just plain yoga blog

1. Be a fundamentalist–make sure the Fun always comes before the mental. Realize that life is a situation comedy that will never be canceled. A Laugh track has been provided, and the reason why we are put in the material world is to get more material. Have a good laughsitive twice a day, and that will ensure regular hilarity.

2. Remember that each of us has been given a special gift, just for entering - so you are already a winner!

3. The most powerful tool on the planet today is Tell-A-Vision. That is where I tell a vision to you, and you tell a vision to me. That way, if we don’t like the programming we’re getting, we can simply change the channel.

4. Life is like photography. You use the negative to develop.

5. It is true. As we go through life thinking heavy thoughts, thought particles tend to get caught between the ears, causing a condition called truth decay. So be sure to use mental floss twice a day. And when you’re tempted to practice tantrum yoga, remember what we teach in Swami’s Absurdiveness Training class: *Don’t get even, get odd.*

6. If we want world peace, we must let go of our attachments and truly live like nomads. That’s where I no mad at you, you no mad at me. That way, there’ll surely be nomadness on the planet. And peace begins with each of us. A little peace here, a little peace there, pretty soon all the peaces will fit together to make one big peace everywhere.

7. I know great earth changes have been predicted for the future, so if you’re looking to avoid earthquakes, my advice is simple. When you find a fault, just don’t dwell on it.

8. There’s no need to change the world. All we have to do is toilet train the world, and we’ll never have to change it again.

9. If you’re looking to find the key to the Universe, I have some bad news and some good news. The bad news is: there is no key to the Universe. The good news is: it has been left unlocked.

10. Finally, everything I have told you is channeled. That way, if you don’t like it, it’s not my fault.

And remember, enlightenment is not a bureaucracy. So we don’t have to go through channels.

by tina stroh e-ryt

I am a yoga teacher who asks herself the question “why do yoga?”. Why do you do yoga? No, really. For flexibility? Peace of mind? Identity? Spirituality? Maybe control? I suppose the best P.R. would be to deliver an answer, but I really only have the question. I have some theories and the reasons for practicing yoga has changed for me over the years.

After 20 years of yoga classes, seminars, workshops, teaching, satsangs, advanced asanas, meditation, pranayama, bodywork, and even therapy, an answer to the question “why do yoga” has begun to come clear for me. And it didn’t happen on the mat.

In the classical yoga tradition of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras (sutra = thread) the second sutra states that practice or “abhyasa” in sanskrit is described, in most translations, as “effort towards steadiness of mind“. I prefer Vyaas Houston’s translation as it being “vigilance in remaining there (as I, the seer in my own nature, seeing. I, 3)” I, 12. I asked myself, what does that mean to me? Being present with what’s happening as I breathe in a posture? Is it not having thoughts of the past or future? Is it not judging people while they stand in front of me saying or doing things that offend my sensibilities? Is it drinking a glass of wine mindfully? Or is it going to a cave and meditating for 12 years in order to be able to come back to a worldly life and teach?

The Sutras also tell us the obstacles on the path to yoga:

“Sickness, density, doubt, carelessness, lethargy, sexual preoccupation, erroneous perception, failure to obtain grounding (in yoga practice), and instability.” I, 30 -(all further translations by Vyaas Houston)

The translations differ and one could argue the philosophy for years. And yet, the arguments and debate are about finding the truth for oneself.

In January 08’ something happened that changed my interpretation of practice and why I do it. My partner’s father was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. It had metastasized into his adrenals, and brain. The oncologist told us he had “less than a year” to live. Then, after some probing, it became “less than three months”. My partner’s father heard all of these words. He sat in the hospital and was given his life sentence. He knew, under no uncertain terms, that he would die…VERY soon.

My partner and I decided we were in a position to move in with his father and take care of him 24/7. That was a difficult change of pace for me. We were at his service. If he wanted bacon wrapped fried chicken livers (and he DID!) we bought them. If he wanted to smoke, he could smoke. After all, it was his home. Besides, there was no illusion about recovery. Sure, my partner and I are both holistic practitioners and we asked his father if he wanted to heal himself. “Yes” he answered. We told him he would have to change his diet completely, give up smoking and most of his lifestyle. He sat silently for a minute or two — a very long minute or two —  and then quietly said,“NO”. He would not do it. He chose not to do it.  All of our tools were useless. We had to let go of all of our own control issues and give him the right to die.

Patanjali’s Sutras offer a response to all types of people wherever and whatever state they are in:

“The clarification of citta (the field of consciousness) comes about due to the realization of friendship with regard to experiences of happiness, compassion with pain, elation with virtue, and neutrality with non-virtue (negativity).” I, 33

That Sutra offers some keys to peace of mind. It is not pity or worry that would get us, including his father, through this time. It was presence…”effort towards steadiness of mind”. When all of our thoughts were screaming for him to change, we had to sit in acceptance of his own volition; he did not want to change.

Friends and family visited. He lovingly reconnected with his estranged daughter after 15 years. He loved the company of his estranged wife from whom he had separated 5 years prior. He would drink beer, went to bars to socialize, ate LOADS of sugar, controlled his pain with morphine and continued to smoke 3 packs of cigarettes a day. He spent his money however and whenever he wanted.

It was February 27^th when it finally came time for him to transition. We were all there by his bedside while he moaned in distress. He had pain and he let us know. We all took turns trying to comfort him in his pain and terminal distress. He was anxious and restless. He wanted to sit up and then lie down. He could not get comfortable. The morphine only did so much for his pain at this point. He would drift off as if seeing another world and then return to us with his exclamation “WHOA!” as if he was on a wild ride. Then, in one moment he called out “I love you all”. Moments after that he took a few labored last breaths and he passed away while we all stood by watching, praying, crying.

After 22 years of yoga practice, I can get my legs behind my head but that pales in comparison to holding the posture I held that day as Ron Sr. took his last breath. Now I know, THAT is why I do yoga and holding poses is practice for moments like these when the “effort towards steadiness of mind” is truly tested.

I dedicate this to you, Ron Sr., wherever you are…we love you and we miss you!