Seattle Yogini

Field Trip

Yesterday we went to Woodinville.  We've lived in Seattle for almost three years, and yesterday was our first foray into the wilds of the Eastside.  Sure, I drive to Bellevue twice a week to teach...but I pretty much only know how to get straight to Yoga Centers, my chiropractor, and back home again.  Heck, if the 520 bridge isn't moving and I have to "detour" to I-90, I have a hard time figuring out how to get to work.  Suffice it to say, we're Seattlites (or at least newbie Seattlites) through-and-through.

That said, we had a great time in Woodinville.  Rob has been wanting to go meet with a jewelery designer at a wonderful place called Foxfire Jewelers, a place that specializes in custom-made jewelery.  He has a gorgeous stone for which he wants to design a ring.  We decided to go to Barking Frog for lunch, then find this jewelery place.  Lunch was delicious, but very expensive.  The Barking Frog is right next door to the Herbfarm, which I had thought from the website was actually in the country.  Once upon a time, it probably was, but as we're seeing more and more...the country is being swallowed up by "homogenize-the-world mochachino-land" strip malls.  So now, this country setting-inspired getaway is off of a fairly busy street, but it's still quiet and lovely.

At the jewelery store, Rob spent two hours working with a great designer we'll call A.  They clicked really well, and batted ideas back and forth, drawing things and trying on different sized bands, etc.  Thankfully, I had Anouk with me, and so I happily sat and knitted, giving input as requested, while they brainstormed.  I worked until I got to a spot where the directions really don't make sense to me.  Designers, PLEASE, give us more pictures (I, for one, am a visual learner and need pictures in order to truly understand the design) and write the instructions more clearly!!!  I followed the part where you decrease - changing from skirt to bodice, but either the designer's math was off, or my direction-following skills are.  Anyway, I couldn't figure it out in the jewelery store, so I stowed it for the rest of the visit.  Grrrr.

I have to say, it was very interesting listening to my husband describe what he wants in this ring, what he wants it to represent (for himself and to others), and how he wants to interact with the end product.  While I listened, I kept thinking about what a treat it was to be a fly on the wall of the design session - having a new avenue of getting to know my husband, and some of his hopes, dreams, and self-perceptions condensed into this stone and this ring-to-be.  I think it's wonderful that he has put so much thought into what he wants (he is not what one might think of as a jewelry kind of guy, so this ring is a pretty big deal), and that there is a group of professionals who love to work with folks like him, to help them design a piece of individualized jewelery.  We don't see such artisanal work very often anymore, which is a real shame.  Once this ring is made, there won't be another like it anywhere in the world!

Today, the mini-break continues.  This time we're staying in the city - meeting friends for lunch in Fremont, and then exploring that district a bit.  We've only been through it a couple of times, and I'm interested in seeing more of "the center of the universe".

Mini-break

Rob's on spring break this week and the studio's closed so we're having an in-city mini-break.  This is my favorite kind of "vacation", because we can do fun things right here in our own backyard.  Since we don't have a lot of time off, (really just Thursday and Friday, because I'm still teaching my pre- and post-natal yoga classes) we didn't want to waste any time driving or flying.

The best part is that we don't have an agenda.  This is a great practice for me, as my tendency is to plan things to the nth degree, making myself crazy.  Yet another samskara that I'm addressing these days!  So, tomorrow we know that we're having lunch with friends at a place we've never tried.  We also want to go to Woodinville for Rob to check out a thing he's been wanting to check out.  Other than that, we have zero plans.  Whoopee!!!

Oh!  Here's a quick update on the rooms:  I've decided to make the weird "once-was-yoga room" (now the clutter magnet) into a craft room.  I'll set up a table for my sewing machine, organize my stash, and keep my knitting library in there.  Well, once we get it cleared out and organized.  Yesterday we re-arranged our bedroom and it is SOOOOOOO much better.  We couldn't believe it!  Though we still need to hang pictures and get a new duvet, the furniture placement alone makes it feel like we're staying.

As for Barney...last night I was far enough up the yoke to try it on and (drumroll, please) I have declared it GOOD.  Better than good, actually, because it curves in all the right places, isn't too long for me, and so far seems like it'll be a lovely, well-fitting sweater (something hard to come by when you're petite).  I'll post photos soon.

Serenity and Early Motherhood

In an effort to rest a bum forearm (gotta back off on the typing for a bit, I'm afraid) I am offering this article for your reading enjoyment.  It was published in the February issue of the Bellevue Reporter's parenting insert.  Questions/comments/feedback are all welcome!

Finding Serenity in Your New Role as Mom

By: Kelly Pretlow, Certified Purna Yoga Instructor

 

Serenity is not a word often associated with motherhood, particularly during your baby’s first year. What was once a life dedicated to one’s personal and professional pursuits must now grow to accommodate the needs of an infant – which are numerous and constant. Meanwhile, your hormones are changing, your body feels foreign and you rarely get the sleep you need.  How can new moms develop a sense of serenity in their lives while learning to nurture their baby?

 

In order to answer this question I looked to my experience teaching Prenatal and Mom & Baby yoga classes at Yoga Centers in

Bellevue

. In these classes I watch women rise to the challenge of their new circumstances every week, balancing their participation in the class with breastfeeding, soothing and the occasional diaper change. In class they learn a variety of yogic tools that are particularly helpful to new parents:

 

1. Asanas (postures) develop physical strength, flexibility and relaxation. As the body becomes more supple and mobile, moms find that many of the lingering effects of pregnancy and childbirth, such as poor digestion, constipation, lower back pain and tight hips subside. They have more endurance, sleep better and enjoy the opportunity to get reacquainted with their bodies. As their confidence in its abilities increases, so does their confidence in themselves as mothers.

2. Pranayama (breath work) helps focus and calm the mind. Students learn how to use the breath to meet their needs. Longer exhalations, for example, are used to calm the nerves while longer inhalations invigorate. Smooth, full breaths increase oxygenation of the body – a vital component of health and healing. Bhrmri breath (humming exhalation) quiets the mind while creating a vibration in the chest that releases tension in the neck, jaw and face. Even the babies respond to this practice, becoming quiet and calm as their mommies hum.

3. Meditation clears the mind and develops the awareness of our true, joyful nature. Just a few moments in this state can create a quiet inner space in which to explore your perspectives, reactions and shed what no longer applies to your life.

 

Practicing each of these yogic disciplines during pregnancy and beyond helps a woman develop a mind/body/spirit connection that centers her in her life, no matter its circumstances. This centered state is, in essence, the seed of serenity. Serenity has very little to do with what your life is actually like, and everything to do with how you feel about your life. Cultivate the ability to see the good things in your life, and when challenges arise, come back to those things in your mind. Take a few deep breaths and, literally, count your blessings. Parent from that centered place and you will find the serenity you seek. Using the lessons learned in a yoga class, even the busiest mother can feel serene in the midst of the changes and growth in her life.

Thank My Lucky Knitting Needles!

After a marathon knitting session today, I finished Barney the Purple Raglan's second sleeve, attached it, and started the decreases up the yoke.  I only stopped because it was nearing pumpkin hour, and I have an 8:30 am class to teach in the morning!  I haven't bothered with photos, because Barney still isn't much to look at.  Hopefully this weekend I'll at least get to the finishing, if not the wearing.  Then I'll model it.

That means that I'll finally soon be able to start other projects.  I made myself focus on Barney so that I might finish it before summer.  Of course, here in Seattle we can often still wear sweaters in June, so I knew that I had time.  Still, I'm really looking forward to other (SHORTER) projects.  I knew that if I didn't finish the miles and miles of stockinette stitch, this sweater would never see the out-of-doors.

I'm very excited about my workshop this weekend (see the "Where's Kelly Teaching" listing to the right).  I'm teaching a 2-hour class for knitters at So Much Yarn.  It's called "Simple Stretches to Ease Your Knitting Aches and Pains".  Tomorrow I need to type and print the handouts (which are currently safely stowed away in my brain) for the students, once I find out how many I'll need.  I'm interested in teaching more than just stuff for the hands, because what a lot of people may not realize is that the way in which they sit, hold their shoulders, or even the tension in their jaws can affect the comfort levels of the knees, lower back, shoulders, even headache - all of which affects the overall experience of the time spent knitting.  I hope to help knitters develop more ease in their bodies, so that they can create from a more comfortable, harmonious place.

So, I'll provide postural assessments first.  Then we'll do some chair yoga, things to open the hips and back.  Plenty of stretches for the chest, upper back and shoulders.  I'll teach a sequence for the wrists, as well as one for the jaw.  Last but not least, we might even get to some foot work (yes, even knitters' feet need attention!) - if time permits.

I tried to do this workshop at another of my favorite yarn haunts, Hilltop Yarn in Queen Anne back in February.  Unfortunately, the Seattle Knitter's Guild was hosting a hand specialist the Wednesday before, *for free*, so we didn't get enough people signed up.  A lot of potential participants seemed to think that what the hand specialist would offer, and what I was offering, were the same (or at least close enough).  I'm sure that the hand specialist had some amazing insight, and of course a lot of people could use that kind of specialization.  My workshop, however, is broader than that.  It was a bummer, but Hilltop's lovely class coordinator has assured me that we'll try again later in the year.  I certainly hope so, because I would love to offer these tools to Hilltop knitters!

Okay, this may have to constitue my Friday blog entry, because I'll be buy writing up handouts, organizing the props, and teaching tomorrow.  Good night, blogland!

I Heart Bittersweet

Lorna's Laces' Lion & Lamb colorway, that is!  Please, take a moment to admire it in all its glory (feel free to click on it for a larger view).

This yarn is destined to become my Clapotis.  I bought it a few weeks ago at one of my favorite local yarn stores, The Fiber Gallery.  You knitsters will have noticed by now that I'm a few years behind on my projects.  What "everyone" was doing two or three years ago, I'm just now discovering.  That's because I only learned to knit two years ago.  It's taken me awhile to catch on to the wonderful things out there.  My husband would probably say that I'm really making up for lost time...and he'd be right.  While I don't knit many hours per day, I do knit almost every single day, and am often found knitting in public.  I'm not a very fast knitter, and can't really fathom how some knit bloggers manage to be so, well, prolific.  Are they pickers instead of throwers?  Do they knit in their sleep?  How do they manage to turn out a full pair of socks, plus other stuff, in one week's time?  I am in awe.

While perusing other knit-centered blogs, I have seen many versions of the Clapotis, using a variety of yarns.  Many clever knitters used beautiful yarns that, for a number of reasons, are much less expensive than the Lorna's Laces.  Sigh.  My knitterly imagination is still in the tadpole stage, and I'm afraid that if the pattern says, ya know, $140 worth of yarn (!!!!), I swallow hard, assess the yarn, the pattern, my desire to work with the yarn, the likelihood that I will wear the end-product, and go ahead and buy the darn yarn.  Of course, with an item like a shawl, I could have used any number of less expensive and equally charming yarns.  I am sorry to say that I simply did not consider that.  I took one look (okay, and a few pets) of Lion & Lamb, and that was it.  The 50% wool/50% silk blend has a breathtaking sproinginess that I adore.  The colors.  Well!  My friend and I hemmed and hawed for about 20 seconds and then said "who are we kidding?"  Of course I was going to go with the brightest option available!

Today while winding this lovely yarn I was so inspired by it that I decided to blog about it.  I'm blogging about yarn winding - and I LOVE it!  The colorway is just as delicious all wound up as it was in the hank.  This is precisely the taste of spring freshness that my mid-March doldrums needed.  Yipee!

To Show It Can Be Done

"Stand on your head, even if you're crooked, just to show it can be done." - Mirra

Those were the words of my meditation teacher a couple of weeks ago, intended to motivate people to provide an asana demonstration at the Yoga Centers 15th Anniversary party on the 17th.  I thought that it was a very sweet encouragement, and it helped the asana teachers in the room let go of our "but what if we're crooked?" concerns about "performing" yoga in public.  The idea of yoga as a performance is tricky, and makes many teachers uncomfortable.

What I have learned is that the general population - yoga students or not - finds inspiration in the myriad ways in which seasoned practitioners can move their bodies.  It isn't about a "perfect pose", but rather showing people that it can be done.  So, with that in mind, I volunteered to demonstrate one of my favorite poses, Eka Pada Rajakapotasana.

Before you look at the pictures, I want you to know this:  About three years ago I started to develop pain in my sacro-iliac joint.  I didn't even know what that joint was at the time, I just knew that I had a weird pain there that didn't go away with massage, my yoga practice, etc.  It got to the point that I could not find relief in any regular position:  not sitting, not standing, not lying down.  Only Supta Badda Konasana (well supported) helped, so I would spend 40 - 60 minutes per day in that pose, just to be pain free.

By the end of the summer, things were on the up and up.  I had researched the condition a great deal (it's called "Sacro-iliac Dysfunction" and it is not unusual in long-time yoga practitioners), I kept a journal about it, I experimented with retraining my body, etc.  Then I went to a lovely workshop with a well-known teacher who was visiting Seattle that fall.  We did backbends - my favorites - and since I still didn't know what it was about yoga specifically that had led to the development of my pain, I did not know how to protect myself during the practice.  After that workshop, I could barely walk.  I thought I would just have to avoid all future backbends, and probably have that pain for the rest of my life.

Then, two months later (November 2004) I attended the first of my classes in the College of Purna Yoga.  It was then that I met my teacher, Aadil Palkhivala.  One of his main goals is to help us avoid the things that he learned the hard way.  I learned how to nurture my body, how to stop pushing it so much and how to encourage healing.  I learned that the cause of my pain was not yoga, but the way in which I approached my practice (I was always testing my limitations, and pushing past them - rather than letting them grow with time and patience).  I learned how to correct my posture from the inside out, and what movements were exacerbating my back's circumstances.  I learned to slow down and enjoy all of the wonderful things that I could do without pain...even on the days when it was only Supta Badda Konasana!

Now, two and a half years after my first practice with Aadil, I can backbend freely.  I have to stay very focused and present (which I would recommend to everyone!), and work hard in order to avoid falling into habitual movement patterns (which indicate areas that need strengthening), but I can move!  My back only flares up occasionally, but the daily pain has passed, thanks to improved asana technique, regular massage therapy, some physical therapy, and chiropractic care.  Not to mention meditation and a careful diet.

So now, ladies and gentlemen, I present photos of me coming into Eka Pada Rajakapotasana...a pose that is not recommended for people with sacro-iliac pain.  A pose that I have reclaimed.

Want to see more asana photos?  Go to my studio website:

www.mlcyoga.com

Surprise! I've Grown!

Sometimes we don't recognize how far we've come until something challenging hits us in the head.  That's how I realized, yesterday evening, that when it comes to my temper...I've come a long way, baby.

I used to joke that I had the quick temper of my Irish heritage, but lacked the hair color to warn people from afar.  On the plus side, I never held a grudge, and while the temper was quick to flare, it didn't smolder - usually it was fast and furious (mostly involving foul language) and then I was fine.  Nowadays, what with living the life of a dedicated yoga practitioner, I rarely lose my temper or swear.

Yesterday was, for reasons I cannot explain, a somewhat trying day.  I cleaned and cleaned but felt that I didn't make any headway.  We had to go to Whole Foods, which is sometimes a very grating experience.  The seasons are changing, which makes me feel ungrounded and generally discombobulated.  I was just "out of sorts", and couldn't really say why.  Anyway, I was in the middle of making the buddy's dinner (we feed him mostly raw, with a scoop of high-quality kibble so that his digestion can handle it in case of emergency) when, KAPOW!  An opportunity to combust presented itself and was, interestingly, non-flammable.

The kitchen counter had some big pans on it waiting to be washed, so room was scarce.  I'd managed to make a spot for the cutting board, where his chopped meat was waiting to go in his dish.  I placed his bowl with the kibble and a scoop of cottage cheese toward the edge of the counter, thinking that it was okay.  Apparently I'd placed it more precariously than I thought.  I turned to the sink to rinse the empty cottage cheese countainer and his bowl of kibble and cottage cheese fell to the floor with a crash.  Of course, he was right there to catch as much of it as possible.  Kibble slid all over the place (I can't wait till the construction guys move the stove and fridge!), a big ol' pile of cottage cheese just barely missed my foot, and there I stood, hands wet, trying to prevent a hungry Lab from helping me clean it all up (it's two meal's worth of food, and if he'd eaten it all at once we'd likely have seen half of it at about 2 this morning).  Thankfully, he focused on the cheese-covered spoon, so I scooped up the kibble and cheese with my drippy hands and put it back in his dish (along with a great deal of hair and other kitchen floor debris - uugh).

Such an unfortunate experience would have had me cursing up a storm a few years ago (the term "mouth like a sailor" was, from time to time, an accurate description of my rather colorful vocabulary).  Flushing with the indignity of it all, and taking myself way too seriously, I would have slammed the bowl around - just to show it who's boss - and made a big fuss.  I have to admit that I haven't had an opportunity to respond in such a way in a long time, and my reaction surprised even me:  I felt frustrated but calm, and I only thought one bad word...it didn't even escape my mouth!  I just assessed the situation, thought it was pretty ridiculous and predictable, considering the state of the counter-top, and started cleaning up.  Huh.  I guess sometimes you just don't know how far you've come until you get an opportunity to respond in an old way, and spontaneously respond with something new!

In yoga, we call those old ways samskaras, and much of our work is geared at rising above and beyond them.  It is the movement away from habitual thoughts, emotions and actions that helps us find freedom.  You can imagine a samskara as a rut - some are big, and some are small - into which you often fall, causing a predictable and habitual response.  We want to make that rut less deep, while decreasing the likelihood of falling into it (which is also a habit).  Years can go by without interaction with a certain samskara, and then suddenly something brings you perilously close to falling back in.  How you choose to respond - in the old way or in a new, conscientious way, is what determines whether that samskara will continue to shrink, or re-open.  In my case, the samskara of a quick temper is very deep, and has had only a few years of closing up, which makes it pretty easy to slip back into.  I am very thankful for the opportunity and lesson that I had yesterday - to choose to avoid falling back in to a behavior/response that does not suit me, or the person I want to be.  Learning to respond consciously, rather than habitually, takes a lot of awareness and a lot of work.  Through the process of Purna Yoga, which addresses the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual needs of a person, I have found that growing out of samskaras, while labor-intensive, is a very worthwhile endeavor.

Mondays are for Cleaning

Today I will practice saucha, one of the niyamas described in The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.  Granted, I practice saucha all of the time:  keeping my body, my studio, my clothing, my home, etc. clean.  Today, though, the home really needs some attention.  I want to get it nice and clean so that while Rob is on spring break we can do some organizing, rearranging, and spring cleaning.

This room, for example (click on the photos for a better look):

(Yes, that's the dog's tail.  He likes to be included.)

clearly needs some help.  It is the room in which we put all the stuff we don't really know what to do with, or the stuff that's in limbo.  Thankfully, it is a very small room, but it has become home to quite a large family of clutter...and it has to stop.  I think that part of the problem with this room is that it has no designated purpose.  It's kind of an afterthought room.  It has a little built-in desk, one teeny window, the eaves make the ceiling weird and there's no heat.  It isn't the kind of room we want to spend time in, and so it becomes the clutter magnet.

The ground floor of our home is quite nice.  We took the time (well, Rob did the hard stuff) to paint it, the furniture is all comfortably arranged, it has a good flow and we - and our friends - enjoy being in it.  The kitchen is all set for remodeling (demolition to begin on April 16!), and while we'd like to spruce up the bathroom, the fact of the matter is it works, and isn't too bad.  We never bothered to really "finish" the upstairs, though.  I mean, we moved in, but we were so pooped from making the downstairs nice that once we felt comfortable...we just stopped.

The guest room is nicer than our bedroom.  I don't think we're the only people whose bedroom is the last place they make nice.  It is unfortunate, though, because the bedroom should be a peaceful, restful oasis.  Ours is sort of blank, which makes me feel like we're just passing through.  Part of the problem is that we think we might remodel the upstairs, but have no time-frame nor urgency for it.  So everytime we talk about fixing up our room, we decide that maybe we should just leave it, since *someday* we *might* remodel.  Sigh.  Someday might not be for a few years, and in the meantime our room needs some TLC.  So, that's the plan:  organize the weird room, truly move in to our bedroom, and spring clean everything before Rob goes back to school for spring quarter.  I'll keep you posted.

As for today, it's just a general cleaning...wrangling the dust puppies, mopping, the usual.  Then I get to wind these

and see how they look as a centerpiece while they await their turn on my needles.  What you see (clockwise from left) is the yarn for Clapotis, Anouk, orange socks (rusoe) and socks for Rob.  Yes, I am easily motivated.  No, I do not expect to get barney done anytime soon.  Swatching may get in the way.  Yeah, that's it.  "Swatching".

Oh!  And look!

See how they match (except where they got a bit off at the toe decreases)?

See how interested the buddy is?  He has such good taste.  He hasn't been allowed anywhere near them (he loves to steal socks), so he was happy to offer an inspection.  They passed with flying colors.

These are the Yarn Harlot's very own basic sock pattern, modified for what I think of as a "sport length" leg.  I used size US2 needles and some self-striping OnLine yarn.  They're my first pair of socks with actual sock yarn - the two other pairs I've made were House Socks made with gorgeous, uber-warm angora.  Now I can concentrate on barney's sleeve (well, and the swatching, of course).

Okay, I'm off to clean!

A Little Inspiration

Today my teacher's studio, Yoga Centers, celebrates its fifteenth anniversary.  For the last three years, the teachers and staff of the studio have put together an anniversary celebration.  This fun event includes free classes, an hour of entertainment (think "yoga variety show") and a vegetarian potluck meal.  We plan for months - well, the people who volunteered to pull it all together do, anyway - and it always ends up being a lovely affair.

This year, I'm sure, will be no different.  In fact, having been involved in the dress rehearsal last night, I know first hand that the entertainment will be wonderful.  We have funny skits about the kids classes, beautiful singing, some violin playing, more funny skits, a reading, and asana demonstrations.  If you live in the area and would like to come, please do!  It's a great opportunity to see the studio and meet some really wonderful, inspiring people.

Those of you who know me well will not be surprised to learn that I am involved in not one, but four (maybe five) of these snippets of entertainment.  One was written by me, one is an asana demonstration (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana - quite possibly my favorite pose), I'm a just-in-case-we-need-a-time-filler standy-by, and then was asked to participate in two others.  Since I am not shy nor do I tend toward stage fright (thanks to YEARS of theater and music) I just kept answering "sure!  No problem!" until I realized that it was turning into the Kelly show.  Sigh.  The good news is that unlike previous years, it looks like we'll actually keep the entertainment portion to our one-hour timeline.  There is no bad news.

Figuring out what to cook is always tricky for this sort of event.  There's no way for me to keep a hot dish hot (no slow cooker) and there's no fridge at YC, so it has to be able to hold up at room temperature during the entertainment.  I decided on a Couscous Tagine with Turnips and Dried Apricots from one of my favorite cookbooks, A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen.  I finished it in time to eat a bit for lunch (good thing!  it needed a little salt) and have to say, "Yum"!  Hopefully it will be as tasty at room temperature as it was steaming hot.  The best part is that there are only a handful of ingredients, cooks in just one pot, and took just over half an hour (15 minutes of which was unattended).  Now that's MY kind of potluck dish!

Last night I finished sock 2 of 2 (picture to follow tomorrow).  Still plugging away at barney's sleeve.  Perhaps tomorrow I'll take a picture of some lovely orange sock yarn I picked up this week.  I'm really into orange, and I think that an orange pair of socks will be great late-winter Seattle.  I'm itching to get going on other, more entertaining projects, but I really need to see this purple sweater through.

So, here's a thought:  I'm considering putting some of my more colorful yarn stash items in a big bowl and using it as a centerpiece.  The few times that I've tried that with fruit, the fruit goes bad before we eat it all (darned central heating).  But yarn...yarn won't go bad, will it?  Hmmmmmmm....what do YOU think?

THIS is why I teach Purna Yoga!

This morning I received a wonderful gift.  It's the kind of thing that all teachers - regardless of subject matter - hope for:

A student asked for more.

I have taken to heart my teacher's guidance, that we teach what our students hope to learn so that someday they may want what we hope to teach.  This morning was an excellent example.  This person has only been my student for about six months, but they ended up at my studio because they were ready for a change.  In class last week I talked about the 8 Limbs of Yoga, which led to a discussion of meditation.  In Purna Yoga, our meditation focuses on opening the heart center and learning to shift away from the survival instincts of our vital nature (which resides in the pelvic region) as well as the endless thinking/analyzing/judging/planning energy of the mind.  This process allows us to live from our true nature:  one of peace, joy, wisdom and love as opposed to the never-satisfied urges/passions/desires of the pelvic nature or the never-ending busy-ness of the mind.  (There's more to it than that, but that's as close to layman's terms as I can get).

Anyway, this discussion happened just at the right time for the student, who is going through some pretty big changes.  They're looking now to Purna Yoga for more than just a physical experience or a way to relax.  While caring for the body and learning to relax are important, as a teacher it is a treat to be asked how else this powerful practice - which has certainly helped me change my life for the better - could help them, too.

For those of you who may not know, yoga, in its totality (not just asana), is a perfect tool for change.  It opens up all aspects of our lives, and provides a path to equilibrium as we dive deeper into our existence.  For me, life before practicing yoga was like floating in the ocean:  I wasn't really going anywhere with a sense of purpose - just letting the sea carry me along.  I bobbed up and down at its bidding, and occasionally sputtered and gagged when it threw salty water into my face.  When I deepened my yoga practice and started asking questions about my Self, my purpose in life, and opened to living a heart-centered life...it was like being handed swim fins and a snorkel!  The ocean of my life can still feel overwhelming in its vastness and powerful surges, but now I have tools that help me navigate it with intention and clarity.

My student is on their way to finding such tools.  While change is rarely easy, it is often essential.  I am so happy for them (and proud of their courage!) to have reached such a rare and beautiful crossroads.