Something that move me today.

Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark, in the hopeless swamps of the approximate, the not-quite, the not-yet, the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish, in lonely frustration for the life you deserved, but have never been able to reach. Check your road and the nature of your battle.

The world you desired can be won. It exists, it is real, it is possible, it is yours.

Ayn Rand

Yeah. Truth in that.

Showing Up.

Hillary Clinton recently made a comment that I loved. "Showing up isn't all of life, but it counts for a lot." So smart, so true, from a woman I really admire.

I think about it in relation to yoga practice. Just to get yourself off the couch, and into the studio, on the mat...it's that initial effort that matters so much.

I remember quite well my first trip to a yoga class in Manhattan.

I definitely didn't want to go. I was in a routine of doing my yoga practice at home, with my Bryan Kest Power Yoga video (this was 2000, so VHS was still in wide use.) I loved the independence of being on my mat, stopping when I got tired, skipping out on a savasana here and there if I had other stuff to do, and working out hard when I wanted to. But my hand was forced, and because I was physically dragged into Sal Anthony's Movement Salon, I met a woman who would literally change my life--or at least inspire me to change my life!

Thank God that when I walked into the studio, the teacher looked cool-not hippie-ish, which would have turned me right off...and she wasn't speaking in overly reverent, hushed tones, either. She was wearing black tights, a black tank, and a really pretty, long black cardigan. Her red hair was short, spiky, and sexy, and she wore lots of black eyeliner as well as a cool pair of black glasses. She smiled in a way that lit up the room, walked right over to me, stuck out her hand, and said, "Hi, I'm Sadie," in a way that made me immediately want to listen to her. I trusted her handshake, and knew that I would be coming back to her class. She made me feel that my effort to show up would be rewarded.

The effort was rewarded, to say the least. I immediately learned that I had been doing downward dog completely wrong, and that I was also not as strong in my core as I should have been, I was letting my arms and legs do all the work in the poses. I began transforming my yoga practice in the first 5 seconds of that class, and under Sadie's patient guidance, over the course over the better part of a decade, I have developed physical strength and flexibility, as well as the ability to look within, rely on myself, and make decisions that serve me well.

I stopped working so hard to please everyone, and I learned how to say no to things that weren't helping me shine....I also learned about giving from the heart. I learned that a true gift to others involves working on the self...when you're happy, and feeling energized, strong, and calm, you can give so much more to others. I learned how to draw inside, and mean it when I offer out.

I became a yoga teacher with the goal of helping other people find their brightest light, and shine it out. I became a Reiki practitioner, again because Sadie introduced me to someone who would be another major teacher in my life.

None of this would have happened if I had stayed at home and practiced with my excellent Bryan Kest tape. Now Bryan Kest is a hero of mine. He has a yoga studio in Santa Monica that is run entirely on a donation basis. It's the most incredibly sharing thing I can think of. I think he's an amazing teacher, and an incredible man.

But practicing at home with the tv on doesn't allow for the kind of interaction you get in a classroom setting. Using a dvd is fine in a pinch, and I think a lot can be gained from yoga dvds, and youtube. But that life-changing, earth-shattering connection I made with someone who has become a guru for me, that came because someone shook me out of my comfort zone, challenged me to go to a class, and because I made the decision to show up.

When it came out as a dvd, I bought Bryan's Power Yoga video again. I still use it a lot. But when I start to feel lazy, and think it might be fun to take some time off, and skip class, I remember Derek Milman taking me to Sadie Nardini's class at The Movement Salon.

I think about how I probably would never have been inspired to teach yoga, or learn Reiki, or change my life. I think about how much self-confidence I gained through my yoga practice with Sadie. I think about how much stronger I am now, both physically and emotionally, and I think about how, because I got up, got off the couch, and went to class one hot summer afternoon, I found a new calling, new confidence, and a new career that truly allows me to share my love for yoga, and hopefully help people. Not to mention a great teacher and a wonderful friend in Sadie Nardini.

Showing up. It's not everything. But it sure can take you a long way.

Get on the mat. Come to the Fierce Club. Go for a walk. Say yes to something you truly want to do. Do something a little scary. Take a chance. Live a little! Hell, why not live a lot?

This Won't Win Me Many Fans.

A friend of mine posted an article on Facebook today that was pretty critical of Oprah. I liked it. I thought the article was pretty interesting, and though it's probably flying in the face of wisdom to say this-had some very good points. Basically, the idea talked about Oprah's choice of "experts" when people come on to present ideas that may directly impact people's health. The majority of the article referred to Suzanne Somers and her ideas about hormone replacement therapy. For those of you who don't know, or won't believe this, Suzanne Somers has now styled herself as an expert of menopause, and is giving medical advice, claiming to use natural ways of rejuvenating herself through some controversial therapies. Yep, Chrissy Snow from Three's Company.

I've always felt two ways about Oprah. On the one hand, she was amazing in The Color Purple. She also has constantly brought things that interest me into the light on her show. I remember seeing Shirley Maclaine talking about chakras on the Oprah show so long ago, I'm embarrassed to say. I remember her having topics on her show that were uplifting, and I always think of her as someone who generally takes the high road.

I've also thought she oversteps her bounds, and uses her influence to promote ideas that are not necessarily beneficial. She probably does think she's helping people, but many times, I just think she comes across looking stupid, and easily influenced, as well as prejudicial against the "establishment." Which is fine. I'm not necessarily someone who agrees with everything that comes out of a doctor's mouth just because it's coming out of a doctor's mouth, and I really HATE to take prescription drugs. I also believe there is a mind/soul/body connection, and that attitude, faith, and more practical things like healthy diet have a lot more to do with your wellness than most medicine does.

But, I digress. Oprah. Wielding her endorsement like a sword. "Read this book. Vote for this man. Don't get vaccinated. Shoot hormones into your vagina. Don't worry about what your Doctor may say. I do. Suzanne Summers does it, and look at us! We're awesome! Yep, I have a doctor on my show, but conveniently, he doesn't really usually disagree with my guests."

So. Basically, before you take medical advice from a talk-show host, why don't you check with a doctor? Why don't you use common sense and ask someone who has actually studied medicine, and biology? A doctor who doesn't have her interest in getting her own tv show produced by Oprah at stake? And then form your own opinions.

I'm NEVER one to take things at face value. I have some of my own ideas that run contrary to western medicine. But I keep them to myself. I'm not willing to put anyone else's life or health at risk for my benefit.

I've also seen a lot of people take responsibility for their own well-being and accomplish miracles. But again, that is a choice that is right for some people, not all people. Do what works for you.

Don't hate me. Think for yourself. Don't let Oprah do all your thinking for you. She's awesome and all, but she is as prone to mistakes as the rest of us. Ask yourself if you're really ready to trust Oprah and Suzanne Somers with the well-being of your physical body???

Don't hate me, ya'll. Just trying to keep it real.

See below:

http://www.newsweek.com/id/183842

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REVERSE IT!

One of my favorite yoga poses is "Reverse Warrior." It's an interesting pose because you really work in two very different directions. In life, as in yoga, we often find ourselves with opposing priorities, and sometimes even opposing, contradictory views. What I've found, and what Core Strength Vinyasa Yoga teaches, is that when we are pulled in different directions, it's important

to remember our center, and to work on expressing from there.

In "Reverse Warrior," you start from Warrior Two. That is, you start from a lunge position, with the back foot flat on the floor, and the front toes and knee pointing in the same direction...straight in front of you. The knee should be over the ankle, or close. The back thigh is pressing back, the front knee resists the urge to turn in, but tracks along with the third toe---straight ahead. The torso is centered over the hips, and the sides of the torso are long.

The pelvic floor (everything below your belly button,) is lifted. Core Strength Vinyasa Yogis like to pull the naval in and up a little bit, and press the lower ribs back towards the spine. We then lift the heart, and relax the shoulders down away from the ears, and the arms extend out from the shoulders. Your gaze is right over the middle finger of your front hand...the one that corresponds to your lunging knee.

We're still just in Warrior Two. To go to Reverse Warrior, You take that front hand, and begin to reach it back, over your ear, and let your back hand slide down your back leg, which stretches the side body. What always happens in the pose is that the lunging leg begins to straighten, and we go out of the lunge...coming back towards a straight leg in front. I have to constantly remind myself and my students that just because we are reaching back, we don't have to let go of the forward direction in the front leg. If you can get that front leg to a 90 degree angle, and hold it there as you reach your front hand over your top ear...that's pretty cool and a beautiful pose.

You'll most likely find at this point, that while your reaching forward with your knee, and backward with your hand, you've lost your center, and your pelvis has left the building. So take a second to find center again. Lift that pelvic floor up, and re-engage your belly and low ribs. You'll then have a longer, more powerfully supported reverse warrior. Take a few deep breaths, long inhales and exhales. Lift your torso back to warrior two on an exhale, and take a few breaths there. That's working from your center.

In life, it's the same deal. When you're feeling pulled in opposite directions, you should always take a second to re-engage your center. What are your core beliefs and values? What do you hold up as an ultimate truth? When you're coming from that place, and reminding yourself of that, you get an innate sense of which direction to adjust, where to back off, and where to reach forward. It's a powerful thing to remember, and a wonderful thing to practice.

Milk and Honey

I'm going to Milk and Honey tonight. I haven't been in a really long time, but I remember liking it and hating it simultaneously. For those of you who don't live in NYC, or just don't know what Milk and Honey is--it's a really small, really quiet bar. You have to make reservations, and once there, you have to mind your manners. There are rules. Men can't talk to women unless the women speak to them first...etc. The best, and funniest rule, is that you can't talk about fighting.

I wonder how they came up with this rule. Was there a long boxing discussion one night that got really boring? Or is it more about fights that the customers might have been involved in, or wanted to be involved in. I wonder what will happen if I say that my yoga class tonight kicked someone's ass---will that be enough of an oblique reference to fighting to get me reprimanded?

The other thing I remember loving about the place is that they make their own ginger ale. Awesome. The only music when I was last there, came from a tiny little boom box. I don't even think there was an ipod in the place.

Something about this enforced quiet, the regulated manners---well, it just makes me happy. I know that while I'm there, nobody is going to do anything rude. I'm not going to hear any douchebaggy conversations. That's pretty cool.

When You're Pissed-Where Does the Yoga Go?

It's always interesting to me, as someone who considers himself a yogi, that my bad temper has not gone away. You'd think with all the deep breathing, the commitment to react less, the helping people learn to unlock their inner teacher, and re-discover their radiance, that everything would be great, and I'd never get mad. That's what I thought that when I started practicing yoga seriously.

There are a lot of misconceptions about what yoga does, and what you must do in order to practice it. One thing people seem to think is that when you start doing yoga, you miraculously become a magical person---not angry, calm every moment of the day, and completely non-reactive. Well, not necessarily true-and in my case, far from the truth.

I get ANGRY. I always have. It's something I've always struggled with. I used to scream and yell a lot. I called people horrible names, and made people cry. Once, when I was about 6 years old, I got mad at some kid who was picking on my brother, and grabbed him and knocked his head into a tree a few times. He didn't pick on my brother anymore, and I got into a lot of trouble. The thing was, that lashing out, it didn't make me feel good at all. It just made me more angry, and then it made me feel really bad later.

I haven't hit anyone in a really long time....decades, but the urge visits often. I did throw a small bottle of oregano at someone a few years ago...but at their midsection, not their face....so I don't feel too bad about it...and yeah, they probably deserved to have a little oregano bottle chunked their way, come to think of it.

The point is, I had the urge to throw a bottle today, or maybe smash one on the ground or call someone a nasty name. I didn't, obviously. I know that would be totally pointless. Instead, I'm spending some time thinking about what really caused my anger, and trying to transform the anger into positive action. That's one thing yoga can teach you.

Usually, when I get mad these days, I don't try to get even. I try to improve my situation...analyze what happened, why it pissed me off, and what I can do to make myself feel better about the situation, or how I can work to change it.

It's about bramacharya (a Sanskrit word often interpreted as meaning celibacy, but that can actually mean restraint of energy.) When you practice a retention, a hugging in...it offers you time to reflect. Instead of going to the person who pissed me off and hitting them, or calling them a "scumbag" or "motherfu**er," I'll talk to them when I'm ready. When I'm calmer, more in control of my emotions. I'll take a moment to save my own ass, their feelings, and to prevent loss of control.

So yeah, yoga might not save you from ever getting mad, but it might remind you to control your actions, to be bigger than the person who makes you angry, to hold your tongue, or to work for change.

Anger might be actually considered a positive force, or at least the inspiration for change. We'll talk about it more.

Inspiration for my last tattoo.

As large as this ether (all space) is, so large is that ether within the heart. Both heaven and earth are contained within it, both fire and air, both sun and moon, both lightning and stars; and whatever there is of him (the Self) here in the world, and whatever is not (i. e. whatever has been or will be), all that is contained within it.