At Lulu Bandha's we believe that a huge part of being a yoga teacher is learning how to communicate about Yoga. From explaining the techniques, to discussing the texts, and sharing our intimate personal journeys.
Lao-tzu, the legendary Chinese philosopher and the author of the Tao te Ching, is rumored to have said, "Those who teach do not know, those who know, do not teach." And yet, by request of a guardsmen on his way out of town to live in the mountains, Lao-tzu produced a book of 500 characters. Alan Watts writes, "The core of Lao-tzu's written philosophy deals with the art of getting out of one's on way, learning how to act without forcing conclusions, and living in skillful harmony with the processes of nature instead of trying to push them around."
We are finding that writing is helping us to do this. The process allows us to see more clearly, to feel more accurately, to act in alignment and harmony with the Cosmos, which is the path of Yoga.
Simultaneously, it is within the tradition of yoga to record the teachings. Otherwise we would not have the Vedas, the Upanishads or the Sutras. Sri Aurobindo produced tomes and others recorded the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna for us. And Paramahansa Yoganada's Autobiography of a Yogi started the path for many.
We are so grateful to the mystical poets like Hafiz and Rumi and Rikle for saying what we feel and helping us find the words to describe the indescribable.
One of the homework assignments this last Teacher Training was to start a blog. And WOW! The range of voices is magical and wonderful. You will come to know that you are not alone. You will feel connected and maybe you too will be inspired to write. Keep us posted.
love
kira and friends
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Amber Robinson: The Yoga Quest
Cleaning Out the Junk Drawer. I was Today, kicked off the start of my three day workshop with Patrica Sullivan. I have made it a new rule of mine to go to anything yoga related with no expectations. This leaves me open to what may come and alleviates any preconceived ideas or hopes that would otherwise hinder my experience. In the past, I have had a couple of letdowns due to previously set standards and aim to avoid this in the future. Continue Reading. |
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Megan Forslin: EkaDwiTriOM!
Bija yo mama. The days after the training are slightly sad. It was such an amazing experience. But alas, we must continue forward!
Ojai is a nice place to be planted after such an experience. I'm going to go on a hike after I write this. Continue Reading. |
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Casey Murphy: Bending
inspiration. where does it come from? how do i remain inspired? because i get bored so quickly. its hard to commit to practicing things when i am not inspired. forward folds, taxes, washing my car, monogamy, low fat mayonaisse. so i read books, lots and lots of books. ganga white, katsuki sekida, baldwin, sutras, how-to’s, how not to’s. i go to classes as well. the idea of the sangha is very important to me. i like being around people. the words in the books and the energy of the sangha keep me excited and balanced. Continue Reading. |
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Winifred Wilson: Messages From the Mat
A comfortable pair of bluejeans. I stepped on my my mat this week early one morning for a little home practice. I had a lot on my plate for my day in terms of errands and chores and just wanted to get a little mojo flowing before I stepped out to take care of business. As I started moving on the mat a straight Sun Salutation A came out and it felt really good. Nothing fancy, no variations, no earth shattering ah-has. It was like slipping into an old and very comfortable pair of jeans, washed and worn a thousand times, so soft and velvety it was as if it was a second skin. Continue Reading
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Jim Rifanburg: Ripples
Dude and the Squirrel. Animals sure are funny, this morning while watering the plants I see the squirrel. He is always around, chattering away. I wish I knew what he was saying:) He comes right down the tree and starts eating nuts a few feet from me, constantly on the alert for Dude. Dude is the house cat that lives here. Continue Reading |
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Ashley and Sarah Lowe: The Yogery
Workshop with Arturo
I spent the weekend hanging at Lulu Bandha's! Always a good thing. This weekend was Arturo's workshop on Touching from the Heart.
So many insightful moments. I learned a lot. I wasn't sure what to expect and was decidedly nervous, thinking that maybe we were going to learn massage or something--I was clueless. Turns out, I wasn't asked to DO anything to anyone, but just to BE with them in more effective ways. It was like majoring in Touch with concentrations in Energy and Healing. Continue Reading. |
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Alana Mitnick: Learning to Exhale
Swimming in Love. I had the incredible opportunity to spend a week in Bimini, Bahamas swimming with wild dolphins in warm, turquoise waters. The dolphins teach you how to swim, play, BE present, and live in harmony with oneself and each other. Continue Reading |
m namah shivaya gurave
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It is a difficult thing to tell the story of a life, and yet more difficult when that life is one's own. At the best, the telling has a savour of vanity, and the only excuse for the proceeding is that the life, being an average one, reflects many others, and in troublous times like ours may give the experience of many rather than of one. And so the autobiographer does his work because he thinks that, at the cost of some unpleasantness to himself, he may throw light on some of the typical problems that are vexing the souls of his contemporaries, and perchance may stretch out a helping hand to some brother who is struggling in the darkness, and so bring him cheer when despair has him in its grip. Since all of us, men and women of this restless and eager generation—surrounded by forces we dimly see but cannot as yet understand, discontented with old ideas and half afraid of new, greedy for the material results of the knowledge brought us by Science but looking askance at her agnosticism as regards the soul, fearful of superstition but still more fearful of atheism, turning from the husks of outgrown creeds but filled with desperate hunger for spiritual ideals--since all of us have the same anxieties, the same griefs, the same yearning hopes, the same passionate desire for knowledge, it may well be that the story of one may help all, and that the tale of one should that went out alone into the darkness and on the other side found light, that struggled through the Storm and on the other side found Peace, may bring some ray of light and of peace into the darkness and the storm of other lives.
ANNIE BESANT.
The Theosophical Society,
17 & 19, Avenue Road, Regent's Park, London.
August, 1893. |
Photo is Annie Besant, 1885. Photograph by H.S. Mendelssohn, 27, Cathcart Road, South Kensington, London
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Uschi Gibson: Uschilini
Sari-fied. Today is Independence day in India, and everyone dresses up in their best to go out on the town…My new friend Aarti insisted I wear a Sari, all the women in the villiage were so excited to see me dressed up, and I had fun picking out a pattern, and all together I paid less then $5…. Continue Reading |
m namah shivaya gurave
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om na  mah shivaya gurave
om namah shivaya gurave
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