A Year of Yoga!

Last year I made a resolution to become a yogi. It has been a fun, challenging, and introspective path. I have become so amazed at what my body can do and how I can listen to it. And I have been even more amazed at how my mind and soul have become so quiet and tolerant and more loving.
When I was a kid, I loved tumbling, climbing, playing on the swingset. And later, I jogged and did aerobics. But now, yoga is so much fun. I cannot wait to go to class, and I am always bummed when class is over. For 90 minutes my mind, spirit and body are all one, focused, working together. And the feeling of each pose and it's effect on me are so exciting. After handstands, I feel euphoric. After warrior poses, I feel so powerful. And after backbends, I feel so energized and a little high. Backbends are my absolute favorite pose.
When I have a breakthrough(successfully doing a pose after months of trying), it is such an exhilarating feeling. Here are pictures of poses that I worked and worked towards and finally got. (Well, the backbends come naturally, but the arm balances were a struggle. And the handstand I can stick for a few seconds!) Dropping back into a backbend and getting back up has been the most exciting breakthrough. And I love to see the person in class who can do a pose I can't yet, and I feel thrilled and admiration for them, and it makes me try harder.
I still need to build strength. My flexibility is there, but yoga is about the balance of the strength and flexibility. Yoga is still 100 times tougher than any gym class or video I have tried, and I love the challenge.

Ayurveda, Yoga, and the Gita

I wrote about my New Years Resolutions. Now that the year is half over, a little assessment is due.
(This is a long post, so I give you some more cat pictures, which have nothing to do with the post, but so what.)

1. Make friends.

Well, I have made many acquaintences. And there are a few women I have met at yoga with whom I really click and plan to go to get coffee. My friend Laurel is coming back from Italy soon, and that will be a great help. Just being in yoga class and being on a first name basis with people has lifted me out of my funk a bit. And I have been painting with my friend Frank Serrano. He is one of the best painters in the country and a great person.

I have realized that just being in social situations is so important to my mental health. Mark has been working all night lately to meet a deadline, and after being alone all day, I find myself walking to Trader Joes just to be around nice people. Even just to talk to someone about coffee or cereal. I hope that doesn't seem too pathetic.

2. Be Happy.

This has been a big change. The combination of practicing yoga, meditating, and socializing has had a big effect. I haven't had a relapse of the blues at all.

3. Become a Yogi.

Finding yoga has been life changing. I mean, I plan to make it a lifelong habit. Yoga is a journey. There is always more. More to learn, more that it can give me, more that I can give back, more I can explore my limits. There are people of all shapes and sizes doing amazing things in the classes. Even a 60 year old woman who can go up into a handstand and do a split no problem. I am doing things that I never thought I could. Poses that six months ago I thought were impossible, I can now do well. I had a breakthrough the other day where I was able to drop back to a backbend and then stand back up from it. I was thrilled. It is very good for the self esteem.
Yoga combines the mind, spirit, and body. All three have to work very hard together. It is so exhilarating and peaceful. I usually have a big smile on my face the whole time.

And it has introduced me to wonderful philosophies and ideas. Like Tantric philosophies and Ayurvedic studies. I like the Tantric ideas because they seem very human and real to me. Unlike some aspects of Buddhism or Christian ideas, where attaining enlightenment means painful self sacrifice or the renunciation of all things pleasurable. Tantric ideas celebrate the idea that we are manifestations of divine energy put here to experience it's own divinity through the physical body, through giving, sharing, and finding your purpose or dharma. I like that.

Ayurveda is a 5000 year old 'science of life', which is it's literal translation. It is based on the idea that everything in the world is made up of 5 elements: Ether, Air, Water, Fire, and Earth. In the aspect of humans, we are composed of these elements in terms of the three doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Vata is Ether and Air. Pitta is Fire and a little Water. Kapha is Water and Earth. Depending upon how much of each of these doshas we have, our constitution or Pakruti, is determined. Ayurveda is concerned with every aspect of life. It bases happiness and health on three things: sleep, sex, and food. Ahhh, yes. So true. But it encompasses all aspects of life: aromatherapy, color therapy , massage, herbs, food combining, and daily rituals. It sees all those things, including food, as an aspect of gaining and keeping your ideal balance, which is different for everyone.
I have been applying many of these ideas into my habits, which I learned from going to an Ayurvedic master, Mary Alice Quinn.
And I have been enjoying the benefits. I learned from Mary Alice that I am 55% Pitta, 30%Kapha, and 15% Vata. Which means I have a lot of Fire. That explains why I love cool dry days. And that I have a lot of Water and Earth, which is why I am thick and sturdy. Ha.

So I feel I have made good progress on the resolutions. I need to work on the make friends a bit more. Did anyone else make any resolutions? How did you do?