvis around the thighbone more, not less.
As to strength: I also love bridge, moving dynamically in and out of it,
then holding the pose. I do the same with baby locust, lifting chest,
arms, head and alternate legs, in and out with the breath, then both
legs together.
I have found that getting stronger in my core - lower back and belly -
has helped a lot with the 'floppiness' so I also practice urdvha
prasarita padasana (leg lifts) every day.
Since I am tight in the front of my hips, I have found also that regular
and assiduous stretching of the hip flexors and quads helps balance the
hips - basically mine are overstretched and weak at the back and the
opposite at the front. My favourites for this are warrior 1, warrior 3
(also really good for contracting the hamstrings) and some pigeon
variations. Moving in and out of pigeon forward fold is another good
back strengthener, I find.

My last thing is this: it seems that the injury shows up in the
hamstring but sometimes comes from over stretching the entire hip area -
including aggressive hip openers, and if you do less of this, it helps.
I have found this for people whose knees trouble them too, actually!

I am reluctantly coming to the conclusion that most yogis spend too much
time on flexibility and not enough on strength...

Thanks for all the help!

Nadine

Hi, Nadine.

Fabulous! Thanks for explaining why foot on a block works. I love knowing why I am doing something — especially the physiology behind it. Thank you for that info. (I was going to call it a “tidbit” but it is so much more for me.)

I was thinking about your comment about getting our students to move their pelvis around the thighbones more, not less. You know, as I understand it, the injury occurs over time because the femur is not rotating tight within the socket, being “locked” in, but protruding out ever so slightly to be out of alignment. Apparently, many Iyengar practitioners are suffering from hip joint problems. I think it has to do with exaggerating the movement and the femur coming out a bit. (Hence what you telling me makes perfect sense.) It was part of my problem too. I thought the pain was from stretching the scar tissue in my hamstring, but it was pain in my joint from using it incorrectly for years.

As for your hip flexor, also add releasing the psoas. Are you familiar with Liz Brock’s book, The Psoas Book? She also had an article in Yoga Journal a few years back that is available on the YJ website. The psoas needs releasing first before stretching and it can drastically shift your hip flexor tension. Strengthening it will also transform your Urdhva Prasarita Padasana. (Everyday? You are amazing!! And I am inspired...) I have a YJ article written by Richard Rosen on that pose in which he talks about the psoas too. It was written in 1995 so I would guess it didn’t make it to the website but you can check. It is excellent for describing how to use the psoas and not the abdominals for the lifts.

Do you move in and out of pigeon forward fold with your arms overhead? Or just with out using your arms? I am curious how to do it to use it for strengthening the back. I do Salabhasana (locust) with arms overhead. Wow is that one amazing! It really helps get into the lower trapezius.

Ooohh...I am just moving through your entire email and responding as I go and just got to the part about too many hip openers. That is what I was talking about with the hip injury! Another recommendation to help “bring in” the femur is to do a practice with a strap running through your mid hip — just across the top of the femurs — the greater trochanter. Use the strap to draw the femurs in (it is subtle. It is easy to contract in the buttocks, but the action is lower, at the top of the thighs.) This action is especially important for seated forward folds and standing poses like Parsvottanasana and Parivrtta Trikonasana. And, yes, the issue affects the knee as well.

Peace and miracles of the hip joint...

Laura

And to finish, this comment which Kathy of KnittingSutra (great name huh?) left on the original post:

Due to injuries I wasn't able to do forward bends for over a year. I feel your pain. In the beginning it really bugged me, but then you learn how to be real creative with your practice. You then begin to realize that yoga is real flexible, but I was the one with the rigid mind.

Food for thought!

Random Kitty Cuteness

2008-01-30T08:00:00.000+02:00

Real post coming soon, I just need to order my thoughts a bit!
You know I love the kitties, and mine does/supervises yoga with me every day (as you can see from her frequent appearance in asana photos). In fact, if I am tardy getting to my mat, she often comes to see what my lazy ass is still doing in bed. So when my godmother sent me these pics of her kitty cats, I couldn't resist posting them!

Meet Pixie the kitten:

And Liqourice the cat, formerly an only pet, now a grumpy older brother...

PS: I know there have been many many mistakes in recent posts. Sorry. I will be more careful. Been drinking too much (decaf) coffee and it makes me crazy.

I would bend over backwards...

2008-01-22T20:06:00.000+02:00

As WoYoPracMo draws to a close, I thought it would be nice to share what I actually do on my mat most days!

Regular reader will know that I have had recurring trouble with an overstretched (oh, ok, horribly damaged) hamstring, and forward bends, at least seated forward bends, are pretty much out of the question a lot of the time. Combine this with the hunching I have been doing over my knitting in the evenings, and, well, I gotta bend backwards - relieves the stiff shoulders, gets movement into those muscles in the back, doesn't antagonise the hamstring (another post on overstretching to come...)

I am still not a flashy backbender, but my back, and front for that matter, sure have loosened up.

From this (notice the yawning gap between my back thigh and the floor):

To this (photos taken during actual practices, so not quite as pretty as the one above!)

Just so you know, I don't do the flashy stuff (I think this is flashy stuff, not the basics) every day. Or even every week, sometimes. Just on the days I feel like it, and it feels safe and possible. Seems to work much better for me that way, since the poses are after all tools, not a goal in themselves - just a reminder, since you might get the wrong impression from all these photos!

New Year, New Yoga Association

2008-01-15T12:10:00.001+02:00

Stand up (on a chair), originally uploaded by jnmerrit.

Hee hee, this is truly hilarious. We should all join, methinks....

You will get the chair thing once you have read it.

Q & A with Anna Dubrovsky

2008-01-14T20:32:00.000+02:00

I met Anna in September 2006 at KYM, and liked her instantly. She is one of those warm, kind people you feel you can trust, and in fact you can! She is also a really inspiring woman; she has changed her life completely in the last few years - which is why I asked her to do this Q & A. Read on to find out more. Did I mention she is also funnnee? She is.

1. How long have you been practicing yoga, and how did you start?

I took my first yoga class in 2001. It was at a day spa in a New Jersey town I'd just moved to. The ladies in the class were a gorgeous, glowing lot, and most of them were considerably older than I was. I stuck with yoga because I figured it had something to do with their fabulousness. (It's also possible that chemical peels and tummy tucks had something to do with their fabulousness...)

2. How has yoga changed your life?

I wear Lycra instead of rayon to work.

In 2006 I quit my corporate journalism job and moved to India to study yoga. Pretty big change. I came back to the States seven months later and enrolled in a yoga teacher-training program. Now I'm teaching, and I make my living writing about yoga and other topics that interest me. I get paid to go to yoga conferences and gab with the world's most prominent teachers. I won't bore you with the details of my previous career. Suffice it to say that I worked in a cubicle and had five computer monitors on my desk. That change enough for ya?

3. You are currently training to teach yoga. Which teachers have you found most influential and why?

I graduated from my teacher-training program last month.*

I've had quite a few wonderful teachers because I've moved several times since starting yoga. My first steady teacher, Jo Carter, was deeply influential. Her enthusiasm and knowledge hooked me on the practice. She had an Iyengar background, and I left her studio in New Jersey with a great foundation. My next home was in Los Angeles, dubbed "the yoga capital of the West," and I had the opportunity to take regular classes from the sort of teachers who give workshops around the world. Erich Schiffmann was one of them. It was through him that I glimpsed the world of yoga that's beyond the physical. I dove into that world in India, at the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, which is where I met you! My teachers there ranged from founder TKV Desikachar to my roommate and friend Ben. I soaked up so much information during my time there. I studied the Yoga Sutra. I learned Vedic chanting. It was truly transformative. Then I came back to the States, moved to Pittsburgh, and began my teacher training with Robert and Cindi Barton. They taught me how to teach. I know that's a lot of "most influential" nominees, but I've been shaped by a lot of hands.

Jo Carter
Erich Schiffmann
Desikachar
Robert and Cindi Barton

4. What kind of a teacher would you like to be?

I want to be the kind of teacher who lives the teachings.

5. And lastly, tell us about your new blog...

In November I started a "diet blog" for Fitness magazine. I don't like calling it a diet blog because of what that suggests. I'm not chronicling my efforts to slim down or squeeze into an old pair of jeans or anything like that. I'm trying to change my eating habits because for many, many years I've done the reduced-cal, non-fat, lite thing. In the process, I've ingested so many unnatural ingredients that it's a wonder I haven't grown a sixth toe. I'm trying to purge my diet of highly processed foods. I have a lot to learn about healthful eating, and I'm hoping the readers will learn along with me -- and teach me.

Find Anna at her website and her blog - worth a visit for anyone who has ever cracked open a diet soda.

* Yay Anna - if you are in her area, you should try to get some teacher time with her. Trust me on this.

Be content

2008-01-06T20:47:00.000+02:00

All Is One, originally uploaded by Stephen J Phillips

New year, new beginnings, right?
I have signed myself up for Nischala Joy Devi’s Free Weekly Sutra emails. I quite like seeing what her take on the YS is, as compared to the version I usually consult, TKV Desikachar’s.

Her version on Sutra 1.2, 'Yogascittavrttinirodha' is :

Yoga is the Uniting of Consciousness in the Heart

The past few weeks, I have had occasion(s) to notice just how far our practice of yoga sometimes strays from this intention. For example, grading yoga classes into ‘beginner’, ‘advanced’ and so on. How on earth did we get the idea that you are an advanced yogi if you can do certain poses? I won’t even call them difficult, because there will always be some people who find them easy, some who don’t. Does this mean that a former gymnast who is able to contort more than a normal Joe Shmoe is automatically a more advanced yogi? No no no.

Seriously people, refusing a 50-something woman admission to your advanced class because she can’t do chaturanga 'well enough' is not yogic. Call the class something else. Arm balance or strength, maybe. But if that woman is able to sit quietly with her breath, and sometimes, unite her mind and her heart, she is well on her way to being an advanced yogi. Madam Indra Devi practiced yoga postures until just before her death, and I can tell you she wasn’t doing chaturanga, or bakasana. And nobody could question her advanced status as a yogi.

It can be useful to have physical goals in your asana practice, as it is a way to keep you enthusiastic and coming to your mat every day, and achieving those goals can be liberating and exciting. Stella put this beautifully in her post about achieving handstand. But. The asanas are a tool on our way to yoga, one of the EIGHT limbs of yoga practice. Just one of eight. Not the everything. Not the goal.

So, this year, give yourself a gift – be content with where you are in you practice right now. And grateful that you can practice. Every day maybe? Hee hee.

Start Well!

2008-01-01T17:37:00.000+02:00

Today, the first day of the first month of 2008, a year, I am told, of new beginnings: you could start by practicing yoga. Today, and every day for the rest of the month.

For more info, see here.

As you know, I have had a daily practice for a long long time now. I have missed the odd day, it's true, but on the whole, I have to practice to feel half normal. Even if it is just a ten minute breathing practice. Something to tune me in a bit. Or remind me that I am tuned in, depending how you look at it.

Give it a go!

Baking as Yoga

2007-12-20T09:45:00.000+02:00

Since we are well into the holidays, and probably all the eating that goes with them, here is a guest post from my friend Anja Zander, who bakes like the proverbial domestic goddess! She is also a dedicated Ashtangi, maintaining a regular practice and even squeezing in a bit of teaching, despite regularly (always) working 14-hour days. She tells me the New Year will hold more balance on that front...

My favorite memories of my childhood are eating freshly baked bread (which was rather super healthy with loads of seeds and not an ounce of white flour in) smothered in butter or eating Apfelstrudel with heaps of fresh cream. Birthdays were most important because then I could have either a Malakoff cake or Profiteroles filled with cream and peaches. My love for baked goods never subsided. Yet years would pass were I would not eat cake never mind attempting to bake. Shop bought cakes or biscuits never had any appeal to me. They tasted all of sugar and bland flour to me. Some have said growing up in a Austrian/German household spoilt me a little bit in my tastes for baked goods......

When I had the chance to go to Europe, I would make sure I had my croissant and bol au chocolat in Paris, my cream smothered Sachertorte in Vienna or the Apfelstrudel with (once again) cream. The smells of their good quality sugar, grounds hazelnuts, flour and butter made me feel calm, comfortable and for a few blissful moments, all was good in the world.

Yet, I was a lousy baker! I could not cook nor bake. Not being able to cook never bothered me, I love throwing salads and pasta together which requires very little cooking. But baking, there was a whole world out I wanted to discover there yet every attempt to bake ended up in total failure. Burnt, stodgy, boring, too sweet.

Until the day I got hold of the book by Nigella Lawson, How to Be A Domestic Goddess. I liked the title. A book written by a modern woman with a good sense of irony and self depreciation, someone who unapologetically loved food and as she said herself, was not someone who liked fancy pretentious food. A woman after my heart! I enjoyed the little introduction to each recipe (scoffing dark chocolate cake at midnight is always a good thing according to Nigella) and decided to try bake. I cannot even remember what is the 1st thing I baked but I know it worked! I could create something so tasty out of flour, sugar, butter and some good dark chocolate. Around the same time I realized I could bake, I started to take yoga up again. Like baking, yoga had been part of my life early but I abandoned it because I lacked good guidance. I found a wonderful yoga teacher (Nadine...yes you!) who re-inspired me to do yoga, who taught me how to be more gentle, calmer and be in the moment.

There have been many a tear and panic moment when some cake did not turn out the way I had in my head - from a cake bursting into flames in the oven to plastic melting around a cake to just me having way too high expectations of what the cake should look like. I do apologies to everyone around me who had to put up with the angst that I managed to artificially create! As the years passed, I did more and more yoga and stopped punishing myself in yoga if I could not pretzel myself as the teacher could or as the pretty picture in the yoga book. I learnt, without really consciously thinking about it, to be in the moment, enjoy the poses I could to in yoga and realize we all have different limitations and to work within those. And what seemed to be quite sudden, the yoga poses came more easily to me, I managed to do poses I never thought I could. And one should not measure oneself according to what one can do but it is so fun when one can do something one never thought one could!

And this brings me back to baking, now I bake and bring a whole lot less angst into it and the cakes turn out so much better. Oh yes, occasionally there is the still the moment of angst and I am sure everyone around me scuttles off then (as much as in yoga I have moments of annoyance with myself). In general, I talk to my baked goods while they are rising, mixing, melting or resting. Seems perfectly sane to me :) I lovingly melt the 70 % dark chocolate into the smooth butter, I coax the egg whites to be all firm and well behaved, I have a rather good relationship with yeast, which produces yummy cinnamon buns with a maple pecan topping (they are I must admit one of my favorite recipes and I think most of my friends agree). Nigella and her humorous descriptions and reassurances helped me become a Domestic Goddess, but yoga taught me to be in the moment, to focus only on what I do now and baking needs that, as does yoga. The ingredients need your full attention and to really be there and then they do happily as you want it. Every now and then the baking faeries get a bit sneaky and mess it a little bit up;I laugh and try again. Or maybe try something different. As I do when I get stuck on a yoga pose.

To yoga and baking - both bring benefits of good friends (and not just because I feed them occasionally) and a certain peace of mind and fulfillment!

* Sorry about the poor-quality photo of Anja - it was the only one I had to hand, and I had to fiddle with the color/contrast a bit.

No Obligation

2007-11-28T20:26:00.000+02:00

I am sure you have all noticed: I am having trouble keeping up with my blog reading (and commenting!), never mind regular posting. Life is getting in the way - recent drama aside, it is the birthday/party season, so life is a social whirl, and on top of that I am busily knitting gifts for Christmas.

I declare myself a member:

I have a whole bunch of cool posts planned - some Q&A's with great ladies and everything. I just don't have the energy to get it all formatted and posted right now. I'll be back. Y'know, when I am back.

In the meantime, hope you all have wonderful holidays, festive seasons, down time, and yoga of course.

Learning to Pray

2007-11-19T13:12:00.001+02:00

prayer, originally uploaded by kimxtom.

My family and friends have been subject to basically the full gamut of unfortunate events lately: sickness, death, bereavement, financial penury, relationship troubles, and, probably the worst, two terrible accidents in which children were badly hurt.

In the midst of this chaos, my head spinning, I wonder what I can do to help. Apart from some moral support, just about all I can do is pray. And I do that every morning by dedicating my yoga practice to the one who needs it most, and through the day by dedicating my teaching to the one who needs it most. The list is long right now. Todays recipient is my friend's four month old daughter, who was bitten by a dog in the windpipe and rushed to ICU last night. It happened, from what I can gather, in the midst of her six month old cousin's christening celebration. I think my efforts must be paying off, because she was taken off the ventilator this morning, and is looking much better. Well, my efforts and those of the many others who prayed for her through the night and into the morning.

It is amazing how different a yoga practice feels when it is for one who needs, not just a way to stretch out the kinks in your muscles - if you know someone in need of a little help, maybe you could dedicate your practice to them, or, if you have done this in the past, I would love to hear your stories!

I have read about this same practice on some knit blogs - except with knitting - and totally off the topic, I plan to post a list of my favourites for your reading enjoyment. Be patient, all is coming!

Tag, I'm it!

2007-11-15T20:18:00.000+02:00

So I have been tagged by Christine - thanks for finding me, Christine!

Tag rules are:

Link to the person that tagged you, and post the rules on your blog.
Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself.
Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
Let each person know that they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

OK, as usual I am the dead zone girl for tags etc, so I'm gonna ask that if you want to participate, take yourself as tagged - and send me a link!

Now: 7 Random and/or Weird Facts About Me:

My thumbs are a truly strange shape, yet I have never had an issue with them. My nose is normal, yet I spent my teens thinking it was unsightly. Go figure.
I really, really hate rock music involving screaming guitars. I'll take Johnny Cash any day.
I love early summer in Johannesburg, because of the flowering Jacarandas and Bougainvilleas.
I only discovered what peonies were last week - bought them because they were pretty, and found out their name from a client afterwards.
I call SUV's and MPV's and all those big-ass cars stupid-mobiles. Not politically correct, but then neither are those gas guzzling resource chewers.
As a teenager, I not only dressed super-sluttily (retrospective shudder) but also had five body piercings. I still think the piercings were cool, but would never repeat the clothes. I think I might re-pierce my nose...
If I had been completely honest, I would have studied linguistics at university instead of business.

Hello and Goodbye

2007-11-15T19:59:00.000+02:00

It was my hubby's birthday on Saturday, and we had a (pizza) party to celebrate. It was a bittersweet day though, because my aunt had died that morning. So we were celebrating the continuation of one life and mourning the end of another.

Ironically, today was my mom in law's birthday and also my aunt's funeral. So I was once again celebrating the continuation of one life and mourning the end of another. I watched my cousins, only a little older than me, who are now without their mother, and I wondered, what if?

I am so grateful my parents are still with me, and I am so grateful for all those whom I love and who love me. I hope I can remember this all the time, not just on a day like today.

Au revoir, Marion. God keep you, and may the next time be easier.

Yoga Legere

2007-11-13T20:50:00.001+02:00

That's (probably bad) French for Yoga Light. By which I mean the lighter side, rather than 'Lite' like less serious, or sugar-free or something. It's been a heavy week for me, and I have been glad of something light. And sweet.

I am, in fact, referring to Hip Tranquil Chick by Kimberly Wilson. This is one yoga book that appeals to me because it gets the basic concepts across without being preachy, and the tone is light, fun, not at all the usual rather heavy textbook stuff I tend towards. It is sometimes such a relief not to have to take things sooooo seriously. Plus there are quick, simple practice sequences - so nice to do when you want to practice at home but don't know what to do. Yes, I have those days too. Don't you?

If you are in SA, your best bets are Loot or Kalahari, regular bookstores don't seem to have it - I tried several.

Q & A with Kimberly Palmer

2007-11-05T09:34:00.000+02:00

I first started reading Kim's blog, Good Girl, after she did a guest post over at Hip Tranquil Chick, quite a while ago now. She has since moved on to Creating Ms Perfect, and, from what I can tell, she's doing a pretty good job. I love reading her blog because she explores what it means to be a woman, in the context of our day-to-day lives; how we relate to our husbands and parents, how we feel about careers, and being happy. To this end, she is delving into the wonderful world of self-help books. We did a Q & A, so you can all get to know her a bit better before visiting her fabulous blog!

Why did you start following women's self-help books?
I first became fascinated with women's advice books about 10 years ago, when I found a marriage manual in my grandmother's closet in Bath, England. It was incredible -- it advised wives to always look good for their husbands and to make sure not to share too much "intimacy" or you might tire each other out. Some parts were so different from the advice we get today, but then others sounded so familiar. Then, when I got married, I realized I could use some old-fashioned advice, not just for figuring out marriage stuff, but also for deciding how I was going to feel like I was contributing to the world, and how to be happy -- so that's how "Creating Ms. Perfect" got started. It is basically my quest to figure out what kind of wife and person I want to be with the help of women's advice books.

What's your favorite advice so far?
The most enlightening thing so far has been realizing that's it's okay to embrace cooking and cleaning. I've always avoided those two things because I was raised to be a feminist, and I am, but I realized it's possible to be both a feminist and a lover of the domestic arts.

Which advice did you hate?
I really do not enjoy most of the beauty advice out there. I am a flats-wearing, make-up-avoiding kind of girl. The idea of getting regular manicures, waxes, and spray-on tans makes me cringe.

What does your husband think of you following the marriage advice?
At first, he hated it. Well, he hated the idea of me blogging about it, and of people possibly thinking he wanted me to be a traditional type wife. But then he realized I was having fun with it. And he doesn't mind the occasional well-cooked dinner.

What about your yoga practice? How does it tie in with the advice you have been reading?
Lately, I've been focusing on books on finding meaning in life and identifying your passion. One of the key messages is that it's essential to have quiet time each day to make sure you're in touch with yourself, and in touch with how you're interacting with the world. This is where yoga comes in for me. I practice almost every day -- on busy days only about 15 minutes, but still, even a few sun salutations or child's poses mixed with other restorative positions (my favorite is legs-up-the-wall pose before bed) help me to quiet my mind. It's not that I have any huge revelations during this time, it's just that it somehow clears my head and let's me feel calm and open to whatever is happening in my life.

Zombie Yoga

2007-11-02T09:41:00.000+02:00

I am afraid I seem to be feeling silly. Blame this on my husband, who found it!

If you can't view the video, check it out at Boing Boing (because I have NO IDEA how to fix what's broken!)

Shoulderstand Part 2

2007-11-01T20:50:00.000+02:00

Some cool pics - thanks, you fabulous Flickr posters:

straighten up, originally uploaded by *trigger hippie*.

21 february 07, originally uploaded by 2achel.

And I know this isn't a real post, but I thought those of you who haven't read the comments from the first shoulderstand post might be interested in some of them - I certainly was:

Karen Beth said...: My arms are not strong enough to do shoulderstand (although I wish they were!) and my teacher never pushed me to do it. I tried it anyway once and also made my neck sore.

It is a student's responsibility also to know their limitations. Any teacher who insists and insists upon them doing what they know they can't isn't a good teacher.

People should listen to their bodies and teachers should respect and know that and never push.

xo,

Karen Beth :)
Linda (Sama) said...: "This means I have been remiss in my teacherly duties"

not necessarily, nadine. more likely your students don't "have the bones" to do shoulderstand comfortably. as Paul Grilley says, "yoga is all in the bones."

when I train with him and he wants to show examples of the "winners and losers" (and you have to know him to know that he really doesn't mean you're a loser!) we line up for certain poses and he looks at our bone structure. someone with "winner" bones can do a pose easily, the "losers" can't. the angle of the neck determines who can do a shoulderstand comfortably.

for shoulderstand, he has us drop our chins to our upper chest. now take a ruler or stick, place it on the back of your student's neck going up the back of the head and look at the angle. less of an angle (i.e., the more upright the stick is) the more uncomfortable; more of an angle (in other words, the top of the stick is lower), the more comfortable the student will be in shoulderstand, neck-wise.

and if someone never does shoulderstand, what's the big deal? we're so attached to our bodies, to the "forms" that we are "supposed" to do. why?
Linda (Sama) said...: "The catch is that after class, Mary is a judgemental and mean person."

sounds like those 30 years of yoga study really hasn't done much at all...have they?

all the technical knowledge doesn't mean anything if it doesn't evolve the heart.
Total Health Yoga - Kris said...: Nadine,
I can completly relate to your concerns and questions -- is it appropriate to even introduce certain poses? The issue I find is in most classes there is a wide range of abilities. I don't introduce shoulderstand, handstand, headstand, or hand balances in a beginning class, because even if someone is flexible and strong it's the "awareness" that I stress when starting Yoga (and always). However, in one of my classes that's been going on for a while, we do shoulderstand sometimes--because their are folks really ready for it. In that same class there are folks really not ready. Ah, the dilema! I tell them what to look for (such as the Paul Grilley suggestion for the neck angle) to be sure they are ready. However, I do not play the parent. I literally say, "I'm not going to make you do or not do anything. If you want my recommendation, I will offer it, but I'm not going to make you come down." (I've only insisted once that a woman not go up--she has major neck issues. Regardless she says she does it all the time at home....)
This might not be the best approach, but it's the one I've taken to. Point is, I want to offer more challenging poses to people that can really benefit from them. At the same time, I offer info and guidance. But in the end, people will do what they want. "You can lead the horse to water, but you can't make them drink it." You offered alternatives (legs on wall), but you can't make someone not take it. Perhaps allowing each student to back off (and maybe bruise the ego a bit) 'on their own' is a lesson in and of itself.
Hope I'm not rambling too much....

Gayatri Mantra

2007-10-25T17:31:00.000+02:00

Hmm, the Gayatri Mantra is a great way to wipe the slate clean each new day, I could do with that after my last post. This is sooo cool, in a slightly cheesy way - link courtesy of a student:

Return of the Killer Shoulderstand

2007-10-25T14:28:00.000+02:00

In the last week, two of my students have got sore necks from practicing shoulderstand. This means I have been remiss in my teacherly duties. It shouldn't have happened. As I was apologizing profusely to one of them this morning, she said to me,
"But I don't blame you: I wanted to do it even though I knew I could just do legs up the wall. And it felt good while I was doing it."
But. I am the teacher and I should have know better.

Which got me to thinking:

Kris over at Total Health Yoga recently posted this entry:

My friend currently attends a class with a very knowledgeable woman. We'll call her Mary. Mary has studied Iyengar Yoga with Iyengar and many of his senior teachers for 30 years. She leads a well-structured class and has a firm understanding of how to guide students. My friend feels safe in this class and appreciates how Mary is able to watch and ensure folks don't overextend themselves. Sounds great, right? The catch is that after class, Mary is a judgemental and mean person. This really bothers my friend and she's questioning whether-or-not to continue attending a class given by someone that she can't respect or like as a person. There is another teacher, in the Anusara style, that she can go to. This gal is very sweet and nice, but she keeps stressing the class to go a little further--take it deeper. I have heard this frequently in Anusara--constant encouragement to "take it to the next level." (A blog topic for another day.) My friend is concerned that she could easily get hurt in such a class.

And I posted this reply:

I wonder, does your friend not have other options by way of teachers? Because it sounds like neither is REALLY kind - pushing too hard in class is almost as bad as being mean outside of it.

I think, on balance, kindness is the most important quality for a yoga teacher. Even if you don't know what you are doing, as I feel I frequently don't, harm doesn't tend to arise with a kind, present teacher.

In spite of which, it appears that I have been the bubbly bully this week. I am sorry. Shoulderstand will not be making an appearance for a while. Nor will any other joint-threatening poses. Let's just hope I have learnt my lesson...

Oh wow, more yogi knitters!

2007-10-22T20:32:00.000+02:00

Aha, turns out I have loads of great company on the knitting front - many of you will have seen this article from the September Yoga Journal. I didn't because:

I was traveling
I have been a little off YJ of late - too many unfeasibly beautiful people, not enough substance. It's back in favour right this second, though.

If you want more mindful knit-spiration, check out Tara Jon Manning's blog, Earth-Sky-Knitter. Lovely!

And, just so you know, knitting really is therapeutic. Except when you mess up in a lace pattern and can't figure out where things went wrong, so you are forced to live with the glitch. Grrr. Well, it makes the items handmade I guess.

Lastly, I simply MUST have this book:

Greetings from Knit Cafe. I think I might want to knit everything in it. Now. Right after I finish this slightly dodgy, very simple-lace scarf (yes, scarf! Leopards can change their spots, it seems.)

Treat the Individual

2007-10-22T19:57:00.000+02:00

So, a little more on stuff I learned at KYM in August (quelle longtemps!)

One day, in an applications of yoga class, someone asked what you would do if a thyroid patient couldn't do sarvangasana, since that is the best pose for normalising thyroid function. The teacher, with a horrified look on her face, replied that you should Never. Never. Never. Treat the symptom. You treat the individual, and just moving the body in any kind of asana practice goes a long way towards restoring homeostasis.

It got me to thinking: it really is overly simplistic to say that this treat this and that treats that - basically like prescribing headache pills. We all get headaches for different reasons, so the solution will be different in each case too. It gives us far more, erm, flexibility in how we structure and practice our yoga.

For example, it may be appropriate for one person to do very little asana and a lot of philosophy, while the reverse may be true for another. I know I have said this before, but when I heard the shoulderstand exchange at school, it sank in just a little more for me.

Puppetji. Really

2007-10-16T15:31:00.000+02:00

This is a great blog I found via the link at Paper or Dysplastic?

If you have a few minutes to kill and want some light entertainment with your wisdom, Puppetji is you man. Erm, guru. Erm, puppet.
Ahh, just have a look!

Real Yoga for Real People

2007-10-14T21:34:00.001+02:00

The trailer for Mark Whitwell's DVD by the same name. I think we all need to hear what he has to say, over and over again.

Babybliss

2007-10-12T23:00:00.001+02:00

Isn't this just the cutest piccie of baby L practising her morning yoga? Her mom, a gorgeous yogini currently living in Brazil, said I could share this with y'all!

A Balanced Yogi?

2007-10-12T21:46:00.000+02:00

Yeah, I know this has already done the rounds, but it is kinda fun. Now, if you'll excuse me, I am off to work on being as fabulous as the quiz results say I am!

I'm a Balanced Yogi!

A Balanced Yogi

You love your friends unconditionally and accept them for who they are no
matter what their yoga style preference, religious beliefs, or spending habits.
You focus on the good in people and would never try to change them. Almost
everyone feels comfortable in your presence. You live your yoga. You are an
inspiration to yoga students everywhere!

Take the Yoga Journal Yoga Snob Quiz!

PS: Don't you think this picture actually looks a little like me, hair and all?

What I learned

2007-10-11T16:41:00.000+02:00

I learned so much at KYM that it is difficult for me to put it into words, but, at Linda's urging, I shall try!

Of course, I learned a great deal from what we were actually taught, but I learned almost as much from the way our teachers conduct themselves. I think this is the great power of great teachers: leading by example. All of the teachers at KYM are very well trained, and receive a few extra hours of training just about every day, something we in the West can usually only fantasise about. But. Far more importantly, they all teach yoga because they really believe in what they are doing. Some are former housewives, but many are people who overcame great obstacles with the help of yoga and want to pass that gift along. Sometimes they take time off from their businesses or jobs to teach, sometimes they do other tasks at KYM in between teaching, and even more impressively, some of them give up lucrative careers to teach yoga for not very much money at all. I believe this is because they are following the example of their teacher, who has lived modestly all his life, following the example of his teacher.

It helps to have a good example. Something else I noticed about these teachers: never a bad word crosses their lips. I particularly noticed this with Shaheeda Murthy, a consultant at KYM who taught us yoga therapy (Always my favourite subject for some reason.) She would praise the teachers who presented their students to us for case studies, and she always found a kind word for the students too. Even the ones who were presented to us as 'failures'. We specially asked for those because it seems that KYM has a much much higher success rate in getting people to actually do the yoga than we do in the West. They do, but they still have a few fall off the wagon, and that was so encouraging to see. Imagine always being able to find the good in someone. That, I think, is a skill that takes years of cultivation; watching Shaheeda, I noticed that her way with people made them stand a little taller, glow a little brighter, and, for a while, see themselves in the light of her praise. This was not fake praise either. It was the real thing. She seemed to keep silent unless she could find something real to say. Wow.

And this brings me to one of the 'new ' definitions of yoga we were given:
Yoga not just as a binding or union of the various parts of ourselves (mind, body, spirit...) but also as a function that we all perform. In the context of the course (yoga for women) this is done particularly by women. We link our inner selves to the outside world, our nuclear family to the extended family (birthday calendar, anyone?), our children to their activities and so on. In order to be an effective link in the chain, we need to be whole, not broken - or we would be the weakest link, maybe even the broken one. And nobody wants to be the weakest link. This, say our teachers, is why we really really need yoga. So we can yuj to the world, just as my lovely teacher Shaheeda creates links with her kind words.

This is Shaheeda, in the centre. Isn't she lovely?

20070817 kymgroup with shaheeda, originally uploaded by Nadine Fawell.

The Future of Air Travel

2007-10-03T17:31:00.000+02:00

*NOTICE TO ALL TRAVELERS*

All travelers: Standard procedure, for your own safety and protection:

Please undress in the curtained booths and put on one of these standard paper jumpsuits. Place your clothing in the plastic bag, and we will perform security checks on it. We might return it at the end of you journey.
Please shave you head and all other body hair.
Your luggage will also be security-checked, and incinerated if it is a security risk. Or if we just don't like the look of it.
Please arrive 24 hours before your scheduled flight in order to allow us to complete security checks in a timely manner.
If you have a green passport (i.e. Third World somewhere), you are not welcome. Anywhere. Go home.

Yoga in London

2007-10-03T17:13:00.000+02:00

I am finally back on home soil, after much hanging about in airports, and assorted red tape. Suffice to say that wasn't my favourite part of the travelling, and more on that in a separate post.

I did manage to get to a few yoga classes in London, which was very exciting! Here is the rundown.

Jivamukti Yoga London

Fabulous studio, clean and pretty in a nice part of town, but be warned, it is a 15 min walk from the nearest tube station. 10 if you are willing to trot. I enjoyed the class, classic vinyasa, warm and sweaty, heavy on arm balances and inversions, but the instructor was young and inexperienced and he did a few things that made me uncomfortable. My friend Huma, whom I met at KYM last year, works there though, and so I got the plus of a yoga class and catching up with her.

Yoga in London costs, but Jivamukti has a ten day intro offer of ten pounds. Not bad value at all!

Yogaroma

I loved these classes, and went back three times. Amanda, the teacher, looks like Yoga Barbie, but without the huge bust! After the class with her, I felt euphoric, the way I did when I first started yoga. She is great, and I can't recommend her highly enough. Classes are a little out of town, in Uxbridge, but if you find yourself anywhere near Northwest London, you gotta go. Really!

Her prices are reasonable too, starting at five pounds fifty.

I wanted to check out more classes, but ran out of time. Sigh. So much yoga, so little time!

Yoga Anyhow

2007-09-17T17:21:00.000+02:00

My last post was about how I have managed to do asana in odd places - and thank you guys for reading and commenting!

I ran across this post at Daily Cup of Yoga, about how any exercise can get you to the same place as yoga. Read it. I don't need to add anything!

Yoga Anywhere

2007-09-15T13:09:00.000+02:00

I know most of us associate yoga practice with asana, and I must admit I really like to do a daily asana practice, as long-time readers know. I have managed a full asana practice almost every day since we have been travelling, with the exception of heavy travel days, when it just wasn't possible.

I can now say for certain that it is possible to practice anywhere. Really, anywhere. These are some of the places I have practiced in the last six weeks:

Yoga school in Chennai (duh)
Grubby apartment floor in Chennai
Hotel rooms, of generous proportions, in Pondicherry, Mamalapuram, Mumbai
Tiny London hallway, belonging to the friends with whom we are staying. There is no space to put arms out to the sides, or indeed really overhead, but I have managed a full practice nonetheless - it is the only space available!
Guesthouses and hotels in Dublin, Kilkenny, Cork, Killarney and Dunlaoghre. Some of these we of quite petite dimensions, especially in Cork where our room was in an attic with a dramatically sloping ceiling, no room to stand up properly...

So asana doesn't really present me with a challenge: I would have liked to attend more classes but that hasn't been possible.

As to the other yoga, the real reason we practice, well, that has been more of a challenge. You know how with continued practice you are meant to find a deeper connection to your inner self? I thought I was doing OK on that front, until I realised most of my internal connection is with my Inner Control Freak (we shall call her ICF.) ICF is not happy about the holiday weight gain, caused by too many restaurant meals, treats and the like. She thinks right now is a great time to start a Better Eating Plan. Despite the fact that we will be home in two weeks, and until then I don't have as much control over my life and food routines as I would at home... Sigh.

The only sign of progress on this front is that I am able to see the process as it unfolds. Some progess, c'est bien.

Whistle-stop touring

2007-09-13T18:24:00.000+02:00

I am not given to coach touring: I tried it in my twenties, and I think I am neither young nor old enough to find it enjoyable. I found that all the destinations, in-between places and toilet stops merged into a homogeneous mass. Nonetheless, I have just spent the last week on a frantically-paced road tour of Ireland, in particular Dublin, Cork and Kerry and the Wicklow Mountains. The trip was arranged by our very kind London-based friends, who came with, of course!

I found (again) that sitting in a car all day leads to all manner of discomforts for me, not least of which are seized-up hip flexors and, unfortunately, a bladder infection. Not great to need toilet stops every ten minutes when there is A Schedule! So again, I was reminded that it is good to know what manner of beast you are (a non coach-touring kind), and also to be reminded that sometimes it is good to get out of your comfort zone. Just as we do with our asana and pranayama practice, we slip into life ruts too, and having someone else in charge of the travel plans (or the yoga practice) can shake things ups a bit, remind you that you can in fact be flexible, if you just allow yourself to be! Note to self: you can be flexible, you can be flexible...

Ireland is a pretty place, even more prosperous and tourist-ridden than when I was last there eight years ago. The cities are teeming with foreigners working there, foreigners visiting, and a few actual Irish folk. The outskirts of most cities and towns are turning into McHouse paradise - a sign again of the economy's prosperity.

The countryside is for the most part still quite pastoral, cows and sheep everywhere and cute little villages, especially in the Ring of Kerry, which we completed in one day, whistle-stop style. It is weird, though, in Ireland and the UK, how as the population becomes more varied, with people from every corner of the globe moving there, the shops become ever more homogeneous. It was really quite unnerving to see the same window display (exact to every detail) at four branches of a chain store in four different cities, as we whipped past. The portion sizes, for example of coffee, are also insanely large. What happened to a small, or for that matter a medium cup? Who needs a tankard of coffee? This kind of consumerism, which must be mindless, since people are buying the over-sized coffee, worries me. I have been eating starter portions because the main meals are, as a rule, too large, even for someone with as healthy an appetite as me!

We are back in London now, for a few days, and hoping to catch up with friends and family and see a few sights before we head to Paris and then home.

Hope you are all well!

How (not) to see Mumbai

2007-09-04T12:38:00.000+02:00

I am now a seasoned traveller, and feel that I can share my vast store of how-to with you all. I did everything right, and the post that follows is not based on my experiences, this all happened to a 'friend'...

What not to do when visiting Mumbai (A Comedy of Errors)

Arrive during monsoon, guaranteeing delays on either end of your flight
Book into a hotel, which, while comfortably appointed and close to the airport, is far from absolutely everything else
After travelling all day, spend the next day travelling all day, leaving yourself no time to recover from aching muscles, dehydration and exhaustion
Spend an hour and a half schlepping from said hotel to the Gateway of India
Eat your obligatory lunch at the famous Taj Mahal hotel and pay more than you have anywhere else in India. For entrees only
Buy tickets for the ferry to the Elephanta Caves, and trust the toothless tout, parting with three times the going rate for an info booklet
Catch the ferry, in mildly nasty weather, not realising you will be on board for an hour, and get sunburnt (this happened to the husband in this little tale, not erm, my friend)
At the Elephanta Caves, refuse the help of the security guard who is showing you around, because you think he wants a bribe, as everyone has so far today
Find yourself being trailed by a large, boisterous family from Rajastan who want (endless) photos with the foreign Auntie
Step in mud of questionable provenance and break your sandal, after seeing only one of the caves
Realise the security guard doesn't want a bribe, and finally accept his offer of help
Hobble down the (steep) hill on your broken shoe, climb into the ferry, and spend the next hour spitting out sea water and praying, because the waves are like something out of Perfect Storm, and, this being India, the ferry is in poor repair, it is spectacularly overcrowded, and a life jacket has never crossed the threshold
Back on dry land (miraculously), lose your taxi driver and spend the next hour hobbling around, looking for a phone to call him or the hotel. Eventually give up and ask at the Taj reception. Where they help you. Could've gone there first and saved an hour...
Spend three hours in Mumbai's best traffic, getting back to the hotel at 9pm

You may want to take the odd pointer from this. I think maybe this is why so many people we have spoken refer to Mumbai as that city. Believe it or not, it wasn't actually such a bad day!

Mahabalipuram

2007-08-28T07:12:00.001+02:00

Tomorrow, we leave South India for Mumbai, where we will spend our last few days in India, before we fly to London. We are in Mammalapuram, aka Mahabalipuram (this renaming business makes for great confusion). It is most famous for its beach resorts, impressive examples of Dravidian architecture, and the Shore Temple, which was in fact part of a complex, but the rest is now under water. I am told this discovery was made by the common man in the wake of the Tsunami, when the waters receded dramatically.

It seems to be a poorer town than Pondy or Chennai, with many, many people using the beach for all their ablutions (yes, everything.) It is sad, because on the whole South Indians look quite prosperous, and most seem to have their basic needs for sanitation and clean water met to some extent. I think perhaps the government is concentrating its infrastructure efforts in the larger towns and cities.

Seeing the poverty and filth in this little town, like so much else about travelling, especially in India, shows up all the habits I have in thinking, seeing, judging (see the Auroville post!). I notice again and again how I dislike change, and fight against it, even if I instigated it - case in point: the way I was disappointed that our current hotel is not as nice or homely as the wonderful Le Dupleix in Pondy. I also notice that if I feel my needs, for example in terms of cleanliness, are not met, I get uptight. Then there is the spending. India's beautiful goodies erode my self-control and I always buy more than I need to or should! Watching my husband do the same, but on a larger scale, with art pieces, has been educational too. I am not as flexible as I should be, but again, travelling forces the issue, because sometimes, if you are not flexible, you will be without transport or accommodation! How lucky I am to have such a mirror: the yoga of travel.

Auroville...

2007-08-28T06:51:00.000+02:00

So I mentioned how much I liked Pondicherry. Well, our visit to Auroville made an interesting interlude. The visitors' centre is clean and well organised, the community seems to work, the big golden globe at the heart of it all, the Matramandir, is suitably impressive. But. I find the philosophy behind the community a little odd. The basic premise on which Auroville was founded was that it be a spiritual community, but rejecting all religion. So far so good. But then why name the four supports of the Matramandir after the four great Hindu goddesses? And why have images of the Guru and the Mother everywhere, literally enshrined?

This is just my opinion, but I think it is very difficult to lead a spiritual life without it somehow crossing over into the realm of religion. Faith and ritual, practiced in a community, led by a guru, can be only two things: religion or cult. So if it isn't a religion...

However, if the mind that conceived all this was used to Hinduism with its many internal contradictions, including atheist doctrines, none of these inconsistencies would be a problem. And I probably need to learn from that, instead of muttering under my breath about people not reasoning things out.

Another interesting aspect to our Auroville visit was my insta-celebrity among the Indian tourists, mostly groups of young men from places like Calcutta. They literally followed me around, asking to have a photo taken with me! One chap was waiting for me on the side of the walking path, another group ambushed me at the Matramandir viewpoint, and still another guy had to be physically dragged away by his friends because he was staring so hard. My husband may as well have been chopped liver. Now. That day I was sweating so profusely that my mascara (yes, even on holiday!) was streaming down my cheeks, I was wearing loose trousers and top, and I am really just an ordinary looking woman, especially in Auroville, where there are lots of Westerners and indeed even people of mixed heritage. So why all the attention? I am still puzzled.

The only two things I can think of are these: my extreme pallour (unusual among Europeans in India who go for the darkly tanned look) and the umbrella. I mean, surely only someone special would be such a princess as to carry an umbrella against the sun! Little do they know it's just because I lost my hat! Picture to follow, it is priceless!

Pondy Pilgrimage

2007-08-24T07:18:00.000+02:00

We are currently in Pondicherry (recently renamed Puducherry, but there is no way I am calling it that silly name.) We made the journey from Chennai in the quetionable comfort of a frigidly air-conditioned Ambassador taxi. I mention the aircon because it had only two settings: FREEZING, and off. We favoured the latter, but our driver, in the way of minor bureaucrats everywhere, kept switching it back on. The basic rationale seemed to be: you paid for aircon, this car has aircon, so now you will have it, whether you want it or not. It took the rest of the day for us to defrost, even in the humid heat of coastal Tamil Nadu.

Our journey was, however, enlivend by the streams of orange-clad Christian pilgrims walking past on their way to Pondicherry. Their clothes ranged from lurid day-glo orange to faded sherbert tones. Some wore shoes, many more didn't. Some carried flags, and some even pushed carts blaring music and containg icons of Jesus or Mary - of course! I wasn't able to get full details from our driver, but he did tell me that the walk takes ten days, and is undertaken by South India's Christians. Now here is an interesting pseudo-fact: depending who you ask, between one and two percent of India's population is Christian. Seems like a number to overlook, no? But it represents somewhere between 10 and 20 million people. South Africa's entire population is only 45 million. And this is maybe a metaphor for all of India. It is BIG. So many people, so much faith, so much heat, so many insects. And lots of poop!

We are really enjoying Pondicherry - it is a small town, clean and quiet compared to Chennai. The old French town - the Ville Blanche - is riddled with gorgeous old buildings and seems to be undergoing a period of gentrification. We are staying in one such renovated building - our hotel must be the best in the town - it is named for the ill-fated French governor of South India, Le Dupleix. We ended up in this upscale establishment through a combination of two factors: leaving our travel arrangements to the last minute, and exhaustion with the profound grubbiness of our Chennai apartment. Cleanliness in India runs to different standards than I am comfortable with. But now, according to the Le Dupleix catchphrase, we are sleeping like governors and eating like nawabs. See the pictures (courtesy of the Le Dupleix site) and weep!

Yup, that is our room. Perfect for naps, sloth, and, of course, yoga.

Stay tuned for tales of our trip to Auroville and the Matramandir, including my sweaty brush with celebrity.

Photos!

2007-08-19T18:59:00.001+02:00

20070812 chennai amethyst, originally uploaded by Nadine Fawell.

Want to see more from the las two weeks? I have put a Flickr badge in my sidebar, but if you get this by email, just follow this link.

Another borrowed post

2007-08-15T17:31:00.000+02:00

I saw this clip on Linda's Yoga Journey just now, and thought you might enjoy it if you haven't seen it yet!

School's Out! (Almost)

2007-08-15T16:55:00.000+02:00

Two more days of yoga school, how time flies. I am learning loads, simple yet sophisticated techniques that I will need time to absorb and digest so I won't be blogging about them just yet.

Instead, here is a guest post from my husband. I thought this story was hilarious when he told me.

i was at a tourist destination called marina beach,
apparently the second largest beach in the world.
and home to chennai university that has amazing architecture on the campus.
so being who i am and enjoying architectural pics i wondered onto the campus
to capture some of said wonderment.
in order to get on to the campus there were a number of ancient security guards
with batons and large whistles that i just walked past.
so i get to the first building and i am just getting my composition desirable
when i start hearing whistles blow behind me, like an invasion army.
but not realizing the cause of the blaring i continue with my crafting.
and before i get to take the first picture i am grabbed from behind by
a red faced, eyes bulging, midget whistle blower
having a seizure with a d*mn whistle.
he scared the cr*p out of me!!!
so now after having jumped in fright it dawned on me that i was the creator of the
whistle symphony and that i was being escorted off the campus for trespassing.
go-figure...
white touristy guy taking pictures a threat to campus security.
so after the indignity subsided i nearly wet my pants from laughing...
man...
it happens all over the world.
give a guy a whistle and a baton and he is important.
he will blow it at every opportunity.
it is crazy out there...

Bad Tourist

2007-08-11T16:23:00.000+02:00

We spent the day today doing the tourist thing around Chennai. A little bit, anyway. There is only so much you can do in the stewing heat before you need to repair to a nice air conditioned restaurant.

We began our morning by oversleeping, thereby ruling out the possibility of visiting the Kapaleshwarar Temple before it got too hot and they padlocked the gates. We consoled ourselves with brunch and light shopping at Amethyst, and then we went off to the Theosophical Society headquarters. It was closed. We were told to come back at two pm. We then went to the Ashta Lakshmi Temple on Elliot Beach (temple to the goddess Lakshmi). It was closed. We were harassed for money by pretty much everyone around the temple gate and ended up paying four times the going rate for some kitsch stickers of Indian deities.

It was almost two, so we went back to the Theosophical Society, and there, we were underwhelmed. It droops with an air of disuse and general neglect. We weren't allowed into the library to see the fabled book collection. The Big Banyan tree under whose shade J Krishnamurti disavowed his association with the Society is dead, leaving behind only its many skinny offspring - still technically the same tree, but not quite as impressive. But the sign still announces the Banyan as the largest living tree of its sort. Hmmm.

It was nearing four, and we decided to repair to a nice air conditioned restaurant. Did I mention that this is how my touristing invariably ends? There we ate a belated lunch and drank frozen beverages. Yes, ice, just like we are not supposed to do in India. I eat raw food here too. I am a bad tourist this way, because I don't follow all those rules we are given ' for our own safety'. I figure that the quality of the establishment is a better indicator of whether you will get ill than the type of food. Hope I don't have to, ahem, eat my words.

Another reason that I am a bad tourist is that I have almost no interest in little-visited museums, closed temples and the like. I prefer nice restaurants, pretty shops, and the homes of real people when forming an impression of a city. I suspect there won't be much more wandering around looking at monuments in my relationship with Chennai. If I am lucky, though, a Chennaivasi or two will invite me into their home, and I will see how they live...

PS: For more of J Krishnamurti's thoughts, check out his recorded talks, Direct Perception and Transformation, on emusic.

Saluting the Sun

2007-08-10T15:22:00.000+02:00

Dang, it is hot here in Chennai. You know I was saying it was hot the other day? Well, it got hotter. Yes it did.

Today at school, we saw a case study of a lady who has suffered from terrible fear and anxiety, to the point where she couldn't leave her house on her own. She has been practicing yoga since March, doing mainly breathing and meditation as prescribed by a KYM teacher, and now she travels the city alone, and has completed several computer courses, which she didn't think she had the concentration to do. The secret ingredients?

Her own faith in the effectiveness of yoga, and the sun. Or rather, the meditation she was given on the sun. She was told to imagine she was absorbing the strength of the sun, and to chant several sun-related mantra's. We did a similar practice in our meditation class afterwards, and it was wonderful, and after school one of the women on the course told me she healed a difficult relationship with an extended family member by chanting the Gayatri mantra and then 'talking' to that person mentally.

In such a hot place, just like at home in JHB, the direct connection between the sun and life is all too evident, and the power of the sun is unquestionable. Consider:

The sun is always there: it rises every day, at the same time, give or take seasonal differences, and when we can't see it, people on the other side if the world are in its light
Although the sun will one day die, by human standards it is immortal
Without the sun there would be no life on earth

So if we tap into this immense and awesome power, anything becomes possible for us. Next surya namaskaras, remember this - you can do anything you want to with the help of the sun, and it is always there to help.

In other news, my never shop unless you need it policy is rapidly being eroded by the loveliness of India's textiles. And so cheap! All the teachers on the course wear these gorgeous punjabis or saris, and never ever the same one. One teacher actually told me she has now filled all the cupboards in her three bedroom house! They have as much trouble resisting as I do!

The principal culprit so far has been Anokhi, where my husband also got several kurta's, but tomorrow, since it is Saturday and we failed to get into the Ideal Beach Resort (fully booked) we will be having brunch at my old haunt, Amethyst. I anticipate that we will be parting with a little bit of cash. Or perhaps plastic!

This pic is from last year, a leisurely lunch at Amethyst. Pics from this year to follow when I (er, my hubby) figure out the USB picture loading thing.

Phew!

2007-08-08T14:58:00.000+02:00

I am into day three of Yoga for Women at KYM, and I am back to meltdown mode. The actual course work is not as new and overwhelming as it was last year, but I am now with a group of women who are like PHD students with me in my third year of university. In one way, this is great, because I get to learn so much, but it is, of course, intimidating, and I am, as I did last year, wondering what the hell I am doing teaching yoga. I think this is a good sign though: there is nothing worse than a teacher who thinks they know everything!

We are doing quite a lot of practical: one hour of asana to start the day at 7, we are working with shristi krama, which is the ' first stage' of asana practice, usually taught to kids and teenagers, and it is basically vinyasa style. Nice, I am even a bit stiff. We will move on to the other three stages (sikshana, rakshana, adhyatmika) as the course wears on, symbolizing the different practices appropriate through a woman's life. We then have two lecture sessions, and before lunch we chant for an hour.

After lunch, we have half an hour of pranayama, a lecture on yoga cikitsa (therapy) and then a meditative practices class (asana, pranayama, ending off with meditation). It's a lot of exercise- about two and a half hours a day, plus the hour and a half I have been spending walking to and from school and around the suburbs. The heat is getting the best of me, though, and I suspect I shall be using auto rickshaws for transport in the heat of the day!

Chennai is as it is: loud, overwhelming, green, friendly, intimidating, welcoming. All at the same time. Next weekend, my husband and I hope to head to the beach, and after that, to Pondicherry. I will keep you posted!

Persistence equals serendipity

2007-08-04T09:05:00.000+02:00

On Wednesday, we left home at 6.30 in the morning, and, after thirteen and a half hours of waiting for airplanes, flying, and waiting in airport queues, we arrived in Abu Dhabi at nine pm their time. We were tiiiired, and we had a 14 hour wait beforethe flight to Mumbai. It promised to be a very, very long night.

One of the Etihad ground staff suggested a hotel, but we have South African passports and no visas for Abu Dhabi, so we couldn't leave the airport. What to do? We began wandering the hallways, looking fora quiet nook to wait in. The idea of a hotel room had, however, lodged itself firmly in my brain, and that is what I was hoping for.

The concept of transit hotels is new to me - maybe because they are a newish idea, but far more likely because I have always traveled on such a tight budget that sitting on an airport bench for 14 hours would have been the only option. Not this time, though, and after a great deal of wandering and being turned away from various airline and first class lounges, we found a hotel.

Except that its signage announced it as a first and gold class transit hotel, leading us to believe that we would, once again, be turned away. By now it was almost eleven and we were ready to give up. But I couldn't, not when we were so close to a hot shower and a bed for the night. So I mustered the last of my courage, climbed the forbidding staircase, and asked the receptionist if we could stay...

"Of course, madam! You are welcome!"

I have never been so grateful for a bed and a shower, and the possibility of place to do some asana practice to relieve my flight-wearied muscles.

Moral of the story? How often do we give up, just as we are on the brink of achieving our goal? Far too often, methinks. And this is also yoga: persist, as Patanjali says in a number of different ways in the Sutra's, and you will make your own serendipity.

PS I will try to post some pics of the awesome Abu Dhabi airport from Chennai, where we are headed this afternoon.

PPS. We flew Etihad, and I have to say they have so far been one of the best airlines I have ever flown. Remember them next time you need to to do make some monster carbon emissions!

PPPS: Thanks for the suggestions about the carbon offests - trees it is!

Yoga Practice Options

2007-07-31T09:27:00.001+02:00

For those of you who haven't been getting my emails (you know who you are!), here are some great practice options to try while I am away:

Natalie Botha, who teaches in Norwood. Call her on 072 198 9798 for more info about her class times, rates etc. She also does private sessions, as some of you already know!
Clara Woodburn at Yoga Warrior - many of you know her, and her fabulous new studio will be opening mid-September as far I know. Her website is www.yogawarrior.co.za.
My friend and teacher, Ann, whom many of you know, teaches a class at the Ishta Centre from 9 - 10.30 on Wednesday mornings. I f you want to know more, their website is www.yoga-sa.com.
Lastly, try the Sivananda Centre in Parkview, where my friend Brian Appleton teaches every Monday at 5.30. Their website is www.yogajhb.co.za.

Happy exploring!

Gurus, God, and carbon emissions

2007-07-31T04:05:00.000+02:00

People keep asking me when I will be getting to the ashram. I keep telling them that I am not going to an ashram, but rather a yoga school. Why is it that all yoga learning seems to be associated with ashrams?

Why, you ask, am I not going to an ashram? Well, the short answer is that I don't play well in groups. For the long answer, consider this:

Take a group of people with disparate tastes, circadian rhythms, personalities, cultural backgrounds, belief systems, body types, and tell them you know the way for them to achieve yoga. It is as follows:

You must all wear the same clothes
You must all wake up and go to sleep at the same time every day
You must all eat the same food, at the same time of day
You must all do the same asana practice
You must all do karma yoga, even if you are not so inclined
You must show devotion to the Guru, for it is through the Guru that you will reach God
No sex, not in this establishment!

Do you think this cookie-cutter solution will work for all of them? Er, no. A few, perhaps. But not all.

Now take the same group and say to them:

You can wear whatever you like, as long as it is respectful of the culture you find yourself in
You can wake up and go to sleep whenever you like, as long as you get to your classes
You can eat whatever and whenever you like, hey, this isn't a residential program. You can even drink if you are so inclined (not that I am!)
We will teach you tools to personalise your asana, breathing, and chanting practice so that it suits you on any given day in your life
You can do karma yoga if you find it useful. Otherwise, don't
Please show respect for your teachers and the information they are sharing with you, but you can choose your own path to God
Sex? Not our business what you do in your private life, just please do it responsibly

OK, I know I am over-dramatising a bit, but let's be honest, option 2 is going to work for a whole lot more people. Still not all, but more. That is why I am going to KYM and not an ashram.

I think often of the anecdote we were told to distinguish between a Guru (one who who shows you the way) and an Acharya (expert teacher).

Guru: Do as I say, don't do as I do
Acharya: Do as I say, because I am doing it too

I am a Westerner, and a stubborn one at that, and the concept of gurus is not entrenched in either my culture or my psyche. I just can't understand why we are so often told we need a conduit to God, when yoga gives us all the tools to find enlightenment on our own, with the guidance of a teacher we trust. Note: guidance. Thank goodness for teachers like Mark Whitwell, who are saying just that: it's all in you right now, you don't need to change anything, and you certainly don't need a guru. Unless you want one, of course!

Now (blush) I must confess that I don't know how to offset my carbon emissions from all the flying, because I haven't done it before. I am running out of time before we leave on Thursday morning, so it may have to wait until we get back. Can any of you offer advice on this one? I would love to know what you have done.

In the meantime, I am looking forward to seeing the statue of Patanjali in the KYM courtyard once again.

December Yoga Retreat

2007-07-23T14:57:00.000+02:00

Hosted by my lovely friend Geraldine from 16 - 23 December

Use your VOICE

2007-07-23T14:15:00.000+02:00

om, originally uploaded by State Of Mind.

A couple of days ago, Mary was saying that when she returned to yoga class after a hiatus, the asanas came back easily, but chanting OM at the beginning of the class proved more of a challenge. Mmmm, interesting that.

Sometime in early April, I completed my thousandth hour of teaching yoga. That is a lot of teaching, I am sure you will agree. Although I still keep a log in case I need it at some future time, I am no longer totaling the hours, but I would guess that I have taught a few hundred extra hours since. So much teaching has changed many things about my style, but one of the most noticeable changes has been to my voice. Those of you who have been practicing with me for a few years may have observed this: the pitch of my 'teaching voice' has dropped, and, most of the time, I am able to project sufficiently. This was not always the case.

Nor was it always comfortable for me to get up in front of a group and lead the chant to start class. Now I do it all the time, and often chant other things too! I really love vedic chanting, one of the reasons I am so excited to return to KYM. More chants learned and taught, yay!

As my voice has changed, I have observed how others use theirs. Mary's chanting issues are so incredibly common. I notice that many people just can't make a sound issue from their throats, and many others, mostly women, chant from the top of their throats in a falsetto.

Now, think about the link between sound pitch and power. Do you find you are more inclined to listen to a speaker with a low melodious voice, or one with a high, wavering one? Thought so.

Strangely, several people have told me they were taught to chant in a high voice. I will keep to myself my political views about women being taught (not) to use their voices. But if you chant from deep in your guts, the sound resonates powerfully from, well, deep in your guts. And to my mind, this makes it far more effective. Try it, try it at home if you have to!

Chanting OM is a great place to start since it is, after all, the pranava, the great syllable - as Wikipedia says,

praṇava, from a root nu "to shout, sound, praise"

If you know other chants, and like them, chant those. Use your voice - shout, sound, praise!

PS when I return to SA, if enough of you are interested, we can have a chanting workshop. Lots of fun!

Yoga in Paris

2007-07-22T11:34:00.001+02:00

Yoga in Paris, originally uploaded by kajo55.

Oh wow!

Look at this amazing photo I found on Flickr. I am going to be in Paris in September! So I can now drool over that gorgeous backbend in that gorgeous city.
(Note to self: Remember, Nadine, that backbend is because of her bones...)

For those of you whom I still haven't told, this is how the next few months look for me:

August 6 - 17 - KYM's Yoga For Women 2 course in Chennai
August 17 - September 1 - assorted travel around Tamil Nadu and South India, with a possible side trip to the Taj Mahal and Agra
September 2 - 19 - London! Yoga in London. Definitely more than vist to Jivamukti London
September 20 - 28 - Paris! All the sights but probably no yoga to speak of. This is assuming our visa goes through fine, we still don't know. But we bought suitcases anyway.

Home on the 3rd October.
Lucky us, life is definitely looking up!

Soul Soothing

2007-07-17T11:31:00.000+02:00

You know when times are bad? When you feel down? Anxious, tired, yucky all around?
What music do you put on?

A while back YogaGlamGirl tagged me, to which I responded with deafening silence. One of the questions on the meme asked which five songs you know all the words to. I don't know the words to any songs. Not real ones. Only sanskrit chants. I know lots and lots of those, and when times are hard, I chant them. A Lot. The other music I always turn to for comfort is Tori Amos. Any of her work will do, but my favourite is Sorta Fairytale off Scarlet's Walk. I *love* that song. It fixes what's broken. And sometimes, I practice yoga to this song. And sometimes, this is what happens:

A nice, anxiety-releasing backbend sequence, starting with surrender in child's pose, knees apart, feet together.

Inhale into a deep kneeling back arch, as deep as is comfy and safe for you.

Exhale and surrender into child again.

Inhale and flip over your knees into this back arch (kapotasana variation maybe?)
Hands and knees in exactly the same position as for child.

Exhale and surrender forward into a full prostration.
Then follow these instructions backwards to go back to child pose.

Pink t-shirt courtesy of Debbi and Roots.
And look what else Debs gave me: a Just Breathe tee shirt!
She said she had to get it when she saw the logo...
Thanks, honey.

Good Cause

2007-07-05T12:42:00.000+02:00

Three posts in a day, what can I say. If you have time, please click on this link to have your say about animal cruelty.

Maybe if we start to to treat animals nicely, we will do the same with people. We can only hope.

Svadhyaya

2007-07-05T12:12:00.000+02:00

Yup, turns out I have the energy for another post!

Svadhyaya (swad-hee-ya-ya) is one of the yoga niyamas, and is usually translated as self-study. Self-study is a way to know yourself better, and through knowing yourself (your Self, perhaps) it is a way to know God, in whatever form that takes for you.

Faith has been prominent in my mind and practice lately, and although mostly I say that belief in God in optional but useful, I am starting to think that, when times are tough, belief in God can make the difference between making it and sinking. But that is a topic for a whole other post!

How, you ask, can I go about studying myself? I am tired of self-analysis, therapy, whatever.
Well, any activity that teaches you more about how you operate is a form of self-study. Obviously asana and pranayama, meditation, the yoga tool kit, are very effective tools for this, but there are others.

For example, I am now a (sic) dyed-in-the-wool knitter. And I have learnt some interesting things about me in my short knitting career. S0me I knew, but needed reminding of. OK, most I knew, but needed reminding of. That is why self-study has to be an ongoing process.

For example, I have observed that:

I am a knitter of bunnies, baby clothes, bags, hats and gloves. I don't like scarves (boring) or shrugs (boring) or large garments (tedious). I am fond of projects that are challenging enough to hold my interest, and that allow me to see results almost immediately. I like teaching yoga for the same reasons.
I like knitting in the round because there is no finishing work afterwards. Wouldn't want the project to be too challenging or long-winded!
I don't like poor-quality yarn, and would rather knit one item in pretty wool than seven in nasty acrylic. I suspect this means I am a princess.
I feel guilty that I am producing more stuff the planet doesn't need, and I wish I could find recycled yarn. This I didn't need reminding about.
I like clever, elegant patterns where the engineering of the item is effortlessly simple. Knitting that is almost like architecture. This reminds me that I like things to run smoothly and in an ordered way. And that I like understated beauty. It is good to know what manner of beast you are.

What do you hobbies teach you about yourself? Do you cook? Sew? Scrap? Walk? Play Scrabble? Sudoku? Notice how you react to the challenges, your chosen patterns of thought of behaviour when you are engaged in these activities.

Teaching as a Trust

2007-07-05T12:00:00.000+02:00

I am trying to maintain a once-weekly entry in this blog, all that I can manage right now, so here goes (although there may be a part two, depending on energy and time.)

Two women came to class this morning, both of whom are experienced yoginis and both of whom had been to a yoga class at the gym the day before where the teacher hadn't shown up. A student took over teaching the class, and it seems to have made people uncomfortable, because they didn't feel confident in his abilities or compassion. This sparked some interesting debate today, and I am left thinking about the responsibility of a yoga teacher. A lot has already been said on this topic, some of it by me, but here are today's musings:

A teacher should know more about her topic than her class, even if it is just a little more.
As a teacher, you only have the authority you are freely granted. You don't get it just by standing up in front of a class!
It is a vital and necessary task for a teacher to have her own dedicated and regular practice and to constantly learn more about yoga philosophy, anatomy, communication skills...
Sequencing IS important, really really important. You can hurt people if you do this wrong.
Reading the room is important, really really important. Again, if you give asanas that are not appropriate and people actually do them, or you give a bizarre sequence, things can go badly awry.
Yoga is a sacred practice, and teaching yoga is a sacred trust. Most people who have practiced for a while begin to feel this. It is not just athletics or aerobics, and you hold that trust when you teach.

I am so grateful that there are some of you out there who are still posting comments! I probably won't respond, but if you feel so inclined, I would love to hear what you think about yoga teachers you have known, what you want from your teacher, what you want to achieve as a teacher...

It snowed!

2007-06-27T19:14:00.000+02:00

Last night, it snowed in Johannesburg for the first time in 26 years. There is a whole generation of people who weren't born then.
The time before that was 1964, I am told.
So much for unseasonably warm winter!

These pics are of my parents' garden
(Mom I hope you don't mind, since I didn't ask permission to post them...)

The Borrower

2007-06-21T12:12:00.000+02:00

Before I post this (borrowed) piece, I need to tell you all that Anton (the hit and run victim) is on the road to recovery, no serious injuries, and will be back at work next week. Thank you all for your thoughts!

This lovely piece comes from the Moksha newsletter, written by one of their recently graduated teacher trainees:

The Oxford Dictionary defines 'faith' as a 'strong belief or trust'.

I believe that when we practise Yoga we begin to have that strong belief, we begin to have that trust: we begin to have faith in ourselves.

It's a bit like embarking on a train journey: the moment you step from the platform onto the train you take your first step of faith. You may stop along the way, but by just beginning, by just embarking on the journey, by allowing yourself the opportunity, you move your soul towards faith.

Asana is the movement, breath is the progression and in your back pack you have the codes of conduct, yamas, nyamas, and you have sense control, pratyhara. Your interpretation of these as well the diligence with which you practise them, will determine just how much that back pack weighs. Subsequently though, the more you pack in the more you have to draw upon during the ride.

You may break up the journey or take the express. You may change trains along the way or choose to take the non-stop train allowing nothing to detract from your journey. Either way you choose to progress, faith will climb aboard with you.

Of course if you stay on the train, instead of jumping on and off or changing trains all the time, the journey is smoother, the progress more steady and faith holds a lot stronger.

You may find the ride uncomfortable at times but if you sit by the window you will feel the sun warming your face. At times the scenery may be dull but if you stay on board you will see the bright field of sunflowers around the next hilltop. And when the noisy engine overwhelms you, you will sing louder than you ever have and no one on board will mind. So it is that you begin to know the ebb and flow of life and so it is with each experience that faith holds your hand a little tighter.

When we have faith in ourselves we are able to move through life with equanimity. We accept life's fluctuations and are able to make conscious choices within everything we choose to do and say and think and feel. We trust that everything is as it should be.

Yoga takes us to that faith in ourselves. Although the journey requires faith, it gives us the faith we need. As with yoga, discipline is required but yoga gives us that discipline, we need strength for yoga, but yoga gives us that strength.

And so, it is the practise of yoga that gives you the faith to moves towards and keep moving towards your true self and if we then embrace the challenge and surrender to the infinite possibilities that it offers, yoga is like a train ride that never has to stop and it takes you closer to your true self with each passing mile.

Strike, you're out

2007-06-14T11:27:00.000+02:00

Warning: this is a rant!

South Africa has been in the throes of a public service strike. I understand that civil servants, who make a country run, need to earn a living wage. I don't understand why teachers at private schools, who earn a decent salary, need to strike. Nor do I understand how striking workers could deny an injured man access to Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital after he was the victim of a hit-and-run accident.

This really happened. Yesterday, my housecleaner's son was run over by a car, which didn't stop (great karma to that driver...) A concerned bystander dragged the inert man into a minibus taxi and took him to hospital, where he was told they couldn't go inside for treatment. This is a poor man, not one who has private health insurance, and certainly not one who has enough money to pay the deposit at a private hospital. He may die. The striking healthcare workers made sure of that. To me, it is not OK to deny the sick and injured access to treatment while you are on strike, because the death and suffering that results accrues to your karma.

Today, please send a prayer or thought to this man, as his mother tries to arrange treatment for him.

PS: If you are wondering why I am still a bit erratic on the blogging front, it's because I am disinclined to be online right now, as it seems to make me anxious, but I am thinking of you all in between teaching teaching teaching!

Some more suffering!

2007-06-08T10:03:00.000+02:00

Thank you all so much for your outpouring of support in response to my last post. I agree, it is generally not OK to be unkind, if it is at all possible to avoid it. But I also realise I didn't make my point very clearly!

Here is my second, and hopefully clearer, attempt. What I was trying to say is that when we realise that most things are impermanent and will pass out of our lives, we find it easier to go with the flow.

Consider all these things that will be different in ten years:

Your age (duh!)
Your appearance. There is no avoiding it, you will look at least a little different.
Your home. If you haven't moved, which statistically most people do every 7 years, you will have repainted, or your furniture will have got older. Something will be different.
Your job. How many of us stay in the same career all our lives? Even if you are doing the same job, it will be different because you will have changed. Maybe you will have learnt more and will be more confident. Maybe you will just be bored.
Your relationship. Again, how many of us stay with one partner for life? Not so many, these days. And even if you are with the same person, you will both be different people, interacting in a different and hopefully better way.
Your stuff. Chances are you will have a different car, or no car, and different clothes; or the ones you have will be very worn and therefore different than they are now.
Your beliefs. If you are a thinking person, as we all are, chances are your ideas are mutable and will change in the light of new information, experience and knowledge.

If all of this has changed, pretty much everything about yourself, then will you still be the same person, the same You? Yes! Because the little part of us that Sees is permanent, immutable, divine. And that is what we are trying to know through the practice of yoga. As Carl says in his comment, we are trying to wipe off our clear sight goggles!

Also, check out a very similar post by Isha. See, we all have this struggle!

As my mother always says,

This too shall pass

Be it good or bad, this too shall pass, for that is the nature of the world.

Suffering and the Self

2007-06-07T15:01:00.000+02:00

Yesterday, someone made a disparaging comment about my appearance. It really hurt my feelings. In fact, I am still thinking about it today - one little offhand comment has caused over a day of suffering for me.

Why? Well, in yoga terms, probably because I am afflicted with asmita, I-ness or ego, one of the obstacles to clear sight that the Yoga Sutra refers to as klesas. I am very concerned about how people see me, whether people approve of me, my physical appearance. It is the source of a great deal of my mental suffering. Things have, of course, improved with the advent of a yoga practice, but that is not to say my problems have disappeared. It's just that these days, when I have a 'fat day', I know that I really feel tired, or down, or drained. I still can't find anything to wear on those days, though. So I am a bit more aware; baby step number one?

The real problem is that I am not at all certain who 'I' am: my self-identity is wrapped up in feedback from others, in my job, in my mind, in all those outside things, and the sense of true clear Self comes through only occasionally and not always that comfortably. It is far more comfortable to stay in the established habits and patterns, even if, like worrying about my appearance, they mostly cause pain.

It's gonna be a long journey. I'll send postcards!

Waiting to inhale

2007-06-03T18:22:00.000+02:00

I am struggling with internet access, it is sooooo slow, so I will try to get up to date with reading all my fave blogs and comments, but right now, it ain't really happening.

When Husband and I were on holiday last week, we were in a place with clean air, quiet roads and calm surroundings: all the things Johannesburg lacks. As we drove back into the city, a stinky cloud of smog descended on us, and I started to feel like I couldn't breathe in. It got worse when I walked through my front door to be assaulted by a mountain of urgent Things to Do.

So I had a look at my actual breath: if I keep saying I feel like I can't breathe in, what is actually happening?

This, as it turns out:

Inhale, Exhale. Hold, hold, hold, hold, hold GASP for the next inhale.

What a good reminder that if you feel overwhelmed, go first to your breath, because breath and emotions are so closely linked. Since I have been deliberately inhaling, I feel, basically, like I can breathe in again!

Hope you all have a lovely week.
Breathe easy.

Where'd she go?

2007-05-31T12:22:00.000+02:00

It has been very silent on this site for the last two weeks. Sorry. I went on holiday to Crystal Springs, and there was no internet.

I lieu of a proper post, I am instead going to respond to the get-to-know-you's from Kiki and Kris:

First, Eight Great Things about me:
(well, actually they are just random)

My inbox is the dead zone for chain mail of any description. These are about the first I have ever responded to.
I have read an average of a book a week since I was about nine. I am almost 32. That's a lotta books.
I have found a spelling or grammar error in almost everything I have ever read, and have now had to stop reading the local press because I can't bear the illiteracy. I am just some schmo who makes frequent mistakes, so you can imagine what is going on in those papers.
In the pre-yoga days, I was sometimes late for work because I would compulsively check whether my front door was locked before leaving. And before going to bed. Living alone in South Africa may have had something to do with that, though.
When I was 13, one of my parents' friends said I looked Rubenesque. I didn't know what that meant at the time, but now I realize it has always been my fate to be, well, Rubenesque. Pity that's not the fashion any more.
By the time I was ten, I had moved house 21 times (I think, didn't fact check this with my mom) and I had lived in three countries.
At 15, I defected from Catholicism in favor of the Methodist Church, but abandoned them when a girl was ostracized for appearing on the back page of the Sunday paper in her very sedate bikini.
That said, immodesty offends me and I think we would all be happier if we weren't confronted by mass images of women in (basically) their underwear from every billboard and magazine cover.

Now,
4 jobs I have held:

Call-centre sucker
Recruitment agent
Researcher
Yoga Teacher

4 Movies I can watch over and over:

Not a one. I would rather read than re-watch something I have seen and remember scene for scene.

4 places I have lived:

Zimbabwe
Namibia
South Africa
UK

4 Categories of TV I enjoy:

Sorry, don't really watch TV, but if forced to choose, I choose the Discovery Channel.

4 places I have been on holiday:
I have a bad case of the travel bug, so:

South America - Argentina
Asia - Thailand, Hong Kong, India
Africa - within SA, Comores, Mozambique, Kenya, Swaziland, Lesotho
Europe - UK, France, Belgium, Holland, Spain

Sigh, so many places, so little time...

4 favorite dishes:

Pasta and tomato sauce, made by Husband
Oven grilled veg and vegetarian schnitzels
Dhal soup
Green and Blacks chocolate! Mmmmm

4 websites I visit daily:
Like Kris, I try not to go online daily, but I cycle through all the links on my sidebar just about every time I log on!

4 places I would rather be right now:
Nah, here is fine. Although it wouldn't kill me to be in India...

I am meant to tag other people to do this, but, true to my dead zone style with this type of thing, I leave it in your hands: if you want to, do it, and let me know so I can read it!

And so to the knitting

2007-05-21T17:56:00.001+02:00

Soooo, bet you've all been wondering whether I actually did any knitting after threatening to. Well, yes, yes I did. And I kinda liked it, so I did some more. Weird thing is, although as a kid I never got the hang of it, this time round I didn't even have to wait for my mom to teach me, I just picked up the book my husband bought me - The Cool Girl's Guide to Knitting, by Nicki Trench, and jumped in. My mom has since had to help with quite a number of things, but I can, nonetheless, knit. And I taught my husband!

In the last few weeks, I have knitted a scarf for Husband, a scarf for me, a cardigan for my best friend's baby (hope she isn't reading this since I haven't given it to her yet!) and I am halfway through a bunny from Kate Gilbert's awesome pattern. Now, chances are I will never get to taking pictures of all this, so I visited Flickr and voila:

This is how my bunny currently looks:

prebunny, originally uploaded by sassydotnet.

This is more-or-less how he will look when I give him to my nephew on his birthday.
(But in variegated blue)

brown bunny, originally uploaded by pinprick.

Now why on earth can I suddenly knit? Methinks it's for the same reason I can suddenly catch a ball - the yoga. More specifically, the improved proprioception as a result of the yoga. I like to say that this means my brain and my body are finally on speaking terms!

According to Wikipedia, proprioception

is the sense of the relative position of neighbouring parts of the body. Unlike the six exteroceptive senses (sight, taste, smell, touch, hearing, and balance) by which we perceive the outside world, proprioception is an interoceptive sense that provides feedback solely on the status of the body internally. It is the sense that indicates whether the body is moving with required effort, as well as where the various parts of the body are located in relation to each other.

Improved proprioception makes you feel more 'in your body', more embodied. And it means that anything requiring co-ordination between brain and body gets easier, including driving, dancing, asana, knitting...

My knitting isn't perfect. In fact, that cardigan is a little wonky. But I made it, by hand, with love. And that gives it value. Just like my asana practice is often a little wonky, but I come to it with enthusiasm and faith. And that gives it value.

To paraphrase Arundhati Roy in her 2003 talk, Come September, doing just one thing makes your brain grow in one direction like some tumour. I think I am at risk of a yoga tumour, so now I can expand in other directions.

Connecting

2007-05-18T13:10:00.000+02:00

Thank you all for your comments and emails in response to my last post: they were scary, and I have spent most of this week in an existential fug, convinced that the end of the world is nigh. I am still convinced of that, or at least that some awful environmental disaster is looming unless we change our ways, but I just read a quote on Elizabeth Gilbert's site that made me feel much better - I adored Eat Pray Love, and I love what she says here:

The first question you can begin to ask yourself, though, is: “Where can I find a small corner of stillness?” Because that’s where it all begins and ends. God resides in these pockets of silence. So where in your day, where in your home, where in your mind, is there some opportunity for a moment of silence? Or maybe even a few moments, during which you can start asking the questions you need to ask in order to find what you need to learn. Can you find the time to get out of your own way and try to step into your own light? As a dear friend of mine put it: “To change your life, the important thing is not necessarily to travel; the important thing is to SHIFT.”

All we can do is shift our awareness to the people, creatures and plants who are affected by our actions, and those whose actions affect us. Connect to them, even just in our imaginations, and if we all pull together we will probably be OK, even if a disaster happens. Perhaps we will find a way to retain our humanity and not sink into wars over resources, which is what my over-active imagination tells me would happen.

And what really cheered me up was Elizabeth's link to Where the Hell is Matt? and his crazy dancing the world over! Making people laugh across the globe, that's gotta be a spiritual practice.

PS: If you have been wondering about my knitting, there is a post about that coming soon! It's all yoga, you know, just not the asana sort.

Hot hot heat

2007-05-14T17:25:00.000+02:00

It is just over a month until the southern hemisphere's Winter Solstice, and I sit typing in a short sleeved t-shirt, no shoes. It is too hot for this time of year, way too hot. If I ever needed reminding that global warming is real, this 'autumn' weather should do it.

I think it may be happening faster than even Al Gore tells us, and that freaks me out. We are literally manufacturing, shopping, driving and eating ourselves out of the only home we have. I am starting to think all those apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic films are not so very far-fetched after all, especially The Day After Tomorrow. That could actually happen. In fact, scary stuff a bit like it (but on a small scale) does keep happening.

Do you all find the weather weird? Have you noticed the changes since you were kids? Am I going crazy?

Nadine's Series of Fortunate Events

2007-05-07T18:13:00.001+02:00

gratitude, originally uploaded by freeflo.

We shall start with just two from today:

Today, I came home for my very brief lunch break between seeing private clients and discovered that my wonderful Husband had prepared lunch for me, and left it laid out along with all my vitamins. I have the best husband.

Today, I also found out that I have a confirmed place on the Yoga for Women advanced course at KYM in August.

For these blessings and so many others, I am grateful.

Flu

2007-05-06T08:30:00.000+02:00

I have had flu, and have just spent the last few days careening wildly between raga (craving, unreasonable desire - as in I wish I was well, when will I be well, I wish I was well) and dvesa (aversion, unreasonable dislike - as in I hate being sick, why did I have to get sick, what a pain, I hate being sick).

If it wasn't so silly, it would be amusing. Well, actually it is quite amusing. I make a terrible patient - I don't get ill often enough to have developed any equanimity in this department. And so I fall prey to the usual obstacles to clear sight (klesas) as discussed by Patanjali in his Sutra's; in this case, craving to be well, and aversion to being sick. Objective situation: I was only really ill for three days. Length of suffering: extra 3 days before, dreading getting sick because my husband had flu, actual illness: 3 days, lingering listlessness: still counting.

The only plus about being ill is that I find it sometimes pulls me right into the present, since my mind isn't up to as much dallying as usual. In between the moments of craving and desire are a few sweet moments of pure presence. Almost worth it.

Plus ca change, plus c'est meme

2007-05-01T13:16:00.000+02:00

I know, the French punctuation is missing from the title, but I am sure you get the drift! The more things change, the more they stay the same.

I have recently undergone a giant metamorphosis in my practice, and am still in the throes of change, as many of you already know. The original impetus for this was the pain and exhaustion my practice was causing, and the change crystallised during my trip to India last September (I hope to return to KYM this August, woo hoo!) Funny thing is, although my practice feels very different, it looks much the same. In fact, it looks like I have copped out of half the 'difficult' and 'challenging' poses I used to do.

I have the zeal of the newly converted. Confession: until last September, I was really just working on the physical level in my yoga practice. Not so now, and it is more than a little scary. Now I catch myself thinking that everyone should come along on this ride with me, whether they want to or not. Probably because I will be less scared if I have company! I bet anything that once I start to feel a little more settled in the new patterns, my conversionary zeal will fade somewhat. I have just finished reading Yoga and the Quest for the True Self by Stephen Cope.* It would have meant almost nothing to me a few years ago, but now I found myself nodding vigorously through almost the entire book - it is so comforting to find that someone else has mapped the territory I am only now discovering. A Western someone, who comes from the same cultural mores as me.

And yet, it is still just my yoga practice. Same ole me, basically.

* This was a gift from a student, to whom I say: Thank you! As always you are as much teacher as student. May you, like the Velveteen Rabbit, be loved well and truly, until you become real.

Attainment Yoga

2007-04-26T14:01:00.000+02:00

After reading Regina Clare Jane's posts about her awful workshop experiences (with an instructor who has actually been to South Africa and is returning soon, I believe), I feel I need to have another vent about attainment yoga. Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while may have noticed this theme already: Yoga is not about being the best, buffest, baddest yogi ever. Not in the physical sense, not in the emotional sense, not in the spiritual sense.

I also (briefly) got caught up in the scary yoga trend . Handstands (although we now all know what a very bad idea that was for me with those wrists!), flashy backbends that caused me pain...you get the idea. What worries me is this: if we are saying yoga is union of mind, body and soul through the breath, why would we need strong adjustments to take us into poses our breath didn't lead us to? That is to say, if today you go into a split and can't maintain a comfortable breath, why not come out and do the pose another day when you are looser, more relaxed? Or maybe you don't need to do it at all.

If yoga is bad, or makes you feel like you are not good enough right now, then it is no longer yoga, it is an offshoot of physical or gym culture that looks a bit like yoga. Just because a computer-generated apple looks like the real thing, doesn't mean it is!

I am puzzled and quite worried that yoga in our society has become nothing more than a set of exercises to keep you in shape, and maybe allow you to contort in ways you couldn't before. I remember reading somewhere that before the resurgence of yoga in the last century, it was mostly practiced by Hindu holy men, and since they were practicing it only for spiritual purposes, they practiced about 40 poses. In total. Imagine that.

I know one yogini who has a personal trainer at the gym to keep her in shape. Now I have no problem with that, as long as she doesn't feel she has to do it in order to look a certain way because she is a yoga teacher. I have felt this pressure and suspect many of us do. This, also, is not yoga - it is just another layer of avidya, wrong knowledge, keeping us tied to our dukha (suffering). So if it doesn't make you feel better, or at least not worse, chances are it is gym culture in yoga's clothing.

Aha!

2007-04-24T14:45:00.000+02:00

Have a look at them wrists. Now you may think I am putting you on, but that really is the furthest that I can rotate my forearm in. If you look at Michelle, on the right, you will see that, with a big smile, she gets a range of movement I could never dream of. I have been testing everyone since the penny dropped that this could be causing my wrist pain, and I have yet to see anyone who is as limited as me in this particular area.

It's just a little unfortunate that I didn't figure this out, or get told, earlier. I mean, I have only been struggling with wrist pain for a decade! So why would it matter? Well, I basically can't get my hands flat on the mat in any arm balances, including downward dog, upward dog, caturanga, vasisthasana and so on and on. The only way for me to flatten my palm into the mat is to round my shoulders - OK in downward dog, impossible in upward dog. Hence, the pain. This is why it got worse with my Ashtanga practice; because there are just so many of those poses, and I was grinding into the bones of my wrist to try to make them happen. Ask Paul Grilley, it is a bone thing, not a strength or flexibility thing!

It is a relief to know why, but dealing with the loss of something is always a little tricky on the ego. Goodbye forever, handstand. Hello again, forearm balance and dolphin!

One of the other side effects of the ongoing pain is this: I am nervous about attending group classes because I am afraid of being forced past my body's limits. It has happened a lot in the past. So for now, most of my asana practice is at home. And for those of you who come to my classes, if I show any signs at all of becoming one of those teachers, please tell me! Or beat me over the head, that'll get the message across.

Walking inwards

2007-04-17T13:47:00.000+02:00

Labyrinth (p6291017), originally uploaded by uzvards.

My godmother recently walked a labyrinth at The Edge, Hogsback. She found it really transformative, and shared these interesting tidbits with me:

Symbolism:

The path

Life’s journey, unfolding creation

Circle:

Unity, surrender to wholeness

Concentric circles:

Time and space and often the seeker’s place in either

Inward turning spiral:

Creating the vortex of power, generative force, leaving behind, relinquishing and forgiving.

The Centre (also called the Rosette)

The Mother of all things; love; timelessness; the point where reason meets imagination, the empirical meets the mystical, dogmatic suffocation is transformed into spiritual liberation

Outward turning spiral

Integration and empowerment; manifestation; finding, healing, discovery and renewal

Braided edges

Ariadne’s Thread of love that encompasses the seeker and keeps him/her safe

Turns

Change; discovery; spiritual evolution

History:

For many centuries the labyrinth has been used as a pathway to spiritual discovery and fulfillment. The labyrinth is used as a means to enhance prayerful attitudes, intimacy, meditative states and spiritual focus. It can be used by anyone of any belief system.

The labyrinth has been part of human consciousness for about 5000 years with the oldest recorded labyrinth being a stone-carved relief in Sardinia dating back to about 2500BC. A labyrinth patterned building dated about 1800 BC can be found near the pyramid of Pharaoh Amenemhet III in Fayum, Egypt. A coin unearthed in Syria and dating back to 1300BC has a labyrinth pattern pressed into it.

The labyrinth has a protecting and nurturing nature. Homes, seafaring ships and Cathedrals often had a labyrinth carving or painting, usually on the mast head or over the front door to keep all within safe. Through history, the labyrinth has been used for marriage and commitment ceremonies. Couples recite vows in the centre of the labyrinth then emerge together to mark their new life.

Labyrinth inside Grace cathedral, originally uploaded by one2c900d.

I love the idea of a labyrinth as a form of walking meditation. Sometimes the sitting quietly kind just isn't what you want! I am also going to try to learn to knit (!) My long-suffering mom is going to teach me. Same results, different method, because sometimes, after teaching yoga all day, a girl just wants to drink tea and knit.

On another note, I love the internet: it gives me access to info I would never even be aware of otherwise: check out this class from the late, great Indra Devi that I found on - wait for it - emusic!

By the way, I have noticed several typos and mistakes in my recent entries. Sorry! I promise to check more carefully from now on.

The path	Life’s journey, unfolding creation
Circle:	Unity, surrender to wholeness
Concentric circles:	Time and space and often the seeker’s place in either
Inward turning spiral:	Creating the vortex of power, generative force, leaving behind, relinquishing and forgiving.
The Centre (also called the Rosette)	The Mother of all things; love; timelessness; the point where reason meets imagination, the empirical meets the mystical, dogmatic suffocation is transformed into spiritual liberation
Outward turning spiral	Integration and empowerment; manifestation; finding, healing, discovery and renewal
Braided edges	Ariadne’s Thread of love that encompasses the seeker and keeps him/her safe
Turns	Change; discovery; spiritual evolution