When I feel misunderstood I get defensive and snappy and this perpetuates the problem and I feel worse. But when I truly listen to myself and the people around me we have a deeper more meaningful connection and experience.

It is ok to make mistakes, trust the choices you make and then be open to suggestion and reflection.

The yoga room is an opportunity to examine aspects of our selves, our bodies, our attitudes and relationships. What is happening when we drift off, minds wondering on other things far away from the body and this moment? We are not listening to our bodies or the teacher’s guidance. Rather we cloud our view with worry and comparisons. We get caught up in anxious thought and behavioural patterns and this is echoed in our bodies.  Not listening is stressful.

On the yoga mat when we listen with an intelligent, enquiring open mind and then lay that into the body the reward of the practice is so much deeper. Once able to translate instruction from the teacher and interpret that into our own body, adjusting it according to our needs we truly embody the practice of yoga. So much more liberating than “worrying if we have got it right” – ultimately the embodied choice you make, the pose you discover time and time again for yourself, is the right one.

My intention for March is to focus on listening. Listening to the wants and needs of others and balancing it with my wants and needs.  On and off the mat. This is a lifetime practice and I have a feeling it may reap great reward if practised daily.

“Yoga is the study of the self”
Judith Lasater

When I was writing the introduction for The Business Yogi, I remember having a conversation with Bridget about ‘what is yoga?’. The traditional ‘definitions’ of yoga usually go something like

Yoga is union between body, mind and spirit.

Yoga is the union of your self or consciousness with the Higher Consciousness.

Or if you are going all Yoga Sutras:

Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind.

All of these definitions are correct and feel true in some way but they have always made me ask, well so what? What does union of body and mind actually mean in reality?

Now that I am a qualified yoga teacher (yeah!) and not just an interested practitioner, I have been thinking more and more about how I define yoga and what is means to me.

Yoga started for me, as it does for many people, as a solely physical practice – a way to keep fit, get toned and keep my achy joints flexible as I get older. But over the 12 years I have been practicing, it has developed into something more. A combination of yoga and meditation has meant that I have become more self aware and can more easily see my habitual patterns of behaviour. Yoga has enabled me to recognise the part I play in my own happiness and has given me the tools, the ‘response-ability’, to create space between thought and action. Yoga has allowed me to become more friendly with myself and realise that I am not my thoughts. Yoga has given me insight into my crazy monkey mind and all it’s tricks and stories. (If you have five minutes, watch Mingyur Rinpoche’s video on the crazy monkey mind – it’s brilliant!).

It is this getting to know myself that for me is what yoga is about. As I was trying to find a way to put this into words, I restorative yoga queen Judith Lasater came to the rescue with a wonderful story from her blog:

“One day this winter as I was starting to teach a beginning yoga class, a first-time student spoke up from the back of the room asking, “By the way, what is yoga?” A thousand thoughts flooded my mind; how could I answer truthfully and succinctly? Thankfully the answer came almost spontaneously from my heart: “Yoga is the study of the Self”.”

That’s it. That’s the definition that I had been searching for.

The study of the self is actually the definition of one of the niyamas – svadhyaya. The niyamas are five internal moral codes of conduct that we embrace as yogis – positive actions that will help us on own yogic journey. Svadhyaya, or self-study means actively meditating on the nature of the self and it goes future than just getting to know oneself and being more aware. As it’s conclusion is the realisation that there is no separate ‘self’ and that everything is interconnected. Through becoming more aware we can start to see that separateness, which causes much of human suffering and pain, is an illusion and that we are all connected.

And that for me is yoga.

Namaste.

This is a guest post from Kirsty Norton. Kirsty is a self professed yoga geek with over 1000 hours of teaching under her belt and a daily Svadhaya and Sadhana practice. She understands that not everyone treats their bodies or minds like temples (she certainly didn’t for years) so her down to earth approach makes people feel comfortable. She holds monthly classes in London and Brighton along with workshops, retreats and has a TTC coming up with Esther Ekhart later on in 2013. Find out more on her website or Like her Facebook page. Over to Kirsty …

Do you want to feel happier and brighter each day? Then practice your attention and focus to be fully present. It may sound boring to some of you but I guarantee its the secret to feeling happy.

Yoga is not about doing your downward dog perfectly and looking the part, it is about the attention you put into each moment of your day, whether that is in downward dog or in a conversation with another. Be present and put your full presence into each moment of your day.

This is a practice so keep returning to it. When you notice you zone out in your day, come back to the here and now. Worrying about the past or future will not help you to be present. Check in again at lunchtime and see how you did with your attention that morning, then again at dinner time. The practice of this attention will make you happier, lighter and brighter so it’s well worth doing.

The reason I focus on my breath in meditation in yoga is it fully connects me to the here and now, I remember when I first started doing yoga I hated pranayama (breathing practices) – it was so boring, yawn, get it over and done with. It’s only as I’ve continued down my yogic path that I’ve fallen in love and respect the breath so much for everything it allows me to do – keeping me alive for one!

For today, try to be fully present in each interaction you have, each email you write, each phone call you have. At the end of the day take time to reflect and see how you did.

Then tomorrow, the same. Over time you will start to become fully present and start to worry less and not give into the fear and negativity that living in the future or past brings.

I’d love to hear your thoughts so feel free to join in and leave a comment below about how you find your attention span and what you do to bring attention into what you are doing.

Namaste.

“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few.” Zen Master Shunryo Suzuki

I am three weeks into my yoga teacher training here in beautiful Arambol in North Goa, India. The last few weeks have been amazing in many ways, but also very challenging not only physically but also mentally and emotionally too. In fact, the asana practice (the physical practice of yoga that we are most familiar with in the west) is actually one of the easiest parts of the training, probably because it is familiar. It’s the other parts of the practice such as pranayama (breath control), chanting and meditation that require focus and practice. We are also having our minds expanded by being introduced to ideas from yoga philosophy that can be quite difficult for my cynical western mind to consider. But consider them I am trying.

I came to the training with expectations and concerns, some of which have come to pass and some which have not. But coming with expectations or ready-made problems in your mind is not a great way to approach a new situation. I find myself this week, as my world view, my mental model on how the world should be, is being challenged on a daily basis, to remind myself about the concept of Beginner’s Mind.

Beginner’s Mind is a Zen Buddhist concept that invites us to approach each situation – even if it is familiar – with new eyes. This is a useful concept on the mat. Instead of throwing ourselves into Downward Facing Dog, we can approach the pose as if for the first time. Try this on for size next time in class. Approach the first dog of the class as if you have never done the pose before. Feel the weight of your body between your hands and feet. Pull your shoulder blades down your back and extend your thighbones towards the back of the room.

How does this new Dog feel?

Here are five ways we can practise Beginner’s Mind in our work:

1. Pay attention.

Next time you find your attention wandering in a meeting, play with the idea that this is the first time you are hearing about the work. Deepen your listening, and really hear what others are saying. Can you take away any new insights? At the very least you will have practiced your listening skills!

2. Seek feedback.

When we are so immersed in our field or work, sometimes we cannot see the wood for the trees. Outside feedback can provide a Beginner’s Mind viewpoint of our projects and ideas. Outsiders can question why we are doing something and provide useful new insights into well-worn plans.

3. Fall down and get up.

We are afraid of failure. It’s an uncomfortable place in work as well as life. But adopting a beginner’s mind will mean that we will experiment, and we will fall down. If we only stick to what we know, we will never grow. Doing something new is challenging but we need to take those first wobbly steps. Embrace your failures as well as your successes.

4. Keep an open mind.

Have you ever been to a party and when you walk in the room, you think to yourself – gosh these people look boring! – and actually hours later you have had great conversations? Beginner’s Mind invites us to keep an open mind in situations, and let them unfold, rather than projecting our narrative on top of them. Let go of your preconceptions and adopt a spirit of enquiry in any new situation.

5. Keep learning.

Letting go of the idea that you are an expert and embracing Beginner’s Mind, allows you to keep on learning. Through reading or training you can become better at what you do, and more ready to serve others. Embrace challenges to your knowledge. I love when my workshop participants really question what I am saying and I always leave each session having learnt as much from the participants as they have from me.

This is a guest post from Suzannah Scully. A sought after lifestyle/career strategist, Suzannah helps people and organizations find meaning in their work. Her mission is to change the way people work and what they choose to work on. Find out more on her website or follow her on Twitter. Over to Suzannah …

As I sat at the front of the room on my yoga mat and looked out at the 25 women sitting in front of me, I had one single thought:

“I’m so proud of myself.”

I’m a little embarrassed to write that for fear of sounding self-entitled but it’s just the truth. (And give credit to my parents for raising me to be proud of myself! As my mom always said, “If no one is going to give you credit, you better give it to yourself!”)

You see, I’ve had the idea to create an environment where I combined music, movement and intentional thought for a long time now.

I saw the power of that combination in my own life and wanted to share it with others.

And as I looked around the room, I thought to myself, “This was created out of nothing. This was an idea in my head and here it is in it’s manifested state.”

I’ve had so many fears and doubts as I’ve begun to embrace the more spiritual side of myself. The more I’ve allowed myself to really be seen for what I feel and think inside, the more vulnerable I feel.

I often wonder if people are talking behind my back saying things like “What crazy talk is Suzannah now talking about?”

I used to hide behind what I thought everyone wanted me to talk about or what was acceptable so I held things like resume workshops. (Nothing against them, I think that’s important but it’s just not ME)

But now here I was leading a yoga workshop with the word “manifest” in it and it sold out in one week.

ONE WEEK!

And the people that came were like me. We shared similar life philosophies and values. We occupy a corner of the world. Together in all of our vulnerability and uniqueness. But there we were together in one room together.

I didn’t have a script. Or flashcards. And I wasn’t nervous.

Because it was just me. Being myself. Talking about things that I am curious about. That I study. That I love to talk about. That I believe in.

After the event, one of my closest friends, Erin Brennan, who has been to all of my events (resume workshops and all!) said to me, “I’ve never seen you shine quite like that before. You were in your element and it showed.“

“I really wasn’t sure what to expect from the Manifest and Move workshop and went only knowing that I have always had really positive experiences working with Suzannah. I was blown away and so inspired by her ability to create a productive, intimate and healthy environment in a room full of women who didn’t know each other at all. The combination of yoga and guided visualizations as well as group work blended together seamlessly. I left with a deep sense of gratitude and excitement for what I had just experienced and for the next!” – Ali, M+M class attendee

Here are the 7 things I learned about life from this experience:

1. Vulnerability is crucial to evolving into who you were meant to be

In the words of Brene Brown – “Staying vulnerable is a risk we have to take if we want to experience connection.” Some people/opportunities will not align with you anymore but they will be replaced by the right ones.

2. Create the space in your life to be inspired

So many of the attendees said that they just hadn’t created the space to be inspired and what a difference it made to create that for themselves.

3. Share your dreams

One of the greatest stories to come out of the event was one of the women said that her dream was to publish a book through Chronicle Books. Low and behold one of the other women in her group (whom she had never met before) let her know that the founder of that publishing house was one of her closest family friends. They are now in talks.

4. Surround yourself with supporters

Community cannot be underestimated. And often times, our supporters dream bigger for us than we could ever dream for ourselves. That was a big takeaway from everyone at the event, they couldn’t believe how big people who didn’t even know them dreamed for them.

5. Be resilient from your inner critic, not resistant

I got that from Daring Greatly which I am reading now but saw this show up in our event. Fear will always be with us, it will never go away. The real skill to learn is how to bounce back from that voice that holds you back.

6. Never stop wondering

One of the exercises I did with the class was to use the statement “I wonder…” when talking about their dream. It completely shifted how they approached next steps. Instead of saying, “I should…”, “I probably need to…” they said things like, “I wonder who I could talk to…”

7. Celebrate all accomplishments

This event was one step on my journey. It would be very easy for me to skate right over it and be freaking out about what’s next and what I haven’t yet accomplished. But that doesn’t serve me. Life is about a series of small events. Sustainable success comes slowly.

“This workshop was a real game-changer. I left feeling inspired, centered and in a blissful state. I also met some amazing women that I will continue relationships with outside of the class.” – Shannon, M+M class attendee

How can you practice these 7 lessons in your own life today? Are there some that you are better at than others? Would love for you to share wisdom AND vulnerabilities with me. I am so grateful for this community.

A few months ago Alex and I were on a hike and we were talking about work and life as you do. We were talking about my love of yoga and zen and then he said something to me that has stayed with me since. He said, “You’re not very zen. In fact, I am way more relaxed then you.”

And you know what? He’s right. My workaholohic (sorry – ambitious hardworking perfectionist) boyfriend is calmer and more relaxed than me – the “business yogi”.

I was reminded of this moment when I came across Raphael Cushnir’s free series called Teaching What We Need To Learn where he has gathered some of the world’s top speakers, teachers and authors on personal development and asked them when they step off the stage, what are they struggling with?

Raphael talks about his inspiration for the series:

“What I envisioned were teachers being willing to share, quite frankly, what they’re working through right now. What’s their edge? What’s still messy and unclear for them? What may become a teaching story down the road, but right now is their own work?”

Rather than having everything figured out, I think I am drawn to practices such as yoga and meditation because as a Type A, neurotic, insomniac, this is what I need to learn for myself. If I can come from a huge place of sceptism 11 years ago, just seeing yoga as a keep fit class, to my continuing journey today, then I think everyone could benefit from a little yogi in their life.

But being on this path of self-discovery doesn’t mean I know the answers. In fact I feel the lows are lower than ever before. Being much more aware of myself and my reactions means I can be even harder on myself then I was when I was blissfully unaware. As much good friend and psychologist Dr. Jayne Grimes is always telling me on our Skype chats (she lives in sunny Portugal), “Sinead, take a leaf out of your own book!”.

In the spirit of teaching what I most need to learn, I have decided to take myself off to India this winter to do my yoga teaching training intensive. I feel that writing The Business Yogi book was only the beginning, not the end, into my enquiry of how yoga can help us in our work, and I want to dive deeper into this world so I can help others. Not looking forward so much to the 5.30am starts!

The Teaching What We Need To Learn series is in full swing with contributions from some of my favourite folk including Dr. Daniel Siegel, author of Mindsight (fantastic book), yogi and social activist Seane Corn (girl crush), and guru Ram Dass. You can sign up for free to listen to the whole series.

[image with thanks to CollegeDegrees360 via CC]

I’m having a bit of a crazy time at work at the moment.

I am co-producing a rather large dining event coinciding with the Olympics (Global Feast 2012 – do come, it’s going to be amazing!), but this means I am pulling 12 hour days, working weekends, and missing my all important yoga practice as I haven’t got the physical or mental energy to do anything at the end of a long day.

This might sound all too familiar to you.

I have to admit this is not my preferred mode of operating. Working at this intensity without a physical or psychological break for long periods of time is damaging and I can feel my stress levels consistently rising.

But even though I haven’t been able to make it to class for a couple of weeks, the yogi in me is managing to sneak moments of stillness into even the craziest of my days. Some days, like today, I have managed a 10 or 15 minute meditation in a sunny spot in my living room before the madness of the day begin. On these days I can feel a palpable difference in my mood and am usually able to surf the stressess of the day better.

Stop, breathe and refocus is my mantra. With just too much to do and a never ending list of priorities all competing for my time and all equally important, stopping and reprioritising every hour has been essential. When we are tired, we can make bad decisions – ploughing along a path that is not the best use of our precious time. My advice? Get up out of your chair. Go make a cup of green tea. Move. Breathe. Refocus.

When we are working at capacity, the body gets forgotten. We sit immobile for hours at the desk bashing away at the keys. Even as I type this I can feel my shoulders creeping up towards my ears. Listen to your body. Relax your shoulders by pulling your shoulder blades down your back. Refresh your brain by relaxing into Uttanasana (standing forward bend) while you are waiting for the kettle to boil. Do some head and neck stretches while on the loo. Have your team meetings standing up. Try building small movements into the busiest of days to keep the burnout at bay.

And, best of all, try adding a little Savasana to your day.

Ah. Savasana. Corpse pose. The lying on the floor bit at the end of class – legs wide, palms facing up, chin gently tucked in. Surrendering to the floor. You can literally get on the floor and just let go, even a few minutes (perhaps one for the home office!). Or just make an intentional physical and mental break, after working intensely.

Try this Mat Moment from The Business Yogi:

At the end of a stressful day (especially if you have a headache), spend 15 minutes in Savasana and allow your systems to undergo a total reset. You should feel totally refreshed and restored afterwards.

1. Get two blankets, a scarf, a couple of cushions, and, put your socks on.

2. Place one folded blanket under your head, the cushions under your knees, and cover yourself up with the other blanket. Use the scarf to cover your eyes.

3. Set a gentle non-invasive timer, and feel yourself surrender to the floor.

Namaste.

[image with thanks to lululemon athletica via CC]

I stopped the caffeine and alcohol for the week, and threw in a lot of ginger and lemon instead.  Now my va va voom is back on the up. But I had a couple of days of being honest with myself – I was tired. My body needed a break. I had a lot of internal cleaning up and letting go to do. Basically I felt like s%&t. Then I had to actively sweat it out – I ran, I went to hot yoga just to get rid of it!

As my energy returned to me I become re-inspired and realised this was my exploration of purification. A getting to the truest tone of my soul (no words, just a feeling).  And now when I move through life I don’t switch onto automatic pilot so much, I strip off the layers and show you me more and hope you show me you. As we are, without the masks and mayas.

If you fancy a little internal spring cleaning, below is my recipe:

A little Liver Rinse Recipe

I recommend one to two weeks, preferably start on a Friday so the slump of day 2 and 3 happens on your days off. (You will feel worse before you feel better!) Take the first two or three days physically as easy as possible – plan to read your book and chill out in the garden/park as much as possible. Then on day three start to introduce some exercise to help shift the gunk (also your energy should be starting to come back, which helps!)  Go to the sauna/dance class/ dynamic yoga/run – whatever makes you sweaty!

Cut out coffee, alcohol, red meat, highly processed foods, refined sugar, dairy and white bread.  (Have one cup of black tea a day if needed).

Eat lots of green leafy veg, fruit, nuts, seeds,  quinoa, brown rice, mung beans, other veg,  porridge, raw honey, avos, fish, extra virgin first cold pressed olive oil.  Have fresh chopped ginger with every meal. And garlic with evening meals.

Drink herbal teas and loads of fresh lemon with hot water. Special refreshing brew: fresh ginger, lemon, raw honey and raw apple cider vinegar. Fresh mint and ginger is also a delicious and healthy combination

Soon you should be feeling your old self again and grateful for it. I normally find that afterwards I find the place in between what the diet was and what it is now, discovering some new tricks and treats along the way.

This week’s guest post is by Martha Henneman, a London-based yoga teacher who also manages The Life Centre Islington yoga studio. You can read more about what she writes and does here. The cartoon is by Bob Eckstein and you can purchase his brilliant book here.

With permission, cartoon by Bob Eckstein

Martha: As the manager of a yoga studio, I seem to spend a lot of time encouraging beginners to drop their insecurities and give yoga a go – repeating that they’re unlikely to find themselves in class surrounded by tiny, tofu-eating girls who are as judgmental as they are bendy. And that, rather, yoga is for everyone – regardless of size, age, flexibility or strength.

I completely get it. It’s so natural to compare ourselves to others. And this can be fine when we become inspired and motivated as a result. But often, it just makes us feel rubbish, and at its extreme can be debilitating. We watch someone get married when we haven’t got past the 2nd date in the last year, get that amazing break whilst we’re stuck in the same old 9-5, or do a flawless handstand whilst we’re struggling with our fear of going upside down. And now there is clearly no doubt we are Big, Fat (probably literally) Failures Who May As Well Not Bother.

When we view the world around us with the real focus still on ourselves, it becomes a very small and narrow place.

Not only can we get down on ourselves, but the genuine shine is taken off our whole experience of life. I read somewhere about a woman who in the final moments of her life looked up with a sudden look of realisation and said

“…and I spent my whole life thinking I wasn’t good enough.”

Poignant stuff. Such a shard of heart-breaking clarity cuts through the bullshit, and we would do well to remember it and incorporate it into our practice over and over. That of course each one of us is ‘good enough’, and that no good can ever come of thinking otherwise.

So go to class. Recognise that when you stop expending energy on worrying about what everyone else is doing and how you look in comparison, you give yourself space to really develop your own practice and actually enjoy it. And if you’re extra lucky, you just might see it spilling out into your everyday life too.

Chakras have bad press. Say the word ‘chakra’ and observe the inner cynic roll their eyes up.  Chakras are not visible, but rather felt in the subtle realm – that of energies, prana (life force) and intuition. It is said that Kundalini the serpent who helps us attain bliss awareness sleeps in our pelvis (base chakra) and rises up these churning wheels of energy, when and if they are all in alignment, as the serpent rises she joins the individual with the universal. So we see the bigger picture, experience inner fireworks and/or just feel pretty darn good.

I decided to study and teach the chakras in my classes recently and have found it incredibly interesting and challenging. To achieve harmonious energy flow in each chakra what is initially needed is physical alignment. That’s not too woo woo. From there each chakra symbolises aspects of our lives and consciousness, I’ve found reading and contemplating these aspects fascinating.  The cynic in me too balks but remember in the East philosophy is discussed with the body as the analogy – not necessarily in an anatomically correct way. Ah yes, anything spiritual is not literal (please tell that to the fundamentalists). It is a scientific art.

By studying our patterns and processes of moving, feeling and thinking and how they tie together is a way of creating more awareness of our programming. It’s like a computer or smartphone – the better you know the system the better you can fix any malfunctions that might occur – the more you get out of it. So it is is with our body and mind. We study ourselves so we get better functionality, so we are happier and healthier.

The study of the chakras is like a ‘subtle body’ manual for our body-mind and energies. You discover things you  like and dislike about your hard-wiring. And it’s subtle and deep for sure. Do you have times when you feel utterly exasperated with yourself, your life or complete lack of energy? You can shift that with chakra yoga.  The more I practice and study, the more it astounds me.

How? Start from the bottom up. This is a STRONG note of caution. The serpent lies in our pelvis. You need to start your balancing work from the ground up. You need to find stability and grounded-ness before you move your way to the more subtle work, and you need to keep your feet on the ground – otherwise you will become one of those crazed bliss addicts.

Bring awareness to pelvis and feet, find alignment in pelvis and feet. This is your starting point and the foundation you need to keep returning to. Then keep an open mind, but keep your questioning and discerning hat on. That’s always a good hat to wear.

Recommendations

There are many great teachers and writers on the subject, here are a few resources I recommend: Eastern Body Western Mind by Anodea Judith and Chakra Yoga by Alan Finger & Katrina Repka. If in London this month check out Jo Ibbett’s Chakra workshop on 9 June at Indaba Yoga (Jo often works with the Chakras so basically check out anything she does!) and/or yoga masters Katrina and Alan are co-teaching at YogaCampus this November.

Mat Moment

Find your feet first:- alignment in the feet brings alignment to all the chakras and particularly helps balance the base chakra. Start your practice by simply massaging your own feet, this is a wonderful way of getting grounded and bringing awareness to feet.  Once you have given each foot a good rub, flow through some simple asanas (e.g. warrior 2)
and keep awareness in feet – notice that if you lift your toes up your arches ignite. See if you can release grip of toes and keep the arch elevated. At any stage during your practice or week lift toes whilst planting four corners of the sole of the foot firmly down.