Focus on your journey

  When an idea, a desire or goal is created into the mind is like planting a seed into the ground. Imagine your favorite flower or tree to plant. We already feel excited to see this planting growing and having shapes and also hopefully giving fruits. We care, give proper conditions of soil, water and sunlight as need it. We wait the seed to sprout and the flower to blossom. The flower blooms its own time. I remember when I was a kid I tried forcing to open a flower to blossom before time and the flower end up being destroyed, then the I realized that even trying to "help" them to bloom I ended up destroying the flower and it was weak and not as beautiful like the others. I like to use sometimes lessons from nature itself to help myself and others to understand our own nature.
  Just like in Yoga practice, we can not force it to happen. It will happen through you and it's own time the changes in the physical, psychological and spiritual body. Sometimes yoga practitioners ask each other: How long have you been practicing yoga? How long it took you to do this deep fold? How long it will take me to do a handstand? People are inclined to compare their journey with others people's journey. If you focus in other practitioner or teacher practice you will never be fully with yourself. You will miss little moments of growth. The practice of yoga teach us to be with ourselves and embrace our bad and our good. Don't miss this opportunity. Be inspired but don't worry. Focus on your journey. Some people also think and ask when they will be able to cure their injuries and pains or how much long they need to practice to attain peace and happiness. There is no straight answer for that. Physical injuries and pain need to be treated with love and patience as the same when the heart is broken and the mind is confused. The practice of Yoga will not cure yourself but it will be like a mirror that will reveal your true self and give you answers and options for self healing. That's why we can't compare our journey to others because what may work for me maybe it will not work for you and vice-versa.
  Surrender is all what I can think about it. Direct your mind, thoughts, insecurities and questions to God or a Supreme power you believe that's is stronger than anything you know. Give time to yourself to bloom, to open and to receive grace. The doors of healing are open but are you able to walk the long path?
May you find peace.
Namaste

The Pregnant Ashtangi

*This is a personal post from my own experience of being an Ashtanga practitioner and being pregnant. I don't want to generalize the subject as each practitioner have their own experience with their body, so Im speaking only about myself.


  Only God knows how is being mentally and physically difficult for me to be an Ashtanga practitioner and a pregnant woman at the same time. When I knew I was pregnant, my husband and I decided to give a break in my practice as Pattabhi Jois, Saraswathi and Sharath recommend for the first trimester of pregnancy. That is advised because the first three months are very delicate and hard movements as well overheating the body can cause miscarriages easily. I do know some women who practice Ashtanga and didn't stop their practice and they were fine. As I said before each person have their own opinions and I decided to follow the advice of my teachers, myself and family. Either way I continue with gentle stretches and teaching of course. The first 3 months and a half it was really hard and I think it was good to take a rest from my practice. I felt morning and night sickness. In the afternoons felt sleepy and tired. Now I'm in the 4th month and I feel better about being sick and I feel more energy in the mornings. I still feel suddenly sleepy, even more after when I eat something.
  Now Im welcoming the practice back into my routine. It's not being easy. I still feel lack of energy, I get tired quicker and even sleepy on the sitting positions or sometimes I suddenly feel hungry. Then I get a feeling that I'm not in control of my body anymore. But then I breath mindfully, I control my breath and then I calm my thoughts and my mind. I feel connected again with my body and deep inside I know its all temporary. I am where I am supposed to be.
  Every change is for the best and for us to learn something about ourselves.  I am a practitioner who strives for results and improvement. Im always thinking ways to achieve results in my practice. Now I just need to find ways to enjoy more my journey and improve my relationship to whatever is presented in the present moment. I think most of the Ashtanga practitioners are like that. If not wait until you can not practice the way you always do so you know better ;)We strive for results somehow, but then when we get an injury or something happens that is beyond our control like my pregnancy we are forced to step back and be mindful of every little step and movement of body and mind.
  Putting aside all the "negative"or not pleasant experiences of our new "temporary" practice there are positives as well.
1-Ego of course gets smashed and I feel much more humble.
2-I breath more mindfully because I want to send enough oxygen to the baby and I also want my mind and body to feel as calm as possible. So there is no rushing or forcing something to happen.
3- As a teacher I feel much more compassion and understanding for the students.
4-As a practitioner I learn that everything is temporary and impermanent. Attachment causes suffering. Liberation of all things is the goal of my practice. So not even to my practice I should feel attached or dependent to.

Some point along the years Ashtanga practitioners learn that does not matter how your practice looks like today, or in the past either how you think it will looks like in the future, we will continue to do it because this is the essence of the practice to just go and do it even if is just a few sun salutations.
Today it was half primary, tomorrow lets see whats happen. No expectation? Im working on that as well. Practice and all is coming.
Namaste.

There is no competition with God

 You probably have seen somewhere the moto " I only compete with myself". Well, this type of thinking and feeling shows more compassion towards others, but not to oneself.
 What I mean is even when one think that they are competing only with themselves, still have a competition. Roots in a rajasic state of mind that is attached to results, leading to create anxiety and a constant desire for the fruits of actions (results).
  We all want to become a better being, a better practitioner, a better anything you name... We may compete with ourselves each day towards this goal and sometimes thinking just in the results and not being fulfilled in the process.

" Obligatory action, performed without any craving or aversion by a man unattached to results - this kind of action is sattvic. "
Bhagavad Gita.

 One of the best gifts of surrendering to God, the Supreme Power (or you name it..) is the ability of trust. Performing the duties, your Sadhana and thats it. Finding equanimity in the center of ourselves even when life is twisted. And why worry about it? Everything made by him is Supreme Perfection and Supreme Love even when there is pain and fear.
 We do our Sadhana with love, dedication, devotion, determination and faith. God takes care of everything else. Offering the fruits of actions to Him, we create a state of equanimity and peace within.

Creating energy for the new years

  The year of 2013 is leaving and a new year is coming to us. Like a new book, still empty, we turn the pages with curiosity and our mind travels on the waves of expectations for the new chapter. The new plans for 2014. We hope with the new year new good stuff will come.
  The fact is we are just sleeping and waking up like any other day. Its so powerful how much mental energy we put into thoughts and desires during this period. We want to achieve something. At the same time its pathetic how we do not use the power of our mind to evolve this felling. With time the energy created will diminish little by little...until get in our subconscious part of the mind.There is a lack of believe. But wait!

  Believe in yourself! If you believe in yourself, you open a door in your mind to create positive energy towards your dream.  Enjoy the process with all your love and no expectations. We can not make our future, only the present moment. The future we offer to God, with no anxiety, no insecurities.
 Share the light in you! The Divine energy is everywhere. Share a sincere smile, a hug, a word with someone that is in need. Share your patience. What goes around comes around. If you truly believe we are all connected through God any little act of kindness is a gift to God! Just imagine in this perspective: you are smiling at God, God smile back at you... You hug someone, you get divine energy back, you feed someone with love and kindness you make God happy... Such a beautiful thing. We heal as we receive, we heal as we give.
  The more you share, more healing and happiness is experienced. More energy is put into the right path. The path for your enlightenment is created towards the Divine within yourself. We see God as our light reflects in the others.

Hope this new years is just the beginning of a endless flow of consciousnesses peace. Its a everyday practice in searching  and discovering, learning and sharing, love and being loved by God.
Namaste

The Process VS The Results

  Everyone wants results right? In our jobs, our bosses want to see results. As citizens we want to see and have results. Society want results. We expect results in our relationships. We want the things done in our time. Our mind is trained by generations to think and act like that. We are attached to results and we totally rush in the process.
  As yoga is my primary teacher I learned that the process is the most important phase to be lived. The results is just the consequence that we have to face without expectation. In the process we learn, we fail, our ego is little by little destroyed, because the process is a slow transformation that must be accept with patience and love.Our mind is direct to accomplish the results but not in the process. When we start to train our mind to live the present and in the process, we are living fully.
  In Ashtanga Yoga method is a very slow process of learning. There are different series of poses to learn in a formal sequence. We can not skip one to practice the other( even if we know the other ) because this method train the mind to accept the challenge of the process.  I have notice in myself and lots of students the necessity of perfecting an asana. Asana is just a vehicle to experience the inner self. While performing the asana the focus should be in the breath, gaze and Divine. Letting the ego go with the expectations for results. Experience the present moment even if brings pain, insecurity or fear. Being out of our comfort zone we start to see and feels things with equanimity. We start to train our mind to be in balance in the mat when we are felling good or not. Taking the lesson out of our mat into our everyday lives.
  One of the beauty of Ashtanga yoga methods is that you have no choice...It is what it is.... I can not choose what I like and practice. Every asana was knowledgeably put in a sequence by Sri. K. Pattabhi Jois.
  You go to a yoga studio and the boom of the class is the crow pose, headstands and handstands :)" Yes I feel in power"....and when you can not do it you feeI bad...and sad, because you see everyone doing, you see that awesome handstand picture on instagram. The asana don't make you became a big yogi or yogini...The process of learning and accepting where you are is the yoga in a pure essence.
  In the physical aspects when you focus in the process you build more awareness and strength. You are preparing you body and mind in a slow process for the result that may or may not happen...But who cares? Live the experience of the present moment.
 This lessons I take out of the mat to my personal life slowly also. We all have dreams,goals and plans to accomplish. Nothing happen in the time we want. We do our part, living fully with love, respect and devotion and God take care of the rest. Giving the fruits of our actions to God, detaching of the results is live in yoga.

Your practice is your gift

What brings to you inner peace? 

 I believe that any peaceful feeling is related with the Self presence in us and around us. You can call the Self as God,The Great Consciousness,Love,The Unborn,Eternal or the way you feel in your heart. Each everyone of us find a way to connect with God through something.Usually something very simple,with no price, label or form. We just need to look with another perception what really matters to our happiness and inner peace.
  First we analyze what it is by self study. Many of us sometimes have this empty feeling that we don't know how to fulfill our lives. Giving time to think and discover simple things we can do to ourselves that will make us experience life.

What is your practice?
  You may experience God through your art,in silent or in prayer,in the nature or in the church, reading sacred texts and during your yoga practice. I believe there are many ways to approach God and no one is better than you to know what is the best path to live on. There is no way to love one another and live in harmony with the universe if you do not live in love and harmony with yourself. The point is, we must to live and practice whatever takes us to this path toward something greater than us! Practice is not easy. You have to make time, effort, renunciation, detachment and so on... Our mind trick us all the time: I'm too busy,tired,angry,hungry..It is hard to make our mind still and listen the voice of the Self in our hearts. Every time we make an excuse, we stop taking care of ourselves. As soon we realize what bring us inner peace we evolve from that point,we awake and do not regress to the past or to habits and feelings that will take us further from our main goal that is be ONE with the SELF and be fulfill by His love.
  Its is very important to be honest to yourself to know the difference of having the pure feeling coming from the Self and the momentary pleasure happiness coming from the ego. When we act from the ego, our lower self, we have expectations in everything we do that lead us to have painful experiences.

 "Be focused on action and not on the fruits of action. Do not become confused in attachment to the fruit of your actions and do not become confused in the desire for inaction" (2,47). ********************************************************************************
"Perform all thy actions with mind concentrated on the Divine, renouncing attachment and looking upon success and failure with an equal eye. Spirituality implies equanimity."
Bhagavad Gita