SHARING THE 'PEARLS'

I used to hold my 'pearls' close. Not sharing. I was 'selfish' (ouch). That was then, this is now; that time is history.

Today, I share my 'pearls'; as yoga teachers, we are here not only to teach our students, but to also teach our peers (and to be taught by them), to even teach our teachers on occasion. (A recent issue of YogaJournal addressed this - when it chronicled the relationships of several well-known yoga instructors.)

We keep our knowledge 'close to the vest' when we feel insecure and threatened. Maybe it's age, maybe it's a change of attitude, whatever it is -- it is now much easier for me to share.

Now, that doesn't mean that I'm going to spend $100, $200, or more for a training, then turn around and give all of my hard-earned notes to someone who didn't spend the money or time to participate in the same training. But, I will share 'pearls', dropping them along the way, sharing appropriate pearls with my peers. There are also some trainings I've participated in that are 'closed', meaning - especially in webinar situations - that the teacher leading the webinar has asked we not share the downloaded webinar contents with others who have not signed up. Of course, as I practice what I've learned (and, if people pay attention), the 'pearls' may become apparent. But, that's different.

Anyway, I've come a long way -- I enjoy sharing the teachings I feel are appropriate to be shared. No more do I hoard and keep my knowledge secret. It just feels better.

Have a great Tuesday!

SO MANY 'PEARLS'

I still vibrate with the inspiration offered me at the Gathering, earlier this week (seems it was longer ago, but - no, it was just this week). And, I find myself going back to my notebook over and over, looking for quotes, 'pearls' of wisdom, offered by the philosophers, the instructors, and by John during those 3 days.

Now, I wish I had taken more detailed notes. At the time, tho, it seemed important to just listen. Each time I would begin to write, I'd miss the next 'pearl'. A dual-edged decision to stop writing; leaving my memory in charge of remembering.

Well, remembering will be important in this post also -- the computer or the blog program decided to NOT save my entire post; leaving me to rely on memory to re-write it. Here goes:

I finished yesterday's post with the quote "Lean into your edge." Why? Because, for me, it is a great example for Monday's philosophy topic: Darshan / Sadhana. The sanskrit word, darshan, means 'the view' or 'sight'; sadhana means practice (meditation, asana/poses, spiritual practices, etc.). Think of darshan as the attitude, sadhana is the action, what I do in between is to align.

The best example I came up with in my previous post (now lost somewhere in 'cyberspace') was that every now and then I become stale -- perhaps it's a sign of boredom with teaching the same poses, using similar themes, or practicing the same sequence over and over. Fortunately, it is at those times that a training or workshop comes along. I attend, I learn, I push myself a bit farther than I have been doing on my own, I walk away re-invigorated, with a new 'view' of my practice, my goals, my abilities. Like that.

Darshan - the view - precedes sadhana. Why? Because it is darshan that empowers our sadhana. The view helps me avoid pitfalls; I take the philosophy / teachings in, let them vibrate, and they become the embodiment of my view. My darshan refreshes my sadhana.

So, darshan = attitude, the setting of the foundation. I align through my study. And, my sadhana is the action that comes from setting my foundation and aligning.

My opportunities for study have expanded, as well. These three scholars, Hareesh Wallis, Christopher Tompkins, and Eric Shaw, all offer on-line and in-person opportunities to study with them. I'll be checking them out -- each of them was down-to-earth, approachable, 'regular guys' (just really smart 'regular guys'), who each had a sense of humor. Those are the kind I need -- approachable, down-to-earth, regular, with some humor thrown in. I deal with the smart part more easily if the other qualities are there. Not to put 'smart' philosophers down, but philosophy, at times, goes right over my head -- I need to be able to connect; once connected, the understanding comes more easily.

Hope you have a great Saturday!

BACK TO NORMAL (?)

Yes, in Fallbrook, enjoying my early morning quiet time -- time to sit, time to have a cup of coffee, time to write, and time to contemplate the rest of this day.

I apologize for not posting during the remaining 2 days of the Inspired Gathering at Wanderlust; just too much to do every day (beginning at 7 am and concluding at 6 pm). Early mornings (5 am) were dedicated to quiet time, a bit of computer work, and getting ready for the day. By the end of the day, my greatest desire was to sit, contemplate, and sleep. The time in between went like this:

7 am Meditation / Pranayama with John Friend

9 am 90-Minute Yoga Class, also with John

11 am Roundtable Philosophy Discussion with John,

Christopher Tompkins, Eric Shaw, and Hareesh Wallis

Noon Lunch

2-4 pm Breakout sessions (sequencing, theming/languaging,

adjustments, or therapeutics)

4:30 Philosophy with Hareesh (Mon), Eric (Tues), Christopher (Weds)

The campus for this curriculum is a cluster of hotels, restaurants, and retail businesses called The Village at Squaw. It rests at the bottom of great ski mountains, and is surrounded on one side by needed parking lots; on the other by open space leading to the base of several ski runs. On this open side, was located our 'school' - a cluster of tents, bamboo structures, artists' displays. I'm telling you this because, in three days of schlepping bag, blanket, hat, mat, whatever, back and forth -- we not only exercised our minds, but our bodies got a good feeling for being a bellman in a hotel. Enough on that.

As I mentioned on Monday, the camaraderie was EXCEPTIONAL. Everyone so grateful to be together in this first gathering of Anusara-Inspired™ instructors, and so appreciative of the learning opportunities presented to us during the 3 days.

My learning opportunities took a slight detour during the time at the gathering. I had planned a diverse curriculum; however, Monday's session on sequencing left me yearning for more on this topic, so I continued on that vein. Monday was with Denise Benitez; Tuesday, Christina Sell; and Wednesday, Noah Maze. All exceptional instructors and all with their own styles of teaching (and sequencing). Interesting that there was no repetition of information -- Denise offered a sampling of her method and her knowledge in a discussion format; Christina offered us a hands-on, teach-by-example sequencing class, with us the students and her the teacher (duh!), then gave us some opportunity to ask questions; Noah got out his big paper and easel, showing us the method he uses when sequencing, peppered with some teaching examples which we acted out. From each I took nuggets of information to add to my 'toolbag'.

I also had opportunities to connect and re-connect with friends old and new. And, as I mentioned on Monday, I did carry out my intention -- introducing myself whenever I found myself in awkward silence with another instructor not yet known to me; or starting up conversations with people I had met in the past, but - perhaps - didn't know very well. There also were opportunities to approach instructors who I've admired from a distance and actually talk to them! (That's stepping out of my comfort zone for sure.)

We drove all night on Wednesday to get home early on Thursday. 2 hours of sleep does not make for a very social or invigorated Leslie, so I rested most of the day yesterday. Then, it was in to Carlsbad for dinner with the Grand-Dudes and their parents. A wonderful way to end the day.

Things go back to regular schedule now. Teaching, studying, and video'ing (yes, I am ready to do another video). That's another blog topic.

Hope you have a great Friday! My mantra for this (and future) days:

"LEAN INTO YOUR EDGE"

(compliments of the Wallis, Tompkins and Shaw)

WE'VE ARRIVED; WATCH OUT WANDERLUST!

I rode up from San Diego to Squaw Valley yesterday with two newer friends -- women I've met through my teaching in Temecula (Doreen and Elissa, for you Temecula students). Elissa's daughter rode 97% of the way with us, leaving us to spend the weekend with her Aunt, Uncle and 'big' cousins outside of Sacramento.

It is always amazing to me to witness the camaraderie that develops between people who barely know each other but share this love for yoga, Anusara® yoga in particular. We shared driving, tho thanks to Elissa, Doreen and I spent shorter stints at the wheel. Within minutes of us entering the car, we fell into an easy banter than continued all the way to Squaw (that would be about 11 hours later!). Yoga, life in general, all were discussed. Interesting that there was no negative, it was all good talk; uplifting and, at times, peppered with laughter. Good stuff.

Once in Squaw Valley, we found my room, then walked the grounds which were being set up in anticipation of this big week of Wanderlust. FYI, Wanderlust is a festival featuring the many styles of yoga and is held several times each year at varying locations around the U.S. If you were to attend the entire festival, you would be able to experience several styles of yoga and the many well-known instructors who teach them. This year, Anusara-Inspired™ yoga instructors are gathering for the 3 days prior to the official start of Wanderlust for our first-ever Inspired Gathering; fortunately, for us, Certified Instructors were invited (in addition to those teaching formally), and we will all benefit from their presence and knowledge.

Once we had done our tour, we parted company -- Doreen and Elissa off to meet Shannon -- me off to take a well-deserved nap (did I mention that we had left my house in Fallbrook at 3:30 a.m.?

Rested up, it was time to clean up and head down for the Opening Ceremony. Everyone gathered under the canopy (looks like about 250-300 people, including the entire corps of instructors (Anusara® Certified and Inspired™) from Temecula, Riverside, etc. -- Ashley, Shannon, Lisa, Elissa, Doreen and me). John talked about the evolution of the training process for Anusara® teachers, introduced the Certified instructors who are attending and who will offer their knowledge over the 3 days. What did I notice? A relaxed and congenial attitude among the crowd -- this is good; I set my intention to help foster that over the 3 days. The learning will be intense, but that doesn't mean I have to be intense, as well. I need to relax, learn, have fun, enjoy my friends - new and old, and leave on Wednesday feeling rejuvenated and with lots of great information to influence my teaching and practice. (watch out!)

Today? Meditation at 7 am, followed by breakfast, followed by a 90-minute practice, followed by a philosophy discussion -- these activities all happen with John. Lunch. Then, I go to the breakout classes I've selected on topics like sequencing, therapeutics, philosophy (more?), languaging. Will write more as I go along.

Hope you have a great Monday!

AND NEXT, WANDERLUST INSPIRED GATHERING

I love to be in John Friend's presence; truly love it -- so inspiring, so heart-warming, so fun, etc. And, I find I do things in his presence that I can't (or won't) outside of it (i.e. when in his presence, I rarely go to my knees before lowering to chaturanga dandasana; I will always go to my knees with other instructors or when practicing alone). Why, I wonder? Perhaps because, somewhere deep, I want to do my best, impress, or -- I'd rather think -- that this happens because he is just that motivating.

No matter the reason, I know it happens; just not sure of the reason.

So, here comes Wanderlust and THE FIRST formal gathering of Anusara-Inspired™ Yoga Instructors. 3 days filled with practice and study with John in the mornings; afternoons scheduled with other instructors - teachers I have long hoped to study with and who will offer me different paths to understand and embrace theming, therapeutics, philosophy, etc.

I would be lying if I said I was over-the-top excited. I am happy to be going; glad I can participate; I feel it's important to participate. However, excited? Not much. And, as I sit here, I wonder why.

The only reason I can come up with is that, as much as I enjoy any opportunity to study with John, I have become a bit spoiled over the years with opportunities to do that in settings with 60-100 people in attendance. This promises 300, 500, maybe 700 co-participants. Way too many, in my mind. Why? too many opportunities to look at the younger, thinner, more skilled; this will be my anava mala's playground multipled x several hundred.

Perhaps now that I've said it, admitted it, I'll go with a lighter heart. Kind of like when you speak it, it loses it's power. Let's hope that's the truth of the matter.

Tomorrow morning, I'll join friends for the drive north to Lake Tahoe. I am glad for that (had initially thought I'd be driving alone). We'll study, practice, meditate, hang out, for 3 days, then climb in the car for the drive home on Wednesday afternoon.

So, now that I've said it out loud -- at least in 'blog' land, perhaps I will get excited. I am good enough. As a small pin BJ Galvan selected for Martin & Jordan Kirk's Immersion graduates many years ago says: "Accept Your Greatness". I have that pin in a safe spot, a spot that I look at every day. To remind myself, I am great. It's the 'remind' part I need to get rid of (hope that makes sense). I am great.

Hope your Saturday is a 'great' one!

USE THOSE GLUTES!

Several years ago, I attended a weekend workshop in Springdale, UT (Ann Rutz' community of Anusara yogis), for which Desiree Rumbaugh was our guide. In fact, I think her theme for the weekend had something to do with GPS; tho, this morning, I can't remember the exact title (it was a good one, however).

Springdale is a unique community in Southern Utah (almost down I-15 to St. George); off the beaten path and at the entrance to Zions National Park. If you know anything of Utah and the terrain of this park, you have an idea of Springdale's beauty. Small town, geography making it difficult for the population to get out-of-control. I've traveled down there for several workshops and have learned the people are passionate about their community, their politics and having fun! I even participated in a "Green Jello Eating Contest" one year when a workshop fell on the weekend of St Patrick's day celebrations (I lost).

Enough with the memory lane journey, and back to Desiree's workshop.

As we practiced that weekend, I think her main emphasis was kidney loop. She did, however, take us on a brief journey to the glutes and that, my friends, has changed my yoga life.

Paraphrasing here: "In neutral table, extend your right leg hip height, straight and strong, heel reaching to wall behind you. Hold this, 5 minutes." What? 5 (as in FIVE) minutes?!?!?!? Yes, 5 (as in FIVE).

Once that 5 minutes was done, my right glutes were quivering, screaming, painfully making their presence known. Well, once that FIVE minutes was finished, we released, took a breath and lifted the left leg. For another 5 (as in FIVE) minutes.

This, she explained, was going to do wonders for our hamstrings. Strengthening and then using the glutes in our yoga poses would alleviate the need for our hamstrings to do all the work.

It's hard work, and it's something I'd never thought of before -- glutes working? Don't they just kind of hang out back there? No, they need to work. Look at this image:

Notice that the gluteus maximus (gm) covers the upper hamstring muscle connections. When the muscles of the backside are healthily strong, I am able to activate them, I imagine the gm (and it's associated muscles) caressing those connections and assisting in all the forward folding, lengthening, hamstring-activating poses I can think of. Ahhh, be still my heart.

Life, with this added knowledge, has never been the same. I literally very rarely (if at all) experience those twinges of pain at the top of the hamstrings that used to plague my practice.

Why do I think of this today? Yesterday, in class, a student asked for some help with painful upper hamstring 'stuff'. What did we do? Not 5 (as in FIVE) minutes, but at least 10 breaths on each side to wake them up. (Remember, I am trying to grow class populations here, not decimate them!) Then we stood with balls of feet on a roll, heels on floor, and moved slowly through several uttanasanas, and then to parsvottonasana on each side. Then slowly through several simple surya's, All the while I'm reminding students 'engage your glutes', 'don't let go, keep them active through the entire movement', like that. Broken record stuff.

So, that's the story of 'use those glutes'. If you haven't heard it or tried it, do so. Marvelous, underused muscles on the backside, just waiting for their opportunity to shine!

Hope your Wednesday is a good one (getting my hair cut; after all, Wanderlust is just around the corner)!

THANKS TO LOOPS & SPIRALS . . .

July 2011, will be remembered as a month of re-connecting. I've already written about Lesley and my old/new friendship (go back to this past Wednesday's post). Out of the blue yesterday came an e-mail from another 'old' friend.

This friend I met in Miami six years ago at the first Teacher Training I attended with JF (John Friend). She and I neighbor'd in the first morning's session, and got to know each other through conversations and partnering.

One important thing to know about Teacher Trainings is that they are challenging. Not simply because I am trying to learn everything being said by the instructor, but add to that the many personalities, egos (yes, egos, including mine) in the room, and differing expectations. It (the training) can come right up to my face and give me a good 'slap', no matter what level of instructor/student I am at that point in time. And, it doesn't even have to be my 'stuff' I'm worried about.

This 'old/new' friend (first name, Lisa) and I both had our share of challenges that week - physical and emotional; fortunately, we had become acquainted that first morning and could bolster each other through the moments that threatened to make a 'train wreck' of the experience. We both survived that first training with JF and, for me, the rest is history you (the reader) may know.

This week, in doing research on loops & spirals, Lisa came upon a blog I wrote about the topic many months ago. She sent me an e-mail, I responded, and we are now Facebook friends -- I look forward to getting reacquainted in the time ahead.

BTW, carpet is in and it looks and feels great. Now dusting off furniture, and unpacking more boxes that had been waiting for this to be accomplished.

Hope your Sunday is a good one!

EVERYONE IS MY TEACHER

The waxing and full moon offered up many opportunities this week -- just looking at it could have been enough; but, I took it a bit further and used it (and the associated holiday, Guru Purnima - when we honor and celebrate our teachers) as theme for classes. I also loved reading how friends wrote about the 'holiday' -- in this case more of an old world definition is applied (holy day).

A short re-cap of the week is in order:

Tuesday's class in Carlsbad turned into a private for one lucky lady. Good stuff, tho, since the more I question, the more I find out about people; and the more I observe, the more I see. Not bad stuff, just stuff that might benefit from a bit of enhancing. In a private class situation, it's easier to do this as you just focus on one person and this gives you opportunities (and excuses) to really dive deep. Once, a student said to me "you notice everything!". Why? She was the only one in the room, the one I was paying attention to and 'seeing' everything about - the good and the rest.

The afternoon Therapeutic/Gentle class in Temecula was small, as well. I was bolstered by the inquiry of one student into doing some private work with her. She is recovering from a very serious car accident, feels yoga is helping her, and cleared it with her physician. Good stuff. This will be my first private client work in California.

Wednesday, well I wrote about my new/old friend. If you have an opportunity, check out her blog (listed to the right, Lesley DuTemple). I am loving her ability to communicate through her writing. I also must admit it's nice to reflect on things other than yoga for a few minutes during my morning computer time.

Thursday -- I received a note from my Certification evaluator (is that what they're called?). Homework is signed off on, next step - create a class plan, get her approval, video! This news, plus the fact that 5 showed for my Carlsbad class, was great support to my theme of honoring and celebration (using Guru Purnima as the basis). I carried the same theme to the Temecula class, switched up the apex based on the student's in the room.

What's happening with my teaching, now that the homework is completed? Well, I have 'connected the dots'. I do go back to the theme, emphasize the heart quality and UPA, tell people 'why'. I can feel and hear myself doing it. It's kind of scary and 'out of the box' for me. I just finished reading "The Gifts of Imperfection". Teaching this way is somewhat like the contents of the second-to-last chapter, called "Letting Go Of Being Cool and Always in 'Control'". That's how I've always been - 'in control' - at least as long as I can remember. Teaching from my heart, adding in motivating adjectives, raising my voice to convey excitement, all these things go right up to my imprinted pattern of 'in control' and scream in its face (there's a story to demo this, too much to write, maybe another time). Scary stuff; GOOD STUFF!

And, Friday -- well the carpet people were to have arrived, change of plans - they are coming today. That throws my yoga plan off; but, will love new carpet without wine stains (from previous owners).

Hope you have a great Saturday. I'll be dodging carpet layers most of the day -- won't be hard to look for the good in that, however.

THE SMALL WORLD WE LIVE IN

I am reminded repeatedly that it truly is a small world. Talking to people, questioning, discussing, I discover a connection -- somewhere, somehow -- with many of them.

One example has been at the forefront of my awareness lately: Perhaps you've seen my Facebook posts about our work with Cate Stillman, Certified Anusara® Yoga instructor and Certified Ayurveda Specialist, who lives and practices both her Certified occupations out of Driggs, Idaho. I met Cate several (many?) years ago, when I began attending classes at Yoga Tejas (now, her studio, but - at that time - owned by Sundari). I loved her classes, and each time we would arrive at our home in Driggs, I'd check the shedule for opportunities to practice with either Cate or Sundari. Over the years, we've connected at trainings and workshops - including two at the studio I owned in Salt Lake City, in addition to our continued relationship through her studio. I also have recently been using her Ayurvedic advice, with success I ought to add.

When I posted my comments on Facebook, I put the @ symbol before Cate's name, which causes comments to go to her page and to be broadcast to her friends and fans (I think that's how it works, anyway). Reading her page and comments was a long-lost friend who (whom?) I had met in Salt Lake City 15+ years ago, and who I had lost touch with after our initial meetings. She and her husband have built their dream home in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan; so, we really lost touch when that happened. When we did occasionally cross paths, we discovered our mutual Michigan connections (mine was through my Dad's last Air Force assignment there and the home of my late brother and his family).

This 'long-lost' friend "facebook'd" me when she saw my name on Cate's page and asked me to be her 'friend'. It took me a few minutes to realize just who she was. Once I figured it out, I quickly responded 'yes' to the friend request and a very nice dialogue has begun.

Besides Michigan, what else do we have in common?

1. We both share the first name, Leslie (Lesley, in her case)
2. We both practice Anusara Yoga
3. We have mutual friends through Anusara Yoga, including Cate and Jamie Allison
4. We have mutual friends from our Salt Lake City days
5. We both enjoy writing. Lesley is an author of children's books, has recently formed her own publishing company, and writes a great blog (see link at right)

So, one example of what a small world we live in and how Facebook and blogging bring us closer together.

Hope you have a great Wednesday!

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

Not sure if I forgot or just kept getting distracted after Thursday's post -- guess it was a bit of both.

It was a busy week - teaching, unpacking (again), cleaning, spending time with Grand-Dudes. I'll just spend a few lines on both the teaching and the Grand-Dudes.

On teaching -- I find that I am attracting an experienced set of students. That is good; I take it to mean that my teaching is going deep into what some people are looking for. What is that, besides feeling good about themselves at the end of the class? I think it is feeling good, plus knowing why you are feeling good. An observation on this group of students: Many have done yoga for years, some teach, and they have developed habits. Here and there, I see ways of doing things that have become their 'habit', yet not quite an 'optimal' habit. As a new-to-them instructor, I have been pointing out those 'less-than-optimal' habits. Oops! I am sure I have my own set of habits, i.e. hyperextending knees, when I forget (or ignore) shin loop; not taking legs quite wide enough for some of the standing poses; like that. So, I understand. That is one of the major reasons to come into a class - to have an instructor look at our pose, embellish it, offer us kudos on a job well done - feel good about our efforts and the outcome.

And, about the Grand-Dudes. Gratitude - the practice of Gratitude. I know their parents share this goal - to give their children the gift of a Gratitude practice. We (Howard and I) took them to the Birch Aquarium on Saturday. After moving quickly thru the Aquarium (4 and 2 year old attention spans are SHORT, we are finding), we climbed in the car to go get some lunch. First thing out of the 2-year-old's mouth -- 'I had so much fun at the quarium' (not a typo - that's how he says 'aquarium' at this point in his life). Howard and I asked the two boys (and ourselves) to share our favorite parts of this excursion -- a fun practice; one that we plan to keep going -- what we are grateful for and enjoy most about our experiences together.

We made it to the lunch location, one boy voraciously hungry - the other, quickly divebombing into a case of something (flu?). We found ourselves with one who wanted to go home, the other who wanted his 'dilla' (his word for quesadilla), NOW. We quickly satisfied the 'dilla' need and headed for home, to Mother and to their beds; one for a nap, the other to recover. Things are better today. Ahhh, the balancing act.

This week? Going to set a goal to go to class as many times as possible. Inspired Gathering at Wanderlust is on the horizon -- need to kick my ____ (backside)!

Hope your Monday is a good one!

GETTING ORGANIZED

The 'good' of moving. Yesterday, I did not have a formal schedule, so spent the day doing odds & ends - laundry, housework, some reading, some unpacking.

We may be closing in on the last of the boxes -- the books. We have more books than any 'normal' two people should be allowed to own. Granted, there was a valid reason for the acquisition of each book. However, many have never been read - just set on the shelf to wait. Now, months or years after purchase, some we've forgotten 'why' we bought them or, their stated contents are no longer of interest to us. We are 'culling' the collection as the boxes are opened.

In our house there are categories of books, the majority of which my husband, Howard, has bought over the years. My collection leans to yoga (what else?), and - while proportionately much smaller - it still fills two cabinets, along with training notebooks, journals, articles, lesson plans, cd's and dvd's. I pulled all from the cabinets yesterday, sorted them by category - philosophy, asana, poetry, training publications. I also gathered up several manila folders filled with 'who knows what'.

The 'who knows what' turned out to be articles I've collected, plus lesson plan printouts. I sorted one from the other, then began to sort the articles by topic. This morning, I have 2 binders; one, filled with articles about specific poses, the other with articles related to 'what to do for specific body parts, conditions, philosophy'. The articles, upon review, will be helpful -- they aren't all written by Anusara® instructors, but many by respected yoga educators with strong backgrounds in body mechanics. I set a goal to read 1-2 articles each day (I can tell by the check I've made in the upper corner that some have been read; re-reading never hurts.). Next task, sort the lesson plans.

Organizing like this makes me feel good, like I've accomplished something, like I've taken control of the clutter. I now know what is in those two cabinets and will remember as I use the books where to go to find needed information. Cool!

I am scheduled to teach this morning in Carlsbad, am setting an intention for people to show. Then, my regular afternoon class in Temecula. Inbetween, finalize the 'deal' on our new carpet - we had the house measured yesterday; ordered the carpet; now wait for it's arrival from Georgia. Excited - this last interior improvement (for now) will help me settle in, to feel truly at home.

Hope you have a good Thursday!

YESTERDAY (TUESDAY)

A good day; tho, no one came to the class in Carlsbad. Hard to admit -- that no one comes to your class; there's an element of 'shame' in it, like the repeating mantra 'I'm not good enough'. But, the new book I'm reading "The Gifts of Imperfection", advises that owning our shame is one of the first steps to worthiness. That, the less we talk about shame, the more control it has over our lives. I don't plan to let that happen.

So, yesterday - no one in Carlsbad. The good? An opportunity for a fellow teacher to ask me some questions about foot pain, knee placement and hip discomfort. JF tells us that many issues of legs, hips, back, begin with the feet. I asked her to stand in tadasana for me and observed that her tendency in the foot was to roll out (away from the foot discomfort in the ball of the big toe) - tho she was giving it her best effort to stay well grounded, her knee turned slightly in on the same leg and the hip pain is on the same side. We talked for a bit, as I watched her stand -- both from front, back and side views. The back of her knees bulged slightly, indicating hyperextension. I asked her to create more shin loop. The result? She feels like she's standing in utkatasana - chair pose (tho the legs look straight to me); and her inwardly-turned knee straightened itself out. The work, sometimes, is hard -- to control her wonderful flexibility, to make it flexibility created by strength rather than by loose ligaments. I was reminded of JF's strong admonition: when you see hyperextension, move that student out of the pose and re-align her/him before proceeding.

The Temecula class, however, was attended -- not a ton of people (like Sunday), but enough - especially since it is a Gentle/Therapeutic Class. One of the students was a nurse. A challenge, in itself, when I begin to spout the facts I know (and have read) about the physical attributes and benefits of, for example, standing with feet parallel. (How can I purport to know more than the nurse standing in front of me? Certainly confronts my belief in my knowledge - see paragraph 1.) I stood my ground on that one, even tho she'd had 30 years of dance instruction behind her that taught her to stand with toes pointing out. And, best part, she was accepting of it -- it changes her perception of her body at this point, so it is tough work; but I watched as she repeatedly brought the feet back to parallel without being prompted. Love. It.

Today? House stuff -- got to get some lingering projects taken care of, plus excited to see the man coming to measure for new carpet -- YES! Let me just say that 20-year-old carpet, while clean, leaves a lot to be desired.

Hope your Wednesday is a good one!

WHY IS IT SO HARD?

What, you ask. Why is it so hard to accept a compliment with a simple 'thank you'; no excuses, no jokes, no sidestepping, just 'thank you'.

I received a wonderful compliment today, fought back the urge to do all of the above, and simply responded 'thank you'. It was tough! And, as I told the giver of the compliment, I hope a new book I'm reading will help me get over this tendency. The book? "The Gifts of Imperfection", by Brene Brown (an author with many letters after her name). Preface and two chapters in, and I think it's a keeper.

Guest taught in Temecula yesterday (Living Yoga), had 14 in class -- what fun! A basic class, most of the students were well-versed in yoga. I tried something I hadn't for a while -- the silent demo. A suggestion of Christina Sell, I asked everyone to simply watch me. Then, the hard part - to keep my mouth shut as I moved into a modified parsvakonasana (hand on a block). Silent demos are effective, in that there is a part of the brain that receives the information more completely than if I were chattering along with the demo (perhaps distracting them?). I did demo it again, pointing out my theme and the actions I wanted to emphasize. And, upon completion and when everyone was in the pose, they all looked great!

Today, we are going about the day kind of normally -- I'm cleaning, laundering, yard-working; Howard is walking dogs, running a couple errands, and - now - in the garage puttering. We'll leave in about 3 hours for the "Grand-Dude's" house. Will be great to enjoy the 4th of July with them this year.

Hope you have a great holiday and be safe!

FINALLY, WE MEET . . .

Sometime in late 2009, I began reading Christina Sell's blog (see blog list on the right). I was voracious for blogs, for commentary on the practice of Anusara Yoga. One day, looking for more, I scrolled down the list of her favorite blogs and came upon MariaCristina's. Clicked on it. Read it. Good stuff; so I went back a few posts and landed on a November 2009 post titled "The hardest class ever" (her blog link is also to the right).

Read it, laughed, re-read it, laughed even harder, told my friends about it. Not that her other posts weren't funny or entertaining, this one struck a cord -- here was a person with a sense of humor, an ability to poke some fun at herself publicly, be human. I liked that, and have read 98% of her posts since that day (being honest here - to say 100% might be stretching it).

During that time her posts have been inspirational, educational, celebratory, a bit sad (thinking of her Grandmother, here), always human. And, I love the way she ends many of them with the phrase "may we remember to . . . (whatever the blog topic relates to)".

As a result, we struck up a dialogue; can't remember the first contact - MariaCristina reminds me that I commented on the post, "The hardest class ever". And, I continued to comment on her posts, and she would always graciously send a 'thank you'. She began to read my blog and comment, when appropriate. When I blogged about my Certification exam, she gave me one bit of advice (no answer, just advice), which I followed and which helped me immensely! We continued to e-mail and look forward to meeting each other one day. My move to So. Calif. made that possible; and when the b-day celebration for JF was held, we were both there -- just at different times.

So, when she knew she would be coming south for the 4th of July weekend, she e-mailed me. We constructed a plan to meet for a class, meal, whatever. The plan in motion, 3 of us converged in Del Mar yesterday. Marlene Bullock (a friend who has moved here from Phoenix) joined us. We finally met, face to face. And, it was good.

We have a plan to meet again: if not before, she hopes to come back south for my 'expansion' class in August (plug: August 7, 1-3 pm, Expansion Class, "Re-Muster Your Power", at Living Yoga Center in Temecula).

Good stuff -- the kind good and lasting memories are made of.

Hope you have a happy and safe 4th of July!

JUNE 30, ALREADY!

3 months, 9 days, we have been in our home in Fallbrook. Impressions? We are happy. We aren't unpacked yet, but we are happy. Very content with the decision to move, not missing too much about the home we left behind (except the 'unpacked-ness'), and settling in to new routines quite nicely.

The one constant for me has been my practice and my connection to the world of Anusara® yoga. How? Well, for me, Facebook was a strong conduit in the beginning; keeping me up-t0-date on who was doing what, even if they were formally unknown to me (like you, I have a number of 'friends' I haven't met yet).

Within Facebook, I discovered "90 Minutes to Change the World", led by Amy Ippoliti. This is an on-line webinar series designed to help us re-discover and re-claim our power as the 'local yoga teacher' (as opposed to the superstar who comes to town to do a workshop or training). Not that I have anything against the superstar -- I'm right there in class with everyone else when they arrive. It does make sense, tho, for some of us to 'hold the fort', and Amy wisely saw the need to bolster our confidence, our business acumen, and even touches on mechanics of a well-designed class (tho everyone participating does not teach Anusara® yoga).

She offered us a deal to repeat the 'new and improved' course, which I did. Then, she went on to offer 'Superheroes' -- more in-depth sharing. Needless to say, I did that one, as well. I've learned a lot. The best part? The connection to fellow yoga teachers from all over the country (and world). Since joining the group, there hasn't been a morning that someone (or many) from the group are posting within our own "private" FB page, asking questions, generating discussion -- great brain food for us all. Now that the formal webinar has ended, conversation continues -- new friends, even tho I haven't 'formally' met them yet.

Besides my Facebook endeavors, my teaching continues -- the two classes in Carlsbad are holding steady in small numbers; I'm hoping this is a similar phenomenon to one I experienced in Salt Lake. I had a class there that lingered at 2-3 for one year; then magically jumped to 9-10 attendees -- hope I can wait a year. Temecula is certainly a more vibrant studio; more established in the community; more success there - which is a good thing; keeps me from feeling too discouraged. As in SLC, the Gentle/Therapeutic class is very rewarding to me and appears a direction I'll move towards.

Then, there's the connection to Anusara® in general -- much stronger here with the establishment of the center in Encinitas, scheduled to open in October.

Besides yoga, we love being close to Derek, Jess and the 3 calif. grand-dudes. We are having fun coming up with ideas of things to do with them that they might not have done yet (i.e. 'orchestra night').

So, a bit caught up on the blog. No intention to stop writing in it, just many things to do here in sunny So. Cal.

Have a great Thursday,

WHERE, OH WHERE, HAVE YOU BEEN, LESLIE?

Around, here and there, doing this and that. Busy, busy, busy and somewhat distracted.

The distracted part is what has pulled me away from the blog, because I've been busy before and still found time to blog. This time, tho, the distraction has been too powerful and too unresistable -- so, I've been falling prey to it.

Here I am, tho - still around, still unpacking, still working on growing my classes, still working towards Certification, still enjoying 'grand-dudes' and family.

We are pleased to announce that we can now almost get one car into our 3-car garage. Can you imagine 2 people having so much 'stuff' that they can't get one car into a 3-car garage? Well, look no further. I am reading "Life Is A Verb" -- this will be a favorite, if only for this one sentence: "It is stuff that keeps us from participating fully, from saying 'yes'." Our life for the past 3 months has been controlled by 'stuff' - what to do with this, do we sell that?, do we give away this other thing? or, do we just put something in a cabinet, thinking we'll use it someday - better not get rid of it. "Stuff" -- I could write a whole post on this topic.

I am, in the midst of 'stuff', still working towards Certification. A second phase of homework from my mentor arrived last week. I responded yesterday. I love this work. Why? Because there are lessons in the completed work that garnered a 'great' or a 'nice' from my mentor. I look at that work and I learn that it met the objectives and I have a model for moving forward. And, the work that needs enhancement? Well, it's a challenge, but I enjoy re-thinking, re-writing, re-submitting it. It's in, now I wait.

I received a very nice comment from a student who regularly attends my classes. She teaches yoga, and - from what I gather - is always striving to learn more by attending classes in the area. What did she say? That my classes are like attending mini-workshops. She went on to say that she was impressed with how I looked at the group, assessed what I saw, then taught to that. Wow! What can you say to such a nice comment? "Thank you" (then, when alone, jump up and down and stomp my feet with happiness).

A new week - we've invited family out for dinner; not sure if they're coming yet, but still a motivating factor for housework. Once I know their plan, I'll either be cooking/cleaning or going to a class. Need to get to an "Ashley" class (Ashley Lombardo-Fiala, Certified Anusara Instructor).

Hope you have a great Monday!

A FULL WEEK

Taught a lot this week, a good thing. Subbing (guest teaching) will increase my visibility in the two communities where I currently teach, so I am volunteering where possible and needed. Also, I finalized a brochure to leave at the 2 studios -- basically telling people who I am and giving them contact info, schedule, etc. Business cards are next.

My 2 classes in Carlsbad went well -- granted, there was just one student on Tuesday, but - she is new to yoga, enthusiastic, and very thoughtful about the practice. It was very gratifying to be her teacher on that morning. In fact, something I said or did (or, perhaps it's just under the surface) caused her to shed a few tears at the end of savasana. I know I've cried in past classes and I know others experience similar moments. It's just that I rarely have experienced it in the classes I teach. So, what to do -- I simply sat and we talked for a few moments after class -- nothing real personal, like - "why are you crying?". Instead, talked about yoga, her attentiveness and her obvious enthusiasm for the practice. I could speculate why she was teary, but until I know her better, there is no way I can know her story.

Good news - the Tuesday student returned on Thursday, as did a few others. More experience in the room; so my new-to-yoga person got to experience 'kicking it up a notch'. I was also happy that she had good examples in the room to pay attention to. And, even when offered a modification, she gave 'Wild Thing' a shot from down dog (a' la Christina Sell).

In Temecula, classes also went well. Tuesday's, which is a Gentle/Therapeutic, is doing it's job: drawing in the new-to-yoga, the students dealing with physical 'stuff' or just wanting a more gentle practice on that day. So fulfilling to work with a new student recovering from a serious car accident (fractured C1&C7 - no surgery, tho; fractured collar bone and breast bone; broken wrist stabilized by a metal plate). She came with a friend; both indicated they'd buy a pass AFTER class, once they saw how things went (in other words, did I do my job well). No pressure! And, they both bought continuing passes after the class. Whew!

Thursday's is a basic Anusara-Inspired™ class which also attracts the new-to-yoga. Fun to introduce the practice to this group.

And, on Friday, I subbed (guest taught) a class. 9 in the room, be still my heart. Challenges, tho, follow me -- 4 of the 9 were new to the practice; of the remaining 5, just one had significant yoga experience. Talk about teaching to the entire spectrum! It was fun and offered me a chance to teach to a fuller room, which takes the energy up to another level. It also required that I watch 9 foundations, instead of 2-3, and that I remember to acknowledge 9 people - not just the new-to-yoga; remember everyone wants to be noticed.

That was my yoga week. Inbetween, housework, computer work, errands, garage organization, continue unpacking (will it ever end? not if I / we don't get busy!)

Today - off to a friend's son's bride's wedding shower - an opportunity to dress up a bit, see some old friends, meet some new friends.

Hope you have a great Saturday,

ON LISTENING, AGAIN . . .

"Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer." - Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama

Friend, Jenny Otto, posted this quote on her Facebook page this morning. It is so appropriate, since I was in conversation yesterday, but I didn't feel part of it. Why? Because it didn't seem the people I was talking to were listening.

Huh? Ever talk to someone and find them finishing your sentences? That's what I mean.

Several months ago (or longer), I wrote a blog post on just this topic of listening; relating them to the 3 A's of Anusara® Yoga. They go like this:

Attitude - Open, receive

Alignment - Eye contact, ears open, mouth shut

Action - Listen to ENTIRE sentence or phrase; respond, if appropriate.

As in our practice of Anusara® yoga, the first 'A' (Attitude) is the key. Without an open, receiving attitude, the other two are like sails without the wind -- listless and drooping.

And, that's all I have to say about that.

Enjoy your Sunday,

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

It's been a busy week; and, as I sit here 'blogging' away, I'm struck by and enjoying the feeling of no appointments, nowhere I have to be, no one to wait for -- just time to take care of house stuff, do some grocery shopping, enjoy the sunshine.

Stepping back to Monday -- remember the picnic. There are pics on Facebook now. Just one of me that I've found, taken with my friend Debra Hodgen. We're the ones NOT in bikini tops or dressed as mermaids, in case you're wondering.

Tuesday, I think I've written about -- teaching.

Wednesday, Grand-Dude Jack came out for the afternoon, and it went great. He helped me pull out some old plants, plant some new ones, water the new ones (and himself). We then 'harvested' some oranges for him to take home. Our most significant activity, however, was walking the dogs. My Grand-Dudes are not used to dogs; so there is a lot of trepidation on their part (and likewise for the dogs). So, when he asked to walk the dogs, I was happy. He took the little one (name: Driggs); I took the big one (name: Tucker). We walked at least one-half mile, up to our corner and back, lingered a while before going into the yard. That was a big deal moment for him and me, and the dogs.

After all this, he and 'Grandpa RJ' (their name for Howard) still had time to go to the sports store to buy a 'Kan Jam' game, and Jack's first baseball mit and a soft ball. When they returned, there was time to play Frisbee (Kan Jam) for a while before the rest of the family arrived for dinner. Wonderful day.

Thursday, another day of teaching -- my theme for the day was a take-off on Christina Sell's blog about community. Small classes again, but a nice blend of students -- very experienced in Carlsbad; in Temecula, one new student in the group, one 'angry' shoulder, and one with hip issues. My kind of classes!

And, now, today -- which I've already described, and has yet to evolve.

I also spent a lot of time during the week on the computer, listening to teleseminars (wonderful stuff), writing plans and articles / blog entries, reading. I even stuck my neck out and answered a query on the Anusara Inspired Yoga Teacher & Student Discussion Board Facebook page. What, you ask? A question re: Urdhva Dhanurasana; student with a sore shoulder and unable to straighten that same elbow. If you're a Facebook'er, you can log on to the page and read my answer, and the answers of other very experienced teachers. What was remarkable about this? That I stepped out of the comfort zone of just thinking and actually wrote it down to allow all the world to see. She's back!

Hope your Friday and weekend are great!

FUN WEEKEND

This past Memorial Day weekend, we put away the unpacking tools and simply enjoyed the three days. Howard had traveled most of the previous 3 weeks, so it was time to just spend time together.

Saturday was spent running errands - an essential part of most of our weekends. Sunday, we re-traced our old patterns when we attended a matinee production at the LaJolla Playhouse (A Dram of Drumhaccit), followed by a trip to CostCo and then the garden store, followed by dinner at a local eatery.

Monday, Memorial Day, we enjoyed the beach celebration for JF's birthday and welcome to California. We arrived early (party was scheduled for 10-4; we were there at 10:30), and were joined shortly after by our son and his family. Beautiful weather, complimented by family, and connecting faces to names (remember, I'm new to this kula). I also re-connected with old workshop buddies and my new kula of instructors from the Inland Empire. Highlight of the few hours we were there: playing with and enjoying Grand-Dudes (and being able to show them off a bit) and presentation of the 'board' to John (see pic, below). FYI, many donated a few (or many) dollars to this gift, so it has a special meaning for all of us; truly a gift from the Anusara kula's heart.

I am sorry we didn't stay at the 'party' longer; I missed meeting MariaCristina -- so sorry about that.

And, this week? Well, it's off to a good start. I taught in both Carlsbad and Temecula yesterday. The Carlsbad class is still small, but I enjoy having strong students (including one faithful instructor) in attendance. Growth will happen, just takes time. In Temecula, the class was also smaller (it's a Gentle/Therapeutic Class). In attendance were three; one, new to yoga and struggling with a stressed shoulder; another, coming back from joint replacement surgery; and the third, exerienced and looking for a gentle yoga practice. I appreciate the diversity of 'stuff' in this class; it's teaching me to look at everyone, pay attention to everyone, appreciate everyone.

Today? Planting some flowers, cleaning the house a bit, preparing dinner for the family. Then I'll go into town and pick up senior California Grand-Dude (Jack), and bring him out here for some time exploring on his own. The rest of the group will come out for the dinner I'm preparing. I'm loving this new life!

Hope you have a great day,