retreat

All the details for our return trip to Costa Rica are available.

Earth, Air, Fire, and Water:
A yoga retreat to awaken and balance the elements within.

Sunday April 15 - Saturday April 21, 2007

Visit my site for full details

happy happy

Sending out light, laughter, and happiness.

Merry Christmas!

from the archives: swami radha

I thought I'd share this one from Swami Radha. Enjoy.

******

mantra, vibration & transformation
an exploration of sound & consciousness

Mantra chanting is a way to transform powerful emotions into finer feelings to fill the heart. The vibration of sound fluctuates from the influence of the emotions. When refined emotions enter the heart, the rate of vibration differs again. The vibrations of the heart change the rate of vibration of your entire being. With recitation of mantra comes the feeling and the desire to create for this incredible power a place to reside. The heart lotus is the natural place. The heart, when filled with transcendent feelings, is the best place to experience the pulsation and vibration of the Light.

Mantra is the most profound speech, sound at its highest, because it takes us away from the ego’s selfishness and self-importance. It lifts us beyond all other existence. When that supreme sound really becomes sovereign, it can move the world, change lives, actions and thinking. It can turn us into completely new beings. It is like being clothed in a new cloth of thought and sound. We hear ourselves speak, no longer the speech of self-importance in which the mind continuously engages, but the sound of our innermost being.

Think of the vibration that your words create outside your human body. The sound that has been released with the breath – does it fade, die out or continue the journey? When you chant the mantra, where will the vibrations of the mantra go? Will they reach the walls? Will they penetrate the walls or bounce off? Will the vibrations die? What space and time will it take for the mantra to emanate into the distance?

When I practised five hours of mantra a day, I became keenly aware that sounds have images. I have seen the sounds of Hari Om like soap bubbles, each one having only one colour, and that colour vibrating strongly. Some were tiny bubbles and some were very big, almost big enough to travel on. I just have to jump on and see where the sound goes. It inspired me to ask: Once a sound is released, where does it go?

The luminosity experienced in mantra practice arises from sounds of a high frequency that affect the brain but are seldom remembered in waking consciousness. This experience is also connected to the heart lotus and is symbolized as a sprinting antelope, indicating that before the mind grasps it, it is already gone. It often takes a long time before the mind lets us into that hidden place, to which waking consciousness has no access.

Mantra practice is like shooting at a target. To aim at a target requires concentration, motionlessness. Both body and mind need to be under control. The training of spiritual practice, after the first wave of enthusiasm is over, often leaves some people feeling bored. If they chant a mantra, it can become a dry, meaningless repetition. However, I found that when the mechanicalness is overcome, the body and a certain portion of the mind settle down. The body comes more under control, which later proves very helpful in meditation.

By meditation, I mean not simply sitting and closing the eyes and seeing what happens. It’s very difficult to put into words, because the words imply a greater activity inwardly than there actually is. Meditation is a condition that makes us conducive to coming into a greater expectation. A conviction develops that something is going to take place, so one sits in this expectation now that the body has become more responsive to it.

The mantra will eventually become something creative in us. It will reveal itself through the practice, but it takes quite some time to reach that point. This takes place without interference from that level of mental activity that likes to engage and interfere. This part of the mind may have a certain impression of what is going on, but not the understanding. The mantra reveals itself by the creative force that is within it. It is important not to demand answers, while it is all right to pose the questions. The experience itself will answer in a way that is far more precise and detailed than can be expressed in words.

The exploration of sound and consciousness can lead to a whole different understanding of the world we live in and the world we create. At some point we may recognize that each human being is in essence a mantra, a very unique yet cosmic mantra. When we have this perception about ourselves, we cannot help but let go of old patterns and obstacles and enjoy the wonder of being part of the cosmic symphony.

Kundalini is the Sound of God (Shabda Brahman). Mantras are Kundalini herself, for She is all language.



photo courtesy yasodhara ashram

farahi!

I learned a new word this week. Farahi! It’s the word that describes the moment when you’re completely split wide open, spiritually. Of course, I learned it from Dana. It’s very fitting, really, since it was Dana and Jasmine, and the Lotus that made me scream FARAHI! You never really know what or who will shape your life when you’re on this path. I’ve come to realize that if I stay open, anything is possible. It’s certainly never dull.
Jai Farahi!

sharing the vibrations

I'm trying to get back on the kirtan trail.
Had a blast with the Satsang family on Sunday.
Here's something I've been playing with.

still dropping back

I never would have thought it, but it's true. It's a been a few months now, and I'm still dropping back into Urdhva Dhanurasana (Wheel). More importantly, I'm loving it. In fact, I prefer it to coming up from the floor these days.

My heels lift on the way down but I'm okay with that. It seems like the options are heels lifting or, grounded heels turning in. I tried grounding my heels and allowing them to roll in, just to see what it was like. Didn't like it. It didn't feel good in my hips. At least when my heels are up, I can keep my hips rolling in.

It's a nice change when something in my practice that used to be terrifying becomes actual fun.

Successful double-team

I'm happy to report no shoulder pain. This is usually the time of year when my shoulders start getting achey; my bursitis starts to flair as the weather gets colder. Of course, it's apparently not going to get cold this year but that's another topic.

What seems to be making the big difference this year is my successful double-team: Acupuncture and Massage/Cranio-Sacral Therapy every other week with Victoria Koos and Jeremy Quinby, respectively. Rather than waiting to see what might happen this year and then trying to deal with it after, I'm treating the situation before it becomes a problem. It's totally working. So well, in fact, that I'm actually able to practice Gomukasana with my arms on both sides. That's never been the case. It's liberating. I don't feel like I have back off my practice, or be overly careful on the mat. Consequently, I've kind of been kicking my own ass, and I kinda like it ; )

from NOLA

I was down at Wild Lotus Yoga Center in New Orleans back in April.
It's a great community of yogis. If you're there, you MUST check them out.
My teachers taught a couple of workshops that weekend.
There was a reporter from the Times-Picayune covering
Dana Flynn's Vinyasa Gospel. I think the photographer liked me.
Here are some nice pics.

Make sure to choose "large" and "captions" when you get to the page.

going back to paradise

Costa Rica, here we come! In six months, that is.
Paul and I have decided to return to Montezuma in
April (16-20) for another retreat. Can't wait!
There will be details up on the site -
http://www.yogawithkeith.com/retreat.html - next week.
Stay tuned.

summer's over; back to school

Summer break is officially over. Happy Fall.

We had a good retreat. I recommend practicing in paradise as soon as possible.
Paul and I discovered the joy in the three-hour practice.
We're already planning the next yogic escape. Stay tuned for that.

My summer sadhana was terrific.
Kurmasana (Tortoise pose), dropping back to Urdhva Dhanurasana (Wheel),
and Eka Pada Raja Kapotasana (Full Pigeon) all
became very close friends.

In my on-going quest of union with the divine I've enrolled
in the All-Faiths Seminary for this year. I'm looking forward to
expanding my practice in new ways.
Wanna see my reading list?

SACRED TEXTS

The Bhagavad Gita
The Dhammapada
The Holy Bible
The Koran
The Sutra
The Torah


ETHICS

Ram Dass; How Can I Help?
Raymond Fox; Elements of the Helping Process


COMPARATIVE RELIGION

Int'l Religious Foundation World Scripture A Comparative Anthology of Sacred Texts
Huston Smith; The World's Religions


JUDIASM

Max Dimont; God, Jews and History
Joseph H Gelberman; Kabbalah as I See It


CHRISTIANITY

Paul Johnson; A History of Christianity
Frank S Mead; Handbook of Denominations in the United States


ISLAM

Suzanne Haneef; What Everyone Should Know About Islam and Muslims
Les Hixon; The Heart of the Koran


HINDUISM AND BUDDHISM

Swami Bhaktipada; The Heart of the Gita
W Rahula; What the Buddha Taught


NEW THOUGHT AND MEDITATION

Erik Butterworth; Discover the Power Within You
Ernest Holmes The Science of the Mind


SPIRITUAL HEALING AND COUNSELING

Louise Hay; You can Heal Your Life
Bernie Siegel; Love, Medicine, and Miracles


PSYCHOLOGY

Victor Frankl; Man's Search for Meaning
George Weinberg; The Heart of Psychotherapy


DEATH AND DYING

Elizabeth Kubler Ross; On Death and Dying
Raymond Moody; Meetings at the Edge

PRACTICAL MINISTERIAL

Perry H Biddle Jr.; A Funeral Manual
Suzanna S Macombe; Joining Hands and Hearts
Angela Plum; An Interfaith Ministers' Manual


SUGGESTED READINGS

Foundation for Inner Peace A Course In Miracles
Swami Bhaktipapda; How to Love God
Susanne Fincher; Coloring Mandalas
Robert Gass; Chanting: Discovering the Spirit in Sound

Barbara Karnes; Gone From My Sight; The Dying Experience

Raymond Moody; Coming Back
Jeffrey Moses; Oneness
Patricia Love; What To Do When A Parents Love Rules Your Life
Amon Saakana; Saba African Origins of the Major World Religions
Alberto Villoldo; Shaman, Healer, Sage
Yogananda; The Autobiography of a Yogi

ANYTHING BY THE FOLLOWING AUTHORS;

Joseph Campbell
Deepak Chopra
June Cotner
The Dali Lama
Sigmund Freud
Louise Hay
Carl Jung
Stephen Levine

Intense, right? Who knows how much blogging I'll do this year.
The mat will continue to roll out, a lot. No doubt about that.

Om Satgurunath Maharaj Ki Jai!

letting go, attachments... swaha!

My e-mail is misbehaving. Not good. Not good timing either.Not a thing I can do about it. Inhale. Exhale. Definitely frustrating. These are the things that love to pop up just before I leave town. Om Gum Ganapatiye Namaha! My brain tells me to keep checking for updates on Dotster's site to see when they will start forwarding to my account again. No change. It's like a watched pot. Inhale... Hopefully the exhale will come before I lose it.

I'm off to Toronto tomorrow. Last year this trip really shined a light on my attachments. I went around to classes to feel out the yoga community. I'd been warned that everything would be Ashtanga (no matter what the class description). It was true. I wasn't feeling it. Where is that darned exhale? Couldn't find it then either. I wasn't surprised that I have preferences. I was surprised how many I have. I don't know why I was surprised.

Of course, I did end up finding a yoga bhav I could get with in the Davids (see God Bless Canada!). I'm heading into this trip with my eyes a little more open. I'm only planning to take a couple classes with people I know (I'm always receptive in that situation). The rest of time I spend dancing around on my own mat. Ah, there's the exhale I've been waiting for. I'm still packing my preferences. After all, I still have a workshop to teach next week and a retreat to get ready for. I can't let it all go. But I can offer some of it up.

Swaha!

15 minutes / be present

If you go to the be present site, you'll
see some photos of me and my beloved teacher, Jasmine.
I had to hit refresh on the front page of their
site quite a few times before we came up (the photos
are set to cycle). Eventually, there we were.
Check us out.

p.s. thanks Mr. Pozniak

uncover your independence

Celebrate your independence. Sing to the staunchly independent
Goddess of Speech, Poetry, and Music.

Om Aim Saraswatiyei Swaha.
Om, and Salutation to she who has Flow!
Jai Ma, Jai Sri Saraswati, Jai Ma!

Rumi

This poem really seemed to speak
to lots of folks this week. I found it while
preparing to talk about meditation. Enjoy.

******

the guest house

this being human is a guest house.
every morning, a new arrival.

a joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.

welcome and entertain them all!
even if they're a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
he may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

the dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.

be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

- rumi

best friend

Massage really is the yogi's best friend.
I went to someone new this week; Paul @ Exhale.


Strong hands and deep work. I highly recommend getting
him to untie your knots.

photo by erick wilund

gratitude

I'm filled with gratitude. I'm able to roll out my mat every day, and I get to explore my practice.

For that I'm grateful. I teach and share my practice, a lot. For that I'm grateful.

Today I received two very sweet compliments from two very sweet students. In short, they appreciate what I have to offer. My gratitude for that has no description.

Jai! Jai! Jai Sri Hanuman!

what's your religion?

One God
One Worship
One Sacred Place
One Holy Book
One Worshipper
One
-Kamau Daaood from One

Recently on a day too rainy to bike, I was getting around by cab. Usually the division between front seat and back seat is more than enough to keep the journey quiet. Not today. I don't really mind a little chit-chat with the driver cause the conversation tends to be pedestrian at best. Not today.

In the last stretch of the drive my cabbie looks at me in the rear-view and says, "What's your religion?"

"Sorry?" I was caught off guard.

He repeats, "What's your religion," pulling at his face to indicate that my furry chin must have a connection to something organized. "You know, Muslim, Hindu, Christian...?"

Maybe he thought I wasn't familiar with the term. "I don't have a religion."

"No?"
"No," but he seemed to be waiting for more. "I'm a yogi." Silence with a quizzical expression. "I'm a yogi. You know yoga?"

"No," he smiles and shakes his head.

"It comes from India." Somehow that seemed to be enough for him, and seconds later we were at my door.

It wasn't really enough though. I didn't so much mind the question. I just didn't expect it, or have time to process it. The more complete answer (on a longer trip) should have been:"I don't have a religion. I'm a yogi, and my religion is God." I don't consider myself religious but I see my practice as a divine experience. It's my time with God.

Asana is moving meditation and physical prayer; devotion in motion. Sitting cultivates my curiosity of what's on the other side of the out-breath, and allows me to contemplate my own divine light. Chanting is praise time, pure and simple. I read sacred texts for knowledge and inspiration.

It kind of sounds like religion, save the fact there is no one God in my practice. Though I chant to Ganesh, Hanuman, and Shiva every day, my practice has taught me to see the Divine in all things. God is everywhere and everyone. My practice allows me to walk my own path, inspired and informed by those who have walked similar paths before me but not bound to same routes.

I didn't have the chance to fully answer my curious cabbie. In fact, I don't think he would have wanted my answer. I think he would have liked a one word answer from a familiar list to settle the debate in his mind. Oh well.

At least his unexpected question prepared me for next chatty cabbie, and gave an answer to my own chatty mind. For now.

fear

It isn't often I feel like I have monumental breakthroughs on the mat. There have been a few: balancing in the middle of the room in Pinca Mayurasana (Forearm Stand) and Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Hand Stand), learning to love Virasana (Hero's Pose), and the first Padmasana (Lotus). I don't get on my mat expecting monumental events either. I get on my mat to practice. However, I try to make space for the unbelievable and the unexpected to come through.

What I've come to realize is that the road blocks on the path to the unbelievable are placed there by fear; fear of falling, fear of failing, fear of pain, fear that the body isn't able or ready. Some of that fear is well founded because the body is smarter than the mind, and it won't go somewhere until it feels prepared. Some of that fear is just fear.

I've known for a little while that the major fear-block in my practice has been dropping back from standing into Urdvha Dhanurasana (Full Wheel). I have no issue if I'm being assisted into transition but the idea of doing it on my own sets off a chorus dis-belief in my head: your wrists won't support the drop, your shoulders will fail, you'll break your nose and you'll have to explain how you did it, you'll make a fool out of yourself. Knowing it's just fear didn't seem to help me get past it. I know I can come up to stand from Wheel, and that takes just as much grounding. What's the big deal? I've spent time with the idea, and addressed it as fear. I've worked on arm variations to get closer to the transition. But always, my head wins.

Feeling particularly curious yesterday, I spent a bunch a time on my mat playing with a bunch of Heart Opening shapes. I came up to stand from wheel and managed not to go flying forward. I felt grounded. Why not visit the idea of moving the other way? Hands on my hips, heart open, feet planted, knees soft, breath full. I could see a piece of platform (a little lower than half way down), and my intention was to put my hands there first and walk down the rest of the way from there. But I kept my hands grounding my hips and kept my heart flying. I let my hands go and they landed on the floor. I was in a wheel. My wrists and shoulders didn't seem to mind and my nose was in tact. I laughed, and asked out loud, "How did I get here?" There was no way it would ever happen again, I was sure of that. Of course I had to check that theory. It was wrong, and I was able to breathe my way from one shape to the other a second time. Jai Sri Ganesh! Jai Sri Hanuman!



I'm not willing to say that the fear block is gone. Maybe it was doing something else at the time. Or perhaps it's plotting a move to some other area of my practice. Only time and showing up will tell.

long time, no post

After an extended holiday break abroad (no computer), and an out of town gig (no time and no computer)... I'm BAAAACK.

I'm getting ready to spend Sunday, March 5th upside down for my Inversion Immersion at Laughing Lotus. It's always a blast to hang out upside down. I learn something new every time prepare for this workshop. Stay tuned for more!