An example of impermanence and loss of attachment

My youngest son Garrett now stands on the threshold of manhood. He has BO (body odor). Up until now, he could play basketball until he was dripping with sweat, but still smelled sweet like a baby. I hugged him yesterday and noticed an unmistakable aroma. He smells like a sweaty little man. The lesson of impermanence is that he is no longer my baby, I am okay with it. I used to avoid the thought of him growing up, as he is our last child (unless something is in my destiny that I don't know about). My lack of attachment to him staying little is good; he is healthy and growing like a weed. It is truly a blessing. Now for Alex to start shaving soon, ahhh!

HOW TO FIND FREEDOM

So much suffering that we subject ourselves to, that's right we subject ourselves to suffering when we hold on to anger and bitterness, feelings of wrongdoing and pain. Forgiveness is a TOOL. It is an ability that we have to let go of pain and begin the healing process. Choosing to forgive and forget as they say is giving yourself the freedom to live in peace. Sometimes we feel the need to apologize to someone that we have hurt because we need them to say that they forgive us. We go to confession if we're Catholic to receive absolution from sins. Sometimes we find relief in confiding in loved ones and "venting" frustration at a situation. This is merely a temporary diversion from either directly addressing a problem or just letting go of the hurt. Look deep within yourself to find the trust that you have for your capacity to forgive. Nurture this ability to find a good thought and smile. Breath a sigh of relief and go on with the rest of your life. It's just a thought and breath away.

Forgiveness from Wikipedia:

Forgiveness is typically defined as the process of ceasing to feel resentment, indignation or anger for a perceived offense, difference or mistake, and ceasing to demand punishment or restitution.[1] The concept and benefits of forgiveness have been explored in religious thought, the social sciences and medicine. Forgiveness may be considered simply in terms of the person who forgives, in terms of the person forgiven and/or in terms of the relationship between the forgiver and the person forgiven. In some contexts, forgiveness may be granted without any expectation of compensation, and without any response on the part of the offender (for example, one may forgive a person who is dead). In practical terms, it may be necessary for the offender to offer some form of acknowledgment, apology, and/or restitution, or even just ask for forgiveness, in order for the wronged person to believe himself able to forgive.[1]
Most world religions include teachings on the nature of forgiveness, and many of these teachings provide an underlying basis for many varying modern day traditions and practices of forgiveness. The Parable of the Prodigal Son[2] is a well known instance of such teaching and practice of forgiveness. Some religious doctrines or philosophies place greater emphasis on the need for humans to find some sort of divine forgiveness for their own shortcomings, others place greater emphasis on the need for humans to practice forgiveness of one another, yet others make little or no distinction between human and/or divine forgiveness.

Here is a link to a good article I found on the Mayo Clinic site:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/forgiveness/MH00131#

Freedom

I am on this freedom kick. Freedom from attachment, suffering and doubt. Freedom from all causes of suffering, and freedom from repetitive thoughts that perpetuate suffering.

I am completely and blissfully living my life, free from expectations, fears and disappointment.

I have always avoided falling into the trap of judging others, as I do not want to be judged by anyone except for God. Judging, comparing, jealousy, greed, envy, obsessive clinging and ill will (grudges) can cripple the most "illuminated" person and keep them in a cage of pain.

Free yourself, let your soul soar to the highest point then enjoy the view.

Another week of new opportunities

I never could have imagined that my life would become so interesting. Just as my boys are becoming independent, I too have found a new sense of freedom. I like it. I don't feel chained and weighed down. I have so many opportunities and exciting projects that I can't even think of being bored. I think that boredom is actually lack of appreciation for what one has and an inability to utilize energy and creativity effectively. My kids complain of being bored while surrounded by countless games, toys, craft supplies, and game consoles. I tell them to use their imagination and to use what they have around themselves to challenge their intellect. During the week they are not allowed to play XBox (I hide the cord). They chose to play chess, oh joy ( I was so pleasantly surprised)! When reminded, they love to create projects with acrylic paint, clay, and odds & ends. I just need to nudge them in the right direction.

We saw Wall E for the first time this weekend. It was such a good movie, if you haven't seen it, get it. It is not a kids movie, rather a complete rip on humanities compulsive consumerism. It's Buy & Large Global Retailer is a good comparison to Walmart's control of the retail market. It illustrates how excessive trash from consumerism destroyed the Earth and how humans lived in space for 700 years while robots cleaned the mess. The humans became completely complicant, leaving all activity and human interaction behind . There was a lot of truth to what they tried to convey. An allegory of humanity crippled by excess. The ending is good, the robot love story is absolutely adorable.

Competetive Edge Skating Family Yoga Week 2

Thank you for joining me again this morning, 20 and going strong! You all worked so hard and looked so peaceful during the meditation. Next week we will move the meditation session to the smaller room where it is a little darker and quieter. If today was your first Chai tea tasting I hope you liked it, the players had seconds:) During the week, try to pay attention to your breath and remember the breathing techniques we reviewed. See you soon, remember to email me with any questions or comments.

Have a wonderful week! Tricia

Quote of the week

Mind precedes all phenomena, mind matters most, everything is mind made.

If with an impure mind you speak or act, then suffering follows you as the cartwheel follows the foot of the draft animal.

If with a pure mind you speak or act, then happiness follows you as a shadow that never departs.

Buddha

(From the Art of Living by William Hart)

Ooh, a quiet night in

The boys are at Grandma's and I get to take a hot bath and read! A quiet night at home is the most wonderful luxury! It's too cold to go to the movies as we had planned (to see the new Underworld flick).

In an attempt to quench my morbid curiosity, I kind of want to see the Wrestler with Mickey Rourke. We saw a BBC America TV show (Graham Norton) where he (Rourke)was interviewed along with Jessica Biel. Wow was he creepy, at first he flirted with her then he really insulted her. They were talking about dogs at the pound, he basically said that she (Jessica) was not pretty enough to adopt and that he would put her back. The host freaked, try to see if it's on YouTube, it's worth watching. He kept touching her arm and leg, I was so disgusted! I would have jumped off that sofa, a nasty chill just went down my spine!

I noticed a new book by Eckert Tolle and was excited to check it out. I saw it at Borders and was REALLY disappointed to learn that it is just a rehash of A New Earth! He took the most "memorable" points and added pretty graphics. I have to protest, nearly every word was relevant in that book. It's almost an insult to butcher you own work in that way. What was he thinking?$$$$$ Hmmm maybe?

My classes for the Wayne County Health and Wellness Program begin on Tuesday. I am excited to bring yoga, meditation and a preventive health mindset to the employees.

I am beginning a series of bi-monthly special workshops at the Life Studio in Commerce with many different concentrations. It will be a fun way for me to be able to work closer with the members who have been so diligent and committed to our classes.

I am still "feeling" the Primary Series we did on Wednesday. My shoulders are really, how do I put this...alive, yea thats it.

Three classes tomorrow morning and then the Ice Spectacular! My nephews are having a sleepover at our house so it's Cinderella in the Frat house! That is how I refer to our home, as I am outnumbered 5 guys (including my two furry sons) to 1 gal. Tomorrow night that jumps to 7 boys (yes, I consider my husband one of the boys). Oh joy! It'll be fun, I'll just remember my peaceful night that I had yesterday.

Have a great night and stay warm, just a few ideas to help:)
1.Have a cup of decaf tea by the fireplace
2.Take a hot bath
3.Cuddle with your sweetie
4.Cuddle with your dogs
5.Meditate and detach yourself from the sensation of coldness around you. Hey, this really works!

Namaste~ Tricia

woo hoo

What a crazy few days I have had! I taught two classes on Wednesday, and attended a feedback session (I practiced Vinyasa while another teacher training grad taught the class). I was feeling energized but a little tried. A few days ago I was moping about missing my frequent Ashtanga practices. I realized how much I like it and needed to find some classes. So I have a makeup session for my teacher training yesterday, not knowing what to expect and having no expectations I settle in on my mat. Johnnie took us through the Primary series of Ashtanga (yoga chikitsa or yoga therapy). I was used to the short form and was pleasantly surprised by this expanded offering. Ask and you shall receive! I feel really good in a sore muscle way, like I worked every muscle to it's max and then some. Toward the end I felt a buzzing, vibrating sensation over my body. Yoga therapy produces this sensation. It was really cool. I can honestly say that I will study yoga and practice till I am really old and I will still not know it all. There is this sense of wonder and complete humility as I find the deepest gratitude for having the chance to learn and be part of something so good!

A group of my TT friends are going to a conference in May, so we can all immerse ourselves in a little TLC yoga style (3 two hour long classes a day, for 3 days in a row). I can't wait!~

I went to Costco today and got a copy of Leslie Kaminoff's Yoga Anatomy, the illustrations show the muscle groups that are utilized during poses. It was $11.99. Check it out!

A new twist on the grilled cheese

Kelli told us about a sandwich she made and I can't wait to try it. You take two slices of cinnamon swirl bread and place it on a cutting board, lay a slice of Havarti cheese or two on the bread. You peel and slice apples and saute them in butter until they are soft and juicy. Place the apple slices on the Havarti and put it in a pan with some butter, and grill it. She said it was so amazing! I have to admit that it isn't the most terrifically health conscious food choice but sometimes if you've gotta fall, it might as well be this good! I can almost taste it! My Pavlovian reflex is kicking in already!

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

Hi, I got a request to post the recipe for the soup I made for the girls today. I got the recipe from epicurious.com and altered it as usual. I omitted serving the soup with a dollop of ricotta cheese.

Roasted Tomato and Red Bell Pepper Soup
Bon Appétit August 1997

2 1/4 pounds tomatoes, halved lengthwise
2 large red bell peppers, quartered, seeded
1 onion, cut into thin wedges
4 large garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil (preferably extra-virgin)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried
2 cups (about) water
1 cup whole milk

Preheat oven to 450°F.
Arrange tomatoes (cut side up), bell peppers, onion and garlic cloves on large baking sheet. Drizzle oil over; sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
2 of 2
Roasted Tomato and Red Bell Pepper Soup (continued)
Roast vegetables until brown and tender, turning peppers and onion occasionally, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool.
Transfer vegetables and any accumulated juices to processor.
Add thyme leaves. Puree soup, gradually adding enough water to thin soup to desired consistency. Chill until cold, about 3 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated. If soup becomes too thick, thin with water to desired consistency.)
Ladle soup into bowls.

Blogs are handy tools!

I'm having my teacher training friends over for lunch and teachbacks tomorrow. I am making vegetarian quiche, roasted red pepper soup and my crispy bread. I couldn't find the reicpe so I emailed it to myself from the blog post. Too funny! Someday when I'm old I can look back at my blog and rekindle the memories of my life. That sounds sappy doesn't it. At least I won't have to rely on my memory!

Ideas

I made Fantastic World Foods Vegetarian Sloppy Joes for dinner tonight. I followed the "mama's sloppy joes" recipe on the back and was really surprised at how good they tasted. We eat many vegetarian meals and the guys never question what I put on the table. Their reaction was almost comical, they were really digging in and could not tell that they were meatless. They repeatedly said "umm this meat is good" I just smiled. They are open to vegetarian foods but still ask for meat occasionally. I want them to make decisions for eating based on what their bodies want, not what my philosophical beliefs are. I really believe that our bodies tell us what they need in terms of food and sleep, we just have to tune in a little better to realize this connection. I told my bro in law that once his baby is born, he has to really watch his diet and sleep needs as raising children wreak havoc on our feedback from our bodies. Too often we push ourselves past the point of exhaustion when exercising, ignore lack of sleep induced fatigue, and tune out true patterns of healthy eating.

While at the dentist I scanned through the Oprah issue for January. I came across a few helpful items:
Shoppingnotes.com if you find an item you like you can enter the URL and the site will contact you when the price drops (the example was a dress from GAP)

TokyoMilk perfumes, are cool scents I've seen these in Birmingham and Ann Arbor, check them out.

Ubmrellatoday.com you visit the site and enter your cell phone number and your zip code. If it is going to rain the site sends you a text message to alert you to bring an umbrella. How handy!

Have a great day!

In love in light~ Tricia

Yoga adventure

I went to a class in Plymouth again, it was challenging. I think I'm going to get a 15 class pass and then get a class pass pack at the Center to take Johnnie's class occassionally. That combo should work well. I'm going to a few new studios this week and look forward to learning something new. I always learn something valuable from every experience that I have. Look for opportunities to grow and learn.

Competetive Edge Skating Family Yoga Week 1

Hello to all who joined together on this cold morning to share a beautiful practice! We were able to do much more than I anticipated so that was a great plus. I always structure classes to meet the needs of the participants and take it gentle the first class to ease everyone into a nice experience. We will progressively increase the intensity and depth of stretching over the course. I can be reached at yogatrish@wowway.com with any questions or requests for classes. A helpful idea to cushion knees while kneeling is to bring 2 hand towels to class. You can roll them into a long rope, then into a "donut" shape to be placed under the knees. This tip really works to cushion the knees as it stabilizes the patella (unlike kneeling on a flat towel). I developed this to cushion my knees when I started in yoga. You will find with time, your knees will become stronger and more flexible as well as more stable. I will label this post weekly so it will show up on the "noteworthy" section for easy reference. Please refer to earlier posts to find helpful information on healthy eating, living and positive inspirations. All blog posts can be commented on by clicking on the line that is labeled "comments." If you don't have a blogger account you can leave the comment "anonymously."

Over the course of classes, you will learn the postures and develop a sense of moving smoothly in to the postures. This takes a little patience. A great idea is to visit the library and check out a yoga DVD to do at home in between classes. It won't be the same as going to a class but will help you learn the postures and slowly build your strength and endurance. Please be cautious and really listen to your body, as it is your best teacher.

I look forward to next week, we will have an hour long practice and a 15 minute meditation session. Feel free to bring a blanket to class to cover up during shavasana (final relaxation).

Wishing you all the best this week!
Namaste~ Tricia

Yama and Niyama the 10 commandments of yoga

Yama and Niyama are often called "the Ten Commandments of Yoga." Each one of these Five Don'ts (Yama) and Five Do's (Niyama) is a supporting, liberating Pillar of Yoga.
Yama means self-restraint in the sense of self-mastery, or abstention, and consists of five elements.
Niyama means observances, of which there are also five.

Here is the complete list of these ten Pillars as given in Yoga Sutras 2:30,32:
1) Ahimsa: non-violence, non-injury, harmlessness
2) Satya: truthfulness, honesty
3) Asteya: non-stealing, honesty, non-misappropriativeness
4) Brahmacharya: sexual continence in thought, word and deed as well as control of all the senses
5) Aparigraha: non-possessiveness, non-greed, non-selfishness, non-acquisitiveness
6) Shaucha: purity, cleanliness
7) Santosha: contentment, peacefulness
8) Tapas: austerity, practical (i.e., result-producing) spiritual discipline
9) Swadhyaya: introspective self-study, spiritual study
10) Ishwarapranidhana: offering of one's life to God


http://biblescripture.net/Commandments.html
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
JUDAISM*
AUGUSTINE
ORIGEN
1
I am the Lord thy God.
I am the Lord thy God and thou shalt not have any strange gods before me.
I am the Lord thy God and thou shalt not have other gods besides me.
2
Thou shalt have no other gods besides me.
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
Thou shalt not make for thyself any graven image.
3
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
Remember to keep holy the Lord's Day.
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
4
Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy.
Honor thy Father and Mother.
Remember the Lord's Day to keep it holy.
5
Honor thy Father and Mother.
Thou shalt not kill.
Honor thy Father and Mother.
6
Thou shalt not murder.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Thou shalt not kill.
7
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
8
Thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
Thou shalt not steal.
9
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
10
Thou shalt not covet.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods.
Thou shalt not covet.

It is interensting to see that the yoga commandments and the Commandments we learn in Judiasm and Christianity are very similar. They come from different cultures, geographical locations and time periods. Basic truths are illustrated in these commandments. Live them and have a good, clean life.

Suffering

I've read some fellow blogger posts over the past few days that have made me so aware of the level of pain that is present in so many lives. Tragically, too many times this suffering is caused by abuse, molestation and the shame that is internalized. I cried after reading a blog from Thankful Paul, it is worth the read. Protect those around you, live with a loving heart.

Revelation

A sense of uneasiness has come over me for the past few weeks. There is no reason that I should be feeling this way. I had a great conversation with a fellow yogi today. It was a very revealing conversation about Vinyasa classes. As we were taking about long and complicated flows, I realized that I feel unfulfilled and underwhelmed at times. I don't go into a class with expectations but I hope to develop a certain feeling when I am done. The feeling that I am craving is what I get from Ashtanga. It hit me like a ton bricks, I really like Ashtanga and miss it. I was practicing it almost every day during teacher training and now I have that connection. I figured it out! I was stricken with Vinyasaitis for three years and I reached a deeper level with Ashtanga and like the meditative stillness and the physical exertion. Quite honestly, it's a challenge. Okay, now that I figured out my dilemma, I have to find some classes.

a link to a chai site

I got this comment on a posting and wanted to share it.

"For those of you Chai lovers out there, visit Yogic Chai Traditional Masala Chai blends at http://www.yogicchai.com

Om Shantih!Raghavendra"

rope yoga

http://www.russayog.com/

This is a style of yoga that utilizes ropes dangling from the ceiling. I'll check it out and let you know how it went:) I may go on Sunday.

RussaYog chia tea recipe

• What is Chai? How is chai made?Chai, the Hindi word for tea, is a delicious, healthy, hot tea drink, ubiquitous all over India and other South Asian countries and the Middle East.
"Masala chai" is a blended beverage of mixed spices, milk, and honey or sugar. It is a healthier alternative to hot chocolate, latte or cappuccino, and can be made with regular milk or dairy-free alternatives.
There are many different chai blends unique to their region of India but the original recipe was created out of the need for a medicinal and healthy recipe to combat minor discomforts for those without easy access to medical care. It is perfect for cold winters, and surprisingly refreshing even on a hot summer day! Below is the RussaYog recipe. It is easy to make. For a decaffeinated version, use decaffeinated black tea. The black tea and spices we use are purchased at the local Indian Grocery store. They can be found in your local grocery store, although you are more likely to find loose tea at the Indian grocery store. Wikipedia has a good explanation of the origins and types of "chai." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chai

Recipe for RussaYog Chai: For four cups of chai you'll need: 2 qt. pot (large enough to hold 5 cups of liquid)1 whole cardamom pod, crushed 1/2 inch (in length) stick of cinnamon 3 whole cloves 1/2 tablespoon of fresh ginger , peeled and grated set aside 2 teaspoons of black loose tea (or 4 bags of black tea) 1/4 can of skim evaporated milk (or whole milk, if you prefer) 4 teaspoons of sugar or honey (or more, if you prefer)
Pour five cups of water into the pot. Add the spices. Turn the fire on high heat. Bring just to a boil, then add black tea. Turn the fire low. Brew 2--3 minutes. Add sugar and milk. Turn off the fire. Stir, then strain into teapot.Enjoy!