Anatomy #1

Articulations (Joint Movements)

• abduction = movement away from the body axis
• adduction = movement toward the midline (think "add" it back to the body!)
• extension = straightening out; making a flexed part straight
• flexion = bending movement at a joint
• hyperextension = overstraightening; overextending
• circumduction = the proximal end is fixed while the distal end moves in a circle
• rotation = turning around on an axis or fixed point
• pronation = turning the palm posteriorly or downward
• supination = turning the palm upward
• dorsiflexion = bending the foot so the toes move upward toward shin
• plantar flexion = bending the foot so the toes move downward
• eversion (e-vur-zhun)= turning outward
• inversion = turning inward

Thanks to my rockin awesome brother Russ who is a board-certified and state licensed prosthetist and orthotist for his killer anatomy books.

Parvati

There was a special article on Parvati in this month's Yoga Journal magazine. And as an aside on the magazine itself, I have to say I really didn't like that magazine when I first subscribed about 5 years ago. It was the time I learned to love yoga, realize it's potential and its healing nature, and thereby decided to teach. I was in graduate school and figured "I love yoga" so I might as well read the magazine. But since I was so new to the practice and all that it encompasses, I suppose I wasn't ready for "all of it", as in, the literature. I thought it was super boring and bladdy blah blah.

Now, fast forward to today. I pretty much can't get enough of yoga vedanta and literature. My favorite magazine is Yoga Chicago, beautifully created by editor Sharon Steffensen, and my first yoga true yoga teacher. The magazine is amazing, and worth looking up at www.yogachicago.com. I miss it...I've been in NC now for about a month and a half and well, I guess I miss a lot of stuff from home. At the same time, I know I'm in the right place. Listened to my heart and thereby followed my dharma...pretty sure I can't go wrong. But it's hard.

What was the title of this post again? Right. So back to Parvati. It can be pretty confusing learning the Hindu deities. I started about a year and a half ago at 7 Centers (www.7centers.com) and continued after I went back to Chicago for about a year at the Chicago Sivananda Vedanta Center (www.sivananda.org/chicago). Even when chanting their names I wasn't so sure which wife of Shiva they were, or which incarnate of Shiva for that matter, yet the devotional practice was quite strong. Now I'm beginning to put the pieces together...

Parvati was Shiva's second wife. She's actually a reincarnate of his first wife, Sati, who he mourned up until Parvati won him over. When she finally did, they married and went to spend thousands of years in wedded bliss aka "love play" (ha)...which of course birthed tantra. The beginnings of which are introduced in the Vijnana Bhairava tantra. It also happens to be the work that has peaked my interest above all others. Something about it speaks to me, and it's actually one of the agamas or esoteric tantric texts. It begins with Parvati asking Shiva how to attain the ultimate state. Shiva responds that the deepest most pure meditative practices are really done while eating, drinking, making love. The latter being that which gives tantra a silo-ed rap... about crazy sex. It's a lot of things, including a deeply spiritual/physical connection through sex. That doesn't suck. :)

The two are known for their strong, independent union. Parvati is a strong woman who aims to reunite the masculine and the feminine, urging them to live together in harmony, both being true to their natures yet coexisting and even benefiting from that life together. If left alone, the masculine will live alone in its world of ideas, detached from the feeling state (abava). Parvati supports the benefits of balance in the world and amongst relationships. She also fashioned Ganesha (my favorite!) when Shiva said he didn't want to start a family. Ha! Awesome. (PS her other son is Kartikeya, another name I've chanted for years and finally know what it means:) So she's strong and powerful in the feminine, and acts upon it, showing the rest of us to be assertive. She encourages it for the betterment of everyone. Nobody needs an imbalance of yin/yang I mean come ON.

What she stands for speaks to me at this stage in my life. Moving into the military life, it's stereotypically assumed that the masculine energy is pretty taught in the relationship, and for us that's true. While in Chicago I noted much more of my feminine energy muddled with my own masculine to balance it out. And now, here, I see my feminine holding strong in order to be balanced by his masculine, as opposed to my own internally. It's a beautiful thing, really. Shows to me that still, in this spiritually-forward society and my own spiritually independent self, we can really share in balancing out relationships. And I'm very thankful to mine for that.

And to Parvati of course. Or shall I say to Yoga Journal for finally teaching me something about the deities? Thanks to all, it's all part of the message that's coming my way...word.

The Pearl & The Oyster

"The pearl is in the oyster. And the oyster is at the bottom of the sea. Dig deep." - Kabir

I'm not sure who Kabir is but this is one sweet quote. Also from Sally's meditation book, as are most of my writings lately. In the book she discusses the benefits of reading something along the meditative/yogic track throughout the "three week meditative cleanse" or whatever. I agree with the fact that what you do before bed affects your sleep...too bad some of the only QT I get with my boyfriend is in front of the TV around 9pm +?! Boo. C'est la vie. Once I recognized how I was (not) sleeping after watching The O'Reilly Factor minutes before going to bed I quickly changed that. QT just has to come in other forms, simple as that.

I also recognize the importance of writing things down that you experience through meditative practice. I haven't been very good at journaling lately, particularly because I aim to record thoughts of this period of my life on here. Shoot, as long as it's somewhere...

Ever notice how sometimes you can have too much asana? Sounds weird, but too much of anything can be just...too much. I'm having too much of a sweet craving lately. Started to get into some bitters to counteract. I loved when Sally said to recognize where you need work. I think that to be one of the biggest lessons I've learned throughout the journey. To see what I'm doing and amend my actions/thoughts accordingly. Not to sit around and be upset about them, but to acknowledge that I will have them, hell I'm only human! While along this path to enlightenment, I can only expect to. And frankly it keeps me on par with everybody else, which I like. We're all part of the same energy, and moving along our sva-dharmic paths in some linear or non-linear format. Either we're all shuffling around in circles or mis-shapen orbits or we're walkin a straight path. Doesn't so much matter. Although the idea that my path may not be linear is pretty much lightening-bolt-ish. Maybe some days I'll be spinning around on the orbit of one thought/idea. Maybe one will last months! Maybe one area of my body/chakra will need attention and will create a whole universe of small movements to give that area what it needs. How cool is that! Kinda like that time in high school hanging out with my best friends when I realized that there could be another universe after our universe. I was bewildered. I am.

Now now, off to bed or to meditate for a bit and then to sleep. My honey's working late but I shall get the pleasure of his smile in the AM before I head to work (ok it's upstairs in my house) and then to 500 hour training which I LOVE. Night night.

-me

The Little Things

Ain't life grand? One thing that makes it so is when you get home on a Tuesday night after a long day and your boyfriend is all changed out of his pilot uniform, already fixed his lunch for the next day and says hey I thought we'd go out on a date tonight if you're up for it? Umm, heck yeah...lemme just get outta my yoga clothes. It was one of those weird events where I craved meat too, which doesn't happen lately in my life as I pretty much stick to a fish and well I guess anything-other-than-meat. So while after a bit of lamb and pork tapas and a martini, I felt a bit more relaxed. Just felt good to get out. Not so much along the veggie/yogic lifestyle, but I'm sharing it cuz it's my yoga, the union of my body and mind that worked for me, at that time. The kind that chills you out from your regular routine cuz you feel a vibe and act on it. Just keepin it real yo. Or something.

:)

So back to the other yoga...I read a very sweet story in my Meditation book...it's from the King Arthur / Camelot days, some of my favorite things to watch/read about. First Knight anyone? Anyway, in the storyKing Arthur traveling through the forest when he's surprised by a dark knight. The knight unhorses Arthur; instead of holding him for ransom, however, he says he will give Arthur a riddle for which Arthur has one week to answer. If the king fails, the entire kingdom will be forfeit to the knight. So the riddle is this: What does a woman really want? Like any man throughout history, Arthur doesn't have a clue:) As he rides away he comes across an old hag that begs him to get off his horse and stop to listen to her. The story refers to her as a crone, which of course makes me think of Robin Hood Prince of Theives, and anyway the crone is obviously ugly and covered in warts and bald. She says she'll give him the answer to the riddle if he agrees to her price. He says yes, anything is better than losing his throne. The price is the hand of his friend, Sir Gawain, in marriage. When the king weighs his friend's likely sucky life if he marries the crone versus losing the kingdom, he goes with the kingdom and asks for the answer to the riddle. She says, well it's simple (isn't it always?!) - what a woman wants is to have her own way. HAAA!!! So, sure enough, the kingdom is saved and poor Gawain has to marry the crone. Gawain marries her out of loyalty to the king. He takes the crone to his bed the night after they are wed, and she insists on a kiss. He is freakishly appalled, but kisses her nonetheless. And upon the kiss she turns into a beautiful young woman. Who woulda thought?! She was freed from a spell, and he has saved her.

But, of course, there was a catch. He can only have her beautiful young self either during the day or at night. So of course he's like, oh it'd be cool if you looked good during the day while we kicked it, but also I'd like you to look hot when we hook up at night. Not knowing what to do, he defers to her and answers with "you choose", and the spell is lifted completely! Because he gave her the freedom of choice, they were both freed. He gave her kindness despite her appearance and ultimatum, and that made all the difference. It was reverence for her goddess within. Love this story, what a good reminder to allow people to surprise you. Trust in them, and let them be free to be themselves, and their true light will shine and you will be blown away. Love them fully, and you will be gifted in return with the best of them, and the best in you.

I had a similar situation happen with my love, the best guy I know. For a bit there in the beginning, I wanted him to be certain ways, and do certain things. And my ego would point out more of what he was not, or so what I thought. But then once I surrendered to my higher Self and allowed him to be his true self, turns out (of course:) that he was all those things, all along. It was my lack of faith in him, and lack of true unbinding free love for him that disallowed me to see that. And he was always more than anything I could have imagined, but I couldn't see behind my opinions and perceptions and my egoic self acting all high and mighty. If I could give some advice, if anybody would listen, it's just let that selfish opinionated seemingly-smart part of you fall by the wayside and act by following your HEART. You can clear away all the cobwebs around your heart through meditation, asana, pranayama, karma yoga, bhakti yoga, etc....just do it and you'll be way better off. Everyone will be.

Much love.

-Me