Eight Limb Yoga

The Way to Auckland

2009-04-06T11:28:00.000-07:00

The top picture is just of the ocean --- well, probably the bay between the north and south islands.

In the air

2009-04-06T11:25:00.000-07:00

So long, Nelson!

2009-04-06T11:23:00.000-07:00

Looking back at the cottage and the shala

2009-04-06T11:18:00.000-07:00

From the last day at Stillpoint

2009-04-06T11:05:00.000-07:00

FEIJOA!

2009-04-02T01:55:00.000-07:00

Well, my wish to eat a fresh feijoa has come true. They're just at the beginning of their season (harvested in fall), and I found a few at the store a few days ago. They're not exactly perfectly ripe, but Sarah P-C picked out a couple that were mostly ripe that I could try.

SO - here's what you do - you slice the fruit in half (how come I didn't take a picture of the whole fruit?) as in the top picture. Then you scoop out the flesh and eat it - resulting in the last picture, just the skin.

YUM.

SO GOOD.

If you need yet another reason to come to NZ, come to taste feijoas.

he he he he

2009-04-02T01:54:00.000-07:00

My sushi roll didn't turn out quite as nice as Takako's... : )

But it was still yummy.

Thursday dinner - last night here

2009-04-02T01:47:00.000-07:00

Make-your-own-sushi night again! So much fun, and with Takako from Japan here, it's quite an inspired event.

Top picture is Vayu, Sarah P-C and Takako at the table enjoying the sushi. Next is Vayu enjoying the miso soup Takako made as the appetizer (yummmmm). Third is Sarah P-C enjoying the same soup.

Fourth is Takako making her beautiful sushi, which are pictured in the last photo. She makes sushi quite exquisitely.

Teacher training reunion

2009-04-02T01:40:00.000-07:00

Today (Thursday), Vayu and I drove in to Nelson to meet up with the others from training who are still around, including (above): Bela, Georgie, Sarah C, Vayu and me.

We sat outside this lovely little cafe called Deville on New Street.

It was great to just relax and talk about what we'd learned and - to just be together.

Bela goes back to China on Sunday. Georgie lives in Nelson, so she's home. Sarah C has a new job building a garden for a woman in Nelson. Vayu is staying through May (and then will head back to Busan, Korea - say "poo-SAHN").

Sweet little bird

2009-04-02T01:35:00.000-07:00

This beautiful little bird accidentally flew in to our shala lounge/kitchen area the other day and couldn't find its way back out. It actually flew in to the sliding door window and seemed quite frightened after landing on the couch nearby.

I slowly walked over to it, and gently picked it up in my hands, hardly believing it was letting me touch it.

Then, I walked to the door and outside and placed him on a low branch, but then thought it'd be better to put him up higher (with cats around), and I did.

Bless him, he sat on that little perch for maybe 10 minutes, and then Vayu saw him fly away.

His nervous system must have been overwhelmed by the stress of what happened and he needed to rest...

... hmmm.... perhaps similar to us humans when we get overstressed...

He was so sweet.

More pictures from the musical festival at the shrine

2009-04-02T01:20:00.000-07:00

Top picture shows many of the people at the music festival, and in the background you see the marimba band playing. Second picture was taken outside the meditation room (from the last set of pictures) where the prayer wheels are situated; you spin them. Painted between them is the mantra, "Om Mane Padme Hum." (This is the Tibetan way of saying it; some say it's just "Om Mane Padme Om.") See http://dharma-haven.org/tibetan/meaning-of-om-mani-padme-hung.htm. The mantra originated in India in Sanskrit; one translation is, "The Divine resides in the lotus of my heart."

Anyway, when you spin the prayer wheels with the mantra painted on them, you are sending out wishes and energy to liberate all souls from suffering, and offering compassion to/for all.

The third picture is a very young girl (perhaps 8 years old) walking on very tall stilts; she walked all over the place without any problem with balance.

Fourth picture is a ceramic "paint the deity" activity.

Lastly, there's a picture of a young woman in some kind of costume - not sure what she was supposed to be.

From last Sunday at the Buddhist Shrine

2009-04-02T01:15:00.001-07:00

As I wrote before, this Buddhist shrine is indeed in Upper Moutere, NZ. It's on a beautiful piece of land between sheep farms.

Manju Jois week

2009-04-01T01:51:00.000-07:00

Haven't written much lately, perhaps because this week is focused on practice... not just asana practice, but meditation, pranayama, chanting, and svadhyaya (self-study).

The early practice is at 7 AM (includes about 12 or 13 people), after which we meet at 8:45 for pranayama and chanting. The later practice (12-14 people; this is the asana practice I'm participating in) begins around 9:15 or so.

Most people are staying in places away from Stillpoint, though many of them hang around after practice/etc. to have chai tea and talk - and to just enjoy breathing the fresh air and scenery here.

Afternoons are for study, reading, resting, and preparing dinner, though yesterday, Vayu and I also drove in toward Nelson to see Sabine. She went to stay at a hotel for a few days after the other part of the training was over, before she her trip back to Germany. It was great to have time to talk in a relaxed atmosphere.

Today, I spent most of the study time reading Seeing Yoga, by Swami Nityamuktananda. It is "a contemplation of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras." The Swami is German by birth, and naturalized British. She has a varied background, including university studies (M.A. Theology/Education; Ph.D. Philosophy), and she has also studied ceramics, psychology, art, design, and various complementary medicines, including Shiatsu and Zen.

Unfortunately, her books are difficult, if not impossible to find in the U.S.

She comes to New Zealand to teach the philosophy part of the Level 2 training at Stillpoint.

From reading just this book (she has another book on The Five Elements), she has quite a way of relating deep information intelligently and accessibly.

Back to more mundane, but fun things... Tonight, Takako (here from Japan - she was also here last year when Tim and I were here, and she asked specifically how Tim is doing : ) ) cooked a wonderful tofu and vegetable curry. Takako is a wonderfully bright, pure-loving person. She LOVES chocolate (milk chocolate, that is), and often leaves a couple of pieces in the shala for Manju (or for John and Lucy when they're teaching).

Walking back to my room tonight, I saw the waxing moon just hovering over the horizon to the west - so bright that it blocked out many stars in its vicinity. On the opposite side of the sky, the stars were much more clear, including the southern cross.

It's amazing how easily we get "separated" from the sky when we live in or near big cities, and the stars aren't as visible. Takako says she can't see the stars at all in Tokyo. It's sad, really. They're up there every night, wanting to be seen.

Better get some sleep...

Saturday dinner in Wellington, at Chow

2009-03-31T00:17:00.000-07:00

From Saturday night in Wellington: At Chow, the top picture is the Rhubarb Crumble drink. Second picture is the miso soup with tofu and wakame. Third is the lemongrass scallops, and last is me walking away from the restaurant.

2009-03-31T00:10:00.000-07:00

More pictures from the waterfront, but this time, it's after the walk through the Botanical Gardens. The last picture is a guy only wearing a loin cloth playing music on the corner of Courtenay Place and Tory St.

Read the sign : )

2009-03-30T22:15:00.000-07:00

2009-03-30T20:56:00.000-07:00

Again, in reverse order... just above is me on the Wellington cable car - it starts inside, and just goes up to the beginning of the Botanical Gardens. The picture above me is the view at the end of the line. The first two are in the Gardens.

2009-03-30T20:44:00.000-07:00

These are all pictures from Te Papa. The Blood Earth and Fire sign refers to the exhibit behind it on NZ volcanoes and earthquakes. The third picture is from an NZ artist . Last picture is an interesting station wagon - looked like the body was made of wood.

2009-03-30T17:04:00.000-07:00

These are in reverse order... just above (this last one) is walking down a footpath through the neighborhoods near Mt. Victoria. Above it is a view from the footpath. The second picture is (of course) of my foot, as I sit on the concrete wall near the bay, on "Oriental Parade." The top picture is Te Papa, the museum.

Down the other side of Mt. Victoria

2009-03-29T22:33:00.000-07:00

First, a few pictures from the top.

Then, a few from tramping down the other side, and you can see it's very interesting how it's right in the middle of neighborhoods, etc. Some parts were quite steep, and yet people run up and down Mt. Victoria all the time.

Mt. Victoria

2009-03-29T18:05:00.001-07:00

These are all from my walk up Mt. Victoria. Susan and Doug live in Hataitai (the part of Wellington to the southeast of Mt. Victoria), so it's a great walk UP. As you can see from the second picture, I met a cute little cat on the way up (reminded me of our Topaz...).

Then, the last three, you can see the way to the summit. In the middle, you see the view looking up to the pyramid-like monument near the summit; then you see the monument itself, and then you see the view looking down at the monument from the summit.

Wellington pictures

2009-03-28T22:06:00.000-07:00

Top picture, I believe (from what a woman told me) is Mount Taranaki (way in the distance) on the south-western end of the north island, in view on the way to Wellington.

Second and third pictures are of pretty creepy, satirical, political mannequins at the Backbencher Restaurant in Wellington. Susan took me there to see them. The joker is Dan Brash; batman is John Key; and Robin is Bill English. They were all part of the National leadership team. The woman is the last female prime minister of NZ (Helen Clark, who lost reelection to John Key in 2008). In the back room of the restaurant, it's a sports bar, and there are mannequins of famous rugby and soccer players.

Rasa is the Malaysian restuarant Susan and I went to Friday night...mmmm... fish curry...

The last picture is a tree with a scarf knitted around it; it's called "tagging," and evidently, people go around to trees with their yarn, and just knit a pattern around the tree, effectively tagging it. Yes, they stand right there at the tree and knit. I didn't actually see anyone doing it, but the results are interesting.

Lucy, me, and John

2009-03-28T22:02:00.001-07:00

Back to Stillpoint home

2009-03-28T21:47:00.001-07:00

As much fun as it was to explore Wellington, it's good to be back.

Here's a bit of what happened there (leaving off from the last post)...

After walking through the Botanical Gardens (the Rose Garden was still in full bloom), I passed the Chinese Embassy on the way back to the city center ("centre," here). Went back to the waterfront and watched people running/walking a relay race around a building; some of the runners were dressed in costumes. "Relay for Life," I think is what it was called.

Saturday night, I went to a nice "fresh Asian" restaurant (that's how it is described) called Chow. Had a "Rhubarb Crumble" drink (like a rhubarb-infused cosmopolitan), miso soup with wakame (not as good as Vayu's), pumpkin and cashew fritters, and cucumber-wrapped lemongrass scallops. Actually, I went all out and had a dark chocolate brownie and vanilla ice cream for dessert, too.

It was delicious, BUT, it all would have tasted better if Tim had enjoyed it with me.

As it was, my waiter had lived 5 or 6 years in Boston and was a Red Sox fan, so it was nice to speak with someone who knew that the Phillies had won the World Series (none of my yoga peers knew).

Stayed at Susan and her husband (Doug)'s home again last night, and met their son, Nick, who is an actor. Didn't go to bed right away as Doug was interested in talking about yoga and massage; he used to practice yoga, and now does Qi Qong.

If'd I'd stayed in Wellington today, he and his fishing buddies would have taken me out on the bay on their fishing trip. Given how windy and cold it was on the bay, I think it's better I didn't get to go.

Today, Susan and I went to a nearby suburb, called Newtown, to have brunch at Pranah, a vegetarian restaurant I'd read about in one of Susan's books on Wellington. It was terrific.

Afterward, she drove me around all of the bays of the city. Just beautiful. I'll get some pictures up later.

Upon returning to Stillpoint, I unpacked and then Vayu and I went to a Music Celebration in Upper Moutere at a Tibetan Buddhist shrine - incredibly beautiful, and in the middle of fields of sheep. We enjoyed listening to a marimba group playing a few songs as many people danced (Vayu said, "ah... hippies"). Everyone was friendly and in to the music.

We also enjoyed a while meditating in the meditation room.

Tonight, it'll be time for me to review the training course and do some much needed yoga and meditation reading.

Transition

2009-03-27T18:44:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe that the training part of my stay is over and yesterday, a few people left. Vayu and I took Evelyn to the airport, and then we ran a few errands in Nelson.

We went back to Stillpoint where I picked up my bags and prepared for a short trip to Wellington, where I am now.

A client in Haverford (or Ardmore?) lived in Wellington for about a year some years ago, and she still has a friend here (the friend is originally from NYC and she married a Kiwi). This friend, Susan, drove me around town last night, and we had dinner at a small/cozy Malaysian restaurant. Fish curry - yum. Susan had some kind of thin pancake rolled up around vegetables (dosai, maybe?); it was about 16 inches long.

Susan and her husband have been very kind and generous, letting me stay at their home, saving me quite a bit on accommodations costs.

Today I'm exploring the city: walked up and down Mt. Victoria (for a spectacular view) this morning, followed by a trip to Te Papa (the museum, which includes Maori artifacts and information, as well as a Monet exhibit - I didn't see the latter, as you have to buy advance tickets). Now I'll walk up Lambton Quay ("quay" is said like "key") to catch the cable car to the Botanical Gardens.

I found Te Aro Astanga (that "s" should have a dot over it, so you say "sh" and not "s") here in Wellington, but they're not open on Saturdays. I'd go to the led class tomorrow (Sunday) morning, but it doesn't start until 10, so I'll just have my own practice in the morning.

Tomorrow afternoon, I'll return to Nelson/Upper Moutere for the last week of yoga practice and meditation, with guest teacher, Manju Jois (Pattabhi Jois's son). He may give a few talks during the week, too.

Originally, I was going to stay off-campus at a place called Philosopher's Rest, but it turns out that my sweet little room at Stillpoint is available for me, so I'll stay there.

Breathe out, breathe in...

pictures from our last afternoon class

2009-03-26T11:19:00.000-07:00

Top one includes John adjusting Vayu in the parivritta trikonasa (revolved triangle) "dance," and others doing the same alongside.

Second is John about to adjust Sarah C in trikonasana (she wasn't smiling for the camera; she was laughing at something said in the room).

Third is Raffi the cat, just outside the shala.

Last is Sarah P-C doing a beautiful utkatasana (chair, or awkward, or fierce pose).

from the book...

2009-03-26T01:14:00.000-07:00

"a lullaby

the breath

is round

it goes out, it comes back

it soothes, it heals

it is a lullaby"

A bit more from breath-the essence of yoga

2009-03-26T01:08:00.001-07:00

Obviously, I can't type out too much of the book, but I'd like to include some more, hopefully inspiring some people to go out and buy and read it.

"move inside

gather all of the senses

that are usually extended towards the world

and turn them within

move them inside

intelligence, moving inwards

during the day

you use intelligence to catch words

to catch messages, to listen

to filter emotions

you don't need to do that now

use that intelligence, that capacity

to listen to what is taking place inside"

...

"the body loves gentleness

it is very beautiful

to follow what the body loves

the body loves gentleness

we are always so rough -

especially when it comes to movement

movement that is born with the breath

has beauty"

Breath - the essence of yoga

2009-03-26T00:56:00.000-07:00

This is the name of a book I found on the shala bookshelves; the author is Sandra Sabatini, who began yoga in 1975.

After the birth of two children, she sought out Vanda Scaravelli to help her unlearn things that were not helping her. She had a strong passion for yoga, and yet, at that time, felt utter confusion.

In the preface to the book, she says that Vanda taught her that the breath is the key, "an infinitesimal but incredible powerful laser capable of removing layers of encrustation."

"To experience this is very often like being on the crest of an oceanic wave, a simultaneous feeling of resistance and delight.

But if fascination prevails, then opening and unravelling follows. Learning no longer comes from wanting to reach a goal or fulfill an aim, but from a gradual unfolding, an effortless blossoming."

And later, in the introduction:

"you will find that [the] observation of your breath

opens a door to the unexpected.

this simple instrument will lead to infinite discoveries.

when you are in a difficult situation, if you are in pain, or when

everything seems to fail, you can reconnect to your breath and find relief.

as you learn to be in its company all the time, you wonder how

you could have forgotten it for so long."

[written in 1999]

Ascended Masters cards

2009-03-26T00:31:00.000-07:00

For fun tonight, Brigid brought her Ascended Masters cards to the shala lounge area, and India and Sarah P-C were having people choose a card to read what it said for them.

Appropriately, amazingly, I drew the Teacher Card, which says:

This card is about learning and teaching. You've learned a lot from your experiences and relationships, and now it's time to pass that knowledge along to others. Your current situation is bringing you opportunities for spiritual growth and teaching you some important life lessons. As soon as you understand and accept these lessons, old patterns will drop away and be replaced by wonderful new experiences.

Additional meanings for this card:

This person or situation is bringing you important life lessons.

Ask yourself, "What's the blessing that this situation has brought to me?"

Your life purpose involves teaching.

Forgive a teacher from your past.

You are urged to teach others.

hmm.......

2009-03-25T22:04:00.000-07:00

Pictures from our lunch trip to Jester House in Mapua on Wednesday. I think, traditionally, John and Lucy do lunch with the teacher trainees on the last Friday of the training, but since Amanda had to leave early on Thursday, we went on Wednesday.

So - first picture is the sign outside Jester House, and the second picture indicates that the sign is correct: they have live LARGE eels in the stream beside the restaurant. You can buy beef on a stick to feed to them; we didn't, but we went down to see them.

[aside: sadly, some other restaurant up in Golden Bay had eels in a stream nearby, too, and someone came and took them all - killed them for food, I believe]

Third picture is most of the group hanging out on the terrace waiting for lunch.

Last picture is actually before we left to take the two vans to the restaurant: it's Sarah P-C dancing. She - and a few others - often just break in to some kind of dance as they're walking around. It's quite joyful.

Dark moon

2009-03-25T17:54:00.000-07:00

...and was it ever...

Energy in the shala this morning was quite low; perhaps we're all in tune with the moon?

In India, many of the women menstruate together on the new moon, and they stay secluded from the men at that time. So today, for morning class, John and Vayu took a walk together to the meditation tree, and Lucy joined the rest of us (women) for discussion and review of restorative poses.

Of course, men benefit from restorative poses, too, so during morning practice, Vayu practiced them, and in class, when he and John came back, he was included in going over how to set them up.

The energy could also have been a bit lower this morning because we're now missing one of our fellow students. Amanda had to leave early to fly to the north island to start on her next journalism assignment on the Maori (say "MAHW-ree"). There is a sadness knowing that our time together is coming to an end (and of course, it's a new beginning for us all, too).

Tomorrow is our last day, and we'll just have morning practice and then "exit consultations" with John and Lucy (each person separately).

I'll take Evelyn in to the airport for her early afternoon flight, and then return to Stillpoint to pack myself, as I'm taking a short trip to Wellington this weekend.

One of my clients back in Pennsylvania lived in Wellington for a while, and she connected me with her friends there, so they will pick me up and we'll have dinner together Friday night. Saturday, I plan to explore the city, including Te Papa museum and the Botanical Gardens.

I'll return Sunday.

Thank you to everyone who has written and been so supportive. I truly hope you can all experience yoga and New Zealand in your own lives in your own way.

2009-03-25T15:11:00.000-07:00

Two morning photos, the second one taken perhaps 10 minutes after the first.

2009-03-25T11:36:00.001-07:00

Going back to Monday, when we finally gave Sarah P-C the cake we'd made for her (the cake on Saturday was made by Lucy). She'd requested a carrot cake. The first picture above is Georgie, Sarah P-C, Brigid, Evelyn, and me as Sarah P-C is cutting the cake (after blowing out two tea light candles). The second is a cut slice, and the third is the decorated cake. I made the cake gluten-free (so Brigid could eat it), using lots of walnuts and coconut (Sarah P-C loves coconut), and Evelyn made cream-cheese icing and decorated it with pumpkin seeds and slivered almonds, with a yin-yang design.

Dad - this one is for you

2009-03-24T23:06:00.000-07:00

While they're not exactly Ramen noodles, they're quite similar... Vayu said, for him, it's a treat. "Its OK, sometimes."

Bonfire night

2009-03-23T22:33:00.001-07:00

Going back in time again... first picture above is last Saturday night (21st) dinner, and middle two pictures are of the bonfire. Last on is the fire truck in the driveway and the fireman coming to the fire.

2009-03-23T22:33:00.000-07:00

Fun, fun, fun

2009-03-23T22:14:00.000-07:00

For those who read the post on the bonfire... Here is the terrifically fun song Sarah C sang (and we sang the chorus with her). She wrote it out for me as follows:

"Donald, where's yer troosers?" (the Scottish say "troosers," and not "trousers")

Verse 1 -

I just got in fae the Isle a Sky

I'm not very big and I'm awfully shy

the lassies shout as I go by

Donald, where's your troosers?

Chorus:

Let the wind blow high, let the wind blow low,

Doon the street in my kilt I go

& all the lassies say hello

Donald, where's your troosers?

Verse 2 -

A lady took me to a ball & I was slippery

I was afraid that I would fall in the hall

'Cause I did ny have my troosers

Chorus

Verse 3 -

To wear the kilt is my delight

It is 'ny wrong & I know it's right

The highlanders would get a fright

If they saw me in my troosers

Chorus

Verse 4 -

Well I caught a cold and my nose was raw

I hand no hanker-chief at all

So I hiked up my kilt & I gave it a blow

Now you can't do that with troosers

Chorus

Sarah P-C and Georgie's lovely class

2009-03-23T21:22:00.000-07:00

Some may wonder why Vayu and I were on for teaching yesterday, and Sarah P-C and Georgie taught today --- it's because Georgie was with her family over the weekend and couldn't come back until early Monday morning.

Anyway, they taught a very inspired class this morning, including a "round of OM's," that really drew you in; at least, it seemed that everyone was "in" to the vibration of the sound, listening, participating... not with their minds somewhere else. It's a very powerful experience when the people doing it have been together for a while.

Morning class included a bit of discussion regarding a book Georgie had brought to share with us, called Breathing (I'll get the author's name later - couldn't find it on Amazon.com). John read a bit to us, including a bit about David Bohm, the physicist. He wrote a book on the Relativity of Physics and a book on Quantum Mechanics, and at the end of both, he "surmised that he really didn't understand" these two fields of study. Both books were staple texts at most major universities.

So, we all understand what we understand right now, for now, right? What we understood 10 years ago was different, and what we'll understand ten years from now (or just tomorrow, or in the next moment) may be quite different from what we know right now.

There was another bit of class on "tripping up." For example, we all have times when we have difficulty, or difficulties... our "humanalities" show, or become blatantly clear, to us and/or to others. We're not as strong, patient, centered as we thought we were, or as we think we could be. We're only seeing things from our side, and not from the the other side, or from many other sides... or from THE thing's side. [From a fantastic yoga-oriented book I've mentioned before, How Yoga Works: a bamboo pen in Tibet is a pen to the person writing with it, but to a cow, it's food --- see it from the human side, and see if from the animal's side.]

Yoga - eg., our mat, our practice - gives us something to get back to (ie., to get back on the mat), a philosophy, a tool, that is a discipline, and it is how you discipline yourself. You may get on your mat feeling like crap, or you may go to teach a class, feeling like crap, when your personal world is crashing down around you, and yet, if you've practiced often and consistently, you have a technique (or many techniques) to go back to, to help you have self-compassion, to firm your resolve, to start to see things from many sides, to see old, repeated conditions in a new way, in a new light... and to be able to work back to center, perhaps with more clarity, more stillness, more Presence.

When you're feeling "the opposite," you'll start to be able to feel the attraction.

It's not just "on the mat," either... it's taking the yoga off the mat, the discipline and practice off the mat in to every day life.

As Pattabhi Jois, says, "Practice, and all is coming."

Need help - Blogger help is impossible

2009-03-23T21:20:00.001-07:00

OK - how the heck did I get an underline under the words in the last post, and how do I get rid of it? I tried using html, but when I deleted the part that defined the text as underlined, Blogger told me it couldn't accept the html...

Since I don't know html, I don't know how to edit it properly.

Help, please?

Even more Abel Tasman

2009-03-23T15:01:00.000-07:00

These appear in reverse order: the top one is a cute dog we saw swimming at Torrent Bay; second is looking down at Torrent Bay from the path; and third is me on the way to Torrent Bay.

More from Harry's Bar

2009-03-23T11:26:00.000-07:00

Top one is me with the delicious drink, and bottom one is me, Sabine, and Evelyn.

From Sarah P-C's birthday at Harry's Bar

2009-03-23T02:19:00.000-07:00

Top one is Vayu's fried ice cream dessert. Next are my order of salmon wontons. Last is half the table: Sabine, Evelyn, Sarah P-C, Amanda, and Brigid.

Updating since Sunday

2009-03-22T01:33:00.001-07:00

Sunday began with self-practice. Vayu and I were in the room around 8:30, and others came later. For some reason, Lucy came in with John around 9 AM, but left shortly thereafter.

It felt really good to practice and stretch everything out after all the walking Saturday, and the only soreness I felt was a bit in my shins (probably from walking down all the hills we climbed).

Several of us enjoyed oatmeal with nuts and raisins breakfast together afterward, and then we made another Sunday trip to pick up a few groceries and to wash clothes (note: HOORAY - the clothes washer was fixed today, Monday]

Since the refrigerator isn't working, we had to really limit things we bought that needed to be kept cool. Sarah P-C has her own refrigerator, and she's generously letting us use it for a few things. [Today - Monday - the refrigerator was taken away to be fixed - or potentially replaced - thankfully, it's under warranty]

When we returned, people rested or read or studied. Brigid and I did some Body Rolling together, too; she's "in love with [the Yamuna] balls," just like Erik from Sweden was last year when I brought them to NZ. It's really fun to share them and to show how to use them. Yogis really tend to understand how they can be used effectively very easily.

Before dinner time, I used up some blueberries (from the freezer) making some gluten-free muffins (Brigid can't eat gluten), and then Evelyn, Sarah C, Vayu and I cooked together: Sarah C made awesome wild rice (first time I've ever seen wild rice that is red - tasted amazing), Vayu made more wakame soup (this time using mussels, but Vayu was unhappy that the mussels had been soaked in an acidic juice, making them a bit sour ---- we all loved the soup regardless), and Evelyn and I made Potato Pea Tofu Curry. Everyone else came to eat dinner together.

Unfortunately, it was too late to give Sarah P-C the cake Evelyn and I made for her, so we planned to do it Monday.

Vayu and I had practice with John at 5:30 AM Monday morning, and we just spent 15-20 minutes or so going over what he wanted us to do for the 8 AM practice, and then we each did our own practice.

I think both Vayu and I really enjoyed teaching, and the class was very receptive. It was fun to "say good morning" to each person in the room with a gentle adjustment as I taught, and then also to be able to focus solely on adjusting people when Vayu was teaching.

Another female student was doing her period practice, so John, Lucy, and I helped set her up in restorative poses. Lucy was very helpful in making suggestions.

Morning theory class was mostly on adjustments in a few more poses we have to finish this week. Lucy made a huge salad and spinach quiche for lunch. I also put out some salmon I'd bought at the store that needed to be eaten. The salmon here in NZ is fantastic.

Sarah P-C requested we do her [carrot-birthday] cake for lunch, so Evelyn frosted and decorated it with a yin/yang symbol, and she found a couple tea lights for Sarah to blow out.

Afternoon class was short, as John had something planned with his son, Finn.

A few people had some errands to run in Motueka, so we took the car and headed out. Evelyn got a few pictures from the bonfire printed to give John and Lucy; they're incredible pictures. She has a great camera and is a great photographer. Hopefully, I'll get one of her pictures to post.

Brigid and Amanda were interested in more Body Rolling when we returned, so we did some before dinner (and while dinner was cooking: Silverbeet and Butternut squash - they call it Butternut pumpkin here - stew; and amaranth with curry).

Vayu gave me a wonderful class on Tai Chi tonight; watching him move, doing his Tai Chi, is just amazing - so inspiring. It's really different and incredible to learn to move in curved, gentle, yet powerful lines. My shoulders felt (and still feel) so relaxed when we're done, and I felt full of energy.

Before coming in to type, Sarah C, Bela, Evelyn, and I hung out talking for a while.

From Bark Bay to Torrent Bay

2009-03-21T19:03:00.001-07:00

This part of the park is supposed to take about 3 hours, but we pushed it since we'd lost time going through the mud at Bark Bay. We made it in about 2 hours, 10 minutes. The signs for suggested hiking times tend to be quite generous.

Bark Bay,Abel Tasman

2009-03-21T17:47:00.001-07:00

So you can see how muddy Bark Bay was... the first picture is of my feet walking just on the sand/mud. When you stepped in to the water, you sank another few inches deepr, as you can see by the picture with Sabine and Vayu.

We had to try a few different places to cross because although some crossing points looked shallow, when you stepped in to them, because of the mud, the water would come way up your legs.

More Abel Tasman

2009-03-21T11:58:00.001-07:00

Abel Tasman pictures

2009-03-21T02:37:00.001-07:00

The picture just above was the first place we saw during the water taxi ride: split-rock. Above that is a picture of Tonga Island, and if you look closely, you can see a mama seal with her pup. The top picture is when we arrived at Tonga Bay: Evelyn, Sabine, and Vayu.

Abel Tasman adventure

2009-03-21T02:08:00.001-07:00

car ride to Marahau went quickly, even though we stopped briefly in Motueka.

Sarah C decided to spend the day in Marahau, and she walked in to the park from there (like Tim and I did last year), and she even took a swim.

For the rest of us: Marcus was our taxi driver, and he was quite fun. He was a chef by trade, but he said he prefers driving the water taxi, meeting people, and being near nature.

After dropping other people off at different places along the way, Marcus took us to see seals near Tonga island. There were only a few to see; evidently, when the males come to mate in spring, all of the rocks are covered.

To start our hike, Marcus dropped us off at Tonga Bay in the park. We trekked about an hour and 10 minutes to Bark Bay, where we decided to take a chance at the low-tide trail... well, it was quite the adventure. When we got to the beach to walk across and back to the trail on the other side, the water was coming in, and therefore, we climbed over quite a few rocks to try to stay dry. That didn't last long. Before I knew it, my sneakers were covered with mud. I gave up and took them off.

For about 30 minutes, we enjoyed quite the mud+sand foot massage as we walked across the very wide beach. There were holes all over the sand where crabs were hiding out, and occasionally, you'd see one scurry in to its hole.

Thankfully, at the other side of the beach, there was a hut (which includes 24 bunks for trekkers staying the night, 2 nights maximum), including a spiket with water. We were able to wash up a bit before heading on. My shoes dried relatively quickly since the sun was shining bright in an almost-completely blue sky.

From Bark Bay to Anchorage Bay is supposed to be a 3.5 hour trek. We were worried, because we were to be picked up at Torrent Bay (just 45 minutes north across an estuary from Anchorage) in 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Additionally, there was quite a steep up-hill trail leaving Bark Bay. We slowed down a little on the hills (up and down), as Sabine and I were nursing some aching joints. However, we kept up a very steady pace, even - or especially? - when we crossed a 5-person-only swinging bridge. This part of the trail was, I think, Sabine's least favorite. Vayu and I went ahead of her, and Evelyn came behind her, and we just kept focusing on breathing (and counting the breath, as in practice and class) and we told her to keep looking forward, NOT down or sideways. She made it over just fine, obviously, as did we all.

Several times on the trail, the trees would open up to an incredible view. Of course, we took a lot of pictures. At one point, Vayu's keen eyes stopped us for a moment to see a fascinating red mushroom with white specks on it.

The closer we got to Torrent Bay, the more trekkers we met. The day was just beautiful for hiking and for getting a clear view of all the stunning vistas.

Thankfully, when we returned to Stillpoint, Amanda, Brigid, and Sarah P-C were cooking a feast (roasted vegetables with red onion and pepper dressing; rice salad with pepitas, dates, and bananas - wow, SO good; fresh sweet corn; and salad).

The day was not yet over, however. John and Lucy had gotten a fire permit so we could have a bonfire for the autumnal equinox; they also wanted to burn a large pile of scrap wood from things they've worked on/built/etc. at Stillpoint over the past year/s. It turned out to be quite a glorious show for the "neighborhood" (keep in mind we're in farming and grazing territory). The fire chief and several firemen came out on the fire truck, as several neighbors were quite concerned that Stillpoint was on fire, and we found out that there was a ban on fires at night, and that they needed a permit for a bonfire and not just a fire. No one was harsh with words, however, and the firemen that came out got a piece of Sarah P-C's birthday cake.

In the end, the fire chief OK-ed the fire.

We sat or stood around the fire, along with Buzz (the dog), and sang some songs... well, first, Sarah C sang a traditional Scottish song (that I will type up tomorrow - quite funny), and then Amanda, Brigid, and Sarah P-C sang a song in a round. India (John and Lucy's daughter) suggested we do one of her camp songs, which was quite good... followed one or two others.

With all of that going on, it's definitely time for a GOOD NIGHT SLEEP.

Friday and Saturday night parties

2009-03-21T01:59:00.000-07:00

Friday after class, Sarah P-C went to work cleaning so she could have her birthday (Saturday) off; we all did what we could to help.

Around 6 PM, two cars headed to Nelson, to Sarah P-C's aunt and uncle's house (Jane and Douglas). They have quite a full-blown garden in the back, as well as a chicken coop. From there, we went to Harry's Bar for dinner. Funny thing: Tim and I went there last year for dinner as a special night out in Nelson. Last year it was great; this year it was great.

Bela (btw, the Bela doing yoga at Stillpoint, not Bella the cat) and Dion met us at the restaurant. Georgie was with her family this weekend and couldn't join us.

I had salmon wontons (wait 'til you see what they looked like!) and "jungle curry." Vayu had some of the appetizer wasabi peas and udon noodle soup with heads-on prawns. Sabine had chicken curry, made with wonderful coconut (oh, and Sabine and I both had a drink with coconut, lime and... I'll have to ask her; we both loved it). Evelyn and Jane got fish with green tea noodles. Bela had the lamb. The desserts were wonderful, and several of us shared them: including coconut and ginger flan, 5-spice chocolate mousse, and kafir lime tart (Tim, you would have LOVED this one). Everyone really enjoyed the meal and the revelry.

Amanda, Brigid and Sarah P-C stayed in Nelson to dance and "hit the town," while Sabine, Sarah C, Evelyn, Vayu and I headed back to Stillpoint (since we needed a good rest before a day-trip on Saturday).

Bella, one of John and Lucy's cats

2009-03-20T23:28:00.001-07:00

Finally some pictures uploaded! : ) You can't really see what an amazing cat Bella is in these two, so I'll try to put up others.

Friday, here again?

2009-03-19T21:07:00.000-07:00

Wow, hard to believe the end of the third week is already here.

Yesterday was a great day for everyone, starting with a practice led by Sabine and Sarah C, who have formed a wonderful friendship while staying here. They're in the cottage, along with Brigid, which is up closer to the house than the other accommodation rooms.

Their uplifting, joyful energy was palpable and it energized the whole room. You couldn't help but have a half-smile on your face, and stay focused on your breath.

The practice was slightly shorter than usual, as John took us only a little further and suggested having breakfast early.

Lucy made us a wonderful salad and unbelievably good quinoa casserole. I must get the recipe for the latter. It was like quinoa risotto.

For dinner, Evelyn and I roasted lots of vegetables, and I made amaranth, which again, tasted like risotto, but with very, very fine granules. It turned out much better than I expected. Definitely something I'll make at home.

This morning (Friday), Amanda and Brigid met with John early on, and then started the 8 AM practice. Brigid began us with fundamental foundations, using her connection with the Maori to inform her teaching. It was just amazing. We all felt very connected to earth and sun. Amanda continued the theme in her teaching. It was all woven together very well.

John shared a quote with us afterward, that he'd seen, of all places, in Vancouver, Canada: "When you face the sun, your shadows fall behind you" (I'm paraphrasing that...) - it's a Maori saying.

I felt lighter than I have in any practice yet, and felt full of gratitude, full of being.

Morning class included Lucy for some adjustments. Lunch was another incredible salad and even more incredible hummus. It was a bit ironic that Lucy gave us hummus, as I'd planned to make some last night, but the blender broke.

Afternoon class was review and questions, and it really feels like everything is tying in together nicely. John gave us a few quotes to cherish; some were quite funny. If I can add them in later, I will.

After class, it was the "big clean," in which many people helped Sarah P-C finish up cleaning so she can enjoy her birthday and the solstice weekend. Evelyn and I mixed up a carrot birthday cake for Sarah P-C for Saturday night. (She requested carrot). It's now baking.

In about 45 minutes, we'll all take 2 cars in to Nelson to go to a Japanese restaurant for Sarah P-C's birthday. Afterward, one car (not mine) will stay in town for people who want to stay and go dancing.

My car will come back to Stillpoint so we can get a good rest before a day-trip to Abel Tasman National Park tomorrow.

Btw, the sunrise this morning colored the entire sky (with all different shapes of clouds) pink and purple, gold and white. I took a few pictures. Maybe later tonight, the internet connection will be good and I'll post them.

This is for you, Sweetheart

2009-03-18T17:59:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, Amanda, Vayu, Evelyn, and I went to a nearby farmstand and found/bought wonderful fresh vegetables, including...

HUGE brussels sprouts... hopefully, there will be pictures above of them - cleaning, and cooking. I did my best to make them like my husband does: ie., seared - almost black - on one side, with garlic. Well, Tim also adds chopped bacon or pancetta, and that's not my cup of tea, so I left that part out.

They were wonderful (emphasis, "Wahhhn-der-ful" --- Sarah P-C says she loves the way I say it; it's a little embarrassing. : )

We had them with the udon soup last night.

pictures?

2009-03-18T15:09:00.000-07:00

FINALLY--- well, I put these to load while at morning class (today, Thursday), and they uploaded OK, but when I came back and first added text, the computer responded by saying I wasn't connected to the internet... sigh.

: )

Ah well, now I am connected, so here is the list of people pictured: Georgie, Amanda, Sabine, Sarah C (dutifully studying), and Evelyn. All 5 pictures were taken post-lunch/pre-afternoon-class on Monday.

Pictures I've been trying to post from Monday afternoon

2009-03-18T00:09:00.001-07:00

Well, I tried for about 50 minutes to get these pictures to upload (and it's about my 5th try getting them on the blog in the past two days), and it's not working for whatever reason, so I'm going to sleep.

Guess I can fill in the rest of the day's events before doing so...

Sabine, Bela, and I made a quick trip after class in the rain to Motueka for laundry and a few things at the store.

For dinner, Vayu made wonderful udon-miso soup with lots of great vegetables. I made something else that I'll write about later, as I want to include photos.

I stopped in the shala after brushing my teeth to see how Sabine and Sarah C were doing; they were practicing teaching in preparation for tomorrow. They'll do a great job, I'm sure.

Wednesday already?!

2009-03-17T23:40:00.000-07:00

The time is flying by. Today, Bela and Evelyn practiced teaching with John, and they started leading the 8 AM practice, and it was great.

John noticed right away that I was having trouble breathing in Downward Dog (because my nose was stuffy), so he had Bela change the way she was teaching our A Sun Salutations to include only 1 breath in Downward Dog rather than 5. It was great, because by the time we got to the B Sun Salutations, my breathing was better, and by the standing poses, I was breathing without any problems in and out through my nose. The B sun salutations are better for clearing the nasal passageways because there's more up and down since you're going in an out of warrior poses.

Great idea, by the way, for the yogis and yoginis out there... John's suggestion: when you have stuffiness in the sinuses, do your first sun salutations (A's) without holding Downward Dog, because doing so can exacerbate your stuffiness. If you keep moving, and your head is going up and down, you can open up the passageways. It worked for me today.

Self-practice after the teaching portion was wonderful. Bela took some photos, so perhaps I'll post a few later. The room wasn't quite as hot today because there were some clouds obscuring the sun shining through the shades. [In fact, later in the afternoon and this evening, clouds have taken over and it's been raining.]

Millet cereal was breakfast - yes, again. I'll never tire of hot cereal for breakfast, especially after a deep and fun practice. Of course, people cut up fruit and have yogurt and things, too. We're all very hungry for breakfast, especially because it's always around 10:30 or 11 AM, after morning practice.

Morning class was mostly discussing adjusting seated asanas, as was afternoon class. Lucy made an incredible squash soup (perhaps butternut squash, though I don't think Kiwis call it by the same name) with salad for lunch. Oh yes, she made bread, too. It smelled wonderful, and others said it was, though some of us had leftover rice with the soup instead.

The last part of afternoon class was on Janu Sirsasana C pose. Janu means "knee," and sirsa is "head" in sanskrit. Some people translate it as "head-to-knee pose," but it could also be "head- of-the-knee pose" (perhaps because the different ways the lower leg and foot are turned affects the knee in different ways).

Obviously, since there's a C version, there's also an A and B. In A, the heel of one foot is just in front of, and perhaps touching, the perineum; in B, the heel is under the anus (yes, the anus); and in C, the heel is up in the navel (and the foot is vertical). Guruji calls these poses the "ladies poses," as they are good for the womb area (eg., pelvic floor, uterus, and ovaries). If I remember correctly, Lino Miele (who wrote a book on Astanga and included pictures drawn by John Scott) also says that the Janu Sirsasana poses are good for those with diabetes.

For many Americans, even mentioning the word "anus" is uncomfortable. When you take away culture and convention, however, it's quite normal and healthy. After all, the anus is a very important part of the body; it's just at the opposite end of the digestive tract from the mouth.

I'm guessing that many people reading this are weirded out right about now (perhaps not those who practice yoga regularly, however : ) ).

I don't think I should include in this post what we did for dinner... just seems inappropriate.

Internet shminternet

2009-03-17T23:39:00.001-07:00

Couldn't get online last night to send the Tuesday post, so I just sent it now. I'll also post some pictures.

Tuesday - have I missed St. Patrick's Day?

2009-03-17T01:05:00.000-07:00

It's hard to keep track of the days here since we just do things by the day of the week and not the date, and it seems that no one is keeping track of the world news. If someone is, he/she doesn't talk about it.

For the first time since we all arrived, politics came up in conversation; somehow, we were talking about actors or something, and I mentioned that a client of mine went to see Will Ferrell's performance of George W. Bush in New York City and said it was hysterical. Those people present didn't seem too fond of our last president (like me).

Anyway... taking a break from world news is quite relieving.

Today, Tuesday (the 17th?), Vayu and I met John at 5:30 AM and planned the 8 AM practice. Vayu started the class in a similar, yet different way, from the way Georgie and Sarah P-C did. He's quite intuitive about the movements of a child, even though he's not a dad. It was fun exploring the movements as he led the class.

We tag-team taught through the Series to a few seated poses, and then, like yesterday, the class continued on their own, though John suggested people keep the practice shorter so we'd start morning theory class sooner. One of our participants is on her female holiday (moon cycle), so she did several restorative poses on bolsters for the class. It's a very comforting practice.

Morning class was vigorous with discussion and listening. For lunch, Lucy made a chickpea, zucchini and tomato dish, with tofu in a spinach sauce on the side. Both were great.

Afternoon class started a bit late, and people seemed tired, so I took pictures of most everyone waiting for John to arrive (will post the pictures later). You'll see people in various states of rest or body stretching/exploration.

We began class with a meditation/sitting practice, which seemed to really help focus everyone. Afterward, we were able to work on several different asana and how to teach and adjust them.

It has been quite a productive, inspiring day. My head does, indeed, feel a bit better.

Has anyone out there been following the Phillies? If so, please write to me and give me an update on their spring training. Thanks!

Monday, Tuesday

2009-03-17T00:34:00.000-07:00

Too busy and not-good-enough internet connections recently to post; I'm hoping this post will save and be posted.

From what I can tell, I didn't post about Sunday yet either... wow, I'd better catch up:

Sunday morning self-practice was really great. Evelyn started first around 8:30, and I and Vayu joined her. Gradually others joined us, including Lucy and John around 9 AM. The energy in the room was very focused and warm and uplifting.

Actually, temperature-wise, the shala is always quite warm since they have a special heater they can adjust as needed. Since the temperature outside has warmed up again (after a few days of cooler weather - and cold at night), we don't need as much added heat.

Several of us shared a delicious hot millet cereal breakfast (with nuts and dried fruit) and then we headed to Nelson to do some shopping. Vayu wanted to go to the Asian store there to get some kim-chee (sp?), which we've all been eating and enjoying. It's from Korea. I remember seeing how they make it on an Anthony Bourdain episode of No Reservations on Korea. The spiciness is just what I love, and it goes well with much of what we make/eat. It is made from cabbage and spicy pepper, and sometimes fermented fish. Like sauerkraut, it contains many beneficial bacteria for digestion.

[Vayu said that, when he was in Mysore, India, for 3 months for yoga, he made a special meal for 13 or so Korean friends who had come to Mysore, too, and they ate up 2 kg of kim-chee in one meal!]

There were actually several wonderful things in Asian grocery store that we picked up; I'm sure I'll be noting them as we eat them.

Amanda wanted to see if she could find a nice NZ wool sweater, which she did.

We didn't get back to Stillpoint until 3:30 PM, so we had a very late lunch, and rested, read, or just hung around for a while.

Vayu made a special dinner for us using rice cake noodles - very spicy and unbelievably good. Wow, can he cook.

Monday morning, Sarah C and Georgie got up early to practice teaching with John, and they started our practice at 8 AM. Before the Primary Series (of Ashtanga), they started us in fetal position, like when we were babies, and they gradually took us up to standing. They counted us through the standing poses and a few seated poses.

After their part in the teaching, John let us go in to our own practices, and it was great. I didn't feel full of energy, but the energy in the room carried me along. I, Sarah C, and Georgie seem to have gotten some sinus condition over the weekend, but they don't seem to be exactly the same thing.

Georgie's seems more like a cold, and mine is in my upper sinuses and was in my throat, too. Sarah's seems to be a bit of both. We've all been using Olba's oil, which includes cajuput oil, clove oil, eucalyptus oil, juniperberry oil, mint oil, and wintergreen oil. It's pretty potent stuff. I don't think you can buy the actual oil in the U.S., but I've bought Olba's menthol lozenges before. The lozenges here taste much better, though, than those sold in the U.S. (at least those sold in Philadelphia). Georgie used the oil tonight to make a vapor tent for herself. I may do the same if things don't improve.

Anyway, with the pressure in my head, it was difficult to concentrate during class, but I did my best. Sometimes, an illness or feeling of sickness can help me feel more present than without it, but when your head and throat ache, it's challenging.

Oh - I don't think I mentioned about the whole laundry issue, did I? When I put my clothes in the washer early Sunday morning, the first load was fine, but the second load got stuck in the washer. That is, the door wouldn't open.

Lucy had to call a repairman, who opened the door Monday (after I sent my clothes through another rinse), but who said we have to wait for a part to come in before he can fix it. So, we'll have to trek to Motueka to do laundry. Svaha. These things happen. I'm just thankful the repairman was able to get the door open so I could get my clothes to hang on the line.

Monday night we enjoyed make-your-own spring rolls, using some rice paper spring roll wraps I bought at the Asian store. Vayu and Evelyn made a spicy sauce to dip them in. It was quite fun. I'll add pictures later.

Pictures from Evelyn's camera

2009-03-15T01:33:00.001-07:00

1 - Sabine, Evelyn, me, Amanda, and Sarah C at The Mussel Inn (taken by another patron); 2 - Dion and me on the trail to Wharariki - what's funny about this photo is that Dion didn't know I was in the background, and I didn't know he was in the foreground - I only found out when I saw the picture; 3 - Bela holding me up in a diagonal handstand on Wharariki beach; she is VERY strong.

Pictures from class last Friday

2009-03-15T01:20:00.001-07:00

1 - Evelyn dutifully taking notes; 2 - Vayu and Georgie working together; 3 - Lucy and John working together, showing us; 4 - John working with Sarah P-C; and 5 - from the workbook, showing the pose we were working on: Utthita Hasta Padanghustasana

More pics from The Mussel Inn and Takaka area

2009-03-15T01:13:00.000-07:00

1 - Amanda, Evelyn (foreground) and Sabine in front of part of menu at The Mussel Inn; 2 - the chalkboard with Maori carving in the middle above the cash register/where you order at The Mussel Inn; 3 - Sign for Pupu Springs, between Shambhala and Takaka; and 4 - The Wholemeal Cafe in Takaka with an interesting van in front of it.

SuperTom, the cat, in Takaka

2009-03-15T01:04:00.000-07:00

As you can see, I made a wonderful friend in SuperTom (or Tom for short, said his kind owner) in Takaka. Evidently, SuperTom makes friends with lots of people who stop through the town. He jumped right up on to my leg as I squatted down to scratch his neck. He was SO friendly and sweet, and he purred quite loudly. It was hard to walk away.

Pictures taken when we got to the Farewell Spit area

2009-03-15T00:56:00.000-07:00

The first picture above is taken outside the cafe at the very south end of the spit; from left to right are Amanda, Sarah C, Sabine, and Evelyn. Second picture is looking out at the spit from the cafe; look far out to the right and you can see where it turns in to just sand. Third picture is of grazing land on the spit with the brown sheep. Lastly, this is a picture of a jellyfish waiting for the tide to come in.

More pictures from the adventure

2009-03-15T00:45:00.001-07:00

These pictures are all from the walk to Wharariki beach and at the beach itself. The first one is of some of the sheep grazing right next to us as we hiked to the beach. The second is Bela and Dion posing on the trail. Third is a view we had as we walked; you can see the ocean between the hill peaks. Fourth and fifth are at the beach.

A twisting and turning adventure

2009-03-14T02:05:00.000-07:00

[Sunday - just added some pictures... the first one above is on the drive up Takaka hill, looking back over the valley. The second one is Evelyn and Sabine in Takaka. The third is Evelyn and Sabine on the trail to Wharariki beach (btw, the name of the beach is said, "Fair-a-ree-kee," because "wh" is said like "f"). The fourth is me, Bela, Evelyn, Sabine, and Amanda on Wharariki beach (Dion took the picture), and the last is the five of us doing yoga poses on the beach.]

Friday, the 13th of March, was quite a full day. Brigid and Amanda practiced teaching with John at 5:30 AM, and they started the 8 AM class. They have a wonderful connection and communication between them, and it came through in their teaching.

After their beginning, John let us go in to our own practices, and I was fortunate that he worked with me for several minutes. Having him right there, counting me through several poses brings dharana (ie., concentration) almost immediately. The thinking brain turns off, and it's just breath, bandha (mulabandha and uddiyana bandha - look them up!, and drishti (eye-gazing point)).

Most of us enjoyed "raw breakfast" after practice that Amanda had made the night before and let soak (with oats, seeds, nuts, juice, apple, and more). It was really good.

Oh - I haven't mentioned about the coffee in the mornings: I was missing french press coffee so much (like Tim and I make at home), that I went out and found a french press here (well, they call it a "plunger") as well as a hand-grinder, and got them for the kitchen. So, now the coffee in the mornings is, as the Kiwis say, "FANTASTIC."

Morning class was discussion. Lunch was quiche (with spinach - awesome) and salad. Afternoon class was adjusting one another through the fundamental poses, with the person practicing wearing earplugs to better hear his/her breath. Vayu and I worked together, and the time flew. I couldn't believe it when class was over. What a gift to repeatedly experience such focus and peace many times a day.

Following class, Sarah C, Sabine, Evelyn, Amanda, and I all packed our bags for a Friday night-Saturday adventure - hence the title of this post.

We headed out around 5 PM for Takaka, and to get there, you have to climb and descend the high Takaka hill, on a VERY twisting, turning road. Btw, tractor trailers use the road, so you have to be really careful. On the way down the hill, the clouds rolled in and it got very foggy, so I turned on the lights and slowed way down. Once we were near the bottom of the hill, it cleared up quite a bit, even though there was cloud cover and rain. We all prayed that tomorrow would be bright for a trip to Fairwell Spit.

We passed through Takaka to get to our hostel (well, a backpackers place - there are shared rooms and shared facilities) called Shambhala. We turned off the main road on to a very muddy and rocky road, traveling probably 2 km to get there. Since there were 5 of us, 4 stayed in one room, and one stayed with others in the other 4-person room (Sarah C).

The place didn't seem too bad at first, but somewhat rough around the edges. We were a bit nervous that the light didn't work in the upstairs bathroom, and when we flushed the toilet, the used toilet paper didn't flush.

Anyway, we were hungry, so we headed back out the muddy road and up the main road another 200 meters to The Mussel Inn, a real local place. The area seems to be filled with backpackers, many of whom seem to be from the 60s and 70s, as well as local residents, who seem to still live in that same era.

We placed our orders and were glad to get some sustenance. I ordered the scallops, which came with the foots attached; they were tender, and fairly good, but not great. Amanda and Sarah C ordered the freshly steamed mussels, which were again, fairly good or OK, but not great. It was actually disappointing, since the green-lipped mussels I'd had in NZ last year were really delicious. These mussels might have been better steamed in a sauce, rather than just water. Who knows? Sabine enjoyed a large steak (yes, some yogis eat meat).

The best part of the meal was dessert; three of us ordered the apple and peach crumble, and it was very fresh, and very hot, so the ice cream and cream that came with it melted fairly quickly.

We returned to Shambhala for what I was hoping was a good night's rest... well...

The first problem that we noticed before we left was eventually fixed (ie., the light in the bathroom), but some other problems couldn't be fixed... eg., the beds: you could feel the springs in the mattresses, and then you could feel the wooden frame beneath the mattress. It was very hard to get comfortable, and once you DID get comfortable, that sense of comfortability (?!) didn't last long. I must have turned over 10 times in the first two hours of trying to get to sleep.

The other major problem, which others didn't hear (Amanda didn't because she was smart and used earplugs) was a mouse in the room (or mice?). I almost asked if anyone heard it, yet I couldn't believe I was hearing it myself. I'd hear the mouse chewing on something, and then scurry across the floor, then silence... and then scurry across toward the closet (near my bed), chew on something, and then stop... and on and on...

I did sleep a bit off and on, and sometimes when I'd wake back up, there was silence, and other times, I'd hear the mouse again. Ugh.

The other issues were that our room was SO hot and dry that my nose completely plugged up and I couldn't breathe through my nose, and that the sheets didn't seem very clean. [In fact, in the other room, Sarah C had begun to climb in to one bed when a girl told her that she shouldn't get in that bed, because she had slept in it the night before and she had flea bites.

(!!!!!!!!!)]

Oh well, I kept telling myself: It's just one night. I can do this. Before I know it, we'll be driving away from here toward the Spit. Breathe... as best you can, breathe... hang in there. The mouse isn't going to come up on your bed...

It was a bit scary around 3 AM when I HAD to use the toilet. I told myself, OK now, 1-2-3... get up, feet on the floor - I will NOT step on the mouse (I didn't)... etc.

Fortunately, morning DID come, and we were glad it wasn't raining, and we were even more glad when we left Shambhala behind and headed back to Takaka for breakfast at the Wholemeal Cafe. I enjoyed the Gardener's breakfast. Some others weren't feeling too well and didn't eat very much.

We left shortly thereafter to drive toward Collingwood and Fairwell Spit. There was still cloud-cover above us, but some hints of blue sky here and there. We arrived at the cafe at the south end of the Spit just after noon, and walked a bit around the area, seeing some brown sheep just inland from the ocean. Yes - brown sheep... none of us had ever seen brown sheep before.

We walked up and down the beach a bit, and even saw a jellyfish, waiting on the sand for the tide to come in, and indeed, the tide was coming in, so we turned back and walked back to the car.

We decided to take a different road (gravel road) toward Wharariki Beach, supposedly the most beautiful beach in the area, and after seeing it, I think we all agree that it must be the most beautiful beach. You can't drive all the way to the beach, however. You have to park and walk about 20 minutes through farmland (where sheep are grazing right next to the path) and sand dunes to get there. It was truly extraordinary. I'll upload pictures as soon as possible.

Sarah C was a bit tired; she stayed in the car.

I've neglected to mention that Bela had come to Takaka with her male friend, Dion, from Nelson today, and they met up with us to go to the Spit and Wharariki. Dion took some great pictures of the group doing yoga on the sand.

Evidently, seals come in to the rocks mid- to late-afternoon on Wharariki, and we saw a couple on some far-out rocks.

The whole beach area left us all in a state of awe. The beauty was indescribable.

The walk back was challenging, especially climbing the sand dunes, but we made it.

We decided not to stop back at the cafe, and instead, made a pit-stop in Takaka for coffee/drinks, and then headed back to Motueka. We walked around and shopped a bit to get some fresh air and move our legs again, and then headed on.

Amanda, Sabine and I decided to eat dinner at Riverside Cafe, and so I dropped Amanda and Sabine there and then took Sarah C and Evelyn back to Stillpoint. I then drove back to Riverside and had a wonderful meal of haloumi salad with greens and tomatoes, pesto-crusted grouper over risotto, and amazing 2008 sauvignon blanc. Ahhhh... what a delicious dinner on an incredible day.

Back at Stillpoint, Sarah P-C had made up our rooms, and they looked really beautiful and clean. We are all grateful to her. We truly appreciate the care and attention she gives to taking care of our rooms over the weekends, especially after experiencing what happens when people don't take good care of rooms (ie., at Shambhala).

One more fun thing happened back at Stillpoint: Sabine, Sarah C, Evelyn, and I watched the movie, Once, and since they hadn't seen it, it was great to see it with them. I loved it even more the second time.

If you haven't seen it, rent it and watch it.

Sarah P-C returned from her Saturday in Nelson while we were watching the movie, and she'd brought some beautiful, fresh flowers for the shala.

Well, it's late, and we have self-practice in the morning. I'm sure we'll all sleep much better tonight than last night.

Sarah P-C and Georgie practicing and teaching

2009-03-12T01:53:00.000-07:00

This is on the beautiful deck near my room. They practiced after afternoon class today (Thurs, March 12).

March 12 - second week almost over already

2009-03-12T01:39:00.000-07:00

Sabine and Sarah C got up with John at 5:30 AM to practice teaching and then they taught us at 8 AM. It's really amazing how much they have both changed and how much they've learned since they arrived. They're great!

I took a picture of the moon before sunrise, and then three pictures of the sunrise this morning, which are above.

John let us go in to our own practices after he took us through Janu Sirsasana C, and the energy in the room was very inspiring.

Lucy came to our morning class and shared her wisdom about physiology, and looking at, or observing different bodies in different asanas.

For lunch, we had veggie pizza and salad. Really good- especially with hot chili flakes on the pizza. Bela and Vayu are both spicy-food lovers, like me.

Afternoon class included John reading out of B.K.S. Iyengar's book, The Tree of Life - the chapter on teachers and teaching. Very interesting.

Both Iyengar and Pattabhi Jois studied with Krishnamacharya, and yet the way they teach and what they focus on is different.

Since several of us are going up to Golden Bay this weekend, we did lots of laundry today. At least Sabine, Evelyn, Amanda, and I will drive just beyond Takaka to stay Friday night, and spend Saturday morning in Takaka. Hopefully, the weather will be good so we can drive all the way up to Fairwell Spit.

Anyway, Evelyn and I did some baking before dinner; she made banana-walnut bread, and I made bran muffins with currants. They both went over well. For dinner, Evelyn baked a pumpkin and chickpea loaf, and I made Tim's favorite potatoes... but they didn't turn out exactly right. They kinda fell apart, but still tasted OK with fresh rosemary and garlic from the Marlborough area.

Overall, a really nice day.

Some class pictures

2009-03-12T01:24:00.000-07:00

The top photo is John showing Bela how adjusting Sarah C in Prasarita Padottanasana is like doing Parsvottanasana herself.

Underneath is John in front of his information-full write-on/wipe-off board.

Tai Chi

2009-03-12T01:18:00.000-07:00

Vayu not only practices Ashtanga Yoga, but he also practices Tai Chi, so I'll upload some pictures of him practicing here.

Tonight, Thursday, March 12, he gave me a one-on-one tai chi lesson to help me relax my shoulders. It was very interesting and fun.

Like with yoga, you must be very, very focused on what you are feeling, especially on the energy in your hands and in your body, as you move.

Afterward, I felt like I was floating, and my shoulderblades were very relaxed.

More rainbows on Full Moon Day

2009-03-11T00:21:00.000-07:00

[On Thursday now, I'm adding pictures: #1 and #2 are Vayu making a special triangular-shaped sushi; and the rest are the beautiful day-time rainbow that occurred the day after the full moon rainbow. In the last picture, you see the end beyond the farmhouse - Lucy and John's house.]

Today, Sarah P-C said she saw a rainbow on the way to the shala on the same horizon as we saw the full moon rainbow last night (west horizon).

Evelyn and Bela practiced teaching at 5:30 AM with John, and they led our short practice at 8 AM. Today is technically the full moon day, so we didn't do a regular practice. Full and new moons affect the human body like they affect ocean tides. You can read more about yoga and full/new moons at: http://www.ashtangayogacenter.com/moon.html.

We ended early with our short practice, so we had breakfast and headed back to a longer-than-usual morning class. John really got us to focus - to stay on point. In other classes, we've somewhat diverted from the subject at hand. John is great at pulling us together.

For lunch, Lucy made us lentil dal and rice. Afternoon class, we had some discussion and ended with an intense and wonderful tonglen meditation. You can read more about tonglen at:

http://www.shambhala.org/teachers/pema/tonglen1.php, or look it up on wikipedia.

After class, Bela, Evelyn and I headed to Motueka to pick up a few things, including some earplugs for tomorrow's class (so we can hear our breath better). It poured rain as we walked out of the store.

Shortly after we arrived back at Stillpoint, there was yet another rainbow - actually, a double rainbow - on the east horizon. It was vibrant. Evelyn and I took pictures, so I'll add them to this post when I can upload them (other pictures have been added to earlier posts).

For dinner, we had "make your own sushi," with all kinds of veggie fillings, sesame seeds, wasabi, salmon, and eggs. It was terrific. Vayu made a very special triangle-shaped sushi wrap that was beautiful. Again, there should be a picture up of it some time soon.

Time to get a good night's sleep.

A beautiful sight

2009-03-10T01:40:00.000-07:00

Changing winds for sure... as I left the lounge of the shala (after a wonderful talk with Georgie and Sarah P-C) and walked back to my room to snuggle in for the night, I looked up at the beautiful full moon... and then gradually took my gaze to my left, toward the opposite horizon...

And what did I see??? A gentle arch in the sky... and I'm thinking, what is that?

Well, believe it or not, it was a NIGHT RAINBOW created by the sprinkling rain and full moon!!!!!!!!!!

Most people I love know how much I love rainbows, and how I drew them all the time as a child, and my mother even helped me paint the sky on my bedroom walls so I could put up a large paper rainbow on the wall. Rainbows have turned up at many significant points in my life.

This rainbow was pure beauty, pure grace, a real gift.

I ran back to the shala lounge and told Georgie and Sarah P-C to come have a look, and they did. Then, when Sarah P-C was making her way back to the yurt, she saw the full arch from left to right on the horizon, looking at it from the front of the house. Thankfully, she ran back to get me so I could see the entirety of its beauty. Sarah P-C even told John and Lucy about it. We obviously don't want to disturb their home evenings, but we figured this was a good reason.

What an amazing gift, an amazing sight to behold. Pure light and beauty, and thus, gratitude.

Changing winds

2009-03-09T22:14:00.001-07:00

Today, I was up at 4:45 AM, doing various kriyas, breathing exercises, and movements to prepare for practice with John and Vayu at 5:30 AM.

The moon is almost full, so even when I woke up at 2 AM to "squat outside," it was pretty bright out. Everything was glowing.

Rather than a vigorous asana practice, Vayu, John, and I shared a vigorous planning of today's 8 AM practice with everyone else. Then, we practiced what we were going to teach. John has been sacrificing much of his time and self-practice helping us learn. His generosity is humbling.

It was fun to plan class, knowing that everyone wouldn't really know how we were going to go about it. That is, Ashtanga is a set sequence, but that doesn't mean that the practice is the same every day. Rather, it's new every day; it's new every pose; it's new every breath.

Before Samasthithi (what other yogis would call Tadasana, or Mountain Pose --- one of my student's calls it, the "just standing there" pose, but of course, it's much, much more than just standing there), I led the class through a series of fundamental foundations and opening poses... kinda following how an infant might begin to move and explore its environment. From Georgie's suggestion, I started everyone lying face-down. We gradually made our way up to standing.

Then, Vayu took over, teaching Surya Namaskar A, but not how you'd think - ie., not straight through. He counted the first vinyasa, and took the class back to the beginning; then, he went a little further, and went back. It was beautiful to watch, because it wasn't what people expected, and therefore, everyone had to tune in and really listen.

Isn't that often the case in life? That is, when things happen out of order, or something happens in an unexpected way, don't we pay closer attention, listen more carefully, slow down, and really observe? Either that, or we get pushed off balance so much, the mind becomes frantic with thought. Hopefully, the former happens more often.

Fairly quickly, everyone tuned in, and Vayu took the class through the A salutations. Then, I took over and led the class through Surya Namaskar B - well, you probably can guess that it didn't happen exactly as expected - we didn't stop in Downward Dog, as per usual, for the first three.

Vayu took over with the first two poses, and then I taught trikonasana (triangle), followed by John teaching Parsvakonasana. It was wonderful handing the teaching back and forth, holding and flowing with the energy in the room.

To finish the fundamental poses, I taught Prasarita Padottanasana A-B-C-D, and Vayu taught Parsvottanasana.

For those reading who are feeling lost on these words and what poses they stand for, you can find some images at: http://www.yogadancer.com/Asana.shtml. Scroll down and click on the links to take a look. Some links don't work.

Finally, Vayu took the class through a vinyasa to Padmasana, as Guruji (Shri K. Pattabhi Jois) did with beginning students, and then everyone could do whatever practice suited them.

For breakfast, I'd made buckwheat groats with cinnamon, nuts, and dried fruit, which were good and filling.

Lucy came to our morning class, in which we talked about theme, or a specific focus during a class.

She made salad and kumara (sweet potato) risotto for lunch. Yum.

Since today, Vayu and I are "karma yogis," I swept up the kitchen and shala.

Many of us rested in various restorative poses as we waited for afternoon class. It was on technique, and we spent quite a bit of time counting for each other and adjusting poses. I was happy to partner with Sabine.

Somehow, all of the information seemed to create some pressure in my brain, so I took a short walk to the car after class to call Tim. Why in the car? My NZ cell phone can only be recharged in the car.

Anyway, fortunately, Tim had just gotten home from a special dinner at Blackfish restaurant in Conshohocken, PA, with his brother, so I didn't wake him up like I did last night.

Had a nice long rest/nap afterward, and then journeyed to the kitchen for dinner.

Vayu made a nice, spicy miso soup with udon noodles. We all loved it.

So, tonight is the full moon, and the winds have been blowing all day (externally - ie., outside, and internally - see the book How Yoga Works), so it should be a clear night.

Second week already!

2009-03-08T23:51:00.000-07:00

Woke up to a bit of cloudy sky today, but it cleared out quickly and was sunny mid-day, but chilly most of the day.

Sarah P-C and Georgie practiced with John this morning; he helped them practice the vinyasa count, so they could lead us for the start of class. Because they both counted us through sun salutations, we did 5A salutations, 5B salutations and then 5 more A and 5 more B. It built a lot of heat in the room.

I woke up with a bit of a strain on the right-back part of my neck, so I was careful as I moved through the series. Nothing hurt, and my neck felt much better by the end. Later in the day, it was aching again, so I used my body rolling balls, and again, it felt much better. I'll probably use them again before I go to sleep.

Lucy made us some delicious vegetable pancakes and salad for lunch.

We started the afternoon session with sitting practice (led meditation) with John reminding us to find vertical with our spines, to relax, to breathe (continuously), and to use the count (as mantra). His guidance has helped me be much more relaxed in sitting practice. My back used to ache a lot, and it hasn't been aching at all during sitting here.

Since we finished sitting practice with a short time in resting pose, it was a bit difficult to come back to focusing on class afterward, but we all tried our best. The time in our classes flies by.

We discussed working with beginning students as well as with students who have had other teachers. John talks often about learning from his first teacher, Derek, as well as from Guruji, back when there only 4-8 people at the shala. At that time, the shala was in Lakshmipuram, and now it's much larger and in Gokulam.

John and Lucy went back together to Mysore last year for Guruji's 93rd birthday (he was born on the full moon day in July, 1915).

Several people went out for a long walk after class to lift their energies up, but I chose to stay here and work on my neck, read, relax, and call Tim and my parents. With Daylight Savings having just passed, now the east coast is not 18 hours behind, but 19. So, at 5:30 AM when I'm up to practice with John and Vayu tomorrow (Tuesday) morning, it'll be 10:30 AM Monday in Philadelphia.

Tonight, we had leftovers, and Vayu made some very special, very tasty miso soup. I felt like I was transported back to Japan, where I visited 20 years ago. Tomorrow, Vayu is going to make one of my favorite soups: miso with udon noodles. The best I ever had was at a car rest stop on a road to Yokohama.

Just a few moments ago, Vayu was practicing Tai Chi on the terrace of the shala. It was fun to watch.

Everyone else is hanging out in the lounge or in their rooms. The moon is rising in the sky, and by Wednesday, it'll be a full moon.

Time to head to my room so I can get a good night's sleep before early morning practice.

Maybe I'll try to put up a few pictures.

Busy Sunday

2009-03-07T21:25:00.000-08:00

[Just added photos today, March 12: #1 is Sabine, Brigid, and Sarah P-C at Georgie's Stillpoint party; #2 is Georgie blowing out candles around her pumpkin cake; #3 is most everyone sitting around the shala kitchen table having dinner - before the cake; #4 are birds (including one standing on only one foot) at the Kaiteriteri beach; and #5 is the sign telling Bela and I we were in Kaiteriteri.]

Yoga Mala today - 108 sun salutations. Why 108? 108 is a sacred number, for many, many reasons. You could google 108 and auspicious or "sacred number," and I'm sure you'll come up with many links. I once found a list online of many reasons for the sacredness of 108, including that it is 4 full cycles of the moon (4x27). Also, depending on how you count them, some say there are 108 upanishads (sacred texts).

Go ahead, google it! : )

Anyway, after last night's fun party at Georgie's house, watching her husband dance with the kids, we had a peaceful drive home under the stars, and then we all enjoyed a good night's sleep.

We gathered in the lounge of the shala around 8 AM, and in the studio at 8:30 AM. After some discussion, we began: 108 Surya Namaskar A (sun salutation A) without holding the downward dog position. It's an incredible practice. The most distracting thing I found during the practice was that my pingala nadi (right nostril) running. It gradually got better throughout the practice, and it was a constant reminder to get back to the breath and the count (9 vinyasa count for a sun salutation A).

The time flew for me... later, when we discussed the practice (John suggested waiting at least 30 minutes to an hour to talk about it; we all waited even longer than that), it seems that the time didn't go so fast for everyone... and it was interesting to hear how everyone experienced it.

Btw, John practiced it with us, and he used 27 stones to keep track. Between sapta (7) and asto (8), he'd quickly pick up one stone and place it on the opposite side of the front of his mat. Once all 27 were on the opposite side, he'd start placing them on the other side. 4X27, and then one extra sun salute for Stillpoint, and we were done with that part of the practice.

We followed the sun salutations with the shoulderstand and headstand sequence, ending with padmasana, yoga mudra, and utplithi (25 breaths, not too fast), planting the seed for the next practice. Resting pose felt so restorative and rest-full.

I'd made porridge (!- using the New Zealand term - oatmeal in the U.S.) for breakfast which several of us enjoyed afterward.

The excursion of the day was a trip to Kaiteriteri (just south of Marahau, at the bottom of Abel Tasman National Park) with Bela... though we went a little further than we expected, and actually ended up IN Marahau. We saw all of the tractors taking the water taxis out to the sea, and then headed back to the main Kaiteriteri beach, which was stunningly beautiful. The water was quite cold, but after walking in for a few minutes, your legs got used to it. Lots of people were fully swimming, but we just waded.

Before leaving Kaiteriteri, we sat outside at a cafe enjoying flat whites, and Bela also bought a Phoenix organic soda with lemon and bitters. (Mom - thought of you and how you like bitters, but in some kind of drink, right?)

We headed back through Motueka to pick up a few items, including the movie Once, which I'd looked for in Nelson but couldn't find there. The movie had come up in conversation, and so we got it to leave at Stillpoint for all to enjoy. Hopefully, we'll watch it together this week some time. If you haven't seen it, rent it. It's well worth it.

Tim and I went to see Swell Season (the guy and girl in the movie) in concert last year, and it was brilliant (to use a more English or Irish term).

Back at Stillpoint, Evelyn had made a gluten-free pumpkin cake for Georgie's birthday (Brigid can't eat wheat or gluten at all, and we wanted her to be able to enjoy it), and with the rest of the pumpkin, I made gluten-free pumpkin muffins (including quinoa flour for more protein). The kitchen still smells wonderful.

Several others began chopping up lots of veggies and root veggies for dinner, and Amanda and I went out to get a bottle of wine for Georgie's birthday... sadly, Kahurangi winery was closed, so we went to the Upper Moutere store, which had a large selection of local wines. We chose a few, including a Gerwurztraminer from Kahurangi. It'll go nicely with diner, though I think only a few of us drink wine.

I think one of these days I'll not "do" so much... just rest, relax, and read. Been going out and about a lot, which is fine, as I feel quite full of energy, but I know I'd enjoy some time to just be quiet, too.

Day off in Nelson

2009-03-07T01:14:00.000-08:00

It's the second week, and I'm going back to these emails to add pictures, so I'll write here what they are: 1st one above is Sarah P-C, me, and Amanda at Georgie's party; 2nd one is Sabine, Evelyn, Sarah C, and Vayu in Nelson the day of the party; 3rd one is the Indian dance teacher and Peter, Georgie's husband (he's in the background on the right) doing their dance at the party; 4th is Brigid, me, and Evelyn in Nelson; and 5th/last is Bela and Evelyn at Georgie's party.

No practice today - our day off... and since John and Lucy encourage students to get out and do something on Saturdays, we did.

We all went in to Nelson together (well, two separate cars; Brigid and Amanda rented one), and had breakfast at Lambretta's... it was, well, just OK. Very fun-diner-ish, but having eaten several wonderful breakfasts down the street at Morrison Cafe, it couldn't measure up. Nevertheless, it was fun being all together, being served breakfast - especially the flat whites... MMMMMMM....

After eating, we headed to Montgomery Square, where there's a farmer's and craft market. We bought pears (6 different varieties, including "lemon pop?"), plums, melon, peaches, avocados, rosemary, peppers (NZ$2.50 for a bag of red, orange and yellow peppers?! You could *maybe* buy one pepper for that price in the US right now...), local olive oil, and other produce.

There was other local shopping to be done before we drove back to Stillpoint to get ready for Georgie's birthday party (back in Nelson at her and her family's house). For the party, we made curried rice with chickpeas and peas, and salad (with cashews, feta, tomato and avocado).

Brigid, Sarah C, and Sabine all decided to stay at Stillpoint to rest.

So, Amanda, Evelyn, Vayu, and I set out for the party. There were already lots of guests there (including many many children). Had my first glass of NZ wine since I arrived - an incredible Sauvignon Blanc (from Waimea, I think?). The potluck was intended to be Indian food, and so it fit the bill for us yogis: beet root with yogurt sauce, lots of chickpea dishes, samosas, rice, etc. Much to choose from.

Before we left, the energy level went way up, as Georgie's husband, Peter, danced and Indian dance with his teacher. The music was powerfully uplifting, and smiles and laughter became very contagious. The kids all joined in, as did many other party-goers (including Sarah P-C, back from her trip to a wedding in Wellington, Bela, Amanda, and Vayu). Evelyn and I took pictures. (As mentioned before, I hope to connect the camera to upload some soon).

All in all, a very busy, fun day-off. The waxing moon and the southern cross guided us home.

Tomorrow morning, we're doing 108 sun salutations together.

Later, I'll make pumpkin muffins with leftovers from earlier in the week, and Evelyn may make a pumpkin cake for Georgie (her actual birthday is tomorrow and she'll return from being with her family tomorrow, so we'll celebrate again).

Ah... connection

2009-03-05T18:56:00.001-08:00

How awesome... had a chance to video chat with Tim before and after class.

The clouds have gone, and there's a strong breeze, so blue sky and sunshine are coming through again. Hopefully, my and Sarah P-C's clothes will dry on the lines now.

Today in class we revisited the entire week's classes, synthesizing everything. Next week, we'll take turns teaching Surya Namaskar A and B in practice, as well as leading the chants. As much as I've done those things in the past, it feels new here. Atha yoga. And NOW, the practice of yoga begins. (first yoga sutra 1.1)

We're all to take tomorrow (Saturday) off, so we'll head in to Nelson, to the market. Tim and I saw the Sunday market last year, which includes a flea market and some produce items. Evidently, the Saturday market is more like a Farmer's Market with stores and craftspeople having stalls to sell their goods.

Since Georgie lives in Nelson, she gave us lots of ideas for things to do and places to go.

Good time to take our yoga off the mat. Life School, John calls it. Breathe out (3 seconds), breathe in (3 seconds)... exhale... inhale...

When you're paying such exquisite attention to your breath, how can you not be present? You're just here. You're in the now. No past influencing, no future worrying, just here. Just now.

I'm realizing that my posture while sitting outside and typing is not great... not connected through the pelvis, heart, and head... so I just sat up. Breath comes easier... more relaxed through the shoulders.

From John: Spine. Relax. Breath. Mantra/count.

Why not try using those four things in daily life? Feel your spine, vertical (not straight, just vertical, including the natural curves). Relax: drop the shoulders, drop the story line, drop the drama, drop in to earth. Breathe and count: exhale 1-2-3; inhale 1-2-3.

I'm all over the place today, so it's time to be tamasic, to rest.

Problems connecting

2009-03-05T16:28:00.000-08:00

Had trouble connecting to the internet yesterday, perhaps due to the cloudy and rainy weather (of course, it arrived just after Sarah P-C and I hung up our freshly washed laundry...

So, I typed out a blog post in Pages, and just tried to paste it here... no, it didn't work, so I'll have to retype it...

Of course, now, it's Friday, so I'm a bit behind. Just as an aside, though, this morning's practice was incredible. Amanda and Brigid watched (they'd practiced with John at 5:30 AM), and the rest of us did guided self-practice. The energy in the room was indescribable. We were all riding a wave.

Here's from Day 3:

Day 3 feels like Day 6

We've only had three days of practice and class, and we've covered SO much, it's amazing.

Evelyn and Bela practiced with John this morning, and then observed the 8 AM practice (the rest of us). John led us through full vinyasa (including full vinyasa standing poses) through navasana. It was terrific. The energy was very together, very uplifting.

We're not only covering vinyasa count during class, but also how it relates to yogic philosophy, to the five elements (space, air, fire, water, earth), to the senses, to meditation...

John has a great way of looking at/diagraming the 8 limbs... which I should mention more, since this IS the Eight Limb Yoga blog, right? He puts the 8 limbs in to a wheel formation with spokes: Asana is at the top, directly across from meditation (dhyana) at the bottom.

OK, maybe some people reading this don't know all eight limbs. Here you go: 1 - Yamas (right attitudes; 2 - Niyamas (right observances); 3 - Pranayama (breath control); 5 - Pranayama (control of the senses); 6 - Dharana (concentration or attention); 7 - Dhyana (meditation); and 8 - Samadhi (absorption or bliss).

For those of us in the west who practice yoga, asana can often be given all of one's attention and energy, pull the wheel out of balance. How can a wheel with uneven spokes roll smoothly? It can't. It makes for a very bumpy ride.

Nevertheless, asana is an accessible entry point for westerners. Most of us are open to the physical, to movement. With Ashtanga Yoga, movement is synchronized with the breath, so there's an introduction to pranayama right away. In fact, the #1 focus is the breath -- constant, monitored, regular.

Imagine the breath symbolized by a line, a wave. When someone breathes in and stops, or holds the breath, the wave disappears, and instead, you have a straight line... and what does a straight line on a heart monitor machine tell you?

Just something to think about...

With all of the serious discussion in class going on, I found some humor in our homework. We were assigned to draw stick figures of Surya Namaskar A with the vinyasa count and breath... well, I did that, but I also did it using a sheep as the figure. Seems fitting for NZ, especially since John talked about all of the sheeples of New Zealand...

Hey, if Babar can do yoga (yes, there's a Babar yoga book; one of my students gave it to me), why can't New Zealand sheep?

The air, the water, and the food!

2009-03-02T23:38:00.000-08:00

So, yesterday Sarah P-C (the one who works for John and Lucy - the P-C is her last name acronym) was telling us about her 6-month journey through India (including 2 months in Mysore), and how she didn't feel well at all there... and how she loves "the air, the water, and the food" in New Zealand... and of course, we all completely agreed.

We're all taking turns cooking (though Lucy cooks our lunch for us - incredibly delicious chickpea and veggie curry with rice today), and so we had a lovely split-pea soup tonight, made by Evelyn. For dessert, we had Sarah P-C's apple crumble.

Then, several of us hung out with Finn (John and Lucy's 11-year old son), talking about Sarah C's (the one from Scotland who now lives in NZ - and has been taking care of bees here!) aunt who can crack a glass by singing a really high note... and then the WWE came up - what? you say... WorldWide Entertainment (ie., wrestling)?! Yes, Finn loves it.

Anyway, it was just a fun time talking all together, after a long, fascinating day of class.

Vayu and I practiced with John at 5:30 AM, which was in-cred-i-ble. First of all, walking out under the blanket of stars to the studio, and then practicing as the stars gradually disappeared, followed by the glorious rise of the sun. Also, just sharing space and energy with John and Vayu in yoga practice - wow... can't describe it in words... I guess Presence, or Flow, might get close.

Then, during regular class (again, led Primary - not all the way through the series today, though), Vayu and I had the chance to watch John and Lucy teach and adjust. I wish I could do that every day.

I was observing how Georgie's practice was flowing so nicely and how amazing her posture is... and then I hear Lucy talking with her as she's adjusting a pose, and Lucy mentions her scoliosis...?! It became evident as she moved in to urdhva dhanurasana (backbend), but I couldn't see it from where I was standing at first.

So many people might use scoliosis as an excuse to not exercise or not want to move their bodies, but they need not.

In the afternoon class, our group revealed its questioning nature... going way past our 3:30 ending time --- that is, going until 4:45 PM, discussing, observing, wow, it was great.

It feels like we've all been here for over a week, and it's been two days?!

Time to zzzz.... last night, I fell asleep at 9 PM, woke up at 12 PM, and felt like it was time to get up... and it was a very strange night after that: I would sleep for 30 minutes or maybe just 10 minutes, wake up, and again, think I'd slept through the night and it was time to get up. This kept going until I actually got up at 4:45 AM.

Tomorrow, I'm not in the 5:30 AM group, so I hope I just sleep restfully throughout the night.

I hope all in Philadelphia with the snow are OK and safe. Wish I could enjoy a wonderful fire in the fireplace with my husband by my side. I'm there in spirit.

Day 1

2009-03-01T21:18:00.000-08:00

[Just added these photos --- #1 is the pond outside my room; #2 is the terrace (full of much more foliage than last year) and John and Lucy's house (was a farmhouse); #3 is my feet and our study book; and #4 is Vayu, Bela, Georgie, Sabine, Sarah C, Amanda, Evelyn, and Brigid in the Shala - Sarah P-C and I are missing from the photo.]

PHEW.

What

day!

I'm outside the shala typing in the shade with blue sky and sunshine overhead, and it's 6:20 PM at night?! And, I hear that Philadelphia is expecting up to 12 inches of snow tonight?!

Knowing that may just make me feel a tad bit guilty...

no it won't.

: )

Anyway, Sarah (who works here) and Georgie (who is staying in a camper in the parking lot - she's from Nelson) practiced at 5:30 AM with John this morning. Guess what? Tomorrow, I and Vayu will practice at that time with him... so I won't be on here long. Have to eat dinner and get to bed!

The rest of us began practice (LED class by John with Lucy assisting) at 8:15 AM. Last year, we didn't have a full led practice, so this was AN EXPERIENCE for sure, especially since I was practicing in the full rays of the sun. Wow.

Everything David Keil has ever taught me is now being solidified - and perhaps embellished more, since we have so much time - through John. It all feels so right, so connected, so.... what's the word?

I don't know.

Soooo much gratitude to you, David.

We only had about 30 minutes between practice and class, so all I did was have breakfast. Had to shower after lunch.

Feel like my body is digesting LOTS of nourishment in the food department as well as the theory and practice departments.

We discussed sitting practice a lot in the afternoon class and had a short group meditation, which will grow in length over the course of the month.

Afterward, I took a group to Motueka (nearby town) for grocery shopping. Others went to swim at Rabbit Island beach (over 10K long).

Just had a nice chat on google with my brother-n-law, but have to go do homework before dinner.

Oh - a bit more info about others here... Evelyn was born of Malaysian parents in Australia, moved to Malaysia for a while as a child, also lived in Hongkong, and now lives in Berlin, where her boyfriend is getting a Ph.D. (don't know in what)

Amanda just arrived today from Vancouver, B.C., and she knows Tim and Sara (who Tim and I met last year here).

So there are 10 of us: Amanda, Evelyn, Vayu, Bela, Brigid, Sabine, Sarah, Sarah (yes, two Sarah's), Georgie and me.

Everyone... come to New Zealand!

Arrival!

2009-02-28T20:44:00.001-08:00

Here we are, in the lounge of the shala, just meeting Georgi (have to check that spelling), who lives in Nelson with her family: husband Peter, kids, Hannah, Eva, and Marcus - CUTE!!!

Around the table are other students, including Bela (from China, and before that, the Phillipines, and before that, the States); Sarah (originally from Scotland, grew up in Wales though, and considers both Spain and NZ her homes....!); Sabine (from Germany - she studied Iyengar for 9 years and started Ashtanga 1 1/2 years ago); and the other Sarah, from Wellington (she's John and Lucy's helper, who lives in the yurt and will be participating in the Teacher Training as well).

I've also met Vayu (spelling again?), from South Korea, the only male in the course.

Others are yet to come.

It has been an amazing trip already. The flight from Philly was an hour late leaving ... one of those times when they had to wait for food to be brought to the plane (which they then ran out of on the flight), and then the rain delayed us (just as we taxied to the tarmac, the captain came on the PA to say that it would be at least a half hour before we took off)... anyway, the biggest problem it caused was only having 10 minutes before I had to board the plane to Auckland, rather than an hour and 10 minutes. Fortunately, the vegetarian dinner I requested on the NZ#1 flight wasn't terrible.

The L.A. airport, however, I can do without... had to leave the terminal I was in to go in to the Air New Zealand terminal, meaning I had to go back through security. Not well organized, imho.

I was SO lucky on the Philly-to-LA flight to have an empty seat next to me, and a man on the other side of that seat who didn't mind that I put my feet on it (obviously sitting sideways)... but no such luck on the LA-to-Auckland flight... seemed full, and seemed like less space than last year.

The first half of the NZ#1 flight was harder than the last half... maybe because I was able to sleep later in the flight, after watching The Visitor - GREAT movie. When I woke up for breakfast (not such a good in-flight meal... why do airlines even TRY to serve eggs??? IT NEVER WORKS), I watched Burn After Reading (or is it Burn Before Reading?), which is not good. Not even sure why I watched it all the way through.

Btw, everyone, I am not going to edit this... won't have time... so bear with me.

Had my first "flat white" (latte) with soy milk in the domestic terminal... yummmmmmmmm!

Nice, easy flight to Nelson, during which I read a lot of one of Tim's favorite books (hope I'm right about that), "By the Lake." It's a difficult read, because of all of the Irish sayings and ways of saying things that I don't understand. I need Tim here to help me decipher it.

Tim, can you take the next flight? I miss you.

Went back to the Morrison Cafe (third time!) for lunch. Though the service is slow, the food is amazing... they use fresh, organic, healthy food as much as possible, and have a huge menu, including the regular diner options (made with good stuff - I had huevos rancheros) and then things like quinoa salad or brown rice with all kinds of cool veggies. Took Tim there last year, too, when he arrived.

Passed by a digeridoo player on the street, obviously using circular breathing and doing an amazing job of it... so I dropped a few coins in his hat, and he said "thaaaaaaaannnk.... yoooouuuuuuuu" through the digeridoo! I didn't even try to conceal my giggle.

Did some grocery shopping since we'll be cooking our breakfasts and dinners. Turns out Lucy is going to cook us lunch Monday through Friday.

OK - more important stuff... the farm/retreat center is AMAZING! SO different from last year. Foliage has grown all over the place, and John is building a garden in front of their house. There's a beautifully designed deck under the canopy that has 4 outdoor beanbag chairs on it, and the garden and pond next to the deck is all finished - just looking at it makes you feel tranquil.

Also, I'll be staying in a new, little sweet cabin - it's a stand-alone unit beyond the other cabins.

It doesn't have a bathroom though... so... if I have to GO in the middle of the night, my options are: squat outside, or make my way to the shala to use the john there.

I'll take a picture and try to add it in here, but after a few pictures upon my arrival, the camera battery died. It's recharging.

The weather is incredible - warmer than I remember it last year. Today was HOT, and the locusts are REALLY LOUD. I'm not complaining, mind you. : )

Well, that's enough for now... evidently, we're having dinner together to go over things.

One of the students will arrive tomorrow.

To anyone and everyone reading this, you really must come to New Zealand. Don't just put it on your bucket list; put it on your current "to do" list.

: )

"How Yoga Works"

2009-02-24T18:02:00.000-08:00

How Yoga Works is a wonderful book written by Geshe Michael Roach and Christie McNally (hope her name is correct - don't have the book handy now). It's one of the required books for the teacher training in NZ.

It puts in to story form the ways in which the Yoga Sutras can inform and guide one's life. It's a fun read, and though I had a bit of "trouble" with a few parts, I really enjoyed it, and I can't wait to discuss it with John, Lucy, and the other students.

The other great book that concerns the Yoga Sutras and how they apply to living is Paths to God by Ram Dass. Awesome.

ONLY TWO MORE DAYS! I can't believe it. I'm tremendously excited and nervous now, too.

Love to everyone and thanks for all of your support!

2 weeks out

2009-02-12T17:36:00.000-08:00

2 weeks from tomorrow, and I'm off to New Zealand! Wow.

For those looking for a good book that's easy to digest but full of yoga and meaning, check out How Yoga Works by Geshe Michael Roach. It's a story that incorporates the Yoga Sutras throughout. I'm almost finished reading it, and I've really enjoyed it.

Had a *great* experience teaching at Yoga Garden last Sunday as a sub. I'm hoping to write more about it in another post, but suffice it to say that students are the best teachers, and can they ever inspire.

Svaha!

2009-02-05T18:06:00.000-08:00

One of those days when I caught myself saying "Svaha" a lot in my mind...

I have a shirt with Svaha on the front, and "Offer it up to the Divine" (approximation) on the

back... so, Svaha can be an oblation, but it has other, related meanings...

In Tibetan, it means "so be it," and is often said, "so-ha."

It can be used as an interjection (for Buddhist and Hindu chants).

Sometimes, I think of it as, "That's the way it is, oh well... accept it and move on."

This can be very helpful when you have a week of practice when you can barely backbend because of an ache in your ribcage. I've been through such aches before, and they're often accompanied by the fear of, "What if this doesn't go away?" or, "What if something is really wrong?" or "Will I ever be able to do -x- again?"

SVAHA.

I'm feeling achy. Svaha.

I'm sad; it'll pass. Svaha.

I'm happy, and I'm happy I'm happy. Svaha.

Practice is difficult today. Svaha.

There's a beautiful sun out today. Svaha.

For practice today, I take rest. Svaha.

Mind is frantic. Svaha.

Practice is fun today. Svaha.

Emotions are like rollercoasters. Svaha.

So much to do. Svaha.

Focus. Svaha.

Be Present. Svaha.

Practice, and all is coming. Svaha.

Thank you, Pattabhi Jois.

Fruits of one's efforts

2009-02-02T18:11:00.000-08:00

One of the most powerful teachings/practices for me in yoga is to practice without attachment to the results. Having exercised (weight-lifting, running, aerobics, among other things) for many years seeking to tone, lift, and otherwise trim my body, as yoga and meditation took over my exercise time, the desire for such results lifted.

Sure, those old voices still make noise in my head some times, and I just think, "Oh, there are those old voices again," and they gently diminish in volume and then fade away. It took a long time for that to happen, but it did, with lots of practice.

Of course, if one practices yoga and meditation regularly, there will be effects, and these effects can be an incentive to practice. For example, I have the thought that, "I don't want to practice because...", and then I remember how I feel after I've practiced, and I practice. And, as David Swenson has said, "I've never regretted a yoga practice."

So... perhaps what will happen over time is that I practice just for the sake of practice.

To take this a little further, how about being kind just for the sake of being kind, and not expecting anything from it? How about giving just for the sake of giving, not because it's expected or might please someone? How about loving and listening the same way?

I intend to bring some more awareness to this practice of letting go of the fruits of my efforts. Svaha.

This came up today, in part, from students asking to tailor their sessions to have certain effects. I hope I can inspire them to trust the yoga, to just practice the yoga.

"Practice, and all is coming." - Sri K. Pattabhi Jois

Mysore morning

2009-01-30T16:38:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone for another fun Mysore last Friday! Breath by breath, everyone stayed focused. It is such a pleasure to observe and offer guidance when needed, as I trust David Keil's and John Scott's teaching to come through me.

Where does strength come from? What is it?

2009-01-29T17:56:00.000-08:00

Many times, at the start of practice, my mind is thinking, "Well, I feel really tired; I'll probably just do the fundamental poses and then 'take rest.'" That's what happened on Tuesday...

Then, today, I go all the way through practice, and my mind goes, "How did I do that? Where did that come from?"

Sometimes, I answer myself, saying, "I don't know how I did that, but I am very grateful for it. Thank you, thank you, thank you."

The only way I can make sense of it is that there's more than "me" doing the practice. That is, obviously my mind isn't doing the practice - well, the physical part, anyway... my mind IS practicing - practicing getting out of the way so I can focus on breathing and being.

So, maybe... Strength is Being.

Strength is Ujjayi breathing.

Strength is Devotion.

Strength is Sthira - sukham asanam (a pose that is steady, still, alert, calm, and relaxed, or with-ease).

Strength is flexibility, not just of body, but of mind. The willingness to observe the mind and its wanderings without letting the wanderings take over and change being.

Strength is Now - not what you had in the past or what you will develop in the future; it's here in you Now.

Strength is hope.

Strength is possibility.

Strength is being vulnerable.

Strength is turning upside-down.

Strength is taking rest. Often.

Teaching a led class on Sunday morning and Body Rolling classes

2009-01-22T17:42:00.000-08:00

My friend, Mark, an awesome yoga teacher in Narberth, PA, is headed out on a business trip, and I'm fortunate enough to be able to have the opportunity to teach for him this Sunday from 8:30 - 9:45 AM at Yoga Garden in Narberth, PA.

It'll be a led Primary, probably a 1/2 led Primary with vinyasa counting. Come have fun with us!

Since I've been teaching Mysore lately, I've missed teaching led classes, so this will be great.

Also, check out Yoga Child's website (http://www.yogachild.net/) for dates and times of upcoming 90-minute Body Rolling classes (eg., Feb 7 and Feb 21, each day from 1-2:30 PM). Here's your chance to experience your body in a whole new way, heightening your awareness and deepening your breath.

Dropping back is fun with Jill

2009-01-20T04:56:00.000-08:00

I was quite excited for Jill's workshop on Saturday, as I arrived around 12:40 for the 2 PM start... oops - I thought it started at 1 PM. So, I found a wonderful local coffee house, Infusion, and had a delicious soy milk latte - MMM. Definitely recommend a visit, even if you're like me, and you have to drive on Lincoln Dr. to get there. I'm really not fond of this road; if you drive 25 mph - the speed limit - you are getting passed every second by people driving 30-35-40+ mph. Phew.

Nevertheless, the efforts were all worth it. Jill set up the workshop with some harmonious (pun* not intended, but...) chanting, and then gave us 1% theory, leading to 99% practice. She wove her theory eloquently in to the practice, and guided us skillfully through many sun salutations and standing poses, all containing the "drop-back" essence. As she suggested, we not only prepared to drop-back, but we dropped our shoulders, dropped our jaws, dropped our expectations, etc. "Dropping" can be quite a positive experience. Don't think about it too much.

It felt as though every participant was fully Present, and as the collective breathing deepened, hearts opened (not just through the chest, but through the back, sides - every direction).

In preparation for dropping back, Jill taught some creative, step-by-step preps, including using the wall in a safe way. Also, we spent quite a bit of time dropping back from our knees; ie., starting with Ustrasana (Camel). My guess is that many people had sore quads the next day. Dropping back is NOT just about having a flexible spine. As with any asana, a balance of flexibility and strength throughout the body (and mind, and spirit) are essential. I think everyone really understood this by the time we were actually dropping back.

Great job, Jill! It's always fun to see and experience new ways of teaching things, and Jill has the experience and creativity to do so safely and enthusiastically.

Let's see what the morning brings

2009-01-16T18:21:00.001-08:00

Not sleeping well (in part, due to wonderful cats snuggling in the bed) and then waking up with my upper back and right side of my neck on fire led me to believe that this (yesterday) would not be a "good practice day." Note to self (lower case "s"): It's not necessary to label practices.

Anyway, I showed up on my mat to see what would happen. Sometimes, practice heals these out-of-nowhere morning "injuries." Actually, often, I'm surprised what I can still do. Other times, not so much. Then, meditation and rest are the healers.

I added in many more sun salutations than the normal 5 A and 5 B, as my body did, indeed, feel better as I went along, and my head flexion and extension gradually improved. No Second Series this time, though; that was for sure. A-ha... I needed Yoga Chikitsa (yoga therapy) = Primary Series! It really helped. I could barely look up at the ceiling when I started, and by the end, I could look up and back.

Admittedly, last week I made the mistake of doing Second Series with a similar neck pain... well, it felt better at the end of practice, but worse the next day... but then better the following day... so was it a mistake? Who knows. Svaha.

Btw, tomorrow is Jill Manning's workshop at Blue Banyan Yoga in Mt. Airy, PA., and I'm going. Jill is an excellent teacher who knows how to connect with students of all levels. So, if you want to experience joy while learning about drop-backs, come join in the fun!

One of THOSE practices...

2009-01-14T17:43:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, I just wanted to climb back in bed with my cats rather than practice (which I have done before... if I need the nap, it becomes yoga nidra and my yoga practice for the day)... but, on this kind of lethargic day, I often give practice a chance, just to see what will happen. Sometimes I make it through sun salutations and do a verrrrrry long savasana, and sometimes I do more.

Well, this time the practice just awakened my energy. Literally, breath by breath, it seemed, energy seemed to arise from nowhere, and I enjoyed a full practice. Sometimes, it's amazing what can happen when you give practice a chance. All we have to do is stand on the mat and breathe, and then see what happens.

It's not that the practice is perfect or even nearly so... but there's "just something" about the Presence in the practice, where the prana just keeps growing, and the thinking just keeps getting more silent. Some asanas are challenging and some are relatively easy, and it doesn't matter. Whatever is, is.

I'll have to make a point of posting when this doesn't happen. In the meantime, the effects of such a practice seem to bubble over to many following practices, without any conscious effort.

I rest with gratitude.

Small edit

2009-01-12T10:34:00.000-08:00

Next time perhaps I'll edit before I publish the post...

In my last post, I wrote that yoga practice is for connection with the Self. The change I'd make to that sentence is that yoga practice (or meditation, for that matter) is for recognizing the connection with Self. That is, my feeling is that the connection is always there; we just tend to not recognize or be aware of the connection on a moment-t0-moment basis. Too much thinking (analyzing, ruminating, judging, etc.) gets in the way. Stillness and emptiness, a mind unoccupied, cultivated through practice, awakens the connection to Self.

As I often say: turn off your brain, turn on your breath.

Resurrection

2009-01-12T08:26:00.000-08:00

Time to resurrect the Eight Limb Yoga blog... for several reasons, the main one being that I'm headed back to New Zealand for John and Lucy Scott's Level 1 Ashtanga Teacher Training.

[I don't think that we're supposed to call it "teacher training," so... well, consider it a very intensive study of Ashtanga yoga.]

The energy of change is here, and while the fear of change is palpable, I also sense a real energy of opportunity, of open-mindedness, of awareness...

Having this opportunity ahead of me leaves me feeling completely grateful, fortunate, and humble. The practice of yoga is ever-humbling, ever-inspiring, and ever-centering.

As the Buddhists often suggest, you practice not just for your self, but for all sentient beings, and as the yogis say, it is for connecting with the Self (upper-case "S"). These are my intentions.

Offer it all to the Divine in all. Be with the energy in each moment, each breath.

Thank you to all of my loving family, friends, clients, and students, for being present. Thank you to my incredible, loving husband, Tim.

I leave February 27, and will return April 4... why five weeks? The last week, following the 4-weeks of intensive study, will be practice with Manju Jois, son of Pattabhi Jois. Since I've never studied with Manju or Pattabhi Jois, the time seemed ripe to do so. John and Lucy will be practicing in the same group with me... should be quite interesting; ie., the energy in the room, the energy at Stillpoint Yoga in Upper Moutere, NZ.

May our practice, as every practice, be for the benefit of all sentient beings.

Home

2008-03-12T11:30:00.000-07:00

It was difficult to find time to write after the last post, since we were traveling and staying in places that didn't have free wireless connections. So... here I am, back home, and writing about the last few days in NZ.

Simply put, it was an amazing trip, and we loved having a few days to experience Auckland. We didn't just stay in the city center, but went out to Ponsonby, Parnell, and Devonport, all areas surrounding Auckland. Each one has its own feel, its own character.

We kept practicing in the mornings before we headed out to drive or experience the area. The yoga seemed to set our mornings straight, and even when there wasn't much space in which to practice, practice worked. That is, once you begin sun salutations, you forget about lack of space, because you're creating it within yourself; you're experiencing it internally.
Yes, it's great to have lots of physical space surrounding you when you have the chance to have it, but one of the great things about yoga is that it fits in to whatever space you have, and it creates more than you think you have.
Does that even make sense?

Not everything about Auckland was wonderful. It definitely is the most metropolitan city we visited, and therefore, more polluted/populated than everywhere else we traveled... possibly giving us even more appreciation for having spent so much time in the pastural region of Nelson/Upper Moutere.

Also, in Auckland, we met the only person who gave us a bad taste in our mouths... not literally (that is, the meal we had at his restaurant was spectacular, food-wise), but figuratively. Turns out, the person is not a native New Zealander, but rather, a former Bucks County, PA, resident. Let's just say that satya (truthfulness) and asteya (non-stealing) did not seem to be daily practices for this gentleman, and Tim and I had some svadhyaya (self-study) and ahimsa (non-violence) to practice when dealing with him. We did our best.

A visit to the Skytower was tremendous (though more difficult for me than I ever imagined - never had trouble with heights like that before), including seeing two people jump off the tower on bungy-like cords. Wow. Tim said he would have done it if hadn't cost $195. Not me; at least, not in this life time.

We also enjoyed touring some art galleries, looking for the work of an artist some clients of mine had seen when they visited NZ. The artist's name is Kate Wells, and we did have a chance to see photos of her tapestry work at one gallery.

Getting to our departing flight required a lot of patience and yet hurrying up when we could, even though we got to the airport 3 hours early. The lines were just too long and there weren't enough NZ Air employees to handle the customers. However, getting through customs was easy, thankfully, both in NZ and in the USA. Our bags all came through fine, too.

Tim's working on our NZ pictures on his computer, so hopefully, I'll have some to post soon.

I'll probably continue to post on here occasionally. As I said in my first post, I love beginnings, and as much as coming home feels like an ending, I feel it's another beginning... a time to apply all of the things I/Tim learned from John and Lucy and to experience them in practice and in regular everyday life.

For anyone reading, if you want a life-changing getaway, or just the experience if clean air and good people, go study with John and Lucy Scott. Even if you've never studied Ashtanga yoga before, you will enjoy the challenge and inspiration of studying with them, and you'll definitely grow in ways you didn't expect... and certainly ways you'll appreciate.

Time flies, even in each present moment

2008-03-05T18:55:00.000-08:00

We're constantly reminded on this trip to be in, and appreciate the present moments as they fly by.

I'm in a convenience store in Auckland now as we're waiting for our room to be ready at the hotel.

We had a nice drive to Rotorua Wednesday, with better weather there when we arrived. Unfortunately, Zorbing was not happening, as it was too windy... well, we could have done the wet-version, but neither of us wanted to get soaking wet.

So - we went on a beautiful gondola ride, and went on the Sky swing (165 kph upon release) out over the edge of the "mountain" (quite a rush!), and then on two luge runs down the mountain. Really fun!

We then found our B&B, Ferntree Cottage, run by two lovely people, Val and Jeff Brennan, and their cat, Snapper, and dog, Josie. They told us about a fun dinner place called the Fat Dog, and it was fun - and delicious.

Val made us a delicious breakfast (Tim even had waffles) before we headed out of town, stopping on the way at Hamurauna (sp?) spring (Val's suggestion). Many years ago, several divers went in to the spring and recovered 5000 1860 pennies out of the spring, which were given to various local charities. Pretty cool!
The spring was so clear you could see every stone and green thing growing in it, as was the stream coming from it. We loved the walk to/from as well, being surrounded by humongous redwoods and being serenaded by musical birds. Tim recorded the birdsongs using his digital camera, so perhaps we can identify them later.

We both practiced again this morning (thank you, John and Lucy, once again!), and were greeted thereafter by Snapper wanting attention.

OK, time to see Auckland... back to this present place in this present moment.
Love to all. Come to see this amazing place!

Going with the flow

2008-03-04T13:57:00.000-08:00

Time to practice some real flexibility - ie., in planning... as in, things don't always go the way you plan.

We flew to Napier without any problems yesterday, but unfortunately, it was raining when we landed.
Europcar had to upgrade us for our car (which sounds good until you're told you're getting an 8-person minivan that doesn't get great gas mileage and that needs big parking spaces)... can't help also feeling a bit guilty driving down the road with only 2 people in such a vehicle.
It does have great acceleration (and it's a KIA!), which we could have used in Arthur's Pass.

Take a breath and go with it...

So, we stopped by Mission Estates winery, the oldest winery in NZ, and perhaps the one with the most expensive restaurant... therefore, we headed down the road to Church Road winery, which was smaller, more affordable and nice. Tim had the cheese board (and got to taste 3 different wines to pair with it), and I had orzo risotto with prawns - yum, and a cuve reserve chardonnay that was terrific... tho' I didn't finish all of the wine in my glass since I was driving, and the glass was quite generous (which we've noticed about getting wine everywhere; ie., they definitely fill glasses up more here than in the USA).

We then drove to a chocolate museum/cafe/shop, which included, for your humoristic pleasure... willy wash and bum wash (liquid soap for the private areas). The ad for the soap was even more funny than the soap package itself.
...reminds me of what we've seen in at least two wool/silk shops: willy warmers and nipple warmers made out of sheeps' wool (or was it possum silk?)

With the rain ongoing here in Napier, we sadly didn't get a good look at the bay; perhaps we'll get a view before we head to Rotorua this morning. This area must be beautiful when you can see the hills and bay.

We found a nice tapas place last night, so we had a pleasant dinner.

We both practiced this morning in a bit of a lack of space... another opportunity to go with the flow, use what you've got. Guess I need to learn and relearn this. Sometimes, lack of space is actually helpful in cultivating dharana and dhyana...

Time to find out if we can get Tim a battery recharger for his computer, and then we'll head to the sulphur-soaked area of Rotorua, including some nice hot mineral baths, and Zorbing!

Weather has its way

2008-03-02T18:30:00.000-08:00

We're here in Christchurch enjoying a sunny yet rather cool day. Headed to the east coast of the south island yesterday (Sunday), actually going as far as Akaroa for a harbour cruise --- which was unfortunately cancelled when we arrived due to wind/rain. Very disappointing, but we did enjoy walking around the quaint town before heading to Christchurch.

Last night, we had a decent/fun but not-quite-as-good-as-we-expected dinner at Dux de Lux, near the Art Centre. After, we went to Sticky Fingers (restaurant and bar) for a drink and dessert (trifle - fantastic)... think we would have liked dinner there better, but swaha.

Today, we both practiced in the AM (as we did yesterday - yay, Tim... John had asked him if he would roll out his mat on Sunday, and he did... and he practiced), had a great breakfast at Vic's Cafe, and walked to the Art Centre (more shops than actual artist studios, but still cool to see). We also took an hour to walk around the Christchurch Art Gallery, which was fantastic.

Tim then indulged me - we went "punting on the Avon River" through a bit of Hagley Park (3rd largest city park in the world next to Stanley Park in Vancouver and Central Park in NYC). Punting is pretty much the English version of going on a gondola. One of the guys working at the place was from Clark County, Wisconsin, and he's been here 8 years.

Now we'll head to The Twisted Hop brewery (we're at an internet/backpackers info centre in Cathedral Square - very impressive cathedral, btw) and to dinner at Saggio di Vino.

Gotta let Tim get to his email. We only have dialup service at the hotel.

Green-lipped mussels

2008-02-29T19:58:00.000-08:00

Forgot to mention that Tim and I shared some green-lipped mussels at dinner last night (along with fish 'n chips). We'd had some mussels on the wine tour, but they were out of their shells.

The green-lipped shells are really beautiful, and these were delicious in a white broth, that was just as good for dunking bread as for adding taste to mussels.

The owner (at least the guy who seemed like the owner) of the cafe was really funny. I had the hiccups when we were ordering our food, and so he identified us as "hiccups" on the check, not by our names.

There was also a very cute black cat scurrying around the cafe - very friendly and playful. We wondered if the cat was as friendly when the cafe was full (there were only 3-4 other people there when we were).

Reminded me of Topaz and Max at home... we miss you guys! (yes, I realize it's crazy to send a message to your cats at home on a blog).

sigh... warm and dry...

2008-02-29T19:41:00.001-08:00

What a day... we left Punakaiki around 9:30 AM and headed for Arthur's Pass. Sadly, it rained/drizzled/poured the whole way, but the coastal views were still spectacular.

The mountain drive was quite thrilling, too, with many twists, turns, etc., along with waterfalls all over, probably many more than usual due to the rainfall.

We were disappointed that it was still so dismal outside upon our arrival in Arthur's Pass, as we really wanted to go up to Avalanche Peak (6-8 hour trek)... as it was, we went up (and I mean, UP!) to Punchbowl Falls (incredible, and even though it's a short trek, your legs start turning to jelly), and then back to another trek, called the Bridal Veil trek.

We never figured out why the latter was called Bridal Veil trek, as we had to really watch our footing. The path itself was pretty much waterlogged the whole way, so our feet got soaked, along with our pants. Next time, waterproof pants will definitely be packed for such a trip.

Thankfully, we have a nice place to stay (could easily sleep 3-4 more people), with a warm, though low-pressure shower.

Can't help but think about being in Upper Moutere. I/we have so many fond memories from there, from the yoga, from the people... no wonder I felt drawn here.

Don't know if I mentioned it in the last blog, forgive me if I did, but on the last day, John spent a good bit of time talking with me about the rajasic, sattvic, and tamasic parts of yoga, life, etc. For example, you can see the Primary Series of Ashtanga yoga as rajasic (standing poses), sattvic (seated poses), and tamasic (finishing poses), and then there are cycles of these within the larger cycle... and on, and on. Much to contemplate.

There are real treasures to be found in NZ (and surely, around the planet), and not just in the scenery, but in the people, too.

Punakaiki

2008-02-29T12:00:00.000-08:00

No yoga this morning. John told everyone to take the day off. We'll be rolling out our mats tomorrow, though.

We arrived in Punakaiki last night around 6:30 PM, after stopping through Carter's Beach and Tauranga (sp?) Bay near Westport, where we saw a seal colony - fantastic.

Once here, we took a walk to the Pancake Rocks and Blowholes. Just amazing; even the sprinkling of rain couldn't take away from the scenery.

We stayed at The Rocks Homestay, in a beautiful home 3 km north of Punakaiki. Sadly, this is the last year this older couple will be running this place, as they are selling it. It has to be a LOT of work keeping the home clean and making breakfast for everyone every morning. The breakfast includes everything you could want: cereals, yogurts, fresh and dried fruits, french press AWESOME coffee, tea, many kinds of jams, omelets (if you want them - but with all the other options, why would you?), fresh scones (Tim had two), toast, and on and on. I think we had breakfast and lunch together...

...which is fine, as we're heading to Arthur's Pass/Avalanche Pass to trek today. Let's hope that the rain stops. It was a musical accompaniment to sleeping, but hopefully, now the sun will join us.