DEFINE 'ADVANCED'

Here is what my MacBook dictionary says:

Advanced: far on or ahead in development or progress, OR, new and not yet generally accepted.

I looked this up as a result of one person's comment yesterday evening. In what context? I was telling the person about the Sunday 'advanced' class I taught (see yesterday's post). I mentioned the pose, the students attending, their reaction to the sequence. And, what did this person say? "do you think you worked them hard enough?"

Wait, stop the presses, think (or not). Where in the definition above does it say anything about "work hard enough"? And, come to think of it, doesn't just thinking about the pose, vishvamitrasana, conjure up thoughts of hard work?

But, back to my original thought -- why, when people think of an 'advanced' class, do they automatically go to the words 'work hard', 'tough', 'brutal', 'sweat-producing' -- words that do not appear anywhere in the definition of 'advanced' (think progress, development, new). Maybe if you used the word 'work' in the right sentence, it could apply; something like "she worked hard to make progress".

So, I am seriously thinking about what people expect when they attend an 'advanced' yoga class. Do students get up in the morning and think "I want to get my rear-end kicked today, so I'll go to an 'advanced' class." or are they considering the new, the development, the progress they will make in a class labeled with the word 'advanced'?

Based on the comment I heard yesterday, I worry that we (yoga teachers, in general) have promoted an image of tough, brutal, sweat-producing when we recommend our 'advanced' classes. As in, how many chaturanga dandasana's can a class include, on top of handstands, backbends, twists, etc. Why?

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a good sweat once in a while. What I enjoy even more is to work hard (with or without the sweat), and make progress in my yoga practice -- even if that progress is simply making an ordinary uttanasana extraordinary. To me, that is 'advanced'. (Can't seem to get off this ordinary/extraordinary train of thought.)

All this is a 'rant', as C. Sell so aptly labels some of her blog posts. This one may not be as eloquent as hers, but I think it's food for thought. I plan to promote 'advanced' classes as places to hone our yoga skills; truly embrace citananda -- awareness and the ability to create beauty through that awareness. 'Advanced' classes require I walk in with a beginner mind, just like every other class -- the ability to step back, be the student, embrace my strengths and weaknesses, learn and grow. Enough.

Today? House and yardwork, a meeting with our financial planner, pick up a light I've had re-wired, then - taking a cooking class on Indian cuisine.

Hope your Wednesday is a good one,

A FIRST - FOR ME AND THEM

I was asked to 'guest-teach' a class this past weekend: Sunday morning's 9:30 Advanced/Intermediate Yoga Class at Living Yoga in Temecula.

This was a last-minute request, one laced with desperation, so I accepted. Normally I avoid 'advanced-intermediate' like the plague. Why? Not because I can't, but because I question my skills at teaching this level of student. As in, will they get what they came for? Will I be able to work them hard enough? There's also the fact that many of the poses taught in this level of class are not poses I normally practice (many dvesha poses here); how does one teach what one doesn't practice well?

I accepted anyway. Decided to kick myself out of my 'basic' comfort zone right into 'advanced'.

My worries began late Saturday; I procastinated, however -- which is my nature. Sunday morning (EARLY), I was up looking through tried-and-true lesson plans (all for 'basic' classes). How to make those 'advanced'? Nothing clicked.

Then I stumbled on an article written by Christina Sell which would take students to vishvamitrasana. It was an abbreviated plan -- meaning the valuable pieces were there; I had to add 'filler' -- a down dog here, a chaturanga dandasana there, instructions to get to the floor, like that. I began typing, including the sequence she suggested, adding poses I thought would be valuable, voila! Print it out and off to the studio.

Just 4 came to class on Sunday. We began. About 20 minutes into the class, a case of 'major misgivings' began to seep into my confidence reservoir -- as in "what do I think I'm doing, trying to teach these people ANYTHING"? My choices -- stick it out or walk out. Made the right decision to stick it out and continued. It got easier, students were welcoming, they laughed, they worked hard - following all instructions to the letter.

We reached the knee-down version of vishvamitrasana. One student, a yoga teacher herself, said "Oh, this is the pose I see in all the magazines. I've always wanted to do it, but have never been able to get to it." We continued. Knee-down went well; on to the full version. That also went well. Ecstatic laughter in the room, even from one 'not-quite-to-the-pose' student - who was cheering the rest on. Time almost up, a relaxed cool-down, a centering pose, savasana, and closing comments.

Then, an ovation -- from students to me.

I came clean about the article, and I've thanked Christina for helping me experience this grand moment -- a chance to teach a great class to attentive students. I also must acknowledge that I was able to transmit it all effectively. I still get goose bumps just thinking about the looks on their faces (and the giggles) when they came down from their poses. So great!

Today? Back to regular schedule -- 10:30 'basic' class in Carlsbad, 2pm Therepeutic/Gentle Class in Temecula, 4:30pm Pre/Postnatal Class in Temecula. Inbetween? A bit of driving.

Hope your Tuesday is great!

WHEW!

Taking care of youngest Grand-Dude, Carson, for 2 days and nights was fun; enjoyable; good bonding; all that, but I am stiff and sore today. And, last night, I could not keep my eyes open past 7pm. Could it be that one 1yr old can have that affect on me? I suppose so.

Gives me expanded respect and admiration for Jessie & Derek (son & daughter-in-law) who do this every day with our 3 youngest Grand-dudes; all under the age of 5. Triple WHEW!

FYI, they took a 2-day 'vacation' with their 2 older sons (ages 4 and 3) to Disneyland; hooking up with the other set of grandparents in that experience. Carson, age 1, would have spent his days in a stroller, wanting to be out and enjoying things; but unable to due to his age, size, comprehension of the experience. Better that he remain at home with me (or, rather, that I spend a couple nights in his home).

All this rambling to tell you that I've been away from my regular routine.

Now, home and back to the routine stream of things -- teaching, house- and yardwork, study, etc.

I did teach yesterday -- continuing with my theme of 'mudhya' and working students into some arm balances. It was fun and I am developing a 'usual' group of 3 (the family I mentioned in an earlier blog). They, plus one, made up the class yesterday. Not only are poses looking more polished, there are more smiles and even a bit of laughter as they get to know me and, I guess, develop a comfort level that it's o.k. to express like that.

Even better was watching the effect of the 4th student's advanced practice on the other three. Everyone 'kicked it up a notch', thanks to David's presence in the class. Even hand placement changed, became more precise and dedicated.

Today? Not much, except to settle back in. The weekend holds promise for yoga with friends -- a heavy-duty practice on Saturday, teaching on Sunday, then a partner workshop. Fun!

Hope your Friday is a good one!

17 (count'em SEVENTEEN)

The number of students in my Library yoga class yesterday -- 17. Be still my heart!

At 2:45, I sat with 2 students waiting (and chatting). I was beginning to worry; normally this class arrives early, with one or two sneaking in at the last minute. At 2:50, in walks a friend from the yoga classes I've been attending at the studio in Temecula. So, we're at 3. Then -- it was like the gates opened and in came the remaining 14. Amazing!

Many said they had seen my flier at the Library and were impressed with it. I'd better take a closer look at it. I didn't create it, but had glanced at it briefly. One of the repeated comments was that it is so simple, yet effective. Good work, flier-creator whoever you are!

What did we work on? Madhya, the Sanskrit word for middle. One of my favorite words. It kind of rolls off the tongue the more you say it (pronounced mud-ya). And, it so effectively describes the balance between effort and surrender. For this group, I especially wanted them to 'get' that, in our asymmetrical standing poses, we often feel discomfort in the front leg. In my experience, that happens because we are not asking both legs to share in the work of the pose. Usually the front leg takes the brunt of the work, and the back leg just kind of 'hangs out', waiting - for what, I don't know. I hoped to bring the madhya to their attention in these poses -- equally working both legs, embracing the midline, enjoying a more easeful, stable foundation.

What happened? At the completion of side one of a modified parsvakonasana, I asked for feedback (FYI, during the pose, I'd asked students to fire up the back leg, especially if the front leg was beginning to 'complain'.) One new-to-me student spoke up, saying that 'yes' the discomfort did go away. There were several nodding heads accompanying her comment. Yes!

I love moments like that -- when one student will speak up, validating what I had been trying to relay to them in my comments and instructions. Sometimes, I have to pry it out of people (shyness?); this time, there was little hesitation -- even better!

Today? I am taking care of youngest grand-dude (Carson) for 2 nights / 2.5 days. This is a biggie for me and his parents -- a first. I'm excited to experience it; not sure how he feels about it - tho, at 1yr, I doubt he will realize much is happening except that he won't see his parents and siblings for a couple nights. (We'll see; I'll keep you posted.)

Hope your Tuesday is a good one!

EXPECTATION

"Students will rise to the level of expectation."

Another quote taken from Facebook (Thank you, Abby Tucker). She wrote it in quotation marks, but didn't credit anyone - not sure if it's hers or something she is relaying; perhaps the author is unknown. No matter, it's still a keeper (and, very true in my experience).

It's something that took a while for me, as a yoga teacher, to understand. For a long time, I played to the audience -- I surveyed the group and then only taught as much as the weakest (or most injured) could handle (in my mind). I noticed, while doing this, that other - more experienced and/or confident instructors - were asking classes with new or challenged-by-injury students to do poses I would never dream of asking for. Yet, it was working for them -- no one got hurt, everyone was happy - even if they worked their ____ off.

My theory, then -- I didn't want to overwork students, perhaps take them to places they might hurt themselves, or - worse - have them NOT like me. So, I kept it on the 'down low', meaning my volume of 'energetic output' in classes was modest (I'm being kind here). I kept the volume low for a long time - it seemed to work, but I didn't feel like I was 'hooking' anyone. You know, like that yoga teacher who has the almost cult-like following for her Tuesday/Thursday morning classes (I'm thinking of one particular friend; but it happens everywhere). What were they doing that I wasn't. I was being nice. I was teaching Anusara-Inspired™ yoga. I was including the principles. I was NOT challenging the students in my classes; my expectations were low.

This mirrors my life in many ways. Travel along the easeful path, don't get too 'out there', don't make waves, try to make people like me by being careful - in speech, mannerisms, appearance. I've never pushed the boundaries of my existence much, until yoga.

With yoga came a shift. That's a long blog in itself, and this one is about asking students to do more than I "think", for whatever reason, they are able to accomplish.

Yet, I want to be challenged. I grow when I'm challenged. I must give that gift to my students. I've realized that and - while teaching yesterday - I almost took a step back and briefly considered turning the volume down. But, to do so, would have meant no challenge, no expectation of greatness, no sense of accomplishment or fun. So, I worked in and around the sore knee and elbow/back issues. I challenged most; one might have taken more, but I still need to strike a balance. Too much of a good thing (in this case, my expectations and challenge), and I lose them. It's a balance -- always, a balance.

What was my theme yesterday? Ordinary becomes extraordinary, of course.

I teach again this morning -- what will the theme be this morning? Still working on that.

After that -- all the things I didn't get done yesterday.

Hope you have a wonderful Sunday!

ORDINARY BECOMES EXTRAORDINARY

I've been enjoying the transmission of quotes from John Friend this week via Facebook (taken from his Teacher Intensive in New Jersey). I would love to be there listening myself, so I appreciate people sharing the meaningful statements coming from this training. One, in particular, caught my eye this morning (if you know me, personally, you'll know why). It goes like this:

"To be able to find the extraordinary in the ordinary, you have to slow things down." (per John Friend)

I wrote several months back about my dilemma, as a yoga teacher. That age projects an image to people that may or may not be accurate. Huh? One example I used was a fellow instructor who, when I mentioned people may avoid my class because of my age and the perceived lack of 'energetic output' I will demand of them, responded: "Oh, I don't think so, I love a slow class once in a while." This from someone who had never taken a class from me. It got me to thinking -- that I may project that image, or I may have that reputation, or - perhaps (thanks to JF) - I am finding the extraordinary in the ordinary and - in order to do that - I do slow things down (not always, but often).

I'll go with the last of those three statements - thank you, again, John.

Slowing things down, really feeling the movement and how it affects the body, the action, and the movement is NOT a negative. It truly brings another dimension of awareness to me. In particular, body parts - bones, muscles, nerves, brain - working together. I don't know about you, but I get really excited when I feel my inner thigh muscles fire and help me to hug in when moving in to poses. I love to feel the shoulder blades move onto my back and aid the opening in trichonasana, long before I extend the upper arm to the sky (think "icing on the cake"). And, activating my toes in any seated pose, brings such a feeling of stability. There's more, but I could get boring. Important to note that these things are easily overlooked, even if they are happening optimally.

They are all ordinary things. They are supposed to happen. The problem is that some students have not been given the gift of 'noticing' them or becoming 'aware' of them. When I teach, I bring it into their field of awareness. This may make a class seem slower, but I guarantee when they attend another instructor's class, they will remember and maybe they'll thank me for it.

How do I get out of this semi-rant? I don't; I'll just leave it to sit with, to let readers explore ordinary moments in order to experience the extraordinary, more slowly perhaps.

Today? Teaching a basic class at 10am this morning. Then, a few errands including grocery shopping, house stuff, etc.

Hope you have a good Saturday!

OSMOSIS

OSMOSIS (figurative definition): the process of gradual or unconscious assimilation of ideas,knowledge, etc. : what she knows of the blue-blood set she learned not throughbirthright, not even through wealth, but through osmosis.

I think it's working -- that 'osmosis' stuff. What do I mean?

I taught yesterday -- first class in 9 days (because I was away helping in an Immersion). As I taught, I felt relaxed, free of scripts, yet juggling most of the 'balls' it takes when teaching an Anusara® or Anusara-Inspired™ class. I felt confident and attuned to many of the things happening in the class - though I realized I need to work on my ability to see individuals while taking in the whole room (I think there is a word for that; some kind of __?__ vision -- I want to say the word in the blank is a bird, like an owl or eagle. Anyone?)

Things went well, but I do need to work on that vision part. Example: In one instance, I was asking everyone to move through a modified chaturanga dandasana and I was looking specifically at the students' shoulder alignment and head position. It was very challenging to stay open to the entire room, to not focus too much on any one student -- when I focus on one student, it then means the entire class must to do it over again (and over again), so I am able to watch everyone. Get my drift?

Additionally, I have long known that when the shoulders and elbows are level to one another after lowering towards the floor, the transition from chaturanga dandasana to cobra is enhanced. Better yet, the strain on the shoulders is less. What I had not heard much of was the instruction to keep skull loop engaged and the cervical curve in place throughout the movement (admission here: I may have been told it in the past, I just didn't HEAR it.). How many times have I allowed students to do this transition, insisting that they keep shoulders and elbows level to one another, but not paying much attention to the head? Heads and necks could droop to the floor and I wasn't noticing. Too many, I fear.

So, I'm watching. My vision, however, was on individuals -- meaning that, in order to see all 7 students clearly, the poor students would need to do it 7 times! I realized after the first go-round what was happening, and I tried to open up my visual field - to see the whole room (kind of like JF does, or Sundari, or any number of experienced Anusara® instructors), while still seeing the individual. It's definitely a practice, one I need to hone.

Back to osmosis - why title this blog post in that way? Because, having spent 5 days with the grace and eloquent language of Sundari (plus her toughness - yes, she can be 'tough'), I felt some of it coming through me -- my vocabulary changed a bit AND I assumed my 'seat' with more confidence and knowing than I believe I was doing just 9 days ago. Good stuff.

Today's schedule? Big choice to make -- beach or housework? Grand-Dudes or dogs? I'm leaning towards beach and Grand-Dudes -- it's so warm here that a beach day would be a good thing and what fun to hang out with the 'Dudes' and their Mother for a couple hours.

Hope your Friday is a good one.

ALMOST TO 'THE BOILING POINT'

Have you ever been in a situation where you became so upset, your breath was rapid yet there was a feeling of helplessness?

Recently I was; it was during my flight home (SLC to Orange County); and I found it's a scary feeling -- one that is challenging to control. What happened?

Recently, I purchased a small guitar (traveling size). Since I am just learning to play, I decided to take it with me and try to get in some practice time. On the flight out of Orange County, I asked if it could rest in the closet at the front of the plane -- no problem, flight attendants were more than happy to accommodate. On the flight home, I was told the closet was 'too small' and I should place it above my seat. I would normally not blink an eye at this, except the tone and mannerisms of the attendants were terse and less-than-helpful.

I found a spot for the guitar, said a small prayer that someone with a big roller bag wouldn't smash it, and settled into my window seat.

Along comes a gentleman (?) to take the middle seat. He sits and proceeds to take possession of the two middle armrests. Worse, he sat slouched in the seat, knees spread wide and into my 'space'. Now, I know that it's no fun to sit in the middle; so, I am more than happy to give that person two armrests -- they deserve it. However, draw a line from headrest to seat, along the space between the seats, and I consider the space on my side to be 'my space'. I do not want to rub shoulders or elbows with anyone (except my husband).

I sat and simmered, as his knee came into contact with mine, and his shoulder expanded beyond the boundaries of 'his space'. (What if this had been a large person, you ask? Well, he wasn't; he just didn't know how to 'hug the midline' -- he just sat and spread out, like jelly.)

In these situations, breathing helps. I felt, however, that it took a LOT of breathing to bring this under control and to relax. On a couple occasions, I deliberately bumped his knee, trying to get him to move it back to midline (didn't work). Finally, I moved closer to the window, breathed deeply, and decided to sleep my way to Orange County -- to try to ignore it.

I did, briefly, entertain the thought of asking him to hug the midline - to tell him that I was too old to rub shoulders or knees with him. As I remembered the recent incident on a plane where this same situation led to threats and someone being arrested, I decided to remain silent.

But, I will ask that question of the airline. First, tho, I sent them a nice 'complaint', asking why I am sent surveys to evaluate the performance of ground crews, but never in-flight crews. That, I fear to say something to these employees about their 'less-than' attitude is asking to be removed from the plane. Response from airline? An apology, a commitment to bring up the survey issue at their next meeting, and a $50 travel voucher -- all within 6 hours.

So, part of my steam has been let off; now, any thoughts on handling the space 'hoggers' on a plane?

I re-read this post and notice a pattern here -- one of being held 'hostage' by perceived threats. First threat, being booted off the plane if you say anything they don't like; the other coming from fellow passengers - which may be a result of the stress we all feel when flying these days. Interesting, isn't it?

Have a good Wednesday!

HEADED HOME

It was a great 5 days, and I am forever grateful to my friend, Sundari, for inviting me to assist her in this Immersion. It was a great group of friends and practitioners and supporters of Sundari -- what a combination that leads to great heart-opening!

This was a new role for me -- to be an assistant; which, to me, felt like teacher and student combined, yet with less intense emphasis on one or the other. I was able to listen, to observe, to adjust where enhancement would help, to offer my insights -- all while like being like the 'fly on the wall'. Not too 'in there', if you get my drift.

And, at the end, to experience the gratitude for my 'efforts' was an unexpected and welcome surprise. I had to remember, at that moment, to just say 'thank you' and 'you are welcome'.

So, it's home I go; back to Fallbrook. Clean up this house, change the sheets (put the flannel ones on for a winter trip back -- FYI, this is not a warm house in the winter.). Call the gentleman who watches over the house for us and tell him I'm leaving, and drive away for my flights home, which begin in Idaho Falls. I'm enjoying a few last moments in front of a small fire, before kicking into gear and packing up.

Once home, I'm making some internal promises to myself; setting a couple intentions that will make me feel better about myself and my contributions. Ahhh! Another benefit of assisting in the Immersion -- I come away with tools and motivation.

I hope you all have a great day!

p.s. GO PONTEIR!!!

DAY 4

Since I'm writing this (in the comfort of my great room, in front of a fire), you know that I survived the drive yesterday morning.

The roads were wet (probably slick in spots), and the snow had become packed down on the road at the top of the pass, but I and my little front-wheel-drive vehicle made it. Then, because I was heading out to the 'wilderness' and over that pass (which has very steep sides and small side rails), I had left the house prepared. A bag of warm clothes, bottle of water, apple, and I was wearing jacket, hat and boots.

The native Jacksonians laughed at me.

But, I remember the story of the man recently found off the side of a California road by his family - 6 days after his car had gone off the road over a steep embankment. He survived, but - sadly - the person in another vehicle that had gone off the same spot several weeks/months(?) before, had not. The 2 cars sat in the ravine side-by-side until family members arrived. Hence, my preparation. Enough said. Except: Always go prepared for anything!

Day 3 was another good one. Feeling a growing confidence in my skills to help teach in this type of situation (an Immersion), I offered a bit more. It's not my class, tho, and that's an important balance to remember. To offer, but not get too mouthy or too adjustment-happy. That's a learning opportunity, as well. These students know Sundari, they don't know (or trust) me yet. I can use the same analogy to braking while driving on snow/ice as I did yesterday - "Don't go too fast, yet don't be too on-the-brakes". That analogy works in a lot of situations, because it's a balance -- finding the middle spot, the mudhya (sp?).

Today? We'll see. It could have snowed a bit more at altitude, but I won't bore you with that. I made it yesterday, I ought to be able to make it today. I will take my bag of 'gear', tho; screw what the 'natives' may thing of my over-cautiousness.

Enjoy Saturday. And for Jack -- Go Soccer Star!

SNOW!?!?! (or, WHY DIDN'T I RENT A 4-WHEEL DRIVE???)

Yes, friends -- SNOW.

I hear this is not unusual for the Driggs, ID, and Jackson, WY, communities - many times the first snowfall is in September. BUT, in fairness, I checked weather forecasts, I did my homework. Nowhere did it say "expect snow".

Having lived in Utah, and driven to Driggs (remember the book title, previous post) many times, I've driven in snow. But, I live in sunny California, now (which I hear is not so sunny this week). I had hoped for nice Fall weather, a bit of sunshine warming a crisp morning, looking at colorful aspens -- like that. Not snow; rain, maybe, NOT snow.

Snow means driving over the Driggs to Jackson pass (about 20 miles) on roads that are less-than-optimal, icy probably. That's the reason people here use 4-wheel drive vehicles. If you live here, you own at least one 4-wheel drive; maybe 2 if there's more than one driver in the household.

FYI, I rented an economy-sized auto -- nice enough, but NOT 4-wheel drive; front-wheel drive, I'm sure, but NOT 4-wheel drive. My confidence, without 4-wheels pulling the vehicle, is lacking. 4-wheel-drive does NOT help with stopping, I know that. There is just nothing worse than NOT being able to make forward momentum on a steep (or slight incline).

Oh well, enough whining -- I'll get in the front-wheel drive vehicle this morning and give it a go. Trust that there is enough traffic over the pass to have worn off this skiff (1" on our deck). Put my 'game face' on. Go slow, but not too slow; brake, but not brake too hard; give it a go -- that's all I can do.

I wrote once that I used that particular analogy as a theme in my yoga classes. That, when going downhill in the snow (in your car), if you brake too hard you will certainly slide. But, if you don't brake at all, then watch out. You have to find the balance. Similar to our yoga poses, right? We have to go for it, or we'll just sit on the sidelines and watch. But, we have to go for it with a modicum of attentiveness. Find the balance -- effort & surrender.

Now -- wish me luck!

BTW, day 2 went extremely well. Sundari had asked me to offer input; which I did in the morning. At lunch, I received the advice to offer my input without a caveat - like instead of saying "in my experience, I find using the outer spiral helpful in driving the knee . . .", say "use your outer spiral to drive the knee into the 90 degree angle, rather than thinking about bending the knee". Like that. So, in the afternoon, that's how it went -- and, I felt good; competent; like a teacher!

Have a great Friday,

WEDNESDAY MORNING

Up early to get ready for Day 2 of assisting in Sundari's Immersion I, Jackson, WY, and I noticed it's been a few days since my last post. I've let life get in the way of my writing, once again.

Or, perhaps, the inspiration to write hasn't been there -- that may be the better reason. In any case, I'll bring you (whoever is reading out there) up-to-date on my past few days.

Monday turned into a somewhat hectic day -- EARLY appointment in Encinitas (which means I have to be on the road EXTRA EARLY to get to destination). We have placed ourselves back in the situation we thought we would love to be out of -- traffic. FYI, we lived in San Diego 18 years ago before moving to Salt Lake. Traffic is never predictable. You never know when something is going to happen on the roads; and - some days - there's not even a logical reason for the slowdown. I hit one of those non-logical slowdown on Monday; making me 10 minutes late for my appointment. Fortunately, it worked out. On with my day, I ran a couple errands, had lunch at home with Howard, then a few house things, before heading out to the Library for the Monday Yoga Class.

Wow! 14 in the room at 3pm on a Monday afternoon at the Library. It is a community class, but 14 at 3pm on a Monday? Who knew! And, I love it. There is something about people coming together, chatting, laughing, getting ready to do yoga that I love. Everyone smiling, everyone happy to be in the room, to be in good company. Good stuff. FYI, all levels are encouraged to attend this class, so - for now - I'm staying pretty basic in the teaching.

Home to pack and organize a bit for Tuesday -- my class in Carlsbad and then a flight out of Orange County to Idaho Falls. All that went well; made it to class on time, drive to airport/parking/flights -- all were on time. I arrived in Idaho Falls at 9pm, drove to Driggs (I am naming a book or a song "Driving to Driggs", someday; not sure what will be in it, but it will be good -- so, buy a copy.

Huh? Yes, I am in Driggs, sitting in our small home, enjoying a cup of coffee. In a few minutes I'll begin to get ready to assist in day 2 of Immersion I with Sundari. (Howard and dogs/cats are holding down the fort in Fallbrook.)

It's quiet here. So quiet, I can only hear the ticking of the cuckoo clock; nothing else.

Day one (yesterday) started well. I marvel at watching Sundari teach for 6+ hours. She has been so busy, that we hadn't really discussed my role (other than I knew it would include a lot of 'gophering'). 'Gophering' is fine with me -- I'm getting to hear all the Immersion content again (it's been 5 years since Martin & Jordan; and 2 years since John). And, I am getting to meet a group of wonderful people -- people from all walks of life coming together like my Libray group, because they love yoga. We talked last night and I was told to interject my thoughts/suggestions more; we'll see. Be careful what you wish (ask) for.

I love that I got a note from one of my Facebook friends wishing me luck on this new adventure. What a thoughtful and kind person. I will pay that one forward.

One other thing, Congratulations to Barbara Adams (Yoga Village, Scottsdale) on her Certification! I met Barbara at my trainings with Martin & Jordan, and we have kept in touch since then. Such an accomplishment!

Hope you have a wonderful Thursday!

NICE WEEKEND!

It was -- a very nice weekend. And, warm -- having moved to So. Calif. from Utah, we'd gotten used to variations in weather at this time of year (thunderstorms, a chill in the air, like that). Here, it's just nice. Even had the A/C turn on a few times; in October, no less.

Add to the weather, we shared some fun activities with son and family -- Jack's soccer game Saturday morning (he scored at least one goal), followed by breakfast with all at a restaurant. I mention that because Derek commented that he believed it was the first time they had taken all 3 to a real restaurant as a family. All were well behaved and in good spirits -- fun and enjoyable.

Once home, laundry - sweeping (this new dog has added exponentially to the amount of critter hair floating around on our floors) - other misc. Saturday stuff.

Sunday, taught the 10am class at Living Yoga. Nice group of 10; some new-to-yoga, some experienced, some in-the-middle. We warmed up, without wearing out the arms, and went to the wall. At least 3 had never given handstand a try; so, that's where we went. Impressed with the level of adventuresome-ness in the room. All were willing to give it a go; several kicked up alone, the rest I gave a leg up. Good stuff! This is new for me - including handstand in my classes and I'm enjoying it. With smaller groups like this, I can control the mayhem that often breaks out when people are having fun - so, it's a good thing.

Today? An early appointment, then home to take care of more house stuff, then the library class from 3-4pm.

And later this week -- I'll travel north to Idaho (leaving husband with critters holding down the Fallbrook Fort). Why? I've been invited to assist Sundari in her Immerson I, beginning Wednesday. New experience for me; growth experience; out of the comfort zone -- a good thing.

Hope your Monday is a good one,

INTERESTING & INSPIRING READING (some not for the 'faint of heart')

From my list of favorite blogs and websites, I check in almost daily with two: Christina Sell's and MariaCristina's. I also frequently read Bernadette Birney's. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Karen Sprute-Francovich, whose writing is much less frequent but enriching and eloquent when it appears.

These women all write for my benefit (and yours), and each has a different style. Examples:

• Christina's are filled with good teaching tips, sequences she has used, and - on occasion - rants that are entertaining to read and well thought out. Take her latest post - her topic was the benefit of all yoga styles (if taught well). A gentle reminder for those of us in the Anusara® world to not get too wrapped up in our 'video-qualified' mentality. I recommend reading it.
• MariaCristina is inspiring, gracious, and over-the-top smart. Take her recent post comparing the development of the embryo to the Tattvas!?!?!? Who would have made that correlation? Now, I know who -- MC. And, as importantly, her writing continually reminds me that it's not just about how well I (we) can teach or do the poses, it's about the students - their needs, their desires; and my (our) relationship with them. Another way of pulling me (us) back from the 'video-qualified' precipice.
• Bernadette Birney's blog is, to say the least, irreverent. Filled with spicey language (language I naively thought I'd never hear coming from a yogi's mouth); yet, also filled with lessons to be learned. One of her recent posts was a letter to me (us) as a 'wanna-be-Certified' teacher. A cautionary note from her, written in letter format, reminding me (us) to savor the process, not rush, not get too wrapped up in my (our) 'video-qualified' goals. This process of Certification is meant to teach me (us), as well as propel me (us) onto the next step of my (our) journey.

Are you noticing an energetic theme here?

• And Karen's? All good stuff, from stories of her son's travels to how to build the pose, Garudasana. I've followed her through her last India journey, and, when I am visiting my family up north, I try my best to get to one of her classes in Coeur d'Alene. A teacher's teacher, happy to be where she is, enjoying what she is doing, loving her students; 'satisfied' would be a good adjective for Karen, I think.

Each is different. Each has chosen to share their knowledge with me (us). Their path has inspired me to write this blog, which - when compared to theirs - I might describe as 'comfort food'. I write the way I ask questions at a workshop. Huh? I ponder a question; hesitate to ask it; then remind myself that there are probably 15-30 people in the room all wondering the same thing; why not ask it? Why not write it?

Not sure if that makes sense, but my blog is my blog -- my thoughts, my correlations, the story of my journey. That's one of the reasons I try to stick with "I, my, me' rather than "you, ours, us" -- it might not apply to you and I certainly don't want to sound like I'm preaching to anyone. So, I read, I learn, I - in turn - share my thoughts.

It's a teaching day - 2 classes; one in Carlsbad, one in Temecula. Better plan.

Hope you have a nice Thursday,

THE WEEK, IN REVIEW

Granted, it's only Wednesday, but a 'week in review' post seems in order. It seems it has been a full 5-6 days (that, plus, I haven't written for a few days).

You know about the dog. A brief update: he's perkier each day, still gets along with other dogs, still views cats from afar, eating more eagerly, and has even managed 2-hour stays at home alone with the other dogs without incident. As to bonding, he still stays close but I'm not so sure he won't 'go to the dark (husband) side'; there are signs -- just sayin'.

Step back, now, to the day before the dog was adopted - to Friday. Friday is a 'no class to teach' day; unless I'm subbing for someone. I did, however, travel in to Carlsbad to help with a little sprucing up of that studio (Carlsbad Wellness and Yoga). We have an influx of students and new-to-us teachers this month, and the place needed to look welcoming and warm. Thanks to Michele and Debra (and Robert, the owner), we knocked out some decent work in a couple hours. Increased mat space, wall space for our practices and general ambiance.

Saturday was 'Claus Adopted Day' - see previous post for that story.

Sunday was a lazy, lay around the house kind of day. That is, after a walk in the park with dogs and a pancake breakfast at a 'roadhouse' in Rainbow. I have always tolerated pancakes. After tasting the pancakes at this particular restaurant (a favorite of the motorcycle crowd), I found myself craving them (what's that about?). Let's just say, pancakes (of this type) at 9am mean there is no need for another meal until 6pm - after a long nap.

Monday, with dog following me everywhere, I did housework before heading into the Library for my community class at 3pm. This is the one volunteer class I teach since arriving in California, and it's growing! I am up to 10-11 in the last 3 classes! This is rewarding, and I love to see the effort being expended by students and the improvement and general enjoyment happening.

I decided my theme this week ought to be 'remembrance'. Why? Well, on Sunday morning, Howard walked into the room and announced that Claus (new dog) was our anniversary gift. What, I thought? As usual, he (Howard) and I had both forgotten that it was our anniversary Saturday. And, not just any Anniversary -- our 30-year Anniversary. So why remembrance -- shouldn't I be embarrassed to admit this? Yes, I should. It just goes to show you that you can make a theme out of just about anything, including forgotten anniversaries.

Step back many, many posts to one where I described banter between John Friend and Darren Rhodes about the topic of remembrance. John's message: that we remember the things that are important to us. Granted, our anniversary is important to us; more important, is remembering every day to be loving and kind to one another.

Yes, we do remember what's important; and remembering the anniversary is a good thing -- but only if we've remembered the other 364 days of the year to honor our commitment to one another. How does this relate to yoga? Teacher asks us to do something to improve our pose. We do it, it helps. The task now is to remember - not to come back next class and be reminded over and over of the same improvement tip. All these 'little things', like placing hands strongly and mindfully, having feet parallel, etc., add up to great poses! I used the same theme in yesterday morning's class -- as I said "Place your hands with commitment, don't forget to claw the floor. If I were to walk by and try to lift a finger, it won't budge!", one student looked up and smiled. I, of course, asked why -- to which she said "I heard John Friend say that on a video!" Well, he is one of my teachers.

Today? It's Wednesday, another 'no class to teach' day. That means housework, grocery shopping, computer work, practice - yoga and guitar (Yes, Leslie bought herself a guitar. Now let's see what happens -- will she learn to play? Let's hope so, that's the goal.)

Have a great day and thanks for reading!

ABOUT A DOG (not yoga)

We own 2 dogs (that was yesterday). Today, we own 3.

I love dogs, and I would own many - if it were feasible. I have selected each of our dogs since our first, in 1983 or 84. Each has had it's good qualities and not-so-good. They have all been good dogs - calm and cooperative, friendly (except for one who didn't like little white dogs) and loving.

The problem? Each time I select a dog for me, the dog bonds with my husband. I see why. He loves them and his affection knows few boundaries. If the dog is nearby, he has his hand on it. He walks them each day (unless he is traveling), and most days feeds them. You might be thinking 'well, why don't you (Leslie) get in there and handle the dogs, walk them, feed them. I do. It's no use -- once a dog decides their preferred 'person', I've found it's useless to try to persuade them otherwise.

One caveat to this -- the dogs love him, they follow my instructions better (does that mean I'm the alpha?).

So, a few weeks ago, we began to think in terms of adding a 3rd dog to our 'pack'. We currently have a German Wirehaired Pointer (runt of a litter), and a Corgi/Australian Shepherd mix. After owning the hunting dog (named Tucker), we've decided 'no more hunters - too much desire to roam and run'. The shepherd mix (named Driggs) is smart as a whip, yet unassuming and undemanding. We decided another type of shepherd might be the dog for us.

We explored border collies. Nice, beautiful dogs, but with a different style of herding; one that often doesn't mix well with small, running grandchildren (not good for our situation). Then, we were sitting at a stoplight last week, looked ahead at the vehicle in front and noticed the man driving was carrying on a conversation with his dog in the passenger seat - a German Shepherd. I said "I think those dogs are beautiful. My husband agreed. The research and search began.

Found that the German Shepherd is loyal, good with children, and trainable (all good things). We (I, actually) hoped to give a home to an older dog; one that might have trouble finding a place, otherwise.

Well, we found Claus - an 8-year-old, who had been rescued 9 months ago with severe pneumonia, underfed, neglected. We took our dogs to meet him yesterday (on neutral territory). All went well; we brought him home with a short stop to drop off a birthday present. For being the new dog, nervous, etc., he handled himself well -- calm and unfazed by the 3 children (ages 2-5) moving around him.

Once home, he was equally unfazed (in fact, almost a bit leary) of our cats - as they were of them. Age has its benefits.

18 hours in -- this is a good thing. Oh, about that bonding thing -- so far, Claus follows me everywhere. Maybe this time . . .

Have a great Sunday!

IMAGINE (this is NOT a song)

The classroom is quiet and dark. I am at the desk waiting for students for my 4pm class - almost worried that no one will show. Then . . .

In bounds a young girl followed by her sister and her mother. They sign in, remove shoes, head into the quiet classroom. I follow . . .

These will be the only students in my class today (Thursday). And, they set their mats up in a strange configuration -- 2 in back corner and the smaller girl in front. As we sat for a few moments, I struggle with that form and decide that the better set-up would be a circle; so, we switch things. Class begins.

Teaching young people is a challenge. I've discovered over the years that (in most cases) the 10-year-old is a more focused student than the 13-year-old. Why? Not sure. At age 10, they don't embarrass as easily; at age 13, they are becoming painfully aware of their 'image' and drama begins to enter their persona. Maybe that's the reason. No matter, on with my story . . .

This family has been coming to the studio for a while. I wonder if they are Korean or Chinese, and I am not sure that all I say is understood (I hear whispering in another language at times). I decided to begin with some easy banter - like 'do you like yoga?'. The younger-appearing girl answers 'no'. The other says 'yes', and the Mother clearly enjoys the practice. With this in mind, we begin. More questions about any pets they might have. The 'do you have a dog?' question brought giggles from all, so I pursued -- 'do you have a cat?', 'do you have a 'cow?', like that. (BTW, they don't have any of the animals mentioned.) More giggles from this up-to-now stoic group. My goal? To have the younger-appearing daughter at least look like she was enjoying something about the class.

Class proceeds. A little unorthodox sequencing - wanted them doing something fun, so we worked into some variations of vasisthasana (2 of 3 doing fine, the 3rd so-so). Got to "wild thing", more giggling. The girls are piano players -- the song 'wild thing' (of which I can do a crazy air band demo) is NOT in their repertoire. But, they had fun trying the pose, Mom & older-looking daughter doing great -- even the one who doesn't 'like' yoga was giving it a go.

Once that was over, then - knowing they spend a good deal of time each day at the piano - we did some stretches that they can do at home, at times when the back or the wrists/hands are tired and aching.

The class that began with a 'no' to my 'do you like yoga?' question, ended on a good note. Progress from the one who doesn't 'like' yoga, and the other two had fun, did some challenging work, learned some things to do at home when fatigue sets in. BTW, I found out as they left, both girls are 13 (tho one looks 13 and the other looks to be 10); they are fraternal twins.

They'll be back.

The Universe keeps throwing me curve balls -- it's fun trying to catch them; tho, some days, I wonder why. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate each and every one of them. And, I find in myself a gift to just 'roll with the punches' -- I actually enjoy these challenges.

Have a great Friday!

SHARING GRATITUDE

There are many times I think "I sure appreciate what that person does/did for me." Few are the times I have stopped to verbalize or write my gratitude. I am changing that.

I recently took the opportunity to thank one of my teachers (Adam Ballenger) for his advice on accepting feedback. What was it? "Just listen. Don't be defensive, don't offer excuses; just listen." This advice has served me well. I use it every time one of my mentors or reviewers, a student, a fellow teacher -- anyone -- offers me feedback. I 'just listen'.

Interesting that, if the feedback is other-than-complimentary, I know what will be said. Tough to listen to it being verbalized, tho. Sometimes, like when I am told about my 'parrot words', I haven't a clue that I've been saying the word 'bring' or 'take' or 'gently' over and over, ad nauseum. Add to that the feedback moments when you get a gem handed to you; for example, 'just listen'. All good stuff, whether we want to hear it or not.

No matter the content -- good or otherwise, the next step is to say 'thank you', without offering explanations, excuses, reasons, etc. Example: Comment: "That's a nice outfit." My old response: "Oh, it's just something I've had forever." My new response: "Thank you". This is not easy for me. I am not very good at accepting compliments. This trait became painfully clear after the videotaping of my recent classes -- people telling me how good I was, how much they enjoyed the class, how much better they felt. My response? I said 'thank you', but inside my head there was a voice telling me this can't be for me. What's that about? Why is it so hard to accept praise? to accept this gift. A contemplation, for sure.

A contemplation that Sundari would like me to embrace more emphatically, accept the praise, accept that I am doing a good job. I am getting better at it, still some work to do. I thank Sundari for pointing that out to me and challenging me to just say 'thank you', to accept (and embrace) the praise.

So, 4 words to live by -- 'Thank You" and "just listen".

I have many more teachers (too many to name here) and each has offered me 'gems' of knowledge that I treasure. I pull them out frequently and share them with my classes. Sharing them is one way to honor my lineage of guides on this journey.

Thank you all!

Have a great Wednesday,

PEER PRESSURE

I've felt it, that pressure to do more, be more, maybe act differently than my comfortable nature is willing to. It happens sometimes without my awareness, but often I know what's happening. Then the challenge is to keep moving in the direction I'm being moved (that is, if it's a healthy direction).

It's the reason I took my first teacher training with Desiree Rumbaugh (a good thing), 8 years ago. I succumbed to peer pressure from one of my friends and fellow teachers, Jen Hecht. She 'dragged' me to Arizona, to a week-long training with a woman I had never met, telling me that 'this is good for us; we need to do this'. It turned out to be one of the best weeks of my life, a time of expansion, a time of stepping out of my comfort zone to meet new people, the first time I have kicked up to headstand (thank you, whoever my partner was). And, thank you, Jen.

I started this post without a clear destination; therefore, I am going to take a slight detour, before coming back to the title's topic. Where are we going? To the land of quotes. It seems that every quote I read this week on Facebook is about comfort zones, meeting ourselves, not quitting -- not that I want to 'quit' anything, just all very relative to my thoughts on moving forward and change. The one shared recently from Gil Hedley is very appropriate:

"The tension and holding in our bodies reflect the tension and holding in our lives-at-large. To expand and open our bodies, it helps to open up your life a bit. This will mean something different to everybody of course. And if you open up your life a lot, your body may change so much you'll hardly recognize yourself~ It'll still be you though. And once you've done all that, you're still not done. There's always more."

For me, it's true -- I do hardly recognize myself. I think my family, at times, worries that I may change too much. Fortunately, Howard (my husband) sees the 'before and after of Leslie' and also sees that I've struck a balance. Perhaps that's because I do see people get too in one direction; forgetting the past or casting it aside for a new and 'better' life. The new 'better' life may not materialize, it's certainly different, but new and better? maybe not; just different issues to deal with. So, I work with the old Leslie (first 47 years) and the new Leslie (the recent 14 years). I'm still shedding things about old Leslie that are not appealing to me (hard work), and adding in new qualities that I've always wanted in my life, just didn't realize (also hard work). I would be remiss if I didn't thank my husband for accepting and pushing on occasion.

So, detour over -- what about peer pressure? It's visible in all my yoga classes -- the mother that brings her child/children to class; the friend who brings the friend; and - recently - seeing a student on the precipice of 'giving up' on a pose, only to look at her friend and become re-motivated when she observed that friend doing the pose.

What I see are great things, great exposures that people are offering their friends, family, loved ones. But, not all will 'take', not everyone will see the benefit of the practice, that's the plain truth. I have to accept that. That's a difficult pill to swallow, because I know the benefits, I know the beauty, I know the new awareness I have. I want that for everyone.

Enough with this. Some topics get to the precipice (love that word) of 'heavy' and I back off. Another growth moment? Out of the comfort zone and into the world! (New mantra material)

Enjoy your Tuesday,

THE THINGS WE TEACH (AND LEARN)

I taught two classes yesterday - back to back - a basics, then a mixed level. The basics, because it was earlier (10am) was better attended; 11 in the room. The mixed level, because it started middle of the day (noon), suffers from that start time; just 6 attended.

As I wrote that last sentence, I thought "never should I write 'just 6 attended'". What I would give to have 6 consistently in my weekday classes! But, that's another subject.

Because neither class is named "Anusara®" or "Anusara-Inspired™", I am trying to figure out if I felt more free or if I felt more constricted (like, what do I teach?). Interesting dilemma. As I went into the room, I asked Ashley how she handles this situation -- response: "I always chant and teach Anusara®". So, that's what I did -- chanted and taught two pretty solid Anusara-Inspired™ classes, without getting too wrapped up in details about the UPA's or Anusara's® philosophy. Simply asked for the alignment elements we expect to see in our Anusara® classes -- feet parallel, fingers spread comfortably, hands shoulder width apart, like that.

The first class (the larger one) was impressive. Several were either new to the studio or new to yoga; yet, mid-way through the class, I took a minute to comment on two things I saw: (1) Each person had straight, strong back legs in their lunges and (2) When coming out of vrksasana (tree pose), each person calmly released foot to the floor and simply stood in tadasana -- no jumping around or ankle shaking. Be still my heart!

FYI, later in the evening, while going through a stack of papers, I found a set of notes from session #11 of Christina Sell's first on-line mentoring series. In that, I had written "In the warm-up, articulate what is going well; in the middle of class, articulate what everyone as a group is doing well; then move to what individuals are doing well". I was pleased that pausing to comment (above paragraph), fell in line with these notes -- and I know, I was doing the individual thing all along. I even remembered names!

Class #2 (smaller, but no less skilled), was attended by 6, 5 I had never met before. For some reason, it felt a bit more 'stilted'. I was not as relaxed with this group, even tho they were very nice people. (Maybe that's 'safety in numbers'.) One woman had practiced quite a bit and jumped right in, taking poses a bit farther than I intended. Her alignment was o.k., so I made a decision early on to just leave her alone. I think my tendency with these students is to jump in, try to fix everything; maybe to just show them that I see the places that need enhancement (ego?). This would be consistent with the 'testosterone' competitions you witness on freeways around the world -- like, who can drive the car faster, more adeptly, more daringly. I held back, we moved through the class. At the end, she spoke up, telling me that she had never attended a class like mine before. (How does one take that?) Fortunately, she went on to say that something about my teaching had propelled her to places she had not visited before in her practice. (Whew!) So, it was a win-win. By holding back, I didn't embarrass her or get in a 'battle of wills'; by letting her watch, listen, move with moderate guidance, she progressed.

We teach and learn; interesting, especially when you write it out.

Today? It's the big birthday celebration for my son (Derek) and Grand-Dude (Brady), who turns 3. But, first, I travel back to Temecula for another 2-hour Expansion Class. This time, the topic is "Contraction to Expansion". Hope to see some people there; so much to choose from right now at that studio, we'll see.

Have a great Sunday!