Day 31,32,33,34,35 - Vegetarianism and Yoga

Day 31,32,33,34,35 (Week 5)

I did horrible this week you guys. I ended up getting about 2 home-practices in and it was not enough. But this was one of the defining moments of my diet helping me get through. I can blame about 80% of it on work, but 20% was just me. It honestly bothers me so much when I can't get on my mat, it's almost to a point of OCD right now (which is what I'm aiming for, let's be honest). I need. I crave. I want.

Points of redemption when I can't get my daily practice is my diet and an added effort to control my thoughts. I know the fluctuations of the mind are so much more intense on days where I haven't practiced but I made a great effort to control my diet and it worked. Green veggies and lots of water go a long long way. For the most part, just saying I'm "vegetarian" does the trick. I get judged and then left alone.

I just got through Friday morning led class with Nea and it was painful!!! I mean physical actual ouch. My mind is on a whole new level though. I can't wait to have a good week back!!

On that note - I am still waiting for the Christmas spirit to set in!!!

Day 22, 23 and 24 - Samskaras

Day 22:Shitty Practice 

Day 23

Friday morning led class with Nea followed by Yoga Sutras - it was interesting. The topic at hand was:

samskara 

= deep impressions,

 imprints in the unconscious

, deepest habits,

 subliminal activators,

 traces

(positive/negative)

Ashtanga yoga is such a deeply meditative practice that you would pretty much be working out your negative samskaras as you go deeper into the practice. I know I'm preaching to the choir right now, but if you want to learn more about this : Read Kino McGregor's article here.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone :)

Day 24

Morning practice with Tonya,  followed by lunch and beach with an old family friend who's in town. I love living in a city by the beach.

Namaste xo.

Day 16 - Never Give Up / Always Let Go.

Day 16

Thought-streams are controlled by practice and non-attachment.

Patanjali's Yoga Sutras say that practice is the effort to secure steadiness. So this may be through any form, yoga, meditation, breathing, etc. It is not necessarily 2 hours of Ashtanga primary or half primary every day. But that is what it is for me. A solid half primary practice - that is what brings my steadiness. And yes, I am attached to it. I am on a quest to be devoted to it, without interruption, over a long period of time.

Yesterday, I missed my practice and I was upset about it. But today, after a nice, sweaty, Friday morning practice followed by studying Yoga Sutras with Tonya and Nea - I feel much better.  My practice is the EFFORT to secure steadiness. It will always be an effort to get on the mat (some days more than others). And it will and should always be an effort to practice non attachment. We are all human, we are attached to places, people, things, shoes, lululemon, lovers, etc - we need this to keep us human. But in the end, we need to stop looking for an outcome or expected result. That's where we fuck up.

So yeah, to sum it up:

Give it your everything but expect nothing.

Never give up, but always let go.



Namaste x

Sheikh Zayed Road after the storm  is actually kinda gorgeous.

Day 12 - Meatless Monday & Ahimsa

Day 12
(Ok whatever, I'm counting moon days. Say something!)

I made it in to mysore this morning! Hallelujah! and I was having a super productive morning, drinking ample amounts of water and other healthy liquids. Everything was going great until I discovered my dutty food court soup had chicken in it! I knew I shouldn't have trusted the food court lady :(

I've been vegetarian for about a year now, and I have to say - it feels like one of the best decisions I have made in my adult life. However, I'm not a super anal vegetarian yet - I eat fish from time to time and I still indulge in meat-based gravies with simple ignorance. So... really, I'm not vegetarian! But I DO think about my food and the practice of "Ahimsa". Do you?

But here's my philosophy; one step at a time - we all gotta start somewhere. As long as we have the right intention, we're on the right path.

Namaste! x



This is me every time I make it in to Mysore. (which is supposed to be every day)