The line which defines right and wrong is so thin, ethereal, and movable. What seemed to be right yesterday may have a total different look today, totally wrong perhaps. Decisions made months, years, decades ago, "the only right way to go" at the time, today sound so wrong that it makes one wonder if it would be possible to go back and fix it. You see - it was right, now it's wrong, so I want to make it right. It's maddening, isn't it?

Years ago, I took a step in my life which affected the lives of those around me in a big way. For a long time I swayed back and forth between right and wrong, to try and explain it in a rational, right or wrong way. Only today I have finally got in touch with the pain caused by that decision... not that what I did was painful to me specifically, but the pain I may have caused somebody else hurts me. I never stopped to think about it! I had the a-ha moment during my morning meditation, and it tossed me to the right or wrong mode again. So, because this other person may have suffered due to my actions, I hurt and therefore what I did was wrong... right?

I think I'm learning some sort of lesson here, which brings me to my yoga practice.

First, the duality of this world prepares us for doubt, questioning, multiple personalities and the right or wrong mind set. We grow up on "this is right and that is wrong" mode. We become judgemental, always wanting the right, criticizing the wrong and evaluating people and situations constantly, grading them according to our perceptions. Am I so enlightened that my perceptions are completely aligned with universal truth that I can point my finger and determine if this or that person are doing the "right" thing?

Second, acceptance of what is before you. People / situations / things are simply what they are, there is nothing right or wrong about them. Usually, we make decisions based on the knowledge we have at hand, to the best of our abilities. As we progress in life our knowledge improves and our senses refine. So, the decisions of the past may seem wrong, but in reality they are what they are - decisions. We live with the consequences/pains, we have the chance to learn from them, and to make other decisions from where we are. We can't waste energy thinking "if..." What if I had taken this other road? What if I had married this other person? What if... What if... What if... This takes us NOWHERE!

Third, I would like to quote Patanjali: "And now, Yoga." The meaning of yoga is to yoke, "union," but union with what? Body, mind, spirit, when "yoganized" become one - no more duality! That is the purpose, to find our essence and get out of the mind set created by duality. Can we find this union all around us? Dark/light, beauty/ugly, sound/silence, right/wrong... it's all one! These qualities are what they are, and necessary the way they are!

I'm dealing with the pain of my decision. It teaches me to see things under a different light, it teaches me a lesson I needed to learn. It makes me who I am today. I don't think of it as right or wrong anymore... it is what it is. I move on to make other decisions and I don't know if they will be right or wrong. I just try to stay in my heart and make it all... yoga!

Namaste

Sound is everything!

Namaste!
I want to share a mantra I enjoy greatly by Sadhguru.

"Sound is Bhramhan, the manifestation of the universe
It is sound that has become all life-forms

It is sound that binds, it is sound that liberates
Sound is the basis of bondage
Sound is the basis of Ultimate Liberation
Sound is the bestower, sound is the power
Sound is Bhramhan, the manifestation of the universe

Everything is sound
Sound is omnipresent."

If you'd like to listen to the Sanskrit version by Sadhguru himself, I suggest you to visit the Isha yoga website - the name of the CD is Nadha Bhramha. I love the mantras, it's my favorite part of yoga.

Love to all

Shanti

The time to surrender is now!

Namaste!
Life is so busy right now, specially with the end of the year approaching - Thanksgiving, Xmas, New Year's. If you are a normal person, you're probably worrying about the food, the reunions, the gifts, the entertainment... all that goes on with the end of the year craziness. Are you feeling stressed out? Too much to do... and so little time. What about the money - is there enough for all this? I can tell you, there are a lot of people suffering from insomnia right now.
My question is - who came up with this stuff? Why do we have to make this time of the year the most difficult to go through?
Last year, my family decided to Feng Sui the holidays and make it about spending time together. We had a different menu, we avoided the mall and kept everything very simple. We decided that our gift to the Earth was to not go around buying things that we would probably discard the next year. Isn't it what we do - buy things that we only use a couple of times and discard? It was liberating! We are so attached to the craziness that we forget the real meaning behind it all - Love and Peace!! Can we buy Love and Peace?
Amidst the craziness, we forget ourselves, our plans get delayed... after Xmas I'll relax/take time to read the book I want/do yoga/meditate...or maybe after New Year's, to start it anew, doing everything differently. We wait and wait, for the right day, for the right moment, for the right mood, for the right weather, for the right company. We wait for the perfect alignment of every circumstance to surrender to life as we want it. Is it possible? When do we surrender?
During the program in Tennessee, Sadhguru said that we mistakenly believe that life here is eternal, therefore we don't live... we don't surrender to life and enjoy it. We postpone life to when we believe it's more appropriate to live it. Only when we come to understand that, someday, life will cease to exist, then we will start to live.
Surrender now! Read that book today! Start your meditation practice today! Change your diet today! Practice yoga today! Live today, right now!
Say no to stress; say no to what is unnecessary in life; say no to waste. Surrender to Love and Peace! Make it about Love and Peace... we can all do this.
May all be well with you. May all live in peace, love and abundance. May the Light and Love of God shine upon you.
Shanti hi

The end is also the beginning

Salutations! It's been a great season so far... and I love the sunset at this time of the year! Even though the air is cool, the sky has such a warmth, the fire in the clouds. I love fall!
Lots of things changed in the past weeks. I'll share...
Our Tuesday group has been a great blessing in my life. At this moment, I want to thank my friends Jackie and Kevin for making it possible, making great contributions to keep it going. They were a great support and constant in their practice. My great appreciation for their help and love. Thank you guys!!!
I also want to thank all those who participated in our practice - it was a great joy to share my time with you. With that said, I must announce that our Tuesday group won't meet in Orem anymore... the end of a season.
However, I would like to invite you to come attend yoga classes at the Krshna temple in Spanish Fork. I was invited to teach there a couple months ago and finally decided to accept the invitation. In reality, I have been practicing yoga there for a while, on Saturdays, and I love it! The practice there includes kirtan, singing of the maha mantra, and also some yoga philosophy. After practice, we can indulge in some wonderful food prepared with so much devotion and love. I'll be teaching there on Tuesday evenings, at 6:30, but the program actually starts at 6:00pm. They also offer yoga classes on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.
Come join us... it's a great opportunity to get all of what yoga has to offer to our lives.
So, this is the new beginning, a new adventure, a different learning experience... it's Shiva creating and destroying, keeping life moving always. Shambo!
Love and peace to all.
Namaste

Namaste!
I hope you are all enjoying the cold fall season we are having this year. Isn't it interesting to see the fall colors mixed up with the white snow? I love the view, but I confess I don't like the cold weather. According to Ayurveda, I'm more of a vata body type, which means that cold, wind and dark days are not ideal for me. Yoga helps me to keep the balance I need through the cold weather.

Well, I've been back from Tennessee for a couple of weeks now, and I have been trying to find the words to describe the wonderful experience I had there. I can't find the words! What I had there is somehow indescribable. My husband and I went for Bhava Spandana, a program offered by Isha Yoga. We did the Inner Engineering Program last June and that was already life changing. This last experience in Tennessee touched our very core, transforming so much within us... it was incredible! If you would like more info about Isha Yoga, go to www.ishayoga.com.

Our yoga class is back on schedule - Tuesday @ 6:30 pm. We had a great class last night, very restorative, meditative, renewing. It feels wonderful to spend time with people who are in the yoga journey... yes, it's a journey and it takes a lifetime... or two... or three! I hope to see you there next time!

Shanti Shanti Shanti

Schedule

Haribol! Next tuesday, Sept. 22, we won't have yoga. I'll be busy learning a different yoga style next week... so, I'll see you all on the 29th of September.
We had a very good class last night - everybody was so engaged, so focused. We had beautiful poses done by everyone... it was a real joy!
I also wanted to let you know that there will be a wellness fair on Sept. 26, from 10:00am to 2:00pm in Spanish Fork, in the parking lot area where KMart is located. There will be some yoga too.

Love to all - and I'll see you on the 29th, @ 6:30pm!
Namaste

Prayer for Well-Being of All

May All be happy
May all be without suffering
May all think well of one another
May one's destiny be free from sorrow
Om, Shanti, Shanti, Shanti

A bit of yoga poetry

Delicious breath blows through this body,
soft like crushed rose petal dust.
Transparent bones
land on mat.
Familiar dog folding forward and
back,
snake the spine around
this heart.
No tomorrow
no (to)night,
only now, delicious breath. (unknown author)

Yoga, yoga, yoga...

Salutations to all! I wish all of you are doing well in Light and Love.

The decision to move the yoga class to Tuesday seems to have been a good one. I like the energy of Tuesday...

Just to remind you all, our yoga class is open to anyone who wants to join and enjoy some time of relaxation, breathing, meditation and contact with oneself. There are no fees - this is a donation based community class. We meet every Tuesday, 6:30 pm @ 1156 South State St., suite 206 in Orem. I teach private classes too, for those interested in a one-on-one approach. If you have any questions feel free to email me @ timpanyoga@gmail.com.

Bring your mat... come have fun!

Namaste

Helping and learning go hand in hand...

Salutations yogis/yoginis! I must confess that I'm very proud of my son... he always teaches me valuable lessons and I feel blessed to have such wonderful teacher.

Yesterday, as we drove back from school, he told me he was impressed with the number of classmates asking him for help in math. "And I don't think I'm that good mom..." he said. I asked him how he felt about helping his friends, and he told me he felt good about it. He has a natural desire to be helpful... not at home, of course. Don't even think about asking him to put the garbage out! "This is child exploitation mom!" However, when he sees a friend in dire need of help, he won't think twice to come to his rescue. And there, in the car, I told him that when we help someone is when we have the opportunity to learn. You learn more every time you help.

I remember my first year as an elementary school teacher. I had just graduated, and felt I knew absolutely nothing that I could teach to my class. The same feeling came to me when I started teaching yoga: "What can I possibly share or teach? I am not that good at it..." I came to the conclusion that, as time goes by and you stick with the idea that you can be of help, and you're going to try your best to help one, two, ten, or twenty people, you realize that you are learning more than you ever thought possible by serving another. I helped children for 10 years, and they taught me much. As for yoga... I'm learning with you... and from you...

Live from the heart, help and learn with and from others.

Namaste

Schedule change...

Salutations! Our Yoga class is going from Thursday to Tuesday, same place and time. This is an experiment - it seems to me that quite a few people have some engagement on Thursdays, which makes it difficult for them to come and enjoy some good time doing Yoga. I hope soon we will have so many people coming to class that we will have it twice a week!
So, Yoga on Tuesday eve, 6:30pm @ the same address in Orem (please, look older posting for correct address, or email us!).
Our class last Thursday was great! Such wonderful practice... we got to play with a very "dancing" sequence, with Ganesha and Kali, Hindu gods who have special characteristics needed for our times. We were all so happy at the end.
I hope you can join us for our next practice... it will be special.
Shanti, Shanti, Shanti

Yoga!!

I have had people asking me about our yoga class... here is the update:
Address - 1156 South State St., suite 206 in Orem
Time -6:30 pm
When - Every Thursday (unless we need to change it for some reason. The info would be posted here)
Price - Donation based class
Everybody is invited!
Hope to see you soon!
Namaste

This week schedule

We have yoga this week!! Same yoga place... same yoga time. Well, actually, the yoga time will be 6:30pm. Bring your matt and let's have some fun!

See you there!
Namaste

T.I.A.

I like to prepare before every class I teach. There's always something special to share with everybody. Last week, I prepared by reading an article I found by accident in a magazine, which I also found by accident - as if "accidents" existed, right?! The article is called "Just Say T-I-A" by Paul Sutherland. He goes on telling about the difficulties his family had while adopting a child in Africa. Every time something went wrong, his wife would say T-I-A, meaning "This Is Africa, what else can be done?" He decided to apply this concept to life in general using T-I-A as "This Is Acceptable."

Now, this is a very interesting concept because it entitles a total "let go" approach to life. No control. Acceptance. No judgement. Acceptance. Love. Gratitude. Acceptance.

Sometimes, things are just what they are! Anger, frustration, resentment, a "I'm a victim" attitude will not change what it is. Therefore, T-I-A... accept what can't be controlled, what can't be changed. Love, gratitude, living a life that comes from the heart are better responses to life's pitfalls. T-I-A!!

And now you are wondering, "What the heck does the squirrel in the picture have to do with all this?" Well... T-I-A!!

Shanti Shanti Shanti

A thought on yoga

"The immediacy of yoga is astounding. Everything essential is here, right now. Ishvara, the divine principle, lives in the body. Your body! All of the yoga practices support this vision and help us to access the deity within." (unknown author)

Come access your divine Self!

Namaste

Change for the week

Hi everyone! This week our yoga class will be on Tuesday @ 6:30. Sorry about the short notice, it was a last minute change.
Hope to see you there!
Shanti

Who are you?

According to Hindu philosophy, we live in a time called Kali Yuga. This is a time of war, confusion, desperation... and we often get lost in the middle of all this. The confusion does not happen only in the world around us, but also inside of us. Questions such as "Who am I, really?" are more frequent, and seems to bring no answer attached to it. We are lost... however, things can change.
I found out that, some practices can help us realize our true selves, and provide us with the power to go through the challenges we face at this moment in human history. This is a special time, let's not stay lost in the mess!
One of the purposes of yoga is to help each of us on the quest of the Self, finding our true nature and letting go of the illusions created by Kali Yuga. Come find yourself! I hope to see you soon...
Shanti, Shanti, Shanti

Yoga is Incredible!

Yoga is just so Incredible.. it makes me feel amazing after just one hour.. all of my problems seem to melt away and my body feel so good afterwords.. Its hard for someone who hasn't tried it at least once to understand. I feel its because we have an awesome teacher Celia. She does an awesome job in instructing us and correcting our postures. I have sent her the invite to post here so she should be sharing her knowledge with all of us soon.

Kevin

No yoga Until Thursday

We should be on track to start Yoga on Thursday!

Class Canceled 07-30-09

Celia our teacher just called and told me that class will be canceled Today.

Yoga Begins

We just started our Donation based Yoga classes recently @ 1156 S. State St. Suite 206, Thursdays @ 7 P.M. Located behind Arby's next to University Mall in Orem, UT. Currently there are only 4-5 people who know and are coming regularly but we welcome more. Our hope is that we can get up to 20 or so people to attend.