Can't seem to take the next step? (Or the first one...)? Here are 5 easy steps to help get you there:
Make the step smaller: Is the step too big? Remember, baby steps also get you closer and taking a baby step will give you the surge of energy you need to take another baby step.
Do something to feel good: What helps you feel good? Call a friend who always says the right thing, get a great night's sleep, eat a meal that you love, go for a walk, spend time in nature, do yoga (of course!). When you feel good, you are much more likely to take a chance and do something you have been avoiding.
Do something that helps you feel strong: What helps you feel your own personal strength? Pull out an old trophy from high school, read a recommendation someone wrote about you, spend time with those who depend on you. When you are reminding of your own beautiful strength, it is easier to access it!
Stand in a really strong Tadasana (Mountain Pose): Here is a video describing what I mean. Rock your stance and feel the power of standing strong on your own two feet!
Remember why you are doing it in the first place: Why are you taking this step? Is it taking you where you want to be? Remind yourself of how you are ready to feel and use that feeling to inspire you to action!
(Here is an excerpt from my book, Awaken to Joy. Each chapter includes four assignments, one a week for a month, so you can deepen your own understanding of the topic. I include one here for your enjoyment. From my heart to yours. In joy, Laura)
Here is a paragraph in the Chapter on Anger:
The Path of Our Anger
My next step was to notice that my anger has a path it follows almost every time. First, I feel impatience, then irritation and then anger. Identifying the path helped me recognize when anger was coming. When I begin to feel impatient, it is a signal to me to take care of it before it escalates. Usually I can stop it before irritation comes, but I do not always have the energy to stop what feels like a runaway train in my heart. Then I know I need to take care of other things in my life (we will look at those things in the coming chapters).
Often our reactions are merely habit from learned behavior. Our parents or someone important to us reacted that way, and, therefore, it is all we know. Do you know any other way to react in traffic than with frustration? What about in the grocery store when you are in a hurry, took the time to find the shortest line, and then stood there “forever” while the clerk had to check the price on something? What about when your child makes a mistake? Is anger (irritation, impatience) the first place you go in these situations? What did your parents do? Can you begin to imagine a different, more compassionate path you might take? One that would keep you connected to your joyful state?
Assignment:
Step Two: Is it a Habit? – Can you recall when you first learned this reaction? If so, do you agree with the way that person reacted? Do you truly feel the same way or is it just what you learned?
Each yoga pose we do leaves an echo in our energy field, a residual effect, like a shadow. The residual is why we do yoga. Each pose leaves a different echo. Take a moment to enjoy and learn from your echos. How did that pose feel in your body?
Yoga Bella, Chanhassen: Tuesday, August 7, 10:00am YogaSoul, Eagan: Wednesday, August 8, 7pm
Staff will talk you through what you need to know. Bring questions and curiosity!
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Have you thought about being a yoga teacher? Maybe you already are a yoga teacher and want more than just a basic understanding of the poses. Or it could be that you’ve just learned about yoga and want to learn as much about it as you can, without ever teaching. Well, if you live near Minneapolis or are willing to travel to get the most advanced yoga teacher training, get ready. Don't miss this opportunity to learn and grow with the oldest and most experienced Yoga training program in Minnesota.
Musélan’s Yoga Teacher Training program begins with the experience and knowledge of Laura Erdman-Luntz, E-RYT(500), a yoga teacher with over 20 years of experience, an education in exercise physiology and a life-long passion for yoga. Nine other educators round out the staff assuring that there is a variety of experience and expertise in not only yoga and yoga philosophy, but other related disciplines. Learn about not only the yoga poses but Sanskrit, Chakras, Sutras, Yamas and Niyamas.
This unique program gives you:
Small groups are the best learning environments for your training. Just like this ancient practice used to be handed down from guru to student, so is this program done in small intimate groups. You won’t be lost in the crowd! You’ll connect personally with the staff and bond with the rest of your group. This is about community and connection.
Intimate group sizes (10-15 Trainees to 3-4 Trainers),
Personal interaction with interaction with lead trainers
Individual coaching and support
Deepen Your Yoga Practice Even if you don’t become a teacher, Yoga Teacher Training will deepen your personal yoga practice. Under the expert guidance of experienced Yoga Educator, Laura Erdman-Luntz and the Musélan team, you will find the unique meaning of yoga that lies within you. If your calling is teaching, you will find a fabulously supportive yoga community to help you grow and reach the heights you are capable of.
“Taking Teacher Training from Laura and all of her incredible teachers has been a life-changing experience. Not only have I learned the yoga postures and how to teach yoga from ‘THE BEST”, I’m learning how to live a more fulfilling and happy life. This program is so well done, I feel lucky to be part of something so great. Our program is nearly over, and I don’t want it to end! I intend on taking the 500 hour teaching training with Laura to continue on this amazing journey."
~ Deb Frischmon, 2011 200-Hour Participant
Ready to Share Your Passion?
Yoga teacher training or advanced study can teach you more than group classes, DVD’s and books. It can teach you about the Eight Limbs (there’s more than just poses!), the philosophy, the rich history and the subtle art of this ancient practice. Learn how and why this practice transforms not only bodies but also people's lives. Maybe it has changed your life and you’ve become aware of the possibilities, or it’s changed your life and you want to help others know the wonderful feeling of changing theirs.
Our Trainers are Trained to Teach Teachers:
Learning to teach yoga is more than learning the basics. Under Laura's guidance, the Musélan staff is trained to teach Yoga Teachers. To guide the trainees in taking this beautiful art out into the world to transform their students' lives.
Our staff is also has a wide-range of experience. Questions about the difference between Yoga and Pilates? We have Pilates teachers. Interested in Meditation or energy work? We have meditation teachers, Reiki practitioners and Tai Chi instructors. Want to know more about what it means to live a Yogic lifestyle? We’ve all done it and ask ourselves that question every day of the journey. Our teachers not only know yoga and other disciplines but have taught in just about every setting you can imagine. They will ensure that you feel confident and comfortable before you ever teach in front of a group. They’ll give you the in’s and out’s of what it takes to teach in studios, health clubs, retreat centers, corporate settings or your neighbor’s living room. Learn from our experience! We are here to answer your questions and guide you on the path you take.
What Type of Yoga is it?
The Musélan program is not specific to one style of yoga - we’ll teach you all we know about all the styles. Whether you enjoy yoga flow, fitness yoga, hatha yoga or restorative yoga (or something in between!) we give you the fundamentals to teach yoga. Learn about the poses, the body, the anatomy and physiology to keep students, and yourself, safe and healthy.
So...?
Our participants come from all walks of life. Full time moms, teachers, bankers, marketers, graduates from other yoga programs, fitness professionals, part-time office workers and more. What they all have in common is a desire for more... What is it YOU want more of? If yoga can help you find the more you are looking for, so can we. It’s a better, happier, healthier, more fulfilling life we all seek. Whether you want to be a teacher or just desire spending time deepening you knowledge of yoga, join them for a year that will change your life...
Intensive Study:
You have two choices for the 200-Hour Teacher Training and the 500-hour so you can choose what fits your learning style and your schedule. Whatever you choose, you will learn from the best and learn so much more about yoga. . .and yourself.
500-Hour Programs (+300 hours - actual training hours are approximately 400): (Please note: these programs are 300 more hours above a 200-hour program. They are intended for those who have already earned their 200-hour registry mark with a Yoga Alliance registered school.)
Eden Prairie, MN at Yoga Prairie: One intensive weekend a month from January 2013 to December 2013. More information.
International Retreat, Costa Rica and Mexico: Spend two glorious weeks at Haramara in Mexico in October and two more weeks in Costa Rica at Samasati Nature Center in May. (Retreats can be completed in any order.) OR just come for one or more of the weeks for a glorious continuing education experience! More information.
Please Note: This Statute does not apply to the Costa Rica/Mexico program: MN STATUTE141.28: Subdivision 1. Disclosure statement: "Yoga Prairie is licensed as a private career school with the Minnesota Office of Higher Education pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, sections 141.21 to 141.32. Licensure is not an endorsement of the institution. Credits earned at the institution may not transfer to all other institutions."
Usually our "What ifs..." are rife with fear and doom. What if...you use them for good? What if this turns out better than you though? Use your "What ifs" to take you more deeply into the life you dream of, not to keep you away from it.
In my favorite sutra, Sutra 1.12, of the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali refers to Abhyasa or Persevering Practice. Basically a Persevering Practice refers to dedicating yourself to your practice for a long period of time. Then, and only then, will you experience the Yogic state of bliss. The question is, what is a Persevering Practice?
When we discussed this sutra in my monthly Sutra discussion group, I asked everyone if they felt they had a "Persevering Practice". All but one said something to the effect of, "Gee, I know I don't do enough..." Frankly, I was surprised that one person said, "I love my practice. It is exactly what I need right now." You know why I was surprised? In all my years of teaching (20+), I have never heard someone say they were satisfied with their practice. Everyone always assumes they are suppose to be doing more and wish they could. They aren't doing enough asana is usually the cry. They aren't doing it daily, or they don't have a long enough practice or they are not challenging themselves enough.
I have two ideas I want you to keep in mind as you move forward with your own Pesevering Practice:
Patanjali doesn't define "Pesevering Practice" other than dedicating yourself to your practice. He doesn't say 7 days a week, 3 classes a week, 3 hard poses per practice, or even how long a practice should be. Pesevering Practice is simply being devoted to your practice, honoring it, creating space in your life for it, whatever "it" is. Which leads me to:
There are actually four very distinct and powerful aspects to a yoga practice: Asana practice (the poses we are all so familiar with which strenthen our physical body), Breathing practice (or Pranayama, which pacifies the nervous system and clears the energy body), Meditation (which clears the mental body), and the study of the Yogic Precepts, philosophy (which moves us into our higher mind because it calls us to challenge our long-held beliefs.) I will write more about the four legs of a Home Practice in another post. For now, realize that having a "Persevering Practice" doesn't necessarily mean hitting your mat every day for 60 min of heart pounding asana. Spending a day with your attention on compassion is practicing yoga. Sitting to gently focus on your breath to calm your mind is practicing yoga.
So, while I must admit, I, too, am one of the masses, I do wish I had a bigger yoga practice. I began yoga when I was single and living alone. I had nothing but time to practice, practice, practice. Now, with small children and a business to maintain, my time is more limited. At the same time, I can confidently say I have not gone one day of my 20+ year practice without practicing yoga. I bet you can, too!
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500-Hour Adventure! Join Laura for an adventure for your 500-hour training! Join her in the spring in Costa Rica and Mexico in the fall. Take yourself more deeply into your studies in the beauty of these magnificent places.
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