She is internationally celebrated as one of the most skilled and authentic instructors; a woman who can not only enter some of the most advanced postures herself, but who can safely guide others to do the same.

The last time she was in town was very special for me, partially because Des helped me to expand my own practice, and also because I was honoured to assist her for one of the sessions.

If you’re in BC, I highly recommend attending her workshop. Really I can’t say enough good things about her teaching.

For more info on the workshop, check out the YogaPod website: Desirée Rumbaugh Vancouver Workshop

I could use a little more awareness in my lower hand here - see how it's collapsing slightly to the outside? So much going on in the pose, even I need to remember to align my hands.

Good alignment is good therapy, and optimal alignment is what brings the freedom in yoga therapy.

This can be anything from knowing how to place your hands and feet to aligning with your intention and coming into the natural pulsation of the breath.

One thing that comes up a lot for people is pressure or pain in the wrists. However, when you use the alignment principles of Anusara® yoga and apply them to your own body, that pressure and pain can disappear.

When you’re in a weight bearing pose on your hands (downward dog, handstand, push-ups, plank, gardening, etc.) your foundation has a lot to do with what you feel in your wrists. This means the way you place your hands and fingers translates to what you feel.

The following video that explains three of the most important points to know about how to align your hands.

Though this video speaks mostly to the added challenge of having your hands on uneven ground, this alignment goes for any surface and position where your whole hand is on the ground. When you practice outside or on carpet, the stakes are higher and it becomes even more important to align mindfully. Watch to find out why…

Yoga Therapy- Alignment for Wrists

The foundation is only one part of the alignment, and everything else builds from there. Once you have your foundation set as described in the video, here are some other alignment cues which are based on Anusara yoga’s Universal Principles of Alignment™.

It’s a good idea to practice this in a non-weight bearing pose first. Placing your hands right there on your desk will do.

1. Foundation: Wrist creases parallel to mat, 4 corners of hands and 5 fingertips rooted

Keeping that:

2. Muscular Energy: Hug your forearms toward each other and, without moving your hands, draw your hands toward your body to tone the undersides of your arms. You should feel like your arms are plugging into your heart.

Keeping that:

3. Organic Energy: Extend from your heart through the bones of your arms, all the way out through all 4 corners of your hands and all 5 fingertips. This balances the engaging aspect of Muscular Energy.

The alignment of your shoulders counts as well, but I think this is enough for now. Remember, this alignment is universal, so any time your hands are on a surface you can use it.

If you’re fully in alignment you shouldn’t have any pain. If your body hurts it’s telling you something is off, so please listen to it and consult with your local Anusara yoga teacher so they can help you discover what adjustments are needed. Sometimes the tiniest adjustment is all it takes, and sometimes a full yoga therapy session is in order. Either way, learning how to optimally align can make all the difference and give you incredible freedom so you can enjoy your practice and life that much more!

Please click the following link to find out more about yoga therapy in Kamloops.

Here’s what happened to me:

Two days before I was scheduled to begin writing my exam for Anusara® yoga certification my energy level plummeted and my throat started hurting. The day before I was supposed to start my entire body ached, and the right side of my throat and ear were in a lot of pain.

“Interesting,” I thought. “Intriguing, even. What exactly are you trying to tell me here, Universe?”

Through my yoga practice I’ve noticed that any time something difficult or uncomfortable comes up, it’s time to really pay attention, because that unwanted or unasked for thing could be an enormous gift.

I didn’t lose it, all worried about the exam. I’m not sure I really had the energy to freak out, really.

Instead, I tuned in, went with it, and allowed myself to be taken care of by my excellent family. I stayed calm, trusting in the healing wisdom of my body. I gave meditation my best shot, drifting in and out of fragmented thoughts.

The next day I felt better. Quite a bit better as the day went on. And I started my exam with a deep humility, brought to the surface by the discomfort in my body. It forced me to take my time, and helped me remember to be grateful for all that I have.

And then when I pushed myself, not listening to what my body wanted, I took a step back. The pain in my throat, which had almost cleared, switched over to the other side, and I spent the next day in full body ache and fatigue all over again.

Fascinating! Really, part of me witnesses all this with great wonder. That is the power of the yoga practice – to get to this point where even pain can be met with adbhuta, the Sanskrit word for wonder.

That was yesterday. I did small sections of the exam at a time, in between meditating and healing techniques, lying on the couch watching Harry Potter, doing a very slow moving restorative practice, and wincing every time I swallowed.

At some point, as I lay on the couch recovering from the short trip to the kitchen, I thought about how helpful it was for me to feel this weak; how this will help me have compassion and empathy for people who are dealing with fatigue when they come to me for yoga therapy.

Today I feel much better. My energy is back up, though not 100% yet. My throat still hurts some, but not nearly as much as before. And, although I haven’t been able to work out in a week, I was able to do a decent yoga practice today without making little moaning sounds every time I moved, so that’s good.

Somehow, through it all, I’ve managed to get a good portion of the exam written. And it’s been such a beautiful process of finding out what I know, learning things I didn’t, reaffirming how vast the wisdom of yoga really is, and praising the sparkling gems of insight that are scrawled out in my notebooks.

It’s like I was given a chance to either cling and grasp and struggle, or just let go, flow, and empty out so that I can realize how full I truly am. I chose the latter. My practice has trained me to do so.

What can YOU learn from this? Well, I invite you, the next time life offers you a difficult situation, to really pay attention to what gift it holds. Witness it as from afar even as you experience it. This isn’t a separation from what’s happening, but a broader perspective so that you can see the opportunities to learn and grow.

For in each moment there is some glimmer of beauty waiting to brighten by being noticed.

As you do your practice, this choice of conscious participation becomes easier, and even the trials of life can be met with a humble wonder!

——————————–

The winter doldrums have morphed into sunny, seasonal temps.  The plants and flowers are beginning to blossom, and so are we.  In the wise words of Anusara Yoga Grande Dame Betsey Downing, “Bloom where you are.”

I love this simple reminder to be fully self-expressive where you are planted, rather than where you want to be, think you ought to be, or where your bloomin’ neighbor is growing.

The precept of the Anusara Shiva/Shakta philosophy is that we are already full and perfect. It all dwells within.  Nothing outside of ourselves will complete us, as we are already whole.  And yet we often forget as self-contained seeds of potential that we need nourishment to prosper.

The wonderful thing about springtime is that it outwardly reminds us that it’s time to peak within.  Even the spring cleaning task of washing the windows can bring awareness and offer an invitation to clean off the schmutz that cloaks our potential and conceals our true essence.

And yet it’s in sharp contrast to the dark muck of the sustaining winter that we appreciate the bright, beautiful blossoms of the springtime flowers.  So welcome the full spectrum of experience. Let the supportive sunshine in and be the bright bulb that you are!

Yoga is an excellent way of flourishing within.  We practice the art of gardening every time we step on to the mat.  We learn how much water and sunlight is needed for optimal growth, as we root ourselves more fully into the fertile soil of embodiment.  We learn which weeds are impeding probable germination, as we skillfully align our sprouting selves with the support of something larger than ourselves.

Embrace this change in season as impetus for your inner growth.  Carve out space in the flower patch your heart, so that you thrive with your own organic luster and celebrate true multiplicity of plant life.  After all, more diversity in the garden brings about more stability to any ecosystem.

Find Cat at NOLA Yoga

I had the most amazing yoga practice tonight. Still blissed and body buzzed from it hours later.

I’ve been super fortunate to attend class with Cat McCarthy while in New Orleans. Having consistent access to an Anusara yoga teacher here has been such a blessing, and Cat is really wonderful.

Tonight she brought us a practice heavily influenced by sequences and poses SHE played with during classes with Ross Rayburn in New York. Her theme was about finding the balance between giving and receiving.

After a standing sequence which my breath and body gratefully opened to, she led us through this funky half lotus sequence  that went from standing to forward bend, jump back to down dog, forward to plank and the floor, hands and knees and then bound vashistasna – ALL IN ARDHA PADMASANA! Super fun.

We proceeded to not only do Natarajasana and Eka Pada Raja Kapotasana, but then followed those up with Kapinjalasana.

For those of you who have no idea what I just said, fear not. It was a bunch of pretzel-like yoga moves and many involved deep back bends.

Regardless of if you know what the Sanskrit translates into in the body of the pose, I think what I’m trying to say is… YUM!

Getting high on yoga is fun. And SO good for you! How can you beat that?

When you balance back bends (or any form of pose) with a harmonious amount of receptivity and active participation, drawing in and extending out, BLISS happens.

In the words of the Great Nina Simone, “And I’m Feelin’ Good.”

What’s your favorite back bend of the moment? Comment below and let me know!

In every being there exists the ability to love.

But even in the people who do terrible things – those who hurt, kill, and abuse their power with greed and violence – even within these people there is love.

Love is the highest frequency. It is limitless and pure. It pulses within you and everything around you. It exists as beauty, joy, and peace.

And yet there are more vibrant forms of love, such as the affection and connection you feel with your beloved, or your pet, or your child. There are stronger experiences of love that help us to discover how powerful it is.

Beauty is a high form of love, and through beauty you can strengthen your ability to BE love. Because when you appreciate beauty, you soften, open, and enter into love.

Think on this next time you marvel at the green of fresh spring leaves, the color of a flower, the way the sun’s light kisses the morning, or the blue of the sky.

Joy is another very high form of love, as are the depths of peace. These are feelings that we encounter as different vibrations of love. And we have the opportunity to choose these feelings each day.

The challenge of being human is seeing the highest good in all that is. This includes lobbyists and politicians, and even criminals, terrorists, and traitors. These are simply labels we have given people who conduct themselves in a certain way, or who have chosen to do certain things in life.

The difference is that people who do harm are not choosing to align with the highest paths. They have not yet learned how to practice being beings of love. Often they were raised in environments where they became accustomed to violence and greed. Almost always they were deeply hurt.

Yet all people have within them the ability to love. And the more they encounter love in any form – beauty, joy, peace, kindness, compassion, wonder – the stronger their connection to access love becomes.

When you think of people who have made a great difference in this world, those who are honored for their service to humanity, these people all have LOVE in common. Mother Teresa, Gandhi, Christ, Gurumayi – so many great people have walked this earth and done their work with love, and many do so today. Just thinking of someone who embodies love can bring you into that frequency.

Each time YOU choose to see the beauty around you, to recognize the good in others, to give and receive kindness, and to delight in the simple joys of life, you strengthen your own connection to love.

You can choose to practice being aware of love – feeling love in its myriad forms. And by doing so you support and grow the matrix of this highest of frequencies, making it more accessible for others.

Love. Be loved. Breathe love. See love.

And love will grow.

There is no end to it.

• Feel free to add your thoughts in a comment below.

Yet there are ways to learn how to flow with the waves of life, so that you can go gracefully along for the ride, skillfully living with the changes that come.

This is what the philosophical approach of Anusara® yoga is about; when you learn to align with the current of grace, you tap into the awakening and freedom that people have been seeking throughout the ages.

Let’s simplify the philosophy that really allows you to bring more ease and enjoyment into your life, shall we?

How Does Anusara Yoga’s Philosophy Work?

First things first. This approach invites you to be open to the bigger energy that pulses and dances as everything. This feeling of connection to something bigger reminds you that you’re not alone, that everything is interconnected, and then you can actually align with this bigger energy in a way that is life enhancing and empowering.

When you remember to be sensitive and spacious – to tune in to the pulsing Spirit of life, then you can make more skillful choices and experience more delight.

One of the most important things is to be open to what is before you. If your focus is narrow and you’re stuck in yourself like a turtle in its shell, you can’t see the opportunities that are there.

Even in the darkest hour there is a gift waiting to be recognized.

So the philosophy of Anusara yoga, called Shiva-Shakti Tantra, teaches us to look for the good and to find the beauty in everything. Because when you can identify the good in any situation, you can then choose it. That doesn’t mean you ignore everything else or pretend that a challenge isn’t there, but you can rise above difficulties so much more easily when you align with what is good and right for you.

Though I could write several volumes going further into this philosophy, this one concept is enough to make a big difference in life.

1. Open to feel the bigger energy.
2. Connect consciously through your intention of aligning with the flow of grace.
3. Expand your awareness and train yourself to look for what is good and beautiful.
4. Then CHOOSE that which is most life affirming – that which will bring the greatest amount of delight in the highest sense of the word.

Simplified even more:

Open. Align. Embrace. (Repeat.)

See the gift in each moment, be open to receive it, and then act upon it in the way that holds the most integrity and is aligned with your own truth.

• Feel free to add your thoughts by leaving a comment below!

The Universal Principles of Alignment™ are an elegant and supremely effective system developed by Anusara® yoga’s founder, John Friend.

They have led to amazing innovation as far as what is possible on a yoga mat, as well as how you can more completely explore the inner realms.

The principles, like the philosophy with which they are so perfectly intertwined, have their roots deep in ancient wisdom, honoring the great teachers and systems of yoga which have come before.

They pulse between spaciousness and focus, so that each moment guides you to further refine and delight!

At their core is a constant commitment to the highest intentions of awakening and liberating the practitioner so you can live more joyfully in conscious connection to your truest, highest self.

And their branches, if you will, reach into the infinite possibilities that are constantly unfolding as more playful and profound creative expressions and experiences of life.

So what exactly are these principles, and how do you go about learning them?

Well, first of all, don’t worry about taking all of the information in this article in at once if you’re new to this yoga. Just feel your way through what makes sense to you, and notice what calls to your heart.

The Universal Principles of Alignment of Anusara Yoga

In order (and yes, the sequence is essential) they are:

1. Opening to Grace and Setting the Foundation
2. Muscular Energy
3. Inner Spiral (Expanding Spiral)
4. Outer Spiral (Contracting Spiral)
5. Organic Energy

Which may or may not make any sense at all to you depending on if you’ve encountered them before. So let’s break it down in more understandable terms, shall we?

Opening to Grace

This is the first principle because it is most important. Everything else builds from it.

Before I give you any explanation of this, it is most helpful if you first consider what it means to you.

What does it feel like to open to grace? Take a moment to ponder what comes to mind and heart. Take a minute – really, this self inquiry is important to learning what it’s about.

Here are some ideas of Opening to Grace that have come up for me:

• Freedom
• Spaciousness
• Receptivity
• Illumination
• Feeling of connection with Source
• Happiness / Joy / Delight / Bliss
• Peace and deep content

I think you get the idea. Opening to Grace is tuning in to your inner being and the bigger energy that is everything in existence. And it isn’t difficult to do. Your breath is always there to help.

Try this mini-meditation to get a feel for this first and overarching principle:

Sit beautifully.

Settle into your hips.

Let your breath grow you taller.

Feel yourself be breathed.

Be spacious like a stainless sky.

Let your inner body be beautifully bright.

Soften your skin.

Notice the spacious feeling of being connected to something bigger than yourself that naturally comes when you bring your awareness to the moment and turn to your breath.

Another great way to invite this sensitivity is to open your ears: Listen, letting sounds come to you without grasping or judging, but simply witnessing.

So what does this mean when applied to your yoga practice?

Well, first off it means you’re not doing it alone. When you connect to a bigger energy you’re not only more in the flow of the pulsation of your practice, but you’ll find your capacity and ability is far more than if you were only working from your individual mindset.

Also, by being spacious and receptive you are more able to receive the gifts of your practice; physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Insights can be more clear, and self transformation more harmonious.

Physically, opening to grace creates more space and naturally brings you toward a more optimal alignment. If you think “Inner Body Bright” what happens? Your breath helps you become more expansive and taller, the heart lifts, the throat opens, and tension melts away.

And what does it mean in life?

This spacious remembrance and honoring of the intrinsic goodness that is at the essence of you (and all that is) gives you a powerful tool. By being open to Spirit, you flow with the ease and grace that comes from knowing true wisdom. You make life enriching choices, always looking for the beauty and blessings that are offered, even in the most shrouded moments.

This tapping in to the true nature of oneness, of Spirit, is the most important thing. It is what makes all the difference.

Setting The Foundation

Like any structure, yoga is built from the foundation up.

If you look at an asana, or yoga pose, the foundation of the pose which is touching the floor affects everything else.

If your foot is placed even slightly out of alignment, it translates up to your knee, pelvis, back, and so on. If your hand is turned out or the finger tips are lifted, your wrist, elbow, shoulder and neck may have a few words with you.

Part of this aspect of the first principle is setting your intention.

By having a clear focus, it makes the practice more meaningful and therefore you get a whole lot more out of it.

Your intention could really be anything from simply wanting to feel more alive and free to longing to connect with your highest self and purpose. You can even devote the energy of your practice to supporting an area of the world that needs extra love, or pour your heart into a grateful practice dedicated to your teacher. Anything’s game as long as it’s life enhancing, so get creative and let your heart suggest intentions for your practice. Notice how different your practice is when you make it more meaningful by using intention.

Having a beautifully aligned foundation is crucial not only physically, but also on every other level.

When you line up your feet with awareness, it reflects and impacts your commitment to your intention. It makes it a whole lot easier to move into a place where your desire to feel good (or realize any other intention) can happen.

Part of the foundation of yoga is your understanding of it, so it makes sense that everyone is at different levels.

For instance, if I walk into a beginning yoga class and see that many of the students’ feet are misaligned in warrior pose, it isn’t fair for me to think that none of them are committed to their intention of benefiting from yoga when they simply don’t know any better. But when I show them how to more skillfully align and they pay attention and apply that new knowledge, then THAT is a reflection that they are giving the practice their best effort, and that’s a beautiful thing.

Conversely, if I have a more intermediate class and I’ve reminded someone 9 times to keep their fingertips pressing into the mat in down dog, that person may need to make it more meaningful and commit to the integrity of their foundation.

A master checks their foundation every time because they understand how important it is.

If you keep checking in with your intention and the alignment of the part of your body that is on the floor, your practice will be so much more rewarding.

Setting the foundation is part of the first principle because it must be done precisely in order for the rest of the principles to be applied effectively, just like you have to lay the foundation of a house before putting up walls.

Muscular Energy

Also known as Muscle Energy, the second principle is all about integrating and creating a stability that allows for more freedom.

It is an embrace of the spacious bright opening and mindful placement of foundation and intention that are established in the first principle. And it is this that differentiates it from just a squeezing of the muscles – it’s a loving embrace; strong yet sensitive, not a stranglehold.

Muscular Energy brings a necessary strength and support.

I like how Virayoga explains it on their site:

it is a purposeful engagement of all parts of the outer body

towards their origin in the inner body to integrate

all parts of body and mind, creating stability and unity of intention.

It brings all parts together to participate as a whole being. This not only applies physically, but in every situation on every level.

In an interview I did with John Friend, he described using Muscular Energy in everyday life as a choice to focus and make the right effort and action to align with Spirit. It is the element that invites you to focus and pay attention.

Physically, Muscular Energy has three components. In sequence they are:

1. Hug in concentrically – from skin to muscle, muscle to bone.
2. Squeeze into the midline – the center line of the body
3. Draw from periphery to core, so from feet and hands up through the core lines of the body into the Focal Point of the pose

If Muscular Energy is done before the expansive fullness of the first principle, the tendency is to over contract and block the flow of energy which stunts the expression of the pose.

Inner (Expanding) Spiral and Outer (Contracting) Spiral

The third and fourth principles are powerful refinements that can be elusive to understand at first, but then empowering and liberating when you get them.

In the sense of applying the Spirals to life beyond the physical, they further demonstrate the pulsing, constantly changing and evolving nature of life. Here’s what John Friend has to say about them:

“The Spirals are about refining and becoming more sophisticated and more of a connoisseur of life off the mat. You hone your senses, hone your knowledge, hone the artistic expression of the knowledge, so you become more eloquent, and you become more artistic. Internally, the Spirals are the development and refinement of our desire to make creative beauty.” – John Friend

Physically the Spirals are instrumental in the alignment of the femurs, pelvis, and therefore the spine, and also come into play in the arms. I’ll explain only the actions of the legs here, as you really need to experience these in your practice to fully grasp them.

The action of Inner Spiral moves in, back, and apart, most notably aligning the femurs BACK and deeper into the hip sockets. Outer Spiral balances by moving in opposite directions, most easily recognized as a scoop of the tail bone.

The Spirals must be balanced in action and applied in sequence. You keep the thighs back while scooping the tail bone, which results in a more spacious pelvic floor, supported lower back, toned lower belly, and so on.

These principles are super fun to play with in your practice, opening up whole new worlds of creative expression and profound experience.

Organic Energy

The fifth principle is all about shining out and fully participating in the grand play of yoga and life. This is where your creative expression really comes into fruition.

It’s an active reaching out to Grace in all the splendor of harmony and heart.

In every day life Organic Energy may be a radiant smile you offer (or receive) from someone who is very much in their center, or a wild dance of inspired and yet balanced ecstasy. It could be the push you need to get something really important done, all the while you stay strong in your center as you extend past your previous comfort zone.

And it could be an active and focused spaciousness which, in the inner realms of meditation, expands you into the next step of self-evolution.

Just as each step in the Universal Principles of Alignment build on those that come before, Organic Energy is like the culmination of the fullness that the structure of the principles creates.

Physically, you keep the integration of Muscular Energy, and then extend and stretch out from that place of feeling really plugged in. The brightness of the inner body expands out in every direction, and the full expression of the pose is honored.

Organic Energy happens in an opposite sequence compared to Muscular Energy:

1. Lengthen from the focal point through the core lines of the body – first down through the foundation and then up and out the top of the pose
2. Expand brightly out from the midline, widening and creating more space
3. Broaden from the core out through the skin – you can think of this as energy expanding concentrically out from the bones through the muscles and glowing even past the skin.

Organic Energy must be done after the stabilization of Muscular Energy, otherwise there is a dis-intigration and de-stabilization. First you plug in to Source, then you shine out in your own individual expression of the One.

Putting it all Together

The principles pulsate. You open, then integrate. You widen and plug in. And you stretch out into the world in a way that glorifies the goodness of who you are and what your life is about.

Living the Universal Principles of Alignment in every aspect of life is one of the most skillful and supported ways you can engage life fully. Because it gives you a structure to dance within; a guide through the sticky places in life. And truly ANYTHING can be done as long as you follow these wise and empowering principles.

“… ultimately it’s for expansion and expression. Ultimately our life off the mat is a celebration of the Spirit that is moving through us, so that at the end of the day or at the end of a life you look back and think, ‘Wow! That was a great day. I gave it my full, I gave it my all. What a joy that was! What a blast – what a ride that was!’ So there’s no regret. Now I live my principles off the mat, full-on. Practice and ‘off the mat’ are not separate things. Realize it’s all one practice.” – John Friend

To further explore this amazing yoga, dive into the Anusara yoga Invocation Mantra and feel your heart soar!

This article was written with great gratitude to my teacher, John Friend, and the great teacher that is Anusara yoga.

• Please, if you have anything to add or express, leave a comment below!

From Anusara Yoga’s Founder, John Friend:

Dear Anusara Community,

Enthusiastic greetings from my 2010 Melt Your Heart, Blow Your Mind world tour. We now enter the most technologically advanced, crowded, critical and tumultuous decade in history. It is a time to create the right mindset of positive, Shri-radiant, and creative Shakti in order to dance with the global stresses and difficulties ahead in this New Decade. We need to shift our yoga practice into an innovative paradigm. At the beginning of this radically transformative time I want to announce several steps that I am implementing to take Anusara yoga to a higher level of artistic expression.

Shiva-Shakti Tantra

Since its inception in 1997, Anusara yoga has been based on a life-affirming Tantric philosophy. In order to distinguish our school of Tantra among classical Tantra and neo-Tantra schools, we are now designating our philosophy as Shiva-Shakti Tantra. It is the integration of all the Tantric schools that see everything as a vibrating dance of Divine polarities full of freedom and the highest creative delight. We honor and glorify Supreme Consciousness (Shiva) and Its unlimited Creative Power (Shakti), spirit and matter, male and female one is not higher than the other and one cannot exist without the other. It is Shiva-Shakti Tantra.

We recently created a new visual piece that depicts some of the current energy of Anusara yoga. Our friend Waylon Lewis from Elephant Journal in Boulder posted our artistic video last week. It is wonderful to collaborate with like-minded enterprises like Elephant Journalthat are highly respected in the Green movement, in the world of Buddhism, and in consciousness expansion.

Please check out our video and leave a comment to let us know what you think:

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2010/02/shiva-shakti-tantra-video-w-john-friend-of-anusara-yoga/

Standardized Curriculum

The Curriculum Committee and I worked during 2009 to standardize our new 3-part Immersion for Anusara yoga throughout the world and in various languages. With this in-depth, refined organization, we have elevated our curriculum to the highest professional level of yoga training worldwide. This new 3-part standardized Immersion is now going into effect, and I just concluded the first part in San Francisco a couple of weeks ago. I will be doingPart 2 in South Carolina in a few weeks and Part 3 in Park City in August.

2010 Melt Your Heart, Blow Your Mind World Tour

This tour is expanding the radiant embrace of Anusara yoga around the world, specifically in Asia and Europe. I am going to 11 countries and holding over 40 events. One of the highlights will be in Estes Park, where together with Yoga Journal, we are taking the Anusara Yoga Grand Gathering to a new level after our extraordinary sell out in 2008. This year’s theme is the celebration of art. The Gathering will include 12 of our top certified teachers, more panel discussions with the scholars, music with Shantala, a play lounge with hoop and dance lessons, slack-lines, and visits from our Acro Yogi friends all for delight and artistry. At the Wanderlust Festival this summer, the Merry Band is such an integral part of the festival that we will have an entire area in Squaw Valley dedicated to our community: Village Anusara. This village will be a play-scape with a large adult-sized playground, art installations, and bohemian artists crafts. It will include an exquisite tent with a large practice area and some of our top teachers.

Dancing with the Divine:
The Universal Principles of Anusara Yoga by John Friend

I am thrilled to announce that I am currently engaged with writing my book Dancing with the Divine, The Universal Principles of Anusara Yoga. It is the full articulation of all of our Principles of philosophy and asana alignment. Anusara Press is publishing the first edition in multiple languages – Spanish, Italian, French, German, Mandarin and Japanese to start. The release of my book in 2011 will coincide with a bright expansion of our vision all over the globe, including the Center Stage concept.

Center Stage Concept

We are launching Anusara yoga to a much broader, worldwide audience through the establishment of Center Stage in Southern California. With the creation of a physical center, we will set up video recording to stream live on the web and for media downloads including trainings, workshops, classes, artistic performances, and regular personal communication directly from me. This will help both to weave together our community and to expand our vision all over the world. It has been a long-time dream of mine to have a physical center space for Anusara yoga to offer our teachings to all levels, and that dream will come to fruition this year.

I look forward to dancing through this important threshold with you.

Blessings of Light,

(Posted here with permission from Anusara Inc.)

The Saints won the Super Bowl…
Mardi Gras has come and gone…
We’ve entered the Chinese Year of the Tiger…

NOW it’s time to get off your asana!

March is the month of activity, refinement, and St. Patrick’s Day… a celebration of luck, shamrocks, and beer in various shades of green. With the slow shift towards sunny and warmer spring weather, I’ve noticed the recent reemergence of clovers along my dog walking routes. The shamrock symbolizes the luck of the Irish.

Ever since I was a kid, I have had the uncanny ability to find 4-leaf to 8-leaf clovers, which is considered serendipitous. One would think that as a member of the McCarthy clan, I have been given a double dose of good fortune in my clover hunting. But is it really luck? If you think about it, one finds a 4-leaf clover by purely seeing the shift in pattern amongst typical 3-lobed leaf plants.

Therefore, what is considered to be fortuitous is actually an ability to spot the breaks in the woven fabric of a quilted clover field. Perhaps there’s luck involved. But I see it as an empowering skill to see changes in patterns and shifts in perspective, so that the full spectrum of life can become favorable. This is the alchemizing foundation of the tantric philosophy of Anusara Yoga.

The word “tantra” in Sanskrit means to loom or to weave. Any fracture in the pattern of the weave of your experience is seen as an entry point deeper into yourself, rather than a problem to be fixed. (Note from Katrina – I LOVE this part!)

So when your patterns no longer work and your personal systems become outmoded, shift your perspective and create a new pattern as you reknit yourself from the inside out. Like the color of the triadic shamrock, green is the color of the heart chakra. The inner weaving begins in your emerald heart, designing new patterns from the threads of your body, mind, and spirit.

In Anusara Yoga, there are three clover leaves that meet in a unified center, known as: Attitude, Alignment, and Action.

“Attitude” determines how and where do you place your heart, so that you never lose the bigger perspective on life. “Alignment” refers to how you entwine your mind and your experiential knowledge to skillfully and gracefully move through your day. And with the heart and head in sync, “Action” expresses your intentions with ultimate economy of effort. When you stop short of realizing your aspiration, then it becomes just a great idea. Therefore, these three aspects of yoga provide the perfect trifecta for the successful soul.

During this Lenten season, I invite you to spotlight your heart’s deepest desires. Look for what you want to manifest in your life, rather than what you don’t want. Shift your vision to see the fortuity in every situation, whether welcomed or not. When you focus your energy on and align with your life-affirming intention, then all breakdowns become breakthroughs. It’s the luck of the Irish in action!

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