The Power of Yoga.. To change your perspective in daily life

A lot changed when a child is born. I knew that I was signing myself up for a challenging-yet-exquisite experience. I look at everything in life as a means to Self-realization, so my daily life, my relationship with my son, and the change I've made to care for him are no exception.

However, what I never thought about were the effects of practicing yoga formally much less then I had been. I was practicing 6 days each week pretty solid for at least 3 years, and almost everyday for 4 1/2 years when my son came. Now I rarely practice when I am not at work (due to the fact that my son needs supervision and attention), and to be an almost-stay-at-home mom, I reduced my work week to four days.

It took me a while to realize, but I really feel it on the days when I don't practice. And I don't mean just physically, although I am conscious of the compression in my spine I start to feel increasing if I don't redirect the posture properly with very frequent reminders. I mean that that sense of loving-bliss and patient resillience I have come to be is tested by the normal circumstances of life faster and faster the farther I am away from my last practice.
I am thankful for this opportunity to experience the power of daily yoga, then to have had it taken away, and to be able to feel the changes. I am aware that daily practice is incredibly neccessary if one really wants to transcend all of the pitfalls and negative habits of the human experience. If we want to be free from suffering, to live life from the still, loving center of consciousness, then getting to the point of being able to practice on our own and practicing in between classes is key.

I feel my mind heavy with junk, with sediment, and I feel the overthinking wearing me down in between sessions. I am not as loving, in fact I can fall prey to negatively perceived sensations that set off a cacade of energy blocking thoughts, actions and experiences, which drag my energy and mindset down.

Doing even 10-15 minutes of thorough sun salutations every morning, utilizing ujjayi breathing could be enough on the "in-between days". Over time, we can easily guide our own asana practice, and use group classes as a well to drink from once a week to keep us energized, creative, in-touch and on-track.

For a while I felt this slowly edging in, and I thought doing daily meditation would help clear and recenter me. Its not that meditation wouldn't work, but that for me, the difference between meditating "cold" or right after an asana practice is so profound that I have absolutely no desire to sit unless I am in the "right" state of mind, even if I have the desire to have the desire.

I think that my small, almost daily, window (a.k.a. nap-time), during which I have to fit all of the computer work that goes into running Enlighten and numerous projects, will be best used to include an asana and meditation practice on the three days each week that I don't teach classes. This is a more important self-discipline I feel then struggling to sit for ten minutes, when I can very clearly feel the alignment of my physical and energetic layers are off and need adjusting, so that the prana can flow as it should. Yes, this is what I feel, and its what you can detect with your senses too, and much more, simply by practicing yoga everyday. It may be 3 hours some days or only 15 minutes a day, but any bit helps expand your consciousness. Then there will come a time when you will know how much it takes to get yourself to the place where you are able to walk taller, meditate joyously, and live from your heart with an extraordinary amount of loving-bliss and brilliant creativity that allow you to be successful at all levels of life.

The Breath

NATURAL METHOD PRANAYAMA

To breathe in yoga, we recognize our interconnectedness. We cannot breathe & cannot live without our connection to nature & especially plant life. As we animals inhale, we breathe in oxygen, & as we exhale carbondioxide, plant-life takes a deep breath, exhaling more oxygen. This is a basic cycle of interconnection- we need the plants, even more then they need us.

The breathing we learn in yoga is a deep, but comfortable breath. We relax the face & throat, keep the mouth closed, & breath entirely through the nose. Breath deeply and smoothly, in a natural way. Hear the subtle sound of your breath in your throat like distant ocean waves. Breathing in this way leads to relaxation, focus & rejuvenation.

We should aim to breathe fresh air fropm outdoors as much as possible, through open windows, or beong directly out in nature. We should spend a minimum of 15 minutes outside every day, even in the Winter time. Wearing sunscreen prevents us from receiving the vitamin D we need.

Yogic breathing should be done in a way that one can enjoy the scent of the air. If we are greedy & take too much air, we fill our lungs too fast, and smell nearly nothing. If we breathe too shallowly, we don't take enough air and smell nothing. If we breath gently but deeply, we can smell the freshness of the air & feel nourished.

Breathing is a physical & spiritual act when we are mindful of it. Your breath becomes mantra, a sound to focus & calm the mind.

Natural yogic breathing shouldn't only be used in yoga class, but while eating, relaxing, working- it serves us well in all of life. It helps us to experience peace, openess, strength, composure and to be present.

Grocery-store Vegan vs. Whole-Food vegan

Grocery-store Vegan: Herbivore-abstaining from all animal products. Still eating produce out of season, eating highly processed meat substitutes often, and eating industrially made processed snacks & cereal bars. Synonym: junk-food vegan

Whole-food Vegan: Herbivore- abstaining from all animal products. Eats nearly 100% locally-grown in-season produce, uses whole grains & beans, rarely if ever eats industrially processed foods. Makes snacks from vegetables, whole-grains, beans & nuts, such as crunchy chickpeas, baked veggie chips & homemade crackers, hummus, and more. Doesn't depend on store bought tofu, but makes it easily in an hour per week at home (3.5 lbs from 3 cups yellow soybeans)! Doesn't buy soymilk from the store, as even organic soybeans can be GMO! Makes soymilk, or even cheaper, faster & easier, oat or other grain or nut milks. Flour, grains, beans & other staples are bought in bulk, as much as 10, 25, or 50 pounds at once to reduce negative environmental impact.
Synonym: sustainable diet, healthy diet

I know now through experience- it feels healthier, its less wasteful, its fresher, its cheap! It doesn't take much work at all! Well, it takes more work in Summer- canning & putting up food for Winter. Then all Winter cooking is all fast & convenient, unless you choose to bake or be fancy. Its living the high-life of a gourmet with out the disease or expense!