Pick a yama, any yama...

...and "live it fully" for the next 2 weeks. That's our alter assignment. The Yamas, as I mentioned in an earlier post, are a code of behaviors we strive to abide by when interacting with others or our environment. I have to choose one- just one- and truly live it out over the next two weeks, then journal about it on my own and discuss in class how it's manifesting itself in our lives. While they all seem like great choices, I am having a hard time deciding which to choose. I even consulted our good friends the Goettermans last night, and funny as the convo was, let's just say I didn't leave with any clear direction. So, can we take a look at my options and what each one might entail?

AHIMSA - "Non Harming." Well, I consume meat and dairy, so this one is out in the essence of living fully. It would also mean not raising my voice to my kids or husband. Great idea in theory, difficult to practice, especially in the heat of the moment. I am, alas, a yeller. I'M WORKING ON IT, DAMNIT! oops...sorry. However, Ahimsa is a yama that I yearn to integrate more and more into my life. Actually, it's the yama I would like to work on the most. I don't really need to squash that bug; I could put it outside. I could cut back on my meat and dairy consumption, and I absolutely want to be more mindful of my thoughts, words, actions. Are they harmful to me, to others, or could potentially become hurtful to others, are they harmful to the earth, my community, the greater good?

SATYA- "Truthfulness." Look, I am all about being honest, but I have toddlers. Toddlers who believe in the Easter Bunny and Santa Clause, and that bedtime is at 7:30 for our entire family. Sure, believing these things may not be harming them, but by me allowing them to believe those things, I'm not acting within the principle of satya. When someone asks for my "honest" opinion, and I know the answer is not what they want to hear, or could in fact, even be hurtful to them (hello, ahimsa, anyone?) I opt for a vague answer. So if a stranger in the dressing room asks if her shirt is showing too much cleavage, and I mistake her for a waitress at Showgirl II, then do I say so? Likely not. I'll say, "you look remarkable!" Which would, in effect, be the truth.

ASTEYA- "Non Stealing." How many unreturned coffee mugs (Like yours, Katie B!) or borrowed books do I have? What about that pen I accidentally took from the waitress last weekend? And please do not check my iTunes- as admittedly, not every song was exactly "purchased" in a legal manner. Would fully living Asteya these next two weeks mean lots of running around to return things? Yes. Deleting my unpaid for music? Yes, that too. In our discussion, someone brought up even going as far as not checking personal email on company time or calling someone without first asking if they have time to talk then so that you are not "stealing" their time.

APARIGRAHA- "Non-greed." When discussing Aparigraha, our instructor, Dani, who also has toddlers,has mentioned a children's book about a dinosaur that's a bit of a Hoardasaurus. Note to self: get that book, it will do Preston some good. But while I'm pointing fingers at the 3 yr old, I must also look inward. Do I long for more than what I've been given? Am I afraid of letting go or losing something, or that there will be some sort of shortage if I give to others? An example given in our class discussion was, "do I take the last orange in the fruit bowl, or leave it for my partner?" I have to say that of all of these, I'm actually in a good place with this yama. Aparigraha and I are on good terms.

BRAMACHARYA- "Moderation, Contentedness." Holy smokes, this might be the one for me. Moderation! Balance! Non-indulgence! Totally the one I'm leaning towards. This is what I need: No second cookie. No second (ok, 3rd) glass of wine. No second hour of browsing Ballard for outdoor chair cushions and covered porch furniture. I have been guilty of living a "more is more" kind of lifestyle at times and if I'm practicing satya by being honest with myself, I know that living simply, appreciating what we have, acknowledging how much I've been blessed with, and just being in the present moment is the path to true inner peace.

Ok, Bramacharya- bring it.

Forgiveness

Ok, first I have to admit that I am without a computer. My beloved macbook is at the shop. In the meantime, I have spotty internet access with only using our nook for web. Hope to have it repaired by the end of the week, but in the meantime, bear with me!

Every week during the lecture portion of our teacher training, we have what we call "alter." A discussion where we all share something of importance, significance, or meaning in our lives with the group. Our alter for this week is forgiveness. Forgiveness!? Are you kidding me? Where do I begin?? It's interesting that it corresponds with Easter this week, and coincidentally, a movie on PBS and a segment in O Magazine. Clink link above to check out the movie- it's currently waiting for me on my DVR.

As I said before, one of my biggest apprehensions about teacher training was the self discovery, unpacking of baggage, etc... that it requires. However, there's also this pull of the beauty and freedom that lies on the other side of the unpacking. The self actualization, the heart of yoga.

So here I am... slightly frozen with uncertainty of how much I want to share with the group and how much I want to uncover for myself.

As people, we both hurt and become hurt simply through the process of life. There are misgivings, misfortune, misunderstandings, mistakes. And while I really dislike this, I would be remiss not to acknowledge that there is simply an evil force that sometimes exists in the world, a seed planted in some people, and some people who - for whatever reason- commit what some may deem unforgivable acts. Things like 9/11, genocide, corporate greed, war, abuse, hate. But there is also incredible peace and goodness, which is where forgiveness has to come from.

I know this much: forgiveness may not be easy, but the decision to forgive is a good thing. It's how we grow. We clear out old hurt and leave space for more. More love, more peace, more bliss.

We are what we eat...

Last night, I made the best green beans. Ever. (Accompanied by NY Strips on the grill and fresh baked garlic bread.)

Take roughly 1/2 lb of fresh green beans, snap off ends and boil for 3-4 minutes. Meanwhile, melt 1 T butter, 1 T olive oil in pan. Add some chopped onions and garlic, allowing onions to carmelize and garlic to burn. Toss in the beans, and sautee in the onion and garlic. Served sprinkled with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, then top with some freshly grated parmesan cheese. If you have some sliced or slivered almonds, they'd be delish on top, too!

Speaking of good food..... as I mentioned before, I have been thinking about doing a cleanse. Ridding my body of toxins and gunk *sounds* good in theory, but I am such a food lover that it might prove a bit more difficult in practice. As I was browsing Spoiled Yogi's blog last night, I came across her recent post on whether or not she should do a cleanse. I found the comments incredibly interesting- some said our bodies were made to remove what we don't need, so there's no need to cleanse. (Trust the body has all the tools it needs already- yogic in principle, right?) Others said they felt great, a short cleanse was easy. (Empty yourself, bring the body closer to a natural state. (Also yogic in principle, right?) One mentioned a short, 3-days of fruits, veggies and liquids was the perfect length. We'll see, that may be do-able... But somehow I doubt the butter and oil from the green beans above would be allowed. Click here to check out her post.

Perhaps my biggest pause would be giving up coffee and wine. I pretty much drink 4 liquids: water/coffee/tea/wine. Occasionally, I'll imbibe with some vodka or champagne, but generally, it's just those 4 things. And don't my kids know it. My 3 year old will ask to "cheers with his wine" at dinner. (Don't worry, his wine is milk.) Also, we pass a Starbucks, and he'll ask whether or not "that Starbucks has a drive through." Case-in-point: my 19 month old daughter was checking out some of her options for an Easter dress the other day. When I showed her this one, she exclaimed "COFFEE!!!"

Goodness. It's a tea pot, dear. These kids don't have much confidence that their mama can do a cleanse.

YIOM

Yogis Inspiring Oneness Month

I'm finding out that the yoga blogosphere is both active and united. Case in point: YIOM, or "Yogis Inspiring Oneness Month." A month-long blog fest inspired by blogger Lo, at The Vegan Asana began this amazing idea for yoga bloggers to commit to blogging 3-4 times a week this month about their practice and the practice of yoga as a whole. Here's a link to her blog of the kick off and list of Yoggers (yoga bloggers? catchy? corny? Sounds Swedish? Think on that for me... ) that are participating. I've been devouring the posts and wanted to share in case the 3 of you reading want to do the same. http://theveganasana.com/building-yoga-community-through-blogging/ Enjoy.

This socks.

Sorry, this is not the "before" shot for a Clorox commercial, but rather to ask a simple question: where do they go?

I mean, seriously, folks. WHERE THE HELL DO THEY GO???????

Hello, April, Hello Yoga, Hello Earth, Hello Babies.

First and foremost- I made it through my first session of Yoga Teacher Training last night. There are 12 other yogis and yoginis in my training and so far, they all seem great. There was something really inspiring and fascinating about each individual's story, all at different stages in their personal yoga journey, with different paths that have led us all to the same place. We dove right in with an hour and a half vinyasa, then 2 hr introduction, discussion, lecture, and power point, then ended with another hour and a half class and meditation. I loved it and think I will thoroughly enjoy the training. Can't wait to continue blogging and sharing it.
Here's a little of what our lecture included last night:
The Kleshas are conditioned beliefs and behaviors that keep us bound and separate. Kleshas include Asmita (ego), Raga (want), Dvesa (denial of self truth), and Abhinivesa (fear.)
If you've taken yoga classes, you may be familiar with the terms "Yamas" and "Niyamas." Yamas are our codes of behavior in relationship to others and our environment, while Niyamas are our codes of behavior in relationship to the self.

Teacher training aside, I feel like I am dancing on air. Spring is my favorite season, so I'm quite thankful to send both the lion and the lamb on their merry way. If I haven't mentioned it before, I carry on a total love affair with gardening and am currently planning my annual day trip to Amish Country to get plants with my mother in law.... my MASTER GARDENER mother in law. It's such a treat to share both the trip and the love of gardening with her. I like to think of it as a "gardeners high," but I get so energized this time of year by surveying my garden, remembering what's coming up where, bending down and digging in the soil, smelling the earth unthaw and stretch out of it's sleepy winter state. I am seeing my peonies, sedum, coreopsis, and lots of bulbs coming up. Pure bliss.

And seriously, if I'm ever going to convince my family to check my new blog instead of my old one, I guess I should include pics of the kids. Meet Preston and Cecilia... heart of my heart. You'll see these sweet little faces quite a bit around here.