On My Knees

I don't think too many of us get through life without some sort of challenge - body, mind, or spirit.   We all have something.  Our Yoga practice provides many tools to face these obstacles.  

I had a recent wake up call on many levels this past week.    I am currently on crutches.   My rare joint disease has re-announced its presence in my right knee.   For over a year, thanks to a team of professionals (bodyworkers, chiropractor, acupuncture/homeopathy) as well as a focused therapeutic approach to both my Yoga & Pilates practices, I have been relatively pain free.   And when I hear stories of others who have this disease, I am awed by our bodies ability to bring us to our knees.

Most of all, I am grateful for my support system.   Family & friends, students & colleagues, wellness providers & my senior teachers have all taught me something.   They have shared with me insights & ideas.   They have listened & pontificated.    Each, in some way, has shown me the way.

Last night, I was able to begin some active Yoga therapy on my body.   I can not even begin to express how grateful I am for John Friend's ability to distill complex ideas into a comprehensible system called Anusara Yoga that allows you to work pain free.   His Universal Principles of Alignment are the foundation of the solution for me.   Combining Anusara's methodology with some of the amazing therapeutic techniques I've learned from Jenny Otto & my Pilates training, I was able to integrate as well as create space & length.    With my Anatomy Trains knowledge (thank you Tom Meyers), I have been able to unlock some of the myofascia as well.

Like many others, managing pain will most likely be a life long process for me.   Pain will knock on my door throughout my life - affecting my body, mind, and spirit.   Being able to be present and breathe with the pain is something I have learned, too, from my practice.   Using my breath to expand the places that need space as well as connecting with my breath as a means to connect with my life force - has also been a powerful practice.

While I may be humbled and literally on bended knee, I am not down.   My gaze is inward and my heart lifts upward.   Thanks to the practice.   Ishvara Pranidhana.

Breeding Ground

This past weekend, I formally completed my Pilates Equipment training (although we never are really "done"). I know. I know. This is a blog about Advanced Yoga Studies. Please let me explain further. : ) At the end of the training, I thanked Vicki Sullivan who has been locally hosting & teaching the advanced Pilates studies. One of the things I joked about was that she was "breeding her competition" by offering teacher training here in Jacksonville. I love Vicki for many reasons - and specifically because we have a similar passion for knowledge & to share knowledge. Individuals who offer teacher training have a unique point of view. They often don't see sharing knowledge as a threat. Quite clearly, these individuals see abundance - and are really excited when people "get it." So, today, I was on the phone with a phenomenal yoga teacher from the northeast, Linda Howard. She expressed how excited she was for our community here in the southeast - and our willingness to grow. She told me, "You know, Lisa, you are bringing one of the top teachers in the country to Jacksonville." She was talking about Jenny Otto. I have goose bumps. I am truly tickled to share the deeper journey with you & am honored to facilitate the offerings here in Jacksonville.

Back It Up

One of the things I have loved about studying with Jenny Otto is that she's really clear. This week, I have worked with several students who are living with back pain. In Yoga Therapy, it's elementary -- we must teach people with back pain to be in their legs more. It's one thing to say this... another thing to teach it to someone. How do you teach someone to be in their legs? Most individual's first reaction is -- "I am standing on my legs. Aren't I using them?" Over the years, Jenny has taught me so many fantastic ways to reach people & get them to feel their legs -- and not just their upper legs - but also their lower legs & feet. What I've learned too is that often tissue needs to open first before engagement. Come learn more with us in 2010!

Fascia

Remember 10 years ago, when "the core" was the buzz word? Well, let me tell you the next "hot" word . You're going to be hearing it every where over the next decade or two. Fascia. (Fa - shuh). I am continuing to learn about this amazing web of connection in our bodies. It holds everything together. Not only is it a stocking that encases our body & organs -- it is all the stuff that holds the cells together to form & organize our muscles & organs - and really all of us. Studying with Jenny Otto, I had the opportunity to partake in a 3-day training with lead teachers for Tom Myer's Kinesis (Anatomy Trains - Structural Integration). Since then, Jenny has shared her revelations from fresh tissue dissections & videos on the fascial web in living tissue. Fascia is continuous in our bodies. There are no seams. View your insides in a new way - one continuous folding origami. Here are a few nuggets from studying fascia with Jenny & the collection of World Class Teachers she assembles...

- moving into yoga poses too fast can cause fascial tears;

- what you don't work on will be an anchor for change;

- where it hurts is often not where the issue is - it's just the weakest link in the chain;

- fascial system responds slowly;

- nervous & muscle system respond more quickly.

Join us in 2010, you will see the body in a whole new way - and discover a deeper connection! www.RYT500.com

Mandukya Upanishad

During my 500 hour training with Jenny, Dr. Manoj Chalam presented a lecture on the Mandukya Upanishad. Boy, did his lecture rock my world! I was just reviewing my notes from that lecture that seems like a lifetime ago. Here's some excerpts from my notes (know that there may be errors... these are my handwritten notes from years ago - based on my perception & what I thought I heard Manoj say!). The Upanishads is based on & all about OM -- really explaining OM. The Mandukya Upanishad is only 12 mantras. And while it is short, it has the juice of everything contained with in it... the essence. As he shared each of the 12 simple, short mantras - the philosophy was deep. And, I had a lot of questions. To this day, I still think about the Mandukya Upanishad and those 12 lines. There's a lot in there! OM is so much more than what popular culture displays as a symbol on jewelry, t-shirts, and wall art. And, while it is a Bija (or seed) sound that many enjoy vocalizing, it means way more to me. Thanks to Manoj, to me now, OM is a philosophical conversation starter. So, if I see you wearing an OM symbol, I'll be asking you questions to get your point of view on the full philosophy. I look forward to hearing your thoughts! Welcome to the big conversation! And, Manoj will be here in Jacksonville in 2010. Hope he rocks your world & shakes up your thoughts like he did to me. Check out www.RYT500.com to learn more.

Finding Your Center

One of the great things I've learned from Jenny Otto, E-RYT500 & Anusara Certified - is multiple ways to get in touch with my center. Initially, we think of our center as a place in our physical body where we tap into our "core strength." And, yes, this is very important in our physical practice. In Anusara, one of the ways we introduce the center to people is through a series of loops in the body. John Friend, Anusara's founder, has an amazing mind!! With Jenny, I have explored my center three dimensionally. And last spring, I was in an amazing training with her & Adam Gainsburg. We explored our center - our ability to move or shift our center - while using sound in asana. It was one of those "goose bump" moments in my life. I hope to share some goose bumps with you in 2010. Join us in Jacksonville! See our website for details www.RYT500.com.