KEEPING GOOD COMPANY

When I was young, I was loner. I didn’t have many friends, and to tell you the truth, I didn’t  mind. I was very happy to be by myself…or play with my pretend friends. I would amuse myself for hours with my imagination. I was good company to myself.  As I get older, I still cherish my time alone, but I have come to appreciate and value the importance of keeping good company.

In yoga, we call this “satsang” --- Satsang refers to the company that we keep. Literally translated from Sanskrit, "sat" means true, and "sanga" means company; satsang is gathering together to reach the truth, or to inquire into our true nature.

When I first started my yoga practice, I was, surprise... a loner. I practiced asanas alone for eight years, until one day, it dawned on me that I not only needed a teacher, but I needed to meet other yogis. My search for both led me to Jivamukti yoga center in NYC and later, to Integral Yoga Institute, where I eventually trained to become a yoga teacher. My fellow teachers at both centers became my satsang, my spiritual family. Every week, I would meditate, chant, and share with other practitioners who, like me, wanted to become enlightened and liberated. Just having a community of people to support me on my spiritual journey is a blessing. The deeper my practice of yoga and meditation has become, the more I realize how lonely and challenging this path can be. In a world where society is constantly  telling who you should be, finding and honoring your True Self is not so easy. That's why it's so important to find a community of like-minded beings to support you and uplift you.

My grandfather used to say “the company you keep will either make or break you”. I never really paid much attention to what that meant, but now I get it. If you want to be happy, healthy and peaceful, you need to surround yourself with people who are! And that doesn’t just apply to people. It applies to everything you allow into your life --- from the people you associate with personally and professionally, to the food you eat, to the books you read, to the TV and movies you watch. It’s pretty simply --- what you put in, is what you get out.

We have a choice in this world to decide who and what we allow into our lives. And make no mistake, those choices will make or break you. Have you ever been in a toxic relationship and noticed how you always felt depleted? Or conversely, have you spent time with a good friend and noticed how nourished you felt afterwards? Those are signs that the universe is sending you. So pay attention.

Ultimately, the importance of “satsang” is more than just spiritual. It permeates every aspect of your life and determines the kind of life you ultimately will live. I have learned to choose wisely. And I recognize the warning signs when I don’t. Think about your own life this week…how does it make you feel? What areas of your life deplete your health, happiness, and peace of mind? What can you do to change that? In the end, the life you live is up to you. Choose wisely and make sure your “Satsang” reflects the life you want to live.

"How Yoga Taught Me To Juggle Motherhood, Work and Marriage"

This month’s blog is written by my friend and fellow yoga teacher Heidi Camuti. Heidi specializes in teaching yoga to children in the under-served populations in Newark NJ, as well as special needs children. She is devoted to making yoga accessible to all people and sharing its healing powers. Her gentle flowing hatha classes are designed to align the body and enliven the spirit. Heidi is also the proud mother of 9-year-old Olivia, who teaches her the importance of yoga each and every day.

The Sanskrit definition of Krama is: “one after the other, gradually, sequentially.”  Vinyasa yoga refers to the linking of body movement with breath. Juggling motherhood, work, and marriage is like creating a sequence that agrees with my intentions.  It involves an awareness of time, energy, strength and flexibility.  I like to look at each day like a sequence that will create the results I need to deliver my balancing act with grace, flow, and happiness.

It sounds very flowery and dreamlike, but it’s not.  That flow involves a lot of stability, effort and boundaries.  I used to put so much emphasis on flexibility and openness not really factoring in where my threshold was.  Motherhood opened my eyes to how decisive and warrior like a woman has to be.  Recently, I’ve been aligning myself with that on and off the mat.  As mothers, when we are decisive, strong, and clear our sequence flows.  Being definitive and on point relieves the stress of feeling hectic, unorganized and unsupported.

As a yoga teacher, I see the world through yoga goggles and relate to life from that point of view.  In February, Jivamukti Yoga School’s focus of the month was Sutra 2.46, “The connection to the earth should be steady and joyful.”  This sutra gives us the advice to take hold of a comfortable able seat and not to react to everything around us. At a recent workshop with Sanskrit expert Manorama she shared one of her well dubbed “pearls” which is now one of my favorite mantras…it goes like this: “attention without tension.” 

Here are some ways I weave yoga into the vinyasa krama of my daily life to make me a better wife, mother and professional.

TIP #1:  BREATH & MEDITATE

I practice pranayama (manipulated breathing techniques) along with meditation regularly. Meditation creates space in your mind between thoughts and actions, self-awareness, authentic speech, patience and understanding.  I find commuting or waiting in the car at school pick up is a perfect time. Whenever I have even 5 minutes alone, I meditate.  Constant mental dialogue serves no purpose and drains valuable energy.  I take the time to clear my head whenever possible, so I am truly present when family or work needs my full attention.  That means not using the time to get an email out or make a cell phone call.  So, yes it takes discipline to form this pattern.

TIP # 2:  MANTRA

As a big Kundalini Yoga enthusiast, I am a firm believer in the power of mantra and its ability to shift my mind stream in the right direction.   Sometimes I say them silently in my head, sometimes I sing them out loud in the car with my iPod playing Snatum Kaur, Joseph Michael Levry, or Guru Ganesha Singh.  When I’m listening to Krishna Das, I don’t care who cuts me off or gives me the finger or worse yet be that person who honks half a nano second after the light turns green. For me…mantra really kills the negativity, anxiety, and irritation that sometimes crawl around my brain. Besides, who wants to radiate that into the world especially with family and colleagues?

TIP# 3:  CREATE GOOD RELATIONSHIP KARMA

The philosophy of karma tells us that we have to create the circumstances for the results we want. That means if you want a satisfying career and a happy loving family, you can manifest that with your own thoughts, words, and actions.  One way to do this according to Geshe Michael Roach in his book, “The Diamond Cutter” is to use the Buddhist practice of Jampa.  This is the practice of putting your mind in the other’s body and basically doing a mental switch becoming aware of their needs from you.  So, instead of asking yourself what you’re getting out of a situation, ask yourself what your child, spouse, or boss needs from the situation.  A few years ago my husband was laid off from his job, and I practiced Jampa by not panicking and making matters worse by stressing him out more than I’m sure he already was.  Also, my husband hates getting interrupted with phone calls while he’s working, but he likes affectionate emails.  So, I practice Jampa and do what makes him feel good. By doing what works for others and being “in their shoes” you create the ripple effect.  My husband tucks our daughter into bed every night and brings hot coffee to me in the bedroom every morning.  That alone makes me want to do anything for him.  The key is subtle actions have big impact.  Yoga asks us to be at that level of awareness.  It’s hard, but the results are worth it.

Sitting With Uncertainty

The past few months of moving and trying to find a job have tested my patience, faith, and self-confidence. You see, I’m not good with uncertainty. I hate not knowing what’s going to happen next. I’m a producer, not just by trade, but also by nature. I plan, schedule, execute and deliver. Funny thing is, the older I get, the more I realize I’m not in control. Life doesn’t work that way. You can plan all you want, but in the end, chances are the universe will throw a wrench in your plans somewhere along the line. And that scares the-you -know -what out of me. But instead of fighting it, I’m learning how to surrender to the unknown and sit with uncertainty.

Last week, in the midst of all my self-created drama about my new freelance job and what will I do when it ends, I received some terrible news. A friend of mine was dying of cancer. How could that be? He is too young. I just spoke to him a few months ago, and he seemed fine. Now, he is in a medically induced coma, as doctors blast his body with chemo in an attempt to save his life. Six months ago, he was worried about making his deadlines and planning his next vacation. And now, each day, he simply struggles to breathe. To breathe. And his family sits with the uncertainty of whether he will survive another day. 

Knowing that, really hit home. Whatever we face in our lives, no matter how hard we try to establish stability, it can change at any moment. There is really nothing we can do about it. We get old, we get sick, we get laid off, and we lose loved ones.  We “sit with uncertainty” every day, whether we realize or not.  No matter how hard we want things to remain the same, they will eventually change. That much I know for sure.  All we can really do is hold on for the ride and surrender to the unknown.

The other thing I know for sure is that we will all die.  Sounds silly to say that, cause we all know it’s true, yet we spend our lives trying to avoid it. As we get older, however, the frailty of life becomes more real. Time slips by, things change, and suddenly obsessing about the past or worrying about the future doesn’t seem to matter so much. Life is now. Right now. And if we don’t grab it and enjoy it to the fullest, it will be over. That’s why it’s so important to live in the present. There is nothing uncertain about the present moment.

As I think of my friend in the hospital, I know he is very much in the present moment, as he fights for his life, focusing on his breath --- one breath at a time.  I don’t know what will happen to him. I pray for him every day. When I meditate in the mornings, I imagine I am breathing for him, too. And in some strange way, in that moment, I feel connected to him. In the end, I don’t know if he will get better, but I do know that he has lived a good life and loved well. And when his time comes, like the rest of us, he will be at peace...and life, with all its changes, will move on.

New Year, New You

Editor's Note: As we ring in the New Year, I’m happy to introduce our newest guest blogger, my friend, fellow yogini and Executive Health & Lifestyle Coach Sylvaine Hughson. Sylvaine is a certified Holistic Health Counselor, Raw Living Foods Health Educator, FirstLine Therapy Lifestyle Educator and a Life Coach. She creates customized diet, lifestyle, and detoxification programs for individuals and corporations around the world.  Everyone who works with Sylvaine feels empowered, inspired, vibrant and energized. So as we all embark on our latest resolutions to eat healthier, get more exercise, and be less stressed, Sylvaine shares some practical, yet life-altering tips on how we can feel our best physically, mentally and emotionally this year. To learn more about Sylvaine and participate in her special New Year’s Detox Program starting January 15, visit her website at http://www.hughsonhealthcoaching.com/

By Sylvaine N. Hughson

CHHC, HHED, PCC, AADP  

Executive Health and Lifestyle Coach

“Take responsibility for your healing.

Something so important should not be left to others.”

~ Anonymous

The more I study the human body and our extraordinary ability to heal ourselves – the more I am amazed.  The process is so simple and yet so complex…

Did you know, for example, that your body, fully regenerates itself every seven to ten years?  That your stomach lining renews itself every five days?  That your bones and skeletal structure have the potential to fortify themselves every three months?  When I think about the power and possibility of this continuous cycle of renewal and regeneration – it’s difficult not to get excited!   

So what does all of this mean?  Well for one, eating more nutrient-dense foods heading into the New Year is key if you are looking to build a stronger, healthier you in 2012.  We have all heard the saying “you are what you eat” and I am here to reiterate the concept but with an added twist.  The quality of what you eat, the quantity of what you eat, and the bioavailability of the nutrients in what you eat, all affect the speed and effectiveness with which your body performs cellular repair.  Pre-packaged processed foods with long ingredients lists and unrecognizable names are not only sub-optimal when it comes to cellular regeneration, but also toxic. 

If you want to feel more energized, mentally alert, physically fit, in-balance, stronger, younger, and happier – then keep on reading…  Here are a few tips to keep you functioning at your best this year:

When it comes to your diet and lifestyle…  

1.    Think Clean - Fresh, local, and organic ingredients/ produce are always best.  Food that has had less far to travel tends to be more vital – the vitamin and mineral content is unaltered and is more easily absorbed.  Food free from pesticides, herbicides, hormones, antibiotics, chemical residues, preservatives, additives, etc. will also help you keep your body’s toxic burden low. 

2.    Think Nutrient-Dense - A diet rich in whole foods such as greens, whole grains, choice protein, quality fats, super-foods, etc. will provide your body with the best quality building blocks possible.  The more you eat nutrient dense foods, the more you will naturally reduce your portion sizes, experience fewer food cravings, and lose weight effortlessly.     

3.    Think Easily Digestible ­­– Eating big, heavy meals containing lots of animal protein can create a lot of work for your body when it comes to digestion.  Opt for plant-based meals when possible, especially when eating later in the evening.  The easier a food is to digest, the less time and energy your body spends on breaking it down into usable components and the more it can redirect that energy towards cellular repair. 

4.    Think Diverse – Eating from a full spectrum of colors and a variety of food sources will not only give you optimal nutritional coverage, it will also protect you from developing sensitivities to the foods you eat most.  Some symptoms associated with potential food sensitivities are lethargy, brain fog, anxiety, mild depression, digestive issues, the inability to lose weight, skin problems, etc.     

5.    Think Bio-Available – Juicing and eating raw living foods saturated with readily available vitamins, minerals and phyto-nutrients are a great way to jumpstart your body and improve cellular regeneration.

6.    Think Detox - We live in a modern world where, unfortunately, we are exposed to chemicals and toxins on a regular basis.  It’s in the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, and the environment we live in…  As hard as we may try - we’re not always able to protect ourselves and that’s ok.  Make it a point this year to learn how to lower your body’s toxic burden, naturally.  Something as simple as increasing your daily water intake can significantly improve your body’s ability to detox and help it to function more optimally.        

7.    Think Balanced Lifestyle - Remember that regular exercise, stress management, positive thinking, supportive relationships, and a fulfilling career are all an integral part of your health and happiness.

So here’s the takeaway – please know that regardless of whether you have a list of New Year’s resolutions or not – your body gives you an extraordinary opportunity every single day to start afresh and begin building a new you.  When you feel ready to step into the future that you want to create for yourself, “take responsibility for your healing” - begin shifting your foods and your body will respond.  Day by day, fork-full-by-fork-full you will eat your way to a healthier, happier, and more vibrant you.  And doesn’t that make the future look bright? 

Happy New Year!

Practicing Generosity

I’ve been feeling very anxious lately.  It’s not the job search; it’s the gift search. Christmas does this to me every year. I agonize over what to give for presents and how much to spend. As I pour over hundreds of catalogs trying to find the right gift, my heart starts pounding and mind starts racing. What if they don’t like this present? Can I really afford to spend this much? Why is it so difficult to find the right gift? Ugh, I hate the holidays. Why does it create so much stress each year? Shouldn’t being generous feel more joyful?

In Buddhism, generosity is one of the 10 paramitas, or enlightened qualities to cultivate. In fact, it’s a virtue extolled in almost every spiritual and religious tradition. So why is it such a rare quality to find in others and so hard to practice oneself?

For me, it’s all about expectations --- the expectation of giving AND receiving. If I give to someone, I’m disappointed if I don’t get something in return. I know, it sounds selfish, but it’s true. It could be anything, from a Christmas present to a compliment. And that’s the whole problem. Real generosity is about giving without expecting anything in return. Not even a thank-you. The joy comes simply from giving.

That’s really hard…at least for me. So this holiday season I have decided to practice generosity, not just on Christmas day, but every day. Just one act, that’s it. It could be giving somebody a smile, holding the door open for the person behind me, teaching a free yoga class, or giving up the parking space I have been waiting patiently for to another person --- that last one was really hard…no joy there.  But I’m trying. Every day I look for ways…small and large… to give. It’s not easy, but I have to admit, when I let go of my expectations, giving can be easy and quite joyful.

It seems funny to me that we traditionally think about generosity during this time of year. Not to mention “generosity” that involves maxing out our credit cards. What if we thought about practicing generosity every day? Not just when it comes to our families, but when it comes to total strangers, and even people we don’t like.  Try it and notice how it makes you feel.

In one sense, generosity is a natural human instinct --- we see someone in need, and we want to help him or her. But a lot of times, our egos stand in the way --- we fear losing too much and being vulnerable. Just the other day, I reached into my wallet to give a few bucks to a homeless man. Instead, I pulled out a $20. Damn it, I thought. I handed the man the money as my heart sank. His eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. I should have felt good; instead, the whole way home I chastised myself for giving away so much. I need that money, I thought. Of course, I realized later how silly I was. My heart lightened. I didn’t really need that money, but my ego thought I did.

That’s why practicing generosity is so enlightening --- it teaches you more about yourself --- what you cling to, what you don’t, and how you can expand the limits of your compassion. Most importantly, it re-introduces you to your true self, which is infinitely open, loving and kind.

Making Peace with Family

The spiritual teacher Ram Dass once said that if you think you’re enlightened, visit your family.  That always makes me laugh  --- he is so right! I don’t think I’m alone when I say that nothing makes me lose my peace of mind faster than my family.

This Thanksgiving, I’m testing my spiritual limits. I recently moved back home after almost 20 years of independence to live with my parents. It may only be temporary, but it’s giving me a lot of time to practice patience and gratitude.

When I was living my fabulous, single girl life in NYC, I used to have nightmares at night about living back home, and I would wake up in a cold sweat. It scared the daylights out of me. Funny how life can turn out…here I am, at 42, living my worst fear. And yet, you know what? It isn’t so scary. I haven’t lost my independence, or my mind, for that matter. In fact, I’m quite enjoying it.

That’s not to say it's been an easy transition. I can’t wait to get my own apartment again. But I realize that my fear of returning home was only in my mind, not in my heart. Sure, it drives me crazy that my mom still worries incessantly about me. Sure, I get annoyed when she tells me my clothes don’t look right. Of course, I get pissed off when my dad reminds me to wash my dishes. I find myself snapping at least once a day. But something I didn’t expect also happened.

My first night home, my mom urgently called me to look at something outside. Oh God, I thought, now what? Not another strange person lurking outside that she thinks is a burglar. But when I found her by her bedroom window, she pointed up at the sky. “Isn’t that beautiful?” she asked. As I stared up at this magnificent orange glow, I realized that I hadn’t seen the moon in a long time. When you live in NYC, you don’t tend to gaze at the sky. At that very moment, I felt so grateful to be home. 

I don’t know how long I will be with my parents --- or how long they will be with me --- but I know this moment is special. I enjoy the little things each day, like getting up early and squeezing them fresh orange juice, driving my mom around on errands, and kissing them goodnight at the end of the day.

The truth is that we never know how long we will have our families. We will someday lose them. And yet we never fully appreciate them.  We’re too caught up in all the drama. And we’ve all got stories.

Recently, I exchanged emails with one of my good friends. She told me she was jealous of me. I thought she meant jealous that I had escaped the hustle and bustle of the big city. But what she meant was that she was jealous of me having both my parents. She had lost both of hers a few years ago. My heart softened and tears came to my eyes.  I thought of all my friends who have lost a parent, or both. In a way, I feel now that I honor my friends by spending time with my parents.

So as I celebrate Thanksgiving this year, I feel more grateful than ever for my family.  No matter how difficult, contentious, or painful life with family can be, it’s all we really have. Family is always a part of us, of who we really are. Maybe by learning to love our families, warts and all, we will learn to love ourselves.

Keeping Things Whole

*Editor's Note: I’m excited this week to introduce our first guest blogger, Tamar Samir. Tamar is an Advanced Certified Jivamukti Yoga Teacher based in NYC. Not only is Tamar my teacher, but also a dear friend and mentor. Her compassion for all beings and dedication to saving our planet is inspirational. This week, Tamar shares her thoughts and personal experiences on veganism and its connection to yoga.  To hear more from Tamar and find out when she teaches, visit her website at http://tamarsamiryoga.com/about/

I was born in Michigan, but grew up primarily in Israel. My Dad was Israeli and my Mum is Scottish, so there have been diverse influences on my life, my culture, and my accent.

Our family was atheist and we didn’t observe or celebrate Jewish holidays very much. From a young age, the word God was a loaded, foreign concept to me. I’ve always believed there’s a force of Good present in the world, with which you can align yourself. Nowadays, I like to replace the word God with Good in a sentence, and see how that shifts my response. I’ve always believed in reincarnation – I remember thinking this at a very young age.

I never considered myself an athletic person. In fact, I often dreaded gym class in school. I relied on intellect and creativity as my form of expression, and didn’t think about the body too much. In college, as I learned to draw the human form and design clothing, I became interested in the body and its sculptural potential. I moved to NYC in 1997, to work as a designer in the fashion industry.

While working in fashion, I started practicing yoga at the gym as a way to work out. I appreciated the stretching, the emphasis on breath and the introspective quality of yoga. But it wasn’t until attending a free class at Jivamukti Yoga School on Lafayette Street, that I started taking the yoga practice more seriously. At first I practiced yoga twice a week, but over time I increased the number of times I practiced. Instead of yoga being one more thing to fit into my schedule, I was able to weave my daily schedule around the time I set aside for practice.

I found a morning class that I could take every weekday at 8am before going to work. I loved the consistency of practicing every morning, at the same time, with the same teacher–Jeffrey Cohen. I loved starting the day with yoga! It changed my outlook on life; I was calmer and more able to deal with stress. My yoga practice got me through some challenging times–a difficult break up, graduate school and a career change.

The practice made me stronger, physically and mentally. It changed my posture and my walk. It made me feel beautiful. It made me want to smile more often. My skin and eyes glowed. People noticed the difference and commented on it.

“When the energy channels are purified, there are external symptoms. The body becomes thin and glows. Then one should feel certain of success”. –Hatha Yoga Pradipika II.19

The more I practiced Yoga, the more I wanted to learn. The Jivamukti method teaches about all aspects of Yoga, not just the physical postures. It goes deeply into the ethical practices, philosophy, scriptures, Sanskrit, chanting and meditation, as inseparable from the physical practice. As taught by Jivamukti, Yoga unfolded as an interconnected series of practices designed to spread happiness and freedom to all beings, a force of good.

I have been a vegetarian from age 18. It started when my sister had a disturbing experience while eating a McDonald’s hamburger. She took a bite and felt that it was living, moving flesh. She put the hamburger down and hasn’t eaten meat since. Inspired by her, I followed without really articulating why. It just felt right. Later, as part of my service in the Israeli army, I worked with cows. These loving, sweet, beautiful beings deserved my respect. I couldn’t eat them.

Jivamukti’s association of ethical vegetarianism and environmentalism with the Yoga practice resonated with me deeply. Everything came together–ethics, yoga practice, and my personal philosophy. Inspired by the teachings I received at Jivamukti, in classes, retreats and at the Jivamukti teacher training in 2007, I changed my lifestyle completely.

Now,

I practice 5-7 times a week.

I practice the ethical yogic principles (yama and niyama).

I am vegan (I use no animal products in food, clothing or other products).

I reduce, reuse, recycle and compost, as much as possible.

This has changed my life.

Once I started practicing Yoga daily and changed my diet, I experienced an immediate and radical shift on a physical level. Extra weight dropped off. My cholesterol levels, which had bordered on high, dropped from 215 to 175 within the space of 2 months of vegan eating.

On a mental and emotional level, I feel more peaceful and at ease. There’s a sense of wholeness and connectedness to the earth. It’s become easer to face challenging situations with equanimity. The practice has become a way of aligning myself with Good. And I’ve found a community of like-minded people, teachers and students, who have become great friends.

The Yoga practice continues to unfold and expand. I constantly learn and find connections between aspects of the practice and the natural world. This is so exciting to me.

If you’re interested in a daily yoga practice and its physical benefits, I highly recommend reading this short essay by my teacher, Sharon Gannon: http://jivamuktiyoga.com/focus/focus.jsp?viewFocusID=4