Yoga Into Summer Challenge - Musing #6 - What Makes You Happy

Last week I was "musing" about how memories can bring us happiness, calmness, a quiet mind. How did your memory treasure hunt go? I hope you were able to relive a few memories with all your senses again. Perhaps you found a memento you purchased on a trip, an old recipe that you cooked with your grandma, a letter (ok, maybe more likely an email:)) from a loved one, a photo from a birthday party or something else. Share with us on our Blog if you would like to. It is always nice to learn from each other.

This week let's carry on a step further. If we are able to recall memories that bring us happiness how about starting to pay attention to what makes us happy. I know, I know it is a fairly large topic to grapple with. But again, we learn to be patient and observant in our yoga practices so just give yourself time.

I was in a restorative class a few weeks back when Gracy was reading from a book called The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are by Brene Brown . (Brené Brown, Ph.D., LMSW is a research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. She has spent the past decade studying vulnerability, courage, worthiness, and shame.) A book as its title suggests is a great accumulation of research on a movement of letting go, on becoming more mindful about what is truly important in our lives, what is worth working towards. Sounds familiar? Yes, you probably hear those messages in Quiet Mind yoga classes.

The chapter Gracy was reading to us was about Play and Rest (Chapter 7), letting go of exhaustion as a status symbol and productivity as self worth. Which is hard. In our society, in our city the first question people ask, who do you work for? How many degrees do you have? How many weekends a month do you work? We seem to think that the more overtime hours we put in, the more exhausted we sound, the more important we are. There are times in our lives when overworking is inevitable of course. But when times are calmer Dr. Brown suggests taking a good look at ourselves. Making a list of "joy and meaning" - when things go well in your life, when you feel happy what does it look like? Her and her family's answers included: "sleep, working out, healthy food, cooking, time off, weekends away, going to church, being present with the kids, a sense of control over our money, meaningful work that does not consume us, time to piddle, time with family and close friends and time to just hang out". Comparing this list with their dream list - accomplishments and acquisitions mainly - bigger house, cars, large salary goals - on this list everything required making and spending more money.

They realized that letting go many of the items on the second list, things they wanted to acquire and accomplish they would be living their dream now. Not in the future, but right now. Just as any changes in our habits, our outlook, our routine, this is yet another not so easy process. But can be so rewarding. It does not mean that you will not move into that bigger house, have that car, get the degree you want, it just helps you put it in perspective if you really need it, or you want it because that is what you think you are supposed to do. Allow yourself more time and clarity of what is truly important, what makes you happy NOW.

Hammad and I made our list as well (with our puppy, Chewy in mind of course :)), and there were some surprises there too. Some question marks and some stuff to work through but it was a great exercise. It will take some time to live by it, and I am also aware that the list will change as our life circumstances change. One thing that I came away with is that meaningful work does make me happy. I am so happy everytime I step on the mat, I am happy when I am teaching yoga, I am happy when I am writing. If I can be lucky enough to do those for the rest of my life...

I wish you good soulsearching, finding things that truly make you happy and enjoying them. NOW. Oh and if you have not seen it watch the great documentary Happy. Or look at our Summer schedule coming out next week, and join us for a movie nite watching the film together :) Happy times :)

Yoga Into Summer Challenge - Musing #5 - Memory Treasure Hunt

I was reading an article about how pleasant memories have a great effect on our body and mind. A scent, a melody, a flavor, sound, laughter can transport us back to a place of joy and happiness even if for a moment. It can lift up our mood and all of a sudden we can feel the same way as we did when the memory was created. Time stops and our body reacts pleasantly. Some scientific studies show that these memories and positive thoughts free up a hormone called DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) that is responsible for rejuvenation, send more blood to the brain and our heart-beat becomes calmer. We become calmer, come up with better ideas and just feel happier. So in case you feel down, pull up some fun memory and get in a better mood.

Have things around that bring those memories up. Photos, books, small presents, songs, poems, and more. Enjoy them when you are down. The photo above I just found again as I was clearing out my photo libraries. It was taken in Szeged, my home town a few years back in one of the main squares of the city. It was a gorgeous Spring day with warm and soft rain and we were out with my little niece and nephew. We were playing hide and seek, chasing pigeons, had ice cream and just walked and walked. Just looking at the shiny cobble stones, the kids running after the pigeons I am there again. I can even see everyone faces, the clear streets after the rain and dripping ice cream on my nephew's chin. One of the many happy memories from my "h(om)ecomings".

And how does this relate to yoga? Yoga that teaches that we need to be in the present moment? Well, we have to arrive to that present moment from somewhere. We are made up of so many memories, ingrained experiences we carry from our recent and generations-back past (as discussed in the first Blog Entry), our aspirations for the future and certainly we are complex. In my view yoga is here to help us sort through all this mind-stuff. When you teach your body to move with your breath, to breathe with your movement, when you find the clarity of the mind for a (nano-)second in your practice you are making choices on the mat and off the mat as well: what should influence you, what should stay with you and what to let go of. And those experiences (even from your mat) will steer you towards a more peaceful and happy existence. Yes, we know now that this journey is a long one, but hey, more time to make even more lovely and recallable memories. :)

Therefore, if we want pleasant memories, what we do now is vital. In my yoga practice, I try to make each breath and its coordinating movement bring me joy and pleasure. And - even though it is harder - I try to do the same off the mat in my every days as well.

This week dig deep and bring up some fun and happy memories, give yourself a little time to "indulge" in those memories and notice how you feel. Happy memory treasure hunt! And if you would like to share it with us, please do on our Blog. We can always learn something from eachother.

Namaste

:) Rita

Yoga Into Summer Challenge - Musings #4 - The Soul Gardener

It is spring time. It is time to plant the seeds and to tend to your gardens. The beautiful gardens outside and our inner garden as well. Just like in the real gardens, the work in our inner garden can be challenging at times. Therefore, today I just wanted to share two little fables I found while reading the Yoga International magazine. They are about accepting what we have, who we are, where we are at any given moment...

"Mulla Nasrudin decided to start a flower garden. He prepared the soil and planted the seeds of many beautiful flowers. But when they came up, his garden was filled not just with his chosen flowers but also overrun with dandelions. He sought out advice from gardeners all over and tried every method known to get rid of them but no avail. Finally he walked all the way to the capital to speak with the royal gardener at the sheik's palace. The wise old man has counseled many gardeners before and suggested a variety of remedies to expel the dandelions but Mulla Nasredin had tried them all. Then they sat together in silence for some time... And finally the royal gardener looked at Nasrudin and said: "Well... then I suggest that you learn to love them."
-- Sufi

From Soul Food to Nourish the Spirit and the Heart - edited by Jack Kornfield and Christina Feldman.

The fable teaches us to love all our little flaws, making peace with possible injuries, health conditions that might seem as an obstacle in letting our deep and true self bloom. They are there for a reason. By accepting them, caring for them we learn. The greatest power we all possess is the ability to make choices about ourselves. How we want to conduct our lives should come from a deeper understanding, a deeper wisdom.

"Nasrudin was an old man looking back on his life. He sat with his friends in the tea shop telling his story.
"When I was young I was fiery-I wanted to awaken everyone. I prayed to God to give me strength to change the world... In mid-life I awoke one day and realized my life was half over and I had changed noone. So I prayed to God to give me the strength to change those close around me who so much needed it... Alas, now I am old and my prayer is even simpler. God, I ask, please give me the strength to at least change myself. "

-- Sufi 

From Soul Food to Nourish the Spirit and the Heart - edited by Jack Kornfield and Christina Feldman.

What are the "dandelions" in your life? Find them, name them, sit with them, and start trying to love them. It is not always easy but what a great and freeing feeling once you do... the choice is only yours. And once you do, you become a great example for many to follow...

Happy "soul gardening"!

Yoga Into Summer Challenge - Musing #3 - Back in the USA

After such a lovely trip I am back in the USA and back at the studio. It is nice to be back. My aunt put it best about my travels between Hungary and the USA: "You are lucky; you leave home to go home, whichever direction you travel". Both places are homes for me, which is indeed a blessing. Of course it also means that I miss the one when I am in the other. For many of us who are from other countries and live here it is something we are used to. And it is sometimes hard. My way of bringing Hungary home with me is in words. I buy mostly books and my favorite magazines whenever I go, making traveling, other shopping and of course packing difficult. Oh how I miss those flying days when we could check in two bags and there was almost no weight limit :)

Now I do need to restrict myself to 4-5 books and equal amount of magazines. But it is so worth to have the written word in my mother tongue. Why go into so much trouble? How about the Internet, you might ask? And yes, that is also wonderful but books are still hard to come by online (Any day now... Amazon/Kindle will sure get into the business of distributing Hungarian books) and I like the old fashioned way of paging through magazines as well. So you can see that I do need them. This way I have a few months of reading material and they usually run out just in time before my next trip. That is a lot of books over the years for sure...

One could either say I am a patriot and an avid reader or that I am a hoarder of books. Borderline of difference. Either way I have been thinking during this trip about ways to maintain my reading habits but without breaking my back and our book cases. And of course Yoga comes to rescue... again...

One of the Yamas, Aparigraha, non-attachment comes up a lot in our teachings. As you can read in our Yoga Challenge Blog from last year, Aparigraha is often associated with not clinging to material possessions, emotions, values, thoughts and characteristics.

There are many interpretations of Aparigraha out there, the most often heard one is abstaining from greed. Is my collection of books in Hungarian too much? Should I not gather any more? To follow Aparigraha one needs to look at their possessions inside and out. If our life revolves only around objects that can be lost or destroyed, we find that we are either upset over the loss of these items or are constantly worried that we may lose these items. Of course we dont want to give up everything we just need to find balance. And whatever we do, we should feel comfortable and content with our choices.

I like this interpretation by Nischala Joy Devi: "Aparigraha gives us the secret to earthly life. Take a moment to feel gratitude for the great blessings that surround you... Even when you acknowledge the bounty, is there still a lingering apprehension that part or all of it may be taken away? That the well might run dry? Just thinking that a resource is limited initiates fear, thereby lessening the joy in the present moment." Well, that is certainly not the case with me and my Hungarian books. I can never run out of them, since I already read them. And I feel good about the books on the shelves but I would be also happy to share them with others as well. (Let me know if you want to borrow some Hungarian literature :))

By the teachings of yoga and the principle of Aparigraha, I know that deep in my heart I have all I need. My books help me to feel connected all the time. Even though the feeling of longing is not an easy one, I am thankful that I can spend the majority of my time in this country. But I am also happy that I come from another culture. Both are important. I have these two sets of experiences, languages, cultures and food of course. And lots of shelf space :)

How about you? When you look around you and deep into your heart, what are the things that truly ground you without weighing you down?
Happy explorations of Aparigraha this week.

Namaste,

Rita

Yoga Into Summer Challenge - Musing #1 - Our past, present and future

H(om)e, sweet H(om)e...

Greetings from Szeged, Hungary! I arrived almost two days ago to my hometown and have been spending time with my family. It is my father's 70th birthday celebration to which my larger family will be coming together. I have been planning it for a while, including working with my cousin on putting a DVD together of my dad's photos and family videos as a surprise. It enlists various events through a 50+ years long timeline...

This trip has been on my mind (and heart) for a while. As one of our lovely regular students, Jeanette put it this trip "is a celebration of life". It made me think that through family members' birthdays, we not only celebrate a precious loved one (young or old) but at the same time we consciously or subconsciously also reflect on our own lives. How the lives of these loved ones have affected our own story and how the stories within a family are intertwined generation by generation.

I saw a movie here called The Door, an international collaboration directed by our Oscar winning director, Istvan Szabo and starring one of my favorite actresses, Helen Mirren. The movie is an insight to the Communist era Hungary, with a marvellous and artistic depiction of the changing rules, lives and political system from a perspective of one family. In a Werkfilm Helen Mirren was quoted saying that she loved doing this movie, because it was a study of a nation's past, through the members of a family's emotional ties to each other.

She continued saying, it is so crucial to understand on a deep level what made our parents and grandparents moved, happy, afraid, what made them excited, hopeful and how they planned their future... Our present. We carry all of this wisdom within us, and our children will carry it further...And if we are aware of this inner truth, we have a good chance of creating the best self we can, because we have an insight, we understand.

My yoga teaching philosophy is to empower all my students with this deeper understanding of themselves. Yoga teaches us to do so, through the asanas (posture practice), pranayama (our breath control) and the relaxation and meditation practices. I believe each and every one of us are so unique and we should celebrate and utilize all the gifts we received. Through Svadhyaya, self-study, one of the Niyamas, moral guidelines (read more about it in our last year's blog entry) we cultivate this deeper understanding; what works for us in body, mind and in our hearts. This deeper understanding is influenced greatly by where we come from. In DC, one of the most international cities in the world, we feel that the city is so vibrant through the multi-cultural energetic field we all create. Now that I am home with my parents, looking through the photos, editing the video of my father's (and inherently my own) life, I am facing much of my own unique truths. Yoga, Svadhyaya, and finding our unique story is a long journey, but is beautiful.

Maybe this week ask yourself the questions Dame Helen Mirren was asking. What are the things that you carried on with you through the lives of your ancestors that makes you beautifully unique? Through this lens where does your strength lies within you? And maybe ask some of your close friends the same questions. Who knows you might even find some similarities in life stories ... both old and new...

Viszontlatasra!

What is Yoga Off the Mat? Student Inspiration by Cara George

No matter what level or frequency of practice, anyone who has a relationship with yoga will at some point apply their practice off the mat, whether deliberately or inadvertently. Normally, I find myself thinking about yoga in more "traditional" settings, like adjusting my posture in my desk chair, or doing a few sun salutations in the mornings before scrambling out the door. However, I recently noticed this off-the-mat connection in two seemingly unusual places.

A few weeks ago, I had to endure an almost hour-long MRI and felt panicky when the technician warned me that if I moved even an inch during the scan, we would have to start the process completely anew. Knowing that I'd likely feel rather claustrophobic and fidgety, I started my own personal shavasana the moment that the technician slid my whole body inside the machine. Completely enclosed, for a moment I wanted to scream for them to let me out. But, I instead closed my eyes, allowing myself to become as comfortable as possible and as limp as a noodle. Throughout the whole process, I concentrated my mind on different parts of my body, breathing into the stillness that I felt and becoming more and more relaxed. Although the machine produced strange banging noises, I even dozed off at one point, still breathing heavily with my eyes closed. I was interrupted only by the voice of the technician, coming through over the speakers, asking, "Are you okay? Are you SURE?"

When the MRI was over, the technician pulled me out of the machine and I felt overwhelmingly relaxed and awaken. He shook his head in disbelief as he exclaimed that I was the best patient he had ever seen! Not a bad way to boost one's self confidence, in a strange way...

Alternately, yoga influenced a recent experience in a less beneficial manner. During any yoga practice, we are always aiming to be mindful of breathing. But whereas long inhales and exhales produced an overwhelming calm during my MRI, it was not so convenient while snorkeling in Shark's Cove in Hawaii. As a novice snorkeler, (plus the typical anxiety one may feel when visiting a place called "Shark's Cove", which ironically -and fortunately- did not have sharks) I felt nervous affixing the mask and tube, and while under water tried to calm my anxiety with deep inhalations, which each time resulted in choking on sea water and fully embarrassing myself.

It's remarkable how yoga influences our every day lives, making us react with the world around us in a different way. What are some conventional - or not-so-conventional - places that you bring your practice off the mat? Are there times that yoga has been especially beneficial - or had the opposite effect?

If you would like to share with us your experience of how yoga affects your life, please send me an email at rita.maximilian@gmail.com. All the entries (Starting with Cara's) will be found here, on our Blog.

Me, Myself and My Asana Quiet Mind Photo Competition

Amanda Hull
So in the picture attached, I was enjoying the sunset on a beach in Grenada (island inthe Caribbean) this past August and decided to do a few handstands. My boyfriend caught a few great pictures. Looking back through the pictures reminds me of a time of peace, joy, and the true brilliance and beauty of nature. I can still feel the sand between my fingers and the wave washing up if I close my eyes.

Vijay Palaparti

I wanted to submit the following photograph for the QMY Photo Competition. Please note that this is not a photograph that was taken by me, but a photographer in Chennai, India. I feel it strongly represents the intersection of yoga with my career as an classical Indian dancer and choreographer. Specifically, I draw away techinques of breathing and maintaining some kind of mental balance in the exercise, which can be very athletic and demanding at times. It has very meditative qualities as well, and a strong foundation in expression. This photograph is an example of how principles in yoga, drishti, specifically, are necessary to maintain balance. It's very hard to stand in certain poses and postures with a focus (as I stand in the pose in the picture). If the focus wavers, then there is a tendency to fall. So, from a physical perspective, drishti is so important to what I do almost on a daily basis. And beyond that, it relates to life in general. Focus is essential and helps.

Azat Mardanov

I've taken it at Grand Canyon during my coast-to-coast road trip/move from DC to CA. It was on just a few days notice and I'm confident that without having Yoga practice in my life I would be more stressed, procrastinating or hesitating. Life in CA is much different then in DC, I'm trying to be present - atha yoganusasanam! I'm grateful that I had opportunity to participate in 200h YWTT at QMS and meet with wonderful people!

Helen Palfreyman

This photo was taken in Wadi Rum, the desert of South Jordan. I traveled there with a group of girlfriends and spent 3 days sleeping out in the desert under the stars and enjoying nature and time with good friends. During our trip there, we all started practicing yoga in the middle of the desert with those of us who had practiced yoga teaching those who hadn't. Here we are doing a warrior two in the morning as the sun was coming up. Just a reminder that even far away from a yoga studio, you can still practice yoga. The tranquility of Wadi Rum was the perfect place to experience this.

Jessica Phillips-Silver

Practicing yoga at home with Ellie, my 14-month old yogini, the greatest teacher I ever had. First a headstand... Ellie watches to learn... Did she learn this mudra from our Buddha?... She shows me updog...and when it comes to child's pose, she is a natural. This is why we learn yoga from our children. She is my guru and I am hers. The light in me mirrors the light in her...Namaste.

Ibtisam Vincent
Some days the bus seems to take *forever.* (Yet another reason to travel by bicycle when I can.) When I find myself getting impatient waiting for the 54 bus, I like to break out my yogic breathing and a pose or two -- it calms me while simultaneously entertaining my bus stop compatriots. Eagle arms often elicit funny looks, but when I really want to confuse them and impress them with my sense of balance I'll break out tree pose....

Arielle Mir and Talal Mir

Both were taken during a hike in Saguaro National Park, in Tucson, Arizona. Tucson is Talal's hometown and a place of tremendous natural beauty and tranquility. When you are walking among the centuries-oldcactus, the wisened stone, and wild flowers, the sound of your breathand the birds chirping are all you can hear. Talal's Vrksasana represents the steadiness, patience and groundedness of the saguaro cactus, who take up to 75 years to grow each "arm." Arielle assumed the pose of the sunning desert reptile along the trail. In Utthan Pristhasana, Arielle finds opening and grounding simultaneously, similar to the feeling that being in the mountains evokes.

Emma Sandoe

Attached is my photo of me doing yoga in the morning in my backyard. Every morning I wake up by 5:30am and most days go running after a morning stretch on my balcony. Hip openers are my favorite in the morning. It's wonderful to do some positions that require focus and concentration while I listen to the city waking up.

Shenandoah Gale

Few words and an image to express gratitude to Quiet Mind and to the Quiet Mind community for nurturing namaste in our little corner of the world.

Trisha Nakano

Title: Upside Down on the Top of the World
Location: Yushu, Tibet, 2009

To experience the most perfect sky you have ever seen, visit Tibet. It is a blue that cannot be described or captured properly on film. The sheep dotting the horizon on the rolling green nomadic lands seem to reflect the perfect, fluffy cumulus clouds. But, the spaciousness of the landscape is in stark contrast with the political situation.

This picture was taken a few years ago at about 14,000 feet while my husband, Tenzin, and I were leading a yoga trip in eastern Tibet. A word of caution: don't try this on your first few days at altitude. Altitude sickness is no fun. This, of course, was after about 2 weeks of acclimation.

My advice: If you want to visit Tibet, do it now and spend some time (if the political situation allows) with the people of the older.generation.

Liz O’Connell

"Vrksasana at Sunrise, Kerala, India"

It was still pitch black our when we began our hike that morning up the mountain. Like vinyasa teaches us to "place in a special way" we marched mindfully in a line, one after another; taking each step carefully, one foot after the other. We reached the top just as dawn was breaking and practiced a true Surya Namaskar--saluting the brilliant rising sun.

Allison Manuel

My favorite Asana.

Bonnie Foote

“Me, My Cat, and Our Favorite Asana” (Savasana)