Do you do yoga?

Do you do yoga? Do you want to do yoga daily? WoYoPraMo is the place to go, if you are seeking like-minded, interesting, motivated people. For the month of January, all of us who are WoYoPracMo members are trying to help each other to keep to the straight path of daily yoga. It's fun. People of all ages, forms, expertise...

Two Weeks In

About two weeks ago, I started out on the very enjoyable venture of woyopracmo. For the month of January, about two hundred persons or so have set a goal to do yoga every day. It has been a very interesting experience so far.

First, the woyopracmo community is very light-hearted and supportive folk. I’ve never participated in a web community before. Inside of these two weeks, I come to understand the benefits of such a platform, as well as the addiction factor.

Many of my friends have tried unsuccessfully to get me on MySpace or Facebook. The only reason I even have a Facebook account is to read some friends’ pages. On a day-to-day basis, I just don’t think I can do this sort of back-and-forth exchange with all sort of people who I don’t know IRL.

Secondly, doing yoga every day is like receiving a large dose of sunshine. Why did I not know this?

Last, but not least, this venture has got me thinking about what else is possible to change in my life. One thing for certain, yoga, social networking, and creative expression of mind will be a part of what is to come next.

Complete Conviction

My yoga teacher is a wonderful human being. She’s someone to learn yoga with, as well as learn how grow old. She has this grace, sensuousness, playfulness that is delightful to observe.

My yoga teacher often talks about spiritual and practical aspects of death and dying. Yesterday, she spoke about our life energy and how it is something infinite. How this energy/spirit/force/soul is there before the moment of birth and remains after we have died. She spoke with such conviction and clarity; she opened a door in my mind.

This made me realise why I’ve been so interested in Barack Obama these last years. It has been so long since I’ve heard someone speak with conviction and clarity. Yes, his speeches are scripted. And, yes, he is just trying to do his job to convince voters to vote for him. Yet, he seems to do it from a deep conviction and that can open people’s mind to new possibilities.

Quiet Occupation

Yet another in my yoga collage set. All relatively simple in content, but filled with layers. The technique of these collages reminds me of silk screening more than it does of clipping and pasting.

Days Of Quiet Occupation

The last week or so I've been working on the following yoga collages. This is in preparation for WoYoPracMo. I've also been doing some yoga at home. First time in years. I am exploring why it is that I can amass so much knowledge and translate it into so little action.

Yoga Story

A year ago, a dear friend of mine gifted me a year’s subscription for a yoga course. It was a very generous gift motivated by the knowledge that 2007 would bring various trails.

The foremost being unemployment. My friend believe the best way to combat the ensuing strain would be through yoga, thus her generous gift.

Slideshow of my recent yoga collages

I found a yoga teacher who I absolutely adore. She is also a ballet teacher and dance therapist. Her yoga courses are a joy to take. They are helping me to discover (and learn to accept) this changing menopausal body of mine.

As a form of recognition to my dear friend’s gift and my dear teacher’s efforts to communicate her love of yoga, I’ve decided to participate in Yogamum’s world yoga practice month event (woyopramo) in January.

The goal is to practice yoga every day in January at home. This is something I have considered doing for years now, though it has not translated into practice. Now, is the time to do so.

In Search Of A Yoga Teacher

This is written in thanks to Karen for her generosity, kindness and encouragement.

This week I had the pleasant task of looking around for a new yoga class. I haven’t taken a yoga course in years and never formally went out looking for one before. The last course I took was from a delightful woman at the fitness studio I went to, but I have since left. It is quite amazing how many yoga teachers there are out there and the different types of yoga they offer.

In the end I decided to join a yoga course given by a woman, who I admire; not knowing at all whether she is a good yoga teacher or not. She holds her yoga course at her own ballet school around the corner from where we live. She was also Nature Girl’s ballet teacher years ago.

She didn’t really teach the group of young ballet students classical ballet, but instead, she taught them how to familiarise themselves with their bodies, their limbs, their inner energy; how to move in rhythm, with grace, joy, be funny, be loud, be gentle. What little I saw of her teaching, I was impressed with.

The reason I admire this woman is that she is very tall, very curvy, earthy, graceful, and sensual in her movements. She is older than I am by a fair bit and I think she is the type of teacher or roll model I need at the moment. I know I can learn from her about growing old gracefully, something I dearly wish to do (here, here, and here) and, if I am lucky, some yoga as well.