Yogafly2

Power to the Prana

Or is it Prana to the power?   Fascinating little science experiment, this human body.  Growing up with Doctors around me has made looking at the body-mind complex from the vantage point of the observer more reasonable.  So I love practicing Pranayamas because the physiological effects are immediately measurable and potent.  Last night, I needed to stay up to do some work.  As a VataPitta, I have to always work on not working because work just seems like a given.  I don't understand how it is that human beings get bored.  

So I began a series of Viloma - three- part breaths - with some holding of the breath.  I love the feeling of holding the breath and feeling the heart pump fresh blood throughout the body.  Prana is powerful though.  I got so wildly mired in the Pranayama practice that I opened up a lot of blood vessels in the brain and I couldn't sleep.  This also made me laugh.  Because then I could just watch the body mind complex figure its way through this whole thing.  Sleep came eventually as it inevitably does.  An old boyfriend used to tell me he thought I had narcolepsy because I fell asleep the moment my head hit the pillow.  What an experiment this life is.

I'm about to chant the Gita - which always holds me in check.  I mean the Guru Gita - I realize saying I'm about to chant the Gita is saying I'm about to chant the song.  Which song?  Out of the infinite pantheon of songs?

And here's a quote:

"What is the use of practicing for so long all those hundreds of windy pranayamas, which are difficult and bring diseases, and the many yogic exercises, which are painful and difficult to master.  Constantly serve one Guru to attain that spontaneous and natural state.  When it arises, the powerful prana stills of its own accord."

See, we practice the hundreds of windy pranayamas and do our painful yogic exercises because it is very difficult to serve one Guru.  This is why we chant, it keeps us from getting too egotistical about our practice.

Many blessings.  Let the mind drop.  This is not meant to be understood by the thinking mind.

Oh and that's a picture of a polluted blue sky - above.  I remember going into Boulder, Colorado to study the atmosphere-biosphere in college when I was more of the scientist you find in universities - and driving into the mountains with all the beautiful colors of the sky.  And my physicist mentor saying - "oh yes, that's all pollution."  It's nice not to always trust these eyes.  They betray a thousand and one illusions...The air around us is as measurable and quantifiable as the back of your hand.  Don't pollute her.  Om shantih.  Shantih.  Shantih.

Another note on Greg Mortenson's spirit and mission

While I was in downtown Union Square buying his book Three Cups of Tea this past Thursday, January 22, I just realized that he was at the Uptown Barnes & Noble at Lincoln Center for a book signing:

New York, NY - Barnes & Noble 
Barnes & Noble, Lincoln Center
1972 Broadway @ 66th St.
New York, NY 1023
Phone: 212-595-6859
Greg Mortenson, Amira Mortenson, and Susan L. Roth

From Central Asia Institute's Web site:  www.ikat.org  - which might partially explain the chills I got when I picked up his book Thursday night.  

Yogafly Highly Recommends Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

 

Thursday, I went to Barnes and Noble to find the next book for the wonderful book club I'm in and they didn't have the book I was looking for: "I Love My Rifle More Than You."  But there I was in one of my most favorite, outlandishly favorite settings: a book store filled with the treasures of humanity.  And I wanted a book.  So I scanned - all of the titles, delectable covers and I rested my eyes on this book: Three Cups of Tea, a true story.

Caroline Myss explains that we are guided in everything that we do - even down to the apple we pick at the grocery store.  When I stood in front of this book, I felt this flow of energy through me that made my hair stand on end.  And I looked at it and said - well, it's you then.  Every book is such a great relationship.  But this one is a life-changer.

I'm so impressed by the courage of Greg Mortenson and his story, that I have to tell everyone to go out and buy this book now.  You can buy it off his Web site:  http://www.threecupsoftea.com.  Incredible, Mr. Mortenson's story.  

In effect, his story is so inspiring that I'm not sure why I allow anything to hinder me at all.  It makes you stop in your tracks and question your own excuses for not doing something about what you believe in heart, soul and gut to be right.  And it makes me believe in the miraculous power of ordinary human beings.  Mother Theresa said, “We cannot do great things on this Earth, only small things with great love.”

From his Web site: "As of 2008, Mortenson has established over 78 schools in rural and often volatile regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan, which provide education to over 28,000 children, including 18,000 girls, where few education opportunities existed before."

Mortenson accomplished so much of this, not because he had any money  - in fact, he was intentionally homeless to save money for the first school he built - but because he wanted to give something to the beautiful people he met in the hinterlands of these countries.  

Remarkable - as I work to fundraise for Ananda Ashram - a place so dear to my heart and drawn by this enormous energy that I can only honor as Guruji, I read about Mortenson's first attempts at getting funds for the people of the Balti - off the 2nd highest peak in the world - K2 - whom the Pakistani government ignored and would not offer the gift of a teacher for its dozens and dozens of children.  The teacher would only cost $1 a day to sustain.  Mortenson figured out how to build a school for these people for $12,000.00.  I spend that at the advertising agency on one "small" campaign.

C'mon.

Mortenson wrote 508 letters, received 1 check for $12,000.00 from Jean Hoerni.  Hoerni read about his mission and said to his wife that he had to give him money because the people Mortenson was fundraising for are Muslim and most Americans had been won over by the Himalayan Buddhists.  If Hoerni didn't give him money, no one would.  He also received over $600 from a group of elementary school children at the school where his mother is a principal - raised by gathering pennies in jars.  This helped to inspire his campaign called: Pennies for Peace.  See on his Web site here:  www.penniesforpeace.org

His story is so remarkable that as I read through it - even as I type this - I feel so inspired to give myself the goal of reaching out to 108 people/companies today to fundraise for Ananda Ashram.  And will continue reaching out to 108 people/companies in the next few weeks as many as I can accomplish in a day just to raise as much money as possible.  There's a group of us on the Ananda Ashram Spring Gala Committee, and I can't ask the other folks to have this kind of fervor because perhaps each of the 108 that I reach out to is like a bead on my mala - and is part of the humility of asking that continually humbles and empowers at the same time.

"Ask and ye shall receive.

Seek and ye shall find.

Knock and the door shall be opened unto you.

For thine is the Kingdom of Heaven."

"Inshallah."  I have often been asked how it is that I seemingly get a lot accomplished.  Hmmm.  How do you do that?  I get asked.  And I always go back to 1) I meditate 2) I pray and 3) the above.  I ask.  I don't just ask in my prayers.  I ask the God in all humans.  It is a mighty humbling act to ask.  I learned this from my work with Amigos de las Americas - where I had to ask people to donate so that I could go down to Brazil to build latrines.  And when in Brazil, working to build ten latrines in three months and teach basic health - AND having to knock door to door in this small village to ask them to please feed me and two other American volunteers.  Every day of the week, my two volunteer partners and I ate at another villager's home.  This kept our host families from the sole burden of feeding us.  

And with as much grace as I could muster (I had no clue many times what exactly I was eating,) I ate whatever they gave me - because at any given moment, the only thing in our house might be one precious tomato.  I'll never forget looking at the one precious tomato left that an entire family was figuring out how to divide up.  And the endless meals of corn, corn, corn.  

But I digress.

Asking - is the work of a publicist.  Asking is the work of a fundraiser.  Asking is the work of a yogi.  My begging bowl is an e-mail, a letter or a phone call, but it is a begging bowl all the same.  And the promise for me is a feeling of accomplishment at having spread love and peace just a little more in this world.  Just as Greg Mortenson has done and continues to do throughout Pakistan and Afghanistan.  I bow to his lotus feet.  And honor his teachings through this gem of a book.  May we all never give up.  May we keep moving forward.  May we look past doubts and fears and into the hearts of humanity - where only peace resides.  And in this way, may we accomplish our greatest gifts of service to the world.

Sumukhi and Lalita Devi Kirtan in Austin, Texas

YogaDuke, a wonderful friend and yoga student in Austin, Texas filmed the kirtan I led at Castle Hill Fitness in Austin, Texas.  You can view a couple of songs here:

Purnam Adah Purnam Idam Purnata Purnam Udacyate Purnasya Purnam Adaya  Purnam Evavashisyate OM:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADzoMxNAp_M

With me are Lalita Devi (Katie Lower) - harmonium and Lauren DeAlbert - percussion. Also I give props to Heather and Benjy Wertheimer for the melody to Purnam Adah, Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati (Guruji), Ananda Ashram teachers and Manorama for teaching me Sanskrit. It means: "The Absolute, Pure Consciousness, is perfect...the individual 'I' and the Cosmic 'I' are perfect and identical." - Guruji

Hare Krishna: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zv4JyhHolG0

The melody of this Hare Krishna is from "Amazing Grace" - which I love to sing - and is from Krishna Das.

Right and Wrong

"Beyond the ideas of right- doing and wrong-doing, there is a field, I'll meet you there.  And as we lay in this grass, even the words 'each other' seem strange." - Jelaluddin Rumi

I remember when I first heard these words, around 11 years ago and how I was struck at how Rumi got to a point  so beyond the senses in just a few lines.  

Now, I'm supposed to hone my ideas of right and wrong clearly - as Rob Brezsny asks in my horoscope and as Padre Pio instructed me in his book today.   A fascinating exploration.  

I can think of a few things that I just outrightly believe to be wrong: 

1) whining 2) complaining 3) laziness 4) lack of responsibility 5) cowardice 6) idle gossip 7) staying in the closet and not living an authentic life

And then I think about what I believe to be inherently right - 1) silence 2) song 3) dance 4) happiness 5) poetry 5) chanting 6) meditation 7) yoga practice 8) good friendships 9) good relations with family

And many more in both categories.  So how do we go beyond right and wrong - well, it's the realm of forgiveness. The realm of the Christ within all of our hearts.  Interestingly, my mother always taught me to forgive but not forget.  And I know what she means.  She means forgive, but don't be foolish and forget so soon that you allow the "wrong" or "harm" to happen over and over again because you've "forgotten" so quickly.  I realize this is the reason unhappiness exists.

Unhappiness exists so that we can learn to expand out of situations that don't suit the freedom, happiness and laughter of our spirits.  Caroline Myss would always say, "Do you need an angel/celestial being to tell you when you are unhappy?"  No you don't - and she says, "there's your guidance."  This is the guidance we need to move on from a situation.

 

My father would always tell me when I left the house (even though I knew he worried about my well-being every time I left) - "Have fun!"  with an emphasis on the word fun.  And it's great because years and years later, I am still doing just that.  

I am so grateful for all the great beings in my life who have taught me about the almighty bright lights that shine in all hearts - and for the beings who just simply shine this light no matter what.  They are fewer than I had hoped when I incarnated - yet there are plenty enough of these beings for me to be extremely satisfied with the company I do keep.  Such great and grand beings of light and love all around me.  I am just lucky to be able to see and feel all of this wonderful support.  We all have it - but too many are busy with the wrongs I've listed above that they can't see through the dark clouds they've placed around themselves for too many lifetimes.  

May you understand that the yoga practices are meant to shine your way through to who you are.  And may you continue to practice no matter what.  All of you wonderful beings out there in the world, universe and beyond.

Obama: The Voice of the new Soul of America

I'll have to admit that I have not watched previous presidents of the U.S. of A. and their speeches - I've read some of them in the NY Times and Clinton's apology for the Lewinsky affair.  But I gladly put aside time to watch our current President Barack Obama.

The ad agency where I worked stopped everything and gathered around our 3 television sets in our reception area to watch his inauguration.  Here are some quotes from his inauguration speech yesterday:

"In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given.  It must be earned."

"We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waiver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you."

"What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world."

"To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.  To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy."

No umms, stutters, faltering throughout the speech.  Incredible.  No notes, nothing.  May the infinite Gods of all the worlds traditions, the soul of the world, and all beings in all the universes bless this man.

a good night's sleep dawns an ecstatic day

It's winter time and this body loves to sleep - ten hours last night and perhaps another ten the night before.  But I'll have to say - that when I wake up after the depth of sleep - I feel so good and have so much energy for my sadhana, yoga practice and work that it's worth it.

 

At Ananda Ashram - lake pictured above - I get the most profound, deepest dreamless sleeps I've ever had in my life.  I often go there - just for a night's sleep if that is all I have time for - morning meditation, total quiet - and hop back on the train to go to work with commuters.  There's simply nothing like it.

This weekend - after a couple of days of doing a lot of Hatha yoga (I like to catch up on weekends by doing a few hours each day) - my sleep has been deeper.  And healing.  As my body aligns itself through this practice, the bones and muscles/nerves are finding their new way to my "optimal blueprint," as John Friend describes the alignment for individual bodies.  And in my sleep - I can feel the body settling into the new forms.  Asanas are like the most powerful body braces.  It puts the body in a shape that is more conducive for meditation, prayer and direct communion with the divine.  And sleep - deep heavenly winter sleep is the perfect time to allow for all this work to integrate into the body-mind complex.

Happy Obama Inauguration day today.  I chanted for an hour and half this morning to celebrate this glorious day.

OMMM for Obama - January 20 - Inauguration Day

This just in from David Hill - one of my many illustrious yogi buddies:

Tuesday, January 20th at 8AM ( Bryant Park –The POND

lululemon athletica invites you to bring your friends and fellow yogis to the Bryant Park ice rink on Tuesday, January 20th - Inauguration Day - at 8AM for a citywide unified OMMMM that will carry all the way to Washington DC ! The more voices, the better. RSVP: leustace@lululemon.com  

The Soul of Shaolin on Broadway

Last night, I watched Soul of Shaolin, a story about Shaolin Kung-fu featuring over 30 Shaolin masters.   

It was the first night of a limited number of perfomances (24 in all) in New York City's Marquis Theater in the heart of Broadway.  Before the dark velvet red curtains opened to reveal the stage, I noticed a great blue light throughout my head, and I laughed inside.  It was the blue light of meditation that all masters speak about.  Here, on Broadway, with Shaolin monks and their trainees about to fly across the stage, I could see and feel their meditation.  This, in itself, was transformative and I bowed, internally to have this chance to be in the presence of many masters.

What grace, power and utter humility these masters possessed as they wielded their lithe bodies on stage.  You could see how much the Shaolin masters enjoyed themselves throughout their displays.  One of the most powerful articles I've ever read in my life was about Shaolin monks in Madison magazine years ago.  When the head abbott of the Shaolin monks was asked to demonstrate his deadliest posture on camera, he thought for a moment, sat down, closed his eyes and began to meditate.

And this point was made very clear to me as I saw the blue light permeate the entire stage, my head and beingness, I could feel all of their meditations - perhaps collective over the years of their practice and in the moments before they came on stage.  Watching them was not like watching a circus trapeze act or even gymnastics on the Olympics.  When I watch these things, there's always a bit of terror behind the spectacle as I was afraid the daredevil would fall, hurt themselves, break a bone or even die in front of my eyes.  No, with the Shaolin monks I watched last night, I only felt composure and trust as they wielded the deadliest whips, chains and flew through the air. 

In one of the scenes, the main protagonist was banished to look at himself deeply after fighting out of anger.  They were not to use their skills out of anger - which is a remarkable way to look at "fighting" in the first place.  It's really like the two uses of a knife - you might use it to create or to do harm - it's up to the wielder of the object.  Same with Shaolin Kung-fu fighting - done out of necessity, it is a work of art.  Done out of anger, then it fails.

As a yogi, I was impressed that as the Shaolin monk main protagonist progressed in his training, he seemed to do a lot more Hatha Yoga moves - underscoring the steps up the ladder are towards more peace and harmony. 

As a yogini, I was deeply impressed by this show and recommend any of you yogis in Manhattan to make sure to see it before it goes.  It's a rare opportunity to see such a show of Shaolin artistry.

Here's a video from today's NY Post:

http://www.nypost.com/seven/01152009/entertainment/its_kung_fu_lfilling_150163.htm

Save the Date - May 7, 2009, Ananda Ashram Gala at Jivamukti Yoga School

This should be a blast of an evening.  

The fundraising committee of Ananda Ashram has been working hard to put this event together and are excited to see the results of the evening.  Ooh la la.

We will have entertainment, great food, lots of sponsors, a Silent Auction and yogis in festive attire together to raise funds for our beloved Ananda Ashram in Monroe, New York.  The Ashram itself was opened in 1964 - 45 years ago.  We are raising funds so that the Ashram's meditation, Vedanta, Sanskrit, and Yoga studies can continue for another 50 years. 

Put the dates on your calendars.

Save money now for the event - tickets are $108 per person.

Sharon Gannon and David Life, founders of Jivamukti Yoga School are co-chairs of the evening.

Much love,

Sumukhi