Looking for Photo's from Yoga Teacher Training?

Here they are!  Take a look at this link http://tanyajoyskincareandpilates.blogspot.com/

Don't Worry, Be Happy!

Do you remember what a hit that song was, by Bobby McFerren?  "Don't Worry, Be Happy" was the number 1 hit in 1988!  I bet some of you reading this weren't even born yet!  I was the ripe age of 12, being a pre-teen know it all.  I was just in Jr. High, it was a great song that all of the kids at our school dances could get up and dance and sing to.  It is a happy and fun song, I remember it even impacting me then.  Why don't we just not worry, and just be happy?

I was a hyper sensitive kid, well actually I was hyper and I am sensitive.  Some of my friends and neighbors would argue I am also still hyper, but that's another story.  See, I am an only child, I grew up in a home where observing my parents behavior was a part of life.  I watched them interact, I watched them discuss their concerns, and I listened to them talk about their day.  What I observed was that my Dad occasionally had a lot of stress, or worry.  I also noticed that my Mom was very carefree and was able to ease my Dad's worry and stress.  I remember making a decision at my very untroubled age of 12 that I was going to be a "happy go lucky" type of person when I grow up.  I even remember being at The Foothills Market and finding stress relief pills in the vitamin aisle and using all of my allowance to buy these pills for my Dad.  A small price to pay to rid the stress and worry out of your life, and so simply by just taking a few pills!  I remember the reaction of my Dad when I gave him my gift I found at the market was not what I expected, in fact I believe I made him worry more just knowing that his daughter was quite aware of his stress.

Even being aware of this at a young age and making a conscious decision that I was going to be that "happy go lucky" type of person I still find myself occasionally in a state of worry and stress.  In fact, for a few months before I left on my adventure I was having a terrible time with stress and worry, occasionally manifesting into paranoia. I often wonder if that is an inherited trait or if I am in charge of my state of mind.  I think it is only human to have highs and lows or even flight or fight stresses.  What I have become more aware of through my Yoga adventure is; How you react to a given situation is managed from within, a trusting of something greater than myself.  It can be as easy as taking a stress tab, you just have to learn how to unleash your trust and belief from within.  Yoga teacher training was my tool to help me  unleash that and not worry, and be happy.

Here is a favorite go to stress relief tip:

It really is that simple!  Read the chart over and over,  the arrows ALWAYS point back to don't worry!

My Dad is a great help, even though it is the family joke that Dad and I stress while my Mom just skips along with her head in the clouds, whenever I have been stressed, needed advice or help I can always ask my Dad.  About 6 months ago my Dad shared this story with me, that his Dad shared with him.  I would love to pass it on now too.  It is really a cute story and metaphor.

The Farmer and the Man with a Broken Down Car
~One late evening a man was driving through a old farming town trying to get to the next town where he was staying.  As he drove through the Farmland the space between houses grew larger, and larger and became more, and more rural.  Suddenly in the middle of two large corn fields the man's car stopped running.  Oh no!  He was out of gas!  Immediately he started cursing at himself, "How stupid am I?!?  What am I going to do now, stupid!?!"  After several moments of anger, his emotions now turned to worry.  It was getting very cold outside.  He wouldn't be able to stay the night in his car.  He would have to walk to one of the neighboring farm homes nearby and ask for help.  Then he started thinking how rude it is to ask for help so late in the evening.  How could he possibly inconvenience anyone for something so stupid he did to himself? As he got closer to the farm his anxiety's and worry's grew bigger and bigger.  How angry would the Farmer be when he knocked on the door asking for help?  Oh, the stress was almost imbearable!  Finally the man approached the door with great worry and stress, he was just about to knock when really he just wanted to give up and leave. Suddenly, the door swung open.  It was the Farmer, with a great big smile on his face.  He welcomed the man in the farm house, gave him some coffee and began sharing with the man that he saw him approaching the farm.  He continued sharing that it's rare to have people walking around at this time of evening.  His next words out of his mouth were ones the man didn't think he would hear, the Farmer asked what he could do to help.  The farmer had empathy when the man said he had run out of gas. Ultimately, the man got the help he needed and he met a nice person who had empathy. The thing to note was, how much energy did he waste by stressing and worrying?

How many times have you spent time worrying and/or stressing when ultimately things worked out?  Things may not always work out exactly how you would want but I always like to look back with gratitude and find something good about the situations that I found myself in.  I always try and look on the bright side, be "happy go lucky", and Don't Worry, Be Happy!  Again, we are only human, and we just do the best we can.

Seasonal changes with late summer early fall

We have definitely been feeling the heat wave this late summer.   The heat felt in San Diego this last weekend reminded me of when I was living in Arizona!

 The summer season should be wrapping up soon and our bodies have accumulated plenty of heat in our tissues, which has/can been causing some discomfort to our bodies.  That heat is governed by our fiery Pitta dosha, according to Ayurveda.  Ayurveda means 'The Knowledge of Life' and dosha means abnormal.  Every person possesses some qualities of all three doshas.  Most people will have a one predominant constitutional dosha, but some may have 2 or 3 in balance.

When our natural constitution goes out of balance, often initiated by season change, we feel symptoms. As the season slowly starts changing to Autumn from Summer, the leaves dry up, the wind starts blowing, and our symptoms that can be aroused are anxiety, mental and physical burnout, stress on our adrenals, and stomach distress from our bodies natural detoxifier~the liver.  As we enter Vata season (Autumn), the season governed by air, metaphorically it could be presented as adding blasts of air to fire.  This can cause alot of stress to liver, which can result in migraines, irritability, rashes, anger, heartburn, diarrhea, and more.

What we need to do is pacify the Pitta as we enter the Vata season.  Here are some ideas on how we can help bring our body, mind, and spirit into balance during this time.

1. Do a Ayurvedic cleanse.

2. Do some Yoga Asana's

3. Use Coconut Oil for body moisture or massage

4. Drink Tea's with Cumin, Coriander, Fennel, and Rose.

5. Eat Basmati rice.

6. Include more tastes of food or drink that is sweet, bitter, or astringent.

7. Do breathing exercises like Shitali pranayama

Hopi Elders' Prophecy

You have been telling people that this is the Eleventh Hour; now you must go back and tell the people that this is the Hour.  And there are things to be considered....

Where are you living?  What are you doing?  What are your relationships?  Are you in right relation?  Where is your water?

Know your garden.  It is time to speak your truth.  Create your community.  Be good to each other.  And do not look outside yourself for your leader.

Then he clasped his hands together, smiled, and said, "This could be a good time!  There is a river flowing now very fast. It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid.  They will try to hold on the shore.  They will feel they are being torn apart and will suffer greatly.  Know the river has its destination.  The elders say we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of the river, keep our eyes open, and our heads above the water.

And I say, see who is in there with you and celebrate.  At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally, least of all ourselves.  For the moment that we do, our spiritual growth and journey come to a halt.  

The time of the one wolf is over.  Gather yourselves!  Banish the word 'struggle' from your attitude and your vocabulary.  All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration.

We are the ones we've been waiting for.

Our many layers of self ~ Koshas

Just as reptiles shed their many layers of skin human beings have a similar potential to shed layers our spirit and self realization as we become more enlightened.  These layers we have are a part of us united at the core by spirit.  Each layer is distinct spiraling out from the center connecting our body, mind, spirit, and intelligence.

The 5 Koshas are these spiraling layers that make us who we are surrounding our true spirit.

PHYSICAL~ ANAMAYAKOSHA- Ana means food.  Food is neccesary for the physical body.  This is the first layer respecting the physical body, digestion, and assimilation.  This Kosha helps give the others form.   

ENERGY~PRANAMAYAKOSHA- Prana means breath.  Breath creates energy and life force to the body.  The vital airs within the body (vayus) affect the functioning of the whole body.   

MENTAL~MANOMAYAKOSHA- All that rises from the mind; thoughts, reasoning, and emotions are part of this layer. Disruption of this layer can affect the previous 2 layers in breath and the physical body. 

WISDOM~VIJANANAMAYAKOSHA- Underneath the processing, thinking aspect to the mind but more specific in knowing.  It knows, discriminates, judges between this or that, between useful and not useful.  Being very close to our center core it guides us on deeper levels.  Again, all Koshas need each other for the other to function properly. 

BLISS~ANANDAMAYAKOSHA- This is the total absorption of bliss, joy, and happiness.  This Kosha is the interior of all the Kosha's closest to  the true self (Atman).  It is a different reality from mind it is a genuine feeling of joy without distractions from the body and mind.  Again, all the other Koshas are necessary to lead us to our innermost sanctuary.

1st Certified Class!

I did it, I did it!

  I had been so stressed about teaching my first real yoga class with strangers.  I had been thinking about this day for weeks now.  I knew it was coming.  I kept practicing and practicing with friends and family.

Finally the day came, and I woke up feeling good.  Surprisingly, I felt a new calmness about my yoga class I would be teaching that day.  I had been meditating and asking the divine to help me rid my anxiety.  I gave myself permission to bring a script up to my mat with me in case I forgot what I had planned.  I decided to be open with my students and let them know that I am a newly certified yoga instructor.  I decided to be ok with myself, just being me.  Not some amazing yoga instructor I had been to before.  Just me.

 With these realizations and promises to myself I came to find my peace.  I was able to allow authenticity occur.  I was able to allow ego to sit aside.  I was able to flow with the earths energy and pick up intuitivly on what my students needed that day.  A script was helpful where to go, but intuition was my true guide.

So how did it go?

I think it went well.  My students said they enjoyed it at the end of class.  They said it was a great combination of relaxation/stress relief and movement.  Sure, they may have been being nice and encouraging because they are polite and knew this was my first class as a certified yoga instructor.  Either way, I am accomplishing my goal.  I am moving forward into a uncomfortable newness, but I am also growing into my newness.  A new way of living, breathing, and looking at things.

Yoga is teaching me so much about myself.

Yoga is teaching me so much about the world.

Yoga is teaching me how I want to live my life in this world.

Class on Thursday!

Becoming a Yoga instructor is alot more of challenge to me than I ever thought it would be.  It is quite humbling.

I am teaching my first official class this Thursday.  Now, yes, I have been teaching my practicum classes ever since I got home from my Yoga Teacher Training in Hawaii.  I have been getting positive feedback from my students, which is really nice.

What I have discovered is that it's something from within that I need to trust and believe.  It is not like I can just be the same as some of my mentor yoga instuctors.  I can be like them, but I have to be me.  I am still trying to find me, as a yoga instructor.  

Friends have been asking me if I remember feeling this way when I first started teaching Pilates 10 years ago.  I have to say, I don't think so.  What is the difference?  I think it is the spiritual element.  It is not just about exercise or asana.  It is so much more.

I ask myself what is it about my yoga gurus that I love so much, that I fear I don't possess inside of me?  I know, I learned, that everything we really need is what we already possess inside.  I believe I have love and positivity to share.  Why am I so scared, and what am I scared of?  Failing?  No, it's not an option.

Please send me some loving thoughts for my Thursday class at 5pm.  I so want to do a good job!  I have been dreaming and night-maring about it since last Thursday. 

I found this lovely poem I thought was appropriate and wanted to share.  I may read it in my class Thursday.  Keep posted, I will fill you in with the details of class on Thursday.

Our Greatest Fear —Marianne Williamson
it is our light not our darkness that most frightens us
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,
talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other
people won’t feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of
God that is within us.
It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.