the body gospel

Inhale, and God approaches you.  Hold the inhalation, and God remains with you.  Exhale, and you approach God.  Hold the exhalation, and surrender to God.  ~Krishnamacharya

Yoga means union.  It is from the base “yuj”, from which we also derive the word “yoke”.  Thus, we try to join together the spiritual and the physical, body and mind, earth and sky, atman (the soul) and brahman (God).  In doing so, we reveal ourselves to ourselves, and at the same time, connect to something greater than ourselves. Yoga simultaneously brings awareness of our inner and outer consciousness.

In the 5000 years we’ve been practicing, the tradition has branched and become as varied as human beings themselves are.   But the foundation remains essentially the same, and the rising awareness that yoga brings holds true regardless of practice.  In some ways, I like to think of yoga as the story of mankind. We are diverse and eclectic, but we are all, at the core, still the same.

You can put whatever trappings you want on your yoga practice (or you can strip it down the essentials), but in the end, we are all undertaking the same journey towards union.

I’ve been practicing yoga on and off for about 6 years.  I notice that when I’m “on”, life flows a little more smoothly.  And when I’m “off”, life stumbles along a bit more roughly.  This is not coincidental;  yoga is not only a good stress reliever, it’s also a reminder of what is truly important in life.  That is to say, being present in the moment and being thankful for what you have, as opposed to worrying and fussing about things over which you have no control.

I am ready to take my practice to a new level, so I have been thinking about teacher training.  In the US, most teachers are certified through the Yoga Alliance.   Certification is done at the 200-hour level (ie, 200 hours of instruction) and 500-hour level (ie, 500 hours of instruction).  Most of the instruction is contact, though some hours are reserved for personal study and reflection.  One does not have to be Yoga Alliance-certified to teach, but it is a nice standard by which to judge whether a teacher has the proper training so as to avoid injury.

My local studio offers training, so I thought about taking it there.  But the timing is not right, and it’s a difficult thing to focus on in the middle of the rest of life.  Instead, I plan to take teacher training instruction in India. There, I can spend 1-2 months at an ashram and devote myself fully to the instruction.   There are a few schools in India that are Yoga Alliance-registered, so I will be looking at those first.  Right now, my first choice is in Dharamsala.

being frugal doesn’t mean missing out

A lot of people think that just because you are on a budget, that means you have to make major sacrifices in your life. That is not true at all. Granted, your “buy it now” mentality might have to change, but let’s be honest here - that’s not really a sacrifice. That’s just learning maturity.

And just because you shop around for the best prices doesn’t mean you have to settle for something cheap. There are ways to still maintain your lifestyle without killing your budget. Here are some ways I’ve found:

1. Go vegetarian. I stopped eating meat for non-financial reasons, but I’ve found that it actually has had a great impact on my grocery bill. Meat is not cheap (unless you happen to like the really cheap stuff, and then you might want to consider the impact on your medical bills), but vegetables generally are.

2. Shop at the farmers’ market and frozen food aisles. The first guarantees fresh, yummy-tasting produce. And so does the second. Produce is frozen at the peak of freshness, so it still retains its nutritional value. You might not be able to make a tasty salad, but you’ll make some great sauteed dishes.

3. Get your hair cut at a training school. The cheapest place for me to get a haircut or color is the Aveda Institute. Sure, they’re students, but they’re supervised and have completed a good deal of their training before they get near your hair. Plus, I get the bonus of Aveda products. The downside is that they take a little longer, though I like to consider it as extra attention.

4. Buy in bulk. Whatever you are buying, buy more of it. You’ll have to be vigilant and organized to avoid being overwhelmed, but if you have a system in place for remembering what you bought, you’ll spend less money in the long run. The bonus for me is that I buy bulk at Whole Foods, so I get high-quality beans and rice on the cheap.

5. Take a walk. You don’t have to drive everywhere. In fact, as the weather gets warmer, consider walking to any location within a mile (or even 2). You’ll save money on gas and wear and tear on your car (both made worse by shorter trips). You’ll also get outside and enjoy some exercise.

6. Try the Couch to 5K. A lot of people think they can’t run. The problem usually is that they do too much too soon. Couch to 5K is a great program that teaches you the right way to ease into a running program. I’m planning on trying it out in April. The benefit is that, with a good running program in place, you can get rid of that gym membership you never use anyway.

7. Get a part-time job at a place you frequent. Whether it’s a clothing store, a yoga studio, or any other place that gets a decent portion of your monthly salary, consider asking them about part-time opportunities. A lot of places only require a few hours a week. I work at my yoga studio for a couple hours every Sunday and in exchange I get free yoga classes. I save over $100 a month, get to meet a lot of cool people, and get some exercise and stress reduction.

8. Volunteer at your CSA. A lot of CSAs need volunteers to help pick the produce. Most will let you work for a few hours once a week and in exchange you’ll receive a weekly share. One share is generally good for 2-4 people, so if you go twice a month, that could be your monthly produce. You’ll get exercise, save money on groceries, and learn a bit about where your food comes from. And don’t forget to stew and freeze the extras for the winter!

There are only a few ways I’ve learned to save money without making major sacrifices. I’ve also learned a lot about myself and the world around me through some of these activities. That’s never a bad thing!

goals update: january

Today is the New Moon in Capricorn, the sign of confidence, practicality, ambition, and persistence. Capricorns are builders and finishers. Since I started my New Year on a new moon two months ago, I thought this would be a good time to check in.

Yearly Goals

1. Take the lead class in February. Right now, there is the chance this will not happen until April. I’m almost sure I’ll be ready by February, but unfortunately, the class is being offered at a different location that month. I’ll be out of the country for part of March, so it’s looking like April at this point. Still, I’m training as if I were going to take it in April.
2. Pay down all my debt and start aggressively saving. Debt-to-assets ratio is slowing decreasing, and in a few days, a chunk of my paycheck will hit my savings acocunt (which currently has a pitiful $450).
3. Practice Level 3 yoga regularly. Attended a 2-hour Level 2 class on Saturday that would probably be a Level 3 anywhere else. It was tough, but I’m definitely getting stronger. I will likely not make the 3-classes-a-week goal this week or next, because of school, but I am trying for 1-2 classes on weekends.
   
4. Take a vacation. A real vacation. I booked my flight to Malaysia. All set!
5. Finish classes and my thesis and graduate! I made a timeline for my thesis, and set a date for my presentation (August 20th). Classes will be over by May.
6. Learn to manage anger properly. Well, I can’t remember the last time I yelled at someone…
7. Lose 10 lbs. Despite this being a somewhat facetious goal - I would actually like to lose the weight. So far, not much is happening in that arena, but I’m hoping once this intense class is over (next Friday), I can get working on this for real.

January Goals

1. Be able to climb 5.9s comfortably. I’m still working my way there, but I’m definitely stronger.
2. Start an emergency fund (more than just nominally). Right now, this is being tied up with savings. I might have to consider pushing this one to April.
3. Become a 6 am riser. Arose at 7ish for a few days in a row, until this morning when I woke up at 5:20. Whew. I will have to do that for the rest of the week and into next, and I’m hoping that will jump start the 6 am awakening.

So, that’s the story so far. Some progress, some setback. Overall, not too bad. I’m not a Capricorn, but hopefully the energy from this new moon will help me persevere.

details: resolution #3

Practice Level 3 yoga regularly. Attend yoga classes 3 times a week.

For some reason, this has always proven to be the most difficult goal. I think it might be a problem of too many options - ie, it’s ok if I don’t make class A, because I can still try for classes B-X…  So instead, I’m going to pick specific classes to attend.  Right now, I’m aiming for Flow 2 on Monday night, yoga at SR on Tuesday night, and ideally both Open Flow classes on Saturday.  Where possible, I’ll hit Harmony Flow on Friday nights as well. I’m hoping after several months of this, I’ll gain both the strength and the flexibility to try Flow 3.

new years resolutions

So the new year has already started for me (Nov 10th), but it can never hurt to clarify intentions. Here are my goals for the next year and how I hope to achieve them:

1. Take the lead class in February. Climb 2-3 times a week to build strength.
2. Pay down all my debt and start aggressively saving. Frugal living is key, as well as funneling all excess income into debt repayment (with some set aside for savings).
3. Practice Level 3 yoga regularly. Attend yoga classes 3 times a week.
   
4. Take a vacation. A real vacation. Hopefully, my trip to Malaysia will work out, and I am also trying to find time to visit my brother in Utah and maybe even go to Hawaii.
5. Finish classes and my thesis and graduate! Classes are done in May, and I am aiming to complete my thesis by the end of August.
6. Learn to manage anger properly. Lots of deep breath. Counting to 10. Um, any help?
7. Lose 10 lbs. Isn’t this everyone’s resolution? But I’m planning on walking to/from work at least once a week, taking a dance class once a week, and hitting the stationary bike 2-4 times a month (I won’t be unrealistic by saying once a week - I hate the bike). I’m also committed to keeping the soda out of my diet. Now to cut out the other unnecessary sweets…

So, there we go.  In future posts, I’ll elaborate further.

journey of a thousand miles

This weekend brought a new moon in Sagittarius, the sign that encourages us to seek illumination, deeper meaning, and expansion. The new moon, in particular, is the start of a lunar cycle, making this a good time to start new endeavors. Together, this would be a great time to look into expanding your horizons, opening your mind, learning to drop defense mechanisms, reconnecting with your inner core, and overcoming our limitations.

I’m using this new moon to kickstart my yoga practice, an activity that seems well suited for Sagittarius. I’m hoping not only to take my practice more seriously, but also to take it to a higher level. Perhaps I’ll explore workshops in and out of town in the next several months. Perhaps I’ll try more difficult asanas. Or perhaps I’ll simply commit to a dedicated practice. Regardless, this is a great time to discover what holds me back from being where I want to be, and yoga is the perfect tool to do so.

random update

I happened across an old post and realized that I’d aimed to take the lead class in October. Needless to say, it didn’t happen. I’m now aiming for February. That basically gives me this month to get myself into climbing shape. It’s doable, I think. I also need to get off my ass and get some cardio into my life. Where do you find the self-discipline to do something you absolutely loath? I hate those machines at the gym, but it’s too cold to go outside, and I’m not paying to take a class. So the stationary bike it is. Blech.

I’m also working on figuring out a plan for yoga. I’d like it to no longer be the occaisonal visit to the studio, but something more consistent. In order to do that, I need measurable goals, and mostly in two areas. The first is an attendance goal (ie, 2-3 times a week). The second is an improvement goal. That one is a bit trickier. How to measure improvement in something that can be so highly variable? Somedays I can touch my nose to my knees. Some days I can’t.

In other news, work is getting exciting again. The next year should be very intellectually stimulating and hopefully will offer some good future opportunities. Now to work out that time management thing…

turning 30.

I will be 30 in less than a week. 4 years ago, when I turned 26, I got all freaked out. Now I can’t wait to enter my 30s, and put some emotionally, professionally, and philosophically turbulent years behind me. I have to admit, I look, feel, and present myself the best I ever have.

In the past 10 years, I graduated from college, went home for a bit, and came back to DC (where I’ve been ever since). I also finally started getting myself into shape.

In the past 5 years, I underwent a major career shift into public health, started a masters’ degree in the same, and starting growing out my hair.

In the past 2 years, I made another major life change that will not be discussed just yet. I also got serious about yoga and climbing, though I still haven’t worked out a good plan for either.

In the past year, I made a workable budget, got my debt in order, took some fabulous overseas trips, and applied for a major fellowship that could change the course of my life.

And in the past month, I transitioned into a position that is closer to my overall career interests.

The only downside is that I still haven’t fixed some pesky habits. I still eat crap. I still yo-yo with an exercise routine. I still spend impulsively. I am still cleaning-averse. All have gotten a bit better, but I think there is one major underlying factor here (aside from laziness) - I have terrible time-management skills, and there is just always something “more important” to do.

There’s always something!

resurfacing

I am slowly returning to humanity, now that the grant proposal is done. Well, it’s done in the sense that I made the first deadline - now to deal with my campus committee, who will be sure to make all sorts of changes that I will then have to implement before my next deadline (mid-October). Yay!

In other news - Peru was fabulous, I made 25 days out of 28 for my yoga initiative, and then proceeded to go a month without yoga. But I’m back in the game tonight, and aiming for 2-3 times a week.

I’m also aiming for 2-3 x a week for climbing, because I’m finally getting around to learning to lead. October. Assuming life doesn’t screw me before then.

And in other other news - I might be getting a promotion.

Day 17

Yesterday I took an Ashtanga class. When I first started yoga (about 5 years ago), I started with Reebok’s Power Yoga. The teacher had done her training in Ashtanga, so most of the class was based on that style. It’s a lot of jumping back/forward/through, a lot of rapid movement, a lot of heat being generated, and a lot of opening poses. I haven’t really explored that style since those first few months, so it was interesting to return to it after all this time.

Some things that have changed: Tolasana doesn’t seem so improbable anymore, though I still need work on the jump throughs. One breath per movement doesn’t seem ridiculously fast anymore. Marichyasana (A, B, and C) is almost there. While this still leaves an absurd of poses that I can’t do in both primary and second series, it’s still a major improvement from when I first started.

Other things I’ve noticed - everything hurts, all the time. My back, my hips, my elbows… But the pain is almost in the background now. I think when I take two weeks off in Peru, I’ll come back much much stronger.