When we dive deep, our yoga practice teaches us how to be of service.  Swami Satchidananda taught us that service-surrender (or non-attachment to the result of your service) is the way to live a peaceful, easeful, and useful life.

Act in a way that benefits someone, harms no one, and is performed without attachment to the result.

A tall order, for sure, but that is what yogic philosophy regards as a perfect act. So we are always returning to this idea when providing classes or finding ways to welcome you to the studio, even if that visit is virtual. 

How can we be of service to you? This includes how all of our teachers serve our students and also how Rita and I serve our teachers. 

What can we provide that will allow you to connect more deeply with your practice of yoga?  Not just poses, but your outlook on the world and yourself as well.

In the last year or so, I have been exploring yogic philosophy on this blog as a way to make connections for myself about how my yoga sadhana (daily routine) and the way I conduct the rest of my life interact.

I have tried to be open about how my own life has been transformed through my sadhana.  In being vulnerable, I hope to give courage to anyone who might be struggling with the vulnerabilities that we are learning to face this year (and realistically, all the time). 

I am not attached to this goal because just by writing, I have helped give courage to myself. The act of writing is done for its own sake.

Rita and I have been brainstorming in the background for several months now, trying to figure out ways to serve you even better next year.  This has been greatly helped by the addition of our fantastic social media manager, Lauren, who has lots of fun tricks up her sleeves.

And of course, our teachers just continue to take our ideas and run with them!  It's so fantastic to see their perspectives, toolkits, and styles getting richer and more specific, as we all work on this common goal of serving our lovely students.

Next year, I plan to re-calibrate the focus of this blog onto the practice of yoga, rather than the philosophy.  After all, as our beloved teacher, Sonia Sumar says, "too much theory intoxicates."

In yoga, we have to practice to learn.  With our whole heart, consistently, and for a long time, if we want to be firmly grounded in it (Yoga Sutras, I.14).  Luckily, to those of us who are eager, the attainment of yoga comes faster (Yoga Sutras, I.21).

So as we commit to new visions for 2021, let's hold our yoga sadhana as one of our highest priorities, whether that looks like classes in the studio, outdoors, live-streamed, pre-recorded, or self-led.

But if you are looking for extra special ways to commit to your practice, do we have some goodies for you!  Rita will lead a special Chakra themed  Restorative Yoga class in honor of the Winter Solstice.  I am leading a pajama party yoga class on the morning of Christmas Eve, and we'll team up with Kim to provide our third annual Reflect & Restore Workshop on New Year’s Eve, which is the perfect time to release the last year, create a vision for the next, and be guided toward bliss by the restorative yoga poses and heavenly essential oils.  I will also teach a four-week Yoga for Beginners class on Saturdays in January, just in case you know anyone with yoga resolutions.

Whatever your plans this holiday season, we hope that they are filled with the ease and flow of giving and receiving freely.  And may your yoga practice become even more firmly grounded in 2021.

I admit that I am not naturally gifted at patience. When I was a kid, my parents often had to remind me that I didn’t need to finish a big project in one day.

In our slowly reopening world, we are all being challenged to display a little more patience. I know that waiting for the studio to reopen fully has been testing the patience of our students and team alike.

I commend our community for being so careful during the stay at home order and as we progress through the pandemic’s phases. I have heard many heartening stories about how you are taking care of yourselves and others. I am really proud to be a part of such a compassionate and thoughtful group!

While we will gradually open up a bit more this month, 5KY's management team is very conscious of our duty to keep our community safe. We know that some of you will want to return to classes at the studio right away and others will prefer to keep streaming our online classes at home.

We want to honor both choices. We are taking this time to implement new systems to make sure the messy middle of this pandemic is as safe and smooth for you as possible.

Our aim is to open a couple of in-studio classes by mid-July to start. In the meantime, don't forget we are co-hosting a fundraiser with The FIT Institute for My Block, My Hood, My City with a Rooftop Yoga class on July 11th!

I think we are all realizing that (safely) reopening is going to take more time and effort than we initially envisioned early this spring. The phases may not proceed neatly. At times it may even feel like we are moving backward.

Even so, we are making progress little by little. Someday, things will come back to a sense of normalcy. But until then, our patience is being tested.

In this spirit, I’d like to offer some practical tips on developing patience I’ve gathered as I work to reform my own impatience.

Some of the ideas are tools we can use in our yoga and meditation practice. These are things we can work on every time we return to our mat or meditation cushion.

The rest are activities I turn to when strong feelings of impatience rear up every so often. These activities can be done with regularity on any schedule that suits you.

Developing Patience

• In Meditation - When my mind wanders in meditation, I try not to beat myself up. It’s normal for the mind to wander. Noticing that the attention has drifted and bringing it back develops concentration by deepening associated neural pathways. Eventually, meditation will happen but for now, returning my concentration again and again is enough. Sometimes it helps to think about how funny it is that the mind can’t sit still. "Silly mind, just like a monkey's." Then we move into a place of observation and compassion, instead of judgement.  When we don’t judge our own process, we are practicing patience. Additionally, when we have an impulsive thought like, “that’s enough, I’m done for the day,” we can try coming back to our breath and sitting for another minute. We are directly working on our ability to be patient through that restraint. Finally, we might integrate an affirming mantra into our meditation practice, such as "I am at peace with the process of life" or "every day and in every way, getting better and better" (or pick one that resonates more with you.) This mantra can be pulled out of a back pocket when our patience with ourselves is tested.

 

• In Hatha Yoga - When I feel frustrated that I’m not attaining an intended position or state of mind, I try to sink my attention deep into my body. For example, if I’m practicing a pose and feel frustrated by my lack of progress, I imagine the body part that is struggling in detail. What does it look like? What is happening to it and inside it as I hold this position? How do the structures and cells interact with one another as I practice? What processes of biomechanics are displayed while I practice? Or, if an intrusive thought or feeling interrupts a peaceful state of mind, I will ask myself where I feel that intrusive feeling in my body. I try to "see" it in my mind's eye. When we detach from our thoughts and start to observe the body and mind, we are moving away from egoistic perception and toward a witnessing perception. In this state we are usually more able to feel at peace with the process.
  

 

• With Journaling - Writing isn’t for everybody, but a journal can contain whatever speaks to you. You could draw, collage, or even leave voice memos for yourself. Consistently documenting where we are in a moment (the good and bad) can help us start to notice patterns that keep us stuck. It can also help us recognize and honor that we’ve made a gradual and challenging change for good. Infrequently, I will pick up a journal I wrote five or ten years ago and suddenly realize how much is different in my life. I didn't see the gradual changes as they happened, nor remember them now that they have come to pass. But looking back, the full force of my consistent efforts is clear. Reminders of the necessarily slow nature of progress can help motivate us to keep making wise everyday decisions, in order to get where we want to be eventually. That is both patience and discipline.
  

 

• Through an Annual Review - This doesn’t need to be dry. My mother taught me an exercise, created by Dr. Daniel Amen, which has helped me through many impatient times. Segment a piece of paper into three sections: one just for you, one for your home-life, and one for work. Jot down three or four things you’d like to accomplish in each area of your life in the next five years (you could also choose a different time frame). Put this in a safe place where you’ll remember to check it every so often. Referring to this list regularly can keep you on track and remind you that it’s all a process you’re continually working on. After all, the journey is the goal, right? I’ve heard we think we can accomplish more than is possible in one year but less than is possible in five. So reviewing these lists over several years will show you how hard you’ve worked and where you’ve already succeeded. It’s human nature to forget the good you’ve already done and hang onto what you haven’t accomplished yet. But a list like this is hard proof of your efforts already.
  

 

• By Cultivating Friendships - If you have a long-term relationship with someone you can feel vulnerable around, this is a great way to check in with your progress. We are our harshest critics and a friendly outside perspective on how you’ve changed can be eye-opening. From the outside, it's easier to be more objective and kind. It might be nice to do the annual review exercise with this friend and then check in at regular intervals to give each other feedback on what you’ve both accomplished. Or a less formal approach might work better for you. In any case, a candid conversation about goals and accomplishments with someone else can help us see a bit more objectively, as well as develop compassion for ourselves and the processes we are undergoing to improve.
  

In the end, we should know the nature of impermanence and trust that the discomfort will pass as we continue to work on ourselves. I hope that we will all be able to channel this potent energy into positive changes that last well beyond the current moment.

Wondering what Yoga for the Special Child Basic 1 is like?  Who can take the program?  What will participants be prepared for after taking YSC?  Check out this video, which runs down the basics.

Yoga for the Special Child Basic 1 starts Sunday!  There's still time to register, but we're close to capacity.  So better sign up, if you're planning to join us next week.

Also, join us July 19th at 7PM for a Satsang (community gathering) with Sonia Sumar, who created the Yoga for the Special Child method.

For the first time ever we are able to offer classes for all our young yogis and yoginis - toddlers through teens!  This has been a dream for a long time and we are so excited to offer a full range of classes for kids and young adults.  Each class will be led by a certified Yoga for the Special Child practitioner.  The 5-week sessions run November 4th - December 10th, with no classes during Thanksgiving weekend.  Learn more here.

Yoga for the Special Child Basic 1 program begins in Evanston in just over a month!  This week-long training is taught by Sonia Sumar, creator of the Yoga for the Special Child® method.  Sonia has been teaching this method to kids for over forty years and now brings her training to all corners of the world.  We are so lucky to have her in our own backyard.

YSC Basic 1 is for anyone who has an interest in learning to teach yoga to kids with special needs.  You do not have to be a yoga teacher.  This program is especially useful for parents, teachers, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech and language pathologists, social workers, and yoga teachers. Participants will receive enough hours to become accredited as RCYT with Yoga Alliance (if already a yoga teacher), after completing Basic 1 & 2.  But you can start teaching kids up to age 12 right after you finish the program.

Participants will learn from Sonia herself - how to engage and focus students through yoga chants, breathing exercises, yoga poses, and guided relaxation, as well as how to evaluate students and utilize appropriate exercises for their condition.  A very special part of the program is the opportunity to see Sonia teach demo classes with children, which gives participants the chance to see the method in action.  You will leave feeling prepared to apply yoga techniques to a wide variety of "limitations" and "needs".  And best of all, you will have the chance to deepen your own yoga practice, under the guidance of this living yoga legend!

Register here (or below) to reserve your spot.  Any questions can be directed to the program coordinator for Evanston, Erin.  More info here.