Haiku for Jamie

I'm sorry Jamie

I got you the wrong smoothie

you said rasberries

and I wasn't listening

Haiku for an Ex

the cds you made

I never thanked you for them

this doesn't change things

but you should know I listen

they are all good songs

Morning Snow

Is it okay to slow down

to stare at surfaces

intrigued by a city of white

Nature's Success

Do not fret city-dwellers
for nature's success surrounds you.
Leaves reflect the season's color
on the occasional sidewalk tree.

And do not rivers flow inside you?
Pushing quiet cells of juice and intent.
Maybe you can hear them pulsing
as you drift off to sleep.

Personal Training goes to the web

FitOrbit is on CNN! And I'm on the front page of FitOrbit for an article I wrote! Exciting things. Check it out:

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/health/2009/07

http://www.fitorbit.com/

A Savasana Practice

Savasana, or corpse pose, is the final relaxation position at the end of most yoga classes. Practitioners lie still on their backs, close their eyes and absorb the benefits of yoga. Perhaps it was called corpse pose because the body is finally still and assumes the position of one deceased, but I believe that there is more to the name.

Each time we practice savasana, the opportunity arises to release thought patterns that are no longer useful. It is a time to let go and shed the skin of past illusions and entrapments. In a way, it actually is a small death.

Nature's cycle is a constant succession of death and rebirth, destruction and renewal, eb and flow. Savasana is a chance to merge with this process and harness the energy of release. By resting in silence after a yoga practice, when the body is finally still and the mind is under observation, we can see these old thoughts and ideas for what they really are--obstructions to our true Selves.

The next step is to gently let these items go. They no longer serve a purpose here. Free up space within your being. Then arise from corpse pose, feeling refreshed, restored, renewed and possibly much lighter. Our yoga practice is now complete.

My Good Friend

Since moving to Philadelphia, I've discovered a wonderful yoga community a brisk walk away. This morning in class, my favorite teacher introduced a great concept that I wanted to share. She said that most people take things way too personally. When a driver cuts us off on the highway we get extremely angry. When a person that is regularly friendly suddenly is a bit short, we think to ourselves, what did I do? But we can take a different approach by thinking of people that cross us as our "good friend." My good friend was in a hurry and had to change lanes. My good friend just had a bad day. My good friend is just tired and forgot to use her turn signal. Instead of reacting with ego, we exercise compassion because we gladly tolerate inappropriate behavior from the ones we love. Instead of boiling inside with anger, we can choose to see others as our dear friends who may be forgetful, tired, lonely, hungry or afraid.

Another Excerpt from Turtle Feet by Nikolai Grozni

"I had begun to notice the ramparts and fortifications of man-made dogma, at first elusive and obfuscated by abstract nouns and promises of transcendental states of perception, and then increasingly more visible and familiar. With so many people claiming ownership of the truth, it wasn't hard to conclude that it wasn't the truth being a plurality; rather, it was the human factor, the archetype of appropriation that was responsible for turning every piece of knowledge--profound or mundane--into a chewable, easily digestible entity that could be distributed to others like a pharmaceutical drug with a price tag and a dizzying array of side effects. That said, I was convinced that a trace of the Absolute, unspoiled by rules and categories, still remained out there, lurking in the background like an aftertaste from a distant memory without a shape, color or any descriptive characteristics."

The Angel named Sunny

I heard this story today. It reminds me of the "angel in running shorts" encounter...



"It was right after my breakup and I was out with some friends at Cecil's Pub feeling very depressed. All night they were trying to cheer me up. I felt a tap on the shoulder and this girl said to me, 'You have the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen.' I told her, 'Thank you so much. I really needed a word of encouragement tonight!' She sat down next to me, pulled out some makeup and started applying eye shadow. 'I hope you feel better! My name is Sunny.' Of course her name was Sunny! 'Have a good night, ' she said when she finished. She gave me a hug and left. I didn't see her anywhere in bar after that. That's exactly what I needed at the moment. It made me feel like there was some process to life. That there was something bigger than myself at work here."

Thanks for sharing, Carrie!

Haiku for the Practice

Pose within a pose

Harmony blooms in chaos

Find the dance inside

Volunteering at the Yogathon

The Houston Yogathon and Health Fair began this past Saturday, January 24th at 9 AM in Sugarland at Eldridge Park. It was Houston's first comprehensive health extravaganza organized by SEWA International that provided a platform to the area's yoga and meditation groups to participate in a marathon of yoga. Other events and services such as yoga workshops, naturopathy, breathing and meditation were showcased to promote healthy, happy living.

The main attraction, a Yogathon, started at 9 AM in the cold morning. Over 500 enthusiastic Yoga lovers participated in a continuous flow of Sun Salutations, a series of breath and movement, to heat their bodies and the indoor space. We were lovingly guided through our Sun Salutations by a succession of experienced, local teachers including Jennifer Burgermeister from Jennyoga Studio in the River Oaks area and Roger Rippy from Yoga One Studio in Midtown. When practitioners needed a break, they could walk outside and visit over 20 booths from organizations such as SVYASA, Yoga for Peace, Memorial Hermann Sports medicine, HSS-USA, Lazuli Om, Yoga One, Healthy Mother Healthy Child, Spectra Cell, Jennyoga, Life Bliss Foundation and Yoga Teachers Association of America.

Patanjali Yoga Peeth and Jennyoga held workshops during the marathon. Jennifer Burgermeister of Jennyoga encouraged everyone to join together to create a yoga community in the Houston area. One participant, local Houstonian Cathal Keane said, “It is encouraging and empowering for every yoga practitioner and anyone who is thinking about practicing yoga to participate in such a unifying event. The day has truly captured the essence of yoga to unite, and it has inspired me to share my practice with friends.”

My favorite part of the Yogathon was the workshop by Ma Nithya Maneeshananda, a direct disciple of Nithyananda. Her presence was powerful and her energy was felt by everyone in the room. She instructed us in several breathing and meditation techniques to relax the mind and nervous system.

Another part of the Health Fair was a presentation from the therapists of Paths in Healing. They demontrated how their massage techniques aid in the natural healing processes of the body. A group from Healing Your Body Holistically gave a demonstration of reflexology treatments with their reflexology chair. Another organization, Bridge To Better Health, shared information about the benefits of Thermography, a medical scan without harmful radiation or compression and Spectracell Laboratories educated us about nutritional diagnostic tests.

Sandy’s Market, which is Houston’s premier food and organic market, had delicious food to share. Representatives from Yoga for Peace Radio were also present at the event. Roslyn Earle from Yoga for Peace Radio was the grand master of ceremonies throughout the morning portion of the Yogathon. She said about her organization, “Yoga is a sound, true, ethical, and moral path to peace. To promote yoga is to promote peace. Peace begins within and expands outward just as love opens the heart to compassion for all living beings. Yoga for Peace (www.yoga4peace.org) is eager to promote Yogic principle, practice, and philosophy through selfless acts of service.”

The event also included a free health check-up camp conducted by a team of doctors under the direction of Dr. Nikam.

This event is a part of continued efforts of SEWA International to help those affected by Hurricane Ike. SEWA International has been continuously engaged at the grass root level to support the victims of Ike. In the past four months, SEWA International has helped many families settle into their regular life after Hurricane Ike. A quick call for financial support was made after the event. People generously donated around $5000 for the cause of Ike rehabilitation. The benefits from the SEWA Yogathon and Health Fair will go towards the rehabilitation of Ike victims. SEWA USA is a Non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization with international presence.