Category: The Yoga Pig
Movie List!
So I bought a Juicer. Oh yeah!
Unfortunately my landlady is using it waaay more than I am, but I’ve been a busy girl, so Whole Foods and their gouging inflated prices have been burning a hole in my Yoga Teacher’s Training fund with daily intakes of 24oz veggie juices.
I gotta get my shit together.
This major $50.00 purchase at Big Lots (yes, Big Lots. I know!) was due to a variety of documentaries I’ve been devouring on Netflix Instant.
So here’s the list. Maybe you’ll find it interesting, maybe you’ll take a pass and go through an In’nOut drive-through to rebalance the state of your unhealthy universe which I’ve offended with my suggestions.
Either way, I find the possibility of having a choice really great! Why not? It’s your life. Live it to the fullest however you want. Just don’t forget to add some happy veggies and some fresh water to that equation sometimes.
Now onto the list!
“Hungry For Change”
“Foodmatters”
“Fat Sick & Nearly Dead”
“Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes In 30 Days” (YouTube)
“Forks Over Knives”
“Vegucated”
“Generation Rx”
I also liked these handful of docs which dealt with the feeding of one’s soul. Some of you may find ’em quite patchouli or religiously laced, but it’s the message which counts, not the messenger.
“Happy”
“The Workshop”
“Ken Davis: Fully Alive”
“Enlighten Up”
“Ashtanga NY”
“Thrive: What On Earth Will It Take?”
“Ayurveda: Art Of Being”
“Sufi Soul: The Mystic Music Of Islam” (YouTube)
If you’ve got any more flicks you want to add to the list, feel free to shoot me a comment or two.
For now I’mma take Mr. Spock’s advice to “live long and prosper”.
BQOTW: Sharath Jois
“No coffee, no prana”
— Sharath Jois
Who’s Sharath Jois you ask?
He’s the grandson and heir apparent to the Pattabhi Jois’s Ashtanga yoga legacy. If you have a Netflix instant account I would strongly suggest checking out the documentary “Ashtanga NY” to get a better glimpse into the practice and the men who have been the modern day driving force behind it. Please disregard the celebrity interviews, except Willem Da Foe who of course is lovely in his own way.
Once you’re done with that and you want to see more, jump on over to YouTube and watch early 90’s videos of the ‘who’s who” of the Ashtanga world being led by P. Jois into what I lovingly call “an exercise of grace under pressure”. Because of it, I’m now inspired to take my own journey of discovery and practice Mysore at least three days a week. Sometimes waking up as early as 4:30am (as in half an hour ago before writing this).
One of Pattabhi Jois’s famous quotes went something like this, “No mula bhanda, no yoga!”
Right away it reminded me of Sharath cheeky statement about coffee which I’m sure he got from his grandad anyway.
I had to make it my BQOTW.
A long time ago I had a grandpa too, and he was my first best friend.
I wish he had lived long enough to guide me into becoming the best I could be at something.
The very same way Pattabhi Jois doted over his grandson.
I get their connection, and I appreciate their relationship as well as crave one of my own.
Some people say that Sharath has sold out to the dark side and brought a stain to his grandfather’s legacy by allowing the further commercialization of Ashtanga**. Does it feel shady? Sort of. Has it affected my dedication and love to the practice? Absolutely not!
I sometimes suspect that if his grandfather were still alive he might have chosen a similar path. Perhaps reining in his egotistic ambitions a bit more as not to lose focus of the myth built around the traditions of the practice. Regardless, people are up in arms, and sides have been drawn. How exciting!
As for myself, I’m still relatively new to the Ashtanga world, but I already know where I firmly stand. I don’t really care which side is which, and I am grateful that every day I can stand on my mat and chose to be either foolish or sublime. For me the practice is a prayer in motion and an opportunity not only to see where it can lead me, but where I’m willing to go when I take myself out of my comfort zone. And yes, I do drink coffee before my led class on Sundays, but never before Mysore!
**(Yoga For Trophy Wives: Who’s Yoga Is It Anyway?)
Music List!
(I’ve decided to make this an ongoing post, ’cause there’s too much music out there to share without getting tied down to a one-time entry. So here we go!)
I must confess, I frakin looove my yoga music.
Aside from Zero7 I love any music that will set you on the verge to Catatonia.
Some find it boring, so I choose to keep my sounds to myself and always let you pick the radio station when we’re in the car or on Spotify/Pandora mode.
However, when I’m alone, it’s a horse of a different color.
So I’ve decided to create a music list of my favorite yoga music, even though I don’t practice to it anymore. I’ve learned to move to the sound of my breath, because everyone knows that movement follows breath. At least in the Mysore community they do.
Come to think of it, they must be a bunch of fast breathers ’cause by the time I’m done with my last Suryanamaskar they’re already halfway through the series.
Holy hell!
Anyhoo, to the music….
“Feel” by the Bombay Dub Orchestra has for to be my favorite of them all. Check out the Thievery Corporation version as well. They sound alike in many ways but why the hell not?
Also check out these other songs from BDO. “Dust”, “Junoon”, “Junoon” (Bombay Dub Jaipur Active Remix), and “Mumtaz” (DJ Drez Jahta Mix).
Ok, let’s list ’em before I lose my mind with all this unecessary writing:
“Brahma Nandam ” – Deva Premal
“Dhobapara” – Chinmaya Dunster
“Dreamcatcher” – Bahramji & Manesh De Moor
“Durga Shakti” – Shaman’s Dream Project
“Guru Brahma” – Shaman’s Dream Project
“Hawaii” – Meiko
“In Sunlight” – Tina Malia
“Indra” – Thievery Corporation
“Kala Infinite” – Bill Laswell
“Le Reveur” (Thievery Corporation Remix) – Tapis Rouge
“Mustt Mustt” (Massive Attack Remix) – Nusrat Fateh Ali
“Sunset” – Nitin Sawhney
“Om Namo Bhagavate” – Desert Dwellers
“Underwater Love” – Jerome Isma-Ae
“Visions Of Zen” (Original Mix) – Sutra Rhythms
“Up With People” (Zero 7 Remix) – Lambchop
“Peaceful Being” – Manesh De Moor
“Silent Ganges” – Manesh De Moor
“Born Again” (Cycle Mix) – Domez M.
“Tao Of Heaven” – Anuvida
“Rememberance” – Benjy Wertheimer
When I Grow Up I Wanna Be…
… just like Maria Villella!
In fact the plan is to start taking her Mysore class by tomorrow morning, and not allow my intimidation to overtake my inspiration.
So a year ago I took my first led Ashtanga class, and after two hours of what I thought was an experiment in being punk’d, my exhausted, sweaty, dejected self hung her head and went home. I closed my bedroom curtains, went under the covers without bothering to disrobe or clean up, and proceeded to start crying for no one else but my fragile little ego.
I had been bested.
I, the great yogini herself, an epic fail! (Hey, what the fuck did I now?)
A year and countless requests from my teacher to join them for another try, I finally did.
This time around it wasn’t so bad. I held my own a bit better and saw that maybe I could survive such trials by fire.
That’s until a week ago…
Thanks to YouTube and my insomnia, I saw the light at 2:48am last Tuesday morning.
This “epiphany” came to me through an old 1989 video of Sri Pattabhi Jois (the big daddy of Ashtanga) leading a workshop of a who’s who in the yoga world. It was one of the fiercest show of grace under pressure I have EVER seen. Now all I want to do is become the most proficient of Ashtangi and meet Chuck Miller!
Talk about pulling a 180, talk about a change of heart!
Maria Villella is an inspiration and part of of my journey. At least I hope so. With my luck, we’ll probably completely hate one another from day one and I’ll quit and go home for another good cry. Then again my ego has agreed to temporarily take a back seat on this one. Let’s just hope it keeps its seatbelt on and its mouth shut through this adventure for once…
Yoga Pose Of The Week
Savasana!
Please to lie your ass down with hands facing up, and eyes closed. Make sure your lips are soft, teeth slightly parted, with the tip of your tongue against your two front upper teeth. I’m so not in the mood to explain the mechanics. For now be quiet, within and without, we shall deffo revisit this “asana” a little deeper at a later date.
Don’t underestimate this powerful pose. You think it’s all about lying down and being passive, but what happens when your nose gets itchy? What about if you’re susceptible to falling asleep? I cannot tell you the handful of times the person next to me started snoring. (Ok, it was me, but in the immortal words of Marlena Dietrich, “…can’t help it”)
Go ahead, try it. See how well you can sit with your passing thoughts, outside distractions, and your lack of counterpoise.
I remember once Bryan Kest (proud owner of Santa Monica’s Power Yoga studios) challenged his students to be in savasana throughout the entire class. In such an instance the pose can be approached as an exercise in confronting the ever dreaded competitive aspect of the ego. However, personally I prefer to view it as a call to challenge myself into mindful response, rather than giving in to my knee-jerk reactions.
Have your legs begun to twitch yet. We shall see…
Yoga Pose Of The Week
I have two more posts to submit, otherwise I’ll be letting potentially marrying gay couples everywhere down!
So at this point I’ll just panic and make it up as I go along…
Actually a “yoga pose of the week” isn’t such a terrible idea. However, since I just came up with it I’m going to pull it out of my ass, and I promise to have some sort of explanation and “raison d’être” next time.
So sit quietly.
Choose your spot.
The bare floor, a meadow, the beach, your couch, whatever inspires you to cross your legs, sit up straight (use a wall, a tree, or a bolster for support) close your eyes if you wish and start breathing.
Yes, we’re just going to sit here and breathe. Don’t try to quiet your mind. That never really works right away anyway, but breathe you will.
We hardly pay attention to our breathing, and why should we?
It comes naturally, big freakin’ deal.
Actually it is a big deal.
So many times we don’t notice how shallow it truly is. Therefore never filling our lungs with oxygen and using them to their complete capacity.
So just breathe and just be. Deeply.
Take comfort in the knowledge that cultivating a proper yoga practice takes one breath at a time. After all, it is the fourth of Patanjali’s Eight Limbs Of Yoga.
No, I’m not going to explain who he is. That’s why they invented Google.
Look him up. And don’t forget to take your breath along with you…
Once In Yoga Class…
Hey remember in the 5th grade when you had a whole two months to write a book report, but you waited until the Sunday before it was due on Monday morning?
No?
Shit, I must be the only one in the whole free world who procrastinated even way back then.
Hey, why do you think I joined this cockamamie stickk.com challenge?
So let’s get this goin’…
Post # 3 of this week:
(post # 2 is still in draft mode. I just can’t find the idea of sharing my issues with “my little diabetic burning man ranger” THAT interesting, really.
Usually, Sundays are solely dedicated to yoga.
If anyone knows me, they’re well aware that it’s my long-time passion, and that I’ve been a dedicated practitioner for four years. I still have a long way to go, but I have a lifetime ahead of me as far as I’m concerned.
I had already mentioned last week’s 108 challenge and the pleasure I had in reconnecting with my previous teachers. However, there’s a particular issue I had not touched upon which I find extremely important in anyone’s yogic’s life lesson.
A little over two years ago, before I started working for K***, I used to attend the Sunday afternoon community class at Purple Yoga in Long Beach.
Regardless of the teacher’s physical beauty, her lesson-approach was formulaic and her personality was as monotone as her voice.
The last time I chose to endure her class, I made sure to graciously thank her after practice and then she asked me why I had not been there for so long.
I replied that I was spending a lot of time in Santa Monica, and that I was still practicing regularly but wherever I had the occasion to do so.
That’s when it got eye-openingly yeecchhh.
She began to read me the riot act on the wrongdoings of having too many teachers. Almost to the point of guilt tripping.
She felt that I should stick to one studio, and learn from all I could form that one style and keep the purity of my practice in that manner.
Needless to say I thanked her for her “wisdom” and never went back to her class AGAIN!
Who’s ever heard of growing by remaining in one place? I’m sure it exists, but why?
So here’s my piece of advice. If you truly love yoga, do not allow yourself to fall into the limitations of one teacher or one style. It’s a journey into transformation.
Suck that marrow baby!
Take all you can from everyone, and leave the rest behind. Every teacher has something to teach you, even the bad ones. They, above all others, show you what you DON’T want, and for some THAT is the most important lesson.
Yes, please, stick with what or whom you resonate with the most. But learning from other teachers allows you the mental flexibility which goes in hand with your body. It opens your heart up and like water it allows you to flow.
So go. Try. Do.
Move over. Move under. Move around. Flow through.
Shape your body, your heart, your mind the same way water shapes and smoothes out a river stone.
Effortlessly. With love, gratitude, and gentility.
After all, he greatest power, requires the lightest touch…
Namaste bitches!
Oh No No John… I AM THE WALRUS!
Have you ever seen a walrus sweat? No, neither have I.
That’s until I took a good gander at the photos from last “Caturday”, when I partook in a yoga challenge/fundraiser.
Jesus, when did I get so fat?!?
Time to quit making excuses and get back into a hard riding routine. Otherwise I’m liable to contract a bad case of “Secretary Spread” in my new gig.
(I’m really writing this entry so Orchid can let me off my stickk contract, but I don’t see any relief in sight).
My fellow yogini and pal Kerrie decided that one more sex-trafficked girl was too much, and she was gonna make us all pay $108 AND do 108 sun salutations for the cause.
After several months of planning and networking, everything came to a head and I unexpectedly found myself front and center of the fray. My inexhaustible mat and I at the base of Walter Pyramid, facing a three-hour trial.
One hamstring-soul-crushing solar overheated salutation at a time.
But I did it, and you know when they say, “I got out of it more than I gave”?
Amusingly enough that’s exactly what happened.
Twelve yoga teachers where there to lead the practice, and I’ve had the pleasure of knowing and learning from six of them.
It brought up memories of my own practice.
My yogic history on my beautiful mat, which, by the way, was a gift from the late great Leticia Corral. I suspect she purchased it at the Marshalls in Montebello.
All the hours of dedication. The smiling through the struggle. The ego driven frustrations, and the final success through letting go. Let’s not even talk about how it took me an entire year to gather up the courage to tackle an Ashtanga class.
I know who I am when I’m practicing. All those parts of me which I generally dislike, question, or distrust just don’t exist.
So I was once again reminded of why I’m destined to be a yoga teacher and re-directed towards mine own golden path.
Other than the obvious fact that I’d KICK ASS AT IT.
Hey, I’m just sayin…
Adventures In Strangeland 