Two Septembers ago I was offered the opportunity to teach Yoga in Tahoe.  Well, first at the Bunny Ranch, and then in Tahoe (ask me later and I'll share the whole story).  It was serendipity.  I was so happy to have the opportunity to share a space and to share the practice.
One September ago we were granted our own space.  One that could hold the energy of the practice and that we could call our own.  In a year that space has grown not only to be a sacred place to practice but also a community.
Yoga has brought so many people in our small community together.  The physical practice has drawn in practitioners from various walks of life.  All of us, from young to not so young, have made Svadhyaya Yoga Studio a place of our own.
So this month our dharma focus is on Yoga.  The goals, the practice, the reason we are all here.  So share your story with the community and tell us why you've brought Yoga into your life.

This month, as we move through rigorous back-bends, spinal extenders and heart openers we'll be focusing on allowing. 
Kriya Yoga is a practice that incorporates the stretching aspects of Hatha Yoga, the breath and meditation of Raja Yoga and Patanjali's Eight Limbs.  Our practice at Svadhyaya Yoga Studio is a Raja-Hatha practice.  Each class incorporates breath, movement and self-study.  This month, we will be focusing more on allowing the practice to effect us.
Kriya is one of the most difficult aspects of Yoga because it requires that we release.  It is easy to hold on, to control our muscles, our breathing and to be in control of ourselves.  More difficult is relaxation; to let go and to allow change to occur.  Back bending is often referred to as Heart Opening in the Yoga world.  We tend to find fear, frustration and agitation as we bend in reverse.  Our bodies are tight and unwilling to open.  We are fearful of what might present itself as we open our hearts.  We are so used to hiding, stuffing away and repressing things that are hurtful or cause us sadness that when we are confronted with releasing these things we become tense as we are outside of our comfort zone.
Physically, as we work through the practice of bending and cleansing (Kriya) you may notice that your posture changes, your attitude toward yourself and others may shift and you may find yourself more willing to receive and let go. 

How many times have you found yourself listening to something and being distracted by another sound? 

I think back to my grade school years and how, although I was interested in what was being taught, I was so easily distracted by the sound of a tapping pencil, creaking chair or bird singing outside.  As we know, our minds are constantly drawn into many directions.  We are being hit with millions if not billions of pieces of information at any minute and focusing on just one can seem like an impossibility.

Now, consider the last time you were in silence.  What did you hear?  One would hope the answer is "nothing," but it's most likely that you heard something.  Perhaps a buzzing or high pitched ringing or maybe, just maybe your own internal "Aum."
Using sounds as part of our practice to find one-pointedness and mediation can be very helpful.  Sounds can help us to become centered and to draw us inward.  Of course, they can do the opposite, as well.  The sound of screeching tires or an alarm can certainly draw you outside of yourself.  In opposition, the sound of your own voice in a hum can draw you inward.  A deep bass can connect you to your belly and your favorite song can rush in memories of old.

This month, as we focus on finding stillness in our asana practice, we will also use the sounds around us to help us draw inward.  Even the pounding of the dancer's feet on the floor above offers the opportunity of practice to bring our attention inward.  As your physical practice becomes more still, so shall your mind, breath and spirit.

Although most of Sanskrit can seem like tongue twisters and silliness, as you learn what each word means and how it can be used, things become more interesting.

Throughout my practice as a Yogini and then during my Yoga teacher training, my guru would talk about the balance between practice & effort (Abhyasa) and non-attachment and letting go (Vairagya).  Being that my primary interest in Yoga was rooted in the physical benefits, I really didn't care if I was "letting go" of anything, I was more interested in that fancy headstand and holding Caturanga.

As my practice deepened, and as I began teaching, I started to learn that if I didn't let go, then I got nothing.  What I mean to say is, the more I held on to the practice and the more my focus was on having large classes and making lots of money, the fewer students I had and the more frustrated I grew.

When I opened Svadhyaya Yoga Studio, I had so many other things on my plate that all I could do when it came time to teach was allow my passion to flow outward to my students.  I would have classes of 0, 1 or maybe 2 students.  I got to know them well and their dedication to the practice was a reflection of mine.

Now, almost two years down the road, I continue to be driven by the practice and I try my best to let go of the results.  It's very difficult, and it's sometimes a challenge to walk the line between what I want and what I need. 

Abhyasa and Vairagya are so important because we have to constantly be practicing in order to grow.  We have to always be letting go of the old growth so that we can become new.  Just as the snake must shed it's skin, so must we be able to let go of the past and move foward.