We were talking about POSSIBILITY in our last class.
Yoga shows us the impermanence of all and everything. It's teaching us of detachment and letting go. Detachments meaning being completely engaged in it all, but not attached to any outcome. No destination, just a ride. Yoga teaches us to be observer and a witness. We watch our body as it changes, as we transform, as we get stronger, as we get older. We learn to embrace it all, without a judgment, without a story. We learn to accept that nothing is permanent and that each: practice, moment,day will be different. We learn to let go of preconceived ideas of what we can and can not do and we welcome every possibility as it IS a new opportunity for us to learn, grow, evolve, expand. In that class, I also shared a short poem by Rumi, "The Fragile Vial" "Be a spot of ground where nothing is growing, where something might be planted, a seed, possibly, from Absolute." As our journey together is coming to the end, it's a another reminder of impermanence. Another lesson that each day is a gift, each moment is so precious. It's teaching us not take anything for granted and to really immerse ourSelves in this moment. And this one. And this one... to be here NOW. Even though this chapter of our journey is wrapping up, I know in my heart that this is only the beginning. Keep practicing. Be receptive. Be peace. This world really needs peaceful warriors and warriorsses. Allow it to be YOU! It's always my honor to serve you. With all my heart, Zana Om Shanti
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Last class we talked about few things. That day was Earth day! We celebrated with ROOT chakra. What better day to start cultivating sense of earthiness, groundness, radiance, stability then Earth day. Our Mother, our beautiful planet, giving us life, nurturing us all and giving us place to call home. Please be kind to her.
Root chakra reminds us of our primal and survival instinct, reminds of of our roots, ancestors, what we are made of and what we come from. It reminds us to take up our space, feeling that we do have a right to be here and fully alive! You can find more about the ROOT CHAKRA here our website as well asana practice. We also talked about BALANCE. Yoga helps us find the balance in our postures as well as our lives. We don't do yoga, yoga does us. We take fewer but deeper breaths. Less tension,more focused muscle engagement. Less scatted mental energy, more concentration. Less wanting, more accepting. Less doing, more BEing. More ability to maintain sanity in high-stress, high-speed and very demanding every day circumstances in the low- connection culture. Yoga helps us to learn to be more still, more present, more in the moment, to soften and sit with discomfort in the center of self-impose vortex. I also read you a part of the poem by Jeff Dickson-Paradox. (for full poem click here) "These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships.These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill." Just a friendly reminder for you to put in your busy life schedule, a slot everyday for yourSelf. It's not selfish it's self-care. It is my privilege to serve you and I'm cherishing all the time spend with you. With all my heart, Zana Last class we were focusing on our Third Eye. Color: purple. Location: The center of the forehead, between the eyes. Bija mantra OM. Our blind eye, that can see beyond mind, beyond words, beyond time.
It’s important to ground yourself while opening up the third eye chakra. Without being properly grounded, your visions might sweep you off your feet. The influence of the root chakra energy supports the activity of the Third eye chakra. This 6th Chakra and is responsible to what we refer to as "the sixth sense". Ajna Chakra In Sanskrit, meaning "Perception". It connects us to our internal intuitions and is responsible for the sharp senses. The third eye aids us to think clearly with consciousness and deep spiritual insight. The energy of Ajna allows us to access our inner guidance that comes from the depths of our being. It allows us to cut through illusion and to access deeper truths. Apart from this, Ajna or the third eye chakra also assist us in imagination, inner vision and intuitive knowing. This chakra is our guiding star which interprets our past, present and future and assists in setting up a path for Self that is based on complete wisdom and knowing. It means examining self-limiting ideas. It means seeing and helping others to see the deeper meanings of the situations in their lives. When the Chakra is unbalanced we experience fatigue, day dreaming, sleep problems, lack of assertiveness, inability to listen to others, and may even often feel disoriented. Not being able to establish a vision for oneself and realize it. Rejection of everything spiritual or beyond the usual. Not being able to see the greater picture. Lack of clarity. When the Third Eye is balanced you see everything clearly. The "way of the third eye" is seeing everything as it is from a point of "witness" or "observer", or from simply being mindful - moment by moment. You make decisions with a sense of neutrality; meaning you are concerned, but not attached, to any single outcome. We experience high mental ability, we are able to separate between reality and imagination and best combine logic and emotion. When this chakra is fully activated, both hemispheres of the brain function in synchronicity. The right hemisphere's creativity and synthetic thinking is integrated and balanced with left hemisphere's logical and analytical thinking. When we live with a balanced Third Eye chakra, we experience overall good health, clear thinking and focus. A healthy third eye chakra will encourage intuition, empathy of others and build trust in oneself. Click here for ASANA pratice:
With all my heart, Zana Last class we were focusing on our fifth energy center- Throat chakra.
Color BLUE. Bija mantra HUM. This space is voice of the body. It's pressure valve that allows the energy from other chakras to be expressed. If it's out of balance it can effect health of other chakras. When in balance, we express what we feel and think effortlessly. Throat chakra it's all about expressing our personal truth. Located between heart and mind, it's a connector of both. Words are our most powerful tool we have,so let us be careful how we use it. Word can be used as weapon,or remedy. Words can destroy and even kill,or it can heal and rebuild. Therefore we need to be cautious when speaking, and choose our words wisely. How we speak and what we speak is representation of the mind. Also, Be aware of how you speak with/about yourself. How often do we talk to ourselves in the way that we would never talk to someone else? Before we speak- ask: IS IT KIND? IS IT TRUE? IS IT NECESSARY? When we speak our true,(and that DOES NOT mean everything that comes to our mind:), when we coming form the place of our essence, everything is understood. Speaking our highest truth from essence will come out as kind and compassionate. Create GOSSIP-FREE ZONE. Gossip is assassination attempt by a coward. Eliminate verbal violence. Eliminate hurtful, belittling, poisonous words. Replace them with encouraging,kind, friendly and compassionate words. You have power to heal this world, by simply choosing the right words. Let us chose uplifting words, over self-righteousness. Remember, law of attraction. Use positive affirmations to replace negative. What you say, will happen. Example. instead of saying" I hope my tire doesn't blow out on my road trip." use positive affirmations:"I hope i will have safe trip." Following PRACTICE will stimulate thyroid and parathyroid glands and bring energy to the area of throat.: Asana practice- To open up this center use poses that open up your throat or create heat. Poses such as: Upward facing dog, camel, fish, shoulder stand, plow pose, bridge, wheel, needle and thread...look into the gallery of poses. Meditation practice- SO HUM meditation. This is a sound we make in our mind while meditation. Inhale with sound SO, exhale HUM. We use this mantra to helps up melt away illusion of separateness between our mind, body, heart, our soul as well as separateness with all around us. We are all connected. Breathing practice: Use Ujjayi breaths. Audible sound on inhale and exhales, sounds like a ocean. Jaws open and relaxed. Singing, laughing, chanting is another way to bring the heat up! That is all I got for you this time. It's my privilege to serve you. Keep practicing, keep breathing, keep smiling! With all my heart, Zana Comments, suggestions, insights, welcome!! Last class we were focusing on Heart chakra. There is so much to say about this center.
This is space of: Compassion, unconditional love and forgiveness. We have to start with ourselves first. Only then we can truly offer it to others. The heart is fourth chakra out of seven chakras. Heart is in the center, with three chakras below and three above. This is the area where our physical and spiritual aspects meet. The fourth chakra is located at the center of the chest and includes the heart, cardiac plexus, thymus gland, lungs, and breasts. It also rules the lymphatic system. Heart chakra is also calles Anahata in Sanskrit which means “unstruck” or “unhurt.” Meaning that beneath the hurts and grievances of our experiences lies a pure and spiritual place where no hurt exists and where there is simply knowing that we are eternal and pain is only an illusion. When your heart chakra is open, you are flowing with love and compassion, you are quick to forgive, and you accept others and yourself. A closed heart chakra can give way to grief, anger, jealousy, fear of betrayal, and hatred toward yourself and others. Asana poses for this center are beck bends. Visualize color green. Allow it to radiate through you. Breathe, feeling your rib cage expending, feeling the rhythm of your heart. Be kind to it. Besides Asana practice, lets us try to bring this practice in our daily lives as well: - Give love! to receive love. - Hug! 12 hugs per day for optimal health. :) - Smile! at everyone you see daily. - Forgive! Life is to short to hold grudges. - Try to go at least one day per week without criticizing anyone or anything, including yourself! Use Mantra LAM, a sacred key for opening this center. Lokah Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu- may all beings be happy and free and may I contribute to that. Another mantra to know- OM MANI PADME HUM- is mantra to expand love and compassion to all. In our daily meditation let us bring METTA meditation of love and kindness: May I be happy. May I be well. May I be safe. May I be peaceful and at ease. May you be happy. May you be well. May you be safe. May you be peaceful and at ease. Last class I read you a passage from Yoga Sutras as a reminder to us all: #14 - Practice becomes firmly grounded when well attended to for long time, without break and in all earnestness. I invite you to feel free to share your insights, ideas, suggestion, or ask any questions that you might have. We are all in this together, remember! See you on the mat! With all my heart, Zana Last class we were focusing on our Solar plexus chakra. This center is located right above our navel. Color associated with this center is yellow. Bija mantra is RAM. This space it's home of our willpower and self-esteem. When this center is out of balance it can manifest as disappointment, fear, neediness, self doubt, lack of direction and self-esteem to take action. Also it can manifest as being very aggressive or controlling. The goal is to feel comfortable with our own inherent power so that we can fully step into the ways that can positively impact the collectivness without harming others.
Poses that are helpful to open this center are twists pose. While practicing, ask yourself following questions: What are the areas of your life in which you feel powerless? How does it manifest? Who do you disempower in order to feel more powerful yourself? Last class, I also read one of the Yoga Sutra for your contemplation. # 33 - By cultivating attitudes of friendliness towards the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous and disregard towards the wicked, the mind-stuff retains its undisturbed calmness. So these are the Four Keys that are given to you: friendliness, compassion delight and disregard. There only four kinds of locks in the world. Keep these four keys always with you and when you come across any one of these four locks you will have the proper key to open it. When you see happy people use the friendliness key. Be happy for them. Think "May everybody be this blessed and have such Comfort. I will also get that one day." Now what about unhappy people? Swami said that people have their own Karma. Maybe there are suffering from previews bad Karma, but we should always have compassion for them. Lend a helping hand, share half of your loaf of bread if you can. Be merciful always. Then comes the Third Kind- virtuous people! Feel delighted when you see virtuous people. Don't envy them, don't try to pull them down. Appreciate The Virtuous qualities in them by cultivating them in your own life. And lastly the wicked. We all come across Wicked people sometimes. So what should be our attitude? Indifference. Some people are like that. Probably I was like that yesterday. Am I not better person now? They will probably be alright tomorrow. Don't trying to advise him because wicked people seldom take advice. If you try to advise them you will lose your peace. Write if you have any ideas suggestions, questions, struggles, breakthroughs. We are all in this together! Looking forward to see you soon! With all my heart, Zana Last class we have been focusing on Sacral energy center located directly above our pubic bone. Below is an article about Sacral chakra to looking into more and see if your sacral center needs to be balanced.
How is your Sacral Chakra? To check if your sacral chakra is balanced, you may ask yourself whether or not it’s easy for you to stop and enjoy yourself? Are you aware what you enjoy in life, and what gives you pleasure? Are you able to be creative in life, and do you feel open towards the world around you? Overactive Sacral Chakra If the sacral chakra is overactive, you may feel strongly emotional, or feel emotions very deeply. You may also have strong mood swings or struggle with addictions. Overactive sacral chakra may cause a fair share of drama and conflict into your life, and sexuality may play a large role. You may also have an unhealthy emotional attachment to the people in your life. If on the other hand you have trouble expressing your emotions, or expressing intimacy and sexuality, your sacral chakra may be blocked or weakened. You may be disconnected from your emotions, and have trouble enjoying sensual pleasure, whether it being beauty, nature or an intimate physical experience. You tend to deny things that make you feel good in life, and your sexual drive may be weakened. On the physical level the blocked sacral chakra can manifest as menstrual disturbances, aches and pains in the lower abdomen or issues with the hips and sacroiliac joint. fear of pleasure, being out of touch with feelings, and resistance to change. Sexual problems and discomfort in the lower back, hips, and reproductive organs can also signify that this chakra needs some kind attention. Balancing the Sacral Energy The energy of the sacral chakra encourages us to let every moment be as it is. It encourages to let go of control, and allowing transformation to take place in the body. One way to rekindle the relationship with your body’s pleasure centers is to truly feel your body. What does your body enjoy? Do you enjoy feeling the smell of freshly brewed coffee, or the sensation of the wind on your skin. Focus on learning to know your body, and to allow it to be as it is. After all, pleasure is nothing to feel guilty about. Then, surround yourself with beauty of all kind! Enjoy beautiful music, be spontaneous and allow yourself to do what you feel like. Some examples to Balance your Sacral Chakra: · Eat oranges and carrots and other orange food. · Wake your orange Chakra with aromatherapy extracts such as orange, lemon, ginger and lemongrass oils. · Wear orange clothes and use this color in home décor. · Have a deep tissue massage. · Wear or carry an orange gemstone such as Coral or Carnelian or copper piece. Visualizing color is also a powerful way to bring more balance into the body. For deficient sacral chakra you can visualize a warm, healing color orange, and intensify this color around your naval area. Let this healing color release any tension in the hip area. For an overactive sacral chakra, you can also surround yourself with the opposite color, the color blue. Yoga poses focusing on opening the hips are especially beneficial for balancing the sacral chakra, so squatting pose, happy baby, warrior poses, triangle, leg cradle…Click here for pictures. As an affirmation, try starting your day with the following confirmations: I am creative and adaptable. I am a sensual and sexual being. I am able to enjoy the pleasures in life. I allow emotions to flow through me in a balanced way. Looking forward to keep serving you! Please write below if you have any thoughts, questions, suggestions...We all in this together. Love, Zana Namaste,
Hope you all are having a wonderful week. It was so good to see so many of your smiling faces last Saturday. Warm welcome to Diane, Shirley, Kathleen and Martie! I hope that you had pleasant experience and that you will be back. We are having another class this Saturday March 4th at 10:45am. I would love to see you then! Please RSVP. Last class we did a lot! I introduced Yoga Sutra and contemplation last class. Sutras literally means thread and by contemplating we add beads of wisdom and realization. The one I read to you was :3. Then the Seer(self) ABIDES IN its own nature. You are the true Seer. You are not the body nor mind. You are Knower or Seer. You always see your mind and body acting in front of you. You know that mind creates thoughts, it distinguishes and desires. The Seer knows that but it's not involved in it. To understand that eternal peaceful Your the mind must be quiet; otherwise, it seems to distort the truth.If you see yourself in distorted mirror, will you be able to see your true face? No. It would appear awful. Will you be worry about this? No. You would immediately know that something is wrong with the mirror. You are seeing distorted reflection, not Self. When mind ceases to create a though form, stories, mind-stud and it's completely free from modifications, and it becomes clear, only then you see your true Self. Last class we were focusing was Root energy center (also called chakra). This chakra is it’s located in the base of your spine. Color associated with this chakra is RED and Bija mantra is LAM. Think of this mantra as code that begins to unpack itself and reveal to you the sacred intelegance of this first chakra center. This center is associated with stability, our primal and survival instincts, and connection to family or tribe. If you experience many health or financial problems, feelings of panic, fear, forgetfulness, feeling scattered, unexplained pains in your body, or feelings of disconnect and alienation from those around you, you may need to work on opening this chakra. Our practice aim to feel grounded, radiant, stable and connected. Answer the question for each chakra, write down what comes up and allow yourself to feel range of emotions that may surface: What comes up when you think of your childhood? Did you have stability when you were growing up? See what answer comes up for you and write in your little journal. Last class, Steven and Billy helped and we took pictures of poses associated with this center. Click here-Root Charka Poses I hope that you find the useful. We worked hard to get them done and out on time:) Daily practice it's so important. I know we all very busy people, but i would like to invite you to even just take a moment to bring awareness to your breath where ever you are. You can do it while you walking to your car, sitting in the traffic, washing dishes, watching your show.. It does not have to be only on your cushion. :) For example, I like to start my day by taking a minute to focus on my breath,I scan my body, then start to breathe through my heart. There is where i find gratitude and with gratitude comes serenity and peace. Think of all the things that you are bless with, and write few words or sentences in your journal, or little notepad i give you last class. This is how we bring peace to us vs constantly looking for it somewhere out there. Again, i invite you write below in comment section; about your experiences, ask questions, or offer suggestions. We all in this together. Looking forward to see you soon! With all my heart, Zana Last Saturday we were exploring our Crown center. This is seventh chakra, color indigo, Bija mantra OM.
This space it's gateway to enlightenment-place where it's no longer possible to experience yourself as separate from anyone and anything. When practicing and working on this center, ask yourself this question and write any answers that come up, in your journal: What/who represents that which is beyond my egoic self? How do I realize my highest Self? The crown chakra is the center for trust, devotion, inspiration, happiness, and positivity. It's also the center for deeper connection with ourselves and deeper connection with a force of life that is greater than ourselves. Practice it is meant to integrate right and left, masculine and feminine and our entire being from head to toe. This means fully accepting every part of us, including darkness and our shadows. If you ever tried to paint or draw, you know that it's impossible to do it without shadows. There is part of us that we have abandoned, because we perceived it as a “bad things” -(e.g. anger, rage, jealousy..) We all posses these characteristic/emotions inside of us, and until we are ready to really look at them, they will keep hunting us until we face them and acknowledge them. There is no bad and good emotions. All emotions are part of human nature, but we label them as good or bad and then only allowing "good" once to be seen. Of course we should not be hurtful when we expressing it, but simply we give ourselfs permission to knowledge them for what they are. To be transparent when you with your self and your loved ones and not keep things hidden inside, takes courage. Let us use this integration to experience a vast connection between our innermost self and all things. Let's shine light on ourselves in order to see ourselves clearly. Let us not abandon any part of ourselves and make friends with all the aspects of ourselves, even the "ugly" things we don't want to admit that we possess. Alternate nostril breathing is good way to start the practice, follow by any pose that brings your crow towards the sky and/or ground. Mountain pose, Shoulder stand, head stand, downward facing dog, dolphin, rabbit. I invite you comment here, connect with one another, share your experiences, ask question or/and give or ask for support. We all in this together. This entry has been created to allow you the opportunity to share what benefits you have from coming to this class. What would you tell others who are curious about trying this Yoga class? All suggestions are welcome! Please feel free to add your comments below and CHIME IN!
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