The Yoga Path

Valentine's Day classes at the Yoga Path: Join Mark 9:30-11am for Level I or Kim 5:15-6:15pm for Hot-ish Vinyasa (all levels). Drop-ins welcome or sign up through the website.

“For Calling the Spirit Back from Wandering the Earth in Its Human Feet” by Joy Harjo

Put down that bag of potato chips, that white bread, that bottle of pop.

Turn off that cellphone, computer, and remote control.

Open the door, then close it behind you.

Take a breath offered by friendly winds. They travel the earth gathering essences of plants to clean.

Give it back with gratitude.

If you sing it will give your spirit lift to fly to the stars’ ears and back.

Acknowledge this earth who has cared for you since you were a dream planting itself precisely within your parents’ desire.

Let your moccasin feet take you to the encampment of the guardians who have known you before time, who will be there after time. They sit before the fire that has been there without time.

Let the earth stabilize your postcolonial insecure jitters.

Be respectful of the small insects, birds and animal people who accompany you.

Ask their forgiveness for the harm we humans have brought down upon them.

Don’t worry.

The heart knows the way though there may be high-rises, interstates, checkpoints, armed soldiers, massacres, wars, and those who will despise you because they despise themselves.

The journey might take you a few hours, a day, a year, a few years, a hundred, a thousand or even more.

Watch your mind. Without training it might run away and leave your heart for the immense human feast set by the thieves of time.

Do not hold regrets.

When you find your way to the circle, to the fire kept burning by the keepers of your soul, you will be welcomed.

You must clean yourself with cedar, sage, or other healing plant.

Cut the ties you have to failure and shame.

Let go the pain you are holding in your mind, your shoulders, your heart, all the way to your feet. Let go the pain of your ancestors to make way for those who are heading in our direction.

Ask for forgiveness.

Call upon the help of those who love you. These helpers take many forms: animal, element, bird, angel, saint, stone, or ancestor.

Call your spirit back. It may be caught in corners and creases of shame, judgment, and human abuse.

You must call in a way that your spirit will want to return.

Speak to it as you would to a beloved child.

Welcome your spirit back from its wandering. It may return in pieces, in tatters. Gather them together. They will be happy to be found after being lost for so long.

Your spirit will need to sleep awhile after it is bathed and given clean clothes.

Now you can have a party. Invite everyone you know who loves and supports you. Keep room for those who have no place else to go.

Make a giveaway, and remember, keep the speeches short.

Then, you must do this: help the next person find their way through the dark.

- from “Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings” by Joy Harjo (2015)

Week 20 Poses (Sanskrit) Poses (English) 1 Samasthiti/Tadanasa Mountain pose 2 Gomukhasana Cow-face pose standing 3 Paschima Baddha Hastasana Back Bound Hands To Forearms pose 4 Vrksasana Tree pose 5 Utkatasana Fierce or chair pose 6 Utthita Trikonasana Triangle pose 7 Virabhadrasana I Warrior 1 pose 8 Ardha Chandrasana...

http://omyogapath.com/2021/01/20/preliminary-iyengar-course-week-20/

Preliminary Iyengar Course -Week 20 Week 20Poses (Sanskrit)Poses (English)1Samasthiti/TadanasaMountain pose2GomukhasanaCow-face pose standing3Paschima Baddha HastasanaBack Bound Hands To Forearms pose4VrksasanaTree pose5UtkatasanaFie…

As part of our practice of "Cultivating the Spiritual Dimension" in our life, please take the time to listen to this Podcast. I comes from a program called To the Best Of Our Knowledge. This particular program is entitled: The Secret Language Of Trees. Here is the link to that Podcast
http://omyogapath.com/2020/09/02/fall-1-assignment/

Fall 1 Assignment As part of our practice of “Cultivating the Spiritual Dimension” in our life, please take the time to listen to this Podcast. I comes from a program called To the Best Of Our Knowledge.…

A story was once shared by Michael Ciborski, one of the dharma teachers in the Plum village tradition. Michael was a monk at Plum Village for nine years and was one of the first Americans to join this Buddhist monastics at the French monastery. Thich Nhat Hanh, Michael retells, was very accessible in those early days and so he, Michael had a good rapport with the venerated Zen teacher. [ 412 more words ]
http://omyogapath.com/2020/05/25/one-step-at-a-time/

One Step at a Time A story was once shared by Michael Ciborski, one of the dharma teachers in the Plum village tradition. Michael was a monk at Plum Village for nine years and was one of the first Americans to join t…

This pose, which many students do when first coming into class, has so many benefits. Viparīta Karani, legs up the wall, improves circulation in the legs and pelvis, stretches and releases the lower back, boosts the workings of the lymph-system thus diminishing stress and tension in the body. It can be held anyway from 5 to 20 minutes. Try the variations offered in this video, but above all, do it -- often. Variations of legs up the wall/Viparīta Karani
http://omyogapath.com/2020/05/11/legs-up-the-wall/

Legs Up the Wall This pose, which many students do when first coming into class, has so many benefits. Viparīta Karani, legs up the wall, improves circulation in the legs and pelvis, stretches and releases the lowe…

The practice of Metta/Loving-Kindness meditation can be practiced as follows. There are a number of variations that you can search for on you own. The script below is my own adaption. It is simple and easy to remember (an important factor for me.) I've also rearranged the phrasing, because it seems more logical and in-line with Maslow's hierarchy of needs, safety/health/ease/happiness. [ 416 more words ]
http://omyogapath.com/2020/05/08/practicing-metta/

Practicing Metta The practice of Metta/Loving-Kindness meditation can be practiced as follows. There are a number of variations that you can search for on you own. The script below is my own adaption. It is simple …

Probably many of you have heard of metta meditation. The meditation on loving kindness. There also a story about how the Buddha first introduced this practice with a sutra teaching. In many ways this teaching seems appropriate to making friends with our current situation of distancing and social isolation. So often the pat answer is to say: "just be with the strong feelings as they arise." But emotions like anger, fear, sadness, envelop us in the the energy that then sweeps us into them. [ 863 more words ]
http://omyogapath.com/2020/05/07/tools-of-practice-metta/

Tools of Practice: Metta Probably many of you have heard of metta meditation. The meditation on loving kindness. There also a story about how the Buddha first introduced this practice with a sutra teaching. In many ways th…

Many of us are out walking or running these days. It's nice to get outside in the spring air. Some of us walk with our dogs, some for exercise, some for both. We might even be doing this more than once a day, going faster or vigorously for the cardiovascular, aerobic benefits; even breaking out into a run. [ 518 more words ]
http://omyogapath.com/2020/05/05/stiffness/

Stiffness Many of us are out walking or running these days. It’s nice to get outside in the spring air. Some of us walk with our dogs, some for exercise, some for both. We might even be doing this more…

So how many times in the course of the day do you think you wash your hands? While doing so do you ever notice your hands. Maybe you are aware of how chaffed or dried they may be, but do you ever just notice yours hands? These useful instruments come with four digits and an opposable thumb. We eat with them, talk with them, pick up things, cook and write with them. [ 415 more words ]
http://omyogapath.com/2020/05/01/hands/

Hands So how many times in the course of the day do you think you wash your hands? While doing so do you ever notice your hands. Maybe you are aware of how chaffed or dried they may be, but do you ever j…

Most of us don't think about doing an asana practice before going to sleep. When it comes to the time when we're ready to crawl into bed, the last thing we want to do it unroll the mat and do yoga poses. We also might believe that the stimulation of doing asana before bed would tend to keep us awake, like a shot of caffeine or adrenaline at bed time. [ 559 more words ]
http://omyogapath.com/2020/04/28/yoga-for-sleep/

Yoga for Sleep Most of us don’t think about doing an asana practice before going to sleep. When it comes to the time when we’re ready to crawl into bed, the last thing we want to do it unroll the mat …

When experiencing thoughts that are luminous and free of sorrow. Yoga Sutra Ch.I v.36 Okay we are still working on different techniques for removing the obstacles/distractions that make the body restless, breathing coarse, and the mind agitated. You know, those things that result in suffering. That next technique is captured in this opening statement. Experience thoughts that are luminous and free of sorrow. [ 611 more words ]
http://omyogapath.com/2020/04/27/luminous-thoughts/

Luminous Thoughts When experiencing thoughts that are luminous and free of sorrow.Yoga Sutra Ch.I v.36 Okay we are still working on different techniques for removing the obstacles/distractions that make the body res…

Today is Friday, so again any who wish can join in the Noble Silence Meditation offered through the Honey Locust Sangha. As mentioned last week it is very beneficial to meditate with others, if not in space at least in time. And you don't have to join us for the full hour, but can just sit for one 20 minute period if you choose. [ 493 more words ]
http://omyogapath.com/2020/04/24/doing-it-right/

Doing It Right Today is Friday, so again any who wish can join in the Noble Silence Meditation offered through the Honey Locust Sangha. As mentioned last week it is very beneficial to meditate with others, if not…

There is a Zen story that you have perhaps heard. This condensed version is borrowed from the writings of Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. One day a farmer went to the field and found that his horse had run away. The people in the village said, "Oh what bad luck!" The next day the horse returned with two other horses and village people said, "What good fortune!" Then the farmer's son was thrown from one of the horses and broke his leg. [ 211 more words ]
http://omyogapath.com/2020/04/23/are-you-sure/

Are You Sure? There is a Zen story that you have perhaps heard. This condensed version is borrowed from the writings of Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. One day a farmer went to the field and found that his horse had…

The sequence presented here is to help with feelings of depression. Without going too deeply into the implications of this term, given the current environment of a global pandemic, it seems safe to say we're all experiencing some feelings of depression, sadness, or despair in the midst of our social isolation. Listed below will be a chart in the two ways these feelings might be manifesting. [ 550 more words ]
http://omyogapath.com/2020/04/22/depression/

Depression The sequence presented here is to help with feelings of depression. Without going too deeply into the implications of this term, given the current environment of a global pandemic, it seems safe to…

Moving on down the list of ways to free the mind of those pesky obstacles, we come to the next practice. One translator of the sutras describes it as follows: "Experience of the finer levels of the senses, establishes the settled mind. "another interpretation is"Consciousness settles by steadily observing as new sensations materialize." For those of you who are just coming to this conversation or haven't read or don't remember what is being discussed here, we are talking about how to "settle the mind and body" from the constant obstacles that distract it, thus leading to suffering. [ 476 more words ]
http://omyogapath.com/2020/04/19/finer-levels-of-senses/

Finer Levels of Senses Moving on down the list of ways to free the mind of those pesky obstacles, we come to the next practice. One translator of the sutras describes it as follows: “Experience of the finer levels …

In practicing meditation we don't always have to sit alone. There is a great support in being with other people. This was a revelation to me after years of meditating by myself. That to be in community with others helps to nurture and cultivate this what seems like a silent, solitary endeavor. Yet think of going to a basketball game where the crowd brings it combined attention and focus on one singular event and supports their team. [ 525 more words ]
http://omyogapath.com/2020/04/17/meditate-together/

Meditate Together In practicing meditation we don’t always have to sit alone. There is a great support in being with other people. This was a revelation to me after years of meditating by myself. That to be in…

don't know about the rest of you, but in the midst of the pandemic and social distancing, I'm finding the world a more quiet place. While this life of unfamiliar patterns, routines, and expectations is unsettling, there is a kind of collective yet nurturing stillness that didn't existed before now. At least not in my memory. In the midst of this quiet stillness emerged a lucid memory of a poem that had some relevance to our current situation, though I couldn't recall how. [ 260 more words ]
http://omyogapath.com/2020/04/15/lucid-memory/

Lucid Memory don’t know about the rest of you, but in the midst of the pandemic and social distancing, I’m finding the world a more quiet place. While this life of unfamiliar patterns, routines, and…

Level II sequence starts with this practice. the sequence moves us from standing poses - to revolved standing poses -- to inversions. The practice is very active and energizing. Try to begin with a strong focused attention, letting the breath do what it needs to do, but quieting the breath so as not to force or strain it. Don't skip the inversions. [ 603 more words ]
http://omyogapath.com/2020/04/14/home-practice-level-ii-1/

Home Practice Level II, 1 Level II sequence starts with this practice. the sequence moves us from standing poses – to revolved standing poses — to inversions. The practice is very active and energizing. Try to b…

Back earlier in the month there was a Deep Relaxation practice offered. This is just one of the practices suggested here to help engage the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). Your body has of course, numerous systems: cardiovascular, digestive, immune, circulatory, endocrine(hormone), and nervous to name some. The stresses we're undergoing right now aren't just personal but also collective, given the current environment of the Covid pandemic. [ 458 more words ]
http://omyogapath.com/2020/04/13/parasympathetic-nervous-system/

Parasympathetic Nervous System Back earlier in the month there was a Deep Relaxation practice offered. This is just one of the practices suggested here to help engage the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). Your body has of co…

We're on to the fourth and final sequence of the First level. If you've be following this level you will of course see that the poses are very simple and basic. Yet these are the building blocks for moving into the more difficult and longer sequences. While the practice is simple and can be done in about 20 minutes, if you repeat the poses where instructed you may find that you can go very deep into each pose. [ 364 more words ]
http://omyogapath.com/2020/04/09/home-practice-level-i4/

Home Practice Level I,4 We’re on to the fourth and final sequence of the First level. If you’ve be following this level you will of course see that the poses are very simple and basic. Yet these are the buildi…

At the Yoga Path there are bookmarks on the ledge by the gnarly Christmas cactus. They were created when first opening the school as a marketing tool. Something to hand out to prospective clients and at health fairs. I hand them out when someone new wants a business card and often include them in business letters sent out. They are often overlooked by the regular students who come and go, while I forget about them too, except when dusting around them at the front end of the studio. [ 428 more words ]
http://omyogapath.com/2020/04/08/bookmarks/

Bookmarks At the Yoga Path there are bookmarks on the ledge by the gnarly Christmas cactus. They were created when first opening the school as a marketing tool. Something to hand out to prospective clients a…

There is this practice called Deep Relaxation. Just to be clear this is not specifically a yoga exercise. Though most often when doing it you take the savāsana position or lay on your side. The technique could be compared to yoga nidra, though that term is sort of esoteric and not familiar to most practitioners. It is also not meditation in the strict sense of the word. [ 262 more words ]
http://omyogapath.com/2020/04/03/deep-relaxation-i/

Deep Relaxation I There is this practice called Deep Relaxation. Just to be clear this is not specifically a yoga exercise. Though most often when doing it you take the savāsana position or lay on your side. The tec…

This practice sequence is very short, but intense (rajasic). The feel is very energetic while helping with focus. If you feeling sort of anxious or antsy, these poses can be very helpful. Yet the poses are basic and you are familiar with them all. I encourage you to go through it once, skipping the last two poses and repeat from the beginning including the last two. [ 329 more words ]
http://omyogapath.com/2020/04/02/home-practice-level-13/

Home Practice Level 1,3 This practice sequence is very short, but intense (rajasic). The feel is very energetic while helping with focus. If you feeling sort of anxious or antsy, these poses can be very helpful. Yet the p…

March is at an end. Any other year we would have done Sun Salutations together in class. The classic sequence would have offered a variety of teaching opportunities. We would have dissected the poses, explored ways to refine and improve our technique. Done them quickly in succession, slowed down to savor the energy being expended, practiced with our eyes closed, then faced the sun to surrendered our efforts to the cosmos. [ 622 more words ]
http://omyogapath.com/2020/03/31/108-sun-salutations/

108 Sun Salutations March is at an end. Any other year we would have done Sun Salutations together in class. The classic sequence would have offered a variety of teaching opportunities. We would have dissected the pos…

I'm late getting today's entry out. The day was sunny and warm, so I went for a bike ride. There were strong northwest winds that I rode into until the headwind just felt like the normal way of things. The wind blew stiffest through open valleys and over the tops of hills, reminding me that it was always present and that it could knock me over at any time. [ 139 more words ]
http://omyogapath.com/2020/03/29/stonewalls-and-strong-winds/

Stonewalls and Strong Winds I’m late getting today’s entry out. The day was sunny and warm, so I went for a bike ride. There were strong northwest winds that I rode into until the headwind just felt like the norma…

I've been hearing from some of you that in the midst of social distancing and our self-imposed remoteness, you are feeling somewhat antsy and dispersed. Today's sequence* might help with that feeling. It starts out active with some standing postures, then spirals into a more introspective poses. Give yourself room to sink into these quieter poses. Their simplicity can perhaps mislead one to thinking they are easy or insipid. [ 404 more words ]
http://omyogapath.com/2020/03/28/home-practice-level-i-2/

Home Practice Level I, 2 I’ve been hearing from some of you that in the midst of social distancing and our self-imposed remoteness, you are feeling somewhat antsy and dispersed. Today’s sequence* might help wit…

For those of you who are perhaps a little tired of Sun Salutations (if that could be possible?) here is a home practice sequence Level 1. Many of the poses get repeated 2x or 3x. Repeating poses is a very fruitful way to deepen your practice. The first time is stopping (shamata) and the second time leads to insight (vipassana). Enjoy… [ 244 more words ]
http://omyogapath.com/2020/03/27/home-practice-level-i1/

Home Practice Level I,1 For those of you who are perhaps a little tired of Sun Salutations (if that could be possible?) here is a home practice sequence Level 1. Many of the poses get repeated 2x or 3x. Repeating poses is…

I'm sharing a writing from a renown yoga teacher, Tias Little, who along with his spouse, Surya, established Prajna Yoga. I have enjoyed and been influenced by his teaching for many years. This teaching on Shamatā/Stopping was timely and particularly relevant to our current situation, so I felt it was worth sharing. I appreciate that Tias uses the term: "the Power of Pause," to describe the benefits of this practice of shamatā. [ 735 more words ]
http://omyogapath.com/2020/03/26/more-on-stopping-shamata/

more on Stopping/Shamatā more on Stopping

Assignment at the bottom of this page One of the things I've come to appreciate about teaching at the Yoga Path, is the community that has formed around it. People of various backgrounds show up for different reasons to take a yoga class. There is usually a tumult of chatter while students set out mats and gather props. When someone shows up for the first time, I don't worry much about trying to make them comfortable, because I know veteran students will welcome them, show them how to set up, and make them feel at home. [ 408 more words ]
http://omyogapath.com/2020/03/25/salt-of-the-path/

Salt of the Path Life needs flavor to foster understanding, compassion and harmony.

For the next few posts I will talk about how to practice on your own, offering various themes. Today it will be a sequence that BKS Iyengar offered right after the 9/11 tragedy: It was titled: Yoga Sequence For Times Of Crisis* The emphasis is to build up one's emotional strength, not physical stamina or flexibility. With that in mind, here are some specific recommendations as to how to move through these asanas: [ 416 more words ]
http://omyogapath.com/2020/03/23/yoga-for-times-of-crisis/

Yoga for Times of Crisis Yoga for Times of Crisis

One of you emailed to ask if there could be a discussion about shamatā, the first wing of meditation. Shamatā as you all recall from the Winter session was practice of stopping, pausing. Given the current situation in our world right now, this practice seems almost to have been enforced upon us. Some of us have stopped going to work, our kids are out of school, we've stopped going to movies, shopping, and going out to eat. [ 270 more words ]
http://omyogapath.com/2020/03/22/shamata-stopping/

Shamatā / Stopping Shamatā / Stopping

YOU CAN USE YOUR asana practice as a tool to de-stress physically, physiologically, and psychologically, body, mind, and spirit. Creating a position that allows for deep. deliberate diaphragmatic breathing will calm and relax the autonomic nervous system. The reclining twist shown in this picture will provide relief to agitated adrenal glands, the source of much of the stress hormones in the body. [ 186 more words ]
http://omyogapath.com/2020/03/20/de-stressing-pose/

De-stressing pose Calm and relax the autonomic nervous system.

Greeting to all on this first day of Spring. The equinox is when day and night are in balance, at least at in some latitudes. Though balance is what we are looking for in the coming days. And isn't balance what we most crave most now with the tumult about us? With that in mind I'm going to try to revive the Yoga Path blog as means to reach out to all you students past and present who have joined to embrace this journey. [ 233 more words ]
http://omyogapath.com/2020/03/19/we-still-can-practice/

We Still Can Practice Greeting to all on this first day of Spring. The equinox is when day and night are in balance, at least at in some latitudes. Though balance is what we are looking for in the coming days. And isn& #…

Classes temporarily suspended beginning Sunday, March 15.
Out of an abundance of caution and for the safety of the health of the Omaha community, the Yoga Path will be temporarily closed for two weeks in response to the threat of the Covid-19 pandemic. We hope to reopen as soon as possible, once the virus is better understood and contained. We hope that in taking this measure, we are playing a role in slowing down the virus’s spread so that hospitals and medical personnel can better prepare to care for new cases.

The Yoga Path News & Events March 13, 2020Classes suspended after March 14 Dear Yoga Path Community Out of an abundance of caution and for the safety of the health of the Omaha community, the Yoga Path will be temporarily closed for two week in response to the threat of the Covid-19 pandemic. Until a clear pictur...

No 8:30am class tomorrow, Friday 2/21. Enjoy your practice at home, and we hope to see you here next Friday morning.

The Friday morning class has moved to 8:30-10:00am starting tomorrow, February 14.

With local schools closing and reports of slick conditions, today’s 9:30am class is canceled. Stay safe and warm.

Accepting This
Yes, it is true. I confess,
I have thought great thoughts,
and sung great songs—all of it
rehearsal for the majesty
of being held.
The dream is awakened
when thinking I love you
and life begins
when saying I love you
and joy moves like blood
when embracing others with love.
My efforts now turn
from trying to outrun suffering
to accepting love wherever
I can find it.
Stripped of causes and plans
and things to strive for,
I have discovered everything
I could need or ask for
is right here—
in flawed abundance.
We cannot eliminate hunger,
but we can feed each other.
We cannot eliminate loneliness,
but we can hold each other.
We cannot eliminate pain,
but we can live a life
of compassion.
Ultimately,
we are small living things
awakened in the stream,
not gods who carve out rivers.
Like human fish,
we are asked to experience
meaning in the life that moves
through the gill of our heart.
There is nothing to do
and nowhere to go.
Accepting this,
we can do everything
and go anywhere.
~ Mark Nepo