Virabhadrasana.

Lord Shiva (The supreme ruler of the universe) was married to Sati, the daughter of a powerful priest named Daksha.  Daksha was against this union and when he held a magnificent Yajna (ritual sacrifice), he did not invite Lord Shiva or Sati.

Sati was determined to go to the Yajna and meet the people attending the ceremony, even though Shiva tried to dissuade her form going.  Upon her arrival, Sati was greeted coldly and she and Daksha got into an argument.  Sati was saddened and humiliated by her father and the way he criticised Shiva.

Sati became enraged and loathed her father, she trembled with disgust and indignation at  being so cruelly disappointed by her father.  She decided that it was her father who had given her this body, it was his blood in her veins and she no longer wanted to dwell within it.

Closing her eyes and going deep into a meditative trance, her body burst into flames (immolation).

When Shiva got word of his wife, Satis death, he was devastated. He pulled out tufts of his hair and threw them to the ground, where two of his fiercest warriors Virabhadra and Bhadrakali arose.



Virabhadra

Vira (Hero) + Bhadra (Friend). Shiva ordered these warriors to go to the Yajna and destroy Daksha and all the guests assembled.

Virabhadra, with swords in both hands, thrusts up through the earth from deep underground (virabhadrasana 1)

Establishing his arrival for everyone to see, he finds his opponent, Daksha (virabhadrasana 2)

Moving swiftly, he lunges forward and cuts off Daksha's head (virbhadrasa 3).

Meanwhile Shiva has performed the fearsome Tandava dance with Sati's charred body draped over his shoulders.  During this dance, Sati's body came apart and fell into fifty two pieces in different places around the world (called Shakti Peethas, and are places of pilgrimage.)

Shiva brings Daksha back to life and replaces his decapitated head with one of a goat.  Daksha spends the remainder of his life as a loyal and dedicated devotee of Shiva.

Meditation for peace.

May I be safe from internal and external harm.
May I have a calm clear mind and a peaceful loving heart.
May I be physically strong, healthy, and vital.
May I experience love, joy, wonder, and wisdom in this life just as it is.

Buddhist Metta Meditation to create peace in the world

How are you?

Just osmething to think about.

Stepping up and diving in.

Hello again.

This year I am really embracing my role as 'teacher' and with this comes a great responsibility to myself as well as my students. A very large part of exploring my role as a facilitator for growth and healing will be to come to terms with some of my greatest fears and insecurities and to really step into them, explore them and to not shy away from that which frightens me.

This is going to take a lot of courage, personal search, work and honesty. It is not an easy path, but it is unquestionably a worthwhile one.

My most pressing and ongoing struggle is my 'place' in this world. Whether I belong in this country or my home country? This is an inquiry that I am sure many of my friends are tired of exploring with me, as it has been an inquiry that has lasted 8 years and I still feel paralyzed to make this decision. Why am I so attached to finding this answer? Why not just relax and enjoy the gifts this city has to offer while I have chosen to live here?
I realize that it is not just the place I live or the people I surround myself with, it is the peace I need to find in myself to unattached, to let go and to trust that I am here for a reason and I am here to grow.


Some questions to consider:
1. Where is the discomfort in your body/life?
2. How long have you known about it?
3. What is it saying to you?
4. What have you done about it?

My goals for the coming year are as follows: I will learn new skills, I will take at least 3 dance classes a month, I will explore new teachers and try new restaurants. I will cook something new twice a month. I will try to worry less, and breathe more. And I will do a better job at blogging about my discoveries.

I am thrilled to embrace my dharma.

May the fun begin!

P.S
I am of the nature to grow old.
There is no way to escape growing old.

I am of the nature to have ill-health.
There is no way to escape having ill-health.

I am of the nature to die.
There is no way to escape death.

All that is dear to me and everyone I love
are of the nature to change.
There is no way to escape being separated from them.

My actions are my only true belongings.
I cannot escape the consequences of my actions.
My actions are the ground on which I stand.
~the buddha

Letting go.

Dear Blog,
I am sorry that I  have neglected you for over a month, but I'm back, just in time for the Holidays.

Winter is here and for me this is a time for reflection.  Just as in nature, the seasons allow what needs to die off to die off, so that new things can grow. Imagine a plant held onto every flower that bloomed, even after it had died, after a period of time, there would be no room for new growth. There would just be an ugly plant covered in dead flowers that no longer fed the bees or butterflies. 

I encourage you to take this time to reflect on yourself and to recognise the old habits that no longer serve you. Old opinions, judgements, maybe even friendships that have become toxic.  Making room in your life for new and different experiences is frightening, to say the least.  But sometimes staying in the same place, doing the same things is more damaging than making a few mistakes on this journey.

I can only speak for myself and from my own experience.  I moved to San Francisco to be closer to my family and to make something of my life in this country.  I began working as a receptionist at a hair salon and was very unhappy, with no idea what I wanted to do. I decided in November to quit my job and to take a few months to really figure things out.
It was terrifying!  Quitting my job was easy...It was figuring out what I wanted to do with my freedom that was hard.  I really had to shed many of the labels I had put on myself (too shy, not good enough, not smart enough, etc..)  I have learned that sometimes a leap of faith is the only mode of transport available.

I am not rich, we do not have a lot of money and I no longer buy all the shoes and clothes that I want.  But I am happier than I have ever been and living a full life, without all the shoes and clothes.  I have learned that  I AM good enough, I AM smart enough and I DO have something to contribute (even if sometimes it's just a hug or a smile)

I am not saying quit your job and live as a gypsy.  I am just suggesting, or encouraging you to take a long hard look at your life, or even just this year of your life and to let go of what is no longer relevant.  It might be something your parents had told you, or your teacher or even your spouse.  YOU are the only one that matters and it is only YOUR opinion that standing in the way of reaching your bliss.

Be kind to yourself,
Let go,
Trust,
Love.


With gratitude and love,
Jacqui.

Salutation Nation.

This Saturday was Salutation Nation, an annual event hosted by Lululemon where thousands of yogis across the globe practice for peace.  Besides being for a great cause, it was SUPER fun and I strongly suggest trying it next year.

My best friend lives in Virginia and the last time I saw her she was getting married. Weddings are always such happy and uplifting occasions that leave you with a feeling of bliss and hope.  When you break it down, weddings are a ceremony in a church/beach/garden/wherever, uniting two people that love each other and accept each other for better and worse. You have this celebration with your friends and family where people come together for a single purpose, and that purpose is this union!

I got to thinking... yoga means union, so isn't yoga the same thing?

Yoga is a ceremony performed on a mat/beach/garden/wherever, uniting the body, mind and spirit.  For me, it is a process of learning to love and accept myself for better or worse.  When you are in a group class, you have come together for a single purpose, and that purpose is this union, a union with yourself. It invites a feeling of bliss and hope into each day.

It was wonderful getting together with like-minded people and I thank Lululemon for being so committed to connecting the community.  It was an honor to breathe with you while you embark on the great journey of your own personal union, and also to have you celebrating mine.

A huge thanks to my teacher and mentor, Lauren Slater for a beautiful class and her dedication to the art of looking after your body and using it as a vehicle to connect with your mind and your spirit.  I guess with my little analogy, this makes her the preacher in my ceremonies.

For more on Lululemon, click here.

For more on Lauren Slater, click here.


Namaste,
Jacqui.

A lesson that hurt.

I have been asked to submit some yoga photos to a company that is thinking of branching out into the USA.  Although I love to have my picture taken, I don't have many yoga pics!  Note to self: get some done!.  I decided that Golden Gate Park would be a great place for some last minute snapshots, so off went.

I was in my yoga pants and sports bra doing my thang, when a yellow jacket decided I would be a tasty meal.  The yellow jacket can sting more than once, and it did!  I felt a sharp sting on my back but I didn't know what it was so turned around and casually told Rob that I had been stung by something.  He is allergic to yellow jackets, but still flicked it off of me and then ran away to safety.  I thought it must have been a bee and started hunting the floor so I could squash it and get my revenge, when ZAP, it got me again.  This time in the groin, and this time I could see it.  I started freaking out and doing some sort of crazy dance, screaming "get it off, get it off". Why is it that when you have a visual, it makes things so much more painful?  I have the same reaction when I cut myself and see blood.

My pseudo photo shoot came to a screeching halt with me whining all the way home about the indignation of all of it.  You see, I never wear makeup and do my hair fancy, and the one time I do, I get stung by a wasp, twice!

Yogic Lesson:  Practice non violence on all living creatures, even when they are not practicing that on you.

Life Lesson:  When stung by a yellow jacket, flick it off then RUN, run as fast as you can.  Don't wait around looking for something to squash, chances are it will come back and bite you in the a$$.
 
Namaste,
Jacqui.