Greetings From India

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 02:41:42 -0700

I will soon return to my little adobe abode in New Mexico after having been in India for seven long weeks, studying yoga darsana (the philosophy of yoga) with my teachers, traveling with friends, enduring illness, and finally, receiving two weeks of authentic Ayurvedic treatments (yoga’s sister science of healing).

As I prepare for my journey I cannot help but think about the re-entry shock I will likely experience when I am greeted by family, students, friends—who will welcome me home as only Westerners know how: with extended handshakes, back slaps, and bear hugs.

Those who have studied yoga may offer a sacred salute that allows for touch of a different nature—of the heart. That is one of the things I will miss most about this strange and exotic land: the sincere gesture of two hands clasped together in prayer near the heart and a gently bowed head, often accompanied by the word: “Namaste”.

In India one encounters this warm salutation—from children and elderly, between friends, on sculptures and in art, in classical dance performances, even on mannequins displaying the latest fashions!

This universal gesture of bringing the hands together in prayer is called “anjali mudra”. The word anjali means “two handfuls”—cupped hands gingerly holding something sacred within. It is one of thousands of symbolic hand gestures or “mudras” used throughout Asia.

To express a deeper sign of veneration, one brings the prayer to the forehead so the fingertips touch the brow or “third eye”. A third form of salutation brings the palms over the “crown chakra” or head, and is considered the highest forms of reverence. When my yoga teacher, A.G. Mohan, used to study with the legendary Sri T. Krishnamacharya he would raise the anjali mudra overhead and with humility, prostrate before his teacher.

Depending on the region of the Indian subcontinent, the non-verbal gesture of anjali mudra is frequently used in conjunction with the greeting “Namaste” or “Namaskaram”, “Namaskar,” or “Namaskara”, making it both a mantra and a mudra.

Each of these variations come from Vedic literature and contains within it the mantra “namah”, which means, “not mine”, as in the diminishing of one’s own identity or ego. As such, it signifies a “letting go” or “surrender”.

In addition to the mantra “namah”, the word Namaste is also comprised of the root “namas” or “to bow” and “te” meaning “you”. Thus, “I bow to you”. The valediction has become popular in the West, where it is frequently used at the beginning and at the end of yoga classes.

By itself, anjali mudra is the heart of yoga practice. Prayer hands are used throughout “Surya Namaskar” or sun salutations, and it is incorporated into many asanas, such as Samasthiti (Equal standing pose) or Vrksasana (Tree pose) as a way to bring the practitioner’s focus back to center and to maintain an inner attitude of peace.

A.G.’s Mohan’s wife, Indra Mohan, who is also my teacher, says to think of the clasped palms as a heart lotus. “Always in the water, but never wet. Go through your life like the lotus leaf that floats in the water, but is not soaked. It is possible to stay afloat and not drown in life’s problems.”

Anjali mudra can be added to our daily lives to remind us of our inner poise, to help us shorten the divide between our outer and inner existence, to continually purify the mind and speech of negative thoughts, and to acknowledge the sacredness of all living beings.

Try it yourself, either as part of your prayers or spiritual discipline. Try it the next time you do yoga. Try it when you greet your neighbor or run into someone you haven’t seen in years. If you happen to recognize me—even if we are strangers—offer a “Namaste” or “Namaskaram”, and I will happily return the gesture and opportunity to share in our humanity.

Here’s how: Bring your hands together at the heart center or midline. Instead of flattening or pressing the palms together, keep the fingers and palms slightly flexed as if you are holding something delicate inside your lotus bud. Then lower your head and envision the qualities that your personal deity or representation of the Divine possesses, whether it is Christ, Buddha, Krishna, or even nature—and observe the shift that happens inside you. When the body and mind are focused in such a way, you can begin to attune to your true self.

*First published in The Taos News on January 26, 2012

Resolution

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 03:54:18 -0700

There’s no better time than the New Year to reflect upon our lives and to change habits that no longer represent who we wish to be. This formal expression of resolve or “New Year’s Resolution” is thought to date back to Babylonian times. It is noted that the Romans marked the New Year as a way to take personal inventory and to accomplish their next set of goals. Today, people all over the world continue to use January 1 to declare themselves new.

Whether it’s to lose weight, stop smoking, save money, or start working out, all resolutions have one thing in common. They require us to exercise our free will in order to change our behaviors. Unfortunately, habits run strong, which is why most people who set out to make positive changes in the New Year often give up within the first few weeks or months.

Yoga gives us tools to address the mind’s tendency to self-sabotage. In the Yoga Sutras, the “Bible of yoga”, it states that in order to change behavior and begin the process of personal transformation, we must—regardless of what we want to achieve—get behind our goal 100% and practice steadfast determination. That is, deliberately take action in order to create new habits and reinforce them.

Some say that it takes thirty days to develop a new habit. For many people, thirty days is twenty-nine days too long. Instead of focusing on the entire month, yoga would have us become mindful of what we have agreed to do today. Even if we don’t reap the benefits right away, we still perform the action. We do like the Nike campaign, and “Just do it.”

Here’s why:

1) The act of doing what we say we are going to do creates a motivating force (it feels good to keep the commitments we’ve made).

1) Each time we follow through on a goal, we get better at performing it (like strengthening a muscle we aren’t accustomed to using).

1) At some point, we begin to enjoy it (the fruits of our actions begin
to outweigh the sacrifices).

Tapas is a Sanskrit word meaning “to cook” or “to burn”, but it also means “the fortitude to bear the discomfort that may arise in keeping our commitments. This “discomfort” can take a myriad of forms, from cutting back on the size of our proportions even if we don’t feel “full”, to going to the gym after a long day of work when we’d rather zone out in front of the television.

Yoga teaches us to physically and mentally resist our tendency to avoid work. We make short-term sacrifices in order to create lasting change. By strengthening our mental backbone, we begin to think and act in ways that are not only healthier, but that help us to step into a newer version of ourselves.

As part of my New Year’s resolution to deepen my yogic studies with my teachers A.G and Indra Mohan and their son, Dr. Ganesh Mohan, I started writing this column on January 1, during my 2-day journey from Taos to Mamallapuram in Southern India. Regrettably, I was unable to finish it while onboard the 15-hour flight between Chicago O’Hare and New Delhi, so I stayed up the first two nights in India in order to make my deadline. True, I sacrificed much needed sleep while persevering through jet lag. But I kept my commitment to myself, to the Taos News, and hopefully, to you, the reader, whose trust I hope to earn by sharing what I know and continue to learn from this time-tested discipline.

It’s now 5:09am. The mosquitoes are biting. The ceiling fan and air conditioning are simultaneously moaning and churning the humid night air. The bathroom toilet is leaking. And my computer battery is about to die. On the positive side, I fulfilled my goal: a column on how yoga deals with resolution. In the process, I got to witness a 115-year old East Indian woman whose grandson was escorting her back to India to live with her 105-year old brother. I shared a simple and delicious vegetarian dinner on a rooftop overlooking the Bay of Bengal with my two best women friends, and I gazed into the heart of a stone carver who has turned his life around from drug and alcohol abuse. Today he owns three shops and teaches others how to chip away at the marble so as to reveal the deity inside each one.

*First published in The Taos News on January 26, 2012

Bali Yoga Retreat: Treat Yourself Like the Goddess That You Are

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 19:15:01 -0700

If you’re like most women today who multitask with aplomb, juggling responsibilities at home with a full-time career, then you have probably (at one time or another) fantasized about taking a vacation in some exotic locale where you can unplug and recharge without an alarm clock or laptop.
While you love your family and your job, you love yourself too. Deep down you recognize the necessity of getting away every once in a while in order to rest, regain peace of mind, and widen your perspective on life. Whether you’ve taken a personal vacation before (and loved it) or find yourself putting it off to some distant future when you win the lottery…let me give you two good reasons to trade in those frequent flier miles now:
1. A Goddesses on the Go Vacation in Bali: May 20-30, 2012
2. with me, Monique Parker, who will instruct you in two daily sessions of Svastha Yoga
Still not convinced? Stay with me.
Location, location, location
Have you ever dreamt about taking ten precious days in a warm tropical garden where tension melted away (maybe along with a few extra pounds)?
Look no further. Bali is the perfect place to reclaim your goddessness. Whether you’ve been feeling spiritually hungry, lackluster in your career or creativity, unmotivated to exercise, or simply needing to break out of the monotony of routine, a vacation (sans husband, boyfriend, and children) in exotic Bali may be just what you need.
Back2Bali specializes in retreats for women who want to combine an exotic cultural experience with world-class yoga instruction. If you’ve always wanted to visit Bali, but have been uncomfortable traveling there on your own, Back2Bali’s Goddesses on the Go is the ideal way to take PTA (personal time away) with like-minded women.
Back2Bali is the brainchild of husband and wife team, Barbara Millstein and Henry Abramson, who’ve been traveling to Bali for over thirty-five years. As hosts and tour guides, they assure the highest level of service and pampering (including a Balinese massage, facial, manicure/pedicure, and natural scrub at the local spa, in addition to a meeting with a local Balinese healer). As well, they will lead us along the back roads of Bali to experience music, art, dance, and religious ceremonies. Our sightseeing includes a visit to the water gardens of Tirtagangga, the village of Tenganan, and finally, lunch in the picture-perfect seaside town of Candidasa.
For those unfamiliar with Bali, it is located in the center of the Indonesian Archipelago, between the Java Sea and the Indian Ocean. The island is a natural paradise with waterfalls, volcanoes, beaches, villages along rice fields, and modern cities. Hinduism has predominantly influenced Bali’s culture, whereas most of the other 15,000 islands follow predominantly Islamic religion.
Our accommodation the first week will be at Gaia-Oasis, a comfortable seaside resort with ample sacred spaces for quiet reflection. It's elegant bungalow-style guest rooms have private verandas and are set amidst a lush tropical garden and swimming pool. And if the complementary spa treatments aren’t enough, in-house massage and facial services are available for reasonable rates. Three luscious meals are included, with most of the fruits and vegetables coming from gardens up the mountain.
The last three nights we’ll be staying at the Arma Resort in Ubud, the cultural heart of the island. There we'll visit museums, attend dance and gamelan performances, and enjoy additional spa treatments. Oh, and did I mention—shop until we drop? (Think antiques, artifacts, jewelry, silver, textiles, baskets, and a whole lot more). While at Arma Resort daily breakfast is included.
The timeless teachings of Svastha Yoga
Have you ever wished you could take a magic elixir that would help you feel like you again?
Now you can because each day while we are in Bali, I will be facilitating two group Svastha Yoga classes, one in the morning that focuses on core strength and stability; the other in the afternoon, a restorative practice that will include meditation and chanting.
The word Svastha in Sanskrit refers to the state of complete health and balance. It literally means, “to stay as yourself.” The approach is based on the teachings of the legendary Sri T. Krishnamacharya, as passed on by his personal students A.G. and Indra Mohan, founders of Svastha Yoga and Ayurveda in Chennai, India.
The beauty of Svastha Yoga is that it honors the individuality of each person. The practice is breath-centered, meaning we synchronize the movement with the breath in order to maintain spinal integrity and to focus the mind. Intelligent, orderly sequencing of asanas will leave you feeling balanced and complete after each session.
Even if you are new to yoga, rehabilitating an injury, or consider yourself a beginner, you will benefit from Svastha Yoga because each class is personalized—the postures are adapted to meet your body so the sessions are both safe and effective.
Each afternoon, after our restorative class, we will use Sanskrit chanting as a baseline for pranayama and meditation practice. Chanting is considered nature’s organic pharmacy: it boosts the immune system and reduces anxiety by balancing the endocrine system.
Chanting calms the mind by lessoning mind chatter and compulsive thoughts, moving us towards more positive vibrations or thought patterns. It also awakens and enlivens our connection with all by opening our heart so that we can begin to feel more subtle energies. Similarly, by opening our ears we learn to hear from a place of receptivity and openness. Chanting is easy and it’s free. Even if you don’t think you sing well—like I once did—you’ll surprise yourself because it’s not about singing, but surrender.
For more information or to register for Back2Bali Goddesses on the Go with Monique Parker: May 20-30, 2012, visit www.classicyogaofindia.com or www.back2bali.com
*First published in Southwestflair.com on January 2011.

Watch your back!

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 19:16:16 -0700

When people learn that I teach yoga they often respond by saying either: “I’m not flexible...I can’t even touch my toes” or “My back hurts...should I do yoga?”

Before I blurt out, “Yes, of course, yoga fixes all,” let’s take a few things into consideration. First, eighty percent of adults experience some sort of low back pain during their lives. So if your back hurts, you’re not alone. Back pain is the runner up of most common reasons why people miss work, second only to the common cold.

Strangely enough, back pain is frequently the result of neglect. My first yoga teacher was from China. She used to say, “If yoga hard, your life too easy.” What she meant was that our lifestyle plays a huge role on our health. How we live each day—including our habits and activities, the food we put in our body, the stimuli in our environment, even our thoughts—determine our state of health.

Many people who experience chronic backache also have stiff muscles—they go hand-in-hand. So if you feel back discomfort regularly, it could be the result of not enough exercising!

If your back hurts, it’s important to determine first where it hurts and what causes the discomfort. Of course it’s always a good idea to get a diagnosis by a medical professional.

Aside from general muscle tension and stiffness, the most common cause of low back pain is injury due to a muscular strain or ligament sprain. Because we use the lumbar spine (and its muscles) for most movements—it’s prone to getting hurt. I’ve known people who’ve suffered back injury from bending over to pick up a grandchild or when reaching up for something in an overhead cupboard—simple daily activities we take for granted.

While it’s true that yoga can be used to alleviate or manage symptoms of back pain, it is equally true that certain yoga postures or movements can exacerbate pre-existing conditions or result in back strain/sprains. It’s important to work with a qualified yoga teacher or yoga therapist to find exercises that are right for you. Yoga is currently being used as physiotherapy for conditions such as disc herniation and the degeneration of cartilage in the vertebral discs.

As a general rule, yoga can help condition the body with exercises that strengthen the muscles of the low back, glutes, pelvis, hips and abdomen. Also called core strengthening or stability exercises, these movements contribute to better balance and posture. One such exercise is called Dvipada Pitham or bridge pose. It’s commonly used in Pilates and physical therapy. It helps to relieve the low back by stretching the deep abdominals muscles, such as the psoas, which can cause the low back to feel tight. It also strengthens the back by contracting the glutes and muscles of the back.

Try this: Lie on the floor with your knees bent and the feet about hip width apart. As you inhale, press equally into the feet, and lift your hips/pelvis off the floor. Allow your arms to rest by your sides. Your body should form a line from the knees to your shoulders. As you exhale draw your navel towards your spine. Squeeze your buttocks and engage your hamstrings. Stay up in the position for a full breath. Then exhale and lower your hips back to the floor. There is a myriad of variations to this posture to make it more challenging, such as raising the arms overhead, using a block between the thighs, or raising one leg off the floor so that it is in line with the body.

Before concluding, I must add that backache cannot be properly addressed without mentioning yogic breathing. There is no other involuntary function in the body for which we have control. In yoga, we learn to manipulate the breath through various techniques called “pranayama”. Pranayama helps to reduce the psychological burden of back pain by calming the central nervous system and increasing blood flow, oxygenation, and other nutrients to the cells in order to facilitate healing. It also gives us something to focus on so that the exercise itself becomes a meditation. The simplest way to start pranayama is to breathe through the nose, consciously lengthening and deepening each exhalation.

Combine this breathing exercise with six repetitions of the above posture. As a daily regimen, you’ll notice the combined effect of pain relief and improved strength right away.

*First published in The Taos News on December 15, 2011

Yoga de Chimayo: A Pilgrimage for Health

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 13:39:31 -0700

I was born in East Los Angeles, California in 1968 and lived in a house on East 4th Street where my grandmother was born. Both sets of my great-grand parents were Polish Russian immigrants; my family was among a handful of Caucasians in a low-income Hispanic neighborhood. We were non-practicing Judios. My grandmother used to say that we “stood out like a fly in a glass of milk”, which was something to be proud of—being a minority in a predominantly Catholic community that not only tolerated our differences, but warmly accepted us as “uno mas”.
My fondest memories were imprinted during that time: pinata birthday parties at the Jimenez home next door, walks with my grandfather to the raspada stand on the corner of 3rd and Indiana or to pick up homemade tamales from Segovia’s Market, the energy of the Spanish language rolling off our neighbors’ tongues, crowing roosters at the break of dawn, and everywhere impressionable images—carved wooden crucifixes, praying hands adorned with rosaries, porcelain angels, and of course, the tranquil and haunting gaze of Christ.
Although my family relocated to San Jose when I turned five, my grandparents remained in that house until my grandmother’s death in 1990. Every year my family would make bi-annual pilgrimages to East Los Angeles to visit my grandparents, where I rekindled my affinity for the familiar.
When I moved to Northern New Mexico eight years ago, it felt like a return to my East Los Angeles roots. The signage at the border, “Bienvenidos a Nuevo Mexico!” was music to my ears, as was the welcoming hospitality of the locals.
I have been fortunate to serve the community as an instructor of English Composition and Creative Writing at the University of New Mexico-Taos, where three years ago I co-founded a 200-hour yoga teacher certification program. This year we certified our first seven yoga teachers in accordance with Yoga Alliance, the standards board of yoga based in Washington, DC. This fulfills one of my dreams: to share this time-tested ancient wisdom for attaining physical well-being and peace of mind with villages throughout New Mexico. For those unfamiliar with yoga’s roots, yoga is a vehicle for personal change and is traditionally practiced for self-realization. Yoga is in religion, but religion is not in yoga, which makes it an ideal methodology for any faith.
It is by coincidence then that my first column on yoga and wellness corresponds with my first pilgrimage to the holy village of Chimayo. The primary reason: to visit Sharon Candelario’s new yoga studio, Chimayo Sacred Earth Yoga, and to meet her family, who have for generations cultivated the land and who have made significant contributions to the chapels. I had heard that over a quarter million people made the journey to visit El Santuario each year, but I had no idea the impact the little shrine, her family, and specifically, the presence of the Almighty would have on my heart.
On October 9, 2011, Candelario, who has a master’s degree in social work, became UNM-Taos’ seventh certified yoga teacher. A week later I visited with her and her family, who welcomed me into their homes and shops. Sharon escorted me around the manicured grounds and through the chapels, sharing anecdotes and history before leaving me to pray. For the first time since my childhood in East LA, I felt like I let Jesus into my heart.
Later that evening we shared chicken tamales from Leona’s Resturante de Chimayo. It would be Leona’s last weekend after forty years of cooking for hungry visitors. Then I taught Sharon’s three children a chant and some asanas or yoga postures. Her daughter Monique, my namesake, accidently spit in my eye while I balanced her petite body overhead. Although Sharon and her husband Adam were embarrassed by our silliness, I could not help but find the incidence apropos. Like Jesus who had spit into the eye of a blind man in order to heal him, I felt as if I could see more clearly—as though I was observing not just with my eyes, but with my whole heart.
Candelario was born and raised in the placita of El Potrero, the heart of the two famous chapels: El Santuario, and El Santo Nino, which was built by her father’s grandfather Sevriano Medina. When she was a child, her grandmother Sofia spoke of Chimayo as being made of tierra bendita, or holy dirt. It was especially good for cultivating the land; her grandmother and father grew beautiful gardens of chile, of which Chimayo is equally famous. Tewa Indians once occupied the land and called Chimayo "Tesmayo", meaning flaking stone, or sacred earth. They believed that the earth had medicinal purposes used for healing.
From a young age Candelario would greet traveling friends in search of peace or a miracle. Raised Catholic, she attended weekly mass at the chapel. This year during Lent she promised herself that she would attend mass all forty days. “I completed the forty days of Lent, and believe it or not, I worked on meditation and breathing while sitting quietly during mass,” Candelario said. When she walked into the chapel a sign overhead read: Jesus brings peace of mind and heart. It was at that moment that she realized her intention was to create a community of health in Chimayo.
“It wasn't until I was finishing the requirements for the teacher training that it all fell together,” she said. “I was still searching for the Divine to provide a space when my father offered a property near my house that would provide a quiet getaway to teach yoga. I painted, landscaped, and prepared in the early mornings before the children awoke. That’s when the name Chimayo Sacred Earth Yoga for Peace of Heart, Mind, and Body came to me.”
It was important that Candelario create a yoga studio where others could experience the tranquil beauty of Chimayo that she and her family knew as home. Her family owns and operates Medina's Gallery, Cafe, & Chile Shop, where for many years they have shared the traditions of their heritage.
“Yoga is a practice to quiet the mind. It is a way to set aside a special time to sit quietly and make a connection to the Divine,” she said. “Just like our beautiful chapels and shrines, you don’t need to be of any specific religion to experience God’s love. He does not discriminate between persons rich or poor, regardless of religion or faith.”
Candelario offers group classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9am and 6pm, and is available for private instruction. For more info contact Sharon at: chimayosacredearthyoga@gmail.com.

*First published in The Taos News on November 17, 2011