Lizzie for Free : a yogi's blog
The Free State of LizThe Waiting Place
In the much loved children’s book Oh the Places You’ll Go! By Dr. Suess, he describes a space where nothing happens as The Waiting Place…
“…for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.
Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.”
I have spent many years in this waiting space, and thought I knew it well. I’ve known it to be a futile, boring, uncomfortable and lonely space. Yet today, waiting for my train to come, I realise great things can happen in that waiting space. The waiting space can be where reading a book is allowed, where writing or drawing can unfold, or where time is presented simply for the body and mind to catch up with each other and check in with a cup of tea. The waiting space can even be thought of as the therapeutic space where the body is supported in suspension so that the fascia and deep holding patterns of the body and mind can release. It is not the waiting space that is good or bad in itself, but the attitude we bring to the space that determines our perception and activities.
In the yoga sutras of Patanjali, sutra 4.15 says the same objects may be perceived by different minds in different ways, because those minds manifested differently. (vastu samye chitta bhedat tayoh vibhaktah panthah- every object is empty from its own side, it is up to the perceiver to fill it with meaning). Right now I am eavesdropping into a conversation of three women at a table next to mine at the train station. They are discussing what to order from the menu. One woman has apparently chosen the goats cheese frittata, while the woman next to her has an aversion to the taste and smell of goats cheese. The third woman has just shared that she and her daughter both adore goats cheese but are repulsed by bananas and their taste and texture. Who knows what events have led to these preferences and aversions? It doesn’t really matter. Often we are shaped by the culture and environment we live in leading to habit patterns that attract us to one thing versus another, and it can be easy to understand in the case of food that it isn’t the food itself that is delicious or disgusting.
What is more challenging to grasp, perhaps, is the notion that doing nothing can benefit our functionality and efficiency. The cultural zeitgeist is one where we are pushed to achieve more and more, disregarding the body/mind’s capacity to take more on. We are conditioned to ‘fill up’; whether it be our house, our hard drive, our bellies or our big cars, running a ‘tank’ anything less than half full instills fear and uncertainty. We are likewise taught to keep moving, especially through situations that are difficult or uncomfortable. Staying with something scary, something unfamiliar, or something that makes us confront some aspect of ourselves that we otherwise try to avoid is a keystone or the world we live in. But what if we could let go of the need to keep moving, to do more, to be more? What if the act of taking away would strengthen and enhance our capacity to function? What if the Waiting Place could become the space for pre-movement, the place where the body/mind reorganises itself in a different, economical way, preparing to resume going forward in a new way, maybe even by falling, instead of stepping quickly with heavy feet?
According to Dr. Suess, it can! Why?
“You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.
…
So, be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O’Shea,
you’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!
The Waiting Place
In the much loved children’s book Oh the Places You’ll Go! By Dr. Suess, he describes a space where nothing happens as The Waiting Place…
“…for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.
Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.”
I have spent many years in this waiting space, and thought I knew it well. I’ve known it to be a futile, boring, uncomfortable and lonely space. Yet today, waiting for my train to come, I realise great things can happen in that waiting space. The waiting space can be where reading a book is allowed, where writing or drawing can unfold, or where time is presented simply for the body and mind to catch up with each other and check in with a cup of tea. The waiting space can even be thought of as the therapeutic space where the body is supported in suspension so that the fascia and deep holding patterns of the body and mind can release. It is not the waiting space that is good or bad in itself, but the attitude we bring to the space that determines our perception and activities.
In the yoga sutras of Patanjali, sutra 4.15 says the same objects may be perceived by different minds in different ways, because those minds manifested differently. (vastu samye chitta bhedat tayoh vibhaktah panthah- every object is empty from its own side, it is up to the perceiver to fill it with meaning). Right now I am eavesdropping into a conversation of three women at a table next to mine at the train station. They are discussing what to order from the menu. One woman has apparently chosen the goats cheese frittata, while the woman next to her has an aversion to the taste and smell of goats cheese. The third woman has just shared that she and her daughter both adore goats cheese but are repulsed by bananas and their taste and texture. Who knows what events have led to these preferences and aversions? It doesn’t really matter. Often we are shaped by the culture and environment we live in leading to habit patterns that attract us to one thing versus another, and it can be easy to understand in the case of food that it isn’t the food itself that is delicious or disgusting.
What is more challenging to grasp, perhaps, is the notion that doing nothing can benefit our functionality and efficiency. The cultural zeitgeist is one where we are pushed to achieve more and more, disregarding the body/mind’s capacity to take more on. We are conditioned to ‘fill up’; whether it be our house, our hard drive, our bellies or our big cars, running a ‘tank’ anything less than half full instills fear and uncertainty. We are likewise taught to keep moving, especially through situations that are difficult or uncomfortable. Staying with something scary, something unfamiliar, or something that makes us confront some aspect of ourselves that we otherwise try to avoid is a keystone or the world we live in. But what if we could let go of the need to keep moving, to do more, to be more? What if the act of taking away would strengthen and enhance our capacity to function? What if the Waiting Place could become the space for pre-movement, the place where the body/mind reorganises itself in a different, economical way, preparing to resume going forward in a new way, maybe even by falling, instead of stepping quickly with heavy feet?
According to Dr. Suess, it can! Why?
“You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.
…
So, be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O’Shea,
you’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!
Back to school
Amidst preparations of an autumn retreat (stay tuned!), an upcoming decades milestone (40, how did you turn up so fast?), holiday planning, website relaunch preparations and daily life with a 2+, somehow I’ve managed to enroll and get accepted into the first London-based Rolfing Program. It starts today.
I haven’t been blogging as much as I’d like to given the above, and I have to say I’m missing thinking through the concepts that present themselves on a daily basis.
One such concept has been surrounding turning 40. It has taken me time to process what appears to be a mere number in a human convention such as time. What did I think I’d be doing at 40 10 years ago, with whom? It has given me reason to reflect on what expectations I’ve set for myself over the years and whether I am ready to let go of those goal irrespective of whether I’ve met them or not. It has also given me pause to evaluate why society sees 40 as a turning point, and whether I can use it to tidy up mental, physical and emotional spaces in my life. Of course, June 26 is just another day, and the world won’t stop or change or become dark with overhanging storm clouds (I hope!) But the slow lead up to the transition of a number 9 to a 0 and a 3 to a 4 is another reminder that everything is changing around us all the time and none of use will ever be as young as we are today!
And today is a day worth waiting for. I have been intrigued by the principles of Rolfing ever since my Rolfer first laid her strong, intuitive hands on my imbalanced body, and here I am, eighteen months later, having this magnificent opportunity to officially go back to doing what I love best, being a student.
Move the body and mind with music (on May 17th)
Nadam, the sanskrit word for deep listening, is described as the super-conscious sound current that manifests all of life. The seed word Nad means to flow, and Nada yoga unites inner and outer sound through flowing vibration. All of matter is made from energy, and sound creates energy. It follows, then, that everything seen, felt and heard has a sound quality.
In a sense, all movement starts with sound vibration, which is why practicing asana to music, particularly certain kinds of music, is so potent. Indian ragas ground and stabilize the body due to their calming nature, but also their rhythmic cycle and tonal quality. Chants invoking the names of the divine are also beneficial in regulating the breath and inviting fluid, meditative movement. This type of chanting can even unblock and open the heart.
Whereas practicing asana to music that helps to support a steady breath or reinforce a class theme is powerful, there is nothing as visceral as practicing asana to live music. The sound waves are electric and melodies are able to penetrate even the most blocked areas of the body.
This Thursday, come practice at Indaba Yoga Studio from 6 to 7:15pm with LIVE MUSIC. Luc Acke will join us from Belgium,playing harmonium and chanting while I lead a Jivamukti open class. Pre-booking may be a good idea as space is limited.
Leading and being led
In life, we’re constantly invited to play in spaces existing at opposing ends of the spectrum. We are caregivers, decision makers and leaders of teams in some capacity, yet at the same time, we have all been looked after by others, have had to surrender to someone else’s choices and ‘go with the flow’. At one time or another, willing or not, we’ve all been led out of darkness.
Who has led you, and when what are the traits that has enabled you to let go of the reigns?
For me, the most inspiring leaders are those that celebrate the opportunities to be led themselves. It marks the sign of great self-confidence to let go and entrust another being with your time, whether it be for a staff meeting, a yoga class, or taking the hand of a young child wanting to lead you to the next activity.
I remember a time years ago when I fell into a position managing a large group, many of whom were older than I and fearful of losing their jobs. It was difficult for me to lead that group, and I’m sure it showed. Every day I woke up pretending; pretending to know where I was ‘leading’ the team, pretending to know how to engage the group and build enthusiasm about learning to work differently, pretending to have answers for my superiors about who and how to downsize. I wasn’t a very good leader, in part because I wasn’t prepared to be led by the group, and because I didn’t take the first step, there was no mutual trust.
As a yoga teacher, sometimes I’m in the role of a leader. During this time I observe people in the class, some of whom have a difficult time letting go and being led. I give vocal instruction to come into an asana, and inevitably certain students decide not to follow my lead, preferring to do the posture a different way, or doing something else altogether. As a yoga student myself, I understand that sometimes injury and life circumstance take us on a detour from the led class. Sometimes, however, we deter from the teacher or the group because the mind overtakes us, reminding us about things like: how our other, favorite yoga teacher teaches the pose, deciding to do it that way; or reminding us that we are professionals at urdhva dhanurasana (wheel pose) so there is no need to go through the process to better align the arms and feet to stabilise the shoulders and hips; or reminding us that we did a perfect headstand last week so there is no problem in tuning the teacher’s instruction out and just jumping up into it. The point is, there are an infinite number of ways to practice and teach yoga. David Life once said, “when you go to a yoga class, throw away anything another teacher may have taught you in the past. For those 90 minutes, give the teacher leading the class your attention and trust, and allow yourself to be led.” This has stuck with me, not just in yoga class, but in life.
We are all dynamically moving between states of leading aspects of our lives and being led in others. When we are able to acknowledge this and let go of the need to dominate or control certain elements, the flow of life is steady and vibrant. People will be more inspiring to follow, and as a result, we are be more aspirational in our own lives.
“Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One who is leading.”
― Oswald Chambers
From Whistler with Love.
Live your truth. Live Epic. Get Real. Inspire others to Greatness. This is a small taste of the language used and the air breathed by the gathering of athletes and yogis, lululemon employees and special friends (aka ambassadors) alike over the past three days at the Ambassador Summit in Whistler, BC.
What’s impressive about this is that neither the language nor the mentality started or stopped with the summit. The bedrock of lululemon athletica, founded by a small group of like-minded individuals and led by Chip Wilson (it turns out they were all neighbours!), is based on harnessing passion through bravery, truth-telling, honesty, and much more.
Prior to showing up for the summit, I was asked by colleagues and friends about my involvement with the brand, often with a critical eye. I didn’t have many answers; my relationship as a new ambassador in London, England as part of opening up the showroom in Chelsea was vague, and my knowledge about the driving force behind the company and its corporate governance report card limited.
One thing was clear. From the start of my relationship there was certainly a positive vibe from everyone I came into contact with at lululemon, and with every interaction I had more and more confidence it was genuine. When I arrived at the Vancouver headquarters, it was no different. I was overwhelmed with the authentic kindness stemming from each person within the organization (in honesty, Vancouver is an exceptionally friendly place). Then, there were the many different ways the ‘corporation’ expressed its gratitude towards the employees, including through transparent communication, exceptional leadership, resources and support for personal and professional development, and the offering of a beautiful yoga and fitness practice space and free classes throughout the week. My breakthrough moment though, was in seeing and hearing the dedication from the executive members — to the ambassadors, staff, community, product producers and larger community, the world we live in — to create change and greatness. This included experiencing the full participation at the summit of the CEO, CFO, VP of branding and head of the design team. The familial interactions between everyone on an individual level was truly endearing.
After a couple of days, I don’t have all the answers as to what makes this company great, but I know truth from fiction. lululemon is not like *any* other company. The people are genuine, inspiring, down to earth, and at the same time, aspirational. They don’t perceive themselves as a company, but a group of people fit to change the world, and this includes paving the way in corporate governance from design to final product in an international production line. At the end of the day, people and relationships are what matter, and lululemon certainly takes this to heart.
How do you feel your breath?
Movement is life. Without movement life is unthinkable.
Moshe Feldenkrais
The breath is sometimes referred to as the life force, as it is the purest form of nourishment for human on planet earth.Without it, we simply cannot survive, yet without movement, the breath is valueless.The body has a streamlined set of intricate tools to ensure the breath keeps flowing in and out of our lungs, as long as we are alive.The truth is, when I reflect on the breath and it’s relationship to movement in my body, I feel my whole body in a state of constant ebb and flow with the inhale and exhale.
In anticipation of the breath, the body organizes itself.The lower back muscles relax and drop, inviting the abdominal and pelvic diaphragms to go into flexion. The throat softens and tongue releases away from the palette and front of mouth.There is a looseness in the skin and tissues of the body that creates space around the boney structures. In a sense, the whole body makes room for the breath.
As the oxygen moves in through my nose upon taking a breath, I feel my nostrils flare slightly, my upper palette subtly lift into the cranial cavity, and a gentle contraction through the gums receding from the teeth. Air moves into the body through the pharynx,trachea and windpipe,and the abdominal diaphragm contracts and pulls down enabling oxygen to be pulled into the lungs like a vacuum sucking air into two great balloons.The lungs fill, my ribcage expands and the abdomen is moved down while expanding anteriorly, posteriorly and laterally. As the breath fills the space of the abdomen, the pelvic diaphragm broadens across the base of the torso as the breath fills into the space of the lower abdominal cavity, extending the upper buttock muscles and lumbar spine.
Meanwhile, the base of the sternum lifts, the front of the shoulders in connection with the collarbone lift ever so slightly and flair back, raising the front base of the armpit to allow the upper corners of the lungs to fill.The scapula broaden laterally as the rib age expands, making space for the spine to lengthen vertically in both directions. I feel the neck muscles flex while the trachea and pharynx also move in flexion. There appears to be a lifting through the cranium, particularly the occiput and temporal bones which flex laterally, lengthening the eustachian tubes and creating space between the inner ears. The upper palette lifts and the tongue presses slightly, naturally upon the roof of the mouth. A spaciousness encapsulates the whole of the cranial cavity, I can almost envision the pineal and pituitary glands rounding and lifting as they expand into the newly created space. As a result of the inhalation, the skin feels porous and expanded; a healthy, supple container that aides in my breathing the whole body.
The exhalation is initiated at the top of the inhale, and feels like a journey downhill as a passive sensation takes over my whole body. Air moves out of my nose, and I feel my throat soften and collarbone drop.The scapula relax as the intercostal muscles soften and release the ribs inward. As the diaphragm expands upward compressing the lungs, the sternum drops, the abdomen pulls up and the sides of the torso soften.The pelvic diaphragm’s inverted dome releases downward, flaring the sit bones slightly apart.This subtly rotates the outer thighs inward.The whole body is at rest, loose and empty, preparing for the next wave of breath to inspire, to ventilate, to move life through the body.
How do you feel you body breath?
Vancouver Sundays
Yesterday began pretty early due to the 8 hour time difference and jetlag. By 8:00am I checked myself into a “flow” class at YYoga on Burrand St. There were around 20 others there, and despite the studio being outfitted in a high-end, minimalist style, the yoga mat I had to rent for a 2.95$ fee had *no* grip and they suggested I also rent a nonslip cloth. After replying that I’d rather practice on the floor and give the extra money to a homeless person, they gave me the nonslip cloth for free.
Class was OK. The teacher, while sweet and very excited about her weekend spent with her teacher, omitted several postures on one side, and there were also sequences with repetitive movements only on one side. While no one else seemed to notice, little things like this are big things for our lopsided bodies(!) having said that, I did love the transition from ardha matsyendrasana to parsva bakasana, and compass pose was taught in a very accessible way.
After class I met up with Michelle Phillips from lululemon athletica and we covered a large part of the city by foot before settling in a funky little cafe in Gastown for lunch. I love Michelle. She’s wonderful, both in engaging in conversation about the brand’s history and how the products come to be, where in the world they are produced (better question is where are they not produced with the Lycra coming from Belfast and metallics from the middle east…) and also in receiving feedback. We talked extensively about where we would each like to be in five to ten years time, a conversation I found hugely helpful as its something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately both personally and professionally.
We finished off our day at the lululemon lab, a microcosm of how the label got started; designers working on ideas right along sides the showroom in an open space, perfect for customer input and dialogue.
Today will start at the lululemon headquarters with a yoga class, then a run, then breakfast followed by a little tour. After that, more yoga and circuit training, followed by a bus ride to Whistler where we will arrive around 4pm.
I suspect (and secretly hope) that I will snore rather heavily on the bus!
Taking Flight
It’s hard to believe that in only one more day I will be on the plane to Vancouver, home to amazing air quality, incredible Asian food…and the groove pant. Lululemon athletica has invited me and other yogis from around the world to get down doggy on the yoga mat for a few days and explore Whistler and have a look under the company’s proverbial hood. I’m so delighted to have been asked to take a peek.
The schedule appears to be rather Full On, but all of the sessions look interesting, interactive, and many of them involve sweating. Yippee! Of the physical activities, I halve to admit the prospect of snowshoeing on Tuesday is sounding preeetttty goood right now. I’m also looking forward to hearing the CEOs thoughts on where the company is going, production in China and any possibilities for expanding their line into organic fibers (yes please!). But mainly, I’m eager to meet and get to know others who are passionate about yoga. A change of scene is always such a nice time to shift perspective on the world and allow a little magic in.
I’ll be in Vancouver part of Saturday and Sunday and can’t wait to check out one or two yoga studios, catch up with some friends and explore being on my own in a city I’ve always loved without my sidekick. Monday will be packed with a yoga class followed by a run, a visit to the Vancouver Support Centre and a circuit training class before bussing it up to Whistler. And then the real fun begins.
Stay tuned for thoughts, images and ideas from the road, until then, let it rain! The past few days have been earth quenching and so needed. Keep the ‘brellas out and wellies on!
