"...all I want is to rock you soul" - Sarah Trestrail, my beautiful Jivamukti teacher, has been playing this track in savasana the past week. It really moved me tonight and I know that sounds corny but I was thinking about the class, the yogis beside me and the fact that we all made the effort to come to class on another rainy Sydney night to practice together. The lively chatter before and after the class reminds me how much I love the Jivamukti community in Sydney.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Yoga Links
These are some my personal favourite yoga links but the pages are in need of a major update. Over the next couple of weeks I will be updating my blog's look, feel and content.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Practice, and all is coming...
Photo: Spooky Lightbulb by Dyanna
I don't write much about my actual yoga practice because I find it hard to articulate the experiences. The synergistic effect it has on me mentally and physically continues to keep me moving and my thoughts unfolding. Truthfully, it's hard to pin down where I think my practice is really at. Sometimes I have a light bulb moment and feel like I've had an enormous breakthrough but most of the time I am reflective and simply practice.
Last year, I started practicing with a teacher who was very aligned with the Ashtanga tradition. The classes were small so she paid particular attention to alignment and made constant adjustments throughout the class. Sadly she has since retired but I really miss her classes. I absolutely hated going to them because I was constantly pushed and would sweat buckets but I learned so much in such a short amount of time with her. I am still learning from her. The constant adjustments truly helped me learn more about my alignment and understand my limitations better.
In the classes I take now, when I am holding a pose like Utthita Parsvakonasana, I so vividly hear my previous teacher in the back of my mind gently telling me that she knows I can push further. She would have moved me deeper into the pose whilst I would start to tremble and sweat profusely to the point I would want to scream f*ck at the top of my voice. But of course, all the effort I would have put into the pose while she held me deep was not about to give any energy to a scream as well. In honour of and for the deep respect I have for her, I really do try to push myself further now and cherish the short time I was able to be her student. Teachers have come and gone throughout my practice over the years but I have learned from each and every one of them and continue to learn from them.
So this brings me to the classes I attend regularly now, more advanced Jivamukti classes. I truly enjoy attending these classes but they are not as hands on as experienced with my previous teacher. To be fair though the classes are a lot bigger and I believe I am probably at the stage where I need to help myself more. I am starting to understand that the discipline and effort really needs to start coming from me, not the teacher. I need to go deeper into the poses, I need to breathe deeper and focus. My current teacher always asks us to call her over when we are ready to take a pose to the next level. I have never done this but now it's time.
Through repetition the magic will be forced to rise
Last year, I started practicing with a teacher who was very aligned with the Ashtanga tradition. The classes were small so she paid particular attention to alignment and made constant adjustments throughout the class. Sadly she has since retired but I really miss her classes. I absolutely hated going to them because I was constantly pushed and would sweat buckets but I learned so much in such a short amount of time with her. I am still learning from her. The constant adjustments truly helped me learn more about my alignment and understand my limitations better.
In the classes I take now, when I am holding a pose like Utthita Parsvakonasana, I so vividly hear my previous teacher in the back of my mind gently telling me that she knows I can push further. She would have moved me deeper into the pose whilst I would start to tremble and sweat profusely to the point I would want to scream f*ck at the top of my voice. But of course, all the effort I would have put into the pose while she held me deep was not about to give any energy to a scream as well. In honour of and for the deep respect I have for her, I really do try to push myself further now and cherish the short time I was able to be her student. Teachers have come and gone throughout my practice over the years but I have learned from each and every one of them and continue to learn from them.
So this brings me to the classes I attend regularly now, more advanced Jivamukti classes. I truly enjoy attending these classes but they are not as hands on as experienced with my previous teacher. To be fair though the classes are a lot bigger and I believe I am probably at the stage where I need to help myself more. I am starting to understand that the discipline and effort really needs to start coming from me, not the teacher. I need to go deeper into the poses, I need to breathe deeper and focus. My current teacher always asks us to call her over when we are ready to take a pose to the next level. I have never done this but now it's time.
Through repetition the magic will be forced to rise
~ Alchemical Precept
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Music & Yoga
I love beats, all kinds and especially the new Xavier Rudd album, Koonyum Sun. Guess what my sun salutes will be grooving to this week? Sweet. Xavier Rudd will be touring in the States in 2010 - check him out! Rudd is an Australian musician, activist and surfer.
Friday, May 07, 2010
Phil Loves Yoga
Photo: Patty (teacher) & Phil at Samadhi Yoga 2007
Phil over at Green Ink has a magic way with words. She is also one of the most beautiful, generous people I know. I wanted to share a post she recently wrote about her yoga practice which made me feel a great big burst of warmth from the inside out - click here.
I love yoga too for what it has brought to my own life and those around me. It's a wonderful thing to share, both on and off the mat.
Phil over at Green Ink has a magic way with words. She is also one of the most beautiful, generous people I know. I wanted to share a post she recently wrote about her yoga practice which made me feel a great big burst of warmth from the inside out - click here.
I love yoga too for what it has brought to my own life and those around me. It's a wonderful thing to share, both on and off the mat.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
LinkWithin
