Feather of the Peacock Pose

Last week Yoga International published a short video of my tip on how to stick your forearm stand (pincha mayurasana aka feather of the peacock pose). For this tip, you need a working split. One viewer wrote and asked, "what if you don't have a working split?" This was my response. I hope it's helpful:

Hi (insert name here)-

Thanks so much for asking! Without actually seeing where you are with your journey on pincha, it's hard for me to give you the one big pointer that will "tip" you over the edge to success! That being said, 

1) continue to work on your split - stretch hams and quads - both on the floor and standing 

2) keep working on the shoulder alignment for strength as well as shoulder mobility. the tighter the shoulders, the harder this pose will be since you have to fight not only gravity, but your own physical immobilities 

3) when you do kick up, think of kicking the legs straight up instead of into the wall. Its' like you are catching and upward wind tunnel. Once you are past the point of fear of going upside down, kicking into the wall can become a big habit, and a hard one to break. 

I hope I get to practice with you in person sometime! I would love to help you dial this in!

peace and love

Jean

and yes, I hope I get practice with all of you at some point - pincha mayurasana or something else. 
And here is the link to the quick tip:

https://yogainternational.com/article/view/one-quick-tip-for-sticking-your-forearmstand

Commandment #9: Love isn't Lust

Commandment #9: Love isn't Lust

Another excerpt from Heart, Hips, and Relationships workshop.

Lust is all things sensual, sense related, second chakra. Love is beyond the senses. As you grow, you don't need to keep trying to keep the sensory experiences alive. This is not to say that if the sensory is still working for you, that you need to put a lid on it! Just keep doing it! Not a problem. But if "the thrill is gone," so what? Does it mean you love each other any less? Don't compare your relationship to someone else's view of what a "good relationship" looks like. Sometimes, you move past needing the sensory to feel successful and alive.

It's like getting attached to asana. Some people will love asana their whole lives. Others won't. No greater than or less than. They are still doing yoga. Still doing Life.

Lust on and on and on if it serves you.
But lust isn't love, and all things sensory can fade.
Thank God love isn't one of those sensory things.

Commandment #3: Truth is not a weapon

In the workshop "heart, hips, and relationships" I lay out the 10 Commandments of relationship according to me. And this year, I added the 11th commandment. 

#3 - Truth is not a weapon. 

Am I telling the truth because I feel hurt  less than in some way? Am I using this idea of telling the truth in order to hurt back and give myself a boost? Am I telling the truth because I feel lost and lonely and invisible and i need someone to acknowledge me to affirm that I exist? 

There are times in relationship where we need to tell our truth to a loved one (or other lucky devil), when in fact, we really just want to knock them down a few pegs. Lucky them. So before casting these pearls of wisdom, consider these points:

#1. Tell yourself the truth first- what do I really want to get out of this interchange? If you can be brutally honest with yourself, then you can be brutally honest with another.

Then remember the following:

1. You exist

2. You are equal to, no matter what perception you have chosen to give your truth to

3. You are worthy.

4. Tell yourself the truth first. 

Do you what need to do in the moment, and see if telling the truth was the cause that created your desired effect (karma). And feel deep in your heart. If you plan on using truth as a weapon, be very clear on what dragon you want to slay. For Truth is not a weapon, but that which shines a light and helps us grow. (Think fertilizer vs Round up)

Voices inside my head

One of my serious students asked me the other day about emotions. About growth. Empowerment. About speaking from the Big S Self.

The question was (I'm paraphrasing), "When I'm in my emotions, in my stuff, I hear more than one voice. How do I know which is the Big S?"

The seeming cacophony of voices inside our heads, even though it may be only 2 voices, are aspects of our selves competing for the title of Big S. The Big S doesn't compete. It's what is left when the noise is gone.

Transmission haiku 9-18-2015

Crystalline space

Divine equanimity 

We are the One

#inspiredbyyou

#withoutyouthereisnome

#sriyoga

#srilifeforme

#sririffic

#trustthatyouarethegamechanger

#epicweek

Time to eat?

What's eating you? Who are you eating for? What part of yourself needs nourishment, and what part is being asked to digest food (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual) and distribute it? Are you really hungry or stress hungry? 

And if you are up right now, did you act on the urge to have that late night snack? Was it awesome? Do you feel nourished and taken care of? If so, excellent! If not, stop beating yourself up. Stop it right now. Take a breath and ask yourself what you really need. If you don't know, at least you know it wasn't what you just ate, so next time, you can cross that off the list of options. 

This is one way we can learn to stop judging ourselves. Assess the result from a scientist's point of view: did the action have the desired effect? If not, what different actions can we try next time until the desired effect us achieved. 

The science of non judgement. The science of self love. The discovery of your limitlessness through limiting your options. But that's another story. 

You are not alone

You are Whole because you are part of the Whole. The Whole holds you. Always.