Continuing on the Path

I am now in my second month of the 500 hour teacher training at Atma Bodha Yoga.

What I am learning so far:

- how to do proper asana adjustments

- how to do other types of pranayama techniques like sitali, sitkari and bhramari

- chanting various universal slokas including but not limited to the Guru Mantra and Sarvesham Svastir Bhavatu

- how to read and write Sanskrit

- meditation techniques such as Om japa

I am loving it all and my students are benefiting from everything I am learning.

Jai!

building blocks

i started practicing ashtanga earlier this summer. it's been an amazing experience. ashtanga is a physically and mentally challenging practice for me. i strive to find the "balance between effort and ease" while practicing. i've injured my knees by pushing myself past my limits (meaning "it hurts but i'm still gonna do it anyways") in order to achieve the yoga magazine photo look. bad idea. it took about a month before i didn't feel any discomfort in my knees getting into any half lotus poses. i'm fortunate to have teachers that always remind us that we don't have to operate at 100% while practicing or reminding us to back off if we feel any pain or discomfort. even though i hear these words during class, the monkey chatter eggs me on with, "go for it!" maybe i should start chanting yoga sutra 2.46: "sthira sukham asanam" meaning yoga asanas should be steady and comfortable.

we got to practice our jump throughs/backs with blocks during the primary led class recently. it's a long road for my feet to not touch the floor without blocks. i felt like i was flying through with ease. then i woke up the next day (and the next few days) with sore lats. a building blocks practice for sure :) i love it all.

FAQ: Why "The Lotus Mouth"?

a friend of mine said that i speak like i have lotus flowers coming out of mouth... translation: me always saying something positive about any given situation.

of course, i laughed at the whole lotus flower comment actually vizualising lotus flowers coming from my mouth and the more i thought about it the more i thought "hmmmm... what if i could create this image as a tattoo piece?" a tattoo festival was coming up so i thought i would search for an artist to ocme up with the desig and below is what transpired.

my new tattoo created by chad newsom at the 1st annual va beach tattoo festival. a better photo of the tattoo will be posted once it's healed. translation of sankrit at the bottom of image: (patanjali's yoga sutra 1.2) yogas citta vritti nirodhah - "yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind."

i've been told frequently by others that i have a gift of seeing the positive in things. i never thought of it as a talent of sorts but in retrospect i feel it takes much practice to be able to change your perspective and attitude when you're experiencing negative emotions such as fear, hate, anger, frustration, etc. there's also a practice in not being attached to the outcome of any situation.

it's definitely a challenge to see the positive in every single experience. we've all been frustrated about someone or something that happened and may even go find someone to vomit all the emotions onto or keep them brewing inside. both scenarios result in disrupting your inner peace. it's energetically draining and unnecessary. so why not discover the positive and keep your peace? i forgot where i learned this from but these days to keep myself from spiraling down i ask myself, "will this even matter 20 years from now? no? ok. let it go." i also remind myself of of the impermanence of life much like the metaphor of the sand mandalas created by the tibetan monks.

i witnessed tibetan monks creating a sand mandala for mystical arts of tibet 2013 tour at the american theater in hampton,va.