Happy International Yoga Day

Salamba Sirsasana II (Tripod Headstand). Photo Credit: Maddy Rose at Romney Pilates. May 2016.
Salamba Sirsasana II (Tripod Headstand). Photo Credit: Maddy Rose at Romney Pilates. May 2016.

“A lamp does not flicker in a place where no winds blow; so it is with a Yogi, who controls his mind, intellect and self, being absorbed in the spirit within him. When the restlessness of the mind, intellect and self is still for the practice of yoga, the Yogi by the grace of the spirit within himself finds fulfillment. Then he knows the joy eternal which is beyond the pale of the senses which his reason cannot grasp. He abides in this reality and moves not therefrom. He has found the treasure above all others. There is nothing higher than this. He who has achieved it, shall not be moved by the greatest sorrow. This is the real meaning of yoga – deliverance from contact with pain and sorrow.” ~BKS Iyengar

Time Is Now

Parivrtta Surya Yantrasana (Sundial Pose). New Orleans. March 2016. Photo: MBuffett
Parivrtta Surya Yantrasana (Sundial Pose). New Orleans. March 2016. Photo: MBuffett

Ksana Pratiyogi Parinama Aparanta Nirgrahyah Kramah
-Yoga Sutra of Patanjali 4.33

There is no longer a need to focus on the past, or even the future. All unfolds as it should. The yogi finds peace in the present moment.

Let. Life. Turn. You.

Hanging Between Shifts at Romney Pilates Center. New Orleans.  January 2016. Photo: MBuffett
Hanging Between Shifts at Romney Pilates Center. New Orleans. January 2016. Photo: MBuffett

 

“Try not to resist the changes that come your way. Instead let life live through you. And do not worry that your life is turning upside down. How do you know that the side you are used to is better than the one to come?”
-Rumi

Source For Soaring

Practice. Everyday. Steadfast. Clarity. Romney Pilates, New Orleans, September 2015.
Practice. Everyday. Steadfast. Clarity. New Orleans, September 2015.

There is joy, a winelike freedom that dissolves the mind and restores the spirit, and there is manly fortitude like the king’s, a reasonableness that accepts the bewildered lostness.

But meditate now on steadfastness and clarity, and let those be the wings that lift and soar through the celestial spheres.

-Rumi

Meditation and the Mind. Keep it Simple.

Simple. Single. Focus. Everyday. New Orleans, September 2015
Meditation. Single Pointed Focus. Ordinary. Everyday. Everywhere. New Orleans, September 2015

“The Buddha taught that the mind is wild and the human experience is full of unpredictability and paradox, joys and sorrows, successes and failures. But through good meditation techniques, a simple attitude, and unconditional friendliness toward ourselves, we can work toward taming the one thing that causes our suffering: the mind.”

-from the Pema Chodron Foundation Newsletter

Abhyasa and the Hot Buddha

Showing up. Romney Pilates. September 2015
Showing up. Romney Pilates. September 2015

Abhyasa: continuous endeavor; constant practice; repetition; exercise; exertion (from A Concise Dictionary of Indian Philosophy; Sanskrit Terms Defined in English)

“And so I practice without knowing how it will all turn out. Clearly, along with clarity and faith, my commitment requires some will and effort. As Patanjali says in verse 14, establishing a firm foundation in practice requires sustained exertion over time. Commitment to practicing means I practice if it is easy for me, and I practice if it is hard for me. If I am bored, I practice; if I am enthusiastic, I practice; if I am at home, I practice; if I am on vacation, I practice. There is a saying in Buddhism: If it is hot, be a hot Buddha. If it is cold, be a cold Buddha. This is the consistency and determination in practice that Patanjali means when he speaks of abhyasa. In the beginning, this sustained exertion may be an act of will, an act of ego. But as we continue, the practice itself creates a momentum that propels us through the difficult moments of fear and boredom.”

-From Yoga Journal article, Hot Buddha Cold Buddha by  Judith Hanson Lasater

be happy. becOMe this mOMent

River Road Train Tracks, New Orleans, August 2015. Photo: MBuffett
River Road Train Tracks, New Orleans, August 2015. Photo: MBuffett

Being able to stop and be aware of the present moment is part of the definition of happiness. It is not possible to be happy in the future. This is not a matter of belief; this is a matter of experience.

– from Silence by Thich Nhat Hanh

the cOMplimentary union of yoga + pilates

Reformer Asana Play at Romney Pilates. New Orleans, August 2015. Photo: MBuffett
Reformer Asana Play at Romney Pilates. New Orleans, August 2015. Photo: MBuffett

“Good posture can be successfully acquired only when the entire mechanism of the body is under perfect control. Graceful carriage follows as a matter of course.”  -Joseph Pilates

“It is through the alignment of the body that I discovered the alignment of my mind, self, and intelligence.” -B.K.S. Iyengar

Dance When You’re Broken Open

Natarajasana (Lord of the Dance Pose). New Orleans, July 2015. Photo: BKane & MBuffett
Natarajasana (Lord of the Dance Pose). New Orleans, July 2015. Photo: BKane & MBuffett

A secret turning in us makes the universe turn. Head unaware of feet, and feet head. Neither cares. They keep turning…

Something opens our wings. Something makes boredom and hurt disappear. Someone fills the cup in front of us. We taste only sacredness…

Dance, when you’re broken open.
Dance, if you’ve torn the bandage off.
Dance in the middle of the fighting.
Dance in your blood.

Dance, when you’re perfectly free.

-from The Turn: Dance In Your Blood by Rumi