And today....we chant (108 times to be specific)
Today was grueling. Physically and mentally.
We got home from last night's yoga teacher training session around 10 p.m. and we picked back up today at 8 a.m. We spent the first six hours of the day teaching/practicing. I can't believe it, but I have officially planned out my first one- hour power vinyasa class, and today I got the chance to teach my fire to Sun C series.
I am utterly terrified every time I have to get up and actually lead a group through sequencing (I suck at remembering the order of poses, let alone the cuing to get people into and out of them, and all the assists to keep people in alignment while they are in the poses). However, last night it dawned on me that being terrified is part of the process to growth. I think about how much I have learned that a few months ago I would have never thought possible. I've had conversations about the charkas on first dates, sorted my spotify playlist into "elements", and identified my various archetypes :) I'm pretty proud of myself, and even grateful to an ex who prompted me down this path.
More than anything, this training has taught me that yoga is about so much more than the poses; in fact, that is just one of the 8 limbs of yoga (the asanas). The others are pranayama (breathing), pratyahara (sense withdrawal), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation), samadhi (enlightment), yama (moral restraints), and niyama (positive duties). And within each of these eight limbs there is even more to learn.
Two of the pillars I am most interested in are the yamas and the niyamas that are presented in the below visual from Five Pillars Yoga.
I first learned about these concepts when I overhead a few different individuals mention Deborah Adele's book The Yamas & Niyamas: Exploring Yoga's Ethical Practice. I was hooked immediately when I read the following lines from the preface: "We all want to live well. Let's face it, at the end of the day, it's not how much you have or how much you have accomplished that counts. What matters is how well you have participated in your own life, both the ordinary routines and extraordinary surprises" (12). In addition to in-depth explanations of each of the yamas and niyamas, the book also provides weekly exercises to deepen the exploration of self, and promote positive change. Below are just a few of the weekly Questions for Exploration that conclude each chapter:
"This week, watch where you are running interference on others' lives. Are you a worrier? A fixer? Discern the difference between 'help' and 'support'" (41).
"This week notice when and how you steal from others through time, attention, 'one-upmanship,' power, confidence, and not being able to celebrate others' successes" (73).
"This week live as a visitor to this world, rather than an owner. Notice how much is available to you to use and enjoy without needing to own them (parks, libraries, concerts, sunsets, etc.)" (74).
"This week practice staying 'one minute more' in whatever unpleasantness presents itself to you...Can you let the heat begin to burn away your judgements, opinions, and expectations" (146).
I, of course, read the whole book in like two sittings (instead of the planned 36 or so weeks) because I have literally no patience, but I'm hoping to participate in a book club centered on the practices outlined within the text. My thought is that if I have a group of others to report out to, I might be more inclined to actually practice the skills as opposed to just reading about them. The super exciting thing is that I know I'm still just skimming the surface in terms of new knowledge acquisition. My book list is growing by the minute as well as my list of contacts and practitioners who I know have their own unique gifts to share. One such practitioner is Swami Atmarupa (Sanskrit name) who I had the pleasure of meeting today at the Atma Center where we headed after lunch. (I love the idea of getting a Sanskrit name that you then try to live up to - probably a topic for a different post as I want to learn more about this Indian practice).
While there, Swami Atmarupa led us through the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra 108 times and followed the session with a very informative lecture on the origins/types/and uses of mantras. The Mahamriyunjaya Mantra is used for healing and to relieve fears. I really struggled with pronouncing all the words correctly, but I gave it a good effort.
Since I certainly didn't do it justice, I thought I'd share what it sounds like when my uber talented yoga teacher, Ylonda Rosenthal-Green breathes her beautiful life into the words. Click on her image below to listen!
I mean that is pretty much an ethereal voice if I've ever heard one! If you'd like to try chanting, the Atma Center offers sessions every Saturday from 4:30-5:00 p.m. and if you are interested in learning more about the teacher training I've been gushing about for the past four months check out Ylonda's site - Awake to My Soul.
I could go on and on, but I need to be back in class bright and early tomorrow so I'll leave you now with a namaste and good night.
