Seeing is Believing: the Teacher-Student Relationship

Last night I was gazing at the beautiful moon and I thought of one of my students. She's been a student of yoga for quite a while-think years. Through our Desire Mapping work, she chose the word luminous, and she is amazingly luminous and beautiful. Now I can't  look at the moon without thinking of her. 

I love and appreciate the trust that people give me in my teaching. I take that very seriously. Patanjali tells us in the very first Yoga Sutra-1.1 अथ योगनुससनुं atha yoganusasanum that when we begin the study of yoga, both teacher and student commit to the practice, the teachings and to each other. It is a sacred vow that both are to honor.

Through this commitment I get to experience the change my students' have over time and they get to experience my growth and learning as well. Some of them stay for a short bit and some stay for a very long time. The teachings must resonate with us. We build trust and faith and over time, our kavaca, (pronounced-ka va cha), our protective shield starts to lift and our true selves are revealed--teacher to student and student to teacher.

#truthbomb

I pulled this card out of my truthbomb deck about a week after my first Desire Mapping workshop. How appropriate, "I see you." I realized that the work I have been doing my whole life is about learning and teaching people about uncovering their true selves. Even all of my years as a school teacher, it was more about helping young people connect with who they were more than learning the facts about wellness or science.

The point of this post is to say thank you for those students who have been or are along for the ride willing to lift the veil between human beings as well as to share that I don't always love what I find when I go digging for truth. It doesn't always feel good, and it's not usually easy. 

The same holds true in working with others. 
Some people run away at the first peak behind their protective shield (kavaca) and some stick around for the real work. Thank you to those of you who stick around for the heavy lifting, the deep excavations, the intense stuff. The miracle is that once you peel a few layers away and shed a few tears, there're often times joy, peace and a new sense of self-love. 

A dear friend who was pivotal in my growth through my early 20's and 30's told me that I had to trust and feel the bad stuff so that I could one day feel the joy as well. I didn't believe her right off. I am grateful that over time, I remembered her words and was surrounded by people to guide me through many of those layers. By the way-it isn't always painful; I've done some work that was quite humorous and uplifting as well.

So if you're looking to "to attain what was previously unattainable," according to one of TKV Desikachar's definitions of yoga, then I want to work with you. If you want to make some lifestyle changes, connect with your deepest desires and live the life you've always dreamed of, I want to work with you. I am so enjoying the magnificence I see when I truly get to see people. Have a great day! 
I'd love to hear your thoughts about change, seeing people, the masks we hide behind...

#truthbombs #desiremapping #Patanjali

3 Simple Steps to Change Your Life

Celebrate the New Year, yet there's no need to hide behind a mask. Change your life one area at a time with these simple steps. Notice that I did not say easy. Most of us can start just about anything. Following through to completion, though, that's the hard work. Just anyone who's been in a committed relationship for over 10 years.

Get Clear: When I first sit down with a student, this is where we start. Why are you here?

Use a process to help you clarify your goals. What do you want to do? How do you want to feel? I've used many processes over the years: T-chart, pro and con list, tarot, meditation, etc. Most recently, the book from Danielle LaPointe, Desire Mapping has been a helpful guide. Getting clear on my feelings and then figuring out how to create a life to help me feel that way. I am offering a Desire Mapping Retreat on January 17-18, 2015 in Salt Lake City. If you live a far, I am offering a Virtual Desire Mapping Workshop starting in February.

Commit: Once you are clear, you make a commitment to do the steps in order to achieve your goal. Sometimes we get stuck and feel we can't go on. We give up before we see the results we want. This can be good or not. Sometimes we need to break things down into smaller steps. We may need help. We may need to ask for help. An aspect of wisdom is knowing when to keep going and when to move on.

Complete: Follow through with the steps that you need to do, congratulating yourself for each small success. You may need to break them down further. There are no mistakes. If something doesn't go right, it clarifies more of what you don't want as well as paving the way for what you do want. Keep on. Follow through. Follow up. Get it done. Just do it.

Many of my students say their biggest challenge is knowing what they really want. We have so many choices today and many times we are guided by loved ones away from the choices that seem unattainable. I remember being told that artists starve and don't make money until they are dead. Only a few dancers make it to the top. 

Now I realize that those dreams are real. That's one of the way the Universe guides us. Truly follow your dreams and make them happen--one step at a time.

Favorite Recipes from Yoga Renewal 2014

roasted veggies with avocado

For the last few years I have offered a Yogic Renewal Retreat in my home studio. It's a small intimate group. We chant, do yoga, meditate, let go of the old year, eat and prepare for the upcoming year. Of course, what we eat is a big part of the program. So here are the recipes for those who are eager to replicate them.

Roasted Veggies- Choose any of your favorite veggies. Clean, peel, chop. Root veggies and those that need more time (potatoes, winter squashes, beets, etc), I put in a bowl with 3 T olive oil, 3 T balsamic vinegar, 5 or 6 chopped cloves of garlic, ground rosemary (I love freshly dried from my herb garden and I grind it with a pestle and mortar), salt and pepper. Toss root veggies and put in olive oiled 9 X 12 pan. Roast uncovered at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes. In a container I put the rest of my veggies, red peppers, onions, mushrooms, eggplant. Toss in a similar mixture of olive oil, etc. Place in fridge. When the time goes off, I add these veggies for another 30-40 minutes.
Sometimes I eat this by itself with a sliced avocado as shown in pic above.

Polenta Dome adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Celebrates
4 c water 

bowl for polenta dome

2 t salt
1 T olive oil
2 c chopped onion
6 cloves chopped garlic
2 c cornmeal (I liked medium size)
1, 2 lb butternut squash (peeled, seeded, and shredded)
1 t ground sage
2 t ground fennel
.5 t ground black pepper
1 c grated romano cheese

Bring water and salt to boil. Slowly add, stirring constantly, cornmeal. Cook for 20-30 minutes. Be sure cornmeal is cooked and not grainy. You will need to keep an eye on this and sit regularly. Olive oil a rounded, bowl. See pic.

Heat olive oil and cook onion, garlic, and 1 t salt until browned. Add shredded squash and cook for 5 more minutes. Add water if it sticks. Stir veggies into cornmeal when the cornmeal is done. Add cheese. Scoop into prepared bowl, cover and let it cool. I place it in the fridge until just before heating to eat. I like that you can make this up to a day ahead of time.

Carefully place on a cooking tray or platter (oven safe). Bake uncovered for 35 minutes at 400 degrees. Serve with roasted vegetables. It's very attractive and very filling.

Spinach and Goat Cheese Salad
1 apple of your choice chopped
10-20 grapes cut into 4's
1 medium-sized shallot sliced thinnly
1 c roasted walnuts (350 degrees on cookie sheet for 5-8 minutes)
1/2 c goat cheese diced

Dressing:
3 T olive oil
6 T balsamic vinegar
1 T mustard
salt and pepper

Toss ingredients with dressing and serve.

Roasted Pears/Apples
1 pear or apple per person (sometimes I slice sweet potatoes too)
1 t ghee or butter (melt in pan before adding fruit)
Sprinkle with 1 t ground ginger, cinnamon and/or cardamom 

Walnut-Date Balls 
Enjoy and let me know what you think.

Looking for some clarity and guidance in planning your year, check out my Desire Mapping Workshops. The next one in SLC is January 17-18, 2015. My first virtual one begins on February 1st.