Upcoming posts

At the risk of putting myself on the hook for something I won't complete, I wanted to foreshadow a couple of posts I've been working on:

Yoga for sleep (probably in two parts, there's a lot of information out there!)
Golden milk recipe (involves turmeric and honey, yummy for the joints)
Hannah's favorite yoga blogs

Last Thursday's intention.

May I stay seated in divine love.
May I be receptive and open.
May my mind and heart be pure and true,
and may I feel the goodness in everything.
May I bring goodness to everyone I meet today.
May I fully become the person I was destined to be.

Most boring blog ever? Nooo!!! Presenting: a flow-chart history of yoga. I know, right?

This is great for us visual people, maybe a bit esoteric for those new to yoga, and just tickles me pink. :) 

Yoga Flow Chart by Alison Hinks (who totally inspires me with her website and her writing!).  So now the secret's out. Hannah likes the esoteric, the poetic, the visual, and hey, yoga.

So far as the names on this chart go, as a teacher, I consider myself most directly influenced by Donna Farhi and Judith Hanson Lasater, Rod Stryker and Gary Kraftsow. With the exception of Judith Lasater, this influence has been through books and recordings exclusively. As far as direct lineage goes, my teacher's teachers: I know that  Erin Geesaman has studied with Donna Farhi, Judith Lasater and Gary Kraftsow, as well as being a Vajrayana Buddhist and Feldenkrais practitioner. Peter Francyk has studied directly with many people in the Krishnamacharya lineage: Desikachar himself, Richard Freeman, David Swenson, Patabhi Jois, Chuck Miller & Maty Ezraty, also Rod Stryker and some names that I know but don't see on this chart and am not sure where to plug in. Might need a bigger chart. :) Shiva Rea is also in the Krishnamacharya lineage.

Yoga Tonight

Well, it's 11:19 pm and I just finished a nice little asana practice, courtesy of Sarah Kline at YogaToday. Sometimes, as a teacher, you just want to have someone else lead a class. And sometimes, whether you teach or no, the time one has available for practice just doesn't jive with being able to get to a class. I've been practicing on and off with the lovely ladies at Yoga Today since a friend told me about the website back in...2005? They offer a free, hour long class weekly, plus short "lunch break" type sessions, on their website. In addition, one can purchase classes by the each and download them to watch over and over again, or sign up for a year pass. The latter costs less than a month's pass at any studio I know of.

I just think this is one of the great yoga resources out there, and spread the word whenever I think of it. They don't know me and I'm not getting compensated, but you know me, and you might enjoy this as much as I do! :)

Here comes midnight. Time for me to go to bed. Buenas noches!

Mendocino Coast Yoga Calendar

I'm working on a new site for the yoga calendar project, and hope to share it soon!

JUST STOP! written by Jan Spiller

Behind the timeless striving

Of man to reach his goals…

Behind the search for knowledge

So the answer can be known

Behind the endless looking for

That something to make us full

The object of the searching

Has been there all the while.

If you can stop…and listen

Just stop, and you will know -

The mind was only a diversion

And all the time you were whole!

Apart from the appearance

Of what in life is real

Apart from the mirage of things

That seem to have some value

Apart from personality

With all its different needs

Lies the source of all . . . . .

To live content with small means

to seek elegance rather than luxury and refinement rather than fashion

to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich

to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly

to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart

to bear all cheerfully

do all bravely

await occasions

hurry never-

in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconcious

grow up through the common.

This is to be my symphony.

-William Ellery Channing