07/03/10 by Vibhuti Jaya | blog, tykes & teens | 7 Comments »
This week, I taught Kali Natha Yoga’s Shakti"shakti symbolizes the female; Mother Shakti is the life force; She is your divine potential" Worship 1 Asana"is a body position, typically associated with the practice of Yoga, intended primarily to restore and maintain well-being, improve flexibility and vitality, and promote the ability to remain in seated meditation for extended periods" [Sanskrit] Series to one of my classes, we practiced it extra slowly, deeply and deliberately. My classes sometimes spontaneously take on the format of a posture clinic because many of these students are new to yoga (this is my favorite thing about them). Often, they seem to really benefit from the reinforcement of careful pacing, extra verbal instruction, and made-to-order modifications. I love that they have really stuck with the first round of classes, and we are now entering into our 6th week, so things are deepening as they each begin to relax into their respective practices.
This night, Shakti Worship 1 was led in about 30 minutes, a la “posture clinic” style, with lots of extra time for breaths in between each of the movements. Throughout these breathing rests, I coached them to become aware of sensations created by the previous movement. During those rests I spoke to them about shakti, explaining it as much as I could, and giving little examples.
We ended sitting, and without interruption we repeated Shakti Worship 1, with a little bit faster pace and texture. I led them relatively wordlessly, cueing intensely, with minimal instruction and strictly sticking to the asana by the numbers (just shortening the repetitions on a few things). As they sat in the last movement (#29) “feeling the space of Shakti“, I let them soak. Silently, I took attendance, rummaged for my tsing-sha cymbals, dimmed the lights and waited before"at an earlier time, previously" finally instructing them to take savasana – corpse pose.
During a relatively brief relaxation, I spoke to them about shakti again, this time remembering to share with them the “drink as you pour” teaching that is often spoken of by my teacher. They are therapists, social workers, school teachers and staff at an agency that provides care and community services. They are those whose job it is to give of themselves each day. Giving is their livelihood.
After"following in time, later" class, the most marvelous thing happened!
Read more →
05/29/10 by Vibhuti Jaya | blog | 1 Comment »
Two of the fill-in questions I like to present for pondering are the duo:
“My mind is ______________ . My body feels _________________” .
This pair of statements is a actually a slight revision of the journal questions generously introduced by Carol Hansen in her Lighten Up! workshops of the 1990’s. Together with her co-presenter, Victor Grey, Carol toured certain cities in the U.S. promoting the achievement of weight"a measure of the heaviness of a person" loss through the practice of unconditional love of self. Carol’s transformational workshops were hosted by Unity churches in a smattering of cities across the nation. Magically, Stuart, Florida happened to be a point on the map of that tour, and I just happened to be in that audience, (circa 1994) and tipping the scales at about 250+ pounds. I borrow the questions in homage to Carol and with a nod to the impact that Lighten Up! had on my own personal journey. I am grateful for the catalyst that was her work, and happily note that she is apparently still out there with her website, and her “5-minute a day process”. (Incidentally, she is now Carol Hansen Grey!)
Read more →
05/16/10 by Vibhuti Jaya | chronicle | No Comments »
Herstory – Part 1
The year was 1996, a dark period of inertia"the tendency to resist motion, exertion or change". My days were laced with conflict, grief and depression"a psycho-emotional condition marked especially by sadness, inactivity, difficulty in thinking and concentration, a significant increase or decrease in appetite and time spent sleeping, feelings of dejection and hopelessness, and sometimes suicidal tendencies". I looked down at the dial between my feet and the infernal numbers said two-six-zero (2-6-0). I am female, and only five (5) feet, two (2) inches tall, so as you might imagine, that wasn’t an ideal or healthy weight"a measure of the heaviness of a person" for my body. “It is really time to do something“, I thought to myself with an odd combination of panic, horror and resolve. Shortly after"following in time, later" that 
eye-opening encounter with the scale, I did actually do that something—and it changed my life forever.
Before"at an earlier time, previously" I go on to the rest of the story, I want to go on record saying that I am eternally grateful for the place where I work. If it were not for the sheer serendipity of being in the right place at the right time, the amazing things that followed might never have happened. My place of employment provided me with access to a tiny gym, where I began my daily rendez-vous with the Stairmaster. Our institution’s leadership has forged a culture that promotes physical fitness as a means to achieve well-being. They believe that this is one of the keys to the attainment of overall wellness. Their holistic philosophy is that both the individual, and the collective benefit when self-care"any activity of an individual, family or community, with the intention of improving or restoring health, or treating or preventing disease" is made a priority. For this, we are very lucky. That kind of support was an incredible boon to me (and it still is today).
Read more →
04/23/10 by Vibhuti Jaya | TNT, tykes & teens | No Comments »
Greetings and salutations! This opening entry marks the return of Vibhuti Jaya! We are pleased and happy to announce the latest offering of enlighten yoga (formerly known as “the Yoga Vartula“) in its weekly class format: TNT!!!
TNT stands for thick & thin"measuring little in cross section or diameter; not well fleshed", and it is the perfect"being entirely without fault or defect, flawelss" introductory exploration of the enlighten yoga process! Click here for more information.
