Second Trimester Final Exam

I have until Sunday, 2/28/10, to finish my yoga exam and get it emailed to the instructors. Interestingly enough, several of the questions have to do with the ego, attachment and aversion. So while I am contemplating these questions, I am talking to my husband about being present in the now. He put in a movie, and my first question was something to do with the film that had not happened yet. There I was, not being here again in this moment, looking forward to 2 minutes from now. My present went out the window.

I am in Physical Therapy and after this weekend I found that my shoulder seemed to be aching more than previously. I mentioned this today to the therapist and she asked about the weights I was using at home. I replied "3 pounds". She came back with "maybe you should back-off and only exercise with 2 pounds". "Listen to your body, do what you can without pain", well, that is not what I usually do.

Ouch, then it hit me. I was not present in the now; my rehabilitation was not what it "should be". I was doing the attachment - aversion thing AGAIN. "Rehab should be going as I planned, it should not take me more than another month." That's it, I was attached, hook, line, and sinker; my aversion was to longer therapy. I also realized that subconsciously I was thinking " I can't wait until I can...do a downward dog or table". That is so un-yogic, so not present in the now. Always thinking about "when I will be better, when I can do...". The ego struck again; I was totally missing "now".

I think that I should write down every time for 1 day, when I am being in the future and thinking "when I". Like Judith Lasater, I think I will be shocked with the total number of times that I do this a day and don't even realize it. That's scary.

I'll keep you posted.

namaste

Loving Kindness Meditation | How to Meditate

Meditation is a great way to "get a grip" on your mind. Our thoughts have a way of carrying us off into distraction; we lose focus so quickly. Meditation helps to soothe the mind, calm the thoughts, and be at peace. There are numerous meditation techniques from simply focusing on the breath, the inhale and exhale, to the Loving Kindness Meditation found below. If you have an interest in meditation, visit this site. There is a wealth of information on meditation and it is easily understood.

This meditation is a reminder of ahimsa; non-harming, compassion and love of all creation. I have included the text so that you do not become distracted by viewing another website!

Loving Kindness Meditation | How to Meditate

This text, and a wealth of other meditation information can be found on the above link.

namaste.

Loving Kindness Meditation

All living beings deserve to be cherished because of the tremendous kindness they have shown us.
The five stages of the meditation:

1. Preparation
2. Contemplation
3. Meditation
4. Dedication
5. Subsequent Practice

1. Preparation

We sit in the meditation posture as explained above and prepare our mind for meditation with breathing meditation. If we like we can also engage in the preparatory prayers.

2. Contemplation

All living beings deserve to be cherished because of the tremendous kindness they have shown us. All our temporary and ultimate happiness arises through their kindness. Even our body is the result of the kindness of others. We did not bring it with us from our previous life – it developed from the union of our father’s sperm and mother’s ovum. Once we had been conceived our mother kindly allowed us to stay in her womb, nourishing our body with her blood and warmth, putting up with great discomfort, and finally going through the painful ordeal of childbirth for our sake. We came into this world naked and empty-handed and were immediately given a home, food, clothes, and everything else we needed. While we were a helpless baby our mother protected us from danger, fed us, cleaned us, and loved us. Without her kindness we would not be alive today.

The mere fact that we are alive today is a testimony to the great kindness of others.
Through receiving a constant supply of food, drink, and care, our body gradually grew from that of a tiny helpless baby to the body we have now. All this nourishment was directly or indirectly provided by countless living beings. Every cell of our body is therefore the result of others’ kindness. Even those who have never known their mother have received nourishment and loving care from other people. The mere fact that we are alive today is a testimony to the great kindness of others.

It is because we have this present body with human faculties that we are able to enjoy all the pleasures and opportunities of human life. Even simple pleasures such as going for a walk or watching a beautiful sunset can be seen to be a result of the kindness of innumerable living beings. Our skills and abilities all come from the kindness of others; we had to be taught how to eat, how to walk, how to talk, and how to read and write. Even the language we speak is not our own invention but the product of many generations. Without it we could not communicate with others nor share their ideas. We could not read this book, learn Dharma, nor even think clearly. All the facilities we take for granted, such as houses, cars, roads, shops, schools, hospitals, and cinemas, are produced solely through others’ kindness. When we travel by bus or car we take the roads for granted, but many people worked very hard to build them and make them safe for us to use.

Everyone who contributes in any way towards our happiness and well-being is deserving of our gratitude.
The fact that some of the people who help us may have no intention of doing so is irrelevant. We receive benefit from their actions, so from our point of view this is a kindness. Rather than focusing on their motivation, which in any case we do not know, we should focus on the practical benefit we receive. Everyone who contributes in any way towards our happiness and well-being is deserving of our gratitude and respect. If we had to give back everything that others have given us, we would have nothing left at all.

We might argue that we are not given things freely but have to work for them. When we go shopping we have to pay, and when we eat in a restaurant we have to pay. We may have the use of a car, but we had to buy the car, and now we have to pay for petrol, tax, and insurance. No one gives us anything for free. But from where do we get this money? It is true that generally we have to work for our money, but it is others who employ us or buy our goods, and so indirectly it is they who provide us with money. Moreover, the reason we are able to do a particular job is that we have received the necessary training or education from other people. Wherever we look, we find only the kindness of others. We are all interconnected in a web of kindness from which it is impossible to separate ourself. Everything we have and everything we enjoy, including our very life, is due to the kindness of others. In fact, every happiness there is in the world arises as a result of others’ kindness.

Our spiritual development and the pure happiness of full enlightenment also depend upon the kindness of living beings.
Our spiritual development and the pure happiness of full enlightenment also depend upon the kindness of living beings. Buddhist centres, Dharma books, and meditation courses do not arise out of thin air but are the result of the hard work and dedication of many people. Our opportunity to read, contemplate, and meditate on Buddha’s teachings depends entirely upon the kindness of others. Moreover, as explained later, without living beings to give to, to test our patience, or to develop compassion for, we could never develop the virtuous qualities needed to attain enlightenment.

In short, we need others for our physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Without others we are nothing. Our sense that we are an island, an independent, self-sufficient individual, bears no relation to reality. It is closer to the truth to picture ourself as a cell in the vast body of life, distinct yet intimately bound up with all living beings. We cannot exist without others, and they in turn are affected by everything we do. The idea that it is possible to secure our own welfare whilst neglecting that of others, or even at the expense of others, is completely unrealistic.

3. Meditation

Contemplating the innumerable ways in which others help us, we should make a firm decision: `I must cherish all living beings because they are so kind to me.’ Based on this determination we develop a feeling of cherishing – a sense that all living beings are important and that their happiness matters. We try to mix our mind single-pointedly with this feeling and maintain it for as long as we can without forgetting it.

4. Dedication

We dedicate all the virtues we have created in this meditation practice to the welfare of all living beings by reciting the dedication prayers.

5. Subsequent Practice

When we arise from meditation we try to maintain this mind of love, so that whenever we meet or remember someone we naturally think: `This person is important, this person’s happiness matters.’ In this way we can make cherishing living beings our main practice.

I am at the point in training that I have to sequence a class and teach. YIKES! But I was thinking today that the Chinese new year is the year of the Tiger and it would be a great theme for a yoga class. I'm pondering poses and thought I would include those that can be restorative as well as those which generate strength.

According to the Chinese Zodiac, the Year of 2010 is the Year of a Golden Tiger, which begins on February 14, 2010 and ends on February 2, 2011. The first day of the lunar New Year 2010 falls on the 14th day of February, which is Saint Valentine's Day, so it is a day the West celebrates as a lovers' day, a day of romance. To the Chinese, it is the start of the Golden Tiger Year.

The Tiger is the third sign in the cycle of Chinese Zodiac, which consists of 12 animal signs. It is a sign of courage. This fearless and fiery fighter is revered by the ancient Chinese as the sign that wards off the three main disasters of a household: fire, thieves and ghosts. On New Year's day itself, it is beneficial to celebrate, to be happy, to have smiling faces, and to refrain from scowling, quarreling, or criticizing anyone. [http://www.springsgreetingcards.com/catalogs/store.asp?pid=48494&catid=22647]

The Tiger is one of the most beautiful creatures on the planet, and is feared and revered in equal measure. The Tiger symbolizes the female Yin energy as opposed to the Yang male energy of the dragon. The Tiger also represents earth, while the dragon represents Heaven. The powerful and stealth prowess of the Tiger inspire the martial art movements of many Kung-Fu masters.

Based on this exerpt, an appropriate sequence might include Yin components, Vinyasa flow and grounding poses.

Thoughts and points to consider while practicing include strength [mental, physical, emotional], courage to accept where we are at this moment, and yamas such as ahimsa, satya, asteya, bramacharya, and aparigraha.

It is interesting that the Tiger's two main features are rashness and hesitation, a pair of contradictions. If a Tiger knows how to relax and do things according to the situation, they can become quite successful. What a wonderful yogic thought; balancing rashness and hesitation, accepting challenges and just "being" in the situation

Yes, I think I like that plan.

Om Shanti

Today is February 15, post Valentine's day. I had a Yoga meeting today and then went to Physical Therapy. Yes, I am still going, likely for another month. I started weights today and elastic bands. My therapist told me before I left that I would "not like him" tomorrow morning because my shoulder would be sore. Oh, now that's something to look forward to!

Regarding yoga: I made it through blindfolded class. It is hard to really practice pratyahara. Try to tune out all the peripheral stuff in your environment and withdraw inside. Sometimes I experience this in shavasana but not routinely. Even more of a challenge is practicing pratyahara during a regular class with other people and lots of other "noise". But it was a great learning experience. Spend some time wherever you are, cover your eyes and just sit and try to focus on your breath. A challenge right?

One of my yoga assignments for today was to sequence a 3 pose Vinyasa Flow and present to my instructors. Talk about intimidation! But I put together a wall sequence including Tadasana, Uttanasana, Utkatasasa, then Virabadhrasana I and II. It went pretty well and was more than acceptable I think.

In January I attended a Restorative Yoga Workshop in Asheville. It was wonderful for many reasons. One was to be able to practice Restorative Yoga on Friday night, all day Saturday, and again on Sunday for 4 hours. The best part was that as our final assignment we had to develop a a sequence for someone with a certain medical condition. After this we had to instruct it to the people in our group. This was so great for me. I had great trepidation about this since I have never taught yoga and have not been steadily practicing yoga for a long time. But I taught the class and it was great. So today when I had to present my sequence I dropped back in to that mental state and it went great. I felt comfortable with it and the flow. I also answered the questions correctly!

I really enjoy Restorative Yoga but I also like more vigorous practice. I think I am going to develop a practice that is based on Schiffman's 10 Core Poses. These address core movements and is a well-rounded series. Yummm.

Here I am approaching the end of the second trimester. Tomorrow we have extended class. We'll be studying paratyahra. Practice with a blindfold to fully experience it.

Today in my home practice I had a variety of poses in my sequence. Some standing, some balances, and some sitting or lying down. This is one of the first times since my surgery that I practiced a range of asanas. Some were definitely beyond where I am in Physical Therapy. Some were very easy [not really] and these were mostly the standing poses and balances. I was able to hold Eage, Tree, standing half-moon. I think this is because while I was home and unable to do anything, I visualized my self in these poses. Well, I think it was beneficial.

We are now studying how to set up a class and sequencing yoga asanas. There are neutralizing asanas and counterposes. Subtle differences in terms of when to counterpose and when to neutralize. Also important is the sequence from easy to difficult and back to easy. The neutralizing and counterposes are to be incorporated into the sequence from easy to difficult. I never realized that there were "rules" for the asanas. Maybe that's why one of my challenges is the transition between the poses. Our yogi mentioned to me that I am totally "dropped-in" to the pose then I "pop-out" of the pose to move into the next one. I now agree with that. I totally missout on the "transition" thing. Today I tried to focus on staying in the "zone" when I was transitioning and I think it made a difference.

I am reading the book Tibetan Book of Yoga, very powerful and thought provoking.

More tomorrow.

I'm Back

It has been awhile since my last post, quite a while. Since my last entry I continued class, went to Italy for vacation, fell in Italy and then came home. Shortly after my return to America I noted that my shoulder had been injured in my fall. After a couple of weeks I decided it was time to see an Orthopedist. I tried anti-inflammatory medications for a couple of weeks, helped a little, but not 100%. Went back to Ortho and had the choice of continuing drugs or having an MRI. I chose the MRI. Here's where there is "good news-bad news". The good news was the surgery could repair my shoulder; the bad news was that I had 3 tears in my Rotator Cuff.

In the interim, I had been reading all about shoulder repair and the subsequent physical therapy. I knew what I was in for;, the surgery, the pain, the rehab. But, I wanted to be done with it. I was tired of groaning in pain while getting dressed, backing off in yoga, and generally feeling like a one-winged bird in denial. So, on December 21, I had my "Trifecta" surgery. The surprise was that I also had bone spurs!! Fortunately, arthroscopic surgery is a miracle in itself. The spurs were merely sanded out and the muscles reattached with Titanium screws and sutures to hold it together. So now I have 4 Titanium screws holding my shoulder together.

As of today, I am six weeks post-surgery. I go to PT twice a week, and, so far, have been meeting my goals. This week I have 6 new exercises, the worst being to put my injured left arm behind my back and raise it up using a strap and my right arm. YIKES, this is the worst one I have had to do since I started PT. It feels like a knife is in my shoulder and someone is trying to tear my arm out of the socket.

In the meantime, I continue my Yoga studies. I have been attending class and the Yoga training classes. I do what I can and actually am somewhat amazed at what I can do. I have been visualizing myself doing some of the poses I have studied while injured, and when I try them, I am able to do them. It is very strange. I read a Rotary newsletter about a gent who was a POW in Vietnam. All the while he was being held captive [for 7 years], he visualized himself playing a full round of golf. Each hole, each stroke, right down to the muscles. When he was finally released, he went to play his first round and scored something low, close to 60 if that is possible. Is this the power of the mind or what???

So now I am approaching the end of the second trimester of training. A couple of weekends ago I attended a Restorative Yoga workshop in Asheville, NC. It was great, I learned so much and even had the opportunity to design a class for someone with varicose veins. In addition, I taught it. This activity gave me such a boost. It felt great to teach and walk the student through getting into and out of asanas. Not to mention verbalizing the benefits of the pose and visualizations to enhance the pose. I was able to provide enhancements and my recipients appeared to have enjoyed and benefitted from them.

Wow, I have come a long way!!