Time, Bread Dough and Yoga

It is the beginning of a new decade, and I have been pondering Time. I've let go of the concept that time is linear; it must have been all the time-traveling books or movies I've experienced, or perhaps it's that I have lived long enough to recognize the connections and wonder about the near misses. I now see time as malleable, like bread dough. Every now and then, it gets folded in on itself and I'll witness the fruition of some long-lost decision, or fit some disparate concepts together, or happen to be in the correct location to "bump" into an old friend. My yoga practice isn't linear, either. This past year, I became a beginner again. I began to study again with my first yoga teacher, Denise Wendler, and experienced the newness of muscles, bones and philosophy through my current teacher, Tias Little. It made me curious again, just like I was over 10 years ago! It's made me want to go back and relearn everything again, but this time with less ego... and maybe that's the purpose of these folds in Time. What folds have you experienced, and what are they telling you?

What we are practicing now...

Virabhadrasana II (warrior II pose) is a wonderful pose to bring you fully into the present moment. I direct you to Yoga Journal to describe how to practice this pose, but consider this when you have arrived: your back arm is reaching into the past and your front arm is reaching into the future, but you and your breath are resting patiently in the present.

Schedule updates and events... see www.yogabylorien.com for complete schedule:

• New class on Mondays! Restorative Yoga 7:00-8:30pm at Soula Power Yoga in downtown San Jose; relax and rejuvenate as you rest your body on props and release the effects of stress. Join us on Mondays in January (if the class is well attended, it may be added to the regular schedule).
• Intro to Yoga 6-week series: An in-depth look at yoga breathing, postures and sequences. The next series begins January 14th and meets for 6 weeks on Thursdays at 7:45pm at Willow Glen Yoga. You must register for the entire series and attendance the first night is mandatory. Class fills up quickly!
• Beginners 1-Day Workshop on January 30th: For those who are interested in a refresher or cannot commit to a 6 week series, this workshop will cover the basics in a condensed setting. Saturday, January 30th 1:00-4:00pm at Willow Glen Yoga. Class fills up quickly!

Resolution, Intention & Bhavana

Happy New Year! Like many people, I use the turn of the year as an opportunity to reflect and learn. I no longer make "resolutions", because I've found that my brain does not accept easily the restrictions associated with resolving to do or not do something; in short, I rebel against my own mind! Some years ago, I began setting "intentions" for the new year. These intentions were a softer approach to improving myself over the next 12 months, but I found them to be too soft, too vague or too unrealistic.

What I've now found is the concept of "bhavana". A bhavana is a vision that furthers one's self and others - exactly what I was trying to achieve with my resolutions and intentions, without the negative or ambiguous connotations. A bhavana has 3 elements; it is:

1. A positive expression of what I want to happen, rather than the absence of a negative; i.e., "speaking compassionately to my kids", vs. "not yelling at my kids".
2. Concrete and clear, without vague concepts; this was where my intentions always went wrong, because "peace on Earth" was really hard to visualize.
3. Specific and focused on an actual image or idea; I like to use the concept of taking a snapshot of what my bhavana would look like, bringing the picture into focus and cropping it to its most relevant parts.

This year, try creating a bhavana for yourself, remembering to make it positive, concrete and specific.

Monthly Pose

Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I pose)
The warrior poses are often mistaken by newcomers to yoga; how can a warrior, a symbol of war be a part of something so peaceful? The answer is that the warrior represents the fight against ignorance or misperception. We need this aspect to cut through our veils so we can see truth, and because we live in the world, we need to continue to cut through those veils constantly.

See Yoga Journal's website to learn the steps to come into the pose, as well as modification and benefits. During the winter months, it's good to focus to the downward energy of the hips, legs and feet, and let your heat build!


Schedule & Event Updates

See my website for complete schedule; below is a summary of the changes beginning January 5th.

• Mondays: no more 4pm Yin Yoga class
• Wednesdays: NEW 9am Hatha Flow class at Willow Glen Yoga
• Thursdays: 7:45pm class is now a YIN YOGA class!

JANUARY WORKSHOP: Intro to Flow Workshop on Saturday, January 24th 1:30-4:00pm at Decathlon Club in Santa Clara. The perfect workshop to start or restart your dynamic yoga practice, you'll learn breath, poses and flows that are found in any flow yoga class, as well as the best ways to modify for your specific needs! $35 for members and $45 for guests (includes a day pass to the club), pre-registration required. For more information or to sign up, please contact Amy Chang at (408) 738-2582, ext. 150, or yoga@decathlon-club.com.