Surf's Up!

Day before yesterday I was watching the film Surf's Up, guess I was feeling like some cartoons verses all the dramas I had been viewing recently. Was visiting my mom and thought I would look through her 'kids' dvd section (since the only 'kids movie' i currently only is just Tangled and Ive viewed it too death!) and I saw this movie sitting on her shelf. It was released in 2007 but i was boycotting it because at that time in my life I did not have an appreciation for animated films. So I was testing it out, and 1. I feel inlove, I MUST! own this movie!. But 2. and why I make this post is there was something very yoga in the film that really inspired me.

The 2 second premiss of the film is this young pengiun from Antartica (sp) 'Cody' fell in love with surfing as a hatchling when 'Big Z' - the world's greatest surfer in the film- came to Antartica and inspired Cody and became his hero. So when Cody was 17 or so he went to this made up penguin island were Big Z hailed from and went to join the surfing compitition. Now as far as the penguins knew at the time Big Z had a surf accident years ago and died, but Cody finds that his hero is actually alive and just in shame and hiding.

So at this point he is excited but then hurt that his hero isnt what he thought, and cody was just obessed with winning this Surf compitition, but wanted to know surfing from Big Z. Big Z starts to teach Cody but he wasnt learning 'cool' 'winning' stuff so got impaticent and careless. big Z in one scene was showing cody how to make a surf board was teaching his that every carving stroke of the board was important, have to have long smooth steady even strokes, going with the grain and focus on not 'making the board' so much as 'finding it' is the half a log. Cody just started hacking away and low and behold the thing broke in the water within 2 seconds.. so later he takes the slow approach and ends up making a winning board.

Phase 2 after the board was made Cody wanted to rush in the water and learn to start surfing, so Big Z kept him on the beach and was teaching him surfing, how to paddle and stroke, etc. Big Z was also teaching him how to hang loose and hang upside down and to have fun, but Cody just got angery that he wasnt in the water and pulled a practical prank on Big Z, trying to be a pill. Cody laughed and Big Z asked is he was havign fun adn Cody being smart alec_E said yes and then Big Z said: 'well then.. YOU PASS!" and they got on their boards and got in the waves.

Side stepping for a minute, I personally never saw the original 'Karate Kid', growing up i only saw 'The Next Karate Kid'.. however a few years ago I did see the Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith version (which that kid is the cutest little boy in the entire world, its a good thing he has amazing parents or else i would make it my goal to try and adapt him because is is sooo adorable!) But anywho.. in this film jackie Chan has Jaden coming over everyday to learn Karate and for days on end all he does all day is take his coat on and off.. and again he got really P.O.ed at Jackie Chan for not teaching him, but then we see jackie have him go through the motions with an invisible jacket and we see that those movents become his karate foundation moves.

Back to the penguins, Cody and Jaden are the same as Big Z and Jackie.. both boys are learning what they want and finding that karate and surfing are not jsut about the physical moves but its about head and mind and spirit, a lot like, you guessed it.. YOGA!

I have a lot of students wanting to learn more or do more, or people often ask me to show them 'cool moves', but Yoga is not about one arm stands to show off to your buddies, the asanas, the physical moves are such a teeny tiny part of yoga. Its all about mind and spirit! About growing beyond our previous environmental 'brainwashed' limitation (i say brainwashed because we all are,whether that is good or bad I am not here to judge, but we are all programmed from birth our speech and sense of taste what music we like, what sports we view, how to sit or slouch, etc...) But to start to be what we want, or just accept where we are, there is no right or wrong. Its not about action but  about your attitude and mindset. Learning to just BE! Either accepting things as t hey are and learning peace and happiness, being content, or changing what we want to and then learning to accept things and learn peace and happiness and being content!

As we move through the physical practice we are really learning to condition our minds, to learn meditation and concentration, and how to be in the moment. The goal in the physical practice is to have the student focus solely on the pose they are in, focusing on each muscle in the pose and focusing on their breath in the pose, and with that quieting all outside thoughts in the mid and being there in that moment!

You see when you let go of the idea of 'winning' is when you will win!

Farewell

sorry everyone  for not posting really today... its been a lllloooonnnnggg day... seems im going to no longer be an employee at vamonos..saturday will be my last class... see at this studio i am not an independent contractor i am an employee so my boss controls the hours and the rate of pay .. the studio is her business where she controls advertising and clientel i just show up and teach... an independent contractor rents studio space brings in their own clients control the pricing and is basically their own boss with out owning the studio they are utilizing... my current employer is having me leave because she can not afford to pay me with how few people have shown interest in her studio since all of her marketing has been zumba based and just today i was told i should have been marketing and controling the client numbers even though i am not hired on as an independent contractor... now i am not here to write a hate blog or anything of the sort..heck i probebly should not have listed as much detail as i did.. i merely just wanted to get on my phone and send a little apology out for those of you that follow this blog... to my still for the moment current employer i do really feel bad about the stress she has been under and i do understand where she is coming from given the knowledge and business education that she has... so for my current students i really would hate to lose you..i would never dream of snakintg anyone away i will just simply share that i do offer inhome..and i will keep you all updated to what studio or studios i end up in next. thank you all..much love to my audiencce..to my students..and the management at vamonos and to vamonos i am very grateful to have been a part of that team for as long as i was i feel sad to leave the family i have made with management and the rest of the staff.. it has been an amazing growth and education opurtunity..and heck anyone in the vancouver or portland area who would like to celebrate my farewell saturday night email me at stephaniesyoga which is a yahoo account... i believe in the universe and i know this is just leading me to bigger and better things so it will be a happy celebration. namaste

Toxic

I prefer to read the book Meditations From the Mat by Rolf Gates everyday (as it is a 365 meditations book set up for one passage a day) and this year I started to actually read it beginning with January 1st, wanted to see how it felt to follow it with the calendar year.

Currently i am still within the section about the yamas -the ethical and spiritual observances help us develop the more profound qualities of our humanity. The yama that is being discussed in the current passages is about nonhoarding or letting go. Letting go of physical clutter, or not focusing too much on materialism, but also letting go of personal and spiritual baggage. Cleaning the skeletons from our closets so to speak, cleansing ourselves of negativity to better ourselves and to have a more powerful impact on others. Letting go of past blames and regrets, embarassments, jealousies, vengances, bitterness, etc. Letting go of our constant control to be perfect with everything and everyone, and focusing our engeries on knowing already that we are perfect and that all is well. learning to relax more and be more relateable and approachable. Learning to truly accept ourselves and appriecate what we have been given, and moving on, shrouding away the past and letting go of the whatifs of the future and allowing ourselves to be present in the present moment. Someone once told me that it is called the present because it is a gift and we should all learn to cherish it! *^_^*

There are many different meditation styles and techniques out there, one of the most well known and simplest in concept I personally find to be the most challenging to actually practice and master, and that is closing our eyes, calming our breath, and letting go of our thoughts and judgements and concerns and just being there in the moment, in the room listening to the sound of our breath or the tv on down the hall, or the dog barkign outside, or the wind chimes, or the rain, your tummy grumbling, what have you, but lettign go of labeling what you hear or feel, not judging anything or feeling emotion towards it one way or the other and continuing to just quiet the thoughts in your mind.

My challenge to you is to pause reading this or checking your email, or facebooking, or checking out porn (whatever floats your boat), turning away from your phone or computer, closing your eyes and for 3 minutes focus all your energies on quieting your mind, and just being in the moment, being in whatever room you are in however if on a bus or the train or something i suggest waiting til you get home so you dont miss your stop) I am practicing with you, so enjoy!

FREE YOGA!!!!!!!!!!!

For those in the Vancouver/Portland area, tomorrow at Vamonos Studio (315 E. Reserve St. Vancouver, WA 98661) at 10.45am the yoga class I am leading is completely free for members and n00bs alike. So please come, bring your friends and family members fora  1 hour yoga session completely paid for on the house! Why you ask, 1. because we love you, and 2. because it is Vamonos Grand opening Party and we are lit up and jazzed and want to celebrate and we really want YOU to come and celebrate with us.
It doesn't matter your age, your weight, gender or fitness level, i promise you can do it!

A Healthier Happier You-1

I've decided to start adding passages from the book 'A Healthier Happier You-101 Steps for Lessening Stress' by Lorraine Boss-Smith.

"1. Live a Little and Have Fun!

Remember being a carefree child running barefoot in the grass chasing butterflies? We didnt have much stress back then. No wonder we fondly recollect 'the good old days.' I believe, however, that we can and should have fun as adults. All work and no play makes us very grumpy!
Being a grown up certainly is work, and it isnt always fun. We have responsibilities to many programs and a variety of people, but we must not forget that one of our most important responsibilities is to ourselves. We cannot do anything or be anything for anyone else if we do not first take care of ourselves and our emotional needs..."

Spasibo

Spasibo is the Russian word for the expression 'Thank you'. I myself am not Russian, I did however learn a few words and phrases and this is one that I personally found to be really beautiful that in my daily life I have completely replaced my english 'thank you' for the Russian 'spasibo'.

Thinking about the concept of 'thanks' or 'spasibo' or overall gratitude, no matter the language we speak it, we do tend to speak it on a regular basis, it has become sucha  simple expression, yet we rarely take the time to really digest the weight of the expression, to truly grasp gratitude. When someone tells you 'thank you' or 'spasibo' for something that you did or made or said you might commonly smile or nod, or maybe just remain as you were, how often do we sit there and soak in the kind expression and allow ourselves to be immersed in the gratitude that the other was passing along with us? Most often we do not really consider how gratitude is a choice, and when someone is show appreciation they are really sharing and giving somehting of themselves there in that moment, they are giving us the gift of their gratitude. They are giving us the gift of kindness, the warmth of a smile, and the gift of a slight little ego boost.

In the spirit of sharing Spasibo here isa  look at one of my favorite blogs that is specifically designed for and focuses on and writes soley about this topic: 'The Daily Gratitude' by Paul Christmore.. very fitting title too, wouldnt you agree? =)

http://thedailygratitudeblog.blogspot.com/

With that I really want to say spasibo to all of you that take the time to view my blog, it means a lot to me. *^_^*

MARDI GRAS

Help me celebrate YOU! this year by coming to the special Mardi Gras Yoga Party I am leading at Vamonos Studios tomm. night (Feb. 21st, 2012) at 7.10pm. A one hour $6 event designed to make YOU feel special and amazing!

Address is 315 E. Reserve Street Vancouver, WA 98661 

email me at stephaniesyoga@yahoo.com

or follow me on facebook: Stephanie's Yoga if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. =)

Meet my Freshman Year Highschool Geology Teacher

http://women.nasa.gov/dottie-metcalf-lindenburger/

'Should'

This is from an email I sent to a loved one August 4th, 2011:

'In life there is no 'should', should is an illusion, a collection of other peoples' thoughts and beliefs... ever heard the phrase 'it's your life' thats the key to the whole thing... the only thing to constantly remember every moment of everyday... only thing to do is what inspires you... what makes you feel good and alive and happy... what makes you want to wake up and what makes you feel like if it all ended in 24 hours you could say you liked how you lived... who you were... what you did... know... saw... experienced... its your life... live it how you want!'

Orion Nebula

Ever since I was a little girl I have had a deep facination for outer space. I love star gazing, and learning about the constilations and being able to map them out and recognize them by sight now. The stars are just so powerful, yet so peaceful, and deeply moving, completely captivating my inspiration and overall attention. I love that organizations like NASA exhist to bring us books and books of so much space information and photographs. my favorite things out there would have to be Nebulas or space clouds. I could just stare at the beautiful colourful pictures of them for hours.

Currently my favorite nebula out there is the Orion Nebula, perhaps mostly because I love purple so much, I find it to be so beautiful, up close and far away.

To me this is the stuff that art is made of, I mean just look at the energy and the movement, as well as the still and the calm, the fantasy, the awe! You just can not get this stuff here on earth. Out in space there is jsut so much of this vastness and wonder even more than we know or could yet graps, it just is infintily larger than our minds could ever truly understand.

This makes me think of a scene in the film Charlie Bartlett when a teenage boy tries to end his life with too many prescription pills and Charlie goes to visit him at home when he returns from the hospital and the dialog goes a little something like this:

'Charlie Bartlett: I just think you're missing the big picture.
Kip Crombwell: What big picture?
Charlie Bartlett: The universe.
Kip Crombwell: What about the universe?
Charlie Bartlett: Well, the universe is a pretty big place.
Kip Crombwell: Yea. It's infinite, theoretically.
Charlie Bartlett: Right, which means there's probably life on other planets.
Kip Crombwell: Not life like we think, but yeah. Probably at least single-cell organisms.
Charlie Bartlett: Well, see, that's my whole point. I mean you could've been born a single cell organism on the planet Zortex. In fact, given the odds, it's probably more likely, but you weren't. You we're born a human being. And not just any human being in the history of human beings, but a human being that gets to be alive today. That gets to listen to all kinds of music, that gets to eat food from every culture, that gets to download porn off the internet. So really, you have everything to live for. '

Sure it was a comedy teen flick, but the kid has a brilliant point. With the vastness of the universe and all the possiblities of life and atoms coming together or not coming together and electrons and neurons and everything that exhists, here we are, you, me, your mom, your boss, we are all human being alive here today, sure we feel pain or anger, frustration, feel alone and vulnerable and homicidal and suicidal (depending on the individual out there) but we shoud pause every once in a while and put things into perspective, we are here, alive today, a free thinking individual, we are human, so life as we know it is completely blessed! Charlie is correct, we DO have everything to live for.

So here it is the Universe:

 and looking a little closer those are not stars those are Galaxies, see:

Need a closer look?:

Now here is a galaxy by itself:

And even closer inside a galaxy:

Up above is the Milky Way, a branch of a Spiral Galaxy, aka the place in space where we live, see:

As we all know inside a small section of that large band of stars making up the Milky Way is our Solar System:

And then there is the small-ish planet we call home that has been named Earth:

And i dont know where you reside here on this globe:

but I myself am in North America:

In the small state of Washington:

In a small corner of the bottom called Vancouver:

So you see, we are a little out numbered in the Universe as a whole as far as we have been able to map out thus far, making us truly unique and very lucky! Be thankful to be here, be thankful for now, be thankful to be alive, be thankful to be human, and most of all be thankful to be YOU!

~Namaste,

Stephanie

Saraphine + Cortana

My Husband has a pet tarantula that he named Cortana after the AI in his favorite game Halo, and this past summer for my birthday he bought me a snamke that I named Saraphine.

For those that are unfamiliar snakes and spiders make rather similiar pets as far as care and up keep. Cortana only needs to be fed about once a month, or longer depending on their own mood, and snakes when grown eat once every two weeks and when they feed they usually only eat one cricket or moth for the spider and one mouse for the snake. They both rarely need water, and they are content in small containers. the type of spider and snake that we own are both also similar to cats and dogs in the fact that they are tame, housebroken, and very loving and affectionate to people.

The reason why I bring them both up today, is I have been very inspired by them and their way of life for quite some time. In yoga it is said that you are not a human doing nor are you a human acting, but we are humanbeings and that we all need to master the art of just being! Nature I have found has already mastered the art of peace by doing just that. Both Saraphine and Cortana know how to just be! They just sit or lay in their little tanks, not eating or drinking more than they need to survive and are content without having more of anything. They do not need fancy homes or do-dads and trinkets to gaze at or play with, all they need is their bedding and they keep just fine.

Yoga is not just about doing headstands or balacing on one foot, its about a way of life. In yoga their are 8 limbs:
The first limb, yama, deals with one's ethical standards and sense of integrity, focusing on our behavior and how we conduct ourselves in life. Yamas are universal practices that relate best to what we know as the Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

Niyama, the second limb, has to do with self-discipline and spiritual observances. Nonhoarding, nonstealing, truthfulness, and moderation are all examples of niyamas in practice.

Asanas, the postures practiced in yoga, comprise the third limb.

It is the first two limbs that I want to focus on. It is here that feel that Cortana and Saraphine have captured what it means to be free, by just having these two things as their way of life.

 Now for us we have grown up quite differently, aside from the obvious that we are humans and have a higher range of emotions and intellegence to deal with, but we live in a world of 'me, me, me... mine, mine, mine..more, more, more' coming up with phrases like 'it's a dog eat dog world', always fighting to have. So we have the ablity to Just Be, however for most its something that we have to practice to regulalry achieve.

Now I am not saying that we must all go back to living in trees and wearign burlap sacks eating one squirl a day or something, we can have our cell phones and our cars and ours homes, but in having them and gaining them its important that we not lose sight of who we are and what are morals are. its important to take sometime to just breath and be in the moment. Or if you really like to just move then do so witha  mind that has let go. Practice really enjoying and appreciating what you have and who is around you, and practice being content in your own skin and your own life!

Utter peace and happiness is within you to achieve!

Fleur de lis

According to the Hilary Duff book Elixir the 3 petals of the Iris flower mean: Faith, Valor, and Wisdom. Funny, I have always loved the iris flower, and have been drawn to the Fleur de lis, which is of course the French royal decoration molded after the local Iris flower (really having no deeping meaning in the symbol itself other than pure decoration), all coming back to that one single flower, the Iris.

Faith- is defined as a firm belief in something for which there is no proof.
Valor- is strength of mind or spirit that enables a person to encounter danger with firmness- or simply put, personal bravery.
Wisdom- 1. is defined as an accumulated philosophic or scientific learning (aka knowledge) or 2. the ability to discern inner qualities and relationships (aka insight).

Its amazing how such a small thing as a unique flower could be such a powerful insight to my own future, feels like before I even knew about Yoga, as a child I was already drawn to the inner qualities of it.

Faith, Valor, Wisdom... Faith, Valor, Wisdom... quite the mantra, just 3 common words, however when you pause to really digest the meaning, each meaning individually and then really reflect on the impact of the 3 of them together, it really could turn out to be quiet the challenge to engage into, in everyday life.

The joy in this, the silver lining as it were, is that everything in yoga and life is achievable, we are never given more than we can handle, the true challenge is just really grasping the reality that we are ourselves capable!

Hospice

As you know from my previous blog I am  Yoga Instructor at Vamonos Studio in Vancouver, Washington, what I did not mention is that I also help Jennifer by working as a secretary at the front desk, because I love her so much, I find her to be a very inspiring woman and I love the idea of supporting her and her new business however I can to be a good friend. This is just some background before getting into my main point about Hospice. 

So while I was working the desk this morning one of Jenn's Zumba students was sharing with me about how she helps volunteer for a Hospice foundation here in Vancouver and how a while ago there was a questionnaire filled out at her center asking people their top regrets as they lie in wait on their death beds. She shared with me the top 5 most common responses and I found it to be so moving and inspirational that I had to come here and share it all today:

5. Not expressing themselves and their emotions enough or not having learned how.

4. Devoting too much time/thought/energy towards their jobs. (Then she further made the joke that its like the age old adage: people on their death beds never complain about not having worked enough.)

3. Losing touch with friends and loved ones over the years.

2. Living for others - living for the pleasure and comfort of others rather than living for themselves and their wishes and pleasures.

The VERY TOP main regret people shared on their death beds is : Not realizing soon enough that happiness is an active choice everyday!

And so I want you all to meditate on that and really let this simple words sink in : Happiness is a choice! and I encourage you all to work on practicing that for yourselves, because life is too short and too precious not to, so make it your own, after all it is your life!

~Namaste Everyone, Enjoy

Stephanie-

The Lotus-symbol of strength

White Lotus- represents the state of spiritual perfection and total mental purity. In association with the white Tara (the Buddhist savior goddess in Tibet, Nepal, and Mongolia) and proclaims her perfect nature a quality which is reinforced by the colour of her body.

Pink Lotus- the supreme lotus generally reserved for the highest deity. Thus naturally it is associated with the great Buddha himself.

Red Lotus- signifies the original nature and purity of the heart. it is the lotus of love, passion, kindness, compassion and all the other qualities of the heart.

Blue Lotus- symbol of victory of the spirit over the senses and signifies the wisdom of knowledge.

Roots of lotus are in the mud and blossom pristinely above the water sometimes 8 to 12 inches above. The lotus of any colour signifies the growth and progress of the soul from primeval mud and materialism through the waters of experience and into the bright sunshine of enlightenment.

Thank you USA Today =)

http://yourlife.usatoday.com/health/healthyperspective/post/2012-01-17/is-yoga-bad-for-your-health/605743/1

I truly want to thank USA Today for being responsible journalists other than being one sided and going for the shock and scare like the NY Times.

Article below:

"Is yoga bad for your health?

By Holly Corbett Bristol, USA TODAY

1/17/2012 6:00 PM

You've likely heard about the many benefits of yoga, but a recent New York Times story, has stirred up more than a little controversy in the yoga community.
"How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body," by science writer William J. Broad, quotes a long-time yoga teacher who "...has come to believe that 'the vast majority of people' should give up yoga altogether. It's simply too likely to cause harm." He goes on to describe a number of cases where people have been injured doing yoga, including himself.

CAPTION

By Lynne Sladky, AP

The research in the article isn't groundbreaking: doing any form of exercise you could potentially hurt yourself. If you look at the injury rates of other physical activities, the number of injuries sustained from yoga would pale in comparison.Practicing yoga is just like anything in life: You have to push yourself in order to grow. But you also have to know your limits and when you're breaking them. If you stick to your comfort zone, you'll never be able to increase your flexibility. If you push to the point where you're not only uncomfortable, but in real pain, you'll likely injure yourself.
The reasons that yoga makes "serious injury all but inevitable," according to the Times story, range from students' underlying physical weaknesses to inexperienced teachers pushing too hard to the growing number of inflexible "urbanites who sit in chairs all day" straining to twist themselves into difficult postures.
I'd argue that it's those desk-bound urbanites that may need yoga the most. People like me, who spend more than eight hours a day sitting plugged into a computer but disconnected from their bodies, can benefit greatly from spending an hour stretching tight muscles and alleviating stress.
Yoga has taught me to be more mindful of how far I can push myself by tuning into my body and quieting my mind. It took me months before I could touch the floor with my palms in forward bend, and more than a year before I finally mastered a headstand. And that was okay with me because yoga isn't a competition.
As I was in pigeon pose in a recent class, I heard our instructor ask the 60-ish woman next to me if she could help her deepen her pose. Though the woman said yes, she quickly told the teacher when she was pushing her too far.
"That is as deep as my leg will bend — it's not going any farther today!"
The teacher immediately backed off, encouraging her to keep practicing the pose at home to help open her hips. The article's point that yoga teachers push students too far, doesn't address the point that a big benefit of yoga is that it puts you more in touch with your physical limits.
Yoga is called a "practice" for a reason. You don't have to be perfect. You don't have to tackle every pose. It doesn't matter if you can touch the floor with your palms during your first forward bend or your thousandth, or if you never get there.
We go to the mat to learn to better listen to what our bodies are telling us, and to better hear that quiet inner voice drowned out by the noise of our busy lives. It's a shame to discourage the majority of people from practicing yoga and missing out on all of the mind-body benefits that going to the mat has to offer."

Stephanie's Yoga

First of all i do have to say that for those in the Portland/Vancouver area I teach for $6 at Vamonos Studio as well as in home for those who can not make the Tuesday 7.10pm class or the Saturday 10.10am class in the studio, however in home prices will vary.

I teach the Hatha Yoga styles of Ashtanga Vinyasa as well as Iyengar also known as Vinyasa Flow or Traditional Yoga as well as leading Meditation.

Currently i am trying to get my boss Jennifer Shaw to allow me to start teaching Yoga Rave so if that sounds appealing to anyone please email her at jennifer@zumbaforu.com. Currently she is hesitant because she fears that it would not generate interest, so please, please please, lets all ban together to get this invigorating dance-style workout started, great for those into tradition yoga as well as hot yoga, community, meditation, or if you just love to dance, or listen to fun music, or just want an aerobic workout. There is something for all walks of life, all styles of living. For fun check out the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tg5bZeLUkB4