http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ei6JvK0W60I
lose weight.
get surgery.
throw up.
if you don't no one will like you.
you'll be lonely and depressed.
you totally suck, so buy my beauty product now.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Playlist - Yoga Trance Dance - Friday February 26
Thank you to all that attended on Friday night - and to all the first timers, WOOHOO!!!
Here is the playlist from Friday night. Enjoy!
Puja - Krishna Das
Black Marble & Sweet Fire - Al Gromer Khan & Kai Taschner
Bhakti Gita - Masood Ali Khan
My Beloved - Chris Barron
Jeremiah - RANGA
Dubfire - Adham Shaikh
Crazy for You - ADELE
Women Desires - Sexy Vibes
This Is for You - Cinérex
Sympathy for the Devil (Pleased Remix) - Freedom Dub
Secret Love (Keven Maroda Remix) - Sirpaul
Strict Machine - Goldfrapp
Kick Drum Heart - The Avett Brothers
What You Wanna Do (Mash and Munkee Remix) - Badbo
Seeds of Fire - Layne Redmond & Tommy Brunjes
Give Love - MC Yogi
In Knowing - swimming in speakers
Paradise Circus (Breakage's Tight Rope Remix) - Massive Attack
Climbing Up the Walls (Fila Brazillia Mix) - Radiohead
Djorolen (Remix) - Oumou Sangare
Some Kiss - Coleman Barks
Flowing Ganga - Masood Ali Khan
Sunday, February 21, 2010
My Mission
Yesterday Barefoot Yoga and Wellness Studio had a gathering with all the current practitioners. How lovely it was to finally meet everyone and to learn more about their work. Sharon Marquart was invited to help us create personal mission statements and she also served as the mediator of sorts in helping us collectively create a mission statement for Barefoot.
WOW! What a process! I have not (intentionally) written a mission statement for years. I really enjoyed doing this again, it was time for me to do it again. Sharon gave us the following guidelines for writing our mission:
Next, identify 3 things that excite you and 3 things that anger you. Again, easy for me. And again, fascinating to see others struggle with what excites them yet have no trouble identifying what angers them! Really? Then we explored ways that we could use those things that excite us to change what angers us. That was more difficult for me to identify. Interesting, right??? I think we all want to be validated when we are angered by something and unconsciously want everyone to agree with our anger and expect something else to change, not ourselves.
Step 3, she gave us a huge list of verbs and we circled the ones which resonated with us the most. And then when through another process which narrowed it down to just 3. Being a Vata AND a Libra, this was hard for me.
The 4th step was to identify who we are here to help. I have thought about this a lot over the last 15 years as a yoga teacher. When I first began teaching, I wanted everybody to be in my classes. I took it so personally when people stopped coming to my classes. As my teaching evolved, I began to understand that there were definitely people that I did not want in my classes. It's really important to explore classes and teachers when you are a beginner yoga student. Certainly, not all classes are the same and every teachers has a different way of interpreting the practice. I have evolved my opinion, and now I am dedicated to introducing yoga and continually inspiring others to practicing yoga, but I don't NEED to be their teacher.
So who is my audience?? Well, as my teaching and understanding evolves so does those who are attracted to my work. But there are a few consistent qualities I have identified (in no particular order) ::::::
Then the last step in creating the mission - writing it! Stating your intention. I had an intuitive hit while writing mine. Yogic Artists/Healing Artists are never at a loss for finding something to do. Our community is filled with so many very talented individuals who offer so many amazing events. Individually, we are frequently called upon to participate in some capacity or to give our time away. Sometimes it is hard to say no. So in creating this new mission statement and in memorizing it when I am called upon to participate/give I can ask myself, "Does this align with my Mission?". Saying no is not a missed opportunity, but another step closer to being where I want to be!
My Mission is to (remember it's evolutionary...) :::::::::::::
Connect and inspire authentic love within a creative and spiritual community through breath and movement.
WOW! What a process! I have not (intentionally) written a mission statement for years. I really enjoyed doing this again, it was time for me to do it again. Sharon gave us the following guidelines for writing our mission:
- A mission statement is just THAT, a statement. Make it ONE sentence.
- It should be easily understood - simple - short - grounded.
- Memorize it!
- And most importantly, it is evolutionary. Meaning, it allows rooms for development and can be changed periodically.
Next, identify 3 things that excite you and 3 things that anger you. Again, easy for me. And again, fascinating to see others struggle with what excites them yet have no trouble identifying what angers them! Really? Then we explored ways that we could use those things that excite us to change what angers us. That was more difficult for me to identify. Interesting, right??? I think we all want to be validated when we are angered by something and unconsciously want everyone to agree with our anger and expect something else to change, not ourselves.
Step 3, she gave us a huge list of verbs and we circled the ones which resonated with us the most. And then when through another process which narrowed it down to just 3. Being a Vata AND a Libra, this was hard for me.
The 4th step was to identify who we are here to help. I have thought about this a lot over the last 15 years as a yoga teacher. When I first began teaching, I wanted everybody to be in my classes. I took it so personally when people stopped coming to my classes. As my teaching evolved, I began to understand that there were definitely people that I did not want in my classes. It's really important to explore classes and teachers when you are a beginner yoga student. Certainly, not all classes are the same and every teachers has a different way of interpreting the practice. I have evolved my opinion, and now I am dedicated to introducing yoga and continually inspiring others to practicing yoga, but I don't NEED to be their teacher.
So who is my audience?? Well, as my teaching and understanding evolves so does those who are attracted to my work. But there are a few consistent qualities I have identified (in no particular order) ::::::
- artistic, creative, crafty
- healthy, physically fit
- spiritual, awakened, open minded
- fun loving, positive, happy, enthusiastic
- community leaders/builders
- loving
Then the last step in creating the mission - writing it! Stating your intention. I had an intuitive hit while writing mine. Yogic Artists/Healing Artists are never at a loss for finding something to do. Our community is filled with so many very talented individuals who offer so many amazing events. Individually, we are frequently called upon to participate in some capacity or to give our time away. Sometimes it is hard to say no. So in creating this new mission statement and in memorizing it when I am called upon to participate/give I can ask myself, "Does this align with my Mission?". Saying no is not a missed opportunity, but another step closer to being where I want to be!
My Mission is to (remember it's evolutionary...) :::::::::::::
Connect and inspire authentic love within a creative and spiritual community through breath and movement.
The Passion Test
Two weeks ago I attended an event offered by Vicki Fox's group, Women of Intention entitled, The Passion Test. It was facilitated by Life Coach, Maurie Aungst Arnold. The intitial process for uncovering your current passion was pretty simple: Answer this question, "When my life is ideal, I am....". Maurie encouraged us to not hold anything back and to not allow any negetive or regressive thinking dissolve our dream.
After we completed on list, we worked with a partner to reduce the list to reveal our top 5 current passions. THIS was the difficult part. Going through my list (and following the "rules" of the Passion Test) I had to choose between "When my life is ideal, I am healthy and strong and emotionally balanced" and "When my life is ideal, I am emotionally and energetically available for my family". And NO, those are not the same things.
In the end, when I reduced my current passions to the 5 which most important to me, I was a little surprised. Maurie suggested doing this test often and see what continues to show up. I was thinking it would be interesting to go through this process once a month for a year and then at the end of the year, take the Passion Test with the top 12.
I think I will include my own variation of this at the next Goddess Gathering.
After we completed on list, we worked with a partner to reduce the list to reveal our top 5 current passions. THIS was the difficult part. Going through my list (and following the "rules" of the Passion Test) I had to choose between "When my life is ideal, I am healthy and strong and emotionally balanced" and "When my life is ideal, I am emotionally and energetically available for my family". And NO, those are not the same things.
In the end, when I reduced my current passions to the 5 which most important to me, I was a little surprised. Maurie suggested doing this test often and see what continues to show up. I was thinking it would be interesting to go through this process once a month for a year and then at the end of the year, take the Passion Test with the top 12.
I think I will include my own variation of this at the next Goddess Gathering.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Sacred Reading List #1
This list could be much much much longer, but here are some of the books from the yoga world (and a few from beyond) that I enjoy and reference often ~ what's on your sacred reading list??
The Breathing Book - Donna Farhi
Moving into Stillness - Erich Schiffmann
The Heart of Yoga - TKV Desikchar
Living Your Yoga - Juith Lasater
Awakening the Spine - Vanda Scaravelli
Tree of Yoga - BKS Iyengar
The Yoga of the Nine Emotions - Peter Marchand
Anatomy of the Spirit - Carolyn Myss
Eastern Body, Western Mind - Andoea Judith
The Upanishads - translated by Eknath Easwan
The Bhagvad Gita - translated by Barbara Stoler Miller
The Yoga Sutras translated by Sr Swami Satchidananda
Yoga Spandakarika - Daniel Odier
Desire - Daniel Odier
Tantric Quest - Daniel Odier
Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom - Christine Northrup
In Defense of Food - Michael Pollen
Emptiness Dancing - Adyashanti
Yogini - Shambhavi Lorain Chopra
Ayurveda, the Science of Self-Healing - Vansat Lad
Yoga and Ayurveda - David Frawley
The Breathing Book - Donna Farhi
Moving into Stillness - Erich Schiffmann
The Heart of Yoga - TKV Desikchar
Living Your Yoga - Juith Lasater
Awakening the Spine - Vanda Scaravelli
Tree of Yoga - BKS Iyengar
The Yoga of the Nine Emotions - Peter Marchand
Anatomy of the Spirit - Carolyn Myss
Eastern Body, Western Mind - Andoea Judith
The Upanishads - translated by Eknath Easwan
The Bhagvad Gita - translated by Barbara Stoler Miller
The Yoga Sutras translated by Sr Swami Satchidananda
Yoga Spandakarika - Daniel Odier
Desire - Daniel Odier
Tantric Quest - Daniel Odier
Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom - Christine Northrup
In Defense of Food - Michael Pollen
Emptiness Dancing - Adyashanti
Yogini - Shambhavi Lorain Chopra
Ayurveda, the Science of Self-Healing - Vansat Lad
Yoga and Ayurveda - David Frawley
Monday, February 15, 2010
Delight
Those who know me well, know that the last two years, on a personal level have been seriously difficult (when I feel the surge of courage I will write about the specifics of this).
"How do you do it?" some who knows intimately the transitions I have been managing, recently asked.
"How do you teach the way you do?"
I have had struggles with this because I was worried that those who know me well would think of my words as fraudulent or lacking authenticity.
But they are not.
With the pain I feel on one level, I crave teachings on happiness and love. I have always had these cravings. And in satisfying them, I have developed a practice for looking for “the good” in things, in others, in myself. I have always believed that we are innately happy and good and powerful and beautiful. In holding this deep belief, I have wanted to express from that place.
It’s not a denial of tears and the deep well of shadows from where they flow. I see the whole spectrum of life. And when I look very closely, I see the foundation is pulsating with the highest of life joy and love. I am focused on the light and open to everything - the brilliance and the darkness of suffering. I am not shutting it out, I want to know what is happening.
The questions become greater and greater every day. Yet, I still feel that it is all part of one pulsating tapestry of energy that ripples with delight for life. It’s a choice. Sort of like, “Keep your eye on the prize.” I see delight as the reward.
May we all become more awake. May we all become more compassionate and connected to everything. And may we all delight in this life fully.
xoxox ~Shani
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Coming Back
I am grateful to be writing my personal randomness again. I left this "blogging" thing for a while and even deleted a bunch of my posts that were written during a time of....well...insanity:)
Then a good friend encouraged me to start again.
So I am back.
Exploring more of me here...for anyone who cares to read.
There was a massive snow storm a few weeks ago (which was followed by another blizzard a week later) that Friday night my daughter and I began planting seeds for our veggie garden.
We plan on increasing the size of the three existing plots and adding a 4th! I am done with flowers. I am satisfied with the perennials I have (for now). Perhaps a few annuals - I do love their brilliance and of course a few for containers. But I will fill the "holes" in the flower beds with herbs and veggies. It is becoming increasingly important to me to know the source of my food!
Anyway, some of those seeds spouted in less than a week! I'll post some pics
xoxox.
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