What does this date mean to you? Not much probably, other than that its cool to have all 1's together right?
To some, its a big deal, to some its the biggest deal. We heard about the dawning of a new age, of the Age of Aquarius, way back in 1969 from 5th Dimension and the musical Hair. Back then hippie's were revolting in all sorts of ways and standing up to the government, extending their own right to do so as well, where the years before all everyone did was what they were "supposed" to do. Which was? Who the hell knows.
Along comes this man, we call him today Yogi Bhajan, to teach the hippies kundalini yoga. A yoga that gets your glandular systems and nervous system in balance much more quickly than the popular hatha yoga. Popular now, I don't know how widespread hatha was back then.
This yoga, he purported, would get your physical selves more in line with your spiritual selves in order that you would be able to handle the changes that were coming, when the Age of Aquarius actually came into play. The dawning of it that was happening back then, just meant you could see the changes already beginning. The civil unrest, the spiritual unrest and many other things that folks have been noticing since then, especially these last couple years. Especially this last week, my god! lol
I am a certified kundalini yoga teacher, and so am to be one of the ones who is helping others deal with the shifts and changes in their bodies and minds and spirits. Which I have been doing, teaching kundalini and hatha yoga both in this vein for some years now.
So, who is here for us? I know many of my peers live close to one another, in Espanola, NM or in Los Angeles, CA or any other number of places, so maybe they have support systems. I however live here in St Louis, mostly by myself. There is a small burgeoning kundalini community here but not a fully growing community, and certainly no one who's studied the teachings for a great deal longer than I have, that would qualify as someone I could lean on.
Not saying I need to lean, full-out, on anyone. The teachings do connect you to spirit more than anything else I've encountered, but sometimes it would be nice to have someone else to talk to about what I'm going through. Just sometimes.
There, I've whined enough.
Happy New Age all, embrace the changes and grow in spirit with it, don't fight it, flow!!!!
Friday, November 11, 2011
Monday, November 7, 2011
Yoga
So, I'm just finding out about 3 senior Anusara teachers renouncing their Anusara certifications, so that they can just teach yoga. I'm elated! I love Ashtanga, I love Kundalini Yoga and I love Anusara yoga.
But I love them as techniques to teach you how to get in connection with your inner being, your yoga. So it makes me happy when I see things like this. Not the separation of it, but the inclusiveness of it. I love seeing that they want to make it accessible to everyone, the techniques they use to get in connection, without it having a label or a very specific focus.
This has been my goal for the past couple years. Even though in the past couple years I've been focusing on Kundalini yoga, I think mostly to get in touch with the energy movements in the body and the effect that the sound current has on the body, and how the mind is affected by both of these aspects. I also am now certified in kundalini and teach straight up classes of it, but I also am having most of my students be my hatha students who want to take it to the next level. They also are still coming to my hatha classes or vinyasa classes, whatever you feel like calling them, and seeing the benefits of connecting to the energy on the level of a kundalini yoga class, but also seeing how it applies in a more asana/vinyasa based practice. Then you're able to start tapping into the depth of it when you're moving in a vinyasa practice, once you've sat still and learned how it feels that way.
So, awesome.
I know everyone talks a great game. I teach this style of yoga but we believe everyone should get along. Rather than just getting along and supporting them, going to their classes and making it your own experience, and welcoming them when they come to yours. Yoga=union with the divine, right? So if you're divine and you're in connection with it, in your way, and I in mine, why not lets have a conversation and compare the similarities of our connections, or of our ways of connecting, rather than focusing on the differences?
I love yoga, yes its hard sometimes, yes it takes you deep into your emotions and emotional issues, which isn't always something we want to deal with, yes it can make you feel better, yes it gets your body and mind more open and available, to yourself as well as to others. And yes, sometimes its the last thing you want to do, but always most people feel better afterwards. Always, you feel more connected, to what you ask? To what? Ask yourself that, not me. I know what I feel, and if am in your vicinity can often tell what you're feeling, but it most likely makes you feel differently than it makes me feel. So use it, in whatever way it works for you, tune in, tap in and turn yourself on.
Its not time anymore for our light switches to be left off, its time for us all to turn them on, and find the way for our inner light to shine out. And if yoga is one of those ways, use it, do it, be it and live it. If music is one of those things, use it, play it, be in it, and live it. Hell, if music within yoga is one of those things . . .
You get the point right?
Sat nam all you beautiful beings and happy Age of Aquarius as of this Friday!
But I love them as techniques to teach you how to get in connection with your inner being, your yoga. So it makes me happy when I see things like this. Not the separation of it, but the inclusiveness of it. I love seeing that they want to make it accessible to everyone, the techniques they use to get in connection, without it having a label or a very specific focus.
This has been my goal for the past couple years. Even though in the past couple years I've been focusing on Kundalini yoga, I think mostly to get in touch with the energy movements in the body and the effect that the sound current has on the body, and how the mind is affected by both of these aspects. I also am now certified in kundalini and teach straight up classes of it, but I also am having most of my students be my hatha students who want to take it to the next level. They also are still coming to my hatha classes or vinyasa classes, whatever you feel like calling them, and seeing the benefits of connecting to the energy on the level of a kundalini yoga class, but also seeing how it applies in a more asana/vinyasa based practice. Then you're able to start tapping into the depth of it when you're moving in a vinyasa practice, once you've sat still and learned how it feels that way.
So, awesome.
I know everyone talks a great game. I teach this style of yoga but we believe everyone should get along. Rather than just getting along and supporting them, going to their classes and making it your own experience, and welcoming them when they come to yours. Yoga=union with the divine, right? So if you're divine and you're in connection with it, in your way, and I in mine, why not lets have a conversation and compare the similarities of our connections, or of our ways of connecting, rather than focusing on the differences?
I love yoga, yes its hard sometimes, yes it takes you deep into your emotions and emotional issues, which isn't always something we want to deal with, yes it can make you feel better, yes it gets your body and mind more open and available, to yourself as well as to others. And yes, sometimes its the last thing you want to do, but always most people feel better afterwards. Always, you feel more connected, to what you ask? To what? Ask yourself that, not me. I know what I feel, and if am in your vicinity can often tell what you're feeling, but it most likely makes you feel differently than it makes me feel. So use it, in whatever way it works for you, tune in, tap in and turn yourself on.
Its not time anymore for our light switches to be left off, its time for us all to turn them on, and find the way for our inner light to shine out. And if yoga is one of those ways, use it, do it, be it and live it. If music is one of those things, use it, play it, be in it, and live it. Hell, if music within yoga is one of those things . . .
You get the point right?
Sat nam all you beautiful beings and happy Age of Aquarius as of this Friday!
Friday, October 21, 2011
Blocking the flow
I read a few lines in Erich Schiffman's book recently about growth and how growth only hurts when we resist the change that is happening, or resist the flow of our life.
Why do we do this?
I know we as children come into bodies and remember our connection, at least until the grown-ups in our lives work their "magick" on us, making us realize how awful it really is and then we start to have fear and ackwardness about, well, almost everything.
I know why they do it, they've forgotten it all. About how we're all source energy in a human body and how the better we feel, the more things will flow into and through our lives, the more people will too, the more experiences we'll have along the way that are awesome, amazing and life changing.
But unless we find a path, a "spiritual" path, we usually cannot figure these things back out and start heading back in the right direction. The right direction for us that is, not THE right direction, because there isn't one path for everybody on the planet, there is one path for each individual on the planet. At least this is the way it seems to me.
I fell as if I've been disallowing, or resisting my own growth lately, and I have felt shitty all week. Not shitty like I wanna kill myself type stuff, but just less than I know I can feel. I figured it out though when I read that line in Erich's book. Oh shit, thats what I've been doing, and so I cried to myself a bit. Realization is the first step in the process of moving forward.
Now today, I don't feel fabulous, but I feel a bit better than I did and now I work toward feeling a bit better than that, and so on and so forth.
Tonight there's a kirtan, which could help. I teach another class, which could help and eat some raw, vegan food, which could help. All things that help me feel lighter, wish I had time for a practice myself, that would definitely help.
So, no more blocking the flow, but even as I say that I'm sure I will. We all do, being in such a vehicle, these bodies, its almost impossible not to forgot the beings of light we really are.
So, I state it again. No more blocking the flow. Be like water, water moves in, around or through everything, eventually. Even stuck in an eddy it spins and moves looking for the way. So I shall do this in my life as well, to the best of my ability. Not get stuck in a corner and if I do, move around the edges looking for my way in, around or through!!!
Why do we do this?
I know we as children come into bodies and remember our connection, at least until the grown-ups in our lives work their "magick" on us, making us realize how awful it really is and then we start to have fear and ackwardness about, well, almost everything.
I know why they do it, they've forgotten it all. About how we're all source energy in a human body and how the better we feel, the more things will flow into and through our lives, the more people will too, the more experiences we'll have along the way that are awesome, amazing and life changing.
But unless we find a path, a "spiritual" path, we usually cannot figure these things back out and start heading back in the right direction. The right direction for us that is, not THE right direction, because there isn't one path for everybody on the planet, there is one path for each individual on the planet. At least this is the way it seems to me.
I fell as if I've been disallowing, or resisting my own growth lately, and I have felt shitty all week. Not shitty like I wanna kill myself type stuff, but just less than I know I can feel. I figured it out though when I read that line in Erich's book. Oh shit, thats what I've been doing, and so I cried to myself a bit. Realization is the first step in the process of moving forward.
Now today, I don't feel fabulous, but I feel a bit better than I did and now I work toward feeling a bit better than that, and so on and so forth.
Tonight there's a kirtan, which could help. I teach another class, which could help and eat some raw, vegan food, which could help. All things that help me feel lighter, wish I had time for a practice myself, that would definitely help.
So, no more blocking the flow, but even as I say that I'm sure I will. We all do, being in such a vehicle, these bodies, its almost impossible not to forgot the beings of light we really are.
So, I state it again. No more blocking the flow. Be like water, water moves in, around or through everything, eventually. Even stuck in an eddy it spins and moves looking for the way. So I shall do this in my life as well, to the best of my ability. Not get stuck in a corner and if I do, move around the edges looking for my way in, around or through!!!
Friday, October 14, 2011
Friday
So, I'm up and hour late for my personal sadhana practice, and here I sit on the computer, wanting to write instead! I'm off all day, so if I get finished later its no big deal today.
Not even sure what I want to write, just that I do want to write.
Its an interesting and weird autumn so far. I'm doing more, and more, and more hatha yoga practices again and they are making me feel wonderful. After digging into kundalini yoga so much for the past 3 years, with only an occasional, sporadic, hatha practice, its a new thing, or seems new all over again to me.
Now though, after getting into the energy movement and the sensation of it, or getting so intimate with the feeling of said energy as it moves, now my hatha practice feels different. I can tell why I'm doing something and where the energy is coming from and how its dispersing through and out of me. A very interesting thing to have happen.
I'm still doing kundalini yoga every morning as part of my Aquarian sadhana, but more of the other in the afternoons. Funny how quickly the body comes back into the openness it took me years initially to obtain, I'm loving observing it!
Tonight is a thai massage workshop I'm teaching too, so yet another way to deepen a relationship with our bodies.
Hmmm, where was I going with all of this? Not sure. Its nice to notice that as I've come in touch with the energy that is us, flows through us and all around us, that I've been drawn to reidentify with the physicality that channels that energy, and now I'm teaching in a whole different way and my students are getting it more and more and now my personal relationships are expanding because when people come around me they feel "hey, there's a guy in the know" and that is becoming global, with Facebook and connecting with more and more yogis on there who are doing the same all around the globe.
I don't know, but I think the Aquarian Age, which begins 11/11/11, is just going to be awesome. It already is awesome! And it makes me more excited to teach my workshop on kundalini yoga in Columbia, MO on 11/11/11. I can send them a message that they will never expect! Wow, I'm excited now, time to begin sadhana . . .
Not even sure what I want to write, just that I do want to write.
Its an interesting and weird autumn so far. I'm doing more, and more, and more hatha yoga practices again and they are making me feel wonderful. After digging into kundalini yoga so much for the past 3 years, with only an occasional, sporadic, hatha practice, its a new thing, or seems new all over again to me.
Now though, after getting into the energy movement and the sensation of it, or getting so intimate with the feeling of said energy as it moves, now my hatha practice feels different. I can tell why I'm doing something and where the energy is coming from and how its dispersing through and out of me. A very interesting thing to have happen.
I'm still doing kundalini yoga every morning as part of my Aquarian sadhana, but more of the other in the afternoons. Funny how quickly the body comes back into the openness it took me years initially to obtain, I'm loving observing it!
Tonight is a thai massage workshop I'm teaching too, so yet another way to deepen a relationship with our bodies.
Hmmm, where was I going with all of this? Not sure. Its nice to notice that as I've come in touch with the energy that is us, flows through us and all around us, that I've been drawn to reidentify with the physicality that channels that energy, and now I'm teaching in a whole different way and my students are getting it more and more and now my personal relationships are expanding because when people come around me they feel "hey, there's a guy in the know" and that is becoming global, with Facebook and connecting with more and more yogis on there who are doing the same all around the globe.
I don't know, but I think the Aquarian Age, which begins 11/11/11, is just going to be awesome. It already is awesome! And it makes me more excited to teach my workshop on kundalini yoga in Columbia, MO on 11/11/11. I can send them a message that they will never expect! Wow, I'm excited now, time to begin sadhana . . .
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Changing times . . .
Wow, its funny how as the world moves more quickly, the energies about swirl faster and faster moving us forward in time and space (or backward) the old stuff starts coming back up and asks you what you're going to do with it.
Recently one of my students has showed an interest in practicing ashtanga, in the traditional format, which I have been doing again lately. Not the 6 day a week practice, but a couple times a week or so. And so I'm going to work with him in private to learn it, another person also turned up asking for the same thing, so they may come together and learn it. Now I've started digging into old videos and old books and getting excited about teaching it again. Hilarious how things come about.
Another thing, G.A.Y., and acronym for Growing American Youth, an organization for gay people under 21 to gather and socialize and discuss events and things. Something I used to belong to back in 1988-1991. Now they've opened up an Alumni Group on Facebook and seeing all the old faces and reading their names is totally bringing back my youth and giving me vigor that I haven't had in quite a while. Hilarious again.
Hilarious how old stuff can come up and you feel the feelings you felt then, and think about the things that were important to you then and think about them the way you feel about things as you are now, and how interesting it all is.
Wow. But as this is happening I am feeling more and more appreciation and love for the lifestyle I've come into. As a yogi, the impartiality I have towards those things I thought was so important is interesting to observe. And from that place I am able to be excited to see who these people have become now, without worrying that they'll drag me back to that place again. Not that it was a bad place, just that I've moved so far from that place. Or have I?
Maybe all this is to realize you are very much in the same stuff as you were before but how you are dealing with it in your mind now as opposed to then is the real thing. I like that thought.
Recently one of my students has showed an interest in practicing ashtanga, in the traditional format, which I have been doing again lately. Not the 6 day a week practice, but a couple times a week or so. And so I'm going to work with him in private to learn it, another person also turned up asking for the same thing, so they may come together and learn it. Now I've started digging into old videos and old books and getting excited about teaching it again. Hilarious how things come about.
Another thing, G.A.Y., and acronym for Growing American Youth, an organization for gay people under 21 to gather and socialize and discuss events and things. Something I used to belong to back in 1988-1991. Now they've opened up an Alumni Group on Facebook and seeing all the old faces and reading their names is totally bringing back my youth and giving me vigor that I haven't had in quite a while. Hilarious again.
Hilarious how old stuff can come up and you feel the feelings you felt then, and think about the things that were important to you then and think about them the way you feel about things as you are now, and how interesting it all is.
Wow. But as this is happening I am feeling more and more appreciation and love for the lifestyle I've come into. As a yogi, the impartiality I have towards those things I thought was so important is interesting to observe. And from that place I am able to be excited to see who these people have become now, without worrying that they'll drag me back to that place again. Not that it was a bad place, just that I've moved so far from that place. Or have I?
Maybe all this is to realize you are very much in the same stuff as you were before but how you are dealing with it in your mind now as opposed to then is the real thing. I like that thought.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Yoga
There seems to be a lot going on with traditional ideas vs. tantric ideas these days. In my mind tantric just means that anything is accepted and embraced as a way to connect to divinity, and traditional just has certain ways that they do it.
Why does it matter? Why can't we be both?
This can be seen in the Christians, Hindus, even Sikhs, and etc. I say my stuff is mine, yours is yours. If I happen to embrace an idea that is what would be deemed by some as "traditional" yoga, then thats for me to do and decide upon, right? Vice versa, if there is an idea that some consider "tantric" so what?
I guess the point is, is if it makes me happy and I'm not imposing my belief system (which is ever evolving, mine personally I mean) on you, why are you worried about that? Because its easier to worry about someone elses stuff that taking the time to figure out what it is that you even believe or care about, maybe?
Abraham, as channeled by Esther Hicks, always says if you can figure out what it is that you want and focus on it for long enough, then let go of the results, you will receive it. That is the way the universe works. The problem is that you physical beings don't even know what the hell you want!
I think thats hilarious! We don't, do we? I do, most of the time. But I've done the work to figure out what I want, most of the time (reiterated). Why aren't you doing the work to figure out whats important to you and what direction you want your existence to evolve in? Or are you?
Just throwing that out there . . .
Why does it matter? Why can't we be both?
This can be seen in the Christians, Hindus, even Sikhs, and etc. I say my stuff is mine, yours is yours. If I happen to embrace an idea that is what would be deemed by some as "traditional" yoga, then thats for me to do and decide upon, right? Vice versa, if there is an idea that some consider "tantric" so what?
I guess the point is, is if it makes me happy and I'm not imposing my belief system (which is ever evolving, mine personally I mean) on you, why are you worried about that? Because its easier to worry about someone elses stuff that taking the time to figure out what it is that you even believe or care about, maybe?
Abraham, as channeled by Esther Hicks, always says if you can figure out what it is that you want and focus on it for long enough, then let go of the results, you will receive it. That is the way the universe works. The problem is that you physical beings don't even know what the hell you want!
I think thats hilarious! We don't, do we? I do, most of the time. But I've done the work to figure out what I want, most of the time (reiterated). Why aren't you doing the work to figure out whats important to you and what direction you want your existence to evolve in? Or are you?
Just throwing that out there . . .
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Autumn
With the shifting of the season, I'm feeling and seeing the shifts within myself.
Having trouble getting up with the alarm to do my sadhana, not that I'm not doing it, just having trouble getting up as early as I would like. Having trouble being patient with peoples stuff. We all have stuff, myself included, and usually I am able to deal through the strength of my yoga practice. But when you're having trouble getting up and so are having a less intense session, that makes it harder to be okay with their stuff as they throw it in your face, lol.
I seem to be eating less, so not having trouble going overboard there. I am also craving more hatha yoga, but in the afternoon/evenings instead of morning. So I've been doing kundalini in the morning, hatha in the afternoon, when I can find space for it. Which seems to be a nice combination.
Life is so weird right now, Yogi Bhajan spoke of the speed of the times, everything moving at such a pace, and you can really see it. Also, people who know nothing of the shifts going on are feeling it and telling me about it and asking my advice. Very interesting.
Just needed a short little post to get this outta me! Is everyone else feeling this as well?!?
Having trouble getting up with the alarm to do my sadhana, not that I'm not doing it, just having trouble getting up as early as I would like. Having trouble being patient with peoples stuff. We all have stuff, myself included, and usually I am able to deal through the strength of my yoga practice. But when you're having trouble getting up and so are having a less intense session, that makes it harder to be okay with their stuff as they throw it in your face, lol.
I seem to be eating less, so not having trouble going overboard there. I am also craving more hatha yoga, but in the afternoon/evenings instead of morning. So I've been doing kundalini in the morning, hatha in the afternoon, when I can find space for it. Which seems to be a nice combination.
Life is so weird right now, Yogi Bhajan spoke of the speed of the times, everything moving at such a pace, and you can really see it. Also, people who know nothing of the shifts going on are feeling it and telling me about it and asking my advice. Very interesting.
Just needed a short little post to get this outta me! Is everyone else feeling this as well?!?
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