Acro Yoga

 Acro Yoga is a relatively new love of mine. A true Ashtangi, through and through, I thrive on the discipline and quiet strength I find on my mat. But when I'm off the mat... well, let's just say... I like to fly.

 I met my Acro Yoga teacher/partner at Bhakti Fest 2012. Always a warm, encouraging, safe, and enthusiastic teacher, Tim Moylan convinced me to set a little discipline aside and try something new. What I have discovered in my Acro Yoga practice is just as valuable as what I've learned in Ashtanga, and it definitely requires lots of limbs! While Ashtanga has opened a doorway through which I may examine mySelf, Acro Yoga asks me to study how I interact with others.

 To be "successful" in Acro Yoga, I am asked to understand verbal instructions and physical cues while my equilibrium is turned upside down. I am asked to trust the human foundation beneath me. I am asked to find and let shine my own power, balance and grace. I am lifted. I am supported. Then I am reminded to smile. Acro Yoga is trust, communication, union, and liberation. It is also breath and strength and flexibility.

 Now the fine print! I do not recommend that anyone and everyone run right out and practice Acro Yoga. My Ashtanga practice has given me the strength, flexibility, and proper alignment to practice Acro Yoga safely. I also learned from a certified Acro Yoga teacher. I truly believe that it's a very therapeutic complimentary practice to Ashtanga. Just make sure you begin with a strong yoga foundation and a knowledgeable, experienced teacher!

Here are some recent clips from my practice with Tim Moylan at Esalen:

What Is Mysore Practice?

 

Mysore, for me, begins at 6 am when my alarm wakes me. I hit the snooze button and begin the same argument I have with myself every morning. "Maybe I should rest today. I really have been so focused lately. I deserve to sleep in. The air outside the covers is just way too cold. It's probably raining. Maybe its a moon day..." This goes on for at least 10 minutes until the alarm reminds me that its time to make up my mind. On a good day, a mysterious force deep within me starts moving even as I protest, and the next thing I know I'm fumbling for my shoes in the dark.

By the time I get to the car I have accepted my fate and I start to take credit for my magnificent devotion as a student. I have got to be racking up some good karma for this! I turn up the radio and roll down the windows. It's time to be conscious. The fresh, crisp air connects me to my breath. The whole city belongs to me at 6:30 in the morning. No angry drivers. Wide open roads. A blanket of quiet peace enfolds me.

I shuffle my inevitably stiff and sore body into the shala and resume the argument. "Someone's in my spot. There's a substitute. It's too cold. It's too hot. There's still time to leave before anyone notices." Once again I feel a gentle nudge from that steady, strong place inside. I got this.

I roll out my mat and shuffle around a bit until it is clear even to me that I am procrastinating. Then there is this moment at the top of my mat when my toes come together and my body lights up at full attention. I turn to my breath and chant the Invocation to Patanjali sweetly, humbly in my head. I am here in the present moment and my breath and this practice are all consuming.

Surya Namaskara A brings an awakening of my muscles and joints. Surya Namaskara B ignites a fire and loosens my tension. The sound of the communal breath soothes me. The cold winter falls away and I am gently held and supported by every other practitioner in the room. From this place I begin meandering along a path of 60 or so postures. Some how I usually manage to avoid forget one or two. Luckily in Mysore someone always happens to be watching when I make a mistake.  I trust my teachers. Their  guidance encourages me. They keep insisting I can do this. All is coming.

Sweat. Breathe. Be here now. I am confronted with myself by myself. I take inventory. Where are my weaknesses? I practice bringing strength to them. Where am I injured? I practice healing myself. What is hindering my balance? I cultivate firm stillness. Am I breathing?   "I can't do this. I'm tired. I hate this pose. The girl across the aisle is way better than me. I really should be better at this by now." Just keep going. I begin to love that determined piece of me. I must remember to listen for that voice when I'm caught up in the struggles of life off of my mat.

Savasana. Corpse Pose. The conclusion of physical effort. I am rubbery and vibrant. My body sings to me in gratitude. My mind is calm and clear. There are sounds of popping floorboards, deep breathing, and quiet instruction. I take it all in for a moment and then let it go. I dive into my Self.  I witness exploration and restoration, expansion and ease. Just when I think I could stay here forever, the sounds in the room come back, or the clouds outside part and guide me back to the room with light.

There are smiles and hugs in the lobby. These crazy people understand me. They got up at 6 am too. We are bound by a practice that few have the discipline to maintain.

I shuffle back out the shala door at around 9:15.  What a long journey I have made since 6 am. This is Mysore practice.

Inverted Back Bends

I am a huge fan of enlisting gravity to help open my spine gently. Two great postures that do this for you are forearm scorpion (vrscikasana) and handstand scorpion (taraksvanasana, also commonly referred to as vriscikasana b).  Here's a tip to help you safely get the most out of these inverted back bends.  Once you're inverted, resist the temptation to bend your knees right away. Keeping the legs straight, active and strong while you enter your back bend keeps the pelvis properly aligned and tunes in lots of supporting muscles. This allows you to ease into the back bend with lots of balance and control. Push the ground away with your hands and lift the crown of your head straight up. Start to reach out behind you with your toes, keeping the legs straight. Spend at least 5 breaths there, more if you like. Then bend your knees and strongly activate the hamstrings to pull the toes in toward your head.  Feel free to use a wall to play with these techniques. If you don't already practice handstands and/or forearm stands, don't start with this pose! I should note here that the exit I use in the video is not a proper exit. Don't try it on a hard surface. It feels nice on sand :)

How Many Yoga Teacher Training Hours Do You Need, And Who Should Train you?

Cheryl's Yoga Sutra Class

 How many yoga teacher training hours do you need? The answer is quite simple... as many as you can get. I am a brand spanking new 500 hour level graduate of Authentic Yoga Teacher Training at Dave's Ashtanga Yoga in Scottsdale, Arizona. After graduating from my 200 hour teacher training, I gave some thought to best time to pursue my 500 hour certification. I was advised to go out and teach for 6 months or a year, practice what I had learned, then consider a 300 hour program. It was great advice. This time around, I haven't asked whether I should consider more teacher training because I already know the answer. Absolutely!

 In your first teacher training, you learn how to practice yoga properly by learning how to teach it. Then, most likely, you go out into the world looking for anyone who will let you teach them. Bless those people. You will make all kinds of blunders with them before you begin to discover your own ease and grace. Be open to feedback. Your students are your teachers, too.

 After you've fumbled around enough to begin to know what you're doing, head back for another teacher training. A 300 hour program is great. The more time you commit, the more time the information has to sink in. And it's a lot of information! Now that you know how to instruct asana, it's time to delve deeper into yoga. Find a program that will teach you about the Yoga Sutras, Bhagavad Gita, Ayurveda, Sanskrit, the Ramayana. Those teachings will save you from falling into the masses of new-agey yoga teachers who spend the whole class reminding you to "Open your heart and mind to the flowing peace and love of the earth while raising your vibration and finding your soul in your inner-upper left heart chakra".

 Then you can start teaching yoga- the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind. It's not flowery or particularly comfortable, but you will heal people. And in doing so you will also heal yourself. I'd love to tell you how your next teacher training refines you, but I haven't had the personal experience to share with you beyond 500 hours.

 My speculation is that with each concerted effort to improve your teaching, you will further absorb the very lessons you hope to share with your students. What could be more gratifying than passing along your knowledge? How about expanding the pool of knowledge you make available to your students? I plan to do another teacher training. I hope to do 10 more teacher trainings. I'm beginning to feel a pull towards India!

 All teacher training programs are not created equally. Do your research. Some questions to ask: Who teaches the program? Who are the teachers' teachers? Do they speak/teach Sanskrit? How long have they been teaching? What style/styles do they teach? Do they cover the eight limbs of yoga in depth? If you find a studio that is driven less by profit and more by a true desire to educate, you have found a rare gem. That's who you want to train you. That's not to say that successful studios are bad in any way. Just make sure that monetary profit and/or ego gratification are not your teacher's primary motivation.

 Don't settle for geographical convenience either. If there's only 1 yoga studio in town, and it doesn't feel right to you, travel. It's not frivolous spending to travel for teacher training. So you skip next year's trip to Disneyland. The right teacher training is an investment that will repay you for a lifetime.

 Having covered some unbiased bases on how to find the right studio, I would like to make a specific teacher training program recommendation. Dave and Cheryl Oliver own and operate Dave's Ashtanga Yoga in Scottsdale, Arizona. There you will find honest, compassionate, tireless teachers of Ashtanga Yoga and Vedic Chant. Your teachers and fellow students will readily welcome you into the fold and help you figure out how to best shine your light in a genuine and authentic way.

 From the essential elements of teaching, to adjustments, pranayama, sanskrit, devanagari, Bhagavad Gita, Yoga Sutras, Upanishands, Ramayana, Ayurveda, yoga history, and oh yeah, expert first and second series ashtanga classes and workshops- Dave's Ashtanga yoga has earned a well-known and well deserved reputation as "Home" for Ashtangi's across the country.  

 Dave is the father of this vibrant North Scottsdale yoga family. He brings stories of the Ramayana to life and offers opportunities to chant throughout many asana classes Somehow he manages to keep ancient texts fresh and relate-able to a modern yogi's life. He's taught yoga for 30 something years and was a school teacher before he found yoga. Being adjusted by Dave feels something like a bear hug and a twist tie all in one. He is strong but gentle, and if you're ready to deepen your pose he will safely facilitate it for you. He takes extra time to help the men in his studio because he feels they are often overlooked for adjustments "out there in the wild". That's code for any studio that's not Dave's place. He even taught us the only Ashtanga-specific joke I know: "Why did the yogi do ardha vinyasa?" Wait for it... "To get to the other side!" Dave will guide you along your yoga path with humor, love, and invaluable yoga knowledge  

 If Dave is the father of the sangha (community) then Cheryl is the mother (although Dave just calls her his smokin' hot wife). She is Sarasvati incarnate. Her role at Dave's Ashtanga Yoga is equally important as Dave's. She is the driving force that keeps the school running smoothly behind the scenes and the loving teacher of all things sanskrit. She encourages you to make mistakes and be heard making them. If she can hear them she can help you fix them. Her "two rules of chant class" follow me through tough days when I need them. The first rule is: Just get going. The second rule is: Just keep going. She is gentle but firm, and not afraid to set you straight when you need it. After many years of learning and teaching the language and texts of yoga, she continues to further her education with additional teacher training. Along with her expertise in the language of yoga, Cheryl is also a wonderful asana teacher. Her adjustments are heavenly!

 Not surprisingly, the community that has formed around these teachers is warm, friendly, lively and supportive. We make fast friends and keep them forever. We support each others various work within the community and in some cases, across the planet. We celebrate each individual's strengths. For the most part, gossip and typical yoga studio social drama just doesn't happen at Dave's.

 We are a pretty happy bunch of yogis. Who could blame us? There are too many great things about Authentic Yoga Teacher Training to list here, so I encourage you to seek out more information from them. Visit http://www.davesastangayoga.com/ for details about their program.

 Whichever program you choose, I congratulate you on the journey. Yoga teacher training can be a whole new world of self-discovery and immersion in a healthy community. There will never come a day when you regret accumulating too many hours!

Dear Lover

Dear Lover,

You are patient and powerful. You listen to my breath. You search for the quiver in my muscles as you sway me alternately, deliberately, from tension to bliss. You are not swept away in my rapture, rather, you orchestrate it. You provide for my every comfort, allowing me to relax, let go, surrender. In surrender I am swept away. You assert your strength and lead me deep into the belly of my own fiery desire.  You are my guide here, and I know I am safe with you. You usher me unhurried to the brink of my fulfillment, and then hold me there expertly, deepening and sweetening the pool of the senses before plunging me into its depths.

You see me naked. Not just the outward shell that is my body, but my naked trust, passion, and ego. You are sensitive to my vulnerability. You are attuned to the vibration of my anxious anticipation. You draw it into your own calm, loving vibration and return it to me softened and rhythmic. I lift my gaze to meet your eyes and find there compassion, acceptance, truth.

You are loving. Not the small kind of loving that begs to be defined. This love is the spontaneous connection that occurs when two pieces of the same spirit recognize one another, and are unable to escape the other’s gravity. It is a union. It is too big to be confined within rings, and papers, and rites. It is alive. It breathes and grows and endures. And in your loving touch you leave no scars, only planting seeds of pleasure and pure intention. Your kiss is a shelter from the past and the future.  I can be nowhere but the present in your embrace.

You respect my independence. You see this woman before you as a goddess. Equally powerful and light, entrenched in dharma. You encourage me to fly, uplifted and engaged by this free spirit- never attempting to capture my freedom, only my adoration. You know that to grasp too tight is to collapse the bond which draws me to you. You are content with or without me because you are whole and driven under your own volition. Intimately, you ask with a glance if I want to go on with this journey. I shiver as our energy gathers at my spine. My eyes turn inward to receive the light you cast on me from within. Shakti is awakened. I am liberated from my senses as they are consumed in the fire of ecstatic bliss, tappas.

You are creative and intelligent. The confines of habit offer you no satisfaction. When your exploration leads you to one treasured experience, you seek not to recreate it over again. You absorb it and then blaze a new path toward new treasures. You know that each moment is pregnant with potential, and like a kaleidoscope you reveal to me a new masterpiece upon the slightest turn- an explosion of shades, and fractals, and reflections.

You speak the silent language of compassion and gentleness. I am listening. You apply your strength and intellect in equal proportions. I am observing. You invite me to expose my true Self. I am ready.

Purely,

Me xoxo

Astanga Vs Vinyasa | What's Right For You?

  Lately, Ashtanga yoga seems to be popping up around every corner, or at least at the fringes of every yoga studio’s regular class schedule. Maybe the buzz has piqued your interest, and you’re wondering if you should give it a try. For some reason, there seem to be a great number of yogic wallflowers hovering about the sidelines, flirting with the idea of discovering Ashtanga yoga, but afraid to jump in and participate. My theory on this puzzling phenomenon is that the unfamiliar is almost always intimidating. Since I happen to be passionately in love with both Vinyasa and Ashtanga yoga, I thought a little casual introduction might help hesitant yogis find a bridge between the two styles and encourage some healthy exploration.

Okay, first, what the heck is the difference between Vinyasa and Ashtanga? Simply put, Ashtanga yoga is a traditional series of postures done in the same order every time. Also very simply put, Vinyasa is like freestyle Ashtanga. The yoga you do when you walk into a “flow” class is Vinyasa. It can be characterized by flowing movements, coordinated with deep focused breathing, and it’s often accompanied by music. Ninety percent or more of the poses you do in a flow class are the same ones you’ll find in an Ashtanga class. The major difference is the creative license that the Vinyasa teacher takes in building the sequences and varying the pace between poses.

So what should you expect in an Ashtanga class? Well, let’s call it structure. You know exactly what to expect from every Ashtanga class. Here’s a link to the: Ashtanga Asana Sequence. Sound repetitive? Yep. It is. Sound boring? Ah, now that’s where you’d be wrong. Maybe the reason the Ashtanga yoga has come to be intimidating to yogis who haven’t tried it is because it is known as a very intense and powerful practice. Let me clarify here. If you are physically capable of taking a Vinyasa flow class, you are physically capable of taking an Ashtanga class. You may, however, find the Ashtanga class to be more intense because it has a way of bringing you deeper within yourself. With no music in the background, you hear your own breath and the instructions of your teacher more clearly. There are fewer distractions, and a more singularly focused energy flows through the room. You’ll also notice some traditional accoutrements such as a chanting the Vande Gurunam at the beginning of class and some Sanskrit counting- neither of which are you required to know.

Essentially, those are the most noticeable differences between an Ashtanga class and a Vinyasa class. There are some other differences beneath the surface that tend to create a personal gravitational pull toward either Vinyasa or Ashtanga yoga styles. Generally speaking (and in my humble opinion), those who practice yoga for the sheer fun of it, or for an occasional stress reliever may find everything they’re looking for in a Vinyasa yoga class. Practitioners who seek a transformative experience or who wish to integrate yoga into their lifestyle often find Ashtanga to be a more satisfying practice. Why? Well, in the interest of keeping it simple, Vinyasa is about breathing and flowing. It is often referred to as a moving meditation. Ashtanga yoga means eight-limb yoga. Only one of those limbs is asana (the physical postures). The other seven limbs are about living life in a kind, pure manner, breathing, focusing, meditating, and essentially attaining a persistent state of bliss. Again- way simplified, but you can probably imagine how a person who seeks to learn how to bring yoga into their life off the mat might find more fulfillment through Ashtanga.

My teacher, John Salisbury, says Ashtanga is like school, and Vinyasa is like recess. I love this analogy! Practiced in combination, you achieve balance. So if you want to know which style of yoga is better, or which style you should be practicing, you are really the only one who knows the answer. What are you looking to gain from your practice? Your answer may vary from day to day. In that case, do what both styles teach you- do what feels good.

I practice and teach both Vinyasa yoga and Ashtanga yoga in Phoenix and Tempe, Arizona. I’d be honored to see you in my class. Please visit my schedule to find a class that works for you. I update often, and am expecting to add a few classes this fall, so please check back often! You might also find my Guide to Counting in Sanskrit interesting.

Namaste!

2020 Follow up… not long after I wrote this piece back in 2011 I moved to Carlsbad California where I spent years practicing and learning from the world renowned Tim Miller. I wrote a sequel of sorts to this post with a few more years of practice under my belt. You can read it here: Ashtanga VS Vinyasa Part 2 It’s been a handful of years since I wrote that one. Maybe I’ll make it a trilogy…