New Attitude

As we near the end of another year, we are once again faced with coming up with a list of new year's resolutions. Checking last year's list could reveal how diligent we had been fulfilling the resolutions. We can repeat the list, or, just don't make any list at all. I have not made any resolutions list in years even though I am normally a to-do-list maker. Every year I make mental notes to myself on things and projects I would like to accomplish. This year my big project is to increase bone density, after my doctor informed me to do so in order to avoid osteoporosis. This project will be on-going from now on. What will be your new year's resolutions?

One thing I notice is every time we get together with friends, we all moan and groan about how busy we are. It seems we are constantly adding more things to do, be it fun sports; community services; health related activities; family responsibilities; travel; self-improvement studies; pleasure readings; work; etc. etc. Our days are packed to the gills with barely enough time to sleep. We don't want to miss anything.

We suffer from the "more is better" syndrome of living. This is true in restaurants, especially in the States, where the servings are huge. People are getting more huge as well. Nearly 30% of the population in the U.S. is considered obese. Of course obesity involves not just over-weight, but also all the accompanying health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, to name just a very few. It is also true that the mentality of "more is better" even extends to activities to improve our health. We workout more and harder, to the point of exhaustion. We push ourselves beyond reasonable endurance in order to feel the high and a sense of accomplishment.

We can even go beyond our limits in yoga practice if we are not mindful and aware of our own body's capability. More is not always better. This coming year, let us take a few moments to reflect on exactly what we have been doing; what we would like to do to modify our lifestyle; how we can do just the right things, the right amount, and with the right motivation.

And, during this holiday season, as we face with numerous parties and tremendous amount of food and drinks, let us practice moderation, and start the new year on the right footing. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "The first wealth is health." And Eknath Easwaran comments, "If you want to live life at its fullest, you will want to do everything possible to keep your body in vibrant health in order to give back to life a little of what it has given you."

Namaste,
Clarie

Carpe Diem

News of death is never pleasant. News of death of someone you knew is disturbing at best, devastating at worst. During the past two weeks, I received news that four people whom I knew had passed away. I was sad, disturbed, devastated, all at once. The fact that three of the four had died younger than they should have caused me much grief. It also reminded me that life could be fragile and tenuous; it should not be taken for granted. I am once again reminded of my favorite saying, “Carpe Diem”.

Many years ago, when my husband and I purchased a sail boat (that’s whole another story) in California, we tried to rename the boat to get rid of the original name. We agonized over this project, poring through name books, other people’s boats’ names, when we saw the movie Dead Poets Society and the professor told his students, “Carpe Diem, make the best of you lives”. At that moment we remembered the recent death of an acquaintance at a young age, and the unpredictability of life’s happenings, we decided to name our boat Carpe Diem, or Seize the Day. Ever since that time, I have tried to follow that motto, though not always with success. I have carried that same belief into the practice of yoga.

In yoga, we don’t just seize the day, we seize the moment. Seizing each moment and making the best of it is our yoga mantra. Without lingering on the past, nor pining for the future, we make each moment the most important moment as the seconds and minutes tick away and as we focus on what is happening to our body, our breath, and our whole being, we remain present, mind and body. As we change and evolve every day, every hour, every minute and second, our yoga practice also changes and evolves simultaneously. We accept this phenomena and enjoy the moment to moment unfolding of our experiences. Yesterday I could balance on one leg but that day was gone, tomorrow is a total toss-up so there is no reason to worry. What I do have is this very moment I can focus on, and each second will be gone if I don’t seize it and make the best of it.

“Live mindful of how brief your life is...gladly accept the gift of the present hour...seize the day, and put the least possible trust in tomorrow...” — Horace —

Namaste,
Clarie

Looking Good

There is a commercial on the local TV channel that advertises a certain new car that has many wonderful features such as IPod connection, bluetooth, and various driving advantages. Not a car buff myself, I don't understand nor pay much attention to the commercial. However, what perks my ears up is when the voice on TV says, "And you will look GREAT driving it!" as its final and most important selling point. Vanity strikes again.

Of course we all want to look good, because it makes us feel good. But if we put too much emphasis on simply looking good on the outside, without examining how we feel inside, then all we have is appearance without substance and feeling.

During a yoga class, when there is a mixture of those who have practiced for many years and those who are fairly new or brand new, it's often very intimidating for beginners to compare their own skills with others. Some new comers never return, feeling hopeless in their own ability to "perform" and to look as good as others. What is not apparent to the naked eyes is whether those who look great are actually feeling the benefits of practicing from within, with an open heart, soft eyes, steady breathing, and relaxed mind.

When we struggle and work too hard to reach our perception of perfection, we risk injury, not only to our body, but also to our mind and spirit. Vanity has been a downfall for many since time eternal, and it is no exception in yoga practice. Being humble and reflective, accepting our limitations, and viewing the practice as a life long journey will bring us much comfort and peace of mind. Looking good is only a superficial success.

"Life is a compromise of what your ego wants to do, what experience tells you to do, and what your nerves let you do." ---Bruce Crampton---
Namaste,
Clarie

Satya: Honesty & Truth

During our recent trip to Disneyland with our daughter and grand kids, as soon as we arrived we visited with my relatives and then rushed to the amusement park and stayed until late. By then we were exhausted. On the way walking back to our hotel, we stopped at a nearby Denny’s to grab a quick bite.

The next morning I discovered that my camera was missing. I had left it in the restaurant in my semi-conscious state the night before. I called the restaurant, thinking that for sure such thing happens all the time and they would have it in Lost-and-Found. Unfortunately, nothing was turned in. My nice little Sony Digital, full of happy shots from the previous evening, was in someone else’s possession, someone saw nothing wrong with taking another’s property. I only hope that the person who kept my camera needed it more than I did, even though it was a very dishonest act and had made me sad.

In Yogo Sutra, Patanjali, the “Father of Yoga”, listed in the first limb of The Eight Limbs of Yoga, the importance of honesty and truth. Satya, or truth, is “the highest rule of conduct or morality”. It is not limited to speech alone, but applies to all manners of thought, word, and deed. Untruth thoughts can lead to untruth words, untruth words can lead to untruth actions. Conversely, truthful thoughts lead to truthful words, and that lead to truthful behavior.

As yogis and yoginis, we must be honest with ourselves in our practice. We accept our own limitations without deceiving ourselves with false display of skills. If we are only focusing on the form without feeling from our heart, we are not being truthful with the practice. The practice of asanas (poses) is not an end in itself. It is only one of the steps to continue on our journey to find our true and authentic self. When we are able to accept ourselves and accept each practice with joy and open heart, then we are truly on the yoga path.

However, don't get stuck with the struggle of feeling from the heart. My teacher Aadil Palkhivala always encouraged us to look into our heart during practice, but he also reminded us that if we only wanted to exercise our body, it's okay too. As long as we are truthful to our intentions, we are already on the path.

"Sometimes it is more important to discover what one cannot do, than what one can."

---- Lin Yotang ---

Namaste,

Clarie

Bringing Yoga Home

Dear Yogis & Yoginis,

It's the Season for traveling. Traveling is often fun or necessary, and summer months are traveling months. They are for taking the family to visit family; taking advantage of summer travel promotions; attending special retreats or training camps; or just visiting other countries. Right now many of you are away, or about to be away, from Saipan. In fact, all three Gold's yoga instructors, myself included, will be away at almost the same time. I am taking our kids and grand kids for a three week tour. While we are all away, some yoga classes will be canceled. (please check schedule on bulletin board) So what to do to continue the practice?

Take the practice with you. Yoga practice is not just limited to the confine of the yoga mat and yoga room. Yoga practice is a life style incorporated into your daily living. Whether you go to yoga class or practice at home, you merge the concept, philosophy, and poses into a day's various activities.

For instance, one day I showed the class how to practice balance in the shower, bathroom, and the kitchen, on one leg; or how to do a twist or two in the car at the stop light; or how to stretch the spine and hamstrings while brushing teeth and washing face. I also encourage everyone to sit on the floor as much as possible while reading, or watching TV. It is not even necessary to carve out special time for the practice if you are really, truly busy. However, there are some very short routines you can fit in when you wake up in the morning, without even getting out of bed, or just moving right onto the floor for a firmer support. These are the reclining twists, knee to chest, full body stretch, etc. Another short routine is the Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskar) that is a wonderful set of poses that stretches all parts of your body and build strength in the arms.

Many of you don't attend yoga class regularly anyway, so it is important to continue some sort of practice at home. Our body has a way of tightening up rather quickly, from activities such as running, biking, playing games, walking, or even just sitting. It needs regular reminder to loosen up by gentle stretching.

Another important practice is the yoga breathing. The deep and slow breathing (through the nose) is crucial to the practice. Breathing also helps to relax the tight muscles when we are stressed. A few minutes of gentle breathing can release the achy feeling from tension.

So don't be discouraged by not attending classes. Yoga can be with you wherever you go. Of course the best way to make progress is still going to class! Have a happy summer...

Namaste,
Clarie

Earth Day

Dear Yogis & Yoginis,

I saw a very touching film on Earth Day called "End of the Line". It was about the danger we are facing with over-fishing, all over the world. Fish is supposed to be really good food for us, so the world populations have been consuming large quantities of various kinds of fish. The fishing industries, in their eagerness to meet the consumer demand, have been building larger and larger fishing fleets, fishing further and further out into the open waters. Fish such as cod have been fished to near extinction, and the remaining few are not able to recover so far. Some fleet drag their nets on the ocean floor, devastating and destroying everything in its path. It is heart breaking to see the dead turtles, dolphins, corals and other sea lives being tossed back into the water. The entire ocean eco-system goes into a tail spin.
So what do we, as yogis and yoginis, need to do to be aware of our responsibility in our daily lives? Knowing that all things are inter-connected, that everything we do affects our environment not only in our life time, but all future life times for our children and grandchildren, will bring mindfulness to our actions.
If you are not recycling, now is the time to start. You can recycle Newspapers, Magazines, Cardboard Boxes, Plastic Bottles, Cans, Glass Bottles, and Dead Batteries. You cannot, however, recycle foam items such as foam plates, cups, take-out containers etc. Plastic bags and other non-biodegradable items, when swallowed by sea lives, can kill them. What else can we do, as ordinary citizens to help reduce environmental disasters that threaten our well-being? Here are some of the basic things we can do to help:
1. Drive smaller cars, and try to walk to places as much as possible (yes, it is hard to do on Saipan.)
2. Bring reusable shopping bags for your shopping trip. I don't always remember to do that, so my passenger seat is covered with bags to remind me.
3. Bring your own container for take-out orders. For doggie-bag, try to use foil wrap instead of foam container as much as possible.
4. Re-use non-confidential used paper as scratch paper.
5. Install energy saving light bulbs and turn off lights.
6. Recycle, recycle, recycle.
There are so many more things we can do to save our environment! The list is long and growing. As Yogis and Yoginis, we need to practice not only yoga poses, but also environmental mindfulness and good citizenship.
So what about the fish? Should we stop eating them? The short answer is no, we don't have to stop eating them, we just need to be aware of what we are eating. Do some research, ask questions (check with the folks at DEQ.)
Be all that you can be...
Namaste,
Clarie

Practice From he heart

Dear Yogis & Yoginis,

The common saying, “A watched pot never boils” applies to yoga practice as well. Sometimes we are too impatient to “accomplish” certain poses that it seems to take forever or never happen!

I heard an analogy on the importance of regular and consistent practice. If you fill a pot of water and turn on the stove to boil the water, but a couple minutes later, you turn it off and leave to do something else. You return after a while, turn on the stove to boil the water. A couple of minutes later, you turn it off and leave to do something else. Again you return after a while, turn on the stove to boil the water. Then (you guessed it) after a couple of minutes, you repeat the same thing. The water never boils.

When we first start practicing yoga, we are happy about how good it makes us feel after a practice session but there are some difficult poses that may take a long time to accomplish. Then we become distracted by another interesting activity. We stop practicing yoga and engage in the other activity. Months later we return to yoga and find it difficult all over again. We then repeat the same pattern, with each returning practice feeling like starting over. We don’t make progress. The water never boils. The same boiling water analogy has universal application to many things we do. We sometimes lack patience. We think too much about how fast we are progressing, and not enough about listening from our heart and to our body.

I watched the movie “Ramen Girl” last night, a B movie about a girl trying to learn how to cook ramen from a master ramen chef in Tokyo. She has learned all the technique of putting together the ingredients of making the “perfect” broth, but the master dumped her broth in the drain each time. Even though the broth seemed perfect, it did not taste it, because he said she was using too much of her head to cook, and not enough of her heart! The broth was bland. It reminded me of the importance of practicing a pose from the heart, so that the pose doesn’t just look beautiful without feeling, but may look plain yet from deep within the heart. A broth cooked with love.
Namaste,
Clarie

Daily Changes

Dear Yogis & Yoginis,

My grandkids are great source of inspiration for me. When they were much younger (they are now 9 and 8) they provided me with a constant pool of rich anecdotes related to our own life experiences. I rather miss those days when they were much more spontaneous in their behavior. Now that they are older, they no longer throw fits of emotional outbreaks that I actually admired and learned. However, they are not beyond teaching me even now.

On a weekly basis, I pick them up from school four days a week, and take them to school once a week when they spend the night. They are different each day after school. I can always tell, on a Monday, when they did not get a good night sleep the night before, as they slump on the seat, barely acknowledging my existence despite my attempt to engage them in conversation. Some days they are bubbly and talk non-stop because they had a good day at school or a good rest the previous night. It reminds me of our own disposition everyday depending on our own experiences. Some days I feel strong and focused and able to practice a good routine of yoga. Some days I cannot stand on one leg to save my life. I have to remind myself that each day is a new page of my life's journey and no two days are alike. We all like consistency and expect similar results for similar activities. But the old saying of "Nothing remains the same" holds true in all aspects of life, including the practice of yoga. When we step on the yoga mat, if we open our hearts to welcome whatever condition we are in and accept whatever we can do in each moment, then we are living the yoga life.
"Ask not that events should happen as you will, but let your will be that events should happen as they do, and you shall have peace." --- Epictetus ---
Namaste,
Clarie

Excuses, Excuses...

Dear Yogis & Yoginis,

I am back on Saipan and the practice of yoga. During my trip to the States, I realized how easy it was to put my practice on hold with various good reasons (excuses.) I was too busy; the weather was too cold and I didn't want to take my shoes and socks off; it's too hard to stretch and bend wearing several layers of clothing; etc. etc. I had planned to continue my practice throughout the trip, but it was so easy to find any excuse not to.
In the past, I always carried a traveling yoga mat whereever we went and I would faithfully spread the mat out even in small hotel rooms. But during winter months, it becomes a real challenge. For me, the cold weather, even though I am getting more used to it, is still a tough time to get motivated. It is especially difficult to get up when it is still dark and the thermometer is registered in the 30's and 40's. Eventually I did manage to attend several classes at a nearby yoga studio and thoroughly enjoyed them.
We all have our own challenges in getting a regular yoga practice. I know some of you probably set yoga practice as one of your New Year's resolutions. But daily busyness, at home, at work, at social activities, and at sporting events, often offer convenient excuses. I am not one to condemn anyone for not following their New Year's resolutions. But by knowing and recognizing the challenge you are facing on a daily basis, you can set priority in your daily activities.
Patanjali's Eight Limbs of Yoga set Svadhyaya as "deligently studying of the scripture and of one self." If we study and know ourselves well enough to direct our attention to the right path, we will overcome some, if not many of the excuses facing us daily, not only in the practice of yogs, but also in other important aspects of our lives.
"What we hope ever to do with ease, we must first learn to do with diligence."
---- Samuel Johnson ---
Namaste,
Clarie