Don't save it all....

...for Christmas Day. You know the song.
Today, because its if holiday season, the post will be slightly different. As compassion and ahimsa is a vital part of yoga philosophy, I thought it will be more than appropriate, with the holiday season coming up, to turn your eyes into some of the good stuff you all can do. May I emphasize that, not only during Christmas season, when it is easy to get caught in doing nice, but maybe there is a way to incorporate those things in your daily schedule, or at least weekly schedule.
It's not a secret for anyone that knows me at least just a little, that I'm a crazy cat lady. Crazy animal lady. I would love to feed all the animals, take home every cat, and if I see the troubled creature, I always do. That's why the number of cats in my house it that, not the other. Almost all the cats I have are rescued street cats. Whenever I can, I feed whatever I can see is homeless.
I think holiday season is a good time to start to help our little brothers and sisters. Try and not leave it just for the holidays - maybe you can go there at least 1 a week?
So plan is - find a place near your house or neighborhood where you know stray animals live. It can be a cellar, a little cat house build by neighbors, anything. In Warsaw, there are plenty of places like that. If you based here, you can even contact me for directory :) there is a place I go every other day to bring some food for the little fellas. There is around 10 cats living there, and the people living close by are very thoughtful.
They always make the place warm for the winter with hay and straw and wrap the blankets around the wire that protects cats from wind and intruders.
They also leave food and water, but they can always use a little help.
Today I went there to give them some special Christmas Eve dinner. There was a dry food mixed with treats that my cats donated and some wet food with vegetables.
Here are some pictures I took.

What are the other ways to help? 

If you don't see that there is a stray animal "shelter" in the neighborhood, you can always help out the birds (or do both). During winter season they have difficulties finding food. Maybe you have some dry bread that you won't eat (just check carefully if there is no mold!). If the temperature is over 1 degree Celsius you can soak the bread in water first, so that they get the water and food at the same time). Be careful to not throw the soaked bread at the evening, cause when the temperature at night goes down, the bread freezes and it's impossible to eat. 

You can also donate money and food or other necessities to the animal shelter or hospice. There is a lovely hospice with very dedicated people that I always donate whatever I can too. Here is the website. Hospicjum dla Kotów Bezdomnych

Ok guys, hope you feel inspired to do something nice for the animals this holiday season and all the year around. They will be really grateful as often, they cannot help themselves or ask anybody for help. 

Have a peaceful, lovely holiday, full of joy, sharing and compassion.

Season greetings from my fat cats:)

Nellie

Rumcia

Koper

Henryczek 

Joanna  :)

Energy

Hello everyone!
Today's post will be about energy and yoga, because that's what came into my focus during the last week of practicing, and found it's crescendo moment today.
I do recon that my last post was about humor and yoga, but may I kindly ask you to not laugh at me though this post ? :)
First of all, it's probably not a secret for people that regularly practice Ashtanga yoga, that it creates and awakes amounts of energy that make the day look easier and the tasks more approachable. When I began to practice about month and a half ago, I almost immediately felt more awake and ready to go. When I started to go to morning Mysore classes, if felt even better. When I didn't practice yoga, I felt sleepy and unrested during the day, even though I would sleep in and have an easy morning. I would have difficulties to get through the classes that I taught, and have to beware to not fall asleep on the bus.
When I started practicing in Mysore style, things changed dramatically.
Not only I rise very early, and I have energy to do so, I also have an energy to get through the day, do what I have to and what I want to do AND rise early the next morning. I feel more bubbly, more active, more creative and  more eager to laugh. It results in less percentage of children and adults being bored in my class, because I always feel ready to modify on the spot, depending on a day. I also have an energy to make more effort to actually interest people in things. Also, in yoga. Yes, I talk, walk and sleep yoga. I'm even a little hyper, even a little more excited. But it's change that I really appreciate based in my busy busy lifestyle.
Couple of days ago, I watched this cool video about Sirsasana. Yes, Kino again. If I want to know more, I watch Kino, she somehow always gives out this little pieces of information that prove to be very useful.
Watch it!
Kino - Headstand

As you see, she also talks about how this posture helps to move  spiritual energy towards the head if held for a long time. It's also known to be one of healing postures.
So yesterday I though instead of 3 short headstands, why don't I go ahead and try to hold one for about 15 breaths.
Today I held it for 20 and it felt so good. I finally didn't feel to much pressure on the head, so I thought, why not. Let's try.
Then I went to pranayama class. I don't know if this headstand has magically awoke me spiritually after 20 breaths ( and I tell you not to laugh :) but this is what happened in the class . Read on.
(Disclaimer. Before you read. You have to know. I don't do drugs! )
Today during Pranayama I had quite a trip. I was usually very skeptical when somebody claims to see an energy in colors or shapes, or sees the aura, etc.  I also have to mention that my knowledge of bandhas is quite limited still, and my knowledge of chakras is practically non existent. But actually being able to find out more about it is very interesting, even though there are times when my awareness is off and I'm not exactly sure what am I tapping into. Anyhow, today's pranayama was quite an experience. It's hard to believe in many things, until you experience it by yourself.
Today's class was a little different. After a couple of exercises that we usually begin with we did something what I like to call zip lock exercise. You basically close your eyes and you breath deeply, visualizing top of your head when inhaling and the navel when exhaling. After couple of deep breaths in that, the weirdest thing happen . There was this image before my very eyes, and it wasn't like I imagined it, or visualized it. It was as real as I see now my iPad and the keyboard.
The image was very clear, it looked like a person, completely made of light, with no distinction of face or limbs, just light. The person was sitting in either crossed legs position or lotus and was definitely having hands connected in prayer (I could tell by the elbows that were lifted). Sometimes the head was in a circle of yellowish - whiteish light and sometimes not. At some point, I started to  move my feet to see if the image would disrupt or dissolve, but it didn't. So I smiled, and it still stayed where it was. It looked something like that:

Obviously came home and draw all the crazy images promptly).

Then, the same exercise made me see (really see, not imagine) yellow and white rings of what I though  was energy. They were coming from the outside, and concentrating to the inside, what i thought was my body. At the end of concentrating they became a little irregular shape, and finally dissolved into the black - grayish background. As soon as one ring did, the other one came from the outside and the process started again.

This are my poor drawings of this:

So later, we were breathing through all the chakras, and here the same thing continued. I mosty saw the energy rings, or the "Buddha person" from time to time. Depending on what chakra we were on, the rings appeared in different intensity of yellow, white, grey, sometimes a little red, sometimes the background would turn green. What's funny, the colors would usually go as they pleased, not always the way that teacher said what the color should be. On some chakras, the rings would not appear at all.  There was also the moment when the picture would turn completely white, and I remembered that it was the Chakra of solar plexus. 

Also, something funny happened on the heart Chakra. There was some sort of modification of the energy ring experience.

The ring would appear on one corner, transfer to the other, go look like a moving wave, flip around very quickly and disappeared. 

I was so amazed the entire time, that I smiled through entire chakra exercise. Needles to say, I found it hard to believe what I'm seeing.

I also found it hard to believe that the class was up so soon. I thought I would love to stay for another hour and watch my energy rings, waves and Buddhas like a good movie. 

Well, anyway, are you scared of me now? ;)

Anybody seen something like that? 

Enjoy your practice!

Joanna

Humor and yoga

"If you don't laugh, you will end up crying", Brad Ramsey stated in "Guruji", underlining the importance of dat tiny bit of humor in practice. For me, as a person with tendency to go into extremes, it speaks a lot. Today I want to examine the importance of keeping a tiny humorous approach, especially when attempting a new asana, or the one you have problems with.
Most of times, at least for me, yoga is about finding that calm, non - judgmental state, towards yourself and the practice, and if you are a teacher, also your students. It also transforms towards the daily life. I give an example. I'm ,with quite a consistence falling down from utthita hasta padangusthasana, especially when legs goes to the side, and I have to look the other way. Yesterday, I watched Kino MacGregor explaining this posture in the video! and while hip - into - the - socket advice helped, the calm mind advice helped even more. ( I am linking the video here so you can watch it).

I knew from the beginning that it is my mind blocking me from standing, and it's my mind that makes my ankles nervous and wobbly. Putting  my need to complete the asana away, creates a space for my
mind to relax, with keeping certain level of alertness, and results in less nervousness in the posture and stability.
I read an article lately, that had been also underlining the  keeping the calm mind at all times. While I think it is useful most of times, and allows us to let go of the expectations and enjoy the fact of the practicing itself.
But there is also another power, that can be helpful sometimes, and it is power of humor and being able to laugh at oneself. ( do not confuse with picking on yourself :)
Last week I found myself approaching couple of new and challenging asanas in Primary Series.
Bujapidasana, that is the first arm balance with your legs crossed in front. Couple of day passed before I could balance for 5 full breaths, and then the teacher added going down with your chin, and back with the feet. And here the battle began. :)
I hit myself many times, in many places. Forehead, chin, mouth, nose, and first and foremost, butt. I enjoy the trying process though :)
The Kurmasana and Supta Kurmasana - how many times did I fall down when I was trying to sit down? The most interesting part of Supta Kurmasana is how to get out of it. Now I can really sympathize with da tortoise. Appreciate the tortoise! He walks around like that!
My latest addition is the rolling before Gharba Pidasana. Basically you put your legs in lotus, take the arms around, grasp the hands, stay for 5 breaths and then try to roll around, and come back to where you came from (with arms still clasped).
The best part of it, is when you fall down on your side, with the lotus and your arms around. Its like, what do i do now. Do i undo all my limbs or do I try to roll on the back without undoing, only helped by the core. There is this moment of lying down on the side when you feel like an Chinese infant wrapped tightly in your blanket praying your way out to your Uddiyana Bandha to come and get cha.
If I wouldn't be using my humor in approaching this asanas, I would be probably beating myself up for not being able to do that, and my inner critic would kill me. That's not the point right? Of ashtanga yoga, right?
Anyway, if you cannot, for the moment keep your mind calm, because it's going bananas, you should better refrain to your inner comic. My inner comic never sleeps, because it's a perfect aid and counterbalance to too much self criticism or self pity. I think ideally, you would be just super calm all the time. If you can't do that, then better start laughing. Wouldn't the life be boring without a little humor? I find it essential to get through the day. If that's a vital part of my life, I feel I need to embrace it and include it in my practice. You don't want to take it to the extreme, and laugh instead of breathing, but if there is a spectacular fall in Bujapidasana that your inner comic has to embrace with smile, go ahead and smile. It's better than being angry at yourself. For what? We all are just trying here.

All righty guys. Stay inspired, keep practicing!
Joanna

Dimensions of Ahimsa

  
Today I want to address some of the fundamentals of the yogic lifestyle that actually connect to each other.
The main topic will be ahimsa, which is a Sanskrit word for "nonviolence".
You can hear Kino MacGregor really nice talk about Ahimsa here:

For me, personally, Ahimsa has three basic dimensions, or that's at least how I see it. It might be ideologically not correct, but this is what I discovered so far.  I listed them from the easiest to hardest one (for me).
First dimension of Ahimsa, which is the one that seems the easiest for me, is non violence to animals. I've been always an animal 
lover, with many, many animals in my household. My record was seven cats, a rabbit and two guinea pigs. Not hurting the animals was always something obvious since I was a little kid. My entire family adored animals, so I could say I " inherited" this animal loving thingy and always included animals as members of my family.
Yet the concept of Ahimsa made me re-examine and look again at my feeling towards animals and I turned out to be animal lover hypocrite. 
And here goes my diet. Would I slaughter a cat? A dog? A fish? A cow? A pig? Any living creature? No. Never. I would much rather die from hunger, than to live knowing that I hurt a living being. Would I be ok with going into the slaughter house and watch without blink how animals are killed? I don't think I would be ever able to do that. 
So then, why do I allow other people to do the dirty work for me? 
Why do I, by buying meat with my money, feed the entire machine of animal slaughter? One would say - animals will be killed anyway. There are thousands of people who feed the business every day and will not eliminate meat from their diet. I don't think that going with the crowd is a solution here, just because "nothing will change anyway". I think that the changes start within ourself, and if you can, inspire others to do so. It's valuable to have your own point of view, be true to oneself and go with it. If everybody would be following the crowd, nothing would ever change. If I can make make the animal slaughter industry income 0.0000000000000000000001% lower,  then I will do so! Add on those little percentages of the people that choose to not rat meat and the true change starts to look more material. 
I've been always struggling back and forth with eating meat - part of me wanted to do just to animals and stay true to myself, and my love to animals, and another part just said "oh that won't change anything" and went with the mainstream. 
There is another change that happens when you consciously decide to exclude meat from your diet. It's a change within your self, it's a feeling of integrity with your true beliefs, your actions, and the "outside word". On that note, concept of ahimsa led me towards connecting with what I feel is right and putting it into action. 
I think it's important to make people aware about this and listen to your inner voice telling you what is right for you and the "outside words" 

The second dimension of Ahimsa, for me is non violence towards other people. 
For me, when I first started to unroll the concept of ahimsa the first question that poped out was the question about the definition of violence. What is the meaning of ahimsa towards other people? 
For me it is acting the way that won't hurt the others and won't cause an intentional suffering. It also goes beyond intentional and ask to re-examine the possible unintentional effect of our actions. It can be words, action, but also thoughts. 
Its really mora about "scanning" and measuring everything against that idea of non violence. Actually it's very much about making a decision, that I'm not going to get angry, that, I'm not going to talk back in that way. It's not about being idle but about refraining from any verbal or physical violence. While it is quite understandable for most of people that you should not hit another person, verbal assault and violence through words is much more common. Words can hurt more than a physical pain. 
In "Sacred fire" Kino MacGregor writes"(...) when you find yourself in the throws of anger with heat rising up your spine, blood boiling
and eyes narrowing, the normal reaction is to let it spew out from your mouth and body in rising torment that attacks all beings around. (...) I began to see that rather than creating or acting out of my anger I could, instead, act out of love. This state actively gives, creates, heals and inspires".
The third dimension of Ahimsa is the hardest thing ever. It's non violence to your own self. 
We often don't realize how much harm we do to ourselves. It can really be a variety of actions, thoughts, words. It is so hard to control it and realize that little pieces of violence that we do to ourselves every day. Beating yourself up for a mistake, making a decision that will have negative influence on our mind and body, negative thoughts and many many others appear every day. It's a life long process to come to peace with oneself. 
Something that is definitely worth working on.

And, last but not least,for inspiration - Danny Paradise talking about the power of one.
http://youtu.be/EnMo9QKi9-w

Smoothie

Recently, I've been loving to drink healthly things. It feels so right for my body.
What's my favorite thing to drink after yoga practice? I love to drink freshly squeezed juices, especially carrot-apple or just apple. I either do it myself at home, buy in the studio, or buy big containers of Slonecznia Tlocznia juices, they are so good and have no additives. I also love love love coconut water, my favorite is either plain or pinnapple acerola one from Dr Martinis. The good think to drink after practicing is also a smoothie. It's both refreshing and filling (especially if you hadn't ate anything yet :)
Here is a recipe for one of my favorite smoothies. Unfortunately, mangos aren't very good at that time of a year in Poland, but they are definitely eatable.

MANGO BANANA KIWI smoothie

You will need:
1 mango
1 banana
1 kiwi
1 tangerine
1/2 lime
1/2 cup apple or apple - raspberry juice
1 cup of coconut water
2 teaspoons of blackberry syrup

Wash, peal and cut all of the fruit, put it in the blender. Add juice and coconut water and syrup. Blend on low, then high.
Makes about 3 servings :)
Enjoy!
Joanna