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Memory, a relative to truth.

Memory is a complicated thing, a relative to truth, but not its twin. ~Barbara Kingsolver, Animal Dreams

Just before we did the three seated poses in the Mother Sequence this past Tuesday, I was inspired to ask, "Of course you're all accessing feelings of joy while inhaling, aren't you?" I tallied the smiles and smirks as I moved into the poses myself. This is the one class in which I participate in every pose and offer little or no corrections, aside for the blaring safety issues.

When I twisted into the pose, Matsyangasana, a thought popped into my head: "So....if I have the choice to feel happy in the present moment, why can't I do the same about something that happened in the past?"

In the next few breaths (out of the requisite twelve) I ran through scenes from the past few years and literally edited them. I changed the sound bytes for the stored mental videos and altered accusations into accreditations, given and received. I felt better about myself and all of the other characters in my scenes.

Call me psychotic for not facing reality but what good does memory serve if it doesn't enhance your present or your future? Besides, even short-term stress has been found to impair memory and learning so you may not even have a firm grasp of the details of that displeasing event anyway.

After class, I found an e-mail message with a thoroughly fascinating video of Jill Bolte Taylor, described best by TED:

One morning, a blood vessel in Jill Bolte Taylor's brain exploded. As a brain scientist, she realized she had a ringside seat to her own stroke. She watched as her brain functions shut down one by one: motion, speech, memory, self-awareness ... Amazed to find herself alive, Taylor spent eight years recovering her ability to think, walk and talk. She has become a spokesperson for stroke recovery and for the possibility of coming back from brain injury stronger than before. In her case, although the stroke damaged the left side of her brain, her recovery unleashed a torrent of creative energy from her right. From her home base in Indiana, she now travels the country on behalf of the Harvard Brain Bank as the "Singin' Scientist." Watch the video (18:00)

By the end of the eighteen minute presentation, I felt as though I had reviewed and understood my entire life, thoughts and actions: it's been a constant foray between the left and right sides of my brain. Yoga, particularly the Mother Sequence with it's focus of blending movement, breath and emotions, has taught me how to waltz between the hemispheres. I think, the next sequence will teach me how to tango.

Original Photo: Jerrie Stafford

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• Stem cell research in India found a sign of relief for stroke patients (stemcell.taragana.net)

What the Teacher is...

What the teacher is, is more important than what he teaches.  ~Karl Menninger
 

I'm putting the final touches on the flyers for Jehangir Palkhivala's workshop next month. Through the courtesy of his brother Aadil, I have two beautiful photos to incorporate. I cropped a square section to preview only Jehangir's hands on the front cover of the brochure. When you open the tri-fold paper, he is shown in Urdhva Mukha Svanasana.

In hopes of offering a bit of insight into Jehangir's teaching style, I came across an article and have decided to use excerpts for the brochure:

A traditional bonesetter named Madhivala had predicted to Jehangir Palkhivala’s mother, when she was carrying him, that her child would grow up to be a doctor. His words were prophetic. Though Jehangir never studied medicine, today he heals not just physical ailments, but effects transformations through yoga. He calls it “lifestyle modification without much effort”.

“Right from a young age I had a feeling that I’d like to help people. Even today I can’t resist that urge,” says Jehangir who learnt yoga from B.K.S. Iyengar since the age of seven.

“My teaching became such that I started relating it to practical life. At class we would address specific problems, anger, for instance, with the idea of practising on it at home. Thus when you leave class, it is not the end but the beginning of yoga.” (1)

This is the schedule that our workshop will follow:

• Friday, April 25: A Talk from 6-8pm
• Saturday, April 26: 10am - 4pm
• Sunday, April 27: 9am - 1pm

The cost of the full workshop is $225 if you register by April 5. Thereafter the cost will be $250.00.

Tomorrow: Urdhva Mukha Svanasana, the full pose.

(1) Read the article in its entirety. Spiritual Lifestyles: Jehangir and Rashmi Palkhivala. LifePositive.com

What do I do when I'm short of time?

There are days, I will admit, when my schedule does an inversion. People and things appear in my life that I want to say "yes" to at the risk of saying "no" to the Mother Sequence. Luckily, there is an abridged version that Jehangir Palkhivala, creator of the sequence, developed. It takes all of ten minutes for me, but the amount of focus that's required, feels like an hour's practice.

When my time is limited, I rely on this shortened version:

1. All 12 breath poses become 3 breath poses.

2. You begin with 2 Surya Namaskaras (classical sun salutes).

3. The Tibetan Rites are done 3 times. Do the first rite (spinning) 3 times but keep to 3 breaths, even if you stand still for a breath or two.

4. As soon as you count breath #3, keep count of the next breath even if you have not started the pose.

5. The Intention is not to skip a pose, and not to NOT skip a pose.

6. Let no breath go without purpose.

The beauty of the Abridged Mother Sequence lies in points 5 and 6. Over time, the effects permeate your life off the yoga mat and grace appears somewhere in the middle of erasing a double negative.

Groundhog Day

It's Groundhog Day and Phil says six more weeks of winter! Even those of us in Hawaii could feel that coming. Our mountains are snow capped and it's cold even at sea level, where I live.

Despite that, telling me that winter will be around for another six weeks is as meaningful as saying that it's "20 below" where you live. "60 above" is cold to me so we're talking thermal undies and hula skirts here.

The significance of Groundhog Day for me this year, is that it's the start of my 2008 - The Year of Living Delightfully. Inspired by David Seah, to whom Groundhog Day serves as "a reminder to maintain a flexible, magical perspective on life", today is the first day of my wild expectations for the year. I plan to maintain a daily practice of the Mother Sequence of yoga postures and keep to a basically raw-until-dinner eating plan.

While it may not be as romantic as say A Year in Provence, as experienced by author, Peter Mayle, I'm excited about it as though I were embarking on a long trip to a distant, unfamiliar land. It's time for me to allow yoga to be light and entertaining as well as profound and fathomless.

This afternoon, when I got to the end of the sequence my only wish was that every practice session would be as stimulating and fresh as the day before. I want a new experience and another step to be waiting for me, everyday.

Follow along or join me at: 2008 - The Year of Living Delightfully

Photo: National Geographic

Eat Local

"The two biggest sellers in bookstores are the cookbooks and the diet books. The cookbooks tell you how to prepare the food and the diet books tell you how not to eat any of it."
--Andy Rooney

After I came back from my last trip, my body had a strong desire for water, fresh fruits and vegetables. Perhaps my cells were parched by the desert heat or actually in need of certain nutrients. Whatever the reason, I welcomed the change because I felt lighter and brighter.

Then during the last yoga workshop, the therapeutic applications of the Mother Sequence and other specific postures, were usually coupled with suggestions for meals. Fruit for breakfast and fruit at tea time (4-5pm). Lunch and dinner should begin with fruit or a vegetable salad before any cooked foods are consumed, the fresh foods making up a half or more of the volume of the meals. Luckily for me, my body made up my mind for me.

I've also learned that it's what you feel when you eat that is more important than what you eat so I've been looking for more ways to feel good about my food. Adding veracity to Andy Rooney's statement, I bought a couple of new cookbooks (do books on raw foods qualify as cookbooks?) and find myself out foraging every other day or two. It's become a welcome practice as I look for more sources of food.

The Keauhou Farmers Market that's held at the Keauhou Shopping Center every Saturday from 8am to 12 noon is now my Top Shop, edging past Amazon.com because of instant gratification from my purchases. The feel good factor is that I'm taking steps to Eat Local . Foods are fresher, less energy has been consumed to get the food from the farm to my table and I'm supporting the people in my own neighborhood. What a beautiful concept.

As I was hunting and gathering on the Internet, I found out that there's going to be an Eat Local Challenge held nationally during the month of September. I just love it when everything rolls out in front of me like a red carpet. I'm beginning to think that the carpet has been out there for a long time, I just had to turn a little more to the right and take a step.

Photo:restaurantswaikiki.com

A Man Who Bears Gifts

Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.
-Siddartha Gautama (Buddha)

Those of us fortunate enough to have attended Jehangir Palkhivala's workshop this weekend, graciously received the gifts that he offered, and believe me, they were numerous. There was something for every level of yoga experience. Whether you were new to the Mother Sequence or have been practicing it for several years; new to yoga or a yoga teacher; the presents that Jehangir kept pulling out of his bag were perfectly chosen.

As I assimilate all that I have received, I'm sure they will spill over into my classes and future blog posts. It will no doubt, permeate my life.

While Jehangir may have been changing lives during the workshop, he was also actively seeking to bring joy into the lives of his family and friends back in India. During his spare time, he searched for items on a list that were meant for a specific person. He restocked the gifts in his bag as quickly as he handed them out!

When I left him at the airport last night, I had no idea if his heavy, gift laden bags would meet the weight limit. Jehangir was serene and ready to handle anything, although he made a mental note to inspect his gift buying "habit".

As I drove toward home, I thought about the last four days of yoga postures, mantras, copious notes and fascinating conversations. I thought about gifts: giving and receiving, in a new light. There are gifts of a material nature and the gifts couched between the words and actions of a gifted teacher.

A wise man named Frank Clark said, "You may give gifts without caring, but you can't care without giving." So it is then, that Jehangir is a man who cares so much about so many that he cannot stop giving. It is simply his Nature. I'm still finding his gifts, tucked into my written and memorized notes and nestled within my heart center.

Illustration: Exotic India

Jehangir Palkhivala @ Kona Yoga

Flyers are now available at the studio for next month's workshop with Jehangir. If you reside outside of Kona and would like one mailed to you, please contact barbara@konayoga.com with your mailing address and number of flyers required.

You may also download a pdf. version of the flyer.

Jehangir Palkhivala will also be conducting workshops at the following studios throughout the country:

• Yoga with Cherie, Lansing, MI - July 6 through July 8.
• The Yoga Lodge on Whidbey Island - July 17 and 18.
• Yoga Centers, Bellevue, WA - July 20 through July 22.
• Ventura Yoga, Ventura, CA - July 27 through July 29.
• East Honolulu Yoga Center, Honolulu, HI - August 4 through August 7.
• Kona Yoga, Kona, HI - August 9 through August 12.

Now what is she doing?

It's official , Mrs. Kravitz, the Beginning Yoga series ends this coming Tuesday, June 12. The next series will begin August 7 and in the meantime, I'm holding a Creating a Home Practice class that will be based on the Mother Sequence. In addition to learning and utilizing the sequence, I'll offer suggestions on how to carve out the time and space for a home practice.

This is the Schedule: Tuesdays from 6:00-7:30pm.

• June 19
• July 3
• July 10
• July 17
• July 31

Fees: $15/drop-in, All five for $65.00. Regular class passes also apply.

Photo:TV Party

The Mother Sequence Book

Last night was the 5th out of 6 classes for the Beginning Yoga series. There won't be another session until August.

I was prepared to lead the class in the basics of Sarvangasana (shoulderstand) but in answer to one man's lament about the loss of his Tuesday night yoga practice, I decided to offer the Mother Sequence as a brilliant solution. It really is brilliant!

Jehangir Pahlkivala created the sequence and has produced a book of instructions. It is beautifully illustrated with drawings of the postures and easily used as a practice guide.

We were able to get through the Suryanamaskara set, The 5 Tibetan Rites, two standing poses, three seated poses and part of the inversion postures. Needless to say it was a hit. "Yoga books scare me because there's so much to read, but this one...this is great!" said one enthusiastic man.

Jehangir will be at Kona Yoga this August 9-12 to teach the basic Mother Sequence as well as one of six variations of the sequence that he has developed. I'm considering Tuesday night classes that would focus on the sequence in anticipation of his workshop. These would serve in the interim until the next Beginning Yoga series (August 7 - September 11).

Watch for further announcements if you're interested. A limited supply of books are available at the studio for $10.

Tuesday, 10/03

Last night we went through 12 suryanamaskaras (sun salutations), focusing on the alignment of feet (big toes in line with each other) and connecting our moves to each breath.

The Tibetan Rites were next, 11 repetions to start with, 21 being the optimum.

The two standing poses: trikonasana and parsvakonasana were held for the requisite 12 breaths. As were the three seated postures: virasana, janusirsasana, and matsyangasana (mermaid pose). Jehangir devised the name for the third seated posture and I don't believe a photo exists on-line. Do you think that's something I could contribute? Hmmmmm.

Next week, we'll go through the above poses and focus on the 4 inversions.