Spring Sounds of Silence - Days 1-7

 

Sounds of Silence started during the pandemic.  For me it was, and still is a way to connect to others near and far by sitting, reflecting and generating peace.

Here are the videos from this past spring session. I was recording to Facebook at the same time as on Zoom so the quality here isn't great but the audio is fine.  Since most of it is seated quietly I think you can still follow quite easily.  The videos with better quality though are on my Facebook page under videos: @plnyoga

Peace to you,

Pam

Day 1: https://youtu.be/XdNBFkq-Etw

Day 2: https://youtu.be/-7nL63WxEqI

Day 3: https://youtu.be/XUuclpV2twg

Day 4: https://youtu.be/lNHgEwFpnSM

Day 5: https://youtu.be/bXF4Izg6IO8

Day 6: https://youtu.be/6SLt_ddo8kM

Day 7: https://youtu.be/RY7QFd47Ih8

Spring Sounds of Silence - Sit with me in Silence - April 5th - 11th

 

Over this past year I have done a few online sessions called Sounds of Silence.  I felt it could be a great way to build a consistent meditation practice and feel connected to others at the same time. 

Spring Sounds of Silence will be held over 7 evenings on my Facebook page, @plnyoga and I will also be recording over zoom and uploading to my YouTube channel. If you can’t join live you can do at a time that is best for you.

Spring is a time of renewed energy and often an endless to do list. It can become very challenging to maintain a steady mind when we are thinking of so many things and during a pandemic even harder.

Let’s join together and bring our normal awareness, which can be quite cluttered with day to day thoughts to a more meditative awareness. 

If you would prefer to join me via Zoom instead of on my Facebook page please email me: info@plnyogastudio.com

Pam 🌞

Awesome April Playful Challenge

I have read this quote before, “One of the hardest things to do in yoga is unroll your mat.”

April, in North America anyways, shows more signs of spring, light and growth, I thought it would be a great opportunity to incorporate some Sun 🌞 Salutations into your daily or weekly practice.

This is just a playful challenge. Please don’t over do:) as it is more a time to give thanks to the sun for the energy it provides.

 In the videos I have tried to show a few options. If you join it may be helpful to keep a journal of not only the number of sun salutations done but also how your body felt, how the breath felt and what the mind was saying to you:). 

Video 1 - use of wall: https://youtu.be/UPPCXGcIiPQ

Video 2 - use of chair or counter: https://youtu.be/eJljLNLBr-Q

Video 3 - surya namaskar variations: https://youtu.be/fdD5RcQ3ZZA

Thanks for joining me..

If you would like, please let me know how you’re doing, any questions, variations you’ve come up with.

You can also let me know daily, weekly or monthly how many you’ve done and we can have a grand total at the end of April.

🙏🌞Pam 

I also put together this daily journal pages from others I had seen as a way to be more aware of other things I am doing in my day.  Am I getting enough water? How am I feeling? Did I laugh today? 

   

 

These are a few of my Favorite Things - 1 year after lockdown

 

This post is not in any way meant to make light of this situation or to the people who have lost their lives or those who are ill from the virus.  I have great respect for the healthcare workers for working so hard to keep everyone as safe as possible.  The list of people I have much appreciation for who have been out working in the public since the pandemic began is long and to the people who have stayed home as much as possible to help stop the spread of the virus.  

I really debated if I should even make a post but I have been reflecting back and thought I would highlight some of the positive things for me from this past year.

-------------------------

It has been a year since the Covid-19 virus was declared a pandemic and the world as we knew it changed. We are told that change is inevitable. I know I heard growing up that the only things we can be sure of in life is death and taxes..so the fact change came should not be a surprise, but it was.  I think at this time a year ago the most shocking thing for me for a few days was that my son would be home from school, not for a few weeks, but the rest of the school year.  WHAT? 😆Now, a year later we have adjusted to this new normal.  That is the amazing thing about not only humans, but really through history, all living things, animals and plants, is that they are adaptable.  As a kid I remember thinking how amazing a tiny seed could grow in the most inhospitable conditions sometimes.  In school learning about adaptation in plants and animals so that they could become fitted to their environment was also amazing.  So the fact that we overall have adapted the best we could to the circumstances is telling us that we are amazing.  

My last in-person yoga class was on March 16th.  I really can't believe it has been almost a year.  At that time, call it mother's intuition..or fear, I headed to Edmonton to pick up my daughter from the dorm. Two days later the dorms closed.  What an eerie trip that was.  

Both my girls moved home..our house was full once more. We haven't all lived together for about 5 years.  It was different, wasn't always smooth, but I wouldn't trade it.  To have that time together, if only for a few months was special.  

Then they both moved to B.C. 😊 - My oldest daughter moved for a job as she graduated from the University of Saskatchewan during the pandemic. A home graduation was a bit underwhelming for her I think but I'm glad we could still have a few people in the house at that time.  My other daughter moved for University.  I feel fortunate I was able to do the road trip out with her stopping in a few beautiful places along the way.

I got to hang out with my son more then I probably would have under normal circumstances which again is something I am really thankful for.

Some of my other favorite things:

- being able to continue online classes.  I am so appreciative to have people who wanted to continue yoga online.  I really know it helped to keep me grounded and connected.

- Netflix of course 😃 - I won't list all the shows watched...

- Great podcasts - It actually is really overwhelming how many great podcasts there are. Here are a few I've been listening to - Under the Influence, We Regret to Inform You, Cal Newport, Lex Fridman, Andrew Huberman, The Miami Chronicles, The David Suzuki Podcast, The Vinyl Cafe, Our Fake History, Alone Together...

 - Online classes from many Iyengar teachers around the world that I would not have had the opportunity to travel and learn from.  

- Other great online educators 

- Walking and skiing around our property 

- coffee with the few people in my bubble

- how amazing and creative some people were over the past pandemic year 

- Reading and Yogi book club meetings

- Outside yoga classes in the summer for charitable organizations

- Although in my head I thought I would accomplish so much more than I did, I do feel I was able to be creative still in my online classes and some of the offerings.  I am really happy I could offer many free classes and classes by donation to support others.

Some of my favorites: Sit with me in Silence, Heart Happy Class, Sunday Peace Practice, Solstice classes (summer and winter), Yogi book club, Weekly Wake-up...just a few on top of the regular schedule.

Anyway, I'm sure I could think of more and expand on some of the things I did mention, but I will leave it as is for now.  

I would love to hear about some of the things that helped you through this past year.

Peace and good health to you and your families,

Pam

New Class !! Based on B.K.S. Iyengar's book - Yoga for Sports: A Journey Towards Health and Healing

 

New Class !! 

Based on B.K.S. Iyengar's book - Yoga for Sports: A Journey Towards Health and Healing

I grew up participating in a variety of dance and sports activities.  I love moving, and found through yoga that mindfulness in movement has brought me more health and healing, physically, mentally, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually.  I started practicing yoga when I was around 21 as a way to "become more flexible", but found it helped me in more ways then I can count. My gratitude to this practice, to the teachers who have passed down the teachings, to B.K.S. Iyengar and his family, and to the many wonderful and supportive teachers, mentors and friends I have made through this journey is endless. 

I have always thought yoga complemented so many other conditioning programs as a way to find inner balance and contentment that when this book came out I was very excited to read it. 

From the book:

All around or 'holistic fitness' means acquiring a judicious combination of physical qualities such as flexibility, speed, agility, stamina, endurance, strength, power; mental characteristics of motivation, focus, concentration and alertness. The emotional quality to withstand and be unaffected by adversities and an ability to adapt to all situations and finally, the temperament to be disciplined to work as a team.

This series of classes is based on this book and I hope will be a great start to incorporating yoga into your conditioning program and your life.

We will start as a 6 week session online via Zoom. You are not required to have the book, but it can be a great addition to your reference library.  

Some sessions will focus more on the speed, agility and endurance aspect, while others will be more on relaxation, recuperation, treatment for common injuries, and ways to lift the emotional centre. 

If you are interested in joining this class please email me at: info@plnyogastudio.com

Please pass along to others who may also be interested.  As things start to open up again I hope this program can be added to other clubs and groups as a way to connect inward and with teammates.

Saturday's - April 10th - May 15th 

Time: 10:30-11:45 a.m. CST

Only $76 (includes gst)

Here are a few Weekly Wake-up session I have posted on my YouTube channel:  

https://youtu.be/z9O95E0bedc

https://youtu.be/X_XZTUB75sI

Thank you!
Pamela Nelson

CIYT, Level 3

Bringing Yoga to Life - Chapter 11 - Effort and Surrender

 

Bringing Yoga to Life: The Everyday Practice of Enlightened Living 

By: Donna Farhi

Chapter 11: Effort and Surrender 

In this chapter Donna gives many great examples of the balance of effort and surrender. Life in itself is a balance...A fine balance..our bodies, our families, our ecosystems, etc.

A life lived in balance is not an easy endeavor and starting a yoga practice, or anything new will at first throw off whatever sort of balance we thought was there as it will take an effort. 

According to Patanjali (translation from Edwin  Bryant's -The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali)

Sutra 1.2: Yoga is the stilling of the changing states of mind

Sutra 1.3: When that is accomplished, the seer abides in its own true nature.

Seems easy:)

but sometimes

Sutra 1.4: the seer is absorbed in the changing states of the mind.

Sutra 1.5: There are 5 kinds of changing states of mind, and they are either detrimental or non detrimental (to the practice of yoga).

Sutra 1.12: The vrtti states of mind are stilled by practice and dispassion.  

To me this means Effort and Surrender

Sutra 1.13: Practice is the effort to be fixed in concentrating the mind.

and 

Sutra: 1.14: Practice becomes firmly established when it has been cultivated uninterruptedly and with devotion over a prolonged period of time.

Sutra 1.15: Dispassion is the controlled consciousness of one who is without craving for sense objects, whether these are actually perceived, or described.

So right off we know that the path of yoga will take not only Effortful effort, also a large amount and willingness to let go. Donna writes,"No matter how clever we are, we cannot leapfrog over this initial period in which we may be all fingers and toes. In the long term view of life practice we must still use effort, but our effort will be of a different kind." After that initial period of effort, "we can accomplish nothing more through effort. Through effort we come to step into a stream that can carry us.When we begin to let this current carry us, gradually the person who is making the effort needs to take a backseat. At this juncture we spontaneously shift from an 'effort to be' to effortless being."

In Anthony DeMello's book, The Way To Love, he writes on effort.  He writes,"Effort can change behavior, it can not change you.  Think of this: Effort can put food in your mouth, it cannot produce an appetite;it can keep you in bed, it cannot produce sleep; effort can perform acts of service, it is powerless to produce love or holiness." Change is only brought about by awareness and understanding.

I don't like to just re write what the author has written much better then I can. I highly recommend reading this book.  I'll end with one last bit..that I think sums up effort and surrender for those that know the asana Savasana. "Now look back at the times when your practice of Savasana was deep and refreshing. If you have ever carefully made note of this, you may have seen a connection to the effort during the practice that preceded Savasana."  "If the mind has been exercised through one-pointed concentration throughout the practice, the mind then readily welcomes the opportunity to take a backseat." "Here we can see that effort and surrender are mutually dependent states."

Wishing you that effortless effort that yoga can bring to our lives.

Peace,

Pam 

www.plnyogastudio.com

CIYT, Level 3