Lizzie for Free : a yogi's blog
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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.
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.
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!
When do you practice?
Over the years, I’ve found my practice time shifting dramatically. Before I was a mum, I liked to practice first thing in the morning. Then for a while I found late afternoon a convenient time. Once I found my teachers in London, when I had the luxury, I adjusted my schedule to ensure I could get to their classes, which meant practicing at different time on different days. Now I’m on a self- practice surge, meaning I find the time around my other scheduled appointments, allowing me to spend more uninterrupted time at home with my son. When is your favorite time to practice? If the answer isn’t provided in the poll, leave a comment instead!
Slowing Down
When I made the decision to change careers 6 years ago, I had a very different perspective on the world. At that moment in my life any job seemed that it would be less stressful than the one I was in, and I looked around me and was envious of those appearing not to be stressed. I was especially intrigued with those teaching yoga, imagining it impossible to be stressed in that type of job situation. I remember lying in bed in Amsterdam one Sunday afternoon looking out my enormous windows at the cyan sky watching the little white puffy clouds go by, thinking, if only this moment could last forever. A moment where I didn’t need to do anything; a moment where I wasn’t all consumed by my Very Busy Brain thinking fearfully about my Very Important Job.
Years later, as a yoga teacher, I know too many yoga teachers and therapists who are stressed, becoming increasingly busy with the small stuff: scheduling appointments, classes, workshops, retreats….consumed by the running of the business rather than creating space to slow down and lead by example. I should know, I have been one of them.
Only by injury and illness have I learned that space is necessary in the continuing path to wellness and evolution of the mindfulness practice of yoga. It seems to be a fine balancing act for all between work, play, a disciplined practice of asana and meditation, and time for family, which often doesn’t fit into any of these categories but is no less important.
The rhythm of life is one like the ebb and flow of the tide: constantly changing, consistent in its inconsistency, sometimes rough but flowing, other times calm to a point of intertia. We are all born to surf, going for it when a big wave comes yet doing our best to remain calm and fluid, not to get blown off the board when the wave is too great or to get sucked down when there is no dynamism at all.
Ida Rolf, the founder of the Rolfing technique, referred to this as adaptability and dynamic balance, two of the five principles of Rolfing. Adaptability meaning how flexible, how malleable we are in our bodies and in the circumstances of environment to change and morph to new conditions. Dynamic balance is in keeping with the yin/yang symbol–unifying opposites to create a balance physically, emotionally and mentally.
While Ive never actually managed to surf successfully,since I have been working on slowing down, making time each week to assess if I have enough time for work, play, practice and family, I have found a lot more time for everything. I feel more energised, and less defeated and frustrated at my lack of sense of accomplishment at the end of each day. Thank you, space! Here’s to slowing down for long enough to identify what your needs are and how to feel nurtured and whole.
Upcoming…In April and May
In less than a week I will be on a plane headed for Vancouver, BC, where I’m very honoured to have been asked to participate in the lululemon ambassador summit, a week where they bring together yogis from around the world to celebrate movement. I have no idea what to expect except fun, inspiration, yoga and a little homesickness (it’s the first time I will be away from my son for 6 days, and so far away!)
I will be blogging from the road and hope you follow the journey!
Before that, tomorrow, April 15th, from 11am-12pm I will be teaching a free class at the gorgeous, welcoming lululemon Chelsea showroom at 6 Burnsall St, Chelsea, just off Kings road. Show up EARLY to claim your spot as space is limited.
Then, on April 28th I will be leading a FREE class at Indaba Yoga Studio from 1-2pm, followed by a lululemon trunk sale, with lots of great yoga gear to choose from. Sign up as its expected to fill up!
Lastly, please join me for a very special class at Indaba from 6-7:15pm on May 17th, with LIVE MUSIC with Luc Acke from Belgium.
Stay tuned for more exciting news coming this summer.
When Joining Separates
At one point or another, we have all joined a bank, a company, a political party or a book club. Lets face it, subscribing to an organisation is almost a necessity in today’s world in order to function. While I’ve never been an much of a ‘joiner’, I have affiliated myself with groups and schools in the past and still do to some extent today. I love connecting to people who share passions, and savour opportunities to bring people together to make new connections, but in truth, there is something about an organization that leaves me feeling a little funny inside. Perhaps it’s the wearing of a label (though we all do wear various ‘tags’), the superficial fencing in of certain people versus other, the exclusivity, or the various forms of side agenda that may be more or less present depending on the organization. And then there are the politics. One of my dear friends and graduate professors once told me, “only hang out with, only work with people that celebrate you, that bring out your best and make you want to be even better.” If there was an organization that bottled that without all the additives, I’m pretty sure we’d all want to sign up.
Yoga, the state of ‘yoking’ or ‘union’, is the confluence of two things; when two things merge into one. This can happen when the small, individual self merges with the understanding of the universal, collective consciousness; when day becomes night, when the in breath becomes the outbreath, when the state of living transitions into the state of dying. Sometimes, when people seek a connection to others, they ‘join’. There are many things to join: gyms, book clubs, a yoga method or studio, a religion, you name it. But in the most traditional, purest sense of yoga, it’s not something you can ‘join’, rather, it’s something magical you can experience. Present day yoga, however, involving methods, expensive teacher trainings, dogma and heavily marketed yoga studios (not to mention yoga teachers ‘branding’ themselves) creates the potential for division when the original intention implicit in the word was union.
At a pinnacle time in my life, I remember being a philosophy student searching for meaning in the world. I enthusiastically studied the eastern religions, eager to discuss the similarities and differences, the things that resonated for me and the things that didn’t. Without knowing any better, I was “shopping” around for purpose. One day, my professor looked at me and said, “Lizzie, a religion doesn’t have to be something you adhere to or join. You can apply the principles of any religion to your own life and create something meaningful in your life that is all your own- your set of beliefs.” An idea so simple, yet so profound, as been what has shaped my ideas of the world, organised religions, and my yoga practice.
Yoga methods, school, teachers and studios are important and useful in providing insights about one’s individual path to experience yoga. However, if the student doesn’t know to ask questions, or isn’t aware not to take everything at face value, we may be in jeopardy in becoming isolated and separate in a world of others seeking comfort in their insecurity and ignorance by sticking together under a label. This unstable state of being forms cliques and supports ideas that one style, teacher, place, clothing is better than another. It is avidya at is finest hour. The aspirant in this state is a wonderful disciple, but separated from a much richer, more authentic path of union. Inquisition, the right to hold beliefs that are different from the group even while being a member, having a mind and a voice to speak out and up about ones own beliefs are such an important part of self expansion, creativity, and ultimate joy and freedom. Find the place where all these aspects of yourself can be celebrated and augmented, and never be afraid to go against the grain to question what is being taught and to try something new.
Caveat: I am a certified Jivamukti yoga teacher, a method that melds several types of yoga together on a backdrop of asana practice. I am proud of this lineage, I believe my teachers from this method to be two of the world’s talented, creative and generous teachers who have devised one the most thorough, well-balanced yoga teacher training programs available in the world today. However, I don’t subscribe to the idea of a ‘tribe’ within any one yoga school of yoga, nor do I consider myself a member of a specific yoga group. In fact, much of the desire to write a post such as this has been propelled by what I’ve witnessed within the constructs of organised yoga. As in any school of yoga, not all Jivamukti teachers are good, honest or compassionate teachers, and I don’t stand behind everything my teachers have ever said or done in the interest of yoga. They are human beings, and don’t profess themselves to be ‘gurus’. While I have been so blessed to find a handful of gracious, honest and down to earth teachers, the most valuable aspect of my yoga path has been enriched outside the doors of any one studio by the teachings of many, yoga teachers and non-teachers alike.
Learnings from Lizzie’s 30 Day Yoga Challenge
With the 30 Day Yoga Challenge over, there is a lot to contemplate. Originally planned rather haphazardly to extend outwards into the wider London yoga community and to break myself out of my preferences for certain yoga classes and teachers, far more came up than I imagined. As a result I have learned both personally and professionally, and even made a couple of new friends along the way. Most valuable for me have been the themes that revealed themselves in my practice as well as my personal life during this past month.
SANTOSHA
The word in sanskrit for contentment, or satisfaction is santosha. One of the niyamas, santosha is about being satisfied with things exactly as they are; not requiring any more or any less, instead, maintaining that everything is exactly as it should be. I’ve spent a lot of time speculating on this idea this month, as a yoga teacher and student, as a mother, as a human being. It’s so easy to find fault in ourselves and others, and often much more challenging to accept wholeheartedly what is. This is true whether contemplating the asana practice, assessing how well one has done one’s job, accepting the opportunities available at any given time, or one’s limitations. We are all doing the best we can given our current life situations, and, try as we may, it is impossible and debilitating to compare ourselves to anyone else. We are all unique.
VAIRAGYA
The concept of santosha has a direct relationship with the word vairagya, meaning dispassionate or non attachment. When we are content with what is, it is far easier to practice non-judgement, to remain impartial. When engaged in a critique of a movie, a piece of art, a book, or a yoga studio, there are always aspects that are primarily subjective, based on our own preferences and aversions, but there are also aspects that are more objective. One of the challenges in this month has been discerning the difference between the two and trying to be as objective as possible. As time permits me to read back on these posts, I may well have to glue my jaw back on as I discover just how opinionated I actually was in my writings.
SAMSAYA
The feeling of doubt is one of the nine obstacles to the practice of yoga as set forth in sutra 1.30 of The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Samsaya means doubt, or indecision in Sanskrit. When we are uncertain about our path, who our teacher is, what we want to focus on in our lives, things become fuzzy, and we may end up floundering. For example, if you practice with two different yoga teachers and they each tell you how to practice a pose differently, this may lead to indecision and doubt about how to practice. This has come up often for me as a Jivamukti teacher and practitioner of several different styles of yoga. Lately I have had many doubts about my teaching and bodywork style, and have been indecisive about which way to evolve. This challenge has highlighted some of these doubts as I have practiced with such a variety of teachers and styles of yoga. One thing does seem to be clear, and that is which teachers and styles don’t appeal to me (or is that simply my preferences and aversions rearing their ugly head?).
SHRADDHA
The antedote to samsaya, shraddha means faith; knowing without a shred of doubt that there is something bigger, more supreme than yourself behind the wheel. This is the ultimate form of surrender, enabling the doer to come back to contentment and joy at whatever presents itself. Raised agnostic, I never had any faith until I began practicing yoga regularly, and because of this, my faith is very much tied to my practice. When I have doubts, when I feel I’m slipping into the role of ‘victim’, I use my time on the mat or on the cushion to bring myself back to the many choices available. Knowing there is always a choice is empowering, and working through negative mental subtexts with the optin of letting go is perhaps the most powerful choice there is. This month I have felt frustrated, at times even disconnected from my faith due to the change in practice mode. I have spent more time ‘doing’ yoga than practicing yoga, and it’s time for me to reconnect to my personal guiding light.
There is so much more to write, but I’m not publishing a book, it’s just a little blog post. Having said this, its about to get a few words longer still because I wanted to also briefly mention ASMITA, the ego. We all have one, and more than once I felt mine flair in judgement mode about a teacher’s style or particular yoga studio. I have also spent time questioning ‘who am I’ to judge or critique another teacher’s class. I never intended this to be a critique, but it’s simply a natural progression when taking a yoga class a day at different studios with different teachers to have an opinion about them. Some will resonate, some won’t. Some will be inspiring and safe for the body, some won’t. I guess I feel ok in having published my experiences because I wasn’t doing anything out of ill intention, and at the end of the day we all entitled to our opinions and to have a voice.
I chose the classes For the challenge primarily due to my schedule and proximity, and for this reason I wanted to point out that there are a number of great teachers whose classes I really wanted to attend, but was simply unable to in the course of this month. As a result, I took a number of mediocre classes with teachers I had never heard of. I will continue to take as many classes with different teachers as I can manage, but perhaps I will go about choosing the teachers in a more strategic way, for example, visiting teachers I know and love a little more frequently, and finding new teachers based on recommendations rather than choosing names out of a hat. I would also like to return to the classes I didn’t love, knowing that we all have off days.
Signing off for now, thanks for following my little yoga adventure.
Day 29, Lizzie’s 30 Day Yoga Challenge
I exchanged my practice time today for a long planned lunch date with family and friends outside of the city where we dined on delicious home cooked Pakistani food. There was no time as the journey was several hours and I taught in the morning. I know, excuses, excuses.
I’m so looking forward to returning to the mat tomorrow, where I plan to go to Mollie McClelland’s class at Triyoga Chelsea. I’ve known Mollie for a few years now but have never had the opportunity to practice with her. Afterwards the plan is to return to Anoushka’s pilates class if the universe allows for it. My body feels very ready to work!
Tomorrow will be the last day of the challenge, but I gather I will continue to try to take new classes whenever I have the chance. With a few exceptions, one of the things I’ve realised is that my general preferences are for the teachers I’ve been practicing with for some time already, but then, that’s probably to be expected. We are creatures of habit and like to know what to expect- most of the time, anyway. More on that in my post on Findings Week 4…
