“JATHARA PARIVARTANASANA”, Fairhope, AL, October 2011, Photo: MBuffett
“The most important thing to keep in mind when practicing meditation lying down is that it is about falling awake… There are many virtues to meditating lying down… We can surrender completely to the embrace of gravity, and let go into the floor or mat or bed and let it do the work… In practicing dropping into the embrace of gravity itself, we are more motivated and more willing to drop unconditionally into now, to bring a radical and open- hearted acceptance to whatever we find is going on in our minds and our bodies and our lives in any moment or on any given day, in a word, to be and let go.”
“NATURE WINS” New Orleans, June 2014, Photo: MBuffett
“I find it useful to meet each moment freshly, as a new beginning, to keep returning to an awareness of NOW over and over again, and let a gentle but firm perseverance stemming from the discipline of the practice keep me at least somewhat open to whatever is arising and behold it, apprehend it, look deeply into it, and learn whatever it might be possible to learn as the nature of the situation is revealed in the attending.
When you come right down to it, what else is there to do? If we are not grounded in our being, if we are not grounded in wakefulness, are we not actually missing out on the gift of our very lives and the opportunity to be of any real benefit to others?”
“THE MOTHER”, Perdido Pass FL, June 2015, Photo: MBuffett
“Meditation is a way of being, not a technique… Meditation is not relaxation spelled differently… We might say that meditation is really a way of being appropriate to the circumstances one finds oneself in, in any and every moment. It is the non-clinging, and therefore the clear perceiving, and the willingness to act appropriately within whatever circumstances are arising that constitute this way of being that we are calling meditation.”
“The way we start producing the medicine of mindfulness is by stopping and taking a conscious breath, giving our complete attention to our in-breath and our out-breath. When we stop and take a breath in this way, we unite body and mind and come back home to ourselves. We feel our bodies more fully. We are truly alive only when the mind is with the body. The great news is that oneness of body and mind can be realized just by one in-breath.”
“What the world needs more than anything is active servants of peace clothed in the armor of perseverance, dedicated to the spreading of wisdom into all reaches of our experience… working to transform their minds and actions and those of others, working tirelessly in the certain knowledge of the support of the buddhas and enlightened beings, for the preservation of our world, and for a more merciful future. As Teilhard de Chardin said: “Some day, after we have mastered the winds, the waves, the tides and gravity… we shall harness… the energies of love. Then for a second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire.””
-from The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche
This time last year I had one of those pivotal moments where I hit a wall and was faced with the reality of my life and the choices that lay before me. Things were going relatively well. A third teacher-training group was about to graduate from my Yoga Birds program and the studio was chugging along offering valuable services to the community. I had a nice house, great husband, awesome dogs, and loving family all around me.
My practices of daily asana and meditation were steady, life at home was good…but something was missing or just not right with me. I prayed and I meditated and finally realized that I was not where I wanted to be or doing what I truly wanted to be doing.
It was one of those God-moments when I realized in full force the finite nature of my time on earth, the importance and impact of every choice I make, and the preciousness of every moment that has been given to me.
I started making plans to close my beloved little yoga studio and to get back into film acting which I had left in 2008 when I moved to Fairhope from New Orleans. So, in case you were wondering, that’s where I have been all year…. In acting classes in New Orleans. More on that later…
I have not abandoned yoga. Or, more accurately, yoga has not abandoned me. I have taken a massive break and rest from daily vigorous asana (poses) practice. It was not intentional and happened naturally as I stopped teaching so much. I am still a firm believer and advocate that asana yoga teachers should be practicing what they are asking of their students. I asked a lot of my students ergo I spent a lot of time on the mat in my own personal practice doing sun salutations and warrior poses, etc.
This break from the physical yoga for me has been utterly healing and informative…which is essentially what our practices should be about. So yes, my chaturanga and my pinca mayurasana probably SUCK right about now, but really…. I don’t care. And this is cOMpletely LIBERATING for me!
What I do practice regularly is Restorative Yoga. Apparently my nervous system needs a daily re-set to truth, consciousness, and joy. My husband Burke who is a brilliant wordsmith dubbed Restorative Yoga a practice of ‘pillows and gravity’. It is absolute heaven and gives back to me ten-fold in the currency of connection to Spirit, relaxed groundedness, breath awareness, clarity, patience, kindness, happiness, contentment, and vibrant energy. All it asks of me is to stop, become still, and hang out there for 5 or 10 minutes at a time. And BTW… it’s not nearly as easy as it sounds.
In these past several months I have explored different neighborhoods –literal and figurative. I miss my friends and family and community of yogis in Alabama and further east. I have made some incredible new friends in the acting and film and fitness communities of New Orleans. Life is a constant paradox. But it is certainly wonderful.
I am ready to start teaching again with a fresh new perspective on how yoga can support day to day life and courageous choices that foster the manifestation of the sparkling, healthy, vibrant lives that are our birthright.
Next month I will be in Fairhope at Prana Health and Wellness Sunday, November 24th. Becky Ardrey and I are co-hosting an open house and discussion about the collaborative 2014 Yoga Birds Teacher Training being held at Prana. Stay tuned for more details about the open house and about the training.
Also in the works in New Orleans is a yoga class in conjunction with the indoor cycling classes (called RIDE) I have been teaching at Romney Pilates Center on Magazine Street. More details TBA.
On Sunday morning, November 17th I am presenting a Restorative Yoga Session at the Mahabhuta Yoga Festival. I can’t wait to immerse in yoga for the whole weekend with so many friends and teachers! I hope that you can join me there for my class or to attend some of the fantastic classes of other teachers with me.
That’s all I have for now. Please be in touch with a comment below or drop me a line or a ‘like’ on my personal profiles at Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. And if you’re interested, check out my new acting website at www.melaniebuffett.com. Hope to see y’all soon in a festive and joyful place!
Often I hear …”When I get more flexible, I will come to see you in yoga”. If you have ever had an inkling of this thought, please read on…
Last week’s Advanced Studies lesson hinged on the idea that flexibility is a function of the nervous system. Meaning, that when you are stretching, and your body tells you (sometimes loudly) that you have reached the edge of the stretch, you have not really come to the end of the muscle’s ability to lengthen, you have come the point where your nervous system can no longer handle the work. You have come to the current end point of comfort-ability, familiarity, and sustainability. Think about a pose like pigeon pose, or a seated forward fold (or some pose where you experience resistance). When you come to the place in the pose where sensation overpowers breath and all of your senses, you (hopefully) back off to where you can breathe with ease and mindfulness. This discernment and mindful breath work at the ‘edge of our ability’ is actually the part of practice that is addressing and soothing the nervous system while simultaneously applying intense stimulus to ‘go further’. It is in this moment that the body, breath, and subtle-body are sitting in ’round-table negotiations’, communicating beyond the realm of intellect and language. The consistent practice of symbiosis of body, mind, breath, Spirit, and intention often allow us to move (possibly microscopically and incrementally) a little deeper into the pose, thereby cultivating more flexibility and a deep sense of calm where we once thought we were at ‘the end of the rope’. This lesson is applicable not only in asana, but in situations where we may need to cultivate a little bit more flexibility, but are facing resistance (whether our own or some other force’s). Breathe in the face of challenge. Same lessons over and over, right? It always comes back to the breath, doesn’t it? Meditation, pranayama, restorative yoga, yoga nidra, yin yoga…these are all practices that activate the parasympathetic nervous system which supports and is supported by quiet, calm, introspection, and the harmonizing of our energies. Interestingly, skillful resting practices are the key element to getting ‘deeper’ into our active adventures. Whether we are working 9-5 (or more), pursuing a triathlon season, engaging in an active asana yoga practice, raising kids in the beautifully hectic world, or simply feel frazzled, over-heated and ‘had it up to here (insert hand gesture at forehead level)’…it’s time to address taking care of your nervous system. Take time for breath practice, meditation, and the inner work of yoga to enhance and enrich the outer work in which we must or choose to endeavor.
Re-Train Your Nervous System. Find Your Inner Peace
Check out these upcoming events I am offering at Yoga Birds.
Meditations on Bhagavad Gita Wednesdays, July 11, 18, 25, 6-10pm (asana practice followed by meditations and discussions)
Yoga Series For Brand New Beginners (go to week of July 10 at online schedule to sign up) Tuesdays 5-6pm, July 10, 17, 24, 31 (due to the progressive learning nature of the series, drop-ins are not permitted)
You CAN retrain your nervous system and reach new depths of peace in whatever you are doing… on and off the mat.
I came across this passage in morning reading about Centering Prayer which is an ancient Christian Prayer form that comes from Catholic tradition. I just love it when teachings from the religion of my birth and teachings of yoga and meditation intersect in sheer oneness and beauty.
The Greek Fathers distinguished between chronosandchairos. Chronos is chronological time: the steady flow of minutes, hours, days, and years. It moves along relentlessly, with steady, unflagging pace –no matter what is going on. It is totally equalitarian, flat, unvarying. Chairos is the time of grace, the fullness of the present moment, the all that is now. Each moment has its own uniqueness, its own fullness, its own quality. [Through methods of meditation and Centering Prayer we will more quickly) graduate into a life of chairos, a life that is filled with luminous Presence, great peace, a constancy in joy…–M Basil Pennington, O.C.S.O
The mindfulness meditation sessions at Yoga Birds this week have used sound and hearing as the primary objects of attention. It’s a simple yet profound technique of sustaining awareness on the soundscape around you.It is no surprise that most of us lose a connection with sounds of the present moment to the volume of inner-mind noise. Just awakening my awareness to the ‘sounds of silence’ …the hum of the fridge, the chirping crickets, the car passing outside my window…all bring me back to a presence of this seat, this moment, this breath. My usual whirling (or more like howling) mind ceases. I feel infinitely spacious and light. A unique, contented, restful quality descends upon me that is akin only to sitting meditation. I want to practice this state of awareness as much as possible so that I might learn to LIVE with this spaciousness all (or I would even settle for most) of the time. It is just so wonderful. Come sit with me!
I am still reading and enjoying and being guided by the wisdom in Ruiz’ The Four Agreements.After meditation today I took pen to paper and jotted down the following…
Be Impeccable with your word. = Truth.
Don’t make assumptions. = Reality.
Don’t take things personally. = Compassion.
Always do your best. = Action.
Truth (Satya). Reality (Tattva). Compassion (Karuna.). Action (Karma.).
SatyaTattvaKarunaKarma
I think I have found my Mantra! Whoa. Life is BIG! OM!
The day has started well. Early morning sitting and nadhi Shodhana.Followed by a short and energetic run around the neighborhood with Bear and Reggie. I am nourished by pleasant conversation over a cup of coffee with my husband and a fresh carrot apple ginger juice with a shot of Mila Chia for breakfast.
Today is the first day of leading Mindfulness Meditation at Yoga Birds. As usual,I am a little nervous about teaching a new class, but in a good way. I am excited to be able to present and hold the space for our community to sit in inner reflection together.
I want to ride my bike to work but I think it’s going to rain. It’s a perfect ride for a good warm up for the day. Asana will have to suffice. What a JOY! As ever, I am so grateful for my practices of sitting meditation, mindful breathing,and intention fueled movement. Thank you Lord!
