Yoga Journey

This is really becoming a journey. At the first class Ally and Charlie (the instructors) talked about how they wanted this experience to become a transformation for us. Transformation. When I first thought about that I was kind of skeptical. How would I become transformed? I'm already in a good place with who I am and what values I cherish. I know myself pretty well and take care of myself (food, exercise, lifestyle). I've spent a lot of time self reflecting, because that's who I am. I spend copious amounts of time in my head just thinking. I could sit and think for hours and not know how long it had been.

But today's class was about the philosophy of Yoga. The origins, teachings, and spirituality involved. Yoga-Sutra or yogic teachings are based upon the idea that everyone and everything is composed of energy. You are energy, I am energy, trees are energy, the stars have energy, and so on. Our energies are different depending on our emotions and actions, but energies nonetheless. I believe this because to put it simply, you feel it. You feel more energized after a good meal or a great workout. When you meet someone you feel their energy; sometimes you click well immediately and sometimes your energies create a repelling force.

Yoga is all about cleansing that energy and making it pure so that you can find a "higher self" or inner peace. In order to really find that purity you need to practice the Yoga-Sutras of which some are: compassion, truthfulness, kindness, discipline, contentment, and study. A majority of which I already practice to some extent. I have a great self awareness that helps me catch negative energy so that I can try to redirect it into positive energy. For example when get jealous over another person's beauty I can catch it and consciously stop myself and try to turn it into admiration. I am not perfect. There are definitely some areas that could use work, but having these things spelled out for me helped me identify where I could start to delve a little deeper. For instance I've been going on dates, but if someone wants to keep seeing me when I don't feel the same way I'm not always truthful in my responses. I make excuses like "I'm sorry I have plans that night" When I should just tell them that I don't think it would work out instead of leaving it open ended or just letting the silence be the answer. Silence is rude. I'm rude.

Anyway my point is that this is starting to become a journey for me. Expect more blogging in the near future. This blog might end up becoming a book like "Yoga and the Quest for the True Self". Who knows. P.S. I hear that is a really good book.

Teacher Training

So last Friday I started a 200 HR Yoga Teacher Training at Yogi's Anonymous. The teachers there are really great so I'm confident that I picked a great studio to learn from. This is their first teacher training, so you can feel them working out the kinks and trying to provide great support while being flexible. But despite that I think I'll learn a lot. I'm excited to become part of another community of like-minded people and to learn to teach something I believe in. I think I will always be teaching something in my life.

I'm hoping the community will help me break through the initial LA plastic film and get to know some great people. We have already talked about compassion and love in class so I have a good feeling about it.

So far I've had 12 hours of instruction, classroom and practice mixed together, and I'm pretty tired. Haha. I will be busier than I've been all year because on top of the training time I have to add another 4.5 hours of practice during the week plus homework. This on top of Bikerowave and regular cooking/cleaning chores will take up 90% of my free time. Finding time to work on my beater bike will be hard.

In any case I'm really happy to be doing it. 11 more weeks, here I come!

Cycle Oregon

Cycle Oregon was so many feelings: fear, excitement, calm, frustration, content, defensive, unsure, anxious, joyful, relaxing, sad and a little bit angry. Usually I blog about the physical challenges, times, conditions and compare myself to a previous me, but when I think of Cycle Oregon I don't think of any of that.

I think of the memories. I recount on what I was thinking and who I was with. What we said to each other and how it made me feel because this whole year, maybe even longer, I've been so consumed with the negative in my life. Eventually I did what I always do and push it down away from my center, which also pushes down my sources of compassion, caring, kindness, openness, friendliness, etc. I became cold, unfriendly, and always thinking of myself. Getting away and seeing familiar (and new) faces was exactly what I needed to remind me of who I am.

On the first day I thought Ku was gonna be one of those guys who just mashes his gears and goes really fast leaving everyone behind. I'm glad I was wrong. I was sad that I couldn't ride more with my friends so I promised myself that the next ride I would be just as strong as they are. I remember getting mad at KChang for not using his 28 gear on the first day. I remember laughing every night with Pattie in the tent about some funny story about Thi or Bosco. I remember every gasp and every breath I held at the sight of Oregon's beauty. I remember John, the 78 year old friendly guy on the SAG from Portland. He told me to watch Giant, with James Dean and Liz Taylor because it was a wonderful movie. John said that if he could he would reset his life and live it all over again exactly the way it was. I hope when I'm his age I will have the same feelings.

There are too many memories to list, and I don't think I laughed as hard or felt as warm as I did in a long time. Thanks for being a part of my life Kevin, Kevin, and Pattie.