We are all that we have met.

Foto Flick of the day: Sharon Gannon & her marvelous yoga-master skills.

Stay Sassy.
Chetna

If you’re looking for guidance or challenge in regards to yoga, I highly recommend “Power to the Peaceful Yoga” with musician, Michael Franti, and yoga gurus Sharon Gannon and David Life. Michael Franti is the creator and lead vocalist of a band called Michael Franti & Spearhead. He is also an outspoken supporter for a wide spectrum of peace and social justice issues, which is apparent in this DVD. Sharon Gannon is a yoga master, author, animal activist, and artist with a commitment to yoga as a path for spiritual activism and activation. Both she and David Life cofounded the Jivamukti Yoga Method, which emphasizes vinyasa, scriptural study, devotion, prayer, music, and meditation, as well as animal rights, veganism, environmentalism, and political activism as paths to enlightenment.

I’ve been following “Power to the Peaceful Yoga” for almost a year now and I still feel enlivened by it.  Although it’s at an intermediate level, it provides clear direction and insight. It treats yoga as so much more than a routine to burn calories or tone up. I think it stays true to the origins of yoga…a practice of cleansing and improving oneself internally outward; a discipline to attain a more considerate and inclusive perspective on that which is larger than ourselves.

Keep the Peace
C

Everyone says that coming back from studying abroad offers a more intense culture shock than living in another country. It’s partly true. I definitely felt it when I returned to Cal Poly from Costa Rica last spring. But somehow, this time around, I’m really happy to be home. It might have something to do with the fact that I’m graduating in less than four months, or that I’m 21 now and the activities in San Luis Obispo has suddenly expanded dramatically, or that having family from South Africa visit in December gave us more to look forward to and significantly helped the transition into normalcy. Either way, all factors are working in my favor and it doesn’t hurt that I love California, where the sun decided to stay strong this year despite the season.

I’ve been getting into yoga, especially recently. It’s the perfect indoor activity to stimulate the heart, loosen the muscles, and detox the soul even when it’s cold and rainy outside (weather that typically makes me feel lazy and dull). It’s not only a workout, but it’s self-paced, peaceful, and meditative all at the same time. An unknown author once said ”Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.” And that is fact attained through something as marvelous as yoga; it’s amazing how my mood is elevated even after 30 minutes of practicing it. The image to the right is of me getting in some yoga time before the sunset on a beach in Malaysia (Tioman Island) and the crazy one to the left was taken by “barrel-maker” on www.deviantart.com. There are so many challenging poses and positions that I’m striving to achieve. In the process, I’ve gained a new appreciation for the art of bboying/bgirling (commercially known as breakdancing). So many of their moves take some serious yoga skills…all while spinning, jumping, flipping, and rolling around in a dense circle of gaping spectators. Here’s a video of one of my friends, Bedrock, and his crew, the Infamous Zebra Mob of New Jersey, who continuously take it to a new level.

Peace