2012 - Keep an open mind & a canoe handy

I watched 2012 at the weekend. My advice to you? Don’t bother.

Not unless you want to lose two precious hours off your life to an unabashed, egotistical romp through humanities least redeeming features, lead by – you guessed it – the Good Ol’ United States of America. Trust them to come and save the day.

I may not have had exceptionally high hopes, but I was expecting a half descent popcorn movie. What I got instead was a doomsday spectacle that only left me wondering if civilisation as we know is even worth saving. Based on the cataclysmic disappointment that 2012 inevitably is I would have to conclude no. In typical Hollywood fashion the darlings of the Silver Screen completely and utterly missed the point and failed miserably to pick out anything that is good and true about society at large and the human race. It did however serve as a reminder that in a majority of the western world, we have got our priorities so atrociously wrong it wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing if we were all wiped out by a giant Tsunami.

Aside from the factual inaccuracy of the portrayal of the 2012 prophecy, the part of the story that was told was weak at best and watered down for the dim-witted masses to such a degree that you’re left with nothing but absolute twaddle. Like most of our media today, it paints a picture that is black and bleak and scare-mongers us into anticipating the worst.

There is no real explanation about the intriguing complexity of the theory, the various, fascinating factors taken from science, maths, history, geology, religion, astrology and astronomy that are masterfully woven together to make what sounds implausible, plausible. The truth is no-one knows what this ancient prediction means for life as we know it. And there are certain camps which insist that the end of the Mayan Long Count calendar signifies the expiration date of the world. However, there is another school of thought that believes 2012 has greater implications for the future of mankind than extinction.

Before I go on, I would like to make it clear that I am not an authority on the subject, nor am I remotely qualified in this field. All I have is my own vague opinion and Wikipedia, but I would like to share an alternative explanation for the significance of 2012, that doesn’t necessarily end in disaster, so you can make up your own mind and not take Hollywood’s word for it.

First, allow me to list key contributing factors to the 2012 theory. Be aware though, that this is not a full or especially good description of events, so if you’re interested in a proper explanation you might want to Google them for yourself.

• The Mayan Long Count Calendar ends, as do those of many other ancient and completely unconnected civilizations. These calendars are based on a 26,000 cycle known as the Great Year or Great Cycle.

• This cycle is based on an celestial event known as Galactic Alignment

• During this time Earth also passes through the 12 zodiac signs

• 21st December 2012 is the next known date when this Great Cycle will complete

• Galactic Alignments means that Earth will be in perfect linear configuration with the centre of our very own Milky Way galaxy (damn it, now I want a chocolate bar) and all other members of our solar neighbourhood

• We are in or about to commence the transition from the age of Pieces to Aquarius (also known as the Golden Age).

• It is said that whilst the Earths rotation is currently stable, Polar reversal is (over) due. It has happened before, and it will happen again. No one really knows why though

• Planet X or Nibiru – There are some that say a mystical planet called Nibiru sweeps through our solar system every 3600 years and its gravitational pull causes devastation (and could also be responsible for the Polar shift)

Whilst the occurrence of one or more of the above could undoubtedly cause unimaginable destruction on a massive scale there is a less heavily publicised interpretation of the theory that suggests 2012 could indicate brand new beginnings and a phase of positive change when spiritual awareness mounts, reaching a tipping point, that leads to the collective awakening of mankind. Signified by the dawn of the Aquarian Age, even now experts claim, we are en-route to developing a higher state of consciousness that will result in the ultimate evolution of the human race. Whether this new era will be ushered in under the shadow of catastrophe is unclear, but no one can deny we do seem to be heading for something.

I think if we’re honest, we’ve all felt it. It’s that intangible thing that has left us feeling restless and unfulfilled. Think about it, have you ever felt that you’ve lost something? That something is missing?

If we look around almost every system within society, that we have come to rely on, is indeed beginning to struggle: healthcare, the environment, the economy, etc, etc., and it’s causing us to question ourselves and re-evaluate our values. I refuse to believe that this is a coincidence. It’s true too that paranormal activity, incidences of Dejavu and everyday people developing psychic tendencies are on the increase. Plus, no-one can deny there is a distinct movement towards the ‘alternative’ and interest in things like yoga and meditation has exploded off the charts in recent years. We're all seeking answers.

Many of us, like me, are finding ourselves in an unexpected place in our life that has come as quite a surprise. And I confess that I have personally noticed my own awareness grow, my perceptions change and my intuition become increasingly astute. And it was only when I acknowledged this side of myself and learned to trust my gut that opportunities seemed to open up and I was propelled down a completely new path; one that feels so right, it cannot be wrong.

2012 is a scary prospect, but it is also an opportunity. But we have to accept that for a brave new world to emerge Earth will first have to shed its old skin and shake off the current controlling mechanisms based on personal gain, greed and material wealth, in favour of those with a more compassionate agenda. This may not be an easy concept to grasp, for most will live in fear, clinging to what they know. For this reason, perhaps the only way to move on is to witness an event of some kind or have personal experiences which will challenge our perceptions and cause a paradigm shift in how we think and how we see ourselves.

To relate this to yoga (after all, this is a yoga blog) I can’t help but wonder, what if Galactic alignment mirrors what happens in our bodies when our energy channels (the nadis) and intersections (the chakras) become clear, aligned, balanced?. What if, when the Earth lines up with the centre of the galaxy it activates a path for the cosmic energy within the universe to come flooding in? Could the presence or release of this new energy have an awakening affect on a mass scale? As a species, we could be on the brink of a spiritual revolution that sees us evolving in ways we never thought possible and fulfilling our highest potential. The potential we are all born with; the potential that is intended for us.

Ok, so it may sound a little far fetched and like I’ve been taking hallucinogenic drugs again, but as far as 2012 in concerned if we believe in just a little of what the Maya prophesised the key to our survival will be in our acceptance of events and experiences as they occur. It is just as likely that we’re about to witness the ultimate advancement of man, as we’re not. So keep an open mind and a canoe handy.

Jivamukti - Sex, drugs and backward rolls

Ok, lets get one thing straight. Jivamukti is for nutters. With absolutely no disrespect for David Life or Sharon Gannon, you can just tell that this style was developed by ex-heroin addicts.

Performed at double quick time, with rounds and rounds and rounds and rounds of Vinyasa’s to rave music (yes, that’s right actual happy hardcore trance), I don’t even have time to catch my breath let alone think about what I’m doing as I try to stay in rhythm with the pounding bass. After 30 minutes of nothing but Sun Salutation it feels like my arms are going to fall off, my heart is going to burst out of my chest and all I want to do it lay face first on my mat and die.

It’s intense in the kind of way that appeals to people who are intense and those that need extreme stimulation. It seems that the attraction comes from the specific kind of high you get from inducing a higher state of consciousness, either through drugs or more natural means. In theory, for me – the self confessed adrenaline junky – it should be right up my street…

Although it is officially recognised in the west, this is another one of those slightly controversial styles which doesn’t exist in India, isn’t taught by a Guru and won’t be found in the Vedic texts. It is based on Guruji’s Ashtanga method, but personally I struggle to find a true distinction between traditional Ashtanga/Vinyasa and Jivamukti. According to the pioneers of the practice itself (and I quote) “Jivamukti yoga offers vigorously physical and intellectually stimulating yoga classes. It combines Vinyasa, hands-on adjustments, Pranayama, meditation, Sanskrit chanting, Yogic philosophical teachings and deep relaxation. To keep the practice inspiring, asana sequences are ever-changing. with music playing an integral role in the class. Classes are 60-90 minutes and open to all levels.”

If I’m honest I would expect much of this for most proper classes. Although I like the idea of formally bringing them together I don’t think that it makes Jivamukti unique. The only real differentiating factor I can identify is that it has certain heart attack inducing qualities, bordering on the masochistic, for people who derive pleasure from pain.

My teacher is yelling at me now. He reminds me of Daffy from The Beach, only he has dreadlocks and a long grey beard that could rival any Saddhu, and his Scottish accent is thicker. He’s like an army drill instructor and I can imagine him in ‘Nam. I try to pretend that a) I can’t hear him and b) I don’t understand, but he keeps on shouting. So I get up, I let go, keep going and just go with it. Afterall, this is only 90 minutes of my life and I want to see what the fuss is about and what others get out of it.

A lot it seems. The room begins erupting in moans and groans; noises better reserved for the bedroom. It is rather off putting and slightly disturbing, but appears to be generally accepted and even expected in Jivamukti circles. Whatever happened to Ujyi breathing?

Finally, after what feels like an infinite amount of time, I am laying down in relaxation and am so grateful it’s over I could almost cry. Although I managed to keep up (just), I don’t feel like I had enough time to contemplate my postures properly or even check if I was doing them right – I had no choice but to surrender and simply accept whatever happened. Maybe part of the point is to stop thinking so hard about what you’re doing and just get on with it. But, how can you ever get better if you’re body is moving at the speed of light and merges into one massive motion blur?

Despite my reservations, I do feel pretty good. Through the towering inferno of heat I generated I was able to mould my body into some pretty serious backbends, which felt good because they were so bad. I am pulsating with the heat now, so much so I can feel my spine glowing white hot. That’s never happened before and I wonder if it could be the beginnings of Kundalini Shaki rising through Sushumna nadi. Either that or I actually have caused myself serious injury.

To conclude, this practice is not for the faint hearted. It is hardcore. And, if you’ve never done yoga before you would be completely and utterly out of your depth or dead. But it has taught me that sometimes you don’t have to get all hung up on getting things perfect and like so many things in life, you get out what you put in. There is a lot to be said from surrendering to the moment and allowing yourself to just be.

Om Namah Shivaya – The mantra that makes you cry

We were introduced to a new mantra on Saturday, and I was startled by the affect it had on me. I was only chanting it for a few moments, before my whole body began vibrating from the inside out, starting at the heart chakra (Anahata) and it felt as though I was lifting off the ground.

I’ve tried out mantras before, once I’d overcome my prejudice towards chanting (that’s just something hippies do, right?), and quite frankly some leave me cold. But this was something else. It left me feeling completely serene and sedated and even made my friend cry over sausages. It really is beautiful and 4 days later I still haven’t come back down to earth. Something unquantifiable feels different within me.

Weird.

The translation is a little vague. Taken literally Om Namah Shivaya just means “I bow to Shiva." For those who don’t know, in ancient Indian philosophy and the Vedic texts Shiva is the supreme reality; the inner Self, the name of our true identity and the consciousness that dwells within all of us. So a more accurate interpretation of this mantra is “I salute to all that I am capable of becoming. I salute to the potential that resides within myself.”

It is also interesting to note that within the realms of primordial sound when this mantra is recited the tones created directly relate to the principles which govern the first six chakras on the spine (which differs to addressing the chakras directly) and therefore has a direct impact on our psychic energy channels. For this reason, Om Namah Shivaya is deemed to be extremely powerful in propelling you down the path of spiritual attainment and self relalisation.

Ignore the trippy graphics and try it for yourself here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y20Q444I9QU.
Minimise distractions, close your eyes, listen and observe any gross or subtle sensations that arise in the body.

Alternatively, sit comfortably in a quite place. Quieten the mind by taking 10 deep breaths, concentrating on each slow inhalation and exhalation. Begin by saying Om Namah Sivaya outloud, at a speed that feels natural. It is pronounced Aum Num-ha Shi-why. Keep reciting it, with full awareness of its meaning, getting quieter and quieter with each repartition, until you are just saying it to yourself.

Enjoy.

I heart Ashtanga

I don’t know what happened tonight, but something just clicked in my Ashtanga practice. I almost didn’t make it all. As I arrived at the studio, for no apparent reason my blood sugar dropped dramatically. Although it’s never ideal to eat before a class, I had to dash and get a snack just as I was about to launch into the first round of sun salutations. I know my body well enough by now to realise that if I didn’t give it a boost, I would be on the floor before you could say Om Shanti.

Feeling very lightheaded, I proceeded with caution. Here we go… Inhale, reach up. Exhale, fold forward. Inhale, look up. Exhale, jump back to chaturanga. Inhale, updog. Exhale, down dog. 5 breaths. Exhale, jump the feet between the hands. Inhale, look up. Exhale, forehead to knee. Inhale, arms about the head. Exhale, back to Samasthiti.

Surya Namaskara B, Trikonasana, Reverse Trikonasana, Paschimontasana, extended side bend, revolving side bend, Parsvottasana, Prasarita Padottanasana A, B, C, D and so it goes on. Something very strange is happening - I am flowing, actually flowing through the postures with ease. I know what I’m doing. I feel comfortable and adjust myself to take it further, if I need to. I am syncronised perfectly with my breath. Everything is right in the world. My balances aren’t so good, on account of that fact I’m still slightly giddy from the hypo, but they’ve been worse when I’ve felt fine.

There are just 3 of us in the class today. The teacher is (heavily) pregnant, so she’s just talking us through the poses and coaxing us into position with verbal reminders. I begin to catch the others actually copying me. Me! Now, that is a real confidence boost!

We move on to seated postures and everything just feels so good. I am light and airy. With each request I make to bend my body, it obliges. And then I find I am loving the Vinyasa’s between each asana. I never love Vinyasas, ever! Usually by this point I am exhausted, and reluctantly and resentfully force my body back and down and up and round and it feels awful. But not this time.

I was even smiling to myself, for no apparent reason, by the time I get to Janu Sirsanana.

It seems that tonight I may have caught a glimpse into a previously unseen world, of what Ashtanga should really be like. Now, I understand how it can become so addictive.

I don’t know my ass from my asana…

… yet slowly but surely I am noticing my knowledge grow. I am turning into that annoying girl in class who is always asking questions.

I may not be getting my postures perfect every time (and who does), but I now know when I’m doing them wrong, because I can feel if my balance is off or my alignment needs addressing! This my friends, is progress.

Nevertheless, there is an element of truth in the saying ignorance is bliss. Before I committed to this path, I would just show up at my yoga class, amble my way through the practice, do my best and enjoy the ride regardless of my ‘performance’ because I really didn’t know any better. Now, I am having trouble staying ‘mindful’ throughout my asana sequence (which means that I’m not technically doing yoga, but just having a nice stretch). Instead of simply ‘being’ in every posture I keep getting preoccupied with what comes next and rummaging through my memory trying to locate the Sanskrit name of the pose and a list of associated benefits. Am in Paschimottanasana or Parivrtta Parsvakonasana?

I even found myself not only dreaming, but actually performing Matsyasana (Fish) in my sleep last week.

This is probably why I am still attending classes and mixing them up, rather than focusing my efforts on Ashtanga only. That would feel like having the same filling in my sandwich every day. Boring.

Naturally its easier for me to focus on the postures in the class, because there is no need to be one step ahead of myself all the time. Plus, I like trying various styles of yoga and road testing a range of teachers. There is a lot to be said from the experience you gain by adding some diversity to your practice too. Whilst I appreciate the benefits that come with learning one style and building a consistent relationship with one teacher, including a little variety means that I come across postures and techniques for developing a pose that may otherwise allude me. Through my own experience I am building a knowledge bank for what makes a good teacher, an enjoyable class and I am learning more about my own personal preferences too.

The entire lineage of modern yoga is testimony to the impact personal experience can have on your teaching style, proving that how you are taught is one of the most influential variable factors in what you will teach.

You only have to look at Pattabhi Jois, Indra Devi, B.K.S. Iyengar and Desikachar, in the knowledge they were all disciples of Krishnamachari, to believe this to be true. Each was taught in the traditional Indian way; one to one, by their Guru. Although they all had the same teacher, who used the same Hatha based system, their individual needs were met with a tailor made practice and this is what was taken to the mass market.

As the ancient proverb says ‘ experience is the greatest teacher.’ So to quench my thirst for yogic knowledge and develop my own opinions and my own practice, I plan to continue feasting on the myriad of different styles out so I can draw my own conclusions and comparisons.

Stay tuned for frank accounts of the multitude of classes out there.

Vipassana – stairway to heaven or decent into the scariest depths of the soul?

We’re speeding down the motorway; me, a cute shaven haired pixie and a one armed man famous in Thailand for his juggling abilities. Thankfully, he isn’t driving. I am wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with a donut and a chocolate éclair. The donut exclaims ‘I’m searching for my inner self’ to which the Éclair replies ‘This could get sticky.’ It was my idea of a little joke but now, suddenly, it doesn’t seem so funny. What am I doing?

When I told people I was taking time off work to do a meditation retreat, they all cooed and said how lovely and relaxing it would be. They have no idea what I’m letting myself in for; I have no idea what I’m letting myself in for. Once again, I wonder, what am I doing?

I’m doing Vipassana, a 10 day mediation programme based on the ancient Indian technique through which Gotama the Buddha became enlightened, taught by a Burmese monk; the one and only S.N. Goenke. This will be no holiday. Amongst other things I have to renounce all contact with the outside world, handover my iPhone, my iPod, any writing and reading materials, take off all my jewellery and promise not to kill, steal, use intoxicants of any kind or engage in sensual pleasures, do yoga (no yoga!) and lastly there will be no talking. The course is conducted in pure, unadulterated silence, which forbids gesturing and eye contact too.

I had always been fond of lentils and aromatherapy oils, but I can’t help wondering if perhaps this is a bridge too far even for me. I love a challenge and am up for trying almost anything once. I have skied, scuba dived, and bungee-jumped my way through life, but this is a test of a different kind.
With no external distractions, this was going to be an opportunity of a lifetime to reveal what really was going on inside my head. Who could say what I’d find!

For me it’s usually all high heels, hair straighteners, adrenaline fuelled booze binges and deadlines, deadlines and more deadlines. Or at least it was, until my life took an unexpected turn in a more spiritual direction and everything directed me towards yoga.

I have never really meditated before, but my interest was sparked a few years ago when Vipassana seemed like an urban myth. A spiritual Kentucky fried mouse. Friends of friends had done it, but I never came face to face with anyone who had lived to tell the tale. I was intrigued by the idea of spending 10 whole days with nothing and no-one but your own mind for company. And the meditative experiences I was having through Yoga were proving to be a catalyst for my curiosity. Therefore, when I discovered I could do it in the UK and didn’t have to travel to the foothills of the Himalayas and live in a cave, I signed up without giving the agony and the (supposed) ecstasy a second thought.

Yoga and mediation are based on the same ancient philosophy. Each share the common goal of purifying the mind and body in order to deliver us to liberation and stamp out suffering through self-observation and the development of inner wisdom, peace and self knowledge. This too is the basis of Vipassana, which means to see things as they really are, not as you wish them to be.

We arrive. With knots in my stomach and trepidation in my heart I take a last breath of freedom and launch through the door, eager to meet my fellow mediators. We have the chance to talk over tea, and I’m relieved to discover there are people from all walks of life. I talk to an Eye Surgeon from London, a 74 year old Grandmother from Ireland and my roommate; the Yoga teacher (ironic) but, we’re rather subdued and it’s clear we’re all a little anxious about the coming 10 days.

The gong chimes, for what will be the first of many times, and we learn this sound will be ruling our daily schedule from the moment we rise at 4am to lights out at 9pm. Silence descends and we file through to the Dhamma hall and find our allocated seat on the floor. I have all but a thin piece of cushion for padding, that and the pound of fat the chocolate raisins added to my arse on the journey up.

I’m looking around expectantly, wondering what to do next as I try to settle into a position that is comfortable when the ‘chanting’ starts. Now, I’m used to the rhythmic song and soothing sounds of Sanskrit mantra’s but the wailing that was now assaulting my ears is usually only reserved for the drivel that escapes the lips of the very drunk. I’m busy trying to suppress my giggles, as is everyone else, when instructions are issued to observe the triangular area between your top lip and nostrils (only it’s pronounced Nooostrils) as we breathe.

For 10 hours a day, for the first 3 days this is all we do. We observe our breath, with the intention of calming the mind. Only it doesn’t quite work like that.
Day one – all I can do is sing Intergalactic by the Beastie Boys and wonder when lunch is. This is hardly conducive to meditation. I persevere and after a while begin to feel quite relaxed. However, concentrating on the breath for more than a couple of seconds before your mind wanders off on a bus mans holiday and begins contemplating the McDonalds menu or how one might go about growing runner beans (I live in a ground floor flat in North London, with no vegetable, animal or mineral growing facilities) is impossible.

Occasionally I feel like I’m nodding off or as though I’ve fallen through the trap door to semi-consciousness. But my mind won’t shut up, choosing to chatter constantly, and I wonder if I’m not starting to go a little crazy when the visions start. I see faces that are familiar to me, yet I cannot place them, followed by colours and patterns more psychedelic, fantastic and strange than those induced by a tab of acid (I presume) until finally my own face appears before me, just as I swiftly morph into a lioness and stalk off; ok then. If this is in my mind, I’ve seen enough!

Day two – someone farts (loudly) in the Dhamma hall, interrupting the noble silence and everyone’s concentration. But it provides a welcome break. The fact that we’re all almost reduced to tears like a gaggle of giggling school children is testimony to our current mental state.
Day two is hard. I want to run from the hall like a man on fire seeks water, as the reality of the situation kicks in – there is to be 8 more days of this. It’s a good thing Goenka is in Burma and not in the room with us, as each time we’re instructed ‘Start again, start again,’ I fantasise about physically harming the man (even though I have vowed to abstain from killing, perhaps I could make a small exception).

Somehow I get through it and collapse into bed exhausted.

Day three – I feel like we’re motoring again now and all the anxiety of yesterday has passed. After the pre-dawn meditation I take a walk in the woods and watch the most sensational sunrise. It’s incredibly quiet and I am acutely aware of the sound of the birds overhead, the rustling leaves in the trees and the breeze on my face.

Back in the Dhamma hall, it’s today that the pain really starts. I can’t get comfortable, no matter how I sit. An old injury in my lower back is causing me a lot of discomfort and my legs and hips are protesting from the long hours, sitting cross-legged on the floor. I shuffle around, trying to find some relief in the knowledge that before too long I won’t be allowed to move at all. After a break, I come up with an ingenious plan and fashion a support devise using a scarf, a hot water bottle and a number of blankets which I wrap and wedge around me. All that’s missing is the sticky back plastic.

I can hear people around me sobbing quietly and sniffing hard, trying to hold back the tears as they breakdown, overcome with emotion at whatever sensations and memories they are experiencing. The trouble is when you ask the mind to be still, it does the absolute direct opposite. With nowhere to run and nowhere to hide unhealed hurts, things we’ve said and done, situations that should or could have been different all come flooding to the surface demanding to be dealt with. You find that all too often we’re plagued and preoccupied with memories, all of which come with a hefty price tag of emotion; sometimes good and sometimes bad. Regardless, we become attached to this emotion which kick starts the vicious cycle of craving, aversion, craving, aversion and we become consumed in our own negativity, thus creating our own suffering. Over the coming days I’ll be trying to break this cycle.

We are told to simply observe these sensations and not react in the knowledge that they will pass, just as everything passes, because the nature of the universe is impermanence. Nevertheless, undertaking a 10 day Vipassana program is like having open heart surgery without the aesthetic. In the words of Goenke, it is as though we have scratched the scab off a great wound and all the infection and puss if rising to the surface, causing discomfort as it does so. The physical pain we’re feeling is the body letting go of all the knots we have ever tied ourselves in, as it releases us from our hang ups and digs up our deep rooted complexes.

Funny, I had been warned about the tantrums and was expecting a certain amount of emotional turmoil, but as it turns out I do not breakdown in tears and make the joyous discovery I am actually happier and more peaceful than I thought.
Day four – Today is Vipassana day – a poster proudly announces. I am excited. Finally, a change in the program! Up until today all we had been doing was concentrating on our breathing and the triangular area between the nostrils (nooostrils) and the upper lip. Watching. Waiting. As it comes in. As it goes out. The breath. The breath. Nothing, but the damn breath. This is the practice of Anapana, which is preparation for practising Vipassana itself. But, I’m beginning to feel that this is as useful as spending all day doing sit-ups when you’re training for a marathon.

The idea is that it slows down the mind and refines the senses. It’s true that I can now feel the breath on my top lip and tell which nostril I am breathing through (we only usually breathe through one at a time, and this swaps over every 2-4 hours. It’s during the change over that we turn into total scatterbrains and put the car keys in the fridge and the cat in the oven). Still, I’m not convinced that all this breath work will induce divine and blissful encounters.

I try to set aside my scepticism and doubt and focus on the new job in hand, employing the new technique of scanning the body for gross and subtle sensation. From head to toe I go, trying to take note of anything I feel. My mind is delighted at finally having something else to do and feels as though it has taken off on Safari across the great planes of my body. Smugly, it calls out as it spots sensations; heat, cold, throbbing, moisture, the touch of my t-shirt on my skin, tingling, stretching. But, then things take a sinister downturn as my body melts into a mass of pain. I feel it everywhere. Left shoulder; pain. Right butt cheek; unbelievable pain. Lower back; white hot, searing, stabbing, intolerable PAIN.

I cannot concentrate on anything but the pain. My breath has become heavier now and I am rasping and spitting my way through rounds and rounds and hours and hours of in and exhalations.
Just when I begin to think it can’t get any worse we are introduced to adhiµµhāna or sittings of strong determination. A.K.A. – sitting still for an entire hour, the whole 60 minutes, during which time we are encouraged to refrain from moving altogether. Eyes, arms and legs should all remain locked in our original positions. Got an itch? Tough, don’t scratch it. Pins and needles? Never mind. no-one ever died from pins and needles – stay where you are. Need the loo? Hold it! And so on.

I try to work seriously, diligently and calming, ignoring the signal from my brain that is putting my body on red alert. Let the scanning commence. My mind is starting to put up massive amounts of resistance and simply doesn’t want to do it.

Day 5 – The gong sounds at 4am and my roommate and I groan in unison. I was in so much physical discomfort yesterday it takes all of my will power and all of my courage to pull myself out of bed and force myself into the awkward cross-leg position on the floor in the hall.
I entertain myself with the thought that perhaps I have been abducted into some kind of masochistic cult, until I remember I am here voluntarily. I wasn’t expecting all of this physical pain and it’s beginning to spoil my otherwise serene mindset.

I negotiate with my mind and offer kind words of encouragement. ‘Come on , just try it. Scan the body. Just once… for me.’ With huge effort, I begin. Then stop, whilst my mind wanders off and initiates a debate with itself about whether this or learning to ski was the most traumatic and painful thing I have done to date. I reason, this is far worse on the basis that skiing is about 200% times more fun, and at the end of the day you can go and get plastered, smoke away your worries and make a total spectacle of yourself, in full ski clobber, on the dance floor.

Next, I try and play a ‘game’ and imagine that my untrained, monkey mind, is indeed an actual monkey that is inspecting the various body parts with curiosity. It picks up my arm, yanks it out of the shoulder socket, waves it around, shakes it upside down, then satisfied that there is no pain there, replaces it back to front. This isn’t going to work.

By breakfast, I am again exhausted. I choose to meditate in my room afterwards. I leave the door open and it is a welcome break to get out of the suffocating Dhamma hall. I find there are fewer distractions here. There’s no farting, burping, sneezing, wheezing or blubbing, besides my own. I drift into a dreamlike state, and suddenly I become hyper aware of all the sounds and sensations around me. I feel as though I am asleep, but I am too alert for that. I have something of an epiphany, which is difficult to describe, but I ‘wake up’ knowing that if I can just pass through the pain, tranquillity will await me on the other side.

With new resolve, I face the next determination sitting with gusto. I don’t know if it’s my state of mind or the fact that I am now concentrating extra hard, but as I examine my body bit my bit, inch by inch, trying to pin point the pain it completely dissolves. I can’t believe it, there is no actual physical pain. It seems that I was experiencing only the memory of pain, which readily retreats once challenged.

I am so happy, I am quite beside myself. I can’t help but wonder if this is what others have previously described as bliss. Overjoyed, I skip around the woods at lunchtime. Worryingly, I find that my thought patterns have become rather obscure and I am actually telling myself a children’s story about a Rabbit called Zeus and an Australian Racehorse called Bruce (seriously!). I make a mental note to seek professional help when I get out.

Day 6 – I woke up expecting to sail through today. Boy, how wrong I was. Despite my jubilation yesterday, scanning my body, I am once again confronted with pain everywhere. And it’s no longer dissolving, but intensifying. I want to cry. I want to stamp my feet and yell at the top of my lungs. I actually have to leave the Dhamma Hall mid-meditation and take myself off for an illegal, out of hours walk in the woods. I am practically running around in circles and am so furious with myself for regressing. The anger and frustration stick in my throat, so much so that I can barely swallow. I stop for a moment at the course parameter and scope out how far I’d have to walk to get back to civilisation. It’s an interesting idea and although we have depleted in numbers, as people who can’t handle it leave, I know this is out of the question for me. I won’t give up. Failure is just not an option.

I can’t face mediating again right now, so I go to bed clutching my chest because it feels like something nasty is pouring out of me, like I’ve sprung a toxic leak. I don’t know how long I sleep, but when I wake up I have another epiphany and I see myself as a mass of pulsating light and energy.
Back on the mediation mat, I decide to stop trying to label the sensations I’m experiencing and sorting them into good and bad, positive and negative. I accept them for what they are and try to remain detached. This helps and as I give no importance or prominence to the gross, solid sensations I start to detect an under current of energy flowing through every fibre of my body. It’s gentle and so, so delicate I’m not even sure if I’m feeling something or absolutely nothing.

Day 7 onwards – I can’t believe I actually made it through day 6 and am incredibly relieved that we’re now over half way through the course. In many respects the prospect of a further 4 days of this is rather disheartening, yet I also feel like there is something more to come. Each day I notice my mind becoming quieter, sharper. Each day, my equanimity is becoming stronger to the point where I am not reacting to pain at all. My entire lower body can be enveloped in numbness and my back may burn, but it doesn’t bother me. I have new found confidence in the knowledge that these feelings will pass.
I train my concentration on this elusive, mystifying energy and to begin with it’s so exhausting, every spare second I am not mediating I sleep, no matter what the time of day. Yet, slowly but surely time, space, mind and matter all begin to become compounded and dissolve into one fluid mass of energy. I am aware of my breathing, but not my organs and limbs. I am no longer the ‘I’ that I associate with my reflection in the mirror and scanning my body stops being necessary because I feel everything, everywhere, all at once. Besides, the concept of a body or the ego now seems arbitrary and really rather abstract anyway.

This is difficult to describe, but I begin to move in rhythm with the universe, feeling nothing but the expansion and contraction of the world both outside and inside of myself, with each and every breath. I realise everything is everywhere and that there are no boundaries between the physical and non-physical world, only perception and illusion.

This is how I pass the time for the next 3 days, until finally on day 10 I wake up feeling like a kid at Christmas, because not only do we learn the technique of Metta today, but we can talk! Metta is the practice of manifesting feelings of love, happiness, good will and compassion towards yourself and others. And after our morning meditation we’re all positively glowing. I am overwhelmed with love for everyone that has meditated along side me for the past 10 days and inspired by the bravely and courage that each and every one of these women has displayed.

It’s a tense moment when the noble silence is lifted. We all stare at each other for a moment, stunned that we’ve actually done it, then burst into conversation and frenzied hugging.

I very much doubt I have reached enlightenment or even come close, and I may not have had any explosive moments of self realisation, but I do somehow feel lighter and liberated from at least some of my worries and woes. I know too that whatever experiences life chooses to throw my way, I can handle it.

Life itself is a never ending cycle during which we are born, we grow, we decay and we die, by its very nature it is ever changing... impermanent. Yet, beneath all of this there is something in each of us that is greater than any sensation or experience we have or can create, that simply cannot be extinguished and remains ever alert, ever present. Some people call this the soul. Others call it God, the divine, the creator. But for me, it’s just me. The me that always has been and always will be.

For more information on Vipassana, visit the Dhamma website here: http://www.dhamma.org/

Where I'll be doing my teacher training

Come March - April 2010, I'll be packing my bags for Koh Samui in Thailand where, lead by Paul Dallaghan (who is certified by Pattabhi Jois), I'll be aiming to complete my Yoga Alliance 200+ hr teacher training in the dynamic styles of Ashtanga and Vinyasa Yoga.

My intention is to learn more about the practice so that hopefully, oneday (when I grow up), I may pass on the precious gift of yoga to others.

See here for info on the centre -
http://www.yoga-thailand.com/

Further course details can be found here - http://www.centeredyoga.com/

AcroYoga – leave your dignity at the door

Techincally, AcroYoga isn’t really yoga in the traditional sense and is subject to the same kind of scrutiny as Bikram Yoga. You certainly won’t find it in any of the classical texts and, as far as I’m aware, it wasn’t practiced by any of the ancient sages and saints. Based on a combination of Hatha Yoga, Thai Massage and Acrobatics, AcroYoga will probably be fashionable for a while and teach you a couple of cool circus tricks, but whether it has longevity remains to be seen.

Out of curiosity I decide to try out a class at my local gym. At the end of an otherwise ordinary class we were asked to partner up and then take part in a series of postures, using the weight or form of one another to balance or stretch out in ways that are not easily attainable going solo.

As the class is fun, social and fantastic for building strength super fast, I like it enough to go again. Fast forward a couple of weeks though and I find I have been befriended by an extremely eager, overweight, smarty pants man who, despite the mismatch in our size, always makes a beeline for working with me. He doesn’t notice my reluctance, the way I edge around the room or pretend to be pre-occupied with the water cooler whenever its time to team up.

For a while it’s ok and I’m impressed that I have the strength to base this guy. But it begins to get out of hand when he starts waddling after me week after week, in flip flops that appear to be far to big for his feet, and suggests we ‘practice together’ - just the two of us *wink*. I manage to fend him off, but he really doesn’t seem to get the message. I begin to leave the class early, but somehow he tracks me down. I even hear him coming with the slap, shuffle, slap of his flip flops, but do not seem to be able to outrun him.

It all gets a little too much when he becomes increasingly demanding on the mat (typical man) and during a particularly aggressive partnering session, he begins tossing me around like a rag doll. This is when I realise that to fully take advantage of AcroYoga you need to a) wear extremely supportive yoga clothes, b) be prepared to find yourself in some pretty intimate positions and c) leave your dignity at the door.

It all happens very quickly. We’re practicing ‘flying’ (with me on top) when I realise that my sports bra is not strictly doing what is says on the tin. I am in very real danger of exposing myself. Both my hands are locked behind my back in the posture and they’re helping me to balance. If I move it’s likely I will fall straight off my pedestal and onto his face. My only other option is to stay put, at high risk.

Before I have time to make a decision, he’s moving me into ‘folded leaf.’ This is when, from the locus-like position on the base’s braced legs, you bend at the waist and your torso drops so it is parallel to their legs. The trouble is if you’re not matched in height the flyer ends up with their head in the bases crotch, which is exactly what happened here. So there I am, scrambling around desperately trying not to let my face drop into this mans manhood, rescue my stray boob and not fall on my face (or his). Fortunately, I somehow manage to squirm out of the position and disaster is averted. But, I vow to myself that this will be my last ever AcroYoga class. There is just 10 more minutes to go, before I can leave. “What more can go wrong?” I reason to myself.

A lot it seems. The next posture was the one where person A gets into bridge pose and person B puts their head between A’s legs in order to perform a headstand. I am seriously not convinced about this. I’m not keen on putting my head between this mans legs (I’ve only just narrowly avoided being in a position that is only suitable for more romantic settings), but I’m even less thrilled about him putting his between mine! Everyone else is doing it and I don’t want to look like a loser so, down I go. Using the breath to lift myself into a headstand, I take a big inhale. Oh My God, it smells of poo!!! Actual poo!! Not fart, but proper bum cheese.

The remaining 9 minutes of this class are too traumatic to speak of, ever. However, to conclude this post my advice to you would be if you want to experiment with AcroYoga, please, please, please take someone with you – preferably a friend or someone you like!

It's beautiful if it's done right - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFMeEi-7YKU&feature=related

Yoga FAIL

The zeal and enthusiasm I felt for my practice yesterday has evaporated. I am on the mat for no more than 30 mins. Despite a resonable start it all goes wrong when I get the 'fear.'
My sun salutations are all wrong, my feet aren't in the right place, my arm won't extend where I want it to, I can't remember where my drishti should be, I forget all about my bandas and don't even get me started on my jump throughs ... the list goes on. I end up totally out of sync with my breath as a result, and then my balance goes out of the window. I give up. I know I shouldn't and a Goenke-like voice pops into my head - "No craving, no aversion, just observe, just observe." The trouble is, it sucks when you observe yourself lumping through the postures with all the grace and elegance of a hippopotamus doing ballet.

My practise is not perfect, therefore how could I ever consider being a yoga teacher?! This is what I mean when I refer to the 'fear.'

I have always been a bit of a perfectionist. And, an impatient perfectionist at that (which are the very worst kind). It's not that I'm not prepared to work hard for something, far from it, yet I always want it ALL straight away. "I'll take the moon on a stick please." However, I realise that is not what yoga is all about. It is individual and non-competitive. I have to remind myself of that at times, as this is an unfamiliar concept to a self confessed adrenaline junky, who historically has always bench marked themselves against others.

Each and every single one of us is different and, as such, so is our ability to do yoga. I have seen for myself how yogi's and teachers alike vary drastically in what they can and can't do - experience and practice aside, old injuries and physiological make up alone can have an enormous affect on our capabilities. Some people practice for years and years, never make it beyond a forward bend and can only ever gaze longingly down at their toes, let along take hold. Whereas others are proficient in inversions, but back bend continue to elude them.

My point is, I have to let go of this fear that I won't be good enough. It is something that has plagued my whole life. And what I have learnt to date, is that once you let go of the fear you're able to go beyond it and watch yourself transform. And yes, before you ask, I do own a copy of Susan Jeffer's 'Feel the fear and do it anyway.'

The power of our thoughts and expectations should never be underestimated. This quote says it best; “Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become habits. Watch your habits, for they become character. Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.” (Anonymous)

The wonderful thing about yoga is that once you begin to scratch the surface you realise how vast the subject is and how much there is to learn. This is both an exciting and daunting prospect. The great yogi's and sages of India have dedicated eons to the study of this mind body science and here I am panicking because I don't know everything after reading the Bhagavad Gita.

My passion for yoga will never be extinguished, and I am still in the early throws of a life long love affair. Maybe I won't be the best teacher in the world, or maybe I will make the decision not to teach at all, but I am taking my first tentative steps down the path to 'destination unknown' and the most important thing, is that I've started something. This is going to be one hell of a journey. I should remember that next time I'm not the mat and am struggling. Afterall, doing it wrong is as much of a learning experience as doing it right.

Back on the mat

The first day back on the yoga mat, after 'getting out' of Vipassana. I have literally been dreaming of being reunited with my mat. Although Yoga and Mediation have the same common goal, doing it is just one the many things you must renounce whilst on the programme. Nevertheless, that didn't stop me doing a few illegal postures in the woods, when no-one was looking.

I am avoiding returning to London for as long as possible, to try and retain this beautifully calm and quiet mind I have developed over the past 10 days. So, I am in Norfolk at my parents and as soon as they leave for work I launch into Surya Namaskara and boy does it feel good! I wince and twist a couple of times, by way of habit because my lower back often protests, as a pull through from upward dog to downward dog, but quickly realise there is no pain. I feel fluid, supple and light. This is the theme for the entire session the postures are coming more easily to me now my body is not putting up so much resistance.

I practice for what must be over an hour, slightly put off my the thick carpet under the mat which seems to be affecting my balance, and float through a series of standing postures, kneeling postures, back bends, twists, seating postures and a couple of short inversions. I am trying to recall as much of the primary series as I can, without cheating and looking in a book. I do many of the postures, although I'm not confident they're in the right order.

I have been itching to do a headstand the entire time I was 'inside.' I usually need the wall for support, although my yoga teacher told me off for doing them in this way because it will teach me incorrect alignment. Whilst I agree, at the moment it's the only way I can do it and from my perspective it gets me used to being upside down which I always had a slight aversion to before.
I line up against the wall and tentatively kick up (again, I know this is bad but I can't help it). I do it with ease and it feels great, I try to correctly support the weight on my shoulders and hover one leg away from the wall, then the other. I wobble, but stay up there - my first unsupported headstand (sort of)! I am delighted. I can feel the difference in my alignment now and where my feet should be, when I do this posture unaided. Wall or no wall, right or wrong, this is progress.

I perform the closely sequence and lay down for relaxation. I put into practice the Vipassana technique, focusing on the my breathing and scanning my body for sensations. I feel good, I am relaxed and I can feel the Pranic energy flowing through my body. I bound off for a shower.