Yogic Muse

Imbolic, Groundhog Day, Birthday!

2012-02-02T05:30:00.000-08:00

In Gaelic, Imbolic means 'in the belly' (of the Mother). It is right in the middle of the dark part of the year that is moving toward light. And it's a great time to reaffirm resolutions or just to honor what you are bringing into the world at this time.

Blessings, for the first stirrings of Spring!

A Labyrinth, a Gauntlet and The Science of Yoga by William J. Broad.

2012-01-26T07:32:00.000-08:00

I love great science writing.

When I was in grade school Nana (who lived in another state) would always send me the Science Times section of The New York Times every week when she and Grampa were done with it. I think that's why I scored in the 97th percentile in the science section of the ACT standardized test I took when I was in high school. When I was in college, I consciously decided to pursue art because I thought my life might be more interesting socially, and I probably didn't believe in myself enough to take myself seriously. I feel certain that there were gender-related dynamics limiting my ability to imagine a future Brooks. And my chief advisors, Nana and Grampa, wanted me to be like my Mother, who had pursued art.

Now I'm a yoga teacher and writer. And a creative life-liver.

When I found out about The Science of Yoga, by William J. Broad, senior science writer for The New York Times, I was excited and immediately said "yes" to a preview copy from Simon & Schuster. I was also a bit hesitant to the content because of the colossal misstep in the Times’ presentation of the adapted excerpt from the book. It seemed to upset both teachers and students of yoga, and no matter how it affects sales of the book the preview held a rather alarmist and incomplete message.

But I found the book to be really interesting and informative, even if I don’t always agree with the way Mr. Broad extends non-yoga related data to make up numbers about yoga dangers. To be fair, “beauty parlor syndrome” where people have suffered from stroke after their head was thrown back in a sink at a beauty parlor has been compared to yoga in a few places, and Mr. Broad is also referring to the warnings and worries of a highly credentialed neurophysiologist (Mr. Russell) from 1972 regarding yoga and the danger of stroke. It is worthwhile to consider this information. I am definitely having more respect for the fascinating way that blood flows to the head.

In traversing the neck, the vertebral arteries go through a bony labyrinth that is quite unlike anything else in the body and quite different from the soft easy path that the carotids follow to the brain. The sides of each vertebra bulge outward to form loops of bone, and the arteries penetrate these loops successively in moving upward. The left and right vertebral arteries enter this gauntlet at C6 and run through the loops until they reach the top of the neck, at which point they start to zig and zag back and forth as they move towards the skull. Between C2 andC1, they usually bend forward, and then, upon exiting the bony rings of C1, usually curve sharply backward toward the foramen magnum—the large hole at the base of the skull that acts as a conduit for not only blood vessels but nerves, ligaments, and the spinal cord. Anatomists describe the final journey of the vertebral arteries toward the brain as serpentine and report much variability in the exact route from person to person. It is not unusual for the tops of the vertebral arteries to branch out in a tangle of coils, kinks, and loops.

A view from within the labyrinth at Kripalu.

This presents a pretty exciting idea of how the blood flows through the neck, including a labyrinth, a gauntlet (with connotations of inherent danger), and serpentine aspects with coils and kinks… I almost had a yogasm when I read this description! A thrilling adventure… But, does tightening the screws on the story of blood flow really serve the subject matter?

Where Iyengar saw benefits, Russell saw danger. The postures, he said, “must for some people be hazardous.” His choice of the word “must” betrayed the speculative nature of his worry…

Mr. Broad goes on to paint a “big picture” for us reaching for some big numbers for people who might die from having a stroke from yoga, considering his estimates reasonable “given all the neck twisting and bending.” But at least one of his numbers introducing the topic is incorrect according to a few places I looked. He asserts that the neck “can rotate on its axis about 50 degrees.” This is lower than other sources. So how much weight should we put on Broad’s terrifying account?

At one point he says (and the subject goes on for pages…):

…the medical world had exactly zero evidence about the frequency of such damage.

And even though this is written in past tense, I didn’t see that there was any conclusive evidence offered in this account.

But it did make me want to sharpen my eyes in teaching, and my practice. So that’s okay. It’s good to have more information, and a reporter’s ideas on a subject. But to have such a long and terrifying account of the subject of stroke and yoga, based on so little evidence seemed irresponsible especially in the excerpt that was published in the Times. It indeed painted a big picture, but what was it of? It seemed somewhat sensational, even though it is easy to recognize that there is the potential for danger in any activity. So that’s why it’s hard to completely refute Broad’s account of things. And it made me suspicious of The New York Times and perhaps how they perceive yoga that it would print such a biased piece with goofy photo illustrations that only served to make the subject matter more strange and even macabre.

So there it is, I resisted talking about the dreaded article, only to end up talking about it.

And I’ve spent time reading and considering the book, and find it good. It is well put together, and full of interesting studies that have been done on aspects of yoga that show benefit:

The 2010 paper examined more than eighty studies that compared yoga and regular exercise. The analysis, by health specialists at the University of Maryland, found that yoga equaled or surpassed exercise in such things as improving balance, reducing fatigue, decreasing anxiety, cutting stress, lifting moods, improving sleep, reducing pain, lowering cholesterol, and more generally in raising the quality of life for yogis, both socially and on the job.

There is also a strong sexual thread in the book that I wrote a bit about at ElephantJournal.com:

The Science of Yoga: from Ritual Sex to Yogic Hypersexuality. A Book Review.

And I don't agree with Mr. Broad's recommendation:

But to have a hope of exerting greater influence on the organization of global health care, yoga must come into closer alignment with science—with clinical trials and professional accreditation, with governmental authorities and their detailed evaluations, probably even with the insurance companies and their dreaded red tape. Yoga could become a major force. Or it could stay on the sidelines, a marginal pursuit, lost in myths, looking to the past, prone to guru worship, fracturing into ever more lineages, increasingly isolated as the world moves on.

No thank you, on the governmental authority over yoga. I could go on... But, that's enough for now.

I guess it's not because I also need to say that yoga is definitely not on the sidelines. Clearly it is being recognized. This book is evidence of that. And I hope that this book helps more men get into yoga. The focus on men's sexual health could help that. I also hope that this book will encourage more scientific studies of yoga. I found the results presented in The Science of Yoga to be really interesting, and it's nice to be able to tell students that some of the claims of yoga books have been proven in a scientific setting. And that there are some benefits that may surpass what has been said before.

Post Sex Yoga?

2012-01-14T08:30:00.000-08:00

Is this image about yoga or an invitation to have a sexual thought?

Read my latest article at Root Wisdom Yoga.

Root Wisdom Rocket Blasts Off!

2012-01-10T18:57:00.001-08:00

Take a peek at my most recent blog project:

rootwisdomyoga.com

On January 3rd I put up a post to get things going, and announced it on Facebook and twitter, and had some visitors. Then yesterday, January 9th, I received hundreds of referrals from Facebook. And more beautiful and informative comments, to boot! So I'm not sure how that happened, but cool. Welcome, readers!

Now that I've blogged for a few years, I find it to be a great way to work out ideas. So I'm planning to do some more "root" focused posts at Root Wisdom Yoga, and hopefully offer some more workshops this year, as well as teach some more pelvic-focused private yoga lessons.

I just think that it is such a great topic and focus: I hope you like it!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Level 1 Yoga with Brooks at Yogaview on Division Street

2012-01-08T18:45:00.000-08:00

Yogaview on Division Street is at 1745 West Division Street. It is one of Yogaview's 3 beautiful locations in Chicago and Wilmette.

The level 1 yoga class happens at 4pm on Mondays at the Division Street studio. The floors are beautiful, and the place just has a good feel. When people come in for the first time who have been going to the Elston Street studio (which has more of a loft-style feel), they just seem to fall in love: this boutique space is just so sweet! And sometimes it seems like a well-kept secret. You gotta check it out if you are in Chicago, whether you live here or drop in just for a visit. Welcome!

In Level 1 Yoga with Brooks there will be some attention to form, alignment and posture! We want to practice yoga in a way that will cultivate all of the health and vibrancy that yoga promises. But if we are practicing yoga in ways that threaten to compromise our backs, necks or breathing then the process is not beneficial and can be harmful.

Beginners are welcome in this class. Also welcome are more seasoned practitioners who want to cultivate their form. Sometimes yoga students find that they are just moving through everything, and they are not sure if they are doing the postures in the most beneficial ways for their bodies. This class is a place to work on those fundamentals of form. Questions are welcome. If you want to work on something specific, just let Brooks know before class starts.

Brooks delights in fun, and hopes that students will enjoy a class of great, healthy, full, relaxed breathing and movement, including challenge and nurturing.

Yoga for the Pelvic Floor.

2012-01-05T04:39:00.001-08:00

This article is for you if you are wondering or ever have wondered: What is a pelvic floor? or: Why do yoga for the pelvic floor?

It includes an exciting announcement for an awesome pelvic floor yoga intensive training for teachers, teachers-in-training, and serious yoga students coming soon!

My latest article at ElephantJournal.com :
Yoga and Pelvic What? …You Know, "Down There."

Enjoy! Power to the Pelvic Populous!

The Year of the Female Pelvis: 2011

2011-12-30T11:46:00.000-08:00

The year 2011 was an awesome year of accomplishment. In the beginning of this year I was doing my research blog: mulabloga about mulabandha, the pelvis and related topics. I deepened my work with my pelvic floor yoga teacher/goddess: Leslie Howard. And this Fall I taught two successful and well-attended yoga and the pelvic floor workshops for women: Root Wisdom Yoga at Yogaview, and Pelvic Empowerment at Yoga Circle.

Model pelvis holding a celebration of flowers.

I received some beautiful feedback via social media:

And in 2012: the pelvis continues... Some projects are already in the works for this coming year!! I will tell you more as we go forward. I'm so excited!

Thank you!!

Happy 2012!!

The Meaning of Life... Seriously.

2011-12-23T11:52:00.000-08:00

The meaning o' life
is a broad topic. If you
want to enlighten…

Go away! Don't want
that from you! If you want to
be a friend—coolness.

Don't have the patience
for a fatherly teacher,
but I like to laugh.

Ruby Room Love.

2011-12-20T18:28:00.000-08:00

I Love the Ruby Room...

It is really no secret, but it is also not public enough yet...

The above picture is a thoughtful gift from a friend who knows how much I like it. Can't wait to spend my gift card!

And it's really not a habit of mine to gush about a business (except occasionally about places where I work), but I am grateful for my experience this year at the Ruby Room. I don't have any official connection with them other than being a customer, but I do get a helpful discount on their services since I work next door to the spa at Yogaview on Division Street.

Paul

I first went in on a tip from a friend that Paul does awesome eyebrows. And he does. Over the course of months we moved step-by-step to a shape I really like. At first I was afraid to let someone in on my brows, but I did know that I wanted some help with this (but not too thin...). Then, when Ruby Room had their "Spa Week" insane discounts I tried a facial with Paul. He is a master and a professional. I am always so impressed by his level of preparedness for his work. He just always seems ready for doing an awesome job. Extremely knowledgeable, super-sweet and fun, I totally trust Paul with my skin and eyebrows.

Thanks, Paul!!

Jenifer

During one of my visits, I noticed makeup in the store. I hadn't worn makeup for years! But I was looking to update my look, and learned from the desk staff that Jenifer is great with everyday makeup. And she is! I learned a lot from the session, and since I bought some make up the service was free! I am super-happy with what I bought, and months later I am still enjoying and wearing what I bought on that fun day!

Thanks, Jenifer!!

Melanie

I just always felt so good going in and out of the Ruby Room. And I became curious about their "Intuitive Readings". I heard someone say they were really good. It took me a while to get around to it, but I tried a session with Melanie, and she did not disappoint. Melanie is super-warm and knowledgeable on subjects related to moving one's life energies in an intended direction, and great at finding opportunities for healing. She offers great support in times of change and has good ideas about things. I believe that Melanie's guidance comes from a beautiful and good place. Thanks. Melanie!!

During the "Spa Week" discounts I also tried a massage at Ruby Room. I made the appointment with a therapist, and I thought I heard the name "Jane." I thought to myself, "Whew, a relief to have a female massage therapist." (You see, I had recently received a suspicious breast massage from a male therapist at another business, and I just didn't feel good about it. I don't think I gave permission for that...)

James

Anyway, I arrived for my appointment and found that the massage therapist's name was actually "James." I'm glad it worked out that way, though, because if I would have heard the name correctly at first I would have not followed through with scheduling the session. (I was just a bit traumatized from the earlier experience that I had received somewhere else.) James is really sweet and easy to interact with, and he does a great job. I liked him from the start, and also told him about my discomfort over the strange breast massage, and he sort of joked about it and it was okay. I felt safe, and he was nice. I had a bizarre sense during the massage that his hands were very much like mine, meaning very perceptive and respectful. I do adjustments with my hands in my work as a yoga teacher, and have though a lot about touch. So I was impressed and fascinated with James...

Thanks, James!!

And thanks again to the Ruby Room for helping me to feel a bit more beautiful in 2011,

both inside and out!

Women, let's be pelvic pioneers!

2011-12-04T18:31:00.001-08:00

Join me on Sunday, December 11 for the workshop: Pelvic Empowerment.

In the region of the hips, pelvis, low belly, butt, low back and crotch it can seem a bit cloudy, as in the awareness is not clear.

Why do women tend to reject this awesome part of the body? If this seems like too strong of an assertion we might ask: might the awareness be better?

Could the lack of clarity be related to feelings of vulnerability, emotional pain, or trauma?

Well, on this coming Sunday at the Yoga Circle we are going to cover this topic and more…

I have found in my work with Leslie Howard that the first step is to just get to know the pelvis. In the workshop I will teach from my life sized model pelvis and helpful illustrations. We will also discover our own pelvises with some yoga poses along with safe, clear instruction about what we are doing.

Another layer of clarity comes as we uncover stories from our own lives that have defined the pelvis for us.

How does our culture define femininity? How does this affect how we feel about ourselves? Does this affect how we feel about our bodies?

This is a small peek into the realm of Pelvic Empowerment…

Anatomy/Actions/Relaxation Techniques/ Understanding Our Stories/ Living with strength and deep love for the whole body…

A celebration honoring the female pelvis! Yes!

And bring a friend/sister/mother/daughter/aunt/cousin/loved one!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Way beyond women in yoga…

2011-12-02T12:29:00.001-08:00

I'm realizing that there are "feminists" who like to blame other women for cultural imbalances… it's taken me a while to get it. (there is a source behind this revelation, but I think it was more of a trigger than one article to "call out," so I'm not naming it here…)

I believe that it's only in an atmosphere of mutuality of support and understanding that we might move to something greater. In striving to understand situations that baffle us from a mind that is seeing where the expression of person or situation could be coming from there is a possibility that we might see things differently (and heal).

I narrow my eyes at the whole "eww, look at her" critique. I'd like to say it makes me tired, but it actually makes me mad. (it could be because I have been at the "butt" of such criticism in the past…)

I'd like to see a world where we can look at one another openly, and appreciate what we see. I'm not suggesting that we "like" everything we see, but it could be helpful to consider how a given person or situation might be contributing to an understanding of reality that we are entertaining in any given moment. We can then more fully use our wisdom to make communication choices that will help instead of hurt each other.

Am I in dreamland?? (maybe just a little…) Competition seems to rule things right now. The pressure and illusionary need to be right or above others confuses our predicament.

A Nice Haiku.

2011-11-25T05:57:00.001-08:00

Friendly engagement.
Warm people from different
generations. Nice.

I Forgive Thanksgiving.

2011-11-24T10:30:00.001-08:00

Here a couple of things that I forgive about Thanksgiving:

1. It can seem to be a time of fake behavior, a time of pretending and make-believe… "Yes" we really like :) and enjoy one another—not always true…

I forgive my perceptions of fake behavior. I am a sensitive lass, which means I really feel things, which also means that I may feel your subconscious sleights. "You," (I am digging deep here, so please don't assume that I actually mean you.) I'm pretty sure are somewhat unaware of how your behaviors affect me. I've allowed myself—once again somewhat unknowingly—to be entertaining, or perhaps I was somewhat occupied by, victim-style interfacing with situations.

Victim-style interfacing means to me that I am looking to others to define my self-worth. I look to you to see if I'm likable or worthy, or I look to you to tell me how to feel about myself when I am coming from what I have come to know as my victim filter.

When I am using my victim OS (operating system) I am wide open and vulnerable to attack, and am also available to be harmed by "friendly fire" which is known to come from someone you love who happens to be in a bad mood or a challenging situation.

So I also forgive my victim OS, and I'll try to be better at recognizing if I've forgotten to use my software upgrade—I need to make sure that I'm using the right version of my OS, else I can experience a system crash, as evidenced by a negative-thought avalanche, when I am interfacing with the buggy software of my friends and family. (Of course I also acknowledge my own "bugs" or glitches… I did in some detail just above.)

2. I'm ashamed of a culture that appears to celebrate dominance, greed, violence, and victories achieved through slaughter. Thanksgivings were celebrations of the massacres of native North Americans in the 1600s.

I've always felt embarrassed about the displays of abundance associated with Thanksgiving. It always seemed to say, "We are the fortunate/blessed/rich people." This is dependent on others being less fortunate. Instead of over-filling our bellies, wouldn't it be better to share?

Well I've decided to forgive the situation, in favor of appreciating the good of people getting together around the topic of gratitude. It's great to be thankful for what we have.

I just hope that we can remember the people who are beyond our own dinner tables, too… (I find myself wanting to remember the living, the dead and those yet to be born in my prayers today.)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Haiku Gratitude Travel…

2011-11-23T15:34:00.001-08:00

Have traveled many
lives worth thanks to stories shared
by students and friends.

Pelvic Empowerment Yoga Workshop with Brooks.

2011-11-21T18:29:00.001-08:00

Welcome to an all-levels yoga workshop for women with Brooks Hall.

Sunday, December 11, 2011
Yoga Circle
401 W Ontario Street, Suite 210, Chicago, IL
1 to 4 pm
Cost: $40

Yoga includes living vibrantly in every part of the body. At the same time there are many factors that can cause a woman to reject femininity as well as the root of vitality, creativity and stability, located in the pelvis. For many women, the pelvis is stagnant, neglected or strained by tension, self-judgment, and abuse. This affects our yoga, as well as our health and life expression beyond our yoga mats.

Brooks will give a talk exploring aspects that impact how we think about our female bodies, for the pelvis contains so much more than anatomy. The pelvis holds some of our most precious, sacred and embarrassing stories. It is a treasure of emotion, power and creative inspiration, and when we cut ourselves off from this beautiful resource, our lives become sapped of the vitality that is our birthright.

The anatomy of the pelvic bowl will be discussed, as well as how to most effectively activate and relax the pelvic floor. Safe, detailed and clear instruction will be provided. We will practice postures and techniques for activating the pelvic floor, as well as those where we can stretch and relax ourselves.

Whatever your history with your body, you can begin now to discover the powerful resources within.
~Tami Lynn Kent, Wild Feminine

Call the Yoga Circle to sign up: 312-915-0750

Every Action Thanks.

2011-11-20T07:54:00.001-08:00

Every action thanks,
and every inaction scorns.
Choose what you will do.

Thank you! I am alive haikus.

2011-11-14T02:55:00.001-08:00

It seems strange: I am
wondering if I have time
enough in my life

to be grateful for
all of the blessings that I
have known so far in

this life. And even
more amazing is the fact:
I am living now.

So even more thanks
are called for: thank you for YOU!
Thank you for my life.

Thanks for work to do,
and for problems for me to
solve or ask advice…

Nothing finished, and
everything in motion: I
can apply effort.

Affect the way things
go by participating:
speaking, doing and

seeing; much thanking.
Forever loving. Thank you!
Every action thanks.

Relishing the warmth of a haiku dream…

2011-11-13T08:46:00.001-08:00

I reached back to find
you. Your warm hands found my arms.
I relished the warmth.

Time to fly haiku!

2011-11-11T11:29:00.001-08:00

Feeling stuck, like a
warm leaf whose stem is holding
tight to the cold branch.

Dear everybody haiku.

2011-11-09T11:25:00.001-08:00

Dear everybody,
I love you. Sometimes you hurt.
Hi again. Welcome.

Spent banana haiku.

2011-11-08T07:21:00.001-08:00

Spent banana brings
monkey glee, if I only
know where ooh ooh be…

Grateful for headache haiku.

2011-11-07T12:20:00.001-08:00

Grateful for headache
that reminds me to take care.
Do not ignore this.

Haiku of the Brown Roses.

2011-11-06T18:05:00.001-08:00

Flower-like bundles,
seeds revealing a lasting
and lovely promise.

Spiritual path always happy with Anusara?

2011-11-04T12:53:00.000-07:00

I have been really interested in all the blogging about the “Anusara Exodus”. I’ve enjoyed my share of Anusara yoga, and will enjoy more, I’m sure… But I’ve always felt a bit isolated from certain aspects of it. Christina Sell pretty much nails it for me when she says (about her teacher outside of Anusara):

...Lee didn't care at all about whether things were essentially good or not. He sided, I think, more with the Buddhists on that. Life, he taught more than once, is essentially nuetral. We are the meaning makers. He was influenced heavily by the Fourth Way work and so as much as he taught us that we were supported in the process of waking up, he had a very healthy respect for what they call the "denying force" and the ways that such a force manifested though the unexamined facets of our psychology and unconscious involvement in the world and would, when given a chance, work to kick us off the path without us even knowing it. The denying force might even dress up as a church or as a cause and steer us off the path with promises of salvation that appeared to be our dream come true. He wasn't a teacher who was concerned much about happiness. Not his own and not ours, when you get right down to it. He taught a lot that the deepest aim of sadhana was to become transparent to the flow of Grace, to be in service to the shakti to such a degree that he described his essential teaching as "Spiritual Slavery." He said that Spiritual Slavery was the deepest freedom a human could experience and there were no guarantees that your psychology would dig it. None at all. He was not casual and he was not in it as a hobby. He was also fiercely loyal, loving, compassionate and I think he may have been the kindest person I have ever known.

I know through my life experience that right aspects of life don't always feel good. I think that "flowing with grace" in Anusara yoga means moving in one's life path connected to one's spirit in a way that feels good. But true spiritual living is in line with what is best for one's self, community, and world and I think that it can require some honest heartache and serious work. I have gotten the sense from people in Anusara yoga that this is supposed to be always ecstatic and outwardly happy. And in my sense of it, the path of truth or spirit is neutral, as in the above excerpt. If I'm not blissed in a particular moment, it doesn't mean I'm wrong. My emotional content is information, neither good or correct depending on happy or sad feelings, just there to experience, acknowledge and decide how I might like to proceed from there.

If I'm not happy in a given moment, it's okay! It's not wrong. I'm not bad if I don't feel good. It just means that something is happening.

Something is happening!

For more coverage, check out the following:

A Letter to the Yoga Community about The “Anusara Situation.” ~ Amy Ippoliti

Walk the Talk Show with Waylon Lewis: John Friend, founder of Anusara yoga, re: Darren Rhodes, Christina Sell, Elena Brower—& lineage in America.

Root Wisdom Yoga Workshop with Brooks.

2011-11-01T17:27:00.000-07:00

Announcing:

Workshop on the topic of Yoga and the Female Pelvic Floor*! Read on...

Root Wisdom Yoga workshop with Brooks Hall.
Saturday, November 19th
1:30 - 3:45 pm
cost: $35
Here is the Yogaview Workshops page where you can sign up (you will want to scroll down to find "Root Wisdom"...).

Yoga includes living excellently in the whole body. In this workshop we will clarify what is happening in the region of the pelvis for women with safe, clear instruction. We will map the actions of the pelvic floor, as well as techniques for relaxation so we might more skillfully use the whole body in yoga.

Root Wisdom Yoga is for women who are curious about how the pelvis might better contribute to their experience of yoga, creativity and life. Brooks has found a more vibrant, powerful, joyful and comforting connection with herself in yoga and elsewhere by including the anatomy “down there” in her practice.

All levels welcome.

Location:
Yogaview
1745 West Division
Chicago, Illinois 60622
773.384.5569

*Brooks is grateful to Leslie Howard for introducing her to this work. Teachers at Yogaview have been essential to her own development as a teacher and she has completed Yogaview’s level 1 and 2 teacher trainings. Gratefulness also goes to Gabriel Halpern and the Yoga Circle for helping her to nurture her teaching skills since 2002. She would also like to thank Woman Within International and her Empowerment Circle for giving her insight into what it means to support women in a healing environment.

A Gushingly Positive Review of Writing Yoga and a Counterpoint.

2011-10-26T17:59:00.000-07:00

It's true.

Once I started reading Bruce Black's Writing Yoga my attention soon turned into a love-fest for a cool book.

Jay Winston's review, while almost more about himself and his issues than the actual book, did raise a point that I agreed with: that the set off sections that were specified as having come from Mr. Black's journal were actually especially polished little teaching points—which annoyed Jay, but I thought they were good. But Jay might be right when he points out that we might be getting more of the real personal scoop from some of the things shared in the main body of the text.

And I think that Writing Yoga is yet another yoga memoir—a very good one—disguised as a how-to-write book. I enjoyed the story! ...a really beautiful book! But I wouldn't have picked it up right away if I hadn't received that review copy... Thank you Rodmell Press!

And while my review might be more about my swoon of a memory of a blip in my past than about the actual book, I hope that it's still a worthwhile read!

The Article at ElephantJournal.com:
On Writing Yoga, Honoring Teachers, and Having Fun on the Path.

Yours truly,
Yogic Muse

Demystifying "down there" with Leslie Howard.

2011-10-16T08:41:00.000-07:00

I'm excited about this upcoming workshop to be presented at the Yoga Circle, located in Chicago:

DEMYSTIFYING “DOWN THERE”
Sunday, October 30
The Female Pelvic Floor: A Workshop for Women with Leslie Howard.

From the text on Yoga Circle's website:

Leslie Howard

Proper strengthening and stabilizing of the pelvic floor helps to create the correct foundation of each movement in the body. This is the true meaning of "core work." Whether you experience any of these conditions, or are just plain curious about this region of the body, this workshop is for you:

I fell into the "just plain curious" category the first time I took Leslie's workshop. However I had experienced fear about my pelvic health on and off throughout my adult life. It just seemed kind of scary and mysterious in the area "down there", and I have found that education about what is happening in the pelvic floor can go a long way towards deep healing and peace in a woman's body:

I heartily recommend this workshop for women!

More from Yoga Circle's workshops page about the kind of concerns women might bring to the workshop session for education and clarification, "demystification" indeed:

pelvic pain
leak when laughing or sneezing
lower back, hip or groin problems
have to go the bathroom too often
discomfort during sex or while using tampons
prolapsed organs
skin irritation
pregnancy and birth
In this workshop we will locate, assess, soften, stretch, strengthen and exercise the various muscle groups of the pelvic floor, discuss mula bandha, abdominal health and how to utilize the pelvic floor in asana.

The afternoon will begin with anatomy, lecture and discussion, followed by subtle experiential movements to awaken your understanding of this often ignored area. A series of specific exercises and asanas for the pelvic floor will follow. Time permitting, asana that spotlights the pelvis and hip joints will be practiced. Handouts will be provided. Bring your friends, sisters, mothers and daughters.

Okay, so come to this workshop if you are a woman in the Chicago Area and can make it, and want to take the next step in body awareness. And if you have women friends and family in the Chicago region tell them about this workshop. I can't recommend it highly enough!

Call the Yoga Circle to sign up: (312) 915-0750.

Post Rape Victim Advocates Benefit Yoga Class Notes.

2011-09-26T12:16:00.001-07:00

Welcome, reader!

I posted an article at ElephantJournal.com on sexual assault and our culture, as well as what it means to address a difficult topic like rape in a yoga class setting. Read it here:
Is rape culture Darwin's Fault?

Thanks for reading!

Keepin' it real at Intent.com

2011-09-20T09:39:00.000-07:00

I can see that I was in a rough patch when I was asked to participate as a featured blogger for Intent.com's 30 Days of Yoga Intents. It was kind of hard for me to crank one out. I wasn't feeling hopeful enough, I thought, to write an intention. I was thinking that it needed to be all light and perfect—which I am not...

But I did write a short blog for them, and I think I managed to keep it real with this one:
The Art of Choosing Light

Blessings!
Brooks

Yogathon for Rape Victim Advocates

2011-09-13T10:05:00.000-07:00

I'm thrilled to be participating in:

3rd Annual Mind Body Spirit…
And a Good Cause
Benefiting Rape Victim Advocates
September 24 & 25, 2011
Click on the image or text above to see the flyer.

Yoga studios and teachers are participating in the event, sometimes referred to as a yogathon. Participating classes are donating to Rape Victim Advocates.

I am impressed by this description of Rape Victim Advocates (received from a representative):

Every day in Chicago, women, children, and men are dealing with the immediate - and often life long - effects of sexual assault. Since 1974, Rape Victim Advocates (RVA) has been here to help rape victims, offering personal support, accurate information about their rights, and experienced advocacy. From a hand to hold in the emergency room, to clothes to wear home, to an advocate to stand beside them in court, RVA offers survivors of sexual violence the individualized help they need to begin moving beyond the trauma to live healthy, whole lives. Then, RVA goes further, changing attitudes and preventing future sexual violence through education. To improve the treatment of sexual assault survivors, RVA provides training to police officers, state’s attorneys, and health care professionals.

Something I hate about the aftermath of rape is that the victim of this crime is called into question, and their character is scrutinized. What was the person wearing? Were they drunk? Out late at night? Homosexual? Transgender? Slut? Convict? (See my SlutWalk piece at ElephantJournal.com)

Everybody deserves advocacy and protection. Nobody deserves to be raped. It is never appropriate for someone to rape another person.

So I am glad to use my voice in this way, and offer together with the Yoga Circle the proceeds from the yoga class I will teach on Sunday September 25th at 4pm at the Yoga Circle, 401 W Ontario St, Chicago.

Come to class! All are welcome! Let's support this vital cause.

What can I say??

2011-09-11T07:46:00.000-07:00

I think that I'm breakin' through the barrier...

Could it be as simple as a stretch?

S'pose it might be...

(Isn't it cool that even my student's dogs experience the benefit of their human receiving yoga instruction! Witness the above "down dog." Total excellence.)

It's only taken me ten years...um, do I mean lifetimes?

But anyway, I feel ready to take a fresh look at my resources and to start dreaming and doing in a way that is different for me, and a bit more outward regarding. I previously thought that the problem was me, almost as if I was a problem... This is centered in child-thinking where the child internalizes whatever happens as being their fault. The old solution was to focus in on myself to try to eradicate the problem... As you can imagine this may have caused a problem for myself. But along the way I also have learned so much about myself, so making myself the enemy was not without benefit.

I am confident today and trust myself in radically new ways, and well, we'll see... Could it be as simple as reaching beyond the old ways, like a stretch to release an old stiffness? I understand that I am not the enemy, and nobody is. The prognosis (I give myself regarding the "stuckness") seems good.

And if this seems like a totally cryptic post, well: it is... A somewhat abstract wondering...

Yours truly,
Brooks

...and Thank You for reading!

I knew there would come a day…

2011-09-04T08:31:00.000-07:00

I believed on February 21, 2011 that the day would come when I would want to use this picture (I took it on that same day):

I remember liking the way the light dusting of snow had highlighted the links of chain that were binding old splintered wood onto old stumps that probably once supported something usable. This mass of old stuff is in the Chicago River. I took the picture as I was walking across a bridge on a cold day. I looked at this and thought to myself: How stuck can you get??

When I look at this image I just think that it shows useless holding on. No current consciousness or utility seems to be holding this stuff together. It has just been left to allow time and weather to shift it at will. But it has sufficient mass to hold on for a long time, so it would require a big expenditure of human effort to move it any time soon.

So I thought that the image would probably represent a downer post or something when I think of myself as appreciating the flow of experience.

But If I’m only appreciating the flow and movement I might allow my attention to be selective to only see such movement taking place, or doing, or more precisely thinking things that create an illusion of flow when there have been parts of me that have been bound like those old logs—for years.

I’ve focused so much on the inner work of what I’ve understood about yoga (the parts that I thought would help me), and perhaps I’ve learned a few things, and I believe that I have—even though I also understand that one’s work is never finished.

“Enlightment” in a human body is not a situation when the person in the body knows something and stops taking in new input—because they are already knowing and perfectly spiritual. Someone in an enlightened state (in my opinion) might just be a bit clearer on seeing the changes that are happening in the world a bit closer to when they are actually happening, and I think that they are also capable of acting on them. I think that it could be hard to see what is really happening to the planet and ourselves because we tend to be married to our memories and dreams (or is that just me?).

This might sound a bit harsh, but I think that what I am proposing to myself is to break off my engagement with false thoughts (even the nice ones…).

A few years ago I married myself (I’m not kidding…) with a little private ceremony because I wanted to formally pledge my support to my life path—my personal path, not the one that I thought that others had directed me towards.

Now I want to clearly see the results of this work and readjust my path to be true to what I’ve learned. A part of me has really been dragging her feet.

Thus the above image…

Life like a sunflower...

2011-09-01T11:13:00.001-07:00

Is my life like a sunflower?

It is now September, and just like this sunflower has so many maturing seeds in it's big, round sun, I, too have some options for future growth... And like this sunflower there are so many options, presented in the seeds, that some might not work out. Some of the seeds will probably be eaten by birds or shriveled by neglect. But some will make it. Some will grow!

For my potential futures and possibilities, a crucial factor will be the attention and attentive action I can offer to the options (seeds) I choose to develop.

For a seed to grow, it needs a proper spot. It seems that I also need to do a bit of weeding so I can take care of the ones I want, instead of trying to nurture old things that are no longer fitting in the garden of my dreams.

I'm goin' for a Sizzlin' September of Action towards those possibilities I want for my future. Which includes lettin' go of the old (and throwing a few things in the trash...) as well as attendin' to the new!

Of course I'd like to keep my presence rooted in the Present Moment: I'll pretty much have to in order to get anythin' meaningful accomplished... The only place I can do ANYTHING is in the here and now...

As you can see, I'm goin' for a chilled 'tude... But I really am intending to turn up the gas and cook the food I want to eat (so to speak...)!

See me smiling.

2011-08-31T14:54:00.000-07:00

Or not...

I am not someone to ever be confused with the smile police. However I like to smile. And I like to remind myself that I can smile for no reason and I can smile for me.

This is really about my Tumblr blog:

http://yogaandbrooks.tumblr.com/

I have been posting quotes about smiling and pictures of myself smiling, as well as quotes from books I've been reading and stuff like that.

And since I have a contrarian aspect to my personality I haven't posted any smiles in this post, but you can see plenty at Yoga and Brooks...

Yogic Musing on Change.

2011-08-18T08:25:00.000-07:00

Hi, Yogic Muse Reader!

Thank you for YOU! I appreciate all readers.

...Even if there has been a bump or some kind of difficulty in our relationship: I'm glad you're here (even if you don't like me, and of course I like it when you like me.).

Changes are here! I believe them to be the kind of changes that I explained in this video about my reading of The Magic Mountain, by Thomas Mann—changes that slowly ripen over time...

I am a changing being—no joke. I believe it because I am living it.

I've heard people say oh such-and-such, they are always this way... And there seems to be assumptions about people not changing, well, I am changing.

And I don't mean that I reject my old self (or selves): I love her dearly. She is my precious one.

I've had some insight from a recent makeup consultation—I'm not kidding! At some point I would have thought that to be so superficial, but I really valued the experience and results (which you can see in the above image).

It was about bringing this one (the person I am now) out more vividly into the world.

I saw something in my eyes that I'd never seen before.

It's someone who has secrets (in a good way).

In the past I have felt raw, open and unprotected. I seemed to require approval from everyone I met, which is (of course) not possible. Even worse, I think that I wanted everyone to forgive my sins, which is something that nobody else can do for me... What was so bad about me doesn't really make sense for this woman in an adult body. It had something to do with childhood wounds which I had zero control over.

The makeup brought out my eyes in a more vivid way, while offering a boundary—a mask if you want... I'm thinking that I want to present myself vividly to the world while maintaining a safe and nurturing interior space for the images and memories from my past. And only sharing what I want.

It seems very feminine (another concept that I've had some difficulty with) to maintain safety in a protected internal space while sharing what I want. Offering what I choose to as a gift to my friends (instead of desperately looking for their approval or love to fill my old wound) seems like a really awesome way to be.

In the past I see or remember myself almost compulsively over-sharing to just about any friend who offered a generous ear, or I was completely shut off from them. This was due to my unattended to internal pain—it really seemed too much to bear on many occasions. And so I needed others to save me, yet nobody else could. Only I can.

And I can.

I like her, too:

The above picture is good old me without makeup, early in the morning at the Willis Tower Skydeck.

Yoga at Skydeck Chicago.

2011-08-15T06:24:00.000-07:00

Hi! Read my latest article at ElephantJournal.com :

Grabbable Buns, Media, Glitz and Yoga on the 103rd floor.

I visited the magic mountain...

2011-08-08T08:26:00.000-07:00

Hi! Check out my new post at ElephantJournal.com:

The Magic Mountain of Love, Freedom and Death

See the Sunrise over Lake Michigan!

2011-07-31T05:43:00.001-07:00

It is so beautiful to see the sunrise! Have a great day!

And see it now (no matter what time it is) on my latest video:

The sunrise reminds me of generosity...

…finally invited to the party in my belly.

2011-07-27T20:00:00.001-07:00

New post at mulabloga about an awakening belly:
Maya Abdominal Massage Revelation

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Dryer was left in the Tumblr Cycle!

2011-07-24T20:39:00.000-07:00

During this past weekend I was *very busy* on my Tumblr page. You will find poetry, wisdom and videos! Check it out:
http://yogaandbrooks.tumblr.com/

Have a great week!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Project Self-Respect

2011-07-23T22:57:00.001-07:00

See my new video about my latest project on self-respect!

Yogi Lovin' for Björk’s Crystalline

2011-07-21T04:45:00.000-07:00

See my recent post at Elephant, Slathering Yoga-Infused Love all over Björk’s Crystalline, to hear the song and read my ponderings on poetry, crystals and earth magic. I hope you enjoy it!

Brooks

Then and Now: 3 years of Yoga Blogging!

2011-07-15T06:17:00.001-07:00

Article and short video at Elephant:

Yoga Blogging Chronicles of Brooks Hall

Being Brooks

2011-07-09T13:56:00.001-07:00

Being Brooks might have something to do with blue toenails... It's a new video at Yoga and Brooks.

Video Blog

2011-07-02T16:50:00.001-07:00

I did a video blog at Yoga and Brooks!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Buildin' Somethin' New…

2011-06-27T20:12:00.001-07:00

Stoking the fires.
Wanting yields motivation
to build somethin' new.

All aboard! …the starship uterus is bound for strange new mysteries.

2011-06-18T13:56:00.001-07:00

Check out mulabloga to see where we might go...

Yay, for Queer Yoga!

2011-06-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

Yoga, in its best sense, is for everybody who wants to engage in it, but we all know that some environments are more welcoming than others.

One of the more tasty-beautiful human beings I know, A.J. Durand is offering a Queer Yoga Workshop every Saturday in July.

Something I’ve learned from A.J.—a walking gender education machine—is that Queer is way more than gay. And, according to a recent article at Elephant Journal:

“queer” means only failing to fit expected categories or definitions.

I really appreciate this explanation. A couple of weeks ago in conversation with A.J. I remember saying that I don’t identify as “queer” but I definitely identify as “weird”. I am a unique human being and don’t see myself as fitting into “expected categories or definitions.”

More info about the Queer Yoga Workshop at Yogaview from A.J’s facebook note:

Hi there,

My Yoga Workshop for queer, transgender, and gender non-conforming folks is primed and ready to go.
It's EVERY SATURDAY IN JULY! 2-3:15PM - 75minutes of FIERCENESS in your life once a week in July!!
$20 per session or $75 for all 5 - $100 gets you a sweet yoga mat!

Please register at www.yogaview.com (CLICK ON THE WORKSHOPS/EVENTS TAB) - here is a direct link to the workshops page.
This workshop is happening at Yogaview’s Division St. studio at 1745 W Division St, Chicago IL 60622

I love teaching and practicing yoga - it's not wierd or freaky, or only intended for middle class moms in pink spandex - I want you to try this and I want you to see how much this practice has majorly shifted my identity and given me a safer space everyday to handle my queerness in a not-so-queer world. I want to share with you

I'm not promoting this through the studio, so if you have contacts, friends, colleagues, mistresses, misters, organizations whose members or clients could benefit from this please highlight and paste this into an email for your finest. I'd like to keep doing this -but I need this one to be successful to prove that there is a community out there who is interested.

Give it a shot. I won't disappoint you. You deserve this invaluable asset in your life.

Much Love,
AJ

FAQ's

I've never done yoga before, can I come?
YES A THOUSAND TIMES YES! THIS WORKSHOP IS FOR YOU! We won't be putting our legs behind our heads (this time) But don't feel like you need to be a "flexible person" to do this.

Do I have to sign up for all five sessions?
WELL, IT'S DEFINITELY THE BEST DEAL - BUT NO - YOU CAN COME TO AS FEW AS ONE OR ALL FIVE - just take a look at the descriptions and see what you think.

I don't have a yoga mat?
WHAT???!!?? JK - that's fine we have mats at the studio - there is an option to register for all five sessions with a GREAT tapas mat that you can keep forever and I recommend having your own for the future.

Is this religious?
ARE YOU KIDDING?? HAVE YOU MET ME? Although I will say, this is a MINDBODY practice and not a workout...

What do I wear?
WHATEVER MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE YOU! This is a safe space and I am specifically trying to market directly to folks who will help support this environment. No Becky's and Stacie's plus strollers here. It's totally radical queer. But in the event that you need to bring your kid - just make sure that someone can tend to them - I HAVE A WORKSHOP TO RUN!

HA HA! Let's have fun!

Making the world a more livable place.

2011-06-12T08:41:00.001-07:00

Read my latest at Elephant:
Open to a Radical Acceptance of Life Including Death and Suicidal Thoughts

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Slutwalking.

2011-06-04T21:41:00.000-07:00

SlutWalk Chicago:
a new article posted,
Elephant Journal.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Thinking about death.

2011-06-01T04:27:00.001-07:00

Last night
in the fields
I lay down in the darkness
to think about death,
but instead I fell asleep,
…
~Mary Oliver, an excerpt from the poem 'White Flowers'

New article at Elephant:
Suicidal Education. How Thinking on Death Might Help.

* In Respectful Memory of Katy Maguire *

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Memorial Day and Deeper Time Review.

2011-05-30T10:19:00.000-07:00

Happy day, gentle reader!

I'm writing to tell you about my yogic-zen review of the recently-released movie, Midnight in Paris:

Midnight in Paris explores a deeper sense of time.

Shamelessly Promoting my Friends.

2011-05-26T17:03:00.000-07:00

This is Sunita:

I had lunch with her today, and she also wrote this really great article at Elephant:

Wu Wei all the Way

It's her first article at Elephant and it's for people who want to consider the authentic flow of life... Check it out!

This is Dr. Jay:

I met him in person last fall at Kripalu and we talk on the phone every once in a while... And I like his recent post at Yoga for Cynics called:

Strap Yerself to a Tree...

His post is about getting grounded. I thought his energy was very grounded when we met, but I now understand that he doesn't consciously connect to that in himself.

This is Carol:

We've met a couple of times. And I like her recent article at Elephant:

The Beautiful Babe and the Fierce Guru...

Power: to our ever-evolving conceptions of ourselves and our teachers!

Survivor equals.

2011-05-25T06:00:00.001-07:00

Survivor equals:
Me. Alive and amazing.
Living vibrantly.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

How I wear my asana.

2011-05-14T17:26:00.001-07:00

Look at how I wear
my asana. It fills the
night sky with a glow!

Read my finest new article at Elephant:

How are you wearing your asana?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Haven't we all ridden the starship Uterus?

2011-05-07T16:58:00.001-07:00

Reviewing awesome
book: Wild Feminine. Primer
of pelvic power.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

How not naked.

2011-05-03T16:16:00.000-07:00

Look at how I'm not

naked in this picture. 'Cept

ya can't really tell...

Building a nest.

2011-05-01T09:21:00.001-07:00

Building a nest for
privacy, diligence, and
nurturing. Joyful!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Small wants.

2011-04-30T03:03:00.001-07:00

The symphony of
small wants offer music of
cherished avoidance.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Yoga Journal editors on the subject of weight.

2011-04-29T10:30:00.001-07:00

Seems clear, where Yoga
Journal editors stand on
*weight* They say: loose it!

Is yoga here to
serve weight loss? No! I am more
than weight to loose! Shame.

I love my healthy
body, and do not buy in
to less being more.

…just saw this at Whole
Foods, and it seemed so screwed up!
Yoga expands mind.

Yoga affects the
body. Yoga cultivates
kindness. Heart opens.

Mind opening to
care. Let's stop tearing ourselves
down. Be who we are.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

I heart a haiku.

2011-04-29T04:02:00.001-07:00

I "heart" a haiku:
Seventeen syllables of
concentrated "yum".

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Engine of wanting.

2011-04-28T04:19:00.001-07:00

Engine of wanting
powers my actions. What does
endless wanting serve?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

I like the rain.

2011-04-27T05:51:00.001-07:00

I like the rain. It
waters my spirit, calling
fertility sprites.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Radiant and Loving.

2011-04-27T04:34:00.001-07:00

Old belief: Other's
needs are more important than
mine, has been debunked.

I value my needs.
Taking care of myself frees
me to care for you.

Otherwise, I am
needy: gaping hole craving
more validation.

When I take care of
myself I am radiant.
Naturally loving.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Comfortable.

2011-04-26T04:22:00.001-07:00

Comfortable with
choosing something new, as I
understand anew.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Available now.

2011-04-25T04:03:00.001-07:00

Available now
to live my life from square one.
Was hard to let go…

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Soothing.

2011-04-24T04:25:00.001-07:00

I walked to the lake.

The sun was shining. Water

soothed my inner self.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Live here.

2011-04-23T07:49:00.000-07:00

I have to live *here*
because this is where I am.
Look, listen, breathe, act…

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Yoga for Earth Day.

2011-04-22T05:32:00.001-07:00

Yoga for Earth Day:
try Warrior Pose. Align
with expansive heart.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Everything I need.

2011-04-21T04:20:00.001-07:00

Everything I need
to do, I can do. I want
to do what I can…

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

When things don't work.

2011-04-20T04:22:00.001-07:00

When things don't work you
go deeper. I find myself
honoring failed dreams.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Disappointment can.

2011-04-19T04:24:00.001-07:00

Disappointment can
soften a person as they
realize the truth.

Disappointment can
harden a person as they
protest what happened.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

It's all about me.

2011-04-18T05:29:00.001-07:00

Poppies in a pot,
blowing in the wind. Speaking
volumes about me.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Earth Day Warrior.

2011-04-17T06:36:00.000-07:00

It's fun to read an

article at Elephant:

Earth Day Warrior.

Waiting.

2011-04-16T04:32:00.001-07:00

Why am I waiting
for imagined conditions
to finally live?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Life is fresh.

2011-04-15T06:58:00.001-07:00

Life is fresh and charged.
Not perfect. Not what I thought.
But mine. And gorgeous.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

With life.

2011-04-14T03:01:00.001-07:00

With life there is hope.
Even when things look bad there
is always a chance.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

National Poetry Month

2011-04-13T04:12:00.001-07:00

A haiku a day
for National Poetry
Month. Totally planned.

When, really, poems
formed like babes in wombs, or they
sprang forth like flowers.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Mulabandha notes.

2011-04-12T17:53:00.001-07:00

Mulabandha notes
and a glass of Pinot Noir…
Mulablogger chill.

Haven't mentioned the
brownie. Chocolate, wine… Lost?
Naah. Just enjoying.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Open your eyes.

2011-04-12T04:20:00.001-07:00

Open up your eyes
and look at what is inside
of the perfect view.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Not an improvement project.

2011-04-11T03:06:00.001-07:00

I am not a self-
improvement project. I am
a force of nature.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Wanting distracts.

2011-04-10T05:28:00.001-07:00

Wanting distracts me
from sadness, disappointment.
Survival tactic.

Is wanting itself
an intruder when it's time
for clear focusing?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

A good question.

2011-04-09T03:10:00.001-07:00

What prevents me from
doing the best thing for my
future happiness?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Wants are plentiful.

2011-04-08T09:36:00.000-07:00

Wants are plentiful.
I trust that they continue.
Clear, strong, focused: mine.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Allowing myself

2011-04-07T04:25:00.001-07:00

Allowing myself
to have is hard. Wanting is
easy. …want to have.

Having, ownership,
possession. Afraid to claim
anything. How come?

A child doesn't have
to own things. Adulthood is
a time to take charge.

A time to obey.
Following rules. A time to
create. Define rules.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Who you think I am.

2011-04-06T03:51:00.001-07:00

Want me to match your
imaginings: Bye! Want to
learn who I am: Hi!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Effulgent springtime.

2011-04-05T04:15:00.001-07:00

Effulgent springtime.
…a myriad of choices,
and hard work to do.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Surging potential.

2011-04-04T05:39:00.000-07:00

Surging potential.
A bud about to open.
Heart about to burst.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Easily wanting.

2011-04-03T06:03:00.001-07:00

I easily want
my wants, but I don't always
want my needs. Seems strange.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Wanting wants.

2011-04-02T08:02:00.001-07:00

I want all my wants.
I want this, and what follows.
I want that one, too.

I love my wanting
in itself. If I starve a
want, will wanting die?

Wants should be employed.
I channel wanting to the
chariot of dreams.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Wanting and Willing

2011-04-01T06:18:00.001-07:00

What I want has no
limit. I see potential.
Fearless, free, alone.

I want all friendships,
opportunities, gestures…
Mine! Yet undefined…

What I am willing
to do is defined as I
live. It has some bounds.

Am I willing to
meet this person where they are?
What will I do here?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Afternoon crocus

2011-03-31T16:25:00.000-07:00

Afternoon crocus
sunbath. Appreciated
by my yoga-brain.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Observing willing and wanting.

2011-03-31T04:18:00.001-07:00

Wanting to do it
and willing to do it are
two different things.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Coffee between knees.

2011-03-30T06:06:00.001-07:00

Coffee between knees.
The promise of waking up.
Writing a haiku.

"To-go cup sinner,"
I tell myself as I look
at the evidence.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Incarnation of Patanjali is Free.

2011-03-29T12:12:00.001-07:00

The cobra-hooded yogi is free from containment in the Bronx Zoo. And you can follow the snake on twitter!

Read more at NYTimes.com:
Twitter Patter | @BronxZoosCobra

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Personal Blogs.

2011-03-29T04:52:00.001-07:00

…seems that I have been
blogging from a personal,
precious bloggy place.

Should life's magic and
insecurity be seen
only in private?

I want to tell all
and be heard. Still, some things keep.
Sacred privacy.

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Springtime Potential Romance Checklist.

2011-03-27T13:11:00.001-07:00

Do I like this person?
Yes

Is this person interesting?
Yes

Am I attracted to this person?
Yes

Would I like to sexually connect with this person?
Yes

Is there anything wrong with that?
No

Am I ready for the emotional strings that form related to getting closer to someone?
Maybe…

Is there a chance that this would be a long-lasting connection?
I think about that, now that I am more "mature".

Is there some sense of resonance on "non-trivial issues"?
Yes.

Can I ever know everything about what might happen?
No.

Might I be able to know more?
Yes.

What do I need to know to feel safe about moving forward?
(Think on this.)
* what do I want?
* what is this person looking for in me?
* do these answers fit into a possible scenario that doesn't harm either person?

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Carrie inspires.

2011-03-27T07:58:00.000-07:00

I really enjoyed reading the interview that Bob Weisenberg did at Elephant Journal with my good internet-friend, Carrie Barrepski. I am a fan of her blog, and I hope that you will enjoy knowing more about her, too.

In the interview, Bob says:

You have a very compelling personal story, and I like the way you put it right up front on your web page...

I like that, too. Carrie let's you know up-front what she sees going on with herself. Hers, is a voice of clarity. She says it like she sees it, and I love that about her. She is a woman with cerebral palsy, hearing loss, and legal blindness. I have observed that she is also an empowered writer with a zest for life, a clear mission in her writing, and clarity in her life choices. We can learn from her.

And she is a yogi!

Here's a link to the article at Elephant:
The Carrie Barrepski Interview: Passionate Crusader for The Disabled.

Vernal equinox suggests balance.

2011-03-20T12:31:00.001-07:00

Yet, I feel so resistant to life! Which, to me, suggests an imbalance within myself. I don't want things the way they are. Which is so silly because this is just a moment. It'll pass.

In fact, just this morning when I was listening to Krista Tippett in On Being on WBEZ, I found myself appreciating the difficulty and suffering that accompany me. It was a beautiful realization of the part I play in things, and a reminder that it is worthwhile.

So, it'll pass…

Today, on the Vernal Equinox, there are 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark, suggesting balance. But I don't really feel that. And last night's super moon (the largest the moon has appeared in 18 years) suggests power and intensity—strong gravitational force.

I feel that.

And spring growth:
I feel that!

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Limits of 'Limitless' movie.

2011-03-19T21:24:00.001-07:00

Expanded mind-stuff
explored in 'Limitless' rang
of mulabandha.

Yet ultimately
disappointing, limited.
Yoga is better.

Read the article at Elephant:
The movie 'Limitless' is somewhat limited.

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