Expanding My Horizon by Focusing on the Core

What an amazing summer of expansion I've had, through study, conversation and experiential learning!  

I began in June taking Ayurveda training with Dr. Vasant Lad in New York.  Next, came a visit to the Sivananda Ashram in New York, followed by teaching at the Sivananda Ashram in the Bahamas.  Then I experienced karma yoga and Ayurveda certification coursework in Virginia at Yogaville, and after, a Holistic Yin certification course in Portugal.  What adventures I've had! 
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I've met some incredible people along the way, plus before and after have shared talks with my mother back in Chicagoland. 

Each has broadened my perspective and added to my exploration of life and self, with an intentional focus on how might all of this benefit others.  

I'm still a bit jet lagged but have a few takeaways to share with you:

1. "Yoga is a process of continuous learning, as it is the science of living in harmony with life itself, so the study never really ends.  Simply, it keeps unfolding as long as you keep discovering its many layers, perspectives and styles."  Swara Yoga
2. Yin Yoga is not a style of yoga.  "Yin is an approach to Hatha Yoga which requires a passive approach to practice, where feeling and inquiring becomes the focus of the practice rather than doing and achieving." Swara Yoga                                                                                 For further exploration of Yin, I highly recommend Swara Yoga  http://swara-yoga.com  Teachers, Sofia and Emily are excellent!
3. Yin is represented by the Moon, female energy, interior parts of the body, slower paced and intentionally effortless movements going beyond the release of muscles, going deeper into the fascia of the body - going where the gross and subtle anatomy meet and where the deep patterns that hold the structure out of alignment, have an opportunity to come back into alignment.  Releasing and letting go allow for healing.
4. We live in a mostly Yang world.  Yang is represented by the Sun, masculine energy, exterior parts of the body, fast paced, continual motion or highly charged, often loud  and big movements. Sivananda yoga, my preferred style of daily practice, balances the Hatha practice through the use of Sivasana.  Yin uses the internal and release/let go approach with each pose.  Yin can be used with Sivananda yoga poses by shifting the focus of the poses - using the internal core and breath as the foundation of every pose.
5. If you are in the least bit interested in Ayurveda, Vedic Astrology, Vastu Shastra (science of architecture similar to Feng Shui), Face and Palm Reading - I highly encourage you to consider attending a Dr. Vasant Lad course.  He has devoted his 74 years of life to healing, using both East and West systems of medicine and yoga. He generously shares his vast knowledge with others.  For more information about his courses http://www.ayurveda.com
6. The wisdom of the elder generations as they lived life in the Western world, is highly compatible with the wisdom of yoga and the practices in the Eastern world.  My mother and others from her generation practice a 'common sense' approach to life. Their actions are often born out of living through the Great Depression, less abundant conditions and necessity. She conserves, for example, not because she is an environmentalist but because she does not believe in being wasteful. It has been  interesting for me to realize how closely aligned in some regards, the ancient practices are with my mother's own innate way to live life.

Lastly, I feel blessed to have met many wonderful people along the path of my journey this summer, and I truly am grateful to feel such abundance in life.

Namaste
Loving Life and Living Love,
Mary

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