Lessons from the Seder

Another year, another lovely Passover with the family has come and gone. Yet some of the lessons from the seder remained in my soul and demanded further inspection upon unrolling my mat each morning for the past couple of days.
Having always been a big fan of this holiday, I considered myself not an expert, but at the very least a very good student of the story of freedom narrated through out the night. I thought I understood why we tell the story of Moses, who aided by God, was able to free the people of Israel from slavery, I thought I had a full grasp on why we talk about the plagues, hide the afikomen, drink several cups of wine, eat the unleavened bread and the bitter herbs, and wait for Elijah to come by as a messenger of things to come.
However, what I had not considered was the fact that I had no earthly clues as to why we continuously asked the youngest person in the room to ask “the 4 questions”, which are as follows:
1) On all other nights we eat either leavened or unleavened bread; why on this night only unleavened bread?
2) On all other nights we eat all kinds of herbs; why on this night only bitter herbs?
3) On all other nights we need not dip our herbs even once; why on this night must we dip them twice?
4) On all other nights we eat either sitting up or reclining; why on this night do we all recline?
The questions had always seemed dreary and useless to me, as I, and anyone who has ever attended a Passover seder for more than 16 year in a row, would know the answers by heart at this point and therefore would feel, as I did, that the redundant nature of the questions every year was a bit over the top.
These questions are answered by the man (or woman) leading the seder in a peculiar manner. Rather than addressing the questions head on, a story about 4 children is told. “One wise, one wicked, one simple and one who does not know how to ask a question”
None of this had ever made sense to me or really mattered much to me since, in my estimation, I knew all there was to know about the story and felt bored to hear these questions over and over, year after year.
However, this year, something interesting happened. The morning after the Passover feast, I unrolled my mat, and as soon as I sat down to breathe, before I even moved an inch, it hit me. I was the four children.
The 4 questions had served as a way for me to come to the realization that in my life, I have acted as each one of these children.
The wicked child asks, what does this drudgery mean to you. This, is a clear statement that what those around him are doing is not his concern, and that he is in some way above, beyond or simply separate from those around him. And like the wicked child, I have been wicked in thinking (at different stages in my life) that what is important to others should not be my concern, or in thinking that I am in any way better than or simply separate from others around me, when in reality, we are all at our very core one and the same.
Over the last years of my life, through the practice of yoga, I have been able to learn that the illusion of separateness is just that, an illusion, and it can be dispelled when we are willing to realize how we are all in essence one and the same, how loving one another, hurting when the other one hurts, and always wanting to keep ahimsa can change the way we relate to ourselves and others on a day to day basis.
It has always been painful to me to hear people state that those who are homeless “choose to be this way because they are too lazy to work and earn a living” or to hear people say that “what happens in other countries is not our business and we should not get involved” or that “giving money to a charity is nothing but a scam waiting to happen” and now that I realize that one person’s pain and suffering affects the whole of humanity, I understand why. Unfortunately, I do find that in many ways, the wicked child in me utilizes new ways to judge and create a barge between other beings and myself, so if I can stop asking, “what does this drudgery mean to you?” I can open myself to more compassion. I can open up to grace and feel allow myself to become connected to all creatures as opposed to feeling separate from them.
The simple son asks, “What’s this?” with no understanding of what is going on around him. In many ways, I feel I am this child more than any of the others, as I often find myself caught up in my life so deeply, that there can be a lack of awareness and knowledge of what goes on around me and in other people’s lives. But what if I made an effort to stay connected, to stay grounded, to listen, to learn and to be willing to always keep a beginners mind? I think that adding a sense of curiosity, in my case, the same sense of curiosity that I am filled with when learning about my practice, can help me see the world with a never ending willingness to learn and share with others around me.
The child who does not know how to ask, is simply given an answer and I think we can all admit to lacking the words, or the willingness to try to learn how to relate to others. In a world that can make us slightly apathetic, we can become complacent and lose our ability to learn or lose our want for knowledge. Something, that I think a beginners mind can also help with. However, the true dispelling of ignorance is knowledge, in this case (at least in my understanding) knowledge of the self will lead to wisdom and maturity, which is why the practice is so incredible. When we step on our mats, we embark on an internal journey, we allow our breaths to carry us into a state of meditative flow and we allow ourselves to go deep inside our bodies, minds and spirits, allowing us to come face to face with who we are at our very core. The more we practice, the more we are able to connect with ourselves, and those around us, and the more we connect, the more we learn, the more we grow and the more we can dispel the cobwebs of wickedness, simple-mindedness, and ignorance from our lives.
Which leads me to the wise child, the child I hope I can become through my practice. This child is understanding and empathetic, he has reached (in yogic terms) samadihi he has been able to allow the roots of the yoga tree to create fruit and through that, he has been able to find his Union with the Divine, which is ultimately, what our goal as yogis is, both on and off the mat.
So, as I allow my practice to grow, I will allow all 4 children with in to learn and evolve and open to grace so that when the time comes, they may all have evolved into one loving, wise child.

"Who is wise? He who learns from every person (Pirkei Avos 4:1)." Indeed, the classical title for a Torah scholar is 'Talmid Chacham' - a wise student.

Trying to Connect

This morning, as I sent a "have not tty in 4ever" text to one of my closest friends; who also happens to live but an hour or so away form me, a sad thought crossed my mind. “I have forgotten how to harvest, care for and grow successful human relationships!”

What's more, looking at the text messages that were sent to me by this same friend, I realized that we (as in humans as a whole) have all forgotten how to do this. How to maintain, care for and grow a truly meaningful relationship with those closest to us, and those who have the potential of becoming closer still.

How did we get like this? When did we replace meaningful conversation with emoticons and word abbreviations? Was it because of Facebook? Were we doomed with the advent of text messaging?

Why have we allowed our world to revolve around machines, rather than people? And why did it suddenly become more meaningful to “check-in” or “like” something rather than just experiencing things together, in the moment?

Why is it suddenly more crucial for us to have a billion friends whom we never talk to, don’t know anything substantial about, or even care for rather than having one or two really close, I know all about you and you know me better than I know myself people in our lives?

As a yogi I have learned that every time I step on my mat, I get a new chance to cultivate my practice. I get the opportunity to refine my breath, refocus on the ever-elusive bandhas, and really connect to every single muscle, tendon and ligament in my body at a deeper level.

I have slowly been learning that the practice is a living, breathing thing, and that from time to time, I will feel stiff, muddled, confused, angry, and emotional; while other times, I will feel as light as a feather, stronger and more stable than a mountain, and swear I had an out of body experience whilst in sirsasana.

I have realized that there is no true “advanced” or “super master” yogi, because we all spend day in and day out harnessing our practice, making it come to life, finding refuge and repose in the stillness and the quieting of the mind.

We all injure ourselves from time to time and find we must refine, nay, start our practice from scratch. We all learn something new every second of every day; both on and off the mat.

We learn from our selves, those around us, the sages before us and the challenges and blessing that surround us on a moment to moment basis.

In short, we have all embarked on a never ending journey. A blessing that we see as practice precisely because we are never done learning from it, harnessing it, or watching it grow with in and around us.

So, how is it, that we can put all this love, focus and effort into our journeys, but lack the awareness, the commitment, and the love to grow our relationships?

Have we become so self-centered, that, even when we realize our practice makes us better communicators (e.g: allowing our inversions to teach us that we have a chance to see things as they truly are, instead of how we perceive them to be) we chose not to have meaningful relationships, but rather short exchanges of meaningless information with those whom we claim to love so dearly?

Are we really wasting all our openness to grace on texting?

Did we really spend all that time on our mats, back-bending, grounding down, realigning and cleansing our bodies, minds and spirits, getting our hearts to open, so that we could forgive, and love more readily just to throw all our effort away in a one sentence conversation that may or may not take place once, maybe twice per week or month?!

This can not be!

How many hours have we spent breathing, and letting go of our egos on the mat? And what for? So that we do not get green with envy when another yogi is able to go deeper, for longer or just in a fancier manner than we can? So that we may remain injury free? So that there is nothing but the practice and the breath left, so we are able to live every moment as it is? Sure! But what about allowing that ego’s death to serve another purpose?

What if we took all that we learn on our mats, the killing of the ego, the opening to grace, the inversion of our points of views, the prana, the healing, the cleansing, and the ability to let go of attachments off the mat?

What if we remembered that all human relationships are also a practice?

What if we took a moment to see, and acknowledge the fact that, just as our pinchamayurasana will not magically appear, but needs to be harnessed daily, over a long period of time; so too, our human relationships need to be cared for, and harnessed on a daily basis in order for them to grow, and bloom as they are meant to.

What if we saw, and acknowledged that a simple “how ru?” text once every few days is not a real connection?! 

What if we put ourselves upside down for a while and considered that human relationships were once stronger, and more beautiful because we spent time on them! We nourished and cared for them, and we took the time to put some real effort into making them work.

Just as hard as you work to get those pesky badhas to respond when you are trying to jump through, so should you put some effort into making a real connection with those around you.

If we saw that all our friendships are part of our “practice”, would we devote more time and work into them?

Would we be able to pick up the phone and -dare I say something crazy- TALK!?! (Yes people, those lips and that tongue of yours are meant for more than little snide comments directed at your TV sets when Honey Boo-Boo’s “show” comes on. They are also meant for more than a smirk when you type “lol” on your keyboard or smart phone)

What if we all took time to actually leave our houses, go for a picnic and talk to our friends and family about life, about things that have nothing to do with television shows, or the latest FaceBook updates, or who we are following on Twiter or Tumblr, etc?

I can tell you from personal experience that, the times I have taken all my work off the mat into my marriage, or my family relationships, I have been in awe at how incredibly connected, loved, and complete I have felt.

I am able to catch myself falling into old habits and resentments (no, I am not perfect, and yes sometimes I do succumb to these habits) and see things clearly. I am able to disconnect from everything else and devote my attention, love and effort to the task at hand at that moment (talking to, listening to, spending time with whomever is with me at that very moment) and it has made a world of difference in my marriage and my relationship with my family.

So why stop there?

Why have I not put some of this work into my friendships as well?

Have I felt texting and “liking” and “sharing” have been cyber-connection enough? Not really.

But I have been prideful. I have resented the seldom texts, and the lack of meaningful conversations and as a childish response; I have decided to reciprocate in the same manner in which I have been “wronged”; which has now created a vicious circle that only I can break.

So from now on, whether it is reciprocated or not, my “texts” will be seldom, or at least carry some actual meaning, and my phone will be calling yours (you know, that thing you use to browse the web, update FaceBook, take pictures and video, etc. Yup, that magic box can be used to talk to an actual human being! Who knew… ahem…) and I will be asking when we can meet to actually interact face to face.

Radical, I know, but you know something, I think it is worth it. I think my practice needs to seep even deeper into my life, and so I will put more effort into my relationships, until a time comes, when we can all connect in a meaningful manner once again.

NAMASTE

Wake Up Call

I find it sad to realize how little people care anymore. When did the "its not our problem" mentality take over? 
 I remember how shocked/confused/grateful I was when we first made the move from Mexico to Miami and I realized; there were no kids or grown-ups in tattered clothes begging for money at every stop sign. No poor soul tossing dirty water on the windshield of our car in the hopes of earning a few pesos or cents. There were kids playing outdoors with out supervision; just being kids, ridding their bikes or skateboards or whatever, with out being afraid to get kidnapped. There were people acknowledging one another and neighbors bringing welcome baskets. In short, I though I was in paradise. 
But the problem with the paradise mentality (I have come to realize over the last few years) is that the people in paradise have a harder time seeing, acknowledging, or caring about all the suffering that still exists. 


Please don’t misunderstand what I am saying. I don’t mean that all people in America are selfish, or uncaring. All I’m saying is we have been in a way sheltered from all that plagues many countries with less good fortune than ours. And since, we don’t have much of this pain staring us right in the face on a daily basis, it is easy to forget.

Easy to say that homeless people are homeless because they are lazy (an argument I detest but hear from people constantly) It is easy for people to say what goes on in other countries, with people who are miles away, is "not our problem" or "not for us to fix".

Easy to begin to believe the lie that we can not get involved in other people’s pain because we have nothing to do with them and we should not stick our noses where they don’t belong.


It is easy to slander those trying to help because they must have a secret agenda (and unfortunately, some do because they don’t care for the right reasons or they have been approaching things from the wrong angle) or saying that they are only trying to "cure" or get rid of some "guilt" and that’s the only reason they want to help and therefore they are wrong. 


I mean; when did we forget to go beyond our white picket fences? When did we decide we are better than everyone else? When did we stop caring? When did we decide to turn a blind eye? And why? Why did we stop? Did we forget we are all, each and every one of us, important? Do we not see we are all alive? Why is it wrong to want to help? Why is it wrong to want to make a difference, to help others all over the world heal so they can live life in happiness?


Why is it more important for us to know very single detail (true and made up) about celebrities, but not about what goes on around the world? 
Why do we think it is ok to "pretend" to care and donate a few dollars here and there to some charity or another and not know or care what happens to our money or what they do with it? Why is it ok for people to throw lavish parties in “honor” of this or that when all the millions or thousands they spent on decorations, music and orderves can be put to much better use somewhere else? 


Since when is it more important to "have it all" and spend all our money on lavish, expensive ridiculousness (like private jet planes or million dollar purses) instead of helping to make a difference for someone, somewhere? (could even be someone in this country, town, city, neighborhood or community)


HELLO!!! WAKE UP!!! WE ARE ALL ONE!!!
We are all living, feeling creatures (and this extends to animals too by the way because torturing an innocent being for the sake of lipstick or so called necessary food is repulsive. just f.y.i.).

We all breathe the same air, share the same molecular space and inhabit the same freaking planet. 
 So no, you and I as individuals are not the only ones that matter. We... WE ALL MATTER! 
I think its time we all cared. Time we all stopped waging stupid wars and killing unnecessarily. Time we came together as one and helped one another. Why is this so hard? Why is it (apparently) too much to ask for? 
 Well, I know one thing, I may not be able to change the whole world, but I am able to change me.

So I care, I know we all matter. I can make a difference and I am aware and willing to help everyone, even in the smallest of ways. Because change starts from with in. Change starts with me.

Just some food for thought. ... This is what apparently happens when Glory wakes up crying at 5am and her pain cuts me so deeply, I suddenly become aware she may not be the only one crying right now. And the whole thing brings a chill and an acute awareness and sadness this morning.

Loka Samasta Sukino Bhavabtu.OM Shanti, Shanti, Shanti

Tales of Light and Dark

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Anyone who knows me well can tell you that I have a huge fascination with anything fairytale related. What can I say, they pull me in, and never let me go, these marvelous stories. But the truth is, as much as I love the Disney rendition of these tales, and I do love me some Disney, I am more of a purist at heart.

I would much rather know that the little mermaid dies, broken, and unloved, than believe that somehow, she manages to get the prince and live happily ever after.

I prefer the full Snow White story, where the step mom tries to strangle and poison the foolish girl who keeps falling for the same old trick.

I simply love the story of The Six Swans, where, upon discovering that her evil stepmother has enchanted her brothers; the heroine/princess has to make great sacrifices (not speaking, or laughing for years until she is done weaving six sweaters made out of starwort) in order to save her six brothers. [For those who don’t know the story, it is worth looking up because it is so very lovely and tragic all at once]

In short, I love the fairytales the way they were meant to be told. Filled with darkness, hardship, heartbreak and loss. Call me crazy, but this darkness is my favorite part of all the original fairytales out there.

So what is it exactly that makes me like this seemingly creepy aspect of the fairytales?

Life. And, in more recent years, my yoga practice.

Seriously, if there is one thing my practice has taught me, is that life is filled with ups, downs, twists and turns, light and dark. And one can not exist with out the other.

 If I were to simply step on my mat and suddenly gain all the strength, calm, balance, breath control and focus that I needed to yoga; there would be no point on me even trying. But the fact that inside of me is the potential for an infinite amount of possibilities that can only be reached through hard work, dedication, awareness, and an unwavering faith that all is exactly as it should be moment to moment; that simple reality makes every second on my mat magical and so very worth it.

Even if those seconds burn like hell, or make me cry, or make me see things differently.

And that is what I like about the practice. That those moments when I want to quit, when I am losing faith and want to give up; those are the moments that make my practice shine, the moments that take my soul, body and mind to a whole new level.

And those are the moments in fairytales and in life that really change it all.

If all our life was smooth sailing, I bet we would be bored to death, and we would never get a chance to grow, a chance to change and improve and become amazing. We would simply be stuck forever.

But the fact that the darkness comes and puts us through the ringer, only allows our light to shine brighter when we give ourselves the opportunity to move through the muck, to be aware and not to cave in and despair.

So the next time you hear a true fairy tale being told, and you find yourself cringing in disgust or horror; or the next time you want to say, this is too dark, I’d rather stick to the sunny part of it all; stop and see the true value of the darkness in the tale.

Because it isn’t there to terrify you or your kids, it is not there to traumatize and scar you for life; it is there to help you grow and make you braver, gentler, more aware and more loving. It is there to create an infinite realm of light and beauty around you. So sit back, and listen to the tale the way it was meant to be told, and I promise, you will never see things the same way again.

“If you are going through hell, keep going.”
― Winston S. Churchill

The Green Monster

Ah, jealousy, how you butt your ugly green nose where it does not belong.

I admit it; I have been wearing green tinted spectacles for a few years now. Every now and then, they come off, but when they are on, boy, oh, boy do they take over my entire view of the world; and I am on a mission to obliterate these green mind-benders.

It all started while observing a talented yogi (who happened to be next to me in class, lucky me) move with ease into tripod headstand, and handstand, and a billion other awe inspiring yoga poses that seem to be on a perpetual quest to stay far, far away from me.

I moved next to her in class thinking, “Oh, aren’t we hot stuff.” (While internally rolling my eyes and possibly, making caricaturish gaging noises that are quite unladylike.) A huge part of me kept asking me to stop the comparison, to pay attention to my breath and stay with in the four freaking corners of my own mat, not the other person’s. 

I mean, I know this, heck, I thought I had mastered this over the years, I have even taught this almost every class in a sincere effort to remind everyone how amazing they are and how they can practice in a beautifully meditative and safe manner; and yet, on this particular day, when my limbs turned to lead, and my neighbor yogi became a talented angel, flaunting her super-human bandha control in my face, I lost the battle to that ugly green monster called jealousy.

Yup, I had accessed that highly insecure and needy part of my ego and let it take over. I allowed my practice to become a comparison, and a competition. I kept yearning to do just one asana she could not, just one graceful, incredible move she would be stumped by. And then it happened. I fell flat on my face, turned to see what she was doing and felt an immediate surge of love and kinship for this incredible human being.

I sat up for a bit ad just watched in awe. She was so focused, so immersed in her practice she radiated prana and beauty. A warm sensation filled me and washed away the green color that had so permeated every part of my being. The anger was gone, the self-pity had dissolved, the insecure little girl that likes to whine and feel sorry for herself had disappeared and all that was left in that room, sitting on top of my mat, was me.

Imperfect, flawed, and amazingly incredible, me!

I had to laugh at myself a little. I hadn’t just experienced asana jealousy, I had come face to face with my very own “boogey man” and her name was Sapha, the jealous one.

All the years of yearning to have this or that person’s legs, arms, butt, belly, hair, career, etc. had finally caught up with me on the mat.

That pang of pain that washed over me when I saw someone whom I had unfairly judged unworthy to play x,y or z character on TV, film or stage. That annoying “Black Swan” feeling that screams, “It should be me! Not her, me! I am the fairest of them all!” had taken over, and I was staring right into its greedy, judgy, hateful green eyes.

“All this time,” I thought, “all these years wasting my emotions, time, thoughts and breath on this ridiculous notion that I am not as good as someone else, that I should be where that person was, that I was more deserving than whomever; all of it has been a lie.”

Funny, I really thought all my problems stemmed from the low self-esteem that had taken root in me through my eating disorder. And yet, I hadn’t realized these issued ran much deeper. Out of a sense of rejection for myself, and the person I thought I was; the person I thought I had to be.

The jealous outbursts that made me cry when I saw someone succeed where I had failed were nothing but a symptom, and I was ready for the cure. Correction, I am ready for the cure.

I took some time to meditate after class was done, and imagined myself standing in front of a mirror, and gazing into my soul. I saw all the good, the bad, and the in between. I saw the green, red, blue, pink and white colors that make up who I am (sorry if that was a bit too poetic for you, it is the best way I can explain this today it seems). I saw a strong, valiant young woman who had grown so much over the last few years that she nearly glowed with joy and life. I saw a broken little girl, yearning for love and attention. I saw an adventure-seeking warrior who would stop at nothing to overcome her fears and plunge into the unknown in an effort to change her world. I saw a yogi, a wife, a teacher, a daughter, a sister, a role-model, a student, an artist, a leader, a scared, yet courageous being who was glowing with love, life, and all the essence of the universe. I SAW ME. And I LOVED ME. I loved me and I forgave me, and I smiled at my reflection and I knew, whenever the green skinned Sapha came around, I could show her this incredible creature, and it would make her go back to whatever ego-filled cave she came from.

It shall be a perpetual battle between the two, but my money is not on the monster, it is on me. It is on my imperfections and my flaws and all that makes me who I am. Regardless of how many years it may take me to “get” an asana or a part. I am more than enough at all times. I am incredible just as imperfect and flawed as I am right at this very moment, and that is simply lovely.

NAMASTE

“The only person who can pull me down is myself, and I'm not going to let myself pull me down anymore.”
― C. JoyBell C.

Yoga is a Living, Breathing Practice

There are days when I think I have my yoga practice all figured out. Days when I feel like I know all about the Gita, the Sutras, the mantras, the variations, and the limbs of the tree. These are the days my yoga practice teaches me a lesson that reminds me I am still clueless.

Take last week, for example. I unrolled my mat, decided to move into deeper exploration of the intermediate ashtanga sequence, and discovered that my body was “having issues” in places it should not have been (wrists issues, knee issues, sciatic nerve pinching kind of issues, you get the idea). I felt heavy and stagnant. I actually felt as if I was moving through mud just to get from one pose to the next, and the mere effort of keeping my breath, bandhas and drishti under control seemed an incredibly impossible task.

I was devastated. Well, my ego was devastated for a few minutes when I finally made it to savasana. I though, “How is this possible?” I couldn’t understand what had changed from one day to the next. The day before, I had moved through primary so smoothly and with such strength that I was sure the next day’s practice would be, if not the same (because I do realize each day is a new, different kind of practice) certainly not as different as it ended up being.

I was ready to beat my-self up about it when I suddenly realized something about the yoga practice I cannot believe I had not understood before. The practice had just challenged me. My yoga practice had apparently decided to make it worth my while to push my body through the “energetic mud”, and offered me a challenge to work through. My practice had really put me to the test that morning, and I have to say, it was well worth it. It was worth the pain because I was able to become present enough to know when to push and when not to and when and how to adjust whatever was not working for me that morning. It was worth it because I used more energy, breath, and focus, and received more energy in return. And finally, it was worth it because I now realize the yoga practice is a living, breathing thing.

The very moment you unroll your yoga mat for the very first time, is the very moment you have just given birth (or life) to your practice. From that moment on, the practice grows, just as you grow.

It becomes stronger, more open, and more intuitive. It hungers for more; it yearns to rest and also to be challenged. It releases emotions and allows creativity to flourish. It gets inspired and depleted. It yearns to be free from time to time but it demands commitment, devotion and discipline. It joins in as you laugh and cry or get angry. It reminds you not to give up, but to ground down instead. It shows you a way to connect with yourself and others more effectively. It allows you to see the world through the eyes of compassion and love that you have tried to keep closed for so many years.

It brings you face to face with your fears, your longing, your anger, your joy, your pain, your heart-ache, your pride, your compassion, your hatred, your forgiveness, your courage, your beliefs, your ideas, your lies, your truths; simply put, the practice bring you face to face with every single part of your self, no holds bar.

The practice challenges you when you are resistant to allow things to evolve in your life, or when you are resisting change or simply when there is more room for growth with in. Maybe it suddenly takes your ability to do sirsasana away for a few months so you can re-learn it from the very beginning again. Maybe it decides it is time to find out just how committed you are by making it really heavy and hard to move through so much as a restorative class.

Whatever you are most in need of, the practice will provide. It will shine a light through the shadows and will watch and be proud of every step you take. It will grow as you grow, and it will expect a level of devotion, commitment and continuity at all times.

So even on the days when you feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders and there is no possible way you can do yoga, know that the practice awaits you patiently, and if you give it a chance, even for 5 minutes, it will welcome you, heal you, guide you and change you.

Karen Horney once said, “Life itself still remains a very effective therapist.” And since yoga is a full representation of lie, I say, yoga is a very effective therapist.

So don’t ever give up on your practice, because it will never give up on you.

Debunking Six Popular Yoga Rumors

When I first discovered yoga in the 1990’s, I was ecstatic. I could feel a gravitational pull emanating from every part of my being to this wonderful practice, and I truly began to fall head over heals for it.

The trouble was, we had very little information about the practice and I was told that what I was doing by practicing yoga was unpleasant to God. That it was a religious practice I needed to stay away from and that I should go back to reading the Bible instead of trying to meditate, which would inevitably lead to my becoming possessed by a demon.

Yeah, that was pretty much my first encounter with the “rumors” about yoga. I was sad, but I was also respectful of my elders, and so I listened and left the practice behind until a few years, back, when I was able to make an informed and open-minded choice about the practice. And boy, am I ever glad I rekindled my passion for this yoga of mine.

Unfortunately, much rumor and speculation still remains regarding the practice and, although I understand both sides of the spectrum, it does sadden me that people have gotten the wrong information about something as pure and as amazing as yoga.

So in an effort to dispel some of these rumors; here are six things that yoga is not:

1.- Yoga is not a religion. – I heard a teacher say this once, and it stuck with me: “Religion is not contained within yoga” See, the word yoga means to “yoke”, to unify, and to bring together. Therefore, yoga is a union of body, mind and spirit. This does not mean, however that you are going to a yoga shala or class to bow down to x,y or z deity. You do not do yoga as a part of a service or ritual. Yoga does not have a formal creed or religious statement for you to follow. Yoga accepts all people, regardless of religious beliefs, sex, body constitution, culture, ethnicity, economic standing, etc. So; no, yoga is not a religion. Can there be religion in yoga? Yes, if you bring it in with you, but that does not mean that religion is an inherent part of yoga.

2.- Chanting “OM” will not send you to hell lead to possession. – Contrary to popular misconceptions, chanting the sound “OM” is not a sin. I like to explain it to my students in this manner. We can stretch, move and strengthen the body through a myriad of physical activities. We can strengthen the mind as well, through mathematics, reading, puzzles, etc. So, how then, do you exercise, and stretch your very cells? How do you reach deep with in and touch every tiny little cell that makes you who you are and give them all a little individual massage? You make them resonate. You allow a sound or sounds to shake them up and help them release tension, expand, move and become alive. So when we chant OM (which incidentally is not the name of some creepy deity or demon, but rather, a complete, universal sound) we are getting a cellular massage. We are allowing every part of ourselves to become engaged, to resonate and to be filled with life.

3.- Meditation is not a demonic revolving door. – Ok, there is a huge movement against all things “meditation” and so books have been written and people have been told that meditation leads to either demonic possession (as it apparently opens the doors of your brain to demons while you are “relinquishing control”) or spiritual alienation from God. Well, sorry, but I disagree fully. We meditate to calm the mind, not to “relinquish control” of the mind. In fact, there is plenty of “control of the mind” during meditation; the only change is a quieting of the mind, not a “relinquishing of control”. We also meditate in order to allow ourselves to be truly present, which means we are fully aware of what is going on moment-to-moment, not totally oblivious and open to possession. In fact, many religions believe in meditation as a way to be present enough to listen to and feel God’s presence. Some will pick a verse from a Holy Book and meditate upon it. It is even said, “meditate on the word of The Lord day and night.” Joshua 1:8 even states, “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” So, as with all things in life, meditation is what you make of it. If you chose to allow your meditation time to bring you closer to God, then this is the outcome you will create with your intention.

4. – Doing yoga does not guarantee a perfect body. – In recent years, this has become one of the most popular rumors out there. Lets address it little by little. Firstly, yoga is not solely a physical activity, and therefore, the goal of the practice is not and should not be to get skinny, hot, toned, or fit. Yoga is, as stated above, a complete union of body, mind and spirit. Therefore, it is a practice that should be approached with devotion, self-awareness and commitment. It is a practice intended to help you go deep with in so that you may grow, and so that you may quiet the mind in order to see the world and see yourself as you truly are, not as you think you are. (Yoga Sutras 101 baby) Secondly, going into a yoga class expecting to burn a bazillion calories simply because Gwyneth Paltrow does yoga and looks amazing, will only lead to disappointment. Once more, this practice isn’t purely physical, so, even though the body is being challenged, and you are indeed burning calories, you are not in an aerobics class darling. On average, you can burn anywhere from 100 to 300 calories per class. Yup, not as many as you though huh? And the beauty of it is, it is not a bad thing. You are going so much deeper than all that. When you allow the practice to really seep into every part of who you are, you are becoming aware of just how amazing you truly are, how beautiful being in the moment can be, how incredible all the people in this planet are and just how peaceful it can get when you quiet the mind in order to see things as they really are. So stop fretting over how toned, sexy or thin you will get by practicing this yoga or that, and instead, focus on the work you are putting in to better your body, mind and spirit.

5.- Breathing is crucial to your practice. – I see this all the time, and admittedly, when I first began my practice, I was quite the perpetrator of this, but BREATHING is absolutely crucial to your practice. Meaning, you can not move through a Vinyasa class in true meditative motion if you are hyperventilating, or if you are breathing so gently, so softly that not even a mouse could hear you. Yup peeps, “ujjayi” (the kind of breath we use while practicing) means victorious! Not meekly breath, but victorious breath! J I love that! So, let me break it down. You can not do ujjayi breath properly if you are shying away from letting others hear you breath, you can not practice properly if you are running out of air mid vinyasa, and you can not fully practice yoga if you are allowing the movement to dictate the breath, not the breath to guide you through the movement. So, next time you are in a flow class and the teacher has repeated the phrase, “don’t forget to breathe” for the umpteenth time, take a moment and consider the possibility that you may indeed not be breathing fully, and then, change this breath. It seems silly but I can not tell you what a difference proper ujjayi breath makes in a practice; especially a flow based practice. Remember, yoga is a meditation in movement, it is not a race to see who can get to the top of the mat first or who can be the fanciest jumping through. So, take your time to really allow the breath to be the thing that moves you through your practice and watch how much more energy and life you can generate this way (as opposed to breathing like a weight lifting champ) and also, observe how much more focused, and quiet your mind becomes. It is truly lovely.

6.- Yoga will not wreck your body if you practice properly. – This is crucial, take it form someone who has been injured before. The way to get injured really badly and really quickly in yoga is losing control of the breath, and allowing your ego to take over control. When you are in a class, and you decide you will push and push and push your body past the place where it actually needs to go, you are going to get hurt. So, if you want to show off and force yourself to come onto lotus when your hips aren’t open, your knees are gonna get the brunt of it, and oops, there went your meniscus. (Yeah, not fun. Again, take it from me.) So always be present, stay with in the four corners of your mat and stop trying to compete, show off and/or do something that is not right for your body. Every body is different, and every body’s body is different every day. So the next time you get on your mat, please become present, aware and loving. Love your self and the body you have in exactly the place it happens to be at this very moment. You may never be able to put both legs behind your head, but if you are able to let your attachment to that pose go, and really enjoy the breath and the intention of your practice, then you will benefit from your practice a million times more than if you spent 5 hours panting and moaning and damming it all to hell and forcing both legs to do what they cannot or will not at that particular time.

Ok, hope this helped shine a light where once the darkness of rumor resided.

Namaste