hOMe yoga

One of my favorite books for children is KnuffleBunny by newly minted Pioneer Valley neighbor Mo Willems. This book has nothing to do with this post other than that when I was thinking of how to explain my recent moment of clarity, I was reminded of my favorite illustration in the book. The heroine Trixie is depicted with a face of eye-popping terror when she REALIZES that she has lost something – in this case, her beloved stuffed bunny. I wish I could have found the picture to post, but alas, the internet has failed me on that one.

But I digress. Back to the non sequitur at hand….I had a Trixie moment. I REALIZED something. I am not having as much fun anymore as a yoga teacher. I was asking people to pay for yoga, but after a while, this began to seem misaligned with how I spent the rest of my professional and volunteer time. I am a fundraiser. I am loud and proud about asking people to give money for causes I love, and I work professionally as a philanthropic advisor to help people figure out the best way to give their money away for good causes.

In my free time, however, I was running a for-profit enterprise bringing yoga to corporate and private clients at quite a nice rate of pay. I felt no qualms about charging appropriately for my time as a professional. After all, I had excellent training and unique experience as an organizational psychologist that made me very well-qualified to help people and companies with work life balance.

But I was losing my passionate connection to the yoga practice that had saved me from burnout and imbalance. I was not psyched about helping the investment guy get his downward dog on.

So, I am going out of business. And into the business of giving it away for free. The great thing is that I can be very choosy about whom to share my yoga teaching with now that it’s a part of my seva practice, or my selfless service.

So, for anyone reading this who works with organizations whose employees serve the greater good and who are probably underpaid and stressed, call me. I will be glad to bring them some workplace yoga. Or, if your organization wants to bring yoga to women and girls who would not have the chance to take yoga otherwise, call me. My Spanish is OK, and I could probably muddle through a bilingual class if needed.

I have no fear about closing this chapter of my business life. I have some new projects that I am involved in which will take care of the livelihood thing, and this will give me a really cool, fun way to give back to others.

Pay it forward today and find a way to bring your unique talents to someone who needs them.

Love, jai!

Yes, it has actually been a month and a few days since you made the New Year’s Resolution. Do you need to issue an APB on those good intentions?

My own resolution alert level elevated to orange after reading some good advice on diet from journalist Michael Pollan. Author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Pollan has become a big name in the health scene thanks to his pithy, almost haiku-like advice to American eaters. This Foodie-Yoda proclaims that we should: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” or “If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don’t.”

I am inexorably drawn to any food shaped like a tiny Teddy Bear. Graham crackers, gummies, whatever. I assume Mr. Pollan would frown upon such snacking. He also reminds us not to eat mindlessly as we work or drive. Another problem for me. Though I had resolved in January to enjoy my meals fully, chew every bite to maximize digestion, and breathe between bites, I have not been successful at keeping the intention alive. The other night, my husband watched in horror as I devoured a burrito in a rapid fire gulp-fest after I came home from a long day at work where I ate little and barely had time to pee. Not good.

The frightening thought is that I am probably far better off than most Americans with my diet of mostly whole grain, low fat foods. I belong to an amazing local CSA. I make my child’s school lunches rather than relying on the school lunch program. I know my arse from a brussell sprout and know what to do with garlic scapes.

But what about the rest of us? Working in philanthropy, I am fully aware that hunger and food-insecurity is on the rise in America. I know that families living in poverty or even those stuggling in middle-class working families can’t even dream of heeding Pollan’s advice to cook more, eat organic, shop at famer’s markets and avoid processed foods. The foods on his naughty list are often the cheapest and most accessible.

It is possible that Pollan’s advice is elitist and a tad unrealistic in today’s America.  Even still, I hope he will spark a debate on how we can make fresh, healthy foods available to every community, not just the Whole Food shoppers.

So, I am going to lay off the cookies tonight and try to reboot my New Year’s Resolution to eat more mindfully. I hope your February reboot works for you, too.

“I saw the angel in the marble and I carved until I set him free”….Michelangelo

It is easy to obscure our vision and ignore the true beauty and wisdom that lies within. It can be hard work to find the divine within and set it free. We distract ourselves with food, drink, media and emotional patterns that keep our true, shining self hidden. Yoga is how we can tune back in and listen to the voice of the heart, or the “Song of Myself.” In this poem, Whitman sings of the “Body Electric.” While a vigorous practice may not be right for everyone, for me it awakens the body electric and helps me hear my song. (more…)

The other day I went to a yoga class with a teacher who was new to me. As usual, yoga teachers are like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get. In this case, I got a teacher who was a recovering soul who used her teacher’s seat to share her personal life and emotions. I could tell that she needed the feedback and support of her students to continue on her journey.

She talked a lot during practice and began and ended class with what I considered to be serious personal disclosures. Without going into those tidbits lest I inadvertently identify her, it will suffice to say that it fell into the TMI (too much information) category.

Finding that I began to grow agitated the more she shared, I had to begin to exercise non-judgment and compassion immediately. I reminded myself that I did not have to be drawn in by her venting, and I could still find my own quiet emotional space for my practice that day.

This was a good awareness point for the rest of my week. I tried to notice how often I vented to others, and how often I let myself be drawn into negative energy by others who were venting. I realized what irritated me most about the yoga teacher’s venting. It was that she had a captive audience in class. No one had mutually agreed to listen to her venting. They had to.

So, consider before you vent to others. Are you taking advantage of the listener who may feel they have to hear you, or are you inviting them to listen to your issues, offering an implicit covenant that you will return the favor? Are you drawing other people into your energetic and emotional realm without first warning them to strap on their seatbelts for a ride into the Valley of Despair?

There is nothing wrong with healthy, honest sharing. This is how we all see the humanity in each other and learn how to act with greater compassion and tolerance. However, you must remember that communication is mutual exercise. Both partners have to be ready to give and receive. And the listener must remember not to carry the burden of others’ troubles, only to offer a supportive shoulder to lean on as they find their way through pain and suffering.

In Day 4 of the great experiment. I have had no trouble returning to the mat each day, as long as I am very liberal with myself. If I have 15 min. in my pajamas, that is what I count for my daily practice. If I have an hour to devote – great! I take each day as it presents itself and fit my practice in where it makes natural sense rather than trying to force it. So much of life involves us forcing ourselves to do things, especially ones that we think of as “good for us.” Let my practice be a liberation from that. I will enjoy the benefits it has to offer me, rather than view it as an obligation.

Just launching a new site for hOMe yoga tonight. Look for more to come on living the yamas and niyamas!