Tag Archives: yoga

Living on the Edge of a Circle

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Yesterday was Sunday and we had practice in the morning and the rest of the day free to roam. I went and practiced Tim’s Second Series led class at 8:00am. There were just over fifty of us in the room going all the way through Second together. It truly was a remarkable class. Tim practiced it with us which made it extra special. It is really like a combination of a led class and a Mysore stye class. Tim will announce the name of the pose and then we all just move through the vinyasas together and arrive in the state of the pose. We would hold the pose until he said five which obviously indicated the end of the five breath count and then we moved through the next vinyasa and continued like this throughout the series. So there was no sanskrit counting and there were very little words spoken. Just a few good natured jokes were thrown in classic Tim style. We also did a few “research” poses which means we would do a few preparations for the more challenging poses. These were kept to a minimum however to maintain the continuity of the series. When questioned as to how much “researching” is allowable, his response is that it needs to be kept to a minimum and the the pose you end up using as your asana needs to be as close to the pose you are actually trying to achieve. Moral of the story, don’t stay to long on the “scenic route.” What really struck me as fantastic about this class was that there was a group of us tightly packed in to the room and the vibe was just so light hearted and serious at the same time. There is such an incredible focus in the practice yet each of us seemed so happy to be there that the camaraderie felt palpable.  
When class was finished I came home and cleaned up. Tamara’s other grandma lives up in Laguna Hills so I drove up to see her. The traffic was horrendous on the I-5 heading north which was a good reminder for me as to the reality of driving on Southern California freeways. I picked up some flowers and went and saw Oma. We were able to have lunch at one of her favorite restaurants and after that we snuck into See’s Candies but we’ll keep that part a secret. After getting Oma home safely I drove a bit further north to visit Tamara’s Aunt in Costa Mesa. It was so great to catch up with her family and have some time to sit with them and relax.

  
Today is Monday and we are back into Teacher Training mode. This morning I arrived at the shala for 6:00am Pranayama. I have to say that the pranayama routine is something else. It is hard to describe how challenging it is to keep up with “Big Tim.” I swear his lung capacity must be about 3 times the size of mine. He can inhale for such a long time that I find I am trying to narrow my epiglottis to the smallest pin sized hole to insure it will take a long time to suck in a lung full of air. The trick is that if you breath in to fast your lungs are full and now holding it even longer then the time that Tim is. So part of my mental coaching component is that I need to be inhaling for as long as he does. What is so much even more unbelievably challenging is to then exhale really slowly the air out which always seems faster than Tim’s. At this point you are so out of breath and then you have to hold the breath again with no air inside and wait for the next inhale. By this time when I suck that next breath in it sounds like someone just released a balloon that noisily flaps across the room. I have already figured out how to cheat but Tim just said “no cheating.” All I can say is I just try the best I can, squeeze the heck out of some Moola Bandha let the sweat come up to the edge of my skin and fall over the edge.

  
Immediately following we unrolled our mats and began our Mysore practice. There are two ninety minute Mysore classes on Monday so the room had a little extra space. Still a good forty of us were making our way through our routine. The energy in the room felt a bit more settled today that it did last Monday. I think last Monday it was our first day and we were all so unbelievably pumped about it that it was just amazing. One week later and there seemed to be a little less wind in our sails. I am speaking from my own point of view yet when I asked others it seemed they all agreed. This felt really positive because it had an aura of us sinking in. I feel like I am more comfortable. I have gotten to know a lot of the trainees and for lack of a better analogy, “the dust is settling.” I got some great adjustments today. Tim approved me adding a new posture today at the end of my routine which is always fun for me. I also asked for some assistance in Viparita Chakrasana which typically in English is called ‘tick-tocks.’ You go up into a handstand and slowly drop your feet over your head and land them on the floor and then immediately push as hard as you can with your legs and lift them back over your head and return into a handstand then land the feet again on the floor. I haven’t had assistance in this in I can’t tell you how long. Of course a few jokes were made about my ability(actually lack of) in this and I am so glad to have Tim’s assistance again. One of my most favorite poses is Vrschikasana which is Scorpion pose. This is done after the the whole tick-tock and handstand drop over routine. It is performed by going up into handstand and progressively a deep back bend and touching your toes to your head while you balance on your hands. Tim had to give a strong adjustment for me to get me toes to touch my head and right when he did I got the best crack in my back and it felt amazing. I swear that right after that my energy increased. Tim said, “ohh, back getting stiff.” That made me think about the realty of how much things change in 10 plus years. All the more reason to get my butt back in Tim’s shala. It felt so good though to have my toes touch even though a little more pushing was necessary. Kind of like resetting a clock.

  
After class we had some time to refresh and I found this killer juice bar close by and settled on a liquid breakfast. There are so many amazing healthy food options here in Encinitas and Southern California in general. One thing that I am so happy about is that Florida is starting to catch up, at least in the Juno Beach area, with the west coast. In my opinion though, Cali is King in this department.
Teacher Training was pretty stellar today. We covered some unimaginable postures in our session. We started off with Astavakrasana A and continued in order through Astavakrasana B, Purna Matsyendrasana, Viranchyasana A and Viranchyasana B. I feel I could write a novel about each of these yet the one that sticks out most clearly in my mind is Purna Matsyendrasana which means Full or Complete Lord of the Fishes Pose. It is by far the deepest knee flexion pose I have tried and also the most serious twist on top of that. I was working with a partner and dialing it in a bit and making some progress. Tim came over and adjusted me in it and, oh my heavens. He got me way deeper than I have ever gotten it that before. It is such an edgy pose. The knee element is off the charts and the twist is so intense. In about three seconds I had sweat just pouring out of me. He adjusted both sides but what was really phenomenal was the feeling I had after it. My hips and knees felt so good and I got the best energy rush up through my torso. I like this one so much now. I was so apprehensive of it but I think I have made a new friend. Also, because I had some assistance I was able to make it through Viranchyasana A. There are three parts to this one. The main essence is that you put one foot in half lotus and then put the other leg behind the head and try to balance sitting upright. I love this pose as well. It makes me think that the designer of this pose must of thought, “how could I combine the most challenging elements of strength and flexibility and put it into one package?’ The originator did a great job of succeeding at this. The next pose though, Viranchyasana B, is another story all together. It makes Janusirsasana C seem like a walk in the park. I have had to work so hard to get my Janu C somewhat comfortable. This pose definitely takes me out of my comfort zone. I took it real easy because I am determined to leave this training with all my limbs attached and in working order.
Another highlight of todays session was singing some songs to Shiva and story time with Tim. Tim read a passage from the Mahabharata and I just kicked back and enjoyed the tale. I love the Indian stories so much. Tim called the Mahabharata the first and original Game of Thrones. They are such fantastical tales that weave in deep spiritual concepts. The stories are so rich in metaphor and colorful in their rendition of human and celestial drama. It was the perfect compliment to the challenge of our asana investigation.
Tim threw out a couple of statements today that I really enjoyed. Someone brought up the fact that sometimes the practice brings them to tears. Tim told us Guruji would say, “Why crying? That’s a $25 dollar fine.” In good humor of course. Tim responded with, “There is no crying in Ashtanga yoga, actually, there is lots of crying in Ashtanga yoga.” This made me smile. The gist I feel is be strong and let emotion move through you at the same time. Another favorite was in relation to a comment he made that the Third Series is an “edgy series.” He asked if we ever heard the saying, “If you are not on the edge you are taking up to much space.” I had heard him say that before, but now I think I get what he means.

  
To top it all off I ended the day with a surf down at San Elijo State Beach. The waves were small but as the wind dropped off the water became as slick as oil. The sunset would catch the angles of refraction on the water which created a mosaic of color and beauty. I found myself just laying on my board and becoming mesmerized by the tranquility of it all. There is something about just waiting for a wave and floating on the surface and looking out into the great open ocean that puts me into a meditative state. It got me thinking about how our ancestors at one time thought that if we sailed to the horizon we would drop over the edge of the Earth. Low and behold, and quite luckily they did not. Instead of going over the edge, they brought us to where we are now, full circle.

A Day of Rest and Reflection

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Today is Saturday and our day of rest from asana practice. One thing that I really love about the Ashtanga method is that it is recommended to take at least one day off per week and to not practice on the new or full moon. Sometimes people can get obsessed with the asana practice and perhaps if this rule was not in place some people would hammer out an intense practice every single day. Personally that would not be an issue for me. The fact that there is a prescribed 6 day a week practice schedule is something that takes a lot of time to really cultivate and maintain. I also think that no practice on moon days, the new and full moon, is the best invention since sliced bread. I adhere to the Saturday off idea mainly because that is what I learned from Guruji and Tim, but it is good to note that you can make that day any day you choose. Yet still the 6 days, “you do!”
When Tamara and I went to Mysore we asked the assistance of someone to help us find a room to rent while we were there. The gentle Indian man said “I can’t help you tomorrow because it is moon day, yet the following day I can.” In this case he was not an “asana” practitioner (I don’t think) but he took moon days off from work anyhow. This blew our mind. We had never come across this concept before. When we were practicing Bikram yoga never once was this notion mentioned, nor was there any talk of breathing either but that is an entirely different story. I have to admit that right away I thought that moon days were a brilliant concept regardless that it was a foreign idea. Now as a 6 day a week practitioner (as best I can as a family man), I think moon days are incredible. Now every two weeks, you get a day to rest your body as well as the Saturday. I think that the element of the fixed day off one day per week, combined with the extra two moon days off on alternating intervals, creates a variation of change within a consistent structure. 
If you don’t adhere to this rule you probably are thinking, “Todd is getting a little out there.” I promise though that if you try this it will seem like the most remarkable concept ever created. That is little background story of why then, today we took the morning off to rest. We had Teacher Training session today from 1 PM to 6 PM yet Tim still honored this tradition by giving us a five hour tour of the third chapter of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. It was remarkable as those of you who have met Tim can imagine. In his First and Second Series Teacher Trainings he covers the first and second chapters of the Yoga Sutras. So this was the first time I have had the privilege of having him go sutra by sutra and take the time to allow us to share our thoughts about what they could potentially mean. Reading the Yoga Sutras can be a lifetime of study because they are challenging to decipher. The Sanskrit language allows multiple translations for every word so that over the years many translators have given different meanings for each sutra. There is usually a fairly common thread amongst most meanings, non the less, they can be quite confusing to contemplate at first glance. That is what it is so interesting to have someone who has been contemplating this over for some thirty years to give their take on their meaning. Since meeting Tim and having been inspired to try this myself. I have enjoyed this process even though sometimes it just seems so perplexing. The cool thing is that the theory informs the practice and the practice informs the theory. How I viewed the Yoga Sutras and their interpretations has changed radically over the years. As I learn a new concept from them I try to apply it to my yoga and meditation practice. As my yoga and meditation practice evolves my understanding of the meaning behind the words also transforms. 
We covered a lot today yet there was one that I particularly enjoyed. Sutra III.27 states Bhuvana jnanam surye samyamat. It can be translated as: By samyama on the Sun comes knowledge of the entire universe. The word samyama means the “catch-all” process of concentration, meditation and absorption (dharana, dhyana and samadhi). Tim stated, “The sun is the eye of the world. If we become one with the eye of the world we can see all things.” I really liked this view point. The concept of the sun being the eye of the world reminds me of the idea that stars are just the holes to heaven (Jack Johnson fans will catch that one). To keep this practical I feel this sutra is beneficial because it encourages us to open our minds to greater possibility. There is the potential that we can learn from the Yoga Sutras and experience for ourselves the liberation that the great sages have been trying to verbalize and describe for eons.

Mystery versus Mastery

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Mystery versus Mastery  
A couple of really great questions were asked during the training today. One of them was, “Is it possible to master a yoga pose?” The question arises because we are striving to achieve a certain form with our bodies that is often measured against someone else’s ability. There are certain criteria points that are looked for to ascertain if one is able to progress to the next stage or posture in the Ashtanga sequences. 

  
Take for example the pose Eka Pada Bakasana. This is one of the most challenging of the arm balance poses in the 3rd series to enter into “correctly.” You balance on your hands while resting one knee in the same side armpit and simultaneously lift the opposite leg high above behind creating a counterbalance effect that requires significant strength but more importantly alert proprioceptive awareness. What makes it really challenging is the entry into the pose is from a tripod headstand. So one element of the question regarding this pose is how high does that back leg knee to go in order to be considered a “complete pose?” The evolution of the question turned to “Is it possible to create a perfect pose?” 

  
Tim’s response was, “Perfectionism is a curse.” He also said, “Mastery is a pretty highfalutin thing!” Plenty of giggles were heard after that comment. He continued by stating, “I think it is more about mystery, not mastery.” This was the perfect statement for me to hear today. I really love this. The definition of mystery is something that is difficult or impossible to understand or explain. As opposed to mastery which is control or superiority over someone or something. Naturally mastery might seem more appealing because it implies that we are in control and the nature of the mind is to desire permanence in all of our endeavors. Whereas mystery leaves the door open for interpretation which encourages self inquiry to determine ones own experience of what perfect is. This potentially could be a crux in the development of our own yoga practice. I believe that it is positive to have an ideal to strive for initially to encourage us to move beyond our own habit patterns. In the end though it is necessary for us to really probe mystery and or even to surrender to it.

  
Another question that I enjoyed was, “Is there a connection between physical posture alignment and ‘getting our head straight?’” Tim’s response to this was, “I hope so!” There was laughter all around to that one. He also said, “Typically the personality of the person comes through in the way that they practice.” This might seem obvious but I still found it quite profound. This is where having a teacher can be so beneficial because if the teacher can see this and offer “adjustments” to help transform the practitioners imbalance, one can truly “realign” both physically and mentally. 

  
Tim had mentioned a book by Chogyam Trungpa called “Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism.” In it he mentioned how the author describes that there is this phenomenon when we begin to achieve spiritual wisdom that we feel quite enlightened and liberated. Yet because our old habits run deep we then start to build our own samskaras, or “habit patterns,” into our practice and then often become deceived that we have truly evolved. What once seemed like freedom actually becomes a cage. So what is the answer then? Tim’s reply was, “Don’t be a perfectionist!” This is definitely something to think about.

The Grandfather of Vinyasa Flow

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The Grandfather of Vinyasa Flow    

Tim Miler is one of the first people in the United States to begin to create Vinyasa Flow sequences. Born out of continuous practice of the Ashtanga Vinyasa routines, the exploration of unique and intelligent sequencing became a seed that has sprouted to tremendous proportion. It is important to note that this innovative enthusiasm evolved from having a dedicated method of practice for many years. His theory is that it is absolutely essential to have a consistent routine to serve as the kernel of authentication within the realm of alternative sequencing.   

If you are not a musician and someone hands you an instrument, you can begin to bang away on the instrument and make sound. Yet the sound that comes out won’t be very harmonious. That is because a proper foundation needs to be laid in place first. You need to learn the notes, scales and chord patterns primarily and then you can start to piece together the beginnings of a song. When someone becomes proficient at playing compositions that other master musicians have arranged then there might come the desire to try to compose their own song. Yet always the underpinning of the rudiments are drawn upon as the bedrock of creative orchestration.  

This analogy applies to Yoga in exactly the same way. Can you take a few poses that you see in a magazine, try them, and then put them into some order and make a sequence? Yes, exactly the same way that you can pick up a guitar and pluck the strings and make a few notes sounds relatively pleasant. That is about the extent of it however. To make real progress, mastering the fundamentals can be extremely beneficial for being able to develop in a safe and harmonious manner.   

With all of that being said, today I practiced Vinyasa Flow with Tim in his 7am Improvisation class. True to the class name, Tim takes requests from the students, and then creates a routine based on those requests. Much the way jazz musicians improvise from a heart centered, creative space. The practice is rooted in Ashtanga Vinyasa so that the foundational elements are inherent. Today we practiced poses from all of the 4 series and one of them even came from the 5th. That doesn’t mean all of us could do each and every one (of course), yet through the experience of the collective group we attempted to try them to the best of our ability. It was the most fun that I have had in a long time! The idea is to think outside the box and explore things that we have perhaps never investigated before. Tim practiced all of the poses with us and had some of his extremely talented students demonstrate the truly ‘off the planet’ ones. Before going into the class I had bit of a dilemma(albeit a good dilemma to have). I felt like I should practice Mysore because that is what a good ashtangi does. I have been learning that sometimes the greatest chance for growth often comes from doing the opposite of what we think it is we should do. Someone had requested the pose where you go into handstand and then slowly lower your chest down to the floor with the chin forward and bend the body into a scorpion shape to touch the toes to the head in a backbend. Yes, I’m not kidding. One of the students made it look like child’s play. The essence of the practice seemed to take one to a new place and see how that enhances or challenges one’s own concepts of what is possible. In this case I was completely inspired to the point of genuine stoke.   

At the end of the practice we took a long savasana and Tim put on some soothing music. I felt so alive in my body and when I least expected it I had tears of joy flowing down my cheeks. I had such an overwhelming sense of connection and appreciation that it brought me to tears of happiness. I have had this happen before when practicing with Timji. I never know when it is going to hit but I have to admit it feels cleansing. There is something to be said for letting down our defenses and allowing emotion to move though us.  

Yoga comes from India. So learning yoga the way it is practiced in India brings an element of authenticity to the procedure. Traditionally yoga is in place to help humanity realize peace and liberation. If independence from suffering is the cornerstone of the practice then perhaps we might be able to merge with that goal.

Home Made Goodness

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Home Made Goodness  
Pranayama

It felt like a memorable practice this morning. Pranayama to begin first thing. At his time of the day it is dark outside and the lights are off in the room with just a small candle in the center. Everyone maintains relative silence in a combination of still waking up and to honor the tranquility of remaining introspective. Tim is taking us through the full pranayama routine every day. I am so grateful for this. For obvious reasons, when Tim teaches pranayama in workshop settings he often does an abbreviated routine and with gentle breath holds, so that when one is learning this for the initial time it is beginner friendly. I enjoy those elemental sessions with him because you have the chance to have him give explanation regarding the technique and philosophy behind the art of breathing. The first time I joined into Tim’s pranayama circle here I was so unbelievably nervous. Here in his shala he practices the full routine and you just begin and see what you can do. He does use hand gestures to explain whether to inhale or exhale, and he uses his index finger to point the direction of which nostril to breath in our out of. Mainly you listen to the sound of his breath and try to follow his routine. He does explain that if you are having a hard time that you just need to squeeze moola bandha more. This often seems tongue in cheek to me because when your whole body is sweating profusely and you are quivering and just staring at his hands waiting for the transition to come, moola bandha is last thing I can think about. Herein must lay the secret! Often we hear in the asana practice that really it is a breathing practice with some movement incorporated in. It seems to me that the pranayama practice is a moola bandha practice with a some breathing thrown in. When you try to not cheat and actually follow the routine it can really bring so much emotion to the surface. 

  
As a child I was blessed enough to grow up free diving with my family around Florida and I always enjoyed the experience of holding my breath under water. I remember bringing my watch into the pool and timing how long I could hold my breath for in the effort to train for diving deeper. I also enjoyed the practice of holding my breath for as long as possible and just floating face down on the surface with my eyes closed and body completely relaxed and just enjoy the feeling of silence in the water. I say all of this because I feel drawn to the pranayama practice. I love the moment after a big inhale and you use your right hand, thumb and ring finger to close off the nostrils and tuck the chin in deep to the throat and just sit and hold. The thing that I never did as a kid was try to hold my breath after exhaling all of the air out of my lungs. That just never occurred to me as a very good idea. I enjoy taking a deep breath and floating and then exhaling all of the air and letting the body sink down to the bottom but then coming back up pretty quickly. So the pranayama routine takes things to a whole new level with exhaling the air out and holding close to the same amount of time as the inhale retention. This is when things get really interesting and I must say, some panic can arise. Today I felt a bit more brave and pushed the edge and feel kind of stoked right now from the experience. I can’t wait for tomorrow morning to give it another go.

  
Mysore

Today felt really sweet in the Mysore practice. I am so sore that I had to slow down a bit but that was helpful because I felt a little more calm in the breathing. Yesterday when I got to Kapotasana I got so close to catching my heels. I mustered up the gumption to ask for some assistance and Atsuro, Tim’s instructor (who is amazing by the way) came over and pulled me all the way in. So when I got to Kapotasana today I decided I would do it on my own. I got to that intricate point when you are so close but the most tiny bit more seems like it is yards away. This is one of those precipice points where you either give up or you give it that little bit extra, and then even a little bit more, and bam you nail it. It is these little moments that are so entertaining.

  
After Kapotasana Tim assisted me in Supta Vajrasana. That is the one where you put your legs in lotus and then cross your arms behind your back and grab a hold of the feet. Then your teacher holds down your knees so you can back bend and touch your head on the floor and you don’t let go of your feet. Midway through I struggled to keep my grip and lost it. When I came up Tim made joke and asked if I ate to many cookies? I said, Tamara’s grandma is an incredible cook. Check out this photo of some key lime pie she made for us. Being a Florida boy I am a sucker for some homemade key lime pie.

  
When I got to Kasyapasana, Atsuro assisted me perfectly. It is one of my favorite poses. You put one leg behind your head and then lay on your back and try to straighten the extended leg so the leg comes down to the ground and simultaneously extend the spine and open the hips as much as possible. It is one of the poses that assistance seems so essential to make some progress in. This is a key ingredient to the Ashtanga practice. Hands on assistance done intelligently is a truly a form of art.

  
In our Teacher Training session we covered the details of the remaining standing poses from Ardha Baddha Padmapaschimottanasana (Half Bound Lotus Intense Pose) through Virabhadrasana (Warrior Pose). Typically nowadays if one is going into the second or third series you would make that entry after Parsvottanasana (Side Intense Pose). So there were many questions as to why is Tim is having us cover the remaining standing poses after that. His thoughts are that they are very beneficial poses and that it could be a good idea to still do them. He made reference to the point that we think that there are these hard cut in stone rules that actually don’t really exist. I took from his points that he is encouraging us to keep an open mind. I really appreciated that fact that he took the time to include them into the study. I learn more each time and hear different things when the details are explained again and again.

  
Today we began our foray and investigation into the poses of the Third series. We covered Viswamitrasana and Vasisthasana. Tim has such an wealth of knowledge regarding the mythology of yoga and can recall these very lengthy stories in a concise way that cuts to the essence and conveys the deeper meaning behind the names of the poses and how they relate to yoga as a whole. Plus we get to sit and listen to these stories after taking a lunch break and avoid the inevitable…..practicing these poses and possibly getting adjusted in them. After a full day of practice I started to wonder, how in the world are we going to pull this off. I have faith Tim has a few tricks up his sleeve.

David Swenson coming to Native Yoga Center

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David Swenson coming to Native Yoga Center

Come and practice with Ashtanga Yoga legend, David Swenson, at Native Yoga Center in Juno Beach, Florida during the weekend of February 14-16, 2014. Visit http://www.nativeyogacenter.com for details. There are still just a few spaces left.

David is an incredible Yogi! My first introduction to Ashtanga yoga was with his Primary Series VHS some 14 years ago. I will never forget my reaction to seeing his opening demonstration on that video for the first time. My mind was completely boggled as I had never seen someone demonstrate so much talent in yoga before. That moment completely altered my yoga practice and I began to practice at home while watching his instruction. I can hardly believe he is now going to be at our studio! This is sure to be a memorable experience. We can’t wait!!!!

Tim Miller at Native Yoga

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Hello Everyone,

As many of you know Tim Miller is on his way to Native Yoga Center from Encinitas, California. He will teach on Thursday, May 23rd:

Mysore class from 4:30pm ~ 6:30pm

Intro to Pranayama and Hanuman Chalisa from 6:45pm ~ 8:45pm

Register for both for $70 or $40 per session individually.

EVEN BETTER NEWS…Tim has offered to teach also on Friday at 9am!!!
Join Tim for a Guided Primary Series class ~ $25.

We are so honored and excited to have Timji return to Native Yoga.
Please come and welcome Tim and show your support for our growing Ashtanga community that you are helping to create!!

Click here to register today.

All the Best,

Todd and Tamara

p.s. Native Yoga Center will be open Memorial Day for 7am and 9am class. The afternoon sessions are cancelled.

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